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NY, USA

Rome / Oriskany

The Revolutionary War history of Rome / Oriskany.

Why Rome / Oriskany Matters

Rome / Oriskany, New York

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On August 6, 1777, a Patriot relief column of 800 Tryon County militia under Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer was ambushed by a Loyalist and Iroquois force in a ravine at Oriskany. The battle lasted six hours; Herkimer was wounded and died days later. The engagement is considered one of the bloodiest per capita of the entire war and was part of the broader Saratoga campaign. Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site and nearby Fort Stanwix National Monument preserve the corridor.

Paul Revere's engraving of the Boston Massacre, 1770
Paul Revere, 'The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770' — hand-colored engraving, 1770. Library of Congress. Public domain.