History of the Mohawk PalatinesRelating to the Christman Family

Tribute to the Battle of Oriskany

2011-06-12T14:23:00.018-05:00

Suggestion: Watch In Full Screen

NOTE: The first 3 or 4 minutes of the video shows Fort Stanwix in June 2011, then you will see the Oriskany Battlefield in June 2011, but in a unique way, to help you visualize what actually happened there on August 6, 1777. At the end of the video there is a link to a commemorative plaque describing the historical significance of the battle.

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1781

2006-12-18T16:08:00.005-05:00

Only one grandchild this year.

030303 Catherine Christman (b.1781)

Widows with Small Children Struggled

In April he [Joseph Brant] attacked Cherry Valley, capturing two detachments of Continental soldiers, who were attempting to provision the perpetually besieged Fort Stanwix-which, at long last, was abandoned.

“Widows with small children struggled on through seven desperate years on the frontier farms Mere Indian massacres and scalpings and Tory burning of crops and buildings were as common as thunderstorms, Mere existence depended absolutely on the production of soil, and where even planting of crops had to be done under guard; where too, every home had empty chairs or maimed victims of battle or both, in the family circle; and in addition to all this, there were constant and pressing demands of military service from every male over sixteen years of age, in both regular army and militia. Furthermore answering a call for militia service usually leaving the family exposed and unprotected, and supplying ones own food and arms and ammunition, in a district so ravashed that General Schuyler at one time reported that not a barrel of fish was to be had in the whole district though he were to offer an equal might of silver therefor. When the war was over the struggle against poverty had to be continued indefinately. In the words of the French, ‘the war left the remaining citizens stripped of almost everything except the soil.” - R.G. Windsor Spellman

“American fortunes were at low ebb in New York who Colonel Marinus Willett was assigned command of the region. By this time, only 2,000 settlers remained in and about the Mohawk Valley. Willett had at his disposal a mere 130 Continental troops and a vastly diminished pool of militia recruits.” – Alan Axelrod

Most Christmans Remained

020104 Jacob Christman (b.1768), 0304 Nicholas Christman (b.1755), and 0302 Frederick Christman (b.1748), were all in the N.Y.Line of the Continental Army.

Jacob and Nicholas would both be at the Battle of Johnstown.

Jacob, who enlisted in April, was a corporal in Capt. Henry Vanderwarker’s Company in Col. Van Rennsalear’s N.Y. Regiment, but by October was in Col. Willetts Regiment of N.Y. State Levies with Nicholas.

Jacob, would be wounded three times in the leg by musket balls. Frederick may still have been in Canada as a prisoner. But not for long. Captured in 1778 at German Flatts, he had children before 1777 and again after 1781.

All of the other Christmans who were in the militia, must have still been in the militia given their experience and the fact that there were not that many people left living in the valley; somebody had to defend it.

Lampman’s Battle

In July, a group of men from the Palatine district decided to defect to the British. They were Nicholas Herkimer, Jacob I. Klock, Adam Klock, John Anguish, Old Bangle, John Bangle, Henry Heiney, Mathias Wormwood, Phillip Helmer, and Nicholas Rosencrantz.

After two months they returned to attack their neighbors with 14 Indians. The specific plan they devised had a disgusting motive. They wanted to attack the family of Johannes Bellinger, kill the parents, and capture his six virgin daughters who, evidently, were beautiful. The motive was for sex. The area was near Fort Hess, eight miles from Fort Paris. Phillip Helmer , before defecting to treachery, was in love with one of the Bellinger girls but was rejected. Fort Hess was apparently in the vicinity of Fort Plain because the group recieved provisions from the family of Petrus Ehle. He lived in a stone house near the railroad, a half mile east of the Fort Plain railroad depot in the late 1800’s. They were joined by the Hess brothers who recruited others to join them. Phillip Helmer had second thoughts and made an effort to warn the Bellingers. He was suspected of being a traitor to his own group by an Indian, so he fled. On the way to Fort Hess he stopped to wash the Indian paint from his face and was captured in his Indian dress by Col. Klock and Christian Nellis. They sent to Fort Paris for help. It was Sunday, and the militia from Fort Paris were having church services when the message came. Captain Sammons and Lieutenant Samuel Gray mustered 40 men which probably included Johann Jacob and Nicholas Christman. [Samuel Gray was very close to Johann Jacob, signing as witness to his will. Gray also lived across the road from Johann Jacob. Samuel Gray lived on Lot 77, Johann Jacob on Lot 93] Andrew Gray was also in the group. Simms says that a few State troops were also among them so it is possible that Mary’s Nicholas was also there.

Simms says that the response to the call was with great speed and determination, and soon came upon the traitors two and one-half miles north of Fort Hess about 4 PM. They were on a ridge near the premises of Lampman. They took to trees and a skirmish ensued. One Indian was killed, one wounded who later died. The Americans charged; the traitors fled, and escaped back to Canada. Andrew Gray shot the Indian who died immediately. For many years later the tradition was that people out late at night were spooked by a headless Indian.

The Battle of Yorktown

In 1781 all of the efforts of the war were concentrated at Yorktown where the main British force had gathered. The British were cut off from their own naval support by the French, and Rochambeau and Washington sent their troops south in a force march and began a siege. On October 14 they launched the attack. Count Wilhelm of Forbach who was one of the sons of Duke Christian IV of Zweibrucken of the Palatine, and head of the grenadiers and riflemen of the “Royal Deux-Ponts” regiment, charged. Without artillery assistance he took one of the main British fortifications by surprise. Cornwallis saw that his situation was hopeless and unlike General Herkimer he trusted in his own efforts and surrendered five days later on October 19, 1781. They captured 8000 British troops.

The Reverend Stuart from Fort Hunter, now in Canada, wrote: “I cannot omit to mention that my Church was plundered by the Rebels, & the Pulpit Cloth taken away from the Pulpit; it was afterwards employed as a tavern, the barrel of Rum placed in the Reading Desk, the succeeding Season it was used for a Stable; And now serves as a Fort to protect a Set of great Villains as ever Disgraced Humanity.”

The Battle of Johnstown

“In October, however, 800 Tories and British regulars plus 120 Indians under the command of Captain Walter N. Butler were reported at Warrens Bush, 20 miles from Willett’s headquarters at Canajoharie. The Americans could muster no more than 400 men, mostly militia. Nevertheless, Willett marched to Johnstown, where he divided his force in two for a combined frontal and rear assault. The men assigned to the front , directly under the command of Willett, panicked and broke ranks-despite their commander’s exhortations. But the detachment attacking from the rear, led by a Major Rowley, carried out their attack so fiercely that the British forces scattered, leaving much of their equipment behind. Despite the failure of the frontal assault, the combined British and Indian force had 50 men killed or wounded and yielded another 50 prisoners. Willett’s losses were also considerable, 40 dead or badly wounded.

Willett made the most of his resources, circulating them throughout the countryside. Shortly after Willett took up his new command, his scouts reported fires near Corey’s Town. The commander dispatched men to investigate and extinguish the blazes, while he mustered as large a militia as he could - about 170 men. With this force, Willett attacked a combined detachment of 200 Indians and Tories under Donald McDonald, killing at least 40 of them while sustaining losses of only five men, with nine wounded. This effectively quelled raiding in western New York for the balance of the summer of 1781.” - Alan Axelrod

In this battle, according to pension abstracts were:

020104 Jacob Christman (b.1768) Shot three times in the leg.
0304 Nicholas Christman (b.1755)

“On October 11, 1781, Major John Ross and Captain Walter Butler with twenty-five men from the 8th Regiment, one hundred men from the 34th Regiment, thirty men from the 84th Regiment, 120 men from the King’s Royal Regiment of New York, 150 men from Butler’s Rangers, forty men from Captain Leake’s Corps., twelve Chasseurs and 130 Indians totaling a force of 607 men left Oswego on their way to the Mohawk Valley.

Major Ross and his men arrived in the Mohawk valley on October 24th, and they attacked and plundered Currytown and took several inhabitants prisoner. Major Ross and his men afterwards headed for Warrensbush (now Town of Florida).

Late that afternoon Colonel Marinus Willett who was in command at Fort Rensselaer on arriving word of this invasion from some of the Currytown settlers, sent messengers to Forts Clyde, Paris and Plank for additional troops while he gathered troops and supplies at Fort Rensselaer.

The Christmans in that area were:

0201 John Christman (b.abt.1740) 1st Regiment
0203 Johann Jacob (b.1744) 2nd Regiment
0206 Nicholas Christman (b.abt.1755) Ranger (Palatine)

Major Ross with his detachment arrived a few hours before daylight on October 25th at Warrensbush. At the first ray of sunshine the enemy attacked and burned Warrensbush. About one o’clock Ross and his men with great difficulty crossed the Mohawk River which was swollen from the recent heavy rains.

A scouting party from Fort Johnstown under Lieutenant Isaac Saulkill was sent out to find the enemy’s whereabouts and strength. Saulkill and his men fell in with a party of Ross men near Tribes Hill and Saulkill was killed and the rest dispersed. Ross now headed for Johnstown.

That morning Colonel Willett was joined by Major Abraham Copeman with about seventy-five men from Fort Plank and Fort Clyde. Colonel Willett with his men, wagons and a three pound brass cannon left Fort Rensselaer and crossed the Mohawk River to Caughnawaga where he was joined by men from Fort Paris and Caughnawaga. Colonel Willett was informed that a case of ammunition was lost in the crossing. Willett sent Sergeant William Wallace and William Feeter to Johnstown to reconnoiter the enemy’s movements.

Captain John Little at Fort Johnstown gathered another scouting party to search for the enemy. Captain Little with Lieutenant Zepheniah Batcheler, Sergeant John Eikler, Sergeant Henry Shaw, Corporal Jacob Shew, Privates John Brothers, Peter Yost Jr., David and John Moyer with four others left the fort in search of the enemy. Sergeant Wallace and Feeter joined Little and the scouting party shortly after they left the fort.

Shortly after the scouting party left the fort, Major Ross and his men appeared before the fort. Stephen Shew then on sentry duty fired at them and the men in the fort turned out to defend it. After a few minutes of musket and cannon fire the enemy retreated from the fort. Stephen Shew, Jacob Covenhoven, Jeremiah Crowley, Isaac and Jeremiah Mason with several others pursued the enemy through the Village of Johnstown when they were joined by Captain Little and the scouting party.

Captain Little ordered the garrison back to the fort while he and his men would follow the enemy. Wallace went to give Willett the intelligence of Ross’ movement.

Wallace met Colonel Willett about a mile from Johnstown and informed him of the enemy’s movements. Willett with his men marched to Fort Johnstown and arrived there a few minutes after the garrison returned. Jeremiah Crowley, Jacob Covenhoven, Isaac and Jeremiah Mason with a few others joined Willett making his force 412 men and they left Fort Johnstown with only eleven men to guard it.

Colonel Willett sent major Andrew Fink with about fifty men to reinforce Captain Little and his party. Captain Little was hit in the right shoulder and the scouting party with their wounded Captain took to the woods. Here another brief exchange of musket fire took place and Sergeant Eikler was killed. Major Fink and his men now joined the scouting party.

Colonial Willett and his men arrived at the field where the enemy had encamped. Willett and his men now charged the enemy pushing them into the woods. Major Fink with his men and the scouting party finding themselves greatly outnumbered left the woods and joined Colonel Willett just as he arrived on the field. Fink and his men took position at the cannon which was placed on Willett’s right wing and under the command of Captain and Rew Moody.

Colonel Willett now sent Major Aaron Rowley with Captain Samuel Clark, Lieutenant Dudley Holdridge, Sergeant William Wallace, Privates Isaac Mason, Enos Morse, Henry Rightmyer, Nathaniel Sherwood, Abram Winston and 140 other men to gain the rear of Ross and hoping that with Ross between they could capture his entire force.

Shortly after Rowley left, Willett’s right wing started to retreat and Ross with his men on seeing this took the advantage and charged causing panic in Willett’s right wing and now they were in a full fight. Willett desperately tried to regroup his right wing but they did not listen to him. Now the left wing of Willett’s command, holding the field alone was soon pressed by Ross now also took flight. Willett with his men retreated back to the Village of Johnstown and they took refuge in St. John’s Church.

Major Fink with his detachment with Captain Andrew Moody with his company of artillerymen with the cannon poured a heavy fire into the left wing of the enemy but Ross now turned his men and charged the cannon. Fink and his men with the artillerymen being outnumbered now also retreated from the field and joined Willett at the church.

Just then Rowley and his men arrived at their position behind the enemy and poured a heavy fire into them. The enemy now turned the cannon around and now fired it at Rowley and his men. Willett at the church hearing the fighting continuing knew that Rowley had reached his position and Willett rallied his men and returned to the field of battle.

Willett and his men charged the cannon and recaptured it but not before the enemy had spiked it with a brass nail in the priming hole and blowing up the ammunition wagon. Willett and his men pressed Ross, and fighting continued until darkness fell on the battlefield and with Ross and his men retreating from the battlefield.
The battle started about four o’clock and lasted until darkness fell. The Battle of Johnstown was commonly called by the troops at the battle the Hall Battle or Willett’s Battle. Ross had eleven men killed, eleven men wounded and thirty-two men were taken prisoners.

Nicholas Herkimer one of the Loyalists captured and the rest of the prisoners were sent to Fort Hunter and from there they were sent to Schenectady. Willett had twelve men killed, twenty-four men wounded and five were taken prisoners.

Major Aaron Rowley, Captain Samuel Clark, Lieutenant Dudley Holdridge, Privates George Hackney, Daniel McVey and Abram Winston were seriously wounded and they were sent to the General Hospital at Albany. Jeremiah Mason with several others gathered the dead and they performed a mass burial for their fallen comrades. Nathaniel Sherwood one of the men wounded at Johnstown died from his wounds on October 27th.

Colonel Willett with his men marched to Fort Dayton where they were reinforced by about 100 men from Schenectady and about sixty Oneida Indians. On October 28th, Willett left the fort in pursuit of Ross. On October 30th, Willett skirmished with the rear guard of the enemy under Captain Walter Butler at West Canada Creek. After about fifteen minutes of fighting the enemy retreated leaving Butler and four other men behind dead. After pursuing them a short distance Willett and his men returned to Fort Rensselaer. – From the Tryon County Militia Gen Web Site.

The papers collected by Hon. Thomas Sammons, the Revolutionary patriot, and known as the “Sammons papers” contain an account of the battle of Johnstown by Lieutenant William Wallace. He was the guide who evidently piloted the Tryon County militia detachment, under the command of Major Rowley, to take up their position in the rear of and attack Ross’s force from behind while Col. Willett made the frontal attack. Willett’s men were defeated but Rowley’s soldiers made such a stubborn attack against three times their number that the enemy fled when Willett returned to the attack. It would seem from Wallace’s narrative that the victory was entirely due to the regulars and local militia under Major Rowley, who was severely wounded. The date of the Johnstown battle was October 25, 1781.

Col. Willett’s force numbered only 416 men and Ross had over 700. Hence Willett resorted to the strategy of an attack in the front and rear at the same time. His forces were evidently about evenly divided, giving about 200 men under Willett and 200 under Rowley. The latter had 60 Massachusetts regulars and about 150 Tryon County militia. Willett attacked Ross in front, evidently before Rowley got up.

Greatly outnumbered, Willett’s men were driven back to Johnstown shortly after which Rowley attacked Ross in the rear with great success and when Willett returned to the fight the enemy fled to the woods and the American victory of Johnstown was complete. After Willett was reinforced in Johnstown village by a party of Tryon militia, it is evident that over half of his force, which then numbered 500, were Mohawk Valley militiamen.

Lieut. Wallace’s account is a most interesting document relative to this important valley campaign and it is seemingly the best description of the Johnstown Battle that has come under the notice of the editor of this work (James F. Morrison). It was originally published in the Mohawk Valley Democrat of Fonda, and is here reprinted in full, as follows:

MOHAWK VALLEY DEMOCRAT, JULY 10, 1913
“Col. Willett, having sent Rowley on with the militia to come in the rear of Ross, continued his march with the state troops on the main road through the village of Johnstown to the Hall farm, where Ross had arrived a little before. When Willett advanced, Ross fell, back a short distance in the woods (and) formed an ambush. Willett’s advance guard advanced in the woods while Willett formed his men on the Field, with his field piece for battle. His advance was repulsed with some loss. Ross ordered his men to leave their knapsacks where the ambush was formed and formed his men for battle. (He) advanced up to Willett on the field with his whole force (and) attacked him very furious. In a few minutes, Willett’s men retreated and run in confusion to the village of Johnstown (and) left their field piece with the enemy. (The enemy) pursued Willett’s men until near the village of Johnstown, about one mile. Ross *** (did not know) the militia was in his rear (and) expected he had defeated all the forces Willett had collected, so Major Rowley came on them unexpectantly, while some were as much as a mile apart looking for plunder. Willett and Ross had commenced their engagement about one o’clock. Rowley attacked Ross about two o’clock.
“Lieut. William Wallace , who brought on the Tryon County militia, (had been) appointed by Col. Willett as a pilot under the command of Major Rowley of Massachusetts. This detachment was sent from Col. Willett (over) the road leading to the river on the hill south of the village (of Johnstown) and crossed the creek near where Nicholas Yost’s mill is and went onward till some distance above the Hall creek, when, coming near or by the clear lands they discovered the enemy in different places on the Hall farm.
“The enemy soon formed some of their men. Rowley’s men advanced, fired on the enemy, (and) the enemy immediately advanced with some of their men to the right of Rowley along or near the Hall creek. Rowley ordered Wallace to meet them. Some of the men volunteered (and) they run to meet them. Wallace told the men not to fire till he told them, but one of his men fired and killed the officer (who) marched forward. When they fired from both parties, the enemy’s detachment run. Rowley found the enemy collected (in) considerable force and stood. (He) then received a ball through the ankle. He was carried back and the enemy then retreated back of a fence where they were soon routed to another place where hey made a stand. The enemy, having left some men with a field piece they had taken from Willett, they were also attacked by some militiamen. They abandoned it, the ammunition was blown up (and) the field piece was no more used that day. The militiamen left the cannon and fell on the enemy (and) generally routed the enemy; but in some part of the scrimmaging (the enemy) drove the militia back. None of the militia left the field, they continued to prevent Ross from uniting his men together and, about sunset, Ross’s men had all left the field and the militia gained a complete victory. About this time Willett returned from the village of Johnstown. The militiamen brought (in) about 40 prisoners, picked forth from scattered men of Ross’s men - probably not above two or three taken together.
“Willett, when he fell back to the village, received about 100 of the Tryon County militia. Why this delay of Willett was is difficult to know—from two to six o’clock. (He had) a much superior force in the village to Rowley, after he was joined with 100 militiamen.
After Major Rowley was wounded, it is difficult to know, who was commander. Some privates, where small parties met, assumed command. The officers, wherever they were, did their duty—no confusion or none left the field until the enemy was completely drove from the field.
“Thus, for a second time, the militia of Tryon County defeated the enemy with a very inferior number. At Oriskany, the enemy were two to one in a battle of about five hours, were completely drove back (and) left Herkimer unmolested to make biers (litters) and carry their wounded off. With Ross left, then 250 (American soldiers) drove Ross from the field with seven or 800 men—like bulldogs, ‘hold fast or die with the holt’.” - James F. Morrison; From the Tryon County Militia Gen Web Site

Killing Walter N. Butler

“Willett then withdrew to German Flats, a position between Butler’s scattered troops and their boats, which had been left at Oneida Creek. At the Flats, Willett was joined by 60 Oneidas and waited for Butler to make his move. Two days passed; clearly, Butler had given up on his boats and, Willett guessed, was heading overland to Oswego. With 400 men, Willett set off after him at forced march, in part through heavy snow. He first encountered a detachment of 40 soldiers and Indians. After attacking them, Willett reached the main body of Butler’ troops, who, exhausted and demoralized, fled. Willett his own men spent, pursued.

At last, at Canada Creek, Butler made a stand. He was fatally wounded in the fight, and 20 of his men were killed.” – Alan Axelrod

The Christman’s that may have been involved in this pursuit were:

0102 Nicholas Christman (b.abt.1732) 4th Regiment
0103 Jacob Christman (b.1741) 4th Regiment
0105 John Christman (b.abt.1747) 4th Regiment
0201 John Christman (b.abt.1740) 1st Regiment
0203 Johann Jacob (b.1744) 2nd Regiment
0206 Nicholas Christman (b.abt.1755) Ranger (Palatine)
0303 John Christman (b.abt.1752) 4th Regiment
0304 Nicholas Christman (b.abt 17550 N.Y.Line
0302 Frederick Christman (b.1748) N.Y.Line

Walter N. Butler was killed very near to the 1728 Christman land purchase. The following is the most detailed account of the pursuit and outcome.

“After the defeat of the expedition led by Major Ross, aided by Walter N. Butler, and which fell upon the lower valley on the 24th of October, like an avalanche of lava, burning and destroying every thing in its course, the enemy retreated in a northerly direction through Jersyfield. Col. Willett having ordered the destruction of their batteaux, left at the Oneida lake, arrived at the German Flats by forced marches, in order to intercept Ross’s retreat on the west Canada creek, unless he should return to Buck’s island on the St. Lawrence river. On the morning of the 29th Willett with four hundred of his best troops with sixty Oneida warriors, provisioned for five days, started in a northerly direction from Fort Dayton along the West Canada creek. The first day’s march of the Americans through a snow storm was severe, and at night they camped in a thick forest on the Royal Grant.

Here Col. Willett. having ascertained during the night, by means of his scouts, the locality, position and force of the enemy, remained until the next morning when he started well prepared to give battle to the foe, determined to inflict a justly merited and suitable chastisement upon the marauders; but Ross being, equally alert, and quite as anxious to avoid the action as his opponent was to bring it on, and being well advised of the proximity of his antagonist, was in full retreat as early as the Americans had started in the pursuit, and it was not until afternoon that Willett came up with a party of the enemy’s rear. A smart skirmish ensued, when several of the enemy were killed and taken prisoners, among the latter was a Tory, Lieutenant John Rykeman, and the remainder fled. The Americans overtook the main body of Ross’s party soon after, when a running fight was kept up between the pursuers and pursued until the latter crossed the creek late in the day. Butler succeeded in rallying his men and made a stand on the west bank, when a brisk action took place between the parties on opposite sides of the creek, during which the enemy had about twenty men killed, and among them was Walter N. Butler. The death of this officer was followed by the immediate and confused flight of his men, and Willett pursued his terror stricken foes until compelled to desist by darkness and the fatigue of his men, who had been on foot all day and more than half the time fighting. The enemy continued the retreat all night and marched thirty miles before they made a halt.

Col. Willett says, “strange as it may appear, it is nevertheless true, that notwithstanding the enemy had been four days in the wilderness, with only half a pound of horse- flesh per man per day, yet in this famished condition they trotted thirty miles before they stopped. Many of them, indeed, fell a sacrifice to such treatment.” The British had six hundred and seventy men in this expedition, which closed the active offensive operations of the enemy at the north for the year.

WALTER N. BUTLER’S DEATH.

According to the most authentic tradition we now have of Butler’s death, derived from Major Thornton, late of Schenectady, who was a captain under Col. Willett, in the pursuit of Ross and Butler, on their retreat from Johnstown, there seems to be a somewhat different version given to this affair, than that heretofore published. Thornton stated that Ross and Butler, with their party, encamped on Butler’s ridge in the town of Norway, on the night before the Americans overtook them, having traversed the forest from Mayfield the day before. That Col. Willett was fearful the enemy had escaped him in consequence of his having made the detour to Fort Dayton, or that they might have gone a more northern route than the one usually taken, to reach the Black river or Oneida lake. A light autumnal Snow had fallen during the night. Thornton was sent out from Willett’s encampment as early in the morning as objects were visible, with a few men and among them was an artilleryman, for the purpose of’ reconnoitering and finding the enemy’s trail, if there was one to be found. The party separated into files of two for the purpose of examination, moving towards the West Canada creek. The artilleryman was with Capt. Thornton, and they had been sometime afoot without discovering any traces of the enemy, when they began to fear they were not on the right course; they continued on, however, until they reached Butler’s ridge, when, from their examinations, they were satisfied there had been an encampment the night before, although the snow on the ground rendered the question somewhat doubtful.

Having communicated this fact to Col. Willett, Thornton and his companion struck what they supposed was the enemy’s trail, and continued their course in pursuit, little expecting to find the enemy near at hand. It was not long, however, before they heard voices, and looking in the direction of this noise they saw a small scouting party, who had probably been on the lookout for Willett, coming up in a direction partly from their rear. Thornton and his comrade avoided this party by hiding in the underbrush. After this scout had passed them long enough to allow an advance with safety, as they believed, they struck the fresh trail and continued the pursuit cautiously, expecting every moment to be overtaken by Willett’s advanced guard in force.

The artilleryman was soon killed, by a volley from a thicket in advance; and when hit by the ball he jumped two or three feet into the air. Willett’s forces followed the enemy to the creek, the southerly bank being covered with large hemlock trees and a thick undergrowth. A heavy, dense fog hung over the creek, when the American advance got into it for the purpose of crossing, which being suddenly lifted by the wind, exposed them to the enemy on the opposite bank, who gave them so warm and unlooked-for a reception that they retired momentarily up the creek bank, behind the trees and into the bush, having some of the party killed and wounded. The fog again settled upon the creek and the parties fired four or five rounds, each at the other, quite at random, as they could not see across the stream at the time. The enemy’s fire slackened, and the Americans then went over and found Butler and five of the enemy dead on the bank of the creek. Thornton stated he was among the first who reached the opposite bank, but an Indian was the first of their party who went to the spot where Butler lay dead, near a tree, and looking at him a moment turned and told Thornton who it was. Thornton examined the lifeless body; the hat, with a gold band around it, was then on the head; he pulled it off, saw the bullet hole in the head, and no other wound or fracture about it. When Thornton started on the expedition he wore a thin pair of summer pantaloons, which were pretty much gone when he reached the creek. The Indian pulled off Butler’s pants at Thornton’s request, and the latter put them on. Major Thornton was confident no one knew or could tell who it was that killed Butler, he being dead before any of his pursuers found him.
The enemy were pursued by Col. Willett, until hunger and want of provisions compelled him to retrace his steps. On their return to the creek crossing, our people heard the cry of a child near the wayside; some of them went in search of it and found a female infant near a large fallen elm tree, which had been abandoned by its stricken and toil-worn mother to a far different fate from that which awaited it. The child was brought away from its cold and comfortless cradle by some hungered and weary rebel, whose heart may have been sorely riven more than once by the hand of its father. Thornton also stated that Willett’s forces had a smart brush with the enemy at Black Creek, in the pursuit out.
After Willett’s forces recrossed the Canada creek, they turned off in the direction of Mount’s place in Jerseyfield, to bury some of their dead. [The land of the Christman 1728 purchase] At this time the party had a British sub-officer, a prisoner, who seems to have been abandoned to the tender mercies of the Indians. This man was a tory and had formerly lived in the valley. Anticipating his fate, he inquired of the American officers whether they intended to allow the Indians to massacre him. No direct answer was given to the inquiry, and the officer disappeared before the troops reached Fort Dayton.

This relation of the manner Butler was killed, corresponds with that given by Col.Willet in his official account of the affair. It is fully corroborated by several traditional
statements handed down from persons who were on the spot, and who saw and knew all about it. In every published account I have seen, from that of Marshall, in his Life of Washington, down to our own times, no two of them correspond in the precise statement of fact & Col. Willett could not have had any motive in withholding a full and true relation of the facts attending Butler’s death. If he had been wounded and afterwards dispatched, when discovered, by one of Willett’s men, or an Indian, why should not that fact have been officially stated by the commander of the expedition ? He had inquired into the matter; it was a subject too important to be omitted. When, therefore, the Colonel says, “he was shot dead, at once, having no time to implore for mercy,” we are called upon to pause a little before we pronounce the statement untrue. But, to use a legal phrase, how stand the impeaching witnesses? One says that Butler, in fleeing from his pursuers, swam his horse across the stream, and then turning round to them on the opposite bank, defled them. An Indian discharged his rifle at him and he fell wounded. The Indian then swam to the opposite bank, found Butler alive and able to supplicate for mercy, but who answered the supplication by burying his tomahawk in Butler’s brains. This relation assumes the improbable facts that Butler was entirely alone and unattended by any of his men, otherwise, if only wounded and capable of speech, having a horse at hand, he could and would have been carried a long distance into the wood, while the Indian, axe in hand, was swimming across the stream. Another says he was sorely wounded while standing behind a tree watching- a brisk engagement between the hostile parties, on opposite sides of the creek, and that when he fell, his troops fled in great confusion, leaving him uncared for, whether dead or alive, when they had full time to remove him, and ample means at hand to do it. The Indian then crossed the creek and finding Butler alive, shot him again, through the eye. An Indian never looses a charge of powder and ball, when his tomahawk, his never-failing and favorite weapon, will answer his purpose. And yet another says the enemy had passed the creek, when Butler stopped, dismounted from his horse, and was in the act of drinking water front a tin cup, in full view from the opposite bank, when he was fired at by two of his enemy and fell. The Indian, a Mohawk, immediately crossed the creek, and finding Butler wounded, only, ended his life with a tomahawk. – Nathaniel S. Benton

Mount’s Place – The Site of the 1728 Christman Land

Johannes Christman purchased 300 acres of land from the native Indians in 1728. The location of the site is about 3 miles north of Gray above Herkimer where the northbound Gray/Wilmurt Road intersects with Christman Road and Christman Road Spur, east, along Mounts Creek. The family must have sold it to Mr. Mount at some point during the revolution. The following is what happened to Mr. Mount’s family.

“Ohio is now bounded on the south by the north bounds of the Royal grant, east by the west bounds of Salisbury, north by the north bounds of Jerseyfield patent, and the same course continued to the east line of Russia, and west by the east bounds of Russia.

This town covers a part of Jerseyfield patent, and contains a small triangular part of Remsenburgh patent, lying northwesterly of the West Canada creek, the north bounds of Ohio, and the west bounds of Russia.

Although this town is too recent in its origin to afford any historical events under its present name, worthy of special notice, yet when its present territory formed a part of the Kingsland district during the revolution, it was the theater of one of those cold-blooded and inhuman murders and burnings so often reiterated between 1776 and 1783, as to sicken humanity by the recital of them. Complainings now avail nothing; these astounding crimes were long since perpetrated, and would before this time have been nearly forgotten, but for historical repetition, and the uncertain agency, of oral tradition in the localities where the events happened. Does it console us that retributive justice has long since adjudged the case, passed its sentence, and for many years has been and now is executing its dread decree? If it does, let us fold our arms complacently, and await the final execution of the exterminating judgment; but never forget, no, never, the probable cause nor the occasion of those providential visitations, that we may shape our course so as to avoid it similar punishment.

The sufferers name, Mount, is not found among the ninety- four persons to whom Jerseyfield Patent was granted. [Because he bought it from the Christman family] He planted himself on a handsome plane a few miles north of the south line of the patent, and a little northerly of the usual route taken by the enemy in traversing the wilderness between the Black river and lower Mohawk valley. He probably went there under the patronage of some of the proprietors, and might reasonable expect to end his days in the seclusion that miles of forest afforded him, with nothing “ to molest or make him afraid,” save the wild beasts of the wilderness. After leaving Black creek on the confines of Norway, passing over a deep clayish soil, some rather stony ground, gently unudulating, and proceeding north a few miles, the traveler will reach the plain where Mr. Mount had seated himself, and if it be in the spring season or at midsummer, he will stop and gaze with admiration at the beautiful prospect before and around him. This is the spot Chosen by Mount for his home. Ohio must then be placed in the list of towns in the county settled by whites before the revolution. The West Canada creek crosses the north- west corner of the town.

A rehearsal of the murder of the two sons of Mr. Mount in Jerseyfield, would be but little more than the naked statement of the fact that the father and mother having gone to the Little Falls with grain to be ground, returned home and found their sons dead in the barn, their scalps taken, and the little negro boy alive anxiously awaiting his master’s return. Mr. Mount came from New Jersey. He must have been in Jerseyfield some years when his sons were killed, for he had made considerable improvements, built a house and barn, planted an apple orchard, and gathered around him farm stock and utensils. His secluded position rendered it quite certain, being about twenty miles from the German settlements on the river, that neither he nor his sons participated in the conflict going on between the crown and the colonies, by any aggressive acts against the former, and if he had at any time previously been visited by any of the strolling actors in the bloody drama then being performed, he did not indulge in offensive language, as he seems not to have then been molested.

Mr. Mount’s buildings were not at this time destroyed, but they were afterwards burned by some one. A mill on Mill creek, a few miles north of Graysville, was burned when the young Mounts were killed. No one can now fix a time when this affair happened, but some of the men -with Col. Willett, stated they dug potatoes at Mount’s place when they returned from pursuing Ross in 1782. Mr. Mount, it is said, made all haste to reach a place of safety, and never again returned to Jerseyfield.

Another version has been given me of this Indian murder, by a gentleman who was employed as a surveyor on the tract in 1808, and had gathered his information from persons then living near the Mount farm. From this relation the family consisted of Mr. Mount, his wife, daughter, two sons and a negro boy. Two Indians had been lurking about the place several days, but had not made any hostile demonstrations, as the young men had taken their loaded rifles with them when they left the house, but on the day they were killed and scalped in the barn, they had neglected this precaution. When the report of firearms was heard in the house, the rest of the family fled to the woods and made their way to Little Falls as fast as they could. Mr. Mount did not see his wife and daughter, after leaving his house, until they met at Little Falls. The Indians, my informant says, burned Mount’s buildings when they found the family had left the place.

According to this statement the family must have been prodigiously frightened. It is not improbable, nay, it is quite certain, that there were other white families settled in the town near the place called Ohio City, before the revolution.

Mr. David Thorp moved on to the Mount farm soon after the war and lived there many years. His son, David Thorp, was a member of the assembly from the county in 1832.” - Nathaniel S. Benton

Simms’ Account of the Killing of Walter N. Butler

“After the enemy had passed West Canada creek, Walter Butler lingered behind, unconscious of being within reach of American rifles, and having dismounted, be was in the act of drinking water from a tin cup, as he was discovered by Daniel Otendorf, and Anthony, a Mohawk sachem, both well known in the valley. The two, who were a scout in advance of Willett’s army, readily recognized the tory chieftain, and both fired upon him. He fell, and the Indian, casting off his blanket and upon it his rifle, dashed through the stream, tomahawk in hand, to him. He was lying with one elbow upon the ground, the hand supporting his aching head, and as his foe approached, he raised the other hand imploringly and cried, “Spare me - give me quarters I” Remembering the onslaught at Cherry Valley, and the part the suppliant had there acted amid the unheeded prayers of weeping mothers and orphan children, the Indian replied, “ Me give you Sherry Falley quarters! “—burying, with the words, his keen-edged tomahawk in his brain. At the moment he fell, Col. Willett and several of his officers arrived upon the bank of the creek. Informed by Olendorf of Butler’s proximity, he instantly forded the stream, attended by Col. And. Gray of Stone Arabia, and John Brower of the Mohawk valley, on foot: the two latter walking together to stem the current. They reached the spot just as Anthony raised his knife to perform the last act in the tragedy. Seeing his chief he asked him if he should do it, making a circular motion around the bleeding head. The red colonel asked Willett if he should be scalped, who replied, “ He belongs to your party, Col. Lewis.”

An approving look was sufficient, and the reeking scalp-lock was torn off, in the presence of those witnesses, as the victim lay quivering in death. Such was the fall of Walter Butler.- Daniel and Peter Olendorf – From Jeptha Simms

Return To The Table Of Contents

1780

2006-12-18T15:20:00.007-05:00

The grandchildren this year are:

020109 Peter Christman (b.1780)
030401 Frederick Christman (b.1780)

Stimulated by Some Peculiar and Ever-Active Principle of Hostility

“It has been seen, from the commencement of the contest, that the Johnsons, and those loyalists from Tryon County most intimate in their alliance with them, appeared to be stimulated by some peculiar and ever-active principle of hostility against the former seat of the Baronet, and the district of county by which it was environed.”- William L. Stone

More Terror

“…Settlers were learning that General Sullivan’s massive campaign of destruction had only served to make the Indians more desperate. Raiding was general throughout the spring and summer of 1780 Colonel Daniel Brodhead, leading 500 to 600 men in month-long campaign along the Allegheny River and deep into Indian territory, retaliated by destroying the Mingo, Wyandot, and Seneca towns as well as some 500 acres of corn. Despite this, Mohawks, Senecas, and Cayugas launched a devastating attack against the Americans’ principal ally, the Oneidas, pushing them back to Schenectady. In March 1780, the militia garrison at Skenesboro, near Lake George, was overrun and captured. Harpersfield fell a few weeks later to Joseph Brant. From Canajoharie to the northern end of the Wyoming Valley small parties of Indians terrorized the frontier.

Then, on May 21, 1780, Sir John Johnson organize a massive assault on the forts and strong houses of the Mohawk Valley. With 400 Tories and 200 Indians, he burned Johnstown on May 23 while Brant hit Caughnawaga. – Alan Axelrod

June

NEW YORK By the latest intelligence from Schenectady, in New York, we are informed that Sir John Johnson, (who styles himself lieutenant-colonel commanding the King’s Royal Yorkers, in the paroles given to some of the prisoners,) on Lord’s day evening, the twenty-first of last month, (May,) made his first appearance at Johnson Hall, undiscovered by any but his friends, who, no doubt, were in secret. On Monday, about daybreak, they began to burn all the houses except those of the Tories; beginning at Aaron Putnam’s, below Tripe’s Hill, and continued burning to Anthony’s Nose, or Acker’s house, except a few which, by the vigilance of the people, were put out after the enemy had set them on fire. There are burnt, thirty three houses and out-houses, and a mill; many cattle were killed in the field, and sixty or seventy sheep burnt in a barn. Eleven persons were killed. Colonel Fisher and his two brothers fought with great bravery, when the two brothers were killed and scalped. The colonel went upstairs and there defended himself; but, being overpowered, was knocked down and scalped, on which they plundered the house, set it on fire, and went off. The colonel reviving a little, though he was left by the enemy for dead, pulled one of his dead brothers out of the house, then in flames; the other was consumed in the house. It is said that the mother had a narrow escape for her life, being knocked on the head by an Indian, who had formerly been used by him in kindness, and professed much gratitude.
Old Mr. Fonda was cut in several parts of his head with a tomahawk. Had it not been for the alertness of Mr. Van Vrank, probably more would have been butchered by their savage hands. He alarmed the people along the way to Caughnawaga, who, by crossing the river, saved their lives.
Having done all the mischief to the distressed inhabitants they possibly could, they returned to Johnson Hall in the afternoon, when Johnson dug up his plate, about sundown and marched for the Scotch Bush, about four miles, that evening. He took with him about fifteen or twenty of his Negroes, who had been sold. Several of his tenants and others are gone with him...New-Jersey Gazette, June 21

Brant, leading a force of 500 Indians and Tories, overran Canajoharie on August 1 and 2.

“In the spring of 1780, the Indians again made their appearance, infuriated, rather than humbled, by the destruction of their villages and grain the previous summer.
General Clinton gave the following orders to Colonel Gansevoort, dated

“Albany, June 6, 1780. “SIR,-“You will proceed with your regiment as soon as possible to Fort Plank, where you will find a quantity of provisions, destined for the use of the garrison at Fort Schuyler, which you will take into your charge and escort to that post.

“As the enemy are said to be out in force on the Mohawk River, it is absolutely necessary that you should pay the strictest attention to prevent a surprise; and, in case of attack, to defend the stores to the last extremity; the present situation of the garrison points out the absolute necessity of this caution.

“You will receive a supply of provisions before you march, for the use of your troops, to the end that you may not make use of that destined for the garrison. If you should fall short, you must impress from the inhabitants, avoiding every degree of irregularity.”

Brant, sagacious, and generally successful where he directed, had caused a rumor to be circulated that he intended to capture the batteaux, in order to divert attention from other points of attack. This plan succeeded in August following; when, on account of a similar report, the militia of Canajoharie were ordered out to guard a number of batteaux to Fort Schuyler. Brant made a circuit through the woods, and coming in the rear of them, laid waste the whole country around Canajoharie.

The following account of this movement is given by Col. Samuel Clyde, in a letter to Gov. George Clinton, dated

“Canajoharie, August 6th, 1780. “SIR,-“I here send you an account of the fate of our district. On the second day of this inst., Joseph Brant, at the head of about four or five hundred Indians and Tories, broke in upon the settlements, and laid the best part of the district in ashes, and killed sixteen of the inhabitants that we have found; took between fifty and sixty prisoners, mostly women and children, twelve of whom they have sent back. They have killed and drove away with them upwards of three hundred head of cattle and horses; have burnt fifty-three dwelling-houses, beside some out- houses, and as many barns, one very elegant church, and one grist-mill, and two small forts that the women fled out of.

They have burnt all the inhabitants’ weapons and implements for husbandry, so, that they are left in a miserable condition. They have nothing left to support themselves, but what grain they have growing, and that they cannot get saved for want of tools to work with, and very few to be got here.

“This affair happened at a very unfortunate hour, when all the militia of the county were called up to Fort Schuyler to guard nine bateaux about half laden. It was said the enemy intended to take them on their passing to Fort Schuyler. There was scarce a man left that was able to go. It seems that everything conspired for our destruction in this quarter; one whole district almost destroyed, and the best regiment of militia in the county rendered unable to help themselves or the public. This, I refer you to Gen. Rensselaer for the truth of.

“This spring, when we found that we were not likely to get any assistance, and knew that we were not able to withstand the enemy, we were obliged to work and build ourselves forts for our defense, which we had nearly completed, and could have had our lives and effects secure, had we got liberty to have made use of them. But that must not be, we must turn out of them; not that we have anything against assisting the general to open the communication to Fort Schuyler, but still anticipated what has happened while we were gone. But it was still insisted on that there was no danger when we were all out; that in my opinion there never has been such a blunder committed in the county since the war commenced, nor the militia so much put out; and to send generals here without men, is like sending a man to the woods to chop without an ax. I am sensible, had the general had sufficient men, that he would have been able to have given satisfaction both to the public and inhabitants here.” – Jeptha Simms

“From there Brant started down the Ohio, where he intercepted and ambushed a Pennsylvania militia force under Archibald Lochry. Out of 100, 5 officers and 35 men were killed and 48 men and 12 officers captured.

Triumphant, Brant and his men turned back north an rejoined Johnson for a continued assault on Tryon County, New York. Johnson, Brant, and a Seneca chief named Cornplanter met at Unadilla. As a force of 1,800 they descended upon the Schoharie Valley on October 1 and then progressed up the Mohawk River, burning everything they encountered. A small militia force of 13, men led by Colonel John Brown out of Fort Paris, near Stone Arabia, was cut to pieces by the far superior Tory Indian force at Fort Keyser, an abandoned outpost.” - Alan Axelrod

Fort Paris

“This was a palisaded enclosure of strong block- houses, within the grounds, and was intended to accommodate a garrison of 200 or 300 men, if necessary, as also its exposed inhabitants. It was commenced in December, 1776, and completed in the spring of 1777. It was situated between three and four miles to the northeast of Fort Plain, and stood upon the summit of ground half a mile north of the Stone Arabia churches, a dozen rods from the road, almost cast of a now district school- house. The station was a sightly one, and springs issuing a little to the north of it would run to the Sacondaga, while those on its southerly side would flow to the Mohawk.

This was an important post, and was usually manned by a company or two of rangers. [0206 Nicholas Christman was in Winns Rangers, and Lieut. Billington was in Getmans Rangers] Col. Klock and his Lieut.Col. Wagner, had much to do with its immediate command. In the fall of 1779 and winter following, it became the headquarters of Col. Frederick Visscher, who commanded that and its adjacent military posts. [ A deserter was shot that year] The merchant Isaac Paris, one of the most influential and reliable men its vicinity, was complimented with its name. At this post, and in its neighborhood, were enacted many a thrilling scene, too many of which, alas, are now forgotten. Since this account was written, the following paper has turned up-possessed by Mr. Nellis Getman, of Ephratah-which discloses another reason why the fort took on the name of Paris:

“IN COMMITTEE CHAMBER OF TRYON COUNTY, December 19th, 1776.
“Resolved, That the Rangers of Capt. Christian Getman’s company, stationed at Stone Arabia, shall, in the time of their leisure, when and which of them are not employed in ranging, cut timber for building a certain fort in the said place, under the sole direction and command of Isaac Paris, Esq. “Extract of the minutes. “JNO. EISENLORD, Secretary.” – Jeptha Simms

Johann Jacob Christman, called Jacob Jr., spent much time at Fort Paris. He was a corporal in the 2nd Regiment of the Militia. One evening he was on his way home [Lot 93, Stone Arabia Patent] from the fort. Passing Mr. Gramp’s sugar bush he discovered several Tories in a camp. Without being observed he returned to the fort with the information. A detachment was sent and the Tories were captured. Back at Fort Paris they were apparently beaten for information, but without success.

The Battle of Stone Arabia

“November, 1843, from Maj. Joseph Spraker, of Palatine. Col. Brown left Fort Paris, on. the morning of his death, with a body of levies and militia; and as he passed Fort Keyser, a little stockade, at which a small stone dwelling was inclosed - perhaps a mile south of Fort Paris, and about two miles distant from the river-he was joined by a few militiamen there assembled, making his effective force from 150 to 200 men.[Johann Jacob Christman, His brother Nicholas Christman, and brother-in-law Lieut. Billington]

He met the enemy nearly half way, from Fort Keyser to the river. They were discovered on the opposite side of a field which contained some under-brush, and which was partly skirted by a forest. As the Indians were observed behind a fence on the, opposite side of the field, Capt. Casselman remonstrated with Brown against his leaving the covert of the fence; but the hero, less prudent on this occasion than usual, ordered his men into the field, and they had hardly begun to cross it, before a deadly fire was opened upon them; which was returned with spirit but far less effect, owing to the more exposed condition of the Americans. Brown maintained his position for a time but seeing the Indians gaining his flank, he ordered a retreat about which time (nearly 10 o’clock, Am.), he received a musket ball through the heart, as I learned from Jacob I. Ecker.

The enemy pressed on so as to render it impossible for his men to bear off his body, and the brave Colonel was left to, his fate.

At the fall of their commander, some of the Americans fled toward the Mohawk, and others north into the forest. Two of them took refuge in the dwelling of the late Judge Jacob Ecker, in the hope of defending themselves, but the house was surrounded by a party of Indians, who set it on fire, and laughed at the shrieks of its inmates who perished in the flames.

None of the citizens who were not in the battle, it is believed, were either killed or captured, they having gained one of the two forts, or sought safety in the woods.
Here is an incident of the conflict: After Col. Brown fell, the Americans retreated. While the armies were engaged, Samuel Woolworth-one of Brown’s men—unconsciously got several charges in his gun, not heeding the increasing length of the ramrod-supposing his gun discharged, as the priming burned. Retreating, he was pursued by three Indians, on whom he fired, when he became aware of the nature of the charge, as he was sprawling on the ground, his gun lying several feet from him. As he regained his piece, he saw one of the enemy supported by his fellows, evidently in a dying condition. He was again pursued by other foes who fired on him, whose fire he returned, having reloaded without halting. After hard running he eluded his foe and reached Fort Paris. After the enemy had left, a visit to the field of carnage disclosed to Woolworth a dead Indian across a log, near where he fired on his first pursuers ; one of whom had no doubt received the contents of his over-loaded gun. Woolworth died at Fort Ann, N. Y., in 1811.-David Woolworth, of Hamilton county, a son of Samuel I. Woolworth.

John Zielie, a captain of militia, had charge of Fort Keyser on that day. George Spraker, father of informant, and John Waffle, elderly men ; Joseph and Conrad Spraker, brothers -, William Waffie, Warner Dygert, and possibly one or two other young men, were all who were ready to aid Capt. Z. in the defense of his little fortress, when the British regulars passed near it in column, soon after Brown’s engagement. It might easily have fallen into their hands, had they known the number of its defenders. The few men in it were at the port holes, each with his gun and a hat full of cartridges by his side, but restrained their firing from motives of policy. Within hearing of this stockade, the enemy sounded a bugle to collect his forces, while several tin horns were also heard blown with the same intent. Informant had two older brothers under Col. Brown, who effected their escape after lie fell.

Soon after the enemy were out of sight, the four young men named, proceeded in the direction the firing had been heard, and leaping a fence into the fatal field, Joseph Spraker stood beside the remains of the ill-fated Brown. His scalp had been taken off so as completely to remove all the hair on his head; this was unusual, as only the crown scalp was commonly taken, but knowing his distinction and prowess, we may justly infer the red man’s motive. He was stripped of every article of his clothing, except a ruffled shirt. The four young militiamen-the Spraker brothers, Waffle and, Dygert-took the body of their fallen chief, and bore it in their arms to Fort Keyser. The remains of most of the soldiers who fell in this battle were buried in one pit, and Col. Brown with them; but a day or two after, it was opened and his remains removed to a place of interment near the churches. Col. Brown was of middling stature, with dark eyes and a fine Military countenance ; he usually wore glasses. He was agreeable and urbane in his manners, but possessed a spirit when in danger, fearless as the dashing cataract.

He fell deeply lamented by his numerous friends, and the few silver-haired heroes of his acquaintance who survived for me to converse with, were enthusiastic in his praise.

The Burial of Col. Brown’s Men. – I learned from George M. Bauder Esq., a son of Michael Bauder who was a Ranger in the Revolution- where this burial took place., His mother was Lana, a daughter of John Klock-the Bauders and Klocks were among the earliest German families in Palatine, [Klock was Dutch] where informant was born August 28, 1768, and where he has always resided, honored for his integrity. And, I may add, be still holds a military 160 acre land warrant, for his own services at Sacketts Harbor in 1814. After the Stone Arabia battle, John Klock drew the bodies of Brown’s men together on a sled, but there was no snow on the ground. They were brought near Fort Paris which stood between “The Corners,” [Christman Corners - As per 1945 USGS Topographic Map.] and interred, as now believed, a few rods southeast of the present school-house. The Pit dug was a trench some 12 by 15 feet, sufficiently wide to take in two lengths of bodies; and; upon its brink stood Miss Lana Klock and saw the remains deposited. They were laid in side by side in the clothes in which they fell, without coffins ; but their number is unknown. It was probably 20 or 30. Some who fell in their flight from the battlefield -were elsewhere interred. The general interment near the fort has been corroborated by -Benj. Getman, -Michael Wick and Henry Lasher, all three being octogenarians.

Just how many fell in the Stone Arabia battle is unknown- Col. Stone gave the number as from 40 to 45, which I think closely aggregates the number. The loss of the enemy that day- was unknown, but having so greatly the advantage in numerical force, it probably did not exceed one-half the American loss. Most of the Americans slain were New England men.

Incidents Growing out of the Battle. - After Col. Brown fell, many of his men borne down by numbers fled westward, and quite a number were overtaken and slain on the Judge Jacob Eacker farm, a mile northerly from Palatine Bridge. It has been stated that six men took shelter behind a large rock, from, which they made several shots, but the enemy getting in their rear they were all cut off. After hours of concealment with his family and the enemy had been called westward by tin-horns, Judge Eacker sallied out to survey the burned district on which his own buildings had stood in the morning. A little back of the mansion which he erected in 1803, he found an American drummer-boy still alive, who had been scalped by the Indians. He was conveyed to Fort Paris, properly cared for and while convalescing he was sent to his Connecticut home, and was not again heard from again.

Jack, a valuable slave owned by Judge Eaker, was coaxed to go along with the slaves of Bernard Frey, in his early flight to Canada. In Sullivan’s expedition this slave was captured and Returned to his former master - a circumstance not mated in my investigations. Judge. E. gave Jack 25 cents each, to bring together and bury all the dead soldiers he could find scattered upon his farm-and thus was he supplied with pocket money for sometime. Eaker had a stack of wheat in William Ehle’s woods adjoining his own which escaped the torch, and this still supplied his family with food ; but the rest of his property shared the general fate of his patriotic neighbors.- Jacob I. Eaker

After the battle, one Loucks, a militiaman, was found dead near the John Eacker place, who, as he had no wounds, was supposed to have run himself to death. The John Eacker house, a stone edifice, was not disturbed ; the enemy probably thinking it fortified-hence dare not approach it.

Col. Andrew Gray’s house was the only one in its neighborhood that escaped burning.

It was set on fire and extinguished by his brother with milk from the cellar. An Indian was running with a fire-brand toward the barn, when Gray raised a window to fire upon him and he scampered off. This family saved several stacks of hay by a timely sally of Americans from the fort, who fired on the barn-burners and they decamped – Jacob I. Eacker.

The First Shot fired by Brown’s men after leaving tile fort, was by George Getman, who saw an lndian pursuing two women who were fleeing with bundles, supposed of clothing, from their own home. The Indian fired-one of them fell, and as he was running up to scalp her, Getman’s rifle brought him down. The other woman escaped.- George Bauder, then a boy at Fort Paris.

Escape of Snell and Getman - Fleeing from the battle- ground, George Getman, a militia man, overtook a Young Yankee soldier, who seized hold of his bayonet belt, much assisting him but retarding the flight of the former. After proceeding in this manner awhile, the belt broke and the lad fell behind, soon to be tomahawked and scalped.

Getman was running east and came to a bar-way in a fence, the middle bar was down, and as he stooped to pass through he heard a bullet strike the board ,over his head. His gun was loaded, but unluckily the flint had fallen from the lock. He was not pursued any farther, and in passing a fallen tree in a little course he heard a voice saying, “Come here, brother!” Concealed under this tree he found Jacob Snell (afterwards a county judge), a brother militiaman, with a wounded shoulder.

They both adjusted their gun-looks, soon after which a single Indian came within gun-shot and stepped upon a stump for observation. The fugitives had a deadly aim upon him but, not knowing how near other savages might be, they did not fire; but had he discovered them he would no doubt have fallen. Giving a few whoops, he disappeared.

Getman, with his hat off, was in the act of examining Snell’s wound, when a hawk flew down and struck its talons into his bald scalp, lacerating it and causing the blood to flow freely. Not seeing the bird, he thought an Indian had struck him, but,. turning round and seeing no third person, he knew not what hurt him, until Snell informed him.

His wound bled more freely than did his companion’s. On hearing his cause of alarm, Getman exclaimed-“ Blitz, that’s a warning.” After hearing the signals to call the Indians westward, they passed up a ravine and reached Fort Paris in safety.- Casper Getman, Jacob I. Eaker and Others.” – From Jeptha Simms

The Burning of Stone Arabia

“Col. Andrew Gray’s house was the only one in its neighborhood that escaped burning.” – Jeptha Simms.

“Among the Audited Accounts in the New York State Archives is an item (#132) for E-154.11.2, dated I November 1784, “State of New York, Dr. to Mary Snell, widow of George late sergeant in Col. Klock’s regiment of Montgomery Co., militia - To seven years half pay which I am entitled to, by the death of my husband, Geo. Snell, who was slain in the field on the 6th August 1777 as per Col. Klock’s certificate.”

The pension file of his son, Jacob Snell (823429, S28608), in the National Archives contains several references to the death of Jacob’s father at Oriskany. The file also shows that George’s family continued to suffer after his death. In November 1833 Peter C. Fox deposed that Jacob served at Brown’s Battle 19 October 1780; “ in the morning when leaving his place of residence, turning his back on leaving, the worth of Thousands behind, when returning after Browns Battle finding Nothing left, but the soil, which God hath created from the Beginning All desolate, consumed to ashes, and destroyed, and homestead & field left naked.” With his mother and family, Jacob resided at Fort Paris during the remainder of the fall, and during the winter they lived with the family of Peter C. Fox’s father until early spring when they returned to Fort Paris until late the next fall. This loss was suffered at the time of the burning of Stone Arabia which coincided with Brown’s Battle. In the same file is a deposition from Joseph Waggoner of Minden, 13 February 1832, that “the Enemy had caused [19 October 1780] a general Conflagration almost to the whole settlement of Stonearabia without leaving a Straw to the said Jacob, or his afflicted Mother and Sisters.” – David Kendall Martin;18th Century Snell Family.

“After Col. Brown fell, the enemy, scattered in small bodies, were to be seen in every direction, plundering and burning the settlements in Stone Arabia” - Jeptha Simms

“In the course of a five-day raid Johnson and his Indian allies had destroyed as much as General Sullivan had in a month-long campaign.” –Alan Axelrod

“On November 2 Sir John sent in an additional report. “The Crops at Scoharie, the Mohawk River &c, he exulted, “were never known to be so great since the first Settlement of that Country as they were this year, and as they had sent very little to Market, and we destroyed every grain before us for Near fifty Miles, their loss at the most moderate computation, cannot Amount to less than Six hundred Thousand Bushells of different kinds.”

The rebels agreed that great damage had been done, with many persons, both soldiers and civilians, killed or captured. Governor Clinton estimated the property loss as at least two hundred dwellings and 150,000 bushels of wheat. So great was the devastation that he feared to let the whole story get into the newspapers. Colonel William Malcolm of the Continental army who was on the Mohawk immediately afterward noted that “Everything except the soil is destroyed from Fort Hunter to Stone Arabia.””

As for Schoharie, it was all burned. Hardly more was left than the bleached driftwood in the creek which gave the place its strange Indian name. – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

It is possible that the 02 Christman homes were burned at this time. There is no grave for 02 Jacob’s wife Catherine, or his youngest son 02060Nicholas’ wife, Ann Eve.

These two women may have been burned to death in their homes, the sites being where 02 Jacob and 0206 Nicholas are buried.

The Pursuit of Sir John Johnson’s Force

“It was now nearly sunset, and in trying to get back to the highway Sir John and his men found themselves opposed by the militia who had finally come up and had posted themselves behind fences, houses, and trees. After a while the rebels moved back and formed in considerable force under the protection of their fort at Klock’s. Sir John’s Indians, finding the enemy so strong,” fled on their horses in panic across the river. Seeing this, the rebels were encouraged, and advanced under cover of trees and fences, firing heavily. Part of Sir John’s forces gave way, and the rebels raised a cheer. Sir John then fired his cannon and that, whether it was aimed properly or not, silenced them. It was now dark, and all was confusion among both pursued and pursuers. In this confusion some of Sir John’s troops got separated from the main body. Sir John does not say so, but he was pretty close to a rout for he lost his cannon and much of his baggage.” - Isabel Thompson Kelsay

“Finding himself pursued, Col. Johnson halted his men a little below St. Johnsville and prepared to give his pursuers battle. “And,” said Henry Smith, “on the lands of John Richard Failing, and near the former Edwin Snell place, a battle occurred. It could hardly be called a battle, for scarcely had it begun ere the end came.” But with the few shots exchanged, several were killed and wounded on both sides. It grew dark so fast after the armies were in array, that both parties, from fear of shooting their own men, were willing to adjourn for more light-at least such was a subsequent statement at Van Rensselaer’s court martial. Sir John was compelled to retreat to a peninsula in the river, where he encamped, with his men much wearied. His situation was such that he could have been taken with ease. Col.’Duboise, with a body of levies, took a position above him to prevent his proceeding up the river; Gen. Van Rensselaer, with the main army below[ 0304 Nicholas Christman]; while Col. Harper, with the Oneida Indians, gained a position on the south side of the river, nearly opposite. The General gave express orders that the attack should be renewed by the troops under his own immediate command, at the rising of the moon, some hour in the night. Instead, however, of encamping on the ground from which the enemy had been driven, as a brave officer would have done, he fell back down the river and encamped three miles distant. The troops under Duboise and Harper could hardly be restrained from commencing the attack long before the moon arose ; but when it did, they waited ,with anxiety to hear the rattle of Van Rensselaer’s musketry.

The enemy, who encamped on lands owned by the late Judge Jacob G. Klock, spiked their cannon, which was there abandoned ; and soon after the moon appeared, began to move forward to a fording place just above the residence of Nathan Christie, and not far from their encampment. Many were the denunciations made by the men under Duboise and Harper against Van Rensselaer, when they found he did not begin the attack, and had given strict orders that their commanders should not. They openly stigmatized the General as a “ coward “ and “ traitor;” but when several hours had elapsed, and he had not yet made his appearance, a murmur of discontent pervaded all. Harper and Duboise were compelled to see the troops under Johnson and Brant ford the river and pass off unmolested, or disobey the orders of their commander, when they could, unaided, have given them most advantageous battle. Had those brave Colonels, at the moment the enemy were in the river, taken the responsibility of disobeying their commander as Murphy had done at Schoharie three days before, and commenced the attack in front and rear, the consequences must have been very fatal to the retreating army, and the death of Col. Brown and his men promptly avenged.-.Jacob Becker, a Schobarie militiaman.

The invaders headed back to Oneida by various routes, a fact which probably saved them much grief, for the next morning the rebels wasted a good deal of time trying to decide which trail to follow.” At Oneida, on October 23, the main body defeated and captured a small scout from Fort Stanwix who had been sent out to destroy their boats at Onondaga Lake. To their great relief they reached the boats the next day, found them intact, and so got safety back to Oswego on October 26.”
– Isabel Thompson Kelsay

“Wounded during Johnson’s raid, Joseph Brant was out of action until early 1781, when he returned to the Mohawk Valley with a vengeance-though few families remained in the area. [Brant was shot in the foot]

On the frontiers of New York affairs had come to their lowest ebb. The supervisors of Tryon County reported, on December 20, 1780, the results of a census which they had taken to determine the extent of the war’s damage. Uncultivated farms, they declared, numbered at least twelve hundred, and 354 families had abandoned their farms entirely and had left the county. This, they added, was only a partial count. In some places, such as Cherry Valley, Springfield, and Harpersfield, there was nobody left to make an enumeration. Such were the economic casualties out of a prewar population that has been estimated at perhaps ten thousand. So deserted were the Mohawk valley and once-thriving neighborhoods to the north and south, that Schenectady, which had not been a frontier since the early days of the century, came near again to marking the outermost limit of civilization.” – Alan Axelrod

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1779

2006-12-18T09:53:00.007-05:00

The grandchildren this year were:

010307 Johann Nicholas Christman (b.1779)
020602 Maria Christman (b.1779)
030302 James Christman (b.1779)

The Destruction of the Longhouse

The year of Terrible Vengeance. In order to protect the people, Washington ordered an expedition against the Iroquois Confederacy in order to totally destroy and desolate their settlements. This sad affair happened in 1779. It was known as the Clinton-Sullivan Expedition, part of which began at Canajoharie. The expedition drove the Iroquois out of New York and into Canada where they threw themselves at the mercy the English.

The Reason for the Indian’s Ruin – The Johnson’s Influence

“Reader, look on this picture of Gen. Sullivan’s desolation of this goodly heritage; see how it’s primitive owners, the lords of the forest and soil, whose strength in our weakness was proverbial in central New York, who received our ancestors kindly and stood as a shield between them and their Canadian foes; now despoiled and dashed in pieces for adhering to the British interest, lured thither by the influence of the Johnson family, which, at too late an hour, they discovered gave them a false estimate of our own strength - and tell me if you have not a tear of sympathy for this once distinguished and brave people! Many have been it’s Hendricks and its Logans in nursing our republic into life. Alas! what fate war sometimes brings to the conquered.

It seems not very surprising that the Indians should have listened overweeningly, to those to whom they had learned to look for counsel and advice; but the fate of the great Indian confederacy of New York, alas! shows us how the hopes of a nation may, in a few short weeks, by the blasting breath of war, be destroyed.

...O, what a cruel necessity is that which must destroy all the subsistence and render hopeless a whole people. This condition happened because the Indians in the service of royalty executed her cruel mandates to assist in subjugating her American subjects; inasmuch as they would not tamely submit to known legislative abuses. If there was a seeming wrong in this terrible retribution upon the inhuman acts of the Indians on our frontiers for two seasons; it should all recoil upon the British crown, for holding out mercenary inducements for the Indians to take up arms.” - Jeptha Simms

Eviction

“Early in the spring of 1779, as before stated, General Clinton, with two regiments of the New York line, moved up the Mohawk, and encamped at Canajoharie. [Nicholas Christman] During this summer also, little mischief was done in the valley of the Mohawk. – William W.Campbell

“The campaign was authorized early in 1779, but it was June 18 before General John Sullivan, an officer notorious for his excessive caution, began marching his force of 2,500 men-the New Jersey, New York, and New Hampshire brigades-from their rendezvous at Easton, Pennsylvania, to the Susquehanna. Washington had laid out a three-pronged strategy: Sullivan would cut a swath through the valley of the Susquehanna, up to the southern border of New York; General James Clinton, commanding 1,500 troops, would move through the Mohawk Valley to Lake Otsego and then proceed down the Susquehanna; and Colonel Daniel Brodhead would lead 600 men from Fort Pitt up the Allegheny. At Tioga, Pennsylvania, Sullivan and Clinton would join forces, move north to Niagara, and meet Brodhead at Genesee.

Despite Washington’s exhortations to travel light and move fast, the obsessively cautious Sullivan had burdened his expedition with 120 boats, 1,200 packhorses, and 700 cattle. Average progress during the first month of the campaign was a mere six miles a day. Moreover, Sullivan had ordered Clinton to travel with similar baggage, so he was equally slow. Even before Sullivan had gotten under way, however, Clinton had launched a six-day raid from his base of operations at Canajoharie on the Mohawk River.

Five hundred fifty-eight of Clinton’s command, under Colonel Goose Van Schaik [0304 Nicholas Christman], combined with 60 Oneidas led by Chief Hanyerry, left Fort Stanwix to attack Onondaga, the traditional capital of the Iroquois Confederation. On April 21, 12 Onondagans were killed and 34 captured; 50 houses were destroyed, and food and supplies plundered. The longhouse, in which representatives of the Iroquois Six Nations met to debate the confederation’s policy, was burned. The significance of the raid extended beyond the immediate destruction. Because the Oneidas, an Iroquois tribe, participated in the raid, it signaled the dissolution of the Iroquois Confederation.

Still, the progress of the main column was heart- breakingly slow. An advance guard dispatched from Easton-200 men under Major John Powell-sent out a small hunting party near Wyoming Mountain. They were ambushed and killed.

The passage of the overloaded army through wilderness and, especially, the Shades of Death Swamp, was agonizing. Sullivan’s army endured a number of mutinies. Worse, on June 30, Clinton wrote to Sullivan that

We had with us a fortnight some two hundred Oneida Indians under Chief Hanyerry. Only two days ago these Indians received a very threatening letter from the British commander, General Sir Frederick Haidimand, Governor of Quebec, which threatened the destruction of their towns if they joined our force. At this most of them deserted us and we are left now with only 25, but these include Hanyerry, who is angered at the threats.

In the meantime, on July 22, 1779, Brant hit the Mohawk Valley town of Minisink, about 20 miles above the juncture of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Sixty Indians and 27 Tories disguised as Indians torched the settlement in the dead of night, as the settlers, mostly women, children, and men too old for militia duty, slept. Minisink’s small fort, its mill, and 12 houses were destroyed, along with orchards and farms. A few settlers were killed or taken prisoner.

The attack spurred Colonel John Hathom and Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Tusten (or Tustin) to launch a militia assault from nearby Goshen. Tusten mustered 149 men, and Hathom joined him with an additional detachment. Hathom assumed command of the combined force and attempted to ambush Brant at the confluence of the Delaware and Lackawaxen rivers, cutting off his line of retreat. Brant, however, perceived Hathom’s intention and maneuvered his force behind Hathom, springing an ambush upon him before he could ambush Brant. Accounts vary. Out of 170 Americans, anywhere from 40 to 140 were lost in the attack by a combined Indian-Tory force of 87. Subsequently, 300 Indians and Tory Rangers led by Gu-cinge and Captain Robert McDonald attacked Forts Freeland and Sunbury on the West Branch of the Susquehanna. The 37-man garrison of Fort Freeland surrendered after a brief fight. Colonel Thaddeus Cook (SEE END NOTES), commanding Fort Sunbury, dispatched Captain Hawkins Boon with 80 men to the aid of Freeland. His force, however, was surrounded and overwhelmed, with the loss of 40 men, including Boon.

At last, on August 7, Sullivan’s column entered Indian country. Sergeant Thomas Roberts recorded in his journal the devastation of the country at the mouth of the Lackawanna River:

Incamped at Lackenwanney whear the Land is the Best that Ever I see Timmothy as high as mu head and the Bildngs ar Burnt by the Saviges the Warter is but Poor the Wild turkes very plenty the young ones yelping throug the Woods as if it Was inhabbited Ever So thick.

On August 9, Sullivan reached Newtychanning, a deserted Sen-obo village, and put its 28 buildings to the torch. Sullivan reached Tioga - where he would rendezvous with Clinton – erected Fort Sullivan, and posted General Orders:

As the army will soon be called upon to march against an enemy whose savage barbarity to our fellow citizens has rendered them proper subjects of our resentment, the General assures then that though their numbers should not be eqi which he is sensible cannot be the case, yet it is his I opinion they cannot withstand the bravery and discipline of troops he has the honor to command.

Nevertheless, it ought to be remembered they are a secret, desultory and rapid foe, seizing every advantage and availing themselves of every defeat on our part. Should we be so inattentive to our own safety to give way before them, they become the most dangerous , most destructive enemy that can possibly be conceived. They follow the unhappy fugitives with all the cruel and unrelenting hate of prevailing cowards, and are not satisfied with slaughter until they have totally destroyed their opponents. It therefore becomes every officer and soldier to resolve never to fly before such an enemy, but determine either to conquer or perish, which will ever insure success. Should they thus determine and thus act, nothing but an uncommon frown of Providence can prevent us from obtaining that which will insure peace and security to our frontiers and afford lasting honor to all concerned.

Although Newtychanning was the first in a long line of towns destroyed, few of the enemy were actually encountered. Clinton burned Otego on August 11; Unadilla on August 12; Conihunto and its cornfields on the thirteenth; Chemung on the fifteenth; the Tuscarora town Shawhiangto on the seventeenth; Ingaren and the crops in its adjacent fields on the eighteenth; Otsiningo, with hewn log houses, on the same day; two villages named Cohoconut on the nineteenth; and Owego on the evening of the same day. The occupants of these towns had already fled before the raiders arrived. On August 26, Sullivan’s and Clinton’s forces combined to advance toward Newtown, where Walter N. Butler and Joseph Brant had prepared an ambush. Sullivan sent as a scout Major James Parr, leading a detachment of Morgan’s riflemen. He spied the ambush and reported it: The enemy was in a semicircular bend of the Susquehanna, deeply entrenched and also occupying two plots of strategic high ground. Prepared, Sullivan and his officers defeated the ambush, though with difficulty and with the loss of three men and 39 wounded. After the battle an entire day was consumed in destroying the large Indian village at Newtown. It was a bitter defeat for John and Walter Butler, and for Joseph Brant.

Hanyerry is Killed (SEE END NOTES)

Throughout September 1779, Sullivan devastated almost completely deserted towns: Catherinetown, Kendaia Canadasaga - capital of the Senecas - and Canandaigua. A Sullivan’s army approached Chenussio, an important Seneca town, Brant and John Butler planned an ambush at Conesus. At this point, the Indians and Tories could muster a force of no more than 200-insufficient to attack Sullivan’s whole army, but enough to wreak havoc on the advance guard. On September 13, between Chenussio and Conesus, Brant and Butler lured a 26 - man scouting party led by Lieutenant Thomas Boyd into ambush. Fifteen men were killed outright, including the pro American Oneida chief Hanyerry, whose dead body was hewn to pieces, the scalped head impaled on a branch. Boyd, wounded, was taken captive, whipped, his fingernails pulled out one by one, his nose and tongue cut off, an eye gouged out, his genitals cut off, his body pierced with spears in numerous places, and his head cut off. [So much for Brant’s humanity boasted of by some of his fans]

But this attack was nothing more than a gesture of vengeance. The main body of Sullivan’s army continued on to Gothsegwarohare on September 14, destroying it and Chenussio on the fifteenth, destroying it as well. Next came Genesee, a town of 128 houses, ample fields and large orchards—all of which the army destroyed.

Sullivan’s mission was to proceed to Niagara, the major source from which the British supplied their Indian allies but pleading a shortage of supplies, the cautious commander launched a less ambitious-and strategically far less significant-campaign of destruction against Cayuga towns.

At the end of September, the expedition was concluded. “I flatter myself that the orders with which I was entrusted are fully executed, as we have not left a single settlement or field of corn in the country of the Five [i.e., Six] Nations, nor is there even the appearance of an Indian on this side of the Niagara,” Sullivan observed in his report to Congress. Indeed, the roll of devastation is formidable: fifty towns destroyed, comprising some 1,200 houses, each of which sheltered two or three inhabitants; vast amounts of corn destroyed; two hundred thousand bushels of grain destroyed; ten thousand fruit trees felled or girdled.

While this destruction caused great hardship for the Indians in the country, winter, starving many, and while the campaign tore the Iroquois Confederation apart, the Indians were still at large after the long campaign.

The winter of 1779-80 was calm, with no raids, but with spring came renewed Indian warfare fueled by desperation, a thirst for vengeance, and a sense that there was nothing more to lose. –Alan Axelrod

END NOTES:

1. From Charlie Greenbacker:

I think the author's information (Alan Axelrod) is incorrect. I can find no other
evidence supporting his claim that Col. Thaddeus Cook was at Fort
Sunbury. That Col. Cook was a colonel of Connecticut militia, and his
service record only indicates service in New Jersey, New York, and
Connecticut.

I believe the correct individual to be a Col. William Cooke. This
Col. Cooke was a colonel of Pennsylvania troops. He led the militia
of Northumberland County (where Sunbury is located) and commanded the
12th Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line. Capt. Hawkins
Boone was a member of this regiment until he was killed at Fort
Freeland.

2. From Webmaster:

I think the author's information about Hanyery being killed is not correct because the Oneida Indian Nation says that Hanyery fought in the War of 1812. However, they also deny that he was a Dockstader (Doxstader), but there is plenty of evidence proving that he was. Regardless of the specific controversies, the historical result of Sullivan's Campaign did happen.

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1778

2006-12-18T09:39:00.006-05:00

Grandchildren this year.

020302 Adam Christman (b.1778)
020504 Peter BILLINGTON (b.1778)
030301 Johan Frederick Christman (b.1778)

February 6

The French Treaty of Friendship

The French signed a treaty of friendship with the United States of America.

In early spring, General Schuyler tried to hold a council with the Six Nations without success. Only the Oneidas, Tuscaroras, and a few Cayugas and Onondagas showed up. The Mohawks and Senecas wanted revenge. In May, after hearing of the French alliance, General Schuyler tried again, thinking that the Senecas would be glad to side with their old French father; no success. Joseph Brant and the Mohawks had fought with the British against the French anyway. The Six Nation Confederacy was divided and finished, in large part due to the deception of Daniel Claus. If Conrad Weiser only knew what was going to happen!

Terror Raids

In late April, Joseph Brant was on his way to Oquaga.

By May, Butlers Rangers were in New York’s frontiers.

Their object was hit and run attacks on the settlements to destroy people, property and crops. The Mohawk Valley settlements had become a major source of food for the Continental Armies.

On May 1, the news of France’s entry into the war reached Washington’s camp in Valley Forge, and salutes were fired across the drill-grounds where Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was training an army for the Americans. On July 11, 1780 the French finally arrived at Newport Harbor with six regiments including one regiment called the “Royal Deux-Ponts” which included subjects of the Palatine Duke of Zweibrucken. Baron von Steuben eventually settled in the Mohawk valley.

On May 30, Joseph Brant attacked Cobleskill with an estimated 200 men. A fight with the Schoharie militia ensued; only a rebel sergeant and four men survived. Brant’s Volunteers mutilated the corpses.

On June 2, near Cherry Valley, Joseph Brant shot and killed a young man and captured another, only to find out that they were loyalists. Rumors put Joseph Brant all over the map; the militia chased the phantom Brant, but Joseph was not all over the map. He was near Oquaga trying to get loyalist recruits for the British cause. He met John Butler at Tioga; the Senecas wanted revenge. They wanted to strike at the Connecticut people who settled on the land of their back door which was not fairly purchased. – It was the Wyoming Valley. What the Indians did not realize is that it was Sir William Johnson’s agent that guided the pen in the drunken hands of the Indians back in 1754. - Remember?

England had two problems to solve:

First - to secure the support of the Six Nations.
Second - to solve disunity in the colonies.

The Albany Congress was supposed to solve both problems. Conrad Weiser and William Johnson carried on the Indian negotiations, and Benjamin Franklin drafted a proposal called the Albany Plan of Union - the forerunner and prototype for the Continental Congress.

When the Indian part of the conference had ended, the Indians left Albany with 30 wagons of presents and no commitment of allegiance - only assurance that they were not in collusion with the French. Just like always. But something else happened too. Conrad persuaded a Connecticut Company that William Johnson had an interest in not to pursue a project for the Wyoming Valley; and, in the meantime, William Johnson’s Albany agent, John Henry Lydius, made the purchase anyway. Outside of the proceedings in a room down the street, Lydius got the sachems drunk and, guided the pen in their drunken hands, as they signed away the Wyoming Valley.

The Wyoming Valley Massacre

July 3

Eight forts were destroyed; 1000 houses burned; livestock slaughtered; 227 murdered and scalped, only 5 prisoners. Men, women, and children, begging for their lives, tortured and mutilated. John Butler said that they couldn’t help it. Guy Johnson boasted of the accomplishment where the Tories and Indians burned women and children alive in their houses, screaming, crying and choking, while Indians cut the tongues out of the cattle so they could writhe to death in agony.

Description of Guy Johnson

“Captain Snyder described Guy Johnson as being a short, pursey man, about forty years of age, of stern countenance and haughty demeanor - dressed in a British uniform, powdered locks, and a cocked hat. His voice was harsh, and his tongue bore evidence of his Irish extraction.” - William L. Stone

Description of Joseph Brant

“While in the guard house the prisoners were visited by Brant, of whom Captain Snyder says - “He was a likely fellow, of fierce aspect - tall and rather spare - well spoken and apparently about thirty (forty) years of age. He wore moccasins, elegantly trimmed with beads - leggings and breech-cloth of superfine blue - short green coat, with two silver epaulets - and a small, laced, round hat. By his side hung an elegant silver-mounted cutlass, and his blanket of blue cloth, purposely dropped in the chair on which he sat, to display his epaulets, was gorgeously decorated with a border of red.”- William L. Stone

July 18

Joseph Brant raided Andrewstown and Springfield. Andrewstown was totally destroyed; in Springfield 14 families lost their homes and were captured. Eight men were killed. It was a time of fear during harvest time. Crops lay rotting. John Butler went back to Niagara.

The Destruction of German Flatts

“But the most considerable event of the season in that vicinity, was the entire destruction of the comparatively extensive and populous settlement of the German Flatts. This settlement, originally called Burnetsfield, from the circumstance that the patent had been granted by Governor Burnet, extended over the richest and most beautiful section of the Mohawk Valley, comprehending the broad alluvial lands directly beyond the junction of the West Canada creek and the river, and including about ten miles of the valley from east to west. Midway of the settlement, on the southside of the river, yet stands the ancient stone church, the westernmost of the line of those structures built under the auspices of Sir William Johnson. A short distance west of the church stood the large and massive-built stone mansion of the Herkimer family, which, like the church itself, was used as a fort. Hence it was called Fort Herkimer. On the north side of the river, upon a gravelly plain, elevated some ten or fifteen feet above the surrounding flatts, stood Fort Dayton.

At the time of which we are writing, the settlement on the south side of the river numbered thirty-four dwelling-houses, and there were about an equal number upon the north side, together with as many barns and out-buildings, and several mills. The population, for the number of houses, was numerous.

The lands, rich by nature, and well cultivated, had that year brought forth by handfuls; so that the barns were amply stored with their products.

It was at the close of August, or early in the month of September, that this fine district was laid waist under the direction of Brant. Most providentially, however, the invasion was attended with the loss of but two lives - one man being killed outright, and another, named McGinnis, perished in the flames. The particulars of this hostile irruption were these: - Entertaining some suspicions of Brant., who was at Unadilla, a scout of four men had been dispatched into that vicinity for observation. Three of these men were killed at the Edmeston settlement. The fourth, John Helmer, succeeded in making his escape, and returned to the flatts at half an hour before sundown, just in time to announce that Brant, with a large body of Indians, was advancing, and would, in a few hours, be upon them. All was, of course, terror and alarm through the settlement; and the inhabitants - men, women, and children - were gathered into Forts Dayton and Herkimer for security. In flying to those defenses, they gathered up the most valuable of their stuff, and by means of boats and canoes upon the river, succeeded, in the course of the evening, in collecting a large portion of their best articles of furniture. But they had no time to look after their flocks and herds.

Early in the evening Brant arrived at the edge of the settlement, but as the night came on excessively dark and rainy, he halted with his forces in a ravine, near the house of his Tory friend Shoemaker, where the younger Butler and his party were captured the preceding year. Here the chieftain lay with his warriors until the storm broke away toward morning - unconscious that his approach had been notified to the people by the scout in season to enable them to escape the blow of his uplifted arm. Before the dawn he was on foot, and his warriors were sweeping through the settlement; so that the torch might be almost simultaneously applied to every building it contained. Just as the day was breaking in the east, the fires were kindled, and the whole section of the valley was speedily illuminated by the flames of houses and barns, and all things else combustible.

The spectacle, to the people in the forts, was one of melancholy grandeur. Every family saw the flames and smoke of its own domicile ascending to the skies, and every farmer the whole product of his labor for the season dissolving in ashes...Nothing upon which they could lay their hands was left; and the settlement; which the day before, for ten miles had smiled in plenty and beauty, was now houseless and destitute.” - William L. Stone

Among the names of the suffers at German Flatts with the number of their dependents over or under 16 years old, on page 116 of “The Book of Names”, by MacWethy, it lists Christman, Jacob, 2 above, 5 under, Christman, John, Jr., 2 above, 3 under, and Christman, Nicholas, above 2, under 1.

DESTRUCTION OF HERKIMER
Col. Bellinger’s Report to Governor Clinton on the Destruction of German Flatts, N. Y.
German Flatts, Sept. 19, 1778.
May it please your Excellence. I humbly beg to lay our distresses open to your Excellency. On Thursday the 17th instant about six in the morning the enemy attacked Fort Dayton on the north side of the German Flatts and burned and destroyed all the houses, barns and grain and drove a great number of horses and horned cattle away with them. The church fort, together with two houses Is all that is left on that side and they had two men killed and one wounded. The enemy tried to take Fort Dayton but they kept them off. On the south side of the river they began about six miles above Fort Herkimer and burned all the houses, barns and grain quite down to the church at Fort Herkimer they tried to set fire to the barn but we sallied out with what men we could spare and kept them from destroying any more homes. We have built in our district four garrisons -and have none but my regiment to guard them and a few rangers. I sent out a scout of the rangers, nine men, three days before this happened. They met the enemy at Major Edmonston’s place at the head branch of Unadilla river, the enemy attacked them and drove them into the river. They have killed two of the rangers and scattered the rest. One of them came in the night before the Flatts was attacked. And immediately I wrote per express to Col. Klock and another to be signed by him, to be sent to the nearest place for assistance as the enemy was within nine miles of us when the rangers saw them last. In my letter to Col. Klock I begged him for God’s sake to assist us with men land if he had marched his men on directly, he might have been at the Flatts before we was attacked and if he had sent 200 men we might in all probability have saved a great many houses and a great deal of grain and creatures. But alas we could get no assistance. Several times this summer we have intelligence that they intended to destroy this place and I have wrote to General Stark in Albany for assistance but could get none and once I wrote to your Excellency but I imagine you did not receive it. Our case is really very hard as the enemy threatens us yet.
Therefore I am obliged to be thus troublesome to Your Excellency to desire the favor of a reinforcement, otherwise I cannot pretend to keep the inhabitants here any longer. I have given orders to the A. D. C. of issues at Fort Dayton to supply these who have lost their effects with provision as they was crying to me for bread. But If your Excellency does not approve of it I hope you will send me orders how I must behave In the said affair.
After the enemy had finished the destruction of the Flatts they went off about noon. In the afternoon I sent an express again to Col. Klock desiring him to send to Col. Alden at Cherry Valley that if he would turn out with about 400 men and strike across to the creek at Unadilla where I was certain they would come up with the enemy they might have recovered most part of the plunder again but as far as I can learn they did not mind it. I had a great deal of trouble I can assure your Excellency to keep the inhabitants from moving off on the account of having no assistance. I was obliged to threaten them that I would take their effects from them. But as the place Is mostly destroyed I have prevailed on them to wait till I have orders from your Excellency how to behave in our distressed circumstances. But if there is no reinforcement comes up I shall not be able to hinder them from moving off. I here send your Excellency an account of the damage done by the enemy on both sides of the river. They burned 63 dwelling houses, 57 barns with grain and fodder, 3 grist mills, I sawmill and they have taken away with them 235 horses, 229 horned cattle, 269 sheep and they killed and destroyed a great number of hogs and they have burned a great many out houses.
I hope your Excellency will take our circumstances into consideration and grant; us a reinforcement sufficient to hinder the enemy from utterly ruining of us. So relying entirely on your Excellency I beg leave to subscribe myself your Excellencies most ,obedient humble servant.
PETER BELLINGER, Colonel.
To His Excellency, George Clinton, Esclr. – from Mac Wethy’s, Book of Names

In Canada, Walter Butler was made a captain of Butlers Rangers and prepared to join up with Brant’s Volunteers.

October 13

Brant attacked Peenpack on the Neversink River. The Continental Army and the Tryon County Militia attacked and destroyed Oquaga and Unadilla, Brant’s home base. If Klock’s regiment was involved then Johann Jacob and Nicholas Christman may have been involved.

The Indians that fled the two towns joined up with Walter Butler. Brant’s Volunteers joined them. The Seneca Chief Sayengaraghta controlled the Six Nations Loyalists. They held council, and decided to attack Cherry Valley. On October 29, they were on their way.

The Cherry Valley Massacre

November 11

NEW YORK This day, a party of Tories, Indians, and Regulars, under the command of Colonel Butler, made a decent on the fort at Cherry Valley. An officer who was in the fort, gives the following account of their affair:
On Saturday night, 7th of November, an express arrived from Fort Stanwix, informing that an Oneida Indian had aquainted them that he sat in council in the Seneca country with the Six Nations, and other tribes, and that they had concluded to attack Fort Alden, in Cherry Valley...
On Wednesday, the 11th, it rained very hard; the enemy came by the above mentioned path, passed by two houses, and lodged themselves in a swamp a small distance back of Mr. Well’s house, headquarters; at half-past eleven, A.M., Mr. Hamlin came by and discovered two Indians, who fired upon him, and shot him through the arm; he rode to Mr. Wells’ , and aquainted the colonel, the lieutenant-colonel, major, and adjutant being present; the two last (the house at this time being surrounded by Indians) got to the fort through their fire; the colonel was shot near the fort. The enemy eight hundred in number, consisting of five hundred Indians, commanded by Brant, fifty regulars under Captain Colvill, and another captain with some of Johnson’s Rangers, and above two hundred Tories, the whole under Colonel Butler’s command, immediately surrounded the fort, exculding several officers who were quartered out of the garrison, and had gone to dinner; they commenced with a very heavy fire upon the fort, which held three and a half hours, and was as briskly returned; they were so near as to call the fort and bid the “damn’d rebels” to surrender, which was answered with three cheers, and a discharge of cannon and musketry. At four P.M., the enemy withdrew. Captain Ballard salied out with a party, which the enemy endeavored to cut off, but were prevented by a reinforcement.
The next day they made it their whole business to collect horses, cattle, and sheep, which they effected, and at sunset left the place. The enemy killed, scalped, and most barbarously murdered, thirty-two inhabitants, chiefly women and children, also Colonel Alden, and the following soldiers (10 names)... the following prisoners (4 names) and thirteen privates; burnt Twenty-four houses with all the grain, &c., took above sixty inhabitants prisoners, part of whom they released on going off. They committed the most inhuman barbarities on most of the dead. Robert Henderson’s head was cut off, his skull bone was cut out with the scalp. Mr. Willis’ sister was ripped up, a child of Mr. Willis’, two months old, scalped and arm cut off, and many others cruelly treated. Many of the inhabitants and soldiers shut out from the fort, lay all night in the rain with the children, who suffered very much. The cattle that were not easy to drive, they shot. We were informed by the prisoners they sent back, that the lieutenant-colonel, all the officers and Continental soldiers, were stripped and drove naked before them...
New-Jersey Gazette, December 31, 1778

“Tory Ranger Captain Walter N. Butter (son of John Butler) infiltrated the sleeping camp of Sergeant Adam Hunter near the fort on the night of November 10. Facing 800 Tories and Indians, Hunter revealed the strength of Fort Alden (as lchabod Alden had christened Cherry Valley’s stockade) and, even more importantly, revealed that Alden and other principal officers were quartered outside the fort, at the house of Robert Wells. Consequently, the first objective on November 11, when Brant and Seneca chiefs Little Beard and Gu-cinge began their attack, was to surprise and cut off the Wells house. At 10:30 A.M., they stormed the house, killing the Wells family as well. as Colonel Alden. Brant tried to intervene in order to save the family, with whom he was acquainted, but he was too late. Indeed, although the Indians had promised Walter Butler that they would refrain from unnecessary cruelty, the Senecas and some of the Mohawks ran amok, scalping, dismembering, even indulging in ritual cannibalism. Some of the Tory soldiers were even more bloodthirsty.

Lieutenant Rolf Hare participated in the brutal stabbing of a woman named Sarah Dunlop and watched as a halfbreed named William of Canajoharie ate chunks of her flesh.

By two in the afternoon, Cherry Valley was virtually destroyed, with every building outside the stockaded fort ablaze---except for the house of Joseph Brant’s friends, the Shanklands… By the day’s end, the death toll reached 74, including 42 military men and 32 civilians. Thirty-two of 3 houses were burned, in addition to 231 barns, two mills and a blacksmith’s shop. Not one of the attackers was killed, and only one was injured-by the unfortunate Sarah Dunlop, who struck William of Canajoharie with frying pan before he killed her.” – Alan Axelrod

After Cherry Valley while on the way back to Niagara, Brant wanted to burn General Herkimer’s house. Near Fort Plank, he burned four houses and barns. Brant went to Niagara for the winter. Herkimer’s house stands.

That was the cloud of fear that the people of the Mohawk Valley lived under.

Just like it had been in the Palatinate during the Thirty Years War.

Return To The Table Of Contents

1777

2006-12-17T20:57:00.007-05:00

The grandchildren this year were:

010406 Eva CUNNINGHAM (b.1777)
020601 Susanna Christman (b.1777)
030202 Margaret Christman (b.1777)

The Senecas Resent Joseph Brant

In the winter of 1775, Joseph Brant went to England with Guy Johnson and others. Ethan Allan was a prisoner on the same ship. He didn’t eat as good as they did. Joseph Brant returned in the spring of 1776. By December, he was back at Oquaga trying to win the support of the Six Nations to side with the British. He talked to the Senecas, went to Niagara to see John Butler, went to Onondaga, and argued with the Oneidas. He had little success convincing them to take up the British hatchet. Because of his seduction by the Johnsons and, his trip to England, his Indian piers looked at him as an up-start with lucky contacts and opportunities. They resented that. They preferred the old tradition of neutrality if possible. He went back to Oquaga and got lucky again; oddly, he raised a force of blue-eyed Indians called Brant’s Volunteers from local Loyalists, poor tenant farmers; who, evidently resented renting from their now rebel landlords.

It is a weird circle that these feudal landlords, like the Livingstons and Schuylers, now on the rebel side, were the same people that, behind the scenes, screwed the Palatines at the Tar Camps, causing them to resent the British. In addition, they were some of the most notorious swindlers of land grabs in the Mohawk Valley causing the Indians to resent them too. What did they do that was good?

Fort Stanwix

“In the spring of 1776, Colonels Van Schaick and Dayton were sent into Tryon County with detachments of continental soldiers, [To arrest Sir John Johnson] and were stationed at Johnstown and German Flats. Col. Dayton, stationed at the latter place, was ordered by Gen. Schuyler, in June of this year, to take post and erect a fortification at Fort Stanwix. The militia of the county were called out to assist him. This fort occupied a part of the site of the present village of Rome, in Oneida County, situated at the head of navigation of the Mohawk, and at the carrying-place between that river and Wood Creek, from whence the boats passed to Oswego; it was a post of great importance to the western part of New York.

The French, with their usual sagacity, when endeavoring to monopolize the Indian trade, had erected a fortification at this place. At the commencement of the war it appears to have gone to decay; a few families had settled there, forming the extreme western outpost of civilization, save the forts of Oswego and Niagara.

The fort erected by Col. Dayton was called Fort Schuyler, in honor of Gen. Schuyler. It is designated by that name in most of the letters and official communications of the officers including Gen. Schuyler himself. It has been confounded by some with [a different] Fort Schuyler, which was built in the French wars, near where Utica now stands, and named in honor of Col. Schuyler, the uncle of Gen. Schuyler. At the time of the Revolution there was no fort at the latter place. There was a clear field, which still retained the name of Fort Schuyler, as did the settlement west that of Fort Stanwix.

The last of April, 1777, Col. Gansevoort, with the 3d regiment of the New York line of State troops, was ordered to Fort Schuyler. The fort was still unfinished, and the early part of the summer was spent in advancing the works. It was not even completed when afterward invested. The duties of the troops in consequence were extremely arduous.”- William W. Campbell

(0304) Nicholas Christman (b.1755) was now at Fort Stanwix. After the campaign of 1775 went into Capt. Ten Eyck’s Company from which he was transferred to Maj. Cochran’s Company in the detachment commanded by Colonel Gansevoort.

Brant's Volunteers

“Joseph was back in Oquaga by early spring. The Indians there and in the vicinity were quite ready to consider him as the voice of their superintendent. Whether they would let him lead them in war, however, was another matter. His clansmen might accept his leadership if they thought him a brave warrior; other Indians would expect to have their own relatives as leaders. But, a strange thing was about to happen.

In the mountainous areas along the Delaware and, indeed, in that whole rugged country between the Hudson and the east branch of the Susquehanna there lived a surprising number of Loyalists. These Loyalists were not wealthy men intent on protecting their privileges. Actually they were very poor men, mostly tenant farmers, and they had a hard struggle trying to eke out a living from stony ground which they had leased for two or three lives, or longer, from the owners of the great semi-feudal estates in the Catskills or the Helderbergs.

Many lived on the Great Hardenbergh Patent, which contained over a million acres and others lived on the domain of the Van Rensselaer family, which was almost as large. These people-for who knew what dangerous plots such Tories might hatch? -were feared and resented by the rebels from the very beginning of the war. They were watched, spied upon, threatened with tar and feathers, plundered of their small property, and preyed upon in many ways. Sometimes they were actually attacked and even killed by over-zealous rebel scouts and patrols.

When Joseph Brant appeared at Oquaga in the spring of 1777 and raised the king’s flag over the village, it seemed to these unhappy Loyalists that here was their deliverance. Brant was someone they had heard of or could easily find out about. Rumor had it that he had been received well in England, and his connection with the great Johnson family was widely known. Brant was, to them at least, an educated man. He would make a strong leader. Almost immediately some of these poor fellows gave up the struggle at home and fled to his protection. In time, at least one hundred white Loyalists gathered at his side, coming mostly in the early years of the war, in 1777 and 1778. So began that highly irregular military corps who called themselves Brant’s Volunteers.

Some of Brant’s Volunteers were killed in action or captured, and some eventually joined more regular corps such as Butler’s Rangers or Sir John Johnson’s Royal Greens.

Most of Brant’s Volunteers seem to have been of English, Scotch, or Irish descent, though a few bore German names. Most came from New York though some may have come from neighboring sections of Jersey or Pennsylvania. These men were not all at the best age for soldiering-indeed, some were entirely too old or too young-and they fought any way they could and got very bad reputations. Because they fought in disguise, they were seldom recognized. Yet sometimes their disguises were penetrated, for certain men such as Daniel Cole, Daniel Secord, and the Houghs were personally known to the rebels and especially notorious for what were conceived to be their misdeeds. These four men, along with Joseph himself, were the most hated and the most sought-for. Any one of the Volunteers, however, would have been hanged without much of a trial if he had been caught. Out in the field more than any other Loyalists in the American war, the Volunteers led harsh and dangerous lives. We were “almost irremittingly on actual Service, declared one of them after the war, and he spoke truly.

Why so many men preferred Joseph Brant’s leadership to an easier and more regular service is difficult to explain. The simplest explanation is that they were wild and undisciplined, unwilling to accept a strict regimen. There have always been such men, and the refugee Loyalists had their share of them. “Some Of them,” exclaimed an officer in exasperation, “refuse to take arms or be under any command-but to go along with the army, the Devil knows what the scoundrels wou’d be at, I have been thirty years a soldier, but never had so much trouble as with those fellows.”” The devil did not know what such scoundrels would be at, but Joseph Brant did. Joseph let his men fight as Indians. His Volunteers dressed and painted themselves as Indians, and during all the border warfare the rebels naturally assumed that their dreaded Mohawk enemy had a large party of grotesquely painted warriors under his command. Actually, Brant’s personal party as a war chief (as distinguished from those who merely happened to be traveling in the same direction) consisted of scarcely more than one-fifth Indians, most, if not all, his clansmen.”

The rest were white men. It was late in the war before Joseph was able, for a very special reason, to attract a larger number of Indians. It was his whites upon whom he usually depended. – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

Unadilla

General Herkimer went to Unadilla and tried to talk some sense into Joseph Brant, his old neighbor. However, Col. Cox was there, who was related to George Klock. Joseph Brant despised George Klock. Following are two accounts of the important meeting at Unadilla:

“Harpers Statement - As this sworn statement of Col. Harper gives the most circumstantial account of this attempt, one of the last of our State authorities, to wean the Indians from the British interest into a state of neutrality ; it may be well here to give a synopsis of it, as Gen. Herkimer was mortally wounded only 21 days after Harper’s account of this meeting was given in. Said Col. Harper, the interview between Herkimer and Brant took place in his presence June 27, 1777. Gen. Herkimer had with him about 380 militiamen of the county, and met Joseph Brant at a place called Unadilla, on the Susquehanna, to demand the reason why he had taken cattle from the people of that place - of course surreptitiously. Brant had several chief warriors with him. Herkimer delivered his speech tending to peace with all the Indian nations. Brant replied he was thankful the General was peaceably disposed, but as they were hungry, they could not speak until they had eaten. He and his chiefs then went away to refresh themselves, and returned with about 137 warriors. He thought by the numbers attending Herkimer, he was disposed for war, and if so, he was ready for him - said there were some things which kept the Six Nations uneasy.

Brant’s reasons assigned for this, were - first,. that the Mohawks were confined, and had not the liberty of passing back and forth as formerly; second, their minister, Mr. Stewart, had. not liberty to pass and repass, as formerly, to carry on their religious worship : third, that forts were built in Indian territory and on their lands; that these were the only matters of consequence which made the minds of the Six Nations uneasy, and appeared as if designed against them, and that if these were rectified it would give their minds ease. These were flimsy reasons, for they had placed themselves in the category complained of, by leaving the Mohawk valley with the loyal Johnson party. If Mr. Stewart had gone to the Canajoharie Castle to preach, there were few Indians remaining there to hear him.

The statement continued: Gen. Herkimer asked if they would be peaceable, and do nothing against the country, if these things were rectified ? Brant threw off his disguise, and replied:

That the Indians were already in covenant with the King, as their fathers had been; that the King’s belts were lodged among them, That they could not be such great scoundrels as to falsify their pledges of trust; that the General and his party had joined the Boston people against the King, and that although the Boston people were resolute, the King would humble them; that Gen. Schuyler had been very smart on the Indians at the treaty at the German Flats, and threatened them if they should join the King’s party, and, at the same time, could not put linen shirts on their backs; that the Indians were not to be seared by Mr. Schuyler’s threats; that the Indians, had formerly made war with the white people, when both the King and country were together, and since they were opposed to each other, the Indians were not to be frightened.

After Brant had declared they would adhere faithfully to the King, Col. Cox said if that was their resolution, there need be no further inquiry, as the matter was settled. Brant then turned and spoke to his warriors, and they shouted and ran to their camp for their arms; that in their camp, a mile away, they fired a number of guns, and gave the war whoop; that Gen. Herkimer told Brant he did not come there to fight, and he must keep his warriors at their camp; that Brant’s speaker arose, and, in a threatening posture told Herkimer they were ready to come to action; that he proposed Mr. Stewart should have leave to go to the Upper Mohawk Castle; that the people, of Unadilla should be permitted to remain at home as subjects of the King ; that they had been obliged to take an oath of allegiance to the States, contrary to their consciences ; that ,Gen. Herkimer told him his party came after Tories and deserters, and required Brant to give up those under his protection; that he refused to give up either, and insisted they should remain in possession of their places, and subject only to their King ; that Gen. Herkimer agreed to his proposals; that Brant then said his warriors would go away, and he must go to Oswego to meet Col. Butler; that Brant next day put the Tories in possession of their places; that Herkimer and his party then ,came away. He further stated that he had since been informed by an Indian that Brant was still recruiting at Oquaga, and was joined daily by recruits from different nations intending to fall unexpectedly upon the white people. Thus will the reader observe that this mission, with a humane and Christian motive, was nearly an abortive one, but the object was worth its trial.

The Statement of Joseph Wagoner -The following account of the interview between Gen. Herkimer and Brant, which I first published in 1845, I obtained several years before of the old patriot Joseph Wagner, of Fort Plain. He stated to me that at the first meeting of Gen. Herkimer with Brant, the latter war attended by three other chiefs; William Johnson, a reputed son of Sir William Johnson, who is mentioned in his will as a Canajoharie Indian, and who was killed at the battle of Oriskany the same year; Pool, a smart-looking fellow with curly hair, supposed part Indian and part Negro, and a short dark-skinned Indian, the four encircled by a body-guard of some twenty noble-looking warriors.

When in his presence, Brant rather haughtily asked Gen. Herkimer, the object of his visit, which was readily made known; but seeing many attendants, the chief suspected the interview was sought for another purpose. Said Brant to Herkimer, I have five hundred warriors at my command, and can in an instant destroy you and your party; but we are old neighbors and friends, and I will not do it. Col. Cox, a smart officer who accompanied Gen. Herkimer, exchanged several sarcastic expressions with Brant, which served not a little to irritate him and his followers. The two had had a quarrel a few years previous, about lands around the Upper Indian castle. Provoked to anger, Brant asked Cox if he was not the son-in-law of old George Klock? –Yes! replied Cox in a tone of malignity, and what is that to you, you d-d Indian ? At the close of this dialogue Brant’s guard ran off to their camp, firing several guns, and making the hills echo back their savage yells. Gen. Herkimer then assured Brant that he intended his visit for one of a pacific nature, and urged him to prevent their moving to hostilities.

A word from that chief hushed the tempest of human passion, which but an instant before had threatened to deluge the valley with blood; the parties, however, were to heated to proceed with the business, which convened them. Said Brant, addressing Gen. Herkimer, it is needless to multiply words at this time, I will meet you here at precisely 9 o’clock tomorrow morning. The parties then separated to occupy their former position in camp.

With the arrangement of Gen. Herkimer, as stated above, the parties hold their interview on the 28th of June. Brant was the first to speak - said he -“ Gen. Herkimer, I now fully comprehend the object of your visit, but you are too late, I am already engaged to serve the king. - We are old friends and I can do no less than let you return home unmolested, although you are entirely within my power.” After a little more conversation, in which the parties agreed to separate amicably, the conference ended, at which time Gen. Herkimer presented to Brant seven or eight fat cattle that had but just arrived, owing to obstructions on the outlet of Otsego Lake, down which stream they were driven. For three days previous to the arrival of the cattle, the Americans were on very short allowance.

Whether Brant had 500 men at his command is doubted. Col. Harper has given their number as about 137-possibly there were foes in concealment unknown to that officer. The Americans retraced their steps to the Mohawk valley, and scarcely had they set out, when the Indiana began to repeat their depredations on the patriotic citizens in the neighborhood. Brant soon after fell back to Oquaga, to strengthen his numbers, and prepare to act in concert with St. Leger.

It was early in July, and the sun shone forth without a cloud to obscure it, and its rays gilded the tops of the forest trees, or were reflected from the waters of the Susquehanna, imparted a rich tint to the wild scenery with which they were surrounded. The echo of the war-whoop had scarcely died away before the heavens became black, and a violent storm of hail and rain obliged each party to withdraw and seek the nearest shelter. Men less superstitious than many of the unlettered yeomen who, leaning upon their arms, were witnesses of the events of this day, could not have failed in after times to have looked back upon them, if not as an omen, at least as an emblem of those dreadful massacres with which these Indians and their associates afterward visited the inhabitants of this unfortunate frontier.” – Jeptha Simms

June 14

By a resolution of Congress, the flag of the United States was adopted consisting of thirteen stars and thirteen stripes.

June 27

General Burgoyne arrived at Crown Point.

June 30

General Burgoyne began the siege of Fort Ticonderoga.

July 7

General St. Clair evacuated Fort Ticonderoga and the fort was taken over by General Burgoyne.

General Herkimer’s Proclamation

Under these circumstances, on the 17th of July, Brig. Gen. Nicholas Herkimer published the following proclamation:

“Whereas, it appears certain that the enemy, of about 2000 strong, Christians and savages, are arrived at Oswego with the intention to invade our frontiers, I think it proper and most necessary for the defense of our country, and it shall be ordered by me as soon as the enemy approaches, that every male person, being in health, from 16 to 60 years of age, in this county, shall, as in duty bound, repair immediately, with arms and accouterments, to the place to be appointed in my orders, and will then march to oppose the enemy with vigor, as true patriots, for the just defense of their country. And those that are above 60 years, or really unwell and incapable to march, shall then assemble, also armed, at the respective places where women and children will be gathered together, in order for the defense against the enemy, if attacked, as much as lies in their power. But concerning the disaffected, and who will not directly obey such orders, they shall be taken along with their arms, secured under guard, to join the main body. And as such an invasion regards every friend to the country in general, but of this county in particular, to show his zeal and well-affected spirit in actual defense of the same, all the members of the committee, as well as all those who, by former commissions, or otherwise, have been exempted from any other military duty, are requested to repair also, when called, to such place as shall be appointed, and join to repulse our foes. Not doubting that the Almighty Power, upon our humble prayers and sincere trust in him, will then graciously succor our arms in battle, for our just cause, and victory cannot fail on our side.”

The British Force Assembles at Oswego

July 23

Brant is at Oswego.

“Old Oswego, so long abandoned, echoed once more to the bugle’s call. In just two days, a vast encampment sprang up. Soldiers in red or green busied themselves with a myriad of duties. Here were one hundred men from the 8th regiment; there, one hundred from the 34th regiment - all professionals, disciplined and ready. At another part of the campground stood the tents of Sir John Johnson’s new Loyalist corps, the so-called Royal Greens, or the King’s Royal Regiment of New York. Though the provincials were not so smartly disciplined, they had high hopes and they were full of zeal for the king’s cause. Among the late arrivals appeared a company of Hanau Chasseurs, one of Lord George Germain’s first regiments of German mercenaries. Making war was their life’s work, and they could give a good account of themselves in the European style. Brant’s Volunteers, both Indians and whites, had their own camp, and near them were the rest of the warriors who had come up from the Susquehanna as well as some Canadian Indians enlisted by Claus. Hourly expected was a contingent of Six Nations Indians and white officers from Niagara with some other whites and Indians from as far away as Detroit, all these under John Butler and Captain Lemoult, the interim commandant of Niagara.

The leader of the entire expedition was Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger, an officer long experienced in America. – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

The British War Plan of 1777

“This motley force was but one thrust of a long planned triple offensive. Its grand design was to split the rebel territory in two as well as to prevent any attempt, which the rebels might have in mind for another invasion of Canada. General Burgoyne, marching southward from Montreal, would proceed by way of Lake Champlain, Lake George, and the Hudson River. His object was Albany, and he was already far advanced on his way. Having captured the famed Fort Ticonderoga at the outlet of Lake George, he was now hacking a path through the wilderness toward the head of the lake. General Howe and a second army sailing north from New York would arrive at Albany via the Hudson River. This was the movement which Joseph and his friends had been awaiting with such impatience. St. Leger, having already rendezvoused the third force at Oswego, was to go from Lake Ontario via the old trade route of Oswego River, Oneida Lake, and the Mohawk. He, too, would head for Albany as soon as he had captured Fort Stanwix. New England and the middle colonies would be separated. George Washington would have to give up the one or the other or divide his little army. For the British invaders the prospects looked rosy indeed.”
– Isabel Thompson Kelsay

The Three Rivers Council

“At length John Butler and his lagging Indians, mostly Senecas, reached Oswego. There was some counciling with the inevitable presents, but the main council was to be held down at Three Rivers where the rest of the Six Nations were to join in a body. Except for the Indians, the expeditionary forces were now complete. On July 26, they all set out-all, that is, except Butler who, with his not very zealous cohorts, brought up a distant rear. In the throng was a surprising number of women and children, soldiers’ wives and families, Indian women and their progeny, and female camp followers of all sorts. Daniel Claus had brought along his family, and Lady Mary Johnson, Sir John’s wife, was present with her children. The distaff side of the Johnsons and the Clauses had eagerly seized upon so fine an opportunity to go home. Once back on the Mohawk, and with the king’s arms triumphant, they expected to settle down in security and peace.

At Three Rivers, where the Oneida and Seneca Rivers merged to form the Oswego, most of the Six Nations were waiting. They had had to decide between this council with the British and a council with Schuyler who had sent them an invitation for almost the same time. But they suspected that Schuyler could give them few presents and they were in great want of everything. Their clothing was in tatters and they had no ammunition with which to hunt and support themselves. They went to Three Rivers. Even the Oneidas, who leaned in so friendly a fashion toward the rebels, showed up at Three Rivers. They knew they would get their share of the presents, for the British dated not offend them. But except for the Mohawk warriors who were veterans of the fighting in Canada in 1775 and who had not been home since, most of the Six Nations still steadily proclaimed their neutrality.

Many years later an old Seneca chief described the great council of 1777, which he had attended in his youth. His words were taken from his own lips and written down by an Indian scribe almost as illiterate as he was:

But when we arrived there at the place appointed, ground for council fire or convention, immediately after arrival the officers come to us to See what wanted for to support the Indians with Provisions and with the flood of Rum, they are some of the amongst the our warriors made use of this intoxicating Drinks, there was Several Barreal Delivered to us for us to Drinked for the whit man told us to Drinked as much we want of it all free gratis, and the goods if any of us wishes to get for our own use, go and get them, for and from our father gaven to you, and for the same the above gift, our chiefs began to think that the great Britain government is very Rich and Powerfull to his Dominion to force things and kind to his Nation, all things a bondantly provided for his people and for us to and Seval head of cattle been killed for us to Eat and flour the out female Sect was very well please for the Kindness we Receive from our white Brothers. “

To people starved for trade and presents, it was a heady situation. As parched mouths got their rum and empty bellies got their fill, as the naked were clothed and the hunters provided with all the powder they needed, even those Indians who opposed taking part in the war could see that their “Rich and Powerfull” father was going to win. What would be the consequences of his victory to themselves? Their minds filled with indecision as they calculated this and that. All the while John Butter and Claus and the other white officers and even St. Leger himself were urging the warriors to go along with the expedition. Joseph, who was so sure of the king’s eventual triumph, redoubled his own efforts.” – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

The Deception of the Senecas by Daniel Claus

“But the Senecas at least were still determined to go back home. Their animosity toward Joseph flared up anew. It was noised about that they had threatened to kill him, and he had to be kept out of their way.” At length some white man got a brilliant idea, and Claus claims that it was he. Go with us, he said to the Indians, and see us whip the rebels, just sit down and smoke your pipes and see what a great show we shall provide. We shall not need your help, he told them loftily.” The Indians, even the Senecas, finally decided to go. There was nothing they liked better than to watch a good fight.” – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

The Oneida Spy, Thomas Spencer

“Secret information of their movements had been industriously circulated among all the disaffected inhabitants of Tryon County. Insinuations of an alarming nature were thrown out, and not without effect. The Indians, it was said, would ravage the whole intervening country. Many who had not before acted decidedly, now espoused the cause of the mother country, and in small parties stole away and went to the enemy.

On the 30th of July, the committee received the following letter from Thomas Spencer, dated Oneida, July 29th.

“At a meeting of the chiefs, they tell me that there is but four days remaining of the time set for the king’s troops to come to Fort Schuyler, and they think it likely they will be here sooner. The chiefs desire the commanding officers at Fort Schuyler not to make a Ticonderoga of it; but they hope you will be courageous. They desire Gen. Schuyler may have this with speed, and send a good army here; there is nothing to do at New York; we think there is men to be spared; we expect the road is stopped to the inhabitants by a party through the woods; we shall be surrounded as soon as they come.

This may be our last advice, as these soldiers are part of those that are to hold a treaty. Send this to the committee; as soon as they receive it let the militia rise up and come to Fort Schuyler. Tomorrow we are a-going to the Three Rivers to the treaty. We expect to meet the warriors, and when we come there and declare we are for peace, we expect to be used with indifference and sent away. Let all the troops that come to Fort Schuyler take care on their march, as there is a party of Indians to stop the road below the Fort, about 80 or 100. We hear they are to bring their cannon up Fish Creek. We hear there is 1000 going to meet the enemy. We advise not - the army is too large for so few men to defend the fort - we send a belt of 8 rows to confirm the truth of what we say.”

Spencer added---

“It looks likely to me the troops are near; hope all friends to liberty, and that love their families, will not be backward, but exert themselves, as one resolute blow would secure the friendship of the Six Nations, and almost free this part of the country from the incursions of the enemy.” – Jeptha Simms

Internal problems in St Ledger’s Force
“That was the year that hardly anybody was on speaking terms with hardly anybody.

The tension between Joseph and the Senecas and the provincials and the regulars was only part of the story. Discord reached into high places. Burgoyne, who had superseded General Carleton in command of the military operations from Canada, felt uncomfortable with Carleton and he with Burgoyne. Carleton, who had been knighted by the king for stopping the rebel invasion, blamed this loss of command on Lord George Germain, and had already tendered his resignation. In the meantime Sir Guy had as little as possible to do with Claus whom he considered Germain’s appointee and whom he had a grudge against anyway. And when Guy Johnson managed to send a letter of instructions to Butler, and Butler asked Carleton what to do about it, the latter sent word that he was to obey him, and when he joined Howe, he was to obey him-and nobody else, was the clear implication. In the bad feeling between Butler and Claus, Sir John Johnson who had a strong sense of family loyalty, was easily turned against Butler. To make matters worse, sometime or other on the march, Lieutenant Colonel St. Leger, who was a bereted brigadier general for only this one expedition but who yearned for a permanent commission, took to drink. St. Leger loved “milk”, declared the Indians, even better than they did!

Yet it cannot be said that the marchers were dejected. They foresaw an easy victory. Butler’s Indian spies, who ought to know, had reported that Fort Stanwix was weak and almost defenseless. And Sir John Johnson, who also ought to know, had reported that the whole frontier teemed with Loyalists who were ready to rise up and strike a blow for the king as soon as his army came near. These Loyalists were not only ready, Sir John avowed; they were eager and impatient. Indeed, they could hardly wait. The news that filtered through from the rebel ranks was also heartening.

It was well known that the rebels of Tryon County were terrified.” – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

Fear in the Valley

“The reports from Tryon County were completely accurate. The rebels were scared to death. They had been greatly alarmed by the gathering of the Indians and Tories on the Susquehanna. Burgoyne’s advancing army frightened them still more, and they were demoralized by the fall of their stronghold at Ticonderoga. It seemed to them that Ticonderoga, which had been given up without a struggle, portended their own fate. When Oneida spies reported the coming of St. Leger’s force; though it had been long expected, it was the last straw. The frontiersmen saw themselves threatened and besieged and over- whelmed on all sides. They felt sure, as they said, that they were going to
“fall a prey to the merciless Savages.” They stopped their militia from going to reinforce Fort Stanwix. Every man, they declared, was needed at home. Wildly they called for Continental troops. If they did not get Continental troops, they would have to lay down their arms and surrender to the first British army that appeared. Burgoyne had already issued a proclamation that he would protect those who surrendered, from the Indians. They would take him at his word. They would accept his protection.

A despairing General Herkimer described the situation of his neighbors to Schuyler.

I can assure you, [he wrote] that some are already busy with moving away, some declare openly that if the Enemy Shall come they would not leave home, but Stay with their Families, and render themselves over to the Enemy, as they can’t help themselves other- wise without Succour- I may say, whole Numbers of Men in each District are So far discouraged, that they think it worthless to fight; and will not obey orders for Battle, if the County is not in Time Succour’d with at least Fifteen hundred Men Continental Troops.... A good many of the principal Inhabitants, who were always true to our Cause, are quite discouraged, and by their Conduct others join ‘em in Numbers, they mention, that it is their opinion by all the Circumstances, that this River is Sold alike as Fort Ticonderoga I with a party of well Spirited Friends endeavored to remonstrate all those weakhearted and false opinions and cowardly Suppositions, and effected but very little; By out Encouragements the Spirits of some seemed to rise and to revive, but when they come afterwards in Discourse with the discouraged, their Spirit immediately sinks again- In this Manner is the present Situation of our County; I have Reason to fear, that upon any alarm or actual Invasion of our Enemies into our County, I shall not be able to raise two hundred Men of the Militia, willing to fight and to obey orders to oppose the Enemy.

The Oneida Indians, who were right in the path of St. Leger’s advancing army, had worries and fears of their own. They begged their American friends not to “make a Ticonderoga” of Fort Stanwix. Stand up and fight like men, they urged. General Schuyler, faced with the alarm on the frontier and trying to cope with Burgoyne’s invasion as it came down from the north, remarked unhappily that if he had fifty thousand troops they would not suffice for all the calls on him. His whole army consisted of less than three thousand Continentals. His militia of short-termed recruits was coming and going all the time, and none of them knowing much of fighting.” – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

The Siege of Fort Stanwix

“Aware of the despondency among the rebels, St. Leger, who described them contemptuously as a “Confused Rabble”, sent a small detachment ahead of his main force to cut off the communication between Fort Stanwix and the Mohawk valley. Before he left the scene of the council at Three Rivers, he ordered Lieutenant Henry Bird and thirty white soldiers to carry out this important operation. A little later he sent two hundred Indians with two white officers and Joseph Brant and a chief named Bull to support Bird.” Assuming that the rebels in the fort might want to surrender at once to anybody, St. Leger instructed Bird that he was to wait till the main force arrived. He did not mean to withhold any honor from a young officer, he added, but he thought there were too many Indians in the small detachment who might plunder or butcher the fallen foe.
Lieutenant Bird and Joseph and their force were encamped at the landing at the head of the Mohawk River by August 2. They got there just a little too late to prevent a small reinforcement of men and supplies from reaching the fort. This ill luck Bird blamed on the dilatoriness of some of the Indians and he was probably right-they never liked to hurry themselves. Nor did the fort appear as defenseless as it had been assumed to be. Its four sides looked substantial enough, not at all out of repair, and not to be knocked over with what the Indians called “Pop Guns”. St. Leger having neglected to bring along from Canada any heavy artillery, the expedition had only two six- pounders, two three-pounders, and four little cochoms, the effect of which was, as the Indians afterward observed, like “Apples that Children were throwing over a Garden Fence. “
There were to be many recriminations on this point later. Claus was to claim that his Indian spies had made truer reports than Butler’s, and that neither Carleton nor St. Leger had paid any attention to them. The ill feeling between Claus and Butler completely clouds the issue. But whatever the Indians could or should have reported about the condition and garrison of the fort, they could not have reported anything of consequence about its commander because they did not know him. Yet the commander of Fort Stanwix was all-important. Though this is Joseph Brant’s story, some of it belongs, for a time, to this young man.

Colonel Peter Gansevoort had come to Fort Stanwix (or Fort Schuyler, as the rebels had renamed it) the preceding May. He was barely twenty-eight years old and, except for having taken part in the Yankee invasion of Canada, his military experience consisted of parading his militia up Albany’s main street. However, he came from an indomitable family, a family of courage and iron will. His father, though obviously a loving father, sent him word that he expected him to conquer or die, and his brother, though a loving brother, said much the same thing. Such admonitions were hardly necessary. When the young man had begged frantically for troops and ammunition and supplies, and very little was forthcoming, he made do with what he had. What he had was trees and sod and fish. Day and night he sent his few men out to labor. He choked up Wood Creek with logs, shored up the fort with sod, and everybody ate fish-and ever so often he would write his worried little fiancé in Albany what a good time he was having, fishing.

Above Fort Stanwix this dauntless young fellow unfurled a flag, the first to bear the Stars and Stripes in major combat. So far as is known, neither Joseph nor any of the Loyalists or regular soldiers mentioned the flag or observed it with any interest at all.

But if they had remarked that it looked as if it was made out of somebody’s old shirttail, they would have been right. It was also made, so it is said, of a red petticoat donated by a soldier’s wife and an officer’s blue cloak.

St. Leger, after getting some of his army around, if not through, Wood Creek, arrived before the fort on August 3 and began his famous siege. For the next few days, in order to bring up the rest of his troops and the stores and equipment, he set his men to work pulling the logs and branches out of the stream. It was backbreaking labor, even harder than throwing them in had been. While the whites worked, the Indians kept up an incessant gunfire, with yelling and whooping, to terrify the garrison. St. Leger then turned his attention to a proclamation which he copied after Burgoyne’s. Taking care to mention his “extensive Corps of Indian Allies” but declaring he was anxious to spare where possible”, he invited the people of the settlements to cease their resistance and gather around his banner. The proclamation was bombastic and pretentious throughout, and he must have considered it a veritable masterpiece of persuasion. After Sir John’s optimistic predictions St. Leger had no doubt that the Mohawk valley was full of loyal subjects eager to accept his protection. He had only to sit down and await their coming.

On August 5, in the midst of all these plans and labors and frenzied noisemakings, a message arrived in camp for Joseph Brant. The message came from Joseph’s sister Molly who, it must be remembered, was still living in Canajoharie where little that the rebels were doing could escape her eyes and ears. Molly warned that General Herkimer and the entire militia of Tryon County were on their way to relieve the fort! This news was certainly not in keeping with what the invaders knew of the state of mind among the rebels. However, when a scout confirmed the information, St. Leger immediately sent Sir John Johnson and a detachment of his regiment and Joseph and the Canadian officers with their Indians and whites to cut off the advancing enemy. John Butler and the hesitating Senecas and other Indians who expected merely to watch set out afterward-but with Butler knowing full well that mere sightseeing was no part of the program.

A Small Unexpected Event
The rebels of the Mohawk valley had been ready to give up without even a semblance of a fight. What had caused such a sudden turnabout? It seems to have been one of those small, unexpected events that have sometimes influenced the course of history. A girl who lived up on the northern frontier had set out to join her sweetheart who was a Loyalist with Burgoyne’s forces. Some Indians, also attached to Burgoyne, had captured her (or were escorting her) and, apparently in some sort of dispute over who should be her guard, had killed her and carried her scalp with its long hair streaming, back with them to the British camp. Persons who claimed to know what happened reported this and that, but even Burgoyne himself admitted the atrocious nature of the deed though denying that it had been premeditated. There were a dozen versions of the story, and the details are still in dispute. But Jane McCrea-that was the girl’s name, so it is said became an instant celebrity. Accounts of her murder ran like wildfire over the countryside, getting a little more adornment with each telling. Jane was killed, by someone or other in some way or other, on July 26. Three days later the chairman of the committee of safety in Albany County wrote to the desponding committee of Tryon County. He pointed out that the victim of the atrocity was strongly attached to the enemy and had gone out in friendship to meet them. “What then can those expect who Tamely submit”, he asked, and answered himself, “nothing but Murder and Rapine-“

It was a sobering thought. If Burgoyne could not, or would not, protect his own, then what protection could the rebels expect, either for themselves or for their families, if they surrendered to him? Burgoyne’s great proclamation of amnesty suddenly appeared a very weak straw on which to lean. And St. Leger was no better than Burgoyne and his Indians no more reliable.

Nobody had been willing to do anything or to go anywhere. Now, as if with but one thought among them, the supine bestirred themselves. The downhearted felt a mighty wrath. Some eight or nine hundred strong, they rose up, and damning General Herkimer for a coward because he cautioned them to proceed with care, they set out, all helter-skelter, for Fort Stanwix.” – Isabel Thompson Kelsay

Col. Willett’s Account of the Siege

The following, is copied from Lieut.-Col. Willett’s account of the investiture of the fort.

“ On Saturday evening Aug. 2d, five battoes arrived with stores for the garrison. About the same time we discovered a number of fires a little better than a mile from the northwest of the fort. The stores were all got safe in, and the troops which were a guard to the bateaux, marched up. [This was part of a Massachusetts regiment under Lieut.-Col. Mellon from Fort Dayton.] The Captain of the bateaux and a few of his men, delaying their time about the boats, were fired on by a party of Indians, which killed one man and wounded two, the Captain himself was taken prisoner.

“Next morning the enemy appeared in the edge of the woods about a mile below the fort, where they took post, in order to invest it upon that quarter and to out off the communication with the country from whence they sent in a flag, who told us of their great power, strength and determination, in such a manner as gave us reason to suppose they were not possessed of strength to take the fort. Our answer was, our determination to support it.

“All day on Monday we were much annoyed by a sharp fire of musketry from the Indians and German riflemen [there was a company of the latter with St. Ledger], as our men were obliged to be exposed on the works, killed one man and wounded seven. The day after, the firing was not so heavy, and our men were under better cover ; all the damage was one man killed by a rifle ball. This evening [Aug., 4],indicated something in contemplation by the enemy. The Indians were uncommonly noisy, they made most horrid yellings great part of the evening in the woods, hardly a mile from the fort. A few cannon shot were fired among them..

“Wednesday morning there was an unusual silence. We discovered some of the enemy marching along the edge of the woods downwards. About 11 o’clock three men got into the fort, who brought a letter from Gen. Herkimer, of the Tryon county militia, advising us that he was at Eriska [Oriskany], eight miles off, with a part of his militia, and purposed to force his way to the fort for our relief. In order to render him what service we could, it was agreed that I should make a sally from the fort with 250 men, consisting of one-half Gansevoort’s and one-half Massachusetts ditto, and one field piece-an iron three pounder.” Jeptha Simms

The Tryon County Militia Responds

On the evening of Aug. 5th, Herkimer encamped at Whitestown. He had sent a message to Col. Gansevort, that he was on his way for his relief, and being near enough to hear a signal (within six miles), he would move forward on the morning of the 6th, when signaled by three cannon shots at the fort. The messengers had been delayed, the signal had not been given ; but at this juncture Col. Cox and several other officers urged an immediate advance. In vain did their prudent commander urge the necessity of observing caution and less haste. In their blind zeal to break the restraint which held them, several of the boldest wiseacres told the general that some of his near relatives were in the camp of the enemy, and that he ought to be there too. Indeed, they went so far as to call him a coward to his face. In vain did he attempt to reason with his accusers ; in vain did he urge them to await the expected signal at the fort, which would promise a concert of action. The prudent counsels of the brave DeKalb in the southern expedition, in which he fell, to Gen. Gates, whose northern laurels were so soon to become southern willows ; were regarded with the same favor as were those of, the generous hearted Herkimer, who said, as did the former: “March on, a few hours will tell us which are the brave”
– Jeptha Simms

“And now, with all the desperate energy of men who risked everything that mortal man can have in jeopardy, we prepared to meet the invasion” - Harold Frederic

“Moving through the Oneida Lake and up Wood Creek, St. Leger’s troops transported their cannon and munitions of war in boats, approaching Fort Stanwix in the latter part of July.”...” St. Leger led to its investment, an army of 1700 men, consisting of 700 British and German soldiers, including the loyal regiments of Colonels John Butler and Sir John Johnson, in command of the latter officer, and 1000 Indians under the Immediate command of Capt. Joseph Brant.” - Jeptha R. Simms

“General Herkimer presently issued his order to the Tryon County Militia, appraising them of the imminent danger, and summoning all between sixteen and sixty to arms. There was no doubt now where the blow would fall. Cherry Valley, Unadilla, and the Sacandaga settlements no longer feared raids from the wilderness upon their flanks. The invaders were coming forward in a solid mass, to strike square at the Valley’s head. There we must meet them!” - Harold Frederic

“Notwithstanding the despondency that had prevailed in the early part of the Summer, the call was nobly responded to, not only by the Militia, but by the gentlemen of the County, and most of the members of the Committee, who entered the field either as officers or private volunteers. The fears so recently indulged seemed all to have vanished with the arrival of the invader, and the General soon found himself at the head of between eight hundred and a thousand men, all eager for action and impatient of delay.”
- William L. Stone

“It warms my old heart still to recall the earnestness and calm courage of that summer fortnight of preparation. All up and down the Valley bottomlands, the haying was in progress. Young and old, rich and poor, came out to carry forward this work in common. The meadows were taken in their order, some toiling with scythe and sickle, others standing guard at the forest borders of the field to protect the workers. It was a goodly yield that year, I remember, and never in my knowledge was the harvest gathered and housed better and more thoroughly than in this period of genuine danger, when no man knew whose cattle would feed upon his hay a month hence.

The women and girls worked beside the men, and brought them cooling drinks of ginger, molasses, and vinegar, and spread tables of food in the early evening shade for the weary gleaners. These would march home in bodies, a little later, those with muskets being at the front and rear; and then, after a short night’s honest sleep, the rising sun would find them again at work upon some other farm.

There was something very good and strengthening in this banding together to get the hay in for all. During twenty years of peace and security, we had grown selfish and solitary - each man for himself. We had forgotten, in the strife for individual gain and preferment, the true meaning of that fine old word “neighbor” - the husbandman, or boar, who is nigh, and to whom in nature you first look for help and sympathy and friendship. It was in this fortnight of common peril that we saw how truly we shared everything, even life itself, and how good it was to work for as well as to fight for one another - each for all, and all for each. Forty years have gone by since that summer, yet still I seem to discover in the Mohawk Valley the helpful traces of that fortnight’s harvesting in common. The poor bauers and squatters from the bush came out then and did their share of the work, and we went back with them into their forest clearings and beaver - flies and helped them get in their small crops, in turn. And to this day there is more brotherly feeling here between the needy and the well - to - do than I know of anywhere else.

When the barns were filled, and the sweet - smelling stacks outside properly built and thatched, the scythe was laid aside for the musket, the sickle for the sword and pistol. All up the Valley the drums’ rattle drowned the drone of the locusts in the stubble. The women loaded bullets now and filled powder - horns instead of making drinks for the hay - field. There was no thought anywhere save of preparation for the march. Guns were cleaned, flints replaced, new hickory ramrods whittled out, and the grindstones threw off sparks under the pressure of swords and spear - heads. Even the little children were at work rubbing goose - grease into the hard leather of their elders’ foot gear, against the long tramp to Fort Stanwix...”

...The gathering of Indians at Oswego under Claus and Brant was larger than the first reports had made it. The regular troops, both British and German, intended for our destruction, were said alone to outnumber the whole Militia force which we could hope to oppose them. But most of all we thought of the Hundreds of our old Tory neighbors, who were bringing this army down upon us to avenge their own fancied wrongs, and There was something very good and strengthening in this banding together to get the hay in for all. During twenty years of peace and security, we had grown selfish and solitary - each man for himself. We had forgotten, in the strife for individual gain and preferment, the true meaning of that fine old word “neighbor” - the husbandman, or boar, who is nigh, and to whom in nature you first look for help and sympathy and friendship. It was in this fortnight of common peril that we saw how truly we shared everything, even life itself, and how good it was to work for as well as to fight for one another - each for all, and all for each. Forty years have gone by since that summer, yet still I seem to discover in the Mohawk Valley the helpful traces of that fortnight’s harvesting in common. The poor bauers and squatters from the bush came out then and did their share of the work, and we went back with them into their forest clearings and beaver - flies and helped them get in their small crops, in turn. And to this day there is more brotherly feeling here between the needy and the well - to - do than I know of anywhere else.

When the barns were filled, and the sweet - smelling stacks outside properly built and thatched, the scythe was laid aside for the musket, the sickle for the sword and pistol. All up the Valley the drums’ rattle drowned the drone of the locusts in the stubble. The women loaded bullets now and filled powder - horns instead of making drinks for the hay - field. There was no thought anywhere save of preparation for the march. Guns were cleaned, flints replaced, new hickory ramrods whittled out, and the grindstones threw off sparks under the pressure of swords and spear - heads. Even the little children were at work rubbing goose - grease into the hard leather of their elders’ foot gear, against the long tramp to Fort Stanwix...”

...The gathering of Indians at Oswego under Claus and Brant was larger than the first reports had made it. The regular troops, both British and German, intended for our destruction, were said alone to outnumber the whole Militia force which we could hope to oppose them. But most of all we thought of the Hundreds of our old Tory neighbors, who were bringing this army down upon us to avenge their own fancied wrongs, and when we thought of them we moodily rattled the bullets in our deerskin bags, and bent the steel more fiercely upon the whirling, hissing stone.” - Harold Frederic

“All those who could bear a musket were gone to meet the invasion. Two years of war in other parts had drained the Valley of many of it’s young men, who could not bear peace at home while there were battles at the North or in the Jerseys, and were serving in every army which Congress controlled, from Champlain and the Delaware to Charlston. And now this levy for home defense had swept the farms clean...

...And then the thought came to me - how often in that cruel week it had come to fathers, husbands, brothers, in this sunny Valley of ours, leaving homes they should never see again! - that nothing but our right arms could save these women, my own flesh and blood, from the hatchet and the scalping-knife...

...August 3, the mustering at Fort Dayton was complete. no one of the thirty-three companies of Tryon County militia was absent...

...It was the first time that the whole Tryon militia had been gathered together, and we looked one another over with curiosity...

...As there were all sorts and grades of dress, ranging from the spruce blue and buff of some of the officers, through the grey homespun and linsey-woolsey of the farmer privates, to the buckskin of the trappers and huntsmen, so there were all manner of weapons, all styles of head-gear and equipment, all fashions of faces...

...Whole households of strong men marched together. There were nine Snells, all relatives, in the patriot ranks; so far as I can remember, there were five Bellingers, five Seebers, five Wagners, and five Wollovers - and it may well be five of more than one other family. – Harold Frederick

0102 Nicholas Christman (b.abt.1732) 4th Regiment
0103 Jacob Christman (b.1741) 4th Regiment
0105 John Christman (b.abt.1747) 4th Regiment
0201 John Christman (b.abt.1740) 1st Regiment
0203 Johann Jacob (b.1744) 2nd Regiment
0206 Nicholas Christman (b.abt.1755) Ranger (Palatine)
0302 Frederick Christman (b.1748) 4th Regiment (later enlisted in NY Line)
0303 John Christman (b.abt.1752) 4th Regiment

The men of the different settlements formed groups by themselves at the first, and arranged their own separate camping-places for the night. But soon, as what was natural, they discovered acquaintances from other parts, and began to mingle, sitting in knots or strolling about the outer palisades or on the clearing beyond. The older men who had born a part of the French war told stories of that time, which, indeed, had now a new, deep interest for us, not only in that we were to face and invading force greater and more to be dreaded than was Belletre’s but because we were encamped on historic ground.

From the gentle knoll upon which the block-house and stockade of Fort Dayton were now reared we could see the sight of that first little Palatine settlement that had been wiped so rudely from the face of the earth; and our men revived memories of that dreadful night, and talked of them in a low voice as the daylight faded.

The scene affected me most gravely. I looked at the forest clad range of northern hills over which the French and Indian horde stole in the night, and tried to picture their stealthy approach in my mind. Below us flowing tranquilly past the willow-hedged farms of the German Flatts settlers, lay the Mohawk. The white rippling overcast on the water marked the shallow ford through which the panic-stricken refugees crowded in affright in the wintry darkness, and where in the crush, that poor forgotten woman, the widow of an hour, was trampled under foot, swept away by the current, drowned!” - Harold Frederick

“Counsels were divided whether they should await further accessions, or hasten to Fort Stanwix. Prudence prompted delay. St. Leger’s force was more than double that of Herkimer; it might be divided, and while one-half occupied the patriot column, the Indians under Tory lead might hurry down the valley, gathering reinforcements while they ravaged the homes of the patriots.

The blow might come from Unadilla, where Brant had been as late as the early part of that very July. Herkimer at Fort Dayton, was in position to turn in either direction. But the way of the Mohawk was the natural and traditional warpath. The patriots looked to Fort Stanwix as their defense. They started on the fourth, crossed the Mohawk where is now Utica, and reached Whitestown on the fifth. Here it is probably that a band of Oneida Indians joined the column. From this point or before, Herkimer sent an express to Colonel Gansevoort arranging for co-operation. He was to move forward when three cannon signaled that aid was ready. The signal was not heard; the messengers had been delayed.” - Ellis H. Roberts

“A bright, hot sun shone upon us the next morning - the never-to-be-forgotten 6th. There would have been small need for any waking rattle of drums; the sultry heat made all willing to rise from the hard, dry ground, were sleep had been difficult enough even in the cooler darkness. At six o’clock the camp, such as it was, was all astir.

Breakfast was eaten in little groups squatted about the clearing, or in the shade of the trees at its edges, members of families or close neighbors clustering together in parties once more, to share victuals prepared by the same housewives - it may be from the same oven or spit. It might well happen that for many of us this was the last meal on earth, for we were within hearing of the heavy guns of the fort, and when three of these should be fired in succession we were to take up our final six-miles’ march. But this reflection made no one sad, apparently. Everywhere you could hear merry converse and sounds of laughter. Listening, no one would have dreamed that this body of men stood upon the threshold of so grave an adventure.

I had been up earlier than most of the others, and had gone over to the spot that the horses were tethered. Of these animals were some dozen, all told, and their appearance showed that they had had a bad night of it with the flies. After I had seen them led to water and safely brought back, and had watched that in the distribution of the scanty store of oats my steed had its proper share, I came back to breakfast with the Stone Arabia men, among whom I had many acquaintances. I contributed some sausages and slices of bread and meat, I remember, to the general stock of food, which was spread out upon one of Isaac Paris’s blankets. We ate with a light heart, half lying on the parched grass around the extemporized cloth. Some of the young farmers, their meal already finished, were up on their feet, scuffling and wrestling in jest and high spirits. They laughed so heartily from time to time that Mr. Paris would call out: “Less noise there, you, or we shall not hear the cannon from the fort!”

No one would have thought that this was the morning before a battle.” - Harold Frederic

“It appears that on the morning of that day, which was the 6th of August, General Herkimer had misgivings as to the propriety of advancing any farther without first receiving reinforcements. His officers, however, were eager to press forward. A consultation was held, in which some of the officers manifested much impatience at any delay, while the General still urged them to remain where they were until reinforcements could come up, or at least until the signal of a sortie should be received from the fort. High words ensued, during which Colonels Cox and Paris, and many others, denounced their commander to his face as a Tory and a coward.

The brave old man calmly replied that he considered himself placed over them as a father, and that it was not his wish to lead them into any difficulty from which he could not extricate them. Burning, as they now seemed, to meet the enemy, he told them roundly that they would run at his first appearance. But his remonstrance’s were unavailing. Their clamor increased, and their reproaches were repeated, until, stung by imputations of cowardice and a want of fidelity to the cause, and somewhat irritated withal, The General immediately gave the order -...” - William L. Stone

“VORVARTS!” - Harold Frederic

“The tall pines themselves shook with the cheer which the yeomen raised.

“There was a scramble on the instant for muskets, bags, and belongings. To rush was the order. We under-officers caught the infection, and with no dignity at all hurried across the clearing to our horses. We cantered back in a troop, Barent Coppernol leading the Brigadier’s white mare at a hand gallop by our side. Still trembling with excitement, yet perhaps somewhat reconciled to the adventure by the exultant spirit of the scene before him, General Herkimer got into the saddle, and watched closely the efforts of his colonels, now once more all gratified enthusiasm, to bring their eager men into form. It had been arranged that Cox with his Canajoharie regiment should have the right of the line, and this body was ready and underway in less time , it seemed, than I have taken to write about it. The General saw the other three regiments trooped, told Visscher to bring the supply-wagon with the rear, and then , with Isaac Paris, Jelles Fonda, and myself, galloped to the head of the column, where Spencer and Skenandoah with the Oneida Indians were.

So marching swiftly, and without scouts, we started forth at about nine in the morning.” - Harold Frederic

“Learning that Gen. Herkimer was approaching to the relief of the garrison, and not being disposed to receive him in his camp, St. Leger a body of Indians and Tories under Brant and Col. Butler to watch his approach, and to intercept, if possible, his march. The surrounding country afforded every facility for the practice of the Indian mode of warfare. In the deep recesses of its forests they were secure from observation, and to them they could retreat in case they were defeated. Finding that the militia approached in a very careless manner, Butler determined to attack them by surprise. He selected a place well fitted for such an attack. A few miles from the fort there was a deep ravine, sweeping toward the east in a semi-circular form, and having a northern and southern direction. The bottom of this ravine was marshy, and the road along which the militia were marching crossed it by means of a log causeway. The ground thus partly enclosed by the ravine was elevated and level. Along the road on each side on this height of land, Butler disposed of his men.” - William W. Campbell

“It seems to be a well established fact that Sir John Johnson was in command of the forces in this enterprise, assisted by Colonel’s Butler and Claus and Captain Brant. White officers were in command of the white troops, consisting mainly of Johnson’s, Greens and Butlers Rangers, 400 or 500 in number; while under Brant’s direction were nearly 1000 Indian warriors - the latter foemen to be dreaded at all times, and especially so in this civil war...the enemy numbered nearly two to one of Herkimer’s command.

As the Seneca warriors were there represented in much greater numbers than were either of the other three warring nations, it is reasonable to conclude that, although no history has mentioned the fact, the three distinguished chiefs of the nation, Kayingwaurto, Cornplanter and Red Jacket were there also to lead on their braves.” - Jeptha R. Simms

“The road over which we hurried was bad, even in those hot, dry days of August, as any still to be found in the Adirondacks. The bottomlands of the Mohawk Valley, as is well known, are of the best farming soil in the world, but for that very reason they make bad roads. The highway leading to the fort lay for the most part over low and springy land, and was cut through the thick beech and hemlock forest almost in a straight line, regardless of swales and marshy places. These had been in some instances bridged indifferently by corduroys of logs, laid the previous spring when Gansevoort dragged up his cannon for the defense of the fort, and by this time to often loose and out of place. We on horseback found these rough spots even more trying than did the footmen; but for all of us progress was slow enough, after the first excitement of the start had passed away.

There was no outlook at any point. We were hedged in everywhere by walls of foliage, of mossy tree-trunks covered with vines, of tangled undergrowth and brush. When we had gained a hill-top, nothing more was to be seen than the dark-brown band of logs on the gully bottom before us, and the dim line of road losing itself in a mass of green beyond.

Neither Herkimer or Paris had much to say, as we rode on in the van. Major Fonda made sundry efforts to engage them in talk, as if there had been no recent dispute, no harsh words, no angry recriminations, but without special success. For my part, I said nothing whatever. Surely there was enough to think of, both as to the miserable insubordination of an hour back, and as to what the next hour might bring.

We passed over about the worst of these patches of corduroy road, in the bottom of a ravine between two hills, where a little brook, damned in part by the logs, spread itself out over the swampy soil on both sides. We in the van had nearly gained the summit of the farther eminence, and were resting for the moment to see how Visscher should manage with his wagon in the rear. Colonel Cox had also turned in his saddle, some ten yards farther down the hill, and was calling back angrily to his men to keep in the center of the logs and not tip them up by walking on the ends.

While I looked Barent Coppernol called out to me: “Do you remember? This is where we camped five years ago.”- Harold Frederick

Before I could answer I heard a rifle report, and saw Colonel Cox fall headlong upon the neck of his horse. There was a momentary glimpse of dark forms running back, a strange yell, a shot or two - and then the gates of hell opened upon us.” - Harold Frederic

The Battle of Oriskany

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; - Psalm 23

“Were I Homer and Shakespeare and Milton, merged all in one, I should still not know how fitly to depict the terrible scene which followed.

I had seen poor headstrong, willful Cox pitch forward upon the mane of his horse, as if all at once his spine had been turned into limp string; I saw now a ring of fire run out in spitting tongues of flame around the gulf, and a circle of thin whitish smoke slowly raise itself through the dark leaves of the girdling bushes. It was an appalling second of mental numbness during which I looked at this strange sight, and seemed not at all to comprehend it.” - Harold Frederic

“Of two departments were the assailing foes:
Wild savage natives lead the first of those;
Their almost naked frames, of various dyes,
And rings of black and red surround their eyes.
On one side they present a shaven head,
The naked half of the vermilion red;
In spots the parti-colored face they drew,
Beyond description horrible to view;
Their ebon locks to braid, with paint o’erspread;
The silvered ears depending from the head;
Their gaudy my descriptive power exceeds,
In plumes of feathers, glittering plates and beads.” - Moses Younglove

“The advanced guard, with about two thirds of the whole force, had gained the elevated ground; the baggage wagons had descended into the ravine - Col. Visscher’s regiment was still on the east side - when the Indians arose, and with a dreadful yell poured a destructive fire upon them. The advanced guard was entirely cut off.

Those who survived the first fire were immediately cut down with the tomahawk. The horror of the scene was increased by the personal appearance of the savages, who were almost naked, and painted in a most hideous manner. They ran down each side, keeping up a constant fire, and united at the causeway; thus dividing the militia into two bodies. The rear regiment, after a feeble resistance, fled in confusion, and were pursued by the Indians. They suffered more severely than they would have done had they stood their ground, or advanced to the support of the main body in front.” - William W. Campbell

“The air was filled now with shouts - what they were I did not know. The solid body of our troops on the corduroy bridge were huddling together like sheep in a storm. From the outer edges of this mass men were sinking to the ground. The tipping, rolling logs tossed these bodies on their ends off into the water, or under the feet of the others. Cox’s horse had jumped side-long into the marsh, and now, its hindquarters sinking in the mire, plunged wildly, flinging the inert body still fastened in the stirrups from side to side. Some of our men were firing their guns at random into the underbrush.

All this I saw in the swift gallop down the hill to rejoin the Brigadier.

As I jerked my horse beside him, a blood-curdling chorus of strange barking screams, as from the throats of maniac women, rose at the farther side of the ravine, drowning the shouts of our men, the ping-g-g of the whistling bullets, and even the sharp crack of the muskets. It was the Indian war-whoop! A swarm of savages were leaping from the bush in all directions, and falling upon our men as they stood jammed together on the causeway. It was a horrible spectacle - of naked, yelling devils, daubed with vermilion and ghastly yellow, rushing with uplifted hatchets and flashing knives upon this huddled mass of white men, our friends and neighbors. These after the first bewildering shock, made what defense they could, shooting right and left, and beating down their assailants with terrific smashing blows from their gun-stocks. But the throng on the sliding logs made them almost powerless, and into their jumbled ranks kept pouring the pitiless rain of bullets from the bush.

By God’s providence there were cooler brains and wiser heads than mine, here in the ravine, to face and grapple with this awful crisis.” - Harold Frederic

“Being thrown into irretrievable disorder by the suddenness of the surprise and the destructiveness of the fire, which was close and brisk from every side, the division was for a time threatened with annihilation.” - William L. Stone

“ The assailants aimed first of all to seize the supply train. Colonel Visscher, who commanded its guard, showed his courage before and after and doubtless fought well here, as the best informed descendents of other heroes of the battle believe. But his regiment was driven northwards towards the river, was cut up or in great part captured with the supplies and ammunition. In the ravine and just west of it Herkimer rallied those who stood with him. Back to back, shoulder to shoulder, they faced the foe.” - Ellis H. Roberts

“At every opportunity the savages, concealed behind the trunks of trees, darted forward with knife and tomahawk to ensure the destruction of those who fell; and many and fierce were the conflicts that ensued hand to hand.” - William L. Stone

“Old Herkimer seemed before my very eyes to wax bigger and stronger and calmer in the saddle, as this pandemonium unfolded in front of us. His orders I forget now - or what part I played at first in carrying them out - but they were given swiftly and with cool comprehension of all our needs.

I should think that within five minutes from the first shot of the attack, our forces - or what was left of them - had been drawn out of the cruel helplessness of their position in the center of the swamp. This could never have been done had not Honikol Herkimer kept perfectly his self-control and balance, like an eagle in a tempest.” - Harold Frederic

“Who was Gen. Herkimer, their commander? I answer without fear of just contradiction, he was - in that defile - the right man in the right place. Years before, he had seen service under Sir William Johnson, and was familiar with the Indian mode of warfare; and although not as well versed in military tactics as one whose life had been spent in a military camp; yet for determined bravery, for coolness in danger, and for a common sense view of surrounding circumstances, there was no man his rival, if indeed, his peer, in the whole brigade.” - Jeptha R. Simms

“Peter Bellinger, was able to push his way back again from the beginning of the corduroy bridge into the woods on both sides of the road beyond, where cover was to be had. It was a noble sight to see the stalwart Palatine farmers of his regiment - these Petries, Weavers, Helmers, and Dygerts [including Christmans] of the German Flatts - fight their path backward through the hail of lead, crushing Mohawk skulls as though they had been egg-shells with the mighty flail-like swing of their clubbed muskets, and returning fire only to kill every time. The bulk of Cox’s Canajoharie regiment [including Christman] and of Klock’s Stone Arabia yeomen [including Christman’s] were pulled forward to the rising ground on the west side, and spread themselves out in the timber as well as they could, north and south of the Road.” - Harold Frederic

“ (General Herkimer)... a musket ball shattered his leg and killed his horse. Evincing little concern for his own personal safety , he had his saddle placed at the roots of a tree which he could lean, and there he gave his orders which put his men in the best attitude for defense, as he would have done if seated where danger did not fill the very atmosphere. Like most men of German blood, he was fond of smoking, and taking from his pocket a tinderbox, with his pocket knife and a flint arrow head carried for that purpose, he lighted his pipe and indulged this favorite pastime, while issuing the necessary commands. When it was suggested to him to be removed to a place of less danger, he replied in true Spartan courage: ...”No”,

Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your power.
Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them.

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
He will recompense the evil to my foes;
Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

Willingly, I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies. Psalm 54

“I will here face the Enemy!”

“The bone of his right leg had been shattered by the ball which killed his steed, and his high boot was already welling with blood....the Brigadier, a little pale, yet still calm and resolute, said that he would sit and see the battle out...several young men , at a hint from the doctor, ran down through the sweeping fire to the edge of the morass, unfastened the big saddle from his dead mare and safely brought it to us.”- Harold Frederic

“The General was placed upon his saddle, however, against the truck of a tree for his support, and thus continued to order the battle.” - William L. Stone

“On receiving the wound, his horse having been killed, he directed his saddle, to be placed upon a little hillock of earth and rested himself upon it. Being advised to choose a place where he would be less exposed, he replied: “I will face the Enemy.”
- William W. Campbell

“Herkimer, early wounded and his horse shot under him, sat on his saddle beneath a beech tree, just where the hill rises at the west a little north of the center of the ravine, calmly smoking his pipe while ordering the battle. He was urged to retire from so much danger; he reply is the eloquence of a hero: “I will face the enemy.” - Ellis H. Roberts

“...the slaughter of their broken ranks, from the rifles of the Tories and the spears and tomahawks of the Indians was dreadful. But even in this deplorable situation the wounded General, his men dropping like leaves around him, and the forest resounding with the horrid yells of the savages, ringing high and wild over the din of battle, behaved with the most perfect firmness and composure.” - William L. Stone

“Discovering that when one of his men, as they stood singly behind trees discharging his gun, an Indian would run up and kill him with a tomahawk before he could reload; the commander ordered two men to a tree, one to shoot the exposed Indian while running as he expected, easily to secure a scalp. This ruse soon taught the Indians better manners, and placed that part of their occupation with Othello’s.”- Jeptha R. Simms

“ The action lasted about forty-five minutes in great disorder, before the Provincials formed into circles in order to repel the attacks of the enemy, who were concentrating, and closing in upon them from all sides. From this moment the resistance of the Provincials was more effective, and the enemy attempted to charge with the bayonet.”
- William L. Stone

“Assist the ravage of their parent land;
With equal dress, and arms, and savage arts,
But more than savage rancor in their hearts.” - Moses Younglove

“When the Indians seemed to be getting the worst of the fight, Capt. Stephen Watts, a spirited young officer and brother-in-law of Sir John Johnson, and who commanded a company in his regiment, brought up a reinforcement of Johnson’s Greens. The very sight of these Tryon county loyalists - so well known and remembered by the patriotic defenders of the soil - fired their blood to fever heat; and such a hand to hand fight ensued as was never recorded in American civilized warfare.

Yes, at the sight of those green coats, Herkimer’s men not only fired upon them, but without waiting under the temporary shelter of trees to reload their rifles, they rushed upon them with bayonets and clubbed muskets - in some instances to close a death struggle, knife in hand.” - Jeptha R. Simms

“The firing ceased for a time, except the scattering discharges of musketry from the Indians; and as the bayonets crossed, the contest became a death struggle, hand to hand and foot to foot. Never, however, did brave men stand a charge with more dauntless courage, and the enemy for a moment seemed to recoil - ...” - William L. Stone

“Back to back, shoulder to shoulder, they faced the foe. Where shelter could be had, two stood together so that one might fire while the other loaded. Often the fight grew closer, and the knife ended the personal contest. Eye to eye, hand to hand, this was a fight of men. Nerve and brawn and muscle, were the price of life. Rifle and knife, spear and tomahawk were the only weapons, or the clubbed butt of the rifle. It was not a test of science, not weighing of enginery, not a measure of caliber nor an exhibition of choicest mechanism. Men stood against death, and death struck at them with the simplest implements. Homer sings of chariots and shields. Here were no such helps, no such defenses. Forts or earthworks, barricades or abittis, there were none. The British force had chosen its ground. Two to one it must have been against the band which stood and fought in that pass, forever glorious.” - Ellis H. Roberts

“All this time the rattle of musketry, the screech of flying bullets, the hoarse din and clamor of forest warfare, had never for an instant abated. Looking down upon the open space of the gully’s bottom, we could see more than two score corpses piled upon the logs of the road, or upon little mounds of black soil which showed above the level of the slough, half-hidden by the willows and tall, rank tufts of swamp-grass. Save for the dead, this natural clearing was well-nigh deserted. Captain Jacob Seeber was in sight, upon a hillock below us to the north, with a score of his Canajoharie company in a circle, firing outward at the enemy. Across the ravine Captain Jacob Gardenier, a gigantic farmer, armed with a captured Indian spear, had cut loose with his men from Visscher’s retreat, and fought his way back to help us. Farther to the south, some of the Cherry Valley men had got trees and were holding the Indians at bay.

The hot August sun poured its fiercest rays down upon the heaps of dead and wounded in this forest cockpit, and turned into golden haze the mist of smoke encircling it. Through this pale veil we saw, from time to time, forms struggling in the dusk of the thicket beyond. Behind each tree-trunk was the stage whereon a life-drama was being played, with a sickening and tragic sameness in them all... There was a hideous fascination in this spectacle stretched before us. An hour ago it had been so softly peaceful, with the little brook picking its clean way in the sunlight through the morass, and the kingfisher flitting among the willows, and the bees’ drone laying like a spell of indolence upon the heated air. Now the swale was choked with corpses! The rivulet ran red with blood, and sluggishly spread its current around barriers of dead men. Bullets whistled across the gulf, cutting off boughs of trees, as with a knife, and scattering tufts of leaves like feathers from a hawk stricken in its flight. The heavy air grew thick with smoke, dashed by swift streaks of dancing flame. The demon-like screams of the savages, the shouts and moans and curses of our own men, made hearing horrible. Yes - horrible is the right word!

A frightened owl, I remember, was routed by the tumult from its sleepy perch, and flew slowly over the open space of the ravine. So curious a compound is man! - we watched the great brown-winged creature flap its purblind way across from wood to wood, and speculated there, as we stood in the jaws of death, if some random ball would hit it!

I am writing all of this as if I did nothing but look about me while others fought. Of course that could not have been the case. I recall now these fragmentary impressions of the scene around me with a distinctness and with a plentitude of minutia which surprise me, the more I remember little enough of what I myself did. But when a man is in a fight for his life there are no details. He is either to come out of it or he isn’t, and that is about all he thinks of.

I have put down nothing about what was now the most serious part of the struggle - the combat with the German mercenaries and Tory volunteers on the high ground beyond the ravine. I conceive it to have been the plan of the enemy to let the Indians lie hidden round about the gulf until our rear-guard had entered it. Then they were to disclose their ambuscade, sweeping the corduroy bridge with fire, while the Germans and Tories, meeting our van up on the crown of the hill beyond, were to attack and drive it back upon our flank in the gulf bottom, when we should have been wholly at the mercy of the encircling fusillade from the hills. Fortunately St. Leger had given the Indians a quart of rum apiece before they started; this was our salvation. The savages were too excited to wait, and closed too soon the fiery ring which was to destroy us all. This premature action cut off our rear, but it also prevented our van reaching the point where the white foe lay watching for us. Thus we were able to form upon our center, after the first awful shock was over, and to then force our way backward or forward to some sort of cover before the Germans and Tories came upon us.

The fighting in which I bore a part was at the farthest western point, where the remnants of four or five companies, half buried in the gloom of the impenetrable wood, on a line stretching along the whole crest of the hill, held these troops at bay. We lay or crouch behind leafy coverts, crawling from place to place as our range was reached by the enemy, shooting from the shield of tree-trunks or of tangled clumps of small firs, or, best of all, of fallen and prostrate logs.

Often, when one of us, creeping cautiously forward , gained a spot which promised better shelter, it was to find it already tenanted by a corpse, perhaps of a near and dear friend. It was thus that I came upon the body of Major John Eisenlord, and later upon what was left of poor Barent Coppernol, lying half-hidden among the running hemlock, scalpless and cold. It was from one of these recesses, too, that I saw stout old Isaac Paris shot down, and then dragged away a prisoner by the Tories, to be handed over to the hatchets of their Indian friends a few days hence.

Fancy three hours of this horrible forest warfare, in which every minute bore a whole lifetime’s strain and burden of peril!

We knew not then how time passed, and could but dimly guess how things were going beyond the brambled copse in which we fought. Vague intimations reached our ears, as the sounds of battle now receded, now drew near, that the issue of the day still hung in suspense. The war-yells of the Indians to the rear were heard less often now. The conflict seemed to be spreading over a greater area, to judge from the faintness of some of the rifle reports which came to us.

But we could not tell which side was giving way, nor was there much time to think of this: all our vigilance and attention were needed from moment to moment to keep ourselves alive.” - Harold Frederic

The Storm

“…and thus the battle raged, until the parties were compelled to desist, by a heavy shower of rain, which raged with great fury for more than an hour.”
– Nathaniel S. Benton

“...the work of death was arrested by a heavy shower of rain, which suddenly broke upon the combatants with great fury. The storm raged for upward of an hour, during which time the enemy sought such shelter as might be found among the trees at a respectful distance; for they had already suffered severely, notwithstanding the advantages in their favor.” - William L. Stone

“...the sky became overcast; the artillery of heaven began to play, a terrible rainstorm followed, and for the next hour the fight ceased - the enemy withdrawing from the field.” - Jeptha R. Simms

“All at once, with a terrific swoop, there burst upon the forest a great storm, with load-rolling thunder and a drenching downfall of rain. We had been to grimly engrossed in the affairs of the earth to note the darkening sky. The tempest broke upon us unawares. The wind fairly roared through the branches high above us; blinding flashes of lightning blazed in the shadows of the wood. Huge boughs were wrenched bodily off by the blast. Streaks of flame ran zigzag down the sides of the tall, straight hemlocks. The forest fairly rocked under the convulsion of the elements.” - Harold Frederic

“During the carnage, a storm of wind and rain and lightning brought a respite. Old men preserve the tradition that in the path by which the enemy came, a broad windfall was cut, and was seen for long years afterward.” - Ellis H. Roberts

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
Which I have reserved for the time of distress,
For the day of war and battle?

Job 38:22&23

The winter of 1708 was a time of distress; August 6, 1777 was a day of war and battle.

While we lay thus quiescent in the rain, I heard a low, distant report from the west, which seemed distinct among the growlings of the thunder; there followed another, and a third. It was the belated signal from the fort!

The United States of America was Born

I made my way back to the hill-side as best I could, under the dripping brambles, over the drenched and slippery ground vines, upon the chance that the Brigadier had not heard the reports.” - Harold Frederic

“...the messengers did not reach the fort until ten or eleven o’clock on the following morning; previous to which the camp of the enemy being uncommonly silent, a portion of their troops had been observed by the garrison to be moving along the edge of the woods down the river, in the direction of the Oriskany Creek. The concerted signals were immediately fired; and as the proposition of Herkimer was to force a passage to the fort , arrangements were immediately made by Colonel Gansevoort to effect a diversion of the enemy’s attention, by making a sally from the fort upon the hostile camp, for which purpose two hundred men were detailed, [Christman]consisting one half of Gansevoort’s, and one half from the Massachusetts troops, and one field-piece - an iron three pounder. The execution of the enterprise was entrusted to Colonel Willett.”
- William L. Stone

“The commander still sat on his saddle under the beech-tree where I had left him. Some watch-coats had been stretched over the lowest branches above him, forming a tolerable shelter. His honest brown face, seemed to have grown wan and aged during the day. He protested that he had little or no pain from his wound, but the repressed lines about his lips belied their assurance. He smiled with gentle irony when I told him of what I had heard, and how I had hastened to apprise him of it...” - Harold Frederic

During the suspension of battle, both parties had time to look about, and make such new dispositions as they pleased for attack and defense, on renewing the murderous conflict. The Provincials, under the direction of their General, were so fortunate as to take possession of an advantageous piece of ground, upon which his men formed themselves into a circle, and as the shower broke away, awaited the movements of the enemy.” - William L. Stone

“The storm stopped as abruptly as it had come upon us. Of a sudden it grew lighter, and the rain dwindled to a fine mist. Great luminous masses of white appeared in the sky, pushing aside the leaded clouds. Then all at once the sun was shining.

On that instant shots rang out here and there through the forest. The fight began again.

The two hours that followed seem to me now but the indistinct space of a few minutes. Our men had seized upon the leisure of the lull to eat what food was at hand in their pockets, and felt now refreshed in strength. They had time, too, to learn something of the awful debt of vengeance they owed the enemy. A somber rage possessed them, and gave to their hearts a giants daring. Heroes before, they became Titans now.

The vapors steaming up in the sunlight from the wet earth seemed to bear the scent of blood. The odor affected our senses. We ran forth in parties now, disdaining cover. Some fell; we leaped over their writhing forms, dashed our fierce way through the thicket to where the tell-tale smoke arose, and smote, stabbed, stamped out the life of, the ambushed foe. Under the sway of this frenzy, timorous men swelled into veritable paladins. The least reckless of us rushed upon death with breast bared and with clenched fists.” - Harold Frederic

“In came at the thick of the strife, a detachment of Johnson’s Greens; and they sought to appear reinforcements for the patriots. They paid dearly for the fraud, for thirty were quickly killed. Captain Gardenier slew three...” - Ellis H. Roberts
“Capt. Jacob Gardenier, of Visscher’s regiment, one of the most efficient men on the ground, was the first to detect the stratagem. To Lieut. Jacob Sammons, of Capt. John Davis’ company, who thought them friends, said Gardenier: not so, don’t you see them green coats?

They were hailed by Capt. G., just at which moment one of his own men seeing a friend as he supposed approaching, sprang forward and proffered his hand; which was grasped and he was drawn into the advancing corps a prisoner. He did not yield without a struggle, however, and his Captain watching the movement sprang forward and with a spontoon dealt a fatal blow to the captor which liberated his man.

Instantly the Captain was set upon by several of the foe, one of whom he slew, wounding another. Three of the Greens now sprang upon and threw him down, and held him there, pinioned by a bayonet through each thigh, while the third attempted to thrust a bayonet into his breast. This bayonet he seized and jerked its owner down upon his body, where he held him as protection, Until Adam Miller, one of his own men, came to his rescue and, with a clubbed musket, brained one of the assailants who held him down. The other two now turned upon Miller, when the Captain, partly rising, snatched his spear and quick as thought planted it in the body of his last assailant, who fell and expired...three of Johnson’s Greens attempted to capture Capt. Andrew Dillenbeck. [Neighbor of Christmans] He had said just before, to his friends, that he would not be made a prisoner by his old neighbors, and he was not. One of them seized his gun, but he wrenched it from his grasp, clubbed it, and felled him to the ground. The gun chanced to be loaded, and with it he shot the second and thrust the third through with a bayonet; but, in the moment of victory, another of the enemy shot him down and he immediately expired...he was a strong and powerful man - rendered such by hardships from childhood. As the reader may well suppose, such men could not be conquered.” - Jeptha R. Simms

“It was the truth. They were indeed Tories - double traitors to their former friends. As Gardenier shouted out his command, these ruffians raised their guns, and there sprang up from the bushes on either side of them as many more savages, with weapons lifting for a volley.

How it was I know not, but they never fired that volley. Our muskets seemed to poise and discharge themselves of their own volition, and a score of the villains, white and red, tumbled before us. Gardenier’s men had recovered their senses as well, and, pouring in a deadly fusillade, dashed furiously forward with clubbed muskets upon the unmasked foe. These latter would now have retreated up the hill again, whence they could fire to advantage, but we at this leaped forth upon their flank, and they, with a futile shot or two, turned and fled in every direction, we all in wild pursuit.

Ah, that chase! Over rotten, moss-grown logs, weaving between gnarled tree-trunks, slipping on treacherous twigs, the wet saplings whipping our faces, the boughs knocking against our guns, in savage heat we tore forward, loading and firing as we ran.

The pursuit had a malignant pleasure in it: we knew the men we were driving before us. Cries of recognition rose through the woods; names of renegades were shouted out which had a sinister familiarity in all our ears...

...A body of us were thus scouring the wood on the crest of the hill, pushing through the tangle of dead brush and thick high brake, which soaked us afresh to the waist, resolute to overcome and kill whom-so-ever we could reach.

Below us, in the direction of the river, though half a mile this side of it, we could hear a scattering fusillade maintained, which bespoke bush-fighting. Toward this we made our way, firing at momentary glimpses of figures in the thicket, and driving scattered groups of the foe before us as we ran.” - Harold Frederic

“Such a conflict as this could not be continued long; and the Indians, perceiving with what ardor the Provincials maintained the fight, and finding their own numbers sadly diminished, now raised the retreating cry of “Oonah!” and fled in every direction, under the shouts and hurrahs of the surviving Provincials and, a shower of bullets. Finding, moreover, from the firing at the fort, that, their presence was necessary elsewhere, the Greens and Rangers now retreated precipitately, leaving the victorious militia of Tryon county masters of the field.” - William L. Stone

“The Indians raised the cry of retreat, “Oonah! Oonah!” Johnson heard the firing of a sortie from the fort. The British fell back, after five hours of desperate fight. Herkimer and his gallant men held the ground.” - Ellis H. Roberts

“But as already stated, in the midst of these desperate struggles for the mastery, the sound of cannon came booming down the valley. The Indians were the first to take the hint that their presence was needed at the camp, and witnessing the indomitable courage of the Provincials, and smarting for their own losses, they were the first to show the white feather, and shouting the significant “Oonah! Oonah!” responded in every direction - a word which indicated retreat - they nearly all precipitately fled, amid the shouts of the Americans, and a shower of bullets where exposed. As the firing continued, the dismayed Refugees, with a silent peccavie, soon followed their allies, stealing away and leaving Herkimer’s men victors of the battlefield. It was a glorious triumph, but alas! at what a fearful cost: it threw the whole valley into mourning.” - Jeptha R. Simms

“Thus ended one of the severest, and, for the numbers engaged, one of the most bloody battles of the entire Revolutionary war...Tryon County long had reason to mourn that day...The late Doctor Moses Younglove, of Hudson, Columbia County, was the surgeon of General Herkimer’s Brigade. He was taken prisoner in this battle by a sergeant of Sir John Johnson’s regiment. After his release he made a deposition setting forth many grievous barbarities committed, both by the Indians and Tories, upon the prisoners that fell into their hands that day. They were cruelly tortured, several of them murdered; and, as the Doctor had reason to believe, some of them were subsequently taken to an island in Lake Ontario, and eaten.” - William L. Stone

The Sortie from Fort Stanwix

“As most authentic account of it, I shall give that of Col. Willett, written at the time and published in the Connecticut Courant, Aug. 25, 1177. The message of Gen. Herkimer explained, at the fort, the cause of commotion, followed by silence in the Indians encampment the evening before, in the supposition that the enemy must have had timely notice of the movement of the militia and gone to meet them, and as soon as the shower was over, says the heroic Willett, whose sallying force, as already stated, consisted of 250 men, one half of Gansevoort’s and the other of Massachusetts troops, having one three pounder cannon.

“The men were instantly paraded, and I ordered the following disposition to be made : (Here follows the arrangement of his troops and plan of march.) Nothing could be more fortunate than this enterprise. We totally routed two of the enemy’s encampments, destroyed all the provisions that were in them, brought off upwards of 50 brass kettles and more than 100 blankets (two articles which were much needed), with a quantity of muskets, tomahawks, spears, ammunition, clothing, deerskins, a variety, of Indian affairs and five colors-the whole of which, on our return to the fort, were displayed on our flag-staff under the Continental flag. [The first stars & stripes ever flown in combat]

“The Indians took chiefly to the woods [there could not have been a great number yet at the camp], the rest of the troops, then at their posts, to the river. The number of men lost by the enemy is uncertain ; six lay dead in their encampments, two of which were Indians ; several scattered about in the woods ; but their greatest loss appeared to be in crossing the river, and no inconsiderable number upon the opposite shore. I was happy in preventing the men from scalping even the Indians, being desirous, if possible, to teach Indians humanity; but the men were much better employed, and kept in excellent order. We were out so long that a number of British regulars, accompanied by what Indians, etc., could be rallied, had marched down to a thicket on the other side of the river, about 50 yards from the road we were to cross on our return. Near this place, I had ordered the field piece. The ambush was not quite formed when we discovered them, and gave them a well directed fire. Here, especially, Maj. Bedlow, with his field piece, did considerable execution. Here also, the enemy were annoyed by the fire of several cannon from the fort, as they marched round to form the ambuscade. The enemy’s fire was very wild, and though we were much exposed, did no execution at all. We brought in four prisoners, three of which were wounded. One of them is Mr. George Singleton, of Montreal. He is Lieutenant in the company of which Mr. Stephen Watts was Captain, and who was himself killed in the battle with the militia, about two hours before.

“From these prisoners we received the first accounts of Gen. Herkimer’s militia being ambushed on their march, and of the severe battle they had with them about two hours before, [before the rain],. which gave us reason to think they had for the present given up their design of marching to the fort. I should not do justice to the officers and soldiers who were with me on this enterprise, if I was not, in most positive terms, to assure their countrymen that they, in general, behaved with the greatest gallantry on this occasion; and, next to the very kind and signal interposition of Divine Providence, which was powerfully manifested in their favor, it was undoubtedly owing to that noble intrepidity which discovered itself in this attack, and struck the enemy with such a panic as disenabled them from taking pains to direct their fire,

that we had not one man killed or wounded. The officers in general, behaved so well, that it is hardly right to mention the names of any particular ones, for their singular valor. But, so remarkably intrepid was Capt. Van Benscoten [he commanded the advance guard of 30 men], and so rapid was his attack, that it demands from me this particular testimony of his extraordinary spirit.”

Among the effects taken from the enemy’s camp, were several bundles of papers and letters, which had been taken from Gen. Herkimer’s baggage wagons a few hours before, not yet opened, one of which was for Col. Willett. There were also papers of Sir John Johnson, St. Ledger and other officers of the enemy’s camp, some of which were of service. On the next day, the enemy fired a few cannon shot from a battery, half a mile distant; and on Friday the 8th, they threw some shells which did no execution. On the evening of this day they sent in a flag by their Adjutant-General, Capt. Armstrong, Col. Butler and a Surgeon, the latter to examine Singleton’s wounds. The messengers came, as they said, to acquaint Col. Gansevoort that Gen. St. Ledger-he was acting as Brigadier, and so he called him-with much difficulty had prevailed on the Indians to agree, that if the garrison would surrender, not a hair of their beads should be touched; but if not, the consequence to the inmates would be terrible, as the Indians were very wroth at having some of their chiefs killed in the late action; and also, that if not surrendered, the Indians would go down the valley and destroy its inhabitants.

They also brought a paper which Col. Bellinger and Major Frey were compelled, by St. Ledger, to execute, exaggerating the disaster of the Provincials and advising the surrender of the fort. That this paper was executed under duress, the officers of the garrison had no doubt. Says Willett:

“Our answer was, that should this be the case, the blood of those inhabitants would be upon the beads of Mr. Butler and his employers, not upon us, and that such proceedings would ever remain a stigma upon the name of Britain but for our part we were determined to defend the fort.” “That evening, it was agreed by the field officers, that I should undertake, with Lieut. Stockwell-who is a good woodsman-to endeavor to get down into the country, and procure such force as would extirpate the miscreant band. After a severe march of about 50 miles through the wilderness, we in safety arrived at this place ; “ not named but meaning Fort Dayton. This was a most hazardous enterprise.

Gathering the Wounded

Again in that bloody ravine, among fallen heroes, we left the Oriskany battlefield to notice the sortie of Col. Willett at Fort Stanwix, and now return to it. The enemy precipitately retired from the field and left the Provincials masters of it, about 3 o’clock P. M. The decimated regiments were by their surviving commanders, so far as practicable, hastily reorganized ; and the wounded having been placed upon rude litters, the troops took up their mournful retrograde march, and encamped that night on the site of old Fort Schuyler-now Utica, eight miles from the battlefield. To this point, Gen. Herkimer and Capt. Jacob Seeber, and possibly one or two others of the wounded, were taken down the river in a boat to Fort Herkimer. At this place, Capt. Seeber was left with a broken leg, which was amputated, and he bled to death. Gen. Herkimer was taken on to his home below Little Falls-probably in a boat to the head of the rapid. – Jeptha Simms

The Death of Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer

“General Herkimer did not long survive the battle. He was conveyed to his own house near the Mohawk river, a few miles below the Little Falls; where his leg, which had been shattered five or six inches below the knee, was amputated about ten days after the battle, by a young French surgeon in the army of General Arnold, and contrary to the advice of the General’s own medical adviser, the late Doctor Petrie. But the operation was unskillfully performed, and it was found impossible by his attendants to stanch the blood. Colonel Willett called to see the General soon after the operation. He was sitting up in his bed, with a pipe in his mouth, smoking, and talking in excellent spirits. He died the night following that visit. His friend, Colonel John Roff, was present at the amputation, and affirmed that he bore the operation with uncommon fortitude. He was likewise with him at the time of his death. The blood continuing to flow - there being no physician in immediate attendance - and being himself satisfied that the time of his departure was nigh, the veteran directed the Holy Bible to be brought to him. He then opened it and read, in the presence of those who surrounded his bed, with all the composure which it was possible for any man to exhibit, the thirty-eighth psalm - applying it to his own situation. He soon afterward expired; and it may well be questioned whether the annals of man furnish a more striking example of Christian heroism - calm, deliberate, and firm in the hour of death - than is presented in this remarkable instance...he must have been well aquainted with that most important of all books - The Bible. Nor could the most learned biblical scholar, lay or clerical, had selected a portion of the Sacred Scriptures more exactly appropriate to the situation of the dying soldier, than that to which he himself spontaneously turned. If Socrates died like a philosopher, and Rousseau like an unbelieving sentimentalist, General Herkimer died like a Christian Hero.” - William L. Stone

O Lord, rebuke me not in your wrath,
And chasten me not in Your burning anger.
For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
And Your hand has pressed down on me.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh to much for me.
My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my folly.
I am bent over and greatly bowed down;

I go mourning all day long.
For my loins are filled with burning,
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am benumbed and badly crushed;
I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction,
And they devise treachery all day long.
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
For I hope in You O Lord;
You will answer, O Lord my God.
For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,

Who, when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me.”
For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
For I confess my iniquity;
I am full of anxiety because of my sin.
But my enemies are vigorous and strong,
And many are those who hate me wrongfully.
And those who repay evil for good,
They oppose me, because I follow what is good.
Do not forsake me, O Lord,
O my God, do not be far from me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! - Psalm 38

The Indian Cannibalism of Militia Prisoners

“The fury and cruelty of the Indians and Tories may be learned from the following affidavit, the original of which is now in the office of the Secretary of State. The high standing of Dr. Younglove, who died a few years since in the city of Hudson, is a sufficient voucher for its truth. The compiler has seen several persons to whom the same facts were communicated by him in his lifetime.” - William W. Campbell

“Moses Younglove, surgeon of General Herkimer’s brigade of militia, desposeth and saith, that being in the battle of said militia, above Oriskany, on the 6th of August last, toward the close of said battle he surrendered himself a prisoner to a savage, who immediately gave him up to a sergeant of Sir John Johnson’s regiment; soon after which, a lieutenant in the Indian department came up, in company with several other Tories, when said Mr. Grinnis by name, drew his tomahawk at this deponent, and with deal of persuasion was hardly prevailed on to spare his life.

He then plundered him of his watch, buckles, spurs, &c., and other Tories following his example, stripped him almost naked, with a great many threats, while they were stripping and massacring prisoners on every side.

That this deponent, on being brought before Mr. Butler, senior, who demanded of him what he was fighting for; to which this deponent answered, ‘he fought for the liberty that God and nature gave him, and to defend himself and dearest connections from the massacre of savages.’ To which Butler replied, ‘you are a damned impudent rebel’; and so saying, immediately turned to the savages, encouraging them to kill him, and if they did not, the deponent and the other prisoners should be hanged on a gallows then preparing.

That several prisoners were then taken forward towards the enemy’s head-quarters, with frequent scenes of horror and massacre, in which Tories were active as well as savages; and in particular, one Davis, formerly known in Tryon County, on the Mohawk River.

That Lieut. Singleton, of Sir John Johnson’s regiment, being wounded, entreated the savages to kill prisoners; which they accordingly did, as nigh as this deponent can judge, about six or seven.

‘That Isaac Paris, Esq., was also taken the same road without receiving from them any remarkable insult except stripping, until some Tories came up, who kicked and abused him, after which the savages, thinking him a notable offender, murdered him barbarously.

That those of the prisoners who were delivered up to the provost guards were kept without victuals for many days, and had neither clothes, blankets, shelter nor fire, while the guards were ordered not to use any violence in protecting the prisoners from the savages, who came every day in large companies with knives, feeling of the prisoners, to know who were fattest.

That they dragged one of the prisoners out of the guard with the most lamentable cries; tortured him for a long time, and this deponent was informed by both Tories and Indians, that they ate him, as appears they did another on an island in Lake Ontario, by bones found there nearly picked, just after they had crossed the lake with the prisoners.

That the prisoners who were not delivered up, were murdered in considerable numbers from day to day round the camp, some of them so nigh that their shrieks were heard.

That Capt. Martin, of the bateaux-men, was delivered to the Indians at Oswego, on pretense of his having kept back some useful intelligence.

That this deponent during his imprisonment, and his fellows, were kept almost starved for provisions, and what they drew were of the worst kind, such as spoiled flower, bisquit full of maggots and moldy, and no soap allowed, or other method of keeping clean, and were insulted, struck, &c., without mercy by the guards, without any provacation given.

That this deponent was informed by several sergeants orderly on Gen. St Leger, that twenty dollars were offered in general orders for every American scalp.
Moses Younglove.
John Barclay, Chairman of Albany Committee.”

Events Concerning the British and Loyalist Retreat to Canada

“Sir John Johnson wants Revenge on his Former Neighbors. -Agreeable to a letter of Col. Claus to Secretary Knox, of London, dated at Montreal, Oct. 16, 1777:

“Sir John Johnson, proposed (while the siege of Fort Stanwix was still being prosecuted) to follow the blow given to the reinforcements (who were chiefly Mohawk river people), to march down the country with about 200 men, and I intended joining him with a sufficient body of Indians, but the Brigadier (St. Ledger) said he could not spare the men, and disapproved of it. The inhabitants in general were ready (as we afterwards learned), to submit and come in.” This was another delusion. “A flag was sent to invite the inhabitants to submit and be forgiven, and assurance given to prevent the Indians from being outrageous; but the commanding officers of the German Flats (Fort Dayton), hearing of it, seized the flag, consisting of Ensign Butler (Walter N., son of Col. John,) of the Eighth Regiment, ten soldiers and three Indians, and took them up as spies. A few days after, Gen. Arnold, coming with some cannon and a reinforcement made the inhabitants return to their obedience.”
This party were at the house of Rudolph Shoemaker, a son of Johan Jost Shoemaker, where the late Ezekiel Spencer formerly resided at Mohawk village, only two miles distant from Fort Dayton. The act of coming there now to recruit, was a very impudent and bold one. This house was a sort of neutral ground during the war, as Provincial scouts and those of the enemy were alike there hospitably entertained, with food and a draught of butter-milk. Col. Weston of Mass. then in command of Fort Dayton, apprised of what was going on across the river, sent a body of troops, which surprised and captured Butler and his party without resistance. On the arrival of General Arnold, a few days after, those prisoners were tried by court-martial as spies, and sentenced to be hung. Whether all the white prisoners were thus tried is uncertain; but true it is that Butler and Han Jost Schuyler were. By the intercession of friends, the execution of Butler was delayed, and he was sent to Albany and there retained, a prisoner, for months, but finally made his escape, as believed, through the treachery of his keeper, and returned to Canada.

How Han Jost Schuyler Escapes the Halter -The time was set for the execution of Schuyler, and a rough coffin made in which to bury him, when Arnold, who was waiting at Fort Dayton for the Tryon county militia to join him-which they did, in good numbers, [possibly Christmans]considering their recent losses-thought to turn the life of the criminal to a better use than to hang him. One reason was that his mother and his brother Nicholas, who resided near Little Falls, came and pled earnestly for his life. The General proposed terms for his ransom, which his mother and his brother both offered themselves as a pledge for his performance of the brother being accepted and confined.

Han Jost Schuyler was a queer fellow. He had a misty brain, on which account he had become known to all the Mohawks of the Upper Castle, who, for his peculiarities and harmless demeanor, regarded him with some favor. He was promised his life on condition that he would go to St. Ledger’s camp, and, by giving an exaggerated account of the approaching army, so alarm the Indians that they would leave the ground ; well knowing that if they did not remain with him he could not maintain the siege for a day.

Having had several bullets shot through his clothing, so as to make it appear a plausible story that he had been fired upon while making his escape, be set forward in advance of Arnold’s army, which consisted, in fact, of only a few regiments.
Indian runners, in the interest of the enemy, had already reported Arnold’s army a thousand strong, but Schuyler was to represent it as consisting of at least two or three times that number,. When he arrived among the Mohawks, to whom he was known; showed the holes in his garments and told what hair-breadth escapes he had had to get away and bring intelligence of the advance of Gen. Arnold with a large army and heavy cannon ; there was at once a commotion in the camp, and he was harried before St. Ledger, to whom his unwelcome and astounding news was repeated. That officer was at first incredulous, but the royal officers who knew the messenger went down with Lieut. Butler, and was captured with him, placed confidence in his statement. At this stage of proceeding, several friendly Oneidas, who were in the secret, one after another dropped into camp to warn their former friends of danger, saying the Americans had no quarrel with the Indians, each confirming the story of Schuyler. When asked how many troops Arnold had, they answered enigmatically: Said one “Can lndian count the stars ? “ Said another-“ Can me tell how many leaves on em trees! They also represented that the large army was rapidly advancing, and must soon reach that place. A score of bomb-shells exploding in the Indian encampment would not have produced a more wonderful excitement. Indeed, the camp was at once broken up, and they began rapidly to set their faces toward Canada. In vain did St. Ledger remonstrate with his allies against their hot haste, and attempt to detain them until he could gather up his camp equipage: and not a few of his own dusky warriors, who were tired of camp life, added to the general terror and confusion by giving the war-whoop and shouting, “They’re coming! They’re coming! “

Why St. Ledger Hastily Skedaddled.- St. Ledger no doubt began to apprehend his position a dangerous one, and he and Sir John Johnson, with the ready acquisence of their subordinate officers, made all haste to get away ; leaving in their standing tents, provisions, artillery, ammunition-indeed, their entire camp equipage, with the papers and private effects of St. Ledger himself. Not another such stampede was made during the war. It is stated on good authority, that the Indians, who had been disappointed in not sacking the entire valley of the Mohawk, and had even lost their own clothing and blankets by the sortie of Col. Willett, did not scruple on their way back to Oswego, to murder and strip some of St. Ledger’s white troops, when in an exposed condition. Such was the finale to one of Britain’s devised means to subjugate her American colonies.

Han Jost Schuyler accompanied the flying army of St. Ledger for two or three miles, and embraced an opportunity the first evening to steal away and basten back to Fort Dayton. He stopped long enough at Fort Stanwix to inform Col. Gansevoort, that Arnold was advancing to the relief of the garrison. Informed by Col. Gansevoort, that St. Ledger had “vamoosed the ranche,” Gen. Arnold sent forward a body of troops, if possible to overtake and punish the invaders. Arnold reached Fort Stanwix next day, where he was received by the cheers and an artillery salute of the garrison ; to learn that troops from the fort were already on the trail of the enemy, and had made some prisoners, etc. Gansevoort did not know what had sent the enemy on the back track so hastily, until the arrival of Gen. Arnold. Schuyler, on arriving at Fort Dayton, saw his brother set free, and his mother overjoyed that they were both again at liberty… - Jeptha Simms

After Scenes of the Oriskany Battlefield

“It was hoped by surviving friends in the valley below, that the troops advancing under Gen. Arnold, to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix, would be able to perform the melancholy task of burying the remains of our fallen soldiery at Oriskany ; especially, if possible, those of the brave but rash Col. Cox, as also those of Maj. Klepsaddle, Captains Dillenbeck, Diefendorf, Davis, Herkimer and numerous other officers and privates, if it was practicable, and who it was thought could be recognized by volunteer acquaintances; but as over two weeks of excessively warm weather had transpired-it being then on the 23 or 24 of August-decomposition had so rapidly taken place, that the stench was intolerable, making it necessary for the health of the troops to give the field as wide a berth as possible. So said James Williamson, a soldier under Arnold and who was on duty at Fort Stanwix later in the war, to the writer forty years ago.” – Jeptha Simms

“On Capt. Thompson’s arrival at the “ Seekaquate “ creek-Sadaquada or Saquoit creek which enters the Mohawk at Whitestown-he found the bridge gone. Soon after passing this stream he said he ascended “Ariska (Oriskany) Hill,” which he observed “was usually allowed to be the highest piece of ground from Schonectada to Fort Stanwix’ Says the journal: “I went over the ground where Gen. Herkimer fought. Sir John Johnson, this is allowed to be one of the most desperate engagements that has ever been fought by the militia. I saw a vast number of human skulls and bones scattered through the woods;” this was nearly five and a half years after the battle.” - Jeptha Simms

The Battle of Saratoga

The retreat of St. Leger, with the success of the American arms at Bennington, restored hope and animation. Tryon County, smiling through her tears, obeyed with alacrity the call to reinforce Gen. Gates in the month of September following. Her militia mounted on horseback, some without saddles, others without bridles, sallied forth. [Once again, the Christmans were probably among the ones who went, there was not much of a militia left and it was very important] If as uncouth in appearance, they were equally as zealous as the Knight of La Mancha. Large reinforcements of eastern militia having come on, the Tryon County militia were directed to return home before the surrender. The splendid victory over Burgoyne at Saratoga, with the surrender of his whole army, produced feelings of joy in the bosom of the Americans as deep and pervading as had been those of their despondency. – William W. Cambell

Saratoga, Battles of (1777), campaign that helped decide the outcome of the American Revolution. Early in 1777, Lord George Germain, who was responsible for British war strategy, approved a plan suggested by Major General John Burgoyne, calling for Burgoyne to lead an army south from Canada to Albany, New York. A smaller expedition under Colonel Barry St. Leger would converge on Albany from the west. By occupying Albany and controlling the Hudson River, the British intended to cut off New England from the other colonies and force an end to the American rebellion.

Burgoyne left Montreal in June with about 9000 British and Hessian troops and a number of Native American allies. In July he took Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain without a struggle and fought a skirmish with an American force near Hubbardton, Vermont. On August 16, however, 2000 inexperienced New Hampshire and Vermont militiamen defeated a detachment of troops sent by Burgoyne to seize American supplies at Bennington, Vermont.

After a three-week delay at Fort Miller (now Schuylerville, New York) to obtain provisions, Burgoyne moved his now-reduced army across the Hudson. On September 13, he began to march south toward Albany, but found his way blocked by some 7000 Americans under Major General Horatio Gates, who had taken up an entrenched position at Bemis Heights, a densely wooded plateau, a few miles south of Saratoga. Congress had ordered Gates to block Burgoyne’s progress, and his initial strategy was defensive, counting on Burgoyne to attack recklessly and deplete his men and supplies. On the 19th, the British attacked. At the urging of Major General Benedict Arnold, Gates sent a sortie to meet them. A furious but indecisive battle was fought at Freeman’s Farm, known as the First Battle of Saratoga. Ever cautious, Gates failed to reinforce Arnold; the Americans withdrew to Bemis Heights, and Burgoyne made camp a mile north.

Meanwhile, St. Leger had turned back at Fort Stanwix in the Mohawk Valley. Although lacking reinforcements and commanding fewer than 5000 men, Burgoyne refused to retreat. On October 7 his army moved forward again in search of the American position, leading to the Battle of Bemis Heights (or the Second Battle of Saratoga). Gates’s well-disciplined forces, inspired by a fearless Arnold, drove the British back to their camp with heavy losses. Burgoyne then withdrew to Saratoga, where, surrounded by the American army which now numbered up to 17,000, he surrendered on October 17.

His defeat encouraged France to join the American side and thus proved to be the turning point in the war.- By: E. Wayne Carp – Microsoft Encarta Encylopedia

“Brant himself acknowledged, at a subsequent period, that they were beaten in this battle; and he was accustomed to speak of the sufferings of his “poor Mohawks” on that occasion with great sensibility.” - The American Monthly Magazine, August, 1838.

Turning Point of the American Revolution

What would have happened if St. Ledger had reinforced Burgoyne, or, if Benedict Arnold was killed in the Mohawk Valley? Saratoga was no cake walk for the Americans; it took a month to win.

Therefore, what was the real turning point of the American Revolution?

The answer is that it was in the spot that the Indians called “The Place of Nettles” – Oriskany.

Among the bushes they cry out;
Under the nettles they are gathered together.
Fools, even those without a name,
They are scourged from the land. - Job 30: 3 8

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1776

2006-12-17T17:36:00.006-05:00

Still more grandchildren.

010306 Peter Christman (b.1776)
020108 Johan George Christman (b.1776)

Joseph Brant returned secretly from England, arriving near New York City.

Events Concerning Sir John Johnson

After Guy Johnson, Daniel Claus, Joseph Brant, and the Butlers, went to Canada, it was suspected that Sir John Johnson kept them informed about current events in the valley through Indians who carried letters in the heads of their tomahawks and other ornaments. Sir John was surrounded at that time by a large body of loyal tenants from Johnstown. Rumors of his clandestine activities at Johnson Hall rose to such a level of suspicion that in January 1776 he was compelled by the Whigs to define his position. He was believed to have been receiving arms and ammunition at the hall. The Continental Congress was informed of the suspected activity, and they instructed General Schuyler to visit Sir John and see what was going on.

General Schuyler sent word to the Indians not to be alarmed, and left for Johnstown with 700 troops; an Indian delegation, led by Little Abram, stopped the General in route for a council. They did not want the troops to go against Sir John Johnson.

“General Schuyler Replied -Brothers of the Mohawk Nation: We the commissioners appointed by the Congress, and your brothers of Albany and Schenectada, have paid great attention to the speech you have delivered us. We now desire you to open your ears, and attentively listen to what we have to say in answer.”

He said they were pleased to hear them express their minds freely, and said they would do the same hiding nothing from them; said he had hoped their message by Mr. Bleecker would have eased their minds, and convinced them that no hostile intentions existed against them or any other Indians; if they had, he added, we should not have supplied you with powder the other day; he expressed his regret that they had not complied with their request, and sent the speech delivered them by Mr. Bleecker, to the Six Nations ; you told us, said he, that five or six men would have been sufficient to send to Johnstown, to learn what was being done there, and thought it would have been a shame if they had been sent there and been interrupted :

“ but we have full proof that many people in Johnstown and the neighborhood, have for some time past made preparations to carry into execution, the wicked designs of the King’s evil counselors. It is true that last summer the United Colonies promised that the path to the Indian country should be kept open ; and they again repeat that promise : and although it is by the special order of Congress that this body of troops are marching up, it is not to shut the path but to keep it open, and prevent people about Johnstown from cutting off the communication between us and our brethren of the Six: Nations, and our other brethren living up the river.”

“Brothers,” he continued, “ although we have before said that the people living about Johnstown are making hostile preparations against us, yet we will not shed a drop of their blood, unless they, refuse to come to an agreement of safety to us, or oppose us with arms. We do not mean that any of our warriors shall set their foot on any lands you possess, or that of the Six Nations, unless our enemies find shelter there ; for those we determine to follow wherever they go. We again repeat we have no quarrel with you, and we expect that you will not interfere in this family contest, but stand by as indifferent spectators, agreeable to the engagement of the Six Nations made to us last summer at their own request.”

He alluded to the pledge made in the preceding summer that, as we had no quarrel with the Indians, a hair of their heads should not be touched;

“and yet”, he added, “when our warriors were at St. John’s, they were attacked by Indians, when two of your tribe and some others were killed. You have never blamed us for it, because you knew that our lives are dear to us, and we have a right to kill any who attempt to kill us. You should not now be surprised that we take every precaution to prevent being destroyed by the King’s evil doers. We may be called on to go and fight against our enemies to the eastward, and can you think it prudent that we should leave enemies behind us, who might destroy our families and our property. Would you leave your wives and children in such a situation?

We are convinced you would not, and so cautious are we that no blood may be shed, that we shall send a letter to Sir John, inviting him to meet us on the road between this place and his house; and if he comes, everything will no doubt be settled in an amicable manner; and he maybe under no apprehension, for if we do not come to an agreement, he will be permitted to return to his own house.

We also wish you to be present to hear what we shall propose to Sir John Johnson and the people about Johnstown, who are our enemies ; and we want you to tell your warriors that, although we have no quarrel with them, yet, if we should be under the necessity of fighting with our enemies, and your warriors should join them and fight against us, that we should do as was done at St. John’s - repel force by force.

You ask what treatment your people who remain at home might expect from us? In the treaty at Albany last summer, your people promised to remain neutral in this quarrel. Should your warriors of the lower castle now take up arms against us, we shall consider it a breach of the late treaty, and shall lay the matter before the great council at Philadelphia.

We are surprised that a doubt should remain in your minds about our friendly intentions toward you - after the many instances we have given you of love and friendship - but attribute it to the machinations of our enemies. If our enemies about Johnstown had no evil intentions against us, we should not have come thus far with an army. Whoever takes up arms against us must be considered the aggressor, and not he who tries to prevent the blow.

“Brothers, we have now freely and fully disclosed to you our minds. We hope you will remember what we have said, and repeat it to your brothers, counselors and warriors ; and lest you should not be able to recollect every part of this speech, you may have your brothers Ka-rah-qua-dir-hon and Ti-ze-de-ron-de ron [Deane and Bleeckerl interpreters, to attend you, if it be agreeable to you.

“Brothers, your women have sent us a belt. We beg you to assure them of our regard, and to entreat them to prevent your warriors from doing anything that would have the least tendency to incur our resentment, or interrupt that harmony which we wish may subsist to the end of time.”

The Indians replied that what the General said was perfectly acceptable to them. General Schuyler sent word to Sir John to meet him anywhere between Schenectady and Johnstown. On January 17, they met 16 miles above Schenectady, probably at Guy Park. The following terms were given to Sir John Johnson:

First – “That Sir John should, upon his word of honor, at once deliver up all cannon, arms, and other military stores of all kinds in his own possession, or which he had caused to be delivered into the possession of any others, either directly or indirectly, or that were to his knowledge concealed in any part of the county. That he should distinguish such military stores as belonged to the crown, or were designed to arm the Indians, from those of a private character, that an inventory of the latter might be taken, that they might be returned or their value refunded when this unhappy contest should be over.

Second – “Out of respect for Sir John, and his rank, the General consented that he should retain for his own use a complete set of armor, and as much powder as might be sufficient for his domestic purposes.

Third – “That Sir John shall remain upon his parole of honor in any part of Tryon county which he may choose, to the eastward of the district of-[Kingsland as believed]-unless it should appear necessary to the honorable, the Continental Congress to remove him to some other part of this, or any other colony, in which case he is immediately to comply with such orders as they may think proper to give for that purpose.”

Fourth – “That the Scotch inhabitants of the county should, without exception, immediately deliver up all arms in their possession, of whatever kind they might be; and further solemnly promise not to take up arms during the contest without the permission of the Continental Congress, or of their general officers, delivering six hostages for the faithful performance of this article.

Fifth – “ That all other inhabitants of Tryon county as have avowed themselves opposed to the measures of the United Colonies, should also deliver up their arms, with hostages for its performance.

Sixth – “That all blankets, strouds, and other Indian articles belonging to the Crown, and intended as presents to the Indians, shall be delivered up to a commissary appointed by Gen. Schuyler, in the presence of three or more of the Mohawk chiefs, in order that the same may be dispensed among the Indians, for the purpose of cementing the ancient friendship between them and their brethren of the United Colonies, for which sole purpose they ought to have been furnished.”

Seventh-“ If Sir John Johnson and the people referred to in the preceding articles should abide by the requirements therein, the General in behalf of the Continental Congress, promised that neither he or any of those people should be molested by any person in the thirteen U. Colonies; but should be protected in the peaceable enjoyment of their property: the sole intent of this treaty being to prevent the horrid effects of a civil and intestine war betwixt those who ought to be brothers. All arms thus delivered up, were to be valued by sworn appraisers. If the Continental Congress wanted them they were to be taken, if not they were to be delivered to their respective owners at the end of the contest.” – Jeptha Simms

Sir John said that the Indians would support him. General Schuyler told him that if the terms were not agreed to, force would be used without distinction of persons. Sir John wanted a day to think about it, and left.

Little Abraham and another chief told the General not to believe that Mohawks at Johnson Hall would defend Sir John, but would only interfere as mediators.

The General told them that if they were there as foes, they would be destroyed.

The Tryon County Militia

On October 5, 1776 a "Resolution of Congress' was laid before the Tryon County Committee of Safety appointing Nicholas Herkimer to be Brigadier General of the Brigade of Militia. The Tryon County Militia was comprised of five regiments formed according to their geographical locations. Each memberof the militia was required to have a gun (with bayonet, sword or tomahawk) and ammunition (one pound of powder and three pounds of bullets). He was also expected to train with his militia company for four hours on the first Monday of each month and for two days each year with his regiment. Several changes were made in the militia laws of New York on July 31, 1777 when all men under the age of sixty were to be enrolled in the militia, and members of the militia were to receive the same pay as their counterparts in the New York Continentals. Measures were also adopted to improve discipline in the militia ranks.

The New York Line

The New York Line, also known as the Continental Line, was under the command of the Continental establishment and the soldiers serving in this army were called regulars or continentals. Philip Schuyler was Major General of the New York Line on June 28,1775 and Richard Montgomery (later killed at the storming of Quebec on December 31, 1775) was Brigadier General and Adjutant. Four regiments and one artillery company, formed on this date, comprised the New York Line, viz.: First Regiment (New York County), Col. Alexander McDougall; Second Regiment (Albany County), Col. Goose Van Schaick,; Third Regiment (Ulster County), Col. James Clinton; Fourth Regiment (Dutchess County), Col. James Holmes; and Artillery (New York City), Capt. John Lamb. The New York Line was reorganized on November 21, 1776 and a fifth regiment was added. Philip Schuyler continued as Major General of the N.Y. Continentals, while both Alexander McDougall and James Clinton were promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. The f irst and third regiments of the N.Y. Line were most directly involved with the Mohawk Valley throughout the war – From Pension Abstracts by Maryly B. Penrose

The Christmans in the Tryon County Militia

The next day General Schuyler moved his force to Caughnawaga and was joined by General Herkimer with a large body of Tryon County Militia. The total force now about 3,000. If that number is accurate, then General Herkimer brought over 2,000 men. That is more than were at Oriskany. Therefore, it is possible that eight Christmans were with General Herkimer during this crisis in the militia. Nicholas Christman enlisted as an army regular. From MacWethy’s Book of Names, and my individual identification of them, they were:

0102 Nicholas Christman (b.abt.1732) 4th Regiment
0103 Jacob Christman (b.1741) 4th Regiment
0105 John Christman (b.abt.1747) 4th Regiment
0201 John Christman (b.abt.1740) 1st Regiment
0203 Johann Jacob (b.1744) 2nd Regiment
0206 Nicholas Christman (b.abt.1755) Ranger (Palatine)
0302 Frederick Christman (b.1748) 4th Regiment (later enlisted in NY Line)
0303 John Christman (b.abt.1752) 4th Regiment
0304 Nicholas Christman (b.1755) NY Line, Army Regular

The following details are from Jeptha Simms:

At six o’clock Sir John Johnson answered the terms on behalf of himself and the people of Kingsbourough and neighborhood:

“That he and his friends expected that all such arms as were their own property should remain in their possession; that all other arms: Should be given up, and that he had no military stores belonging to the crown. That he, Sir John, did not expect to be confined to the county. That the Scotch inhabitants would deliver up their arms, and promise not to take up any during the contest without permission of the American authorities; but could not give hostages, as one had no command over another: and thought women and children should not be included in the terms.

He denied having any blankets or other presents intended for the Indians. If his propositions were agreed to he and his people would rely on the assurance of protection.
(Signed) JOHN JOHNSON, ALLAN McDONELL.

Sir John’s terms were unsatisfactory to Gen. Schuyler, and two hours later he dispatched another letter by Messrs. Adams and McDonell, bearers of the terms of the former, to Messrs. Johnson and McDonell. The General told them replies were omitted to several of his proposals, while, answers were imperfect and unsatisfactory to others, saying the whole were exceptional except the last. He continued:

“I must therefore obey my orders, and again repeat, that, in the execution of them, I shall strictly abide the laws of humanity; at the same time assuring you, that if the least resistance is made, I will not answer for the consequences, which may be of a nature the most dreadful.

“ If Lady Johnson is at Johnson Hall, I wish she would retire, (and therefore enclose a passport,) as I shall march my troops to that place without delay.

“You may, however, still have time to reconsider the matter, and for that purpose I will give you until 12 o’clock this night, -after which I shall receive no proposals ; and I have sent you Mr. Robert Yates, Mr. Glen, and Mr. Duer to receive the ultimate proposals you have to make. This condescension I make from no other motive than to prevent the effusion of’ blood, so far as it can be effected without risking the safety of the county, or being guilty of a breach of the positive orders I have received from the Honorable Continental Congress.

“I am, gentlemen, with due respect, “Your humble servant, PH. SCHUYLER.”

Many interested Mohawks, who had not yet been seduced into the royal interest, came to Schuylers camp just after he sent his last letter. They seemed anxious for an amicable arrangement, and hoped Sir John might not be taken from the county. He promised to grant that favor to them, in the hope as he said, flatteringly, that their example might influence him for good. Many of those Indians had not yet forgotten the pledge of neutrality they had made at Albany some months before.

By the time specified, Sir John’s answer came to Schuyler’s. last letter. To the General’s terms he replied substantially as follows:

First and second articles agreed to except in reserving a few favorite family arms.

Third - Sir John having given his parole of honor not to take up arms against America, for the sake of preserving peace and removing any suspicions or undue influence, consented not to go to the westward of the German Flatts and Kingsland districts. To every other part of the continent southward of the. county he expected the privilege of going.

Fourth - Tbis article was agreed to, except that part regarding hostages. He stated that after the Scotch inhabitants had surrendered their arms, the General could take six prisoners - such as he chose among them - without resistance. He said they would expect to be maintained agreeable to their respective rank, with the privilege of going to any part of the province of New Jersey or Pennsylvania, which the General or the Congress might appoint. They would expect the General to make provision for the maintenance of their wives and children in their absence. Yet, be added, that for the harmony of the country, they would not break off the treaty on that account, if the General thought he had no discretionary power in the matter ; in which case they hoped for the General’s influence with the Congressional Congress to be ,charitable toward those wives and children. The prisoners would claim a few days time to get ready, and, if gentlemen, hoped to wear their side arms.

Fifth - Sir John said that neither he or the Scotch gentlemen could make any engagement for any other persons than those over whom they might have influence. Neither could they possibly know the names of all such as have shown themselves averse to the measures of the United Colonies.
They, however, pledged their word and honor that, so far as depended on them, the inhabitants should give up their arms, and enter into a like engagement with the Scotch settlers. Neither would they adopt the quarrel of any such persons as their own.

Sixth - Sir John gave his word of honor that he had no blankets, strouds, or other presents belonging to the crown and intended for the Indians: of course, could not comply with the requisition.

Seventh - Sir John said if the above proposals are agreed to, and signed by the General, he and the people referred to would rely on the assurances of protection; but added, that as it would be impossible to collect the arms before Saturday noon (the 20th) he would then have the men paraded in Johnstown, and ground their arms in the presence of such troops as the General might appoint.
(Signed) JOHN JOHNSON, “ALLAN McDONELL. JOHNSON HALL, January 13, 1776.”

The Mohawks were yet at Gen. Schuyler’s quarters when this message came from the Hall, and, being informed that matters were shaping amicably, they left much gratified. This was a most exciting time at Caughnawaga ; and the reader, to appreciate it, must remember that it was past midnight, with the cold winds of mid-winter whistling among - as must be supposed - the poorly sheltered army. How they were quartered is unknown, but it is presumed that the ancient church of that village contained as many of the troops as could be crowded into it. The ground was covered with snow, and the streams were ice-bound.

The following day - January 19th - Gen. Schuyler closed up the correspondence with Sir John Johnson, writing from Caughnawaga, in substance, as follows:
Sir John was permitted to retain his family arms by making a list of them. He was to be allowed to go as far westward as the German Flatts and Kingsland districts in Tryon county, and to every other part of the colony southward and eastward of said districts, except into seaport towns. The General believed if his business should require him to go to other English colonies, Congress would allow him to do so. The General would take six of the Scotch inhabitants prisoners, if they preferred to go as such, instead of hostages; gave them to understand they should be treated humanely ; could not tell where Congress would send them, but, for the present, they would go to Reading or Lancaster, Pa.; could not speak definitely about the maintenance of their families, but would recommend that subject to Congress.

The General expects that all the Scotch inhabitants of all ranks, not confined to beds of illness, will attend with their arms, and deliver them up at 12 m. on Saturday; and if this condition was not faithfully performed, he Would consider himself absolved from any engagement entered into with them; said he never refused a gentleman his side arms. The prisoners taken were to be removed to Albany immediately, where they might remain a reasonable time to settle their family affairs. If his terms of the 17th inst. were accepted with the above qualifications, fair copies would be made out and signed by the parties, one of them to be delivered to Sir John and McDonell, signed by the General ; and, to save time, he wished for an immediate answer.

Sir John acceded to the terms, and on the same day - Friday the 19th - Schuyler marched to Johnstown. Some of his troops also secured the county, to bring in such disaffected as were not comprehended in the Johnstown arrangement. The same afternoon Sir John delivered up the arms and ammunition in his possession, the quantity being smaller than was expected. On Saturday, at noon, Gen. Schuyler paraded his troops, as we imagine, not far from the old colonial court house, where the Highlanders - between 200 and 300 in number - marched to the front and grounded their arms, which, having been secured, the Scotchmen were dismissed with an admonition to remain quiet at their homes, with an assurance of protection if they did so.

Gen. Schuyler returned the same evening to Caughnawaga, where, on the two following days, over I 00 Tories were brought in from different parts of the county. Col. Herkimer was left to complete the disarming of the disaffected, and receive the hostage prisoners, and Gen. Schuyler returned to Albany. Mr. Dean, Indian interpreter to Gen. Schuyler, was sent west with a belt, to explain the nature of this bloodless enterprise to the five Indian nations to the westward.” – Jeptha Simms

Sir John Johnson Flees to Canada

May

Sir John was once again suspected of clandestine plots. Gen. Schuyler sent Col. Dayton to arrest him. Sir John fled on the Sacandaga route to Canada with a large group. It took them 19 days. They had scant provisions, and suffered the pang of the wilderness.

In Canada, Sir John was commissioned a Lieutenant Colonel in charge of a regiment of loyalists from Johnstown designated as the Kings Royal Greens. Colonel John Butler had a similarly composed regiment of loyalists from Tryon County, Albany County, and New England, called Butlers Rangers.

Joseph Brant was still in England.

July 4th: The Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson claimed that he used "neither book nor pamphlet" when writing the declaration, but the document reflected a broad understanding of 18th-century political thought. Perhaps the greatest influence on Jefferson came from Enlightenment thinkers. These philosophers believed that the natural world was organized in a logical and reasonable pattern. While acknowledging that this pattern derived from the ultimate wisdom of God, they also held that the world was understandable through the powers of human reason. The writings of French, English, and Scottish Enlightenment philosophers frequently presented the concept that all men are created equal and possess certain inalienable rights. Jefferson’s belief in the social contract came from British political philosopher John Locke, who argued that government existed by consent of the governed and that people should rebel if their natural rights were violated. Even the long list of grievances against King George III reflected 18th-century philosophy. According to prevalent thinking during the Age of Enlightenment, any deviation from the natural and reasonable course of events, including the perceived abuse of the American colonies, resulted from the actions of evil men rather than a whim of nature. – Microsft Encarta Encyclopedia

George Washington Retreats

As hostilities between the Colonies and England were heating up, a long awaited attack on Long Island began on August 22, 1776. General George Washington’s army retreated, and basically, just had to keep on retreating. Things did not look to good for the Colonies and the English thought that they were going to have a cakewalk in the war.

September 5

Nicholas Herkimer was commissioned Brigadier General of the Militia by the New York Legislature.

October 25

Sir John Johnson and the Indians threatened the Mohawk Valley residents.

Washington Captures Trenton; His Army is in Shambles

Christmas night

General Washington crossed the Delaware and captured Trenton. Washington was in control of New Jersey and the British retreated to New York. It was the famous winter at Valley Forge, the victory was one little ray of hope for a rag-tag army with it’s moral in shambles and not able to raise enough recruits.

It is known that George Washington was a believer that divine providence controls the affairs of men. Little did he know that his prayers had been answered with the winter of 1708, which caused the Palatine Immigration of 1710.

Return To The Table Of Contents

1775

2006-12-17T15:20:00.006-05:00

Another baby is born.

030201 Jacob Bashor Christman (b.1775)

At Stone Arabia’s Reformed Church, there is no record of a settled pastor during the period of the Revolution.

Injustice, Indignation, Resentment & Rage

“The storm, which had so long been gathering over this continent, was now about to descend in all its fury. On the l9th day of April, 1775, Gen. Gage sent from Boston a detachment of 800 or 900 troops, under the command of Col. Smith and Maj. Pitcairn, to destroy a collection of military stores, accumulated at Concord by the friends of liberty. At Lexington, a small village which they had to pass, a company of sixty or seventy militia were paraded near the village church. Maj. Pitcairn riding forward, exclaimed, Disperse, you rebels - throw down your arms and disperse!

The militia hesitated, and the Major firing a pistol, ordered a company under Capt. Parker, to fire upon them: the command was obeyed, and eight were killed and several wounded. The militia dispersed, and the troops marched on to Concord. Some of the stores had been removed, what remained were destroyed. The minute men of that town had assembled before the arrival of the regulars, but too weak to oppose the latter, retired on their approach, As the report of the firing upon the militia at Lexington spread with great rapidity, from the ringing of bells, firing of signal gains, etc., the country was soon in arms. Finding themselves reinforced, the Concord militia advanced and a skirmish ensued, in which several were killed on both sides.

The British troops, seeing that they were to have hot work, as almost every male citizen between the ages of ten and eighty were arming for the fight, began to retreat. In their course they were fired upon from all manner of concealments. Every stonewall, tree, stump, rock, barn or workshop, sent forth its unerring bullet into the ranks of the enemy. Had not the British been reinforced by about 900 men under Lord Percy, few of the first detachment would ever have reached Boston alive. The British loss in this battle, called battle of Lexington because it commenced and much of it was fought in that town, in killed wounded and prisoners, was 273; and that of the Provincials, 87. General Gage had thought previous to the battle of Lexington, that five regiments of British infantry could march from Maine to Georgia. Thus closed the opening scene of a tragedy, destined to last eight long years.” – Jeptha Simms

In 1775, the Continental Congress adopted a plain red flag.

Valley Loyalists Declare Opposition

In the spring of 1775, the loyalists of Tryon County held a court in Johnstown. They avowed their opposition to the Continental Congress. A declaration was drawn up, and signatures were obtained. Discussions were heated but a majority of the Grand Jurors and the majority of the magistracy signed their names in support of the crown. The loyalists were known as Tories.

Valley Whigs React & The Committee of Safety

Those who supported the measures adopted by the Continental Congress attending the Court became indignant. They were called Whigs, or rebels. They returned to their homes and told their neighbors who felt the same. Public meetings were held, and the Tryon County Committee of Safety was formed.

May 11

The second meeting of the Palatine District was held. It was also at Adam Louck’s house, a tavern that had some interesting things hanging on a wall. There was a print of Martin Luther, Frederick the Great, George III, and Louis XIV. Louis XIV was put in the frame upside down with these words under it in German:

This is the man we should all hate;
Who drove us from our home;
Who burned the old Palatinate
And sent us forth to roam.

First Blood

“The first public meeting was held in Caughnawaga, now Fonda, at the house of John Veeder. About three hundred unarmed supporters attended to erect a liberty-pole.

One of the Whig leaders attending was a farmer named Sampson Sammons, and two of his sons, Jacob and Frederick.

Before they raised the liberty-pole, a large group of loyalists armed with swords and pistols arrived. They were led by Sir John Johnson, and his brother-in-law’s, Col. Daniel Claus, and Col. Guy Johnson.

Upon their arrival, Guy Johnson stood on a high stoop and harangued the people in anger, extolling the power of England and the foolishness of rebellion. The Whig’s blood boiled against the Johnsons with indignance and resentment.
As Guy Johnson’s speech became increasingly abusive and insulting, Jacob Sammons interrupted calling Johnson a liar and a villain. Guy Johnson then grabbed Sammons by the throat calling him a damned villain. They scuffled, and Sammons was struck down with a loaded whip.

On recovering, one of Johnson’s men was holding him down. Sammons punched him and jumped up. Two pistols were drawn to his chest; he was knocked to the ground by a loyalist club, and severely beaten. The crowd dispersed, as did the loyalists. Jacob Sammons returned to his father’s house with the first scars of the Revolution in the Mohawk Valley.”– William L. Stone

During the next several years, this generation was about to experience war and destruction very similar to the persecutions of the Rheinland that Johannes Christmann lived through as a youth.

Tensions Grow

May 14

Guy Johnson was warned of a plot to kidnap him and he fortified his home at Guy Park.

He wrote the following letter:

“Guy Park, -May 18,1775. GENTLEMEN :

We have, for some days past, heard of many threats from the public, that give us reason to apprehend that the persons or properties of gentlemen of the first consequence, both with respect to station and property, would have been insulted in this county, and myself in particular, under color of a gross and notorious falsehood, uttered by some worthless scoundrels respecting my intentions as Superintendent of Indian affairs. To gentlemen of sense and moderation these malicious, ill-founded charges ought to be self-evidently false, as my duty is to promote peace, and my office of the highest importance to the trade and frontiers; but as these reports are daily increasing, it becomes Me, both as a subject and a man, to disavow them, and until I can find out and chastise the infamous author, to assure the public of their mistake, and to acquaint them that it has rendered it my duty for self-preservation, so necessary, that I have taken precaution to give a very hot and disagreeable reception to any persons who shall invade my retreat; at the same time I have no intention to disturb those who choose to permit me the honest exercise of my reason and the duties of my office; and requesting that you will immediately cause this to be made public to the Albany Committee.

“I remain, gent’n, your very humble serv’t,
G. JOHNSON.

May 19

The third meeting of the Committee of Safety in Cherry Valley:

“This county has, for a series of years, been ruled by one family [of Johnsons], the different branches of which are still strenuous in dissuading people from coming into congressional measures, and even last week at a numerous meeting of the Mohawk district [this embraced the Johnstown settlements and those along both sides of the Mohawk river], appeared with all their dependents armed, to oppose the people from considering of their grievances, their number being so large and the people unarmed, struck terror into most of them, and they dispersed.

We are informed, that Johnson Hall is fortified by placing swivels round t the building and that Col. [Sir John] Johnson has had part of his regiment of royalists under arms yesterday, no I doubt with a design to prevent the lovers of liberty, from publishing their attachment for it to the world. Besides which we are told that a body of High-landers (Roman Catholics) in and about Johnstown, are armed and ready to march upon the like occasion.-We are also informed, that Col. [Guy] Johnson has stopped two New England men and searched them, being we suppose suspicions that they come to solicit aid from its or the Indians, who we dread most, there being a current report through the county that they are to be made use of in keeping its in awe.”

After introducing some other matters, and speaking of their being in a new county and remote from the metropolis, they closed their letter as follows:

“ We are determined although few in numbers, to let the world see who are not attached to American Liberty, and to wipe off the indelible disgrace brought on us by the Declaration signed by our grand jury and some of our magistrates, who in general are considered by the majority of the county, as enemies to their country. In a word gentlemen, it is our fixed resolution to support and carry . into execution every thing recommended by the Continental and Provincial Congress, and to be free or die”

May 21

The following letters were found and laid before the committee:

The first, being a letter from some of the Mohawk Indians to the Oneidas, had been found in the road, where it was supposed to have been lost by some Indian. Translated into English, it was as follows. -

Written at Guy Johnson’s May, 1775.

“This is your letter, you great ones or Sachems. Guy Johnson says he will be glad if you get this intelligence, you Oneidas, how it goes with him now, and he is now more certain concerning the intention of the Boston people. Guy Johnson is in great fear of being taken prisoner by the Bostonians. We Mohawks are obliged to watch him constantly. Therefore we send you this intelligence that you shall know it, and Guy Johnson assures himself, and depends upon your coming to his assistance, and that you will without fail be of that opinion. He believes not that you will assent to let him suffer. We therefore expect you in a couple of days’ time. So much at present.

We send but so far as to you Oneidas, but afterward perhaps to all the other nations. We conclude and expect that you will have concern about our ruler, Guy Johnson, because we are all united.”

The following letter was from Guy Johnson to the magistrates and others of the upper districts, dated Guy Park, May 20th, 1775. It was was signed by Joseph Brant, secretary to Guy Johnson, and four other chiefs.

“Gentlemen, I have lately had repeated accounts that a body of New Englanders, or others, were to come and seize and carry away my person, and attack our family, under color of malicious insinuations, that I intended to set the Indians upon the people. Men of sense and character know that my office is of the highest importance to promote peace among the Six Nations, and prevent their entering into any such disputes. This I effected last year, when they were much vexed about the attack made upon the Shawnese, and I last winter appointed them to meet me this month to receive the answer of the Virginians. All men must allow, that if the Indians find their council-fire disturbed, and their superintendent insulted, they will take a dreadful revenge. It is therefore the duty of all people to prevent this, and to satisfy any who may have been imposed on that their suspicions, and the allegations they have collected against me, are false, and inconsistent with my character and office.

I recommend this to you as highly necessary at this time, as my regard for the interest of the County and self-preservation has obliged me to fortify my house, and keep men armed for my defense, till these idle and malicious reports are removed.” - Jeptha Simms

That as we abhor a State of Slavery, We do join and unite together

Considering these letters, on Sunday May 21, 1775 at the house of Phillip W. Fox, the Committee of Safety passed the following resolutions:

A Letter from the Mohawk Indians to the Oneidas, translated into the English Language was laid before the Committee.

Upon taking such Letters and the alarming and defenseless State of this County into their mature and Serious Deliberation, the Members came to the following Resolution unanimously,

1.) That it is the Opinion of this Committee, that the Indians, who signed the Letter, never would have presumed to write or send the same, if they had not been countenanced.

2.) That as we have unanimously adopted the proceedings of the Grand Continental Congress, and mean virtuously to support the same, so we feel and commiserate the sufferings of our brethren in the Massachusetts Bay and other Colonies in America, and that we mean never to submit to any arbitrary and oppressive Acts of any power under Heaven, or to any illegal and unwarrantable action of any Man or sett of Men.-

3.) That as the whole Continent has approved of the Actions and proceedings of the Massachusetts Bay and other of the Provinces of N. England, We do adopt and approve of the same. Wherefore we must and do consider, that any Fortification or armed Force raised to be made Use of against them is evidently designed to overawe us, and make us submit.-

4.) That Col. Johnson’s Conduct in Raising Fortifications round his house, keeping a Number of Indians and other armed men constantly about him, and stopping and searching Travelers upon the King’s Highway, and stopping our Communication with Albany is very alarming to this County, and highly arbitrary illegal, oppressive and unwarrantable, and confirms us in our Fears, that his Design is to keep us in awe, and to oblige us to Submit to a State of Slavery.-

5.) That as we abhor a State of Slavery, We do join and unite together under all the ties of Religion, Honor, Justice and Love for our Country, never to become Slaves, and to defend our Freedom with our Lives and Fortunes.-

6.) It is ordered by this Meeting, that the Chairman writes a Letter to the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Germanflatts, and Kingsland Districts, to acquaint them of our Situation, and to Request them to unite with us in our Defense; and that the same be Sent by Express-

It is ordered, that a Letter be Sent by Express to the Committee of Albany - From Jeptha Simms

Guy Johnson, the Butlers & Daniel Claus go to Canada

Little Abraham, the principle sachem at Fort Hunter, promised the Whig leaders that the Mohawks would remain neutral. He begged the Whig leaders not to molest Guy Johnson. There was an Indian council scheduled soon at Guy Park. The Whig leaders assured Abraham that they would keep the peace. Johnson decided to hold the council in the Indian country instead. Tension grew. As he was preparing to leave for the conference orders came from General Gage to gather as many Indians as he could and leave for Canada to join forces for a joint attack on the rebels of New England. Johnson quickly changed his plans. He gathered the Mohawks, including Joseph Brant, and increased his party of white loyalists to include, his family, Daniel Claus and his family, John Butler, and Walter Butler. Molly Brant stayed in Canajoharie, but Molly and Joseph’s mother, Margaret, went to live with relatives among the Cayugas. About 120 white loyalists and 90 Mohawk Indians left for Canada with Guy Johnson in July.

There is a legend that when Joseph Brant left Johnson Hall for the last time he danced his hatchet along the mahogany railing as a mark of protection to identify the place when the war parties returned. It is said that Sir John did not like that. Whether it happened or not, the mahogany railing has hatchet chop marks in it to this day.

When Guy Johnson’s party reached Fort Stanwix the Oneidas informed him that they would stay neutral and would not join him. Johnson was shocked. They proceeded to Fort Ontario. Then to Montreal where Governor Carlton assured Joseph Brant that the Mohawks would get all of their land back when they returned to the Mohawk Valley. The Whigs of Tryon County were glad to see them go.

Rumors were rampant in the Mohawk Valley of an impending invasion from Canada by Walter Butler and Joseph Brant to divide the people.

Only Sir John, still at the hall in Johnstown, remained with his faithful. He had too much at stake to up and leave. In August Sheriff White arrested John Fonda and threw him in jail in Johnstown. A group of Whigs, including Sampson Sammons, helped Fonda break out. Sammons and Sheriff White had a gun battle; Sheriff White was then thrown in jail. His wife petitioned the New York Committee of Safety, they referred the matter to the Albany Committee; he was released, and fled to Canada.

The First Christman to Fight in the Revolution - The Battle of St. Johns

September 6

In Canada, Walter Butler’s force ambushed an American force attacking St. Johns. Butler suffered heavy losses, but drove off the Patriots. One of the men in the American force was 0304 Nicholas Christman (b.1755), who enlisted in Capt. Christopher P. Yates’ Company of Col. Gose Van Schaick’s 2nd Regiment of the N.Y. Line. Nicholas was present at the taking of St. Johns, Chambley, and Montreal.

September 25

Ethan Allen attacked Montreal but was outflanked by Walter Butler and surrendered.

Any invasion by Brant would not be soon. In November, Joseph accompanied Guy Johnson and others to England. They remained in London until the spring of 1776. In London, Joseph Brant became a Freemason.

The Committee meetings continued to the end of the year. The Tryon County Militia was organized. Nicholas Herkimer would be commissioned Brigadier General.

“...the Whigs of western New York found themselves in a peculiar, trying, and critical position. They were surrounded by Indians, and in the midst of them were many loyalists, some of whom, the Johnsons especially, possessed great influence.

Sir William had enjoyed much personal popularity as well as official power. His son, Sir John Johnson, his sons-in-law, Colonel Guy Johnson and Colonel Daniel Claus, had succeeded to his estates, his rank, and his official employment’s; for while Guy Johnson was made Indian agent, Sir John obtained his father’s commission of brigadier-general of the militia. They were actively supported by the Butlers, another family of great wealth and influence in their neighborhood.

Both parties, Whigs and Loyalists, looked with anxiety to the future movements of the Indians, and endeavored to gain their good will. The Oneidas and Tuscaroras, it soon appeared, were favorably disposed towards the Colonies, under the influence of their celebrated missionary, Mr. Kirkland; or at least would not take up arms in behalf of England. But the Mohawks, part of which tribe lived in Canada, the Cayugas, and many others of the Indians of the Six Nations, sided with Great Britain.

Among the circumstances, which led to this, the public relation of the Johnsons to the Indians, and the habitual deference they had thus acquired, was undoubtedly the principle one; but another was the alliance of the family with the Mohawks, through Molly Brant, the wife of Sir William - in all but the forms of law - and through her brother, Theyendanegea [ Joseph Brant]. Aided by the latter, Colonel Johnson intrigued continually with the Indians, in anticipation of war, and when the war commenced, he, with Colonel John Butler, his son Walter N. Butler, and Thayendanegea, retired to Canada to raise forces.

Thayendanegea assisted at several Indian councils in the course of this period; and finally, at a council held in Montreal, in July, 1775, at which Generals Carleton and Haldimand were present, he, at their instigation, together with a large number of chiefs and warriors who accompanied him, enlisted in good earnest in the war against the Colonies.

We pause for a moment only to remark, that it was the anxious wish, and endeavor of the Continental Congress, as it was of the United States at a subsequent period, that neither English nor Americans should enlist the Indians in their contests. Congress exhorted the Indians to stand neuter, and to continue their ordinary pursuits, without engaging for, or against, either party. This humane purpose was defeated by England, who set the example of arousing the savages against us; and notwithstanding numerous efforts on our part to produce a different state of things, has persisted from that day to this in her unhallowed policy, to the destruction of the Indians themselves, and the perpetual dishonor of the English name.” - Democratic Review, Thayendanegea, Oct. 1838.

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1757

2006-12-16T08:01:00.007-05:00

A Very Important Year for the Christman Families

Jacob Christman in the French & Indian War

There is evidence that Jacob Christman participated in Sir William’s militia activities. The failed succor of Col. Monroe at Fort William Henry, the subject battle in James Fenemore Cooper’s “Last of the Mohicans”.

By an order of Sir William Johnson, the Stone Arabia Company of Soffrines Dygert in the 2nd Battalion of the Albany Militia was ordered to march on March 20th to Fort William Henry, returning home on the 29th. Jacob Christman is listed among them.

By August 4, Major General Daniel Webb abandoned the fort leaving its defense to Colonel George Monroe with 2,300 men, only having 1,100 fit for duty. Montcalm advanced on the fort with 7,626 French troops and 1,600 Indian allies. Sir William was informed and quickly mustered a militia force. After a day and a half in the saddle, he arrived with 1,676 militia of the 2nd Battalion [the list destroyed by fire] at Fort Edward for General Webb who, in fear, did not go to Monroe’s succor. Monroe surrendered, his troops were promised safe passage, and they were massacred.

Jacob Christman must have been among that number quickly mustered. The following is a famous description of the massacre:

“More than two thousand raving savages broke from the forest at the signal, and threw themselves across the fatal plain with instinctive alacrity. We shall not dwell on the revolting horrors that succeeded. Death was everywhere, and in his most terrific and disgusting aspects. Resistance only served to inflame the murderers, who inflicted their furious blows long after their victims were beyond the power of their resentment. The flow of blood might be likened to the outbreaking of a torrent; and, as the natives became heated and maddened by the sight, many among them even kneeled to the earth, and drank freely, exultingly, hellishly, of the crimson tide.” - James Fenemore Cooper

The Palatine Village Massacre

November 12

French & Indians attacked Palatine Village. It was a massacre. The Christman family of Hans Nicholas escaped to Fort Herkimer. About a hundred people escaped across the river to the fort containing about 150 soldiers.

The route that the enemy took was down the Black Creek. Could it be that they attacked the Christmans at the site of their 1728 purchase first? It is unknown what happened to Johannes and Anna Gertraud but it is unlikely that they lived beyond November 12, 1757.

Frederick is found in the Herkimer area after that. Perhaps he escaped an attack at their Cold Brook location to warn Hans Nicholas’ family at Palatine Village.

Sir William Johnson was sick in bed at the time. The following is an account of the destruction of Palatine Village as reported by George Croghan, now associated with Sir William, to the Earl of Loudoun dated November 20:

“Sir William Johnson being still so unwell as not to be in a Situation to write himself, I take the Liberty to give your Lordship the following Report of what has happened lately at the German Flatts, agreeable to your Lordships Desire in a Memorandum to Mr. Claus.

The Strength of the Party of French and Indians that have done the Mischief at Burnetsfield were according to the Account of the Indians who brought the Intelligence with a Belt of Wampum, Eight hundred when they set out from Swegachy or La Galette. One hundred of which the Oneida Indians told me returned by the Road, by Reason of their not being willing to join the French in the Attempt, and did not know by their leaving Swegachy that the French designed to march against Burnetsfield. And as to the Account of their Numbers the Germans gives that made their Escape at the time of the Attack, they make them no more than 3 or 400.

The Redheads Son an Onondaga Indian, who had come down to the German Flatts with 8 or 10 Indian Women a few Days before the Affair happened, in order to trade with the Germans went out to see the Enemy after they had destroyed the Flatts and on his Return, said they did not exceed 400.

As to the Mischief done by the Enemy, they have burnt and destroyed on the North Side of Burnetsfield all the Farm houses from Canada Creek to the upper End of he Settlement which may be upwards of 40 houses besides Barns and Outhouses, they have destroyed all the horn Cattle, taken with them all the horses.

And there are 114 Men Women and Children missing, either taken or Killed 8 of which were found, and it is supposed some were consumed in the Flames.

It does not appear that the Enemy endeavored to carry off much plunder, as they immediately on their Attack set Fire to all the houses, and in Mr. Petry’s house after the Enemy was gone, there was a Lump of Silver and Gold found which was melted together and lay near the place where Mr. Petry’s Chest stood.

With Regard to the Intelligence the two Oneida Indians who were sent by the Sachems of the upper Castle brought of the Enemy’s Approach, it came to Fort Harkemer on Fryday about 12 oClock at Noon, and the Messengers said, that Seven Indians arrived at their Town the Evening before and informed them that there was 800 of the Enemy at the Carrying Place, on their March against the German Flatts the Settlements on the Mohawk River, and Skenectady, that they were of Opinion the Enemy could be at Burnetsfield next Morning; On which Captain Townsend fired the Alarm Guns, in order to call in the People from Burnetsfield, and desired them to bring their Women and Children to the Fort, but many of them paid little Regard to this Intelligence saying it would be time enough in the Morning. And captain Pellinger of the Militia whom Captain Townsend desired to send out 3 different Scouts, only sent out one up the Mohawk River, and which Route the Enemy did not take, as they came down Canada Creek.

Some of the Germans who made their Escape at the Attack, acknowledge to have received 3 different Intelligences within a Fortnight before this happened from the Oneida Indians of the upper Castle desireing to collect themselves together to the Breast Work near the Church as they had undoubted Intelligence from Swegachy that the French intended to destroy their Settlement this Fall, all which they paid no Regard to, and I suppose secreted the Thing for Fear of being hindered from Trading. [Another account says that they slapped their buttocks saying that they did not value the enemy.]

And to what Stock of Goods was in the Farmers houses on the German Flatts or on the Mohawk River when this happened I cant pretend to say, but believe not to any considerable Amount, and how this Trade has been carried on for some past I believe has been done as formerly, every Person that had any thing to sell, made the most of it and took what Advantage they could, as it was an illicit Trade, and which I heard Sir William say he spoke to your Lordship of, and wished to have a Stop put to it.
As to what Communication or Coorespondence has been held betwixt Canada and the Inhabitants of the German Flatts I never understood there was any.

Concerning the Number of Indians that took up Arms on this Occasion for Us, there was but very few at their Towns, most of them being upon the Hunt, at the same time every One that was at home in both Mohawk Castles took up Arms and went with Us to the German Flatts. As to what Number of the 6 Nations or other Indians joined the French on this Occasion I cannot as yet say, but as soon as I get Intelligence thereof I shall acquaint your Lordship therewith.

The Rest of the Enemy by the best Information I could obtain was from Swegachy by Way of the Oneida Carrying Place which is the Route they took when Bulls Fort was destroyed.

On Wednesday when My Lord Howe left the Flatts, I sent four Mohawks up the River towards George Casts upper-most Settlement to see whether they could see any Indians from whom they might gain further Intelligence who returned to me at Canajoharee on Tuesday Morning and told me they met with 3 Oneida Indians who informed them, that they had been told by some Swegachy Indians that there was a larger Body of the Enemy behind with Cannon, who were to Join this Party that done the Mischief, and come down and destroy all the Settlements on the Mohawk River, upon hearing this dispatched a small Party of Mohawks to reconnoitre the Oneida Carrying Place and Lake, and bring the certainty of the Enemys Motions, upon their Return I shall immediately acquaint your Lordship with whatever Account they bring.

I cannot foresee My Lord what Credit may be given to the said Account however it has that Effect upon the upper Inhabitants on this River that they most all quit their Settlements and move downward, some to the other Side of the River. – George Croghan

It did not take long for the news to reach Jacob’s family at Stone Arabia and beyond.

“The day is recorded in history as November 13, AD 1757, but I am afraid that I did not know much about years then, and certainly the month seems now to have been one of midwinter. The Mohawk, a larger stream then by far than these days, was not yet frozen over, but its frothy flood ran very dark and chill between the white banks, and the muskrats and the beavers were all snug in their winter holes. Although no big fragments of ice floated on the current, there had already been a prodigious scattering of the bateaux and canoes which through all the open season made a thriving thoroughfare of the river. This meant that the trading was over, and that the trappers and hunters, white and red, were either getting ready to go or had gone northward into the wilderness, where might be had during the winter the skins of dangerous animals - bears, wolves, catamounts, and lynx - and where moose and deer could be chased and yarded over the crust, not to refer to smaller furred beasts to be taken in traps.

I was not at all saddened by the departure of these rude, foul men, of whom those of Caucasian race were not always the least savage, for they did not fail to lay hands upon traps or nets left by the heedless within their reach, and even were not beyond making off with our boats, cursing and beating children who came unprotected in their path, and putting the women in terror of their very lives. The cold weather was welcome not only for clearing us of these pests, but for driving off the black flies, mosquitoes, and gnats which at that time, with the great forests so close behind us, often rendered existence a burden, particularly just after rains.

Other changes were less grateful to the mind. It was true I would no longer be held near the house by the task of keeping alight the smoking kettles of dried fungus, designed to ward off the insects, but at the same time had disappeared many of the enticements which in summer oft made this duty irksome. The partridges were almost the sole birds remaining in the bleak woods, and, much as their curious ways of hiding in the snow, and the resounding thunder of their strange drumming, mystified and attracted me, I was not alert enough to catch them. All my devices of horse-hair and deer-hide snares were foolishness in their sharp eyes. The water-fowl, too - the geese, ducks, cranes, pokes, fish-hawks, and others - had flown, sometimes darkening the sky over our clearing by the density of their flocks, and filling the air with clamor. The owls, indeed, remained, but I hated them.

The very night before the day of which I speak, I was awakened by one of these stupid, perverse birds, which must have been in the cedars on the knoll close behind the house, and which disturbed my very soul by his ceaseless and melancholy hooting. For some reason it affected me more than commonly, and I lay for a long time nearly on the point of tears with vexation - and, it is likely, some of that terror with which uncanny noises inspire children in the darkness. I was warm enough snuggled under my fox-robe, snuggled into the husks, but I was very wretched.

I could hear, between the intervals of the owl’s sinister cries, the distant yelping of timber wolves, first from the Schoharie side of the river, and then from our own woods. Once there rose, awfully near the log wall against which I nestled, a panther’s shrill scream, followed by a long silence, as if the lesser wild things outside shared for the time my fright. I remember that I held my breath.

It was during this hush, and while I lay striving, poor little fellow, to dispel my alarm by fixing my thoughts resolutely on a rabbit-trap I had set under some running hemlock out on the side hill, that there rose the noise of a horse being ridden swiftly down the frosty highway outside. The hoof-beats came pounding up close to our gate. A moment later there was a great hammering on the oak door, as with a cudgel or pistol handle, and I heard a voice call out in German (its echoes ring still in my old ears):

“The French are in the Valley!”

I drew my head down under the fox-skin as if it had been smitten sharply, and quaked in solitude. I desired to hear no more.

Although so very young a boy, I knew quite well who the French were, and what their visitations portended.” - Harold Frederick

It was winter. Hans Nicholas’ family and Frederick had no homes. They, like most of the Palatines who survived, probably retreated to Stone Arabia and farther. Jacob’s residence at Stone Arabia must have been very full that winter. It was a hard winter. It was a turning point for the family.

Even though the Palatines from German Flatts fled to the lower settlements they were not safe as evidenced by the attack of John Markell and his wife Anna Timmerman that summer who lived in the westerly part of Minden. They left home with their baby in arm to visit neighbors and saw a band of Indians in the path before them. As John cried out to Anna, a bullet ripped through his body and into her; they both fell to the ground. He was dead; Anna feigned death; the baby screamed. The Indians rushed up, one grabbed the baby by the legs and smashed its skull against a tree; another, jabbed his knee into Anna’s back, put her hair in his mouth, and pulled back while slicing her scalp off. They left. Anna staggered for help and lived. She married Christopher Getman of Ephratah, and carried the bullet to her grave.

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