, ▁in ▁a ▁successful ▁amb ush , ▁of ▁re bel ▁milit ia ▁and ▁One ida ▁war riors ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Or isk any . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁after ▁this ▁expedition ▁he ▁was ▁commission ed ▁a ▁lieutenant ▁colon el ▁and ▁given ▁authority ▁to ▁raise ▁his ▁own ▁regiment , ▁which ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Butler ' s ▁R angers , ▁initially ▁with ▁a ▁strength ▁of ▁eight ▁companies . ▁ ▁He ▁tra ve led ▁back ▁to ▁Fort ▁Ni ag ara , ▁and ▁completed ▁rec ruit ing ▁the ▁first ▁company ▁in ▁December . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁John ▁Butler ▁led ▁his ▁r angers ▁and ▁I ro qu ois ▁al lies ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Wy oming , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁defeated ▁Z eb ul on ▁Butler ▁and ▁took ▁Fort y ▁Fort . ▁The ▁Patri ots ▁suffered ▁heavy ▁losses , ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁battle ▁Butler ' s ▁R angers ▁burn ed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁colon ists ' ▁homes ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Later , ▁the ▁battle ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Wy oming ▁Valley ▁mass acre ▁because ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁vict orious ▁Lo yal ists ▁and ▁I ro qu ois ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁executed ▁and ▁scal ped ▁prisoners ▁and ▁fle eing ▁enemy ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁Later ▁that ▁year , ▁after ▁the ▁burning ▁of ▁Ti oga , ▁his ▁son ▁Captain ▁Walter ▁Butler ▁led ▁two ▁companies ▁of ▁r angers ▁and ▁ 3 0 0 ▁I ro qu ois ▁war riors ▁in ▁a ▁ra id ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Cher ry