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Sugarloaf massacre

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239:"On the first notice of this unfortuned event the officers of the militia have Exerted themselves to get Volunteers out of their Respective Divissions to go up & Burry the Dead, their Labour Proved not in Vain we collected about 150 men & officers Included from the Colonels Kern, Giger & my own Battalions who would undergo the fatique & Danger to go their & pay that Respect to their slautered Brethren, Due to men who fell in support of the freedom of their Country. On the 15th we took up our line of march (want of amunation prevented us from going Sooner) on the 17th we arrived at the place of action, where we found Ten of our Soldiers Dead, Scalped, Striped Naked, & in a most cruel & Barborous manner Tomehawked, their throads Cut, &c. &c. whom we Buried & Returned without even seeing any of these Black alies, & Bloody executors of British Tirany." 202:, and a detachment of 41 of Van Etten's men headed to Northumberland to investigate these settlements in 1780. They were placed under the command of Lieutenants Moyer and Fish, and they left Northampton County in the beginning of September 1780 from Fort Allen and headed into Sugarloaf Valley to search for Loyalist sympathizers and spies. 313:
men were killed on September 11, 1780. But at least three of these men—George Schellhammer, Peter Crum, and Baltzar Snyder—show up on a few months later, and again in returns the following year, as substitutes (volunteers, not drafted) in Captain William Moyer's (father of Lieutenant John Moyer) company of
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Rogan Moore asserts that a Captain Daniel Klader commanded a detachment at of 41 men at Sugarloaf. However, Thomas Verenna asserts that no historical evidence exists which places a man named Daniel Klader at the scene. No correspondence or militia returns mention his name. No birth record, marriage
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Lieutenant Moyer, upon his return, said he had seen thirteen scalps on the belts of his captors, but it is hard to believe that they let him count the scalps while he was detained. Captain Van Etten did take a return at the end of the Volunteer's tour of duty, in January, 1781. He indicates that 14
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The men of the volunteer detachment had just sat down to eat dinner on September 11, 1780, according to survivor Peter Crum, when the Loyalists and Natives started firing muskets at them. Ten militiamen were killed, according to Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Balliet, who had gone with a small force of
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and again a year later, in 1783. Peter Crum lived long enough to file a pension in 1833. It is likely that Van Etten did not know who had been killed (his company was spread over two dozen miles, east to west, along frontier forts in Northampton County) or these men had deserted after the massacre
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to their aid. Approximately 200 men arrived at Fort Rice, and the Loyalists and Natives dispersed. Upon retreating, these people went over Knob Mountain and a group of 30 to 40 of them went down the stream known as Cabin Run to Fort Jenkins, which they burned down, along with numerous buildings in
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The number of militiamen killed in action at the skirmish is difficult to confirm. The earliest and best source, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Balliet, reported that ten men were buried. Samuel Rea, the County Lieutenant of Northampton County, indicated that Balliet's numbers were probably the most
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Previous violence between the Iroquois and settlers was one of the contributing factors to the events of the Sugarloaf Massacre. In 1780, there were a large number of attacks by Natives in the vicinity where the massacre took place, including an attempted attack on
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record, or death record for him exists. No survivor mentions his name or his death in their depositions and no surviving pension file from any of the Volunteers indicate that they served under a Daniel Klader of any kind.
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After the skirmish, the Loyalist and Native war party searched the surrounding area for several hours. The next day, they took their prisoners down Nescopeck Creek and towards the Susquehanna River before turning towards
308:"Col. Baliort informs me that he had Given Council a relation of the killed and wounded he had found Burned near Neskipeki as he was at the place of action his Accts must be as near the truth as any I could procure..." 247:"We also have great Reason to beleve that several of the Indians have been killed by our men, in Particular one by Col. Kern & an other by Capt. Moyer both of whome went Volunteers with this partie." 282:, the Wyoming Historical and Genealogical Society, and the Sugarloaf Commemorative Committee built a memorial near the location of the massacre. In 1947, a historical marker was installed on 170:. According to pension files and witness depositions, the militia detachment was led by Lieutenants John Moyer and John Fish of Captain Johannes Van Etten's company of volunteers. 251:
Most of the militiamen escaped, with Lieutenant John Moyer, Ensign Scoby, and an unnamed private taken prisoner. Moyer managed to escape, but the other two men were taken to
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Balliet's burial detail apparently skirmished with some scouts from the Loyalist and Native forces while burying the dead, as Balliet went on to report:
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The number commonly believed, 15, is not sustainable according to the evidence. Thus the plaque at the site listing that many names is inaccurate.
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On September 6, approximately 250 to 300 Native warriors and Loyalist soldiers arrived at
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were commissioned to serve for seven months, led by Captain Johannes Van Etten.
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The Bloodstained Field: A History of the Sugarloaf Massacre, September 11, 1780
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The Bloodstained Field: A History of the Sugarloaf Massacre, September 11, 1780
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Sketches of border adventures: in the life and times of Major Moses Van Campen
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were home to large numbers of Loyalists who aided the British during the
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Murder Along the Creek: Taking a Closer Look at the Sugarloaf Massacre
271:. The soldiers who escaped the massacre spread the news as far as the 660:
Battles of the American Revolutionary War involving the United States
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Battles of the American Revolutionary War involving Great Britain
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Murder Along the Creek: A Closer Look at the Sugarloaf Massacre
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and went to Sugarloaf Valley in southwestern Luzerne County.
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was a skirmish which occurred on September 11, 1780, in the
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The Pennsylvania Archives, Ser. 1, Vol. 8, (1907) 564–565.
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150 militia to bury the dead. He wrote in his report:
570:Journal of the American Revolution, July 6, 2015. 32: 493:Pennsylvania Archives Ser. 1, Vol. 8, 560–561 27:1780 battle of the American Revolutionary War 8: 166:attacked a small detachment of militia from 222:the fort's vicinity. They then crossed the 106:Lieutenant John Fish, Lieutenant John Moyer 552:Pennsylvania Archives Ser. 1, Vol. 8, 592. 183:. On June 15, 1780, a group of militia in 29: 373:Referred to as Scotch Valley in the 1700s 640:Pennsylvania in the American Revolution 464: 462: 460: 458: 456: 386: 366: 417:, (Journal of the American Revolution) 215:Lewis Township, Northumberland County 7: 259:, which he reached on September 14. 90:Northampton County volunteer militia 280:Pennsylvania Historical Commission 25: 588:Map of the area of the engagement 411:Thomas Verenna (July 6, 2015), 435:Kent Jackson (June 24, 2015), 1: 441:The Hazleton Standard-Speaker 318:and returned to their farms. 67:Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 529:John Niles Hubbard (1842), 676: 200:American Revolutionary War 40:American Revolutionary War 140: 123: 110: 94: 77: 45: 37: 230:The attack and aftermath 645:Battles in Pennsylvania 573:Rogan H. Moore (2000), 566:Thomas Verenna (2015), 469:Rogan H. Moore (2000), 269:Catawissa, Pennsylvania 350:Cherry Valley massacre 136:Unknown number wounded 95:Commanders and leaders 63:Little Nescopeck Creek 355:Penn's Creek massacre 325:Captain Daniel Klader 284:Pennsylvania Route 93 124:Casualties and losses 635:1780 in Pennsylvania 299:Number of men killed 255:. Moyer traveled to 116:Unknown, at least 30 607: /  340:Sullivan Expedition 211:Chillisquaque Creek 190:The communities of 168:Northampton County 148:Sugarloaf massacre 100:Unknown, possibly 53:September 11, 1780 33:Sugarloaf massacre 18:Sugarloaf Massacre 650:Conflicts in 1780 611:41.011°N 75.989°W 345:Battle of Wyoming 224:Susquehanna River 162:and a handful of 158:when a number of 144: 143: 73: 72: 16:(Redirected from 667: 622: 621: 619: 618: 617: 612: 608: 605: 604: 603: 600: 577:, Heritage Books 554: 549: 543: 542: 541: 539: 526: 520: 519: 513: 504: 501: 495: 490: 484: 481: 475: 473: 466: 451: 450: 449: 447: 432: 426: 425: 424: 422: 408: 374: 371: 181:Moses Van Campen 132:At least 10 dead 47: 46: 30: 21: 675: 674: 670: 669: 668: 666: 665: 664: 625: 624: 616:41.011; -75.989 615: 613: 609: 606: 601: 598: 596: 594: 593: 584: 563: 558: 557: 550: 546: 537: 535: 528: 527: 523: 515: 514: 507: 502: 498: 491: 487: 482: 478: 468: 467: 454: 445: 443: 434: 433: 429: 420: 418: 410: 409: 388: 383: 378: 377: 372: 368: 363: 336: 327: 301: 296: 232: 176: 135: 133: 84: 69: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 673: 671: 663: 662: 657: 652: 647: 642: 637: 627: 626: 591: 590: 583: 582:External links 580: 579: 578: 571: 562: 559: 556: 555: 544: 521: 505: 496: 485: 476: 452: 427: 385: 384: 382: 379: 376: 375: 365: 364: 362: 359: 358: 357: 352: 347: 342: 335: 332: 326: 323: 300: 297: 295: 292: 273:Delaware River 231: 228: 175: 172: 142: 141: 138: 137: 130: 126: 125: 121: 120: 117: 113: 112: 108: 107: 104: 102:Roland Montour 97: 96: 92: 91: 88: 80: 79: 75: 74: 71: 70: 61: 59: 55: 54: 51: 43: 42: 35: 34: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 672: 661: 658: 656: 653: 651: 648: 646: 643: 641: 638: 636: 633: 632: 630: 623: 620: 589: 586: 585: 581: 576: 572: 569: 565: 564: 560: 553: 548: 545: 534: 533: 525: 522: 518: 512: 510: 506: 500: 497: 494: 489: 486: 480: 477: 472: 465: 463: 461: 459: 457: 453: 442: 438: 431: 428: 416: 415: 407: 405: 403: 401: 399: 397: 395: 393: 391: 387: 380: 370: 367: 360: 356: 353: 351: 348: 346: 343: 341: 338: 337: 333: 331: 324: 322: 319: 316: 310: 309: 305: 298: 293: 291: 289: 285: 281: 278:In 1933, the 276: 274: 270: 266: 260: 258: 254: 249: 248: 244: 241: 240: 236: 229: 227: 225: 220: 216: 212: 208: 203: 201: 197: 193: 188: 186: 182: 173: 171: 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 149: 139: 131: 128: 127: 122: 118: 115: 114: 109: 105: 103: 99: 98: 93: 89: 87: 82: 81: 76: 68: 64: 60: 57: 56: 52: 49: 48: 44: 41: 36: 31: 19: 592: 574: 567: 551: 547: 536:, retrieved 531: 524: 516: 503:Moore, p. 33 499: 492: 488: 483:Moore, p. 26 479: 470: 444:, retrieved 440: 430: 419:, retrieved 413: 369: 328: 320: 311: 307: 306: 302: 277: 261: 257:Fort Wyoming 250: 246: 245: 242: 238: 237: 233: 219:Fort Jenkins 204: 189: 177: 156:Pennsylvania 147: 145: 78:Belligerents 38:Part of the 614: / 561:Works cited 294:Controversy 185:Northampton 152:U.S. state 629:Categories 602:75°59′20″W 599:41°00′40″N 381:References 304:accurate: 192:Bloomsburg 174:Background 134:2 captured 288:Conyngham 207:Fort Rice 196:Catawissa 164:Loyalists 86:Loyalists 538:July 10, 334:See also 111:Strength 58:Location 474:, p. 19 446:July 6, 421:July 6, 315:militia 286:, near 265:Berwick 253:Niagara 209:, near 160:Natives 129:Unknown 83:Natives 119:41 men 361:Notes 540:2013 448:2015 423:2015 267:and 194:and 146:The 50:Date 213:in 154:of 65:in 631:: 508:^ 455:^ 439:, 389:^ 290:. 275:. 20:)

Index

Sugarloaf Massacre
American Revolutionary War
Little Nescopeck Creek
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Loyalists
Roland Montour
U.S. state
Pennsylvania
Natives
Loyalists
Northampton County
Moses Van Campen
Northampton
Bloomsburg
Catawissa
American Revolutionary War
Fort Rice
Chillisquaque Creek
Lewis Township, Northumberland County
Fort Jenkins
Susquehanna River
Niagara
Fort Wyoming
Berwick
Catawissa, Pennsylvania
Delaware River
Pennsylvania Historical Commission
Pennsylvania Route 93
Conyngham
militia

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