Some faint demonstrations were made by straggling parties of Tories and Indians, who prowled about the settlements during the Summer of the preceding year, while St. Leger was besieging Fort Schuyler; but after a few skirmishes with the inhabitants they dispersed, and the latter remained undisturbed during the rest of the year. Still, an impression that some of the Tories, who had been in arms against them, or who had been instrumental in bringing the Indians upon them, were yet lurking in the vicinity, and bent upon mischief, left the people not altogether at ease; and in the month of January, 1778, twenty-seven suspected inhabitants were arrested. Nine of these were discharged on examination, for want of sufficient evidence to warrant their detention; while the remaining eighteen were sent to Hartford, in Connecticut, and imprisoned. The nine who were first discharged, immediately fled to the enemy, and were followed thither by such of their suspected associates as were subsequently set at liberty in Connecticut. It was but natural that these proceedings still more embittered the feelings of these Loyalists against the Whigs, and the effect was soon perceptible in the behavior of the Tories and Indians occasionally patrolling their borders.

For a time, however, the apprehensions thus excited were allayed by several pacific messages from the Indian nations deeper in the interior, who sent parties of runners with assurances of a desire for peace. But these assurances were deceptive. Instead of being messengers of peace, it was ascertained in March, from one of them while in a state of intoxication, that their business was to amuse the people and allay their fears while preparations were making to attack them. This Indian, with his associate warriors, was immediately arrested and placed in confinement, while the women of the party were sent back with a flag. The alarm was likewise given to the scattered and remote settlers, some of them living thirty miles up the river, who thereupon immediately sought for greater security in the more populous towns. During the months of April and May, the settlements began to be more considerably annoyed by larger parties of Tories and Indians, who hung upon their borders, and made frequent incursions among them for purposes of plunder—robbing the people, as opportunity afforded, of live stock, grain, and other articles of provisions. Waxing yet more audacious in June, several murders were committed. Six of these victims were a mother and her five children, who were doubtless killed under a misapprehension as to her character, since the woman was the wife of one of the Tories who had been arrested in January. The houses and plantations of the slain were of course plundered of every thing of value which the marauders could carry away. [FN]

[FN] Almon's Remembrancer, 1778—Second Part.

Toward the close of June, the British officers in command at Niagara determined to strike a blow upon these settlements; for which purpose about three hundred white men, consisting in part of regular troops, but principally of refugee Loyalists, under the command of Colonel John Butler, together with about five hundred Indians, marched in that direction. Arriving at Tioga Point, Butler and the Indian leaders [FN-1] procured floats and rafts, upon which they embarked their forces, and, descending the Susquehanna, landed at a place called the Three Islands, whence they marched about twenty miles, and crossing a wilderness, entered the valley of Wyoming through a gap of the mountain near its northern extremity. [FN-2] They took possession of two small forts, without opposition, on the 2d of July—the first of which was called the Exeter fort. It was said the garrison consisted chiefly of Tories, who treacherously surrendered it to the enemy. The other was the fort of Lackawana, where the enemy encountered some resistance. But it was soon carried, a magistrate named Jenkins being killed, together with his family, and several others, mostly women and children, made prisoners. One of these forts was burnt. [FN-3] In the other, the proper name of which was Fort Wintermoot, Colonel John Butler established his head-quarters.

[FN-1] It is difficult to ascertain with certainty from what tribes or nations these Indians were drawn. It will be seen by a note a few pages onward, that there is reason to suppose they were from Detroit, and were led by an officer of the British service. Certainly they had no chiefs of any considerable note among them.

[FN-2] Marshall's Life of Washington.

[FN-3] The Remembrancer.

The inhabitants, on receiving intelligence of the approach of the invaders, assembled within a fortification four miles below, called Fort Forty, from the circumstance of its having been occupied by forty men, at some period of the antecedent troubles of the Colony. Colonel Zebulon Butler, whose name has occurred several times in the preceding summary of the history of Wyoming, was in command of about sixty regular troops, and he now made every exertion to muster the militia of the settlements. But in his official despatch he complained, that as the women and children had fled to the several forts, of which there were seven within the distance of ten miles along the valley, the men, too many of them, would remain behind to take care of them. Still, he succeeded in collecting about three hundred of the militia, and commenced his march to meet the enemy on the 1st of July, in connexion with the regular troops before mentioned, commanded by Captain Hewett. On their first advance, they fell in with a scout of Indians, of whom they killed two. These savages had just murdered nine men engaged at work in a corn-field. [FN-1] Not being supplied with provisions, Colonel Zebulon Butler [FN-2] was obliged to fall back upon Fort Forty, while his militia procured supplies. They mustered again on the 3d, and a council of war was convened. Messengers having been despatched to the head-quarters of General Washington for assistance, immediately after the enemy's movements were known at Wyoming, Colonel Z. Butler was desirous of waiting for reinforcements. But his officers and men were impatient for a trial of strength. [FN-3] The messengers had already been gone so long, that it was supposed they had been cut off, and consequently that General Washington was ignorant of their situation. In that case no reinforcements could reach them in season to save their valley from being ravaged; and as the enemy's forces were daily increasing, it was held to be the part of wisdom to attack him at once.