Battle of Newtown

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The Battle of Newtown was a pivotal 1779 Revolutionary War engagement in which American forces under General John Sullivan decisively defeated a combined British and Iroquois force, crippling Iroquois resistance in upstate New York.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle
military conflict
alsoKnownAs Battle of Newtown, New York NERFINISHED
AmericanForcesComposition Continental Army troops and militia
associatedPeople Brigadier General James Clinton NERFINISHED
Lieutenant Colonel John Butler NERFINISHED
Major General John Sullivan NERFINISHED
Mohawk leader Joseph Brant NERFINISHED
belligerent Continental Army NERFINISHED
Iroquois Confederacy NERFINISHED
Kingdom of Great Britain
Loyalist forces
United States of America
surface form: United States
campaignObjective punish and neutralize Iroquois and Loyalist bases used for raids on frontier settlements
casualtiesAmerican relatively light
casualtiesOpposing heavier than American casualties
combatant American Patriots NERFINISHED
British regulars
Iroquois warriors NERFINISHED
Loyalist rangers NERFINISHED
commander James Clinton NERFINISHED
John Butler NERFINISHED
John Sullivan NERFINISHED
Joseph Brant NERFINISHED
conflict American Revolutionary War
country United States of America
surface form: United States
date August 29, 1779
followedBy destruction of Iroquois towns in the Finger Lakes and Genesee regions
historicalEra 18th century
location Chemung County, New York NERFINISHED
near present-day Elmira, New York
memorial Newtown Battlefield State Park NERFINISHED
notableFeature involved coordinated artillery and infantry assault by American forces
largest battle of the Sullivan Expedition
opposingForcesComposition British rangers and Iroquois warriors in defensive positions
partOf Sullivan Expedition NERFINISHED
precededBy earlier skirmishes of the Sullivan Expedition in 1779
region upstate New York
result decisive American victory
siteDesignation U.S. National Historic Landmark NERFINISHED
stateHistoricSite Newtown Battlefield Reservation NERFINISHED
strategicSignificance crippled Iroquois resistance in upstate New York
enabled systematic destruction of Iroquois villages and crops
secured the western flank of the United States during the Revolutionary War
strengthAmerican approximately 3,000–5,000 troops
strengthOpposing approximately 800–1,200 men
theater Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War NERFINISHED
year 1779

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Sullivan Expedition battle Battle of Newtown
Newtown Battlefield State Park namedAfter Battle of Newtown