Simon Girty

One of the most colorful figures of the American Revolution was the ?white savage? Simon Girty. He was from West Virginia and his father was a notorious drunkard. His mother was rushed away by a rustic neighbor. After an unsuccessful stint in the army he went west and joined the Indians, he learned their languages and customs and easily came to hate white men as much as they did. He worked as a translator and for all intents and purposes became an Indian himself. When the American Revolution began, like his tribal comrades, Simon Girty sided with the British and led many raids on rebel colonial areas with considerable brutality. The colonial population came to fear and despise him though at times he did intervene to save the lives of captured colonists, including the famed frontiersman Simon Kenton. In 1796, when the British surrendered Detroit Girty was forced to flee to Canada where he still remained with the Indian population. Although he was sometimes referred to as ?captain? it is unlikely that Simon Girty ever received a commission from Britain since he could not write his own name.

Colonel Beverley Robinson Sr.

A prominent American colonist of New York whose father was a colonial leader in Virginia. When tensions began increasing he determined to stay out of the way and lived on his own estate making what goods he needed on his own. However, he was opposed to a break with Britain and when war broke out he offered his services to the Crown. He was primarily responsible for raising the Loyal American Regiment, mostly in New York, and was made colonel-in-chief of that unit. Besides serving in the field with his men he also worked behind the lines to encourage support for Great Britain among the American populace. He was the first to converse with Benedict Arnold on his defection to the King?s army. During the war his home and property was confiscated by the rebel government and after the war he was forced to move to England. Later on the British government gave his family some compensation for the loss of their property while in the service of King George III. Robinson himself remained saddened and unhappy over the war until his death in 1792.

Colonel John Butler

Born in Connecticut to a military family in 1728, John Butler was already a veteran of the French & Indian War at the age of 14. He married and had begun a family when the American Revolution began. He was sent to oversee the Indian department of Montreal when the colonial government imprisoned his family. Outraged, he led a party of Indians to victory in the battle of Oriskany in 1777. The British then made him commander of his own regiment of loyalist Americans who were called ?Butler?s Rangers?. Butler and his men served mostly alongside the Indians on the American frontier. After the war he was forced to move to Canada where he became a farmer and leading citizen of the Niagara peninsula. He was leader of the local militia and the Church of England in his town. After a long illness he died in 1796. Some have used Wellington?s famous quote to sum up the life & service of Colonel John Butler, ?I have ate of the King's salt, and therefore I conceive it to be my duty to serve with unhesitating zeal and cheerfulness when and where my King or his government may think proper to employ me.?

Governor Thomas Hutchinson

The last Royal Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson had studied the history of New England his entire life and was a vocal opponent of the "patriot" groups who advocated a violent revolt against Great Britain. He was the son of a wealthy merchant and first made his living as a businessman and later serving on the state council, as chief justice of the superior court and lieutenant governor. He originally agreed with his contemporaries on the subject of more firmly uniting the American colonies but was a stout loyalist when others began pushing for a break with Great Britain. He was convinced that it was only rebel rousers like John Adams who were responsible for America's revolt. He advised London that the situation was growing worse and in 1774 he was replaced by General Thomas Gage and went to London where he served as an advisor to King George III on American matters, originally advocating moderation. He died in London on June 3, 1780.

Governor William Franklin

One of the more painful stories of the American Revolution is that of William Franklin who, standing away from his famous father and his son, was steadfastly loyal to Great Britain and King George. Partly through his father's influence, William Franklin, the illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin (whose mother is unknown) rose up the political latter to become Royal Governor of New Jersey after being educated in England. William took his duties as well as his oath of allegiance to George III very seriously and even after his father and son became outspoken advocates of revolution, refused to take up arms against his mother country. He was captured and imprisoned by the colonial forces and upon his release headed the Board of Associated Loyalists out of British occupied New York to rally those Americans who opposed revolution. In 1782 he returned to England and was disowned by his father who became quite wealthy as an American statesman at-large. Benjamin Franklin, later in life wrote a letter to his son denouncing him and upon his death left orders that none of his vast wealth was to be given to his loyalist son who had opposed him so many years before. William Franklin died a poor and depressed man in 1813.

William Smith Jr.

A graduate of Yale University, a New York jurist and noted historian, William Smith Jr. was one of the three leading loyalists of the Revolutionary War era, along with Thomas Hutchinson and Joseph Galloway. However, Smith was originally very much opposed to British policy in dealing with America. He called the attempts at taxation blunders on the part of Parliament and that most was due to a simple lack of understanding in London of colonial circumstances. In the 1760's Smith wrote an essay titled, "Thoughts upon the Dispute Between Great Britain and Her Colonies" in which he advocated, like other Tories, a separate American parliament within the British Empire that would handle local government for the 13 colonies while still maintaining allegiance to Britain and under the sovereignty of King George III. He also advocated a clearly written constitution to outline the legal relationship between colonies and mother country. He clearly supported a larger level of American unity and autonomy but just as firmly felt that war and independence were going too far. Although he continued to argue for compromise, the outbreak of war had put all matters beyond the point of peaceful resolution short of victory or defeat.

Colonel Joseph Brant

The son of Chief "John Brant" of the Iroquois "Joseph" was educated by missionaries and became a life-long Christian. However, he remained fiercely loyal to his native people and greatly resented the encroachment of the American colonists on land given to the 6 Indian Nations by Great Britain. When the American Revolution broke out Joseph Brant went to London where he was received by King George III. Upon his return he organized the 6 Indian Nations of New York to fight for Britain. History has not been kind to Chief Brant, who was made a Colonel in the British army. Not only was he an Indian at a time when the Americans saw them as an obstruction to their destiny but he was a loyalist Indian at that. He led his men on many raids against the colonists and became infamous for the Wyoming Valley massacre in Pennsylvania. Brant and his Indian forces were blamed for the atrocity though he claimed it was the fault of John Butler and his loyalist Americans. After the defeat of the British northern invasion most Indian settlements were wiped out and Colonel Brant and most of his countrymen were forced to flee to Canada In his latter years he worked as a missionary for the Episcopal Church and helped in the translation of an Anglican Prayer Book for the Indians.