The Battle of Oriskany

On August 6, 1777, General Nicholas Herkimer and 700 Tryon County militiamen planned a surprise attack against a British force led by Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger that was besieging Fort Stanwix. Unfortunately, an informer tipped off St. Leger and he directed Joseph Brant, leader of the Mohawks surrounding Fort Stanwix, to set up an ambush in a ravine near the Native American village of Oriska.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, explores how events unfolded during the devastating Battle of Oriskany, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of The New York Public Library, Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, Wikipedia.

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