t colony. The Pennsylvanians,
however, set up a counter claim, and, after many long and angry
debates the two colonies went to war about the disputed district. These
hostilities lasted till after the breaking out of the war with England;
but a near approach of danger caused the belligerents to forego their
quarrel. Several Pennsylvanian families by this time had obtained a
settlement in Wyoming, and these were all royalists. So also were some
of the Connecticut settlers, but there, as elsewhere, the revolutionary
party gained the ascendency. They used their power tyrannically, and
faction and feuds raged through all the townships. "Fair Wyoming," by
the bad passions of its inhabitants, was converted into a very hell. In
every house there was division of sentiment, and the sources of domestic
happiness were all poisoned by the bitter waters of strife. At length
the revolutionary party completely got the upper hand. Oppressed and
persecuted indeed, the royalists for the most part left their homes and
became fugitives in the back-settlements. After this the revolutionists
sent a large reinforcement to serve in the army of congress. By so
doing, however, they laid themselves open to attack from the savages and
their fugitive brethren. Warnings of their danger were repeatedly given
them; but although they built some little forts in order to protect the
district, they had but indifferent garrisons to put into them, and it
was easy to foresee that sooner or later they would reap the fruit of
their conduct towards their brethren. They appear to have conceived
that they were in no danger, and especially as some Indian tribes had
promised them protection; but their dream of security was suddenly
disturbed by the appearance of eight hundred men on the bank of the
Susquehanna. These were in part savages and in part Anglo-Americans,
disguised as Indian warriors. Some of them were in fact the outcasts of
Wyoming, who burned to revenge their wrongs. They were led by Colonel
Butler, the same who had offered General Carleton the service of the
Indians in Canada four years before, On the appearance of this force
there were only sixty American regulars in the district, and these were
commanded by Colonel Zebulon Butler, said to be of the same family as
the officer that was leading on the savages and exiles. There were,
however, about three hundred militiamen under Colonel Dennison, and
these with the regulars prepared to oppose the invaders