Born in the Land of Saints and Scholars
Barrimore Matthew St. Leger was born in May 1737 in County Kildare, Ireland, and was a nephew of the Fourth Viscount Doneraille. This date is actually his baptism date, as Irish tradition was to record baptisms more carefully than births during a time when infant mortality was common. Barry’s father, Sir John St. Leger, was a prominent Irish judge. His brother, Anthony St. Leger, served in Parliament and the military, reaching the rank of major general.
Saint to Scholar to Soldier
The high-born St. Leger attended the esteemed halls of Eton and Cambridge before joining as an ensign with the 28th Regiment in April 1756. His regiment immediately sailed to North America for the French and Indian War. St. Leger served with some distinction under British General James Abercromby.
By 1758, the young Irishman was a captain in the 48th Regiment and participated in General Jeffery Amherst’s Siege of Louisbourg. St. Leger was appointed brigade major (a staff position, not a rank) during General James Murray’s advance on Montreal in 1760, and in September 1762, he was promoted to major in the 95th Regiment. The French and Indian War had been beneficial for the Viscount’s nephew. The Revolutionary War, however, would be a mixed experience.
Defending Canada
When resistance erupted into rebellion and war in 1775, St. Leger served as lieutenant colonel of the 34th Regiment. Barry arrived in Canada in the spring of 1776. He and his regiment helped Governor-General Guy Carleton repel the invading American forces throughout the summer and fall of that year. St. Leger and the 34th recaptured Fort Ticonderoga during the southward drive but withdrew when Carleton decided to end the campaign and return north into winter quarters.
A Grand Strategy
The irrepresible General John Burgoyne arrived from England in early 1777 with reinforcements from Lord Germain, the Minister for Colonies. “Gentleman Johnny” also brought his bold plan of a three-pronged attack to capture Albany, New York. His aim was to sever the stubborn New England colonies from the rest of the colonies. What would happen after that was unclear.
Western Approach
A lesser-known but essential part of Burgoyne’s plan was a supporting move along the Mohawk River to draw away rebel forces, punish rebel farmers, and link up with his main force near Albany. Burgoyne chose St. Leger to lead the western branch because of his experience and skill in navigating the northern wilderness.
Brevet Brigadier General
On June 23, 1777, St. Leger’s combined force of about 800 British regulars, Hessians, Loyalists, and Canadians set out from Montreal. They included Loyalists under Colonel John Johnson and Major Walter Butler, along with some British and Hessian troops. St. Leger, who had been breveted a brigadier general for the campaign, prioritized speed over firepower, so he decided to leave behind heavier artillery to avoid slowing the wilderness march. He did bring along a few light guns, but these would prove inadequate for the task.
Drums Along the Mohawk
On 25 July, a flotilla of British ships and barges landed St. Leger’s forces at Oswego, New York. They were quickly joined by 800 Native warriors led by Iroquois War Chief Joseph Brant and Seneca War Chief Cornplanter.
They quickly moved up the Mohawk River valley following Burgoyne’s plan, passing friendly Iroquois villages and undefended farmland.
But St. Leger soon faced his first obstacle—rebel-controlled Fort Stanwix (present-day Rome, NY), which was fiercely defending the upper valley against his advance. To St. Leger’s dismay—reports from Indian scouts and spies proved accurate.
The Continental Army’s Northern Department commander, General Philip Schuyler, recently repaired the fortification and garrisoned it with 750 men of the 3rd New York Regiment under Colonel Peter Gansevoort, with Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willet as his deputy.
Fort Stanwix Besieged
When St. Leger arrived outside Fort Stanwix, he sprang into action, conducting a “leader’s reconnaissance" of the post. He quickly realized he had underestimated the size and strength of the place. Lacking the heavy guns to pound the fort into submission, St. Leger ordered his Indian allies to encircle it in what was a very soft siege.
He then tried to bluff the defenders into surrender by showcasing his entire force. Ironically, the many native warriors convinced the Americans they would be slaughtered if they surrendered. St. Leger’s surrender summons fell flat. Frustrated, he ordered a bombardment of the fort, but his small-caliber guns proved ineffective.
Oriskany Ambush
Farther up the valley to the east, the Tryon County militia gathered when word of the British invasion reached them. A column of 800 men under Colonel Nicholas Herkimer marched out of Fort Dayton, aiming to relieve Stanwix. But Molly Brant, sister of Chief Joseph Brant, warned St. Leger of the new threat. He responded by sending a force of Loyalists and Indians into the dense forest near the village of Oriskany, to the east.
On 6 August, beneath a dense canopy of ancient woods, they launched a devastating ambush on the militia, which was halfway across a deep gulley. A fierce firefight broke out. Curtains of gunfire tore through the hardwood and scythed down brush and branches. Men fell on both sides, but with many dead and wounded, including Herkimer, the Tryon County militia retreated behind the cover of thick gun smoke.
Stubborn Resistance
Back at Fort Stanwix, the Americans had a few tricks of their own. With the besiegers reduced to sending forces to Oriskany, Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willet successfully launched a sortie from the defenses and captured St. Leger’s camp, thoroughly looting it. The loss of supplies discouraged the tribesmen, and they began abandoning St. Leger’s column.
Desperate, St. Leger once again threatened the defenders with massacre unless they surrendered. Gansevoort agreed to a truce but was determined to defend the fort. He sent Willett to ride through British lines to Stillwater, report the situation to General Philip Schuyler, and ask for reinforcements.
Arnold’s Deception
And so, it was. General Benedict Arnold assembled a force to drive the British from Stanwix. But Arnold was as clever as he was brave and bold. He sent a unhinged man named Hon Yost to “desert” the British. His rantings of a relief force “more numerous than the leaves on trees” frightened the remaining warriors, who fled west.
Seeing his hopeless situation, St. Leger was forced to abandon his siege of Fort Stanwix. On August 25, his regulars, Hessians, Loyalists, and a few loyal Indian allies, traveled west along the Mohawk River and headed for Canada. St. Leger’s failure to reach Albany and support Burgoyne directly helped lead to the surrender at Saratoga in October 1777.
Return to Ticonderoga
St. Leger did not dwell on his failed campaign. Instead, he quickly took action after returning to Montreal, persuading limited forces from Governor Guy Carleton. He led his troops south to directly reinforce Burgoyne. However, they had just reached Fort Ticonderoga when news of the Saratoga surrender arrived in October 1777.
Guerrilla Warrior
For the rest of the war, St. Leger remained in active command and established himself as a specialist in irregular warfare. He led multiple raids against the Americans in upper New York, which became a battleground of brutal partisan and guerrilla fighting throughout the conflict. Spying, betrayal, raids, ambushes, assassinations, and burning would ravage upper and central New York.
St. Leger was involved in a failed attempt to kidnap General Philip Schuyler. In 1781, the new commander in Canada, General Frederick Haldimand, sent him back to Ticonderoga to meet with discontented rebel leader Ethan Allen. However, the plan to separate Vermont from the rebels did not succeed.
Canadian Service
Unlike most of his fellow officers, St. Leger did not return to England or sail to another theater after the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Instead, he stayed in Canada. In 1784, he was promoted to brigadier general and took over as commander from Haldimand. But by 1785, poor health caused by the hardships of campaigning forced him to step down and retire from active service. St. Leger died in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, on December 23, 1793.
Legacy
St. Leger's legacy is mixed. He was a talented tactical leader capable of planning and organizing complex operations across large wilderness areas. However, his only major independent command ended in failure due to a combination of poor decision-making (remember the heavy guns?), failure to keep his native allies in line, and unforeseen resistance from American forces that were more formidable than expected.
But unlike his commander Burgoyne, "The Saint" knew when to quit and pulled his troops out of a dangerous situation. Facing the defenders at Fort Stanwix combined with General Benedict Arnold's relief force would have likely led to the destruction of his force. Instead, his troops would live to fight another day and continue to harass and threaten upper New York for the rest of the war, while Burgoyne’s stubborn refusal to consolidate caused his larger army to march off to rebel prisons.
