The enemy in front had the Tories in the center under Captains Pawling and Hopkins and the British regulars on their extreme left under Captain William Caldwell and Lieutenant Turney. On the enemy's right were the Indians, under cover of the alders in a swamp led by a Seneca Chief named Sayenqueraghta.[41]
The Americans advanced with spirit, the enemy purposely falling back under fire for the distance of about a mile, until they came to a cleared field. On the opposite side of this field was a log fence which the British used as a breastwork, and from it poured in such a severe fire that it checked the advance. Just at this point the Indians with brandishing spears and demoniac yells, rushed out of the swamp on the left, in which most of them lay concealed, enveloped the left wing by superior numbers, and turned it in upon the right. In the melee that ensued an effort was made to re-form it, so that it would present a front to the enemy, but in the confusion occasioned by the fierce onset of the enemy the orders were misunderstood and the day was lost.
The men retreated in squads at first, firing as they gave ground, but borne down by overwhelming numbers, the retreat became a rout, and every man did the best he could to save himself. It was four miles back to the fort. On the way some of the squads were captured, some in pairs, some singly. The slaughter of captured men by the Indians constitutes what is known in history as the Wyoming Massacre. Some of the fugitives reached Forty Fort; some Wilkes-Barre. Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler escaped with his life. He and the remnant of Hewit's regulars left the valley. They did not surrender.
PITTSTON FORT.
What of the Twenty-fourth Regiment? Col. Denison reached Forty Fort alive. Lieut. Col. George Dorrance was mortally wounded. Major John Garret was killed. The Captain of every company fell upon the field, as also did three Lieutenants and three Ensigns. How many men the regiment lost it is impossible to say, but from 200 to 300 of those engaged on the American side were slain. The loss of the enemy was from 40 to 80 men.
Early the next day, July 4, the British commander sent a detachment across the river and demanded the surrender of Fort Brown, in which the Pittston people assembled, under the command of Captain Jeremiah Blanchard. The demand was complied with.[42] It is said that this company failed to report at Forty Fort because the enemy captured all the water craft along the river in its vicinity. This disposes of one more of the companies of the Twenty-fourth Regiment.
The same day the surrender of Forty Fort was demanded on terms deemed reasonable under the circumstances. No means for further resistance were at hand. After some negotiation articles of capitulation were drawn up and signed.[43] Protection was promised to persons and property. The fort was surrendered. Captain Franklin had come up from Huntington, while the battle was in progress on Abraham's Plains, with the remainder of his company and they were included in the surrender[44], thus making six complete companies. I have now accounted for the ten original companies of the regiment. Captain William Hooker Smith's company of the "Alarm List" was in the fort with the women and children at Wilkes-Barre, and Capt. James Bidlack, Sr.'s company was in the fort on Garrison Hill in Plymouth. These "Reformadoes" belonged to Col. Denison's command.
The victors planned a spectacular entrance into Forty Fort. Massed in columns of four upon the left, approached Major John Butler at the head of his Rangers and Royal Greens; on the right came the Seneca Chiefs, leading their warriors, streaked with paint, adorned with feathers, and other picturesque barbaric ornaments. They were preceded with waving banners, the screech of fife, and the roll of drums. At a signal the gates were opened: in at the north gate entered the Tories and British Provincials; at the south gate the savages.[45]