Native Americans and Sullivan Campaign

Native Americans and the Sullivan Campaign

Before the American Revolution, there was a well-established Seneca village near what is now the town of Chemung. The Seneca are members of the Six Nations, also called the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee Confederacy. When the Revolution began in 1775, they allied themselves with the British and Loyalist troops and raided colonial farms in southern New York and northern Pennsylvania. In 1779, General John Sullivan and General James Clinton of the Continental Army were sent to counter the raids. Their forces destroyed native villages and crops throughout the region. On August 29, 1779, General Sullivan’s troops won a decisive victory against the British and their allies at the Battle of Newtown.

Chemung

Seneca Longhouse In the 1770s there were almost 1,000 Native Americans living in seven villages in the Chemung Valley. They planted immense fields of corn, beans, pumpkins, and melons on fertile land next to the river. Image courtesy of simple.wikipedia.org
General John Sullivan On March 6, 1779, General Sullivan was chosen to lead a campaign into western New York. His orders from General George Washington were as follows: "The Expedition you are appointed to command is to be directed against the hostile tribes of the Six Nations of Indians, with their associates and adherents. The immediate objects are the total destruction and devastation of their settlements, and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible." Image courtesy commons.wikimedia.org
Sullivan Campaign Map The village of New Chemung was a base for the British and their Native American allies. On August 13, 1779, General Sullivan’s troops stormed the village and found it deserted. They headed west in pursuit and encountered a group of Delaware warriors waiting in ambush. Sullivan’s soldiers fought off the warriors then returned to New Chemung and burned it to the ground. This clash became known as the Battle of Chemung.
Piece of Algonquin pottery found near Chemung
Shadowbox containing archaeological objects found in Chemung. From the collection of Mary Ellen P. Kunst, Chemung town historian

Native Americans and the Sullivan Campaign

Seneca Longhouse

In the 1770s there were almost 1,000 Native Americans living in seven villages in the Chemung Valley. They planted immense fields of corn, beans, pumpkins, and melons on fertile land next to the river. Image courtesy of simple.wikipedia.org

General John Sullivan

Sullivan Campaign Map

Piece of Algonquin pottery found near Chemung

Shadowbox containing archaeological objects found in Chemung. From the collection of Mary Ellen P. Kunst, Chemung town historian