Marinus Willett: Defender of the Northern Frontier (New Yorkers and the Revolution)

During the War for Independence, citizens like Marinus Willet truly risked their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor" to establish the republic in which they fervently believed. Willet's bravery and unflinching dedication to the cause of liberty made him a hero of Fort Stanwix in 1777 and saved the Northernn Frontier for the patriot cause in 1781. He was a superb warrior, but the contradictions in his complex personality kept him from converting his military reputation to a successful career in New York's tangled politics.