06/02/2026
We are continuing our series on famous German Americans of the Colonial and Revolutionary War period with a profile of Brigadier General Nikolaus Herchheimer aka Nicholas Herkimer (1728-1777). Herkimer was born into a prosperous Palatine German immigrant family in New York's Mohawk Valley near German Flatts, and became a successful farmer, businessman, and local leader. His younger Johan was a Loyalist officer, which caused considerable tension in the family. Nicholas could speak German, English and Mohawk, which made him a valuable asset in the French and Indian War, and he soon rose to the rank of Captain in the New York Militia in 1758. He defended his village against tribal attacks on at least two occasions. When the American Revolution began, Nicholas was a colonel of the Tryon County Militia, and after Loyalist militia members left for Canada, he was promoted to brigadier general. When he learned of the British siege of Fort Schuyler to the west in late July 1777, he ordered the Tryon County militia to assemble at Fort Dayton, and marched them to Ft. Schuyler. His troops were ambushed on Aug. 6 by a mixed force of Loyalist and Hessian regulars and Indian warriors in the Battle of Oriskany. Herkimer's horse was shot, and he was seriously wounded in the leg. Despite his injuries, he sat supposedly sat propped up against a tree, lit his pipe, and directed his men in the battle, rallying them to avoid two panicked retreats. When they eventually withdrew, they carried him home where his wound was dressed by the surgeon. Not surprisingly, considering the state of medicine in the 18th century, the wound became infected, and the leg had to be amputated. As the original surgeon was also injured, the decision to amputate was delayed until Aug. 16, and the operation was performed by an inexperienced surgeon. Herkimer died of blood loss as a result of a botched operation that same day. Herkimer's home, in what is now Little Falls, is preserved as the Herkimer Home State Historic Site, and is open to the general public for free seasonal tours.
