MASSACRE OF WYOMING. were about to set forth on an expedition against them and made preparations to repel the attack. Entrenchments and redoubts were constructed, and about July 1, 1778, the enemy to the number of about 1,600 Indians, Tories, and English were seen to be advancing. The commander of this motley combination was Colonel John Butler, probably one of the worst of the border ruffians. In the hope that they might deceive the inhabitants as to their intentions, the Indians notified the settlers that they had no hostile designs against them, and even the treacherous Butler sent word that for the present nothing would be done to molest the inhabitants in their daily tasks. Nevertheless, the inhabitants distrusted these professions of peace and with all rapidity pushed forward their preparations for defending the settlement. The able bodied men were placed under command of Colonel Zebulon Butler, while the women and children were sent to the forts as the safest place of refuge. Hardly had this been done when the enemy approached, and pretending that they desired to confer with Colonel Butler, requested that he meet them at some distance from the fort for that purpose. Butler suspected their design and for protection took with him 400 armed men. In this piece of strategy, however, he was at fault, for hardly had he reached the meeting place when the whole body of the enemy surrounded the little band and attacked them from 135 every side. They defended themselves with great bravery, but only the commander and about 20 of his men succeeded in escaping. The enemy now pushed forward to invest the fort and cannonaded it the greater part of the day. After a cessation of the artillery fire, they demanded the surrender of the fort, and accompanying the message sent 196 scalps taken from the slain among Butler's party. Colonel Nathan Dennison, who had now succeeded to the command of the fort, intrepidly defended himself until most of his men had fallen. He then sent out a flag to inquire on what terms the garrison could surrender, and in reply received from the ferocious Butler the answer "the hatchet."* Dennison was obliged to surrender at discretion, still retaining, however, a hope of mercy. In this he was utterly mistaken for Butler's threat was rigorously executed. After a few prisoners had been selected, the remainder of the people, including the women and children, were shut in the houses and barracks, which were then set on fire and the whole consumed together. Another fort in the vicinity, containing 70 Continental soldiers, was also captured and butchered in a similar manner. 136 ATTACKS ON TAPPAN AND EGG HARBOR. plated an attack upon Boston, Washington established his headquarters at Fredericksburg, near the Connecticut border, about thirty miles from West Point. When the British fleet began the return voyage to New York, however, Washington knew that the enemy had no designs in that direction. But Clinton was not inactive; into New Jersey and the territory surrounding New York he sent foraging parties whose conduct was characterized by the same merciless cruelty as we have before noted in connection with their foraging expeditions. Toward the end of September, 1778, a regiment of troops under Colonel George Baylor had encamped near Tappan, New York, to watch a foraging party of British in that vicinity, and in turn were themselves suddenly surprised during the night. The slaughter was terrible and nearly the whole troop were killed.* About the middle of October, Major Patrick Ferguson made a similar assault upon the cavalry corps under Pulaski at Egg Harbor.† Regarding the im cattle in the field, committing all sorts of barbarous acts upon the dumb beasts. One of the prisoners, Captain Badlock (or Bidlack), was tortured by having his body stuck full of splinters of pine knots, and a fire of dry wood made around him; and two of his companions, Captains Ranson and Robert Durkee, were subjected to excruciating torture by being thrown into the same fire and held there with pitchforks until dead. As stated before a number of families had been split in twain over the merits of the cause and the results were seen in this massacre. Partial Terry, son of one of the American adherents, joined the Indian party and several times warned the family that he would exterminate it, if possible. During the massacre he carried out his threat, killing and scalping his father, mother, brothers and sisters. Thomas Terry butchered his own mother, his father-in-law, his sisters and their infant children, thus exterminating the family. A few of the inhabitants succeeded in escaping to the woods where they wandered for days in a starving and destitute condition until they reached habitations which had not been subjected to the savage fury. Such was one of the most dastardly acts perpetrated by the allies of the British. It was one of the darkest stains ever placed on the British escutcheon.* Jones, New York in the Revolution, vol. i., p. 285; Stryker, The Massacre at Old Tappan; Stedman, American War, vol. ii., p. 41; Gordon, Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol. American Revolution, vol. iii., p. 194 (ed. 1788); ii., pp. 219-221. See also Colonel Williams' and Colonel Baylor's letters in Sparks, Correspondence of the Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 211-212, 222–224. Stryker, The Affair at Egg Harbor; Bancroft, vol. v., p. 288; Draper, King's Mountain and its Heroes, pp. 56, 61; Jones, New York in the Revolution, vol. i., p. 287; Gordon, American Revolution, vol. iii., pp. 195-196; Stedman, American War, vol. ii., pp. 43-46; Lamb, City of New York, vol. Pp. 211-212. ii., INDIAN TOWN DESTROYED. policy of the British expeditions at this time, Sparks makes the following remarks: "In fact this point of policy was strangly misunderstood by the British, or more strangely perverted, at every stage of the contest. They had many friends in the country, whom it was their interest to retain, and they professed a desire to conciliate others; yet they burned and destroyed towns, villages, and detached farmhouses, plundered the inhabitants without distinction, and brought down the savages, with the tomahawk and scalping knife, upon the defenceless frontier settlements, marking their course in every direction with murder, desolation and ruin. The ministry approved and encouraged these atrocities, flattering themselves that the people would sink under their sufferings, bewail their unhappy condition, become tired of the war, and compel their leaders to seek an accommodation. The effect was directly the contrary in very instance. The people knew their rights, and had the common feelings of humanity; and, when the former were wantonly invaded, and the latter outraged, it was natural that their passions should be in flamed, and that they who were at first pacifically inclined, should be roused to resistance and retaliation. If the British cabinet had aimed to defeat its own objects, and to consolidate the American people into a united phalanx of opposition, it could not have chosen or pursued more effectual methods." Having now become thoroughly aroused at the atrocious course pursued by the British, Congress also took up the matter, and on October 30 passed the following resolution: "We, therefore, the Congress of the United States of America, do solemnly declare and proclaim that if our enemies presume to execute their threats, or persist in their present career of barbarity, we will take such exemplary vengeance as shall deter others from a like conduct. We appeal to that God who searcheth the hearts of men, for the rectitude of our intentions; and in his holy presence we declare, that, as we are not moved by any light and hasty suggestions of anger and revenge, so, through every possible change of fortune, we will adhere to this our determination." * Life of Washington, pp. 282-283. 137 Profound sympathy for the sufferers at Wyoming was aroused throughout the country, and everywhere indignation was so high that a strong desire to punish the savage invaders became prevalent. For this purpose a regiment and two companies of militia, under the command of Colonel Hartley, marched against the Indian towns, destroyed a few and captured a number of prisoners, but because of the insufficiency of the force a retreat soon became necessary. Another regiment, the fourth Pennsylvania, together with a number of Morgan's .riflemen under command of Lieutenant-colonel William Butler, marched to the defense of the western frontier. After a fatiguing march, Butler reached the Indians towns of Unadilla and Anaquaqua, near the source of the Susquehanna, where a considerable quantity of corn had been stored. Butler quickly destroyed this and the Indian villages, driving the savages far into the interior and rendering a recurrence of their inroads more unlikely. These small expeditions, however, did not inflict sufficient punishment on the Indians to deter them from massacres at other places. On November 11 a body of 500 Indians under Brant, and 200 rangers under Walter Butler made an attack upon the settlement at Cherry Valley, New York. In command of the fort at that place was Colonel Ichabod ** * Clinton Papers, vol. iv., pp. 266-300. |