Jane McCrea (1752 July 27, 1777) was a young woman who was slain by Native

Americans associated with the British army of Lieutenant General John Burgoyne during the American
Revolutionary War. Affianced to a Loyalist serving in Burgoyne's army, her slaying led to expressions of outrage
and an increase in Patriot military recruiting, especially in the days following her killing
The propaganda that followed greatly accentuated her beauty, and the fact that she was associated with
Loyalists (although her family was primarily active in serving the Patriot cause) undermined British claims of
protection for Loyalists. Burgoyne's inability to punish the alleged killers also undermined British assertions that
they were more civilized in their conduct of the war; the dissemination of this propaganda contributed to the
success of Patriot recruiting drives in New York for several years

The Death of Jane McCrea, by John Vanderlyn. Painted in 1804. Courtesy The Wadsworth
Athanaeum, Hartford, Conn. Jane McCrea was engaged to a soldier in the army of British
Lieutenant General John Burgoyne. She was thought to have been slain by Native
Americans in 1777. Burgoyne was unable to find her killers, resulting in a decrease in
confidence in the ability of the British to protect its army and a surge in military
recruitments for the American Patriots.

McCrea, a tall, attractive woman, was courted by David Jones. In 1776 Jones was
one of several Tories in the area to join the British army. In the summer of 1777
the approach of a large British force under General John Burgoynedown Lake
Champlain and the Hudson River valley and the consequent abandonment of Fort
Ticonderoga and Fort Edward by colonial defenders caused a panic among the
remaining settlers, who quickly began to evacuate southward. McCrea declined to
leave, however, because she had received a letter from Jones, by then a

lieutenant with Burgoyne, saying that he hoped soon to see her at Fort Edward.
Later legend has it that they were to be married at that time.
On the morning of July 27, 1777, McCrea visited a friend, Sarah McNeil, who was
preparing to leave Fort Edward for safety. About noon the two women were
captured by some Native American scouts whom Burgoyne had employed as an
advance force. McNeil was delivered safely to British hands, but McCrea was
later discovered dead, several bullet wounds in her body, and scalped. Her
captors claimed she had been killed by a stray bullet from a colonial detachment,
but it was generally accepted that one of the scouts had killed her.
The murder and scalping sent a shock of horror through the colonies; it was even
felt in England, where in the House of CommonsEdmund Burke denounced the
use of Indian allies. In America the deed galvanized patriotic sentiment, swung
waverers against the British, and encouraged a tide of enlistments that helped
end Burgoynes invasion three months later. The tale of Jane McCrea became a
favourite and was much romanticized in popular versions by such authors as
Philip Freneau, Joel Barlow, and Delia S. Bacon.

his leads to the title of this post; who was Jane McCrea?
The sad irony is that Jane McCrea was a Loyalist murdered by Indians under the command of the British
as she was going to see her British fianc. It illustrates that in war sometimes it is unclear what side a
person is on. Her death backfired on the British because it inspired the resistance to Burgoynes invasion
leading to his defeat at Saratoga.
McCrae was born into the large family of Rev. James McCrae of New Jersey. Since her fathers death she
had been living with her brother John near Saratoga and had become engaged to David Jones. When the
war began two of her brothers joined the American forces while her fianc fled with other Loyalists and
joined the British army. Jones was serving as a lieutenant in one of the Loyalist militia units which was
stationed at Fort Ticonderoga.
McCrea left her brothers home and was traveling to join her fianc at Ticonderoga. She had reached the
village of Fort Edward. She was staying at the home of Sara McNeil, another Loyalist and an elderly
cousin to the British General Simon Fraser.

On the morning of July 27, 1777, a group of Indians that were moving in advance of the main British force
on their way to Saratoga, descended on the village of Fort Edward. They massacred a settler and his
family, and then killed Lieutenant Tobias Van Vechten and four others when they walked into an ambush.
This same company of Indians then also raided the McNeil house, taking Jane and Mrs. McNeil hostage.
As they withdrew, the two women were separated and Jane was murdered.
There are conflicting accounts of her death. The traditional version has it that two warriors quarreled over
who would take her in for an expected reward thinking she was on the side of the Americans, and that one
of them killed her with a tomahawk to settle the issue. Another account is that she was killed by a bullet
from the Americans withdrawing from Fort Edward. This second version was claimed by the warrior who
had her scalp, presumably to avoid punishment when questioned by General Fraser.
When Burgoyne heard of the killing he went to the Indian camp and ordered the culprit to be delivered,
threatening to have him executed. He was told by General Fraser that such an act would cause the
defection of all the Indians and might cause them to take revenge on the Britsih as they went back north.
Burgoyne relented, and no action was taken against the Indians.
News of Janes death traveled quickly and became exaggerated and incited American resistance because
of her horrible murder.
In the end the murder of Jane McCrea was a historical turning point in the Revolutionary War because it
turned public opinion further against the British.
So the next time youre at the Washington County Center in Fort Edward, venture across the road and pay
your respect to the young lady buried there.