Battle of Oriskany
Near Oriskany, Oneida County, New York, USA
What happened
American militia under Nicholas Herkimer, with Oneida warriors, fought Loyalists and Mohawk, Seneca and other Haudenosaunee warriors under John Johnson, John Butler and Joseph Brant. Herkimer's militia was marching to relieve the besieged Fort Stanwix when it was ambushed in a ravine. The militia held on through hours of fighting. Meanwhile, soldiers from the fort raided the British allies' camps, and the warriors left to protect them, ending the battle.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first time nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy fought each other, splitting the Confederacy. The Oneida sided with the Americans, while the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga and Onondaga sided with the British.
What came next
The siege of Fort Stanwix ended when the besiegers heard that Benedict Arnold's relief force was coming. Oriskany helped cause the failure of this British expedition, which had been meant to join another British army near Albany.
Did you know?
Herkimer was badly wounded but had his men prop him against a beech tree, where he directed the fight and calmly smoked a pipe.
Timeline
- 6 August 1777The Battle of Oriskany.
- 16 August 1777Herkimer dies of his wounds.
- 21 August 1777Arnold's relief column arrives at Fort Stanwix.
- 1884A monument is dedicated on the battlefield.