attack german attack german september raid frontier settlement german new_york encompassed american revolutionary war attack mixed force overall command leader resulted destruction houses crops taking livestock raiders use settlers warned heroic run took refuge local forts militarily weak stop raiders attack series executed command loyalist leaders communities frontier western new_york northern pennsylvania new_york authorities responded ordering expedition destroyed forward operating bases territory background failure british general campaign hudson october american revolutionary war upstate new_york frontier war british leaders supported loyalist native american partisan fighters supplies armaments winter british allied indians developed plans attack frontier settlements new_york pennsylvania february established base operations present day windsor new_york recruited mix loyalists estimated number time began campaign late objectives acquire provisions forces planning operations valley expedition raid raided frontier communities summer raided settlements springfield present day july left survivors warnings german soon attacked settlement german known survey error reversed names german south bank founded immigrants district defended local militia regiment command colonel main forts prelude planned raiding german sooner september absence delayed plans butler returned fort attack communities july sending captain recruit men unit known early september clear butler returning area launched expedition men exact composition force left unclear sources generally agree principally force loyalists ranger company company volunteers numbered warnings received earlier planning attack colonel sending scouts direction gather intelligence september company overwhelmed scouting party killing scattering rest survivors ran miles ahead advancing force warn german colonel sounded arms regiment sent urgent request colonel assistance regiment settlers took refuge forts raid men arrived german long warning evening september began attack morning settlers taken refuge forts significant opportunity raiders prisoners demonstrated forts lacked heavy weapons properly assault instead communities sides destroying homes similar number mills saw mill drove large number horses cattle sheep killing buildings left standing forts barn church homes minister loyalists people homeless destruction warning americans killed captain wrote men probability killed inhabitants german coming scouts getting warning approach got forts aftermath regiment arrive raiders left militia pursued raiders unable catch friendly capitalized absence raid town freeing prisoners taken route german americans launched raids early october destroyed son walter organized expedition scene massacre november action butler contributed decision authorize major continental_army expedition territory commanded generals expedition systematically destroyed villages tribes fighting british little stop frontier war german area particular subject repeated raids novel drums recounts story run gives overview german settlements river adapted film directed released
Attack on German Flatts (1778)