A modern sign and a stone marker, both placed by the state's Historical and Museum Commission, mark the location of Gen. John Sullivan's campsite at Vanderlip's farm in Black Walnut during the 1779 expedition against the Iroquois Confederation. Photo by Pete Hardenstine.
Remembering Sullivan's March through Region 225 Years Ago This Summer
By Pete Hardenstine
(Editor’s Note: This is the first of two parts commemorating the 225th anniversary of Sullivan’s March).
In the spring of 1779, George Washington faced a dilemma.
While his Continental Army kept watch over the main British force based in New York City, he was forced to deal with the Indian and Tory threat to his rear.
On July 3, 1778, an enemy force of approximately 1,000 Iroquois and Tories under the command of Major John Butler culminated a summer of terror along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River with an assault on the fertile Wyoming Valley.
The Wyoming Valley Massacre claimed an estimated 160 to 320 lives
Washington’s solution was to split his force, sending nearly a third of his tiny army on a punitive raid into Iroquois country.
The expedition, under the command of Gen. John Sullivan, left its mark on Wyoming and Bradford counties as well as the Finger Lakes region where the force waged a scorched-earth attack against the Iroquois homeland.
Sullivan’s March began in Wilkes-Barre on July 31, 1779—225 years ago.
Frontier under Siege
In the summer of 1778, the British army, which had spent the previous winter encamped in Philadelphia, marched across New Jersey to return to New York.
A hard-fought battle with Washington’s army at Monmouth, NJ, during the march convinced the British leadership that the Continental army was dramatically improved despite its hard winter at Valley Forge.
With its main force bottled up in New York, the British government sought to exploit a perceived Patriot weakness.
The frontier to Washington’s rear was vulnerable to Indian raids, especially in the northern Susquehanna River valley.
From its base in Fort Niagara, the British encouraged the Iroquois Confederation to assault the vulnerable settlements.
At the least, the Indian raids would slow the flow of foodstuffs from the rich agricultural country to Washington’s army.
Urged to assault people of “every age, sex and condition,” the Iroquois were willing allies of the British.
As early as January 1778, the Indian threat became obvious in what is now Bradford County.
Lemuel Fitch of Standing Stone was kidnapped from his home that month and eventually died in captivity near Niagara.
At Wyalusing, Amos York was taken captive in February, and Nathan Kingsley was kidnapped in March.
In late March, Col. Dorrance and a force of 150 men arrived from the Wyoming Valley to evacuate the settlers in the Wyalusing area.
On May 20, a large Indian raid struck Wysox.
In June, a force of 400 Indians and 400 Tories under Butler departed Tioga, the current site of Athens, and headed downriver with its sights set on the Wyoming Valley.
This group was reinforced by 200 Seneca warriors near the mouth of Bowman’s Creek.
On June 30, the raiders fought a skirmish with a party from Fort Jenkins.
On July 3, Butler demanded the surrender of all forts, Continental soldiers and stores in the Valley.
A Patriot force instead moved out to engage the enemy, but was routed.
Many of the captives were brutally murdered in captivity by the Iroquois leader Queen Esther.
In the aftermath, Butler’s Indians claimed taking 227 scalps, while Col. Nathan Denison of the Connecticut militia reported 301 dead.
While Butler and his main force returned victorious upriver on July 8, the last of the settlers in the Wyoming Valley headed for safety by July 18.
In September, Col. Thomas Hartley and 200 men led a raid from Fort Muncy up the Sheshequin Trail to take the fight to the Indians.
After a skirmish near Canton, Hartley reached current day Ulster where he destroyed Queen Esther’s village.
Retiring down the Susquehanna, Hartley fought off an assault on Indian Hill on Sept. 29. He lost four who were killed and had 10 soldiers injured in the attack.
The Plan
With his rear, including his vital supply sources, threatened, Washington decided to act against the Indian and Tory threat.
Early in 1779, he developed a plan to take the fight to the Iroquois and, if all went well, force the British at Niagara to use their vital supplies to keep their Indian allies over the coming winter.
Giving the assignment to Gen. Sullivan, a veteran commander from New Hampshire, Washington’s orders were clear.
“The expedition you are appointed to command is directed against the hostile tribes of the Six Nations of Indians, with their associates and adherents. The immediate objects are the total destruction and devastation of their settlements and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible. It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and preventing their planting more…”
Sullivan was to gather 11 regiments at Easton, march across the Poconos to Wilkes-Barre and move up the Susquehanna to Tioga.
Meanwhile, in upstate New York, Gen. James Clinton was to bring five regiments downriver from Otsego Lake (modern day Cooperstown) and meet Sullivan’s main force at Tioga.
Out west, a single regiment under Col. Daniel Broadhead was to advance from Fort Pitt up the Allegheny River and, if possible, to meet up with Sullivan’s force.
In all, nearly a third of Washington’s army would be detached for the expedition.
Sullivan arrived at Easton on May 7, but the logistics of gathering and supplying such a large force on a wilderness march forced a lengthy delay.
It wasn’t until June 23, when a road had been completed over the Poconos, that Sullivan’s force departed Easton for Wilkes-Barre.
Sullivan’s March
On July 31, Sullivan was finally ready.
A force of 2,300 men, eight artillery pieces, 1,200 pack horses, approximately 800 cattle and 120 boats pushed off from Wilkes-Barre.
Col. Thomas Proctor commanded the flotilla of boats.
Three brigades, commanded by generals Edward Hand, William Maxwell and Enoch Poor, made up the force, along with Proctor’s artillery regiment that included two six-pounder cannon, four three-pounders and a pair of howitzers.
The Pennsylvanians, under Hand, was the vanguard for the advance along the east bank of the Susquehanna, usually staying a mile ahead of the main body.
Maxwell’s New Jersey brigade advanced along the right flank, while Poor’s brigade of New Hampshiremen and Massachusettsmen held the left flank.
A small group of 60 men under Capt. William Gifford advanced up the west side of the river.
The large force, encumbered by its huge supply train, moved slowly up the river.
By Aug. 3, it reached the mouth of the Tunkhannock Creek. On Aug. 4, it arrived at the Vanderlip and Williamson farms near current day Black Walnut.
(Next week: Sullivan’s force continues its march north including a stop at Wyalusing).
