Show and Blue Licks a t y 1 iq p i ro e i JF A s he o C Ire W r. r Q 1 P t Yb II By ELMO SCOTT WATSON NE hundred and fifty years ago th this s summer there was fought on the frontier of New York one of at the them m most st hotly contested battles of ot the American Revolution This was the 1 battle of ot Oriskany on August G 9 1777 n where a force of New York Y rk militia O led by Gen Nicholas marching to the relief tellef of Ft Schuyler ler her won n a victory over a force of Tories orles and Indians commanded by Sir John Johnson and the great Mohawk chief Joseph Brant rive FI Ive 3 years earsl ears l later ter out In the wilderness of Kentucky ya y a similar battle was fought between an army of Kentucky K frontiersmen led by Cols John Todd Stephen Trigg and Daniel Boone and a force of Canadians and Indians commanded by MaJ William Caldwell Caldwell Cald- Cald well who had with h him n the renegades Alexander McKee Mchee Mathew Elliott and Simon Girty This was the thA battle hattle of Blue Licks often referred to fis as The liThe last battle of the Revolution fought on August 19 lD 1782 I i i Although there there iS rs no direct connection between between between be be- tween the two engagements they exhibit a striking striking ing parallel of the circumstances which brought them about that Is worthy of more than passing g notice in In both cases the headstrong folly foUy of subordinates overruled d the cooler judgment of the commanders ers thereby bringing upon themselves themselves them them- s selves the disaster which could coul have been averted The battle of Oriskany was a part of the campaign which centered around Ft Schuyler ler leron on the present site of Rome N. N Y in 1777 The stirring events of that year are to be r recalled this summer In a series of sesquicentennial celebrations celebrations celebrations which will be hel held at various places in the Mohawk valley vaHey Chief among these will be the Oriskany celebration where the e memory of ot themen themen the themen men who fou fought ht in this dramatic and bloo bloody Y engagement engagement will be honored by their descendants and hundreds s of ot visitors from all parts of the country Tho events leading up to the battle of Oriskany were these As a part of the British plan to score a decisive success during the summer summer summer sum sum- mer of at 1777 and to crush the Re Revolution Col Barry St St. Leger Lefler had been sent to sweep through the Mohawk valley to Albany where he was to Join the army o ot General Burgoyne who was comIng corning coming com corn ing down from the north But there was one obstacle to St. St Legers Leger's success This was Ft Schuyler hel held by a force of Continentals un under er erthe the command of Col Cot Peter Gansevoort Ganse and m Col Marinus Willett On August 2 St. St Leger appeared before Ft Schuyler ler with a n force of t some 1700 British regulars Hessians and Tories Tories led led led by Sir John Johnson John Butler and his son SOH the notorious Walter Watter Butler and Iroquois Indians Colonel Gansevoort had appealed to the Committee Committee Com Corn of Safety In to Tr Tryon county for help and the chairman of ot this committee Nicholas Her Iler- Old Old Herkimer was the affectionate nickname for him who him who had been appointed a brigadier general the previous year Immediately raised the militia of ot Tryon county and andset set out for the relief of Ft Schuyler ler Herkimer's Herkimer's Her- Her kimer's army a force of ot about eight hundred I men was divided into four regiments The first was led by Col Ebenezer er Cox COT and was from the district o of The second from Palatine was commanded commande by Col Cot Jacob Jacoh Klock the third from Mohawk was under Col Cot Frederick an and th the fourth from German Flats Flats and KIngsland was commanded by Col Cot Peter Bellinger Bell Bell- inger This force assembled assemble at Ft Dayton Daton near the mouth of West Canada creek and on August 4 started out crossed the Mohawk near the present site of the city of Utica and reached on August 5 At this point Herkimer sent an express to Colonel Gansevoort to arrange for co operation co-operation In moving against the enemy Gansevoort was to fire Are re three cannon shots as a n signal that a force from the fort was ready to make a sortie whereUpon whereupon where where- upon Herkimer was to advance with his army He was then about eight miles from Ft Schuyler and it would be easy to hear the r report port of at the big guns at that distance distances But his messengers were delayed delaye In getting through the enemy to the fort tort and Herkimer's men waited Impatiently for the sound of ot the cannon Finally chafing at the delay they demanded to be led against the enemy Herkimer steadfastly refused refuse Then some of ot his I officers notably Colonels Cox and Paris began to reproach him and even went so far as to accuse him of ot being a n cO coward cOard ard and a Tory But nut the wise old commander resisted their urgings until they became unbearable Finally stun stunt stung to madness by their unjust accusations he lie gave the command to advance It It was mor more of at a disorderly mob than an army army that streamed out of the encampment At OrIs kan kany creek creel the road led across n n a narrow cause canse- way of ot logs over a marsh warsh with thick woods on l I f a But 7 71 A fax 0 b A 4 Aai h c either side St. St Leger had sent a large turps body of t Tories many of them neighbors of s men in in Tryon county the noted Johnsons Greens under Major Watts accompanied by a n I body of of Mohawk Indians led by the the famous Joseph Brant who prepared the am ambush ush for Herkimer's Her Her- kimer's men Just as the head bead of the column marched onto the causeway the Indians impetuously impetuously impetuously opened fire Herkimer's rear I guard retreated almost immediately but the rest stood their ground an and returned the enemy's fire frie They at once sought shelter behind trees and Immediately Immediately Immedi Immedi- immediately there took ook place one of the fiercest battles In American history For the most part It was wasa a to hand fight Colonels Cox and Paris whose rashness had precipitated the fight were nI among long the first to be km killed d. d was disabled disabled dis dis- early In the fight by a bullet which shattered shattered shat shat- his knee e. e His officers urged him to retire to but his reply has become a historic byword by by- word In the Mohawk l valley valley- valley I I I will wUl face face the enemy During the battle HerkImer's mess messengers reached Gansevoort who had been w wondering what the distant firing meant and who fired the three signal cannon Herkimer's men heard them then but they could not advance now They were fightIng fighting fight fight- ing for their lives So great was the sla slaughter in both armies that the Indians finally raised the cry of ot retreat retreat Oonah Oonah Oonah I and left the field The Tories seeing this and being alarmed at the sound of at the firing made during the sortie from the We fort which had been led by Col Cot Marinus l Willett Wil Wil- lett also retreated Herkimer and his his' men held the field on which they had won their dearly bought victory The losses In Inflicted upon the enemy and WIlletts WIllett's sortie which h had fallen St. St Le upon Legers Leger's ers er's camp stampeded a n portion of ot the BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish f force and captured a great store of ot supplies resulted In St. St Legers Leger's giving up the siege of ot Ft Schuyler So victory came carne out of defeat after all for Ft Schuyler was saved and the threat Legers Leger's of ot St. St Invasion of the Mohawk Mohawk- Herkimer valley collapsed died dred a few da days s 's after the battle Five years later occurred the other battle In which the foolhardiness of headstrong brought men about another disaster equal to that of Oriskany On August 16 10 1782 a mounted mess messenger messen messen- ner n- n ger er dashed up to Boones Boone's Station a small frontier fort foil which this famous pioneer had built bunt across bourough bourough with the Kentucky river a short distance from Boones- Boones with the he news that Bryans Bryan's Important point point Station an nn further west about five miles mlles from the present city of tacked Lexington had been attacked attacked at at- by an overwhelming force of Indians Canadians and The men of at Boon Boone's Station immedi immedi- immediately atel galloped to the aid of their brethren the and next day found Boone who happened at to be at the time on the way to Bryans Bryan's Station with all the men of at the vicinity that he hc could collect W When len they found that the arrived they enemy had since already retreated but by the evening of ot August 17 the assembled Kentuckians Kentuckians Ken Ken- en at Bryans Bryan's Station more than numbered and as Benjamin many more under Col Logan Losan were expected hourly determined to observe tho the they warfare that warfare that no savage principle of border foray So without should go waiting for Logan they to decided pursue the enem enemy at once even though realized they that the enemy dottes ottes and aud accompanied composed of ot fierce Wyan Wyan- b by the Elliott and the Infamous Simon renegades McKee outnumbered them Early the Girty greatly party commanded next morning the by br Cols Coin Todd Boone set forth They found Trigg and left lett a plain trail tran but heedless that the enemy had of ot that the allies this Indication Invited dashed pursuit the Kentuckians on rapidly On the the they came to the Licking river morning of August 18 Blue Licks A few Indians at a place called were s seen en on the ridges i u. u tW 1 Y his tusI I 1 V h h l across the river Boone was certain tie i were lying In ambush and advised his Us to t- select a strong position on their side otto l and watt wait there until Logan and his me t But this wise counsel was disregarded disregarded L Impatient Kentuckians who were ms an strike a blow at the enemy who had bj ig j their stations Boone then proposed theft be detached march up the river and ft M iii the rear of the enemy at a prearranged r while the main attack was delivered h b While the proposition was being eing discs decision was forced by a Major Jl n I had supported Boone In the proposal to in ui arrival of ot Logan and had been m cowardice by some of his fellows for d dh i J h ht McGary suddenly broke up the co coo cod II De spurring his horse to the ford and 4 j across it shouting Let all who are not a d dd de e follow tollow me I r rIt It was Just the sort of ot an appeal Influence such rashly courageous men u 1 of ot these Kentuckians were They streamed I Ithe the river In disorderly fashion and tin tta nothing for tor Boone Todd and Trigg Trig to I t Ito Ito tto to follow and to try to restore some order c straggling mob They crossed the riter and advanced up a n buffalo trail to the tope topi ridge beyond By this time some s t- t order had bad been restored with McGary advance party of at twenty five As they the top of the ridge a rifle shot rang out e I nal nut for the crashing volley which then f Id I'd Twenty three of McGary's twenty twenty five five cs t T down at this first fire The headstrong Iwho J I ly J I Iwho who had precipitated the fight was one of off ote t jl who escaped After this first volley th the C Ca CaI showed themselves on op the ridge and fr X ravine on either flank the Indians opened if J Er r fire The Kentuckians stood tood their grod gT f Q aj returned the fire Instantly the Wyandotte noted as reckless and desperate lighter fighters bursting through the smoke with Pa j hawks There was a short hand band hand to to hand until the Kentuckians greatly outnumber tho o L k surrounded and in Imminent danger c nd h w and slaughtered where they stood broke eh ed toward the river Nearly every officer J d a SAt was killed Boone Doone escaped across the r jur w The Kentuckians hotly pursued across across the river There There Major Major Netter Was his men and offered resistance ending the e J t tand and preventing a massacre Of a force of approximately one hand eat g men sixty-seven sixty had hind been killed bans pes the murdered as they lay wounded on any y battle and had been captured war and seven foard every died at tire tile torture stake Nearly l Ha IIa Hato gaff escaped was w wounded In some way n nto to Bryans Bryan's Station Statton the survivors s md IJ B et J ll l their sup Logan with men coming to bitter their regret regret must have been J mIght h realized how different the result and d' d a an if they thoy had heeded Boones Boone's advice Logans Logan's coming and had not b been 1 4 action by McGary's rash appeal appeal- lal defeat e was perhaps the greatest J the of ot the Blue Gra by pioneers It mark In nerm ct W w w was also a water high-water rJ the Indians came no more to icyl r crI Licks marked the end of the frontier P F Ff len t 0 n nafford Licks two Oriskany and Blue Licks Licks- tar of ot the w afford a striking Illustration I ton tona a do o a body of undisciplined men moY i F 0 selves and those dependent valor upon t them them- themi 0 of e the e r w lint memory of ot the desperate tbt j to s fought these battles History yo y In Indiscretion and In these price gratitude e to F remembers only a nations nation's who helped In the winning of at the West |