Year of the Hangman: George Washington's Campaign Against the Iroquois

After two years of fighting in America with limited success, the British felt they were, to coin a popularized modern term, in a bit of a quagmire, and sought a new strategy for their overseas war. The new strategy involved moving the war away from the more populated northeast and into the western frontier. This move would not only disperse the already diminutive American forces, but would also allow Britain to utilize its strongest North American allied force, the Iroquois Indian Confederacy. Glenn William's book, THE YEAR OF THE HANGMAN: WASHINGTON'S WAR AGAINST THE IROQUOIS chronicles the events that took place in those western frontier skirmishes and battles. The book derives its name for the year, 1777, which had become popularly known at the time as the `year of the hangman' due to the three sevens appearance of gallows when written, though the majority of the events actually occurred in 1779. Though using that title for his book was too good of an opportunity to pass up, William's title is slightly misleading as to the dates of the primary events. The Iroquois, though primarily located in Western and Central New York, were quite possibly the strongest Indian nation of North America for a span of over 500 years. Their control reached across the Great Lakes into Central Wisconsin and their rise to prominence came at the cost of driving out, and driving to extinction, numerous other Indian tribes of the region. They were, to be sure, a force to be reckoned with. Both the Americans and the British had heavily lobbied allegiance with the Iroquois, but in the end, the Indians felt their best chance for future lay at the hands of the British and consequently, four of the six main tribes of the Iroquois sided with the British. This error in judgment would prove fatal to the Iroquois nation, when, as a primary result of the Sullivan Expedition, the Iroquois nation would virtually lose all of its military and political power. While the Sullivan Expedition is the primary focus of William's book, other major events are deftly chronicled as well, such as the Battle of Oriskany and the Wyoming Valley attacks. By 1979, Gen. Washington had successfully developed the army making it capable of taking the fight to the Indians and literally destroying their economical stability and rendering them harmless, not just for the remainder of the revolution, but into the subsequent years of frontier settlement into the traditional Iroquois homelands. That Washington was able to develop a force the size of the Sullivan Expedition (5000 men) is in and of itself, a testament to Washington's military leadership abilities and, though today, only an afterthought in Revolutionary history, stands as one of the General's greatest military accomplishments. This is good reading. Glenn William's had put together a readable and valuable presentation of a rather forgotten aspect of America's fight for independence. Monty Rainey Junto Society

I read this book because I have Loyalist ancestors who were members of Butler's Rangers and almost certainly participated in the battles described in such detail. My ancestors, William Pickard and his 2 sons James and Benjamin, two privates and a drummer boy, did not get mentioned in the book, but that was not a problem since around 900 people were in Butler's Rangers. They survived to move to Canada after the war and they started large families after leaving their homes in Tryon County. The book has a nice section on the key personalities that I found useful since there were Butlers on both the Loyalist and Patriot sides. The book would be improved by detailed maps. Unless you can imagine where places like Tioga, Unidilla and Stone Arabia are, you will read the book in front of your computer with Google Maps open as I did. The book would also be improved with contemporary photos of the battle sites; some of these, like the Battle of Newton, were easily found on the web. I learned much from the book and enjoyed it. It was very interesting to see that the Rangers contained a good number of Black soldiers who lived with the rest of the Rangers and the Indians. It was also interesting to see how both sides courted the Indians and tried to win their support. The book really makes the Revolution look much more like a civil war than people typically think.

Glenn Williams has written a detailed and informative history of a little known but important Revolutionary War campaign. The North American frontier or "backcountry" of northern Pennsylania and New York, from the Mohawk to the Genesee Valley, was the site of intense conflict between Britain's Iroquois allies and American "rebel" farmers. From 1777 on the British sought to terrorize the Pennsylvania and New York backcountry through brutal and horrific Indian attacks against colonial militia and their families. By 1779 the new American government realized a forceful counterattack was imperative to stop this British-inspired terror campaign. The result was a masterful military campaign orchastrated by George Washington and led by Major General John Sullivan. Sullivan's well trained and well disciplined army of 3,000 colonial troops swept up from northern Pennsylania through the Genesee Valley (near present day Geneseo, New York) wrecking near complete destruction on Indian villages and crops. The campaign was a major success, breaking the fighting spirit of the Iroquois - notably the Seneca - and paving the way for the eventual victory of the Americans against the British. This engaging story is told well by Williams. His story would have been easier to follow, however, with more and better maps.

In writing "Year of the Hangman: George Washington's Campaign Against the Iroquois," Glenn F. Williams set out to make a case that "the Iroquois Campaigns accomplished their tactical and strategic objectives as laid out by George Washington, produced the desired calculated effect, and were a significant factor in the American victory in the War for Independence." After reading Mr. Williams' book, I am convinced that he is correct. He has clearly chronicled the events leading up to, during, and following the expeditions led by Sullivan, Clinton and Brodhead, and has done so in a manner that speaks to his passion for the subject. Being separated from these events by more than 220 years, it is human nature for us to see them merely as words on a page. However, like those of our own time, they deserve our attention and demand understanding. Fortunately, Mr. Williams' words have leapt from the page. As a result, I have come away from reading "Year of the Hangman" feeling that I rode the coattails of those who lived through those trying times; Patriots, Loyalists, and Iroquois alike. Along this ride, I have gained a tremendous appreciation for the strength and spirit of those who braved life on the early frontier, have felt their anxiety, desperation, and fear, and yet understand that these qualities and emotions belonged also to the Iroquois, whose very way of life was forever changed by the struggle into which they were thrust. "Year of The Hangman: George Washington's Campaign Against The Iroquois" not only deserves five stars, but also three "huzzahs" for a job well done.

The book's title ("Hangman" is a reference to the supposed resemblance of the numerals "1777" to a line of gallows), perhaps chosen for its dramatic sound, is somewhat misleading. Williams's book deals with a broader time period than this single year and, indeed, its climactic focus is upon events of 1779. "The Year of the Hangman" surveys the history of the war between the Iroquois (or, at least those tribes and bands allied with the British) and the Americans during the Revolution, primarily sparked by the British desire to divert American attention during their 1777 drive to split the Colonies apart with Burgoyne's thrust south from Canada. Although the activities of George Rogers Clark further west today still retain some fame, the fighting carried out in 1778 and 1779 by other American soldiers in upper New York and western Pennsylvania has been largely forgotten. It is perhaps difficult today to conceive that during the Revolution, the Finger Lakes region of New York was the stronghold of Indian forces that presented a real threat to the well-being of the infant American Republic. Williams's book aims to set the historical record right. He presents a persuasive case that Major General John Sullivan and other soldiers of the Continental Army, under George Washington's direction, achieved a substantial strategic victory in 1779, effectively ending any serious menace from such tribes as the Mohawks and Senecas, bringing a close to the power and unity of the famous "Six Nations," and allowing Washington to concentrate upon British regular forces further east for the rest of the war. The book is nicely illustrated with period engravings and woodcuts. My only criticism is that the maps are too few and too small to depict complex events occurring over such a broad expanse of territory.