The Battle of Kingsbridge, and the Stockbridge Indian Massacre, Part Three ©

 

The Battle of Kingsbridge and the Massacre of the Stockbridge

 

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In what is today called the Bronx and what was then a rural area outside of New York City, American Light Infantry, elite forces, were tasked with disrupting and preventing British troops from making incursions into New Jersey and attacking American supply lines.  One of these elite American units was the Stockbridge Infantry Company. 

 

During 1756-1763 and the 7-Years War, known in North America as the French and Indian War, the Stockbridge-Munsee had served as British Scouts and Rangers under the famed Robert Rogers.  This experience, plus their experience fighting against the British Forces combined with their service at Bunker Hill, meant that the Company by August of 1778 was extensively battle hardened and some of the best troops of the Continental Army

 

On August 31st, 1778, the Stockbridge were operating near Van Cortlandt’s Ridge, an area of important high ground between New York City and White Plains and were moving against what they believed was a small unit of Hessian Cavalry.  Unfortunately  the Stockbridge Infantry Company were unknowingly marching into a trap.

 

The massacre of the Stockbridge Indians was a part of the large Battle of Kingsbridge, and it took place north of Daniel DeVoe’s house on Mile Square road.  This battle took place between the Col. Gist’s Light Infantry and the Stockbridge Company, who were in advance, and British forces commanded by Lt. Col. Simcoe, Emmerick and Tarleton.  The patriot forces were advancing north along the road and were comprised of 60 of Gist’s Light Infantry and 48 of the Stockbridge Company.  British troops out-numbered them nearly or quite nearly five to one. 

 

The ambuscade took place along road near the second field north of the De Voe homestead, on the “De Veaux’s Heights” along the on Mile Square Road (today’s Mt. Vernon Ave, North or the intersection of E. 233^rd Street)  At the time of the battle, the almost square cleared opening, lying on the left-hand side of the road, containing two or three acres of land, and was surrounded on three sides by large trees, and a dense forest, covering several hundred acres, known then as “Cortlandt’s Woods”.

 

The Stockbridge were along the fence on Mile Square Road, exchanging fire with the Lt. Col. Andreas Emmerick’s Hessians, as the trap was sprung, with the Queens Rangers moving rapidly to gain the heights that had kept them hidden from the Stockbridge.  Lt. Col, Tarleton’s Hussars and the Legion cavalry charged, but were unable to pass the fences that lined the road to his front, they circled back and to the North to come at Stockbridge again from the right (this is from The British forces viewpoint, who were advancing towards the West).  Lt. Col. Simcoe broke from the column of Rangers and advanced to the road with the Grenadier Company, getting to within 10 yards (about 10 meters) of the Stockbridge position without being seen.  on the Stockbridge gave a yell and discharged their muskets upon the Grenadiers, wounding four of them and Lt. Col. Simcoe, but were driven back from the fence into the fields on the other side of the lane.  This is where Tarleton’s forces crashed into them on their left flank. 

 

There are several versions of this brutal affair, made principally by those on the British side.  According to a “A Genuine account of the late affair at Kingsbridge.  The British Troops fell in with a party of 60 Light Infantry of the Rebels , and 48 Stockbridge Indians under the command of the son of Ninham, about a mile from our lines, when Colonel Tarleton, with the Cavalry of the Legion (late Pennsylvania Dragoons) and part of the Queen's Rangers, charged and pursued them a considerable distance.  Several of the rebel Light Infantry and nineteen Indians were killed on the field refusing quarter, and many are supposed to have perished in the woods of their wounds.  Ninham's son was killed and ten prisoners taken, among them a rebel Captain and two Indians”.

 

And according to a lieutenant of Colonel Emmerick’s corps

“Detachments from the Queen's Rangers, Chasseurs, De Lancey's Second Battalion, and Legion Dragoons, under the Command of Lieut. – Colonels Simcoe, Emmerick and Tarleton, marched the road to Mile Square for four miles, about 10 o'clock they took their several posts, viz ., the Rangers and Legion Dragoons in a wood on the right, the Chasseurs, Light Infantry and Riflemen on the left, Lt. Col. Emmerick, with Dragoons and some Light Infantry, in the centre; at 12 o'clock Lt. Col. Emmerick discovered a body of rebel Infantry of between 50 and 60 Indians coming down the road directly for him, he immediately made an attack on them, and then kept retreating by degrees, in order to draw them through the right and left wings, which as soon as he found ,

by the warm firing of his Light Infantry and Riflemen and the Grenadiers of the Rangers, was accomplished, he immediately faced about and ordered a charge by his own Dragoons, accompanied by those of the Legion, which, by their activity and spirited behaviour, together with that of the Infantry then engaged, very soon put a period to the existence of 37 Indians and a number of Rebels ; there were 10 prisoners taken, amongst them one Captain and two Indians of the Stockbridge tribe. Our loss was two killed of the Legion, two of the Chasseurs, and three of the Queen's Rangers wounded; amongst the slain was the young Indian Chief Ninham.  The old Sachem, Ninham, has since been found dead of his wounds in Col. Cortlandt's Fields”.

 

The Stockbridge put up a determined resistance, but the infantry and cavalry surrounded and broke them up in detail.  The Stockbridge Indian Company didn’t have bayonets to fight back against cavalry, and had never trained to do so, and in any case their muskets had been discharged and they had no time to reload.  The surrounded Stockbridge Infantry Company, using standard ranger tactics, broke apart and attempted to escape through nearby woods, hoping to use the trees and rough terrain to slow the cavalry and avoid death or capture.  But many that tried to escape across the battlefield were cut off, ridden down and killed without getting a chance to surrender. 

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “The Battle of Kingsbridge, and the Stockbridge Indian Massacre Part Four ©”, where we will talk about the after math of the Battle of Kingsbridge, a defeat for the Patriots, a total disaster for the Stockbridge.

 

I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource!  To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE.  Thank you and Happy Trails!

 

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That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

Sources

 

Ewald, Johann, Captain; “A Diary of the American War: A Hession Journal”, edited and translated by Joseph P. Tustin, [Yale University, New Haven, CN, 1979], https://lindsaylegion.com/reference/library/books/1775/Ewalds%20Diary%20of%20the%20American%20War.pdf, accessed August 15, 2026

 

Hauptman, Laurence M.; “The Road to Kingsbridge: Daniel Nimham and the Stockbridge Indian Company in the American Revolution”, American Indian Magazine, Fall 2017 / Vol. 18 No. 3, https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/road-kingsbridge-daniel-nimham-and-stockbridge-indian-company-american-revolution, accessed August 22, 2026

 

National Park Service; “The Stockbridge Militia and the Battle of Van Cortlandt’s Woods”, https://www.nps.gov/mava/learn/historyculture/the-stockbridge-militia-and-the-battle-of-van-cortlandt-s-woods.htm, accessed August 12, 2026

 

New York City Cemetery Project; “Stockbridge Indian Burial Ground”, March 1, 2022, https://nycemetery.wordpress.com/tag/native-american-cemeteries/, accessed August 12, 2026

 

Rindfleisch, Bryan; “The Stockbridge-Mohican Community, 1775-1783”, February 3, 2016, February 3, 2016, https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/the-stockbridge-mohican-community-1775-1783/, accessed August 15, 2026

 

The Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries, Volume V, “The Massacre of the Stockbridge Indians 1778”, [A.S. Barnes and Co., New York and Chicago, 1880], page 185 to 195, https://books.google.com/books?id=EFkbYbpRHDcC&pg=PA195&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false, accessed August 22, 2026