HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



27 



out soon discovered the movements of some Indians — whose 

 paint rendered them conspicuous — behind an extensive 

 breastwork nearly half a mile in length, and artfully con- 

 cealed by green boughs and trees, their right secured by 

 the river and their left by a high hill or mountain. " It 

 was situated on a rising ground, about one hundred yards 

 in front of a difficult stream of water, bounded by the 

 marshy ground before mentioned on our side, and between 

 it and the breastwork was an open and clear field." 



Maj. Poor immediately gave intelligence to Gen. Hand 

 of his discoveries, who advanced the light corps within 

 about three hundred yards of the enemy's works and 

 formed in Hne of battle. The rifle corps, under cover, 

 advanced and lay under the bank of the creek within one 

 hundred yards of the lines. 



Gren. Sullivan, having previous notice, arrived with the 

 main army, and ordered the following disposition of the 

 forces *, the riflemen and light corps to continue their posi- 

 tion ; the left flanking division, under command of Col. 

 Ogden, to take post on the left flank of the light corps ; 

 Gren. MaxwelFs brigade some distance in the rear as a corps 

 de reserve ; and Col. Proctor's artillery in front of the cen- 

 tre of the light corps and immediately opposite the breast- 

 works. A heavy fire ensued between the rifle-corps and the 

 enemy, but little damage was done on either side. 



In the mean time Gens. Poor and Clinton's brigades, with 

 the right flanking division, were ordered to march and gain, 

 if possible, the enemy's flank and rear, while the rifle and 

 light corps engaged them in front. Col. Proctor had orders 

 to be in readiness with his artillery and attack the lines, 

 first allowing a sufficient space of time to Gens. Poor and 

 Clinton to gain their intended stations. 



"About three o'clock, p.m., the artillery began the attack 

 on the enemy's works. The rifle and light corps, meanwhile, 

 prepared to advance and charge ; but the enemy, finding 

 their situation rather precarious and our troops determined, 

 retreated from their works with the greatest precipitation, 

 leaving behind them a number of blankets, gun-covers, and 

 kettles with corn boiling over the fire. 



'' Gens. Poor and Clinton, on account of several difficulties 

 which they had to surmount, could not efi'ect their designs ; 

 and the enemy, probably having intelligence of their ap- 

 proach, posted a number of troops on the top of a mountain 

 over which they had to advance. On their arrival near 

 the summit of the same, the enemy dealt them a fire, and 

 wounded several officers and soldiers. Gen. Poor pushed 

 on and gave them a fire as they retreated, and killed five 

 of the savages." 



This was the battle of Newtown. The best authorities 

 agree that it was fought from seven to eight miles below 

 Elmira, at a point called Hogback. Ephraim Bennett, who 

 was an officer in the Revolution, located his farm, in 1794, 

 on the old battle-ground, and lived there till 1799. At this 

 latter date the fortifications were distinctly visible. 



Capt. Daniel Livermore, of Gen. Poor's brigade, speak- 

 ing of the attempt to cut ofi" the retreat of the Indians and 

 Tories, says : "A very warm action ensued between about 

 six hundred chosen savages, commanded by Brant and Capt. 

 Butler, of the Queen's Rangers, and Poor's brigade, com- 

 manded by himself in person. The brigade marched on 



with coolness with charged bayonets, not a gun being fired 

 till within a short distance, when the enemy were obliged 

 to give back, leaving their dead on the ground, amounting 

 to twenty. We took three prisoners. At sunset, after a 

 complete victory, encamped near the field of action, car- 

 rying ofi^ our dead and wounded. Among the latter was 

 Maj. Titcomb, Capt. Clayes, Lieut. McCauley, and about 

 thirty others. The killed amounted to about four or five. 

 During the whole of the action Col. Reed's and Col. Dear- 

 born's regiments fared the hardest. Lieut. McCauley died 

 of his wounds, August 30. 



" In the course of the day," says Col. Hubley, " we took 

 nine scalps (all savages) and two prisoners, who were sepa- 

 rately examined, and gave the following accurate account : 

 ' That the enemy were seven hundred strong, viz., five 

 hundred savages and two hundred Tories, with about twenty 

 British troops, commanded by a Seneca chief (Cornplanter), 

 the two Butlers, Brant, and McDonald.' They further in- 

 formed us that the whole of their party had subsisted on 

 corn only for this fortnight past, and that they had no other 

 provisions with them, and that their next place of rendez- 

 vous would be at Catharine's town, an Indian village about 

 twenty- five miles from this place." 



" It is said that it was the vigilant eye of Brant that 

 discovered the movement of Poor and Clinton, which 

 threatened to cut off" the retreat of the force behind the 

 breastwork, and he gave the signal of retreat when the cold 

 steel of the New Hampshire and New York men pressed 

 over the summit of the mountain, unchecked by the rifle- 

 shots of his faithful warriors." 



It is not our purpose to follow the details of this expe- 

 dition into the Genesee country further than to give a 

 synopsis of the principal events of the campaign. After 

 spending Monday, August 30, in destroying the extensive 

 cornfields on the plains below Newtown, the army at noon 

 on the 31st, crossed the Chemung at the junction of New- 

 town Creek, destroying an Indian village at that point, and 

 also some furniture which they found concealed. On Wed- 

 nesday, September 1, they crossed the marshes before 

 reaching Havana, and encamped late at night at Catharine's 

 town. The place had been evacuated by the enemy. Queen 

 Catharine herself fleeing with the rest. From this point 

 the army marched on the east side of Seneca Lake, destroy- 

 in<>' the Indian villao::es in their course, and reached Kana- 

 dasaga (Geneva) on the 7th of September. Here the 

 grand council-house and fifty comfortable dwellings were 

 given to the flames, a fine apple-orchard was girdled, and 

 immense cornfields destroyed. On the 8th of September 

 the village of Gaghsiungua met with the same fate. On 

 the 10th, Kanadalaugua, a village of between forty and 

 fifty well-built houses, chiefly of hewn plank, was destroyed, 

 and Anyayea was added to the list on the 12th. This last, 

 consisting of a dozen or more hewn log houses, was made a 

 post-garrison by the army, and fifty soldiers unable to 

 march, with provisions and ammunition, were stationed 

 there, while the army pushed on for Genesee, the capital of 

 the Senecas and the last objective point of the expedition. 

 September 12 the little village of Kanagsas, comprising 

 about ten houses, was reached, and given to the flames the 

 next day. On the evening of the 12th, Lieut. Boyd and 



