The Battle of Wyoming was the last of several battles in the Pennsylvania-Connecticut wars. At that time, the disputed Pennsylvania-Connecticut border was in Central Pennsylvania.
The Connecticut-Pennsylvania border war—known as the Pennamite-Yankee Wars—was a late 18th-century territorial dispute over the Wyoming Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania. It was not until the mid-1700s, as available farmland dwindled, that Connecticut settlers (acting through the Susquehanna Company) began aggressively moving into the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania, resulting in decades of localized armed conflicts known as the Yankee-Pennamite Wars.
The conflict began because early royal charters granted overlapping claims to both colonies. Connecticut’s 1662 charter extended its western territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean, sweeping up the northern third of modern Pennsylvania. However, King Charles II granted William Penn the charter for Pennsylvania in 1681, creating an unavoidable conflict. The dispute unfolded through several key events:
Initial Settlement (1762–1769): Settlers from Connecticut (Yankees) migrated to the lush Wyoming Valley and established farms and forts. Pennsylvanians (Pennamites) viewed them as illegal squatters and sought to evict them.
The Pennamite Wars (1769–1784): This resulted in three distinct periods of armed conflict, fort sieges, and skirmishes as both colonies raised militias to control the region.
Battle of Wyoming (July 1778): A devastating tragedy during the American Revolution where a large force of British-allied Loyalist rangers and Iroquois attacked the Connecticut militia and settlers in the valley, resulting in a massacre that left hundreds dead.
The territorial conflict was definitively brought under the jurisdiction of the newly formed United States government. This landmark resolution was achieved through a multi-stage process:
The Decree of Trenton (1782): Both states agreed to let the Continental Congress settle the matter. Congress formed a federal court of arbitration that unanimously ruled in favor of Pennsylvania. This is historically significant as the very first interstate dispute settled by Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
The Continuation of Violence (1784–1788): Although Congress granted Pennsylvania jurisdiction over the land, Pennsylvania’s state government refused to recognize the property rights of the New England settlers. This sparked a violent resurgence of the conflict known as the Second and Third Pennamite Wars.
The Compromise Act of 1799: To prevent further bloodshed and settle the lingering unrest, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a compromise act that finally confirmed legal land titles for the Connecticut Yankees, provided they swore allegiance to the laws of Pennsylvania.
Thanks to Chief Shikellamy and a missionary that was raised by the Indians, Conrad Weiser, who made friends with the Penn Family in Philadelphia, the Iroquois Federation aligned with the British rather than the French.
Per Wiki: Conrad Weiser (1696–1760) was a pivotal 18th-century Pennsylvania German pioneer, farmer, and diplomat. Immigrating to the American colonies, he mastered the languages of the Iroquois Confederacy, serving as the chief interpreter and peacemaker between colonial Pennsylvania and Native American nations. He was a key figure in William Penn’s “Holy Experiment,” helping to found the city of Reading, PA, and serving as a colonel during the French and Indian War.(I think he immigrated from the Iroquois where he was raised. The Indians often kidnapped the children of the white settlers and raised them as their own. Another such child in the Wyoming Valley was Frances Slocum.)
Shikellamy’s origins are controversial. Some say he was from France, but taken captive by the Indians when he was child. Others claim that he was a Susquehannock by birth, a descendent of the Andastes, who was adopted by the Oneida tribe and, due to his valor in war, eventually named chief. What is known with certainty is that in 1727, when the Iroquois took control of the west branch of the Susquehanna River and began governing Shamokin, they sent Shikellamy to serve as resident viceroy over the great Indian town. It was their intention that he would care for all of the Indians residing along Pennsylvania’s border. Thus the Delaware, the Shawnees, the Nanticoke (or Conoy), and the Conestoga (formerly known as the Susquehannocks), looked to him to guide, direct, and settle disputes. Meanwhile the provincial leaders of the time liked to think that he was sent to keep the Shawnee in line, and since they had trouble exercising authority over the rebellious tribe themselves, they were thankful for his help and respected his leadership. The European’s admiration, combined with both the friendship he established with Moravian missionaries and his Indian authority, made him the perfect candidate to serve as an Iroquois interpreter, ambassador, and contractor among the English in Philadelphia.
His first entry into political history in Pennsylvania documents occurred in 1732 when he was called to Philadelphia to serve beside Conrad Weiser as a mediator among the Six Nations and the whites. This led to a life long devotion and comradeship. Working alongside Weiser, Shikellamy became the most respected and frequently employed Indian interpreter and ambassador of his day. Although he could not read or write, his sensitivity, tact, and control made his word law. In 1747 a Moravian missionary wrote, “Shikellamy, at this date, is emperor over all the kings and governors of the Indian nations on the Susquehanna”. He maintained the balance of power between the different tribes and acted as Agent of the Iroquois confederacy in all affairs of state and war. Much of his success stemmed from his competency of working with the Europeans instead of working against them and he was especially gifted with keeping peace among the Shawnee, who were impatient with Iroquois rule and angry at the British for being displaced. In short, Shikellamy was in charge of supervising the entire Indian population of central Pennsylvania (Everts, 27); he was considered chief, king, superintendent, deputy, emperor, and magistrate of the Indians.
Shikellamy was an Iroquois “Sachem”. A Peace Chief in charge of the many tribes of the Iroquois Federation in Pennsylvania. He lived most of his life in Shamokin (Now Sunbury) (translated as “Land of eels” as they were prevalent in the Susquehanna River). When I was young (1960’s), I used to care for his grave site along the Susquehanna River, near what was then the British Fort Augusta in Sunbury. Been interested in Pennsylvania history all my life.
For further reading:
https://www.colonialwarsct.org/1769.htm
1769 — The Pennamite Wars
Early Settlers & the Yankee-Pennamite Wars
The Wyoming Valley was part of the land granted under the Connecticut Charter by King Charles II of England in 1662 to Connecticut for new settlements. On December 28, 1768, the Susquehanna Company in a meeting at Harford, Connecticut made arrangements for the settling the Wyoming Valley lands. Plans were made to divide the territory into five townships, each five miles square. Each township would provide enough land for forty settlers and their families. These five townships were later named Plymouth, Kingston, Hanover, Wilkes-Barre, and Pittston.
When the settlers arrived in Plymouth, they found the land occupied by other settlers from the colony of Pennsylvania. It seemed that King Charles II had granted charters to both Connecticut and Pennsylvania at different times. The King knew very little about America and maps were very poor at that time. Both groups claimed the land. But who was the rightful owner? The Connecticut Charter was granted first in 1662, while the Pennsylvania Charter was not granted until 1681. Fighting soon broke out.
There were two Yankee-Pennamite Wars with the Revolutionary War in between. During the first Yankee-Pennamite War two forts were built by the Yankees, one called Fort Durkee, located on the bank of the Susquehanna River close to the site of Wilkes University today and the other in Kingston, called Forty Fort. It was given this name because the first forty settlers that came from Connecticut built it. The Pennamite’s took shelter in a fort located in Wilkes-Barre near the site of General Hospital today. After the major Battle of Nanticoke in 1775 the Connecticut settlers were able to hold and stay in charge of the valley.
Once the Revolutinary War began in 1776, the men of Wyoming Valley were called upon to serve in the Continental Army. Before long 198 men were ready for duty with 40 of that number being from Plymouth. Men from Plymouth fought in the battles of Millstone, Brandywine, Germantown, Boundbrook, and Mud Fort. Benjamin Harvey, a man who had fought in the Yankee-Pennamite War, was found fronzen to death at Valley Forge. While the men of the valley were away, 400 British troops and 500 Indians attacked the Valley. Forty four men led by Asaph Wittlesey tried to defend the women and children at Forty Fort. At the Battle of Wyoming, Colonel Zebulon Butler led 484 men out of the fort to meet the enemy. Home on furlough from the Continental army were Captains Durkee and Ransom. A line of battle was formed. Colonel Zebulon Butler ordered his men to fire and keep firing into the British line. Butler’s men advanced, pushing back the British but the American’s were swarmed with screaming Indians who had been hiding in the woods waiting to attack. In a few moments Colonel Dorrance and Captains Ransom and Whittlesey were dead. The line was forced to retreat with the Indians right behind them taking scalps. Those who were able to outrun the Indians made their way back to the fort. Many men were captured and put to death. After hearing of the massacre, the women and children hurried out of the valley. On July 4, 1778, British Major, John Butler, demanded the surrender of all forts and ammunition to be given to the Indians. The settlers could not fight in the Revolution anymore. In return for this, Butler promised the settlers that they could return to their homes and live in peace. There was to be no more bloodshed or burning of homes.
After the Revolutionary War, settlers once again moved back to Wyoming Valley. The thirteen colonies were now thirteen states. Both Pennsylvania and Connecticut claimed ownership of the Wyoming Valley. Congress was asked to decide on the legal owner. A court was appointed to decide the case and after forty days, it was decided that Wyoming Valley belonged to Pennsylvania.
The decision by the court did not settle the most important question. Who was to have ownership of the farms and homes in the valley? The Pennsylvania government set up a commission and decided that the Connecticut people should give up their claim to the land and move to western Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania sent Justice Alexander Patterson with a band of Rangers to take charge. Patterson and his men were very unjust and took the belongings of some settlers and sent many valley people to jail. Eleven from Plymouth were arrested during one of Patterson’s raids on the town. In 1784, his small army drove the settlers out of the valley by force. Without any food or extra clothing, they were forced to walk to the Delaware River. Hunger and hardship took the lives of some people. The Pennsylvania government stepped in and sent Colonel John Armstrong to arrest Patterson and restore order. His first step was to disarm everyone including Patterson and his Rangers. As soon as the weapons were turned in, Armstrong arrested forty-six of the Yankee men, but nothing was done to Patterson. Open war broke out and Connecticut and Vermont sent troops to help the Connecticut settlers. John Franklin began to organize to Yankee men into an army. Armstrong and his men were driven out of the valley and Franklin burned Fort Wyoming. By 1794, all of the fighting was over and Wyoming Valley became part of Luzerne County. The settlers became law-abiding citizens once again and the Yankees from Connecticut were assured that their claim to the land would last forever. The Yankee settlers became Pennsylvanians and John Franklin was one of the first valley men to serve in the new government. He lived in the southern end of Plymouth Township.
1769 — SUSQUEHANNA COMPANY
was a land company formed (1753) in Connecticut for the purpose of developing the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. A tract of land was purchased from the Indians in 1754, and preparations were made for development. Aid was sought in England and Eliphalet Dyer was sent in an unsuccessful attempt to secure confirmation of the land grant. Colonization from Connecticut was first attempted in 1762–63, but it was 1769 before any definite settlement was made. Soon the settlers were embroiled in troubles with the rival settlers from Pennsylvania, leading to the Pennamite Wars, in which Zebulon Butler led the Connecticut forces.
WYOMING VALLEY
is an area about 20 mi (30 km) long and 3 to 4 MI (4.8–6.4 km) wide, in Luzerne co., NE Pa., through which flows the Susquehanna River. Wilkes-Barre is the major city of this once-rich anthracite coal region. The valley was the scene of a long contest between Connecticut and Pennsylvania over conflicting land claims based on 17th-century charters. After the Susquehanna Company purchased (1754) land there at the Albany Congress, a temporary settlement of the region in 1762–63 led to the first permanent settlement in 1769 and the building soon after of Forty Fort. The First Pennamite War (1769–71) between the Connecticut and Pennsylvania settlers ensued, but rapid settlement of the area continued. In 1774, Connecticut set up the town of Westmoreland, from which representatives were sent to the Connecticut legislature. During the American Revolution, the valley settlers were attacked (1778) by Loyalist commander John Butler and a party of Tories and Iroquois allies; nearly 400 men, women, and children were killed. The massacre is described in Thomas Campbell’s poem, Gertrude of Wyoming (1809). In 1782 a Continental Congress court of arbitration decided to grant the land in favor of Pennsylvania, but the Connecticut settlers refused to leave, and the Second Pennamite War (1784) ensued. Finally, through the Compromise Act of 1799, the Pennsylvania legislature secured a means of settlement with the Connecticut claimants.