William Crawford's Expedition Suffers a Gruesome End
William Crawford was a longtime friend of George Washington whose service on in the Continental Army ended with a brutal execution.
Note: He should not be confused with the William Crawford who would later serve as Secretary of the Treasury, nor the William Crawford who made appliances such as Thomas Jefferson’s telescope.
William Crawford
Well before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, William Crawford served in the colonial militia on the frontier.
Crawford befriended George Washington before the French and Indian War, an event the two men both participated in on behalf of Virginia.
Furthermore, William fought in Pontiac’s War, a bitter string of battles against a confederacy that included over a dozen Native American Tribes.
When all was said and done, soldiers who fought for Great Britain were to be rewarded with tracts of land. Crawford traveled with Washington to survey and select the area that would be used for this purpose.
Colonel
When the Revolutionary War began, Crawford raised a regiment and rushed to help.
He arrived in time to join the Continental Army in the fighting at the Battle of Long Island.
After a year serving in the New York/New Jersey Campaign, William returned to the Western Theater.
He served with Lachlan McIntosh for several years before resigning his commission just after news of Yorktown arrived.
The Crawford Expedition
Six months later, Crawford was convinced to return to the battlefield.
The Gnadenhutten Massacre, a mass murder of friendly Native Americans by angry settlers, had just taken place. This had led to renewed violence in the area.
The Crawford Expedition was expected to attack hostile Native American villages in an effort to suppress any further aggression toward white settlers on the frontier.
Executed
The British and Native Americans received word of Crawford’s not-so-covert movements and launched a surprise attack.
William and many of his men (including a nephew and son-in-law) were taken prisoner.
Crawford was tortured before being executed by burning at the stake.
Here are some other articles about EXECUTIONS’:
Revenge Hanging - Joshua Huddy and the Asgill Affair
The Youngest American Ever Executed - Hannah Ocuish
Isaac Hayne Symbolizes British Atrocity
William Crawford actually has several biographies.
‘Disaster on the Sandusky’ reviews his extremely interesting life on the frontier and then elaborates on his failed expedition.
Pick up a copy through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
