It is the 237th anniversary of the Battle of Oriskany & Willett’s Sortie. To showcase the events, we have included accounts by John Butler representing the British view of Oriskany and Ensign William Colbraths account of Willetts sortie and Oriskany! ...At 10 oclock next morning near Orisco we heard the rebels in full march with a convoy of 15 waggons of provisions & stores. We were immediately formed by the Seneca Chiefs, who took the lead in this action, in concurrence with Sir John Johnsons and myself. Sir John was posted on the road to give the enemy a volley as they advanced. Myself with the Indians and 20 rangers were posted to flank them in the woods. This disposition was soon after a little altered by the Indians while the enemy was advancing, and when they were near enough threw a heavy fire on the rebels and made a shocking slaughter among them with their spears & hatchets. The rebels, however recovering themselves, fell back to a more advantageous ground & maintained a running fight for about an hour and a half. At length the Indians with a detachment of the Yorkers and rangers, pursuing that blow, utterly defeated them with the loss of 500 killed, wounded, taken. Many of the latter were, conformably to the Indian custom, afterword killed. Of the Yorkers Capt. Mc Donald was Killed, Captain Watts dangerously wounded & one subaltern; of the Rangers Captains Wilson and Hare Killed and one Private wounded. The Indians suffered much, having 33 killed and 29 wounded. The Seneca alone lost 17 men, among whom were several of their chief warriors & had wounded. During the whole action the Indians shewed the greatest zeal for His Majestys cause and had they not been a little too precipitate, scarcely a rebel of the party had escaped. Most of the leading rebels are cut off in the action so that any further attempt from that quarter is not to be expected. Capt. Watts of the Royal New Yprkers, whose amiable qualities deserved a better fate, lay wounded in three places upon the field two days before he was discovered, however it is thought he will recover... -John Butler to Sir Guy Carlton Aug. 6th According to Genl Harkemans Request the Colonel Detached two Hundred Men and one Field piece under command of Lieut. Colonel Willett with Orders to proceed down the Road to meet the Generals party. Having marched half a Mile they came upon an Encampment of the Enemy which they totally Fouled & Plundered them of as much Baggage as the Soldiers coud Carry... By the prisoners... We also learn that they were Attacked by our Militia on this side of Orisko, that they drove the Militia back, killed some and took Several prisoners, but that the Enemy had many killed... -Journal of Ensign William Colbrath
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 14:00:30 +0000
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