SNY3-09N
John Jenkins Designs
The 3rd New York Regiment was authorized on May 25th 1775 and organized from June 28th to August 4th from the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange and Suffolk under the command of Colonel James Clinton for 5 months service in Canada. The enlistments of the first establishment ended on December 31st 1775.
The second establishment of the Regiment was authorized on January 19th 1776. And was raised a third time in December 1776 under the command of Peter Gansevoort.
The regiment saw action in the Invasion of Canada, New York Campaign and Fort Stanwix.
The regiment was merged into the 1st New York Regiment on January 1st 1781.
At the Battle of Oriskany the British loyalists under Major Stephen Watts, wearing their coats inside out tried to penetrate the American lines by pretending to be reinforcements from the 3rd New York Regiment at Fort Stanwix. They achieved this by reversing their coats, revealing their grey lining and green facings which were the same as the 3rd New York.
It was Captain Gardenier of Visscher’s Regiment at the American rear which spotted the ruse when one of his men went out to greet these “friends” and was promptly captured. Gardenier, armed only with a spontoon and sword, rushed forward and killed his man’s captor. Desperate hand to hand fighting followed between the loyalists and the American militia, as Gardenier shouted “they are not our men – they are the enemy! Fire away!”.
Both sides withdrew to recover, as three cannon shots were heard in the distance. Herkimer and his men knew instantly what this meant, that the 3rd New York at fort Stanwix had raided and sacked the loyalist camp. Already demoralized by heavy losses, the threat to their possessions persuaded the remaining warriors to leave, and with insufficient numbers to fight on, Johnson also decided to withdraw.