The 2nd Baronet of New York

Sir John Johnson

It's somewhat uncommon to feature consecutive profiles of Loyalists, but I've been meaning to highlight a member of a family that shaped British–native relations in the mid-to-late 18th century: Sir John Johnson. John Johnson's father was the renowned Agent of the Crown to the Indians of New York. In that role, Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York, served as the primary intermediary for British interests and managed to establish fairly good relations between the settlers and the Iroquois nations in central New York. This was no easy task, as migrants from New England and other eastern regions sought land, and the Iroquois, known as the most formidable warriors of their time, were not to be taken lightly. William Johnson’s death and the onset of the American Revolution sparked a final conflict between these forces.

Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York

Thrown into this frontier chaos was Johnson’s heir and hesitant negotiator, John Johnson, 2nd Baronet of New York. The younger Johnson was born on November 5, 1741, at Mount Johnson near New Amsterdam, New York. His mother was a local woman of Dutch descent, Catherine Wysenberk.

Sir John Johnson, 2nd Baronet

French & Indian Fighter

John Johnson spent most of his childhood at Fort Johnson on the Mohawk River. After briefly attending Benjamin Franklin’s College and Academy in Philadelphia in 1757, Johnson returned home to answer the call of war drums. At age 13, Johnson joined his father as a volunteer in the French and Indian War. He participated in expeditions to Niagara and Detroit with him. He also attended most of Sir William’s conferences with the Indians, including the one at Fort Stanwix (Rome), N.Y., in 1768 that established the boundary between encroaching white settlers and the Iroquois.

Sir William Johnson hosted Indian conferences at
Johnson Hall

Indian Fighter

The younger Johnson also performed well during Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763 when he led a successful expedition into the Ohio territory. Two years later, his father sent him to England to broaden his horizons and establish himself as a man of means and social standing. The journey achieved its goals, and Johnson was knighted by King George III in preparation for inheriting his father’s impressive estates in America.

The younger Johnson distinguished
himself during Pontiac's Rebellion

Gentleman Farmer

Johnson returned from Britain as a strong supporter of the crown and looked down on anyone who dared to oppose royal policies. He settled at Fort Johnson and took Clarissa Putman as his common-law wife. But someone of Johnson’s status needed a proper match, and in 1773 he finally agreed to his father’s wish to marry into the New York aristocracy. Johnson left Clarissa Putman, but he still supported her and their two children. He was now able to marry Mary Watts and brought her to Fort Johnson.

John Johnson settled in at Fort Johnson
after inheriting the Baronetcy

The 2nd Baronet

In 1774, Sir William died. John became the 2nd Baronet of New York and inherited over 200,000 acres along with many tenants. However, he did not follow his father’s wish to become the next superintendent of northern Indians. Instead, John lived as a country gentleman in his grand home—Johnson Hall. Due to his social standing and wartime experience, Johnson was made a major general of the militia just before the Revolutionary War began.

At the outbreak of war, the NY
militiamen would have to choose sides

Loyalist Leader

In the lead-up to war, Johnson expressed Loyalist sympathies and started recruiting from his tenants, many of whom were Scottish and English war veterans. This created a sort of personal militia. Johnson even approached the Royal Governor, William Tryon, with a proposal to organize the entire Mohawk Valley in support of the crown. His actions alarmed the local patriots, and when the time came, he became a target.

Governor William Tryon was a key
figure in the run-up to the American Revolution

In January 1776, the Continental Congress authorized General Philip Schuyler, a well-known New York landowner, to organize an army and confront Johnson to remove the threat he and his followers posed to the Albany area. Schuyler fulfilled his task. Johnson’s supporters and followers were disarmed, and Johnson vowed to remain neutral. Still, the local patriots stayed cautious of his intentions.

Fellow New York aristocrat led
efforts against Johnson

A King's Commission

Tensions rose and suspicions grew over the following months. Fearing arrest, Johnson fled with his family and supporters to Quebec in May 1776. Johnson then offered his services to the Governor-General of Canada, Guy Carleton. Carleton appointed him as a lieutenant-colonel of a new unit, the King’s Royal Regiment. Johnson was instructed to use his connections with the Indians to keep them neutral.

Soldier of the King's Royal Regiment

A Failed Campaign

In the summer of 1777, Johnson joined Lieutenant-Colonel Barry St. Leger on his expedition up the Mohawk River. This was part of a three-pronged attack on Albany to control the New York waterways and divide the colonies. Johnson’s men and Indian allies helped St. Leger lay siege to Fort Stanwix (now Rome, NY). St. Leger learned of a relief column marching west to lift the siege. This militia force was led by Colonel Nicholas Herkimer. Johnson’s Indian allies found the perfect ambush spot near Oriskany, and on August 6, a combined Indian-Loyalist force defeated Herkimer, who was mortally wounded.

The Battle of Oriskany

But when news of another relief column, this time led by Benedict Arnold, reached them, Saint Lager’s forces retreated back to Canada, and Johnson went with him. In a fitting irony, the man who avoided taking over his father's role as Indian Superintendent ended up spending much of his time managing Indian affairs for the British, as many hundreds had fled their lands to escape the destruction caused by American settlers.

The failed siege of Fort Stanwix was
a foretaste of the failed British strategy to split the colonies

Guerilla Warrior

But Johnson also found time to conduct an on-and-off guerrilla campaign in central New York. Over the next three years, he gained notoriety in the Mohawk Valley for his raids involving Loyalist and Native forces. Johnson frequently teamed up with Loyalist Colonel John Butler and Loyalist Iroquois Chief Joseph Brant. This formidable group of crown supporters caused chaos.

Chief Joseph Brant was a key ally
of Johnson, and a tireless fighter for the
Iroquois and the Crown

Perhaps his greatest success was in 1780 when Johnson’s strike force raided and burned settlements at Schoharie, Caughnawaga, and Fort Hunter. He even managed to retake his homestead, Johnson Hall. Johnson’s guerrilla tactics caused significant economic hardship and lowered the morale of the American settlers in the area. However, overall, they failed to have a major impact on the war.

Johnson's Raid was his major operation, but in the
 end, the mix of Loyalists and Iroquois could not
hold central New York

Superintendent General

In 1782, Governor-General Frederick Haldimand appointed Johnson as brigadier general on the American establishment, and by a commission dated March 14, 1782, he named him Superintendent General and Inspector General of the Six Nations Indians and those in the Province of Quebec. In accepting this role, he succeeded his cousin Guy Johnson, who was removed due to financial irregularities. This was a challenging position. The war was ending poorly, not just for the Loyalists who were forced to Canada. Johnson had to explain to the disgruntled Iroquois that much of their land was being surrendered to the Americans.

Johnson would not receive the one
appointment he wanted in later life

 A Canadian Founder

After the war, Johnson returned to England like many Loyalists to file claims for compensation from the crown. When he came back to Canada, he became a leader in resettling Loyalists and Indigenous people at Cataraqui (now Kingston, ON). He did remarkable work for the refugees, to the point where he believed he would be appointed as the first governor-general of the new province of Upper Canada. However, when the position was awarded to the other Loyalist, John Graves Simcoe, Johnson was crushed.

Loyalist leader John Graves Simcoe would
receive the appointment Johnson hoped for

After spending several more years in England, Johnson moved to Quebec, where he was appointed to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada. He became a prominent figure among the United Empire Loyalists and a supporter of Indian rights.

A Last Tribute

Sir John Johnson died in Montreal on January 4, 1830. Johnson is regarded as one of Canada's founding fathers. He received a military funeral attended by a large crowd of friends, relatives, acquaintances, and admirers. Additionally, over 300 Native Americans attended, and Chief Joseph Brant delivered the eulogy. During the ceremony, Brant called him the Indians’ “friend and fellow warrior.” Sir John's body was then taken to Mount Johnson for burial.

Sir John was interred in a family vault
at Mount Johnson

Loyal Hillbilly

It has been a while since the Yankee Doodle Spies mentioned the Loyalists – those very proper Americans who remained loyal to the King and Britain during times of political upheaval and bloody war. Usually, these folks were conservative and well-mannered. But they did have their share of tough characters. One of these was a notorious and stubborn orphan from the backwoods of the Carolinas.

Life in the Back Hills

David Fanning was born in Birch Swamp, Amelia County, Virginia, in 1755. In July 1764, Fanning was orphaned. As a result, the young David was bound to Needham Bryan (Bryant), a county justice in Johnson County, North Carolina. The justice provided for his education but was, by Fanning’s account, harsh. Or maybe young David was a bit of a handful. So, in 1773, when Fanning was 18 and of legal age, he left his guardian and moved to Raeburn’s Creek in the western part of South Carolina. There, the young man farmed and traded with the nearby Cherokee Indians. Although life on the frontier was not easy, it was reasonably good for the enterprising young David Fanning.

Fanning in the backcountry

Things started to shift when the American Revolution erupted in 1775. At that time, Fanning was a company sergeant in the Upper Saluda militia of South Carolina. Most upcountry Carolinians sympathized with the crown and viewed the lowland planters and merchants with suspicion. Tensions arose. A delegation from the lowlands forged a fragile truce, which was broken when a local Loyalist was arrested in November. Soon, rumors spread that the rebels were recruiting the Indians to their cause. That was it. After being accosted and robbed by patriot militias, Fanning chose to align with the local Loyalist faction.

Fighting for the King

David Fanning served under Major Joseph Robinson during military operations in western South Carolina. He was part of the force that captured a large Patriot garrison at the key Fort Ninety Six in November 1775. However, Fanning was nearly captured himself in December of that year during the battle at Big Cane Break. Evading the local patriots, Fanning fled to the Cherokee Indians.

The Fort at Ninety Six

Now regarded as a notorious Loyalist, Fanning was captured by the rebels in January 1776. This marked the first of what could be a record 14 times during the war! In some of these instances, he was paroled, but the cunning and relentless Fanning made numerous daring escapes. Between these periods of imprisonment, Fanning demonstrated himself as a ruthless, resourceful, and aggressive Loyalist officer. He tirelessly led partisan units in nearly continuous skirmishes with rebel forces in the region. He was a key figure in the little-known but decisive backwoods civil war that eventually swayed the Carolinians against their British rulers and Loyalist supporters of the crown.

David Fanning made numerous escapes

The Loyalists take a Knee

But by August 1779, most of the Loyalists were losing hope. They had suffered heavy losses, and it seemed like the South would fall to the crown. Many of them, including Fanning, accepted a conditional pardon from Governor John Rutledge. This kept Fanning out of the fighting for several months. Fanning’s many adventures had taken a toll on him. By his own words, he was exhausted, worn out, and looked frail. His numerous wounds and injuries had worn him down. Fanning even agreed to guide Patriot militia units in the backcountry as part of his pardon.

The British capture of Charleston marked a new dynamic in the
southern theater of operations

But things changed when the British shifted their strategy to the south. A British force besieged Charleston, and its fall and occupation led to a British move to secure all the key positions in the state. The decisive defeat of the Continental forces under General Horatio Gates by British General Lord Cornwallis made it clear that the British were here to stay.

The South in Flames

These events reignited the passion of the Loyalists, and they rallied to the cause once more—fanning the flames with them. Bloody civil war erupted again across the southern backwoods, and this time Fanning was at the forefront of the Loyalist effort. With South Carolina under British control and Cornwallis’s army in charge, Fanning and other Loyalist leaders now had a steady flow of weapons and supplies. With the outlook grim for the rebels, Loyalist bands found it easy to recruit and equip fighters.

The Southern Theater would prove Decisive
and violent

This high watermark of Loyalist ascendancy did not last long. One of the American cause’s best generals was sent south to energize the southern theater. Nathanael Green proved a persistent and classic resistance leader. Giving ground when he had to, making stands—successful or not—while keeping his army in the field and active. Cornwallis had to destroy his army. He damaged it, but could not destroy it.

Nathanael Greene's arrival turned the
tide in the Southern Theater

The West is Lost

 Cornwallis would fail to destroy
Greene and make a grave mistake

In his eagerness to pursue the resisting rebel army, Cornwallis used Loyalist units to guard his western flank from Patriot militias threatening it. He dispatched a large Loyalist detachment led by his most experienced counter-guerrilla leader, Major Patrick Ferguson, to disperse the backwoods Patriots. Ferguson was unaware that a large group of "Over Mountain men' was reinforcing the locals. Ferguson was caught on King's Mountain. Surrounded, he fought the hated rebels. The Battle of Kings Mountain was mainly a Loyalist versus Patriot conflict. Defeating the Loyalists shifted the southern theater in the West to the rebels' advantage.

With prospects looking bleak for Loyalists in the West, Fanning took his band and moved east and north to Deep River, North Carolina, where he conducted operations against local patriots. His success led to his appointment as Colonel of the Loyalist militia of Chatham and Randolph counties. For several months, Fanning ruthlessly launched raids throughout western North Carolina. He had now become one of the most feared Loyalist partisan commanders in the region. 

American victory at King's Mountain crushed
the loyal oppositionin the western Carolinas

Guerrilla Days in Carolina

Fanning was a typical guerrilla leader. He would move quickly and strike hard, sometimes with only 12 men. Many of these raids ended with the capture and ransom or parole of key patriot sympathizers and political figures. He took part in about 36 skirmishes in 1781 alone. One of these was a raid on a court session in Chatham County. Fanning’s supporters captured 53 prisoners, including court officials, militia officers, and members of the North Carolina General Assembly.

Fanning's Loyalist militia raised Cain among the patriots

Fanning led the Loyalist militia at the battle at the House in the Horseshoe in the summer of 1781, where he forced the surrender of a Patriot militia force. By the end of that summer, Fanning's notoriety had drawn about 950 Loyalist men to his command. He was ready for the big time.

Conventional War Success… and Failure

With a sizable force at his disposal, Fanning was determined to use it. And he did. On September 12, 1781, he led nearly 1,000 Loyalists in a surprise attack against the rebel forces at Hillsboro, North Carolina. At that time, Hillsboro was the main Patriot base in the region and served as a temporary capital. He overwhelmed the Patriot defenses and captured 200 prisoners, including Governor Thomas Burke. Hillsboro marked his most notable success in the war.

After the victory at Hillsboro, Fanning is ambushed
at Lindley's Mill

But Fanning’s brief success as a traditional force commander did not last long. He led his victorious column, along with prisoners, back to Wilmington. When he reached the area around Lindley’s Mill, a rebel force of 400 under Brigadier General John Butler launched a fierce attack on Fanning’s men. The fighting was intense, and the surprised Loyalist force would have fallen apart if not for Fanning’s personal leadership. He held off Butler’s attacks and managed to bring his column safely to Wilmington, but he was badly wounded in the process. Thanks to Fanning's resolve, the unfortunate Governor Burke was imprisoned by the British Army on James Island near Charleston, South Carolina.

NC Gov Thomas Burke 

Decline in Fortunes

In November 1781, the British withdrew from Wilmington upon news of Yorktown. The war seemed over, but the Loyalists who remained with the colors would not surrender so easily. The bitter civil war left many desperate for revenge and unwilling to compromise or submit to the rebels they despised. Fanning was one of them. He continued leading partisan bands against the patriots. He launched a series of bitter attacks on patriot settlements that persisted into 1782—most of us consider that year one of quiet as the final treaty was negotiated.

Loyalist Provisionals

But Fanning was tired and worn out. The clever backwoodsman saw the signs of change. It was time to go back to a normal life. As a first step toward that, he married Sarah Carr, a 16-year-old young woman from the settlement of Deep River, North Carolina.

Charleston Harbor would provide many Loyalists'
final glimpse of the country the fought so hard to keep loyal

Fanning finally accepted a conditional truce from the local American government and agreed to suspend further military action. Now resigned to his fate and that of his cause, Fanning and his young bride went to Charleston, where he was deported along with other Loyalists to British Florida. Fanning’s success against the patriots and his notoriety as a guerrilla caused the North Carolina legislature to ban him from ever entering the state. This seems a bitter reminder of his accomplishments.

Oh Canada!

Like many other members of the Loyalist diaspora, Fanning did not stay long in his first refuge. After a few months, he traveled to New Brunswick, Canada—one of thousands who moved there for a better life under the crown. His natural leadership earned him a seat in the legislative assembly until he became involved in a shocking scandal in 1800. Fanning was charged and convicted of raping 15-year-old Sarah London and was sentenced to hang. The evidence against him was limited—mainly her testimony—but Fanning had few friends among his Loyalist peers. The fierce man from the hills had brought his fiery ways to Canada. He appealed the sentence, and instead of being hanged, he was banished from New Brunswick.

Canada provided refuge for many Loyalists
after the American Revolution

Fanning proved resourceful when given a second chance. He moved to the small port town of Digby, Nova Scotia. Fanning spent the rest of his life in Digby. He built a comfortable house and engaged in farming, fishing, and shipbuilding. Although he still wanted to return to New Brunswick to settle his financial affairs, his petitions to Thomas Carleton, Provincial Secretary Jonathan Odell, and other officials went unanswered.

Digby, Nova Scotia, was one of many
Loyalist landing places  in Canada

In any case, considering his eight years of fighting and mayhem, the loyal and steadfast David Fanning managed to live to a reasonably old age. He died on March 14, 1825.

A Loyal Life Well Lived?

The tough and wiry, Fanning was a stubborn and determined man in both war and peace. As a Loyalist militia leader, he proved zealous and often highly effective. However, he was neither gentle nor the type of intellectual loyalist, refined and smug, who sat out the war in the secure comforts of New York, Charleston, or England. Instead, Fanning fought tenaciously, fiercely, and sometimes cruelly against former friends and neighbors. Rather than earning admiration, his successes made him unpopular with the privileged Loyalist gentry of New Brunswick.

But the last laugh and irony from this angry and combative former hillbilly was his epitaph in the Trinity churchyard at Digby: “Humane, affable, gentle, and kind – A plain honest open moral mind.”

Colonel David Fanning resting place
in Digby, Nova Scotia

In my take, it should have read: “I’m Loyal – Love it or Shove it.”