Scawyace

Scawyace was a Native American village of the Cayuga tribe which was located part way between the Northern ends of Cayuga and Seneca Lakes along the Northern shore of Seneca River at the present day location of Waterloo. Scawyace was an unusual village for the Cayuga tribe as most of their villages were located in close vicinity to the shores of Cayuga Lake but Scawyace was located almost 5 miles from it.

In 1779 Scawyace had 18 houses, was surrounded by large fields of corn and several fishing ponds, circular enclosures of stone from thirty to forty feet in diameter, built up on the rocky bed of the stream, where the water was neither very deep or rapid, so constructed as to permit the water to pass through, but to retain the fish.

On September 8, 1779 the full force of the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign arrived at Scawyace to find the village deserted. A contingent under Colonel Harper partially destroyed the village before returning to the main force at Kanadesaga. The campaign would return to Scawyace on September 20, 1779 on it's return march from destroying Chenussio and they set about destroying the fields of corn and remnants of the village.

At Scawyace General Sullivan ordered Colonel Dearborn to take a contingent of men to destroy any Cayuga villages along the Western shores of Cayuga Lake and Colonel Butler to take a contingent of men to destroy any Cayuga villages and the Cayuga capital, Goi-O-Guen, along the Eastern shores of Cayuga Lake. Colonel Gansevoort was also sent with a contingent of 100 men to arrest all the male Mohawks at Mohawk Castle near Schenectady.

Today the site of Scawyace is now the village of Waterloo with a stone marker noting the location of the village on Route 5 & 20 near the business district of the village. The plaque describing the village is missing but the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign plaque on the front of the stone is still in place. The coordinates to the marker are Latitude  42°54'16.30"N by Longitude  76°52'0.12"W.

There are also two historical markers noting the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign on Route 5 & 20 between Waterloo and Seneca Falls. The first marker is near the light near Dunkin' Donuts and the coordinates to this marker are Latitude  42°54'18.36"N by Longitude  76°49'35.97"W.

The second marker is near the traffic light West of Pizza Hut and the coordinates to this marker are Latitude  42°54'8.08"N by Longitude  76°50'26.93"W.