Battle of Wyoming

Essential Facts

• Also Known As: The Battle of Wyoming is also called the “Wyoming Massacre” or the “Wyoming Valley Massacre.”
• Date: The Battle was fought on July 3, 1778.
• Combatants: The United States and Great Britain.
• Location: The battle took place in the Wyoming Valley of northeastern Pennsylvania, near present-day Wyoming.
• Key American Leaders: Zebulon Butler, Nathan Denison.
• Key British Leaders: John Butler, Sayenqueraghta, Cornplanter, Little Fish.
• Winner: British forces won the Battle of Wyoming.
• Historical Context: The Battle of Wyoming occurred about seven and a half months after the British surrendered at Saratoga, five months after the Franco-American Alliance was formed, and five days after the Battle of Monmouth.

Events

• Winter of 1777–1778 — Colonel John Butler, a Loyalist, planned an expedition to attack American settlements in the Wyoming Valley.
• May 1778 — Butler’s expedition left Niagara.
• May 30, 1778 — Battle of Cobleskill. Joseph Brant led Iroquois forces in a raid on Cobleskill, New York.
• June 1 — Lieutenant Colonel Zebulon Butler arrived at Wilkes-Barre.
• June 26 — Patriot scouts spotted Butler’s expedition and raised the alarm.
• June 30 — Harding Massacre. A party of Loyalists and Iroquois killed and captured a party of settlers working in their fields.
• July 1 — Patriot forces gathered at Forty Fort. Major Butler captured Fort Wintermoot.
• July 3 — Major Butler demanded the surrender of Forty Fort. Patriot forces marched on Fort Wintermoot.
• July 3, 5:00 p.m. — Patriot forces advanced on Fort Wintermoot and attacked the Loyalists. After 30 minutes of battle, the Iroquois ambushed them, breaking the Patriot line and forcing them to flee.
• July 4 — Patriot forces surrendered Forty Fort and the other forts in the Wyoming Valley.

Significance

The Battle of Wyoming is important to American History because it was part of a series of raids carried out by Loyalist and Iroquois forces on the Western Frontier. The Second Continental Congress responded to the raids in 1779 by sending General John Sullivan on an expedition into Iroquois territory. Sullivan and his men destroyed 40 towns and burned fields, forcing many of the Iroquois to abandon their homes and flee to Fort Niagara for safety.

History

The Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania is a 25-mile stretch that runs along the Susquehanna River below the Lackawanna River near present-day Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In July 1778, a combined force of Loyalists and Iroquois attacked the settlers, who were overwhelmed and suffered significant casualties. In the aftermath, Americans accused the Loyalists and Iroquois of carrying out a brutal massacre.

Colonial Tensions in Wyoming Valley

During the Colonial Era, Connecticut and Pennsylvania had conflicting claims over the Wyoming Valley. Both colonies sent settlers into the region, where they were known as “Yankees” (Connecticut settlers) and “Pennamites” (Pennsylvania settlers). Over time, the two factions clashed in what is called the Pennamite-Yankee War. 

Despite their differences, most of the valley’s 3,000 residents supported the Patriot Cause. On August 1, 1775, they resolved to “…unanimously join our brethren in America in the common cause of defending our liberty.” 

However, many people living in the valley were suspected of being Loyalists. Committees of Vigilance were formed to monitor suspicious activities.

• Suspected Loyalists were harassed, and some were arrested and sent to Simsbury Prison in Connecticut, where they were held underground in the old mines.
• In January 1778, 27 suspected Loyalists were arrested; 18 were imprisoned in Connecticut, and the others fled from the area.

Forts in Wyoming Valley

There were various forts in the Valley, along with various blockhouses, which were built to help protect the settlers against Indian raids. The primary forts ran along the Susquehanna River, and most of them were on the west side of the river. From north to south, these forts were:

1. Pittston Fort — on the east side of the river, near Pittston Ferry.
2. Jenkins’ Fort — built around the home of John Jenkins on the west side of Pittston Ferry, south of Pittston Fort.
3. Wintermoot Fort — in present-day Exeter, PA, west of Wintermoot Island (Monocanock Island), built by the Wintermoot Family.
4. Forty Fort — in present-day Forty Fort. The walls were made from logs, which were 15-16 feet tall and sharp at the top.
5. Wilkes-Barre Fort — in Wilkes-Barre, similar in structure to Forty Fort. On the east side of the river.
6. Plymouth Fort — located in Plymouth, also known as Shawnee Fort.

Formation of the Westmoreland Independent Companies

On August 23, 1776, Congress asked the Valley to provide two companies of troops for the Continental Army. Around 160 men, led by Robert Durkee and Samuel Ransom, joined the army. 

• The companies were formed by September 17, 1776.
• These were known as the Westmoreland Independent Companies.
• On December 12, 1776, they were ordered to join General George Washington’s forces in New Jersey.

Increasing Threats of Native American Indian Attacks

During the Saratoga Campaign, the Iroquois Tribes allied with the British suffered heavy casualties at the Siege of Fort Stanwix and the Battle of Oriskany. The Iroquois responded by temporarily withdrawing from the campaign.

By September, rumors were spreading that General Guy Carleton, Joseph Brant (a Mohawk war chief), and Major John Butler were assembling an expedition at Oswego to attack American settlements on the Western Frontier, including those in the Wyoming Valley. Butler was in command of this expedition.

By this time, the war in the Northern Theater was at a stalemate. British forces controlled New York City, while American forces controlled the Hudson River Valley. British military leaders hoped to break the stalemate by using Loyalists and Native American Indian allies to attack American settlements on the Western Frontier. They hoped this would force the Americans to divert troops to the frontier, weaken their position, and expose the Hudson Highlands to an attack.

• Most of Butler’s men spent the winter of 1777–1778 at Niagara. However, some Indians stayed at Unadilla and Oghwaga.
• In January 1778, an American spy from the Cherry Valley area learned Butler had made a treaty with the Iroquois and intended to begin his campaign in the spring, hoping to secure control of the Hudson River Valley.
• Rumors quickly spread through the Cherry Valley and Tryon County that the settlements were in danger.
• Letters were sent to George Clinton, the Governor of New York, and General Philip Schuyler, warning them of the impending danger.

AHC Note — During the early part of the war, the Iroquois Confederacy was neutral. However, the tribes eventually divided. The Oneida and Tuscarora allied with the Americans, while the Onondaga, Mohawk, Seneca, and Cayuga allied with the British.

Schuyler Asks Congress to Take Action

In February 1778, General Schuyler warned Congress that the Iroquois were planning to attack, and he asked for a preemptive strike:

“A number of Mohawks and many of the Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas will commence hostilities against us as soon as they can. It would be prudent, therefore, early to take measures to carry the war into their country. It would require no greater body of troops to destroy their towns than to protect the frontier inhabitants.” 

However, Congress was unable to spare troops for such an attack.

The Indian Threat Increases

As the spring of 1778 approached, the threat of an Iroquois attack increased:

• In February, a Tuscarora Indian told Josiah Parke that Loyalists and Indians intended to “…strike first on the Susquehanna near Wyoming and take that place with 4,000 men, and then come through to the North River.”
• In March, two Indians warned the settlers in the Cherry Valley to leave because the “…enemy will be very soon in these parts.”

On March 9, a council was held at Johnstown, New York. American leaders, including Marquis de Lafayette, met with around 700 Indians, hoping to convince them to lay down their arms. The negotiations failed, and the Indians made it clear they wanted “…revenge for their lost friends and tarnished glory…” resulting from Oriskany and Fort Stanwix.

Hostilities Begin

By the end of May, Joseph Brant was leading raiding parties into the Susquehanna Valley in search of food and supplies. On May 30, 1778, Brant raided Cobleskill and burned nine houses. He was attacked by American forces, but the Indians pushed them back, and they were forced to retreat. The settlers who survived the Battle of Cobleskill escaped to Schoharie. 

Afterward, Brant moved into Cherry Valley. On June 5, Colonel Samuel Clyde wrote a letter to General John Stark, who was in command of American forces at Albany. Clyde told him:

“The inhabitants of Bowmans Creek have left their inhabitations; Springfield likewise; and the people of Newtown Martin [now called Middlefield] have come into our settlement, and joined with us to make a stand against the enemy…

…if some immediate help is not sent us; and our wives and children [will be] massacred by a savage enemy. We have made the utmost efforts to stand the enemy and protect our lives and liberty; but cannot stand it much longer, without very timely assistance; and if we should be obliged to give up this settlement, consider what a quantity of provision is here for the enemy; which would enable them to harass the other settlements continually, as they would have no provisions to look for.

Brant lies but about 20 miles from us upon Charlotte River, and as one party comes in, the other goes out, to the destruction of the smaller settlements. The militia that are with us are quite out of patience; and we are afraid they will leave us; and were we to be attacked in the place where we have made a stand — sorry we are to think so, but more to say it — there are not over 30 men that would stand their ground. This, Sir, is our present situation.”

On June 18, Brant attacked Springfield, burned it, and then attacked settlements around Otsego Lake, west of present-day Cherry Valley, New York. A few days after this, settlers in German Flatts reported to Governor Clinton that Brant intended to join forces with Major John Butler and proceed to attack  “…German Flatts and burn and destroy all that came before them.”

• AHC Note — Brant attacked German Flatts in September 1778.

Butler’s Preparations

From his headquarters at Niagara, Major John Butler prepared his forces to move into the Wyoming Valley and attack the settlements.

• In May 1778, Butler left Niagara with his own command, Butler’s Rangers, a unit of Johnson’s Royal Greens, and Loyalist volunteers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
• During the march to Wyoming, Butler was joined by approximately 500 Indians, mostly Iroquois from the Seneca and Cayuga tribes, led by Sayenqueraghta (“Old King”), Cornplanter, and Fish Carrier.
• Butler is believed to have had at least 700 men under his command when he attacked Wyoming, and some estimates go as high as 1,600.

Although Wyoming was remote, it was the largest and most well-defended settlement on the frontier. Butler was confident that an attack would force the Americans to deploy troops to the region. 

Butler also believed he could take control of the Wyoming Valley and move south toward Philadelphia. If so, he could join forces with General Henry Clinton and potentially defeat General George Washington and his army, which was encamped at Valley Forge. 

By the time Butler attacked Wyoming, Clinton was marching north, returning to New York City, and Washington fought him to a draw at the Battle of Monmouth (July 28, 1778).

Butler’s Rangers — A Loyalist Militia unit raised by Butler. Most of the men were from upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania. They fought on the Western Frontier during the war, including Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. The Rangers are most well-known for their role in the Wyoming Massacre and the Cherry Valley Massacre.

Johnson’s Royal Greens — Also known as the “King’s Royal Regiment of New York.” A Loyalist regiment raised by Sir John Johnson that included many men from the Mohawk River Valley. The Royal Greens fought in the Saratoga Campaign and carried out raids on the Western Frontier.

Zebulon Butler Seeks Help

On June 1, Lieutenant Colonel Zebulon Butler arrived in Wilkes-Barre on leave from his duties with the Continental Army. Upon arrival, he was informed of the situation in the Wyoming Valley and quickly took steps to help defend the settlers.

• Butler secured a horse and rode to York, Pennsylvania. 
• By this time, Congress had relocated there (September 30, 1777) after fleeing from Philadelphia.

At York, Butler appealed to the Board of War and asked if the two Westmoreland Independent Companies could be sent to the Wyoming Valley.

• The Westmoreland Companies had spent the winter at Valley Forge.
• In April or May, they were transferred to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to help guard captive Hessians and other prisoners of war.

After making his appeal, Butler rode to Lancaster, where he met with Durkee and Ransom and told them about the threat to their homes. Durkee, Ransom, and Lieutenant James Wells Sr. resigned.

• Ransom and Wells started for Wyoming Valley.
• They were followed by more than 25 of the enlisted men, who also resigned.

Meanwhile, the Board of War received letters from Lieutenant Colonel George Dorrance and Brigadier General Oliver Wolcott, asking Congress to help the settlers.

On June 19, Colonel Timothy Pickering, a member of the Board of War, wrote a letter to General Washington, asking if it was possible to send the Westmoreland Companies to the Valley. However, this was the same day Washington left Valley Forge in pursuit of Clinton.

With Washington engaged and an attack on Wyoming imminent, Congress took decisive action on June 23:

• The Westmoreland Companies were merged into a single company.
• Simon Spalding was appointed Captain of the new company.
• The company was “…detached from the main army for the defense of the frontiers.”

The next day, June 24, Colonel Butler’s commanding officer, Brigadier General Samuel H. Parsons, wrote him a letter. Parsons informed him that General Horatio Gates, the commanding officer of the Northern Department, approved of his remaining in Wyoming Valley until the threat of an Iroquois attack was over.

Soon after, Spalding’s new Westmoreland Independent Company was joined by Robert Durkee, who had been unable to leave when Ransom and Wells did. The company left Lancaster around June 26 or 27 and started the 110-mile march northeast to Wilkes-Barre, roughly five miles from Forty Fort.

Butler Marches Toward Wyoming

Buter’s route into the Wyoming Valley ran eastward toward Tryon County, then south along Seneca Lake, and finally to Tioga, around 50 miles up the Susquehanna River from Wyoming. 

• Butler paused at Tiogo to build boats and rafts for transportation.
• He sent raiding parties out along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

Joseph Brant also made his way to Tiogo, where he met with Butler. They agreed Butler would continue to Wyoming Valley, but Brant would continue raiding settlements for supplies and provisions. Butler’s expedition left Tioga Point in late June.

Butler’s Proclamation and Loyalist Support

After the Battle of Cobleskill, Major Butler issued a proclamation calling for Loyalists to provide his expedition with supplies. The proclamation invited:

“…all the friends to the Government to join him, and to bring in all their cattle, together with their wives and families, and they should be kindly received…”

• On June 27, 1778, Butler’s full force reached Wyalusing.
• The next day, June 28, Butler’s expedition camped about 20 miles from Wyoming, where the Wintermoot family provided them with provisions.
• The Wintermoots and Butler came to an agreement. The Wintermoots agreed to give up their fort, and Butler promised their safety.
• The Wintermoots also provided Butler with information regarding Patriot defenses.

Patriot Scouting Party

On June 26, Captain Detrick Hewett led a Patriot scouting party out into the Wyoming Valley. They went north, sighted Butler’s expedition, turned around, and headed back, returning to Wyoming on June 30.

The Harding Massacre

On the 30th, before Hewett and his men returned from their scouting mission, about 12 men and boys from Jenkins’ Fort went to work in some fields near the mouth of Sutton’s Creek. 

The party included Benjamin Harding, Stukely Harding, Stephen Harding, Jr., John Gardner, a boy named “Rogers” (about eleven years of age), James Hadsall and his sons James and John (the latter just a boy), Ebenezer Reynolds and Daniel Carr (sons-in-law of James Hadsall), Daniel Wallen, and a black man named Ouocko. Only Benjamin Harding and Stukely Harding carried guns with them.

• Arriving at their destination, the Hardings, together with John Gardner and the boy Rogers, went to work in the cornfield of Stephen Harding Jr., on the flats about three-quarters of a mile up the river from the mouth of Sutton’s Creek.
• The Hadsalls and the rest split up. Some went to work in Hadsall’s cornfield on an island just above the mouth of Sutton’s Creek, and the others went to Hadsall’s tannery, which was on the mainland.

That afternoon, the Hardings were approached by two men, Michael Showers and Frederick Anker, who were suspected Loyalists. What the Hardings and the others did not know is that both men were members of Butler’s Rangers.

• One of the Hardings was on guard as a sentinel while the rest of the party were endeavoring to finish the hoeing of the corn before sunset.
• Showers and Anker approached him and offered to take his place so he could help finish the fieldwork.
• The sentinel agreed, but then Showers and Anker disappeared. 
• Suspecting trouble, Stephen Harding Jr. went to get their horses so they could start the ride back to Jenkins’ Fort. 

While he was gone, the others went looking for Showers and Anker. They followed a path into a ravine, where they were ambushed and fired on by a group of Loyalists and Indians.

• Benjamin and Stukely Harding were wounded. 
• They returned the fire, and a vicious hand-to-hand fight broke out. 
• The Indians, with their spears and tomahawks, rushed the Hardings, brandishing their spears and tomahawks.
• The Hardings and the others fought back but were brutally killed.
• John Gardner was taken as a prisoner.
• Stephen Harding Jr. and one of the boys escaped by running off into the woods.

While this was happening, a second group of Loyalists and Indians attacked the tannery, where they took James Hadsall Sr., his son-in-law Daniel Carr, and a Quocko as prisoners. 

They then hid and waited for the men who were at work on the island to return. The group returned to shore in their canoes. As they made their way to the tannery, the Loyalists and Indians fired on them.

• James Hadsall Jr. was killed.
• Ebenezer Reynolds was wounded but escaped into the woods with Daniel Wallen.

The boy, John Hadsell, was securing the canoes when the attack started. He dove into some branches that hung over the creek. Although the Indians searched for him, he remained hidden and survived the attack. 

• The boy stayed there until nightfall and then made his way back to Jenkins’ Fort.
• That night, the Indians tortured and killed James Hadsall Sr. and Quacko.
• The other survivors returned to the fort the following day.

Patriot Forces Assemble at Forty Fort

Lieutenant Colonel Zebulon Butler returned to Wilkes-Barre, where he was joined by Colonel Nathan Denison, another resident of the Wyoming Valley. Together, they worked with Westmoreland County authorities to organize forces to defend against the impending attack by Major Butler’s expedition. Meanwhile:

• Captain Hewett and his men returned to Forty Fort.
• Roughly 500 women and children took refuge in the fort.
• Militiamen garrisoned seven forts along a 10-mile stretch on both sides of the Susquehanna River.

On the morning of July 1, Colonel Denison was at Forty Fort, and around 400 volunteers slowly assembled. Due to Lieutenant Colonel Butler’s extensive field experience, Denison asked him to take command. Butler agreed and traveled from Wilkes-Barre to Forty Fort. Afterward, Butler and Denison led the militiamen out to search for Major Butler’s expedition.

• They hoped to find the expedition and attack it.
• They went ten miles to Sutton’s Creek without seeing the enemy.

A small contingent was sent to the field where the Hardings were attacked. As they approached, they saw two Indians sitting nearby. They killed them and then retrieved the bodies of the dead settlers.

• The bodies were taken to Jenkins’ Fort, where they were buried the next day.
• The Patriots marched for another 20 miles but, finding nothing, returned to Forty Fort.

Major Butler Captures Fort Wintermoot and Jenkins’ Fort

Although the Wintermoots were suspected of being Loyalists by many in the area, Lieutenant Elisha Scovell of the Exeter Militia commanded Fort Wintermoot. Scovell was likely aware that some of the people taking refuge in the fort were Loyalists. However, this included Michael Showers and Frederick Anker, two of Butler’s Rangers.

While the Patriots were searching for the Loyalists and Iroquois on July 1, two of the Wintermoots met with Major Butler and then led one of his officers, Lieutenant John Turney Sr., back to their fort. 

They arrived early in the evening, and Turney immediately demanded the fort’s surrender. At least one of the Patriots inside the fort, Daniel Ingersoll, tried to resist. However, the Wintermoots made it clear they were aligned with Major Butler. 

The Patriots surrendered, and Lieutenant Scovell signed the Articles of Capitulation for Fort Wintermoot. That night, Major Butler established his headquarters there.

The next day, July 2, Major Butler sent Captain William Caldwell and a contingent of Rangers to Jenkins’ Fort. Stephen Harding Sr. was in command of the fort but did not have the resources to defend it against an attack, so he surrendered.

During the day, skirmishes took place between scouting parties, and the Patriots suffered casualties. 

• Captain Hewett was shot in the hand.
• Samuel Finch was captured by the Rangers.
• Another man, also named Finch, was shot and scalped by Indians.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Butler and Colonel Denison were working to assemble as many men as they could at Forty Fort, Fort Wilkes-Barre, and Fort Pittston.

Major Butler Requests the Surrender of Forty Fort

On the morning of July 3, 1778, Major Butler sent one of the prisoners, Daniel Ingersoll, to Forty Fort, under a flag of truce. Ingersoll was escorted by one of the Rangers and an Indian.

Ingersoll delivered Butler’s message, demanding the fort’s surrender, along with the other forts in the Valley. Butler also demanded the surrender of all public stores and Continental troops. His message said that if the forts were not surrendered, he would attack.

• Colonel Denison declined to accept Butler’s terms.
• However, he suggested he needed time to consult with Lieutenant Colonel Butler and other Patriot officers who were not present.

As soon as Ingersoll and his escorts left, Denison sent a message to Butler at Wilkes-Barre, asking him to join him at Forty Fort as soon as possible. Butler was there by noon, along with most of the Patriot volunteers and militia forces, between 300 and 400 men.

• Lieutenant Colonel Butler held a meeting with the officers, and they agreed not to surrender the fort.
• Butler sent a messenger to the Board of War, which had relocated with Congress to Philadelphia, with news of the impending hostilities.

Meanwhile, an advance party from Captain Simon Spalding’s Westmoreland Independent Company arrived. They were led by Lieutenant Timothy Pierce.

Lieutenant Colonel Butler then looked to delay the attack on Forty Fort and give American reinforcements time to arrive.

• A messenger with a flag of truce was sent to Major Butler to ask for a conference.
• As the messenger approached Fort Wintermoot, some Indians fired on him, and he fled back to Forty Fort.
• A second messenger was sent, who was also fired on and fled.

Although Lieutenant Colonel Butler wanted to wait for reinforcements, others insisted on taking action.

• About two o’clock in the afternoon, the Patriot force at Forty Fort marched out in column formation, headed by Butler and Denison, who were mounted on their horses.
• According to legend, they were followed by a flag-bearer carrying the new “Stars and Stripes” American Flag.
• They marched to the tune of “St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning.”
• The column moved northeast toward Fort Wintermoot.
• Scouts were sent out, and another messenger was sent ahead to Fort Wintermoot to request a conference.

Not long after the column left Forty Fort, three men arrived on horseback — Captain Robert Durkee, Lieutenant Phineas Peirce, and Gershom Prince, who was Durkee’s servant. After a short break to refresh themselves and their horses, they raced ahead and joined the main column, which had stopped to wait for the scouts to return. The scouts reported seeing troops from Butler’s expedition on the move, but they were unsure of their purpose. 

The Patriot leaders discussed their options. Some wanted to wait for reinforcements, but others were certain that it would give the Loyalists and Iroquois time to carry out destructive raids on their homes. Lieutenant Colonel Butler wanted to wait, but Captain Lazarus Stewart accused him of being a coward. According to some accounts, Colonel Denison ordered Stewart to be arrested, and some of the men threatened to revolt.

Eventually, the order was restored, and the decision was made to press forward and attack Fort Wintermoot. Captain Stewart was released and allowed to resume his position. 

Lieutenant Colonel Butler said, “We will march and meet the enemy, if he is to be found, and I will show the men that I dare lead where they dare follow!”

• Around 3:00 p.m., Lieutenant Colonel Butler ordered the troops to cross Abraham’s Creek, form a column, and march up the road in the direction of Wintermoot’s Fort.
• The Patriots marched about two miles northeast. 
• They were within a mile of the fort when they stopped.
• Butler sent a scouting party head, which included Captain Robert Durkee. They were tasked with choosing and marking where they would form their lines of battle.

The Patriot column advanced into an open field on the northwest side of Fort Wintermoot. Lieutenant Colonel Butler was in command of the right side, while Colonel Denison took command of the left side. From right to left, the companies were:

• Captain Hewett’s company of Continentals was on the extreme right.
• The Lower Wilkes-Barre Company (Captain Bidlack).
• The Upper Wilkes-Barre Company (Captain Geer).
• The Kingston Company (Captain Buck).
• The Hanover Company (Captain Stewart).
• The Plymouth Company (Captain Whittlesey) was on the extreme left. 

Lieutenant Colonel Butler rode in front of the line and asked men to volunteer for a scouting party. The volunteers went out and found the Loyalists and Indians gathered near Fort Wintermoot. As they returned to the Patriot column, two Indian scouts fired on them. The Patriots returned fire, but the Indians fled and made their way to the fort.

What the Patriots did not know is that they had been watched by Indian scouts from the moment they left Forty Fort earlier in the day. Major Butler was prepared for the attack and was notified around 4:00 that the Patriots had formed their line of battle about a mile from Fort Wintermoot.

In preparation for the attack, Major Butler ordered his forces to withdraw from the fort and set it on fire. Then, he proceeded to set up an ambush and positioned his men around the open field next to the fort:

• Butler’s Rangers were hidden on one side, behind a log fence.
• The Indians were on the other side, along the edge of a swamp.
• More Indians hid themselves in the field, among tall grasses.

The Battle of Wyoming Begins

Lieutenant Colonel Butler decided to move forward and told his troops. Before he gave them the order to advance, he told them:

“Men, yonder is the enemy. The fate of the Hardings tells us what we have to expect if defeated. We come out to fight, not only for liberty, but for life itself; and, what is dearer, to preserve our homes from conflagration, our women and children from the tomahawk. Stand firm at the first shock, and the Indians will give way. Every man to his duty!” 

Then, on his order, the Patriots moved forward toward Fort Wintermoot and deeper into the open field. They stopped about 150 yards from the burning fort, and final orders were issued. By this time, it was 5:00. Once again, Butler ordered his men to advance.

As the Patriots approached the fort, some of the Indians hiding in the open field rose, fired on them, and then fled to the safety of the fence or the swamp. 

Butler realized the Loyalists and Iroquois were assembled along the fence and ordered his men to turn and fire in that direction. This happened three more times. On the fourth volley, Butler’s Rangers emerged from behind the fence, fired once at the Patriots, and fled. This distracted the Patriots, who continued to move forward. Butler is said to have shouted, “See the enemy retreat! Stand fast, and the day is ours!” The two sides exchanged heavy gunfire for about 30 minutes.

Up to this point, the Iroquois hidden in the swamp had not fired on the Patriots. Suddenly, they emerged from the swamp and ferociously attacked.

• The Patriot Line started to collapse.
• Colonel Denison tried to reform part of the line, but there was confusion, and some of the men thought he ordered them to retreat.
• The Iroquois dropped their guns and attacked with spears and tomahawks.
• Fierce hand-to-hand fighting took place.

The Battle Ends and the Massacre Begins

The Patriots started to flee. The Loyalists and Iroquois chased after them as they ran southwest toward Forty Fort or directly east to the Susquehanna River. A party of Iroquois cut off the retreat to Forty Fort and pushed the Patriots toward the river.

According to some accounts, this is when the battle turned into a massacre, as the Iroquois brutally killed men on the battlefield. Some of them were taken as prisoners, only to be tortured and killed later.

Some of the Patriots tried to escape by swimming to Monocanock Island, in the middle of the Susquehanna River. Some were told to return to shore and told they would not be harmed. However, they were killed soon after they returned. This was the fate of Lieutenant Elijah Shoemaker, who was killed by Loyalist Henry Windecker with a tomahawk after Windecker promised to keep him safe.

• Colonel Denison remained on his horse. He gathered a small group of men who successfully escaped and returned to Forty Fort, where they prepared for an attack.
• Lieutenant Colonel Butler was also able to escape and lead some men back to Forty Fort.

The Fratricide of Wyoming

Those who safely made it to Monocanock Island left their weapons behind and were defenseless. They were forced to hide when the Loyalists and Iroquois passed over to the island. It was there that one of the legendary incidents related to the Wyoming Massacre occurred.

• Giles Slocum, Thomas Baldwin, and Henry Pencel were Patriots who made it to the island and hid.
• Slocum and Baldwin were together and saw that one of the Loyalists was John Pencel Jr., the younger brother of Henry Pencel.
• John Pencel found his younger brother hiding.
• According to Giles Slocum, Henry asked his brother to spare his life.
• However, John shot and killed him, calling him a “Damned rebel.”
• This incident is known as the “Fratricide of Wyoming.”

Aftermath of the Battle

Patriot forces prepared for an attack on Forty Fort. Sentinels were posted, and no one was allowed to leave the fort. Overnight, the people at Forty Fort could hear the screams of men being tortured and killed.

• More survivors returned to the fort. 
• Colonel John Franklin also arrived with militia reinforcements.

By the morning of July 4, there were about 60 survivors at the fort. Others made their way to towns like Wilkes-Barre and Plymouth. Lieutenant Colonel Butler also returned to Wilkes-Barre.

Surrender of Pittston

On July 4, Major Butler sent a party of Rangers and Iroquois to Fort Pittston, which was surrendered by Captain Jeremiah Blanchard. The Articles of Capitulation that Blanchard signed required the other forts to surrender as well.

Negotiations for the Surrender of Forty Fort

Then, Major Butler sent a messenger to Forty Fort, under a flag of truce, requesting to meet with Colonel Denison and discuss the terms of his surrender.

• Colonel Denison agreed and went to meet with Butler.
• Butler demanded that all Continental officers and soldiers in the Valley, including Lieutenant Colonel Butler, should be delivered over to him to be held as prisoners of war. 
• Denison asked if he could discuss the terms with his officers.
• Butler agreed.
• Denison left, promising to return with an answer by 1:00 in the afternoon.

Denison quickly returned to Forty Fort and then rode to Wilkes-Barre to meet with Lieutenant Colonel Butler. They agreed the best solution was to agree to Butler’s terms of surrender. However, Lieutenant Colonel Butler and the other Continental troops immediately left the Valley, so they were not subject to compliance with the terms.

• Denison returned to Major Butler.
• He informed him that the Continental officers and troops had fled.
• Despite this, they agreed to the terms of surrender.
• The formal surrender ceremony was held at 4:00 at Forty Fort.

Forty Fort Articles of Capitulation

Westmoreland, July 4th, 1778.

Capitulation made, & compleated between Major John Butler on behalf of His Majesty King George the 3rd and Col Nathan Denniston of the United States of America.

Article 1st — That the Inhabitants of the Settlement lay down their Arms, and their Garrisons be demolished.

2nd — That the Inhabitants are to occupy their farms, peacably, & the lives of the Inhabitants preserved entire and unhurt.

3rd — That the Continental Stores be delivered up.

4th — That Major Butler will use his utmost influence, that the private property of the Inhabitants shall be preserved entire to them.

5th — That the prisoners in Forty Fort, be delivered up, and that Samuel Finch now in Major Butler’s possession be delivered up also.

6th — That the properties taken from the People called Tories up the River be made good; and they to remain in peacable possession of their Farms, and unmolested in a free Trade, in and throughout this State as far as lies in my power.

7th — That the Inhabitants that Col. Denniston now capitulates for, together with himself do not take up Arms during the present Contest.

Signed {

• Nathan Denniston
• John Butler
• Zerah Breech
• William Caldwell
• Samuel Gustin
• John Johnston

Iroquois Plunder the Fort

After the Articles of Capitulation were signed, the Iroquois ransacked the fort. According to Colonel John Franklin:

“…plundering immediately took place, even while the articles of capitulation were being committed to writing. Complaints were made that the Indians were plundering, when Major Butler sent orders by one of the chiefs to put a stop to it. Complaints were renewed, and Maj. Ezekiel Peirce (who was Clerk of the town of Westmoreland, and keeper of all the records) complained that the Indians had broken open his chest, and were destroying his books. The Westmoreland records were given up and saved, but all the records of Kingston — containing the surveys and the division of the land in the township— with all of Peirce’s private papers, were destroyed.

Major Butler professed to have his feelings injured at such conduct, and reprimanded the Indians, saying that he had pledged his honor that the property of the inhabitants should be preserved…

…Major Butler, turning to one of his chiefs, said: ‘They are your Indians, you must stop them from plundering!’ The chief withdrew, and in a few minutes returned, saying that he could not stop them — that they threatened to tomahawk him. Major Butler observed that he was sorry, but that after a successful battle the Indians would not be commanded. They even threatened his life, on some occasions, when he was endeavoring to prevent them from plundering He requested Colonel Denison to make up a statement of all property that was taken contrary to the agreement contained in the capitulation, and send it to him at his quarters the next morning, and pledged his honor that the full value would be paid.

…After the business was finished in the fort the enemy withdrew in a body, marching out in the same form in which they had entered. About thirty or forty Indians and Tories remained in the fort, but the main body marched to Wintermute’s Fort. The first house they came to after leaving the Kingston fort [Forty Fort] was set on fire, as was also every other house on their way. Major Butler marching at the head of the savages; all was laid in ruins before him — his pledged honor to the contrary notwithstanding.”

The Shades of Death

Many of the people remaining in the Valley believed the Iroquois could not be trusted to uphold the terms of the Articles of Capitulation. Many left their homes and went to Fort Penn in present-day Stroudsburg, about 52 miles southeast of Forty Fort. Along the way, some of them crossed through the Great Swamp, near Bear Swamp, and tried to pass through an area called the “Shades of Death.” It is believed that many of the settlers were lost or trapped in this area and died.

Lieutenant Colonel Butler Seeks Help

On July 4, Lieutenant Colonel Butler left Wilkes-Barre and rode to Fort Allen, which was at Gnadenhutten in Northampton County. He wrote a letter to the Board of War on July 10, reported what happened, and asked for orders:

“I should be glad that, if possible, there might be a sufficient guard sent for the defence of the place, which will be the means of saving thousands from poverty — but [I] must submit to the wisdom of Congress. I desire further orders from the honourable Board of War with respect to myself and the soldiers under my direction.”

Timothy Pickering replied to him on July 15. He said he regretted that “…measures were not earlier taken for the relief of that and the other settlements on the frontiers…” and that:

“…We are informed that Colonel Kowatz, with part of General Pulaski’s corps, is at Fort Penn. Captain Spalding’s company, you hear, is on the Delaware. I should think it advisable for you, with such troops as are with you, to join it. You will co-operate with the Continental troops and militia which shall be collected, and concert with the commanding officers the most effectual measures for stopping the further ravages of the enemy.”

Butler followed Pickering’s advice and joined the troops at Fort Penn.

Spalding’s Westmoreland Independent Company

On the night of the Battle of Wyoming, Ensign Matthias Hollenback, a survivor of the battle, made his way to Wilkes-Barre. Early on the 4th, he took a horse and rode toward Fort Penn, hoping to find Captain Simon Spaulding and his Westmoreland Independent Company. Hollenback was accompanied by another man whose last name was Hageman. 

About 40 miles from Wilkes-Barre, they met Spalding and his men on the road. They told him what had happened, and the company hurried toward Wilkes-Barre. By nightfall, they were 12 miles away at Bear Swamp.

• The men were exhausted by their 30-mile march and needed rest.
• Two of them volunteered to keep going and climb to the top of Wilkes-Barre Mountain to see what was happening. 
• From the mountain, they saw flames rising from the buildings at the upper end of the Valley, which had been set on fire by the enemy on their return march to Wintermoot’s Fort after the surrender of Forty Fort.
• As they returned to their company, they found some fugitives hiding in a house who told them about the battle.
• The scouts returned to Captain Spalding and reported what they had seen and heard.
• Spalding’s company remained near Bear Swamp that night. 
• The following morning, July 5, Spalding decided to return to Fort Penn to await orders.

Before leaving, Spalding and his men gave provisions to Hollenback and Hageman. On the way back to Forty Fort, they distributed them to fugitives along the road.

Butler Withdraws, but Atrocities Continue

Major Butler and his expedition withdrew from the Wyoming Valley on July 8, 1778. However, small parties of the Iroquois remained, continuing to attack homes and settlers. These ongoing attacks contributed to the idea that a massacre had taken place.

• Rumors of gruesome atrocities spread, fueling public outrage.
• Reports suggested Butler’s men had killed everyone living in the Valley.
• Newspapers accused them of killing Patriots who were trying to surrender.

Butler continued to send out contingents to raid and harass settlers, including a party of 20 Rangers and Iroquois who raided homes in the Lackaway District near the Delaware River. 

Soon after, Butler became sick, left the expedition, and returned to Niagara. Captain William Caldwell took command and marched to Oghwaga. Butler instructed him to issue orders “to every party you send out to burn and destroy everything they possibly can. If we can prevent the enemy getting in their grain, their general army — already much distressed — must disperse, and their country fall an easy prey. You are to enlist into the ‘Rangers’ as many able-bodied men as you can, who are recommended for their loyalty.”

Butler Blames the Iroquois for the Massacre

In the aftermath of the battle, Major Butler denied that he ordered a massacre and placed the blame for any atrocities on the Iroquois. He wrote his official report on July 12, 1778, and said, “…not a single person was hurt except such as were in arms; to these in truth the Indians gave no quarter.”

Patriot Forces Respond

Colonel Thomas Hartley arrived in the Valley with the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment to protect the few settlers who remained.

• In September, Colonel Hartley and Colonel Nathan Denison led a retaliatory attack.
• Denison broke the terms of the parole he had agreed to.
• The Patriot force moved up the East Branch of the Susquehanna River, destroying several Indian villages along the way and capturing some prisoners.
• They were forced to withdraw after learning that Joseph Brant was assembling an Indian force near Unadilla.

Governor George Clinton of New York also called for the organization of an expedition to go into Western New York and attack the Iroquois.

The Fate of Loyalists in the Wyoming Valley

After Major Bulter’s forces withdrew from the Wyoming Valley, most of the Loyalists moved out. Although some of them might have intended to return, they did not for two main reasons:

1. Sullivan’s Expedition (1779) retaliated against the Loyalists and Iroquois for the Wyoming Valley Massacre and Cherry Valley Massacre. 
2. British forces surrendered at Yorktown (1781), essentially ending the war.

The Wyoming Valley Loyalists, like many others, are believed to have moved to Canada or Europe.

First Accounts of the Battle of Wyoming

The first newspaper to publish reports about the Battle of Wyoming was the Pennsylvania Packet on July 14, 1778. The brief article said:

“Mr. Butler, formerly an Indian Agent under Sir William Johnson, with a considerable force consisting of regular troops and Indians, have made an attack on the settlement at Wioming, and have done some mischief. The particulars are not yet come to hand.

Congress have it under their consideration.”

Six days later, on July 20, the first account of the Battle of Wyoming appeared in the New York Journal. Although portions of the article are accurate, it exaggerates the actual events.

“Poughkeepsie, July 20.

Since our last, many of the distressed refugees from the Wyoming settlement on the Susquehanna, who escaped the general massacre of the inhabitants, have passed this way, from whom we have collected the following account…

The Tories and Indians had given some disturbance to these settlements last year…and the Tories concealed themselves among our different settlements. The inhabitants, having discovered that many of the Tories who had stirred up the Indians and been with them in fighting against us, were within the settlements, twenty-seven of them were in January last taken up and secured. 

Of these, eighteen were sent to Connecticut; the rest, after being detained some time and examined, were, for want of sufficient evidence, set at liberty. They immediately joined the enemy, and became active in raising in the Indians a spirit of hostility against us.

Saturday morning, July 4th, the enemy sent 196 scalps into Fort Kingston [Forty Fort], which they invested on the land side, and kept up a continual fire upon. That evening [Saturday, July 4th] Col. Zebulon Butler with his family quitted the fort and went down the river. Col. Nathan Denison went with a flag to Exeter Fort to know of Col. John Butler what terms he would grant on a surrender. Butler answered, “The hatchet!” 

Col. Denison returned to Fort Kingston, which he defended till Sunday morning, when his men being nearly all killed or wounded he could hold out no longer, and was obliged to surrender at discretion.

The enemy took away some of the unhappy prisoners, and shutting up the rest in the houses set fire to them, and they were all consumed together. These internals then crossed the river to Fort Wilkesbury [Wilkes-Barre], which in a few minutes surrendered at discretion. 

About seventy of the men, who had listed in the Continental service to defend the frontiers, they inhumanly butchered; and then, shutting up the rest, with the women and children, in the houses, they set fire to them, and they all perished together in the flames. After burning all the buildings in the fort they proceeded to the destruction of every building and improvement (except what belonged to some Tories).

When these miscreants had destroyed the other improvements they proceeded to destroy the crops on the ground, letting in the cattle and horses to the corn, and cutting up as much as they could, or what was left. Great numbers of the cattle they shot and destroyed, and cutting out the tongues of many others, left them to perish.

Captains James Bidlack, Robert Durkee and Samuel Ransom being made prisoners by the enemy, they stripped Bidlack, tied him to a tree, and stuck him full of sharp splinters of pine knots; then, piling a heap of pine knots around him, they set all on fire, put Durkee and Ransom into the fire, and held them down with pitchforks…Parshall Terry, [Jr.], the son of a man who bore a very respectable character, had several times sent his father word that he hoped to wash his hands in his heart’s blood. Agreeable to such a horrid declaration, the monster, with his own hands, murdered his father, mother, brothers and sisters, stripped off their scalps, and cut off his father’s head.”

Burying the Dead

On October 22, 1778, the bodies of those killed in the battle were gathered from the battlefield and buried in a common grave.

Battle of Wyoming APUSH

The Battle of Wyoming is part of the following units, topics, and chapters in the AP US History curriculum:

Unit 3: 1754–1800

• 3.5 — The American Revolution

American Pageant Notes

Chapter 8 — America Secedes from the Empire (1775–1783)