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Battle of Johnstown

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600:"cried out to his pursuers to "Shoot and be damned" which he had no sooner done than he was struck by a Ball from one Louis The Indian waded over and scalped him." ... The words of Shaver are echoed by Richard Casler who states ... "When Willett's men came upon the enemy they were drying their cloaths by fires & were surprised at that place Walter Butler was killed by an indian (he believes) an Oneida indian. He (Casler) was there & saw the indian who killed Butler & who had Butlers Coat and scalp The indian shot Butler from across the Creek Butlers Sergeant was also killed at this place." ... John Stalker also states that ... "Col. Butler was killed by an Indian by the name of Lewey who had the command of the American Indians."... But, Nicholas Smith & John Kennada both state that the Indian who shot Butler was "Saucy Nic:", not "Louis", and Rozel Holmes states that it was "Harmanus", a Schoharie Indian, who actually killed Butler and scalped him. Thus it is doubtful we will never know which one of these three men actually dispatched Mister Butler, but there is no doubt that he was killed and scalped. Concerning the fate of Walter's body, John Canada testifying in favor of Tall William receiving a Revolutionary War Pension stated: ... "That he was together with the said Tall William engaged in a battle at West Canada Creek in which Col. Butler was shot through the head and killed and in which the enemy were defeated and after the battle was over I took from the pocket of Col. Butler a half guinea and Black William took the shoe Buckles from his feet and saucy Nick another member of our Tribe & the one who shot Col. Butler took his Clothing and occasionally after that wore the same". ... 269: 225: 292: 281: 244: 134: 22: 576:, and Mohawk warriors traveled through the Mohawk Valley and approached the village of Johnstown. Colonel Willett had gathered a force of patriot militiamen and begun pursuing the raiding party. Willett's force caught up with the British at Johnstown itself after noon. As the forces approached each other, a series of small skirmishes broke out in and around Johnstown. 583:
Willett was saved by the arrival of his flanking force, which attacked the British rear when they were on the verge of capitalizing on the collapse of the American right flank. The battle then broke up into small groups on both sides fighting each other. Surrounded, the British began retreating from
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Willett was outnumbered, but he divided his forces and sent a small group of men around the enemy flank to attack them from the rear. He advanced his men across an open field towards the British, who withdrew into the edge of a forest. There followed an intense fight, and the only artillery piece on
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In the fall, however, a much larger force made up of British regulars, loyalists, and Mohawk warriors entered the valley, several hundred strong. On October 24, 1781, they once again captured Currytown, but did not burn it to prevent rising smoke from warning Willett and the militia of the raid. The
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Concerning the events of that day, Henry Shaver, one of forty white men chosen at Fort Plank by Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willett to accompany a band of Oneida Indians under the command of Colonel Lewis Cook in pursuit of Major John Ross forces after the Battle of Johnstown, stated ... "That he"
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raid was discovered by a pair of militia scouts and warning of their presence was spread throughout the county. Before Willett was able to organize the valley's defense, the raiding party attacked a number of small towns and homesteads, burning buildings and killing settlers along the way.
556:(also known as Corrystown), but was later chased down and defeated by Willett's men. Another raiding force soon after was forced to retreat after one of its members warned local settlers. Willett's militia was successful in warding off these and other attacks. 580:
the field, which began in the possession of Willett's men, was captured and recaptured repeatedly. For unknown reasons, the militia on Willett's right flank suddenly turned and fled in a panic, and Willett tried to halt the retreat and turn his men.
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allies had devastated the valley. The 1780 fall crop had been destroyed before harvest, and a number of small settlements had been abandoned as settlers sought safety from the attacks.
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That portion of the river was later named Butler's Ford. Following this skirmish and satisfied with their victory, Willett and his forces turned around and headed for their homes.
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In addition to the hundreds of buildings burned and the civilian casualties, amounting to 197 dead in 1780 alone, these raids threatened the American supply routes to
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the area towards a nearby mountaintop. Each side suffered a number of killed and wounded, though the British lost more men to capture than the Americans.
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had been a major area of internecine warfare throughout the American Revolution. By 1780 raids conducted by British soldiers, mercenaries,
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That spring and summer, there were a series of small clashes between the opposing forces. On July 9 a Mohawk raiding party attacked
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Willett's victory at Johnstown occurred at about the same time that word reached the area of the British surrender at
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on the frontier. Repeated raids further depleted the ranks of the local militia, already decimated by the
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Over the days following the battle, the British force withdrew towards their landing on
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to try to cut them off. The British managed to escape, but Walter Butler was killed.
436: 396: 799:. Arcadia Publishing (an imprint of Tempus Publishing, Inc.); Charleston, SC. 1999. 1182: 300: 166: 616:. Consequently, it marked the last significant conflict in the Mohawk Valley. The 1286: 1260: 1187: 963: 885: 503: 273: 138: 1308:
Battles in the Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War after Saratoga
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On October 25, 1781, the raiding party made up of British soldiers led by Major
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Simms, Jeptha R., "The Frontiersmen of New York", 1883, G.C. Riggs
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Battles of the American Revolutionary War in New York (state)
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formally concluded the American War of Independence in 1783.
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was one of the last battles in the northern theatre of the
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Encyclopedia of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy)
870: 745:. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2000. pp. 21–23. 1299: 739:"American Revolution, Haudenosaunee involvement" 375: 671:254 families abandoned their farms during 1780. 240: 221: 856: 361: 48:introducing citations to additional sources 835:The Hall Battle, or The Battle of Johnstown 863: 849: 368: 354: 132: 1230:Washington calls off invasion of New York 659:. Trafford Publishing. pp. 153–160. 38:Relevant discussion may be found on the 1070:Battle of Freeman's Farm (1st Saratoga) 648: 646: 644: 642: 640: 638: 636: 634: 632: 1300: 1080:Battle of Bemis Heights (2nd Saratoga) 1075:Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery 478:, with approximately 1,400 engaged at 141:, the American commander in the battle 1287:Washington's Farewell to His Officers 1256:Washington's Headquarters at Newburgh 844: 652: 349: 629: 15: 1313:Battles involving the United States 964:Submarine attack in New York Harbor 872:New York in the American Revolution 775:. United States Department of State 13: 789: 14: 1359: 828: 492:King's Royal Regiment of New York 111:American Revolutionary War battle 949:New York and New Jersey campaign 486:and militia, commanded by Major 290: 279: 267: 242: 223: 31:relies largely or entirely on a 20: 1318:Battles involving Great Britain 1323:Battles involving the Iroquois 969:Staten Island Peace Conference 765: 731: 722: 701: 692: 683: 674: 1: 1116:Raid on Unadilla and Onaquaga 707:Nicholas Smith, RWPA #S16252. 623: 572:, loyalist militiamen led by 513: 482:on October 25, 1781. British 797:Images of America: Johnstown 719:Tall William, RWPA, #R21851. 689:Richard Casler, RWPA #W6637. 607: 7: 959:New York Prison Ships begin 928:Capture of Fort Ticonderoga 891:First Liberty poles erected 728:Rozel Holmes, RWPA #S13445. 698:John Stalker, RWPA #S19478. 680:Henry Shaver, RWPA# S11371. 10: 1364: 1096:Setauket Spy Ring launched 837:accessed February 21, 2009 815:The Burning of the Valleys 476:American Revolutionary War 126:American Revolutionary War 1333:1781 in the United States 1282:British evacuate New York 1269: 1248: 1213: 1205:Battle of Fort St. George 1170: 1134: 1088: 1035:Siege of Fort Ticonderoga 1017: 1009:Battle of Fort Washington 941: 920: 904: 878: 563: 387: 323: 310: 260: 215: 145: 131: 123: 118: 1348:1781 in New York (state) 994:Battle of Valcour Island 989:Execution of Nathan Hale 979:Battle of Harlem Heights 1343:Fulton County, New York 1225:runs aground at Montauk 1200:Battle of Klock's Field 1178:Battle of Young's House 1111:Attack on German Flatts 1065:Battle of Staten Island 773:"Treaty of Paris, 1783" 1162:Boyd and Parker ambush 1126:Cherry Valley massacre 1106:West Point established 1004:Battle of White Plains 999:Battle of Pell's Point 984:Great Fire of New York 602: 261:Commanders and leaders 1235:Battle of Fort Slongo 1142:Battle of Stony Point 1045:Siege of Fort Stanwix 954:Battle of Long Island 912:Battle of Golden Hill 597: 412:Unadilla and Onaquaga 324:Casualties and losses 188:43.00722°N 74.37222°W 59:"Battle of Johnstown" 1101:Battle of Cobleskill 1055:Battle of Bennington 974:Landing at Kip's Bay 653:Berry, A.J. (2005). 44:improve this article 1277:Newburgh Conspiracy 1240:Battle of Johnstown 1152:Sullivan Expedition 1040:Battle of Fort Anne 526:militia, and their 480:Johnstown, New York 472:Battle of Johnstown 432:Sullivan Expedition 193:43.00722; -74.37222 184: /  119:Battle of Johnstown 1195:conspiracy exposed 1183:First Purple Heart 1147:Battle of Minisink 1060:Battle of Setauket 1050:Battle of Oriskany 933:Invasion of Canada 896:Stamp Act Congress 543:Battle of Oriskany 378:Northern frontier 1338:Conflicts in 1781 1295: 1294: 1157:Battle of Newtown 1030:Saratoga campaign 795:Decker, Lewis G. 666:978-1-4120-6527-6 593:West Canada Creek 465: 464: 344: 343: 211: 210: 109: 108: 94: 1355: 865: 858: 851: 842: 841: 784: 783: 781: 780: 769: 763: 762: 760: 759: 735: 729: 726: 720: 717: 708: 705: 699: 696: 690: 687: 681: 678: 672: 670: 656:A Time of Terror 650: 500:Butler's Rangers 382: 370: 363: 356: 347: 346: 305: 295: 294: 293: 284: 283: 282: 272: 271: 270: 252: 248: 246: 245: 233: 229: 227: 226: 207:American victory 199: 198: 196: 195: 194: 189: 185: 182: 181: 180: 177: 153:October 25, 1781 147: 146: 136: 116: 115: 104: 101: 95: 93: 52: 24: 16: 1363: 1362: 1358: 1357: 1356: 1354: 1353: 1352: 1298: 1297: 1296: 1291: 1265: 1261:Newburgh letter 1244: 1209: 1166: 1130: 1121:Carleton's Raid 1084: 1013: 937: 916: 900: 886:Sons of Liberty 874: 869: 831: 792: 790:Further reading 787: 778: 776: 771: 770: 766: 757: 755: 753: 737: 736: 732: 727: 723: 718: 711: 706: 702: 697: 693: 688: 684: 679: 675: 667: 651: 630: 626: 618:Treaty of Paris 610: 566: 516: 504:Marinus Willett 468: 467: 466: 461: 442:Boyd and Parker 417:Carleton's Raid 383: 379: 376: 374: 339: 337: 332: 330: 301: 291: 289: 288: 280: 278: 274:Marinus Willett 268: 266: 253: 243: 241: 234: 224: 222: 192: 190: 186: 183: 178: 175: 173: 171: 170: 169: 139:Marinus Willett 137: 112: 105: 99: 96: 53: 51: 37: 25: 12: 11: 5: 1361: 1351: 1350: 1345: 1340: 1335: 1330: 1325: 1320: 1315: 1310: 1293: 1292: 1290: 1289: 1284: 1279: 1273: 1271: 1267: 1266: 1264: 1263: 1258: 1252: 1250: 1246: 1245: 1243: 1242: 1237: 1232: 1227: 1217: 1215: 1211: 1210: 1208: 1207: 1202: 1197: 1185: 1180: 1174: 1172: 1168: 1167: 1165: 1164: 1159: 1154: 1149: 1144: 1138: 1136: 1132: 1131: 1129: 1128: 1123: 1118: 1113: 1108: 1103: 1098: 1092: 1090: 1086: 1085: 1083: 1082: 1077: 1072: 1067: 1062: 1057: 1052: 1047: 1042: 1037: 1032: 1027: 1021: 1019: 1015: 1014: 1012: 1011: 1006: 1001: 996: 991: 986: 981: 976: 971: 966: 961: 956: 951: 945: 943: 939: 938: 936: 935: 930: 924: 922: 918: 917: 915: 914: 908: 906: 902: 901: 899: 898: 893: 888: 882: 880: 876: 875: 868: 867: 860: 853: 845: 839: 838: 830: 829:External links 827: 826: 825: 811: 808: 791: 788: 786: 785: 764: 751: 730: 721: 709: 700: 691: 682: 673: 665: 627: 625: 622: 609: 606: 565: 562: 547:George Clinton 515: 512: 463: 462: 460: 459: 454: 449: 444: 439: 434: 429: 424: 419: 414: 409: 404: 399: 397:Wyoming Valley 394: 388: 385: 384: 373: 372: 365: 358: 350: 342: 341: 334: 326: 325: 321: 320: 317: 313: 312: 308: 307: 276: 263: 262: 258: 257: 238: 218: 217: 213: 212: 209: 208: 205: 201: 200: 161: 159: 155: 154: 151: 143: 142: 129: 128: 121: 120: 114: 113: 110: 107: 106: 42:. 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improve this article
introducing citations to additional sources
"Battle of Johnstown"
news
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books
scholar
JSTOR
American Revolutionary War

Marinus Willett
Johnstown
New York
43°0′26″N 74°22′20″W / 43.00722°N 74.37222°W / 43.00722; -74.37222
United States
Oneida
Great Britain
Iroquois
Marinus Willett
John Ross
Walter Butler

v
t
e
Northern frontier
after 1777

Cobleskill

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