Battle of Devil's Hole
Date: September 14, 1763 Location: near present Niagara Gorge Result: Seneca victory
Combatants
Seneca	Great Britain
Commanders
Cornplanter Honayewus	John Stedman
Strength
300-500	134
Casualties
Unknown	80 (although reports are as high as 103)

Pontiac's Rebellion
Fort Detroit – Fort Pitt – Bloody Run – Bushy Run – Devil's Hole

The Battle of Devil's Hole Road, also known as the Devil's Hole Massacre, was fought on September 14, 1763 between a detachment of the British 80th Regiment of Light Armed Foot{light infantry formed from Roger's Rangers} and a local Seneca tribe during Pontiac's Rebellion.

The battle began as the result of an ambush of a passing wagon train, from Fort Schlosser on route to Fort Niagara, while passing through Devil's Hole. An area known for its difficult terrain, one point of the trail in particular was a heavily wooded area and a deep ravine on either side, ideal for an ambush, as a force between 300-500 Seneca Indians attacked the supply train. The defenders led by Porter Master John Stedman, caught completely off guard, were defenseless as animals broke off in a stampede or were driven into the ravine with their drivers. Fighting in close quarters made musket fire almost useless and after the battle, only three (including Stedman) of the twenty five members had managed to escape to Fort Schlosser for help.

Camped nearby at Lewiston, a detachment of the British 18th Regiment (although other sources state the British 80th Regiment of Light Armed Foot and the 18th Royal Irish Regiment as the British 18th Regiment is claimed to have not come to America until 1767) from Fort Grey heard the reports of battle nearby and immediately rushed off to reinforce the wagon train. However, the British were ambushed in turn and routed, reportedly suffering 81 soldiers killed and 8 wounded before withdrawing (although other sources claim the entire rescue party were killed).

Although reinforcements from Fort Schlosser under the command of a Capt. Wilkins arrived soon after the battle, they soon withdrew to Fort Schlosser cautious of another attack. When British soldiers had returned to the scene several days later, they had found the victims had been either scalped or thrown into the gorge.

Shortly after the battle, Sir William Johnson was informed that the attack had been planned by a Seneca chieftain known as Farmer's Brother, who led a group of Seneca who supported Pontiac, however it is also possible the event was part of a general uprising among the Seneca regarding a dispute among Seneca laborers who found themselves out of work after Stedman had improved the trail and made the use of wagons available.

This incident would later cause the British to reinforce their position in Niagara, instead of its intended effect of discouraging further British settlement of the region. The Seneca would eventually be forced to cede a strip of land four miles wide along the eastern bank of the Niagara River from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie as well as the islands upriver of Niagara Falls to Sir William Johnson.

References

• Keenan, Jerry. Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars, Santa Barbra, California: ABC-CLIO Inc., 1997.
• Ahrens, Edward W., The Devil's Hole Massacre, Rissa Productions, 2004.