Dyagodiyu

Dyagodiyu. . , [1] Dyagodiyu, The Place of a Battle , As soon as the Women and Children were fled, their fired there owne Castles and all the Men being gon to convey them away except a hundred in a small Fort who had sent out spyes and received information that the French were upon there march towards them, they sent forthwith Messengers to them that were conveying the Women and Children and desired the assistance of as many of their young Men as could conveniently bee spared to turn back and face the French and give battle; whereupon 350 turned back and joyned with the hundred, butt being all young Men, were so eager to fall on, that the Officers could not bring them in a posture to engage, they went out about halfe a league from the Castle, on a small hill, and there stayed for the French army, butt the officers could not persuade them to be in order there neither, all being so firey to engage.... , Seneca sachems , Adondaraheerha , Unedachseno , Awitharoa , Recorded by Robert Livingston, , Secretary for Indian Affairs , August 6, 1687 , [2] Dyagodiyu, The Place of a Battle , On the morrow, we marched in battle order, watching for an attack. We descended the hill by a little sloping valley or gorge, through which ran a brook bordered with thick bushes, and which discharges itself at the foot of the hill in a marsh full of deep mud, but planted with alders so think that one could scarely see. There it was that they had stationed their two abuscades and where perhaps we would have been defeated, if they had not mistaken our advanced guard for the whole army and been so hasty in firing. The Marquis acted very prudently in not pursuing them, for it was a trick of the Iroquois to draw us into a greater ambuscade. , Rev. Francois Vachon , L'Abbe de Belmont , July 14, 1687 , [3] Dayagodiyu, The Place of a Battle , As soon as the Indians residing at the village received intelligence of their approach, they sent news to the inhabitants of the neighboring town of Gah-a-yan-duk. On being reinforced by them, they met the Frech as they advanced towards the former village and a severe battle ensued. On account of their inferior numbers, the Indians were defeated, and fled to a village then located near the foot of Canadaigua Lake. The French advanced, burned the village, and laid waste the adjacent cornfields.... Runners having been despatched by the Senecas to their principal towns...a large force was soon collected to defend the village, and capture the French.... They immediately pursued the French and arrived at the bay a short time too late. The expedition had left the shore and were not yet out of sight. , John Blacksmith, , Do-ne-ho-ga-weh , (Open Door) , 184? , [4] Dyagodiyu, Place of a Battle , As the French and their Indian allies advanced nearly 3,000 strong on Gannagaro, the Seneca prepared an ambush. They placed about one hundred men at Fort Hill to draw the French forward while eight hundred youths waited in two bodies in a swamp and in a ravine near the pathway below. Seneca witnesses would later say their young warriors misttok the advance column for the main body of the French and fire prematurely. A bloody skirmish ensued during which some of the advance party fled in panic. When Denonville brought up his troops to join the fray, the Seneca were forced to retreat. The French army encamped on a height opposite the town that evening and entered unopposed the following day, July 14, 1687.