Siege of Fort Stanwix
Mohawk Valley
August 3-22, 1777
American victory
In August 1777, Fort Stanwix was besieged by 1,550 British forces, including loyalists and Indigenous forces led by Mohawk military leader Thayendanegea, also known as Joseph Brant. For nearly two weeks, British commanders demanded that Continental soldiers surrender, but they stood firm.
Eventually, additional Continental soldiers arrived and spread disinformation about a larger force approaching, causing British troops to abandon the siege.
Fort Stanwix, also known as Fort Schuyler, guarded a critical portage point, or key crossing, on the Mohawk River.
“A Sketch of the Siege of Fort Schuyler [Stanwix] presented to Col. Gansevoort by L. Flury.” Courtesy of the Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library.
Fort Stanwix became known as the “fort that never surrendered.” Today, the site is preserved as the Fort Stanwix National Monument, operated by the National Park Service. Images licensed via NYS Adobe Stock.
