The Battle of Newtown (29 August 1779) was the only major battle of the Sullivan Expedition, an armed offensive led by Gen. John Sullivan that was ordered by the Continental Congress to end the threat of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War. The battle took place on the hillside just outside of what is now Elmira, New York, along the Chemung River, and ended with a sound defeat for the Iroquois (led by Joseph Brant) and Loyalists (led by Major John Butler and his son Walter Butler). August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, led by Major General John Sullivan and General James Clinton, was commissioned by the Continental Congress to end the threat of the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War. ... For other men with the same name, see: John Sullivan (disambiguation). ... The Continental Congress was the federal legislature of the Thirteen Colonies and later of the United States from 1774 to 1789, a period that included the American Revolutionary War and the Articles of Confederation. ... The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... Elmira is a city located in Chemung County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 30,940. ... The Chemung River (shuh-MUHNG) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately 45 mi (72 km) long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States. ... Joseph Brant (sometimes spelled Brandt) was a Mohawk leader during the American Revolutionary War. ... This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. ... For the musician, see John Butler (musician). ... Walter Butler may refer to: Walter Butler (1752-1781), a British Loyalist during the American Revolution, son of John Butler (1728-1796). ...

The site of the battle is today the Wellsburg exit of Route 17. Sullivan led the brigade of Gen. Edward Hand, with that of Gen. William Maxwell in reserve, against the Loyalists and Iroquois at this site. He ordered the brigade led by Col. Matthias Ogden to flank the enemy along the Chemung River to the west, and those led by James Clinton and Enoch Poor to secure the hillside on the eastern flank. Several roadside signs in the vicinity of the interchange mark various troop locations. A tall monument now stands in a state park on a hillside about a mile away, near the position taken by Clinton and Poor's brigades. This hillside area, which overlooks the interchange, is now known as Newtown Battlefield State Park. Wellsburg is a village located in Chemung County, New York. ... Interstate 86 is the designation of two interstate highways in different parts of the United States. ... Edward Hand (December 31, 1744–September 3, 1802) was an American physician and soldier from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. ... A number of people are called William Maxwell: William Hamilton Maxwell (1792–1850), a Scots-Irish novelist. ... The Chemung River (shuh-MUHNG) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately 45 mi (72 km) long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States. ... James Clinton (August 9, 1733 – September 22, 1812) was a American Revolutionary War soldier who obtained the rank of Major General. ... Enoch Poor (June 21, 1736 – September 8, 1780) was a Brigadier General in the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. ...

External links

• Map of the battle and some first-hand accounts (http://members.aol.com/liv18thc/newtown.html)
• Newtown Battlefield Reservation State Park (http://chemungvalley.org/)