Site of The Battle of Oriskany Marker, Fultonville, New York

The Battle of Oriskany was one of the most brutal and consequential engagements of the American Revolution — and one of the few in which nearly all the combatants were North American-born. It unfolded in the dense ravine west of Oriskany Creek as part of the Saratoga Campaign, during British General John Burgoyne’s attempt to cut New England off from the rest of the colonies.

In summer 1777, British General Barry St. Leger advanced into the Mohawk Valley to besiege Fort Stanwix (Fort Schuyler) as part of a plan to seize Albany. Local Patriot militia under General Nicholas Herkimer — about 800 Tryon County militiamen and 60–100 Oneida warriors — marched to relieve the fort. Herkimer and his men were ambushed on August 6, 1777, in one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolution. American casualties were devastating — roughly 385 killed, 50 wounded, and 30 captured. Herkimer was wounded, resulting in a botched leg amputation and death 10 days later.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.