Battle of Newtown

The Battle of Newtown was the decisive engagement of the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign — Congress's punitive expedition against the Iroquois Confederacy in retaliation for the Wyoming and Cherry Valley massacres. The expedition involved nearly 5,000 Continental soldiers and was designed to permanently destroy the Iroquois military capacity. The British and Iroquois commanders chose to make a stand at Newtown (present-day Elmira), where they prepared a carefully concealed ambush along a wooded ridge.

About 1,500 warriors and Loyalists occupied fortified positions behind a fence line disguised with branches. Sullivan's army was approaching in column when a rifleman spotted the disguised fortifications. Sullivan immediately halted the advance and ordered a methodical flanking attack with multiple columns.

The flanking attack by Poor's brigade hit the enemy right flank and drove through it, threatening to cut off the entire force. Brant and Butler had no choice but to abandon their position rapidly to avoid encirclement. American losses were light — 3 killed, 39 wounded — while the defenders suffered significant casualties.

After Newtown, Sullivan's army burned over 40 Iroquois towns and destroyed hundreds of thousands of bushels of corn, vegetables, and orchards throughout the Iroquois homeland. The campaign broke the Iroquois capacity to raid the frontier and permanently altered the Six Nations' political balance. The destruction was so thorough that the Iroquois called Sullivan 'Town Destroyer' — a name that passed to Washington, who had ordered the campaign.