Doxstader in the Valley (2)

Dachsteder's Loyalists of the British Indian Department (cont)

Lt. Dachsteder's fame came along in July 1781 with his raid on
Currytown and the Battle of Sharon Springs (New Dorloch.) In
the afternoon of July 9, 1781 and with an undisclosed body of
Indians (records read from 70 to 500) Dachsteder raided the Currytown
settlement. His party burned 20 houses, 20 barns, took 30 prisoner,
killed 10, and drove off 110 horse and cattle. 

On the morning of July 10, Dachsteder's party was emcamped in
a dense cedar swamp when they were ambushed by a rebel force
under Col. Marinus Willet. A hot fire was exchanged and the
raiding party under Dachsteder was forced to retreat, leaving
their plunder, spirits, and a disputed number of dead.

Willet claims he spotted around 50 of the enemy dead, while
Dachsteder says he only had 5 wounded. After the Battle of
Sharon Springs, Dachsteder's party returned to Niagara where
he handed in accounts of his past campaign to Col. Guy Johnson.
The events at Currytown and Sharon Springs were the last recorded
military engagements of Lt. John Dachsteder.

He was present at Niagara in December 1781, on behalf of his
brother's widow. In July 1783, he attended an Indian council 
at Onondaga. Later that month he was ordered to Canada to appear
at a board of accounts. 

John Dachsteder served as a Lieutenant in the Indian Department
until March 24, 1784. He is said to have "Served with spirit 
during the war." He resided among the Six Nations Grand River 
Settlement until his death in 1804

Jerome P. Brubaker, Curator
August 15, 2001
Old Fort Niagara PO Box 169 Youngstown NY 14174-0169 USA (716)-745-7611