Table Of ContentTHE BURNING OF THE VALLEYS
dedicated to
James M. Prideaux
an inspiring teacher of history
Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute
Toronto
THE BURNING
OF THE VALLEYS
DARING RAIDS FROM CANADA AGAINST THE
NEW YORK FRONTIER IN THE FALL OF 1780
GAVIN K. WATT, BASC
with research assistance by
James F. Morrison
Dundurn Press
Toronto
Copyright © Gavin K. Watt 1997
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
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Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Watt, Gavin K.
The burning of the valleys: daring raids from Canada against the New York
frontier in the fall of 1780
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-55002-271-7
1. New York (State) - History - Revolution, 1775-1783. 2. United Empire
loyalists. 3. Indians of North America - Wars - 1763-1814.* 4. Iroquois
Indians - Wars. 5. Canada - History - 1775-1783. I. Title.
E236. W37 1997 973.3'36 C96-932420-0
2 3 4 5 BJ 09 08 07 06 05
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Council, the Book Publishing Industry Development Program of the
Department of Canadian Heritage, and the Ontario Arts Council.
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rectify any references or credit in subsequent editions.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Maps 7
Preface 9
Chronology of Some Primary Events of the American Revolution and
Key Occurrences Relating to the New York Frontier & Canada
— June 1774 to October 1780 13
Comparative Chronology of the October 1780 Raids 19
General Introduction: Key Personalities, Geography and Organizations 21
I The Background 59
II 1780, The Year of Revenge — The Campaign Opens 67
III The Fall Campaign of 1780 — The Expeditions on Lake Champlain 91
Carleton Attacks the Hudson Valley 93
An Epilogue to Carleton's Expedition 109
Munro's Expedition Through the Woods Against Ballstown 119
The Canada Indians Against the White River Region 137
IV The Expedition from Oswego — The "Infamous Bandittie" Attack the
Schoharie Valley 157
V The Expedition from Oswego — "Johnson and his Blood-Hounds" Attack
the Mohawk Valley 191
An Epilogue to the Oswego Expedition 239
VI Reflections and Considerations 251
A Mystery 251
With Consummate Daring - The Question of Leadership 253
Washington's Opinion of the Effect of Terms of Enlistment 256
The Destruction of Grain & Livestock as a Military Strategy 259
To Pay the Piper - the Price of Neglect 269
Notes 271
Appendix 1: Mysterious Tales of New Dorlach - October 17-19, 1780 317
Philip Crysler's Mission 317
Jacob Merckley's 'Company' 325
Roster of Jacob Merckley's New Dorlach 'Company', Oct. 19, 1780 329
Notes 332
Appendix 2: Rebel Militia Regiments Engaged at Klock's Field, Oct. 19, 1780 335
Appendix 3: Casualty Analyses of the Johnson Expedition 337
Sir John Johnson's Return of Casualties 337
Casuals of Butler's Rangers during the October 1780 Raids 338
List of Prisoners with the Rebels of the KRR NY 339
Listed Deserters of the KRR NY 341
Return of British Prisoners of War Held in Pennsylvania 342
Reconciliation of Reports of Missing & Prisoners 344
Appendix 4: Recruitment in the King's Royal Regiment of New York Resulting
from the October 1780 Raids 345
Recruiting in the KRR NY 345
Recruiting in Jessup's King's Loyal Americans & Roger's 2Bn
King's Rangers 348
Men taken at Forts Ann & George in Loyalist Regiments, 1782-84 350
Appendix 5: Rebel Prisoners Taken During the Fall 1780 Raids 353
Bibliography of Citations 361
Index 365
List of Maps
Raids from Canada Against the New York Frontier
in the Fall of 1780 8
Map of North America, 1780 Exhibiting Several Key Elements 37
The Sullivan-Clinton Expedition against the Indian Territory 66
The Expeditions on Lake Champlain - Carleton & Munro 100
Canada Indians Strike the White River Region 138
The Devastation of the Schoharie Valley 170
Battle of Stone Arabia 193
A Series: The Battle of Klock's Field 194-200
Action in the Mohawk Valley 203
Raids from Canada against the
New York frontier in the fall of 1780
Note: This map is distorted. To offer some idea of scale,
consider the following:
Montreal to Quebec: 160 miles
Ft. Haldimand: 170 miles
Albany: 230 miles
Fort Haldimand to Oswego: 56 miles
Fort Niagara to Oswego: 135 miles
Albany to Fort Stanwix: 90 miles
Fort Niagara: 290 miles
Ballstown to Johnstown: 26 miles
Preface
To my knowledge, a detailed account combining the four raids
from Canada against the New York frontier in October 1780 has
never been published. Nor have I discovered an account of any
of the raids which covers both sides of the contest in relatively equal
depth. This book examines each separate raid as it was developed by
the British Command in Canada and from the viewpoint of the men
who conducted the campaign. As well, it examines the attempts by
the New York State Governor, his military department and the inhabi-
tants of the frontiers to react to each of the expeditions. Of interest to
the genealogist, lists of prisoners taken by both sides are included in
appendices, as are the names of men recruited by the loyalist regi-
ments during the campaign.
The text has a Canadian perspective which is obvious in the use
of certain descriptive terms.
For example, those persons who rebelled against the established
government and sought independence for America are called "rebels,"
just as they were known at the time. I have shunned the term "patriot"
as one could justly ask, "who was patriotic?" — those who remained
loyal to the government, or those who rebelled?
Those who favoured the government are called "loyalists," and
sometimes, to give a contemporary pejorative flavour, "Tories."
I have avoided using the adjective "American" to describe per-
sons or organizations. The rebellion was a civil war of Americans
against Americans, not just rebels against the armed forces of their
British government. At the time, the word was indiscriminately applied
to both rebels and loyalists. For example, Simcoe's famous Queen's
Rangers were "raised to the British Army's American Establishment"
and distinguished as the "1st Americans."
I have not employed the lurid rhetoric often used to describe
either the raiders or defenders — except in contemporary quotations.
Where deserved, full credit is given to commanders, soldiers and civil-
ians, irrespective of their politics. Where each side failed or faltered,
and where each enjoyed success, is noted equally.
Regarding the native allies of both the Crown and Congress,
there are no simplistic judgements made about the morality of their
conduct. This was their civil war as much as it was the Americans'.
Description:In the fifth year of the War of Independence, while the Americans focused on the British thrust against the Carolinas, the Canadian Department waged a decisive campaign against the northern frontier of New York. Their primary target was the Mohawk River region, known to be the "grainbowl" that fed W
