Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-05-04

Next we find Walter Butler as an ensign In
the Eighth regiment the Kings Own, In the
fighting around Montreal and Quebec. From
there he goes to Fort Niagara, which Is to be
his principal headquarters as leader of the But
Ter Rangers from that time on. In TIT he ac-
companies St Leger In the expedition which,
with Burgoyne coming down from the north
and Howe coming up from the south, Is to end
the war In one campaign. At old Fort Stanwix
(renamed Fort Schuyler) the stubborn defense
of Colonies Gansevoort and Marinus Willett hold
up st. Legers advance and the bloody Battle of
Orskany results finally In Its defeat.
Soon afterwards Walter Butler starts down
the Mohawk river toward German Flats to raise
recruits for the British army. He Is captured,
tried as spy before court martial, over which
Colonel Willett sits as judge advocate, and is
sentenced to be hanged. But General Schuyler
intercedes for him and he Is taken to the Al
bany jail from which he soon escapes to Quebec
The next year he goes again to Niagara and
leads the expedition against Cherry Valley from
which he Is to return with 1.-THE most hated
name In New York for a hundred and fifty
years"
Most Of the historians who have written of
this affair, making Butler the villain and Brant
the protector of the captured women and chill
dren, lay emphasis upon the 81 people who were
killed In the massacre. But Swiggett brings out
the fact that 1t was Butler who protected seven
eighths of the inhabitants, the 173 survivors,
and offers strong evidence that 1t was Brant
who melted the Indians to the killing of at least
a part of the 81.
The next two years find Walter Butler as cap
tain of the corps OF rangers fighting In the bat
ties against General Sullivan, whom Washing
ton has sent to smash the power fsthe Long
House, going on a mission to Detroit and "main-
tanning the post of Miamis," cold and lonely
outpost In the wilderness far west of Detroit
But In 1850 he is back in Montreal and again
at Niagara and from there the next year, he sets
out upon his last expedition AS second In COM
mand under Major Ross, the raiding force of
about roo Is within II miles of Schenectady on
October 25, 1881. They have left trail Of burn
Ing farmhouses, mills and granaries behind them
as they turn to retreat toward Johnstown
But Marinus Willett and his Continentals are
hot on their trail and In the Battle of Johns
town, Ross and Butler are defeated The dsor-
ganized raiders must retreat through the wilder
ness toward the north. They reach Canada creek
and at ford there Walter Butler Is covering
the retreat when he Is shot down and an Oneida
scout In Willetts command takes his scalp.
Visit the city of Schenectady today and they
will take you to historic old st Georges church
and tell you that the dust of Walter Butler lies
under its foor--even pointing out the very pew
under which his body. brought secretly by the
Tories from the ford at Canada creek, Is sup
posed to have been buried. But SwIggett doubts
this. 1T seems unlikely" he says, wolves
were closing in on the army" And on that
grlsly note the tragedy and the mystery OF Wal
ter Butler ends.
10 by WastSgu Newspaper Union1