THE MUSEUM. 



91 



Capt. Patrick and a body of Tories 

 and Indians at Cobleskill, in which the 

 Captain and 22 of his force were 

 killed. The same year Col. Wm. 

 Butler, with one of the Pennsylvania 

 regiments and a detachment of Mor- 

 gan's riflemen was stationed at Scho- 

 harie to protect the people. His ar- 

 rival had a salutory effect, by dis- 

 couraging the disaffected and by the 

 presence of a stronger force than had 

 yet been among them, establishing 

 the confidence and reviving the spirits 

 of the people. Col. Butler was a 

 brave and experienced officer espec- 

 ially qualified for the service upon 

 which he was appointed. 



Attached to the Morgan rifle corps 

 ■were several bold spirits who signal- 

 ized themselves in the partisan war- 

 fare in which they were engaged. 

 Chief among them was a Virginian 

 named Timothy Murphy who was re- 

 markable for his fleetness on foot, his 

 great courage and extreme accuracy in 

 firing. 



Each year until the close of the 

 Revolution brought many raids by the 

 Tories and Indians. The most im- 

 portant was in 17S0 when Sir John 

 Johnson with a force of about 800 en- 

 tered the valley from the south. They 

 were much annoyed in their march by 

 a small force of the militia under the 

 command of that valiant officer — Col. 

 Harper. Their movements were 



watched and a timely alarm was sent 

 down the valley to the settlements. 

 The people fled to the forts upon the 

 firing of the alarm guns. 



The fort was but feebly garrisoned 

 to engage so large a force, and worse 

 still — it is recorded that in the Middle 

 Fort, which was first invested — only a 

 single pound of powder remained in 

 the magazine. Their ammunition 

 wagons had been sent a few days be- 

 fore to Albany for a supply but had 

 been detained beyond their usual time. 

 To attempt to defend the fort in this 

 plight appeared to be madness; to sur- 

 render was to deliver up themselves, 

 their wives and their children to im- 



mediate death or at least to long cap- 

 tivity. 



It is said that Major Woolsey, who 

 commanded the continental troops, 

 was inclined to surrender on tne first 

 appearance of the enemy, but was 

 prevented by the officers of the militia. 

 The Major's presence of mind forsook 

 him and he hid himself among the 

 women and children. Being ridiculed 

 by his men he crawled around the in- 

 trenchments on his hands and knees, 

 amid the jeers and bravos of the mil- 

 itia, whose courage revived as their 

 laughter was excited by the cowardice 

 of the Major. The enemy perceiving 

 that their shot and shells did little or 

 no execution, formed and prepared to 

 carry the works by assault. At this 

 period they sent a flag towards the 

 fort with the summons to surrender; 

 nearly all were inclined to admit it, 

 when Murphy, who suspected it was 

 only a ruse to learn the strength of 

 the fort, fired upon it. The flag re- 

 turned and soldiers were ordered to 

 arrest Murphy, but so great was his 

 popularity among the militia that none 

 obeyed. 



The second time the flag approach- 

 ed and was a second time driven back 

 by Murphy. Major Woolsey then or- 

 dered a white flag to be raised from 

 the fort, but Murphy threatened in- 

 stant death to any who obeyed. The 

 enemy sent a flag the third time 

 which was again compelled to retire. 



The British officers now held a 

 counsel of war and after a short con- 

 sultation withdrew their forces, pro- 

 ceeding down the Schoharie Creek 

 towards the Lower Fort, burning and 

 destroying everything in their path. 

 The loss of the garrison was only one 

 killed and two wounded. * 



Thus by Murphy's determined spirit 

 of resistance was the lives of hundreds 

 within the fort saved, else there is no 

 doubt but that the tragedies of Wyom- 

 ing and Cherry Valley would have 

 been depicted over again. 



The invaders showed little disposi- 



• Campbell's Birder Warfare of New York. 



