HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BUTLER’S RANGERS?
(MEMORIES OF THE WYOMING VALLEY MASSACRE AND THE VENGENCE OF SULLIVAN)
(noted at the Farm Sale for Charles Colin Trout, on March 31, 21018)
alan skeoch
April 2, 2018
THIS is Marjorie Skeoch sitting and guarding her possessions like a mother hen at the Troup auction sale, March 31, 2018, on the farm near Vineland, Ontario.
Notice her right hand, resting on that wood box. THAT IS NOT HERS! That box is the platform used by auctioneer Rick Rittenhouse to elevate himself above
the crowd. She thought I bought it. Back in the deep past, in the 1780’s, Loyalist veterans of the American Revolution must have guarded their few possession like
this. Marjorie’s family were Loyalists…United Empire Loyalists…so she comes by this feeling of dispossession naturally. She was not connected to Butler and
his Rangers however.
THIS FARM HAS A LONG HISTORY…DEEP ROOTED IN THE CREATION OF CANADA
AND IT WILL REMAIN AS IT IS TODAY…NOT SUBJECT TO DEMOLITION
THE STORY
Below is an imaginary dialogue between Marjorie and Alan Skeoch:
“ALAN, did you hear about that house?”
“Hear what?”
“Owner says it goes back to the Butler’s Rangers…”
“Way back that far…are you sure?”
“Mr. Troup says so.”
“And who is he?”
“Owner of this farm since the death of Charles Group in 2015,”
“Butler’s Rangers were a bloody tough bunch in the American Revolution according to what I’ve read”
“Whose side?”
“Our side…the British side, they fought some nasty battles with Jospeh Brant’s Iroquois…a lot of people died, some scalped.”
“Losers…”
“Right…after the Wyoming Valley Massacre they had to get the hell out as fast as they could.’
“Massacre? Wyoming? Never heard of the place or the massacre>”
If you are American you would remember. Bunch of American militia, around 450 of them under guy by name of Denison got caught. Sucked into a horseshoe
ambush…slaughtered mostly, then their farms were burned…Iroquois scalped a lot of them, ‘blood and gore all over the floor”
“How can you make light of a massacre.”
“Sorry. It was bad. Women and children fled into the forest and some escaped to tell their story. No doubt time has magnified the event. But it was
a bad scene. Hard to imagine how deep the hatred was back in the 1770’s and 1780’s…even up to 1815.”
“If Colonel Butler and his force won Wyoming Valley battle, how come they fled later?”
“Because the American decided to get even. Sent Sullivan north with several thousand troops…they ripped Western New York state to bits. Smashed, killed, burned the
homeland of the Iroquois. They had a war cry…good one…
TORIES WITH YOUR BRATS AND WIVES
SHOULD FLEE TO SAVE YOUR WRETCHED LIVES
“Sullivan and his troops drove Butler and his Rangers, only a couple of hundred strong, north…across the Niagara River eventually. Iroquois refugees by the
hundreds clustered around Fort Niagara…that big stone fort on the US side of the river now but in the 1780’s it was British.”
“What happened to them?”
“For a few years Butler and the Iroquois launched lightning and violent raids into American Territory…raid, wreck, burn, retreat, killing was part of it….war
is never pretty.”
“And then?”
“After the American victory in 1776, the Loyalists and Iroquois were settled along the new border, principally the Niagara River. Butler’s guys were
each given a 100 acre farm in the then wilderness of Upper Canada.
“Do you think this farm is one of those land grants?”
“I do. But first must do some checking.”
“While you are at it, tell me about this guy Butler…I see his name often. Such as the sign “Butler’s Buring Ground” near Niagara on the Lake..
AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCHING
THE FARM OF CHRISTIAN PRICE…AND CHARLES COLIN TROUP
“OK, this farm seems to have been granted to Christian Price, a private in Butler’s Rangers…daughter must have married Troup family, hence name change over the years.
Colin Group died In 2015…not long ago…leaving the farm to others in the Troup Family who own Lakelee Orchards…easy to spot from the QEW at Vineland exit. Lots of peaches.”
“Is that where we buy our peaches by the bushel?”
“Same place…part of the Christian Piece land grant.”
“Where are the Pries buried?”
“Why would you care?”
“Just trying to check your story…”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Not all the time, no…sometimes your enthusiasm gets ahead of the facts. Where are the Price graves? Gravestones give facts.”
“Gone.”
“How can that be?”
“Big storms on Lake Ontario washed the Price Burying ground out into the lake…coffins and all. Maybe gravestones can be found by good divers, but I doubt it.”
“Facts gone?”
“No, lots remain…more than enough to back up this story.”
“SAY, ALAN, tell me a bit about Colonel Butler…seems to have been loved and hated.”
“You might be interested in how he became a Colonel”
“Not really…assume appointed by King George.”
“Nope just named himself Colonel and went around gathering men who were pro British.”
“But who was he?”
“A rich man…had 27,000 acres of land before the American Revolution…very Pro-British…was an officer but just not as high as a Colonel.”
“Lost it all?”
“Yep, lost every square inch of it.”
“Assume he got lots of land here in Upper Canada…given by a grateful King.”
“Nope, he only got 500 acres…lost 27,000 acres (*which may have really been Indian land)…became a kind of sleazy businessman in getting access to Indian land for personal profit.”
“Surely King George III was aware of shady happenings?”
“King George III was not that great…loony a good part of his live. Americans
made fun of the king…and rightly so.
KING GEORGE THE THIRD
SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED
ONE CAN ONLY WONDER
AT SUCH A BLUNDER
“Was Butler a bad guy?”
“If you believe American historians, Butler was a despicable murderer…but take that with a grain of salt.”
“Why?”
“The history of war is often written by the winners. Washington won the American Revolution so the Loyalists (nice name) became Tories (bad name) and
Butler’s Rangers became evil.”
“Truth, is there such a thing as truth?”
“Look for the middle path. Butler’s Rangers were no better and no worse than other troops fighting on the American frontier.”
“Did Butler achieve anything?”
“Sure did. He won the loyalty of the Iroquois warriors and fear of them stopped American forces at the Niagara River. They trusted Buttler
more than that trusted any American leaders. Their land was taken and Buttler was part of the final settlement of the Iroquois on the Grand River
of Upper Canada where most remain today.”
“What about Christian Price?”
“He married and settled down on his new farm…then, in the 1780’s, covered with giant trees and bisected by streams and swamps.Today covered with
peach, cherry and grape orchards and bisected by a wide swath of the multi-lanes QEW along with service roads..”
Above are Mr. and Mrs. Troup, direct descendent of Christian Piece and the exploits of Butler’s Rangers. To Canadian Buttler and his Iroquois irregulars were heroic defenders of
British colonial life. To Americans,…? not so!
And after the auction sale was over, Andrew helped Marjorie and I load our purchases…so the story has some hard goods as well as soft print.
Treasure? Well, this hand operated corn sheller (below) is to my mind a grand treasure. Comes complete with a hopper feed system and a hand crank. Mr. Troup and who knows how many Troup’s before him, gathered
corn cobs each year and stored them in this corn crib set up on stone pillars to keep the rats and mice away. Then shelled the cobs into piles kernels to feed the livestock…pigs, chickens especially.
The corn sheller has survived as has the farm granted to Christian Piece in the 1780’s. Now called Lakelee Orchards. As mentioned, Today the QEW cuts right through the original lakefront part of the farm. And somewhere out in the
lake rests the tombstone of Christian Price, washed away.
FOOTNOTES
Charles Colin Troup
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TROUP, Charles Colin – Peacefully on Friday March 13, 2015 at his residence at the Orchards in Vineland Ontario in his 89th year. Predeceased by his wife Muriel May Hodge (2002). Survived by his daughters Marilyn and Sandra and son David (Sev). Grandfather of Jason, Nicholas and Aundrea Troup, Victoria and Jessica Gibson, Fred Leppard and Sarah Thiede. Great-grandfather of Noah, Ava and Aleah. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Colin lived a very full life and was probably best known as a fruit grower, income tax consultant, and a stamp collector who exhibited his award winning collections internationally. He was a member of both the Jordan Lions Club and the Beamsville Ivy Lodge for over 50 years. Special thanks to Dr. Overholt and his staff for looking after dad in his final years. Cremation has taken place. The family will receive friends at the VINELAND CHAPEL of TALLMAN FUNERAL HOMES on Friday March 27, 2015 from 7-9 pm with a service in the chapel on Saturday March 28,2015 at 11am. There will be a private family interment at a later date. If desired, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Heart and Stroke Foundation in his honour. Online condolences at www.tallmanfuneralhomes.ca12909130
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Re: Butler’s RangersANON-Y-MOUSE (View posts)
Posted: 07 Dec 2001 02:17PM
Classification: Query
Just type in Butler’s Rangers. The Lincoln & Welland Regt.
has all of them on their site. Christian Price was a Butler’s Rangers. He lived on the shore of Lake Ontario, (now the North Service Road)in the former Township of Louth (Now Town Of Lincoln)on Conc.I, II & III, Lot 15. Sons & Daus. of American Loyalists by Wm. D. Reid. PRICE, Christian of Louth Children: Elizabeth Md. Jacob Culp of Clinton O.C.19 May 1819 David Of Louth, O.C. 19 May, 1819 Christian of Louth. O.C.19 May 1819 Peter of Louth O.C. 19 May, 1819 Abraham of Louth O.C. 17 Mar. 1825 Catherine O.C. 19 Dec. 1833 Jacob of Louth O.C. 19 Feb. 1831 John of Louth, O.C. 19 Feb. 1831 Mary md.John McCarthy of Louth O.C. 19 Feb.1831 Nancy Md. John Haines of Grantham O.C. 19 Feb.1831 |
Re: Butler’s RangersPosted: 08 Dec 2001 01:47PM
Classification: Query
Edited: 12 Feb 2002 01:40PM
Christian Price died 1832 buried Price Family Burying Ground, Louth which was washed away by Lake Ontario. He married Barbara Overholt born Bucks Co., PA; died 1822 buried Price Family Burying Ground; daughter of Isaac Overholt who died 1824 buried Mennonite Cem., Louth. You can find Barbara’s siblings and my notes on these folks in CD 24 of the Pedigree Resource File.
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