Battle of Newtown
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Newtown also known as the Battle of Chemung, was the only major battle of the Sullivan Expedition
, an armed offensive led by General John Sullivan
that was ordered by the Continental Congress
to end the threat of the Iroquois
who had sided with the British
in the American Revolutionary War
. John Butler
and Joseph Brant
did not want to make a stand at Newtown, but proposed instead to harass the enemy on the march, but they were overruled by Sayenqueraghta and other Indian chiefs.
This battle, which was the most significant military engagement of the Sullivan Campaign of 1779
and played a crucial role in America's Revolutionary War, took place at the foot of a hill along the Chemung River
just outside of what is now Elmira, New York
.
The battle took place along a tall hill, now called Sullivan Hill and part of the Newtown Battlefield State Park
. The hill, running southeast to northwest next to the Chemung River
, was a mile long at its crest, which rose 600 feet (nearly 200 meters) above the road at its base leading into Newtown. The slope of the hill was covered with pine and dense growth of shrub oak. Hoffman Hollow, a marsh
y area of small hillocks and thick stands of trees, was just to the east of the hill. A small watercourse
, called Baldwin Creek, ran through the hollow and emptied into the Chemung River
(referred to as the Cayuga branch in Sullivan's reports). The creek followed the hill northwest on the opposite side from the river and had steep western banks.
The British and Indian forces had placed themselves in horseshoe
-shaped camouflaged earthworks about 150 feet up the southeast spur of the hill, within musket range of the road. The hill was used by the British as both an observation point and a barrier to the approach of the Continentals against the Cayuga towns of Nanticoke and Kanawaholla, situated on the site of the present-day Elmira, New York
.
, where the two columns of his army had converged, with an estimated five thousand well armed and now freshly provisioned troops. They marched slowly up the Cayuga branch of the Susquehanna to destroy the towns and crops of the Six Nations in western New York. On Sunday, August 29, just ten miles upriver from Fort Sullivan, the advance guard, three companies of riflemen formerly with the Provisional Rifle Corps of Col. Daniel Morgan
, reached the area at mid-morning. Suspecting an ambush, they halted and scouted the area. Between eleven and eleven-thirty they discovered the hidden works and immediately notified Brigadier General Edward Hand
. He dispatched his light infantry to take up firing positions behind the bank of Baldwin Creek and fire into the works, prompting the defenders to make several unsuccessful attempts at luring the Continentals into an ambush. As the extended army continued to arrive and assemble, Sullivan called a council of war with his brigade commanders, which began at three in the afternoon. Together they devised a plan of attack.
The 1st New Jersey Regiment
, commanded by Colonel Matthias Ogden
, was detached from Brigadier General William Maxwell
's New Jersey Brigade and sent west along the Chemung River to execute a flanking maneuver
on the Loyalist-Indian forces. Similarly, the New York Brigade of Brigadier General James Clinton
and the New Hampshire Brigade of Brigadier General Enoch Poor
were dispatched together eastward, along a circuitous route through Hoffman Hollow, with the mission of approaching the hill's eastern flank and then facing left in preparation for a full ahead assault upon the enemy. Meanwhile, the unified forces of Sullivan's Pennsylvania and New Jersey brigades remained behind at the ready, bolstered by a provisional regiment composed of all the light infantry
companies in the expedition. At the end of the first hour, the artillery of ten guns posted on a rise near the road, would open fire on the breastworks and the areas between them. These guns would signal General Hand to feint an attack with that provisional regiment upon the center of the horseshoe, at which time the brigades to the east would swing inward, assault the summit of the hill and turn their attack to the left and rear of the breastworks. When the guns of Poor's and Clinton's attack were heard by Hand, his brigade would storm the works, supported by Maxwell's brigade, putting the defenders in a crossfire.
The plan was complex and conceived on short notice but executed with vigor. The ultimate result was a resounding defeat for both the British Loyalist
s and the Iroquois at their side. Crossing the swampy marsh (which Sullivan termed a "morass") in Hoffman Hollow slowed the advance of Poor's and Clinton's brigades, disrupting the timing of the plan, and this provided just enough delay to allow the joint Loyalist-Iroquois forces to escape encirclement.
Nearly all of the Continentals' casualties occurred in the attack of Lt-Col George Reid
's 2nd New Hampshire Regiment
. Assigned to the extreme left of Poor's assault formation, it climbed where the slope was steepest and lagged considerably behind the rest of the brigade. Joseph Brant
led a counterattack of Indians and nearly encircled Reid. The next regiment in line, the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment
of 28-year-old Lt-Col Henry Dearborn
, about-faced, fired two volleys and attacked down the hill. Clinton, whose brigade was climbing the hill below and slightly to the right of Poor, sent his 3rd
and 5th New York Regiment
s to help, and the counterattack was crushed.
After razing three more towns and destroying all foodstuffs in the vicinity, Sullivan's army marched north during the next three weeks against demoralized opposition and successfully completed their campaign.
Historian Allan W. Eckert
wrote:
Capt. Elijah Clayes. See http://books.google.com/books?id=30REVKaslfEC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=captain+elijah+clayes+died+1779&source=web&ots=7vYOk2N9Y-&sig=HKySw7tGr39rWZ2_NFSwCvjenOs#PPA159,M1
Lt. Nathaniel McCauley of 1st New Hampshire; See http://usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/sullbio2.html. See http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/nhjournals.html#fogg for reports of a Lt; 3 Corporals and 2 Privates killed in the midst of battle. A Sgt is also reported as having been killed. See http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/nhjournals.html#norris
Wounded:Major Benjamin Titcomb; {See http://usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/sullbio2.html;
andhttp://genforum.genealogy.com/americanrev/messages/15448.html}; Various numbers of wounded Privates are given from 20 to 39, with at least 27 in General Poor's Brigade and 4 others in the rest of the Army. See http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/sitetoc.html for various reports of casualties totals.
, Chemung
and Elmira
. In 1973 the Newtown Battlefield National Historic Landmark
was established by the federal government, recognizing its significant history.
In a drive to incorporate the Newtown Battlefield site into the National Park System, Congressional resolution H.R. 6866, which directs Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the significance of the Newtown Battlefield and the suitability and feasibility of its inclusion in the National Parks System, has been put forth for consideration.
The site of the battle is today the Wellsburg
exit of Interstate 86
and New York State Route 17
. Several roadside signs in the vicinity of the interchange mark various troop locations. A tall monument now stands in a state park on a hillside near the position taken by Clinton and Poor's brigades. This hillside area, which overlooks the interchange, is now known as Newtown Battlefield State Park
.
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
, an armed offensive led by General John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
that was ordered by the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
to end the threat of the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
who had sided with the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. John Butler
John Butler (pioneer)
John Butler was a Loyalist who led an irregular militia unit known as Butler's Rangers on the northern frontier in the American Revolutionary War. He led Seneca and Cayuga forces in the Saratoga campaign. He later raised and commanded a regiment of rangers.-Background:John was born to Walter...
and Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
did not want to make a stand at Newtown, but proposed instead to harass the enemy on the march, but they were overruled by Sayenqueraghta and other Indian chiefs.
This battle, which was the most significant military engagement of the Sullivan Campaign of 1779
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
and played a crucial role in America's Revolutionary War, took place at the foot of a hill along the Chemung River
Chemung River
The Chemung River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States. It drains a mountainous region of the northern Allegheny Plateau in the Southern Tier of New York...
just outside of what is now Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
.
Terrain
Newtown Battlefield State Park
Newtown Battlefield State Park, formerly known as Newtown Battlefield Reservation, was the site of the Battle of Newtown fought in August 1779, during the American Revolutionary War...
. The hill, running southeast to northwest next to the Chemung River
Chemung River
The Chemung River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States. It drains a mountainous region of the northern Allegheny Plateau in the Southern Tier of New York...
, was a mile long at its crest, which rose 600 feet (nearly 200 meters) above the road at its base leading into Newtown. The slope of the hill was covered with pine and dense growth of shrub oak. Hoffman Hollow, a marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
y area of small hillocks and thick stands of trees, was just to the east of the hill. A small watercourse
Watercourse
A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...
, called Baldwin Creek, ran through the hollow and emptied into the Chemung River
Chemung River
The Chemung River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States. It drains a mountainous region of the northern Allegheny Plateau in the Southern Tier of New York...
(referred to as the Cayuga branch in Sullivan's reports). The creek followed the hill northwest on the opposite side from the river and had steep western banks.
The British and Indian forces had placed themselves in horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
-shaped camouflaged earthworks about 150 feet up the southeast spur of the hill, within musket range of the road. The hill was used by the British as both an observation point and a barrier to the approach of the Continentals against the Cayuga towns of Nanticoke and Kanawaholla, situated on the site of the present-day Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
.
Battle
On August 26, 1779, Sullivan left Fort SullivanAthens, Pennsylvania
Athens is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, two miles south of the N. Y. State line on the Susquehanna and Chemung rivers. Population in 1900, 3,749; and in 1910, 3,796. The population was 3,415 at the 2000 census...
, where the two columns of his army had converged, with an estimated five thousand well armed and now freshly provisioned troops. They marched slowly up the Cayuga branch of the Susquehanna to destroy the towns and crops of the Six Nations in western New York. On Sunday, August 29, just ten miles upriver from Fort Sullivan, the advance guard, three companies of riflemen formerly with the Provisional Rifle Corps of Col. Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
, reached the area at mid-morning. Suspecting an ambush, they halted and scouted the area. Between eleven and eleven-thirty they discovered the hidden works and immediately notified Brigadier General Edward Hand
Edward Hand
-Early life and career:Hand was born in Clyduff, King's County, Ireland January 10, 1742, and was baptised in Shinrone. His father was John Hand. Among his immediate neighbours were the Kearney family, ancestors of U.S. President Barack Obamba [1]...
. He dispatched his light infantry to take up firing positions behind the bank of Baldwin Creek and fire into the works, prompting the defenders to make several unsuccessful attempts at luring the Continentals into an ambush. As the extended army continued to arrive and assemble, Sullivan called a council of war with his brigade commanders, which began at three in the afternoon. Together they devised a plan of attack.
The 1st New Jersey Regiment
1st New Jersey Regiment
The 1st New Jersey Regiment was the first organized militia regiment in New Jersey, formed in 1673 in Piscataway "to repel foreign Indians who come down from upper Pennsylvania and western New York to our shores and fill with fishes and clams and on the way back make a general nuisance of...
, commanded by Colonel Matthias Ogden
Matthias Ogden
Matthias Ogden was born at Elizabeth, New Jersey on October 22, 1754, Fought in the American revolutionary war and served various political positions afterwards.-Family:...
, was detached from Brigadier General William Maxwell
William Maxwell
William Maxwell may refer to:*William Maxwell , Irish-born American soldier from New Jersey in the American Revolutionary War*General Sir William Maxwell, 7th Baronet of Calderwood...
's New Jersey Brigade and sent west along the Chemung River to execute a flanking maneuver
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
on the Loyalist-Indian forces. Similarly, the New York Brigade of Brigadier General James Clinton
James Clinton
James Clinton was an American Revolutionary War soldier who obtained the rank of major general.He was born in Ulster County in the colony of New York, in a location now part of Orange County, New York...
and the New Hampshire Brigade of Brigadier General Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
were dispatched together eastward, along a circuitous route through Hoffman Hollow, with the mission of approaching the hill's eastern flank and then facing left in preparation for a full ahead assault upon the enemy. Meanwhile, the unified forces of Sullivan's Pennsylvania and New Jersey brigades remained behind at the ready, bolstered by a provisional regiment composed of all the light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
companies in the expedition. At the end of the first hour, the artillery of ten guns posted on a rise near the road, would open fire on the breastworks and the areas between them. These guns would signal General Hand to feint an attack with that provisional regiment upon the center of the horseshoe, at which time the brigades to the east would swing inward, assault the summit of the hill and turn their attack to the left and rear of the breastworks. When the guns of Poor's and Clinton's attack were heard by Hand, his brigade would storm the works, supported by Maxwell's brigade, putting the defenders in a crossfire.
The plan was complex and conceived on short notice but executed with vigor. The ultimate result was a resounding defeat for both the British Loyalist
Loyalist
In general, a loyalist is someone who maintains loyalty to an established government, political party, or sovereign, especially during war or revolutionary change. In modern English usage, the most common application is to loyalty to the British Crown....
s and the Iroquois at their side. Crossing the swampy marsh (which Sullivan termed a "morass") in Hoffman Hollow slowed the advance of Poor's and Clinton's brigades, disrupting the timing of the plan, and this provided just enough delay to allow the joint Loyalist-Iroquois forces to escape encirclement.
Nearly all of the Continentals' casualties occurred in the attack of Lt-Col George Reid
George Reid
George Reid may refer to:*George Reid , American Revolutionary War general*Sir George Reid *Sir George Reid , Prime Minister of Australia...
's 2nd New Hampshire Regiment
2nd New Hampshire Regiment
The 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 8th Continental Regiment, was formed in early May of 1775, as the second of three Continental Army regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolutionary War. Its first commander was Colonel Enoch Poor, with Joseph Cilley...
. Assigned to the extreme left of Poor's assault formation, it climbed where the slope was steepest and lagged considerably behind the rest of the brigade. Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
led a counterattack of Indians and nearly encircled Reid. The next regiment in line, the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment
3rd New Hampshire Regiment
The 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 2nd Continental Regiment, was authorized on 22 May 1775, organized 1-8 June 1775, and adopted into the Continental Army on 14 June, 1775, as the third of three regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolution...
of 28-year-old Lt-Col Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn was an American physician, a statesman and a veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Born to Simon Dearborn and Sarah Marston in North Hampton, New Hampshire, he spent much of his youth in Epping, where he attended public schools...
, about-faced, fired two volleys and attacked down the hill. Clinton, whose brigade was climbing the hill below and slightly to the right of Poor, sent his 3rd
3rd New York Regiment
The 3rd New York Regiment was authorized May 25, 1775 and organized from June 28 to August 4 from the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, and Suffolk under the command of Colonel James Clinton for five months service in Canada. The enlistments of the first establishment ended on December 31,...
and 5th New York Regiment
5th New York Regiment
The 5th New York Regiment was authorized on November 30, 1776 as part of the New York Line for service with the Continental Army. It was organized January 26, 1777 from companies in Southern New York and assigned to the Highlands Department....
s to help, and the counterattack was crushed.
After razing three more towns and destroying all foodstuffs in the vicinity, Sullivan's army marched north during the next three weeks against demoralized opposition and successfully completed their campaign.
Historian Allan W. Eckert
Allan W. Eckert
Allan W. Eckert was an American historian, historical novelist, and naturalist.-Biography:Eckert was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area, but had been a long-time resident of Bellefontaine, Ohio, near where he attended university...
wrote:
The Battle of Newtown had certainly not been a bloody battle compared to others, but it was most certainly a significant one. This was the battle that broke the back of the Iroquois League...and the hearts of the people of the Six Nations.
Sullivan's casualties
Died of wounds:Capt. Elijah Clayes. See http://books.google.com/books?id=30REVKaslfEC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=captain+elijah+clayes+died+1779&source=web&ots=7vYOk2N9Y-&sig=HKySw7tGr39rWZ2_NFSwCvjenOs#PPA159,M1
Lt. Nathaniel McCauley of 1st New Hampshire; See http://usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/sullbio2.html. See http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/nhjournals.html#fogg for reports of a Lt; 3 Corporals and 2 Privates killed in the midst of battle. A Sgt is also reported as having been killed. See http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/nhjournals.html#norris
Wounded:Major Benjamin Titcomb; {See http://usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/sullbio2.html;
andhttp://genforum.genealogy.com/americanrev/messages/15448.html}; Various numbers of wounded Privates are given from 20 to 39, with at least 27 in General Poor's Brigade and 4 others in the rest of the Army. See http://www.usgwarchives.org/pa/1pa/1picts/sullivan/sitetoc.html for various reports of casualties totals.
Legacy
The Newtown Battlefield National Historic Landmark encompasses nearly 2100 acres (8.5 km²) in the towns of AshlandAshland, Chemung County, New York
Ashland is a town in Chemung County, New York, USA. The population was 1,951 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the home of Henry Clay.The Town of Ashland is on the south border of the county, south of Elmira, New York...
, Chemung
Chemung, New York
Chemung is a town in Chemung County, New York, USA. The population was 2,665 at the 2000 census. The town name is derived from the river flowing through it, which means in the native dialect, "Big Horn."...
and Elmira
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
. In 1973 the Newtown Battlefield National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
was established by the federal government, recognizing its significant history.
In a drive to incorporate the Newtown Battlefield site into the National Park System, Congressional resolution H.R. 6866, which directs Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Arthur Kempthorne , was the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who served under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. A Republican, Kempthorne previously served as the 30th Governor and as a U.S. Senator from Idaho...
to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the significance of the Newtown Battlefield and the suitability and feasibility of its inclusion in the National Parks System, has been put forth for consideration.
The site of the battle is today the Wellsburg
Wellsburg, New York
Wellsburg is a village in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 631 at the 2000 census. The village is named after a pioneer family....
exit of Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
and New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
. Several roadside signs in the vicinity of the interchange mark various troop locations. A tall monument now stands in a state park on a hillside near the position taken by Clinton and Poor's brigades. This hillside area, which overlooks the interchange, is now known as Newtown Battlefield State Park
Newtown Battlefield State Park
Newtown Battlefield State Park, formerly known as Newtown Battlefield Reservation, was the site of the Battle of Newtown fought in August 1779, during the American Revolutionary War...
.