Newtown | Aug 29, 1779

On the morning of August 29, 1779, American General John Sullivan led a force of about 3,200 soldiers on a mission to destroy an Indian settlement that had been established at Newtown. Sullivan’s men advanced on the breastworks constructed by Loyalist Colonel John Butler and Indian Chief Joseph Brant, manned by about 250 Loyalist soldiers and 350 Iroquois warriors, taking their time to reach their positions along steep ground. Once the fighting broke out, it was brutal, even hand-to-hand in some parts of the battlefield. Finally, Butler called for a retreat. Sullivan mounted a lackluster pursuit, but he still managed to achieve the crucial objective of driving the Iroquois nations out of the area.