Sandy Creek was a Early Republic and War of 1812 engagement fought in New York, 1814. It was an American-Oneida victory.
On May 29 and 30, 1814, forces from the United States joined with Oneida Indians in a bid to ambush British troops and sailors who had followed them from Lake Ontario into the interior of northwestern New York, part of the broader conflict of the War of 1812. Before the clash began, the loss of one boat and its discovery by the British stripped the Americans of any hope of catching their enemy unaware. Even so, the plan went forward and proved effective, compelling the whole of the British force
On May 29 and 30, 1814, forces from the United States joined with Oneida Indians in a bid to ambush British troops and sailors who had followed them from Lake Ontario into the interior of northwestern New York, part of the broader conflict of the War of 1812. Before the clash began, the loss of one boat and its discovery by the British stripped the Americans of any hope of catching their enemy unaware. Even so, the plan went forward and proved effective, compelling the whole of the British force to surrender and bringing their push inland to a halt.
Once the British had struck Fort Oswego with success on May 5 and 6, 1814, they pulled back to the Galloo Islands at the northern end of Lake Ontario. From this position they could keep watch over the lake and cut off any supplies making their way toward Sackets Harbor, New York.
Meanwhile, at the shipyards in Sackets Harbor, three vessels sat unfinished: the brigs Jefferson and Jones, along with the frigate Superior, all awaiting the rigging and armament they needed before they could take to the water. Getting these materials to the yard had already involved a long journey, starting at the Brooklyn Naval Yards on Long Island and continuing to Albany, New York. From there the cargo moved up the Mohawk River, passed through Wood Creek and Oneida Lake, and eventually reached the Oswego River. One leg of the trip remained, carrying everything from Oswego to Sackets Harbor, and this final stretch had to happen without drawing British attention.
To handle this task, Commodore Isaac Chauncey issued instructions from Sackets Harbor on April 21, 1814. He directed Lieutenant Melancthon Taylor Woolsey to select five officers and twenty-five men, sail with them aboard USS Lady of the Lake to Oswego, and then escort the shipbuilding materials back north to the waiting yards.
Victory belonged to the Americans, yet British warships continued to control the waters of Lake Ontario. This meant the only route left for hauling supplies onward to Sackets Harbor lay over land. Most of the cargo traveled by ox cart, with one notable exception: the anchor cable meant for the USS Superior, weighing some 9,600 pounds (4,400 kg), proved too unwieldy for such transport. Instead, two hundred volunteers hoisted the massive cable onto their shoulders and bore it the final 20 miles on foot. Working in shifts of a hundred men, each carrying about 100 pounds of the load, they pressed on for three days, slipping past British forces the entire way.
Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.
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