When the British Butler saw the colonists forming a battle line, he set fire to Fort Wintermute and ordered the same be done to Fort Jenkins. Upon seeing the thick black smoke, the soldiers believed the enemy were retreating. As Butler had intended, the colonists were deceived and advanced more quickly. "When the Americans came into sight of the enemy, they were in a body about Wintermute's Fort, but they instantly formed a line across the plain, covered with trees and brush to a swamp on their right."

Butler had removed his uniform and the insignia of his rank. He tied a black handkerchief around his head to identify himself, then waited with his Rangers for the battle to begin.

The engagement lasted about thirty minutes from the first gunshot to end. The massacre which followed lasted twelve hours, until daybreak the next morning.

The Americans advanced to within six hundred feet of the British line when they began to fire. The Rangers being regular and trained soldiers remained quietly on the ground until the Americans were within three hundred feet of them. The Indians then began to engage the colonists on the right. Captain Hewitt's Company had driven back this group; but not until Lt. Daniel Gore was wounded and Cpt. Robert Drake mortally wounded. The American right advanced more rapidly. The Rangers rose from the ground soon after the Indians began the attack on the American left. The Rangers withdrew a short distance and returned fire.

The colonists mistook this for retreat. It was for this reason that the right got some thirty rods in front of the left. The soldiers to the left, in closest contact with the swamp, were suddenly attacked by the Senecas.

Outflanked, Col. Denison ordered Cpt. Whittlesey to wheel back and form an angle to the main line. He hoped this would protect the left flank. "The western line was rolled up, and forced back on the center by the Indians in the rear; and the farmer boys, unaccustomed to the blood curdling yelps of the savage warriors, were thrown into an indescribable confusion and panic." The officers commands had been mistaken for the order to retreat. The fleeing soldiers of the left wing took with them the center as well as the right wing. Col. Dorrance tried to stop the panic, but was shot down and captured. Neither Col. Butler nor Denison could stop the flight of their men. Major Garrett was killed.

Captain Hewitt held his part of the line. His men made a slight retreat and returned fire. Seeing the panic by the other line, an officer is quoted as telling Hewitt "The day is lost, see the Indians are sixty rods in our rear, shall we retreat"---"I'll be damned if I do" was his answer. "Drummer strike up," he cried, as he vainly strove to rally his men. Just then a bullet struck him dead, and the last of the crumbling line gave way in a pandemonium of flight."

Reports from those who survived indicate that few men were killed in the actual battle.

Those killed at the battle and massacre:
? Ackke, A. Atherton, Jabez Atherton, Christopher Avery, Jabez Beers, A. Benedict, James Bidlack, Jr., Jeremiah Bigford, Samuel Bigford, David Bixby, Elias Bixby, Stoddart Bowen, John Boyd, Enos Brockway, John Brown, Thomas Brown, Ahoiab Buck, Henry Buck, William Buck, Joseph Budd, Amos Bullock, Henry Bush, John Caldwell, Joseph Carey, Josiah Carman, Isaac Campbell, Christopher Cartright, Joel Church, James Cofferin, William Cofferin, Samuel Cole, Isaac Campbell, ? Campbell, Kingsley Comstock, Robert Comstock, three brothers Cook, Anson Cory, Jenks Cory, Rufus Cory, Christopher Courtright, John Courtright, Joseph Crocker, Samuel Crocker, Anderson Dana, Jabez Darling, Conrad Davenport, D. Denton, James Divine, George Dorrance, George Downing, Levi Dunn, William Dunn, Robert Durkee, ? Dutcher, Thomas Faxon, Benjamin Finch, Daniel Finch, John Finch, Elisha Fish, Cornelius Fitchett, Eliphalet Follet, Thomas Foxen, John Franklin, Stephen Fuller, Thomas Fuller, ? Gardner, Johnathan Waite Garret, Aaron Gaylord, Rezin Geer, Asa Gore, George Gore, Silas Gore, ? Green, William Hammond, Silas Harvey, Benjamin Hatch, Cyphrian Hebard, Detrick Hewitt, Levi Hicks, Titus Hinman, James Hopkins, Nathaniel Howard, John Hutchins, Samuel Hutchinson, Elijah Inman, Israel Inman, Samuel Jackson, Robert Jameson, Joseph Jennings, Henry Johnson, Joshua Landon, Daniel Lawrence, William Lawrence, Francis Ledyard, William Lester, James Lock, Conrad Lowe, Jacob Lowe, C. McCartee, Robert McIntire, William McKarrachen, Alexander McMillan, Nicolas Manvil, Job Marshall, New Mathewson, Andrew Millard, A. Meeleman, John Murphy, Joseph Ogden, Johnathan Otis, Abel Palmer, Silas Parke, William Parker, Henry Pencil, Noah Pettibone, Jr., John Pierce, Timothy Pierce, Gershom Prince, Samuel Ransom, William Reynolds, Elisha Richards, Elias Roberts, Enos Rockway, Timothy Rose, Jeremiah Ross, Jr., Perrin Ross, Timothy Ross, Constant Searles, Abel Seeley, Abram Shaw, James Shaw, Joseph Shaw, Elijah Shoemaker, Darius Spafford, James Spencer, Joshia Spencer, Levi Spencer, Eleazer Sprague, Aaron Stark, Daniel Stark, Joseph Staples, Reuben Staples, Asa Stevens, Rufus Stevens, James Stevenson, Lazarus Stewart, Lazarus Stewart, Jr., Nailer Sweed, Ichabod Tuttle, Abram Vangorder, John Van Wee, Nathan Wade, John Ward, Elihu Waters, Flavius Waterman, Bartholomew Weeks, Jonathan Weeks, Philip Weeks, James Wells, Peter Wheeler, William White, Joseph Whitlesey, Stephen Whiton, James Wigton, Essen Wilcox, Azibah Williams, Elihu Williams, Jr., John Williams, Rufus Williams, John Wilson, Parker Wilson, William Woodringer, Ozias Yale.

Countless men women and children suffered in the flight after the massacre. Some became lost in the swamps and were never heard from again. Some such as Hannah Rogers, died of exhaustion. Hannah died and her body was placed under a fallen log. Her epitaph was written in charcoal: "Here rest the remains of HANNAH, wife of Josiah Rogers, who died while fleeing from the Indians after the massacre at Wyoming". Countless other families lost loved ones and were unable to lie them to rest in a suitable fashion.

Rev. Jacob Johnson took his family and grandson, Zebulon Johnson Butler and returned to Groton, Ct. Here he remained three years before returning to the Wyoming valley.