Item 13: A Narrative by “Unknown” of the “Battle of Wyoming”, [ca. aft. 1778 July 3]

Item — Box: 12, Folder: 53

Staff Only

A Narrative by “Unknown” of the “Battle of Wyoming”, [ca. aft. 1778 July 3]

Dates

[ca. aft. 1778 July 3]

Access:

All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.

Extent

1 items

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Type of Material:

Narrative/Speech

General Condition:

Fair. The page has some discoloration and tearing.

Measurements:

9 ⅞ in. x 8 in.

Description:

The following item depicts a narrative sketch of the Battle of Wyoming, written by an unknown party and at a date following sometime after the battle on July 3, 1778. In the speech, the addressor mentions the details of the attack, explaining how they were attacked by a company at Kingston fort, composed of British loyalists, commanded by John Butler, loyalist, and Joseph Brant, a chief of the Mohawks. Colonels Zebulon Butler and Nathan Denison were the commanding officers left at the forts, and who took up command when the attacks began. They fled to the forests and other outlying forts when they became overpowered when they heard that the inhabitants and forts of Wintermute were being attacked. The writer also mentions that the battle was not contained to the forts themselves, but that the confronting party burned all their buildings and the lands they pursued them through. In the final writings of the battle, the writer explains that there was a misunderstanding when Nathan Denison sounded an order to push in on the side that the enemy were pushing in on, with many of the men thinking they were to retreat. The writer explains that the chaos overcame the efforts to destabilize the line, and this caused the front to dissolve. They fled to Wilkes Barre, but as there were orders for people not to house the Continental army, no one would grant them access. In the last paragraphs of the fragmented account we possess, the writer explains that there were many men killed, leaving their troops with only elderly, women and children. The writer attempts to be writing a correction of the account, as they state that these are the correct accounts of that day, and use their final lines in correcting a character sketch of Zebulon Butler. We have another item that depicts a similar intent to correct the record of the Battle, particularly Zebulon Butler’s actions during that battle. 12.79. Item 38: Letter from Elisha Blackman to “the National Gazette,” 1820 December. The language is more memorial based, inferring that the speech is a time removed from the immediacy of the battle.

Location:

A correct narrative of the Transactions on the day of the Wyoming Battle, including some days previous and subsequent taken from the information of persons that was personally present, and escaped out of the Battle. On the day of July 1778 information was given that the Indians had fallen upon ^& killed men that was at work about ten miles up the Susqueh[anna]h (sic) [Susquehanna] river above the Fort in Kingston a number of men was, ordered by Col[onel] Dennison (who Colo[nel] Comm[an]d[e]r of the militia) to proceed to the place and make such discoveries as they could and report this proceedings- the men proceeded to the place found the murdered men but the Indians had disappeared, some information was afterwards received which caused a belief that the enemy was in some considerable force secreted [hidden] in the Roads, which caussed (sic) [caused] the Inhabitants to flee to the little Forts, erected in the Neighbor[hoo]d built of loggs (sic) [logs] and built around generally inclosed a single house, the men assembled at the Fort in Kingston being the largest and contained several Buildings, on the ^morning of the 3d day of July information was rec[eive]d ^at the fort in Kingston that the enemy had taken a small Fort about three miles above called Wintermout [Wintermoot] and it appearing probable that the enemy would loose (sic) [lose] no time but pursue this course and attack the Kingston Fort without delay it was therefore concluded and the fort being was being not capable of defence in it their situation, that if they should sustain themselves in

Page 2:

the Fort, the enemy would destroy the surrounding country, burn their house and drive off their Cattle &c [ecetera] it was therefore concluded to March out and meet the enemy in the open field and there was a placed agreed on to waylay the enemy in a very advantageous place on the rout[e] (sic) the Enemy must Necessarily come, Colo[nel] Butler and Colo[nel] Denison then with about two Three Hund[re]d men marched about one mile to the place agreed on and remained waiting for the enemy untill some time in the afternoon, when no enemy appearing (sic) [appeared] and information bei[n]g (sic) rec[eive]d, that the enemy were burning and plundering houses in the neighborhood of Wintermute Fort they concluded they would proceed on and attack them at any place they could find them, after Marching about a Mile they were discovered by some Indians, who were plundering a house the alarm soon reached the main body of the enemy Commanded by Colo Jno [John] Butler & an Indian by the name of Brant who immediately set the fort on fire and form[e]d(sic) a line for Battle extending from where the fort was on fire at the Southeastern extremity of the woods Northwesternly across a plain full of trees and law Battles under fire [illegible] to borders of a thick swamp, the Americans immediately formed in like manner and Marched up and met the enemy and the Battle commenced, and the Americans kept their ground with firmness for some time, the right wing where Col[onel] Butler was in person was advancing and the enemy falling back when the left wing was in danger of being surrounded by enemy right wing who was attempting to cross the swamp and fall in their rear Col[onel] Dennison

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Col[onel] Denison who was commanding on the left wing of the Americans ordered his men to fall back and met the enemy as they come out of the Swamp, the men that did not hear the Col[onel]’s order thought a retreat was ordered and it soon went through the line and a retreat was the Consequence Col[onel] Butler at this time left the right and on horse back was proceeding along the line towords the left when about halfway he found the men retreating and the enemy advancing he & Col Denison- forced —with the other officers made every effort in their power to form stop the men but they were Militia and under no discipline and it had by this time become a Riot and the men could not be stopped all of which was Mass around except about 20 or 1530 the next day the enemy made their attack before the fort in Kingston and demanded a surrender Col[onel] Denison knew it was impracticable to defend the fort having in the fort but a few Men mostly old men and a number of women and children be intered(sic) [entered] into a Capitulation with Colo[nel] John Butler who commanded the British and Indians who agreed that if he surrendered the fort the lives and property of those in the fort should be respected but contrary to their stipulation, as soon as they entered the fort the Indians began to plunder the people when complaint was made to Colo[nel] John Butler he said they were Indians and he could not restrain them, the people then found that they were not to be protected in their property they fled leaving the fort and all their goods in the hands of the Indians, who after plundering what they pleased set fire to the Buildings and the next day proceeded Back:

on to Wilkesbarre where they found the Inhabitants all fled and no one to resist them, they plundered such Articles as the[y] (sic) could carry away and then set fire to the Town and the small fort that was made of timber around a single house, the country contained within the valley called Wyoming was by this time totally deserted by its Inhabitants and ful[l] (sic) a prey to these inhuman savages & British tories and was Burnt not leaving scarcely a solitary house or Barn in the whole Valley

Third Page: [Fragmented]

keep together and when any of the enemy approached ordered them to fire upon them and by that means he and his men come safe into the first at Kingston and as the enemy refused to give quarters to any Continental officer or Soldier there was no probability of accessing the fort as there was but few men to defend it all the men would fight was killed in the Battle except a Dozab[ou]t a Doz[e]n he proceeded on WilkesB[arr]e where his family resided, the next morning after Col[onel] Denison had a parley with the enemy he Col[onel] Denison sent word to Col[onel] Butler that the enemy would give no quarters to Continental officers or Soldiers Col[onel] Butler then proceeded on to the Inhabitants in Northampton County it is not true that Colo[nel] Denison made defended the first in Kingston until he lost almost all his men, because he had but a verry(sic) few men in the fort, but a considerable number of Women & children,- it is not true that the savages inclosed (sic) [enclosed] men women & children promsicously(?) in the houses & Barracks at forty fort in Kingston (barracks there was none-) to which they set fire and consumed all within- there was not a single person killed at the Kingston Forty Fort it is true that they robbed and plundered them contrary to the articles of capitulation--- it is not true, that when the enemy come to Wilkesbarre the[y] (sic) put all the soldiers of the Garrison to death and burned the women and children in the houses and Barracks, there had not been any inlisted (sic) [enlisted] soldier in the garrison at Wilkesbarre nor was there any Barracks and all the Back:

the men women & children had fled from left Wilkesbarre before the enemy arrived leaving their furniture all(?) in their Houses which either was either plundered & or burnt with the bunch and the whole valley called Wyoming shared the same fate and for the purpose of showing his character to bet the recourse of that stated in the Extract it becomes necessary to give a short acc[oun]t of his Military Character through life while When the British and Canadian French & Indians were at war, the then American Colonies furnished the King with a number of men. Zebulon Butler entered the Kings service under the command of the American Colo[nel] Fitch, he rose by merritt (sic) [merit] from an Ensign to a Capt[ain] commanding a Company Capt[ain] Zebulon Butler was with his company at Crown point in 1761 and with the British troops at the storming and taking of the Havanah (sic) [Havana] in Oct[ober] 1762 that he and his Company was on Board the Royal Duke Transport on his way to America Oct[obe]r 21st 1762 and in Dec[ember] 1762 he was in America and honorably discharged that he entered the American Army under Gen[era]l Washington a Lieut[enant] Colo[nel] and was promoted to a full Colo[nel] and at the Close of the war commanded one of the best Reg[imen]ts the army he was Gen[era]l Washingtons personal friend, -I have seen letters from the Gen[era]l Washington to him after the close of the war, written in very friendly terms, it is passing strange that after serving so long under British officers and Americans, he has not before been disc[ribe]d (sic) [described] to be a Coward and a traitor