Greatest Fire on Earth

On this day in 1865, P.T. Barnum’s American Museum was destroyed by a fire of mysterious origin. Located in Manhattan at the intersection of Broadway and Ann St., the museum was a spectacular combination of zoo, lecture hall, wax museum, theater and freak show with exhibits ranging from live beluga whales to the singing and dancing of General Tom Thumb (lower right). At its peak, the museum is said to have sold as many as 15,000 admissions a day, remaining open for 15 hours at a time.

Previous to the July 13th fire, the museum had fallen prey to arson on November 24th, 1864. Confederate sabateurs, intending to avenge the destruction perpetrated by Sherman and his troops throughout Georgia, coordinated over a dozen simultaneous terrorist attacks by fire throughout Manhattan. Initially intending to target government buildings, this plan was found to be impractical due to the heavy presence of Union troops around these structures. The arsonists instead chose to burn New York's most prominent hotels. Despite their use of a crude version of "Greek Fire" as an accelerant, most of the fires were extinguished before causing any significant damage. The would-be firebugs locked doors and windows to the rooms they set ablaze to prevent early discovery but in doing so deprived their incendiary offspring of the nourishing oxygen they would need to grow to maturity.

While the Barnum Museum was not among the list of targets, Confederate agent Captain Robert Cobb Kennedy tossed a bottle of the flaming accelerant into the museum's stairwell on his way between hotels because he believed it would be, in his words, "fun to start a scare". Kennedy was later captured and hanged for spying and "violation of the laws of war" on March 25th, 1865.

Fall of Forty Fort

On this day in 1778, a battle and ensuing massacre took place in the Wyoming valley of Pennsylvania near present-day Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Jurisdiction of the region, while located in Pennsylvania, was claimed nearby Connecticut; with the local militiamen serving in the Connecticut Continental regiments. Considered a strategically desirable area owing to its liberal production of grain and proximity to nearby centers of population via the Susquehanna River, it was the intention of British Loyalists to seize control of it.

Under the direction of New York Tory Major John Butler, bands of Iroquois warriors had been waging a hit-and-run war on the local settlers, driving them to seek safety in any of the several forts in the area. In late June, Major Butler launched an offensive to capture the forts and claim the region for the crown. He led a force of approximately six hundred Iroquois braves and one hundred loyalist soldiers down the river into the valley.

Butler had conspired with local Tories to arrive undetected and easily captured several of the poorly defended garrisons. On the morning of July 3rd, Butler demanded the surrender of all remaining forts and Continental troops.

Knowing that re-enforcements were due any day, the Americans consolidated their force around Forty Fort - named for the first forty settlers from Connecticut who built it. Forty Fort was held by the Kingston Company (44 men) commanded by Captain Aholiab Buck and the Shawnee Company (44 men)commanded by Captain Asaph Whittlesey, with the combined forces numbering approximately 375.

Irritated by the lack of response to the ultimatum, the Loyalists began burning the strongholds they had captured. The Americans, mistaking this for a sign of retreat, gave the order to advance. When it became clear that the Loyalists had no intention of relinquishing their hold on the valley, the American commanders, Colonels Nathan Denison and Zebulon Butler (no relation) chose to hold a defensive position about a mile from the enemy. Dissention in the ranks of the untrained militia grew to a fever pitch with accusations of cowardice hurled at both colonels. They gave in to the pressure and agreed to attack Major Butler’s superior force.

The battle is said to have lasted less than three quarters of an hour (44 minutes) with massive casualties on the American side. Flanked by Iroquois concealed in a swampy area known as “the Shades of Death”, the American line quickly broke and fleeing militiamen were butchered by the brutal warriors. Major Butler reported that the Indians under his command took a total of 227 scalps and that while non-combatants remained unmolested, all others were “given no quarter”.

The formal surrender of Forty Fort took place the following day, with Major Butler requesting that the seven barrels of whiskey remaining among the fort’s supplies be destroyed before the Iroquois took possession of it.

Stories of the patriots slaughtered by treacherous Tories and their godless, savage lackeys circulated throughout the embattled colonies – stirring up sympathy and inciting unbridled rage toward the dastardly Loyalists.

Scottish poet Thomas Campbell, inspired by the dramatic tale of the battle, commemorated the event in his epic poem Gertrude of Wyoming in 1809. It is believed that the poem’s popularity in the 1800’s resulted in the naming of our 44th state (Wyoming) in 1890.

" A scene of death! where fires beneath the sun,
And blended arms, and white pavilions glow;
And for the business of destruction done,
Its requiem the war-horn seem'd to blow:
There, sad spectatress of her country's wo!
The lovely Gertrude, safe from present harm,
Had laid her cheek, and clasp'd her hands of snow
Enclosed, that felt her heart, and hush'd its wild alarm!"

- from Gertrude of Wyoming