History in 6 Minutes

In 1777, the British besieged Fort Stanwix as part of a larger plan to control the Hudson River Valley. American forces, led by Colonel Peter Gansevoort, defended the fort. A relief effort led by Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer was ambushed at the Battle of Oriskany, but a raid by Willett from the fort caused the British allies to abandon their camps.

The siege became a stalemate, with British morale declining due to losses, broken promises, and the slow pace of siege warfare. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Willett successfully left the fort to seek further aid. General Philip Schuyler then dispatched Major General Benedict Arnold to lead a second relief force.

Arnold, upon learning of the fort's precarious situation, devised a deception. He used a captured, eccentric Loyalist named Hon Yost Schuyler to spread exaggerated rumors about the size of his approaching army. This tactic, coupled with Hon Yost's strange charisma and corroborating Oneida messengers, caused panic among the already demoralized Indigenous allies, leading to mass desertions from St. Leger's forces.

On August 22, 1777, St. Leger was forced to lift the siege and retreat in disarray, abandoning significant equipment and artillery. Arnold arrived at Fort Stanwix the next day, and though his pursuit was unsuccessful, St. Leger's expedition ultimately failed, unable to achieve its objectives in the Saratoga campaign.

Works cited

1768 Boundary Line Treaty of Fort Stanwix - National Park Service, accessed April 22, 2025, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/1768-boundary-line-treaty-of-fort-stanwix.htm