Battle of Johnstown
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Johnstown was fought in Johnstown
, New York
. It was one of the last battles in the American theatre of the American Revolutionary War
, with approximately 1400 engaged at Johnstown on October 25, 1781. Local American forces, led by Colonel Marinus Willett
of Johnstown, ultimately put the British
forces under the command of Major John Ross of the King's Royal Regiment of New York
and Captain Walter Butler
of Butler's Rangers
to flight. This was the first time so many British regular army
troops participated in a border raid in this area. The British retreated northwards and Marinus Willett
marched to German Flatts to cut them off.
had been a major area of internecine warfare throughout the American Revolution. By 1780, raids conducted by British soldiers, mercenaries, loyalist
militia, and their Mohawk
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.
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 Fort Plain and Fort Stanwix
on the frontier. Repeated raids further depleted the ranks of the local militia, already decimated by the Battle of Oriskany
, by desertions, abandonment of the valley, and occasional casualties. In response to these increasing threats, the Governor of New York, George Clinton
, sent Colonel Marinus Willett
to take charge of the militia and organize the defense of the valley.
That spring and summer, there were a series of small clashes between the opposing forces. On July 9, a Mohawk raiding party attacked Currytown
(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.
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 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.
, 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.
Willett was outnumbered, but 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 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.
Willett was saved by the arrival of his flanking force, which arrived and 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 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.
Willett and the patriot militia pursued the British forces towards their landing on Lake Oneida over the days following the battle. This pursuit continued despite the arrival of a snowstorm which slowed his forces. They caught up with the British forces near West Canada Creek
, and in the ensuing skirmish the captain of the Tory militia, Walter Butler, was killed. That portion of the river was later named Butler's Ford. Following this skirmish, satisfied at their victory, Willett and his forces turned around and headed for their homes.
. The success of Willett's forces effectively ended fighting in the Mohawk Valley. These were among the final material conflicts of the war in North America
, as after Yorktown large scale hostilities largely ended. The combatants eventually concluded the war with the Treaty of Paris
in 1783.
Johnstown (city), New York
Johnstown is a city and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2000 Census, the city had population of 8,511. Recent estimates put the figure closer to 8,100. The city was named by its founder, Sir William Johnson after his son John Johnson...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was one of the last battles in the American theatre of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, with approximately 1400 engaged at Johnstown on October 25, 1781. Local American forces, led by Colonel Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
of Johnstown, ultimately put the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
forces under the command of Major John Ross of the King's Royal Regiment of New York
King's Royal Regiment of New York
The King's Royal Regiment of New York was one of the first Loyalist regiments raised in Canada during the American Revolutionary War....
and Captain Walter Butler
Walter Butler (Loyalist)
Walter Butler was a British Loyalist officer during the American Revolution. He was born near Johns town, New York, the son of John Butler, a wealthy Indian agent who worked for Sir William Johnson...
of Butler's Rangers
Butler's Rangers
Butler's Rangers was a British provincial regiment composed of Loyalists in the American Revolutionary War, raised by Loyalist John Butler.Most members of the regiment were Loyalists from upstate New York...
to flight. This was the first time so many British regular army
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
troops participated in a border raid in this area. The British retreated northwards and Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
marched to German Flatts to cut them off.
Background
New York's Mohawk ValleyMohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
had been a major area of internecine warfare throughout the American Revolution. By 1780, raids conducted by British soldiers, mercenaries, loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
militia, and their Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
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.
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 Fort Plain and Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction was started on August 26, 1758, by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War...
on the frontier. Repeated raids further depleted the ranks of the local militia, already decimated by the Battle of Oriskany
Battle of Oriskany
The Battle of Oriskany, fought on August 6, 1777, was one of the bloodiest battles in the North American theater of the American Revolutionary War and a significant engagement of the Saratoga campaign...
, by desertions, abandonment of the valley, and occasional casualties. In response to these increasing threats, the Governor of New York, George Clinton
George Clinton (vice president)
George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...
, sent Colonel Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
to take charge of the militia and organize the defense of the valley.
That spring and summer, there were a series of small clashes between the opposing forces. On July 9, a Mohawk raiding party attacked Currytown
Root, New York
Root is a town in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 1,715 at the 2010 census.The Town of Root is in the south-central part of the county and is southwest of Amsterdam.The Erie Canal passes the north part of Root....
(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.
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 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.
Battle
On October 25, 1781, the raiding party made up of British soldiers led by Major John Ross, loyalist militiamen led by Walter ButlerWalter Butler (Loyalist)
Walter Butler was a British Loyalist officer during the American Revolution. He was born near Johns town, New York, the son of John Butler, a wealthy Indian agent who worked for Sir William Johnson...
, and Mohawk warriors traveled through the Mohawk Valley and approached the village of Johnstown
Johnstown (city), New York
Johnstown is a city and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2000 Census, the city had population of 8,511. Recent estimates put the figure closer to 8,100. The city was named by its founder, Sir William Johnson after his son John Johnson...
. 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.
Willett was outnumbered, but 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 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.
Willett was saved by the arrival of his flanking force, which arrived and 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 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.
Willett and the patriot militia pursued the British forces towards their landing on Lake Oneida over the days following the battle. This pursuit continued despite the arrival of a snowstorm which slowed his forces. They caught up with the British forces near West Canada Creek
West Canada Creek
West Canada Creek is a river in upstate New York, USA. West Canada Creek drains the south part of the Adirondack Mountains and empties into the Mohawk River near the Village of Herkimer...
, and in the ensuing skirmish the captain of the Tory militia, Walter Butler, was killed. That portion of the river was later named Butler's Ford. Following this skirmish, satisfied at their victory, Willett and his forces turned around and headed for their homes.
Aftermath
Willett's victory at Johnstown occurred at about the same time that word reached the area of the British surrender at YorktownSiege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
. The success of Willett's forces effectively ended fighting in the Mohawk Valley. These were among the final material conflicts of the war in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, as after Yorktown large scale hostilities largely ended. The combatants eventually concluded the war with the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
in 1783.
Further reading
- Decker, Lewis G. Images of America: Johnstown. Arcadia Publishing (an imprint of Tempus Publishing, Inc.); Charlestown, SC. 1999. ISBN 0-7385-0174-3.
- Simms, Jeptha R., "The Frontiersmen of New York", 1883, G.C. Riggs
- Watt, Gavin, The Burning of the Valleys, 1997, ISBN 1-55002-271-7
External links
- The Hall Battle, or The Battle of Johnstown accessed February 21, 2009