THERE was a moment of silence broken by Lulu with an eager exclamation.
"Oh, papa, don't you remember that when we were at Saratoga last summer
you promised that sometime you would tell us about the fighting in the
Revolution near and at Fort Schuyler? and won't you please do so now?"
"I will if the others wish to hear it," he replied, and a general eager
assent being given he at once began the story.
"Fort Schuyler," he said, "at first called Fort Stanwix, in honor of the
general of that name, who directed the work of its erection, stood at
the head of boat navigation on the Mohawk, where the village of Rome now
is. It cost the British and Colonial Government two hundred and
sixty-six thousand four hundred dollars and was a strong post of
resistance to attack from the French in Canada, with whom, as you all
know, I think, the colonists were often at war, on their own account or
that of the mother country, and a powerful protection to the Indian
trade. It commanded the portage between Lake Ontario and the Mohawk
valley, the theatre of many stirring events during the War of the
Revolution. Indians and Tories kept in terror the people who lived there
and were loyal to the cause of their country. There were daylight
struggles and stealthy midnight attacks in such numbers that Tryon
County came to be spoken of as 'the dark and bloody ground.'
"Congress perceiving the importance of defending the northern and
western frontiers of New York from incursions by the British and
Indians, sent General Schuyler to strengthen old Fort Stanwix, which had
been allowed to fall into a state of decay so that it was little more
than a ruin, and, if he found it necessary, to erect other
fortifications.
"General Phillip Schuyler was a gentleman of fortune, of military skill,
experience, sound judgment, and lofty patriotism. Lossing tells us that,
'for causes quite inexplicable, he was superseded in effect by Gates in
March 1777, but reinstated in May, and that no appointment could have
been more acceptable to the people of northern New York, who were at
that time in a state of great excitement and alarm.'
"In recent campaigns against the French and Indians on Lakes Champlain
and George, General Schuyler had done great service to the colony and
the people along the northern frontier. That of itself was sufficient
cause for attachment to him, besides his many virtues, which had
endeared him to all who knew him. And in fighting the British he would
be defending his own home and large landed estate.
"In March, 1777, Burgoyne arrived at Quebec, bearing the commission of a
lieutenant-general, and by the first of June a force of seven thousand
men was collected for him and mustered at St. John's at the foot of Lake
Champlain. Also the British Lieutenant-colonel St. Leger, was sent with
a force of seven hundred rangers up the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario to
Oswego. He was to gather the Indians, make friends with them, and get
them to act as his allies; then to sweep the valley of the Mohawk, with
the help of Johnson and his Tories, take Fort Schuyler, and afterward
join Burgoyne.
"Colonel Peter Gansevoort was at that time in command of Fort Schuyler.
The people of Tryon County, hearing of St. Leger's movement, and that a
descent was to be made upon them by the way of Oswego, were greatly
alarmed. In June a man from Canada was arrested as a spy and from him
the Americans learned that a detachment of British, Canadians, and
Indians was coming against them on their way to join Burgoyne at
Albany."
"But Burgoyne never got there--to Albany--until he went as a prisoner;
did he, sir?" asked Walter.
"No, my boy, he was defeated and made prisoner while on his way to the
city. The battle of Saratoga was a disastrous one to the invaders of our
land.
"The intelligence of which I just spoke as given by the spy was
afterward confirmed by Thomas Spencer, a friendly Oneida half breed
sachem, who was sent to Canada as a secret emissary and there became
acquainted with the plans of Burgoyne.
"For a time the loyal people, the Whigs, who were for their native land
and not for the English king who had been showing himself a tyrant and
oppressor, were almost paralyzed with alarm. Fort Schuyler was still
unfinished and the garrison feeble. But Colonel Gansevoort was hopeful,
vigilant, and active. He wrote urgently to General Schuyler for aid, and
the general made a like appeal to the Provincial Congress of New York,
and the General Congress. But it was too late for them to send him help
before the attack would be made.
"On the 2d of August Brant and Lieutenant Bird began the investment of
the fort, and on that very day Gansevoort and his little garrison of
seven hundred and fifty men received a re-enforcement of two hundred men
under Lieutenant-colonel Melon, and two bateaux loaded with provisions
and military stores; a most welcome addition to the scant supplies in
the fort.
"The next day Colonel St. Leger arrived with the rest of his troops. The
siege was begun on the 4th. The Indians, hiding in the bushes, wounded
some of our men who were at work on the parapets, and a few bombs were
thrown into the fort.
"The next day it was the same; the Indians spread themselves about
through the woods encircling the fort, and all through the night tried
to intimidate the Americans by their hideous yells.
"On that very day General Herkimer was coming to its aid with more than
eight hundred men of the militia of Tryon County. He was near Oriskany,
a little village eight miles eastward from the fort; from there he sent
a messenger to tell Colonel Gansevoort that he was approaching, and
asking to be informed of the man's arrival by the firing of three guns
in quick succession, knowing that they could be heard at Oriskany. But
unfortunately his messenger did not reach the fort until the next day,
and while Herkimer, who though brave was cautious, decided to halt till
he should hear the signal or receive re-enforcements, some of his
officers and men were impatient to push on.
"Herkimer would not consent, and two of his colonels, Paris and Cox,
called him a coward and a Tory. Herkimer replied calmly, 'I am placed
over you as a father and guardian and shall not lead you into
difficulties from which I may not be able to extricate you.'
"But they continued their taunts and demands till he was stung by them
into giving the command, 'March on!'
"St. Leger knew of the advance of Herkimer and his troops and sent a
division of Johnston's Greens, under Major Watts, Brant with a strong
body of Indians, and Colonel Butler with his rangers, to intercept him
and prevent his making an attack upon the entrenchments which he had
made about Fort Schuyler.
"Gansevoort noticed the silence in the enemy's camp, and also the
movement of his troops down toward the river along the margin of the
wood. When the courier came with the message from Herkimer he understood
the meaning of it all, and immediately fired the signal guns.
"Herkimer had said in his message that he intended, on hearing the
signals, to cut his way through the camp of the enemy to the fort, and
asked that a sortie from it should be made at the same time.
"As quickly as possible Gansevoort had it made. A detachment of two
hundred men, of his own and Wesson's regiments, with an iron
three-pounder, were detailed for the duty; then fifty more were added
for the protection of the cannon and to assist in whatever way they
could. Colonel Marinus Willett was given the command.
"It rained heavily while the necessary preparations were going on in the
fort, but the moment it ceased Willett and his men hastened out and
attacked the enemy furiously.
"The advanced guard were driven in, and so sudden and impetuous was the
charge that Sir John Johnson had no time to put on his coat. He tried to
bring his troops into order, but they were so panic stricken that they
fled, and he with them. They crossed the river to St. Leger's camp and
the Indians concealed themselves in the deep forest.
"The Americans took much plunder; all Sir John's baggage and his papers,
as well as those of other officers, giving valuable information to the
garrison of Fort Schuyler; also the British colors, all of which--there
were five--the Americans presently raised upon their flagstaff, beneath
their own rude flag--fashioned, as I have already told some of you, out
of strips of red and white obtained by tearing up men's shirts for the
one, and joining bits of scarlet cloth for the other; while a blue cloak
belonging to Captain Abraham Swartwout, of Dutchess County, then in the
fort, was used to form the ground for the white stars, and the staff
upon which all these hung was in full view of the enemy. Then the whole
garrison mounted the parapets and made the forest ring with three loud
cheers.
"While all this was going on in and around the fort, General Herkimer
and his men were coming toward it through the woods. It was a dark,
sultry morning. The troops were chiefly militia regiments and marched in
an irregular, careless way, neglecting proper precautions.
"Brant and his Tories took advantage of this carelessness, hid
themselves in a ravine which crossed Herkimer's path, and had a thick
growth of underwood along its margin, which made it easy for them to
conceal themselves, and when all except the rear-guard of the
unsuspecting Americans had entered the ravine, where the ground was
marshy and crossed by a causeway of earth and logs, Brant gave a signal,
immediately followed by a warwhoop, and the savages fell upon our poor
men with spear, hatchet, and rifle-ball; as Lossing says, 'like hail
from the clouds that hovered over them.'
"The rear-guard fled and left the others to their fate, yet perhaps
suffered more from the pursuing Indians than they would if they had
stood their ground, helping their fellows. The attack had been so sudden
that there was great confusion in the ranks; but they presently
recovered and fought like veterans; fought bravely for their lives, and
for their country."
"And were many of them killed, sir?" asked Walter.
"Yes," replied the captain sighing; "the slaughter was dreadful, and the
good general was soon among the wounded. A musket ball passed through
his horse, killing it and sadly wounding him, shattering his leg just
below the knee. He at once ordered the saddle taken from his horse and
placed against a large beech tree near by, and there he sat during the
rest of the fight, calmly giving his orders while the enemy's bullets
whistled around him like sleet, killing and wounding his men on every
side."
"He was no coward after all," exclaimed Walter, his eyes shining. "But
did any of our men escape being killed, sir?"
"After a little they formed themselves into circles," continued the
captain, "so meeting the enemy at all points, and their fire became so
destructive that the Tories and the Johnson Greens charged with the
bayonet, and the patriots being equally prompt to defend themselves, it
became a terrible hand to hand fight.
"It was at length stopped by the shower that had delayed the sortie from
the fort; both parties seeking shelter under the trees. Then, as soon as
the shower was over, Colonel Willett made his sally from the fort,
attacking Johnson's camp, and the battle at Oriskany was renewed.
"It is said to have been the bloodiest of the war in proportion to the
numbers engaged. It is stated that about one-third of the militia fell
on the battle ground, and as many more were mortally wounded or carried
into captivity. About fifty wounded were carried from the field on
litters, General Herkimer among them. He was taken to his own home,
where he died ten days afterward."
"But who gained the victory, papa?" asked Lulu.
"The Americans, the others having fled; but they were unable to
accomplish the object of the expedition--the relief of Fort Schuyler.
And surrounded as they were by the enemy, the men in the fort could gain
no intelligence as to the result of the fight at Oriskany, and St. Leger
took advantage of their ignorance to falsely represent the British to
have been the victors to the total defeat of the Americans, and announce
a victorious advance by Burgoyne.
"Two American officers, Colonel Billenger and Major Frey, who had been
taken prisoners, were forced to write a letter to Colonel Gansevoort,
containing many misrepresentations and advising him to surrender. This
Colonel Butler delivered to Gansevoort and verbally demanded his
surrender.
"Gansevoort refused, saying he would not answer such a summons verbally
made unless by St. Leger himself.
"The next morning Butler and two other officers drew near the fort
carrying a white flag, and asked to be admitted as bearers of a message
to the commander of the fort.
"The request was granted, but they were first blindfolded, then
conducted to the dining room of the fort, where they were received by
Gansevoort, the windows of the room being closed and candles lighted."
"What was that for, papa?" asked Grace.
"To prevent them from seeing what was the condition of things within the
fort," replied her father.
"And was Gansevoort alone with them, papa?"
"No; he had with him Colonels Willett and Mellen. Butler and his
companions were politely received, and one of them, Major Ancram by
name, made a little speech, telling of the humanity of St. Leger's
feelings, and his desire to prevent bloodshed; that he found it
difficult to keep the Indians in check, and that the only salvation of
the garrison was an immediate surrender of the fort and all its stores.
Officers and soldiers would be allowed to keep their baggage and other
private property, and their personal safety would be guaranteed. He
added that he hoped these honorable terms would be immediately
accepted, for if not it would not be in St. Leger's power to offer them
again."
"So the Americans of course were afraid to reject them?" sniffed Walter.
"Hardly," returned the captain with a smile. "But that was not all
Ancram said with a view to inducing them to do so. He went on to say
that the Indians were eager to march down the country, laying it waste
and killing the inhabitants; that Herkimer's relief corps had been
totally destroyed, Burgoyne had possession of Albany, and there was no
longer any hope for this garrison."
"What a liar he was, that Ancram!" exclaimed Walter. "Why, Burgoyne had
not even got as far as Saratoga then."
"No," responded the captain, "and the bright and plucky officers of Fort
Schuyler, to whom he was speaking, were not so easily hood-winked; they
saw through his designs, and were not to be deceived by the falsehoods
and misrepresentations of his address.
"It was Colonel Willett who, with the approval of Gansevoort, made
answer, speaking, as Lossing says, with 'emphasis,' and looking Ancram
full in the face.
"'Do I understand you, sir? I think you say that you came from a British
colonel, who is commander of the army that invests this fort; and, by
your uniform, you appear to be an officer in the British service. You
have made a long speech on the occasion of your visit, which, stripped
of all its superfluities, amounts to this: that you come from a British
colonel to the commandant of this garrison, to tell him that, if he does
not deliver up the garrison into the hands of your colonel, he will send
his Indians to murder our women and children. You will please to
reflect, sir, that their blood will be upon your heads, not upon ours.
We are doing our duty; this garrison is committed to our care, and we
will take care of it. After you get out of it, you may turn round and
look at its outside, but never expect to come in again unless you come a
prisoner. I consider the message you have brought a degrading one for a
British officer to send, and by no means reputable for a British officer
to carry. For my own part, I declare, before I would consent to deliver
this garrison to such a murdering set as your army, by your own account,
consists of, I would suffer my body to be filled with splinters and set
on fire, as you know has at times been practiced by such hordes of women
and children killers as belong to your army.'"
"Good!" said Walter; "and the other two American officers, I suppose,
agreed with him."
"Yes," Captain Raymond replied, "and they all felt satisfied that they
would not be so urgently pressed to surrender at once, and on conditions
so favorable, if their prospects were as dark as their besiegers would
have them believe."