Battle of Oriskany

Nicholas Herkimer gives instructions while sitting on a tree, wounded during the Battle of Oriskany, picture by Frederick Coffay Yohn (1875–1933)

The Battle of Oriskany was an event on August 6, 1777 during the Saratoga campaign in the American War of Independence .

An American militia unit under General Nicholas Herkimer was ambushed and largely wiped out by pro-British loyalists under Barry St. Leger . On the British side, a large contingent of Indians under Joseph Brant and John Butler took part in the attack.

With their action, the Americans wanted to terrorize Fort Stanwix , which was besieged by the British , but were repulsed. Herkimer was critically wounded in the process, but still organized an orderly retreat. A severe thunderstorm gave surviving Americans a chance to escape, but half of the men were dead, wounded, or captured.

However, the battle allowed the besieged a sortie, in which the supplies of the besiegers were largely destroyed and thus contributed to the failure of the British Saratoga campaign.

Memorial plaque for Johann Adam Hartmann and the Battle of Oriskany in Edenkoben (Palatinate), leather stocking fountain

In the battle, Johann Adam Hartmann took part, who is considered one of the models for the fictional character Leatherstocking by the American writer James Fenimore Cooper .

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Commons : Battle of Oriskany  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 43 ° 10 ′ 38.1 ″  N , 75 ° 22 ′ 10.3 ″  W.