The Great Republic by the Master Historians The Expedition Against Fort Schuyler byBancroft, Hubert H.
[While Washington, in the early part of 1777, was boldly facing the enemy in New
Jersey, affairs of great importance were taking place in the North, which were
destined to prove of the utmost advantage to the American cause. The momentous
expedition of Burgoyne, which was actively preparing in the spring of that year,
was preceded by several conflicts in New England, which may be briefly
mentioned. General Tryon, the recent royal governor of New York, landed in
Connecticut on April 25, with two thousand men, marched on Danbury, destroyed
the stores there, burned the town, and committed many atrocities upon the
inhabitants. In retiring he was assailed by the militia, in detachments under
Arnold, Sullivan, and Wooster. The British were severely harassed, and lost
nearly three hundred men before regaining their ships. Soon afterwards a party
of Connecticut militia, under Colonel Meigs, surprised a force of the enemy at
Sag Harbor, destroyed the stores collected there, burned a dozen vessels, and
captured ninety prisoners, without having a single man killed or wounded. But
the two great events of the year were the advance of Howe upon Philadelphia, and
Burgoyne's expedition from Canada, the latter of which now demands our
attention. This expedition had been planned during the winter by the king, Lord
George Germain, the colonial secretary, and General Burgoyne, and great hopes of
success were entertained from it. Burgoyne, though a soldier of reputation, was
not the proper man to command this expedition, which should have been intrusted
to Sir Guy Carleton, who had opened the way for it by his victory on Lake
Champlain, and whose perfect acquaintance with the country, the Canadians, and
the Indians would have given him exceptional advantages in its prosecution.
Burgoyne reached Quebec in March, 1777. Carleton, though annoyed at being
superseded, actively aided in preparing the expedition. Vessels were
constructed, stores collected, and a force of seven thousand men mustered at St.
Johns, at the foot of Lake Champlain, by the 1st of June. Colonel St. Leger,
with seven hundred Rangers, was sent to Oswego, to march from the point, rouse
the Indians, capture Fort Schuyler, sweep the valley of the Mohawk, and rejoin
Burgoyne at Albany. On June 16, Burgoyne sailed for Crown Point, with seven
thousand regulars and several thousand Canadians and Indians. Thence he marched
upon Ticonderoga, held by General St. Clair with about three thousand men. St.
Clair, finding resistance hopeless, essayed a secret retreat, but his movement
was discovered, and active pursuit made, and as a result of his withdrawal from
Ticonderoga to Fort Edward, on the Hudson, he lost nearly two hundred pieces of
artillery, and a large quantity of stores and provisions. Fort Edward was the
head-quarters of the American army, then under General Schuyler. Having but
little over four thousand men, and these in a wretched state as to arms,
ammunition, clothing, and provisions, Schuyler found it necessary to retire. In
doing so he destroyed the bridges and obstructed the roads by felling large
trees, so that Burgoyne was unable to reach Fort Edward until the 30th of July.
Schuyler, meanwhile, had stationed himself at the mouth of the Mohawk, where he
received reinforcements of militia and some detachments from the regular army,
increasing his force to thirteen thousand men. The Polish hero Kosciusko was
chief engineer of his army. In the mean time, St. Leger was advancing on the
route laid down for him, towards Fort Schuyler, his first point of attack. As
the siege of this post proved to be an event of great importance, we select a
description of it from Lossing's "Field-Book of the Revolution," in which it is
detailed with the picturesque clearness of that able writer.]
In the spring of 1777, Colonel Peter Gansevoort was appointed to the command of
Fort Schuyler, and held that post in the summer of that year, when Burgoyne was
making his victorious march towards Albany by way of Lake Champlain.. As early
as June, a man from Canada, arrested as a spy, had disclosed the fact that a
detachment of British troops, Canadians, and Indians was to penetrate the
country by way of Oswego and the Mohawk, to join Burgoyne when he should reach
Albany.. Fort Schuyler was still unfinished, and feebly garrisoned, and certain
discomfiture seemed to await the patriots in that region. Colonel Gansevoort,
however, was vigilant, active, and hopeful. He wrote spirited letters to General
Schuyler, imploring aid, and that officer as urgently laid the condition of
Tryon County before the Provincial Congress of New York, and also the General
Congress. But it was then too late to expect succor from a distance, and the
people of the Mohawk Valley were thrown upon their own feeble resources for
defence. St. Leger and his Rangers, with the forces of Johnson, Claus, Butler,
and Brant, were already in motion, and on the 1st of August the enemy, one
thousand seven hundred strong, came up Oneida Lake, and near the ruins of old
Fort Newport prepared to invest Fort Schuyler. The Indians were led by Brant
[the celebrated Indian chief], and the whole beleaguering force, at the
beginning of the march at Oswego Falls, was disposed in admirable order for the
journey through the forest. The main body was led by the Indians, under Brant,
in five columns, four hundred and sixty paces in front of the advanced guard.
The Indians marched in single file, at large distances apart. Between the five
columns and the rear-guard a file of Indians, ten paces apart, formed a line of
communication. The advanced guard was one hundred paces in front of the main
column, which was disposed in Indian file, the right and left flanks covered by
a file of savages. The rear-guard was composed of regular troops.. Each crops
was furnished with practised marksmen at short intervals, who were ordered to
concentrate their strength upon any point that might be attacked.
[On the 2d of August the fort was reached, and its investment begun. On the 3d,
St. Leger arrived with his whole force. The garrison consisted of seven hundred
and fifty men, who were well provided with provisions, and ammunition for small-
arms, though deficient in ammunition for cannon, their most important means of
defence. They were also without a flag, and were forced to make one out of bits
of scarlet and blue clothing and white shirts, on the pattern adopted by
Congress.]
The siege commenced on the 4th. A few bombs were thrown into the fort, and the
Indians, concealed behind trees and bushes, wounded several men who were
employed in raising the parapets. Similar annoyances occurred on the 5th, and
towards evening the Indians spread out through the woods, encircled the fort,
and, by hideous yells throughout the night, attempted to intimidate the
garrison. St. Leger, confident of success, sent a despatch to Burgoyne at this
juncture, expressing his assurance that Fort Schuyler would be in his possession
directly, and the hope that they would speedily meet as victors at Albany.
[In the mean time, General Herkimer was advancing to the aid of the garrison,
with a force of more than eight hundred militia. He sent a messenger in advance,
requesting Gansevoort to signify his arrival by the discharge of three guns. But
the messenger was delayed, and the militia officers, full of ungoverned valor,
so pressed their experienced leader to advance that he finally yielded to their
importunity and taunts of cowardice, against his better judgment. He gave the
word to "March on," but told those who had boasted of their courage that they
would be the first to run at sight of the enemy.]
St. Leger had intelligence of the advance of Herkimer and detached a division of
Johnson's Greens, under Major Watts, Colonel Butler with his Rangers, and Brant
with a strong body of Indians, to intercept him and prevent an attack upon his
intrenchments. Before the arrival of Herkimer's messenger, Gansevoort had
observed the silence of the enemy's camp, and also the movement of a portion of
his troops along the margin of a wood down the river. The arrival of the courier
dispelled all doubts as to the destination of the detachment, and the signal-
guns were immediately fired. Herkimer had informed Gansevoort, by the messenger,
that he intended, on hearing the signals, to cut his way to the fort through the
circumvallating camp of the enemy, and requested him to make a sortie at the
same time. This was done as soon as the arrangement could be made, and a
detachment of two hundred men .. was detailed for the purpose, who took with
them an iron three-pounder. Fifty men were also added, to protect the cannon,
and to act otherwise as circumstances might require.. Rain was falling copiously
while preparations for the sortie were in progress, but the moment it ceased
Willett sallied out and fell furiously upon that portion of the camp occupied by
Sir John Johnson and his Royal Greens, a detachment of whom, as we have seen,
had been sent to oppose the approach of Herkimer. The advanced guard, unable to
withstand the impetuosity of the attack, was driven in; and so suddenly was Sir
John's camp assailed that he was not allowed time to put on his coat. He
endeavored to bring his troops into order, but they fled in dismay. The Indian
camp was then assaulted, and in a few moments the savages, too, were scattered.
Sir John and his troops fled across the river, to the temporary camp of St.
Leger, and the Indians buried themselves in the deep forest near. No less than
twenty-one wagon-loads of spoil, consisting of clothing, blankets, stores, camp-
equipage, five British standards, the baggage of Sir John, with all his papers,
and those of other officers, containing every kind of information necessary to
the garrison, were captured. Having secured their prize, Willett and his party
returned to the fort without the loss of a man. The five British colors were
raised in full view of the enemy, upon the flag-staff, beneath the uncouth
American standard, and the whole garrison, mounting the parapets, made the
forest ring with three loud cheers. This chivalrous exploit was duly noticed by
Congress, and an elegant sword was presented to Colonel Willett in the name of
the United States.
General Herkimer, in the mean while, had moved from the mills, at the mouth of
Oriskany Creek, towards the fort, entirely unconscious of the ambuscade that, in
a deep ravine two miles distant, awaited his approach. The morning was dark,
sultry, and lowering. His troops, composed chiefly of the militia regiments of
Colonels Cox, Paris, Visscher, and Klock, were quite undisciplined, and their
order of march was irregular and without precaution. The contentions of the
morning had delayed their advance until about nine o'clock, and the hard
feelings that existed between the commander and some of his officers caused a
degree of insubordination which proved fatal in its consequences. Brant and his
tory associates had learned from their scouts the exact route the patriots had
taken, and arranged an ambuscade accordingly. A deep ravine crossed the path of
Herkimer in a north-and-south direction, extending from the high grounds on the
south to the river, and curved towards the east in a semicircular form. The
bottom of this ravine was marshy, and the road crossed it by means of a causeway
of earth and logs. On each side of the ravine the ground was nearly level, and
heavily timbered. A thick growth of underwood, particularly along the margin of
the ravine, favored concealment. It was upon the high ground on the western side
of this ravine that the ambush of tories and Indians was laid, in such a manner
that the causeway was surrounded by them, as by a circle, leaving only a small
segment open where the road entered. Unsuspicious of the proximity of the enemy,
the whole body of provincials, except the rear-guard, composed of Visscher's
regiment, descended into the ravine, followed by the baggage-wagons. Brant gave
a signal, and in an instant the circle closed, the war-whoop was sounded, and
spear and hatchet and deadly rifle-ball fell upon the patriots like hail from
the clouds that hovered over them. The rear-guard, in fulfilment of Herkimer's
prediction, instantly fled, and left their companions in the ravine to their
fate. They were pursued by the Indians, and probably suffered more in their
cowardly flight than if they had boldly aided their environed companions in
arms.
This sudden onslaught produced great confusion in the patriot ranks, but they
soon recovered, and fought with the courage and skill of veteran troops. The
slaughter, however, was dreadful. Herkimer was severely wounded at the
commencement of the action, and Colonel Cox and Captain Van Slyk were killed at
the first fire. A musketball passed through and killed the horse of the general,
and shattered his own leg just below the knee. With perfect composure and cool
courage, he ordered the saddle to be taken from his slaughtered horse and placed
against a large beech-tree near. Seated there, with his men falling like autumn
foliage, and the bullets of the enemy, like driving sleet, whistling around him,
the intrepid general calmly gave his orders, and thus nobly rebuked the
slanderers who called him a coward.
For nearly an hour the fierce action continued, and by slow degrees the enemy
was closing in upon the republicans. The latter then made an admirable change in
their method of repulsion. They formed themselves into circles, and thus met the
enemy at all points. Their fire became so destructive in this way that the
Johnson Greens and a portion of Butler's tories attempted a bayonet-charge. This
was promptly met by the patriots, and the battle assumed the terrible form of a
death-struggle in close personal contact.. At this moment a heavy thunder-peal
broke over the forest, and the rain came down in such torrents that the
combatants ceased their strife, and sought shelter beneath the trees. It was
during this heavy shower that Willett made his preparations at the fort for the
successful sortie just noticed; and, as soon as the rain subsided, he fell upon
Johnson's camp, and the battle was renewed at Oriskany.
During the lull in the conflict both parties viewed the ground, and made new
arrangements for attack and defence. It had been observed by the patriots that
the Indians, as soon as they saw a gun fired by a provincial from behind a tree
would rush forward and tomahawk him before he could reload. To meet such an
exigency in the renewed conflict, two men stood together behind a tree, and,
while one fired, the other awaited the approach of the savage with his tomahawk,
and felled him with his bullet. The provincials had also made choice of more
advantageous ground, and soon after the renewal of the fight so destructive was
their fire that the Indians began to give way. Major Watts came up with a
detachment of Johnson's Greens to support them, but the presence of these men,
mostly refugees from the Mohawk, made the patriots more furious, and mutual
resentments, as the parties faced and recognized each other, seemed to give new
strength to their arms. They leaped upon each other with the fierceness of
tigers, and fought hand to hand and foot to foot with bayonets and knives. It
was a terrible struggle, and exhibited the peculiar cruelty and brutality which
distinguishes civil war.
A firing was now heard in the direction of the fort. It was the attack of
Willett upon the enemy's camp. Colonel Butler instantly conceived a stratagem,
and was nearly successful in its execution. He so changed the dress of a
detachment of Johnson's Greens that they appeared like American troops. These
were made to approach from the direction of the fort, and were at first (as
intended by Butler) mistaken by the patriots for a reinforcement from the
garrison. But the quick eye of Captain Gardinier, an officer who performed deeds
of great valor on that memorable day, discovered their real character, and,
ordering his men to fall upon these pretended friends, they were soon scattered
in confusion. The Indians, finding their ranks greatly thinned, and the
provincials still undismayed, raised the loud retreating cry, "Oonah! Oonah!"
and fled in all directions. The panic was communicated to the tories and
Canadians, and the whole force of the enemy retreated in confusion, pursued by
the provincials with shouts of victory. Thus, after a conflict of six hours,
ended the battle of Oriskany, the bloodiest encounter, in proportion to the
numbers engaged, that occurred during the war.
[Neither party could claim a decisive victory, since, through the Americans held
the field, they were unable to relieve the fort, which was the object of their
march. Both had suffered severely. General Herkimer died ten days after the
battle. The garrison continued so closely environed that they were unable to
gain correct intelligence of the result of the battle. St. Leger endeavored to
deceive them, by sending in false representations of victory and of Burgoyne's
success. In this he failed, and Gansevoort repelled his demands for a surrender.
Yet, fearing that this would be his final fate, he sent messengers to General
Schuyler, imploring succor. It was a dangerous mission, yet men were found
willing to undertake it.]
Colonel Willett volunteered to be the messenger, and on a very stormy night,
when shower after shower came down furiously, he and Lieutenant Stockwell left
the fort by the sally-port at ten o'clock, each armed with a spear, and crept
upon their hands and knees along a morass to the river. They crossed it upon a
log, and were soon beyond the line of drowsy sentinels. It was very dark, their
pathway was in a thick and tangled wood, and they soon lost their way. The
barking of a dog apprised them of their proximity to an Indian camp, and for
hours they stood still, fearing to advance or retreat. The clouds broke away
towards dawn, and the morning star in the east, like the light of hope, revealed
to them their desired course. They then pushed on in a zigzag way, and, like the
Indians, sometimes traversed the bed of a stream, to foil pursuers that might be
upon their trail. They reached the German Flats in safety, and, mounting fleet
horses, hurried down the valley to the head-quarters of General Schuyler, who
had already heard of the defeat of Herkimer, and was devising means for the
succor of the garrison at Fort Schuyler.
St. Leger continued the siege. He advanced, by paralels, within one hundred and
fifty yards of the fort, and the garrison, ignorant of the fate of Willett and
Stockwell, or the relief that was preparing for them below, began to feel
uneasy. Their ammunition and provisions being much reduced in quantity, some
hinted an opinion to the commander that a surrender would be humane policy.
Gansevoort's stout and hopeful heart would not yield admission to such an idea,
and he informed the garrison that he had resolved, in case succor should not
appear before their supplies were exhausted, to sally out at night and cut his
way through the enemy's camp. Suddenly, and mysteriously to the garrison, the
besiegers broke up their camp, and fled so precipitately from before the fort
that they left their tents, artillery, and camp-equipage behind them.
[The mystery was soon solved. General Arnold had volunteered to lead a force to
the relief of the fort. Fearing that it would be captured before his main body
could arrive, he pushed forward with a detachment, conceiving a stratagem which
proved remarkably successful. A tory prisoner, ignorant and half idiotic, named
Hon-Yost Schuyler, had been condemned to death. Arnold promised him his life if
he would go to St. Leger's camp and represent that a large host of Americans
were approaching. He held his brother as a hostage, while Hon-Yost, with a
friendly Oneida Indian, set out for St. Leger's camp.]
Before leaving Fort Dayton, Hon-Yost had several bullets shot through his coat,
and with these evidences of a "terrible engagement with the enemy" he appeared
among the Indians of St. Leger's camp, many of whom knew him personally. He ran
into their midst almost out of breath, and apparently much frightened. He told
them that the Americans were approaching in great numbers, and that had barely
escaped with his life. His bullet-riddled coat confirmed the story. When they
inquired the number of the Americans, he pointed to the leaves on the trees, and
shook his head mysteriously. The Indians were greatly agitated. They had been
decoyed into their present situation, and had been moody and uneasy since the
battle of Oriskany. At the moment of Hon-Yost's arrival they were engaged in a
religious observance,- a consultation, through their prophet, of Manitou, or the
Great Spirit, to supplicate his guidance and protection. The council of chiefs
at the pow-wow at once resolved upon flight, and told St. Leger so. He sent for
and questioned Hon-Yost, who told him that Arnold, with two thousand men, would
be upon him in twenty-four hours. At that moment, according to arrangement, the
friendly Oneida, who had taken a circuitious route, approached the camp from
another direction, with a belt. On his way he met two or three straggling
Indians of his tribe, who joined him, and they all confirmed the story of Hon-
Yost. They pretended that a bird had brought them the news that the valley below
was swarming with warriors. One said that the army of Burgoyne was cut to
pieces, and another told St. Leger that Arnold had three thousand men near. They
shook their heads mysteriously when questioned about numbers by the Indians, and
pointed, like Hon-Yost, upward to the leaves. The savages, now thoroughly
alarmed, prepared to flee. St. Leger tried every means, by offers of bribes and
promises, to induce them to remain, but the panic, and suspicion of foul play,
had determined them to go. He tried to make them drunk, but they refused to
drink. He then besought them to take the rear of his army in retreating: this
they refused, and indignantly said, "You mean to sacrifice us. When you marched
down, you said there would be no fighting for us Indians; we might go down and
smoke our pipes; whereas numbers of our warriors have been killed, and you mean
to sacrifice us also." The council broke up, and the Indians fled. The panic was
communicated to the rest of the camp, and in a few hours the beleaguering army
was flying in terror towards their boats on Oneida Lake. Hon-Yost accompanied
them in their flight as far as Wood Creek, where he managed to desert. He found
his way back to the fort that night, and was the first to communicate to Colonel
Gansevoort the intelligence of Arnold's approach. The Indians, it is said, made
themselves merry at the precipitate flight of the whites, who threw away their
arms and knapsacks, so that nothing should impede their progress. The savages
also gratified their passion for murder and plunder by killing many of their
retreating allies on the borders of the lake, and stripping them of every
article of value. They also plundered them of their boats, and, according to St.
Leger, "became more formidable than the enemy they had to expect." Half starved
and naked, the whites of the scattered army made their way to Oswego, and, with
St. Leger, went down Ontario to Canada.. Thus ended the siege of Fort Schuyler,
in the progress of which the courage, endurance, and skill of the Americans,
everywhere so remarkable in the Revolution, were fully displayed.
