Battle of Wilton (New York) facts for kids
The Battle of Wilton was a small fight that happened in 1693. It took place in a wilderness area that is now Wilton, New York. This battle was part of a bigger conflict called King William's War. In this skirmish, the Colonial Militia and their Native American allies fought against French forces and their Native American allies.
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Why the Battle Happened
The Battle of Wilton was part of a long struggle between the English and French. Both sides wanted to control the fur trade in the area known as the Province of New York. This meant they often fought over land and resources.
Early Conflicts
In 1687, the Marquis de Denonville, who was the Governor of New France, attacked the Seneca people. The Seneca were a Native American group. He burned their towns, including Ganondagan and Totiakton.
To get back at the French, about 1500 Mohawks attacked in 1689. The Mohawks were also a Native American group. They burned the French town of Lachine on Montreal Island. Many people were killed or captured. The Seneca and Mohawk were both part of the Iroquois confederacy, also called the Haudenosaunee.
In 1690, the French, led by Count Frontenac, attacked again. They moved into the Mohawk Valley. This attack ended with the burning of Schenectady, New York. Many people there were killed or captured.
Frontenac's Plan in 1693
Finally, in 1693, Count Frontenac decided to attack the Mohawks in New York. He wanted to make them weaker. He also hoped to separate them from the French-allied Mohawks near Montreal.
He gathered about 100 soldiers and many Canadians and Native Americans. His force was about 625 men in total. They left Chambly, Quebec in late January, traveling on snowshoes. After 16 days, they reached the Mohawk lands. A guide named Jan Baptiste Van Eps, who had been captured earlier, led them.
They captured and burned three large Mohawk towns. These towns were called "castles." They also took many people captive. The Mohawks were surprised. The French captured Caughnawaga and Canajoharie easily. They attacked Tionondogue by surprise, killing about 20 or 30 people and taking 300 captives.
Before the French expedition left Canada, Frontenac's Mohawk allies promised to kill all male captives. But they did not keep their promise. They refused to kill the captives. So, the French and their allies began to retreat. They had a long line of prisoners with them.
Meanwhile, Jan Baptiste Van Eps had escaped before the attacks. He went to Schenectady and warned the people there. This warning was then sent to Major Pieter Schuyler. Schuyler was the commander of the Albany County Militia. On February 13, Schuyler crossed the Mohawk River on the ice. He had 237 men with him. They began to chase the French. On February 15, 290 Mohawks joined Schuyler. These Mohawks had escaped capture by the French.
The Battle of Wilton
The French forces were led by Nicholas de Mantet. They retreated north along a main trail. This trail went from Quebec to the Mohawk Valley. It passed through Lake Champlain, Lake George, and then to the Hudson River. Schuyler's force grew when a group of Oneidas joined him. His total force was now about 500 to 600 men.
The Chase and Fort Building
The French marched for two days. Then, Mohawk scouts called out to them from a distance. The scouts said the English were following them. They also said that peace had been declared in Europe. The pursuers did not want to fight, but to talk. Because of this, the French-allied Native Americans insisted on waiting. The French commanders could not convince them to move. So, they cut down trees and built a fort. It was made by circling their camp with a high, thick wall of tree trunks and branches.
Schuyler caught up to the French. They were camped in a wild area, now known as Stiles Corners in Wilton. This was where the north-south trail crossed an east-west trail. The French fort was at the eastern end of a pass through the Palmertown mountain range.
When Schuyler arrived, he built a similar fort. The French tried to attack Schuyler's fort three times, but they failed. It was the middle of winter, and both sides were running out of food. They were close to starving.
The French Escape
In the morning, a strong snowstorm began. Scouts saw that the French were packing up. They were getting ready to leave their fort and escape. Schuyler could not chase them right away. His men had not eaten for three days and refused to move until they were fed.
Finally, more soldiers arrived with food. The chase continued. When the militia caught up to the French again, the Mohawks with Schuyler refused to fight. The French threatened to kill their prisoners. Many of these prisoners were the wives and children of the Mohawks.
The French reached the Hudson River. They were worried because the ice was breaking up. Luckily, a large sheet of ice got stuck at a bend in the river. This formed a temporary bridge, and they crossed. Then they pushed on toward Lake George. On their journey north, they suffered greatly from hunger. They even boiled their moccasins for food. Several people died from starvation. Many more were too weak to move. A few of the strongest managed to reach Montreal.
Schuyler wanted to keep chasing them. But his troops were too tired and hungry. In the end, four Albany militiamen and four Native Americans were killed on Schuyler's side. Twelve men were wounded. On the French side, 33 French soldiers were killed, including their commander. Several officers were also killed, and many were wounded. Fifty Mohawk captives were rescued.
What Happened After
Even though the battle itself could be seen as a win for the colonists, the overall French plan was successful. The destruction of the Mohawk towns left the Mohawks with nothing in the middle of winter.
They found shelter near their old homes or with their white friends in Schenectady and Albany. They had lost about one-fifth or more of their tribe. These people were now prisoners of the French. About 40 of their warriors had been killed in this attack. At the start of King William's War in 1689, they had 270 fighting men. Now, they only had 150.
The Mohawks were so reduced in number that the survivors from different clans joined together. In the summer of 1693, they built a new town called Og-sa-da-ga. It was a stockaded town, meaning it had a protective fence around it. This town was at what is now Tribes Hill in Montgomery County. The town of Tribes Hill gets its name from this Mohawk village. The Mohawks lived at Ogsadaga until about 1700. Then, they moved to three new places on the south side of the river. These places are now Fort Hunter, Fort Plain, and Indian Castle.
