WYOMING — Residents came out in droves on the Fourth of July to remember one of the uglier days in American history as a fledgling nation tried to fight off the British and remain independent.
The Wyoming Commemorative Association hosted its 139th annual service to remember the Battle of Wyoming, offering patriotic music, speakers and more.
The Revolutionary War battle, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, took place July 3, 1778.
A marker near the original battle site provides a neat summary of the fight for those who have forgotten their history. Part of the marker reads : “… the Americans, led by Col. Zebulon Butler, were defeated and surrounded, and the large number captured were massacred that night by the Indians.”
All that might as well be ancient history for 7-year-old Spencer Kelsey, who was busy learning how to properly hold a replica rifle thanks to re-enactors with the 24th Connecticut Militia. The boy’s parents, Mike and Kim, said they traveled to the area from Boston to spend the July 4 holiday with Kim’s parents.
“Spencer is getting into American history and stuff,” Mike said. “(We) … saw the event and we figured it’d be a good opportunity.”
While Kim grew up in the area, her husband and son had never seen the battle monument or took part in the ceremony.
CEO of tech company PlanGuru and ceremony chairman Christian Wielage spoke to the crowd about the the importance of local history, noting the critical role Northeastern Pennsylvania played in both the American and Industrial Revolutions.
“We’ve come here today to honor our past, to honor our history,” he said. “It is important to honor our history just for the sake of it, and to remember those who’ve sacrificed to give us what we have today.”
Wielage hopes the Wyoming Valley can one day make itself a tourist destination, just like Gettysburg has done. He said more people should know about the area’s historical prominence.
For instance, did you know the state of Wyoming is named after the Wyoming Valley?
And how many folks realize a scene from the Wyoming Massacre is engraved on a door panel of the U.S. House of Representatives?
Wielage told the crowd some historians have referred to the Wyoming Massacre as the “Pearl Harbor of the American Revolution” because of the massive impact it had on public opinion.
Legacies
During the ceremony, attendees were able to venture inside the Wyoming Monument through a door in the back of the stone structure. Many took the opportunity to admire the stone craftsmanship while learning about Francis Hopkinson and the controversy behind him as the designer of the original American flag. According to information placed inside the monument, his original flag was reported to have been carried into the Battle of Wyoming.
Various groups presented roughly 50 floral arrangements that were placed around the memorial as tributes.
State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, was the keynote speaker. Speaking of the trials, tribulations and resilience of the settlers of the Wyoming Valley, Baker said they, too, should be remembered for their sacrifices.
She said the Battle of Wyoming, Forty Fort and Queen Esther’s Rock must be included in the historic landmarks of the American Revolution. And alongside the names of George Washington and Nathanael Greene should be those of Nathan Denison, George Dorrance and other people who fought locally.
“History is more than just the details of a battle. It is about the beliefs and principals and the legacies of the individuals involved,” said Baker. “Because of our attention to history, because of this annual commemoration, we have come to know the settlers fairly well.”
They were not soldiers, the lawmaker said, but farmers, merchants and clerics who refused to flee in the face of danger. During the Wyoming Massacre, most of the men were killed or captured, forcing some of the area’s women and children to flee back to Connecticut. Later, some of those families would return to the Wyoming Valley despite the terrible tragedy that occurred here.
‘It’s remarkable’
Stephanie Bohn is a self-proclaimed history buff who moved to Wyoming just last year, so she couldn’t pass up the ceremony.
“It’s remarkable when you read about what happened here,” she said.
Wyoming Monument Association President Marcella Starr thanked all attendees for coming and showing their support. She told the crowd the association is working on generating funds to replace the concrete and fencing that surrounds the monument, as well as replacing an old lawnmower to maintain the grounds.
Besides donations, Starr said she is working with state Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston, to determine if any grant funding is available for the project to help offset costs.
