Fort Dayton
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Fort Dayton is located North side of Mohawk River at West Canada Creek in what is now Herkimer, New York. It was built under the supervision of American Revolutionary War Colonel Elias Dayton on the orders of General Philip Schuyler in the autumn of 1776.
On August 4, 1777, General Nicholas Herkimer assembled about 900 troops of the Tryon County Militia at Fort Dayton for their march to support Colonel Peter Gansevoort at Fort Stanwix, which was under siege by Barry St. Leger’s British forces. Herkimer's troops, consisting mainly of Palantine German settlers, followed the north shore of the Mohawk River, and camped the first night west of Sterling (Staring) Creek. On August 6, Herkimer’s troops were ambushed in a small ravine by St. Leger’s British, Tory, and Indian forces. General Herkimer himself was wounded, but continued to lead his men to a decisive victory in what became known as the Battle of Oriskany. General Herkimer died from his wounds on August 17, at his home in the Town of Danube. Meanwhile General Benedict Arnold, arrived at Fort Dayton with 800 troops, recruited 400 more, and on August 22, marched on to Oriskany but by then the British forces had fled.
Fort Dayton was also a base for soldiers aiding Christian Schell after his stand at Schell's Bush and pursuing Tory leader Walter Butler and his troops. In July 1783 General George Washington toured Fort Dayton, when he visited the Mohawk Valley on an inspection tour.
A memorial marker of the site of Fort Dayton can be found at the Historic Four Corners intersection on North Main Street in Herkimer.
