Tea Parties, Declarations, and Flags

Guess where we went yesterday?

We went to Fort Stanwix in Rome, to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence read aloud, and give our huzzahs to Liberty. What a fabulous time! We also got to sign our names on a copy, and “…for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

We also attended the Tea Party at the Rome City Hall. We got to meet some amazing Read more

Great Places: The Nicholas Herkimer Home

It’s been years since we were out to Little Falls, NY, to see the lovely Nicholas Herkimer Historic site. This was the place where I first caught the travel-history bug: my classmates and I went on a field trip here in 7th grade. It was a spectacular visit. I’ve taken the kids here twice since, but that was probably five years ago now. Gosh, it’s time we paid another visit soon!

Nicolas Herchhcimer (now known as Herkimer) was born in 1715, son of German Palatine immigrants who fled to Upstate New York for religious freedom and economic opportunity. (My husband’s ancestors were numbered with this group, as well.) We’d visited one of the stone churches in the area, attended by Nicolas’ parents; you can read that here. Nicolas built his Georgian-style brick home in 1764, after the French and Indian War. Back then, much of New York State was severe wilderness, and settlers usually clustered their homes near a fort– a barricaded wooden structure where the people could find protection during Indian raids and/or times of war. Herkimer became one of the wealthiest and influential men of the Mohawk Valley, and was in charge of the small militia guarding the fort.

When the American Revolution erupted in New York in 1777, he was commissioned to come to the aid of the army at Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY (see our visit here). The Americans there were under attack by a British army in a “three-pronged” attack; this was Plan A in the British effort to cut New York State off from New England and the South. What transpired for Herkimer on that long day of marching his civilian army of Patriots forty miles through deep forests ended in what we now called the Bloodiest Battle of the American Revolution, in Oriskany, NY (see our visit about this here). Herkimer and his army never made it to Fort Stanwix. They were cut down in a surprise attack by Mohawk Indians and American Loyalists. Brothers and cousins were fighting against each other. A monument at Oriskany lists the Patriots and Loyalists, how many of these men were related. Can you imagine– slicing down your brother or your neighbor who had broken bread with you at weddings, who had attended your children’s baptisms? There’s much more detail about the struggles and the battle at my post here, when we visited the sites (which are not far from our own home).

The events of the battlefield unfolded the first few days of August 1777. Those summer days were typical Upstate New York days– so hot and humid that the forest literally steamed with heavy gasps of respiration. The American Patriots–led by General Nicolas Herkimer– and their noble allies, the Oneida Indians, were hurrying from Tryon County (Little Falls, NY, area) to Fort Stanwix (in what is now Rome, NY). They were coming to the aid of the fort [there], which was under siege by the British armies [from Canada]. [Herkimer's army's] march was a three-day, 40-mile slog through dense woods and swamps. By the time they reached this point in Oriskany, they were only six miles from Fort Stanwix. We could only imagine how laborious this trudge through the depths of the Mohawk Valley had been.

British General Johnny Burgoyne had warned the Americans about his battle tactics. He published a sweet little poem to strike fear righteous rebellion in our hearts:

“I will let loose the dogs of hell, Ten thousand Indians, who shall yell And foam and tear, and grin and roar, And drench their moccasins in gore: To these I’ll give full scope and play From Ticonderog to Florida…”

Sweet, huh? Back in Oriskany, on their march to Rome, the sweaty, exhausted Patriots stooped down to sip some cool water and wash their sweaty heads. It was at this moment, while the Americans’ backs were turned, that the Loyalists and Mohawk Indian allies attacked them. They had been waiting in the woods for them.

In the photo below, the infamous ravine is behind where the kids stand. A small stream still trickles there where Herkimer’s men were ambushed, although it was more densely forested then.

Losses were huge. The entire male populations of many towns were decimated. In the end, no one won this battle. But the Americans considered it a victory, because they had kept the enemy from besieging Fort Stanwix (the army there retreated after hearing about this battle).

Nicolas Herkimer was mortally wounded in battle. He was carted home, to die there from injuries sustained in battle and a very bad leg amputation. The Bible he requested before his death is in a large display case at the historic site, open to Psalm 38, his last words.

There are tours available through the home– which is very delightful for having such a sad ending to its builder. It’s truly a first-hand experience of life in the mid-18th century. There are many hands-on displays for the kids, including games, tools, and more. I loved the Dutch bed system, which is a cupboard with a bed in it, and a curtain to close the opening (perfect for icy New York winters). We toured the kitchen and barns and root cellar. Every year, there’s a spectacular celebration where life at the Herkimer farm is re-created. This year the event is on Sunday, October 5th.

Whatever Happened to Fort Bull?

Every New York State schoolchild has American Revolutionary events drummed into his head. New York State is loaded with history, and we exploit it as much as we can, lol. Have you ever heard of Fort Stanwix, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Ontario/Oswego, or Fort Washington? Sure you have! They were very important strategic stations during early American colonization, both before the Revolution and during.

Has anyone ever hear of Fort Bull?

We are American history buffs, and before visiting the Erie Canal Village in Rome, NY, we had never heard of Fort Bull. But that’s probably because the fort no longer exists. It was attacked and destroyed in an explosion centuries ago. The carnage inflicted by the French and the Indians seems vaguely familiar… doesn’t Mel Gibson draw on this event for his fictional story about Fort Wilderness, in “The Patriot”?

The ruins of the old fort is Read more

Marinus Willett Visitor Center, Rome, NY

On our way from Oneida, I was passing through the city of Rome to get home to Utica, and we drove by Fort Stanwix. Oh, the temptation! I was in a hurry to get home (it was getting late) but we couldn’t resist stopping. We have been to Fort Stanwix in Rome so many times. We absolutely love it. Although we had no time to see the Fort again, we did make a speedy run through the Marinus Willett Visitor Center.

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Our 2006 Visit to Fort Stanwix, Rome, NY

Well, we have been to Fort Stanwix about four times total. We love it. Admission is free, and it is a terrific place to learn about Revolutionary history. Last time we visited, in August 2005, they had just completed the Marinus Willett Center, which is a combination museum and audio-visual complex. We watched a superb movie about the important role the Oneida Indians played in our quest for Independence.

Today, there is a big hullabaloo about the Oneidas– they want their ancestral lands back that New York State purchased from the Indians (unconstitutionally, I might add) 200 years ago. New York does not want to give the land back (surprise, surprise) as the state is very greedy for taxes. I personally believe a treaty is a treaty– if the U.S. promised the land to the Oneidas, then it is the Oneida’s land. If New York unconstitutionally bought the land (NY was supposed to get federal approval first), then the sale is illegal. I appreciate the sacrifice the Oneidas gave in our fight for Independence. It is wrong to “remove the ancient landmark.”

Anyway, Fort Stanwix is an absolutely great place to take the kids. Here are some photos; after these, my daughter The Historian has written a brief history of the Fort and its importance today.

We entered the fort over a drawbridge. There is a deep trench that surrounds the fort, to ward off invaders. Big meaty wooden spikes growl out from the sides of the palisade, threatening those who dare try to climb over the walls.

So… since the door was open anyway, we decided to skip our planned invasion and just walk right in.

Inside the fort is a wide open square. We were free to roam the grounds and fort.

Nothing was labeled “do not touch.”

The actors, all dressed accordingly and wandering the fort freely to answer questions by curious tourists, assembled together for a display of American musketry. The guys were really great; they answered questions, were friendly and jovial, and they let us look at the weapons!!!!

Here’s a neat shot of the view– the Rome skyline from the top of the fort.

The Soldiers’ Bunk Room was filled with neat stuff- cannon balls of various weights, guns, sacks, clothing, ropes, barrels, and rope bunks with straw mattresses.

The flag hanging on the wall belonged to the regiment stationed at Fort Stanwix. The images of Liberty and Justice were later the basis for New York’s state flag. It is said that Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY, was the first place to hang the Stars and Stripes flag of the United States of America.

Here’s the fort’s “general store.”

And the captain’s quarters.

By The Historian:

Fort Stanwix is a restored fort in Rome, NY, that is one of the most memorable and significant historical landmarks of the Mohawk Valley and Oneida County, where my family lives. The history of this fort dates all the way back to the French and Indian War, when General John Stanwix, a British officer, erected it in 1758.

The original purpose of this fort was to guard the Oneida Carrying Place at the westernmost tip of the Mohawk River, which branches off from the Hudson, and thereby protect the trade of the New York colonists. After the French and Indian War, however, the fort was virtually abandoned, and allowed to deteriorate. Thankfully, in the year 1776, when the colonists were at war with Great Britain, General George Washington ordered that the fort be rebuilt and reoccupied by American Continental troops, and it was then that it was named Fort Schuyler, in honor of the Head of the Northern Department, and head of the Continental military forces in New York, Major-General Philip Schuyler.

This move of Washington proved to be a very shrewd move, because the next year, 1777, British General “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne launched his infamous “three-pronged” attack on the state of New York. This attack would consist of three British forces coming from the North, South, and West directions of the State and meet at Albany – hopefully – at about the same time. The west prong of the attack, headed by General Barry St. Ledger and several thousand savage Iroquois Indians, mostly Mohawks, were to march directly through the Mohawk Valley, and terrorize the colonists on their way to meet Burgoyne, leading the northern prong, at Albany.

The reason that General Burgoyne called for British forces to move through the Mohawk Valley region of Upstate New York was because the Valley was widely known as the “Breadbasket of the American Revolution,” due to the fact that this valley provided Washington and his troops with a great supply of bread, corn and many other vital supplies. Burgoyne figured that if the Valley could be taken into British hands, then he could starve Washington’s army into surrender and quickly end the war.

St. Ledger’s force was successfully kept back from fully accomplishing its purpose, however, because Fort Stanwix, fortified with guns, men, artillery, and the staunch commanders Colonel Peter Gansevoort and Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett, stood smack-dab in the way of the advancing British troops! The British lay siege to the fort and held it up until Fort Stanwix, running out of food and supplies, sent for help. The American relief force was ambushed on the way in the commemorated Battle of Oriskany, and therefore it never reached Fort Stanwix, but this battle did accomplish two purposes: (1) It fatally wounded the morale of the Iroquois tribes that had sided with the British (the Oneidas and the Tuscaroras sided with the American colonists), because the Battle of Oriskany, the bloodiest of the whole War, had brought them in to conflict with their own nation; (2) because the Iroquois, who had made up the majority of St. Ledger’s force, were demoralized and deserted, the British General, who had heavily relied upon their vast knowledge of the land and successful espionage, was forced to turn back and give up the siege. Thus, Fort Stanwix prevented Ledger from wiping out the patriot forces in the Mohawk Valley, and therefore left Burgoyne to face the 20,000 patriot army with his smaller army, inexperienced in wilderness warfare, alone, thus securing an American victory at Saratoga.

This victory kept New York in American hands, and kept the British from the dividing New England, the Hotbed of the Revolution, with the Mid- and Southern States, where the Continental Congress and General Washington’s forces were stationed. This ultimately secured the victory of the Americans in the War for Independence, and that is why Upstate New Yorkers proudly point to Fort Stanwix with great pride.

This pride is evident in almost every way of civic life in Oneida County. In the 1970s, restoration of the fort began, and now it is known as the Fort Stanwix National Historic Monument. Admission is free, and the Revolutionary world comes to life as you travel through the rooms and tunnels and bastions of the fort. My family and I have visited this site many times, and we have loved every minute of it!

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