Morrison's Pensions
MOHAWK VALLEY RAIDS
The following is a list of raids, battles and skirmishes that took place
in the Mohawk and Schoharie Valleys in 1781.
I have been
able to compile dates and information for most of the events. There were about
twenty seven known small and large raids that took place, two major battles
(New Dorlach, July 10, 1781 and Johnstown, October 25, 1781) and one of the
most important skirmishes on October 30, 1781 at the West Canada Creek where
the infamous Captain Walter Butler of the dreaded Butler's Rangers was killed.
There are
several other raids that took place but little is known about them. The following
is an example of one. In a letter dated June 3, 1781 at Fort Schuyler it mentions
that five Mohawks took two prisoners near Stone Arabia.
In time
I hope to add to the following list and or pinpoint exact dates.
*************
February 6, 1781 Fort Davis in the German
Flatts District is
attacked.
Peter Davis and three of his
daughters
were wounded. One daughter was
stabbed
three times and cut with a tomahawk.
March 2, 1781 A
wood cutting party with guards (2 N.Y.
Continental
Regt.) were sent out from Fort
Schuyler (present
day Rome, NY) in the
morning. Later that day
Capt. Joseph Brant
captured
most of this party of Americans and
killed
one.
April 24, 1781 Canajoharie
District ‑ Cherry Valley (now in
Otsego
Co.) was attacked and the settlement
was
burnt. Eight inhabitants were killed and
fourteen
were taken prisoners.
May 3, 1781 Palatine
District ‑ Valentine Boyer was taken
prisoner.
May 10, 1781 Palatine
District ‑ John J. Failing was taken
prisoner.
May 12, 1781 German
Flatts District ‑ Thomas Shoemaker was
taken
prisoner.
May 20, 1781 Canajoharie
District ‑ Fort Clyde which stood
on
the present day Route 163 was attacked by
a
small party of the enemy. One of the fort
Sentries
John Balsle received thirteen wounds
during
this attack.
May 25, 1781 German Flatts District ‑ Abraham Wolleber
scalped
twice and was found three days later
by
the Fort Herkimer garrison. Abraham
recovered from his
wounds and died sometime
after
the war.
May 26, 1781 Palatine District ‑ Walrath's Ferry was
attacked by a small party of the
enemy.
Sergeant
Henry A. Walrath was wounded, John
A.
and Adolph Walrath were taken prisoners.
May 28, 1781 German Flatts District ‑ Nathaniel Shoemaker was wounded in the chest.
June 9, 1781 Canajoharie
District ‑ David
Schuyler,
Jr., Private in Capt. Jost
Dygert's
Company in Col. Samuel Campbell's
Regt.
[First Battalion of Tryon County Militia].
June 24, 1781 German
Flatts District ‑ Schell family
attacked
while working in their fields near
Fort
Dayton (present day village of Herkimer)
. The
father Christian and his son Demas
were
badly wounded and they later both died.
Frederick,
another son, was wounded in the
thigh
but escaped with his brother Marks.
July 4, 1781 Canajoharie
District - George House and David
Schuyler,
privates in Capt. Lawrance Gross'
Company
in Col. Marinus Willett's Regt. of
New
York State Levies where taken prisoners
while
guarding cattle near Fort Windecker.
July 6, 1781 German
Flatts District ‑ Capt. Peter Elsworth
and
his detachment of men from Willett's
levies
were ambushed near Steele's Creek.
Capt.
Elsworth with three of his men were
killed,
two taken prisoners and Henrich Grem
was
wounded.
July 9, 1781 Mohawk
District ‑ Currytown (now in present
day
Town of Root, Montgomery Co.)was attacked
and
part of it was burned by the Indians
under
Lieutenant John Dockstader.
July 10, 1781 Canajoharie
District ‑ Col. Marinus Willett
with
a detachment of levies and Tryon County
Militia
find Lieut. Dockstader and his party
encamped
on a high ground in Cedar Swamp at
New Dorlach
(now in present day Sharon
Springs,
Schoharie County). A battle was then
fought
and leaving several dead behind the
enemy
eventually withdrew.
July 18, 1781 Canajoharie
District ‑ a party of militia was
guarding
Cattle on its way to Fort Rensselaer
were
attacked. John Wolleber was captured.His
brother
Nicholas and his brother‑in‑law Peter
Casler
were killed. Another brother Peter was
wounded
but escaped.
July 22, 1781 Palatine
District ‑ Lieut. John Van Slyke was
killed.
July 29, 1781 Palatine
District ‑ A party of the enemy
under
Lieut. Jacob J. Klock (a son of Col.
Jacob
Klock) was attacked while encamped on
Lampman's
Farm near Mother Creek. The
Americans
under Lieut. Jacob Sammons soon
dispersed
the enemy killing at least two of
them.
This small skirmish is believed to
have
taken place in what is now Oppenheim,
Fulton
Co.. Some historians believe that it
took
place in the now Town of St. Johnsville
a
few miles distant from the Oppenheim site.
The
enemy had moved their camp once that we
know
of plus the physical description of the
camp
site can fit either location which adds
to
the confusion.
August 1, 1781 Canajoharie
District ‑ Nicholas House was
taken
prisoner.
August 5, 1781 Palatine
District ‑ a scouting party under
Lieut.
John Zimmerman marched out of Fort
Zimmerman (now St. Johnsville) and they
were
attacked by a party of Indians. Lieut.
Zimmerman was killed, Peter Hellegas and
Jacob Zimmerman who had been
wounded were
taken
prisoners.
August 26, 1781 Palatine
District ‑ John Pickerd was taken
prisoner.
September 7, 1781 German Flatts District ‑ Lieut. Solomon
Woodworth
with a scouting party of about
forty men were ambushed in present day
Fairfield,
Herkimer Co. Lieut. Woodworth with
about eighteen of
his party were killed and
eight
were taken prisoners.
October 4, 1781 German
Flatts District ‑ Warner Dygert of
Fall
Hill was killed and his son Suffrenes
was taken prisoner. This
was part of Major
John
Ross' expedition into the Mohawk Valley.
October 7, 1781 Mohawk
District ‑ a party of twelve Loyalists
under
John Cook, Jr. fired at the sentries at
Fort
Johnstown. The enemy's fire was returned
and Cook
fell wounded but the enemy escaped.
Cook
later was captured because his wound was
too
bad for him to travel and he had remained
in
the Johnstown area.
October 1781 German
Flatts District ‑ Capt. Jacob Small
was
killed and Jacob Casler was taken
prisoner
while picking apples. Again Indians
from
Ross' party were out taking prisoners
for
information before they struck the Mohawk
Valley
with torch in hand.
October 1781 German
Flatts District ‑ Nicholas Bell was
killed
and Peter Bellinger escaped. Also part
of
Ross' information gathering Indian raids.
October 24, 1781 Mohawk
District ‑ Currytown is attacked by
Major
John Ross.
October 25, 1781 Mohawk District ‑ Warrensbush settlement
burned
(now Town of Florida, Montgomery Co.)
by
Major Ross. Ross proceeded through the
Town
of Glen and burned various homes and
barns
before crossing the Mohawk River to the
North
side.
October 25, 1781 Mohawk
District ‑ in the afternoon Major Ross
and
his men rest in the fields near Johnson
Hall in
Johnstown. Col. Willett with about
four
hundred American troops finds Ross and
attacks. The
battle ended with darkness and
Major
Ross withdrew from the field.
October 26, 1781 Mohawk
District ‑ a small party of Indians
attack
and burn Currytown again. Christian
Bellinger and several others were taken
prisoners.
October 30, 1781 German
Flatts District ‑ two skirmishes near
or
at West Canada Creek. Lieut. John Rykeman
of
the Indian Dept. with several others were
captured
in the first skirmish. Jesse Woods
of
Capt. Andrew Moody's Company of the Second
N.Y.
Continental Artillery was killed. He was
the
only American casualty during the pursuit of
Major Ross.
The
second skirmish took place at the fording
spot
at the West Canada Creek. Capt. Walter
Butler with about three more
of the enemy
were
killed. Major Ross after several weeks
wilderness
travelling reached Canada.
SCHOHARIE VALLEY RAIDS
July 26, 1781 Schoharie
District ‑ Albany County. Lieut.
Adam Chrysler
attacked the Fox Creek
Settlement. He
tried to capture Major Jost
Becker but
failed in his attempt.
September 1, 1781 Schoharie
District ‑ Cobleskill was attacked
and burnt. Nicholas
Warner and others were
taken prisoners.
November 10, 1781 Schoharie
District ‑ Lieut. Chrysler attacks
Vroomansland and kills Peter I. Vrooman.
Later that
day a party of the 15th Regt. of
Albany County Militia caught up with
the
enemy near
Bouck's Island. After a brief
skirmish
Richard Haggidorn was killed and the
militia
retreated.
November 11, 1781 Schoharie
District ‑ Capt. Aaron Hale of
Willett's
levies and Capt. Jacob Hager of the
militia
caught up with Lieut. Chrysler again
near Lake
Utsayantho and another skirmish
takes place.
John Sacket of the levies and
Joachim Van
Valkenburg of the militia were
killed and Joseph
Hager was wounded. The
Americans
retreated and the enemy escaped.