Born in the Land of Saints and Scholars
Barrimore Matthew St. Leger was born May 1737 in County Kildare, Ireland, a nephew of the Fourth Viscount Doneraille. This is actually his baptism date, as the Irish tradition was to record those more scrupulously than births in an era when infant mortality was widespread. Barry’s father, Sir John St. Leger, was a leading Irish judge. His brother, Anthony St Leger, variously served in Parliament and the military, achieving the rank of major general.
Saint to Scholar to Soldier
The high-born St. Leger attended the prestigious halls of Eton and Cambridge before signing on as an ensign with the 28th Regiment in April 1756. His regiment immediately sailed to North America and the French and Indian War. St. Leger served with some distinction under British General James Abercromby.
By 1758, the young Irishman was a captain of the 48th Regiment and took part 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 upon Montreal in 1760, and in September 1762, St. Leger was promoted to the rank of major in the 95th Regiment. The French and Indian War had been good to the Viscount’s nephew. The Revolutionary War would prove a mixed bag.
Defending Canada
When resistance broke out into rebellion and war in 1775, St. Leger was serving 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 drive out the invading American forces throughout the summer and fall of that year. St. Leger and the 34th recaptured Fort Ticonderoga during the drive south but withdrew when Carleton decided to end the campaign and return north into winter quarters.
A Grand Strategy
The irrepressible General John Burgoyne arrived from England in early 1777 with reinforcements from Lord Germain, the Minister for Colonies. “Gentleman Johnny” also brought along his bold strategy of a three-pronged move for capturing Albany, New York. His goal was to sever stiff-necked New England from the other colonies. What would happen after that was unclear.
Western Approach
A little regarded but critical part of Burgoyne’s scheme was a supporting move along the Mohawk River to draw off rebel strength, punish rebel farmers, and join his main force near Albany. Burgoyne selected St. Leger to lead the western prong because of his experience and skill in fighting through the northern wilderness.
Brevet Brigadier General
On 23 June 1777, St. Leger’s mixed force of some 800 British regulars, Hessians, Loyalists, and Canadians departed Montreal. They comprised Loyalists under Colonel John Johnson and Major Walter Butler, plus some British and Hessians. St. Leger, now breveted a brigadier general for the campaign, wanted speed over firepower, so he decided to leave heavier artillery behind so as not to impede the wilderness march. He did take along a few light guns, but these would prove not up to the task.
Drums Along the Mohawk
On 25 July, a flotilla of British ships and barges landed St. Leger’s force at Oswego, New York. They were soon joined by 800 native warriors led by Iroquois War Chief Joseph Brant and Seneca War Chief Cornplanter.
They swiftly marched up the Mohawk River valley according to Burgoyne’s plan, passing friendly Iroquois villages and undefended farmland.
But St. Leger soon arrived at his first obstacle – rebel-held Fort Stanwix (today’s Rome, NY), stoutly defending the upper valley from his forward advance. To St. Leger’s consternation – reports by Indian scouts and spies proved true.
The Continental Army’s Northern Department commander, General Philip Schuyler, recently repaired the fortification and garrisoned it with 750men 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 parading his entire force before them. Ironically, the many native warriors convinced the Americans they would be massacred 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 rallied when word of the British invasion reached them. A column of 800 men under Colonel Nicholas Herkimer marched out of Fort Dayton, intent on relieving Stanwix. But Molly Brant, sister of Chief Joseph Brant, alerted St. Leger of the new threat. He responded by throwing a force of Loyalists and Indians into the dense forest near the village of Oriskany, to the east.
On 6 August, under a thick canopy of ancient woodland, they sprung a devastating ambush on the militia, which was halfway across a deep gulley. A terrific firefight ensued. Curtains of lead tore chunks of hardwood and scythed down brush and branches. Men fell on both sides, but with so many dead and wounded, including Herkimer, the Tryon County militia withdrew under cover of the dense 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 sortied from the defense works and seized St. Leger’s camp, thoroughly plundering it. The loss of supplies disheartened the tribesmen, and they began abandoning St. Leger’s column.
Desperate, St. Leger again threatened the defenders with massacre unless they capitulated. Gansevoort agreed to a truce but resolved to defend the post. He sent Willett to ride through British lines to Stillwater, report the situation to General Philip Schuyler, and request he send relief.
Arnold’s Deception
And so, it was. General Benedict Arnold put together a force to drive the British from Stanwix. But Arnold was as cunning as he was brave and bold. He sent a deranged man named Hon Yost to “desert” the British. His rantings of a relief force “more numerous than the leaves on trees” panicked the remaining warriors, who fled west.
Realizing his hopeless situation, St. Leger was forced to give up his siege of Fort Stanwix. On 25 August, his regulars, Hessians, Loyalists, and a few faithful Indian allies, trudged west along the Mohawk and departed for Canada. St. Leger’s failure to reach Albany and support Burgoyne directly contributed to the ultimate capitulation at Saratoga in October 1777.
Return to Ticonderoga
St. Leger did not mull over his failed campaign. Instead, he sprang into action once back at Montreal, coaxing scarce forces from Governor Guy Carleton. He led his command south to reinforce Burgoyne directly. But they had just arrived at Fort Ticonderoga when word of the Saratoga surrender arrived in October 1777.
Guerrilla Warrior
For the remainder of the war, St. Leger stayed in active command and came into his own as an irregular warfare leader. He led several raids against the Americans in upper New York, which became the scene of bloody partisan and guerrilla-style warfare throughout the war. Spying, betrayal, raids, ambushes, assassinations, and torching would devastate upper and central New York.
St. Leger was behind a failed attempt to kidnap General Philip Schuyler. In 1781, the new commander in Canada, General Frederick Haldimand, dispatched him back to Ticonderoga to meet with disaffected rebel leader Ethan Allen. But the scheme to break Vermont from the rebels failed.
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 remained in Canada. In 1784 he was promoted to brigadier general and succeeded Haldimand as commander. But by 1785, poor health from the ravages of campaigning forced him to give up his command and retire from active service. St. Leger died in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, on 23 December 1793.
Legacy
St. Leger's legacy is mixed. He was a talented tactical leader of troops who could plan and organize complex operations over great stretches of wilderness. Yet his only major independent command failed through a mix of poor decision-making (remember the heavy guns?), failure to keep his native allies in hand, and unexpected resistance by more robust than anticipated American forces.
But unlike his commander Burgoyne, "The Saint" knew when to quit and extracted his troops from a precarious situation. Facing Fort Stanwix's defenders combined with General Benedict Arnold's relief force would have surely resulted in the annihilation of his force. Instead, his troops would live to fight on and harass and threaten upper New York for the remainder of the war, while Burgoyne’s stubborn refusal to consolidate caused his larger army to march off to rebel prisons.
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