Battle of Oriskany
Mohawk Valley
August 6, 1777
Inconclusive
Continental Army Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer led an 800-member militia and 60 Oneida allies from Fort Dayton to support Fort Stanwix, but British and Mohawk forces ambushed them at Oriskany Creek on August 6. Fierce hand-to-hand fighting cost the militia, but the Continental Army was able to slow British forces and keep the fort from being captured.
The Battle of Oriskany deeply divided the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, with the Oneidas allying with the Americans, and others honoring their long alliance with the British.
The Oneida at the Battle of Oriskany, August 6, 1777, by Don Troiani. Painting commissioned by the Oneida Indian Nation in 2005.
Today, the battlefield is preserved as the Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site. A monument was dedicated on August 6, 1884, to serve as a reminder of all who fought and lost their lives during the war, including Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer who died from wounds sustained during the battle.