Walter Butler ( Loyalist ) Walter Butler ( 1752 – October 30 , 1781 ) was a British Loyalist officer during the American Revolution . He was born near Johnstown , New York , the son of John Butler , a wealthy Indian agent who worked for Sir William Johnson . Walter Butler studied law , and became a lawyer in Albany , New York . Military career . At the start of the American Revolution , the women of the Butler family were taken captive in Albany while Walter was commissioned as an Ensign in the King ' s 8th regiment . with which he served at the Battle of Oriskany . When his father , John , formed Butler ' s Rangers , Walter Butler transferred to that company and was commissioned as a Captain . In late 1777 , he was captured by Continental Army troops while trying to recruit rangers at Shoemaker Tavern in German Flatts , New York . He was sentenced to death for spying by Lt . Col . Marinus Willett , was imprisoned in Albany , but after a few months he escaped and returned to Canada . In 1778 , he and Joseph Brant , a Mohawk chief , led a company of Tories and Indians in the raid that culminated in the Cherry Valley Massacre . He has been blamed for the deaths of the many women and children that were killed on that occasion . He fought in the Battle of Johnstown and was killed on October 30 , 1781 while retreating back to Canada in a skirmish with rebel troops ( 2nd Albany County Militia Regiment ) and the Tryon County militia under Marinus Willett in the Mohawk Valley . The Cherry Valley Massacre of November 11 , 1778 . Captain Walter Butler was in command of the Loyalist Raiding party that attacked Cherry Valley on November 11 , 1778 . In a November 17 , 1778 letter to his superiors in Canada , Butler blamed Joseph Brant and his Indians for the massacre of the inhabitants of Cherry Valley . Contrarily , some Americans on the Patriot side asserted that it was Butler who ordered the killing of the women and children at Cherry Valley , not Brant . The following letter from J . H . Livingston to his brother serving in the Continental Congress is presented here , in part , verbatim from the original preserved in the New York State Library in Albany , New York . " Albany 23 Nov . 1778 . Dear Brother . . . . . . the devastation at Cherry Valley are marked with Such scenes of Cruelty as surmount perlays any attempt of the kind during the War . the City Militia returned from Schohary ( which they guarded while Col . Butler went with his men to meet the Enemy , ) of last Saturday Evening Col Alden is killed , the Leut Col . a prisoner . between 30 & 40 Women & Children butchered in the most unheard of manner . there is an Anecdote of the famous Brant mentioned upon this occasion which deserves to be made public & if true reflects immortal infamy upon the Tory rabble who have fled among the Savages & upon every occasion prove themselves worse than the heathen . it is Said when this party Came out , their Orders were read by young Butler upon which Brant turned himself round & wept and then recovering himself told Butler ; that he was going to make war against America but not to murder and Butcher ; that he was an Enemy from principle but he would never have a hand in Massacring the Defenceless Inhabitants upon which the bloody department was committed [ upon ] a Seneca Indian whilst the noble Brant with another party attacked the fort . had the British leaders or the British King been actuated by Sentiments of this sort the American War wod not have been Stained with such unparalleled cruelty , nor the name of Briton so justly execrated throughout these States . the Savage Brant stands foremost in the List of Heroes where How , Burgoyne , Clinton , and even George are named . but the Clock Strikes & warns me to close by telling you that both of us Sincerely love you both . May he whose Love is Stronger than Death protect & Bless you . J H Livingston " The fighting in upstate New York at times devolved into savage civil war between families and kin of whites who had lived in that region , with both sides in league with their own allies of native Amerindians . ( Of the Iroquois Six Nations , the Oneida and many Tuscarora sided with the rebel forces ; the Mohawk , Seneca , Onondaga and Cayuga remained loyal to Great Britain . ) John Brick , a twentieth - century native of the region and a career historical novelist , researched and wrote novels from both sides of the loyalists - rebels division . In his 1954 novel " The King ' s Rangers " — after extensive research in Canadian archives — Brick reported that the savagery at Cherry Valley was done under direction of two sub - chiefs of Joseph Brant , the Mohawk chief ; and that Brant , by dint of negligence or worse , abandoned his promise to Walter Butler to control the Indians ' fighting so as to prevent attacks on women and children , the defenseless and captured . Butler ' s death . Butler died in a skirmish on October 30 , 1781 . The telling of the details was of apparent great interest to his contemporaries ; perhaps no other Loyalist in upstate New York was as hated as Walter Butler . Several men who were present during the event or shortly thereafter testified to the specifics in their ( Revolutionary War ) pension applications [ RWPA ] . Concerning the events of that day , Henry Shaver , one of forty white men chosen at Fort Plank by Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willett to accompany a band of Oneida Indians under the command of Colonel Lewis Cook in pursuit of Major John Ross forces after the Battle of Johnstown , stated . . . " That he " [ Butler ] " cried out to his pursuers to “ Shoot and be damned ” which he had no sooner done than he was struck by a Ball from one Louis [ the words " An Oneida " are crossed out ] The Indian [ the word " swam : " is crossed out here ] waded over [ the words " and tomahawked " are crossed out ] and scalped him . " . . . The words of Shaver are echoed by Richard Casler who states . . . " When Willett ' s men came upon the enemy they were drying their cloaths by fires & were surprised at that place Walter Butler was killed by an indian ( he believes ) an Oneida indian . He ( Casler ) was there & saw the indian who killed Butler & who had Butlers Coat and scalp The indian shot Butler from across the Creek Butlers Sergeant was also killed at this place . " . . . John Stalker also states that . . . " Col . Butler was killed by an Indian by the name of Lewey who had the command of the American Indians . " . . . But , Nicholas Smith & John Kennada both state that the Indian who shot Butler was " Saucy Nic : " , not " Louis " , and Rozel Holmes states that it was “ Harmanus ” , a Schoharie Indian , who actually killed Butler and scalped him . Thus it is doubtful we will never know which one of these three men actually dispatched Mister Butler , but there is no doubt that he was killed and scalped . Concerning the fate of Walter ’ s body , John Canada [ sic : John Kenneda ] testifying in favor of Tall William receiving a Revolutionary War Pension stated : . . . " That he was together with the said Tall William engaged in a battle at West Canada Creek in which Col . Butler was shot through the head and killed and in which the enemy were defeated and after the battle was over I took from the pocket of Col . Butler a half guinea and Black William took the shoe Buckles from his feet and saucy Nick another member of our Tribe [ the words " took his " are crossed out here ] & the one who shot Col . Butler took his [ a " u " is crossed out here ] Clothing and occasionally after that wore the same " . . . . No word is recorded as to the disposition of Butler ’ s body and it is doubtful that the Rebel forces did him the honor of burying him , Ross ’ men being actively pursued by them .