Married at Canterbury, Conn.2 Oct 1731 to Sarah Adams. Lieutenant Asa Stevens came from Canterbury, Conn. to Wyoming Valley, Penna in 1772, In April 1772 he moved to what is now Wilkes-Barre, Penna. where there were 4 houses. He purchased land June 22. 1774 and Sept. 3 1774. He was a lieutenant of the first company (Wilkes-Barre) of the 24 th Regiment Conn. Militia. On 10 Dec. he took command of 11 men and marched against Tories at Meshoppen, Pa. July 3 rd 1778 he fought under Col. Zebulon Butler and Lt. Col. Nathan Dennison against combined British,Indians and Tories and was slain in the afternoon battle. His name is inscribed on the monument which stands in memory of the battle of Wyoming. He was lieutenant of the 1 st Co or Main band, 24 th Reg. Conneticut. His name is on the Wyoming Monument at Wilkes-Barre. From news clipping- the Stevens are of English origin. Having taken part in the Revolution by which Charles l was brought to the block, on restitution of Charles 11 they fled to New England. FROM PIONEER AND PATRIOT FAMILIES OF BRADFORD CO. 1800-1825 by C. F. Heverly. Asa Stevens, the ancestor of the Standing Stone Stevens, was born in Plainfield, Conn. In 1772 he emigrated to the Wyoming Valley where he held several offices. Upon the formation of the Wilkes-Barre company to protect the settlers against the Indians and the Tories .On the 10 th of December 1777 he took command of 33 men and marched up as far as Mesoppen after Tories and disaffected people.Ten days later with one of a larger company that marched up the river as far as Sheshequin on the same business. In the terrible Wyoming Massacre,July 3,1778,he was numbered with the slain. The family with other fugitives fled to Conneticut, where they remained till the close of the war,when they returned to Wyoming. Upon returning they found that the land had been claimed by others and they lost almost everything.
THE WYOMING MASSACRE- A FRENCH-CANADIAN white woman controlled a tribe of Indians and she was called QUEEN ESTHER. A white man killed one of her Indians and she vowed to kill 13 for one. About 1200 Indians and Tories attacked about 300 soldiers and killed most of them as well as all the settlers they could find. A relief army came and burned everything in the valley including all the settlers supplies that were left. This left the Indians destitute for the winter and what Indians that were not killed were left to starve that winter. In the Universalist Church at Standing Stone, Penna. on Jonathan Steven's farm is an inscription IN MEMORIAM-ASA STEVENS-BORN AT PLAINFIELD, CONN. 1734. A FIRST SETTLER AT PLAINFIELD,CONN.1772 . A FIRST SETTLER AT WILKESBARRE. LIEUT. OF VOLUNTEERS-SLAIN IN WYOMING MASSACRE JULY 3,1778, ERECTED BY HIS DESCENDANTS. After reading from several sources, ! have concluded the following. The Indians and Tories were led by a Col. John Butler and they had been murdering the settlers in the area that were not pro British. All the Continental soldiers were elsewhere fighting under Geo. Washington. The few remaining old men and youth and some soldiers gathered a force of about 400 men. They assembled under Zebulon Butler, cousin of the Tory leader. The Tories attacked the fort and then asked for a conference. The Continental forces foolishly went out on the open plain to confer. All 400 went for security sake as there were at least 1200 enemy. They surrounded the 400 and slaughtered all without prisoners. Lieutenant Aza Stevens was killed in the battle. Lemuel Gustin was a military doctor and was in the battle on a horse and was one of only a few who got back to the fort. Col. Zeb. Butler escaped from the fort leaving Col. Nathan Dennitson in charge. The battle raged for a day and then Samuel Gustin, Col. Dennitson and four other under a white flag went out and signed a surrender unconditionally. The Indians promised safety for the surviving but when they got in the fort, Col.John Butler could not control them and advised the prisoners that they were on their own. Dr. Samuel Gustin,his two daughters, Father and mother in law, sister in law and her husband escaped on a raft, One of his daughters died of exposure. The Indians finially burned the fort with the prisoners inside. As you will note there was Butler in both side. I read where they were cousins. Many of the families of the slain men escaped in the woods. They had no food and the Indians were killing all they could find. It was a terrible time. The family of Asa Stevens escaped, one of the children died in the flight through the woods back to Conn. One of the children, Jonathan Stevens was our ancestor. This made one of Shirley GUSTIN Cady's 3 rd great uncle and Tom Cady’s 4 th great grandparent were in the battle. Data from his son, Jonathan, Miner's History of Wyoming and The Michael Shoemaker Book.. ----------------------------------------------------------------
From HISTORY OF HEMLOCK VALLEY ( Scottville ) original settlers of Windham Twp. Wyoming Co. Pa.Aza and Sarah ( Adams ) Stevens were early settlers from Conn. They were residents of Wyoming Valley and Asa was killed 3 July, 1778 in the Wyoming Massacre. His wife and children escaped to Conn. Only a few settlers escaped with their lives.