This biography was edited and augmented by PRS staff.

Daniel Petrie was born on 31 December 1721 in German Flatts, Albany County, New York, the son of Johann Jost Petrie. In the early 18th century, Johann, a Palatine German immigrant, settled in the Mohawk Valley of New York. Between 1722 and 1725, he constructed one of the region's first gristmills near the confluence of Furnace Creek and the Mohawk River in what would become Little Falls. 

About 1750, Daniel married Elizabeth Catherine Foltz, and they had several known children, including:

• Jacob was born about 1750 and married Maria [surname unknown].
• Catharina, or Katharina, was born about 1752 and married Fesser Cox.
• Marcus was born about 1754 and married Margaret Bellinger.
• Cordelia was born about 1766 and married James Rankin Jr.

During the American Revolutionary War, Daniel served as a Captain in the Tryon County Militia, 3rd Company, under Colonel Hanyoost Herkimer. 
The New York Mohawk Valley had become known as the "breadbasket of the colonies" and was vital for supplying George Washington's army with flour and other provisions. The gristmill in Little Falls, built by his father, played a crucial role in this effort. 

In June 1782, the mill became a target for a large war party of nearly 300 Loyalists and Iroquois warriors seeking to disrupt the supply chain. On a warm evening, more than 20 people were gathered at the mill, including Daniel, his brother Jacob, two millers named Gresham Skinner and Frank Cox, several farmers, and militiamen under Captain McGregor. The attackers surrounded the mill, calling out occupants by name and urging them to surrender. When the patriots refused, the assailants set the building ablaze with flaming arrows. Overwhelmed, the defenders were forced to submit. Skinner and Cox escaped, while others were captured or killed. Daniel Petrie fought valiantly, discharging his musket and battling with the attackers until he was overpowered. He was bound on the rocks in the Mohawk River and was tortured by arrows, tomahawks, and scalping knives until he succumbed to his wounds. This attack was one of the last armed conflicts of the Revolutionary War. 

The legacy of the Petrie family, from Johann's establishment of the gristmill to Daniel's ultimate sacrifice, highlights their significant contributions to the American cause during a pivotal time in the nation's history.

The Patriot died on 21 June 1782 at Little Falls, Tyron County, New York (currently in Herkimer County); his place of burial is unknown.

Sources:

1. Massacre at the Little Falls Grist Mill – Little Falls Historical Society
2. Attack on the Petrie Gristmill Audio Tour by Robin Cochrane – Little Falls Historical Society.
3. Find-a-Grave – Captain Daniel Petrie, Memorial ID: 87526848
4. WikiTree - Petrie
5. My Little Falls Newspaper, May 11, 2021 Edition, Patriots day honors those who were not sunshine patriots.
   • “The gristmill was attacked and destroyed by some 300 Loyalists and Indians; some number of Patriots were killed. Gristmill owners Gresham Skinner and Frank Cox survived by hiding under the water wheel, Daniel Petrie died a gruesome death at the hands of the attackers. Local hatred still ran deep even after Revolutionary War hostilities had ended elsewhere.”
6. Register Report – The Bellinger Family Line, page 5, The Petrie Family Line
7. Third Generation:  (12) Daniel Petrie: Died 14 June 1782 in Little Falls, Herkimer, NY. He married Elisabeth Catharine Volz.
   • Daniel was killed by Tories and Indians at mill on Furnace Creek in Little Falls. He was a miller and owned the grist mill at Little Falls. He had left Fort Herkimer which was close by the mill to grind corn for the garrison when attacked by a [the enemy]. He held the mill until he killed several. He was captured and mutilated after the most atrocious methods of the [Native American warriors].
8. SAR Patriot Ancestors – Rootsweb user ~nyononda
9. Daniel PETRIE, (1720-1782) Served in 4th Regiment, Tryon County Militia. Captain of 3rd Company, 4th Battalion of the German Flats / Kingsland District in 1775, under Col Hanyost Herkimer and Lt Col Peter Bellinger. He was killed by [the enemy] on June 21, 1782, having reenlisted as a Private in the Ulster County, 2nd Regiment.