The Wyoming Monument is an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

monument and grave site located in the Borough of Wyoming in

Luzerne County Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

History

Background

The monument marks the location of the bones of victims from the

Battle of Wyoming The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militiamen and a mixed force of Loyalist soldiers and Iroquois raiders. The clash took place in the Wyom ...

(also known as the Wyoming Massacre), which took place on July 3, 1778. Local Patriots banded together to defend the area against a raid by Loyalist and indigenous forces. The engagement ended in defeat for the Patriots, and considerable brutality followed the battle. It was not until October 1778 that the commanding officer of Fort Wyoming (

Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...

) felt the area safe enough to return and begin recovery of the bodies.

Memorial

The remains were gathered and interred in a common grave, only to be exhumed at public ceremonies in 1832 — ceremonies attended by some of the then elderly survivors of the battle. In 1833, the bones were re-interred in a vault under the present monument. Each year, beginning in 1878 for the 100th anniversary of the battle, a commemorative ceremony is held on the grounds of the monument. The ceremony is sponsored by the

Wyoming Commemorative Association Wyoming Commemorative Association was founded in 1878 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Wyoming (also known as the Wyoming Valley Massacre). This American Revolutionary War battle was fought on July 3, 1778, near Wilkes-Barre ...

. Ownership of the monument is held by the Wyoming Monument Association, originally formed as the Ladies Monumental Association. On August 2, 2008, the monument was struck by lightning, causing some damage and putting the monument in need of repairs. In 2010, the restoration began and the monument, completely repaired and restored, was rededicated at the annual celebration of the Wyoming Commemorative Association in 2011.

Gallery

Wyoming Monument.jpg, Photo of the Monument circa 1910 Wyoming Monument 2.jpg, Sketch of the Wyoming Monument circa 1860 Wyoming Battle Monument.jpg, The monument at night Wyoming Monument Cannons mouth LuzCo PA.JPG, Mouth of one of the

cannons A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder dur ...

at the monument

References

External links

Former President Jimmy Carter speaks at Wyoming Monument on May 28, 2013 (archived on C-SPAN)
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 1833 sculptures National Register of Historic Places in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 1833 establishments in Pennsylvania