CHEMUNG, she-mfing', Battle of the, in the Revolution, 29 Aug. 1779, the decisive en gagement of John Sullivan's campaign, to harry the Iroquois country. The Indians and their Tory allies made a stand in force at the Chemung River, about a mile southeast of New town (Elmira), N. Y. They had five com panies of British troops and rangers, number ing about 250; and the entire fighting strength of the Six Nations. These Indians the Tory authorities state as 550; but this seems impos sibly small, and Sullivan and his officers, from a careful estimate of various factors, place it at 1,200 or 1,300. Sullivan had about 5,000. The Indians were led by their Napoleon, Brant (Thayendanegca) ; the Tories by Col. John Butler, with Sir John Johnson, and perhaps Guy Johnson, Maj. Walter N. Butler and Cap tain MacDonald. Their line was in advance of the river, resting on a bend at the right. From the bend ran a breastwork half a mile long, flanked by bastions and having a dwelling in front turned into a blockhouse; it was con cealed by a mass of pines and scrub-oaks, some of them cut from other places and stuck down to make a seemingly thick virgin forest. From their left a thin line was continued about a mile and a half to a steep ridge parallel to the river, where a strong detachment was posted; and a mile further east was another ridge parallel to the first, with a breastwork and another company, the two advance detachments designed to take the Americans in flank and rear. Along the front of the main breastwork ran the road to Newtown, exposing the whole American flank to a raking fire. The entire works formed a
magnificent ambuscade; but Sullivan, who was no Braddock, guessed the utility of the ridges and knew what scouting parties were for. About 11 A.M. of the 29th Major Poor beat up the position, and General Hand formed his infantry in a wood 400 yards from the works and waited for the rest of the army. Sullivan ordered Poor to carry the hill at his right and take the British in rear, while the main body with artillery attacked the front. Steadied by Brant, a warrior of great force and sagacity, the Indians not only made a stubborn resistance for two hours, yielding inch by inch, but even stood up against the bayonet, something almost unknown in Indian history. At first thrown into a panic by the artillery, Brant rallied them to a fresh and tenacious fight; and noting Poor's turning movement, threw a strong de tachment with a battalion of rangers to the hill to oppose it. But at length Poor, having cleared the crest, burst on the rear with a bayonet charge; and both Indians and whites fled across the river in rout, the Indians leaving their packs and weapons behind, and 11 dead, though they usually carry all these away with them. Fourteen other dead Indians were in fact found under the leaves, two canoes were found covered with blood and the Indians told their western villages that they had many killed and vast numbers wounded. The Americans had 6 killed and 40 or 50 wounded.