w the knee, killing his horse at the same
time. He made his men place him on his saddle at the foot of a large
beech tree, against the trunk of which he leaned, continuing to give
his orders. The regulars attempted to charge with the bayonet, but the
Americans formed themselves in circles back to back, and repelled
them. A heavy storm of thunder and rain caused a temporary lull to the
fight, during which the patriots changed their ground. Some of them
stationed themselves in pairs behind trees, so that when one had fired
the other could cover him until he had reloaded, for the savages were
apt to rush up with knife and tomahawk the moment a man had discharged
his piece.

A confusion reigns over the accounts of this fight, in which every one
saw little but what occurred in his immediate vicinity. The Indians at
length, having lost many of their bravest warriors, gave the
retreating cry, Oonah! Oonah! and fled to the woods. The greens and
rangers, hearing a firing in the direction of the fort, feared an
attack upon their camp, and hastened to its defence, carrying off with
them many prisoners. The Americans did not pursue them, but placing
their wounded on litters made of branches of trees, returned to
Oriskany. Both parties have claimed the victory, but it does not
appear that either was entitled to it. The Americans had two hundred
killed, and a number wounded. Several of these were officers. The loss
of the enemy is thought to have been equally great as to numbers. We
may add that those who had been most urgent with General Herkimer for
this movement, were among the first to suffer from it. Colonel Cox was
shot down at the first fire, so was a son of Colonel Paris; the
colonel himself was taken prisoner, and fell beneath the tomahawk of
the famous Red Jacket. As to General Herkimer, he was conveyed to his
residence on the Mohawk River, and died nine days after the battle,
not so much from his wound as from bad surgery, sinking gradually
through loss of blood from an unskilful amputation.

The sortie of Colonel Willett had been spirited and successful. He
attacked the encampments of Sir John Johnson and the Indians which
were contiguous, and strong detachments of which were absent on the
ambuscade. Sir John and his men were driven to the river; the Indians
fled to the woods. Willett sacked their camps; loaded wagons with camp
equipage, clothing, blankets, and stores of all kinds, seized the
baggage and papers of Sir J