In 1777, the British planned to isolate New England by controlling New York's Hudson River Valley. This involved a three-pronged attack converging on Albany. Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger was to lead a western expedition through the Mohawk Valley, a crucial area for agriculture, trade, and the Iroquois Confederacy.

Fort Stanwix, an abandoned British fort, became strategically vital as it guarded the Oneida Carrying Place, connecting the Mohawk River to Lake Ontario. The Americans, recognizing the threat, sent Colonel Peter Gansevoort to rebuild and garrison the fort with about 550-600 men. They worked to repair the fort's defenses under harassment from enemy parties and pressure from the impending British advance.

St. Leger's force, numbering 1600-1900 men, was a diverse group of British regulars, Loyalists, Canadian militia, and Iroquois warriors from the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga nations. However, the Oneida and Tuscarora nations sided with the Americans, causing a split within the Iroquois Confederacy. This division created weaknesses within St. Leger's coalition.

Upon arriving at Fort Stanwix, St. Leger attempted to intimidate the Americans into surrendering, but Colonel Gansevoort refused. St. Leger's bombardment proved ineffective due to inadequate artillery. The initial days of the siege saw minor skirmishes. St. Leger's miscalculation regarding the fort's condition and the garrison's resolve hindered the British efforts.

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