Oriskany: "Blood Shed a Stream Running Down"

(Battle or Oriskany by F.C. Yohn, Courtesy of Utica Public Libray)

"That the late Incursions of the Enemy & their Savages into the said county [Tryon], & upon a part of the County of Albany have reduced the Inhabitants to the utmost distress. The Harvests not yet gathered in are rotting upon the ground. The Grass uncut. The fallow Grounds not yet ploughed. The Cattle in a great measure destroyed." (Public Papers of George Clinton, August 28, 1777, William Harper and Fredrick Fisher to Gov. George Clinton)

For years to come, the above quote would be rewritten time and time again as battles, massacres and campaigns wrecked havoc through central New York as reprisals and, in some cases, personal vendettas were acted out by the residents in the area against one another. For decades before the American Revolutionary War, animosity, fear, greed and mistrust had existed between the people of central New York. When the war began it was impossible to remain neutral. These people had to make important and difficult decisions about what side of the war they would support, decisions which still affect the lives of their descendants to this day. At the Battle of Oriskany these decisions would be played out in one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War, which in this area of New York was also a civil war that would last until 1784. European- and Native-American men and women fought each other for control of political power, land, commerce and social standing. The slaughter the Torys and Rebels inflicted on one another was enormous and continued for years. In a civil war like this there are no clear winners and losers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Lesson Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. 18th Century Travel in New York State. 2. Iroquois Confederacy 3. Northern Campaign of 1777 4. A Topographical Map of the Oriskany Battlefield Determining the Facts: Readings 1. Growing Tensions in Central New York 2. The Battle of Oriskany 3. Effects of the Battle of Oriskany Visual Evidence: Images 1. Portraits of Power Putting It All Together: Activities 1. In the Grip of Fear 2. The Lost Battlefield 3. Where Do I Stand? Supplementary Resources

RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP This lesson is based on Oriskany Battlefield and Fort Stanwix, two of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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