With Musket and Tomahawk: Volume II - The Mohawk Valley Campaign in the Wilderness War of 1777

About this book

This is the second volume of Michael Loguszs epic work on the Wilderness War of 1777 in which the British Army with its German Loyalist and Indian auxiliaries attempted to descend from Canada to sever the nascent American colonies only to be met by Patriot formations contesting the invasion of their newly declared nation. In his first volume on the Saratoga campaign the author described how Burgoynes main thrust was first stalled and then obliterated during its advance down the Hudson River. Burgoyne had hoped to be met by a corresponding British thrust from New York City but this never materialized Lord Howe opting to attack Philadelphia instead. But the British had indeed launched a third thrust from the west embarking from Lake Ontario at Oswego and thence forging its way down the Mohawk Valley. This third British thrust under General Barry St. Leger was perhaps the most terrifying of all as it overran a sparsely populated wilderness where every man and boy had long needed to bear arms to protect against the ravages of the Iroquois Federation. Yet now the Britishimitating the French before themhad made common cause with those same Indians who now roamed across the frontier as the warpainted spearhead of the Empires new attack. At Fort Stanwix in upstate New York a Patriot (former British) fort held fast though surrounded by St. Legers forces and his Mohawk and Loyalist auxiliaries. A relief column some 800 strong under Nicholas Herkimer attempted to relieve the fort but it was ambushed en route with most of its menincluding the entire male population of several nearby communitieskilled or wounded. At this Battle of Oriskany the basis for the movie Drums Along the Mohawk Herkimer himself was mortally wounded. Fortunately a sally from Fort Stanwix raided the Indian camp during the battle compelling many of the warriors to desist from annihilating the entire column. In the end Fort Stanwix was relieved only when Benedict Arnoldsoon to excel at Saratoga just as he had done at Valcour Island and elsewhere throughout the Revolutionmarched his troops through and forced the British to give up their western onslaught. In this book as in his highly acclaimed first volume the author captures the terrain tactics and terror of this brutal multifaceted wilderness war as few writers have done before. It was neighbor against neighbor native Americans on both sides and European professionals against Colonial Patriots in a desperate campaign that helped determine Americas fate. Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 St. Legers Preparations in Canada 2 General Herkimer Meets with Chief Joseph Brant 3 St. Leger Moves Into the Western Wilderness 4 The Patriots Advance Into the Western Theater 5 St. Leger Assembles His Army 6 General Herkimers Preparations for War 7 St. Legers Advance to Fort Stanwix 8 The Siege Begins 9 General Herkimers March to Fort Stanwix 10 The Battle of Oriskany 11 The Patriots Raid St. Legers Camp 12 Retreat from Oriskany 13 The Siege Continues 14 General Herkimer Returns to the Mohawk Valley 15 Continuing Actions at Fort Stanwix 16 Loyalist Raids and Probes into the Mohawk Valley 17 Cushetunks Resistance 18 The Battle for the Schoharie Valley 19 Patriot Plans to Relieve Fort Stanwix 20 The British Abandon the Siege 21 The End of St. Legers Army Bibliography Index