26 



HISTOIIY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



brigades of infantry and riflemen and a park of artillery, 

 was to proceed through the valley of the Chemung, thence 

 northward to the Genesee River, destroying crops and 

 houses, and everything of value to the Indians, as far as 

 could be reached on either side of the trail of the army. 



The force under Gen. Sullivan arrived at Tioga from 

 Wyoming, August 11, 1779, where it awaited the arrival 

 of Gen. Clinton's brigade and artillery from Otsego. In the 

 mean time a fortification was thrown up, running across the 

 point of land between the two rivers, a distance of one hun- 

 dred and ninety yards, behind which the army lay safe from 

 attack. On the 11th scouts were sent out to discover the 

 whereabouts of the enemy, and returned on the 12th, re- 

 porting him at Old Chemung, twelve miles above. An ex- 

 pedition was at once prepared and ordered forward for the 

 capture of the place. The three brigades, with the excep- 

 tion of two regiments, left to guard the works and supply- 

 trains, all under the command of Gen. Sullivan, marched at 

 eight P.M., on the 12th ; but, owing to the darkness of the 

 night, the absence of roads, and the lack of proper guides, 

 the command did not arrive at Chemung until after day- 

 light. ^' Even then," says Col. Hubley, " our pilot, on our 

 arrival, from some disagreeable emotions he felt, could not 

 find the town." However, another hour's march brought 

 them to the main town, and the morning being a foggy one, 

 disposition was made of the troops to surprise it ; but, on 

 reaching it at five a.m , it was found evacuated. Gen. Hand 

 then pushed forward Capt. Bush, and his infantry company 

 of Col. llubley's regiment, for about a mile, when fires were 

 discovered, and the balance of the regiment and two inde- 

 pendent companies were brought up, and an advance of an- 

 other mile was made, when the Indians, ambushed on a 

 high hill, fired upon them. Capt. Bush immediately at- 

 tempted to flank the savages, while the colonel led the rest 

 of his regiment directly up the hill, the men pressing for- 

 ward with great intrepidity under a severe fire. The Indians 

 seeing the determination evinced by the troops, retreated 

 before Capt. Bush could gain their rear, and carried off" 

 their dead and wounded. The ground beyond being un- 

 favorable for pursuit, the retreating savages escaped. The 

 loss in this action, with the exception of two, fell wholly on 

 Col. llubley's regiment. Two captains, — Walker and Car- 

 berry, — Adjt. Huston, a guide, and eight privates were 

 wounded, and one sergeant, one drummer, and four privates 

 were killed. Gens. Poor and Maxwell's brigades were also 

 fired upon, and lost one man killed and several wounded. 

 Maj. John Franklin, of Wyoming, ' was also seriously 

 wounded. The town at this place consisted of about 

 seventeen houses, which were destroyed, together with 

 several fine fields of corn. The dead were brought back 

 to Tioga on the 13th, the day of the battle, and on the 

 14th were buried with full military honors. 



The 15th of August was Sunday. On Monday a column 

 of seven hundred men, under Gen. Poor, marched up the Sus- 

 quehanna to meet Gen. Clinton. On the 22d, Gen. Clinton, 

 with a flotilla of two hundred and twenty boats and fifteen 

 hundred men, accompanied by Gen. Poor and his column, 

 arrived at Tioga, and were received with joyous demonstra- 

 tions. Clinton had been delayed by his raid into the Onon- 

 daga country, and had arrived at the outlet of Otsego Lake 



late in the season to find that the summer heats had dimin- 

 ished the water therein to such an extent as to preclude 

 the passage of his boats loaded with artillery and supplies. 

 " But nothing daunted, this leader, fruitful in expedients 

 and skillful in woodcraft, at once contrived a plan to increase 

 the carrying power of the Susquehanna, as unique as it 

 proved successful. He threw a dam across the outlet of 

 the lake, cleared the stream of its drift-wood, launched his 

 boats, and when the waters in the lake had gained as heavy 

 a head as his dam would bear, he cut the latter, and on the 

 flood of waters that rushed out floated to Tioga, the waters 

 at that point setting back up the Chemung some distance. 

 The sight of a freshet in the Susquehanna, when there had 

 been no rain for many weeks, excited the superstitious awe 

 of the Indians, and they fled from before the soldier favored, 

 as they believed, by the Great Spirit and against them- 

 selves." 



The 24th of August was spent by the army in making bags 

 out of their tents to carry their flour in, and in preparing 

 for the expedition northward into the Indian country. Col. 

 Butler's regiment and Maj. Parr's riflemen joined the light 

 corps which formed the advance. Col. Shreve was left in 

 charge of Fort Sullivan, and the line of march was taken 

 up at eleven a.m., August 26, in the following order : light 

 corps, counnanded by Gen. Hand, marched in six columns, 

 the right held by Col. Butler and the left by Col. Hubley. 

 Maj. Parr, with the riflemen, covered the entire front, a 

 short distance in advance, and reconnoitered every suspi- 

 cious-looking spot or point of concealment for the enemy, 

 to prevent surprise or ambuscade. The pioneers followed 

 next, preceding the artillery, and the main army followed in 

 two columns, in tjie centre of which moved the pack-horses 

 and cattle, the whole flanked right and left by the divisions 

 commanded by Cols. Dubois and Ogden. The rear was 

 brought up by Gen. Clinton's brigade. The army moved 

 three miles and encamped, and on the 27th marched in the 

 same order six miles and encamped at the " lower end of 

 Chemung," near the narrows, where Col. Hubley says he 

 " made an agreeable repast of corn, potatoes, beans, cucum- 

 bers, watermelons, squashes, and other vegetables, which 

 grew in abundance there." 



The 28th of August was spent in reconnoitering, and to 

 find a ford for the artillery and trains, to avoid a high hill 

 over which Gen. Poor and Gen. Clinton marched, with 

 their brigades. The ford was made and the river recrossed 

 farther up, and the army encamped at six o'clock, having 

 made but two miles advance. Scouts reported the enemy 

 in force below Newtown, and evidently intending to give 

 battle. 



On Sunday, August 29th, the march was resumed in the 

 same order as on the 26th, the riflemen covering the ad- 

 vance of the light corps, which moved with the greatest 

 precision and caution. On arriving near the bridge on 

 which the action of the 18th had commenced, several In- 

 dians were discovered, who fired and retreated, and the 

 advance pushed on about a mile, into a marshy ground, 

 where it again drew the fire of the Indians, who again 

 retreated. Maj. Parr then began to take even more pre- 

 cautions than he had before done, and ordered one of his 

 men to climb a tree. The order was obeyed, and the look- 



