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{{Short description|1777 battle of the American Revolutionary War}} {{Short description|1777 engagement of the American Revolutionary War}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox military conflict {{Infobox military conflict
|conflict = Battle of Oriskany |conflict = Battle of Oriskany
|partof = the ] |partof = the ] of the ]
|image = Herkimer at oriskany.jpg |image = Herkimer at oriskany.jpg
|image_size = 300 |image_size = 300
|caption = ''] at the Battle of Oriskany'' <br /> Painting by ], {{circa|1901}}<ref name="Dieffenbacher12">Dieffenbacher, p. 12</ref> |caption = ''] at the Battle of Oriskany'' <br /> Painting by ], {{circa|1901}}<ref name="Dieffenbacher12">Dieffenbacher, p. 12</ref>
|date = August 6, 1777 |date = Wednesday, August 6, 1777
|place = near ] |place = near ]
|coordinates = {{coord|43|10|38|N|75|22|10|W|region:US-NY_type:event|display=inline,title}} |coordinates = {{coord|43|10|38|N|75|22|10|W|region:US-NY_type:event|display=inline,title}}
|result = British victory |result = British victory
|combatant1 = {{flagcountry|United States|1777}} <br /> ] |combatant1 = {{flagcountry|United States|1777}} <br /> ]
|combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Great Britain}} <br /> {{flagicon image|Flag of Hesse.svg}} ] <br /> ] <br /> ] <br />] <br />] <br />] |combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Great Britain}} <br /> {{flagicon image|Flag of Hesse.svg}} ] <br /> ] <br /> ] <br />] <br />] <br /> ]
|commander1 = {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]{{KIA}} <br /> {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ] |commander1 = {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]{{DOW}} <br /> {{flagicon|United States|1777}} ]
|commander2 = {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} ] <br /> ] <br /> ] <br />] |commander2 = {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} ] <br /> {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} ] <br /> ] <br /> ] <br />]
|strength1 = 640–720 militia <br /> 60–100 Oneida<ref name="GlatthaarUSStrength">Figures obtained from ], pp. 160, 356. He notes on p. 356 that 10–20% of Herkimer's column falls out before reaching the battlefield. The Oneida figures are his estimate, based in part on oral tradition, and include at least one ], Louis Atayataronghta (see battle description for quote).</ref> |strength1 = 640–720 militia <br /> 60–100 Oneida<ref name="GlatthaarUSStrength">Figures obtained from ], pp. 160, 356. He notes on p. 356 that 10–20% of Herkimer's column falls out before reaching the battlefield. The Oneida figures are his estimate, based in part on oral tradition, and include at least one ], Louis Atayataronghta (see battle description for quote).</ref>
|strength2 = 500 Regulars, Provincials and Indigenous<ref name="Glatthaar164"/> |strength2 = 500 regulars and Indians<ref name="Glatthaar164"/>
|casualties1 = 385 killed <br /> 50 wounded <br /> 30 captured<ref name="Watt316_20">] pp. 316–320</ref> |casualties1 = 385 killed <br /> 50 wounded <br /> 30 captured<ref name="Watt316_20">] pp. 316–320</ref>
|casualties2 = 7 non-Indigenous killed <br /> 21 non-Indigenous wounded, missing, or captured <br /> 65 Indigenous killed or wounded<ref name="Watt194">], p. 194</ref> |casualties2 = 7 regulars killed <br /> 21 regulars wounded, missing, or captured <br /> 65 Indians killed or wounded<ref name="Watt194">], p. 194</ref>
|campaignbox = {{Campaignbox American Revolutionary War: Saratoga campaign}} |campaignbox = {{Campaignbox American Revolutionary War: Saratoga campaign}}
}} }}


The '''Battle of Oriskany''' ({{IPAc-en|ɔːr|ˈ|ɪ|s|k|ə|n|iː}} or {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|r|ɪ|s|k|ə|n|iː}}) was a significant engagement of the ] of the ], and one of the bloodiest battles in the conflict between ] and those loyal to ]. On August 6, 1777, several hundred of Britain's Indigenous allies, accompanied by ] of the ] (Royal Yorkers) and the ], ambushed a Patriot militia column which was marching to relieve the siege of ]. This was one of the few battles in which the majority of the participants were American colonists. Patriots and allied ] fought against Loyalists and allied ] and ]. No British regular soldiers were involved. However, a detachment of ]s, was present. The '''Battle of Oriskany''' ({{IPAc-en|ɔːr|ˈ|ɪ|s|k|ə|n|iː}} or {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|r|ɪ|s|k|ə|n|iː}}) was a major engagement of the ] during the ]. On August 6, 1777, an American column of ] and ] marching to relieve the ] was ambushed by a contingent of Britain's Indigenous allies and ]. It was one of the few battles of the war in which most non-Indigenous participants were settlers born in the ]. The Americans suffered heavy casualties during the battle.


The Patriot relief column came up the ] under the command of Brigadier General ] and initially numbered about 800 men of the ], plus a party of 60 to 100 Oneida warriors.<ref name="GlatthaarUSStrength" /> British commander Brigadier General ] authorized an intercepting force of about 500 men under the command of Lieutenant Colonel ]. Most of Johnson's force were ], ], ], ] and Mississauga warriors led by ], Cornplanter, and ]. Under the command of Brigadier-General ], the American relief column came up the ] and initially consisted of approximately 800 militiamen and between 60 and 100 Oneida warriors. In response to news of the column's advance, Brigadier-General ] dispatched a force of roughly 500 men under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel ] to intercept them. Most of Johnson's force were ], ], ], ] and ] warriors led by ], ], and ].


The Indigenous and Loyalist force ambushed Herkimer's column in a small valley about six miles (10&nbsp;km) east of Fort Stanwix, near the Oneida village of ]. Herkimer was mortally wounded. The Loyalist victory cost the Patriots approximately 465 dead, wounded or captured, versus just over 90 casualties. Subsequently, Iroquois morale was damaged when they discovered a sortie from Fort Stanwix had attacked their camp during the battle. Johnson's men successfully ambushed Herkimer's column in a small valley about {{convert|6|mi|km}} east of Fort Stanwix, near the Oneida village of ]. The British victory cost the Americans approximately 465 dead, wounded, or captured, while Johnson's force suffered only 93 men killed, wounded or captured. Herkimer was also mortally wounded. The morale of Britain's Indigenous allies was damaged when they discovered that an American sortie from Fort Stanwix had looted their camp during the battle. This was a contributing factor in Leger's decision to abandon the siege two weeks later.


The battle also marked the beginning of a war among the Iroquois, as Oneida warriors under ] (Joseph Lewis Cook) and ] allied with the Patriot cause, as did the ]. The Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga and Onondaga allied with the British. Each tribe was highly decentralized, and there were internal divisions among bands of the Oneida, some of whom became allies of the British. The site is known in Iroquois oral histories as "A Place of Great Sadness."<ref name="sadness">], p. 93.</ref> The site has been designated a National Historic Landmark; it is marked by a battle monument at the ]. The battle also marked the beginning of a ] among the ], as Oneida warriors under ] and ] aligned with the ], as did the ]. As the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga were allied to the ], this resulted in incidents of armed conflict between the two factions. The battle's location is known in Iroquois oral histories as "A Place of Great Sadness", and has been designated as a ] along with being marked by a monument at the ].


== Background == == Background ==
{{Further|Saratoga campaign|Siege of Fort Stanwix}} {{Further|Saratoga campaign|Siege of Fort Stanwix}}


In June 1777, the ] launched a two-pronged attack from ] under the command of General ]. Burgoyne's objective was to split ] from the other colonies by gaining control of ]'s ]. The main thrust came south across ] under Burgoyne's command; the second thrust was led by St. Leger and was intended to come down the ] and meet Burgoyne's army near ].<ref name="K84">Ketchum (1997), p. 84</ref> In June 1777, the ] launched a two-pronged attack from ] under the command of General ]. Burgoyne's objective was to split ] from the other colonies by gaining control of ]'s ]. The main thrust came south across ] under Burgoyne's command; the second thrust was led by St. Leger and was intended to come down the ] and meet Burgoyne's army near ].<ref name="K84">Ketchum (1997), p. 84</ref>


St. Leger's expedition consisted of about 1,800 men who were a mix of British regulars, ], Loyalists from the Royal Yorkers and the British Indian Department, and Indigenous warriors of several tribes, including the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Mohawk, and Mississauga. The main body travelled from ] up the ] and along the shore of ] to the ]. At Oswega they were joined by British Indian Department rangers from ] under the command of Deputy Superintendent John Butler, and several hundred Indigenous warriors. St. Leger's expedition consisted of about 1,800 men who were a mix of British regulars, ], Loyalists from the Royal Yorkers and the British Indian Department, and Indigenous warriors of several tribes, including the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Mohawk, and Mississauga. The main body travelled from ] up the ] and along the shore of ] to the ]. At Oswega they were joined by ] rangers from ] under the command of Deputy Superintendent John Butler, and several hundred Indigenous warriors. The expedition ascended the Oswego River and crossed Oneida Lake to reach the ]. Fort Stanwix, a ] outpost at the east end of the portage was ] beginning August 2.<ref name="Nickerson195_9">Nickerson (1967), pp. 195–199</ref>

The expedition ascended the Oswego River and crossed Oneida Lake to reach the ]. Fort Stanwix, a ] outpost at the east end of the portage was ] beginning August 2.<ref name="Nickerson195_9">Nickerson (1967), pp. 195–199</ref>


==Prelude== ==Prelude==
]'s ] head ] was warned of a possible British attack along the ], and he issued a proclamation on July 17 warning of possible military activity and urging the people to respond if needed.<ref name=" Glatthaar159_60">Glatthaar (2006), pp. 159–160</ref> Oneida allies warned him on July 30 that the British were just four days from Fort Stanwix, and he put out a call-to-arms. The force raised totaled 800 from the ] composed primarily of poorly trained farmers who were chiefly of ] descent. They set out on August 4 and camped near the Oneida village of Oriska on August 5. A number of the militia dropped out of the column due to their lack of conditioning, but Herkimer's forces were augmented by a company of 60 to 100 Oneida warriors led by Han Yerry, a strong supporter of the Patriot cause.<ref name="Glatthaar160">Glatthaar (2006), p. 160</ref> That evening, Herkimer sent three men toward the fort with messages for the fort's commander Colonel ]. Gansevoort was to signal the receipt of the message with three cannon shots and then ] to meet the approaching column.<ref name=" Glatthaar160"/> The couriers, however, had difficulty getting through British lines, and they did not deliver the message until late the next morning, after the battle was already underway.<ref name="Glatthaar161">], p. 161</ref> ]'s ] head ] was warned of a possible British attack along the ], and he issued a proclamation on July 17 warning of possible military activity and urging the people to respond if needed.<ref name=" Glatthaar159_60">Glatthaar (2006), pp. 159–160</ref> Oneida allies warned him on July 30 that the British were just four days from Fort Stanwix, and he put out a call-to-arms. The force raised totaled 800 from the ] composed primarily of poorly trained farmers who were chiefly of ] descent. They set out from ] on August 4 and camped near the Oneida village of Oriska on August 5. A number of the militia dropped out of the column due to their lack of conditioning, but Herkimer's forces were augmented by a company of 60 to 100 Oneida warriors led by Han Yerry, a strong supporter of the Patriot cause.<ref name="Glatthaar160">Glatthaar (2006), p. 160</ref> That evening, Herkimer sent three men toward the fort with messages for the fort's commander Colonel ]. Gansevoort was to signal the receipt of the message with three cannon shots and then ] to meet the approaching column.<ref name=" Glatthaar160"/> The couriers, however, had difficulty getting through British lines, and they did not deliver the message until late the next morning, after the battle was already underway.<ref name="Glatthaar161">], p. 161</ref>
], New York]] ], New York]]


St. Leger learned on August 5 that Herkimer and his relief expedition were on their way from a messenger that ] had sent to her brother ], the ] leader who led a portion of St. Leger's Indigenous contingent.<ref name="Glatthaar163">Glatthaar (2006), p. 163</ref> St. Leger sent a detachment of light infantry from Sir John Johnson's Royal Yorkers toward the position that evening to monitor Herkimer's position, and Brant and Butler followed early the next morning with about 400 Indigenous warriors and Indian Department rangers. Many of the warriors were armed with muskets, while others carried only tomahawks and spears.<ref name="Glatthaar164">Glatthaar (2006), p. 164</ref> St. Leger learned on August 5 that Herkimer and his relief expedition were on their way from a message that ] had sent to her brother ], the ] leader who led a portion of St. Leger's Indigenous contingent.<ref name="Glatthaar163">Glatthaar (2006), p. 163</ref> St. Leger sent a detachment of light infantry from Sir John Johnson's Royal Yorkers towards Oriska that evening to monitor Herkimer's advance, and Brant and Butler followed early the next morning with about 400 Indigenous warriors and Indian Department rangers. Many of the warriors were armed with muskets, however, others carried only tomahawks and spears.<ref name="Glatthaar164">Glatthaar (2006), p. 164</ref>


==Battle== ==Battle==
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===Loyalists=== ===Loyalists===

In September 1777, John Butler of the British Indian Department was authorized to raise a provincial regiment that became known as ].<ref name="Bowler">Bowler (2000)</ref> British Indian Department rangers who had fought at Oriskany formed the core of this regiment. After the siege was lifted, many of the Loyalist soldiers returned to Fort Niagara or Montreal, while others joined Burgoyne's campaign on the Hudson, including numerous warriors from various tribes.<ref name=Watt269>Watt (2002), p. 269</ref> In September 1777, Butler, a ] official, was authorized to raise a Loyalist military unit which became known as ].<ref name="Bowler">Bowler (2000)</ref> Indian Department rangers who had fought at Oriskany formed the core of this regiment. After the siege was lifted, many of the Loyalist soldiers returned to Fort Niagara or Montreal, while others joined Burgoyne's campaign on the Hudson, including numerous warriors from various tribes.<ref name=Watt269>Watt (2002), p. 269</ref>


===Iroquois=== ===Iroquois===

Brant and Seneca chief ] proposed the next day to continue the fighting by pursuing the Patriots downriver toward ], but St. Leger turned them down.<ref name=" Kelsay208">Kelsay (1984), p. 208</ref> This battle marked the beginning of a war among the tribes in the Iroquois Confederacy, as it was the first time that they had fought against one other. The Mohawks, Senecas, Cayugas, and Onondagas were allied with the British, as were some Oneidas, and the Iroquois in St. Leger's camp met in council and decided to send the Patriot-allied Oneidas a bloody hatchet.<ref name=" Watt196"/> Brant's Mohawks raided and burned the Oneida settlement of Oriska later in the siege. In retaliation, the Oneidas plundered the Mohawk strongholds of Tiononderoge and Canajoharie. They later raided the Fort Hunter Mohawks, prompting most of the remaining Mohawks in central New York to flee to Quebec.<ref name="Glatthaar177">Glatthaar (2006), p. 177</ref> Brant and Seneca chief ] proposed the next day to continue the fighting by pursuing the Patriots downriver toward ], but St. Leger turned them down.<ref name=" Kelsay208">Kelsay (1984), p. 208</ref> This battle marked the beginning of a war among the tribes in the Iroquois Confederacy, as it was the first time that they had fought against one other. The Mohawks, Senecas, Cayugas, and Onondagas were allied with the British, as were some Oneidas, and the Iroquois in St. Leger's camp met in council and decided to send the Patriot-allied Oneidas a bloody hatchet.<ref name=" Watt196"/> Brant's Mohawks raided and burned the Oneida settlement of Oriska later in the siege. In retaliation, the Oneidas plundered the Mohawk strongholds of Tiononderoge and Canajoharie. They later raided the Fort Hunter Mohawks, prompting most of the remaining Mohawks in central New York to flee to Quebec.<ref name="Glatthaar177">Glatthaar (2006), p. 177</ref>


A number of Patriots were taken prisoner by Indigenous warriors during the battle. While many of these captives were turned over to the British, some were tortured and killed.<ref name="Graymont139">Graymont (1972) p. 139</ref> In his account of the battle, Patriot prisoner Dr. Moses Younglove accused the British and Loyalists of aiding and abetting the murders, and claimed "the savages" ate two of the prisoners.<ref name="Stone459_60">Stone (1865), pp. 459–460</ref> Canadian historian Gavin Watt, however, has debunked these claims, describing them as "highly coloured" as well as being "extremely suspect."<ref name="Watt275">Watt (2002), pp. 275–276, 376</ref>
Patriot prisoner Dr. Moses Younglove claimed that Britain's Indigenous allies tortured some of their prisoners.<ref name="Stone459_60">Stone (1865), pp. 459–460</ref>


===Assessment=== ===Assessment===
The battle was one of the bloodiest of the war, based on the percentage of casualties suffered.<ref>], p. 57</ref> About half of Herkimer's force were killed or wounded, as were about 15 percent of the Loyalist force.<ref name="Watt316_20"/><ref name="Watt194"/> The battle was a victory for St. Leger because he stopped the Patriot relief column. However, the Patriots retained control of the battlefield{{explain|date=August 2023}} after the withdrawal of the opposing force.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} The battle was one of the bloodiest of the war, based on the percentage of casualties suffered.<ref>], p. 57</ref> About half of Herkimer's force were killed or wounded, as were about 15 percent of the Loyalist force.<ref name="Watt316_20"/><ref name="Watt194"/> The battle may be considered a success for St. Leger because he stopped the Patriot relief column. However, the remnants of the Patriot force remained present on the battlefield after the withdrawal of the Loyalist force when news spread of the sortie against the indigenous camps. News of the Sortie may have averted the complete destruction of Herkimer's force.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}


The British success was tempered by discontent of their indigenous allies after the battle. When they joined the expedition, they expected British forces would do most of the fighting. However, they were the dominant fighters in this action, and some suffered the loss of their personal belongings taken during the Patriot sortie from the fort. This blow to their morale contributed to the eventual failure of St. Leger's expedition.<ref name=" Nickerson211">], p. 211</ref> The British success was tempered by discontent of their indigenous allies after the battle. When they joined the expedition, they expected British forces would do most of the fighting. However, they were the dominant fighters in this action, and some suffered the loss of their personal belongings taken during the Patriot sortie from the fort. This blow to their morale contributed to the eventual failure of St. Leger's expedition.<ref name=" Nickerson211">], p. 211</ref>
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==Legacy== ==Legacy==
] ]

In an interview many years afterwards, ] recalled how he "thought at that time the Blood Shed a Stream running down on the {{sic|dec|ending}} ground."<ref name="Watt177">], p. 177</ref> In an interview many years afterwards, ] recalled how he "thought at that time the Blood Shed a Stream running down on the {{sic|dec|ending}} ground."<ref name="Watt177">], p. 177</ref> The battle's location is known in Iroquois oral histories as "A Place of Great Sadness."<ref name="sadness">], p. 93.</ref>


A monument was erected in 1883 to commemorate the battle at 43° 10.6′N 75° 22.2′W,<ref>{{cite web |title=Here the Battle of Oriskany Was Fought |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=32119 |website=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> and much of the battlefield is now preserved in the ]. The site was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1962,<ref name="nhlsum">]</ref> and added to the ] in 1966.<ref name="nris">]</ref> The town of ] and ] were named in Herkimer's honor.<ref>], p. 164</ref> The battle was honored by the name of aircraft carrier {{USS|Oriskany|CV-34|6}}, launched in 1945,<ref>]</ref> now an artificial reef,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/2016/04/24/10-years-later-orkisany-reef-international-dive-destination/82957574/ |title=Oriskany: 10 years as 'The Great Carrier Reef' |website=Pensacola News Journal |language=en |access-date=August 6, 2019 |archive-date=August 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804194125/https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/2016/04/24/10-years-later-orkisany-reef-international-dive-destination/82957574/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and also by the issuance of a postage stamp in 1977.<ref>Battle of Oriskany bicentennial stamp, 1977 https://i.unisquare.com/img/main/1/1/3/097ac61a555fa89132cd6562u.jpeg {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806180130/https://i.unisquare.com/img/main/1/1/3/097ac61a555fa89132cd6562u.jpeg |date=August 6, 2018 }}</ref> A monument was erected in 1883 to commemorate the battle at 43° 10.6′N 75° 22.2′W,<ref>{{cite web |title=Here the Battle of Oriskany Was Fought |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=32119 |website=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> and much of the battlefield is now preserved in the ]. The site was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1962,<ref name="nhlsum">]</ref> and added to the ] in 1966.<ref name="nris">]</ref> The town of ] and ] were named in Herkimer's honor.<ref>], p. 164</ref> The battle was honored by the name of aircraft carrier {{USS|Oriskany|CV-34|6}}, launched in 1945,<ref>]</ref> now an artificial reef,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/2016/04/24/10-years-later-orkisany-reef-international-dive-destination/82957574/ |title=Oriskany: 10 years as 'The Great Carrier Reef' |website=Pensacola News Journal |language=en |access-date=August 6, 2019 |archive-date=August 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804194125/https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/2016/04/24/10-years-later-orkisany-reef-international-dive-destination/82957574/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and also by the issuance of a postage stamp in 1977.<ref>Battle of Oriskany bicentennial stamp, 1977 https://i.unisquare.com/img/main/1/1/3/097ac61a555fa89132cd6562u.jpeg {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806180130/https://i.unisquare.com/img/main/1/1/3/097ac61a555fa89132cd6562u.jpeg |date=August 6, 2018 }}</ref>
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* A fictional character in ], a 1936 novel by ], was based on ], one of Herkimer's messengers. * A fictional character in ], a 1936 novel by ], was based on ], one of Herkimer's messengers.
*], a Colonel *], a Colonel
*] *]


== Footnotes == == Footnotes ==
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*{{cite book |url=http://www.nps.gov/fost/historyculture/upload/oriskany_report.pdf |first=Joy |last=Bilharz |title=Oriskany: A Place of Great Sadness/ A Mohawk Valley Battlefield Ethnography |publisher=National Park Service |date=February 2009 |access-date=August 21, 2016 |oclc=464237289 |archive-date=September 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926185300/http://www.nps.gov/fost/historyculture/upload/oriskany_report.pdf |url-status=live }} *{{cite book |url=http://www.nps.gov/fost/historyculture/upload/oriskany_report.pdf |first=Joy |last=Bilharz |title=Oriskany: A Place of Great Sadness/ A Mohawk Valley Battlefield Ethnography |publisher=National Park Service |date=February 2009 |access-date=August 21, 2016 |oclc=464237289 |archive-date=September 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926185300/http://www.nps.gov/fost/historyculture/upload/oriskany_report.pdf |url-status=live }}
*{{cite DCB |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/butler_john_1796_4E.html |title=Butler, John |volume=4 |first=R. Arthur |last=Bowler |last2=Wilson |first2=Bruce G. |ref=Bowler |access-date=February 17, 2010}} *{{cite DCB |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/butler_john_1796_4E.html |title=Butler, John |volume=4 |first=R. Arthur |last=Bowler |last2=Wilson |first2=Bruce G. |ref=Bowler |access-date=February 17, 2010}}
*{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/thingsworthknowi00canf |page= |quote=bloody creek. |title=Things worth knowing about Oneida County |first1=William Walker |last1=Canfield |ref=Canfield |last2=Clark |first2=J. E. |year=1909 |publisher=T. J. Griffiths |location=Utica, New York |oclc=6674932 }} *{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/thingsworthknowi00canf |page= |quote=bloody creek. |title=Things worth knowing about Oneida County |first1=William Walker |last1=Canfield |ref=Canfield |last2=Clark |first2=J. E. |year=1909 |publisher=T.J. Griffiths |location=Utica, New York |oclc=6674932 }}
*{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WtwTAAAAYAAJ&q=oriskany+1884&pg=PA340 |first=Henry J. |last=Cookinham |chapter=The Battle of Oriskany |title=Proceedings of the New York Historical Association, Volume 14 |ref=NYHS14 |publisher=New York Historical Association |date=1915 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417131223/https://books.google.com/books?id=WtwTAAAAYAAJ&q=oriskany+1884&pg=PA340 |url-status=live }} *{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WtwTAAAAYAAJ&q=oriskany+1884&pg=PA340 |first=Henry J. |last=Cookinham |chapter=The Battle of Oriskany |title=Proceedings of the New York Historical Association, Volume 14 |ref=NYHS14 |publisher=New York Historical Association |date=1915 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417131223/https://books.google.com/books?id=WtwTAAAAYAAJ&q=oriskany+1884&pg=PA340 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |title=The Herkimers and Schuylers: An Historical Sketch of the Two Families |first=Phoebe S. |last=Cowen |date=1903 |publisher=Joel Munsell's Sons |location=Albany, N. Y. |url=https://archive.org/details/herkimersschuyle00cowe/page/n7/mode/2up}} * {{cite book |title=The Herkimers and Schuylers: An Historical Sketch of the Two Families |first=Phoebe S. |last=Cowen |date=1903 |publisher=Joel Munsell's Sons |location=Albany, New York |url=https://archive.org/details/herkimersschuyle00cowe/page/n7/mode/2up}}
*{{cite book |title=Herkimer County: Valley Towns |first=Jane W |last=Dieffenbacher |author2=Herkimer County Historical Society |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-7385-0977-8 |ref=Dieffenbacher |oclc=50147332 |location=Charleston, SC}} *{{cite book |title=Herkimer County: Valley Towns |first=Jane W |last=Dieffenbacher |author2=Herkimer County Historical Society |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-7385-0977-8 |ref=Dieffenbacher |oclc=50147332 |location=Charleston, SC}}
*{{cite book |first=Allan D |last=Foote |title=Liberty March, The Battle of Oriskany |year=1998 |publisher=North Country Books |isbn=0-925168-72-6 |ref=Foote}} *{{cite book |first=Allan D |last=Foote |title=Liberty March, The Battle of Oriskany |year=1998 |publisher=North Country Books |isbn=0-925168-72-6 |ref=Foote}}
*{{cite book |title=Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution |first=Joseph T |last=Glatthaar |author2=Martin, James Kirby |ref=Glatthaar |publisher=Hill and Wang |location=New York |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8090-4601-0 |oclc=63178983 |url=https://archive.org/details/forgottenallieso00jose }} *{{cite book |title=Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution |first=Joseph T |last=Glatthaar |author2=Martin, James Kirby |ref=Glatthaar |publisher=Hill and Wang |location=New York |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8090-4601-0 |oclc=63178983 |url=https://archive.org/details/forgottenallieso00jose }}
*{{Cite book|last=Graymont|first=Barbara|title=The Iroquois in the American Revolution|year=1972|publisher=Syracuse University Press|location=Syracuse, New York|isbn=9780815600831 |url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/iroquoisinameric00gray}}
*{{cite book |first=Nelson |last=Greene |title=History Of The Mohawk Valley, Gateway To The West, 1614–1925 |year=1925 |publisher=Reprint Services Corp |isbn=0-7812-5180-X |ref=Greene}} *{{cite book |first=Nelson |last=Greene |title=History Of The Mohawk Valley, Gateway To The West, 1614–1925 |year=1925 |publisher=Reprint Services Corp |isbn=0-7812-5180-X |ref=Greene}}
*{{cite book |first=Isabel |last=Kelsay |title=Joseph Brant 1743–1807 Man of Two Worlds |year=1984 |isbn=0-8156-0182-4 |ref=Kelsay |publisher=Syracuse University Press |location=Syracuse, NY |url=https://archive.org/details/josephbrant1743100kels }} *{{cite book |first=Isabel |last=Kelsay |title=Joseph Brant 1743–1807 Man of Two Worlds |year=1984 |isbn=0-8156-0182-4 |ref=Kelsay |publisher=Syracuse University Press |location=Syracuse, New York |url=https://archive.org/details/josephbrant1743100kels }}
*{{cite book |first=Alice P |last=Kenney |title=Stubborn for Liberty: The Dutch in New York |year=1975 |publisher=Syracuse University Press |location=Syracuse, NY |isbn=0-8156-0113-1 |ref=Kenney |url=https://archive.org/details/stubbornforliber00kenn }} *{{cite book |first=Alice P |last=Kenney |title=Stubborn for Liberty: The Dutch in New York |year=1975 |publisher=Syracuse University Press |location=Syracuse, New York |isbn=0-8156-0113-1 |ref=Kenney |url=https://archive.org/details/stubbornforliber00kenn }}
*{{cite book |title=Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War |url=https://archive.org/details/saratogaturningp00ketc |url-access=registration |first=Richard M |last=Ketchum |author-link=Richard M. Ketchum |publisher=Henry Holt |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-8050-6123-9 |ref=Ketchum |location=New York |oclc=41397623 }} *{{cite book |title=Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War |url=https://archive.org/details/saratogaturningp00ketc |url-access=registration |first=Richard M |last=Ketchum |author-link=Richard M. Ketchum |publisher=Henry Holt |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-8050-6123-9 |ref=Ketchum |location=New York |oclc=41397623 }}
*{{NRISref|2007a}} *{{NRISref|2007a}}
*{{cite web |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=401&ResourceType=Site |title=Oriskany Battlefield |date=September 11, 2007 |work=National Historic Landmark summary listing |publisher=National Park Service |ref=NHLSUM |access-date=December 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605232233/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=401&ResourceType=Site |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }} *{{cite web |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=401&ResourceType=Site |title=Oriskany Battlefield |date=September 11, 2007 |work=National Historic Landmark summary listing |publisher=National Park Service |ref=NHLSUM |access-date=December 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605232233/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=401&ResourceType=Site |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite DANFS |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o4/oriskany.htm |title=Oriskany |access-date=December 7, 2009 |ref=DANFS}} *{{cite DANFS |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o4/oriskany.htm |title=Oriskany |access-date=December 7, 2009 |ref=DANFS}}
*{{cite book |title=The Turning Point of the Revolution |url=https://archive.org/details/turningpointof01nick |url-access=registration |first=Hoffman |last=Nickerson |publisher=Kennikat |year=1967 |orig-year=1928 |location=Port Washington, NY |oclc=549809 |ref=Nickerson }} *{{cite book |title=The Turning Point of the Revolution |url=https://archive.org/details/turningpointof01nick |url-access=registration |first=Hoffman |last=Nickerson |publisher=Kennikat |year=1967 |orig-year=1928 |location=Port Washington, New York |oclc=549809 |ref=Nickerson }}
*{{cite book |first=William Leete |last=Stone |author-link=William Leete Stone Sr. |title=Life of Joseph Brant |year=1865 |orig-year=1838 |ref=Stone |url=https://archive.org/details/lifejosephbrant07stongoog |publisher=J. Monsell |location=Albany, NY |oclc=3509591 }} *{{cite book |first=William Leete |last=Stone |author-link=William Leete Stone Sr. |title=Life of Joseph Brant |year=1865 |orig-year=1838 |ref=Stone |url=https://archive.org/details/lifejosephbrant07stongoog |publisher=J. Monsell |location=Albany, New York |oclc=3509591 }}
*{{cite book |first=Gavin K |last=Watt |title=Rebellion in the Mohawk Valley: The St. Leger Expedition of 1777 |location=Toronto |publisher=Dundurn |year=2002 |isbn=1-55002-376-4 |oclc=49305965 |ref=Watt}} *{{cite book |first=Gavin K |last=Watt |title=Rebellion in the Mohawk Valley: The St. Leger Expedition of 1777 |location=Toronto |publisher=Dundurn |year=2002 |isbn=1-55002-376-4 |oclc=49305965 |ref=Watt}}
{{Refend}} {{Refend}}
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==Further reading== ==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}} {{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Berleth |first=Richard |title=Bloody Mohawk: the French and Indian War & American Revolution on New York's Frontier |publisher=Black Dome Press |location=Hensonville, NY |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-883789-66-4 |oclc=454376897 |ref=0}} *{{cite book |last=Berleth |first=Richard |title=Bloody Mohawk: the French and Indian War & American Revolution on New York's Frontier |publisher=Black Dome Press |location=Hensonville, New York |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-883789-66-4 |oclc=454376897 |ref=0}}
{{Refend}} {{Refend}}


== External links == == External links ==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Oriskany}} {{EB1911 poster|Oriskany}}
{{Commons category|Battle of Oriskany}} {{Commons category|Battle of Oriskany}}
* *

Latest revision as of 04:32, 1 November 2024

1777 engagement of the American Revolutionary War

Battle of Oriskany
Part of the Saratoga campaign of the American Revolutionary War

Herkimer at the Battle of Oriskany
Painting by Frederick Coffay Yohn, c. 1901
DateWednesday, August 6, 1777
Locationnear Oriskany, New York43°10′38″N 75°22′10″W / 43.17722°N 75.36944°W / 43.17722; -75.36944
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United States
Oneida		  Great Britain
Hesse-Hanau
Mohawk
Seneca
Cayuga
Onondaga
Mississaugas
Commanders and leaders
United States Nicholas Herkimer (DOW)
United States Peter Gansevoort		 Kingdom of Great Britain Sir John Johnson
Kingdom of Great Britain John Butler
Joseph Brant
Cornplanter
Sayenqueraghta
Strength
640–720 militia
60–100 Oneida		 500 regulars and Indians
Casualties and losses
385 killed
50 wounded
30 captured		 7 regulars killed
21 regulars wounded, missing, or captured
65 Indians killed or wounded
Saratoga campaign
1777

The Battle of Oriskany (/ɔːrˈɪskəniː/ or /əˈrɪskəniː/) was a major engagement of the Saratoga campaign during the American Revolutionary War. On August 6, 1777, an American column of Tryon County militia and Oneidas marching to relieve the siege of Fort Stanwix was ambushed by a contingent of Britain's Indigenous allies and Loyalists. It was one of the few battles of the war in which most non-Indigenous participants were settlers born in the Thirteen Colonies. The Americans suffered heavy casualties during the battle.

Under the command of Brigadier-General Nicholas Herkimer, the American relief column came up the Mohawk Valley and initially consisted of approximately 800 militiamen and between 60 and 100 Oneida warriors. In response to news of the column's advance, Brigadier-General Barry St. Leger dispatched a force of roughly 500 men under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Johnson to intercept them. Most of Johnson's force were Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga and Mississaugas warriors led by Sayenqueraghta, Cornplanter, and Joseph Brant.

Johnson's men successfully ambushed Herkimer's column in a small valley about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Fort Stanwix, near the Oneida village of Oriska. The British victory cost the Americans approximately 465 dead, wounded, or captured, while Johnson's force suffered only 93 men killed, wounded or captured. Herkimer was also mortally wounded. The morale of Britain's Indigenous allies was damaged when they discovered that an American sortie from Fort Stanwix had looted their camp during the battle. This was a contributing factor in Leger's decision to abandon the siege two weeks later.

The battle also marked the beginning of a civil war among the Iroquois, as Oneida warriors under Louis Cook and Han Yerry aligned with the Patriot cause, as did the Tuscarora. As the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga were allied to the Loyalist cause, this resulted in incidents of armed conflict between the two factions. The battle's location is known in Iroquois oral histories as "A Place of Great Sadness", and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark along with being marked by a monument at the Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site.

Background

Further information: Saratoga campaign and Siege of Fort Stanwix

In June 1777, the British Army launched a two-pronged attack from Quebec under the command of General John Burgoyne. Burgoyne's objective was to split New England from the other colonies by gaining control of New York's Hudson Valley. The main thrust came south across Lake Champlain under Burgoyne's command; the second thrust was led by St. Leger and was intended to come down the Mohawk Valley and meet Burgoyne's army near Albany.

St. Leger's expedition consisted of about 1,800 men who were a mix of British regulars, Creuzbourg's Jäger Corps, Loyalists from the Royal Yorkers and the British Indian Department, and Indigenous warriors of several tribes, including the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Mohawk, and Mississauga. The main body travelled from Lachine up the Saint Lawrence River and along the shore of Lake Ontario to the Oswego River. At Oswega they were joined by British Indian Department rangers from Fort Niagara under the command of Deputy Superintendent John Butler, and several hundred Indigenous warriors. The expedition ascended the Oswego River and crossed Oneida Lake to reach the Oneida Carry. Fort Stanwix, a Continental Army outpost at the east end of the portage was besieged beginning August 2.

Prelude

Tryon County's Committee of Safety head Nicholas Herkimer was warned of a possible British attack along the Mohawk River, and he issued a proclamation on July 17 warning of possible military activity and urging the people to respond if needed. Oneida allies warned him on July 30 that the British were just four days from Fort Stanwix, and he put out a call-to-arms. The force raised totaled 800 from the Tryon County militia composed primarily of poorly trained farmers who were chiefly of Palatine German descent. They set out from Fort Dayton on August 4 and camped near the Oneida village of Oriska on August 5. A number of the militia dropped out of the column due to their lack of conditioning, but Herkimer's forces were augmented by a company of 60 to 100 Oneida warriors led by Han Yerry, a strong supporter of the Patriot cause. That evening, Herkimer sent three men toward the fort with messages for the fort's commander Colonel Peter Gansevoort. Gansevoort was to signal the receipt of the message with three cannon shots and then sortie to meet the approaching column. The couriers, however, had difficulty getting through British lines, and they did not deliver the message until late the next morning, after the battle was already underway.

The site of the ambush at Bloody Creek, New York

St. Leger learned on August 5 that Herkimer and his relief expedition were on their way from a message that Molly Brant had sent to her brother Joseph Brant, the Mohawk leader who led a portion of St. Leger's Indigenous contingent. St. Leger sent a detachment of light infantry from Sir John Johnson's Royal Yorkers towards Oriska that evening to monitor Herkimer's advance, and Brant and Butler followed early the next morning with about 400 Indigenous warriors and Indian Department rangers. Many of the warriors were armed with muskets, however, others carried only tomahawks and spears.

Battle

Herkimer held a war council on the morning of August 6. He wanted to wait because he had not heard the expected signal from the fort, but his captains pressed him to continue, accusing him of being a Tory because his brother was serving under St. Leger. He was stung by the accusations and relented, ordering the column to march on toward Stanwix.

About six miles (9.6 km) from the fort, the road dipped more than 50 feet (15 m) into a marshy ravine with a stream at the bottom that was about three feet wide. Seneca chiefs Sayenqueraghta and Cornplanter chose this place to set up an ambush; the Royal Yorkers waited behind a nearby rise and the Iroquois concealed themselves on both sides of the ravine. The plan was for the Royal Yorkers to stop the head of the column, after which their Indigenous allies would attack the extended column. At about 10 am, Herkimer's column descended into the ravine, crossed the stream, and began ascending the other side with Herkimer on horseback near the front.

Monument marking the location of the tree to which Herkimer was taken

Contrary to the plan, the Indigenous warriors lying in wait opened fire prematurely, however, the Patriots were taken completely by surprise. Colonel Ebenezer Cox was leading the 1st Regiment (Canajoharie district), and he was shot off his horse and killed in the first volley. Herkimer turned his horse to see the action and was struck by a ball that shattered his leg and killed the horse. Several of his officers carried him to a beech tree and urged him to retire from further danger. He defiantly replied, "I will face the enemy", and calmly sat leaning against the tree smoking a pipe and giving directions and words of encouragement to the men nearby.

The trap had been sprung too early, and portions of the column had not yet entered the ravine. Most of these men panicked and fled; some of the attacking warriors pursued them, resulting in a string of dead and wounded that extended for several miles. Between the loss of the column rear and those killed or wounded in the initial volleys, only about one half of Herkimer's men were still fighting 30 minutes into the battle. Some of the attackers who were not armed with muskets waited for the flash of an opponent's musket fire before rushing to attack with the tomahawk. During the battle, Oneida leader Louis Akiatonharónkwen (Joseph Lewis Cook) shot and killed an enemy warrior whose musket fire was devastatingly accurate, noting that "every time he rises up he kills one of our men".

Herkimer's men eventually rallied, fighting their way out of the ravine to the crest to its west. John Johnson was concerned about the militia's tenacity, so he returned to the British camp and requested some reinforcements from St. Leger, returning with 70 men. A thunderstorm caused a one-hour break in the fighting, during which Herkimer regrouped his militia on the higher ground. He instructed his men to fight in pairs; while one man fired and reloaded, the other waited and then only fired if attacked. They were to keep at least one weapon loaded at all times to reduce the effectiveness of the tomahawk attacks.

Butler took time during the thunderstorm to question some of the captives, and thus learned about the three-cannon signal. Reinforcements from the Royal Yorkers arrived, and Butler convinced them to turn their coats inside out to disguise themselves as a relief party coming from the fort. When the fighting resumed, the Royal Yorkers advanced, but the ruse failed when Patriot Captain Jacob Gardinier recognized the face of a Loyalist neighbor. Close combat continued for some time, often hand-to-hand between men who had been neighbors.

Lt. Col. Marinus Willett, a 1791 portrait by Ralph Earl

Sortie from Fort Stanwix

Herkimer's messengers reached the fort at around 11 a.m., and Colonel Gansevoort organized the requested sortie. Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willett led 250 men from the fort and raided the nearly deserted enemy camps to the south, driving away the few people left in them (including women) and taking four prisoners along the way. They collected blankets and other personal possessions from the indigenous camps, and they also raided John Johnson's camp, taking his letters and other writings.

One of the warriors guarding the camps ran to the battlefield to alert fellow warriors that their camps were being raided. They disengaged with cries of "Oonah, oonah!", the Seneca signal to retire, and headed for the camps to protect their women and possessions. This forced the smaller number of German and Loyalist combatants to also withdraw.

Aftermath

Patriots

Herkimer was seriously wounded and many of his officers were killed, and the battered remnant retreated to Fort Dayton. His men carried him from the battlefield and his leg was amputated, but the operation went poorly and he died on August 16. The indigenous warriors retrieved most of their dead by the following day, but many dead and wounded Patriots were left on the field. Benedict Arnold's relief column marched through several weeks later, and the men were moved by the stench and grisly scene.

Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant, 1776 portrait by George Romney

General Philip Schuyler learned of the retreat from Oriskany and immediately organized additional relief to be sent to the area. Arnold's relief column arrived at Fort Stanwix on August 21, and he sent messengers into the British camp who convinced the British and indigenous besiegers that his force was much larger than it actually was. They abandoned their siege and withdrew.

Loyalists

In September 1777, Butler, a British Indian Department official, was authorized to raise a Loyalist military unit which became known as Butler's Rangers. Indian Department rangers who had fought at Oriskany formed the core of this regiment. After the siege was lifted, many of the Loyalist soldiers returned to Fort Niagara or Montreal, while others joined Burgoyne's campaign on the Hudson, including numerous warriors from various tribes.

Iroquois

Brant and Seneca chief Sayenqueraghta proposed the next day to continue the fighting by pursuing the Patriots downriver toward German Flatts, New York, but St. Leger turned them down. This battle marked the beginning of a war among the tribes in the Iroquois Confederacy, as it was the first time that they had fought against one other. The Mohawks, Senecas, Cayugas, and Onondagas were allied with the British, as were some Oneidas, and the Iroquois in St. Leger's camp met in council and decided to send the Patriot-allied Oneidas a bloody hatchet. Brant's Mohawks raided and burned the Oneida settlement of Oriska later in the siege. In retaliation, the Oneidas plundered the Mohawk strongholds of Tiononderoge and Canajoharie. They later raided the Fort Hunter Mohawks, prompting most of the remaining Mohawks in central New York to flee to Quebec.

A number of Patriots were taken prisoner by Indigenous warriors during the battle. While many of these captives were turned over to the British, some were tortured and killed. In his account of the battle, Patriot prisoner Dr. Moses Younglove accused the British and Loyalists of aiding and abetting the murders, and claimed "the savages" ate two of the prisoners. Canadian historian Gavin Watt, however, has debunked these claims, describing them as "highly coloured" as well as being "extremely suspect."

Assessment

The battle was one of the bloodiest of the war, based on the percentage of casualties suffered. About half of Herkimer's force were killed or wounded, as were about 15 percent of the Loyalist force. The battle may be considered a success for St. Leger because he stopped the Patriot relief column. However, the remnants of the Patriot force remained present on the battlefield after the withdrawal of the Loyalist force when news spread of the sortie against the indigenous camps. News of the Sortie may have averted the complete destruction of Herkimer's force.

The British success was tempered by discontent of their indigenous allies after the battle. When they joined the expedition, they expected British forces would do most of the fighting. However, they were the dominant fighters in this action, and some suffered the loss of their personal belongings taken during the Patriot sortie from the fort. This blow to their morale contributed to the eventual failure of St. Leger's expedition.

Legacy

Monument to the unknown Tryon County patriots

In an interview many years afterwards, Governor Blacksnake recalled how he "thought at that time the Blood Shed a Stream running down on the decending [sic] ground." The battle's location is known in Iroquois oral histories as "A Place of Great Sadness."

A monument was erected in 1883 to commemorate the battle at 43° 10.6′N 75° 22.2′W, and much of the battlefield is now preserved in the Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site. The site was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1962, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The town of Herkimer, New York and Herkimer County, New York were named in Herkimer's honor. The battle was honored by the name of aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, launched in 1945, now an artificial reef, and also by the issuance of a postage stamp in 1977.

See also

Footnotes

  1. Dieffenbacher, p. 12
  2. Figures obtained from Glatthaar (2006), pp. 160, 356. He notes on p. 356 that 10–20% of Herkimer's column falls out before reaching the battlefield. The Oneida figures are his estimate, based in part on oral tradition, and include at least one Mohawk, Louis Atayataronghta (see battle description for quote).
  3. ^ Glatthaar (2006), p. 164
  4. ^ Watt (2002) pp. 316–320
  5. ^ Watt (2002), p. 194
  6. Ketchum (1997), p. 84
  7. Nickerson (1967), pp. 195–199
  8. Glatthaar (2006), pp. 159–160
  9. ^ Glatthaar (2006), p. 160
  10. Glatthaar (2006), p. 161
  11. ^ Glatthaar (2006), p. 163
  12. Nickerson (1967), p. 202
  13. Nickerson (1967), p. 203
  14. ^ Nickerson (1967), p. 205
  15. Watt (2002), p. 135
  16. ^ Glatthaar (2006), p. 166
  17. ^ Nickerson (1967), p. 207
  18. Nickerson (1967), p. 206
  19. ^ Nickerson (1967), p. 208
  20. Glatthaar (2006), p. 167
  21. Watt (2002), p. 174
  22. Watt (2002), pp. 179–180
  23. Glatthaar (2006), p. 168
  24. Glatthaar (2006), p. 171
  25. Nickerson (1967), p. 210
  26. ^ Watt (2002), p. 196
  27. Watt (2002), p. 185
  28. Glatthaar (2006), p. 169
  29. Watt (2002), p. 263
  30. Glatthaar (2006), pp. 174–175
  31. Bowler (2000)
  32. Watt (2002), p. 269
  33. Kelsay (1984), p. 208
  34. Glatthaar (2006), p. 177
  35. Graymont (1972) p. 139
  36. Stone (1865), pp. 459–460
  37. Watt (2002), pp. 275–276, 376
  38. Canfield (1909), p. 57
  39. Nickerson (1967), p. 211
  40. Watt (2002), p. 177
  41. Bilharz (2009), p. 93.
  42. "Here the Battle of Oriskany Was Fought". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  43. NHL summary listing
  44. NRHP
  45. Benton (1856), p. 164
  46. Oriskany DANFS entry
  47. "Oriskany: 10 years as 'The Great Carrier Reef'". Pensacola News Journal. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  48. Battle of Oriskany bicentennial stamp, 1977 https://i.unisquare.com/img/main/1/1/3/097ac61a555fa89132cd6562u.jpeg Archived August 6, 2018, at the Wayback Machine

References

Further reading

  • Berleth, Richard (2009). Bloody Mohawk: the French and Indian War & American Revolution on New York's Frontier. Hensonville, New York: Black Dome Press. ISBN 978-1-883789-66-4. OCLC 454376897.

External links

New York in the American Revolution
1765
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1775
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1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783

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