Posted by Champ on January 23, 1999 at 03:37:01:
Siyo!
The following are some refrences taken of Simon Girty and some of the "major" frontier battles he was in during the American Revolution, a number of which had him connected with Caldwell's Coy of Butler's Rangers [the unit I reenact with].
The following excerpts are taken from the book:
"The Frontier Riflemen" by Richard B. LaCrosse, Jr.
"Champ"
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October 04, 1779 - Licking River, Kentucky
White renegade, traitor and ex-longhunter, Simon Girty and his Shawnee warriors, ambush and destroy frontier riflemen on the Ohio River.
American losses: fifty-seven killed, wounded or captured. Thirteen escape.
June 04-05, 1782 - Sandusky, Ohio
Colonel William Crawford leads a force of mounted backwoodsmen from Mingo Bottom, PA, 150 miles to Sandusky, OH, where he is attacked by 100 of Butler's Rangers under Captain William Caldwell, and 200 Indians under Captain Pipe and Wingenund of the Delaware, Zhaus-sho-toh of the Wyandots [Huron], and the white renegades Simon Girty, Alexander McKee and Matthew Elliot. [These last three were frontiersmen who led Indian raids against the encroachment of the westward-moving settlers]. After the Tories and Indians are reinforced by Shawnee and other Lake Indians, most of the riflemen succeed in breaking out of the encirclement.
Several are captured and horribly tortured, including Colonel Crawford, Major William Harrison and William Crawford [Colonel Crawford's nephew]. It was reported by Dr. James Knight, who later escaped, that Girty sat back and enjoyed the spectacle, and that Colonel Crawford died heroically. John Slover, another noted woodsman, also made good his escape.
August 15, 1782 - Bryan's Station & Battle Run Branch, Kentucky
While the major attack by Indians is to be launched on Bryan's Station, seventy warriors manage to draw out Captain Holder and other mounted riflemen from Hay's, McGee's and Strode's Stations, and ambush them at Battle Run Branch, inflicting some loss on them.
On August 15, Captain William Caldwell, Alexander McKee, Matthew Elliot, Simon and George Girty, with 300 Wyandots and other Indians, attack Bryan's Station. Thinking he can take it by surprise, Simon Girty leads his warriors in an assualt on the stockade [a rare occurrence], only to be greeted by a blast of accurate fire from forty rifles. Girty sends part of his men to ambush a relief force, and succeeds only in slowing them down. Girty fails to burn out the settlers, and withdraws on the eventual approach of the relief force.
August 19, 1782 - Blue Licks, Kentucky
Proceeding against Daniel Boone's warnings, 182 Kentuckians led by Colonel Todd, McGary and Boone are ambushed by Simon Girty and 400 warriors. Approximately seventy of the frontiersmen are killed [including Israel Boone, Daniel's son], or captured.
Indian losses vary from sixteen to sixty-four. This is the last major frontier battle of the Revolution on Kentucky soil.
[* it should also be noted that Caldwell's Coy of Butler's Rangers were also present at the battle of Blue Licks]...