History of Herkimer County New York United States of America

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Charles William Hackley, educator, was born in Herkimer county, N.Y., Marcit 9, 1809. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1829, was brevetted and promoted 2d lieutenant, 3d artillery, and remained there as an assistant professor from Aug. 30, 1829, to Aug. 28, 1831, and from Jan. 8, 1832, to Sept. 30, 1833, when he resigned. He was an assistant in mathematics at the University of the city of New York, 1833-34, and professor of the same, 1834-38. He was president of Jefferson college, Washington, Miss, in 1839. Meanwhile he studied law and then theology, was admitted to orders in the P.E. church in 1835, and officiated occasionally till 1843. He was professor of mathematics and astronomy in Columbia college, 1843-47, and of astronomy, 1847-61. He was a frequent contributor to various periodicals and is the author of: A Treatise on Algebra (1846); Elementary Course in Geometry (1847); and Elements of Trigonometry, with Their Practical Application to Navigation and Nautical Astronomy (1850). He died in New York city, Jan. 10, 1861.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Lauren Briggs Arnold, agriculturist, was born in Herkimer county, N.Y., Aug. 31, 1814. He received an academical education and was graduated from Union college in 1843, and in 1857 he organized one of the earliest farmers' clubs in western New York, and read to it his first essay on dairying. In 1868 he built a model cheese factory, where he had a perfect dairy laboratory, which enabled him to make several valuable discoveries in the chemistry of cheese-making. In 1874, his health having failed, he took a five-acre farm in Rochester, N.Y. He lectured upon dairy husbandry at Cornell university and before farmers' organizations, and wrote largely for the agricultural press. In 1886 he was sent by the government to represent the United States at the annual meeting of the British dairy association in London. He died March 8, 1688.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Herkimer, representative, was born in Herkimer county, N.Y., in 1773; son of George and Alida (Schuyler) Herkimer, grandson of Johan Jost Erghemar and a nephew of Gen. Nicholas Herkimer, the hero of Oriskany, who in his will gave his brother George the home place at Danube, where he took up his residence in 1777. John's father, George, a participant in the battle of Oriskany, died in 1786, leaving seven children. His mother, Alida Schuyler, was a cousin of Gen. Philip Schuyler. John Herkimer was a member of the state assembly from Montgomery county, 1806-08; a judge of the court of common pleas; a major in the war of 1812, and at the defence of Sacket Harbor, May 29, 1813, he commanded a battalion of New York volunteers. Danube was made a part of Herkimer county in 1817, and he was elected a judge of the circuit court of the county. He was a representative in the 15th and 18th congresses, 1817-19 and 1823-25, and in the 18th congress voted for John Quincy Adams for President. He died in Danube, N.Y., June 8, 1848.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Nicholas Herkimer, soldier, was born on the Burnetsfield patent, afterward Herkimer county, N.Y., about 1726, in a house erected by his father, Johan Jost (or Hanyost) Erghemar (or Herkimer), about 1726, one-half a mile east of the stone church at Fort Herkimer, and which was standing in 1850. His father some time before 1756 built his second house, a stone mansion, about three-fourths of a mile west of the stone church. Both these houses, with the stone church, were included within the stockade of the fort. Johan Jost Herkimer came to America in 1710 with a party of Palatinates, who settled on Livingston Manor, Columbia county, N.Y., and after a few years removed to Schoharie county. On Sept. 9, 1721, this party of 94 persons obtained permission from Governor Burnet to purchase 9400 acres of land on the Mohawk river below Little Falls. The Indian grant was dated July 9, 1722, and the colonial patent given by the crown commissioners. April 30, 1725. The tract was known as Burnetsfield patent, and one hundred acres were allotted to each of the patentees selected by lot and the site of Fort Herkimer fell to Johan Jost Herkimer, who was a farmer and also carried on a trade with the military posts on the frontier, supplying the troops with wheat flour, corn, pork, beef, rum, sugar and candles, 1728-46. He was also a commissioner of public roads. Nicholas was commissioned a lieutenant of militia, Jan. 5, 1758, and when the French and Indians attacked German Flatts that yearhe was in command of Fort Herkimer, and was instrumental in gathering most of the inhabitants of the section within the fort. He received from his father the gift of 500 acres of land, portions of Lindsey and Livingston's and Fall Hill patents, where his family mansion was subsequently erected. This was in the Canajoharie district, Tryon county. He was colonel of the 1st battalion of militia of the county in 1775 under provincial authoriy. He was a member of the committees of safety of both Tryon and Herkimer counties, 1775-76, and chairman of both committees in 1776. He was commissioned by congress Sept. 5, 1776, brigadier-general of militia of Tryon county, raised for the defence of American liberty and placed in command of the northern department. He at once became the leader in politics as well as in the military affairs of the section and he turned to the cause of independence the large German population of central New York, and in a measure checked the influence of the Johnsons throughout that section. In 1776 he led an expedition against Sir John Johnson and his Indian allies, and when St. Leger with his force of British regulars, New York loyalists and Brant's Indians, comprising a force of 1800 men, invested Fort Schuyler, General Herkimer led the Tryon county militia, 1000 raw recruits and largely tainted with insubordination, to the relief of the fort. St. Leger had 800 regulars and 1000 Indians, while Colonel Gansevoort, who commanded the fort, had but 750 men. Colonel St. Leger sent out a force to intercept Herkimer, Aug. 5, 1777, and led Herkimer's militia into the wooded ravine near Oriskany on either side of which the Indians were concealed, while at its end the British regulars were also in ambush. The rear guard and supply train of General Herkimer were captured and Herkimer's horse was killed under him, while he was himself seriously wounded. Still able to sit up he took a commanding position under a tree, and while calmly smoking his pipe directed the battle. He ordered the men to adopt the Indian mode of warfare and they separated in groups, finding refuge behind trees and rocks, and kept up the fight till Colonel Willett issued from the fort with a considerable force and the Indians were driven from the field, the British regulars soon following. St. Leger, anticipating the arrival of another relief party, raised the siege and retreated into Canada. Of General Herkimer's force, one-third fell on the battlefield and many were mortally wounded or carried away captive. General Herkimer was conveyed on a litter to his house thirty-five miles distant. His leg was unskilfully amputated and he died ten days after the operation. The government recognized his services by voting in Continental congress in October, 1777, to raise a monument to the memory of "Brigadier Herkimer." The act was not carried out, however, and in 1827 Governor DeWitt Clinton urged the New York legislature to do what congress had failed to perform, and as the bill failed he repeated the request in his next message in 1828 with no better result. In 1844 Judge William Campbell petitioned the 28th congress to redeem the promise of the Continental congress of 1777. He repeated his petition, strengthened by that of the New York Historical society to the 29th congress. The centennial of the battle was celebrated in 1877, and Horatio Seymour, president of the Oneida Historical society, brought the matter before the 44th congress and $4100 was voted, which was the original $500 appropriated in 1777 with the simple interest added. The sum was increased to $10,000 by private subscription and an appropriation from the state legislature in 1882, and an obelisk of granite reaching to the height of 85 feet, standing on a pedestal surmounting a limestone foundation, was the tardy result in 1884 after one hundred and seven years of effort. Bronze tablets, 6x4 1/2 feet on the four sides, illustrate and commemorate the hero of Oriskany and record the names of his gallant men who fell fighting in their country's cause. The accompanying engraving shows General Herkimer's house at Danube, also his grave, marked by a flag, and at the right the base of the monument erected in 1884. He died in Danube, N.Y., Aug. 17, 1777.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Herkimer County New York

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