In August 1777, Peter Gansevoort Jr. defended Fort Schuyler (also known as Fort Stanwix) during a three-week siege by a force of 1,700 British soldiers, Tories and Indians under the command of Colonel Barry St. Leger. Gansevoort won the distinction of successfully resisting a British siege in a period when every other continental post in New York was either evacuated or surrendered. His valiant effort led to the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga, a crucial point of the war. Born to an affluent Dutch family in Albany County, New York, Gansevoort was active in several northern theaters...