Fort Muncy Memorial

Fort Muncy existed during the Revolutionary War on the estate owned by Samuel Wallis known as "Muncy Farms" where it took on multiple names such as the Fort at Wallis, Fort Muncy, and Muncy Farm. The lifetime of this particular fort is subjectively interesting as it actually “existed” three times throughout the war, meaning its lifetime was not necessarily elegant as it was destroyed on multiple occasions. During the war the rebels had begun to fortify the West Branch Valley, an area of Pennsylvania which includes Fort Muncy, in early 1778. There were a few major events that took place. The first of which being the “Big Runaway” in July 1778 where Colonel Samuel Hunter ordered the evacuation of the fort. Later that year in September it was reconstructed, and then evacuated again in July 1779 in what is known as the “Second Runaway”. After this second destruction of the fort, in 1783 it was rebuilt by Captain Thomas Robinson and his men, but after the declaration of peace it was abandoned and decayed over time. There now lies a beautiful estate owned by Malcolm Barlow on the land where Fort Muncy used to reside.

Fort Muncy was constructed early in 1778. Shortly after, the Big Runaway occurred in July 1778. The Iroquois, allies of the British, were sent to invade the West Branch Valley and kill all settlers they were to come into contact with. As word spread, Colonel Samuel Hunter, also the County Lieutenant, recognized that the troops here were not enough in number and they lacked the needed supplies to defend themselves, so he ordered all military personnel out of the area and to head for Sunbury, Pa. This event became known as the Big Runaway. Colonel Hunter’s actions here were questionable relative to the time. He was unable to order the evacuation of non-military personnel as that type of tyranny is the exact reason this war was being fought. However, he did possess the power to evacuate all military from the area, which inherently brought along the families of these soldiers with them. Panic also influenced the evacuation of the settlers from the area as they heard about the invasion of the Wyoming Valley by 464 Iroquois and feared what would happen to them as the same threat was looming over them. 

After the fort was destroyed by the British allied Indians, Colonel Daniel Broadhead was sent to the West Branch Valley to bring back settlers and reestablish the forts that were once present in this area. Colonel Thomas Hartley was sent along with the 11th Pennsylvania, his Continental Regiment, to aid in restoring the Fort Muncy. Around September 8^th of 1778, Fort Muncy had been reconstructed. Due to its location, Hartley was able to conduct expeditions against neighboring Iroquois towns. This was a catalyst to the Sullivan-Boradhead expeditions which were focused around moving against the Iroquois as well. 

In the spring of 1779, all Continental troops in the West Branch Valley area were ordered to leave and join General John Sullivan and his efforts. They were asked to converge at Wyoming, to set foot on a massive frontier expedition for the war. This left only militia at the fort and they were small in number. As this happened, a force of 120 Iroquois and 50 rangers invaded the West Branch Valley because it was severely outnumbered. Fort Muncy was evacuated for a second time, known as the “Second Runaway”, under the same reasoning it was evacuated the first time, outmanned and outgunned. The recently constructed Fort Muncy was burnt to the ground again. This time there were more settlers and militia found dead at the fort and in surrounding towns. Colonel Matthew Smith and approximately 500 men moved into Fort Muncy to find its remnants. They buried the dead that they were able to find.

In 1780 Fort Muncy was rebuilt for a third time. It was important that they rebuild the fort as its location was ideal to keep Iroquois tribes at bay and to protect a large portion of the West Branch Valley. In 1783, the declaration of peace was signed, and the fort’s garrisons were removed. It was abandoned and without any upkeep, the fort slowly decayed over time. A farmer named Charles Hall later on removed all the debris from the area later leaving little to no trace of the fort’s existence. 

Some form of a historical marker should be in place in order to remember Fort Muncy and the events that took place during its short lifetime. In 1984 this was discussed in the newspaper, The Grit. An article explained the importance of a historical marker remembering the Fort and its lifetime. The site's historical context grasps the general intrinsic need for people living in an area to remember the important events that took place on the land they are living on. Fort Muncy is significant as it played an unsung role in the Revolutionary War and acted as a barrier between settlers and the British allied Iroquois. As the site was destroyed, its memory should not decay along with the fort and should be recorded in some way for the general public.

Muncy Historical Society. Now and Then. XXIX. 2nd ed. Vol. XXIX. A Magazine of History, n.d. 

Van Auken, Robin. “Fort Muncy Site Rededicated.” Muncy Historical Society. Muncy Historical Society, June 3, 2017. https://muncyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/2297/. 

Buckalew, John M. “Fort Muncy, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.” Access Genealogy, December 7, 2014. https://accessgenealogy.com/pennsylvania/fort-muncy-lycoming-county-pennsylvania.htm. 

The Grit. “Brady Now Forgotten.” James v Brown Public, August 3, 1924. https://jvbrownpublic.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=fort+muncy+memorial&i=f&d=01011778-12311990&m=between&ord=k1&fn=grit_usa_pennsylvania_williamsport_19240803_english_32&df=1&dt=10&cid=2885.