Oriska and the American Revolution

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Date: April 30, 2010
Contact: William Sawyer, 315 338-7730



Oriskany, NY: Most modern communities are made up of groups of people from different backgrounds, lifestyles, cultures and interests. While members of a community may not always see eye to eye on every issue, a threat to the community as a whole will usually wipe away all differences as members come together to keep their community safe. Such was the case of the 18th century Oneida Indian village of Oriska. By the American Revolution, white settlements had sprung up to the east and west of the village, and there was sometimes friction with their white neighbors. One thing both Patriots and Oneidas agreed upon however, was that England was infringing on their rights and sovereignty. When the British invaded the Mohawk Valley in 1777, the Oneidas of Oriska came together with their Patriot neighbors to protect their mutual lands, families, and communities.

To learn more about Oriska and its inhabitants, come to Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site on Saturday, May 8th, and join one of two special programs led by a ranger from Fort Stanwix National Monument. Bring a blanket, sit under the General Herkimer monument tree and learn the part Oriska played in the American Revolution. The program will be offered at 1 and 2 p.m. Both programs will start at the battlefield parking lot. It is recommended that participants wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather.

Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site is currently open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk; the site’s parking lot is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission to the site is free. For more information about upcoming events please call Fort Stanwix National Monument at (315) 338-7730. Park rangers from Fort Stanwix offer programs about this site and Steuben Memorial State Historic Site. Please visit the Fort Stanwix web page at www.nps.gov/fost for additional information and up-to-date news about park and site events.

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Did You Know?

A large black triangular hat is right in your face. A man wearing it holds a flute like intrument, he wears a red coat with white facings.

Musicians in the Continental Army of the American Revolutionary War acted as the radios of their day. They wore the opposite colors of the other troops in their regiment so their officers could see them to relay orders and form lines around them quickly in battle.