General Herkimer split up his four regiments, with Colonel Ebenezer Cox, Jacob Klock, along with Colonel Fredrick Visscher, and Peter Bellinger. Visscher would bring up the rear force along with 400 ox carts of supplies. As General Herkimer began his four mile march along the dusty military road toward Fort Stanwix, little did he know that Joseph Brant, Sir John Johnson, and Butler, with his German riflemen dressed in green were waiting across a twenty foot high ravine well hidden in the deep woods, lieing in ambush. It was a hot, muggy day as Herkimer marched his militia closer to the ravine. I can imagine the scene there, as they marched along this hard packed dirt road, and see the dust rise above their knees, as hundreds of men three wide, stretched far back down the road. As Herkimer guided his horse down the ravine to a small stream, and nearly reaching the top. Brant gave the order to fire. Within seconds, hundreds of muskets were fired at the hundred or more militia in the ravine. Chaos soon came over each man, as he tried to fire into the dark forest, and try to find some type of cover. But here, in this deep ravine was none to be had, they stood and fired, and soon they were killed, or wounded, and starting to fall on top of each other. General Herkimer's horse was shot out from under him, as a lead musket ball blew away his knee, and he tumbled into the ravine. He crawled over the dead men up the ravine, and found a huge oak tree to get some type of cover. He watched in horror, as his militia fell one by one in that ravine of death, and as the stream flowed red with blood. The first attack lasted for nearly an hour, and slowly one by one the militia crawled out of the ravine, and along with General Herkimer, they found some high ground, and formed a circle of nearly 120 men. It is here where the monument stands, that these bloody, battered men would fight to the death. The Indians, and Tories came wave after wave to this circle of death. The militia fought in twos, one would fire, and one would re-load. Men were trying to gather any weapons they could from the dead lieing nearby. When they could not re-load, they fought with hatchets, knives, and hand to hand. They fought, and watched their friends, and neighbors die in their bloody hands, here one must feel that it was just a matter of time before the final blow would kill them. But here, in this smoke covered circle from the musket fire, they fought for nearly six hours as their enemies ran toward them screaming, and waving their hatchets over their heads. The heat was un-bareable, no breeze, just death as the dead soon piled on top of each other around the circle of militia. Finally, a sudden terrible thunder storm moved in, and the rain fell heavy upon the battle. As quickly as their enemy attacked, they disappeared into the dense woods. General Herkimer was still yelling his orders as they carried him off the battlefield. The men stayed in the circle, as the rain poured upon them, and washed the blood from their faces, and hands. They soon realized that the battle was over, and slowly they began to cross the ravine of death where the dead layed two deep, and back on the road to Fort Dayton. Many wounded were placed in the ox carts, and slowly they headed back to Fort Dayton as well. Colonel Visscher, and his rear militia were cut off from the first attack, and could not advance to the ravine,his men soon scattered, and soon were cut to pieces. They lay where they were scalped, and butchered. For a mile or more, the men were found dead, or wounded along the road. Fort Stanwix survived, and was held. The Indians lost nearly 200 warriors, they soon left for home, leaving St. Ledger to stop his advancement into the Mohawk Valley, and he headed back for Canada. No true count was taken of the militia killed, but they say nearly 200-300 were killed, or taken prisoner. One man escaped from the Indians, and when he returned, he told that many were killed, and eaten. This was known by the French that the Mohawk's would do this, but rarely. The British, never had a count of the dead as well, but I can imagine it was very high. General Herkimer was taken back to his home where they amputated his leg below his knee, but he lost too much blood, and died two days later while reading his bible. Colonel Cox, and Colonel Paris were killed as well. The next day, a relief force came to the ravine, and they saw the scattered remains of the dead, as the wolves, and fox ripped the men apart. Blood was still flowing into the stream, and the stench of death was over bearing. The dead were never buried, and the wounded who could not walk away, slowly died where they fell among their friends, and neighbors. When I walked this hallow battleground, I walked the ravine, and never heard a bird singing, or felt a breeze, as it was also a hot, and muggy day. I could almost hear the moaning, and the screams of this terrible fight as I walked along. As I stood at the base of this great monument where the circle of death was fought, I could feel the presence of my ancestors, 'The Five Fighting Flints.' I'm sure they, as well as the others would see, and smell the death that was here for the rest of their lives. But this was not their last fight, for soon they would march to another battle, and hoped this bloody war would soon be over. As like today, our modern day militia will pick up their arms, and fight, just like the brave men at Oriskany did along with the horrors of death, and hope this war would be over. For the freedom we all have, and will keep, our men will do as my ancestors did, pick up their arms, and fight to the death for our freedom.
David Burton Flint
Monument Bronze Plaque
Bronze Plaque on Base of Monumnet
Bronze Plaque at Base Of Monument
Monument Bronze Plaque
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