Jan
17, 1781 Battle of Cowpens, SC.
In
late December 1780, British General Cornwallis learned a force commanded
by Rebel General Daniel Morgan was operating in the western region
of North Carolina. Cornwallis realized this force was a threat to
his flank. He ordered Col. Banastre Tarleton to attack and destroy
Morgan’s army.
On
the morning of Jan 17th, Tarleton attacked, but Morgan was ready
for him. In a series of skirmishes and what looked like retreats,
Morgan led Tarleton into a trap. Morgan’s main force held
Tarleton’s advance while cavalry (led by William Washington,
a kinsman of George Washington) turned Tarleton’s flanks.
This was the biggest British defeat since Saratoga.
An
hours fighting cost the British 100 killed and 229 wounded. An additional
600 were captured. American losses were 12 killed and 60 wounded.
Source:
Mark M. Boatner III, Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.
Feb
5, 1781 Gov. Clinton’s letter to Congress.
Historian
Barbara Graymont described the damage inflicted on the New York
frontier in 1780: “It included three hundred thirty killed
or prisoners – fourteen of whom were officers – six
forts and several mills destroyed, over seven hundred houses and
barns burned, and nearly seven hundred head of cattle driven off.
The grain destroyed was immense. Also to be considered was the terror
instilled into the frontier inhabitants and their enforced flight
from once flourishing settlements.”
Governor
George Clinton wrote to Congress: “We are now arrived at the
year 1781, deprived of a great Portion of our most valuable and
well inhabited Territory, numbers of our Citizens have been barbarously
butchered by ruthless Hand of the Savages, many are carried away
into Captivity, vast numbers entirely ruined, and these with their
Families become a heavy Burthen to the distressed remainder …
we shall soon approach to the Verge of Ruin.”
Source:
Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution.
Mar
1781 Indian war parties.
During
the 1781 campaign a large number of Iroquois war parties descended
on the Mohawk and Schoharie Valleys. Many of them attacked settlements
previously devastated and destroyed whatever had been rebuilt. Most
of the parties were small, traveled swiftly, and did much damage.
Source:
Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution.
Mar
15, 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse, NC.
After
avoiding British General Cornwallis’ army for several weeks,
Rebel General Nathaniel Greene decided to make a stand at Guilford
Courthouse, North Carolina. Greene had approximately 4,500 men –
1,600 of whom were Continentals. Most of Greene’s men had
never been in action. Cornwallis’ army consisted of 1,900
men who were all veterans.
Cornwallis
heard Greene had received some reinforcements and thought the Rebel
General now had 10,000 men under his command. Showing his disdain
for the Rebel militia, Cornwallis marched his outnumbered force
into battle.
Greene’s
tactics used Cornwallis’ belief (that the militia would break
and run) against him and so frustrated the British that at one point
Cornwallis fired grapeshot into a melee of his won and Rebel soldiers.
Greene finally retreated (in an orderly fashion) in the afternoon.
Cornwallis left the field for Wilmington, NC the following day.
Greene
sufferd 78 men killed and 183 wounded. The British lost 143 killed
and 389 wounded.
Sources:
Mark M. Boatner III, Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.
Harv
Hilowitz, Revolutionary War Chronology and Almanac.
Apr
28, 1781 Marinus Willett assumes command.
New
York Governor George Clinton appoints Col. Marinus Willett commander
of the New York militia on the frontier.
Source:
Public Papers of George Clinton, Vol VI.
May
22, 1781 Fort Stanwix abandoned.
In
May 1781, Fort Stanwix was in extremely poor condition. The barracks
had been mostly destroyed by fire and heavy spring rains had nearly
demolished the fort.
The
fort had been of little service in recent months in keeping the
enemy from the frontier. To repair it and keep it in a state of
readiness would now require an enormous expense. Rebel General James
Clinton ordered the abandonment of the fort. The garrison was to
take up quarters at Fort Herkimer where they could be more readily
available for a defense of the Mohawk Valley.
Source:
Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution.
Jul
9, 1781 Currytown attacked.
Currytown
settlement was attacked on the morning of July 9th. The raiders were
led by Loyalist Lieutenant John Doxstader and consisted of about 300
(some sources say 500) Indians and a small number of Loyalists. They
killed or captured the settlers and burned the settlement.
Sources:
Lossing, Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution.
James Morrison, Battle of New Dorlach, Tryon County (on Tryon
County rootsweb site).
Jul
10, 1781 Battle of New Dorlach.
Following
the attack on Currystown, Rebel Col. Marrinus Willett, who was in
headquarters at Fort Plain, saw the smoke from the settlement. Assuming
this was the work of Loyalist raiders, he sent out a scouting party
to try and find the enemy. The scouts found the raiders encamped
in a cedar swamp in New Dorlach (present day Sharon Springs). Runners
were sent to inform Col Willett. Upon learning of the enemy’s
location, Willett sent out a call for more militia and immediately
set out to engage the Loyalist force.
Willett
used a favorite tactic of the Indians and led them into an ambush.
The battle lasted an hour and a half. Thinking they were being attacked
by a force larger than theirs, the Indians retreated leaving their
booty from Currytown behind.
Fifty
of the raiders were killed or wounded while Willett’s force
suffered five men killed and nine wounded. This was the first large
raiding party the frontier militia had defeated.
Source:
William W. Campbell, The Border Warfare of New York During the
Revolution.
James
Morrison, The Battle of New Dorlach, Tryon County (Tryon County
rootsweb site).
Jul
1781 Cornwallis establishes base at Yorktown, VA.
British
General Cornwallis established his base at Yorktown, Virginia, a small
peninsula jutting into the Chesapeake Bay. He had approximately 7,000
men and was supported by a British fleet in the bay.
Source:
Harv Hilowitz, Revolutionary War Chronology and Almanac.
Sep
1, 1781 Cobus Kill raid.
About
twenty to thirty Indians and Loyalists attacked the settlement of
Cobus Kill. They plundered and burned “dwellings and buildings
which had escaped the enemy’s visitation four years previous”.
One settler (George Fremire) was killed, and seven other men taken
prisoner.
Source:
Edward Hagan, War in Schohary.
Sep
7, 1781 Scouting party attacked.
Rebel
Lieutenant Solomon Woodworth led a scout of forty-six militia and
six Oneida Indians from Fort Dayton up the West Canada Creek to
look for signs of the enemy. The scout found tracks of a party of
Indians and followed. Those tracks were made by a war party of seventy-four
Onondagas and Cayugas led by Loyalist Lieutenant John Clement. Clement
learned his party was being followed and set an ambush for the Rebels.
One
of the Indian raiders showed himself and Woodworth’s men pursued
him. The entire Rebel scouting party was well into the trap as they
chased the fleeing Indian. The enemy’s first volley left ten
of Woodworth’s men dead or dying.
At
the end of the skirmish, twenty-two militia were dead including
Lt. Woodworth. Nine were captured and taken to Canada. The rest
of the militia and the Oneidas escaped and returned to Fort Dayton.
Only two of the raiders were wounded.
The
site of the ambush was in a deep ravine three miles north of present
day Herkimer on the east side of the West Canada Creek.
Sources:
Paul Keesler, Kuyahoora: Discovering West Canada Valley.
James
Morrison, The Fate of a Scouting Party (Fulton County rootsweb site).
Sep
8, 1781 Battle of Eutaw Springs, SC.
Rebel
General Nathaniel Greene surprised the British army under Lt. Col.
Alexander Stewart as the British were encamped at a place called
Eutaw Springs. This was the last major engagement in the south (until
Yorktown) and was one of the hardest fought actions of the revolution.
After
initial Rebel success, a British counterattack forced Greene to
withdraw, but his army was intact. The British withdrew to Charles
Town. The British were left with only the ports of Savannah and
Charles Town. Their southern strategy was a failure.
Of
approximately 2,200 Rebels engaged, 522 were casualties (139 killed,
375 wounded, and 8 missing). The British had between 1,800 and 2,000
men. They lost 687 (85 killed, 351 wounded and 251 missing). Historians
disagree on the number of missing and prisoners as some count unarmed
foragers captured by the Rebels at the start of the battle and others
do not.
Sources:
Mark M. Boatner III, Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.
Harv
Hilowitz, Revolutionary War Chronology & Almanac.
Sep
15, 1781 French fleet defeats British.
The
French fleet under Admiral de Grasse defeated the British fleet
off the Chesapeake Capes. The British sailed back to New York and
the French blockaded Chesapeake Bay.
Source:
Harv Hilowitz, Revolutionary War Chronology & Almanac.
Oct
3, 1781 Cornwallis trapped.
Over
16,000 French and American troops surrounded British General Cornwallis
at Yorktown, Virginia. With the French fleet blockading Chesapeake
Bay, Cornwallis is trapped with approximately 7,000 British, Hessian,
and Loyalist troops.
Source:
Harv Hilowitz, Revolutionary War Chronology & Almanac.
Oct
19, 1781 Cornwallis surrenders.
British
General Cornwallis surrendered his entire army at Yorktown, Virginia.
This was the final major land battle between large forces. However,
hostilities did not cease for over a year, especially on the frontiers.
Source:
Harv Hilowitz, Revolutionary War Chronology & Almanac.
Oct
25, 1781 Warrensbush attacked.
British
Major John Ross and Loyalist Captain Walter Butler left Oswego on
October 11th to attack the Mohawk Valley. Their force consisted
of some 470 British and Loyalist troops as well as 130 Indians.
On October 24th they attacked and plundered Currytown and then marched
to Warrensbush (current Town of Florida).
At
dawn on October 25th, Ross’s force attacked and burned Warrensbush.
In his report to General Haldimand, Ross estimated that they had
destroyed nearly one hundred fine farms. Rebel witnesses stated
the loss was less than thirty. Ross also stated the settlement had
been a “nest of Rebels”, but Rebel Colonel Willett said
that most of the farms burned had belonged to “disaffected
persons” or Loyalists.
Sources:
Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution.
James
Morrison, The Battle of Johnstown (Fulton County rootsweb site).
Oct
25, 1781 Battle of Johnstown.
After
burning Warrensbush, Major Ross moved his force across the Mohawk
River. This was not an easy task as the river was swollen from recent
rains. The raiders moved within sight of Fort Johnstown. Some shots
were exchanged, but no attempt was made to actually attack the fort.
Ross moved his force through Johnstown to the west.
Rebel
Colonel Willett received word of Ross’s presence on October
24th. He moved from his headquarters at Fort Plain to intecept the
raiders. On the morning of October 25th, he learned Ross had burned
Warrensbush and then crossed the river and headed for Johnstown.
Willett and his militia force of about four hundred men crossed
the river at Caughnawaga (present Fonda, NY). He also had difficulty
crossing and lost an ammunition cart in the process.
About
4:00 in the afternoon, Willett caught up with the raiders where
they had encamped outside Johnstown. Willett split his force and
attempted to surround Ross. The battle lasted until darkness fell
and Ross retreated from the battlefield. The raiders had eleven
men killed and thirty-two taken prisoner. Willett’s force
suffered twelve men killed, twenty-four wounded, and five taken
prisoner.
Sources:
Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution.
James
Morrison, The Battle of Johnstown (Fulton County rootsweb site).
Oct
30, 1781 Death of Loyalist Captain Walter Butler.
Even
before the Battle of Johnstown, Major Ross had decided not to return
to Oswego, but to strike out across the lower Adirondack region
to reach Carleton Island at the head of the St. Lawrence River.
Following the battle, Ross traveled northwest. Col. Willett thought
that was what Ross would do and marched to intercept him. Ross’s
force was moving swiftly and Willett could not intercept him, but
did pursue the raiders for several days.
Ross
was unaware of his pursuers until October 30th when his rear party
was fired on by the Rebels. The British then pushed themselves even
harder and crossed the West Canada Creek. Loyalist Captain Walter
Butler was in charge of the rear guard. Once across the creek, Butler
thought he was out of musket range and taunted the Rebels across
the creek. One account had an Oneida Indian wounding Butler in the
thigh and he fell from his horse. The Indian rushed across and was
about to tomahawk Butler when Butler cried “Quarter!”
The Indian cried he would give him “Cherry Valley Quarter”
(Butler led the raid at Cherry Valley in 1778 that left some 32
civilians dead). He then proceeded to tomahawk and scalp Butler.
Years
later, the son of one of the Rangers on the Ross expedition claimed
that his father was with Butler at the time he was shot and that Butler
was shot in the head. Butler would not have been able to call for
quarter – or anything else. Several of Willett’s men corroborated
the story of Butler being shot in the head. Col. Willett, in his report
to Governor Clinton, stated, “he (Butler) was not dead when
found by one of our Indians, who finished his business for him and
got a Considerable Booty”.
Source:
Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution.
Nov
13, 1781 Schoharie attacked.
A raiding
party of some twenty-eight Indians attacked the settlement of Schoharie.
The party was led by Loyalist Lieutenant Adam Crysler. The raiders
killed one man, burned several houses, and drove off about fifty
head of cattle and horses. After several skirmishes with pursuing
militia, the raiders lost the livestock and retreated to Fort Niagara.
Source:
Edward Hagan, War in Schohary.
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