Revolutionary War Captain, British Loyalist.
He was born near Johnstown, New York, the son of Lt. Col. John Butler, a wealthy Indian Agent who worked for Sir William Johnson. Walter Butler studied law, and became a lawyer in Albany, New York. Captain Walter Butler was the leader of Butler's Rangers in the Cherry Valley Massacre using Seneca Indians and Loyalist as his Allies. With
his father, Lt. Col. John Butler, he was involved in the Battle of Oriskany and Wyoming Valley Massacre. He was killed at West Canada Creek, New York. There was great rejoicing in New York at this news since Captain Walter Butler had become the embodiment in people's minds of the horrors of war--bands of Tories and Indians prowling the valley causing death and destruction. American public opinion fixed on him as the fiend and made him a party to every midnight murder during the long years of the Revolutionary War. Despite Lt. Col. John Butler offering a large sum of money to any man who would deliver Walter's remains to Canada no one ever did. They were never found and opinions vary as to the whereabouts of Walter's body. Some say it was carried away by wolves while others contend it was secretly conveyed to St. George's Church in Schenectady where it was buried "under the third pew from the front in the right aisle."
A later rector of St. George's Church made up the following jingle.
"Beneath the pew in which you sit,
They say that Walter Butler's buried.
In such a fix, across the Styx,
I wonder who his soul has ferried?
And so the ages yet unborn
Shall sing your fame in song and story,
How ages gone you sat upon
A Revolutionary Tory."
He was born near Johnstown, New York, the son of Lt. Col. John Butler, a wealthy Indian Agent who worked for Sir William Johnson. Walter Butler studied law, and became a lawyer in Albany, New York. Captain Walter Butler was the leader of Butler's Rangers in the Cherry Valley Massacre using Seneca Indians and Loyalist as his Allies. With
his father, Lt. Col. John Butler, he was involved in the Battle of Oriskany and Wyoming Valley Massacre. He was killed at West Canada Creek, New York. There was great rejoicing in New York at this news since Captain Walter Butler had become the embodiment in people's minds of the horrors of war--bands of Tories and Indians prowling the valley causing death and destruction. American public opinion fixed on him as the fiend and made him a party to every midnight murder during the long years of the Revolutionary War. Despite Lt. Col. John Butler offering a large sum of money to any man who would deliver Walter's remains to Canada no one ever did. They were never found and opinions vary as to the whereabouts of Walter's body. Some say it was carried away by wolves while others contend it was secretly conveyed to St. George's Church in Schenectady where it was buried "under the third pew from the front in the right aisle."
A later rector of St. George's Church made up the following jingle.
"Beneath the pew in which you sit,
They say that Walter Butler's buried.
In such a fix, across the Styx,
I wonder who his soul has ferried?
And so the ages yet unborn
Shall sing your fame in song and story,
How ages gone you sat upon
A Revolutionary Tory."
Revolutionary War Captain, British Loyalist.
He was born near Johnstown, New York, the son of Lt. Col. John Butler, a wealthy Indian Agent who worked for Sir William Johnson. Walter Butler studied law, and became a lawyer in Albany, New York. Captain Walter Butler was the leader of Butler's Rangers in the Cherry Valley Massacre using Seneca Indians and Loyalist as his Allies. With
his father, Lt. Col. John Butler, he was involved in the Battle of Oriskany and Wyoming Valley Massacre. He was killed at West Canada Creek, New York. There was great rejoicing in New York at this news since Captain Walter Butler had become the embodiment in people's minds of the horrors of war--bands of Tories and Indians prowling the valley causing death and destruction. American public opinion fixed on him as the fiend and made him a party to every midnight murder during the long years of the Revolutionary War. Despite Lt. Col. John Butler offering a large sum of money to any man who would deliver Walter's remains to Canada no one ever did. They were never found and opinions vary as to the whereabouts of Walter's body. Some say it was carried away by wolves while others contend it was secretly conveyed to St. George's Church in Schenectady where it was buried "under the third pew from the front in the right aisle."
A later rector of St. George's Church made up the following jingle.
"Beneath the pew in which you sit,
They say that Walter Butler's buried.
In such a fix, across the Styx,
I wonder who his soul has ferried?
And so the ages yet unborn
Shall sing your fame in song and story,
How ages gone you sat upon
A Revolutionary Tory."
He was born near Johnstown, New York, the son of Lt. Col. John Butler, a wealthy Indian Agent who worked for Sir William Johnson. Walter Butler studied law, and became a lawyer in Albany, New York. Captain Walter Butler was the leader of Butler's Rangers in the Cherry Valley Massacre using Seneca Indians and Loyalist as his Allies. With
his father, Lt. Col. John Butler, he was involved in the Battle of Oriskany and Wyoming Valley Massacre. He was killed at West Canada Creek, New York. There was great rejoicing in New York at this news since Captain Walter Butler had become the embodiment in people's minds of the horrors of war--bands of Tories and Indians prowling the valley causing death and destruction. American public opinion fixed on him as the fiend and made him a party to every midnight murder during the long years of the Revolutionary War. Despite Lt. Col. John Butler offering a large sum of money to any man who would deliver Walter's remains to Canada no one ever did. They were never found and opinions vary as to the whereabouts of Walter's body. Some say it was carried away by wolves while others contend it was secretly conveyed to St. George's Church in Schenectady where it was buried "under the third pew from the front in the right aisle."
A later rector of St. George's Church made up the following jingle.
"Beneath the pew in which you sit,
They say that Walter Butler's buried.
In such a fix, across the Styx,
I wonder who his soul has ferried?
And so the ages yet unborn
Shall sing your fame in song and story,
How ages gone you sat upon
A Revolutionary Tory."
Inscription
Top Right Engraving:
"Incident in Cherry Valley - fate of Jane Wells" from the original picture by Alonzo Chappel, engraved by Thomas Phillibrown.
Date November 11, 1778
Location New York
Result British victory
Middle Right Picture: Monument honoring Cherry Valley Victims.
Gravesite Details
The third pew from the front in the right aisle was the Butler Family Pew in Saint Georges Episcopal Church.
