The Battle of Big Sandy was fought in northwestern New York on May 29 –30, 1814 during the War of 1812. The battle was a decisive American victory in which American militia and Oneida Indians launched a surprise attack on British soldiers who were chasing them inland from Lake Ontario. State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... The War of 1812 was a conflict fought on land in North America and at sea around the world between the United States and United Kingdom from 1812 to 1815. ... The Oneida (Onayotekaono or the People of the Upright Stone) are a tribe of American Indians and comprise one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. ... Lake Ontario seen from near Wolcott, New York Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ...

Background

After the successful attack on Fort Oswego on May 5th and 6th, 1814, the British withdrew to the Galloo Islands in northern Lake Ontario where they could monitor and intercept any supplies on their way north to Sackets Harbor. At the American ship yards in Sackets Harbor, two brigs, the Jefferson and the Jones , and a frigate, the Superior, waited for armament and rigging necessary for their launch. The supplies needed to outfit the ships had been transported from the Brooklyn Naval Yards in New York City to Albany, and from Albany up the Mohawk River to Wood Creek and Oneida Lake, finally arriving at the Oswego River. These supplies still needed to be transported from Oswego to Sackett’s Harbor, but it needed to be done without alerting the British. Fort Oswego was an important frontier post for British traders in the 18th century. ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Sackets Harbor is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... The second USS Jefferson was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. ... The first USS Jones was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. ... New York City, officially named the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... The name Albany is an ancient and literary name for Scotland, north of the Firth of Forth (east) and Firth of Clyde (west). ... For other uses, see Mohawk River (disambiguation) The Mohawk River is a major waterway in north-central New York. ... Oneida Lake is a large lake in central New York, northeast of Syracuse. ...

From Sackets Harbor, April 21st 1814, Commodore Isaac Chauncey sent orders to Lieutenant Melancthon Taylor Woolsey directing him to choose five officers and twenty-five men to proceed in the Lady of the Lake to Oswego and then bring the shipbuilding supplies north to the shipyards. Isaac Chauncey (20 February 1779 - 27 January 1840) was an officer in the United States Navy. ... Portrait of Woolsey Melancthon Taylor Woolsey (1782-18 May 1838) was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. ...

The Battle

On the rainy evening of May 28th, Woolsey set out with 150 riflemen under the command of Major Daniel Appling in 19 boats loaded with supplies. On the morning of the 29th, they arrived at the mouth of the Big Salmon River having mysteriously lost one of their boats. This boat, discovered by the British forces, eliminated the secrecy of Wooley’s mission.

At Big Salmon the American forces met up with the Oneidas (estimates range from 120 to 130 Indians), whom Woolsey had dispatched the previous day. The Oneidas marched north along the shore as the boats proceeded in the Lake. At noon on the 29th they reached the mouth of the Big Sandy Creek. All the boats were sent as far inland as was possible. The Oneida (Onayotekaono or the People of the Upright Stone) are a tribe of American Indians and comprise one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. ...

Woolsey then sent a lookout to scout for British ships. The lookout discovered that a gun-boat and three barges were headed for the location of the American forces. Woolsey set out a call for the neighboring militia and hastily prepared for the coming battle. A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ...

At 8am the British began to cannonade the American forces from the mouth of the Big Sandy Creek. The American forces then hid along the shoreline of the Creek and waited for the British to advance inland. At about 10am, when the British forces had progressed up the Creek, the American forces rose from their concealment and a brief ten-minute battle ensued. The British officers, realizing their mistake, quickly surrendered to avoid further casualties. The Americans suffered 1 death (an Oneida Indian) and one wounded while gaining: 143 prisoners (133 men and 10 officers), 20 wounded (28 men and 2 officers), 14 killed (13 men and one officer), three gun-boats, one with a 24-pounder and a 63-pounder, two cutters, and one gig.

External Links

The Battle of Big Sandy: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~legends/bettingerpaper.html

Sources

• Brannan, John (comp.). Official Letters of the Military and Naval Officers of the United States During the War with Great Britain in the Years 1812, 13, 14, & 15; with Some Additional Letters and Documents Elucidating the History of That Period. Washington, D.C.: Way & Gideon, 1823. (Library of American Civilization, #14250).
• Hough, Franklin B. A History of Jefferson County in the State of New York from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Watertown, NY: Sterling & Ridell, 1854; reprint, Ovid, NY: W.E. Morrison & Co., 1976. 506-511.
• Lossing, Benson John. Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812: Illustrations by Pen and Pencil of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the Last War for American Independence. New York: Harper Brothers. 1868. (Library of American Civilization #14918-19). 798-801. ISBN 1589800028
• National Archives Naval Records, Ship Historical Identification Card for SUPERIOR, US Frigate (OPNAV Form 5070-10).
• Niles Weekly Register. June 18, 1814.
• Slosek, Anthony M. Oswego and the War of 1812. Oswego, NY: Heritage Foundation of Oswego, 1989. ISBN 9992773405