"Basaic Oriskany Page" Oriskany by Basaic

Oriskany is a small village of 1400 located in East Central New York. Oriskany was named using the Oneida word for "River of Nettles". There was an Oneida settlement here with the same name prior to establishment of the village. The village itself is pretty nice but the majority of people that come here do so to visit the battlefield and the monument to the battle.

Oriskany Battlefield

The battle of Oriskany occured on 6 August 1777 when a group of colonial soldiers led by General Nicholas Herkimer was attacked as they passed the Oneida Village of Oriska by a British Torrie Regiment and a group of Indians loyal to the crown. Although outnumbered and receiving a bad leg wound, Herkimer refused to surrender. His horse was killed but Herkimer continued to direct the battle from under a grove of trees. The Battle of Oriskany was one of the bloodiest of the Revolutionary War. The story of Oriskany is closely tied to that of Fort Stanwix in nearby Rome, New York.

Veterans Park

There is a nice park dedicated to veterans of more recent conflicts, and especially those who served on the USS Oriskany an Essex Class Aircraft Carrier, near the Oriskany Battlefield.