Norwich bulletin., 1921-09-15
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
THE MASSACRE OF CHERRY

VALLEY.
 In the summer of ITS, when the Revolutionary war was at it's height, the Six Nations of New York were making all kinds of trouble for the peo- pie of that state having been stirred to hostility by Sir John Johnson, the Mohawk chief, Joseph Brant. and Wal ter Butler, of infamous name. The Tory following of the conspirators were even more cruel than the red men.
 As early as June of that year the Indians and their Tory allies, began their depredations of the most revolting kind, finally leading up to the famous massacre of Cherry Valley At this point fort had been built, and the village was occupied by a band of Co., and the settlers were scattered to their habitations, regardless of warnings of approaching foes.
 Under cover of a severe storm of snow and rain, November Il, Brant and Butler, with 500 Indians and Tories, swooped down upon the homes, and forty-three persons, including women and children, were butchered, forty taken prisoners, all the buildings were burned, and the domestic animals were seized. So brutal was the massacre
 
 Tories with acting against his pro- test
 Brant, himself, was content. July 1s, 1779, with destroying the church, mills, houses and barns at Minnisink, Orange County, without sacrificing lives, but turned upon a, party sent in pursuit, and, after capturing a detachment, butchered the wounded and slew forty five who tried to escape. Such deeds produced a terror in the colony. No one knew where the red men and Tor 1 ies would strike next. To check and i counteract them, excursions were made | against the tribes in their homes. But i they were powerless to avenge the atro- cious murder of Cherry Valley.
 An eyewitness to the scene of this great crime has thus described it: 1 ''When Butler reached within six miles of Cherry Valley he halted his forces. He assembled the chiefs and proposed that as soon as the moon rose, they should surround the house occupied by the officers, while he made a rush upon the fort with the rangers.
 ''They readily assented, but before the time appointed arrived it rained | furioulsy, and the men obstinately re- fused to obey until daylight It was then arranged that Capt. McDonnel, with fifty Piclled rangers and some In- dians, should storm the house, while Butler, with the remainder, should as sail the fort. Without tents, blankets and fires. the men spent a sIeepless night They had approached to within one mile of the fort by passing through a dense swamp, when the Indians fired at two men cutting wood. One fell dead and the other, though bleeding, ran for his life.
 l ba Indians fo11Oyva5 in fuII suit, and shortly outdistanced the com manders and Tories. The Continental officers attempted to escape to the fort 1 but only two or three reached it. The colonel, five other officers and twenty soldiers, were killed on the way, and a numbers of others were taken prison CTS.
 The garrison of the Cherry Valley fort was fully alarmed and opened 9 fierce fire of artillery and small arms The wretched misconduct of the Indians caused Butler to collect all the ranger! in a compact body on an eminence neal the principal entrance to the fort, to op. pose a sally by the garrison whicr then undoubtedly outnumbered then considerably.
 All day long they held off the garri son. but the following day the Indian. and the feeblest men among the ranger. were sent away with all the cattle while Mcdonnell and Rrant with sixt7 rangers and fifty Indians. swept the , valley from end to end, ruthlessly burn ing every building and stack in sight. I was the most atrocious massacre of tn Revolutionary period, and one whicf stamped the white leaders as incarnat fiends.
 (Tomorrow-Joy at the First sht
 Duel)