The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 6, December 1905

Vol. II No. 6
DECEMBER, 1905
WILLIAM ABBATT 281 Fourth Avenue, New York
Published Monthly$5.00 a Year50 Cents a Number
THE MAGAZINE OF HISTORY WITH NOTES AND QUERIES
Vol. II.DECEMBER, 1905.No. 6
Entered as second-class matter, March 1, 1905, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
Copyright, 1905, by William Abbatt
THE MAGAZINE OF HISTORY WITH NOTES AND QUERIES
Vol. IIDECEMBER, 1905No. 6
Sullivan having heard nothing from either Brodhead or Clinton, became especially anxious about the latter, fearing that he might be waylaid by a union of the Tories under Butler and McDonald with Brant’s forces. On the 16th of August, he sent forward a picked force of nine hundred men, under Generals Poor and Hand, with the Coehorn mortar and eight days’ rations, to advance and meet the right wing. Marching to Owego, then an Indian village, and to Choconut, containing fifty long houses, they heard at sunset of the 18th, Clinton’s evening gun. This they answered with their Coehorn. Between the present city of Binghamton and Owego the two forces met and the forest resounded with sounds of mutual acclaim and welcome to brothers in arms. The place of their junction, as we see on the map, is named Union, now a flourishing village. Then the host, the flotilla in boats and the men along the flats and heights, moved down the Susquehanna in fine array. As the united forces of men from three states thus drew near the camp at Tioga Point, Sullivan ordered out the whole army to give them welcome. The fifers and drummers furnished lively music and a feu de joie , by the infantry drawn up in single line, completed the ceremonies. This was at noon on Sunday, 21st, and on the site of the present village of Athens.
Previous to the arrival of Clinton’s brigade, Sullivan (August 11) had sent westward up the river valley, a party of eight of his bravest officers and men, to reconnoiter the Indian town of Chemung. This collection of bark houses was built on the first great river flat above the village in Chemung county, at present called by that name. Keeping away from the trail they reached the hill top and looked down upon the town, finding everything in confusion. The Indians fearing an immediate attack in force, were getting ready to move westward. When this scouting party returned to the main camp at three o’clock the next day, Sullivan ordered his whole force to be ready to march at a moment’s notice. At 8 P. M., August 12, he started with most of his force on a night march and pushed on through swamps and forests. At morning finding themselves in a fog, they also discovered that the enemy had fled.