Date: August 1, 2017
Contact: Daniel Umstead, 315-338-7730
Rome, NY — This Sunday, August 6, from 7 to 8 p.m., Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site and Fort Stanwix National Monument will host a ceremony in honor of those who fought and sacrificed their lives in one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution. This event takes place at the Oriskany Battlefield on State Route 69. The 6-hour long battle will be commemorated by the placing of mourning wreaths at the foot of the monument, a flag ceremony, and a musket salute to the fallen.
Every August, descendants of battle participants and others gather to reflect on the repercussions of this pivotal and historic event in the Mohawk Valley. “We are very pleased to have descendants of Loyalists visiting from Canada to take part in the event this year”, said Park Ranger Dan Umstead, “the battle split families in the Mohawk Valley between choosing independence or remaining loyal to England. The battlefield is the perfect spot for descendants from both sides to come together and reflect on how this battle changed the course of not only our American Revolution, but the development of Canada as well.”
In addition to the Sunday evening event, there will be living history interpreters from the 2nd Albany County Militia, the Kings Royal Regiment of NY, and the Oneida Indian Nation at the battlefield. You can visit with them and learn their stories from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Check the Fort Stanwix website and Facebook page regularly for updates and info about upcoming events at the fort and the Steuben Memorial and Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Sites.
Fort Stanwix National Monument is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the park is free. For more information about upcoming events please call the park at (315) 338-7730. Please visit the park’s web page at www.nps.gov/fost, or follow us on Facebook or Instagram, for additional information about the park and up-to-date news about park events. Fort Stanwix is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about national parks, visit www.nps.gov.
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