Boyd and Parker ambush
Encyclopedia
The Boyd and Parker ambush was a minor military engagement in Groveland, New York
on September 13, 1779, during the American Revolutionary War
. A scout group of the Sullivan Expedition
was ambushed and captured by Loyalist
and their Seneca Indian allies led by Little Beard
.
to send General John Sullivan
with some 3500 men into Western New York
to displace the Senecas; destroy their crops, villages, and food supplies; and remove the threat to settlers.
and British Colonel John Butler
had some 800 men and were in defense of the region. Sullivan marched from Easton, PA through Pennsylvania
and into Western New York. They camped at the site of Foot’s Corners in Conesus
on Sunday, September 12, 1779, after traveling from Honeoye Lake
. That night Sullivan ordered Lt. Thomas Boyd to organize a scouting party to discover the location of the Seneca village. Boyd took 23 men with him including Sergeant Michael Parker. They left late that night and passed by Butler’s ambush party without either group knowing of the other.
Besides Boyd and Parker, there are 12 known names of Boyd-Parker party who were killed.; one name on this monument "Corporal Calhoun" refers to a NCO who died of wounds in an ambush which occurred separate from the Boyd-Parker ambush.
The two were taken to Little Beard's Town
, now Cuylerville, where Brant questioned them. After he left, Little Beard
and his men tortured and executed Boyd and Parker in anger over the presence of American troops in the area. Boyd was tied to a tree by his own intestines and forced to run around the tree until he fell dead. The tree is still located in the commemorative park.
’s town to the ground. Many of the men in the army were so impressed with the agricultural abilities of the land that they returned with their families to this region after the war. Through their sacrifice, the men of Lt. Boyd saved the lives of hundreds of American troops and helped open this area to development.
's Mount Hope Cemetery
in a ceremony hosted by New York Governor William H. Seward
.
Today the Groveland Ambuscade Monument marks the site along with a small town park. In September 2004 the site commemorated the event's 225th anniversary with a series of reenactments.
Groveland, New York
Groveland is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,853 at the 2000 census.The Town of Groveland is centrally located in the county, south of Geneseo.- History :...
on September 13, 1779, during 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...
. A scout group of the Sullivan Expedition
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...
was ambushed and captured by Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
and their Seneca Indian allies led by Little Beard
Little Beard
Little Beard, Si-gwa-ah-doh-gwih , was a Seneca chief who participated in the American Revolutionary War on the side of Great Britain...
.
Background
Native American raids in Upstate New York compelled General George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
to send 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....
with some 3500 men into Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
to displace the Senecas; destroy their crops, villages, and food supplies; and remove the threat to settlers.
Prelude
Iroquois Chief Joseph BrantJoseph 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...
and British Colonel 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...
had some 800 men and were in defense of the region. Sullivan marched from Easton, PA through Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and into Western New York. They camped at the site of Foot’s Corners in Conesus
Conesus, New York
Conesus is a town in Livingston County, New York , United States. The population was 2,353 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a native word meaning "Berry place."...
on Sunday, September 12, 1779, after traveling from Honeoye Lake
Honeoye Lake
Honeoye Lake is one of the Finger Lakes of New York State in the USA. The lake is in Ontario County. Honeoye is an Iroquois word translated as "a lying finger," or "where the finger lies." Most of the lake is within the town of Richmond but a smaller southwestern part is in the town of Canadice...
. That night Sullivan ordered Lt. Thomas Boyd to organize a scouting party to discover the location of the Seneca village. Boyd took 23 men with him including Sergeant Michael Parker. They left late that night and passed by Butler’s ambush party without either group knowing of the other.
Ambush
During the next day the scouting party spotted a group of four Indians along the trail and a brief gun fight occurred. One Indian was killed, and Boyd and Parker started to return to Sullivan. On the trail they spotted five Indians who fled. Boyd’s guide told him not to follow, for it was a trap, but he ignored the warning. They were led into the enemy’s lines, surrounded, and outnumbered. Fifteen of Boyd’s men were killed, eight escaped, while Boyd and Parker were captured. Estimates from contemporary Journals is that the Boyd party numbered 29 of whom 17 were killed; 5 returned and 7 escaped.Besides Boyd and Parker, there are 12 known names of Boyd-Parker party who were killed.; one name on this monument "Corporal Calhoun" refers to a NCO who died of wounds in an ambush which occurred separate from the Boyd-Parker ambush.
The two were taken to Little Beard's Town
Little Beard's Town
Little Beard's Town, also known as Chenussio and "Genesee Castle", was a powerful Seneca town in the Genesee River Valley near modern Leicester in Livingston County, New York, where Cuylerville stands today. It was named after its founder, Little Beard, a prominent Seneca sachem in the late 18th...
, now Cuylerville, where Brant questioned them. After he left, Little Beard
Little Beard
Little Beard, Si-gwa-ah-doh-gwih , was a Seneca chief who participated in the American Revolutionary War on the side of Great Britain...
and his men tortured and executed Boyd and Parker in anger over the presence of American troops in the area. Boyd was tied to a tree by his own intestines and forced to run around the tree until he fell dead. The tree is still located in the commemorative park.
Aftermath
Two days later the ambush site was discovered by Sullivan’s army and the men were buried with military honors. The army went on to destroy acres of crops and burn Little BeardLittle Beard
Little Beard, Si-gwa-ah-doh-gwih , was a Seneca chief who participated in the American Revolutionary War on the side of Great Britain...
’s town to the ground. Many of the men in the army were so impressed with the agricultural abilities of the land that they returned with their families to this region after the war. Through their sacrifice, the men of Lt. Boyd saved the lives of hundreds of American troops and helped open this area to development.
Memorials
The bodies of Boyd and his men were left at the site of the battlefield until 1841, when they were re-interred at Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
's Mount Hope Cemetery
Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester
Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York, founded in 1838, is the United States' first municipal rural cemetery. Situated on 196 acres of land adjacent to the University of Rochester on Mount Hope Avenue, the cemetery is the permanent resting place of over 350,000 people...
in a ceremony hosted by New York Governor William H. Seward
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward, Sr. was the 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson...
.
Today the Groveland Ambuscade Monument marks the site along with a small town park. In September 2004 the site commemorated the event's 225th anniversary with a series of reenactments.