Indian Hill on the southern border of Bradford County in Tuscarora township derives its name from the fact that there on the 29th of September, 1778, a decisive engagement took place between Colonel Hartley’s men and the Indians. The enemy fled, leaving ten of their number dead upon the field. Hartley’s loss was four killed and ten wounded.1778
In late March, Col. Dorrance and a force of 150 men arrived from the Wyoming Valley to evacuate the settlers in the Wyalusing area.
On May 20, a large Indian raid struck Wysox.
In June, a force of 400 Indians and 400 Tories under Butler departed Tioga, the current site of Athens, and headed downriver with its sights set on the Wyoming Valley.
This group was reinforced by 200 Seneca warriors near the mouth of Bowman’s Creek.
On June 30, the raiders fought a skirmish with a party from Fort Jenkins.
On July 3, Butler demanded the surrender of all forts, Continental soldiers and stores in the Valley.
A Patriot force instead moved out to engage the enemy, but was routed.
Many of the captives were brutally murdered in captivity by the Iroquois leader Queen Esther.
In the aftermath, Butler’s Indians claimed taking 227 scalps, while Col. Nathan Denison of the Connecticut militia reported 301 dead.
While Butler and his main force returned victorious upriver on July 8, the last of the settlers in the Wyoming Valley headed for safety by July 18.
In September, Col. Thomas Hartley and 200 men led a raid from Fort Muncy up the Sheshequin Trail to take the fight to the Indians.
After a skirmish near Canton, Hartley reached current day Ulster where he destroyed Queen Esther’s village.
Retiring down the Susquehanna, Hartley fought off an assault on Indian Hill on Sept. 29. He lost four who were killed and had 10 soldiers injured in the attack.
These actions caused General WASHINGTON to send one third of his army up the Susquehanna River. This march was lead by General John Sullivan. The following is Washingtons orders to General Sullivan.
“The expedition you are appointed to command is 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. It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and preventing their planting more…”