The next twelve months saw the newly arrived British Americans and their native allies prepare to their return and attack of New York. John Johnson had formed battalions of the King Royal Yorkers and was proposing a venture back into the Mohawk Valley. It fit well with the British strategy that called for hiving New England off from the rest the colonies by an attack down the Hudson River valley that would coincide with a push north of Tory forces from New York City.

Deserontyon had gone to Quebec City in the spring of 1777 and met with General Burgoyne and learned of a planned British assault to be led by Col. Barry St. Leger from Fort Oswego on Lake Ontario to Fort Stanwix in western New York. Deserontyon received orders from Lt. Col. Daniel Klaus to lead a scouting party back into the Mohawk valley and assess rebel defenses at the fort.

Deserontyon’s scouting party came within three-quarters of a mile of the fort that July and according to historians Watt and Morrison, “Deserontyon’s men surprised a 16-man work party… five men were captured, four scalps taken and one of the dead men was left ‘shockingly butchered’.”

Deserontyon returned from the skirmish with prisoners who were interrogated by Klaus. He reported to St. Leger among other things that the garrison at Fort Stanwix was well aware of his planned assault. St. Leger largely ignored the intelligence from Deserontyon’s captives and proceeded with his assault as planned; it failed and he was forced to place the fort under siege. Joseph Brant’s sister Molly, Sir William Johnson’s native wife, alerted St. Leger of the approach from the east along the Mohawk River of an American relief force under General Nicholas Herkimer. Leger dispatched Brant, Sir John Johnson, Deserontyon and other Mohawks and Royal Yorkers men to ambush Herkimer. They did so successfully, Herkimer was wounded and later died, but St. Leger’s siege ultimately failed.

(17) Among the many tragedies of the Battle of Oriskany was the death of American Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer. He died a few days after an amateurish amputation of his leg.