siege fort siege fort known time began august ended august western primary defense point continental_army british indian forces aligned american revolutionary war fort occupied continental_army forces new_york massachusetts command colonel besieging force composed british regulars soldiers indians command british brigadier general leader expedition diversion support general campaign gain control east attempt relief thwarted early siege force new_york militia stopped august battle detachment forces battle involve fort garrison occupants sortied raided nearly indian loyalist camps blow morale indian support killed siege finally broken american reinforcements command neared arnold ruse assistance relative convince larger force arriving combined departure indian fighters interested siege warfare upset losses raids led abandon effort retreat failure advance albany contributed surrender following october reached late september late aid official flag flown battle august fort adopted following resolution june resolved flag united_states thirteen stripes alternate red white union thirteen stars white blue field representing new delay displaying flag resolution signed secretary congress september previously printed newspapers massachusetts reinforcements brought news adoption congress official flag soldiers cut shirts white stripes scarlet material secured red officers wives material blue union secured blue cloth coat shows congress paid coat flag background occupied strategic western known site modern rome new_york flowed southeast hudson_river waters ultimately led built british french indian war dry ground area fort fallen disrepair american revolutionary war widened include frontier areas new_york site strategically important british colonial secretary lord general developed plan gaining control hudson_river valley included expedition king george described diversion march issued orders assigning expedition lieutenant colonel experienced frontier fighter served french indian war forces assemble april continental_army major general ordered 3rd command colonel occupy fort defense british native incursions quebec arriving immediately began working fort defenses officially renamed fort widely known original warnings friendly british planning expedition confirmed mid july pace work early july reported state affairs noting provisions ammunition short supply ordered additional supplies sent fort july brigadier general expedition assembled diverse force consisting british regulars 8th 34th regiments number loyalists king royal regiment new_york company laborers artillery consisted pound pieces pounders small mortars expected adequate taking dilapidated fort defenders latest intelligence expedition left near montreal june learned americans occupied force prisoners captured garrison brought learned prisoners fort repaired garrisoned upwards men rebels expecting acquainted strength route indian agent accompanying expedition convinced body indians recruited arrived new_york july indians joined expedition consisted mainly warriors tribes claimed neutrality indians area leaving report reached supplies route fort immediately dispatched indians regulars intercept supplies begin besieging fort arrival fort august late supply convoy guarded men 9th massachusetts regiment arrived men able capture convoy boat captain massachusetts men remained fort main force arrived day artillery arrive days siege begins tried fort occupants troops including indians war dress fort failed sent truce flag bearing proclamation authored refused respond began siege operations regulars artillery low rise north fort indians loyalists south picket line indian artillery held tactic slow army fall men systematically trees wooded track expedition came needed clear track way artillery work occupied white men actual fort dominated indians august received word sister american relief column marching valley received news movements july set raising additional troops august men mustered fort near modern new_york committee chairman late day column arrived miles learning approach sent johnson small number regulars rangers indians oppose advance set ambush bloody confrontation near sides suffered significant casualties including suffered wound leg americans drove detachment eventually died wounds forced retreat large number casualties confrontation came cost besieged men took advantage absence sizable force sortie second command led men looted nearly indian camps wagon loads including orderly book plans expedition letter british intercepted fiancée tale party recovering actual materials probably likely dates memoir written late life contemporaneous accounts sortie including earlier journals mention need wagons british force returned arrived camp stripped including personal belongings blankets indians slept combined fact battle cost indian lives greatly upset indians told white men far fought relatively little fighting breach trust damaged relations indians instrumental eventual failure siege took advantage victory deliver demand fort surrender rejected day sent surrender demand included false news albany threats indians permitted massacre garrison destroy valley communities garrison drawn refusal lieutenant colonel responded uniform british officers let tell message brought british officer send means british officer carry taking advantage brief truce sent officer august situation making way territory british lines continued valley eventually meeting relief column command major general siege relief received early reports action august dispatched relieve besieged fort day august reach held war council decide deal combined threats large army reached hudson_river amid concerns withdrawal general repeated council decided near send relief column opposition council insisted relief expedition arnold offered lead addition actions based new_york august dispatched regiments 1st canadian 2nd new_york guard duty valley units route siege lifted turned august arnold continental_army regulars arrived fort attempt force arnold tried interest men attempt raised men decided wait hoping friendly convinced join effort request men fulfilled news reached siege reached critical stage action necessary learned guns largely ineffective fort walls long range began operations establish positions closer fort reported siege trenches reached striking distance fort uncomfortable number troops available arnold opted deception trouble british camp fort number loyalists arrested including member king royal regiment new_york grew indians attacking fort spread rumors large numbers americans command dark eagle descend camp good conduct assured holding hostage brother arnold met success recorded august arnold advancing rapid forced marches men arnold fort day held council indians abandoned camp council remaining indians unhappy siege warfare loss equipment threatened leave lift siege august broke camp began trek leaving sizable equipment number men party deserted captured fort garrison including aftermath arnold force augmented arrival friendly indians advanced miles fort august messenger notified departure pushing reached fort evening early day arnold detached men pursue column harassed supportive indian allies advance party reached shores heavy rain boats departing leaving garrison fort smaller outposts arnold men rejoin main army learned indian messenger true state arnold force august wrote intended join traveling reached september late assist blamed failure campaign failure penetrate valley lack sufficient loyalist support believed placed loyalist uprising upstate new_york diverted american resources advance succeeded hopeful arrival sufficient assist retreat surrounded time arrived surrendered second analysis surrender noted failure general support possible washington divert resources area new_york_city assist relief fort saw little action siege dangerous unpopular posting regular harassment loyalists hostile indians spring continental_army fort staging ground destruction garrison blockaded days large force indians led finally spring flood fire likely arson destroyed fort americans evacuated post legacy fort eventually destroyed 19th century site designated site designated added national_register_of_historic_places fort reconstructed 1970s national_park_service
Siege of Fort Stanwix