The General Under the Tree

Nicholas Herkimer was shot in the leg in the first minutes of the Battle of Oriskany. His horse was killed beneath him. His men carried him to a beech tree at the edge of the ravine, propped him against the trunk, and placed a saddle behind him. He lit his pipe and continued to command. The battle lasted six hours. When it was over, the Americans held the field but had lost perhaps half their force. Herkimer was carried home to his mansion on the Mohawk River. Surgeons amputated his leg. He survived the operation but died of complications nine days after the battle, on August 16, 1777. He was 49 years old. His brother fought on the other side.