On May 1, 1778, British soldiers under Major John Simcoe surprised sleeping and outnumbered patriots under Brigadier General John Lacey with a dawn attack near the Crooked Billet Tavern, forcing the patriots to withdraw.
On July 2, 1863, the Battle of Hunterstown took place about five miles northeast of Gettysburg. Gen. Wade Hampton’s cavalry brigade was sent to protect the Confederate left flank where they were met by Gen. George Custer’s cavalry. Custer was unhorsed in the ensuing melee, pinned by his horse, and saved by Norvell Churchill, an orderly. […]
The Pennamite-Yankee Wars were a series of three conflicts between settlers from the colonies of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Settlers from both states had been granted title to lands in what is now northeastern Pennsylvania. The dispute over which state governed the area led to the construction of competing forts. Tensions flared up on three separate […]
On July 3, 1778, American patriots were massacred at the Battle of Wyoming when they engaged British regulars, loyalists and their Iroquois allies. Reportedly, 227 patriots were scalped and several were put to death at Queen Esther’s Rock. Watch Battlefield Pennsylvania and more PA History & Culture on cable and the PCN Select streaming service.
In the summer of 1779, Col. Daniel Brodhead led a campaign north along the Allegheny River to eliminate Native American warriors allied with the British. In mid-August, forward elements of the campaign clashed with a hunting party of Mingo Seneca on an alluvial island now called Thompson’s Island, which is located in the Allegheny National […]
A coalition of Indian tribes battled with British troops during Pontiac’s War at the Battle of Bushy Run, which took place on Aug. 5-6, 1763. The battle was notable for its coordination of several Native American tribes, but resulted in a British victory. Watch Battlefield Pennsylvania and more PA History & Culture on cable and […]
During the Revolutionary War, Fort Mifflin on the Delaware River played a crucial role in holding off the British navy from resupplying their troops after the 1777 occupation of Philadelphia. The British laid siege to the fort for six weeks. The American patriots delayed the British navy long enough for George Washington and colonial troops […]
On April 1, 1756, Delaware Indians killed or kidnapped 27 settlers and burned Fort McCord. A militia was organized to track them down. The militia caught up with them three days later, only to be counterattacked by a second group of Indians, resulting in 20 wounded and 20 killed, including Captain Alexander Culbertson, company commander. […]
Wage and job cuts caused nationwide railroad strikes in 1877. The strike started on July 14, in West Virginia, and quickly spread nationwide. Major strikes occurred in five Pennsylvania cities. The rioting was the most severe in Pittsburgh, where militia clashed with strikers from July 21-22, 1877, killing 40 and wounding dozens. Watch Battlefield Pennsylvania […]
A 1791 federal tax on distilled beverages angered small distillers, especially those in western Pennsylvania. Many refused to pay the tax, and stood in armed rebellion against the new federal government. Tax collectors were attacked. On July 16 and 17, shots were fired at tax collector John Neville’s home, and the event became known as […]