) for the relief of Ft. Schuyler which was being
besieged by British and Indians under Col. Barry St. Leger and Joseph
Brant. On the 6th, Herkimer's force, on its march to Ft. Schuyler, was
ambushed by a force of 650 British under Sir John Johnson and 800
Indians under Joseph Brant, in the ravine west of the village. The rear
portion of Herkimer's troops escaped from the trap, but were pursued by
the Indians, and many of them were overtaken and killed. Between the
remainder and the British and Indians there was a desperate hand-to-hand
conflict, interrupted by a violent thunderstorm, with no quarter shown
by either side. About this time a sortie was made from Ft. Schuyler and
the British withdrew, after about 200 Americans had been killed and as
many taken prisoner. The loss of the British was about the same. Gen.
Herkimer, though his leg had been broken by a shot at the beginning of
the action, continued to direct the fighting on the American side, but
died on Aug. 16 as a result of the clumsy amputation of his leg.

Before the engagement, Gen. Herkimer, realizing that the British
had a superior force, pleaded for delay, hoping for a signal that
the American forces at Ft. Schuyler were ready to co-operate in
the battle. His subordinate officers, however, retorted that they
"came to fight, not to see others fight" and finally accused
Herkimer of being a "Tory and a coward." Gen. Herkimer,
thoroughly enraged, gave the order to march.

The battle, though indecisive, had an important influence in preventing
St. Leger from effecting a junction with Gen. Burgoyne, which would have
materially assisted the latter's intention to cut off New England from
the rest of the colonies. An obelisk on the hill to the left marks the
spot where the battle took place.

251 M. ROME. Pop. 26,341. (Train 51 passes 1:37p; No. 3, 2:47p; No. 41,
7:07p; No. 25, 7:57p; No. 19, 11:23p. Eastbound: No. 6 passes 3:28a; No.
26, 4:15a; No. 16, 9:28a; No. 22, 11:24a.)

The portage at this place, between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek (to
the northwest), which are about a mile apart, gave the site its Indian
name, De-i-wain-sta, "place where canoes are carried from one stream to
another," and its earliest English name, "The Great (or Oneida) Carrying
Place." Its location made it of strategic value as a key between the
Mohawk Valley and Lake Ontario. Wood Creek flows into Oneida Lake, and
thus formed part of a nearly conti