On October 25, 1781, an American militia under the command of Col. Marinus Willett fought a British raiding party under the command of Maj. John Ross and Capt. Walter Butler in Johnstown (Tryon, later Fulton County). It’s known as the Battle of Johnstown.
The American Battlefield Trust has launched a campaign to save 58 acres of Battle of Johnstown battlefield land that connects with Johnson Hall State Historic Site.
The Battle was the last major clash in the Mohawk Valley, occurring barely a week after the British surrender at Yorktown which ended the war. Johnson’s fortified manor was the most significant estate in the Mohawk Valley.
It was a fierce and deeply personal clash in the Mohawk Valley, where neighbors fought neighbors. Ross and Butler led British and Haudenosaunee forces on raids across the valley, burning farms and terrorizing settlements.
In response, Willett mustered a group of Tryon County Militia to engage the invaders near Johnson Hall. Though Willett’s force was outnumbered, he launched a daring counterattack in the woods and pastures, ultimately forcing Ross to retreat to Canada under cover of darkness.
You can contribute to the American Battelfield Trust’s fundraising effort for these lands and watch a short video of the efforts to purchase the land.
Illustration: Battle of Johnstown battlefield land the American Battlefield Trust hopes to acquire (provided).
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