WYOMING VALLEY, a beautiful fertile valley on the Susquehanna river, in Penn sylvania, 21. m. long by 3 wide, surrounded by mountains 1000 ft. high, its name supposed to be a corruption of the Indian Haughicautcome—large plains. It was pur chased about 1765 by a Connecticut company from the Delaware Indians ; but the set tlers were soon dispersed by hostile savages. In 1769, 40 families came from Connecticut, but found a party of Pennsylvanians in possession, and for several years there were con tinual contests of the settlers with the Indians, and with each other. The Connecticut colony finally succeeded, and their town of Westmoreland had 2,000 inhabitants. In 1776 they armed for their own defense against the English and their Indian allies; but in 1778, most of their troops were called to join the army under Washington. June 30, a force of 400 British provincials, or Tories, and 700 Seneca Indians, led by co]. John Butler, entered the valley, and were opposed by 300 men, under col. Zebulon Butler.
On July 3, the settlers were driven to the shelter of fort Forty, with the loss of two thirds of their number, many soldiers and inhabitants being murdered; a half-breed Indian woman, called queen Esther, having, in revenge for her son's death, tomahawked fourteen with her own hand. On the 5th, the remnant of the troops surrendered, and they and the inhabitants were either massacred or driven from the valley, which was left a smoking solitude. Campbell's Gertrude of Wyoming, founded upon the stories of this disaster, contains exaggerations and misstatements, notably that of attributing the leadership to Brandt, who was not in the expedition. The disputes between the Con necticut and Pennsylvanian settlers were not finally settled till the commencement of this century. The valley is now one of the most flourishing districts in the state.