IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^%*« 1.0 I.I ■50 *^™ lii^M U£ IM 12.2 ■u |4£ 12.0 L25 lliu 11.6 6" Fhotographic Sdmces Carporalion \ % ^ \ 23 WBT MAM STRIIT «nMTIR,N.Y. UStO (71«)«72-4M» k. V .** ^z^ ^4^ ^ <> ^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHJVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Inttituta for Historical Microraproductions / instltut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes tachniquaa at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in th«f raproduction, or which may aignif icantly change tha uaual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D D Coloured covera/ Couverture de couleur I I Covera damaged/ Couverture endommagte Covera reatorad and/or laminated/ Couverture reataurte et/ou peiiiculAe r~~| Cover title miaaing/ La titre de couverture manque Coloured mapa/ Cartea gAographiquea en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (I.e. autre que bleue ou noire) rri Coloured piatea and/or iliuatrationa/ D Planchea et/ou iliuatrationa en couleur Bound with other material/ Relii avac d'autree documanta Tight binding may cauae ahadowa or diatortlon along interior margin/ La re liure aerrte paut cauaar de I'ombre ou de la diatortion la long da la marge IntArieure Blank leevee added during reatoration may appear within the text. Whenever poaaibla, theae have been omitted from filming/ II ae paut qua certalnea pagea blanchea ajouttea iora d'una reatauration apparaiaaent dana la texte, mala, loraque cela Atait poaaibia, caa pagea n'ont pea AtA fllmtea. Additional commanta:/ Commentairea auppMmantairaa; L'Inatitut a microfilm^ la meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a MA poaaibia da ae procurer. Lea dAtaila de cet exemplaire qui aont peut-Atre uniquea du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une imege reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dana la mithode normale de filmage a'^nt indiqute ci-deaaoua. I — I Coloured pagea/ Pagea da couleur Pagea damaged/ Pagea andommagtea Pagea reatored and/oi Pagea reataurAaa et/ou pellicultea Pagea diacolourad, atalned or foxe< Pagea dAcoiorAea, tachatAea ou piqutea Pagea detached/ Pagea dAtachAea Showthroughy Tranaparence Quality of prir Quality InAgaia de I'impreaaion Includaa aupplamentary matarii Comprend du matAriel auppMmentaire Only edition available/ Seule MKion diaponibia I — I Pagea damaged/ I — I Pagea reatored and/or laminated/ r^ Pagea diacolourad, atalned or foxed/ I I Pagea detached/ r^ Showthrough/ I I Quality of print variea/ r~1 Includaa aupplamentary material/ I — I Only edition available/ Pagea wholly or partially obacured by errata aiipa, tiaauaa, etc., have been refilmed to eneure the iMat poaaibia image/ Lea pagea totaloment ou partiailement obacurciea par un fauillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 4ttA filmtea A ncuveau da fapon A obtanir la meilleure image poaaibia. Tha tot The poi ofi filn Ori{ bee the sioi oth fira aioi or I Thi aha TIN wh Ma difl ant be{ rigl req me Thia item la filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document eat film* au taux de rMuction indlquA ci-deaaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X aox J n 12X 16X 20X 24X 2tX 32X Th« copy filmad h«r« has bo«n r«procluc0ci thanks to the ganarosity of: Bibliothdqua nationala du Qu6bac L'axamplaira filmA f ut raproduit grica A la g4n4rosit4 da: BibliothAqua nationala du Quibac Tha Imagas appaaring hara ara tha bast qi.")lity posslbia consldaring tha condition and lagibillty of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract spacifications. Original copias !n printad papar covera ara filmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion. or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original copias ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or Illustratad imprassion. Las imagas suivantas ont M* raproduitas avac la plus grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattatA da l'axamplaira filmA, at an conformity avac las conditions du contrat da fllmaga. Las axamplairas orlginaux dent la couvarture en paplar ast ImprimAa sont filmto an commandant par la pramiar plat at an tarminant soit par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'illustration, soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous las autras axamplairas orlginaux sont fllmte an comman9ant par la pramiAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'illustration at an tarminant par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha last racordad frama on aach microficha shall contain tha symbol — ^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol V (moaning "END"), whichavar applias. Un das symbolas suivants apparattra sur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua microficha, salon la cas: la symbola — ► signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbols ▼ signifia "FIN". Maps, platas, charts, ate, may ba filmad at diffarant reduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly included in one exposure ara filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right end top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams Illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent hue filmte A dee taux da reduction diffArants. Lorsque le document eat trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmi A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche it droite, et de haut en bes, en prenant le nombre d'imagas nAcessaira. Las diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 S? 1 .f':*7. '•^-'■*, :^T-' i •wr -r c\ TJ^ r\ T\ -yr or su* ^. f ^ OF TEE UNITED STATES, .i*Jl! THE >;Alt!,IKST COLONIAL T1MES5 TO THE CLOSr. OF THB MKXICAN WiR. Bl o (8 b< O V. JOHN LEWIS THOMfeOX. i T-^rO VOLUMES li?" OKE. ,/ | PHILADELPHIA: ;^; r^.*Li^rFi:NCOTT & co. 18 56. ■■;'<- . 0- 1 V ■" V"' - I--. > m # I' 4. ,.'' HISTORY ^ 'J or TBI 1^; p^ WARS OF THE UNITED STATES, i FROM THE EARLIEST COLONIAL TIMES TO THE CLOSE OF THE MEXICAN WAR. BT JOHN LEWIS THOMSON. 5Blt[i IbMtionH nnb Correttions, ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS, FROM DESIGNS Ift W. OROOME AND OTHER ARTIST& «^ - TWO VOLUMES IN ONE. • •»»,••••«•• • • . ( I t « • - • • • • • ■ • ' V , I , , « • •• , • • t • » • PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1856. ■I ". Entered, acoordiog to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by lilPPINCOTT, GHAMBO & CO. in the OfBce of the Clerk of the District Court of the United States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. ^' , « ■ ... / ■ ! • .1.1 ror the Eastern Our coimtiy is still young ; but her wars have been numerous, and, some of them, bloody. Our foes have been of various degrees in strength and skill, from the brave and cunning savage up to the disciplined soldier of Britain ; and against all have we maintained our- % selves with honour; nay, the end of every contest hss been attended with a large increase of our dominioii. The fiercest efforts of mighty powers have proved insufficient to check the progression of the republic. The cords upon the limbs of Samson were burst asunder as burnt flax. Wars are popularly considered the most interesting portions of a nation's history. A peaceful advance in the arts and the gradual perfection of institutions are highly approved, of course ; but the naiTative of sucli progression can never possess the thrilling attractions pertaining to accounts of the "pomp and circumstance (iii) c IV PREFACE. k I 4 of glorious war." The moralist and the philosopher may condemn the taste as vicious and perverted ; but the majority still prefer the stirring blast of the bugle to the soothing sweetness of the flute. The grand national displays of patriotic pride ; the achievements of courage, activity, and skill ; the developement of the heroic part of human nature, all of which are charac- teristia of war, fairly glow upon the page of histor}-, and can kindle the heart of the farmer at his fireside, when all other reading would fail to win his attention. Inquire, and he will acknowledge that war has a horrible display of some brutal passions and is attended and followed by an immense amount of misery, but he dares not deny the charms of its history. The soil of the republic is thickly dotted with battle- fields. The North has her Breed's Hill — ^her Benning- ton — her Saratoga, and her Trenton — the South has her Eutaw — her King's Mountain — ^her Cowpens, and her Yorktown — places fertilized by the blood of the revolutionary patriots — whither Americans may make pilgrimages to freshen their love of liberty. The re- cords of those fields should not only be in the hands, but in the memory of the patriotic. The great "West also has her battle-fields, where whites of iron nerve engaged in bloody strife with Indians, who claimed the soil as the land of their fathers, and where the dominion of the Anglo-Saxon was established. Later wars had greatly increased the number of the places peopled by the memories of glorious deeds. Our armies have left their indelible marks in Mexico, from Matamoras to Buena Vista, from Vera Cruz to the capital, and throughout New Mexico and California. I PREFACE. [)hilosopher cited; but ' the bugle The grand hievements nent of the ire charac- of history, lis fireside, 3 attention, svar has a is attended ery, but he The present work comprises very full accounts of all the wars in which our country has been engaged, from the earliest colonial times to the close of the contest with Mexico. The most authentic sources of informa- tion have been consulted, compared, and investigated, so as to attain the reliable facts. The illustrations are numerous, and will impress scenes and incidents upon the memory. I'ith battle- r Benning- South has vpens, and ood of the may make The re- the hands, reat West ron nerve aimed the dominion wars had )eopled by have left imoras to )ital, and I il CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. ^^g, WABS BKTWKIM TBI lABLT SFAMI8H ADTMTUBIBB ANO THB IMDIAHS . .13 CHAPTER II. WABS BETWBBM THB BABLT BXTTLBBt 09 TIBOIXIA AMD THB IHDIAMI . 22 CHAPTER in. TBB PBQUOD WAB 82 CHAPTER IV. KIHO FUILIP'S WAB 37 CHAPTER V. TBB TU80AB0BA AMD TBMAS8BB WABB .48 (7) ■•t >\ f*. n ^i I ■■^:':4' I i> : I viu CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. KINO WILLIAM'S WAB . CHAPTER VIT. QUEEN ANNB'S WAB LOVEWILL's WAB CHAPTER YIIL CHAPTER a. TBI fBIMOH WAB Of 1745 TO 1748 . . . , CHAPTBR X. THB SETIH team' WAB CHAPTIB XL PONTIAO d WAB DUNMOBE'S WAB THE REVOLUTIOK . INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST CHAPTER XIL CHAPTER Xin. CHAPTER XIV. PAOI 56 76 91 102 106 189 204 216 " \ h I 1 M 1 H PAai 66 76 91 102 106 189 i 4 204 ILLUSTRATIONS. 216 »An TIONKTTB IS PORTBAIT or FONCK DE LION 14 PONCK DK LEON MOBTALLT WOCNDED IN fLOBIDA 16 NABVAEZ'S MABCB FBOH AFPALACHEB 16 FORTBAIT or CHABLB8 T 17 SOTO DI8C0VEBIN0 TBI 1II88IS8IFPI 18 POBTBAIT or HEBNANDO DE SOTO . . .' 19 TAILPIECE — SAYAOK . . e 21 HEADPIECE — CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH 22 OBNAHEMTAL LETTEB 22 POCAHONTAS S/VINQ THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN SMITH 26 TH^ CHBI8TIAN INDIAN DISCLOSING THE INTENDED HASSACBB .... 29 TBS OBEAT MASSaOBIB 30 TAILFIBOI 31 HEADPIECE — THE PIONEEB 32 ORNAMENTAL LETTER d^ DESTBDOTION Or THE PKQU0D8 .35 (ix) ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOI TAILPIECK— INDIAN LTINQ IN VAIT . 86 TBKATT WITH MA8SA80IT ........... 87 OBNAMENTAL LBTTEB 87 ATTACK ON DEEBFIBLD 40 DEATH or KINO PHIUP ...........46 HEADPIECE — TBB BOALPINO KlOn 48 OBMAMENTAt LETTKB 48 POBTRAIT OF WILLIAM UI. 66 OBNAMENTAL LETTKB 56 THE CAPTIVE WOMAN 65 TAILPIECE 74 i-ORTBAIT OF QUEEN ANNS 75 OBNAMENTAL LETTKB 76 WBECK OF TUB BNGLISH FLKBT 89 TAILPIECE go HEADPIECE — INDIAN 8C0CT . 91 OBNAMENTAL LETTKB 91 TAILPIECE — THE INDIAN'S STBATAQBH 101 HEADPIECE .... 102 OBNAMENTAL LETTEB 102 SIEQE OF LOUIBBOUBO CAFTUBE OF SHIP OFF THE POBT 104 OBNAMENTAL HEADPIECB 106 XNOLIBH TRADINO WITH THE INDIANS 100 WASHINdTON CROSaiNO THE ALLEGBANT 112 POBTBAIT OF GENERAL BBADDOCK 110 FBENCH AND INDIANS AT THE DEFEAT OF BRADDOCK 121 DIESKAir WOUNDED AND CAPTURED 128 PORTRAIT OF MONTCALM 131 MASSACRE OF THE PRISONERS AT FOBT WILLIABf HENBT 136 PORTRAIT OP WILLIAM PITT — EABL OF CHATHAM 137 POBTBAIT OF GENERAL WOLFE 140 ABERCROMBIE'S ARHT CROSSING LAKE OEOBGE 142 BUIN8 OF TICONDEROGA 148 WOLFE'S ARMY ASCENDING THE HEIGHTS OF ABBAHAM 16i ■ ...it > u. h 14 WARS BETWEEN THE EARLY SPANISH POXCK DB LEOlf. Juan Ponce de Leon, a famous warrior. This man had imbibed the belief that there existed, upon an island somewhere to the northward, a fountain, endowed with such miraculous virtue, that any person, however worn with age, who should have ever dipped himself in its w :rs, would rise restored to the full bloom and vigour of youth. While sailing about in the vain search for this wonderful fountain, he came unexpectedly, on the 27th of March, 1512, in sight of an extensive and beauti- ful country. Magnificent forests, intermingled with flowering shrubs, ex hibited so gay an aspect, that he named it Florida. He landed on the 8th of April, near the present site of St. Augustine ; and, notwithstanding the dangers of navigation amid the violent currents produced by the gulf-stream running among the islands, he spent a considerable time in tracing its outline, and finally rounded the southern point. Thus, though still supposing it to be an island, he ascertained that it must be both large and im- portant. This great discovery seems to have weaned the mind of the Spanish chief from his engrossing chimera. He repaired to Porto Rico, and thence to Spain, laid before the king the par- ticulars of the new country, and obtained permission to conquer SH ADVENTURERS AND THE INDIANS. It a had imbibed lewhere to the culous virtue, uld have ever to the full in the vain spectedly, on } and beauti- shrubs, ex He landed istine ; and, the violent Ig the islands, 1, and finally Apposing it to irge and im- lied the mind I He repaired ting the par- to conquer 1 and rule it under the pompous title of adelantado. A consider- able time, however, was consumed in preparations ; and while thus busied, he was obliged to engage in suppressing an insurrec- tion among the Caribs. This contest waa attended with reverses, by which he lost much of his reputation ; and nine years elapsed before he could conduct two ships to his promised dominion. While planning a site for a colony, he was surprised by a large POHCK DB LBOK MORTALLT WOUNDED IN FLORIDA. body of Indians ; his men were completely routed and himself severely wounded by an arrow. As these people were never able afterwards to cope in the field with Spanish troops, this disaster may lead us to suspect that he really had lost his former military talent. Having regained the ship, he sailed to Cuba, where he soon after died of his wound. The fate of Ponce de Leon discouraged all such adventurers for a considerable time. The next expedition of importance was undertaken for the cruel purpose of enslaving the Indians and taking them to the West India islands. It was commanded by Lucas and Vasquez de Ayllon. By treachery, a large num-. ber of Indians were secured and carried away. To such infa- ^ll . I. [5 » ;■ ! I 'Ul >i it 16 WARS BETWEEN THE EARLY SPANISH HARVAEZ' MARCH FROM APPALACBEK. mous acts as this we may trace the determined hostility of some of the Florida tribes. Pamphilo de Narvaez, the unfortunate rival of Cortes, was the next adventurer. He met with a series of disasters in his march from Appalachee, and finally perished in a storm, with all but four of his men. The next expedition was the most memorable of all. Fer- nando de Soto, who had acquired fame and fortune by partici- pation in the conquest of Peru, now sought to win much greater glory by subduing Florida, for which he received full authority from Cliarles V., of Spain. On the 6th of April, 153J8, Soto embarked his troops in ten vessels, and sailed for Cuba, which was even placed under his command, that he might draw from it every needful resource. There he spent a year in preparation, and Vasco Porcalho, a veteran, who, like himself, had gained by the sword an immense fortune, and was living in splendid retirement, was so delighted with the noble appointment and bold spirit of the expedition, that he joined it with a train of followers and large supplies. He was created lieutenant-general. On the 18th of May, 1539, the adelantado sailed with nine vessels from the Havana ; on the 25th, he saw the coast of Florida ; and, on the 30th, landed in the bay of Spiritu Santo, which appears to be not very far from the point chosen by Narvaez. ANISII ADVENTURERS AND THE INDIANS. 17 1 hostility of some !, the unfortunate I met with a series id finally perished able of all. Fer- ibrtune by partici- [win much greater ed full authority his troops in ten [placed under his needful resource. asco Porcalho, a Iword an immense was so delighted [f the expedition, id large supplies. sailed with nine saw the coast of )f Spiritu Santo, [point chosen by CnARLBS T. Had Florida, like Mexico, been under one great government, Soto, with his brave band, would have beaten the army, entered the capital, and been master of the country. But he struggled helplessly against a multitude of fierce petty tribes. They offered no point at which a blow could be struck, and never left him master of more than the spot on which his army stood. He continued, however, to advance, and after many battles with the natives, and a tedious march through what are now the states of Alabama and Mississippi,* he discovered the Mis- sissippi river, and having construq^d barges, crossed it, and marched with his army to the north-west till he entered Mis- souri, always hoping to find gold. Learning that there lay a mountainous region to the north- west, which seems to be that at the head of the White River, he proceeded thither, in the vain hope that the rocks might contain gold. Disappointed once more, he bent his course southwards in search of a productive soil, which he found at Cayas, amid the hot and saline springs on the Upper Washita. Descending that river, he arrived at Autiamque (Utianangue), where he resolved to pass his fourth dreary winter. After this long and unfortunate march, and with his troops so miserably reduced, he determined at last upon the measure, from which his mind had so strongly revolted, of returning to the coast, B m I: ; i I! i] Mi 18 WARS BETWEEN THE EARLY SPANISH SOTO DHCOTIMRO TM MIBBISSIPPI. and seeking reinforcements from Cuba or Mexico. He there- fore hastily descended the Washita to its junction with the Red Biver, and the latter stream to its confluence with the Missis- sippi, where he found himself in the territory of Guachoya, filled with a brave and numerous population. His men being now reduced to fewer than five hundred, and his horses, which had formed his chief strength, to forty, he could no longer hope to vanquish in the field, a brave though barbarous foe. He was obliged to employ art, and act on their superstitious impres- sions by stating that he was the child of the sun ; and availing himself of their astonishment at seeing themselves in a mirror, prel^nded that in that glass he could see whatever they did at any distance, and thus detect any plot which might be formed against Iiim. He was much concerned to learn that the sea 1 .a;aife;. : N I s n ADVENTURERS AND THE INDIANS. 19 ICO. He there- in with the Red vith the Missis- of Guachoya, His men being s horses, which no longer hope a WARS BETWEEN THE EARLY SPANISH The cacique, however, poHtely intimated his coiiHoiouHiu'SM of the true Htute of the case by pre.seuting two handsome youtiis, in order that, their hetuls beuig cut off, they migiit werve tlio cliief in tlie laud of souls. Moscoho, declining tliis gift, endca- voured Htill to gain belief for his fu'st statement, though proba- bly with little success. The party, meanwhile, felt themsolvi'.s seriouHly called upon to consider their future plans. To roach a Spanish settlement by water, without vessels, pilots, or charts, npiKjaring quite desix3rate, they determined rather to attempt a march to Mexico, not without a faint l\o\)e of discovering some golden region which might compensate all their toils. They pushed, accordingly, about three hundred miles westward, when, after passing a great river, the Colorado de Texas, or the Rio del Norte, the country became almost a desert, and they could not make themselves understood by the inhabitants. They gave up all hope, and determined, at whatever cost, to return and descend the Mississippi. On regaining its banks, they had, like Narvaez's party, to perform the tedious task of construct- ing seven brigantines. But they fortunately had among their number a sawyer, four or five carpenters, a caulker, and a cooper, and these instructed the rest. The jealousy of the Indians, however, led to a confederacy which might have been fatal, had it not been disclosed by the female captives. The rising of the river enabled them to avoid the danger by immediately setting sail ; though a numerous fleet of canoes pursued, cut off a de- tachment, and harassed them during a great part of the voyage. In fifty-two days they arrived, reduced to the number of three hundred and eleven, at the port of Panuco in Mexico, where they were kindly received both by the governor and people. They had marched in four years upwards of five thousand miles, through a savage and hostile region. They had achieved no- thing ; not having left even a vestige of their route, except the track of blood by which it had been too often stained. These dreadful reverses damj)ed the zeal of Spain to conquer or colonize Florida; but Cancello, a Dominican missionary, who undertook to visit the country with a view to conversion, received ample encouragement from the government. The sinister impression, however, attached to his nation, being ex ISR ADVENTURERS AND THE INDIANS. 21 HlSoioilHIU'KH of idsonio voutlis, Ijrht Horvc the luM gift, eiuli'ii- tlunif^h prohii- felt thernsolvort iiiH. To roiu'h >ilots, or charts, er to attempt a iscovering some ir toils. They estward, when, xas, or the Rio and they could bitantH. They cost, to return anks, they had, ii i ^i» s '^w. •in OP VIRGINIA AND THE INDIANS. 27 ■A i 'h on his return to Jamestown, found the colony reduced to thirty- eight persons, who in despair were preparing to abandon a country which did not seem destined to be the habitation of Englishmen. He employed caresses, threats, and even violence, in order to prevent them from executing this fatal resolution. With difficulty he prevailed on them to defer it so long, that the succour anxiously expected from England arrived. Plenty was instantly restored ; a hundred new planters were added to their number ; and an ample stock of whatever was requisite for clearing and sowing the ground was delivered to them. As long as the bold and prudent Smith remained in the colony, it was prosperous. But when an accident compelled him to return to England, everything tended towards anarchy and ruin. The Indians not only withheld supplies, but renewed hostilities and harassed the colonists continually. At length, when the number of settlers was reduced from 500 to 60, Gates and Summers arrived, with a reinforcement and supplies. Still the English were about to return to their native land, when they were met by Lord Delaware with three ships, a large quantity of provisions, the means of defence and cultivation, and a number of new colonists. Under Lord Delaware's orders the settlement was founded on a stronger basis, and it flourished. Mr. Percy and Sir Thomas Dale, who succeeded him in office, were successful in maintaining order. The marriage of the famous Pocahontas with Mr. Eolfe, secured the friendship of Powhatan, and during the life of that powerful prince, the In- dians remained on peaceful terms with the whites. The colony increased in numbers and wealth under the influence of industry and a free government. But while the colony continued to increase so fast, that settle- ments were scattered not only along the banks of James and York rivers, but began to extend to the Rappahannock, and even to the Potomac, the English, relying on their own numbers, and deceived by this appearance of prosperity, lived in full security. They neither attended to the movements of the Indians, nor suspected their machinations ; and though sur- rounded by a people whom they might have known from ex- perience to be both artful and vindictive, they neglected every precaution fo)' their own safety that was requisite in such a 28 WARS BETWEEN THE EARLY SETTLERS i%:: Bituation. Like the peaceful inhabitants of a society completely established, they were no longer soldiers but citizens, and were so intent on what was subservient to the comfort or embellish- ment of civil life, that every martial exercise began to be laid aside as unnecessary. The Indians, Avhom they commonly em- ployed as hunters, were furnished with fire-arms, and taught to use them with dexterity. They were permitted to frequent the habitations of the English at all hours, and received as in- nocent visitants whom there was no reason to dread. This in- considerate security enabled the Indians to prepare for the exe- cution of that plan of vengeance, which they meditated with all the deliberate forethought which is agreeable to their temper. Nor did they want a leader capable of conducting their schemes with address. On the death of Powhatan, in the year 1618, Opechancanough succeeded him, not only as wirowance, or chief of his own tribe, but in that extensive influence over all the Indian nations of Virginia, which induced the English writers to distinguish him by the name of Emperor. Accord- ing to the Indian tradition he was not a native of Virginia, but came from a distant country to the southwest, possibly from some province of the Mexican empire. But as he was conspi- cuous for all the qualities of highest estimation among savages, a fearless courage, great strength and agility of body, and crafty policy, he quickly rose to eminence and power. Soon after his elevation to the supreme command, a general massacre of the English seems to luive been resolved upon ; and during four years the means of perpetrating it with the greatest facility and success were concerted with amazing secrecy. All the tribes contiguous to the English settlements were successively gained, except those on the eastern shore, from whom, on account of their peculiar attachment to their new neighbours, every cir- cumstance that might discover what they intended was care- fully concealed. To each tribe its station was allotted, and *1"> part it was to act prescribed. On the morning of the day oon- gecrated to vengeance, each was at the place of rendezvous ap- pointed, while the English were so little aware of the impending destruction, that they received with unsuspicious hospitality several persons sent by Opechancanough, under pretext of de- livering presents of venison and fruits, but in reality to observe I ERS OF VIRGINIA AND THE INDIANS. 29 ety com[)letoly sens, and were t or embellish- gan to be laid commonly em- , and taught to id to frequent ceceived as in- ead. This in- ire for the exe- iieditated with their temper. 5 their .sclicmes he year 1618, wirowanee, or luence over all 1 the English eror. Accord- if Virginia, but possibly from le was conspi- imong savages, )dy, and crafty Soon after his lassacre of the during four >st facility and 11 the tribes ^ely gained, account of irs, every cir- Ided was care- lotted, and *b'> the da} oon- sndezvous ap- Ihe impending lis hospitality pretext of de- ity to observe their motions. Finding them perfectly secure, at mid-day, the moment that was previously fixed for this deed of horror, the Indians rushed at once upon them in all their difierent settle- ments, and nnirdered men, women, and children, with undis- tingiiishing rage, and that rancorous crueltv with which savages treat their enemies. In one hour nearly a fourth ])art of the whole colony was cut off, almost without knowing by whose hands they fell. The slaughter would have been universal, if compassion or a sense of duty had not moved a converted Indian, THB CHRISTIAN INDIAN DISCLOSINQ THE INTENDED MASSACRE. to whom the secret was communicated the night before the massacre, to reveal it to his master in such time as to save Jamestown and some adjacent settlements ; and if the English in other districts had not run to their arms with resolution prompted by despair, and defended themselves so bravely as to repulse their assailants, who, in the execution of their plan, did not discover courage equal to the sagacity and art with whicli they had concerted it. But though the blow was thus prevented from descending with its full effect, it proved very grievous to an infant colony. In some settlements not a single Englishman escaped. Many persons of prime note in the colony, and, among these, several 4 C I. L n m 'Mi > ' Mr ii m \:i< i m •'"Iff itll. •! -r<: 30 WARS BETWEEN THE EARLY SETTLERS THE GREAT MASSACRE. members of the council, were slain. The survivors, over- whelmed with grief, astonishment, and terror, abandoned all their remote settlements, and crowding together for safety to Jamestown, did not occupy a territory of greater extent than had been planted soon after the arrival of their countrymen in Virginia. Confined within those narrow boundaries, they were loss intent on schemes of industry than on thoughts of revenge. Every man took arms. A bloody war against the Indians com- menced ; and, bent on exterminating the whole race, neither old nor young were spared. The conduct of the Spaniards in the southern regions of America was openly proposed as the most proper model to imitate ; and regardless, like them, of those principles of faith, honour, and humanity, which regulate hostility among civilized nations and set bounds to its rage, the English deemed everything allowable that tended to accomplish their design. They hunted the Indians like wild beasts rather than enemies ; and as the pursuit of them to their places of retreat in the woods, which covered the country, was both diffi- cult and dangerous, they endeavoured to allure them from their inaccessible fastnesses by offers of peace and promises of oblivion, made with such an artful appearance of sincerity as deceived LERS i OP VIRGINIA AND THE INDIANS. 31 survivors, over- r, abandoned all her for safety to ater extent than ir countrymen in daries, they were ughts of revenge, the Indians com- lole race, neither the Spaniards in proposed as the ss, like them, of Y, which regulate is to its rage, the led to accomplish vild beasts rather their places of ■y, was both diffi- them from their >mises of oblivion, irity as deceived D their crafty leader, and induced them to return to their former settlements, and resume their usual peaceful occupations. The behaviour of the two people seemed now to be jierfectly reversed. The Indians, like men acquainted with the principles of integrity and good faith, on which the intercourse between nations is foimded, confided in the reconciliation, and lived in absolute security without suspicion of danger ; while the English, with ix'rfidious craft, were preparing to imitate savages in their re- ^ vonge and cruelty. On the approach of harvest, when they knew a hostile attack would be most formidable and fatal, I they fell suddenly upon all the Indian plantations, murdered I every person on whom they could lay hold, and drove the rest to the woods, where so many perished with hunger, that some of th(^ tribes nearest to the English were totally extirpated. This atrocious deed, which the perpetrators laboured to repre- ^ sent ii.s a necessary act of retaliation, was followed by some happy effects. It delivered the colony so entirely from any dread of the Indians, that its settlements began again to extend, and its industry to revive. The colony continued to enjoy the blessings of peace until after the restoration, when Sir William Berkeley was governor. The aged Opechancanough then planned another massacre, which was carried into effect on the 18th of April, 1G44, when, as by a stroke of lightning, five hundred whites were slain. The English immediately took up arms, and after a short conflict, almost annihilated the power of the Indians. Opechancanough was made prisoner, and after being treated with great indignity, was killed by a soldier. The colony enjoyed peace until " Ba- con's rebelhon," when the Indians becoming again hostile, they were completely crushed. I !ii |!f( Mi ' 'M!| '^ 111' J ill CHAPTER III. THE PEQUOD WAR. xj'-^^^ OPi ^^-^ contest between the English 111 and the Pequod Indians was the first in which the whites and the red men were brought in colhsion in New England. The tribes of Indians around Massachusetts bav were feeble and unwarlike ; yet from regard to justice, as Avell as motives of prudence, the first co- lonists were studious to obtain the consent of the natives before they ventured to occupy any of their lands ; and though in such transactions the consideration given was often very inadequate to the value of the territory acquired, it was suflicicnt to satisfy the demands of the proprietors. The English took quiet pos- session of the lands thus conveyed to them, and no open hos- tility broke out between them and the ancient possessors. But the colonics of Providence and Connecticut soon found that they were surrounded by more powerful and martial nations. (32) THE PEQUOD WAR. 83 Iwcen the English Indians was the he whites and the Irought in colhsion The tribes of [Massachusetts bay d umvarlikc; yet [justice, as well as ience, the first co tlie natives before id though in such very inadequate luflficient to satisfy 5h took quiet pos- and no open hos- possessors. But soon found that martial nations. (32) Among those tho most considerable were the Narragansets and IV'ijiKuls ; the former seated on the bay wliich bears their name, and tlie latter occupying tho territory whicli stretches from the river lV'(iuod along tho banks of the Connecticut. The lV(|U()d.s were a formidable people, who could bring into the iicld a tlioiisand warriors not inferior in courage to any in the Xe\v^ World. They foresaw, not only that the extermination of the Indian race must be the consequence of permitting the English to si)read over the continent of Amerion, but that, if nieasure;-i were not speedily concerted to prevent it, the cnlamity would bo nnavoidable. With this view they applied to the Narragan- set,'^, re([uesting them to forget ancient animosities for a moment, and to c(W)pc'rate with them in expelling a eonnuon enemy who threatened both with destruction. They represented that, when those strangers first landed, the object of their visit was not sus})ected, and no proper precautions were taken to check their progress; that now, by sending out colonies in one year towards three dillerent quarters, their intentions were manifest, and the people of America must abandon their native seats to make way for unjust intruders. But the Narragansets and Pequods, like most of the contiguous tribes in America, were rivals, and there subsisted between them an hereditary and implacable enmity. Revenge is the darling passion of savages ; in order to secure the indulgence of which there is no present advantage that they will not sacrifice, and no future consequence whicli they do not totally disregard. The Narragansets, instead of closing with the prudent proposal of their neighbours, discovered their hostile intentions to the governor of Massachusetts Bay ; and, eager to lay hold on such a favourable opportunity of wreaking their vengeance on their ancient foes, entered into an alliance with the English against them. The Pequods, more exasperated than discouraged by the imprudence and treachery of their countrymen, took the field, and carried on the war in the usual mode of Lidians. They surprised stragglers, and scalped them : they plundered and burnt remote settlements ; they attacked Fort Say Brook without success, though garrisoned only by twenty men ; and when the English began to act ofiensively, they retired to fast- nesses which they deemed inaccessible. The difierent colonies c2 •i|,: HI ! Hi S4 THE PEQUOD WAR. had agreed to unite against the common enemy, each furnlHliing a quota of men in proportion to it8 numfxirs. Tiie tr()(>i)8 of Connecticut, which lay most exposed to danger, were soon as- flcmhled. The march of those from Massachusetts, which formed tlic most considerable body, was rctardod hy the nn)st singular cause that ever influenced the operations of r« military force. When they were nnistered previous to their departure, it was found that some of the oHicers, as well as of the ])rivate Boldiers, were still under a covenant of works ; and that the blessing of God could not be implored or expected to crown the arms of such unhallowed men with success. The alarm was general, and numy arrangements necessary in order to cast out the unclean, and to render this little band sufficiently pure to fight the battles of a peoi)le who entertained high ideas of their own sanctity. Meanwhile the (vonnecticut troops, reinforced by a small de- tachment from Say Brook, found it necessary to advance towards the enemy. The latter were posted on a rising ground, in the middle of a swamp towards the head of the river Mistick, which they had surrounded with palisadoes, the best defence that their Blender skill in the art of fortification had discovered. Though they knew that the English were in motion, yet, with the usual improvidence and security of savages, they took no measures ei- ther to observe their progress, or to guard against being surprised themselves. The enemy, unperceived, reached the palisadoes; and if a dog had not given the alarm by barking, the Indians must have been massacred without resistance. In a moment, however, they started to arms, and, raising the war-cry, pre- pared to repel the assailants. But at that early period of their intercourse with the Europeans, the Indians were little ac- quainted with the use of gunpowder, and dreaded its effects extremely. While some of the English galled them with an incessant fire through the intervals between the palisadoes, others forced their way by the entries into the fort, filled only with branches of trees ; and setting lire to the huts, which were covered with reeds, the confusion and terror quickly became general. Many of the women and children perished in the flames ; and the warriors, in endeavouring to escape, were either slain by the English, or, falling into the hands of their Indian THE PEQUOD WAR. 85 i\ch furiuHhiiig Tho troojKS of were Boon a«- lUHetts, >vhioh d l)y tho most i8 of a military hoir (U'parturo, I of tlio ])rivate , ami that the >(l to crown the rhe ahirni Avaa rdor to oast out iciently pure to ;h ideas of their by a small do- idvanoe towards 5 f^round, in the [• Mistick, which jfence that their leered. Though t, with the usual no measures ei- being surprised the palisadoes; ng, the Indians In a moment, le war-cry, pre- y period of their were little ac- aded its effects them with an the palisadoes, fort, filled only luts, which were quickly became perished in the ;ape, were either of their Indian DIITBVCTIOIf or THE PIQCODI. allies, who surrounded the fort at a distance, were reserved for a more cruel fate. After the junction of the troops fi'om Mas- sachusetts, the English resolved to pursue their victory ; and hunting the Indians from one place of retreat to another, some subsequent encounters were hardly less fatal to them than the action on the Mistick. In less than three months the tribe of Poquods was extirpated ; a few miserable fugitives, who took refuge among the neighbouring Indians, being incorporated by them, lost their name as a distinct people. In this first essay of their arms the colonists of New England seem to have been conducted by skilful and enterprising officers, and dis- played both courage and perseverance as soldiers. But they stained their laurels by the use wliicli ihey made of victory. Instead of treating the Pequods as an independent people, who made a gallant effort to defend the property, the rights, and the freedom of their nation, they retaliated upon them all the ])arbarities of Indian war. Some they massacred in cold blood, others they gave up to be tortured by their Indian allies, a considerable number they sold as slaves in Bermudas, the % 36 THE PEQUOD "WAR. rest were reduced to servitude among themselves. But repre- hensible as this cond.ict of the English must be deemed, their vigorous efforts in this decisive campaign fdled idl the sur- romiding tribes of Indians Avith such a high opinion of their valour, as secured a long tranquillity to all their settlements. ,!» ;U, k/.jTlt vos. But repro- )e (loomcfl, their [led i»ll the sur- opinion of their sir settlements. >M. 4. TREATY WITH MASSASOIT. CHAPTER IV. KING PHILIP'S WAR. FTER the Pequod War, the colonists of New England and the Indians in tlioir vicinity, maintained peaceful relations — though there was an occasional exhibition of jealousy — for many years. The triljcs nearest to the Plymouth settlers were the Wampanoags or Pokanokets, the Narra- gansets, and the Mohegans. Between the Mohegans and the Narragansets a con- stant feud existed, which the English had much troul)le to keep from breaking out in open war. Massasoit, the chief of the Wampanoags, remained the friend of the English until his 5 (37^ 38 KING PHILIPS TTAR. 'lii WW m ' '•'^M death. He left two sons, who were called Alexander and Philip. These renewed the treaty with the English. Alexander, being the elder, assumed power on the death of his father. The English, suspecting him of plotting with the Narragansets for the extermination of the colonists, sent for him to answer the charges of the court at Plymouth. It is said that he was there rather roughly treated, and being of a proud spirit, he became so exasperated that he fell into a fever, and died before he could reach home. This was about 1657. The daring, yet wily Philip, succeeded to his brother's au- thority. He treated with the colonists, and professed friendship, to lull them into a feeling of security while he matured a grand scheme for their extermination. He desired to fonn a union of all the New England tribes, and for tins great purpose he used all the arts of an able politician. Determination, eloquence, and deep knowledge of human nature, were conspicuous features of his character. The English were watchful, and prevented the great chief from proceeding very rapidly towards the con- summation of his scheme. In 1671, he made a loud complaint that some of the English injured his land, which, in the end, proved to be false. A meeting was held at Taunton not long after, in consequence of the hostile appearance of Thilip's men, by Gov. Prince, of Plymouth, and deputies from Massachusetts. Philip was sent for to give reasons for such warlike appearances. He discovered extreme shyness, and, for some time, would not come to the town ; and when he did it was with a large band of warriors. He would not consent to go into the meeting-house, where the delegates were, until it was agreed that his men should be on one side of the house, and the English on the other. On being questioned, he denied having any ill designs upon the English, and said that he came with his men armed to prevent any attacks from the Narragansets ; but this falsehood was at once detected, and it was evident that they were united in their operations. It was also proved before him, that he had meditated an attack on Taunton, which he confessed. These steps so confounded him that he consented to deliver all his arms into the hands of the English as an indemnity for past damages. All of the guns which he brought with him, about 70, were delivered, and the KING PHILIPS T7AR. 39 nder and Philip, lexander, being Is father. The [arragansets for 1 to answer the lat he was there )irit, he became . before he could is brother's au- essed friendship, matured a grand o fonn a union 'eat purpose he ition, eloquence, picuous features , and prevented awards the con- p of the English alse. A meeting ice of the hostile Plymouth, and jnt for to give jovered extreme ) the town ; and ors. He would re the delegates )uld be on one ther. On being )on the English, i^ent any attacks it once detected, ;heir operations, itated an attack so confounded to the hands of All of the guns livered, and the rest were to be sent in, but were not. This prevented im- mediate war, and it required several years to repair their loss. Philip was industrious to do this, and, at the same time, used his endeavours to cause other tribes to engage in his cause. He was not ready when the war did begin, to which, in some measure, we may attribute his failure. In March, 1675, John Sassamon, an Indian, who had been Philip's chief counsellor, and who had kept the English in- formed of the plans of the Wampanoag chief, was found mur- dered, and Philip was charged with having instigated the deed. Three of his men were tried for the commission of tile crime, and convicted. Two of them persisted in declaring their in- nocence to the end, and the third denied that he had any hand in the murder, but said, that he saw others commit it. The three Indians were executed. Philip had now no resource but open war. He was determined never to fall alive into the hands of the English, for whom his hate was inextinguishable. He could bring between three and four thousand warriors into the field, but they were not supplied with fire-arms, and were therefore unfit to contend with the English. The colonists of Now England at this period numbered 120,000, and their number of fighting men was about 16,000. Philip began the war by killing the cattle and rifling the houses of the English settlers. One of these sufferers shot an Indian. The Indians retaliated, by killing all the English that were in their power. Eight or nine were slain in one day, at Swanzey, and its vicinity. Skirmishes followed, with various success. The Indians retreated into a swamp, from which they fired, and killed several of the English. The former retired deeper into the swamp. The latter, finding that they attacked the Indians in the swamps under great disadvantages, resolved to starve them ; but the Indians found means to escape. Captain Hutchinson, with twenty hoi'semen, while pursuing the Lidians fell into an ambuscade, and lost almost all his men. A few escaped ; but were closely pursued by the Indians, who assaulted the town, to which the vanquished had fled. The pursuing savages set fire to every house, excepting one, to which all the inhabitants had gathered, for security. When they had nearly succeeded in firing that also, Major Willard arrived, with 10 KING Philip's war. (' si!'' :i!l 111 ' m\ !i!l liii ATTACK ON DEERFIKLD. forty-eight dragoons, and dispersed them. The Hadley Indians were attacked, at a place called Sugarloaf Hill ; and about twenty-six of them were slain, as were also about half of the assailants. These Indians rallied, and, obtaining new associates, fell upon )eerfield, killed one man, and laid most of the town in ashes. On the same day, Hadley was alarmed by the Indians, in the time of public worship, and the people thrown into the utmost confusion ; but the enemy were repulsed, by the valour and good conduct of an aged, venerable man, who, suddenly appearing in the midst of the affrighted inhabitants, put him- self at their head, led them to the onset, and instantly dispersed the enemy. This deliverer of Hadley, supposed by some to be an angel, was General Goffe, one of the Judges of Charles the first, who was at that time concealed in the town. The Springfield Indians, though previously friendly to the English, perfidiously concurred with Philip's Indians, to burn the town of Springfield, and actually succeeded so far, as to })um thirty-two houses; but the remainder of the town was paved. The confederation of the New England colonies was now KING PHILIPS WAR. 41 le Hadlcy Inclinns Hill; and about about half of the ing new associates, most of the town Lcd by the Indians, ; thrown into the sed, by the valour m, who, suddenly abitants, put hini- nstantly dispersed >sed by some to be Kes of Charles the ;own. ily friendly to the Indians, to burn sded so far, as to of the town was d colonies was now found of great service. The war on the part of the Indians was conducted with so much ability, vigour, and perseverance, as to require the united efFortof the confederated colonies. They Foverally furnished their quotas, and proceeded, with conilnned forces and counsels, to attack their common foe. The Indians, api)rised of an annament intended against them, luul Ibrtified .themselves very strongly, within the swamp. The English, f, without waiting to draw up in order of battle, marched forward, I in (piest of the enemy's camp. Some Indians, appeai'ing at the ;>cdgo of the swamp, were no sooner fired upon by the English, %tlian they returned the fire, and fled. The whole army now Icntered the swamp, and followed the Indians to their fortress. |lt stood on a rising ground, in the midst of the swamp, and was |com])osed of palisades, which were encompassed by a thick I hedge. It had but one practicable entrance, which was over a ilog, four or five feet from the ground; and that aperture was guarded hy a block-house. The English captains entered it, at the head of their companies. The two first, Johnson and Davenport, with many of their men, were shot dead at the : entrance. Four other captains, Gardner, Gallop, Siely, and ]\Iarshal, were also killed. When the troops had efl'ected an entrance, they attacked the Indians, who fought desperately, and beat the English out of the fort. After a hard-fought battle, of three hours, the English became masters of the place, and set fire to the wigwams. In the conflagration, many Indian ; women and children perished. The surviving Indian men fled into a cedar swamp, at a small distance ; and the English ro- ; tired to their quarters. Of the English, there were killed and wounded about two hundred and thirty. Of the Indians, one thousand were supposed to have perished. On the 10th of February, 1676, several hundreds of the Indians fell upon Lancaster ; plundered and burned the greatest I part of the town ; and killed or captured forty persons. Two ior three hundred of the Narraganset, and other Indians, not I long afterwards, surprised Medfield, and burned nearly one I half of the town. On the 25th of February, the Indians assaulted I "Weymouth, and burned seven or eight houses and barns. On I the 1.3 th of March, they burned the whole town of Groton, I excepting four garrisoned houses ; and on the 17th, they entirely ifii I i.m I '^ ill 42 KING PHILIPS WAR. burned Warwick, with the exception of one house. On the 26th of March, they laid most of the town of Marlborough in ashes. On the same day. Captain Pierce, of Scituate, who had been sent out by the governor and council of Plymouth colony, with about fifty white men, and twenty friendly Indians, of Cape Cod, was cut off by the enemy, with most of his party. Two days afterwards, the Indians fell upon Rehoboth, and burned forty dwelhng-houses, and about thirty bams; and the day after, about thirty houses in Providence. Early in April, they did much mischief at Chelmsford, An- dover, and in the vicinity of those places. Having, on the 17th of the same month, burned the few deserted houses, at Marl- borough, they, immediately afterwards, violently attacked Sud- bury, burned several houses and bams, and killed ten or twelve of the English, who had come from Concord, to the assistance of their neighbours. Captain Wadsworth, who had been sent at this juncture from Boston, with about fifty men, to relieve Marlborough, learning that the enemy had gone through the woods, towards Sudbury, turned immediately back, in pursuit of them. When the troops were within a mile of the town, they spied, at no great distance, a party of Indians, apparently about one hundred, who, by retreating, as if through fear, drew the English above a mile into the woods ; when a large body of the enemy, supposed to be about five hundred, suddenly sur- rounded them, and precluded the possibility of their escape. The gallant leader and his brave soldiers fought with desperate valour; but were completely defeated. The few, who were taken alive, were destined to tortures unknown to their com- panions, who had the happier lot to die in the field of battle. About the same time, the Indians burned nineteen houses and barns, at Scituate ; but they were bravely encountered, and re- pulsed by the inhabitants. On the 8th of May, they burned and destroyed seventeen houses and five bams ; and, two days afterwards, they burned seven houses and two bams, in that town, and the remaining houses in Namasket. Several large bodies of Indians having assembled on Connec- ticut river, in the vicinity of Deerfield, the inhabitants of Hadley, Hatfield, and Northampton, combined to attack them. One hundred and sixty men marched silently twenty miles, in the 1 KING PHILIPS WAR. 43 house. On the f Marlborough in scituate, who had Plymouth colony, y Indians, of Cape f his party. Two (both, and burned and the day after, Chelmsford, An- ,vhig, on the 17th I houses, at Marl- itly attacked Sud- lled ten or twelve , to the assistance 10 had been sent ty men, to relieve gone through the J back, in pursuit mile of the town, dians, apparently igh fear, drew sn a large body of •ed, suddenly sur- of their escape. Iht with desperate |e few, who were >wn to their com- field of battle. eteen houses and lountered, and re- ay, they burned and, two days ivo bams, in that ibled on Connec- jitantsofHadley, lack them. One lity miles, in the dead of night, and, a little before the break of day, surprised the Indians, whom they found asleep, and without giuirds. The first notice that they gave of their approach was, by a discharge of their guns into the wigwams. Some of the Indians, in their consternation, ran directly into the river and wore drowned. Others betook themselves to their bark canoes, and, having in their hurry forgotten their paddles, were hurried down tlie falls, and dashed against the rocks. Many of them, endeavouring to secrete themselves under the banks of tne river, were discovered and slain. In this action, distinguished by the name of the Fall Fight, the Indians lost three hundred men, women, and children ; but recovering from their surprise, and attacking the rear of the English on their return, they killed Captain Turner, commander of the expedition, and thirty- eight of his men. On the 30th of May, a great body of Indians, supposed to be six or seven hundred, appeared before Hatfield. Having burned twelve houses and barns without the fortification, they attacked the houses in the centre of the town, that were surrounded with palisadoes ; but twenty-five resolute young men of Iladley adventuring over the river, and boldly charging the Indians, they instantly fled from the town, with the loss of twenty-five of their men. Though Massachusetts was the chief theatre of the war, Connecticut, her sister colony, was active in the suppression of the common enemy. Volunteer companies had been formed, early in the year, principally from New London, Nonvich, and Stonington, which associated with them a number of the Mo- liegan, Pequod, and Narraganset tribes. These companies ranged the Narraganset country, and harassed the hostile Indi- ans. BetAveen the spring and the succeeding autumn, the volun- teer captains, with their flying parties, made ten or twelve ex- peditions, in which they killed and captured two hundred and thirty of the enemy, took fifty muskets, and brought in one hundred and sixty bushels of their corn. They drove all the Narraganset Indians, excepting those of Ninnigret, out of their country. The Assembly of Connecticut raised three hundred and fifty men, who were to be a standing army, to defend the country. 44 KING PHILIPS WAR. m itt.iii ■? and liiimss the enemy. Major John Talcot was appointed to the cliiet' command. Early in .Tnno. he marched from Norwich, with two hundred and fifty soldiers, anu two hundred Mohegan and Pe(|uod Indians, into tlie Wabaquasset country ; but Ibund it entirely deserted. On the 5th of June, the army under his conunand marched to Chanagongum, in the Nijniuick country, where they killed nineteen Indians, and took thirty-thi'ce pri- soners ; and thence marched l)y Quabaog to Northampton. On the 12th of June, four days after their arrival at Northampton, about seven hundred Indians made a furious attack upon Ilad- ley ; but Major Talcot, with his gallant soldiers, soon appeared for the relief of the garrison, and drove off the enemy. On the 3d of July, the same troops, on their march towards Narraganset, surprised the main body of the enemy, by the side of a large cedar swamp, and attacked them so suddenly, that a considerable number of them were killed and taken on the spot. Others escaped to the swamp, and were immediately surrounded by the English, who, after an action of two or three hours, killed and took one hundred and seventy of the enemy. Shortly afterwards, they killed and captured sixty-seven, near Providence and Warwick. About the 5th of July, they returned to Connecticut, and, on their way, took sixty prisoners. The enemy, thus pursued, and hunted from one lurking place to another, straitened for provisions, and debilitated by hunger and disease, became divided, scattered, and disheartened. lu July and August, they began to come in, and to surrender themselves to the mercy of their conquerors. Philip, who had fled to the Mohawks, having provoked that warlike nation, had been obliged to abandon their country, and was now, with a large body of Indians, lurking about Mount Hope. The Mas- sachusetts and Plymouth soldiers were vigilant and intrepid, in pursuit of him ; and, on the 2d of August, Captain Church, with about thirty English soldiers, and twenty friendly Indians, surprised him in his quarters ; killed about one hundred and thirty of his men j and took his wife and son prisoners : but Philip escaped. About ten days after this surprise, an Indian deserter brought information to Captain Church, that Philip was at Mount Hope ^ Neck, and offered to guide him to the place, and help to kill Avas appointed to it'd from Norwich, liundred Moliegan )untry ; but found e army under \n» ^"ipniuck country, : thirty-tlii'ee jni- ortliampton. On at Northampton, attack upon Ilad- rs, soon appeared le enemy, ir march towards le enemy, by the em so suddenly, ed and taken on vere immediately )n of two or three ty of the enemy, sixty-seven, near ily, they returned prisoners, one lurking place itated by hunger isheartened. lu md to surrender Philip, who had irlike nation, had vas now, with a [ope. The Mas- t and intrepid, in Captain Church, friendly Indians, ne hundred and 1 prisoners : but ' f^'^.'C:. 'J, i- i'.- deserter brought s at Mount Hope and help to kill mm ■m ^" m. DEATH or KING PHILIP. lii (46^ 1 KING PIIILirS WAR. 47 i: m (46) him. Church instantly fot out, in pursuit ofliin), witli ii sninll coiiipiinyol'Kuglish and Indians. On iiis arrival at thcswaini), ht' inadt? a disposition of his men, at pro[)C'r stations, so as to form an anilniscadr, putting nn En^lislmian and an Indian to- gi'llu-r, iK'hind coverts. These comnieneed a lire on the enemy 'd ehtller, which was on the nmrp;in of the swamp. It was (»i)en, in till' Indian maimer, on the side next to the swamp, to favour a sudden lli^iht. Philip, at the instant of the fire from the Eii;ilish, seizing his gun, fled towards the thickets; but ran in a direction towards an English soldier and an Indian, avIio were at the station assigned them by Captain Church. The Englishman snapped his gun ; but it missed fire. He then bade the Indian li '.; and he instantly shot him dead. i The death of Philip was the signal of complete victory. The Indians, in all the neighbouring country, now generally snlj- milled to the English, or fled, and incorporated themselves with distant and strange nations. In this short but tremendous war, abnut six hundrei! of the inhabitants of New England were either killed in battle, or murdered by the Indians. Twelve or thirteen towns were entirely destroyed, and about six hundred buildings, chiefly dwelling-houses, were burnt. In addition to ifcjiese calamities, the colonies contracted an enormous debt, vhile, by the loss of their suljstance, from the ravages of the €|neniy, their rest^urces were essentially diminished. ..} The fall of Philip w^as then considered as the extinction of 8 virulent and implacable enemy. It is now viewed as the fall of a great warrior and a penetrating statesman. It then excited universal joy and congratulation, as a prelude to the close of a j^ierciless w^ar. It now awakens sober reflections, on the insta- |>ility of empire, the peculiar destiny of the aboriginal race, and |he inscrutable decrees of Heaven. The patriotism of the man jfas then overlooked, in the cruelty of the savage ; and little 4llowance was made for the natural jealousy of the so^ ereign, ifu account of the barbarities of the warrior. Philip, in tlie l^rogress of the English settlements, foresaw the loss of his ter- Iptory, and the extinction of his tribe ; and made one mighty Tort to prevent these calamities. He fell ; and his fall con- ributed to the rise of the United Stated Joy for this event [lould be blended with regret for his misfortunes, and respect )r his patriotism and talents. ill, % ^ 'U m Mi;*!! I CHAPTER V. TUB TUSCARORA AND YEMASSEE WARS. HE settlers of the Carolina? and Georgia were exposed ti the hostility of powerful tril)o> of Indians, who were iioi quieted without much dilli culty and great loss of 11 fo In the year 1712, after GovcT' nor Craven had assumed tli( management of the colony of the Carolinas, a dangerous couspi racy was formed by the Indians of North Carolina against the poor settlers in that quarter. The cause of the quarrel we havt not been able clearly to find out ; probably they were offended a: the encroachments made on their hunting lands. Tlie power- ful tribe of Indians called Tuscaroras, and several more, united and determined to murder or expel the European invadoi-i^ As usual, they carried on their bloody design with ama/iiii cunning and profounj^ secrecy. Their chief town they had, in the first place, surrounded with a wooden breast-work, for tlie security of their own families. Here the different tribes mei (48) 4. THE TUSCARORA AND TEMASSEE WARS. 49 E WARS. •s of the CaroliiKi^ ia were exposed ti y of powerful tribes who were wi ithout much dilli great loss of lit'o r 1712, after Govoi- 1 had assumed tlu a dangerous conspi' iarolina against tlie ;he quarrel we huvt ley were offended a; lands. The power- sveral more, united luropean invaders sign with ama/inj town they had, ii ireast-work, for tli« ififerent tribes met (48) to^t'ther to the number of TJOO bowmen, and foniK'd tbeir hoi rid plot. From this place of rendezvous they sent out small piutii'M, who entered the settlements, under the uiusk of friend- thi|>. by diU'erent roads. At the change of the fidl moon all of tlu'in had agreed to lx»gin their murderous operations, on the same night. When that night came, they entered tho planters' houses, demanded provisions, and murdered nu'u, wo- Bien, and chiMi'en, without mercy or distinction. To prevent the alarm spreading through the settlement, they ran from house to house, sending slaughter amcmg the scattered fami- lies wherever they went. None of the colonists, (bu'ing the fctal night, knew what had l)efallen their neighbours, until tilc harharians had reached their own doors. About Roanoke l-'l" settlers fell a sacrJIice to their savage fury the first night; •moiig whom were a Swi.ss baron, and almost all the poor Pa- latines who had lately come into the country. Some, however, ^'ho had hid themselves in the woods, having escaped, next inorning gave the alann to their neighbours, and prevented the total destruction of that colony. Every family had orders Speedily to assem})le at one place, and the militia, under arms, kei»t watch day and night around them, until the news of the 4ad disaster reached the province of South Carolina. » Happy was it for the distressed North Carolinians tliat Gov- ^^mor Craven lost no time in collecting and despatching a force |o tlieir assistance and relief. The Assembly voted 4000/. for ^he service of the war. A body of militia, consisting of 600 incn, under the command of Colonel Barnwell, marched against I he f avagcs. Two hundred and eighteen Cherokees, imder the i^onnnand of Captains Harford and Turstons ; 79 Creeks, under aptain Hastings; 41 Catabaws, under Captain Cautey; and 8 Yemassees, under Captain Pierce, being furnished with arms, joined the Carolinians in this expedition. The way was dread- ul, at this time, in the wilderness through w hich Colonel Barn- ivell had to march. It was not possible for his men to carry a lufTieient quantity of provisions, together with arms and am- nunition, along with them, or to have these things provided it different stages by the way. There was no road through he woods upon which either horses or carriages could conve- liently pass ; and his little army had every kind of hardship 50 THE TUSCARORA AND YEMASSEE WARS. !.'i. and danger to encounter. In spite of every difficulty, Barn- well, however, advanced against them, employing his Indian allies to hunt provisions for his men by the way. At length, having come up with the savages, he attacked them, and being much better supplied with arms and ammunition than his enemy, he did great execution among them. In the first battle he killed 300 Indians, and took about 100 prisoners. After which the Tuscaroras retreated to their town, within a wooden breast-work; there Barnwell surrounded them, and having killed a considerable number, forced the remainder to sue for peace : some of his men being wounded, and others having suffered much by constant watching, and much hunger and fatigue, the savages the more easily obtained their request. In this expedition it was computed that Barnwell killed, wounded, and captured near 1000 Tuscaroras. The remainder, who escaped, soon after this heavy chastisement, abandoned their country, and joined a northern tribe of Indians on the Ohio river. Of Barnwell's party five Carolinians were killed, and several wounded : of his Indians, 36 were killed, and between 60 and 70 wounded. In justice to this officer it must be owned, never had any expedition against the savages in Carolina been attended with such hazards and difficulties, nor had the con- quest of any tribe of them ever been more general and complete. In the year 1715, another Indian confederacy threatened to exterminate the colonists of Carolina. The numerous and powerful tribe of Indians called Yemassees, probably at the in- stigation of the Spaniards at Augustine, were the most active in promoting this conspiracy against the settlement, thougli every tribe around was more or less concerned in it. The Ye- massees possessed a large territory lying backward from Port- royal island, on the north-east side of Savannah river, which is called Indian Land. By the Carolinians this tribe had long been esteemed as friends and allies, who had admitted a number of traders into their towns, and several times assisted the settlers in their warlike enterprises. Of all other Indians they were believed to harbour in their minds the most irreconcilable enmity to Spaniards. For many years they had been accus- tomed to make incursions into the Spanish territories, and to wage war with the Indians within their bounds. In their return ! WARS. f difficulty, Barn- oying his rtidiaii way. At length, 1 them, and being unition than his In the first battle prisoners. After within a wooden lem, and having ainder to sue for id others having luch hunger and their request. In I killed, wounded, remainder, who abandoned their :ans on the Ohio were killed, and led, and between it must be owned, in Carolina been lor had the con- ral and complete. Lcy threatened to numerous and pobably at the in- the most active tlement, thougli in it. The Ye- ward from Port- h river, which is tribe had long Imitted a number nes assisted the her Indians they )st irreconcilable had been accus- Tritories, and to In their return THE TUSCARORA AND YEMASSEE WARS. 51 • from these southern expeditions, it had been a common practice with them to lurk in the woods round Augustine, until they surprised some Spanish prisoners, on whom they exercised the most wanton barbarities; sometimes cutting them to pieces slowly, joint by joint, with knives and tomahawks ; at other times burying them up to the neck under ground, then standing at a distance, and marking at their heads with their pointed arrows ; and, at other times, binding them to a tree, and piercing the tenderest parts of their bodies with shar^vpointed pticks of burning wood, which last, because the most painful and excruciating method of torture, was the most common among them. To prevent such barbarities, the legislature of Carolina passed fei law, offering a reward of 5/. for every Spanish prisoner these Jndians should bring alive to Charleston ; which law, though it evidently proceeded from motives of humanity, yet, m the event, it proved very inconsistent with good policy : for, in consequence of this act, the Yemassees brought several Spaniards, at differ- ent times, to Charleston, where they claimed the reward for their prisoners, and delivered them up to the governor. Charles ,Craven, who was no less distinguished for humanity than valour, jused to send back such prisoners to Augustine, charging the (Spanish government with the expenses of their passage, and the reward to the Yemassees. For twelve months before the war broke out, the traders among the Yemassees observed that their chief warriors went frequently to Augustine, and returned loadt'd with presents ; but were not apprehensive of any ill consequence from such generosity. John Fraser, an honest Scotch Highlander, who lived among the Yemassees and traded with them, had often heard these Avarriors tell with what kindness they hud been treated at Augustine. One had received a hat, another a jacket, and a third a coat, all trimmed with silver lace. Some got hat- chets, others great knives, and almost all of them guns and ammunition, to prepare them for striking some great and im- ' portant blow. These warriors told Fraser, that they had dined I, with the governor at Augustine, and washed his *ace (a cere- I mony used by Indians as a token of friendship), and that now I the Spanish governor was their king, and not tlie governor of 52 THE TUSCARORA AND YEMASSEE WARS. Carolina. Still, however, the Carolinians remained secure, and, having such confidence in the Indians, dreaded no ill conse- qup ices from this new intercourse. They knew the antipathy of the Yemassees to the Spaniards, and their fondness for pre- sents, but suspected no plot against the settlement by their allies. "^Yhile the time drew nigh in which this plot was to be put in execution, Captain Nairn, agent for Indians affairs, and many traders, resided at Pocotaligo, the largest town belonging to the Yemasees. Fraser, probably either discrediting what he had heard, or from the hurry and confusion which the alarm occa- sioned, unfortunately had not taken time to communicate the intelligence he had received to his friends, who remained in a state of false security in the midst of their enemies. The case of the scattered settlers on the frontiers was equally lamentable, who were living under no suspicions of danger. However, on the day before the Yemassees began their bloody operations. Captain Nairn and some of the traders observing an unusual gloom on their savage countenances, and apparently great agitations of spirit, which to them prognosticated approaching mischief, went to their chief men, begging to know the cause of their uneasiness, and promising, if any injury had been done them, to give them satisfaction. The chiefs replied, they had no complaints to make against any one, but intended to go hunting, early the next morning. Captain Nairn accordingly went to sleep, and the traders retired to their huts, and passed the night in seeming friendship and tranquillity. But next morning, about the break of day, being the 15th day of April, 1715, all were alarmed with the cries of war. The leaders were all out under arms, calling upon their followers, and proclaiming aloud designs of vengeance. The young men flew to their arms, and, in a few hours, massacred above 90 persons in Pocotaligo town and the neighbouring plantations ; and many more must have fallen a sacrifice on Port-royal Island, had they not been warned of their danger. Mr. Burrows, a captain of the militia, after receiving two wounds, by swimming one mile and running ten, escaped to Port-royal and alarmed the town. A vessel happening fortunately to be in the harbour, the inhabitants in great hurry repaired on board, and sailed for Charleston ; only a few families WARS. THE TUSCARORA AND YEMASSEE WARS. 53 lined secure, and, ided no ill conse- ew the antipathy fondness for pre- tlement by their lot was to be put affairs, and many L belonging to the ing what he had li the alarm occa- communicate the 10 remained in a [lies. The case of ually lamentable, However, on the lerations, Captain musual gloom on reat agitations of ing mischief, went f their uneasiness, lem, to give them mplaints to make early the next sleep, and the night in seeming about the break 1 were alarmed out under arms, aloud designs of ns, and, in a few go town and the st have fallen a 1 warned of their after receiving ing ten, escaped essel happening 8 in great hurry ly a few families o of planters on that island, not having timely notice, fell into their hands, some of whom they murdered, and others they made prisoners of war. While the Yemassees, with whom the Creeks and Apallachians had joined, were advancing against the southern frontiers, and spreading desolation and slaughter through the province ; the Indians on the northern borders also came down among the settlements in formidable parties. The Carolinians had foolishly entertained hopes of the friendship of the Congarees, the Ca- tawbas, and Cherokees ; but they soon found that they had also joined in the conspiracy, and declared for war. It was com- puted that the southern division of the enemy consisted of above 6000 bowmen, and the northern of between 600 and 1000. Indeed every Indian tribe, from Florida to Cape Fear river, had joined in this confederacy for the destruction of the settlement, The planters scattered here and there had no time to gather +o bir in a body, sufficiently strong to withstand such numbc ' .it each consulting his safety, in great hurry and consternation fled to the capital. Every one who came in brought tiie governor different accounts of the number and strength of the savages, insomuch that even the inhabitants of Charleston were doubtful of their safety, and entertained the most discouraging apprehensions of their inability to repel a force so great and formidable. In the muster-roll there were no more than 1200 men fit to bear arms, but as the town had several forts into which the inliabitants might retreat, the go- vernor, with this small force, resolved to march into the woods against the enemy. He proclaimed martial law, and laid an embargo on all ships, to prevent either men or provisions from leaving the country. He obtained an act of Assembly, em- powering him to hnpress men, and seize arms, ammunition, and stores, wherever they were to be found, to arm such trusty negroes as might be serviceable at a juncture so critical, and to prosecute the war with the utmost vigour. Agents were sent ^ V irginia and England to solicit assistance ; bills were stamped for \]ie payment of the army, and other necessary expanses ; Robert Daniel was appointed deputy-governor in town, and Charles Craven, at the head of the militia, marched to the country against the largest body of savages. 7 B 54 THE TUSCARORA AND YEMASSEE WARS. H ■ Hm hfl 'm I In the mean time, the Indians on the northern quarter had made an inroad as far as a plantation belonging to John liearne, about 50 miles from town, and entered his house in a seemingly peaceable and friendly manner ; but aftenvards pretending to be displeased with the provisions given them, murdered him and every person in it. Thomas Barker, a captain of militia, having intelligence of the approach of these Indians, collected a party, consisting of 90 horsemen, and advanced against them ; but by the treachery of an Indian, whom he unluckily trusted, he was led into a dangerous ambuscade in a thicket, where a large party of Indians Lay concealed on the ground. Barker having advanced into the middle of them before he was aware of his danger, the Indians sprung from their concealments, and fired upon his men on every side. The captain tand several more fell at the first onset, and the remainder in confusion were obliged to retreat. After this advantage, a party of 400 Indians came down as far as Goose Creek. Every family there had fled to town, except in one place, where 70 white men and 40 negroes had surrounded themselves with a breast-work, and re- solved to remain and defend themselves in the best manner they could. When the Indians attacked them they were dis- couraged, and rashly agreed to terms of peace ; and, having ad- mitted the enemy within their works, this poor garrison were barbarously butchered : after which the Indians advanced still nigher to town ; but at length meeting with Captain Chicken and the whole Goose Creek militia, they were repulsed, and obliged to retreat into the wilderness. By this time the Yemassees, with their confederates, had spread destruction through the parish of St. Bartholomew, and advancing downwards as far as Stono, they burned the church at that place, together with every house on the plantations by the way. John Cochran, his wife, and four children ; Mr, Bray, his wife, and two children ; and six more men and women, having found some friends among them, were spared for some days ; but, while attempting to make their escape from them, they were retaken and put to death. Such as had no friends among them were tortured in the most shocking manner, the Indians seeming to neglect their progress towards conquest on purpose to assist in tormenting their enemies. We forbear to W^ARS. jrn quarter had to John Ilearne, B ill a seemingly s pretending to , murdered him ptain of militia, iidians, collected id against them ; nluckily trusted, thicket, where a ground. Barker re he was aware mcealments, and ain and several n confusion were ;y of 400 Indians amily there had hite men and 40 ast-work, and re- ;he best manner 1 they were dis- and, having ad- or garrison were IS advanced still iaptain Chicken repulsed, and mfederates, had irtholomew, and med the church e plantations by dren ; Mr. Bray, en and women, ipared for some ape from them, had no friends ng manner, the rds conquest on We forbear to THE TUSCARORA AND YEMASSEE WARS. 55 mention the various tortures inflicted on such as fell into their merciless fangs : none can be pleased with the relation of such horrid cruelties, but the man who, with a smile of satisfaction, can be the spectator of a Spanish auto de fe, or such savage hearts as are steeled against every emotion of humanity and compassion. By this time Governor Craven, being no stranger to the fero- ' cious temper of his enemies, and their horrid cruelty to prisoners, was advancing against them by slow and cautious steps, always keeping the strictest guard round his army. lie knew well i ■ under what advantages they fought among their native thickets, f and the various wiles and stratagems they made use of in con- ' ducting their wars ; and therefore was watchful above all things a.irainst sudden surprises, which might throw his followers into disorder, and defeat the end of his enterprise. The fate of the whole province depended on the success of his arms, and his men had no other alternative left but to conquer or die a painful death. As he advanced the straggling parties fled Ijefore him, until he reached Saltcatchers, where they had pitched their great camp. Here a sharp and bloody battle en- sued from behind trees and bushes, the Indians hooping, halloo- ing, and giving way one while, and then again and again return- ing with double fury to the charge. But the governor, notwith- standing their superior number, drove them before him like a flock of wolves. He expelled them from their settlement at Indian-land, pursued them over Savannah river, and rid the province entirely of this formidable tribe of savages. What number of his army he lost, or of the enemy he killed, we have not been able particularly to learn ; but in this Indian war near 400 innocent inhabitants of Carolina were murdered by these wild barbarians. Kk,:l|i ►till Kino WILLIAH III. I'll I 1l CHAPTER VI. KINO WILLIAM'S WAR. jj'^Y HE contest usually called King William's War was the result of various causes, but sprung chiefly from the base treatment of the Baron de St. Castine by Sir Edmund Andross. The lands from Penobscot to Nova Scotia had been ceded to the French, by the treaty of Breda, in exchange for the island of St. Christopher. On these lands the Baron de St. Castine had for many years resided, and carried on a large trade with the Indians, with whom he "ss intimately connected; having several of their women, besid daughter of the sachem Mado- kawando, for his wives. T'.j ^ nds which had been granted by the crown of England ic the Duke of York (at that time King James the Second) int' -fercd with Castine's plantation, as the (56) '4 KING WILLIAMS W AH. 67 rER VI. [ilAM'S WAR. ually called King was the result of but sprung chiefly treatment of the Castine by Sir iss. The lands to Nova Scotia to the French, by e island of St. It. Castine had for trade with the •nnected; having lie sachem Mado- been granted Ijy ,t that time King plantation, as the (56) a duke claimed to the river St. Croix. A fort had been built by his order at Pemaquid, and a garrison stationed there to prevent any intrusion on his property. In 1686, a ship, belonging to Pascataqua landed some wines at Penobscot, supposing it to be within the French territory. Palmer and "West, the duke's agents at Pemaquid, went and seized the wines ; but by the influence of the French ambpssador in England, an onler was obtained for the restoration t. Hereupon a new line was run, which took Castine's plantati into the duke * <' rilory. In the spring of 1688, Andross went in the Rose frigate, and plundered Castine's house and fort, leaving only the ornaments of his chapel to console him for the loss of his arms and goods. This base action provoked Castine to excite the Indians to a new war, pretences for which were not wanting on their part. They complained that the tribute of corn which had been promised by the treaty of 1678 had been withheld; that the fishery of the river Saco had been obstructed by seines ; that their standing corn had been devoured by cattle belonging to the English ; that their lands at Pemaquid had been patented without their consent ; and that they had been fraudulently' dealt with in trade. Some of these complaints were doubtless well grounded; but none of them were ever inquired into or redressed. They began to make reprisals at North Yarmouth by killing cattle. Justice Blackman ordered sixteen of them to be seized and kept under guard at Falmouth; but others continued to rob and capture the inhabitants. Andross, who pretended to treat the Indians with mildness, commanded those whom Black- man had seized to be set at liberty. But this mildness had not the desired effect ; the Indians kept their prisoners, and murdered some of them in their barbarous sports. Andross then changed his measures, and thought to frighten them with an army of 700 men, which he led into their country in the month of November. The rigour of the season proved fatal to some of his men ; but he never saw an Indian in his whole march. The enemy were quiet during the winter. After the revolution in England, the gentlemen who assumed the government strove to prevent the renewal of hostilities. They sent messengers and presents to several e2 58 KING WILLIAMS WAR. ii'l^: : ill- iiiiHIjaj I |i ii.f: tribes of Indians, who answered them with fair promises ; but their prejudice against the Englisli was too inveterate to be allayed by such means as these. (1089.) Thirteen years had almost elapsed since the seizure of the 400 Indians, at Cochecho, by Major Waldron ; drHng all which time an inextinguishable thirst of rt -"n^e hud been cherished among them, which never till now found opportunity for grati- fication. Wonolanset, one of the sachems of Penacook, who was dismissed with his people at the time of the seizure, always observed his father's dying charge, not to quarrel with the English ; but Ilagkins, another sachem, who had been treated with neglect by Cranfield, was more ready to listen to the seducing invitations of Castine's emissaries. Some of those Indians, who were then seized and sold into slavery abroad, had found their way home, and could uo*^ rest till they had their revenge. Accordingly a confederacy be: __, ibnucd between the tribes of Penacook and Pigwacket, and the strange Indians (as they were called) who were incorporated with them, it was determined to surprise the major and his neighbours, among whom they had all this time been peaceably conversant. In that part of the town of Dover which lies about the first falls in the river Cochecho, were five garrisoned houses; three on the north side, called respectively, Waldron, Otis, and Hoard ; and two on the south side, Peter Cofiin's and his son's. These houses were surrounded with timber walls, the gates of which, as well as the house doors, were secured with bolts and bars. The neighbouring families retired to these houses by night ; but by an unaccountable negligence, no watch was kept. The Indians, who were daily passing through the town, visiting and trading with the inhabitants, as usual in time of peace, viewed their situation with an attentive eye. Some hints of a mischievous design had been given out by their squaws ; but in such dark and ambiguous tenns, that no one could comprehend their meaning. Some of the people were uneasy ; but Waldron, • who, from a long course of experience, was intimately acquainted with the Indians, and on other occasions had been ready enough to suspect them, was now so thoroughly secure, that when some of the people hinted their fears to him, he merely bad them to go and plant their pumpkins, saying that he would tell them 4 KING William's war. 69 r promises; but nvcteruto to be I seizure of the Irnng all which I been cherished •tunity for grati- ' Penacook, who 3 seizure, always uarrel with the iiad been treated to listen to the Some of those slavery abroad, 3st till they had ^ Tormed between } strange Indians rith them, it was iighbours, among onversant. es about the first led houses; three Idron, Otis, and In's and his son's, alls, the gates of id with bolts and these houses by watch was kept, the town, visiting time of peace. Some hints of a squaws ; but in )uld comprehend |y; butWaldron, lately acquainted jen ready enough that when some [rely bad them to 1 would tell them wiien the Indians would break out. The very evening Ijefore the mischief was done, being told by a young man that the t(»wn was full of Indians, and the people were much concerned ; he answered that he knew the Indians very well, and there 4Was no danger. (J Tlie plan which the Indians had preconcerted was, that two riisquiiws should go to each of the garrisoned houses in the ■evi'niiig, and ask leave to lodge by the fire ; that in the night ;^vhen the people were asleep they should open the doors and igaU's, and give the signal by a whistle, upon wliich the strange (Indians, who were to be Avithin hearing, should rush in, and ;yjtake their long-meditated revenge. This plan being ripe for {^^jCxecution, on the evening of Thursday the 27th of June, two jjlpquaws applied to each of the garrisons for lodging, as they .fre([uently did in time of peace. They were adnutted into all ,but the younger Colfin's, and the people, at their request, •ehowcd them how to open the doors, in case they should have .occasion to go out in the night. Mcsandowit, one of their jchiofs, went to Waldron's garrison, and was kindly entertained, ^^as he had often lx}en before. The squaws told the major, that ^a number of Indians were coming tb trade with him the next jday, and Mesandowit, while at supper, with his usual familiarity, ,eaid, "Brother Waldron, what would you do if the strange Indians should come?" The major carelessly answered, that lie could assemble 100 men, by lifting up his finger. In this unsuspected confidence the family retired to rest. When all was quiet, the gates were opened and the signal given. The Indians entered, set a guard at the door, and rushed into the major's apartment, which was an inner room. Awakened by the noise, be jumped out of bed, and though now , advanced in life to the age of eighty years, he retained so much vigour as to drive them with his sword through two or three ^ doors, but as he was returning for his other arms, they came I behind him, stunned him with a hatchet, and drew him into I his hall, where they mutilated and killed him. They also killed I his son-in-law, Abraham Lee ; but took his daughter, Lee, with I several others, and having pillaged the house, left it on fire. I Otis's garrison, which was next to the major's, met with the same fate ; he was killed, with several others, and his wile and 60 KING William's war. '. "i:^,.!^J i!l|iif;i|r child were captured. Heard's was saved by the barking of a dog just as the Indians were entering: Elder Wentworth, who was awakened by the noise, pushed them out, and fulling on his back, set his feet against the gate and held it till he had alanncd the people ; two balls were fired through it, but ])()th missed him. Collin's house was surprised, but as the Indians had no particular enmity to him, they spared his life, and the lives of his family, and contented themselves with pillaging the house. Finding a bag of money, they made him throw it by handfuls on the floor, while they amused themselves in scrambling for it. They then went to the house of his son, wlio would not admit the squaws in the evening, a id summoned hini to surrender, promising him quarter : he declined their offer, and determined to defend his houese, till they brought out his father aid threatened to kill him before his eyes ; filial afiection then overcame his resolution, and he surrendered. They put both families together into a deserted house, intending to reserve them for prisoners ; but while the Indians were busy in plunder- ing, they all escaped. Twenty-three people were killed in this surprisal, and twenty-nine were captured; five or six houses with the mills were burned ; and so expeditious were the Indi- ans in the execution of their plot, that before the people could be collected from the other parts of the town to oppose them, they fled with their prisoners and booty. As they passed l)y Heard's garrison in their retreat, they fired upon it, but the people being prepared and resolved to defend it, and the enemy being in haste, it was preserved. The same day, after the mischief was done, a letter from Secretary Addington, written by order of the government, directed to Major Waldron, giving him notice of the intention of the Indians to surprise him under pretence of trade, fell into the hands of his son. This design was communicated to Go- vernor Bradstreet by Major Henchman, of Chelmsford, who had learned it of the Indians. The letter was despatched from Boston, the day before, by Mr. Weare ; but some delay which he met with at Newbury ferry, prevented its arrival in season. The prisoners taken at this time were mostly carried to Canada. and sold to the French ; and these, so far as can be learned, were the first that ever were carried thither. KINO William's war. CI he barking of a ^VcnUvorth, who ;, nnd falling on [d it till he had Ligh it, but both t as the Indians his life, and the iH with pillaging ido him throw it ed theniselvi's in ISO of his son, who id summoned hini alined their offer, y brought out his ^es ; filial affection dered. They put itending to reserve re busy in plunder- were killed in this ive or six houses ous were the Indi- e the people could n to oppose them, Ys they passed by I upon it, but the it, and the enemy [one. a letter from the government, se of the intention . of trade, fell into imunicated to Go- lielmsford, who had . despatched from some delay which Is arrival in season. carried to Canada. IS can be learned, A The necessity of vigorous measures waa now so pressing, that parties were immediately despatched, ono under Captain Noyes, to Penacook, where they destroyed the com, but the Indians *e8capi'd; another from Pascataqua, under Captain Wincal, to Winnipiscogee, whither the Indians had retired, as John Church, who luid been taken at Cochecho, and escaped from them, re- ported : one or two Indians were killed tliere, and their com cut down. But these excursions proved of small service, as the Indians had little to lose, and could find a home wherever they could find game and fish. In the month of August, Major Swaine, with seven or eight companies raised by the Massachusetts government, marched to the eastward ; and Major Church, with another party, consist- ing of P]nglish pad Indians, from the Colony of Plymouth, soon followed them. While these forces were on their march, the Indians, who lay in the woods about Oyster river, ob.sei*ved how many men belonged to Hucking's garrison ; and seeing them ftll go out one morning to work, nimbly r:in between them and tibe house, and killed them all, being in number eighteen, ex- CCjjt one who had passed the brook. They then attacked the hbuse, in which were only two boys, one of whom was lame, iWth some women and children. The boys kept them off for iiiJme time, and wounded several of them. At length the In- dilans set the house on fire, and even then the boys would not Bttrrender till they had promised them to spare their lives. They perfidiously murdered three or four of the children ; one of them was set on a sharp stake, in the view of its distressed mother, who, with the other women and the boys, were carried captive. One of the boys escaped the next day. Captain Garner, with his company, pursued the enemy, but did not tome up with them. 1 The Massachusetts and Plymouth companies proceeded to Ae eastward, settled garrisons in convenient places, and had l^me skirmishes with the enemy at Casco and Blue Point. On Ij^oir return. Major Swaine sent a party of the Indian auxili- if'ies under Lieutenant Flagg toward Winnipiseogee to make tscoveries. These Indians held a consultation in their own nguage; and having persuaded their lieutenant, with two ||en, to return, nineteen of them tarried otft eleven days longer; 62 KINO WILLIAMS WAR. 'J Mu ' in which time they found the enemy, stayed with them two nights, and informed them of everything which they dcwiri'd to know ; upon which the enemy retired to their inaceesHihIo deserts, and the forces returned without finding them, uiid in November were disbanded. Nothing was more welcome to the distressed inhabitants of the frontiers than the approach of winter, as they then expected a respite from their suflerings. The deep snows and cold weather were commonly a good security against an attack from the Indians ; but when resolutely set on mischief, and instigated by popish enthusiasm, no obstacles could prevent the execution of their purposes. (1G90.) The Count of Frontenac, now governor of Canada, was fond of distinguishing himself by enterprises against the American subjects of King William, with whom his master wns at war in Europe. For this purpose he detached three paitios of French and Indians from Canada in the winter, who were to take three different routes into the English territories. One of these parties marched from Montreal, and destroyed Schenec- tada, a Dutch village, on the Mohawk river, in the province of New York. This action, which happened at an unusual time of the year, in the month of February, alarmed the whole country. On the 18th day of March, another party, which came from Trois Rivieres, under the command of the Sieur Hertcl, an officer of great repute in Canada, found their way to Salmon Falls, a settlement on the river which divides New Hampshire from the province of Maine. This party consisted of fifty-two men, of whom twenty-five were Indians under Iloophood, a noted warrior. They began the attack at day- break, in three different places. The people were surprised ; but flew to arms, and defended themselves in the garrisoned houses, with a bravery which the enemy themselves applauded. But as, in all such onsets, the assailants have the greatest ad- vantage, so they here proved too strong for the defendants; about thirty of the bravest were killed, and the rest sur- rendered at discretion, to the number of fifty-four, of whom the greater part were women and children. After plundering, the enemy burned the houses, mills, and bams, with the cattle, which were within doors, and then retreated into the woods, KINO WILLIAMS WAR. 03 with thorn two lich they dcwiri'd their inaceessiblo ing them, uiid in d inhabitants of ley then expected and cold weather attack from the f, and instigated jnt the execution emor of Canada, jrises against the im liis master was ;hed three paitios nter, who were to territories. One estroyed Scheneo- n the province of an unusual time irmed the whole ler party, which ,nd of the Sieur lund their way to ich divides New s party consisted Indians under le attack at day- were surprised; in the garrisoned selves applauded, the greatest ad- the defendants; id the rest sur- lur, of whom the plundering, the with the cattle, into the woods, whitlier they were pursued by alwut one hundred and forty men, suddenly collected from the neighlx)uring towns, who came up witli them in the afternoon, at a narn)W bridge on W(K)Hter'8 river. Hertel, expecting a pursuit, had jMwted his men advantageously on the opjKjsite bank. The pursuers ad- vanced with great intrepidity, and a warm engagement ensued, which lasted till night, when they retired with the loss of four 6r five killed ; the enemy, by their own account, lost two, one of whom was Ilertel's nephew; his son was wounded in the knee; another Frenchman was taken prisoner, who was so tenderly treated that he embraced the protestant fai*;. and re- mained in the country. Hertel, on his way homeward, met with a third party who had marched from Quebec, and joining his company to them, attacked and destroyed the fort and settle- ment at Casco, the next May. Thus the three expeditions plaimed by Count Frontenac proved successful ; but the glory of them was much tarnished by acts of cruelty, which Christian i •hould be ashamed to countenance, though perpetrated by •avages. ' After the destruction of Casco the eastern settlements were til deserted, and the people retired to the fort of Wells. The Indians then came up westward, and a party of them undci' fioophood some time in May made an assault on Fox Point, in Kewington, where they burned several houses, killed about four- teen people, and carried away six. They were pursued by the Cap- tains Floyd and Greenleaf, who came up with them and recovered iome of the captives and spoil, after a skirmish in^- h\o\\ Hoop- h(X)d was wounded and lost his gun. This fellov was soon after killed by a party of Canada Indians, who mistook him for one of the Iroquois, with whom they were at wor. On the 4th day of July, eight persons were killed as they -ivere mowing in a field near Lamprey river, and a lad was captured. The next day they attacked Captain Hilton's garrison at Exeter, which was relieved by Lieutenant Bancroft with the loss of a few of his men ; one of them, Simon Stone, received nine Mounds with shot, and two strokes of a hatchet ; when his jfriends came to bury him, they perceived life in him, and by the application of cordials he revival, to the amazement of lill. m 64 KING WILLIAMS WAR. m 'i \^ VA :i'll!.!:' m II i'C,5.fi"''i,, *' 4 11 KING WILLIAMS WAR. 67 that the fleet did not arri'/y .' 'fore Quebec till October, when it was more than time to return. It being impossible to continue there to any purpose, and the troops growing sickly and dis- couraged, after some ineflfectual parade, they abandoned the enterprise. ^ This disappointment was severely felt. The equipment of the fleet and army required a supply of money which could not wadily be collected, and occasioned a paper currency, which has often been drawn into precedent on like occasions, and has proved a fatal source of the most complicated and extensive mischief. The people were almost dispirited with the prospect of poverty and ruin. In this melancholy state of the country, H was a happy circumstance that the Indians voluntarily came Ib with a flag of truce, and desired a cessation of hostilities. (1G91.) A conference being held at Sagadahock, they brought ID ten captives, and settled a truce till the 1st day of May, which they observed till the 9th of June, when they attacked Storer's garrison, at Wells, but were bravely repulsed. About the same time they killed two men at Exeter, and on the 29th of September, a party of them came from the eastward in Onoes to Sandy Beach, Rye, where they killed and captured tl^enty-one persons. Captain Sherburne, of Portsmouth, a worthy officer, was this year killed at Macquoit. The next winter, 1692, the country being alarmed with the destruction of York, some new regulations were made for the general defence. Major Elisha Hutchinson was appointed com- mander in chief of the militia, by whose prudent conduct the frontiers were well guarded, and so constant a communication was kept up, by ranging parties, from one post to another, that it became impossible for the enemy to attack in their usual way by surprise. The good effect of this regulation was presently |een. A young man being in the woods near Cochecho, was fred at by some Indians. Lieutenant Wilson immediately frent out with eighteen men ; and finding the Indians, killed oi rounded the whole party excepting one. This struck them nih terror, and kept them quiet the remainder of the winter |iid spring. But on the 10th day of June, an army of French id Indians made a furious attack on Storer's garrison at Wells, ?here Captain Convers commanded; who after a brave and 68 KING WILLIAMS WAR. 'mM !i ;;> m'i resolute defence, was so happy as to drive them oflf with great loss. Sir William Phipps, being now governor of Massachusetts!, continued the same method of defence, keeping out continual scouts under brave and experienced officers. I'his kept the In- dians so qui'^t, that except one poor family which they took at Oyster river, and some small mischief at Quaboag, there is no mention of any destruction made by them during the year 1693. Their animosity against New England was not quelled; but they needed time to recruit ; some of their principal nieu were in captivity, and they could not hope to redeem them without a peace. To obtain it, they came into the Fort at Pemaquid ; and there entered into a solemn covenant, wherein they acknowledged subjection to the crown of England ; engaged to abandon the French interest ; promised perpetual peace ; to forbear private revenge ; to restore all captives, and even went so far as to deliver hostages for the due performance of their engagements. This peace, or rather truce, gave both sides a respite, which both earnestly desired. The people of New Hampshire were much reduced, their lumber trade and husbandry being greatly impeded by the war, Frequent complaints were made of the burden of the war, the scarcity of provisions, and the dispiritedness of the people, Once, it is said, in the council minutes, that they were even ready to quit the province. The governor was obliged to impress men to guard the outposts : they were sometimes dismissed for want of provisions, and then the garrison officers called to account and severely punished : yet all this time the public debt did not exceed 400/. In this situation they were obliged to apply to their neighbours for assistance ; but this was granted with a sparing hand. The people of Massachusetts were much divided and at variance among themselves, both on account of the new charter which they had received from King William, and the pretended witchcrafts which have made so loud a noise in the world. (1694.) The engagements made by the Indians in the treatv of Pemaquid, might have been performed if they had been left to their own choice. But the French missionaries had been for some years very assiduous in propagating their tenets anion.' •1 1 I ii KING WILLIAMS WAR. 69 Din oflf with great of Massachusetts, (ing out continual This kept the h\- rhich they took at laboag, there is no I during the year d was not quelled; leir principal nieu B to redeem them into the Fort at covenant, wherein 'England; engaged )erpetual peace ; to /cs, and even went jrformance of tholr , gave both sides a uch reduced, their mpeded by the war. ien of the war, the less of the people, ley were even ready iged to impress men dismissed for want rs called to account ; public debt did not obliged to apply to vas granted with a were much divided account of the new ig William, and the loud a noise in the ndians in the treaty f they had been left onaries had been for their tenets anion? ihem, one of which was, " that to break faith with heretics was no sin." The Sieur de Villieu, who had distinguished himself in the defence of Quebec when Phipps was before it, and had contracted a strong antipathy to the New Englanders, being now in command of Penobscot, he, with M. Thury, the missionary, di\'erted Madokawando and the other sachems from complying with their engagements ; so that pretences were found for de- taining the English captives, who were more in numljor, and of more consequence, than the hostages whom the. Indians had given. Influenced by the same pernicious councils, they kept d watchful eye on the frontier towns, to see what place was ttiost secure and might be attacked to the greatest advantage. The settlement at Oyster river, within the town of Dover, was pitched upon as the most likely place ; and it is said that the design of surprising it was publicly talked of at Quebec two tnonths before it was put in execution. Rumours of Indians larking in the woods therea]x)ut, made some of the people ap- prehend danger ; but no mischief being attempted, they ima- gined them to be hunting parties, and returned to their security. At length, the necessary preparations being made, Villieu, with ii body of 250 Indians, collected from the tribes of St. John, Penobscot, and Norridgwog, attended by a French priest, flaarched for the devoted place. On ster river is a stream which runs into the western branch of Pascataqua ; the settlements were on both sides of it, and the houses chiefly near the water. Here were twelve garrisoned houses, sufficient for the defence of the inhabitants; but appre- '1ien(i ng no danger, some families remained at their own un- ■fcrtified houses, and those who were in the garrisons were but 'indifferently provided for defence, some being even destitute of owder. The enemy approached the place undiscovered, and alted near the falls on Tuesday evening, the 17th of July. ere they formed into two divisions, one of which was to go on ach side of the river and plant themselves in ambush, in small arties, near every house, so as to be ready for the attack at e rising of the sun, the first gun to be the signal. John can, whose house stood by the saw-mill at the falls, intending go from home very early, arose before the dawn of day, and as shot as he came out of his door. This disconcerted their 9 f2 70 KING William's was. ;i plan : several parties who had some distance to go, had not then arrived at their stations : the people in general were im- mediately alarmed : some of them had time to make their escape, and others to prepare for their defence. The signal being given,^the attack began in all parts where the enemy vWasi ready. Of the twelve garrisoned houses five were destroyed, viz. Adams's, Drew's, Edgerly's, Medar's, and Beard's. They entered Adams's without resistance, where they killed fourteen persons. The grave is still to be seen in which they were all buried. Drew surrendered his garrison on the promise of se- curity, but was murdered when he fell into their hands ; one of his children, a boy of nine years old, was made to run through a lane of Indians as a mark for them to throw their hatchet at, till they had despatched him. Edgerly's was evacuated ; the people took to their boat, and one of them was mortally wounded Ijefore they got out of reach of the enemy's shot. Beard's and Medar's were also evacuated, and the people escaped. The defenceless houses were nearly all set on fire, the inhabitants being either killed or taken in them, or else in endeavouring to fly to the garrisons. Some escaped by hiding in the bushes and other secret places. The other seven garrisons, viz. Burnham's, Bickford's, Smith's, Bunker's, Davids's, Jones's, and Woodman's, were re- solutely and successfully defended. At Burnham's the gate was left open : the Indians, ten in number, who were appointed to surprise it, were asleep under the bank of the river, at the time that the alarm was given. A man within, who had been kept awake by the toothache, hearing the first gun, roused the people and secured the gate, just as the Indians who were awakened by the same noise were entering. Finding them- selves disappointed, they ran to Pitman's defenceless house, and forced the door at the moment that he had burst a way through that end of the house which was next to the garrison, to which he and his family, taking advantage of the shade of 5!ome trees, it being moonlight, happily escaped. Still defeated, they attacked the house of John Davis, which after some resistance he surrendered on terms ; but the terms were violated, and the whole family either killed or made captives. Thomas KING WILLIAMS WAR. 71 ;e to go, had not I general were im- (16 to make their mce. The signal where the enemy re destroyed, viz. Beard's. They ley killed fourteen lich they were all the promise of se- their hands ; one de to run through v^ their hatchet at, U3 evacuated; the 5m was mortally he enemy's shot. and the people ly all set on fire, 1 them, or else in escaped by hiding am's, Bickford's, adman's, were re- mham's the gate 10 were appointed the river, at the lin, who had been gun. roused the idians who were Finding them- efenceless house, had burst a way t to the garrison, e of the shade of Still defeated, hich after some ms were violated, ptives. Thomas 13ickford preserved his house in a singular manner. It was situated near the river, and surrounded with a palisade. Being alarmed before the enemy had reached the house, he sent off his family in a boat, and then shutting his gate, betook himself «lone to the defence of his fortress. Despising alike the pro- mises and threats by which the Indians would have persuaded him to surrender, he kept up a constant fire at them, changing his dress as often as he could, showing himself with a diflferent cap, hat, or coat, and sometimes without either, and giving di- rections aloud as if he had a numlier of men with him. Finding iheir attempt vain, the enemy withdrew, and left him sole master of the house which he had defended with such admir- •mble address. • Tliose parties of the enemy who were on the south side of the river, having completed their destructive work, collected in % field adjoining Burnham's garrison, where they insultingly *howed their prisoners, and derided the people, thinking them- ?eelves out of reach of their shot. A young man from the »8entry-box fired. at one who was making some indecent signs of Idefiance, and wounded him in the heel. Both divisions then tmet at the Falls, where they had parted the evening before, and Iproceeded together to Captain Woodman's garrison. The iground being uneven, they approached without danger, and ffrom behind a hill kept up a long and severe fire at the hats land caps which the people within held up on sticks above the fwalls, without any other damage than galling the roof of the .house. At length, apprehending that it was time for the people lin the neighbouring settlements to be collected in pursuit of Hhem, they finally withdrew ; having killed and captured be- hween ninety and a hundred persons, and burned about twenty f houses, of which five were garrisons. The main body of them I retreated over Winnipiseogee lake, where they divided their I prisoners, separating those in particular who were most inti- Imately connected, in which they often took a pleasure suited [to their savage nature. About forty of the enemy, under Toxus, a Norridgwog chief, I resolving on farther mischief, went westward and did execution as far as Groton. A smaller party having crossed the river [Pascataqua, came to a farm where Ursula Cutts, widow of the 1 ir ' I 1 lli( 1 72 KING William's war. I'iSliS 4i m ill, y deceased president, resided, who, imagining the enemy had done what mischief they intended for that time, could not he per- suaded to remove into town till her haymaking should Ix finished. As she was in the field with her labourers, the enemy fired from an ambush and killed her, with three others. Colonel Richard Waldron and his wife with her infant son (afterward secretary), had almost shared the same fate; they were taking boat to go and dine with this lady, when they were stopped by the arrival of some friends at their house ; while at dinner they were informed of her d^ath. She lived about two miles abovt the town of Portsmouth, and had laid out her farm with mueli elegance. The scalps taken in this whole expedition were carried to Canada by Madokawando, and presented to Count Frontenac, from whom he received the reward of his treaclie- rous adventure. There is no mention of any more mischief by the Indian* within this province till the next year, 1695, when, in the month of July, two men were killed at Exeter. The followin;; year, 1696, on the 7th of May, John Church, who had been taken and escaped from them seven years before, was killed and scalped at Cochecho, near his own house. On the 26th of June. an attack was made at Portsmouth plains, about two miles from the town. The enemy came from York-nubble to Sandy-beaoli in canoes, which they hid there among the bushes near tlie shore. Some suspicion was formed the day before by reason of the cattle running out of the woods at Little-harbour ; but false alarms were frequent, and this was not ' much regarded Early in the morning the attack was made at five houses at once ; fourteen persons were killed on the spot, one was scalped and left for dead, but recovered, and four were taken. The enemy having plundered the houses of what they could carry, set them on fire, and made a precipitate retreat through tlie great swamp. A company of militia under Captain Shackford and Lieutenant Libbey pursued, and discovered them cooking' their breakfast, at a place ever since called Breakfast-hill. The Indians were on the farther side, having placed their captives l)etween themselves and the top of the hill, that in case of an attack they might first receive the fire. The lieutenant urged to go round the hill, and come upon them below to cut oflf their KING -WILLIAMS WAR. 73 he enemy had done could not be per- making nhould h bourers, the enemy ee others. Colonel [int son (afterward ; they were taking ;y were stopped by ^hile at dinner they ui two miles above vr farm with much le expedition were presented to Count ard of his treache- hief bv the Indian? .695, when, in the ter. The followinj! reh, who had been fore, was killed and n the 26th of June, lx)ut two miles from )ble to Sandy-beacli e bushes near the ly before by reason Little-harbour; but of much regarded at five houses at »ot, one was scalped were taken. The t they could carry, etreat through the Captain Shackford /^ered them cookin? keakfastrhill. The aced their captives that in case of an le lieutenant urged low to cut off theii Ktrcat; but the captain, fearing in tliat case, that they would, «cording to their custom, kill the prisoners, rushed upon them ftoni the top of the hill, by which means they retook the ouptives and plunder, but the Indians roUing down the hill OKjaped into the swamp and got to their canoes. Another party, under another commander, was then sent out in shallops te intercept them as they should cross over to the eastward by aiglit. The captain ranged his boats in a line, and ordered his men to reserve their fire till he gave the watchword. It being icahu night, the Indians were heard as they advanced; but the captain, unhappily giving the word before they had come within gun-shot, they tacked about to the southward, and going round the Isles of Shoals, by the favour of their light canoes QBeaped. The watchword was Crambo, which the captain ever ajfter bore as an appenda^ to his title. On the 26th day of July, tiie people of Dover were waylaid as they were returning from public worship, when three were killed, three wounded, •nd three cam' d to Penobscot, from whence they soon found their way home. The next year, 1697, on the 10th of June, the town of JExeter was remarkably presefv^ from destruction. A body pi' the enemy had placed||y|)emselves near the town, intending io ma' an assault in the morning df the next day. A number ^f women and children, contrary to the advice of their friends, ent into the fields, without a guard, to gather strawberries, hen they were gone, some persons, to frighten them, fired an larm ; which quickly spread through the town, and brought he people together in arms. The Indians, supposing tliat they discovered, and quickened by fear, after killing one. rere \'ounding another, and taking a child, made a hasty retreat, md were seen no more there. But on the 4 th day of July they •kvaylaid and killed the worthy Major Frost at Kittery. The same year an invasion of the country was projected by the French. A fleet was to sail from* France to Newfoundland, md thence to Penobscot, where, being joined by an army from Canada, an attempt was to be made on Boston, and the sea coast iravaged from thence to Pascataqua. The plan was too extensive ind complicated to be executed in one summer. The fleet [same no further than Newfoundland j when the advanced sear 74 KINO WILLIAMS WAR. 'I' V ),.;: iV l!!l'l son, and scantiness of provisions, obliged them to give over tlie design. The people of New England were apprised of the danger, and made the best preparations in their ^iower. They strengthened their fortifications on the coast, and raised a Ixxly of men to defend the frontiers against the Indians, who were expected to co-operate with the French. Some mischief was done by lurking parties at the eastward ; but New Hampshire was unmolested by them during the remainder of this and tiie whole of the following year. After the peace of Ryswick, 1698, Count Frontenac informed the Indians that he could not any longer support them in a war with the English, with whom his nation was now at peace. He therefore advised them to bury the hatchet, and restore their captives. Having suffered much by famine, and being divided in their opinions about prosecuting the war, after a long timte they were brought to a treaty, 1G99, at Casco, where they ratified their former engagements ; acknowledged subjection to the crown of England ; lamented their former perfidy, and pro- mised future peace and good behaviour in such terms as the commissioners dictated, and with as much sincerity as could be expected. At the same time they restored those captives who were able to travel from the places of their detention to Casco in that unfavourable season of the year ; giving assurance for the return of the others in the spring ; but many of the younger sort, both males and females, were detained ; who, mingling with the Indians, contributed to a succession of enefinies in future wars against their own country. r ^ i^ ^^■^^^^n'a \^^HttWA' w' ^ WWn ^^-^^^^^^^^r^-^ ^bIB vIRfk Aw* — =^' ■ — ■it^j^.iu^.j-^-.-'^ ■^HH^Hy^^^^^B^^ 9MwRt'^ <• Hc^^^5ff ^^^^^^ C^^ "'^^ ,m>i,JS^a!f^'ome mischief wsw it New Hampshire ier of this and the i'rontenac informed port them in a war 70,8 now at peace, itchet, and restore famine, and being le war, after a long , Casco, where they edged subjection to ;r perfidy, and pro- such terms as the Eicerity as could be I hose captives who detention to Casco ving assurance for any of the younger vho, mingling with encfinies in future ^ m . 1 QUaiN ANMC. CHAPTER VII. QUEEN ANNE'S WAR. HE peace which followed the treaty of Ryswick, was but of short duration, for the seeds of war were ready sown both in Europe and America. Louis had pro- claimed the pretender king of England, and his gov- rnor, Villebon, had orders to extend his province of Acadia the river Kennebeck, though the English court under- tood St. Croix to be the boundary between their territories id those of the French. The fishery was interrupted by ["rench men of war, and by the orders of Villebon, who suf- ^red no English vessels to fish on the banks of Nova Sco- ia. A French mission was established, and a chapel erected |t Norridgewog, on the upper part of Kennebeck, which served extend the influence of the French among the Indians. The ivernor of Canada, assuming the character of their father (75) 76 QUEEN ANNE'S WAR. ; 'ihi'i. 1.1; ii and protector, instigated thcni to prevent the settlement of tw English to the east of Kenncbeck, and found some uiiunig thon; ready to listen to his advice. The people in those parts won apprehensive of danger and meditating a removal, and tliost who had entertained thoughts of settling there were restrained Things were in this posture when Dudley entered on his po vernment. lie had particular orders from England to rebuik the fort at Pemaquid ; but could not prevail on the JNIassachu- setts Assembly to bear the expense of it. However, he deter- mined on a visit to the eastern country, and having notified hi? intention to the Indians, took with him a number of gentlemen of both provinces, 1703, and held a conference at Casco with de- legates from the tribes of Norridgewog, Penobscot, Pigwacket, Penacook, and Amariscoggin, who assured him that " as higti as the sun was above the earth, so far distant was their dcsip of making the least breach of the peace." They presented him a belt of wampum in token of their sincerity, and both parties went to two heaps of stones, which had formerly been pitched, and called the " two brothers," where the friendship was furtlier ratified by the addition of other stones. They also declared, that although the French emissaries among them had been en- deavouring to break the union, yet it was " firm as a mountain, and should continue as long as the sun and moon." Notwith- standing these fair appearances, it was observed that when tlie Indians fired a salute, their guns were charged with shot ; and it -was suspected that they had then formed a design to seize the governor and his attendants, if a party which they expected from Canada, and which arrived two or three days after, had come in proper season to their assistance. However this miglii be, it is certain that in the space of six weeks, a body of Frciicli and Indians, 500 in number, having divided themselves into several parties, attacked all the settlements from Casco to Wells, and killed and took 130 people, burning and destroying all before them. The next week, August 17th, a party of thirty Indians, under Captain Tom, killed five people at Hampton village ; amons whom was a widow Mussy, a noted speaker among the Friends, and much lamented by them ; they also plundered two houses, but the people being alarmed, and pursuing them, they fled. % QUEEN ANNES WAR. 77 ic Bettleinonl of tiit [ some miiDiig thon, n tlu)rto parts won romovjil, and tliost L're wore rest rained ' entered on his p> England to rebuilc il on the Massadiu- However, he deter- I having notified lii* umber of gcntlenier, ce at Casco with de- nobscot, Pigwacltot, him that " as high ,nt was their design hey presented hima y, and both partii* •merly been pitched, iendship was furtliet Thev also declared. ; them had been en- finn as a mountain, moon." Notwitli- rved that when tlie ged with shot ; and d a design to seize vhich they expected iree days after, bad However this miglit :s, a body of Frcncli ed themselves into nts from Casco to ling and destroying lirty Indians, under on village ; among among the Friends, ndered two houses, them, they fled. The country was now in terror and confusion. The women aod cliiithen retired to the garrisons. The men went armed to tlieii' work, and posted sentinels in the fields. Troops of horst; were ([uartered at Portsmouth and in the province of Maine. A f<'<>ut ol' 300 men marched toward Pigwacket, and another to the Ossapy Pond, but made no discoveries. Alarms were fipBijUcnt, and the whole frontier country, from Din^rficld on the fr^M, to Casco on the east, was kept in continual terror by MDiill parties of the enemy. • 111 tiie fall. Colonel March, of Casco, made a visit to Pig- nmckot, where he killed six of the enemy and tot)k six more ; this encouraged the government to offer a bounty of 40/. for iiiill).s. ■M As the winter came on, the frontier towns were ordered to provide a large number of snow shoes ; and an expedition was llanned in New Hampshire against the head quarters of the Indi- is. Major Winthrop Hilton and Captain John Oilman, of Exe- ^r, Ca[)tain Chesley and Captain Davis, of Oyster river, marched ^ith their companies on snow shoes into the woods, but re- irned without success. This is called in the council books, |an honourable service." Hilton received a gratuity of 12/., id each of the captains 5/. (1704.) With the return of spring there was a return hostilities ; for, notwithstanding the posting a few southern >dians in the garrison at Berwick, the enemy appeared at ,'st(!r river, and shot Nathaniel Medar near his own field, and ^e next day killed Edward Taylor near Lamprey river, and iptured his wife and son. These instances of mischief gave ^lour to a false alarm at Cochecho, where it was said they lay wait for Colonel Waldron a whole day, but missing him by ^ason of his absence from home, took his servant maid as she mt to a spring for water ; and having examined her as to the late of the garrison, stunned her with a hatchet, but did not jalp her. In May, Colonel Church, by Governor 7 idley's order, liav- ^g planned an expedition to the eastern shore, sailed from 3ston with a number of transports, furnished with whaleboats |r going up rivers. In his ,/ay he stopped at Pascataqua, where was joined by a body of men under Major Hilton, who was 10 G 78 QUEEN ANNKS WAR. of eminent service to him in this expedition, which lasted the whole summer, and in which they destroyed the towns of Minas and Chiegneir^to, and did considerable damage to the French and Indians at Penobscot and Passamaquoddy, and even insulted Port Royal. While they were at Mount D^sart, Church learned from nine of his prisoners, that a l)ody ot 600 Indians were preparing for an attack on Casco and the head of Pascataqua river, and sent an express to Portsmouth, which obliged the people to be vigilant. No such great force as this appeared, but small parties kept hovering on the outskirts. At Oyster river they wounded William Tasker ; and at Dover they laid in am- bush for the people on their return from public worship, but happily missed their aim. They afterwards mortally wounded Mark Gyles at ihat p^aoe. and soon after killed several people in a field at Oyster river, whose names are not mentioned. In the former wars. New Hampshire had received much assist- ance from their brethren of Massachusetts ; but these now remon- strated to the governor that his other province did not bear their proportion of the charge for the common defence. The representatives of New Hampshire urged, in reply, the different circumstances of the two provinces, "most of the towns in Massachusetts being out of the reach of the enemy, and no otherwise affected by the war, than in the payment of their part of the expense, while this province was wholly a frontier by sea and land, and in equal danger with the county of York, in which four companies were stationed, and the inhabitants were abated their proportion of the public charges." They begged that twenty of the friendly Indians might be sent to scout on their borders, which request the governor complied with. In the winter of 1705, Colonel Hilton with 270 men, includ- ing the 20 Indians, wei-e sent to Norridgewog on snow shoes. They had a favourable season for their march, the snow being four feet deep. When they arrived there, finding no enemy to contend with, they burned the deserted wigwams and the chapel. The officers who went on this expedition complained that they had only the pay of private soldiers. The late repairs of Fort William and Mary at Newcastle were always complained of as burdensome to the people, and a QUEEN ANNE's WAR. 79 , which lasted the ;he towns of Minas to the French and md even insulted irt, Church learned 600 Indians were lead of Pascataqua which obliged tlio I this appeared, but At Oyster river jr they laid in am- lublic worship, but mortally wounded led several people lot mentioned, sceived much assist- it these now renion- dnce did not bear Qon defence. The reply, the different t of the towns in le enemy, and no payment of their s wholly a frontier e county of York, d the inhabitants charges." They might be sent to governor complied 270 men, includ- )g on snow shoes. |h, the snow being iding no enemy to rigwams and the |dition complained iry at Newcastle the people, and a representation thereof had been made to the queen, who in- tlructed Dudley to press the assembly of Massachusetts to con- tribute to the expense ; as the river belonged equally to both provinces. They urged in excuse that the fort was built at first at the sole charge of New Hampshire, to whom it pro- perly belonged ; that the whole expense of the repairs did not amount to what several of their towns singly paid towards tibe support of the war for one year ; that all the trade and Bitvigation of the river, on both sides, paid a duty toward main- taining that fortress; and that they had been at a great expense in protecting the frontiers of New Hampshire, and the |Sirties who were employed in getting timber and masts for her Biojesty's service ; while New Hampshire had never contributed anytliing to the support of the garrisons, forces, and guards by Ma, which were of equal benefit to them as to Massachusetts, e thing which made New Hampshire more in favour with le queen was, that they had settled a salary on her governor, hicli the others never could be persuaded to do. The repairs the fort, however, went on without their assistance, under e direction of Colonel Romer; and when they were com- eted, a petition was sent home for a supply of cannon, am- unition, and stores. The next summer was chiefly spent in negotiating an ex- ange of prisoners ; and Dudley had the address to protract f negotiation, under pretence of consulting with the other vernments about a neutrality proposed by the governor of lada, by which means the frontiers in general wei'e kept ilerably quiet, although the enemy appeared once or twice in e town of Kittery. The line of pickets whicli enclosed the wn of Portsmouth was repaired, and a nightly patrole estab- hed on the sea-shore, from Rendezvous Point to the bounds Hampton, to prevent any surprise by sea ; the coast being this time infested by the enemy's privateers. During this truce, the inhabitants of Kingston, who had t the place, were encouraged to petition for leave to return their lands ; which the court granted, on condition that ey should build a fort in the centre of the town, lay out parsonage, and settle a minister \wthin three years. This t condition was rendered imprpoticable by the renewal of stiUties. 80 QUEEN ANNES WAR. F' ' 11 The governor of Canada had encouraged the Indians who in- habited the borders of New England to remove to Canada, where, being incorporated with the tribe of St. Francis, thev have ever since remained. By this policy they became more firmly attached to the interests of the French, and were more easily despatched on their bloody business to the frontiers of New England, with which they were well acquainted. Dudley, who was generally apprised of their movements, and kept a vigilant eye upon them, apprehended a rupture in the winter; and gave orders, (1706,) for a circular scouting march, once a month, round the head of the towns from Kingston to Salmon falls ; but the enemy did not appear till April ; when a small party of them attacked the house of John Drew, at Oyster river. where they killed eight and wounded two. The garrison was near, but not a man in it; the women, however, seeing but death before them, fired an alarm, and then putting on hats, and loosening their hair, that they might appear like men, tliey fired so briskly, that the enemy, apprehending the people were alarmed, fled without burning or even plundering the house which they had attacked. John Wheeler, meeting this party. and mistaking them for friendly Indians, unhappily fell into their hards, and was killed, with his wife and two children, Four of his sons took refuge in a cave by the bank of the Little Bay, and though pursued by the Indians, escaped unhurt. In July, Colonel Schuyler, from Albany, gave notice to Dud- ley that 270 of the enemy were on their march toward Pasca- taqua, of which he immediately informed the people, and ordered them to close garrison, and one half of the militia to Ixj ready at a minute's warning. The first appearance of tlii; body of the enemy was at Dunstable ; from whence they pro- ceeded to Amesbiiry and Kingston, where they killed some cattle. Hilton, with sixty-four men, marched from Exeter ; but was obliged to return without meeting the enemy. The rea,son he gave to the council for returning so soon was the 'vant of provision, there bein^ none in readiness at the garrisons, uot- withstanding a law lately enacted, enjoining every town to have stores ready, and deposiud in the hands of their captain? For the same reason he had Ven obliged to discontinue a small QUEEN ANNES "WAR. 81 he Indians who in- ■emove to Canada, f St. Francis, they they hecaine more ich, and were more to the frontiers of jquainted. Dudley, naents, and kept a ture in the winter; ting march, once a Kingston to Salmon pril ; when a small -ew, at Oyster river, . The garrison was owever, seeing but len putting on hats, pear like men, tiiey ing the people Avere iindering the house meeting this party, unhappily fell into and two children. by the bank of le Indians, escaped Tave notice to Dud- arch toward Pasca- d the people, and f of the militia to appearance of thi; whence they pro they killed some from Exeter; but nomy. The reason »n was the 'vant o! the garrisons, not- every town to have of their captain? liscontinue a small icout which he had for some time kept up. Hilton was so brave Und active an officer that the enemy had marked him for destruc- tion ; and for this purpose a party of them kept lurking about his house, where they observed ten men to go out one morning with their scythes, and lay aside their arms to mow ; they then iflrept between the men and their guns, and suddenly rushing tm them, killed four, v/ounded one, and took three ; two only rf the whole number escaped. They missed the major for this 4lmo, and two of the prisoners escaped ; but suffered much in ^cir rotiirn, having nothing to subsist on for three weeks but Klv roots and rinds of trees. After this they killed William tearl, and took Nathaniel Tibbets at Dover. It was observcu iirinij: this war that the enemy did more damage in small Wlios than in larger, and by scattering aiong the frontiers kept ifce people in continual apprehension and alarm ; and so very |bw of them were taken prisoners, that in computing the pensc of the war it was judged that every Indian killed or ken cost the country a thousand pounds. t In the following winter, 1707, Hilton made another excur- ion to the eastward, and a shallop was sent to Casco with res and provisions for his party, consisting of two hundred d twenty men. The winter being mild, and the weather i|[nsettled, prevented their marching so far as they in' ended : Id dry weather, and deep snow, being most ffivour-hlo to inter expeditions. However, they came on an India a fack ir Flack Point, and pursuing it, killed four, and took a squa^r, ho conducted them to a party of eighteen, whorri they sur ii^ed as they lay asleep on a neck of land at break ov da} , and whom they killed seventeen, and took the other. This was alter of triumph, considering the difficulty of finding their unts. It is asserted, that on the very morning this affair pponed, it was reported, with but little variation from the uth, at Portsmouth, though at the distance of sixty miles. When Church went to Nova Scotia, he very earnestly so- ited leave to make an attempt on Port Royal ; but Dudley ould not consent, and the reason he gave was, that he had ritten to the ministry in England, and expected orders and val help to reduce the place. His enemies however assigned other reason for his refusal ; which was that a clandestine a2 M ^>i '■t!; «'' I; ( W4 m 9 .\ ni'-i'i i* aiiir 82 QUEEN ANNES WAR. trade was carried on by his connivance, and to his emolument, with the French there. This report gained credit, and occa- sioned a loud call for justice. Those who were directly con- cerned in the illegal traffic, were prosecuted and fined ; and tlie governor sufiered much in his reputation. To wipe off these aspersions, he now d'jterrained to make an attack in earnest on Port Royal, even though no assistance should come from Eng- land. It was intended that an annaraent should be sent to America, and the commander was appointed ; but the state of affairs in Europe prevented their coming. Early in the spring the governor applied to the Assemblies of both his provinces, and to the colonies of Rhode Island and Connecticut, requesting them to raise one thousand men for the expedition. Connecticut declined ; but the other three raised the whole number, who were disposed into two regiments, of which Colonel Wainwright commanded the one, and Colonel Hilton the other. They embarked at Nantasket in twentv- three transports, furnished with whaleboats, under convoy of the Deptford man-of-war. Captain Stuckley, and the province galley. Captain Southack. The chief command was given to Colonel March, who had behaved well in several scouts and rencounters with the Indians, but had never been tried in suet service as this. They arrived before Port Royal in a few dap. and after burning some houses, killing some cattle :ound thf fort, and making some ineffectual attempts to bombard it, a jealousy and disagreement among the officers, and a misappre hension of the state of the fort and garrison, caused the aruiv to break up and reimbark in a disorderly manner. Some of the officers went to Boston for orders, some of the transpcit put in at Casco : a sloop, with Captain Chesley's company of & men, arrived at Portsmouth : Chesley suffered his men to dii' perse, but ordered them to return at the beat of the drum : be ,ing called to account for this conduct, he alleged that " genera orders were given at Port R03 nl for every man to make tk best of his way home " The governor, highly chagrined, am very angry, sent orders from Boston that if any more vessel arrived, the men should not be permitted to come on shore "« pain of death." After a while he ordered Chesley's compaii' to be collected and reimbarked, offering a pardon to those vi^ QUEEN ANNES WAR. 83 to his emolument, 1 credit, and occa- were directly con- and fined ; and the To wipe off these ittack in earnest on lid come from Eng- should he sent to d ; but the staie of I to the Assemblies )f Rhode Island and liousand men for the e other three raised 3 two regiments, of tie one, and Colonel intasket in twenty- ,ts, under convoy of y, and the province imand was given tc . several scouts ana er been tried in sucl Royal in a few days. ne cattle .ound tfo )t8 to bombard it, a ers, and a misappi* on, caused the iirii'v y manner. Some oi ae of the transpcrti isley's company of & ered his men to dii' eat of the drum : 1* alleged that " genem •y man to make tit ighly chagrined, aiK if any more vessel to come on shore ' « 1 Chesley's compan: pardon to those vk voluntarily returned, the rest to be severely punished. By the latter end of July they got on board, and with the rest of the army, returned to the place of action. At the landings an am- buscade of Indians from among the sedge on the top of a sear wall, greatly annoyed the troops. Major Walton, and Captain Chesley, being then on shore with the New Hampshire compa- nies, pushed their men up the beach, flanked the enemy, and after an obstinate struggle, put them to flight. The command imis now given to Wainw^ight, and the army put under the direction of three supervisors ; but no means could inspire that union, firmness, and skill, which were necessary. By the last <|| August tlie whole affair was at an end, and the army returned dfckly, fatigued, disheartened, and ashamed ; but with no greater l|Bs than sixteen killed, and as many wounded. ? While this unfortunate expedition was in hand, the frontiers UKre kept in continual alarm. Two men were taken from .0yster river, and two more killed as they were driving a team Iptween that place and Dover. Captain Sumersby pursued with Jj^s troop and recovered the contents of the cart. Stephen and |j|acob Oilman, brothers, were ambushed between Exeter and Kingston ; their horses were killed, but both of them escaped the garrison. Kingston, being a new plantation, was much :posed, and was this summer weakened by the der-ertion of Ight men. The remaining inhabitants complained \o govern- ment, who ordered the captains of Exeter and Hampxon to take ^em up as desertev-^, and oblige them to return to the defence their settlements, or do duty at the fort during the governor's leasure. They were afterwards bound over to the sessions contempt of orders. The state of the country at this time las truly distressing ; a large quota of their best men were )road, the rest harassed by the enemy at home, obliged to con- mal duty in garrisons and in scouts, and subject to severe [scipline for neglects. They earned their bread at the con- mal hazard of their lives, never daring to stir abroad un- hned ; they could till no lands but what were within call of le garrisoned houses into w^hich their families were crowded : K'ir husbandry, lumber-trade, and fishery were declining, their [xes increasing, their apprehensions both from the force ot the ^eniy and the failure of the Port Royal expedition were ex u QUEEN ANNES WAR. 15 ceedingly dismal, and there was no prospect of an end of the war, in which they were now advanced to the fifth summer. Yet under all these distresses and discouragements, they reso- lutely kept their ground and maintained tlieir garrisons — not one of which was cut off during the whole of this war, within the limits of New Hampshire. In September, one man was killed at Exeter, and two days after Henry Elkins at Kingston. But the severest blow on the frontiers happened at Oyster river, a place which suffered more than all the rest. A party of French Mohawks, painted red, attficked with a hideous y«ll a company who were in the woods, Home hewing timber and others driving a team, ander the di- rt ytton of Captain Chesley, who was just returned the second 4/iiJie from Port Royal. At the first fire they killed seven and vT)*)rtally wounded another. Chesley, with the few '»vbo were I'^ft, fired on the enemy with great vigour, and for some time f lieiked their ardour ; but being overpowered., he at length fell. He was much lamented, being a brave officer. Three of the scalps taken at this time were soon after recovered at Berwick. The next year, 1708, a large army from Canada was destined against the frontiers of New England. Dudley received in- formation of it in the usual route from Albany, and immediately ordered guards in the most exposed places of both his provinces. A troop under Captain Robert Coffin patroled from Kingston to Cochecho, and scouts were kept out continually. Spy-boats were also kept out at sea between Pascataqua and Winter har- bours. Four hundred Massachusetts soldiers were posted in this province. The towns were ordered to provide ammunition, and all thuigs were in as good a state of preparation as could be expected. -At length the i^torm fell on Haverhill ; but the enemy's force having betjn diminished by various accidents, they proceeded no farther, and every part of New Hampshire was quiet. Hilton made another winter march to Pigwacket with 170 men, but made no discovery. The next spring, 1709, William Moody, Samuel Stevens, and two sons of Jeremy Oilman, were taken at Pickpocket-mill in Exeter, and soon after Bartholomew Stevenson was killed at Oyster river. Colonel Hilton and Captain Davis performed their usual tour of duty in scouting, and the people this summer QUEEN ANNES WAR. 85 )f an end of the le fifth summer, ments, they reso- r garrisons — not this war, within r, and two days erest blow on the ich suffered more rks, painted red, ^ere in the woods, m, under the di- u*ned the second killed i?even and le few '»vlio were d for 8ome time he at length fell. r. Three of the rered at Berwick. aada was destined iley received in- and immediately 3th his provinces. rom Kingston to lally. Spy-boats and Winter har- were posted in dde ammunition, aration as could verhill; but the irious accidents, ^ew Hampshire h to Pigwacket uel Stevens, and ckpocket-mill in »n was killed at )avis performed )ple this summer kept close in garrison, on a report that two hundred Indiana had marched against them from Montreal. But the principal object now in view was a desire of wiping off the disgrace of a former year, by an attempt, not on Port Royal, but on Canada itself For this purpose solicitations had been made in England by Francis Nicholson, Esq., who had been Lieutenant-governor of Virginia, and Captain Samuel Vetch, a trader to Nova Scotia, who was iW^ell acquainted with the French settlements there, and made la full representation of the state of things in America to the iBritish ministry. An expedition being determined upon, they Ibame over early in the spring with the queen's command to the governors of the several provinces to raise men for the ser- ivice. Vetch was appointed a colonel, and Nicholson, by nomi- fiiation of the Governor of New York, and consent of the other governments, was made commander in chief. The people of 's New Hampshire* were so much exhausted, and their men had • been so ill paid before, that it was with great difficulty, and not without the dissolution of one assembly and the calling of J another, that they could raise money to levy 100 men, and ' procure two transports for conveying them. After the utmost I exertions had been made by the several governments, and 3 Nicholson with part of the troops had marched to Wood creek, t and the rest with the transports had lain at Nantasket three months waiting for a fleet, news arrived that the armament ; promised from England was diverted to another quarter. Upon t which the commander of the frigates on the Boston station re- fused to convoy the troops, the whole army was disbanded, and the expense the colonies had been at was fruitless. A con- ; gress of governors and delegates from the assemblies met late in the year at Rhode Island, who recommended the sending home agents to assist Colonel Nicholson in representing the , state of the country, and soliciting an expedition against Canada I the next spring. The ministry at first seemed to listen to this I proposal, but afterward (1710) changed their minds, and re- solved only on the reduction of Port Royal. For this purpose Nicholson went over in July with five frigate? and a l>oii,b ketch ; the colonies then had to raise their quotas ; the New Hampshire assembly ordered 100 men, who were got ready as soon as possible, and put under the command of Colonel Shad- 11 86 QUEEN ANNES WAR. rach Walton. The whole armament sailed from Boston the 18 th of September, and on the 24tli arrived at the place. The force now being equal to its reduction, Subcrease, the governor, waited only the compliment of a few shot and shells as a decent pretence for a surrender ; which was completed on the 5th of October, and Vetch was appointed governor of the place, which in honour of the queen was called Annapolis. While this expedition was in hand, and before the appoint- ment of the commanders, New Hampshire sustained a heavy loss in the death of Col. Winthrop Hilton. This worthy officer being concerned in the masting business, and having several large trees felled about fourteen miles from home, went out with a party to peel the bark that the wood might not be in- jured by worms. While engaged in this business they were ambushed by a party of Indians, who at the first fire killed Hilton with two more, and took two ; the rest being terrified, and their guns being wet, made no opposition, but escaped. The next day 100 men marched in pursuit, but discovered only the mangled bodies of the dead. The enemy in their barbarous triumph had struck their hatchets into the colonel's brains, and left a lance in his heart. He was a gentleman " of good temper, courage, and conduct, respected and lamented by all that knew him," and was buried with the honours due to his rank and character. Flushed with this success, they insolently appeared in the open road at Exeter, and took four children who were at their play. They also took John Wedgwood, and killed John Magoon near his brother's barn, a place which for three days he had visited with a melancholy apprehension arising from a dream that he should there be murdered. The same day that Hilton was killed, a company of Indians who had pretended friendship, and the year before had been peaceably conversant with the inhabitants of Kingston, and seemed to be thirsting after the blood of the enemy, came into the town, and ambushing the road, killed Samuel Winslow and Samuel Huntoon ; they also took Philip Huntoon and Jacob Oilman, and carried them to Canada, where, after some time. they purchased their own redemption by building a saw-mill for the governor after the English mode. QUEEN ANNE WAR. 87 from Boston the it the place. The ease, the governor, I shells as a decent ited on the 5th of )f the place, which • jefore the appoint- sustained a heavy Phis worthy officer nd having several n home, went out d might not be in- usiness they were he first fire killed 'est being terrified, , but escaped. The iiscovered only the in their barbarous e colonel's brains, ntleman "of good lamented by all onours due to his appeared in the who were at their led John Magoon three days he had ng from a dream mpany of Indians r before had been of Kingston, and enemy, came into nuel Winslow and ntoon and Jacob after some time. lilding a saw-mill The last that fell this summer was Jacob Garland, who was killed at Cochecho on his return from the public worship. As the winter approached, Colonel Walton, with 170 men, traversed the eastern shores, which the Indians usually visited at this season for the purpose of gathering clams. On an island where the party was encamped, several Indians, decoyed by their smoke, and mistaking them for some of their own tribe, came among them and were made prisoners. One of them was a sachem of Norridgwog, active, bold, and sullen ; when he found himself in the hands of enemies he would answer none of their questions, and laughed with scorn at their threatening him with death. His wife being an eye-witness of the execution of the threatening, was so intimidated as to make the discoveries which the captors had in vain desired of the sachem ; in con- sequence of which, three were taken at the place of which she informed, and two more at Saco river, where also five were killed. This success, inconsiderable as it may appear, kept up tfie spirits of the people, and added to the loss of the enemy, irlio were daily diminishing by sickness and famine. II In the spring, 1711, they renewed their ravages on the frontiers in small parties. Thomas Downs, John Church, and ^ree more were killed at Cochecho; and on a sabbath-day ipveral of the people there fell into an ambush as they were turning from public worship. John Horn was wounded, and umphrey Foss was taken ; but by the determined bravery of ieutenant Heard, he was recovered out of the hands of the emy. Walton with two companies marched to the ponds ibout the fishing season, but the Indians had withdrawn, and lothing was to be seen but their deserted wigwams. I After the reduction of Port Royal, Nicholson went to Eng- nd to solicit an expedition against Canada. The tory ministry if Queen Anne, to the surprise of all the Whigs in England and merica, fell in with the proposal ; and on the 8th of June, Nicholson came to Boston with orders for the northern colonies get ready their quotas of men and provision by the arrival f the fleet and army from Europe, which happened within xteen days, and while the several governors were holding a nsultation on the subject of their orders. A compliance ith them in so short a time was impossible, yet, everything ■i p 88 QUEEN ANNES WAR. .> .M '^" ■ ^:' *.i-' that could be done wjis done; the nature of the service conspir- ing with the wishes of the people, made the governments exert themselves to the utmost. New Hampshire raisnl 100 nioii. which was more than they could well spare; one-lndf of the militia being continually employed m guarding the fronting. They also voted them subsistence for 126 days, besides pro- viding for them on shore before their embarkation. Two riiiif*- ports were taken up at 8.9. per month per ton, ..iid artillery stores were issued from the fort. The colony forces formed two regiments, under the command of Vetch and Walton. The army which came from England were seven veteran xegiments of the Duke of Marlborough's army, and a battalion of marines under the command of Brigadier-General Hill, which, joined with the New England troops, made a body of about O5O0 men, provided with a fine train of artillery. The fleet consisted of fifteen ships of war from eighty to thirty-six guns, with forty transports and six store-ships, under the command of Admiral Walker, — a force fully equal to the reduction of Quebec. The fleet sailed from Boston on the 30th of July ; and a fast was ordered by Dudley to be kept on the last Thursday of that. and each succeo ling month, till the enterprise should be finished. This was an imitation of the conduct of the Long Parliament, during the civil wars in the previous century. But the san- guine hopes of success which had been entertained by tlie nation and the colonies, were all blasted in one fatal night ; lor, the fleet having advanced ten leagues into the river St. Law- rence, in the night of the 23d of August, the weather being thick and dark, eight transports were wrecked on Egg Island near the north shore, and 1000 people perished; of whom there was but one man who belonged to New England. The next day the fleet put back, and were eight days beating down the river against an easterly wind, which would in two days have carried them to Quebec. After collecting together at Spanish river in the island of Cape Breton, and holding a fruit- less consultation about annoying the French at Placentia, the expedition was broken up ; the fleet returned to England, and the New England troops to their homes. Loud complaints and heavy charges were made on this occasion ; the ignorance of the pilots — the obstinacy of the admiral — the detention of QUEEN ANNES WAR. the service coiispir- governnientH exert ro raisvfl 100 men, •e; one-1) :li' of the rding the Iroiitiers. (layH, })esi(leH pro- kation. Two trans- r ton, a. id artillery ^ forces formed two and Walton. The veteran regiments xttalion of marines Hill, which, joined [)dy of about OoOO The fleet consisted six guns, with forty inmand of Admiral m of Quebec, of July ; and a fast t Thursday of that, J should be finished. ! Long Parliament, ury. But the san- entertained by the me fatal night ; for, the river St. Law- the weather being ced on Egg Island srished; of whom ew England. The days beating down vould in two days ecting together at ,nd holding a fruit- h at Placentia, the id to England, and >ud complaints and the ignorance of -the detention of WRECK or TUB ENGLISH FI.EKr the fleet at Boston, — its late arrival there — the want of sea- louablo orders — and the secret intentions of the ministry, jivere all subjects of bitter altercation ; but the miscarriage was |iever regularly inquired into, and the disasters of the voyage %ere finally completed by the blowing up of the admiral's ship, fvith most of his papers, and 400 seamen, at Spithead. I The failure of this expedition encouraged the Lidians to liarass the frontiers as soon as the season would permit. In i!k.pril one Cunningham was killed at Exeter, Ensign Tuttle at |)uvor, and Jeremy Crommet at Oyster river ; on one of the ipper branches of this stream the enemy burned a saw-mill with large quantity of boards. A scouting party who went up the Hver Merrimack, had the good fortune to surprise and kill ^ight Indians, and recover a considerable quantity of plunder, atliout the loss of a man. The frontiers were well guarded ; ^ne-half of the militia did duty at the garrisons, and were ready march at a minute's warning ; a scout of forty men kept fanging on the heads of the towns, and the like care Avas taken Dy sea — spy-boats being employed in coasting from Ca})e Ned- lock to the Great Boar's-head. Notwithstanding this vigilance, |niall parties of the enemy were frequently seen. Stephen H ^^.^^Oj- ^^^o ^A„ #, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // -'t <" 1.0 1.1 US ^^ ■^ Uk 12.2 2? 114 ■" S lis u ttlUU |2£ m IL25 i 1.4 m 1.6 ^ ^J^/ 4 ^^■K/ /^ \^*' '/ HiotDgiHiM; Sdences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STREIT WiBSTH,N.Y. USaO (71«) 172-4303 %0 90 QUEEN ANNES WAR. Gilman and Ebenezer Stevens were wounded at Kingston — the former was taken and put to death In July, an ambush was discovered at Dover, but the enem) escaped ; and while a party was gone in pursuit of them, two children of John Waldron were taken, and for want of time to scalp them, their heads were cut off. There being no man at that time in Heard's gar- rison, a woman, named Esther Jones, mounted guard, and witli a commanding voice called so loudly and resolutely, as made the enemy think there was help at hand, and prevented farther mischief In autumn the news of the peace of Utrecht arrived in Ame- rica ; and on the 29th of October, the suspension of arms was proclaimed at Portsmouth. The Indians, being informed of this event, came in with a flag of truce to Captain Moody at Casco, and desired a treaty ; which the governor, with the council of each province, 1713, held at Portsmouth, where the chit- and deputies of the several belligerent tribes, by a formal writing under hand and seal, acknowledged their perfidy, promised fidelity, renewed their allegiance, submitted to the laws, and begged the queen's pardon for their former miscarriages. Tlie frequent repetition of such engagements, and as frequent viola- tions of them, had by this time much abated the sense of obli- gation on the one part, and of confidence on the other. But it being for the interest of both parties to be at peace, the event was peculiarly welcome. To preserve the dependence of the Indians, and to prevent all occasions of complaint, private traffic with them was for- bidden, and truck-houses established at the public expense ; and the next summer, 1714, a ship was fitted out by both provinces, and sent to Qvebec, where an exchange of prisoners was effected. INDIAN SCOUT. id to the laws, and | CHAPTER VIII. LOVEWELL'S WAR. ^. HE fourth Indian war in which the people of New England were engaged, be- ^ came generally known as " Lovewell's sF=£g^^ War," Captain John Lovewell being the chief actor in it upon the side of the whites. The French Jesuits had planted themselves among the eastern [tribes, and had obtained great influence over them. They had lone church at Penobscot, and another at Norridgewog, where ISebastian Ralle, a French Jesuit, resided. He was a man of jgood sense, learning, and address, and by a compliance with [their mode of life, and a gentle, condescending deportment, had lained their affections so as to manage them at his pleasure. knowing the power of superstition over the savage mind, he took advantage of this, and of their prejudice against the Eng- lisli, to promote the cause, and strengthen the interest of the French among them. He even made the offices of devotion ^erve as incentives to their ferocity, and kept a flag, in which (91) 92 LOVEWELLS WAR. was depicted a cross, surrounded by bows and arrows, which he used to hoist on a pole, at tht; door of his church, when he gave them absolution, previously to their engaging in any war- like enterprise. With this Jesuit, the governor of Canada held a close corres- pondence ; and by him was informed of everything transacted among the Indians. By this means, their discontent with the English, on account of the settlements made at the eastward, was heightened and inflamed ; and they received every encou- ragcnient, to assert their title to the lands in question, and molest the settlers, by killing their cattle, burning their stacks of hay, robbing and insulting them. These insolencies dis- couraged the people, and caused many of them to remove. (1720.) The garrisons were then reinforced ; and scouting parties were ordered into the eastern quarter, under the command of Colonel Shadrach Walton. By this appearance of force, the Indians, who dreaded the power of the English, were restrained from open hostilities. They had frequent parleys with the com- manders of forts, and with commissioners who visited them oc- casionally ; and though at first they seemed to be resolute in demanding the removal of the English, declaring that " thev had fought for the land three times, and would fight for it again ;" yet when they were told that there was no alternative but perfect peace or open war, and that if they chose peace they must forbear every kind of insult, they seemed to prefer peace ; and either pretended ignorance of what had been done, or promised to make inquiry into it ; and as an evidence of their good intentions, offered a tribute of skins, and delivered up four of their young men as hostages. This proceeding Avas highly disrelished by the governor of Canada, who renewed his efforts to keep up the quarrel, and secretly promised to supplv the Indians with arms and ammunition ; though as it was a time of peiuje between the two crowns, he could not openly assist them. The New England governments, though highly incensed, were not easily persuaded to consent to a war. The dispute was between the Indians and the proprietors of the eastern lands, in which the public were not directly interested. No blood had as yet been shed. Canseau had been surprised and plun- LOVEWELLS WAR. 93 nd arrows, which he Is church, when he [igaging in any war- I held a close corres- erything transacted discontent with the ie at the eastward, ceived every encou- ds in question, and mming their stticks lese insolencies dis- n to remove. (1720.) jouting parties were command of Colonel force, the Indians, ere restrained from leys with the com- vho visited them oc- id to be resolute in daring that "thev I would fight for it e was no alternative if they chose peace y seemed to prefer rhskt had been done, as an evidence of kins, and delivered ^'his proceeding was a, who renewed his promised to supplv hough as it was a e could not openly ighly incensed, were The dispute was the eastern lands, crested. No blood urprised and plun- I dered, and some people killed there ; but that was in the govern- ment of Nova Scotia. Ralle was regarded as the principal in- (rtigator of the Indians ; and it was thought, that if he could be taken off, they would be quiet. It was once proposed to 88nd the sheriff of York county, with a posse of 150 men, to teizG and bring him to Boston ; but this was not agreed to. TUie next summer, 1721, Ralle, in company with Castine, from Binobscot, and Croisil, from Canada, appeared among the Indi- Mps, at a conference held on Arrowsic island, with Captain Pen- hjlllow, the commander of the garrison, and brought a letter, ^itten in the name of the several tribes of Indians, directed M Governor Shute ; in which it was declared, " that if the Eng- " ill did not remove in three weeks, they would kill them and eir cattle, and burn their houses." An additional guard was Int down ; but the government, loath to come to a rupture, id desirous, if possible, to treat with the Indians separately )m the French emissaries, invited them to another conference, ^liich they treated with neglect. Ill the succeeding winter, a party under Colonel Thomas ^estbrooke was ordered to Norridgewog to seize Ralle. They Arrived at the village undiscovered, but before they could sur- Hind his house, he escaped into the woods, leaving his papers his strong box, which they brought off without doing any ther damage. Among these papers were his letters of corre- 3ondence with the governor of Canada, by which it clearly ap- iarcd, that he was deeply engaged in exciting the Indians to rupture, and had promised to assist them. This attempt to seize their spiritual father, could not long be knrovenged. The next summer, 1722, they took nine families roni Merrymeeting bay, and after dismissing some of the pri- soners, retained enough to secure the redemption of their hos- iges, .and sent them to Canada. About the same time they lade an attempt on the Fort of St. George's ; but were repulsed nth considerable loss. They also surprised some fishing vessels the eastern harbours ; and at length made a furious attack )n the town of Brunswick, which they destroyed. This action letermined the government to issue a declaration of war against ^hem, Avliich was published in form at Boston and Portsmouth. New Hampshire being seated in the bosom of Massachusetts, 12 u2 94 LOVEWELLS WAR. i had the same interest to serve, and bore a proportionable share of all these transactions and the expenses attending them, Walton, who first commanded the forces sent into the eastern parts, and Westbrooke, who succeeded him, as well as Penhal- low, the commander of the Fort at Arrowsic, were New Hamp. shire men ; the two former were of the council. A declaration of war being made, the enemy were expected on every part of the frontiers ; and the Assembly were obliged to concert mea- sures for their security, after an interval of peace for about ten years. (1723.) The first appearance of the enemy in New Hamp- shire was at Dover, where they surprised and killed Joseph Ham, and took three of his children ; the rest of the familv escaped to the garrison. Soon after they waylaid the road, and killed Tristram Heard. Their next onset was at Lamprey river, where they killed Aaron Rawlins and one of his children, taking his wife and two children captive. This Aaron Rawlins (whose wife was a daughter of Edward Taylor, who was killed by the Indians in 1704) lived upon the plantation left bv Taylor, about half a mile west from Lamprey river landing, at the lower Falls on Piscasick river. The next spring, 1724, the Indians killed James Nock, one of the elders of the church, as he was returning on horseback from setting his beaver traps in the woods. Soon after tlicy appeared at Kingston, where they took Peter Colcord and Ephraim Stevens, and two children of Ebenezer Stevens. They were pursued by scouts from Kingston and Londonderry, but in vain. Colcord made his escape in about six months, and i"e- ceived a gratuity of ten pounds from the Assembly, for his "courage and ingenuity, and for the account he gave of the proceedings of the enemy." On a sabbath day they ambushed the road at Oyster river, and killed George Chesley, and mortally wounded Elizabeth Bumham, as they were returning together from public worship. In a few days more, five Indians took Thomas Smith and John Carr, at Chester, and after carrying them about thirty miles, bound them and lay down to sleep ; the captives escaped, and in three days arrived safe at a garrison in Londonderry. The settlements at Oyster river being very much exposed, a lovewell's war. 06 proportionable share Bs attending them, int into the eastern , as well as Penhal- c, were New Hamp. noil. A declaration ed on every part of ;ed to concert mea- peace for about ten !my in Nev/ Hamp. and killed Joseph i rest of the family aylaid the road, and t was at Lamprey I one of his children, rhis Aaron Rawlins ylor, who was killed plantation left by ■ey river landing, at i James Nock, one ming on horseback . Soon after they Peter Colcord and zer Stevens. They jondonderry, but in ix months, and i-e- Assembly, for his mt he gave of the id at Oyster river, vounded Elizabeth om public worship, as Smith and John ibout thirty miles, itives escaped, and )ndonderry. y much exposed, a ^mpany of volunteers under the command of Abraham Ben- wick, who went out on the encouragement offered by the go- TOrnment for scalps, were about marching to make discoveries. it happened that Moses Davis, and his son of the same name, Wn" at work in their cornfield, went to a brook to drink, irtiere they discovered three Indian packs. They immediately give notice of this discovery to the volunteer company, and ^nt before to guide them to the spot. The Indians had. dfeced themselves in ambush ; and the unhappy father and son llere both killed. The company then fired, killed one, and l^unded two others, who made their escape, though they were rsued and tracked by their blood to a considerable distance. Within the town of Dover were many families of Quakers ; 0, scrupling the lawfulness of war, could not be persuaded use any means for their defence, though equally exposed ith their neighbours to an enemy who made no distinction tween them. One of these people, Ebenezer Downs, was ken by the Indians, and was grossly insulted and abused them, because he refused to dance as the other prisoners d, for the diversion of their savage captors. Another of em, John Hanson, who lived on the outside of the town in remote situation, could not be persuaded to remove to a rrison, though he had a large family of children. A party thirteen Indians, called French Mohawks, had marked his use for their prey ; and lay several days in ambush, waiting r an opportunity to assault it. While Hanson with his eldest ughter were gone to attend the weekly meeting of Friends, d his two eldest sons were at work in a meadow at some stance, the Indians entered the house, killed and scalped two all children, and took his wife, with her infant of fourteen [ays old, her nurse, two daughters and a son, and after rifling e house carried them oflf. This was done so suddenly and cretly, that the first person who discovered it was the eldest lughter at her return from the meeting before her father, eing the two children dead at the door, she gave a shriek of istress, which was distinctly heard by her mother, then in the ands of the enemy among the bushes, and by her brothers in le meadow. The people being alarmed, went in pursuit ; but e Indians, cautiously avoiding all paths, went oflf with their 96 LOVEWELLS WAR. captives undiscovered. They were all sold to the French ii Ctmada. Hanson went the next spring and redeemed his -wife the three younger children and the nurse, but he could no obtain the elder daughter of seventeen years old, though he m and conversed with her. He also redeemed Ebenezer Down* He made a second attempt in 1727, but died at Crown-point ot his way to Canada. The girl was married to a Frenchman, and never returned. These and other insolencies of the enemy being daily perpe- trated on the frontiers, caused the governments to resolve oc an expedition to Norridgewog. The Captains Moulton anc Harman, both of York, each at the head of a company of 10( men, executed their orders with great address. They com pletcly invested and surprised that village — killed the obnoxioui Jesuit, with about eighty of his Indians — recovered three cap tives — destroyed the chapel, and brought away the plate and furniture of the altar, and the devotional flag, as trophies ci their victory. Ralle was then in the 68th year of his ago, and had resided in his mission at Norridgewog 26 years, havinj before spent 6 years in travelling among the Indian nations, in the interior parts of America. The parties of Indians who were abroad, continued to ravage the frontiers. Two men being missing from Dunstable, a scout of eleven went in quest of them ; they were fired upon by thirty of the enemy, and nine of them were killed : the other two made their escape, though one of them was badly wounded. Afterwards another company fell into their ambush and engaged them, but the enemy being superior in number overpowered them, killed one and wounded four, the rest retreating. At Kingston, Jabez Colman, and his son Joseph, were killed as they were at work in their field. The success of the forces at Nor- ridgewog, and the large premium offered for scalps, having in- duced several volunteer companies to go out, they visited one after another of the Indian villages, but found them deserted, The fate of Norridgewog had struck such terror into them, that they did not think themselves safe at any of their former places of abode, and occupied them as resting places only, when they were scouting or hunting. One of these volunteer companies, under the command of LOVEWELLS WAR. 97 old to the French it nd redeemed his wili rse, but he could no irs old, though he sa\t ned Ebenezer Downs ied at Crown-point oi led to a Frenchman, ny being daily perpe. mments to resolve on iptains Moulton m of a company of lOi' iddress. They com —killed the obnoxioui —recovered three cap t away the plate anii \\ flag, as trophies ci >8th year of his age, jwog 2G years, havini! the Indian nations, in , continued to ravage )m Dunstable, a scout e fired upon by thirty :illed : the other t\\o was badly wounded, ambush and engaged number overpowered rest retreating. At h, were killed as they of the forces at Nor- or scalps, having in- out, they visited one bund them deserted, h terror into them, , any of their former resting places only, er the command of Gftptain John Lovewell, of Dunstable, was greatly distinguished, ftrst bv their success and afterwards by their misfortunes. This conipany consisted of thirty : at their first excursion to ■tbe northward of Winipiseogee lake, they discovered an Indian ifrijrwani, in which there were a man and a boy. They killed -tad scalped the man, and brought the boy alive to Boston, wlii're they received the reward promised by law, and a hand- fllnie gratuity besides. ^]3v this success his company was augmented to seventy. icy marched again, and visiting the place where they had led the Indian, found his body as they had left it two months (1725.) Their provision falling short, thirty of them lore. remaining forty jre dismissed by lot and returned. The itinued their march till they discovered a track, which they llowed till they saw a smoke just before sunset, by which }y judged that the enemy were encamped for the night. hey kept themselves concealed till after midnight, when they lontly advanced, and discovered ten Indians asleep round a 1*0 by the side of a frozen pond.* Lovewell now determined to lake sure work, and placing his men conveniently, ordered part them to fire, five at once, as quick after each other as possible, ^d another part to reserve their fire : he gave the signal by ing his own gun, which killed two of them ; the men firing cording to order, killed five more on the spot; the other three irting up from their sleep, two of them were immediately dead by the reserve; the other, though vr-unded, at- iiptod to escape by crossing the pond, but was seiz. d by a dog y\ hold fast till they killed him. Thus in a few minutes the lole company was destroyed, and some attempt against the )iitiors of New Hampshire prevented ; for these Indians were irching from Canada, well furnished with new guns and ?iity of ammunition ; they had also a number of spare blankets, X'casins, and snow shoes for the accommodation of the pri- lors, whom they expected to take, and were within two Us' march of the frontiers. The pond where this exploit was |rformed is at the head of a branch of Salmonfall river, in township of Wakefield, and has ever since borne the name Lovewell's pond. The action was spoken of by elderly jple, at a distance of time, with an air of exultation ; and 98 LOVEWELLS WAR. considering the extreme difficulty of finding nnd attackin," Indians in the woods, and the judicious manner in which thev were so completely surprised, it was a capital exploit. The brave company, with the ten scalps stretched on Iioop?, and elevated on poles, entered Dover in triumph, and proceedd thence to Boston ; where they received the bounty of one hun- dred pounds for each, out of the public treasury. Encouraged by this success, Lovewell marched a third time; intending to attack the villages of Pigwacket, on the upper pan of the river Saco, which had been the residence of a formidable tribe, and which they still occasionally inhabited. His com- pany at this time consisted of forty-six, including a chaplain and surgeon : two of them proving lame, returned : anothe: falling sick, they halted, and built a stockade fort on the wes! side of great Ossapy pond ; partly for the accommodation of the sick man, and partly for a place of retreat in case of any ms- fortune. Here the surgeon was left with the sick man, and eight of the company for a guard. The number was now re- duced to thirty-four. Pursuing their march to the northward they came to a pond, about twenty-two miles distant, in a lint from the fort, and encamped by the side of it. Early the nex; morning, while at their devotions, they heard the report of a gun, and discovered a single Indian, standing on a point of lane which runs into the pond, more than a mile distant. Thej had been alarmed the preceding night by noises round thei- camp, which they imagined were made by Indians, and tE opinion was now strengthened. They suspected that the h dian was placed there to decoy them, and that a body of tlit enemy was in their front. A consultation being held, they de termined to march forward, and by encompassing the pond, tt gain the place where the Indian stood ; and that they might bt ready for action, they disencumbered themselves of their packs. and left them, without a guard, at the north-east end of tk p<»nd, in a pitch pine plain, where the trees were thin and tlit brakes, at that time of the year, small. It happened tha; Lovewell's march had crossed a carrying-place, by which tw parties of Indians, consisting of forty-one men, commanded bj Paugus and Wahwa, who had been scouting down Saco river were returning to the lower village of Pigwacket, distant aboui ■^ LOVEWELLS WAR. 99 nding and attacking anner in which thi} (ital exploit. i stretched on hoop?, iumph, and proccedtj le bounty of one hun- easury. [larched a third time; ket, on the upper pan idence of a formidable inhabited. His com- including a chaplait e, returned : anothei iade fort on the wesi accommodation of tk Lt in case of any ml* h the sick man, and number was now re- rch to the northward liles distant, in a lint bf it. Early the nex; ^eard the report of i ing on a point of lane mile distant. Thej )y noises round thee 3y Indians, and thi- ispected that the h d that a body of tlit [1 being held, they de Qpassing the pond, ti id that they might b ttselves of their packi north-east end of tb 2s were thin and tlit It happened tlw: ■place, by which tw men, commanded bj ng down Saco rivet wracket, distant aboui a mile and a half from this pond. Having fallen on Lovewell's track, they followed it till they came to the packs, which they removed ; and counting them, found the number of his men to be less tlian their own : they therefore placed themselves in ambush, to attack them on their return. The Indian, who had ■Ipod oil the point, and was returning to the village by another pilth, met our party, and received their fire, which he returned, ilpd wounded Lovewell and another with small shot. Lieu- ildiant Wyman, firing again, killed him, and they took his lip. Seeing no other enemy, they returned to the place lere they had left their packs, and while they were looking them, the Indians rose, and ran toward them with a horrid lulling. A smart firing commenced on both sides, it being now «ut ten of the clock. C'lptain Lovewell and eight more were filed on the spot. Lieutenant Farwell, and two others, were )unded ; several of the Indians fell ; but, being superior in imber, they endeavoured to surround the party, who, perceiv- ig their intention, retreated — hoping to be sheltered by a point rock which ran into the pond, and a few large pine trees landing on a sandy beach. In this forlorn place they took leir station. On their right was the mouth of a brook, at that le unfordable ; on their left was the rocky point ; their front [as partly covered by a deep bog, and partly uncovered, and »e pond was in their rear. The enemy galled them in front id flank, and had them so completely in their power, that had ley made a prudent use of their advantage, the whole com- iny must either have been killed, or obliged to surrender at iscretion — being destitute of a mouthful of sustenance, and an scape being impracticable. Under the conduct of Lieutenant ^yman they kept up their fire, and showed a resolute counte- |ance, all the remainder of the dr^y ; during which their chap- lin, Jonathan Frie, Ensign Bobbins, and one more, were mor- illy wounded. The Indians invited them to surrender, by lolding up ropes to them, and endeavoured to intimidate them ly their hideous yells ; but they determined to die rather than [ield ; and by their welMi^6eted.lif«:,-thp:ftiim^rof the savages ras thinned, and thelf cries- beeariie ftliritol'i, till, just before [ight, they quitted th«Jr : adyous; ground, . carrying off leir killed and woundfed, Wnd leavinjg the deaiJ* bodies of Lovt>- 100 LOVEWELLS WAR. S^l li i well and his men unHcalped. The shattered remnant of this bravo company, collecting theniBelves together, found three of tiieir number unable to move from the Hpot, eleven wounded, but able to march, and nine who had received no hurt. It was melancholy to leave their dying companions Ix'hind, but there was no possibility of removing them. One of them, Knsign Robins, desired them to lay his gun by him charged, that if tlie Indians should return before his death, he might Ik) able to kill one more. After the rising of the m(X)n, they quitted the fatal spot, and directed their march toward the fort where the surgeon and guard had been left. To their great surprise they found it deserted. In the Ijeginning of the action, one man (whose name has not lx*en thought worthy to be transmitted to pos- terity) quitted the field, and fled to the fort ; where, in the style of Job's messengers, he informed them of Lovewell's death, and the defeat of the whole company ; ujMDn which they made the best of their way home ; leaving a quantity of bread and l)ork, which was a seasonable relief to the retreating survivors. From this place they endeavoured to get home. Lieutenant Farwell, the chaplain (who had the journal of the march in his pocket), and one more, perished in the woods, for want of dress- ing for their wounds. The others, after enduring the most severe hardships, came in one after another, and were not only received with joy, but were recompensed for their valour and sufferings ; and a generous provision was made for the widows and children of the slain. A party from the frontiers of New Hampshire were ordered out to bury the dead ; but, by some mistake, did not reach the place of action. Colonel Tyng, with a company from Dunstable, went to the spot, and having found the bodies of twelve, buried them, and carved their names on the trees where the battle was fought. At a little distance he found three Indian graves, which he opened ; one of the bodies was known to be their warrior Paiigus. He also observed tracks of blood on the ground, to a great distance from the scene of action. It was remarked, that ^.wee.k. l«orore.thio engaiSiement happened, it had been reported iai. Portsmouth -at* the distance of eighty miles, with but littlevariatioit fiqm tlvev tmihi Such incidents were Dot uncommou, and -ccuid scarcely deserve notice, if they did LOVEWELLS WAR. 101 innnt of this und three of 'v\\ woundcfl, Inirt. It v.as nd, hut there them, Kusi^n I'd, that if the 1)0 able to kill itted the fatal re the surgeon se they found 3 man (whoso nitted to pos- wliere, in tlio ivewell's death, ich they made Y of bread and iting survivors. lO. Lieutenant 10 march in his r want of dress- Liring the most i were not only leir valour and for the widows ro were ordered id not reach the from Dunstable, )f twelve, buried rhere the battle e Indian graves, )wn to be their f blood on the action. It was happened, it had of eighty miles. L incidents were ,tice, if they did not indicate that a ta.ste for the marvellous was not extinguished in the minds of the most sol)er and rational. This was one of the most fierce and obstinate battles which had been Ibught with the Indians. They hud not only the ad- vantage of numbers, but of placing themselves in ambush, and waiting with deliberation the moment of attack. These cir- cumstances gave them u degree of ardour and impetuosity. Lovewell and his men, though disappointed of meeting the enemy in their front, expected, and determined, to tight. The full of their con)munder, and more than ono quarter of their nuoik'r, in the first onset, was greatly discouraging; but they knew that the situation to whicii they were reduced, and their distance from the frontiers, cut oil' all hope of salety from llight. In these circumstances, prudence us well us valour dictated a i*ontinuance of the engugeuient, und a rel'usul to surrender, until the enemy, awed by their brave resistance, and weakened by their own loss, yielded them the honour of the field. After this encounter the Indians resided no more at Pigwacket till the peace, whicli was concluded after long negotiations. 13 E 'I CHAPTER IX. THE FRENCH WAR OF 1745 TO 1748. T was the misfortune of the colonies, that, when the mother country became involved in war with the European powers, they were exposed to the attacks of active enemies, and yet were left to provide for their own defence. In 1744, a war which had been- waged between Great Britain and Spain was extended to France, and of course, the contest brought the French and English colonies into conflict. An Indian war was a necessary consequence of a war with France. The scene of the opening of both was in Nova Scotia. In the year 1745, a daring enterprise was projected against Louisbourg, a strong fortress belonging to the French, on the island of Cape Breton. This was proposed by Shirley, governor of Massachusetts, and approved of by the general court of that province. Louisbourg was the Dunkirk of North America. Five millions of dollars had been employed in its fortifications. It was of great importance to France, and also to Ei^gland, me- (102) 748, ae of the colonies, er country became Lth the European J exposed to the Bnemies, and yet de for their own a war which had en Great Britain )urse, the contest nto conflict. An war with France. I Scotia. projected against .6 French, on the ' Shirley, governor leral court of that ' North America. a its fortifications. 10 to Ep.gland, me- (102) ',.l* !tf & o H n H h [>. O S o H cu ■<1 Bi O pa P o h O H O M (104) THE FRENCH WAR OF 1745 TO 1748. 105 g H H H h o 5 a> % o H BS u es » o pa tn p s »■ o H o ditjitin,r, us both did, the extension of their American posses- pions. Upwards of five thousand men were raises on either side, e, they attempted I warned by tlic f (106) violent expression of indignation which was provoked from the merchants of Britain by this measure, ilicy receded from a pre- tension which seemed likely too soon to precipitate matters to an extremity, and, on the first complaint of the British govern- ment, consented to abandon the undertaking. Their conduct on this occasion, which admits of no cavil or disguise, justifies a presumption very unfavourable to their good faith in the other contemporary collisions and disputes, of which the merits, whether by artifice or accident, have been involved in greater doubt and obscurity. Eagerly resuming ix)ssession of Cape Breton, restored to them by the treaty of peace, the French speedily perceived that some of the advantages which they might hope to derive from this possession were likely to be counteracted by the establishment of the colonists despatched from Britain under Cornwallis to Nova Scotia; and though they had no pretence for disputing the legitimacy of this enter- prise, they employed the most active endeavours to render it in- effectual. Their Indian allies attacked the English settlements in Nova Scotia; and, in the commencement of the year 1750, a band of two thousand five hundred French troops, detached by the governor of Canada, and reinforced by Indian auxilaries, took possession of the whole tract of country from Chignecto, along the north side of the Bay of Fundy, to Kennebec river, which they declared to be still the property of the Most Christian King, and to which they invited all the French Neutrals, as they were called, to repair from the district confessedly ceded to Britain. Various skirmishes ensued between the forces of Cornwallis and the French and Indians ; a number of forts were built, and some were taken and destroyed on both sides ; but the French continued to maintain their position and fortify i their interest. Cornwallis urgently solicited assistance from the government of Massachusetts, and would probably have obtained it, but for the absence of the popular and enterprising Shirley, who had repaired to Europe in order to act as one ot the commissaries of Britain in the approaching discussions with I France. Spencer Phipps, the lieutenant-governor, whose influ- leuce was not proportioned to his merit, recommended an expedi- 1 lion to Nova Scotia ; but the Assembly declared that their own province was likely to need all its forces for its own protection. 108 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. iiirti:: Thoy had just received intelligence of an encroachment on the territ)omliood. )ple, Wanh- a travelling I, an old In- t of the next inch, and in .ns who had g nioHsongor k. Here he inHwer, made Dii his return, Lo accompany on foot, leav- g this return !nd with great onsequence of ion of the In- the Alleghany by the rushing m drowning and however, they iafe and sound.* 3: A journal, in which Washington recorded the particulars of his joiu-ney and the fruits of his observation, was i)ul)lislied H(M)n after, and impressed his countrymen with a high respect for the solidity of his judgment, and the calm, dctxjnuined fortitude of his character. Governor Dinwiddle, finding that nothing was to be gained by ami(!ablc negotiation, projected the construction of forts at various places which had been surveyed and selected by Wash- ington ; and the Assembly agreeing to defray the expense of these operations, materials were procured and the works com- menced without delay. Unfortunately, no means were taken to gain the consent of the natives to this measure, which ac- cordingly served only to increase the jealousy and malevolence with which they had begun to regard the English. A regiment was raised at tile same time by the Virginian government, and Washington, who v.as its lieutenant-colonel, nuirched with two conipiuiies, in advance of the main body, to the Great Meadows, situated within the disputed territory. [April, 1754.] Here he learned from some friendly Indians, that the French, with a force of six hundred men and eighteen pieces of cannon, having attacked and destroyed a fort which the Virginians had Ijeen erecting, were themselves engaged in completing another fort at the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongaliela, one of the spots which was especially recommended in his own journal to the occupation of his countrymen ; and that a detachment of French troops from this place was then on its march towards the Great Meadows, and had encamped for the night in the bosom of a retired valley at a short distance. Convinced that this was a hostile movement, Washington availed himself of the proffered guidance of the Indians, and, advancing with his troops on a dark and rainy night, effectually surprised the French encampment. The Virginians, rousing the enemy by a sudden discharge of firearms, completely disconcerted them by rushing forward to close attack, and compelled them instantly to surrender. Washington, after this success, erected at the Great Meadows a small stockade fort, which received the name of Fort Neces- sity, and then advanced with his troops, which, by the accession of two companies, one from New York and the other from K 114 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. \ North Carolina, now amounted to four Imndivd nien, towanlsi the new French fort, called I)iu[uewne, with the intention of dis- lodging the enemy. But learning on \u» march that the Frencii had k'en reinforced and were approaching with a great body of Indian auxiliaries to attack him, he retreated to P'ort Neccsnity, and endeavoured to strengthen its defences by the con.struction of a ditch around the stockade. IJefore his operation was com- l)leted, the fort was attacked, on the 4th of July, by a very sui)erior force, under the command of Do Villiers. The garrison made a vigorous defence from ten in the morning till a late hour at night, when Do Villiers having sounded a parley and tendered a capitulation, they at first refused, but finally con- sented, to surrender, or, more properly speaking, to evacuate the fort, on condition that they should Ix} allowed to march out with the honours of war, to retain their arms and baggage, and to retire without molestation into the inhabited parts of Virginia, — and that the French themselves, instead of advancing fartlier nt present, or even retaining the evacuated fort, should retreat to tlieir previous station at Monongahela. Fifty-eight of the A'irginians, and two hundred of the French, were killed and wounded in the encounter. Such a capitulation was by no means calculated either to damp the spirit of the Virginians or to depress the reputation of their commander. It was violated, however, with unscrupulous barbarity by the Indians who were united to the forces of De Villiers, and who, hovering round the Virginians during the whole of their retreat, harassed them with frequent attacks, and killed and wounded a con- siderable number of them. At the close of this unsuccessful expedition, the Virginian Assembly, with equal justice and magnanimity, expressed by a vote of thanks its approbation of ■ the conduct of Washington and his troops. Early in the spring of this year, and before the expeditiou from Virginia to the Great Meadows, the British ministers signified to the provincial governments the desire of the king that they should oppose the French encroachments by force of arms ; together with a recommendation from his Majestv that they should send delegates to a general convention :U Albany, both in order to form a league with the Six NationN and to concert among themselves a plan of united operatiou; m THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 115 and (lefenco against tho common enciny. Seven of the colo- nics, consisting of Maryland, New York. Pennsylvania, and the Now England States, agreed to comply witii this recommenda- tion ; and the Assembly of MassticiiUHetts at the same time (April 10, 1754) presented an atldress to (Jovernor Shirley, de- siring him "to pray his Majesty that affairs which relate to the Six Nations and their allies may be put under such general direction as his Majesty shall judge proper; and that the several govenunents may be obliged to bear their proportions of defend- ing his Majesty's territories against the encroachments of the French and tho ravages and incursions of the Indians." Shir- ley, sensible probably of the jealousy which any measure founded on this suggestion would provoke among the colonists in general, unless it originated with themselves, proposed to the governors of the several colonies, that the delegates elected to the convention should be authorized by their constituents to deliberate on a plan of united operation of all the States for their common safety a«d defence. Instructions to this effect were accordingly communicated to the delegates, who, assem- bling at Albany in the month of June, were met by a numerous deputation from the tribes of the Six Nations. After an ex- planatory and pacific treaty with the Indians, who very willingly accepted the presents that were tendered to them, but yet plainly betrayed by their negligent demeanour the success with which the French had intrigued to weaken their regard lor the English, — the convention undertook the more important subject which was committed to its deliberations ; and it was unanimously resolved that a union of the colonies was essential to the general safety, and ought to be forthwith accomplished. But here the unanimity of the delegates ended. The British ministers, on receiving intelligence of the defeat of Washington, and of the establishment of French posts on the Ohio, perceived plainly that a war Ixjtween France and England had begun. Even with a view to the speedy restoration of peace, it was expedient that they should exert more vigour and promptitude of hostility, and demonstrate more active and de- termined concern for the dignity of the British empire and the Bafety of its colonial adjuncts or dependencies. Finding that their complaints to the court of Versailles were answered only 116 THE SEVEN TEARS "WAR. 11 by a repetition of fonner evasions, and learning that the French were making active prepcaration for the enlargement of their naval and military force in America, they detennined to send a detachment of the standing army maintained in England, to the defence of the British possessions and pretensions in the same quarter. In conformity with this determination, and early in the following year (January, 1755), General Braddock was despatched from Ireland with two regiments of infantry com- manded by Halket .and Dunbar, which were destined to the service of America, and especially to the protection of the Vir- ginian frontier. On the arrival of this armament at its desti- nation, the provinces seemed to forget alike their disputes witli each other and their jealousies of the parent state, and a vigor- ous offensive campaign against the French was projected. A convention of the provincial governors, at the request of tlie British commander, assembled at Annapolis, in Marv'and, to settle the plan of military operations, and resolved that three simultaneous expeditions should be undertaken. The first, directed against Fort Duquesne, was to be conducted by Brad- dock with his British troops ; the second, which was to attempt the reduction of the French fort at Niagara, was committed to the American regulars and Indians, commanded by Governor Shirley, who now received the rank of a British general from the king ; and the third, an expedition against Crown Point, was to be undertaken by militia drawn from the northern co- lonies. The French court, apprised of Braddock's departure for America, now made one more attempt to prolong the inactivity of the British government, by reiterating assurances of its pa- cific purposes and earnest desire of accommodation. But when the Marquis de Mirepoix, the ambassador of France at London, a truly honourable man, tendered these assurances, in full reli- ance on their truth, to the British ministers, they exhibited to him such incontestable proofs of the insincerity of his court, that he was struck with astonishment and mortification, and, repairing to Versailles, upbraided the ministers of Louis the Fifteenth with the indignity to which they had exposed him as the tool of their dissimulation. By them he was referred to the king, who commanded him to return to London with fresh THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 117 he French nt of their ed to send England, to ons in the I, and early iddock was antry com- ined to the of the Vir- at its desti- sputes witli and a vigor- ojected. A quest of the [arv'and, to [ that three The first, ;ed by Brad- is to attempt !ommitted to by Governor general from )rown Point, northern co- eparture for the inactivity ices of its pa- 1. But when ce at London, !S, in full reli- T exhibited to of his court, ification, and, of Louis the xposed him as referred to the on with fresh protestations of his royal intention to preserve peace; but the conduct of this monarch corresponded so ill with his profoi^sionfj, that his ambassador had scarcely obtained an audience to com- municate them, when indubitable assurance was received that a powerful squadron was ready to sail for America from Brest and Rochefort. In effect, it sailed soon after, and transported a great quantity of military stores, and four thousand regular troops, commanded by the Baron Dieskau. Roused by this intelligence, the British government despatched a small fleet, under the command of Admiral Boscawen, and afterwards, on learning the superior strength of the enemy, a fcAV more vessels under Admiral Holborne, to watch the motions of the French squadron. But no additional land forces were sent by Britain to America ; nor yet did she think fit to declare war against France. The French monarch was still more bent on avoiding or at least postponing this extremity ; and although a part of the fleet which he had despatched to America was attacked off Newfoundland and captured by Admiral Boscawen, he still re- frained from any nearer approach to a declaration of war than the recall of his ambassador from England. (April 25, 1755.) The British king, in his speech to parliament, asserted the sin- cerity of his wishes and endeavours, and still expressed a hope of his ability, to preserve peace; but withal declared that he would not purchase even this blessing at the expense of sub- mitting to encroachments upon his dominions. An act of par- liament was passed, extending the provisions of the British Mutiny Act to North America ; and declaring that all troops, raised by any of the colonial governors or assemblies, should, whenever they acted in conjunction with the British soldiers, be subject to the same system of martial law and discipline which obtained in the British army. A communication, ad- dressed some time before to the provincial governments, signified the king's commands, that officers commissioned by his majesty, or by his commander-in-chief in North America, should take precedence of all those whose commissions were derived from the provincial governors or assemblies ; " and that the general and field officers of the provincial troops should have no rank, when serving with the general and field officers commissioned by the crown." This regulation proved exceedingly unpalatable 15 k2 118 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. to the Americans. Washington, in particular, resenting it as injurious to tlie merit of his countrymen and calculated to de- press their spirit and character, resigned his commission. Happily, however, for his own fame and his country's interest, he Avas persuaded to accept the appointment of aid-de-camp to General Braddock. While preparations were making for the prosecution of those military schemes devised by the convention of Annapolis, the New England colonies despatched a force against the forts and settlements established by the French in Nova Scotia. Three thousand men were raised, and pLoced under the command of Colonel Winslow. On arriving at the British settlement in Nova Scot'a, May 2o, 1755, the New Enghand forces were joined by three hundred regular troops and a train of artillery, and the command of the whole was assumed by Colonel Monckton, an English officer. This expedition was crowned with entire success. Beau Sejour, the principal French fort at Chignecto, sustained a hot siege of a few days, and then surrendered. The victors gave it the name of Fort Cumberland. The garrison was sent to Louisbourg. The other fortresses of the Frencli in this quarter, surrendered soon after upon the same honour- able terms. Nova Scotia was thus reduced to the domis.i >i! of Britain, the loss of the conquerors being only 20 killed and as many wounded. A large number of the inhabitants, being inimical to the British rule, were forced to quit the country. But little doubt was entertained that the expedition under Braddock, against Fort Duquesne, would be successful. After various difficulties with the colonial authorities. General Brad- dock was prepared to move forward. He commenced his march from Wills' Creek, on the 10th of June, at the head of two thousand two hundred men. The advance of the army, un- avoidably retarded by the natural impediments of the region it had to traverse, was additionally and unnecessarily obstructed by the stubborn adherence of Braddock, amidst the boundless woods and tangled thickets of America, to the system of military movements adapted to the open and extensive plains of Europe. He was roused at length to greater vigour and activity by the intelligence that the French at Fort Duquesne expected a rein- forcement of five hundred regular troops ; whereupon, at the I THE SEVEN TEARS "WAR. 119 ;enting it as ulated to de- commission. Ty's interest, d-de-camp to ition of those .nnapolis, the the forts and cotia. Three command of settlement in es were joined artillery, and lel Monckton, ed with entire at Chignecto, •endered. The The garrison of the French same honour- lie domii.i »n of } killed and as labitants, being the country, cpedition under jcessful. After , General Brad- snced his march he head of two f the army, un- of the region it arily obstructed it the boundless stem of military )lains of Europe. L activity by the expected a rein- iiereupon, at the 5 1 eSNERAL BRADDOCK. head of twelve hundred men whom he selected from the different corps, and with ten pieces of cannon and the necessary ammunition and provisions, he resolved to press forward to the point of destination, — leaving the residue of the army, under the command of Colonel Dunbar, to follow, with all the heavy baggage, by easy and leisurely marches. After a laborious pro- gress, which was still unnecessarily retarded, and yet unaccom- panied by the precaution of reconnoitring the woods, Braddock arrived at the Monongahela on the 8th of July, and encamped within ten miles of Fort Duquesne. Though Dunbar was now forty miles behind him, and the proximity of the enemy in- creased the danger of instantaneous attack, he prepared to ad- vance the next day in his usual style of march, and expected to invest the French fortress without opposition. Sir Peter Hal- ket and others of his officers now vainly entreated him to pro- ceed with greater caution, to convert the column of march into an order of battle, and to employ the friendly Indians, who at- tended him, as an advanced guard, to explore and anticipate 120 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. i )^.-." ■ »;■ ,|, the probabilities of ambuscade. Not less vainly did Washington represent that the profound silence and apparent solitude of the gloomy scenes around them afforded no securit}^ in Amerioiui warfare against deadly and imminent danger, and offer with the provincial troops to scour and occupy the Avoods in the front and on the flanks of the main body. Braddock treated with equal contempt the idea of aid and of hostility from Indian savages ; and disdainfully rejecting the proposition of Wash- ington, ordered the provincials to form the rearguard of tlie British force. On the following day, this infatuated commander resumed his march (July 9, 1755), without having made the slightest attempt to gain intelligence of the situation or dispositions of the enemy. Three hundred British regulars, conducted hy Colonel Gage, composed his van ; and Braddock himself followed at some distance with the artillery ,ind main l)ody of the army divided into small columns. Thus incautiously advancing, and having arrived al)out noon within seven miles of Fort Du- quesne, — in an open wood undergrown thickly with high grass, his troops were suddenly startled by the appalling sound of the Indian war-cry ; and in the same moment a rattling shower of musketry was poured on their front and left flank from an enemy so artfully concealed that not a man of them could bo descried. The vanguard, staggered and daunted, fell back upon the main body ; and the firing being repeated with redoubled fury and without yet disclosing either the numbers or the posi- tion of the assailants, terror and confusion began to spread among the British troops ; and many of them sought safety in flight, notwithstanding all the efforts of their ofliccrs, some of whom behaved very gallantly, to recall and rally them. Brad- dock himself, if he ever possessed any of the higher qualitio:^ of a soldier, was in this emergence deserted of them all, and exhibited only an obstinate and unavailing bravery. Instead of raking the thickets and bushes whence the fire was poured with grape-shot from the ten pieces of cannon which he had with him, or pushing forward flanking parties of his Indians against the enemy, he confined his attention exclusively to the regular infantry. To them the only command which he should have addressed was either an instant retreat, or a rapid charge with- Washington lltudu of the n American (1 ofTor with . s in the front treated with from Indian on of Wash- guard of the ider resumed the shghtcst lispositions of conducted by mself followed y of the army idvancing, and ^ of Fort Du- ith high grass, lo- sound of the ling i^how^cr of tlank from an them could be , fell back upon mt\i redoubled lers or the posi- 'o-an to spread ought safety in )flicers, some of y them. Brad- ligher qualities f them all, and avery. Instead fire was poured hich he had with Indians against y to the reguhn he should have .pid charge with- 7BEKCB AND IHDIANS AT THB DEFEAT OF BRADDOCK. (121) 4 / Sll rel iiij lUd THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR. 123 out regard to methodical order and regularity. He adopted neither of these expedients; but, remaining on the ground where he was first attacked, under an incessant and galling fire, he directed the brave officers and men who continued with him, to form in regular line and advance. Meanwhile his troops fell fast beneath the iron tempest that hissed around them, and almost all his officers were singled out one after anotlier and i killed or wounded ; for the Indians, who always take deliberate I and particular aim when they fire, and aim preferably at the I officers, easily distinguished them by their dress. After an I action of three hours, Braddock, under whom three horses were I killed, and whose obstinacy seemed to increase with the danger, I received a shot through the right arm and the lungs, and was i carried off the field by Colonel Gage. All the officers on horse- i back, except Colonel Washington, were now killed or wounded, ) and the residue of the troops by whom the conflict had been I maintained, abandoned it in dismjiy and disorder. The pro- vincials, who were among the last to leave the field, were rallied after the action by the skill and presence of mind of Washing- ton, and covered the retreat of the regulars. The defeat was complete. About seven hundred of the British were killed or wounded, including a considerable proportion of the Virginian troops, and sixty-four out of eighty-five officers. Sir Petev Halket fell by the first fire at the head of his regiment ; and the general's sec- retary, son to Governor Shirley, was killed soon after. The artillery, ammunition, and baggage were abandoned to the enemy ; and the defeated army fled precipitately to the camp of Dunbar, where Braddock expired of his wounds. Although no pursuit was attempted by the French, who afterwards gave out that their numbers, including Indian auxiliaries, had amounted only to four hundred men, and, with greater proba- bility, that their loss in the action was perfectly insignificant, Dunbar, struck with astonishment and alarm, and finding that his troops were infected with the panic and disarray of the fugitives, hast'ly reconducted them to Wills' Creek. Here letters were brought to him from the governors of Virginia, f Maryland, and Pennsylvania, beseeching him to assist in defend- ing the frontiers of these provinces, while they would endeavour THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR. 124 ^ — — IT^fhnt mi'^bt enable Wrvet to resume the e»tf P"^f "'^f^ede to t Jir desire; and S/ent of hU safety, l^^f ^f ctt^ursued a hasty retrea^ abandoning his position <^J^f}^^^ i^'America, and espeeiaUy to Philadelphia. Since *«"*"" j j5,,iti,h soldiers towards during this retreat, the """'l"^* "^ "'^ Ucentious rapine and the American colonists >vas ^^J'fjl^ „f them that they -- -«=" T:S*- ': Sie'enemy .horn they had undertaken to conquer ,^ ^.^.t ^vere soon felt by the TliP consequences of 15raaaociv ^.^i^ins-knile were un- J ^r s:ttkrs. The t"- ^ ^^l^^f t-^go wrfare .ei-o eeasingiy empWe , ^^^^^^ Virginia Asseny^- experienced. •'-"^ ",, ^„^„ie of tbat colony. ^^^^T . inadequate to protect tbe V^^^^^^^,^^^ ved unavaibng t and umvearied exertions of ^^^f "f ,^^^4 of tbe Fiencb and -"«'=\'n:^„':irsru ;::'ues, sp^ad >,—. Indians, who, divuiin, nver the frontier. . Kia"ara failed from various ""'he proposed expedition "f * .^ ""^eame eommandei-nv '■ ' Rv Bnddw^k's death, Shirley oe- - - i,„ :S'of«fe» fo.es in North^Am^^^^^^^^^ ^^„„,„ t^s to lead against Nj'f^'^i'te march ; and .hilc he « Various causes comh.nod to dday > ^'s defeat overtook advancing to Oswego the ^ "S^°'ji, «, army . Manyotte . him, and spr^^ad cousterna loi^^ou ^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^, Ltmen and ^^-^^"^^^tiZ U..s displayed a desu-o t and provisions, dese'te^ ^nd t^ ^^5, ,,^ j^„„ed at 0^ follow them. On the 21st ot Au= ' desertion, and te tir The forces were so ™«* "f^^/that farther dela, M^Utv of the Indians wa^ so Pf|™ ' fi„^Uy endeavour^ The forces wbicb were w p THE SEVEN TEARS* WAR. 125 light enable Lcsno. But, • desire; and hasty retreat ud especially iiers towards 3 rapine and ni that they they had been lom they had oon felt by the iaiite were un- e warfore were Assembly were ^.. The skilful 1 unavailing to the French and ,ead themselves lied from various e commander-in- Thc troops he nble at Albany, and while be ^vas 's defeat overtook ay. Manyoftlie ansport the stores played a desire to he arrived at U>>- desertion, and the that farther delay inally endeavoured Led to abandon hw , with a garrison iild two additioi j imander-in-chief re-] Lst Crown Point, as-l sembled at Albany. They consisted of militia regiments, f '^- idied by the New England States and New York, and amoui.t^ ill"' to between five and six thousand men. The command was intrusted to Gen. William Johnson, a man without military experience, but energetic and enterprising. He possessed much iiilkience over the Indians of the Six Nations, and persuaded llondrick, a brave and sagacious Mohawk chief, with about three hundred wariors, to join him. Wliile Johnson was collecting his artillery and military stores. General Lyman, the second in command, advanced with the troops to tlie carry ing-jyhtce hetween Hudson's lUver and Lake George, about sixty miles from AUiany, and began to liiiild a fortress, which received the name of Fort Edward, on the east side of the Hudson. Having joined liis army, Johnson lol't a part of it as a garrison to Fort Edward, and towards the end of August proceeded with the main body to the soutliern extremity of Lake George. Here he learned from his Indian .^eoiits, that a party of French and Indians had established a fort at Ticonderoga, which is situated on the isthmus between 'the nortli end of Lake George and the southern shore of Lake Champlain, about fifteen miles from Crown Point. As the |li)rtifications at Ticonderoga were reported to be incomplete, |Johnson, deeming that the conquest of the place would be at- jtended with little difficulty, and regarding it as a key to the linain object of his enterprise, was preparing to advance against lit, when he was suddenly reduced to act on the defensive by Ithe motions of the enemy, and the unexpected tidings that lieached him of the force which they possessed. I Baron Dieskau, an able and experienced officer, had now ar- lived in Canada with a strong reinforcement of troops from fPrance; and having collected a considerable army both of fFrench and Indians, was advancing against the British settle- fnents with the purpose of striking an important blow. Johnson fiastened to transmit this alarming intelligence to the provinces |\hose troops he commanded, and especially to the government of Massachusetts, — together with an urgent request for further issistance, which he reckoned indispensable to the success of lis enterprise and even to the safety of his army. The issue )f this application aflfords another instance of that unconquer- 16 L 126 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. il. able spirit which distinguished the people of New England. Massachusetts had supplied the greatest part of the force which Johnson already commanded, and by her various military exertions, incurred an expense disproportioned to her resources, and of which she anxiously solicited a reimbursement from the parent state. The reputation of Dieskau, and the advantage which ho possessed in commanding disciplined trot)ps, contrasted with the inexperience of Johnson and the American militia, gave rise to apprehensions, which, combining witli the depression occasioned by Braddock's defeat, produced a general despair of the success of the expedition against Crown Point. But this was a favourite enterprise with the people of New England, and they were determined to persist in it as long as possible, and to support to the utmost of their power the brave luen who were engaged in conducting it. A large subsidiary force was raised in Massachusetts, and despatched with the hope of at least extricating Johnson and his army from the danger of be- ing compelled to surrender to the superior power of the enemy. But the danger was over before this reinforcement reached the scene of action. Dieskau had been ordcRnl to direct his first effort to the reduction of the British posi ut Oswego, of the im- portance of which the French government was fully aware ; and he had already commenced his march for this purpose, when the tidings of Johnson's expedition induced him to reserve his force for the defence of Crown Point. Finding that John- son's army, which was inferior both in number and experience, did not venture to approach, he determined to advance against it ; and expecting an easy victory and the consequent fall of Fort Edward, proposed, as an ulterior measure, to invade Al- bany, to ravage the neighbouring settlements, and deprive the British of all communication with Oswego. His purpose would have succeeded, if the fate of the two armies had depended on the comparative skill of their commanders. But victory, though commonly, is not indefeasibly, the prize of either the skilful or the strong. Johnson was apprised of Dieskau's approach, but ignorant both of his position and of his force ; for the Indians, who were Lis scouts, had no words or signs for expressing any large num- ber, and customarily pointed to the hair of their heads, or to THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 127 England, brcc which 8 military r resources, it from the > advantage , contrasted can militia, [} depression i\ despair of b. But this England, and possible, and re luen who ry force was Q hope of at | ianger of be- )f the enemy. ; reached the rect his first go, of the im- fully aware ; this purpose, lim to reserve ig that Johu- id experience, Ivance against equent fall of to invade Al- id deprive the purpose would ,d depended on But victory, 3 of either the 1, but ignorant lians, who were any large num- }ir heads, or to the stars in the firmament, when they meant to denote any quantity which exceeded their reckoning. It was impossible to collect from their reports whether the French fell short of a thousand, or exceeded ten thousand in number. Yet, notwith- standing this uncertainty, Johnson, who had fortified his camp at Lake George, committed the rashness of detaching a thou- sand men, under the command of a brave officer, Colonel Ephraim WilUams, together with Hendrick and the Indian auxiliaries, to attack the enemy. (September 6, 1755.) This detachment had hardly advanced three miles beyond the camp, when it found itself almost entirely surrounded by the French army, and, after a gallant but hopeless conflict, was defeated with some loss and put to flight. Williams fell in this encoun- ter; and Hendrick, with several of his Indians, who fought with heroic bravery, were also among the slain. The French, whose loss was not inferior, pursued the fugitives to their camp, and, had they made an instantaneous attack, they would pro- bably have carried it ; but, fortunately for its defenders, a pause took place, which, though short, gave time for their panic and confusion to subside. Dieskau had learned a few days before that Johnson had no cannon in liis camp ; and he was not aware, that, in the interim, a number of these engines had been seasonably transported to it from Fort Edward. Dismayed by the unexpected fire of this artillery, the Canadian militia and their Indian auxiliaries fled into the woods, whence the dis- charges of their musketry against a fortified camp produced httle effect. The French regulars, however, maintained their ground, and with them, Dieskau, in an engagement which was prolonged for several hours, conducted a vigorous assault upon Johnson's position. Johnson displayed a firm and intrepid spirit during his brief participation in the commencement of the action ; but having soon received a painful wound, he was compelled to retire to his tent and abandon the command to Lyman. Under the conduct of this American officer, his coun- trymen defended their camp with such resolution and success, that the French were finally repulsed with the loss of nearly a thousand men. Dieskau was mortally wounded and taken pri- soner ; and his discomfited forces, assembling at some distance and preparing to refresh themselves with food, were suddenly 128 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. DIE8KAV WOUNDED AND CAPTURBD. attiickod hy a small party of New York and New Hampshire iiiililia commandtnl by Captains Folsom and M'Ginnos, and, tl> iiiu" in confusion, left the whole of their baggage and ammu- nition a prey to the victors. In the various conflicts by which this important day was signalized, there were killed or mortally wounded about a hundred and thirty of the British provincials, aud among others Captain M'Ginnes, by whom the success was completed, and Colonel Titcomb, of Massachusetts, who had previously gained the ptaise of distinguished bravery at the siege of Louisbourg. Now was the time for the British to improve the advantage they had won, and reap the full fruit of their victory by a vi- gorous pursuit of the flying enemy and by investing Crown Point, which, from the smallness of its garrison, and the impres- sion produced by the defeat of Dieskau, would have probably afforded them an easy conquest. But Johnson was less desirous of extending the public advantage than of reaping and securing his own personal share in it ; and sensible of the claim he had acquired on royal favour, he was averse to expose it, while yet unrewarded, to the hazard of diminution. He directed his Troops to strengthen the fortifications of his camp, in utter dis- regard of the spirited counsel of Shirley, who pressed him to I N THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 139 ■ IlanipHlnre }innes, and, | and animu- 3ts by which I or mortally I provincials, e success was tts, who had •avery at the he advantage ctory by a vi- esting Crown id the impres- lave probably 18 less desirous r and securing I claim he had e it, while yet e directed his p, in utter dis- )re8sed him to I renumc active opcration«, and at least to disltMlgo the Frcnoh from Tioonderogii before tliey had time to Ibrtily this |)<»st mid recover from tlicir 8urpri«e and consternation. Wlietlier from nej^ligence or from a politic deference to the sontimonts of the British court, lo maintained scarcely any communication witli the New Kuglund governments, and sent tlie French general and the other prisoners to New York, — althougli Ma.ssaciiusettfi had claimed tlie distinction of receiving them, as due to tho preiHjnderance of her interest in the army by which they were taken. With the additional troops lately raised in this pro- vince, and which were now united to Johnson's original and victorious army, it was not doubted that he would still attempt some farther cnteri)rise before the close of the year. But ho suflered the opportunity to pa«s by, and consumed the time in lingering and irresolute deliberation, till, by the advice of a council of war, the attack of Crown Point, and all other active operations, were abandoned for the present season. (October, 1755.) His army was then disbanded, with the exception of six hundred men, who were appointed to garrison Fort Edward, and another strong fort which was erected at the soutliern ex- tremity of Lake George, and received the name of Fort William Henry. As the victory of the English was not followed up, it was of little service, except in the way of raising their spirits, so de- pressed by Braddock's defeat. In his reports of the a.;tion, Johnson assumed all the credit of the triumph ; and he was rewarded with the dignity of a baronet, the office of royal su- perintendent of Indian affairs, and the sum of five thousand pounds. The services of General Lyman and other meritorious Americans were unnoticed and unrewarded. On the 12th of December, 1755, General Shirley convoked a council of war at New York, which was attended by the govern- ors of New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and Pennsylvania Here an extensive plan of operations for the next campaign was arranged. It was proposed to raise ten thousand men for an expedition against Crown Point ; six thousand for an attempt upon Niagara, and three thousand for an attack on Fort Du- quesne. To divert the attention of the enemy, it was proposed to send two thousand men to Canada by way of the Kennebec l2 lao THE SEVEN TEARS* WAR. Lord Loudoun soon after arrived, and assumed the functions of commander-in-chief, ;.9 well as those of governor of Virginia. (July, 1 756.) A difficulty concerning precedence, which existed between the British and colonial officers, was amicably adjusted as the colonists desired. Bright hopes were entertained that the campaign would have a glorious result, when all the arrange- ments were disconcerted by the news of an important advantage gained by the French. Baron Dieskau, the French commander-in-chief in America, had boen succeeded by the Marquis de Montcalm, a bold, skil- ful, and enterprising general. In August, 1756, Montcalm led an army of 5000 regulars, Canadian militia, and Indians, by a rapid march to Oswego, and invested two of the British forts. The scanty stock of ammunition v/ith which the garrison had been supplied, was soon exhausted ; and Colonel Mercer, the commander, thereupon spiked his guns, and, evacuating the place, carried his troops without the loss of a single man into the other fort. Upon this stronghold a heavy fire was speedily poured by the enemy from the deserted post, of which they as- sumed possession ; and Mercer having been killed by a cannon- ball, the garrison, dismayed by his loss, and disappointed in an attempt to procure aid from Fort George, situated about four miles and a half up the river, where Colonel Schuyler was posted, demanded a capitulation and surrendered as prisoners of war. The garrison consisted of the regiments of Shirley and Pepperell, and amounted to one thousand four hundred men. The conditions of surrender were, that the prisoners should be exempted from plunder, conducted to Montreal, and treated with humanity. But these conditions were violated in a manner disgraceful to the warfare of the French. It was the duty of Montcalm to guard his engagements from the danger of infringement by his savage allies ; and yet he instantly deli- vered up twenty of his prisoners to the Indians who accom- panied him, as victims to their vengeance for an equal number of their own race who perished in the siege. Nor was the re- mainder of the captive garrison protected from the cruelty and indignity with which these savages customarily embittered the fate of the vanquished. Almost all of them were plundered ; miny were scalped; and some were assassinated. In the two functions of )f Virginia, lich existed )ly adjusted led that the the arrange- it advantage in America, a bold, skil- ontcalm led ndians, by a British forts. garrison had Mercer, the vacuating the gle man into e was speedily ivhich they as- i by a cannon- ppointed in an ted about four Schuyler was ;d as prisoners snts of Shirley four hundred ; the prisoners Montreal, and '^ere violated in ih. It was the om the danger I instantly deli- ns who accom- i equal number [or was the re- he cruelty and embittered the ere plundered; I. In the two IfOm-CALM. (131) f j '1 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 133 forts, the victors obtained possession of one hundred and twenty- one pieces of artillery, fourteen mortars, and a great quantity of military stores and provisions. A number of sloops and boats at the same time fell into their hands. No sooner was Montcalm in possession of the forts, than, with judicious policy, he demolished them both in presence of the Indians of the Six Nations, within whose territory they were erected, and whose jealousy they had not a little awakened. In consequence of this severe blow, the English were driven to defensive operations. The old forts were strengthened, and new ones were built. Lord Loudoun exerted himself to the best of his ability to prepare forces and supplies for a campaign in the next spring ; but he was unfit for his station, and by an imperious and yet undignified course of action, rendered him- eelf obnoxious to the colonists, so that they had but little hope 3f effecting anything of importance while he was in the chief command. When New York and New England needed pro- tection. Lord Loudoun withdrew the forces and projected an expedition against Louisbourg. In July, 1757, the armament sailed against that strong post, and it was found to be so power- fully garrisoned, that an attempt upon it would have been ittended with utter defeat. His lordship then returned to New York, there to learn the consequences of his want of skill. Montcalm, the French commander, availing himself of the unskilful movement by which Lord Loudoun withdrew so large t portion of the British force from New York to Halifax, ad- vanced with an army of nine thousand men and laid siege to Fort William Henry, which was garrisoned by nearly three thousand troops, partly English and partly American, com- manded by a brave English officer. Colonel Monroe. The se- curity of this important post was supposed to be still farther promoted by the proximity of Fort Edward, which was scarcely fourteen miles from it, and where the English general, Webb, was stationed with a force of four thousand men. Had Webb done his duty, the besiegers might have been repulsed, and Fort William Henry preserved ; but though he received timely notice of the approach of the enemy, yet, with strange indo- lence or timidity, he neither summoned the American govern- ments to aid the place with their militia, nor despatched a single 17 1^ 1 'i... ' ' r.\ 101 THE SEVEN xr,^"-^ 1^* T Nov whether or „ot he desired, so far wa» he to™ hop^ o ^^^^_ ^ ;„, the that the only commumcaUon he ^ ^^^ counsel to sur- rie^e, was a letter conveying *e '»»-^ Montcalm, on the r^ul r without delay, (^-g"'' ^A ".hth degree of military ::Ur hand, who was endowed w.th a^ .^^ g^^^^ ^,,^ ^he genius, pressed the ".^"^ °™ i^d his own daring arfour utmostvigourandsk.il. Heh.vdinsp ^„t,,u,iasm of h,s Tntothe F«=nch sold.ers, »".'J,„XnV, as the reward of their Mian auxiliaries l^y I'™™^,^^^!;*, however, endured conquest. After » ^^^P^-^f^^^'th^t his ammunition was only for six days, «"""'«' ^f"^rf\,ore desperate, was eom- exhausted, and that hopes of f^'f r^^j^aon, of which he wiled to surrender the pl'^oJ'J " "T vanquished than the I ms were far more »•— ^^„^„ \ wa2 eonditioned that fulfilment of *<'">,T"^„f ^^eC^st the French for eigV^een the garrison should "»* f "1.° ♦ .„ith the honours of war , i^onths -, that they ^-^'i'Tf^^^'te escorted to Fort Edward and retaining their private to8S»=«' "1 ^^^ ig,,,ic5S ferocity of bfFrench troops, as a ^ecun^ against he ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ the Indians. But these Bi'vages were i ^^^ , Ihich Montcalm (whether ^^ayeOy | ^ ^^^ ,, gallant foe, or »PP-'—ffe^t) conceded to the garrison; length ..om his ««P'"r;*heXnch general should postpone and seeing no reason why the irenc k ^^^^ detennmed, the interest of his '^'hes to that of his enc ' .^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^ Tat, if he hroke his -"f j"li bl^Klshed which en- v,ith them. Of the scene »' « transmitted are not less r„ed, the accounts -!"*^f ™„^':„d disgusting. The only uniform and authentic than horria ^^_.^j d ;:;Urappedinobscan^«^''»>;;]>^^^ ,,^„ „f the his troops were v"^""'?;"^ "!J" Mged to fulfil. According V olation of the treaty they stood P^«l= ^^^^^ t„ the ]l some accounts, no esco.t whateve ^^ ^ Briash garrison. Accord^^^^^^ ^j,, r^„ch guards mockery, both in respect of the num ^^^^.^^ ^g^j„,t S of t Wr -;?«r Tis^rta« ^^^ -ort' « *»»"* C THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 135 lether or capture, iring the iel to sur- n, on the f military with the injr ardour tsm of nis ird of their ;r, endured mition was e, was com- which the .(1 than the Litioned that for eighteen ours of war; Fort Edward 58 ferocity of at the terms respect for a \yQ roused at the garrison; ould postpone re determined, should not be ihed which en- id are not less „„. The only ch general and ectators of the \fi\ Accordmg irnished to the cort was a mei-e French guards, , enemies against -iort, if there was lad the garrison MASSAORK or TBI PSiSOICBRS AT PORT WILLIAM HEMRT. marched out, and surrendered their arms, in reliance upon the pledge of the French general, than a furious and irresistible attack was made upon them by the Indians, who stripped them both of their baggage and their clothes, and murdered or made prisoners of all who attempted resistance. About fifteen hun- dred persons were thus slaughtered or carried into captivity. Such was the lot of eighty men belonging to a New Hampshire regiment, of which the complement was no more than two hundred. A number of Indian allies of the English, and who had formed part of the garrison, fared still more miserably. They were seized without scruple by their savage enemies, and perished in lingering and barbarous torture. Of the garrison of Fort William Henry scarcely a half werd enabled to gain the shelter of Fort Edward in a straggling and wretched con- dition. This terrible blow filled the colonists with alarm ; yet excited a strong desire for vengeance upon their savage enemies. General Webb, roused at length from his censurable lethargy, invoked the aid of the New England colonies. The militia of Massachusetts and Connecticut were despatched at once to check the progress of the victorious enemy. Montcalm, however, did not even invest Fort Edward, as he was without information concerning the forces the English had at command. The only ....(« .„ THE SETE» If— 1S6 _____lL— P^Vrtie^eason was «■ :^m^^^^^r^^^^^^^^^^'^^ ^"L"itll Sndian alUe«, against t^Zy enterprise, in concert w^l^e .^ ^^^^ ^ f CflourisWng settlements »f^"™^"ri,er, which they utterly New York, and along the M**^;'^^„aed a campaign wh,cl> Z^ with fire and sword, ^^us e ^^^^^ ^^^ re^d^tll^British with d^gr^, '^^^^^U. term of se^icc ihe French arms, ^^of* ^ •„, authoriUes, displaying much t quarrelling with *e co^onuJ anttior^ i'^-^' ''''' TTZ\ Z,«. vieour in tliis contest than ■' superseded, and r:.y"Vlyin the^^-^j:% ^ (^neral Aher- tt,e chief command m Amenc crombie. „^ . .^e ascendant in America, b The st«r of France '"«™ irresistible will of the tngh^ -r^thirS'^tatm^ and .pow-ful jr^ J'"- ^9 onO regular troops, jomed the co ^^^^ j, Set--! 1-^-1^ :|atthfcl:^s. ButtheBriti. Ust army yjt-™«»*;y,„a very slender abiht., ~rh:t2 -Si use of his ext-^ve means. ^^^ ^^^ The "nquest of Canada was *^, *^^ atrected ; but they JettSesof theBri^sh ^ ^of t^s hope f - nuioklv perceived that tne b^'^ , succeeding year, a ?e^t'd, must be defer^'^,^ ttS, ^r the protection o the cabinet of Kngland had Uewr privateers of thrEnglish commerce ■^•»!^, ^^^ of the assembled foroa F^nce, to employ a conf »«'*^^X ^nce its new system fnlTattack upon I^uisbourg, »* ^ ™^ Three expedito«n> rf Operations by the redaction of that p^ac ^^^ ^^^^ tl proposed f»*« P-^^UlderogiandCrownPom I lx>«isbourg, the ^^f i.^ Duquesne. In prosecution of tb and the third, against Fort Uuciu a was a ,, against 3vi«ce of .y utterly gn wbicli istre upon t of service ^ing mueli ne comtno^^ rseded, and aeral Abcr- ,erica. But the Englis^^ ,tor, W'^^^*^^"^, jersededLord ,in vrhat that America the .nt of Europe, calls for new .et, under M- Amlierst, v^itU ,e8, and A^ef [0,000 men, the Lt the Britii^^i Kender abilities, Lhich the most ectfid-, but they n8 hope, if ever teedingyear; a^^ the protection ot Ld privateers ot ^ [assembled forces | ce its new system kree expeditions ,'the first, against and Crown Pmnt^ prosecution of tU^ VILLIAH PITT, BARL OP CHATHAM. M (137) m THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 13§ first of these enterprises, Admiral Boscawen, sailing from Hali- fax (May 28) with a fleet of twenty ships of the lino unil eighteen frigates, conveying an army of fourteen thousand mon conducted by Amherst, of which but a small proportion wore provincial troops, arrived before Louisbourg on the 2d of Juno. The garrison of this place, commanded by the Chevalier do Drucourt, an intrepid and experienced officer, was composed of two thousand five hundred regulars, aided by six hundred militia. The condition of the harbour, secured by five ships of the line, one fifty-gun ship, and five frigates, three of which were sunk across the mouth of the basin, rendered it necessary for the invaders to land at some distance from the town. From the defensive precautions which the enemy had adopted, this operation was attended with considerable difficulty ; but, by the heroic resolution and resistless intrepidity of General Wolfo, it was accomplished with success, and little loss ; and the troops having been landed at the creek of Cormoran (June 8), and the artillery stores brought on shore, Wolfe was detached with two thousand men to seize a post which was occupied by the enemy at the Lighthouse Point, and was calculated to afford advantajiic to the besiegers by enabling them to annoy the ships in tiie harbour and the fortifications of the town. On the appearance of Wolfe, the post was abandoned ; and there the British soon erected a formidable battery. (June 12.) Approaches were also made on the opposite side of the town ; and the siege was pressed with a resolute activity characteristic of the English commanders, and yet with a severe and guarded caution, in- spired by the strength of the place and the reputation of i*s governor and garrison, who fully supported the high idea that was entertained of them, by the skilful and obstinate valour they exerted in its defence. In all the operations of the siege, the dauntless courage and indefatigable energy of Wolfe were signally pre-eminent. A heavy cannonade having been main- tained against the town and harbour, a bomb, exploding, set fire to one of the large ships, which soon blew up ; and the flames were communicated to two others, which shared the same fate. The English admiral, in consequence of this success, despatched boats, manned with six hundred men, into the har- bour, to make an attempt during the night on the two ships ol 140 the line which still «™*'»*'* ^,,tW"'^»"''"*'' '"'l'^^^ :^it:?,o.al.iae^i^e;f - ^^^ ie. «n^ly «- f THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 141 In spite of a ilatits Buccess- 3 ships, whicli the other was it the Eiighsh I already more educed by their •e no longer de- opositions were hould surrender )y sea and land, were finally ein- ourg, with all Its nrtillory, provisions, and military storon, tofrothor with Isle Koyiik', St. Joiin'.s, and their dependencies, was surrendered on the 20th of July to the English, wlio without farther dilheulty, took entire possession of the island of Cape Breton. Four hundred of the hosiegers and fifteen hundred of the garrison were killed or wounded during the siege ; and the town of Louisbourg was reduced to nearly a heap of ruins. In this town the conquerors found two hundred and twenty-one pieces of cannon, eighteen mortars, and a vast quantity of stores and ammunition. The inhabitants of Cape Breton were transported to France in English ships ; but the French garrison and their naval auxiliaries were carried prisoners of war to England, where the unwonted tidings of victory and conquest were hailed witi. demonstrations of the liveliest triumph and joy. The French colours, taken at Louisbourg, were carried in grand pro- cession from Kensington Palace to the Cathedral of St. Paul's ; and a form of thanksgiving was appointed to be used on the o(!casion in all the churches of England. The sentiments of thfe paren. state were re-echoed in America; where the people of New England, more especially, partook of the warmth of an exultation that revived the glory of their own previous achievement in the first conquest of Cape Breton. Before this conquest was completed, the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point occurred to chequer the new and victorious career of the British arms in America. This enter- prise was conducted by General Abercrombie, who, on th^^ 5th of July, endmrked his troops on Lake George in a hundred and twenty-five whaleboats and nine hundred batteaux. His army consisted of sixteen thousand effective men, of whom nine thou- sand were provincials, and was attended by a formidable train of artillery. Among other officers, he was accompanied by Lord Howe, a young English nobleman, who exhibited the most promising military talents, and whose valour, virtue, courtesy, and good sense, had greatly endeared him both to the Englisli and the provincial troops. The mass of mankind are always prone to regard with veneration those titular distinctions, which, having no real substance, afford unbounded scope to the exercise of fancy ; and almost universal suffrage is won, when the pos- sessor of such lofty, though unsolid, pretensions appears to jus- 18 m2 142 .„E SKVEN YEAHS'WAR^ u„,K'8 ARMY CB08MS0 tAKB OBOBOl. ABKnCROMDIK, S ARM» ^ 4. /l of arro-af.ng then with rtcro msolcnce i ^.^^^,^^ ^„. S:.nt .ride. I-l «7Xnat«.lan an incenth. to noble action, and »■' ''«' "^"P^ „u suspicion of mean, ob e- politencs, by cxemptmg "> ''""^f ^j, „rrival in Amenea, be q„io«« servility. From «'« 7( °'„„i„ent to eonform, to tbe Informed >'■"'-''• ■f.T^^.'n'v'V-d. He was the firs Btylc of service which «'«'»"";^\e conducted others, and to Jencounter tl.e danger to which >. ,^ ^^^^ ^ «,t the example of <'r7;'^"^ti„,^ined commanded respect, While the strict ^'^f^;^JX:Zi his manners conchated the kind and gracefV' taTO^" ^ „f j^e army. . affection. He was the idol a»d^^^y^ „,„ directed agamst The first "F^ation, of Ate^^m j^„j.,„g.ptee m Ticonderoga. H^^'^^.tTthe lake, the troops were formed eove on the western "-"l; "/. *" ,„„'t^ was occupied by the into four columns, of -^> * *e^ ce^^;^,,. i„ this order they British, and the flanks by the pro ^^^^j^_ ^^^^^_ Marched against the advanc^ g^^o^^ ^^^^^p^^nt and risting of one battalion ofV' "; f^n, the abandoned tnade-'a pr-'Pi'^^^.^T^the Sh cVmns, tewUdered by post against Ticonderoga, the am 1 Ma'CSMOfCI^'S i ifM ^, instead of n them with , titular dis- incentive to r an amiable ^ mean, ohso- America, iic nform, to the was the first )therB, and to hem to incur. , tnded respect, i jrs conciliated f rected against ling-place in a )s were formed ccupied by the this order they ich, which, con- icampment and the abandoned ,, bewildered by THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 143 tnncjlrd tliickets, nnd misled by unskiU'iil ^'nldcf, wore thrown into roiifusioii anr. At this jimctiuv, Lonl llowo, adviiiicin;; at the head of tlio riji^lit ocntrc coliinin, unexpectedly oiicountortMl llic fu^'itivo battalion of the Fivnch, who had loHt tlieir way in tlio wo(m1h, and now stiiiiil)li'd upon tlie enemy fmni wlioni tliey were cudeavourini; to cwiipe. They consisted of re^juhirs and a few IiidiauH; and, notwithstanding their surprise and inlt'n(»nty of numbers, s, who *it;oners. [irod the the aid ratagem, eked the cted the cted and nounting linst Fort ions, was Enfeebled tlie scene ! inoulder- nxious to } enemy's T man who srvice was tia; when ve showed mexpected is attended ^ed so fatal r, that they , Duquesne, hdrawn his sir fortress ; fears and iisappointed t from Fort doning it on , made their •I 4 r escape in boats down the Ohio. The British now toolc un- resisted possession of this important fortress, (November 25), which had been the immediate occasion of the existing war ; and, in compliment to the great statesman whose administra- tion had already given a new complexion to the fortune of their country and brought back departed victory to her side, they bestowed upon it the name of Fort Pitt. No sooner was the British flag hoisted on its walls, than deputations arrived from the numerous tribes of the Ohio Indians, tendering their adher- ence and submission to the victors. With the assistance of some of these Indians, a party of British soldiers were sent to explore the thickets where Braddock was attacked, and to be- stow the rites of sepulture on the bones of their countrymen which yet strewed the ground. Forbes, having concluded trea- ties of friendship with the Indians, left a garrison of provincials in the fort, and was reconducting his troops to Philadelphia, whea ! ^i died, worn out by the ceaseless and overwhelming fatig*.' « had undergone. Th -;/ important event of this indecisive campaign was the repulse of the French and Indians in an attack upon a settle- ment on the frontier of New England. These attempts to ra- vage the country were defeated by the exertions of Governor Pownall. The campaign was not, upon the whole, satisfactory to the British. More might have been done with the means at command. But the capture of two of the principal French posts and the consequent establishment of peace with the tribes in their vicinity, were important gains, which had an animating effect on the colonists. The plan for the campaign of 1759 was now concerted. It was arranged that three powerful armies should enter Canada by different routes, and attack, at about the same time, nearly all the strongholds of the French. At the head of one division of the army, consisting principally of English troops, and aided by an English fleet. General Wolfe, who had gained so much distinction at the recent siege of Louisbourg, was to ascend the river St. Lawrence, as soon as its navigation should cease to be obstructed by ice, and attempt the siege of Quebec, the capital of Canada. General Amherst, the commander-in-chief, was to march against Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and after reducing 148 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. m m RCINS OF FORT TICONDEROOA. these places, and establishing a naval force on Lake Champlain, was t'j penetrate, by the way of Richelieu river and the St. Lawrence, to Quebec, in order to form a junction with the forces of Wolfe. The third army, conducted by General Prideaux, and consisting chiefly of provincials, reinforced by a strong body of friendly Indians, assembled by the influence and placed under the special command of Sir William Johnson, was to at- tack the French fort near the Falls of Niagara, which com- manded, in a manner, all the interior parts of North America, and was a key to the whole continent. As soon as this fort should be carried, Prideaux was to embark on Lake Ontario, descend the river St. Lawrence, make himself master of Mcmt- real, and then unite his forces with those of Wolfe and Am- herst. General Stanwix commanded a smaller detachment of troops, which was employed in reducing the French forts on the Ohio, and scouring the banks of Lake Ontario. It was expected, that, if Prideaux's operations, in addition to their own immediate object, should not facilitate either of the two other tl tl THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 149 .mplain, the St. le forces rideaux, mgbody placed as to at- ,ch com- \.merica, this fort Ontario, of MoTit- ind Am- iment of forts on It was their own wo other capital undertakings, it would probably (as Niagara was the most important post which the enemy possessed in this quarter of America) induce the French to draw together .all their troops which were stationed on the borders of the lakes in order to attempt its reUef, which would leave the forts on these lakes exposed ; and this effect was actually produced. Early in the spring, Amherst transferred his head-quarters from New York to Albany, where his troops, amounting to twelve thousand men, were assembled in the end of May ; yet the summer was fiir advanced before the state of his prepara- tions enabled him to cross Lake George ; and it was not till the close of July, that he reached Ticonderoga. At first the enemy seemed determined to defend this fortress, and Colonel Town- send, a brave and accomplished English officer, who advanced to reconnoitre it, was killed by a cannon-ball. But perceiving the determined yet cautious resolution, and the overwhelming force, with which Amherst was preparing to undertake the siege, and having received strict orders to retreat from post to post towards the centre of operations at Quebec, rather than incur the risk of being made prisoners, the garrison, a few days after, dismantled a part of the fortifications, and, evacuating Ticonderoga during the night, retired to Crown Point. Am- herst, directly occupying the important post thus abandoned, which efiectually covered the frontiers of New York and secured himself a safe retreat, caused the works to be repaired, and allotted a strong garrison for its defence. Thence advancing to Crown Point, with a cautious and guarded circumspection which the event showed to have been unnecessary, but which he was induced to observe by remembering how fatal a confident secu- rity had proved to other British commanders in this quarter of the world, he took possession of this fortress with the same facility which attended his first acquisition, in consequence of a farther retrogression of the enemy, who retired from his ap- proach and intrenched themselves in a fort at Isle-aux-Noix, on the northern extremity of Lake Champlain. At this place the French, as he was informed, had collected three thousand five hundred men, with a numerous train of artillery, and possessed the additional resource of four large armed vessels on the lake. Amherst exerted the utmost activity to create a naval force, 19 N i:: 150 THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR. witliout which it was impossible for him to attack the enemy's position ; and with a sloop and a radeau, which were built with great despatch, he succeeded in destroying two of their ves- sels, — an achievement, in which the bold, adventurous spirit of Putnam was conspicuously displayed; but a succession of storms, and the advanced season of the year, compelled him re- luctantly to postpone the farther prosecution of his scheme of operations. He established his troops in winter quarters at Crown Point, in the end of October, and confined his attention to strengthening the works of this fortress and of Ticonderoga. Thus the first of the three simultaneous expeditions embraced in the plan of this year's campaign, though attended with suc- cessful and important consequences, failed to produce the full result which had been anticipated by its projectors. Amherst, so far from being able to penetrate into Canada and form a junction with Wolfe, was unable to maintain the slightest com- munication with him ; and only by a letter from Montcalm, in relation to an exchange of prisoners, obtained information that Wolfe was besieging Quebec. With the army which undertook the siege of Niagara, indeed, his communication was uninter- rupted ; and intelligence of its success had reached him before he advanced from Ticonderoga against Crown Point. While Amherst's army was thus employed. General Prideaux, with his European, American, and Indian troops, embarking on Lake Ontario, advanced without loss or opposition to the fortress at Niagara, which he reached about the middle of July, and promptly invested on all sides. He was conducting his approaches with great vigour, when, on the twentieth of the month, during a visit he made to the trenches, he lost his life by the unfortunate bursting of a cohom. Amherst was no sooner informed of this accident, than he detached General Gage from Ticonderoga to assume the command of Prideaux's anny ; but it devolved, in the mean time, upon Sir William Johnson, who exercised it with a success that added a new laurel to the honours which already adorne. 'ns name. The enemy, alarmed with the apprehension of losir . post of such importance, re- solved to make an effort ^ . i i relief From their forts of Detroit, Venango, and P»-^sque Isle, they drew together a force of twelve hundred mer^ which, with a troop of Indian auxilia- CO ha CO ar of THE SEVEN YEARS Tf AR. 151 ries, were detached under the command of an officer named D'Aubry, with the purpose of raising the siege or reinforcing the garrison of Niagara. Johnson, who had been pushing the siege even more vigorously than his predecessor, learning the. design of the French to relieve the garrison, made instant pre- paration to intercept it. As they approached, he ordered his liglit infantry, supported by a body of grenadiers and other re- gulars, to occupy the r< --^ ^' " i Niagara Falls to the fortress, by which the enemy we.e u^ i-ncing, and covered his tianks with immerous troops of his Indian allies. At :'\. same time, he posted a strong detachment of men in his trenches, to pro- vent any sally from the garrison during the approaching engagement. About nine in the morning (July 24), the two armies being in sight of each other, the Indians attached to the English, advancing, proposed a conference with their country- men, who served under the French banners ; but the proposition was declined. The French Indians having raised the fierce, wild yell called the war-whoop, which by this time had lost its appalling effect on the British soldiers, the action began by an impetuous attack from the enemy ; and while the neighbouring cataract of Niagara pealed forth to inattentive ears its eve last- ing voice of many tvaters, the roar of artillery, the shrieks of the Indians, and all the martial clang and dreadful revelry of a field of battle, mingled in wild chorus with the majestic music of nature. The French conducted their attack with the utmost courage and spirit, but were encountered with such firm, deli- berate valour in front by the British regulars and provincials, and so severely galled on their flanks by the Indians, that in less than an hour their army was completely routed, their general with all his officers taken prisoners, and the fugitives from the field pursued with great slaughter for many miles through the woods. This was the second victory gained in the course of the present war by Sir William Johnson, a man who had received no military education, and whose fitness for com- mand was derived solely from natural courage and sagacity. Both his victories were signalized by the capture of the enemy's commanders. On the morning after the battle, Johnson sent an officer to communicate the result of it to the commandant of the garrison of Fort Niagara, and recommend an immediate 152 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 1 « ■ I m surrender before more blood was shed, and while it was yet in his power to restrain the barbarity of twe Indiana ; and tlie commandant, having ascertained tiie truth of the tidings, capi- tulated without farther delay. The garrison, consisting of between six and seven hundred effective men, marched out with the honours of war, and were convey d prisoners to New York. They were allowed to retain their baggage, and, by proper escort, were protected from the ferocity and rapacity of the Indians. Though eleven hundred of these savages (chiefly of the confederacy of the Six Nations) followed Johnson to Niagara, so effectually did he restrain them, that not an incident occurred to rival or retaliate the scenes at Oswego and Fort William Henry. The women, of whom a considerable number were found at Fort Niagara, were sent, at their own request, with their children to Montreal ; and the sick and wounded, who could not sustain the fatigue of removal, wei oated with humane attention. Although the army by which this success was achieved, whether from ignorance of the result of Wolfe's enterprise, or from some other cause more easily conjectured than ascertained, made no attempt to pursue the ulterior objects which had been assigned to its sphere of upetation, and so far failed to fulfil its expected share of the cam} aign ; yet the actual result of its exertions was gratifying and important in no ordinary degree. The reduction of Niagara lilectually interrupted the communication, so much dreaded by the Eng- lish, between Canada and Louisiana ; and by this bloAv, one of the grand designs of the French, which had long threatened to produce war, and which finally contributed to provoke the present contest, was completely defeated. General Wolfe, meanwhile, was engaged in that capital enterprise of the campaign which aimed at the reduction of Quebec. The army %vhich he conducted, amounting to eight thousand men, having embarked at Louisbourg, under convoy of an English squadron commanded by Admiral Saunders and Holmes, after a successful voyage, disembarked, in the end of June, on the Isle of Orleans, a large, fertile island, surrounded by the waters of the St. Lawrence, situated a little below Quebec, well cultivated, producing plenty of grain, and abound- ing with inhabitants, villages, and plantations. Soon after his THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 153 eiglit landing, Wolfe distributed a manifesto among the French colonists, acquainting them that the king, his master, justly exasperated against the French monarch, had equipjjcd a powerl'ul armament in order to humble his pride, and was deter- mined to reduce the most considerable settlements of France in America. He declared that it was not against industrious peasants and their families, nor against the ministers of religion, that he desired or intended to make war ; on the contrary, he lamented the misfortunes to which they were exposed by the quarrel ; he offered them his protection, and promised to main- tain them in their temporal possessions, as well as in the free exercise of their religion, provided they would remfiin quiet, and abstain from participation in the controversy between the two crowns. The English, he proclaimed, were masters of the river St. Lawrence, and could w.ius intercept all succours from France ; and they had besides the prospect of a speedy reinforcement from the army which General Amherst was conducting to form a junction with them. The line of conduct which the Cana- dians ought to pursue, he affirmed, was neither difficult nor doubtful; since the utmost exertion of their valour must be useless, and could serve only to deprive them of the advantages which they might reap from their neutrality. He protested that the cruelties already exercised by the French upon the subjects of Great Britain in America, would sanction the most severe reprisals; but that Britons were too generous to follow such barbarous example. While he tendered to the Canadians the blessings of peace amidst the horrors of war, and left them by their own conduct to determine their own fate, he expressed his hope that the world would do him justice, and acquit him of blame, should the objects of his solicitude, by rejecting these favourable terms, oblige him to have recourse to measures of violence and severity. Having expatiated on the strength and power of Britain, whose indignation they might provoke, he urged them to recognise the generosity with which she now held forth the hand of humanity, and tendered >to them for- bearance and protection, at the very time when France, by her weakness, was compelled to abandon them. This proclamation produced no immediate effect ; nor, indeed, did the Canadians place much dependence on the assurances of a people whom zr2 15-1 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. \ i il li>i their priests industriously represented to them as the fiercest and most faithless enemy upon earth. Possessed Avith these notions, they disregarded the offered protection of Wolfe, and, abandoning their habitations, joined the scalping parties of the Indians who skulked among the woods, and butchered with the most inhuman barbarity all the English stragglers they could surprise. Wolfe, in a letter to Montcalm, r«^monstrated against these atrocities as contrary to the rules of war between civilized nations, and dishonourable to the service of France. But either the authority of Montcalm was not sufficient, or it was not exerted with sufficient energy, to bridle the ferocity of the savages ; M'ho continued to scalp and butcher with such increase of appetite for blood and revenge, that Wolfe, in the hope of intimidating the enemy into a cessation of this stylo of hostility, judged it expedient to connive at some retaliatory outrages, from which the nobleness of his disposition would otherwise have revolted with abhorrence. From his position in the Isle of Orleans, the English com- mander had a distinct view of the danger and difficulty by which his enterprise was obstructed. Quebec is chiefly built on a steep rock on the northern bank of the St. Lawrence, and addi- tionally defended by the river St. Charles, which, flowing past it on the east, unites with the St. Lawri-nce immediately l>elow the town, and consequently encloses it in a peninsular locality. Besides its natural barriers, the city was tolerably fortified by art, secured with a numerous garrison, and plentifully supplied with provisions and ammunition. In the St. Charles, whose channel is rough, and whose borders are intersected with ravines, there were several armed vessels and floating batteries ; and a boom was drawn across its mouth. On the eastern bank of this stream, a formidable body of French troops, strongly in- trenched, extended their encampment along the shore of Beau- fort to the falls of the river Montmorency, having their rear covered by an impenetrable forest. At the head of this army was the skilful, experienced, and intrepid Montcalm, the ablest commander that France had employed in America since the death of Count Frontignac, and who, though possessed of forces superior in number to the invaders, prudently determined to stand on the defensive, and mainly depend on the natural THE SE\EN YEARS WAR. 155 strength of the country, which, indeed, appoaitd alniost insur- mountable. He had lately reinforced his troops witii five bat- talions enilK)died from the flower of the colonial population ; ho had trained to arms all the neighlxjurinji^ inhabitantH, and col- lected around him a numerous band of the most ancient and attached Indian allies of France. To undertake the sie<;e of Quebec, against such opposing force, was not only a deviation from the established maxims of war, but a rash and romantic enterprise. But great actions are commonly transgressions of ordinary rules; and Wolfe, though fully awake to the hazard and dilliculty of the achievement, was not to be deterred from attempting it. Resolved to attempt whatever was practicable for the reduc- tion of Quebec, Wolfe took possession, after a successful skirmish, of Point levi, on the southern bank of the St. Lawrence, and there erected batteries against the town ; but his fire from this pos'Hon, though it destroyed many houses, made little impres- sion upon the works, which were too strong and too remote to be essentially affected by it, and, at the same time, too elevated to be reached by a cannonade from the ships of war. Perceiv- ing that his artillery could not be efliciently exerted except from batteries constructed on the opposite side of the St. Law- rence, Wolfe soon decided on more daring and impetuous mea- sures. The northern shore of the St. Lawrence, to a con- siderable extent above Quebec, is so rocky and precijjitous, as to render a landing, in the face of an enemy, impracticable. An offensive attempt below the town, though less imprudent, was confronted by formidable obstructions. Even if the river Montmorency were passed, and the French driven from their intrenchments, the St. Charles must still present a new and less superable barrier against the assailants. Wolfe, acquainted with every obstacle, but heroically observii^g that "a victorious army finds no difliculties," resolved to pass the Montmorency and bring Montcalm to an engagement. For this purpose, thir- teen companies of English grenadiers and a part of the second battalion of royal Americans were landed at the mouth of that river, while two divisions under Generals Townsend and Mur- ray, prepared to cross it by a ford which was discovered farther up the stream. Wolfe's plan was to attack, in the first instance. 15G THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. i>. a rc(l()n})t close to the water's cdj^^o, ftiid apparently Iwyond reucli of shot Irom the enemy's intrenchments, in the Iioikj that the French, by attemptinj; to support that fortification, would enable him to bring on a general engagement; or that, if they should submit to the loss of the redoubt, he could thence take an accurate survey of their position, and regulate with advan- tage bis subseciuent ojwrations. On the approach of the British troops, the redoul)t was evacuated ; and Wolfe, observing some conlusion in the French camp, instantly changed his original plan, and determined to attack the hostile intrenchments with- out farther delay. Townsend and Murray were now com- manded to hold their divisions in readiness for fording the river, and the grenadiers and royal Americans were directed to form on the beach, and await there the reinforcement which was requisite to sustain their exertions; but, flushed with ardour and negligent of support, these troops made a precipitate charge upon the enemy's intrenchments, where they were received with so steady and sharp a fire from the French musketry, that they were presently thrown into disorder, and compelled to take refuge in the abandoned redoubt. Here it proved, un- expectedly, that they were still exposed to an effective fire from the enemy, and several brave officers, ex|X)sing their persons in attempting to reform and rally the troops, were killed. A thunder-storm, which now broke out, contributed to bailie the efforts of the British, without depressing the spirit of the French, who continued to fire, not only upon the troops in the redoubt, but on those who were lying wounded and disabled on the field, near their own intrenchments. The English general, finding that his plan of attack was completely disconcerted, ordered his troops to repass the river and return to the Isle of Orleans. Besides the mortifying check which he had received, he lost, in this rash, ill-considered attempt, nearly five hundred of the bravest men in his army. Some experience, however, though dearly bought, had been gained ; and Wolfe — now assured of the impracticability of ap- proaching Quebec on the side of the Montmorency, while Mont- calm retained his station, which he seemed determined to do, till, from the advance of the season, the elements should lend their aid in destroying the invaders — detached General Murray, THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 157 been of ap- Mont- to do, d lend urray, with twelve hundred men in transports, to co-operate with Adniiral Ilohnes above the town in an attempt upon tiie French wliippinj^, and to distract the enemy by dettcents on the banks ol* tbe river. (August 25.) After twice endeavouring without success to land on the northern shore, Murray, by a sudden descent which he accompUshed at Chamb{)ud, gained the oppor- tunity of destroying a valuable nuigazine, fdled with clotliing, anns, ammunition, and provisions ; but the French ships were secured in such a manner as to defy the approach either of the Heet or the army. On his return to the British camp, he brought the consolatory intelligence, obtained from his prisoners, that F\)rt Niagara was taken ; that Ticonderof-v* and Crown Point had been occupied without resistance; and that General Amlierst was making preparations to attack the enemy at Isle-aux-Noix. The camp of the Isle of Orleans was abandoned ; and the whole army having embarked on board the fleet, a part of it was landed at Point Levi, and a part at a spot farther up the river. Admiral Holmes, meanwhile, for sr.vi id days successively, manoeuvred with his fleet in a manner cal- culated to engage the attention of the enemy on the northern shore, and draw their observation as far as possible from the city. These movements had no other effect than to induce Montcalm to detach fifteen hundred men, under the command of Bougainville, one of his officers, from the main camp, to watch the motions of the English fleet and army, and prevent a landing from being accomplished. Wolfe was now confined to bed by a severe fit ol the disease under which he laboured, aggravated by ince.. ir.+ fatigue and by the anxiety inseparable from a combinatij:; of difliculties sufficient to have appalled the stoutest courage and perplexed the most resolute and intelUgent command' r. In this situation, his three brigadier-generals, whom he mvited to concert some plan of operations, projected and proposed to him a during enterprise, of which the immediate object was to gain possession of the lofty eminences beyond Quebec, where the enemy's forti- fications were comparatively slight. It was proposed to land the troops by night under the Heights of Abraham, at a small distance from the city, and to scale the summit of these heights before daybreak. This attempt manifeatly involved extreme 20 158 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. i";,ii i difficulty and hazard. The stream was rapid, the shore shelving, the bank of the river lined with French sentinels, the landing- place so narrow as easily to be missed in the dark, and the cliff which must afterwards be surmounted so steep that it was difficult to ascend it even, in open day and without opposition. Should the design be promulgated by a spy or deserter, or suspected by the enemy ; should the disembarkation be dis- ordered, through the darkness of the night, or the obstructions of the shore ; the landing-place be mistaken, or but one sentinel alarmed, — the Heights of Abraham would instantly be covered with such numbers of troops as would render the attempt abortive and defeat inevitable. The necessary orders having been communicated, and the preparatory arrangements completed, the whole fleet, upon the 12th of September, moved up the river several leagues above the spot allotted for the assault, and at various intervening places made demonstrations of an intention of landing the troops ; as if the movement had been merely experimental, and no decisive purpose of attack were yet entertained. But, an hour after midnight, the troops were embarked in flat-bottomed boats, which, aided by the tide and the stream, drifted with all possible caution down the river towards the intended place of disembarkation. They were obliged to keep close to the northern shore, in order to diminish the danger of passing the landing place (which, nevertheless, very nearly happened) in the dark ; and yet escaped the challenge of all the French sen- tinels exept one or two, whose vigilance, however, was baffled by the presence of mind and ingenuity with which a Scotch officer replied to the call, and described the force to which he belonged as a part of Bougainville's troops employed in explor- ing the state of the river and motions of the English. Silence was commanded under pain of death, which was, indeed, doubly menaced; and a death-like stillness was preserved in every boat. A detachment of Scotch Highlanders and of light in- fantry, commanded by Colonel Howe (brother of the nobleman who perished at Ticonderoga) led the way up the dangerous cliff, which was ascended by the aid of the rugged projection of the rocks and the branches of some bushes and plants that pro- truded from their crevices. The rest of the troops, emulating I: / this narj the ^^ whiJ mini at fi pos«j abrul nu^rJ indul Con^ coned THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 159 affled Scotch ich he xplor- Silence doubly every ght in- jlcman igerably have reverted to its ibnner masters, if nn armament which was despatched from France had not ])een outsailed by a British squadron, which succeeded in first gaining the entrance and tlie connnand of the St. Law- rence. Tlie French frigates, which had descended from Mon- treal, were now attacked by the British sliijjs, and, part of them having been destroyed, the rest betook themselves to a hasty retreat up the river. Levi instantly raised the siege, and, retiring with a precipitation that obliged him to abandon the greater part of his baggage and artillery, reconducted his forces (with the exception of a party of Canadians and Indians who became disheartened and deserted him by the way) to Montreal. Here the Marquis de Vaudreuil, governor-general of Canada, had fixed his head-quarters, and determined to make his last stand in defence of the French colonial empire, — thus reduced, from the attitude of preponderance and conquest which it pre- sented two years before, to the necessity of a defensive and des- perate efiuit for its own preservation. For this purpose Vaudreuil called in all his detachments and collected around him the whole force of the colony. Though little chance of success remained to him, lie preserved an intrepid countenance, and in all his dispositions displayed the firmness and foresight of .n accomplished commander. To support the drooping courage of the Canadians and their Indian allies, he had even recourse to the artifice of circulating among them feigned intel- ligence of the successes of France in other quarters of the world, and of her approaching succour. Amherst, in the mean time, was diligently engaged in con- certing and prosecuting measures for the entire conquest of Canada. During the winter, he had made arrangements for bringing all the British forces from Quebec, Lake Champlain, and Lake Ontario, to join in a combined attack upon Montreal. Colonel Haviland, by his direction, sailing with a detachment from Crown Point, took possession of Isle-aux-Noix, which he found abandoned by the enemy, and thence proceeded towards Montreal ; while Amherst, with his own division, consisting of about ten thousand regulars and provincials, left the frontiers of New York, and advanced to Oswego, where his force received 108 THE SEVEN YEARS \»AR. the addition of a thousand IndiauH of the Six Nations, march- ing under the command of Sir William JoluiHon. Embarking with his entire army on Lake Ontario, he reduced the fort of Isle Royale, one of the most important posts which the French possessed on the river St. Lawrence ; and thence, after a difli- cult and dangerous passage, conducted his troops to Montreal, where, on the very day of their arrival (September 6, 1700), they were met by the forces commanded by General Murray. In his progress up the river, Murray distributed proclamations among the Canadians inhabiting its southern shore, which pro- duced such an effect that almost all the parishes in this quarter, as far as the river Sorel, declared their submission to Britain, and took the oath of neutrality ; and Lord RoUo, meanwhile, advancing along the northern shore, disarmed all the inhabit- ants as far as Trois Rivieres, which, though the capital of a large district, being merely an open village, was taken without resistance. By a happy concert in the execution of a well digested plan, the armies of Amherst and Murray, on the day after their own simultaneous arrival (September 7), were joined by the detachment confided to Colonel Haviland. Am- herst had already made preparation for investing Montreal ; but Vaudreuil, perceiving, from the strength of the combined armies, and the skilful dispositions of their commanders, that resistance must be ineffectual, hastened to demand a capitula- tion; and on the following day (September 8), Montreal, Detroit, and all the other places of strength within the govern- ment of Canada were surrendered to the British crown. After the capitulation. General Gage was appointed governor of Mon- treal, with a garrison of two thousand men; and Murray returned to Quebec, where his garrison was augmented to four thousand. Thus fell the colonial empire of France on the continent of North America,— the victim of overweening ambition, and of the rage of a rival state, transported by insult and injury beyond the usual channel of its policy and the limits of the system it had hitherto pursued. On the south of the Mississippi, the French still possessed the infant colony of Louisiana; but this settle- ment, far from being powerful or formidable, was so thinly peopled and so ill-conditioned, that it could scarcely have pre- vmce. right i killed several highly! frontief peacefj happej upper Were ii against interpc THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 169 rch- ving tot' 'iich aiiu- real, ^00), rray. tions I pro irter, itain, liabit- l of a ithout I well le day , were Am- iitreal ; nbined that ipitula- mtreal, govern- After of Mon- Murray to four inent of , and of f beyond tystem it e French lis settle- thinly have pre- served its existence, without the provinionH of fcKKl and other supplies it obtained hy a contraband trade witli the British provinceH. The downfall of the French dominion was com- pleted by the fate of the armament, which was denpatciied thia year from France for the assistance of Canada. The connnander of tins force, consisting of one frigate of thirty guns, two large store-ships, and nineteen smaller vessels, having as('ertained before his arrival on the coast that a British squadron had already sailed up the St. Lawrence, took refuge i , i tJie Bay of Chaleurs, on the coast of Nova Scotia. Captain Byron, who commanded tiie British vessels, stationed at Louisbourg, receiv- ing inteUigence of the enemy's position, instantly sailed with live ships of war to the Bay of Chaleurs, and easily succeeded in destroying the hostile armament, as well as in dismantling two batteries which the French had erected on shore. In the mean time, the Carolinas were suffering from Indian hostility, instigated by the French garrison, that had retreated from Fort Duquesne. In the different expeditions against Fort Duquesne, the Cherokees, agreeable to treaty, had sent con- siderable parties of warriors to the assistance of the British army. As the horses in those parts run wild in the woods, it was customary, both among Indians and white people on the frontiers, to lay hold of them and appropriate them to their own purposes ; but while the savages were returning home through the back parts of Virginia, many of them having lost their horses, laid hold of such as came in their way, never imagining that they belonged to any individual in the pro- vince. The Virginians, however, instead of asserting their right in a legal way, resented the injury by force of arms, aud killed twelve or fourteen of the unsuspicious warriors, and took several more prisoners. The Cherokees, with reason, were highly provoked at such ungrateful usage from allies, whose frontiers they had helped to change from a field of blood into peaceful habitations, and when they came home told what had happened to their nation. The flame soon spread through the upper towns, ard those who had lost their friends and relations were implacable, and breathed nothing but fury and vengeance against such perfidio'is friends. In vain did the chieftains interpose their authority ; nothing could restrain the furious ■ 170 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. fipirits ol* the young men, who wore detennined to take Hiitis- faction for the loss of their relations. The emissaries of France among them instigated them to bloodshed, and for that purpose furnished them with arms and ammunition ; and the scattered families on the frontiers of Carolina lay much exposed to scalping parties of these savages. The garrison of Fort Loudon, consisting of about two hundix?d men, under the command of Captains Demere and Stuart, first discovered the ill-humour in wliicli the Cherokee warriors re- turned from the northern expedition. The soldiers, as usual, making excursions into the w(X)d8 to hunt for fresh provisions, were attacked by them, and some of them were killed. From this time such dangers threatened the garrison, that every one was confined within the small boundaries of the fort ; and all communication with the distant settlement from which they received supplies being cut off, and the soldiers being but poorly provided, had no other prospects left but those of famine or death. Parties of young Indians took the field, and rushing down among the settlements, murdered and scalped a number of people on the frontiers. The commanding oflicer at Fort Prince George having re- ceived intelligence of these acts of hostility, despatclied a mes- senger to Charleston to inform Governor Lyttleton that the Cherokees had commenced hostilities. In consequence of which, parties of the independent companies were brought to Charles- ton ; and the militia of the country had orders to rendezvous at Congarees, where the governor, with such a force as he could procure from the lower parts, resolved to join them, and march to the relief of the frontier settlements. No sooner had the Cherokees heard of these warlike prepa- rations at Charleston, than 32, of their chiefs set out for that place, in order to settle all diflferences, and prevent, if possible, a war; but the governor, notwithstanding, determined that nothing should prevent his military expedition, although Lieu- tenant-Governor Bull urged the danger of a war at that time. A few days after holding this conference with the chieftains, the governor set out for Congarees, the place of general rendez- vous for the militia, and about 140 miles distant from Charles- ton, where he mustered in all about 1400 men. To this l)lac all ( men tain>4 prev( nioui mar(! ujum sliiit I soldie their Go\ discip dangei before! wisest the En hasten which to the i cstublj} better ( was oh: satisfac Cherokl than ai lish em Aboi with til drawn in whic (who ij confine^ of mure of the usual ; man pi during no inteil THE SKVEN YEARS WAR. 171 place tlio Cherokeof TriarcluMl alon^M'itli the army, and were to all itented, but 'ty ith jpearance iiient. When the army moved I'rom the (Jonpirees, the chief- tainw, very unex^wctedly, were all nuule prisoners; and to prevent their escape to the nation, a captain's guard wa« mounted over them, and in this maimer they were obli^red to march to Fort Prince (jeorge. And these thirty-two Indians, ujKJn the arrival of the army at Fort Prince (ieorge, were all shut up in a luit, scarcely sullicient for the accommodation of six soldiers, where they very naturally concerted plots lor obtiuning their lilx>rty. Governor Lyttleton's little army being not oidy ill armed and disciplined, but also discontented and nuitinous, he judjrcd it dangerous to proceed further into the enemy's country. Having beforehand sent for AttakuUakulla, who was esteemed both the wisest man of the Civek nation and the most steady friend of the English, to meet him at Fort Prince George, this warrior hastened to his camp from an excursion against the French, in which he had taken some prisoners, one of whom he jjresented to the governor. Mr. Lyttleton knew that for obtaining a re- establishment of peace there was not a man in the whole nation better disposed to assist him than this old warrior, though it was observed that he cautiously avoided making any oiler of satisfaction. But so small was his influence among the Cherokees at this time, that they considered him as no better than an old woman, on account of his attachment to their Eng- lish enemies, and his aversion from going to war against them. About the 1 8th of December, 1 759, the governor held a congress with this warrior, and ultimately agreed to a treaty of peace, drawn up and signed by the governor and six of the head men ; in which it w^as agreed, that the 32 chieftains of the Cherokees (who had been taken prisoners) should be kept as hostages confined in the fort, until the same number of Indians, guilty of murder, should be delivered up to the commander-in-chief of the province ; that trade should be opened and carried on as usual ; that the Cherokees should kii^, or take every French- man prisoner, who should presume to come into their nation during the continuance of the war ; and that they should hold no intercourse with the enemies of Great Britain, but should \M III 172 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. apprehend every person, white or red, found among them, that might be endeavouring to set the English and Cherokees at variance, and interrupt the friendship and peace established between them. Scarcely had Governor Lyttleton concluded the treaty of Fort Prince George, when the small-pox, which was rut,^ng in an adjacent Indian town, broke out in his camp ; and as few of his little army had ever gone through that distemper, and as the surgeons were totally unprovided for such an accident, his men were struck with terror, and in great haste returned to the settlements, cautiously avoiding all intercourse one with another, and suffering much from hunger and fatigue by the way. The governor followed them, and arrived in Charleston about the beginning of the year 1760 Though not o drop of blood had been spilt during the expedition, he was received like a con- queror, with the greatest demonstrations of joy ; and the most flattering addresses were presented to him by the different so- cieties and professions, and bonfires and illuminations testified the high sense the inhabitants entertained of his merit and services, and the happy consequences which they believed would result from his expedition. However, those rejoicings on account of the peace were scarcely over, when the news arrived that fresh hostilities had been committee", and the governor was informed that the Cherokees had killed fourteen men within a mile of Fort Prince George. The Indians had contracted an invincible antipathy to Captain Coytmore, the officer whom Mr. Lyttleton had left commander of that fort ; and the treatment they had received at Charleston, but especially the imprisonment of their chiefs, had now converted their former desire of peace into the bitterest rage for war. Occonostota, a chieftain of great influence, had become a most implacable and vindictive enemy to Carolina, and determined to repay treachery with treachery. Having gathered a strong party of Cherokees, he surrounded Fort Prince George, and compelled the garrison to keep within their works ; but finding that he could make no impression on the fort, nor oblige the commander to surrender, he contrived the following stratagem for the relief of his countrymen confined in it. a frit voice town! ofthf for vj took, singii famil child! fury.j knifel prisoJ THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 173 As that country was everywhere covered with woods, he placed a party of savages in a dark thicket by the river side, and then sent an Indian woman, whom he knew to be always wel(!()me at the fort, to inform the commander that he had something of consequence to communicate to him, and would be glad to speak with him at the river side. Captain Coytmore imprudently consented, and without any suspicion of danger walked down towards the river, accompanied by Lieutenants Bell and Foster; when Occonostota, appearing on the opposite side, told him he was going to Charleston to procure a release of the prisoners, and would be glad of a white man to accompany him as a safeguard ; and the better to cover his dark design, had a bridle in his hand, and added, he would go and hunt for a horse for him. The Captain replied, that he should have a guard, and wished he might find a horse, as the journey was very long. Upon which the Indian, turning quickly about, swung the bridle thrice round his head, as a signal to the savages placed in ambush, who instantly fired on the officers, shot the captain dead on the spot, and wounded the other two. In consequence of which, orders were given to put the hostages in irons, to prevent any further danger from them ; but while the soldiers were attempting to execute their orders, the In- dians stabbed the first man who laid hold of them with a knife, and wounded two more ; upon which the garrison, exasperated to the highest degree, fell on the unfortunate hostages and butchered them in a manner too shocking to relate. There were few men in the Cherokee nation that did not lose a friend or a relation by this massacre, and tlierefore with one voice all immediately declared for war. The leaders in every town seized the hatchet, tell'ng their followers that the spirits of their murdered brothers were flying around them, and calling for vengeance. From the different towns large parties of warriors took the field, painted in the most formidable manner, and smgmg the war song, rushed down among the defenceless families on the frontiers of Carolina, where men, women, and children, without distinction, fell a sacrifice to their merciless fury. Suc'i as fled to the woods, and escaped the scalping- knife, perished with hunger; and those whom they made prisoners were carried into the wilderness, where they suffered 22 P Iff' ' ■■ ! i f] '%:'] Hm 11 174 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. W'rv-^ mij '.' \, 'I inexpressible hardships ; and every day brought fresh accounts to the capital of their ravages, murders, and desolations. But while the back settlers impatiently looked to their governor for relief, the small-pox raged to such a degree in town, that few of the militia could be prevailed on to leave their distressed families to serve the public. In this extremity an express was sent to General Amherst, the commander-in-chief in America, acquainting him with the deplorable situation of the province, and imploring his assistance in the most pressing terms. Ac- cordingly a battalion of Highlanders, and four companies of the Royal Scots, under the command of Colonel Montgomery, after- wards Earl of Eglinton, were ordered immediately to embark, and sail for the relief of Carolina. In the mean time William Lyttleton being transferred to the government of Jamaica, the charge of the province devolved on William Bull, a man of great integrity and erudition. Appli- cation was made to the inhabitants of North Carolina and Vir- ginia for relief, and seven troops of rangers were raised to patrol the frontiers, and prevent the savages from penetrating further down among the settlements. A considerable sum was voted for presents to such of the Creeks, Chickesaws, and CataAvbas as should join the province, and go to war against the Chero- kees ; and provisions were sent to the families that had escaped to Augusta and Fort Moore, and the best preparations possibk; made for chastising their enemy, so soon as the regulars coming from New York should arrive in the province. Before the end of April, 1760, Colonel Montgomery landed in Carolina, and encamped at Monk's Corner ; but as the con- quest of Canada was the grand object of this year's campaign in America, he had orders to strike a sudden blow for the relief of Carolina, and return to head-quarters at AUiany without loss of time. Nothing was therefore omitted that was judged neces- sary to forward the expedition. Sev^eral gentlemen of fortune, excited by a laudable zeal, formed themselves into a company of volunteers, and joined the army. The whole force of the province was collected, and ordered to rendezvous at Congarec 3 and wagons, carts, and horses were impressed. A few weeks after his arrival. Colonel Montgomery marched to the Congaree, where he was joined b}' the internal strength of 1 COUl guid W00( allov reac] adva the r from barki was i the li to pu to Es excopi and tl; well |: reduce in tlie lower soners, mouiiti Geoi'po somucl fort, ni of pi'ovl Wliif kin, ng| the mu for pcaj of Britif LoudoiJ iiig offiJ tainingi Montgf listen t\ chastis^ the thi^ particuj THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 175 length of the province, and immediately set out for the Cherokee country. He was provided with a half-blooded Indian, for a guide, who was well acquainted with the roads through the woods, and the passages through the rivers. Having little time allowed him, his march was spirited and expeditious. After reaching a place called Twelvemile River, he encamped on an advantageous ground, and marched with a party of his men in the night to surprise Estatoe, an Indian town about 20 miles from his camp. The first noise he heard by the way was the barking of a dog before his men, where he was informed there was an Indian town called Little Keowee, which he ordered the light infantry to surround, and, except women and children, to put every Indian in it to the sword. He next proceeacd to Estatoo, which he found aband( ned by all the savages, excepting a few who had not had time to make their escape ; and this town, which consisted of at least 200 houses, and was well provided with corn, hogs, poultry, and amnnmition, he reduced to ashes ; and Sugar Town, and every other settlement in the lower nation, afterwards shared the same fate. In these lower toAvns about CO Indians were killed and 40 made pri- soners, and the rest were driven to seek for shelter among the mountains. He then marched to the relief of Fort Prince George, which had been for some time invested by sovages, in- somuch that no soldier durst venture beyond the bounds of the fort, and where the garrison was in distress, ret for the want of provisions, but of fuel to prepare them. While the army rested at Fort Prince George, Fdm\md At- kin, agent for Indian affairs, despatched two InHian chiefs to the middle settlements, to inform the Cherokees tnat by taing for peace they might obtain it, as the former friends and allies of Britain ; and at the same time he sent a messenger to Fort Loudon, requesting Captains Demere and Stuart, the command- ing officers at that place, to use their best endeavours for ob- taining peace with the Cherokees in the upper towns. Colonel Montgomery finding that the savages were as yet disposed to listen to no terms of accommodation, determined to carry the chastisement a little further. While he was piercing through the thick forest he had numberless difficulties to surmount, particularly from rivers fordable only at one place, and over- It iM'} 176 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. looked by high banks on each side, where an enemy might attack him with advantage, and retreat witli safety. When lie had advanced within five miles of Etchoe, the nearest town in the miudle settlements, he found there a low valley, covered so thickly with bushes that the soldiers could scarcely see three yards before them, and in the middle of which there was a muddy river, with steep clay janks. Through this dark place, where it was impossible for any number of men to act together, the army must necessarily march ; and therefore Captain Mori- son, who commanded a company of rangers well acquainted with the woods, had orders to advance and scour the thicket. He had scarcely entered it, when a number of savages sprung from their lurking den, and firing on them, killed the captain and wounded several of his party. Upon which the light- infantry and grenadiers were ordered to advance and charge the enemy, which they did with great courage and alacrity. A heavy fire then began on both sides, and during some time the soldiers could only discover the places where the savages were hid by the report of their guns. Colonel Montgomery finding that the number of Indians that guarded this place was great, and that they were determined obstinately to dispute it, ordered the Royal Scots, who were in the rear, to advance between the savages and a rising ground on the right, while the Highlanders marched towards the left to sustain tl'"; light-infantry and grenadiers. The woods now resov.aded with the horrible shouts and yells of the savages, but these, instead of intimidating the trooj)s, seemed rather to inspire them with double firmness and resolution. At length the savages gave way, and in their retreat falling in with the Royal Scots, suffered considerably before they got out of their reach. By this time the Royals being in the front and the Highlanders in the rear, the enemy stretched away and took possession of a hill, seemingly disposed to keep at a distance, and always retreating as the army advanced; and Colonel Montgomery perceiving that they kept aloof, gave orders to tlie line to face about, and march directly for the town of Etchoe ; but the enemy no sooner observed this movement, than tliey got behind the hill, and ran to alarm their wives and children. During the action, which lasted above an hour, Colonel Mont- large throu^ share ductec AftJ and w orders! THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 177 gomory, who made several narrow escapes, had 20 men killed, and 70 wounded. What number the enemy lost is uncertain, but some places were discovered into which they had thrown several of their slain, from which it was conjectureu that they must have lost a great number, as it is a custom among them to carry their dead off the field. Upon viewing the ground, all were astonished to see with what judgment and skill they had chosen it ; for the most experienced European officer could not have fixed upon a spot more advantageous for waylaying and attacking an enemy, according to the method of fighting practised among the Indian nations. This action, though it terminated much in favour of the British troops, had nevertheless reduced them to such a situa- tion as made it very imprudent, if not altogether impracticable, to penetrate further into those woods. The repulse was far from being decisive, for the enemy had only retired from one to another advantageous situation in order to renew their attack when the army should again advance. Humanity would not suffer the commander to leave so many wounded men exposed to the vengeance of savages, without any stronghold in which he might lodge them, or some detachment, which he could not spare, to protect them ; and should he proceed further, he saw plainly that he must expect frequent skirmishes, which would increase the number, and the burning of so many lAdian towns would be a poor compensation for the groat risk, .and perhaps wanton sacrifice of so many valuable lii'^^'s. To furnish horses for the men alicady wounded obliged him to throw many bags of flour into the river, and what remained was no more than sufficient for his army during their return to Fort Prince George. Orders were therefore given for a retrea,t, which was made with great regularity, although the enemy continued hovering around them, and annoying them to the utmost of their power. A large train of wounded men was brought above 60 miles through a hazardous country in safety, for which no small share of honour and praise was due to the officer that con- ducted the retreat. After Colonel Montgomery had returned to the settlements, and was preparing to embark for New York, aeen slain still call upon us to avenge t r deatli. lie is no better than a woman that refuses to fo' me." Many others seized the tomahawk, yet dyad in British blood, and burned with impatience for the field. Under the flattering appearance of a calm were these cloud8 again gathering ; however, Lieutenant-governor Bull, who well knew how little Indians were to be trusted on any occasion, kept the Royal Scots and militia on the frontiers in a posture of defence. But finding the province still under the most dreadful apprehensions from their savage neighbours, who con- tinued insolent and vindictive, and ready to renew their ravages and murders, he made application a second time to General Amherst for assistance. Canada being now reduced, the com- mander-in-chief could the more easily spare a force adequate to the purpose intended ; and Colonel Montgomery, who conducted the former expedition, having by this time embarked for Eng- land, the command of the Highlanders devolved on Lieutenant- Colonel James Grant, who received orders to return to the relief of Carolina. Early in the year 1701 he landed at Charles- ton, where he took up his winter quarters, until the proper season should approach for taking the field ; but, unfortunately, during this time many of the soldiers, by drinking brackish water, were taken sick, which afforded the inhabitants an op- portunity of showing their kindness and humanity. They con- sidered themselves under the strongest obligations to treat men with tenderness, who came to protect them against their ene- mies, and therefore they brought the sick soldiers into their houses, and nursed them with the greatest care and attention. In this campaign the province determined to exert itself to Ji i ,% IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) M/. z ^ «^ 1.0 I.I l^|28 |25 ny& |p5 1 1.4 III 1.6 ' ■; /■' ^ 6" ► 0% 71 .♦'>• '/ Sdences Corpcffation •ss i\ iV <^ 4^ 6^ ^^^ 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WEBSTM.N.Y. 14SM (716) S72-4S03 '^ H 184 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. the utmost, that, in conjunction with the regular forces, a severe correction might be given to those troublesome savages. For this purpose a provincial regiment was raised, and the command of it given to Colonel Middleton. Presents were pro- vided for the Indian allies, and several of the Chickesaws and Catawbas engaged to assist them against the Cherokees. But the Creeks, whose help was also strongly solicited, played an artful game between the English and the French, and gave the one or the other encouragement, according to the advantages they reaped from them. All possible preparations were made for supplying the army with provisions at different stages, and with such carts and horses as were thought necessary to the expedition. As all white men in the province, of the military age, were soldiers as well as citizens, and trained in some measure to the use of arms, it was no difficult matter to complete the provincial regiment. Their names being registered in the list of militia, on every emergency they were obliged to be ready for defence, not only against the incursions of Indians, but also against the insurrection of negroes ; and although the same prompt obe- dience to orders could not be expected from them that is necessary in a regular army, yet the provincials had other advantages which compensated, for that defect. They were better acquainted than strangers with the woods, and the nature of that country in which their military service was re- quired. They were seasoned to the climate, and had learned from experience what clothes, meat, and drink were most proper to enable them to do their duty. In common occasions, when the militia was called out, the men received no pay, but when employed, as in this Cherokee war, for the public defence, they were allowed the same pay with the king's forces. As soon as the Highlanders had recovered from their sick- ness, and were in a condition to take the field, Colonel Grant began his march for the Cherokee territories ; and after being joined by the provincial regiment and Indian allies, he mustered in all about 2600 men. Having served some years in America, and been in several engagements with the Indians, he was now no stranger to their methods of making war. On the 27th of May, 1761, Colonel Grant arrived at Fort eight THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 185 Prince George, and Attakullakulla having got information that he was advancing against his nation with a formidable army, hastened to his camp to signify his earnest desire of peace. He told the colonel that he always had been, and ever would con- tinue to be, a firm friend to the English ; that the outrages of his countrjrmen covered him with shame, and filled his heart with grief; yet nevertheless he would gladly interpose in their behalf, in order to bring about an accommodation. Often, he said, had he been called an old woman by the mad young men of his nation, who delighted in war, and despised his counsels. Often had he endeavoured to get the hatchet buried, and the former good correspondence with the Carolinians established ; but now he was determined to set out for the Cherokee towns, to persuade them to consult their safety, and speedily agree to terms :** peace, and again and again begged the colonel to proceed no further until he returned. Colonel Grant, however, gave him no encouragement to expect that his request could be granted ; but, on the 7th of June, began his march from Fort Prince George, carrying with him provisions for the army for 30 days. A party of 90 Indians, and 30 woodmen, painted like Indians, under the command of Captain Quintine Kennedy, had orders to march in front and scour the woods. After them the light infantry, and about 50 rangers, consisting in all of about 200 men, followed, by whose vigilance and activity the commander imagined that the main body of the army might be kept tolerably quiet and secure. For three days he made forced marches, in order to get over two narrow and dangerous defiles, which he accom- plished without a shot from the enemy, but which might have cost him dear, had they been properly guarded and warnily disputed. On the day following he found suspicious ground on all hands, and therefore orders were given for the first time to load and prepare for action, and the guards to march slowly forward, doubling their vigilance and circumspection. As they frequently spied Indians around them, all were convinced that they should that day have an engagement. At length, having advanced near to the place where Colonel Montgomery was at- tacked the year before, the Indian allies in the van-guard, about eight in the morning, observed a large body of Cherokees Q 186 THE SETEN TEARS WAR. if:! i-jijj ■ posted upon a hill on the right flank of the army, and gave the alarm. Immediately the savages, rushing down, began to fire on the advanced guard, which being supported, the enemy were repulsed, and recovered their heights. Under this hill the line was obliged to march a considerable way. On the left there was a river, from the opposite bank of which a large party of Indians fired briskly on the troops as they advanced. Colonel Grant ordered a party to march up the hill, and drive the enemy from the heights, while the line faced about, and gave their whole charge to the Indians who annoyed them from the side of the river. The engage- ment became general, and the savages seemed determined obstinately to dispute the lower grounds, while those on the hill were dislodged only to return with redoubled ardour to the charge. The situation of the troops was in several respects deplorable ; fatigued by a tedious march, in rainy weather, sur- rounded with woods, so that they could not discern the enemy, galled by the scattered fire of savages, who when pressed always kept aloof, but rallied again and Q^gain, and returned to the ground. No sooner did the army gain an advantage over them in one quarter, than they appeared in another. While the at- tention of the commander was occupied in driving the enemy from their lurking-place on the river's side, the rear was attacked, and so vigorous an effort made for the flour and cattle, that he was obliged to order a party back for the relief of the rear-guard. From eight o'clock in the morning until eleven the savages continued to keep up an irregular and incessant fire, sometimes from one place, and sometimes from another, while the woods resounded with hideous shouts and yells, to intimidate the troops. At length the Cherokees gave way, and being pursued for some time, random shots continued till two o'clock, when they disappeared. What loss the enemy sustained in this action we have not yet been able to learn, but of Colonel Grant's army there were between 50 and 60 men killed and wounded ; and it is probable the loss of the savages could not be much greater, and perhaps not so great, owing to their manner of fighting. Orders were given not to bury the slain, but to sink them in the river, to prevent their being dug up from their graves and scalped. To provide horses for those that river Indif day 1 ment maga miser shelte Col kee te feet ai tlieir I utterly camp { lutions tisemei advant that so them a support but bei they \vi from b< no mop SuchJ skirmisj deal is describe severe measure events : and the want. furnishc vision fd perish, A fey George, to his cl THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. 187 that were wounded, several bags of flour were thrown into the river. After which they proceeded to Etchoe, a pretty large Indian town, which they reached about midnight, and next day reduced to ashes. Every other town in the middle settle- ments, fourteen in number, shared the same fate; and their magazines and com fields were likewise destroyed, and those miserable savages, with their families, were driven to seek for shelter and provisions among the lower mountains. Colonel Grant continued 30 days in the heart of the Chero- kee territorito, and, upon his return to Fort Prince George, the feet and legs of many of his army were so torn and bruised, and their strength and spirits so much exhausted, that they were utterly unable to march further. He resolved therefore to en- camp at that place, both to refresh his men, and wait the reso- lutions of the Cherokees, in consequence of the heavy chas- tisement which they had received. Besides the numberless advantages their country afforded for defence, it was supposed that some French officers had been among them, and given them all the assistance in their power. It is true the savages supported their attack for some hours with considerable spirit ; but being driven from their advantageous posts and thickets, they were wholly disconcerted, and though the repulse was far from being decisive, yet after this engagement they returned no more to the attack. Such engagements in Europe would be considered as trifling skirmishes, scarcely worthy of relation, but in America a great deal is often determined by them. It is no easy matter to describe the distress to which the savages were reduced by this severe correction ; even in time of peace they are in a great measure destitute of that foresight which provides for future events ; but in time of war, when their villages are destroyed, and their fields laid desolate, they are reduced to extreme want. Being driven to the barren mountains, the hunters furnished with ammunition might indeed make some small pro- vision for themselves ; but women, children, and old men must perish, being deprived of the means of subsistence. A few days after Colonel Grant's arrival at Fort Prince George, AttakuUakuUa, attended by several chieftains, came to his camp, and expressed a desire of peace. Severely had 188 THE SEVEN TEARS WAR. ' .;; they suffered for breaking their alliance with Britain ; and con- vinced at last of tiie weakness and perfidy of the French, who were neither able to assist them in time of war, nor supply their wants in time of peace, they resolved to renounce all con- nexion with them for ever. Accordingly terms of peace were drawn up and proposed, which were no less honourable to Colonel Grant than advantageous to the province. The dif- ferent articles being read and interpreted, Attakullakulla agreed to them all excepting one, by which it was demanded, " That four Cherokee Indians be delivered up to Colonel Grant at Fort Prince George, to be put to death in the frora of his camp; or four green scalps be brought to him in the space of twelve nights." The warrior having no authority from his nation, declared he could not agree to this article, and therefore the Colonel sent him to Charleston, to see whether the lieutenant- governor would consent to mitigate the rigour of it. Accordingly Attakullakulla, and the other chieftains, being furnished with a safeguard, set out for Charleston, to hold a conference with Mr. Bull, and a peace was formally ratified and confirmed by both parties. Thus ended the Cherokee war, which was among the last humbling strokes given to the expiring power of France in North America, and Colonel Grant returned to Charleston. A treaty of peace was concluded at Paris on the 10th of February, 1763. By this treaty, the French monarch renounced all claim to Nova Scotia, and ceded Canada and its dependen- cies, together with Cape Breton and all the islands and coasts adjoining the river St. Lawrence, to the British crown. nity of Ottawa! Thougl the Frel the obj( COLONEL DOUqUBT. CHAPTER XI. PONTIAC'S MAR. EACE was scarcely concluded be- tween France and J]ngland, when the north-western frontier of the colonies was visited with the horrors of Indian warfare. (1763.) Wlien the English had taken possession of the French posts in Canada, Detroit also fell into their hands. The tribes in the vici- nity of this post were under the government of Pontiac, an Ottawa chief, of great sagacity, bravery, and determination. Though he aflfected to be the friend of the English, he preferred the French, and quietly, but effectually entered into measures, the object of which was to drive the former from his country. 24 q2 (189) 1 >iij 190 PONTIACS WAR. Pontiac now proceeded in his great work of forming the north-western tribes into a vast confederacy, and proved him- self an able dipiomatist. His eloquence and representations prevailed, and he found himself at the head of a mighty body of warriors. The plan of attack was next concerted. All the posts held by the English from Fort Pitt to Michilimackinac were to be attacked simultaneously upon a certain day. Until that day arrived, every precaution was taken to lull the English into a feeling of security, yet bands of the various tribes united in the confederacy gathered about Michilimackinac, Detroit, the Mouree post, Presque Isle, Niagara, Pitt, Ligonier, and other stations. At length, the appointed day arrived. The traders everywhere were seized, their goods taken from them, and more than one hundred of them put to death. Nine British forts yielded instantly, and over the whole north-western frontier, the work of horror and desolation was actively pur- sued. In Western Virginia, more than 20,000 people were driven from their homes. The burning of houses, the wasting of fields, and the capturing and butchering of settlers and traders, occupied every hour. Fort Michilimackinac was taken by a stratagem, which is thus narrated by Henry, a contempo- rary : " The next day, being the fourth of June, was the king's birth-day. The morning was sultry. A Chippeway came to tell me that his nation was going to play at haggatiway, with the Sacs or Saakies, another Indian nation, for a high wager. He invited me to witness the sport, adding that the command- ant was to be there, and would bet on the side of the Chippe- w.ays. In consequence of this information, I went to the com- mandant, and expostulated with him a little, representing that the Indians might possibly have some sinister end in view ; but the commandant only smiled at my suspicions. ^^ Baggatiway, called by the Canadians le jeu de la crosse, is played with a bat and ball. The bat is about four feet in length, curved, and terminating in a sort of racket. Two posts are planted in the ground, at a considerable distance from each other, as a mile or more. Each party has its post, and the game consists in throwing the ball up to the post of the adversary. The ball at the beginning is placed in the middle rude prem,j devis(j and tj ployeJ by wll garrisj be stil manyl PONTIAC'S WAR. 191 the liiin- tiona body I the were that L into ,cd in t, the other •aders , and Jritish estern y pur- I were rasting f8 and ! taken tempo- king's ame to y, with wager, mand- Chippe- he com- jsenting n view ; crosse, is feet in . Two nee from )0st, and st of the middle n of the course, and each party endeavours as well to throw the ball out of the direction of its own post, as into that of the adversary's. " I did not go myself to see the match which was now to be played without the fort, because, there being a canoe prepared to depart, on the following day, for Montreal, I employed my- self in writing letters to my friends ; and even when a fellow - trader, Mr. Tracy, happened to call upon me, saying that another canoe had just arrived from Detroit, and proposing that I should go with him to the beach, to inquire the news, it so happened that I still remained, to finish my letters ; pro- mising to follow Mr. Tracy in the course of a few minutes. Mr. Tracy had not gone more than twenty paces from the door, when I heard an Indian war-cry, and a noise of general con- fusion. Going instantly to my window, I saw a crowd of In- dians, within the fort, furiously cutting down and scalping every Englishman they found. In particular, I witnessed the fate of Lieutenant Jemette. " The game of baggatiway, as from the description above will have been perceived, is necessarily attended with much violence and noise. In the ardour of contest, the ball, as has been sug- gested, if it cannot be thrown to the goal desired, is struck in any direction by which it can be diverted from that designed by the adversary. At such a moment, therefore, nothing could be less liable to excite premature alarm, than that the ball should be tossed over the pickets of the fort, nor that, having fallen there, it should be followed on the instant by all engaged in the game, as well the one party as the other, all eager, all struggling, all shouting, all in the unrestrained pursuit of a rude athletic exercise. Nothing could be less fitted to excite premature alarm; nothing, therefore, could be more happily devised, under the circumstances, than a stratagem like this ; and this was, in fact, the stratagem which the Indians had em- ployed, by which they had obtained possession of the fort, and by which they had been enabled to slaughter and subdue its garrison, and such of its other inhabitants as they pleased. To be still more certain of success, they had prevailed upon as many as they could, by a pretext the least liable to suspicion, 192 PONTIACS WAR. to come voluntarily without the pickets ; and particularly the commandant and garrison themselves." At Detroit, where Pontiac commanded, treachery prevented success ; of this we give the account hy Captain Carver : — " As every appearance of war was at an end, and the Indians seemed to be on a friendly footing, Pontiac approached Detroit without exciting any suspicions in the breast of the governor, or the inhabitants. He encamped at a little distance from it, and let the commandant know that he was come to trade ; and being desirous of brightening the chain of peace between the English and his nation, desired that he and his chiefs might be admitted to hold a council with him. The governor, still unsuspicious, and not in the least doubting the sincerity of the Indians, granted their general's request, and fixed on the next morning for their reception. " On the evening of that day, an Indian woman who had been appointed by Major Gladwin to make a pair of Indian shoes, out of a curious elkskin, brought them home. The major was so pleased with them, that, intending those as a pre- sent for a friend, he ordered her to take the remainder back, and make it into others for himself. He then directed his servant to pay her for those she had done, and dismissed her. The woman went to the door that led to the street, but no fur- ther ; she there loitered about as if she had not finished the business on which she came. A servant at length observed lier, and asked her why she stayed there ? She, gave him, however, no answer. " Some short time after, the governor himself saw her, and inquired of his servant what occasioned her stay. Not being able to get a satisfactory answer, he ordered the woman to be called in. When she came into his presence, he desired to know what was the reason of her loitering about, and not hast- ening home before the gates were shut, that she might complete in due time the work he had given her to do. She told him, after much hesitation, that as he had always behaved with great goodness towards her, she was unwilling to take away the remainder of the skin, because he put so great a value upon it ; and yet had not been able to prevail upon herself to tell him BO. He then asked her why she was more reluctant to do so though! vinced suspiciJ tion thj for the upon d "As PONTIAC'S WAR. 193 now than she had been when she made the former pair. With increased reluctance she answered, that she should never be able to bring them bock. " His curiosity was now excited, he insisted on her disclosing the secret that seemed to bo struggling in her bosom for utter- ance. At last, on receiving a promise that the intelligence she was a)x)ut to give him should not turn to her pri\judice ; and that if it appeared to be beneficial, she should be rewarded for it, she informed him, that at the council to be held with the Indians the following day, Pontiac and his chiefs intended to murder him ; and, after having massacred the garrison and in- habitants, to plunder the town. That for this purpose, all the chiefs who were to be admitted into the council room had cut their guns short, so that they could conceal them under their blankets ; with which on a signal given by their general, on delivering the belt, they were all to rise up and instantly to lire on him and his attendants. Having effected this, they were immediately to rush into the town, where they would find themselves supported by a great number of their warriors, that were to come into it during the sitting of the council under the pretence of trading, but privately armed in the same man- ner. Having gained from the woman every necessary particu- lar relative to the plot, and also the means by which she acquired a knowledge of them, he dismissed her with injunc- tions of secrecy, and a promise of fulfilling on his part with punctuality the engagements he had entered into. " The intelligence the governor had just received gave him great uneasiness ; and he immediately consulted the officer who was next him in command on the subject. But this gentle- men, considering the information as a story invented for some artful purpose, advised him to pay no attention to it. This conclusion, however, had happily, no weight with him. He thought it prudent to conclude it to be true, till he was con- vinced that it was not so ; and therefore, without revealing his suspicions to any other person, he took every needful precau- tion that the time would admit of. He walked around the fort for the whole night, and saw himself, that every sentinel w^as upon duty, and every weapon of defence in proper order. " As he traversed the ramparts that lay nearest to the Indian 194 PONTIACS WAR. i camp, he heard them in higli feHtivity, and Httlc imagining tlittt their plot was discovered, probably pleasing themHelves with the anticipation of their wuccchh. As soon as the morning dawned, he ordered all the garrison under arms, and then im- parting his apprehensions to a few of the principal oflicers, gave them such directions as he thought necessary. At the same time he sent round to all the traders, to inform them, that as it was expected a great number of Indians would enter the town that day, who might Ijc inclined to plunder, he desired they would have their arms ready, and repel any attempt of that kind. " About ten o'clock, Pontiac and his chiefs arrived, and were conducted to the council chamber, where the governor and his principal officers, each with pistols in his belt, awaited his arrival. As the Indians passed on, they could not help observ- ing that a greater numljer of troops than usual were drawn up on the parade, or marching about. No sooner were they entered and seated on the skins prepared for them, than Pontiac asked the governor, on what occasion his young men, meaning the poldiers, were thus drawn up and parading the streets ? He received for answer that it was only intended to keep them perfect in their exercise. " The Indian chief warrior now began his speech, which con- tained the strongest professions of friendship and good will towards the English : and when he came to the delivery of the belt of wampum, the particular mode of which, according to the woman's information, was to be the signal for the chiefs to fire, the governor and all his attendants drew their swords half way out of their scabbards ; and the soldiers at the same time made a clattering with their arms before the door, which had been purposely left open. Pontiac, though one of the bravest men, immediately turned pale and trembled ; and instejid of giving the belt in the manner proposed, delivered it according to the usual way. His chiefs, who had impatiently expected the signal, looked at each other with astonishment, but con- tinued quiet, waiting the result. " The governor, in his turn, made a speech, but instead of thanking the great warrior for the professions of friendship he bad just uttered, he accused him of being a traitor. He told being threw < upon it Thu many a perse commifi drawn paid. Fort remaini who ni effort Tlie tr Captaii Before surrenci to abai early oj Brido:e,| mense PONTIACS WAR. 195 liim that the English, who knew everj^thing, were convinced of his treachery and villanous designs ; and as a pr(K)t' that they were acquainted with hia most secret thoughts and inten- tions, ho stepped towards an Indian chief that sat nearest to liim, and drawing aside the blanket, discovered the shortened firelock. This entirely disconcerted the Indians, and frustrated their design. " lie then continued to tell them, that as he had given his word at the time they had desired an audience, that their per- sons should be safe, he would hold his promise inviolable, though they so little deserved it. However, he desired them to make the best of their way out of the fort, lest his young men, on being acquainted with their treacherous purposes, should cut every one of them to pieces. " Pontiac endeavoured to contradict the accusation, and to make excuses for his suspicious conduct; but the governor, satisfied of. the falsity of his protestations, would not listen to him. The Indians immediately left the fort; but instead of being sensible of the governor's generous behaviour, they threw off the mask, and the next day made a regular attack upon it." Thus foiled, Pontiac laid formal siege to the fortress, and for many months that siege was continued in a manner, and with a perseverance, unexampled by the Indians. Even a regular commissariat department was organized, and bills of credit drawn out upon bark, were issued, and what is rarer, punctually paid. Fort Pitt was besieged and reduced to great straits. Niagara remained in the possession of the British. Sir Jeffry Amherst, who now commanded in America, determined to make an efibrt to relieve and strengthen Pitt, Detroit, and Niagara. The troops, destined to relieve Detroit, were commanded by Captain Dalyell. He arrived at that post on the 30th of Jul}*, Before his arrival, Pontiac had summoned Major Gladwin to surrender the fort to the French king. To force the Indians to abandon their present design, Captain Dalyell sallied out early on the morning of the 31st, with 250 men. At Bloody Bridge, he was attacked by the Indians. Learning their im- mense superiority, he was about to retreat, when he was killed. t !>if 196 PONTIACS WAR. PONTIAC. Captain Grant now assumed the command, brought his men to the fort in good order, and acquired great honour by the able manner in which he conducted the retreat. Besides Captain Dalyell, the EngHsh lost one sergeant and eighteen rank and file killed ; tand Captain Grey, Lieutenants Duke and Brown, one drummer, and thirty-eight rank and file wounded. Colonel Bouquet, with two regiments of regulars, in a shattered condition, was ordered to march to the relief of Fort Pitt, with a quantity of military stores. Early orders had been given to prepare a convoy of provisions on the frontiers of Pennsylvania, but such was the universal terror and consternation of the inhabitants, that wiicn Colonel Bouquet arrived at Carlisle, nothing had yet been done. A great being attack€ and g(\ there. The on accc it contf would PONTIAC'S WAR. 197 lireut number of the plantations had been plundered and burnt by the savages ; many of the mills were destroyed, and the full ripe crops stood waving in the field, ready for the sickle, but the reapers were not to be found. The greatest part of the county of Cumberland, through which the army had to pass, was deserted, and the roads were covered with distressed families, flying from their settlements, and destitute of all the necessaries of life. In the midst of that general confusion, the supplies necessary for the expedition became very precarious, nor was it less dilficult to procure horses and carriages, for the use of the troops. The commander found that, instead of expecting such sup- plies from a miserable people, he himself was called, by the voice of humanity, to bestow on them some share of his own provisions, to relieve their present exigency. However, in eighteen days after his arrival at Carlisle, by the prudent measures which he pursued, joined to his knowledge of the country, and the diligence of the persons he employed, the convoy and carriages were procured with the assistance of the interior parts of the country, and the army proceeded. Their march did not abate the fears of the dejected inha- bitants. They knew the strength and ferocity of the enemy. They remembered the former defeats even of our best trocps, and were full of diffidence and apprehensions on beholding the small number and sickly state of the regulars employed in this expedition. Without the least hopes, therefore, of success, they seemed only to wait for the fatal event, which they dreaded, to abandon all the country beyond the Susquehanna. Meanwhile, Fort Ligonier, situated beyond the Allegheny mountains, was in the greatest danger of falling into the hands of the enemy, before the army could reach it. The stockade being very bad, and the garrison extremely weak, they had attacked it vigorously, but had been repulsed by the bravery and good conduct of Lieutenant Blane, who commanded there. The preservation of that post was of the utmost consequence, on account of its situation and the quantity of military stores it contained, which, if the enemy could have got possession of, would have enabled them to continue their attack upon Fort 25 B 198 PONTIACS WAR. Pitt, and reduced the army to the greatest straits. For an object of that importance, every risk was to be run ; and the Colonel determined to send through the woods, with proper guides, a party of thirty men to join that garrison. They suc- ceeded by forced marches in that hazardous attempt, not having been discovered by the enemy till they came within sight of the fort, into which they threw themselves, after receiving some running shot. Previous to that reinforcement of regulars, twenty volunteers, all good woodsmen, had been sent to Fort Ligonier by Captain Ourry, who commanded at Fort Bedford, another very consider- able magazine of provisions and military stores, the principal and central post between Carlisle and Fort Pitt, being about one hundred miles distant from each. This fort was also in a ruinous condition, and very weakly garrisoned, although the two smjiU intermediate posts, at the crossing of the Juniata and Stony creek, had been abandoned to strengthen it. Here the distressed families, scattered for twelve or fifteen miles around, fled for protection, leaving most of their effects a prey to the savages. All the necessary precautions were taken by the commanding officer to prevent surprise, and repel open force, as also to render ineffectual the enemy's fire arrows. He armed all the fighting men, who formed two companies of volunteers, and did duty with the garrison till the arrival of two companies of light infantry, detached as soon as possible from Colonel Bouquet's little army. These two magazines being secured, the Colonel advanced tO the remotest verge of our settlements, where he could receive no sort of intelligence of number, positions, or motions of the enemy. Not even at Fort Bedford, where he arrived with his whole convoy on the 25th of July, for though the Indians did not attempt to attack the fort, they had by this time killed, scalped, and taken eighteen prisoners in that neighbourhood, and their skulking parties were so spread, that at last no express could escape them. This want of intelligence, was a very em- barrassing circumstance in the conduct of a campaign in America. The Indians had better intelligence, and no sooner were they informed of the march of the army, than they broke up the siege of Fort Pitt, and took a route by which they knew the ( tunij In labou as so( to lea horse: Befor( miles This a doul vigilar halt in Wht the af sevent< their f their a ported, siderab: But as a pa the fieL renevvei been ii flanks the troq galled It wjj line, to but till as tl on anot able to I which This! to protj now bej the savl PONTIACS WAR. 199 the enemy was to proceed, resolved to take adv.antageous oppor- tunity of an attack on the march. In tliis uncertainty of intelligence under which the Colonel laboured, he marched from Fort Bedford, the 28th of July, and as soon as he reached Fort Ligonier, he determined, prudently, to leave his wagons at that post, and to proceed only with pack- horses. Thus disburdened, the army continued their route. Before them lay a dangerous defile at Turtle creek, several miles in length, bounded the whole way by high craggy hills. This defile he intended to have passed the ensuing night, by a double or forced march ; thereby, if possible, to elude the vigilance of so alert an enemy, proposing only to make a short halt in his way, to refresh the troops at Bushy Run. When they came within half a mile of that place^ about one in the afternoon, August 5th, 1763, after a harassing march of seventeen miles, and just as they were expecting to relax from their fatigue, they were suddenly attacked by the Indians, on their advanced guard ; which being speedily and firmly sup- ported, the enemy was beaten off, and even pursued to a con- siderable distance. But the flight of these barbarians must often be considered as a part of the engagement, rather than an abandonment of the field. The moment the pursuit ended, they returned with renewed vigour to the attack. Several other parties, who had been in ambush in some high grounds which lay along the flanks of the army, now started up at once, and falling upon the troops with a resolution equal to that of their companions, galled them with a most obstinate fire. It was necessary to make a general charge with the whole line, to dislodge them frmn the heights. This charge succeeded ; but till the success produced rio decisive advantage ; for us soon as ti savages were driven from one post, they still appeared on another, till by constant reinforcements they were at length able to surround the whole detachment, and attack the convoy which had been left in the rear. This manoeuvre enabled the main body to fall back in ordei to protect it. The action, which grew every moment hotter, now became general. Our troops were attacked on every side ; the savages supported their spirit throughout j but the steady 200 PONTIACS TVAR. behaviour of the English troops, who were not thrown into the least confusion by the very discouraging nature of this service, in the end prevailed ; they repulsed the enemy, and drove them from all the posts with fixed bayonets. The engagement ended only with the day, having continued from one o'clock without intermission. The ground on which the action ended, was not altogether inconvenient for an encampment. The convoy and the wounded were in the middle, and the troops, disposed in a circle, encom- passed the whole. In this manner, and with little repose, they passed an anxious night, obliged to observe the strictest vigi- lance by an enterprising enemy, who had surrounded them. At the first dawn of light the savages began to show them- selves all about the camp, at the distance of about five hundred yards ; and by shouting and yelling in the most horrid manner, quite around the extensive circumference, endeavoured to strike terror by an ostentation of their numbers and their ferocit}'. After this alarming preparation, they attacked the forces, and under the favour of an incessant fire, made several bold efforts to penetrate into the camp. They were repulsed in every attempt, but by no means discouraged from new ones. The troops, continually victorious, were constantly in danger. They were besides extremely fatigued with a long march, and with the equally long action of the preceding day ; and they were distressed to the last degree by a total want of water, much more intolerable than the evening's fire. Tied to their convoy, they could not lose sight of it for a moment, without exposing, not only that interesting object, but their wounded men, to fall a prey to the savages, who pressed them on every side. To move was impracticable. Many of the horses were lost, and many of the drivers, stupified by their fears, hid themselves in bushes, and were incapable of hearing or obeying orders. Their situation became extremely critical and perplexing, having experienced that the most lively efforts made no impres- sions upon an enemy who always gave way when pressed ; but who, the moment the pursuit was over, returned with as much alacrity as ever to the attack. Besieged rather than engaged ; attacked without interruption, and without decision j able neithe molan perish dreadf Ijefore comms ing th ground creased He end as poss Fori iroops 1 their cc retainec of troop should i inimedit that the of light an ambi who mo the real execute( The line of two coni the cent for a rel headloni galled tj moment masters! turn, aij be obsei The find exi turned superior PONTIACS WAR. 201 neither to advance nor retreat, they saw before them the laost melancholy prospect of crumbling away by degrees, and entirely perishing without revenge or honour, in the midst of those dreadful deserts. The fate of Braddock was everv moment Ijefore their eyes ; but they were more ably conducted. The commander was sensible that everything depended upon bring- ing the savages to a close engagement, and to stand their ground when attacked. Their audaciousness, which was in- creased with their success, seemed favourable to this design. He endeavoured, therefore, to increase their confidence as much as possible. For that purpose he contrived the following stratagem. Our troops Avere posted on an eminence, and formed a circle round their convoy from the preceding night, which order they still retained. Colonel Bouquet gave directions that two companies of troops, who had been posted in the most advanced situations, should fall within the circle ; the troops on the right and left immediately opened their files, and filled up the vacant space, that they might seem to cover their retreat. Another company of light infantry, with one of grenadiers, were ordered to lie in an ambuscade, to support the two first companies of grenadiers, who moved on the feigned retreat, and were intended to begin the real attack. The dispositions were well made, and the plan executed without the least confusion. The savages were led completely into the f^nare. The thin line of troops which took possession of the ground which the two companies of light troops had left, being brought nearer to the centre of the circle, the barbarians mistook those motions for a retreat, abandoned the wood which covered them, hurried headlong on, — advancing with the most daring intrepidity, and galled the English troops with their heavy fire. But at the moment when, certain of success, they thought themselves masters of the camp, the two first companies made a sudden turn, and sallying out from a part of the hill which could not be observed, fell furiously upon their right flank. The savages, though they found themselves disappointed and exposed, preserved their recollection, and resolutely re- turned the fire which they had received. Then it Wtas the superiority of combined strength and discipline appeared. On b2 202 PONTIAC'S WAR the second charge they could no longer sustain the irresistible shock of regular troops, who rushing upon them, killed many, and put the rest to flight. At the instant when the savages betook themselves to flight, the other two companies, which had been ordered to support the first, rose from the ambuscade, marched to the enemy, and gave them their full fire. This accomplished their defeat. The four companies now united, did not give the enemy time to look behind them, but pursued them till they were totally dispersed. The other bodies of the savages attempted nothing. They were kept in awe during the engagement by the rest of the British troops, who were so posted, as to be ready to fall on them upon the least motion. Having been witness to the defeat of their companions, without any effort to support or assist them, they at length followed their example, and fled. This judicious and successful manoeuvre, rescued the party from the most immediate danger. The victory secured the field, and cleared all the adjacent woods. But still the march was so difficult, and the army had suffered so much, and so many horses were lost, that before they were able to proceed, they were reluctantly obliged to destroy such part of their con- voy of provisions as they could not cu/ry with them, for want of horses. Being lightened by this sacrifice, they proceeded to Bushy Run, where finding water, they encamped. The enemy lost about sixty men on this occasion, some of them their chief warriors ; which they reputed a very severe stroke. They likewise had many wounded in the pursuit. The English lost about fifty men, and had about sixty wounded. The savages thus signally defeated in all their attempts to cut off" this reinforcement upon its march, began to retreat with the utmost precipitation to their remote settlements, wholly giving up their designs against Fort Pitt, at which place Col. Bouquet arrived safe with his convoy, four days after the action ; receiv- ing no further molestation on the road, except a few scattered shot from a disheartened and flying enemy.* During this time, Detroit continued to be blockaded, and the garrison suffered extremely from fatigue and want of provisions ; but a schooner detached from Niagara, with twelve whites and * History of Western PennsylTUiift. PONTIAC'S WAR. 203 six Mohawks, with supplies, arrived, on the 3d of September, at the river Detroit. While at anchor, the vessel was attacked by about 350 Indians in boats ; but by the skill and bravery of the crew, they were dispersed. Two of the crew were killed and four wounded. The others carried the vessel to Detroit, and thus saved the garrison. The officers of the fort presented each of them with a silver medal, descriptive of the action. The Indians were now satisfied with the triumphs they had obtained, and Pontiac could not keep them in the field. The chief had displayed great ability in conducting the war; but his people were not disposed to sustain him any further, and he saw them leave him to treat for pea<5e. In June, 1764, a treaty was concluded at Niagara, as a preliminary to definitive nego- tiations at Detroit on the 2l8t of August. Bouquet led a strong force to the Upper Muskingum, concluded a treaty with the Delawares and Shawanese, received 206 whites, who had been in captivity, and took hostages for the deliverance of others. (November, 1764.) By May, 1765, peace was com- pletely restored. Pontiac, the master spirit of the Indians, despairing of saving his country and race from the encroachments of the English, left his tribe and went into the West, where he endeavoured to unite other tribes, but failed. He was assassinated by a Kaskaskia Indian. In nobility of spirit, and force of genius, he was much superior to any Indian chief of whom we have any account, except, perhaps, Tecumseh. His plan of extermination was masterly, and treachery alone prevented it from being com- pletely successful. LOO Air. CHAPTER XII. DUNMORE'S WAR. HE settlements of Virginia spread westward very rapidly in spite of the hostility of the Indians. The calamities of savage warfare might have been warded off, if the pioneers had possessed a certain degree of prudence and discretion ; but on several occasions, it was demon- strated that the whites regarded the Indians as inferiors, and did not consider them entitled to be treated as civilized men. The red men then determined that if they could not be received as friends and equals, they should be felt as foes. The murder (204) of the the no to rem Inl culled social ) and ill river, t Kummo; were al off. T] toAvn, ii had bc( resolve > A par William expressc The rem tf) effect their ret nppreher White ai been som withstan their abs de.sti'oyec threw th( said to this opin that the iStrond's The villa desolated, Imbitants, Strond's f The CO] peace, was yet not ur there any 26 s V. DUNMORES WAR. 205 of been had of uton mon- [irded ddid The ed as urder of the old chief, Bald Eagle, and other Indians, exasperated the north-westem tribes, till they thonght they would be women to remain quiet any longer. ' In 1772, there was an Indian town on the little Kenhawa, called Bulltown, inhabited by families, who were in habits of social and friendly intercourse with the whites on Buchanan and Hacker's creeks. There was likewise residing on Gauley river, the family of a Gennan by the name of Strond. In the summer of that year, Mr. Strond being from home, his family were all murdered, his house plundered, and his cattle driven off. The trail made by these, leading in the direction of Bull- town, induced the supposition that the Indians of that village had been the authors of the outrage, and caused several to resolve on avenging it upon them. A party of five men (two of whom were William White and William Hacker, who had been concerned in previous murders) expressed a determination to proceed immediately to Bulltown. The remonstrance of the settlement generally, could not operate to effect a change in that determination. They went ; and on their return, circumstances justified the belief that the pre- apprehension of those who knew the temper and feelings of White and Hacker, had been well founded ; and that there had been some fighting between them and the Indians. And not- withstanding that they denied ever having seen an Indian in their absence, yet it was the prevailing opinion, that they had destroyed all the men, women, and children at Bulltown, and threw their bodies into the river. Indeed, one of the party is said to have, inadvertently, used expressions confirmatory of this opinion ; and to have then justified the deed, by saying that the clothes and other things known to have belonged to vStrond's family, were found in the possession of the Indians. The village was soon after visited, and found to be entirely desolated, and nothing being ever after heard of its former in- Imbitants, there can remain no doubt but that the murder of Strond's family was requited on them. The commission of these outrages in the time of professed peace, was of itself sufficient to cause a revival of hostilities ; yet not until crimes still of a deeper dye were perpetrated, was there any attempt at retaliation. 26 S 1 i 206 dunmore's war. In the spring of 1774, it appears there were some horses stolen by the Indians from a party of land-jobbers on the Ohio, below Wheeling, which was looked upon as a signal for the commencement of a war against the frontiers. And consequently those that delighted in a renewal of open hostilities, were ready to be avenged of the depredators, however small the offence. The land-jobbers shortly afterwards being collected at Wheel- ing, heard of a couple of Indians and some traders coming down the river, then but a short distance above. It was immediately proposed by Captain Cresap, the commandant of the station, that he would go up with a small party and kill the Indians. The project was opposed by Colonel Zane, but the party left, and on their return being asked respecting the Indians, they evasively answered that they had fallen overboard into the river ; however, allowing it to be understood that they had been killed by them and thrown into the river. On the evening of the same day, news reached them that a party of Indians were encamped at the mouth of Grave creek, a few miles below ; when they forthwith proceeded down the river, and falling upon them, killed several and put the rest to flight. In the skirmish one of Cresap's men was severely wounded, which was the only injury received. The Indians thus appearing in the neighbourhood in parties, was looked upon as undeniable evidence of their intention to fall upon the whites ; and attacks were hourly expected. A short time after the skirmish at Grave creek, it was known that a number of Indians were encamped at the mouth of Yellow creek, some distance above Wheeling. And on account of some settlers living in that neighbourhood, fears were ex- pressed for their safety, and it was proposed that a party should be sent from Wheeling for the purpose of routing the Indians. Thirty-two men were accordingly raised, and immediately marched under the command of Daniel Greathouse, who had been a terrible enemy to the savages, in time of war or peace. Secretly reaching the vicinity of a cabin of a settler on the opposite side of the river from the Indians, the party concealed themselves, while Greathouse, with a show of friendship, went over to the Indian encampment to ascertain their strength. While to leav displeai creek, i On ti the ene stratagt The settlers, Greatho given h made, n( sent for siderably them. The pi into the ( were falU young Ini Those 1 iramediat who were they were another ^^ they begj Before th( them, and back to t Indians fr The fai former fri this place revenge uj On the party of or upon the the settlei posed woul reason of DUNMORES WAR. 207 While there he was privately admonished by an Indian woman to leave, for the warriors, she safd, were on a frolic, and being displeased on account of the murder of their people at Grave creek, might do him harm. On the return of Greathouse to the party, he reported that the enemy was too strong for an open attack, and that some stratagem must be resorted to. The liquor they were using they had obtained from the settlers, and were frequently crossing back and forwards for it. Greathouse went to the cabin and advised that they should be given freely, as much as they wanted; and an endeavour made, not only to detain such as came over, but invitations be sent for others to come, that they might be separated con- siderably, when an attack should be suddenly commenced upon them. The plan succeeded well. (Several, after a time, were gathered into the cabin, and soon became quite intoxicated ; when they were fallen upon by the party rushing in, and all killed but a young Indian girl. Those across the river at the encampment hearing the firing, immediately sent some over in canoes to ascertain the cause, who were permitted to land, but no sooner on the shore than they were fallen upon and killed. The party not returning, another was detached from the encampment to their aid, for they began to correctly apprehend the whole disturbance. Before these had reached the shore, a fire was opened upon them, and the most of them killed, while the survivors retreated back to the other shore. An attack was now made by the Indians from the other side of the river, but without effect. The family of the celebrated Logan, the Mingo chief, and former friend of the white man, was principally murdered at this place and at Grave creek, which called forth a *earful revenge upon the frontiers. On the 12th of July, 1774, Logan, at the head of a small party of only eight warriors, struck a blow on some inhabitants upon the Muskingum, where no one expected it. He had left the settlements in the Ohio undisturbed, which every one sup- posed would be the first attacked, in case of war, and hence the reason of his great successes. His first attack was upon three I 208 DUNMORES WAR. men who wore pulling Hux in a flekl. One was uliot down, and the two otherH tuken. Thene were nuirched into the wil- derness, und, JIM they approached the Indian town, Lo;:,!in <;ave till Hoalp halloo, and they were met hy the inhabitants, who con- ducted them in. Kuiming the gauntlet wtw next to l)e iM-'rlormed, Logan took no delight in tortures, and he in the most iViendly manner instructed one of the captives how to i)roceed to e«caj)o the severities of the gauntlet. This same captive, whose name was llobinson, was afterwards sentenced to be burned ; but Logan, though not able to rescue him by his eloijuence, with his own hand cut the cords that bound him to the stake, and caused him to be adopted into an Indian family. lie became afterwards Logan's scribe. The Virginia Legislature was in session, when the Indians began their depredations. That body inmicdiatcly resolved to raise an army of alxjut three thousand men, and march into the heart of the Indian country. One-half of the required number of men wore to be drawn from Virginia, and the com- mand was given to General Andrew Lewis, a man of cool, determined temper, and possessed of considerable military skill. The remainder of the troops were to Ije raised in Pennsylvania, and were to be under Governor Duinnore's immediate orders. Duninore directed General Lewis to proceed to the mouth of the Kenhawa, where the two divisions would unite. 15y the 11th of September, Lewis's division was ready to march. A competent guide was secured, and in nineteen days, the troops arrived at the appointed rendezvous. On the next morning, the Ist of October, two men were out some distance from the camp, in pursuit of deer, and were fired upon by a large body of Indians ; one was killed, and the other, with difliculty, retreated to the camp, to which he immediately com- municated the alarm. General Lewis was a remarkably cool and considerate man ; and upon being informed of this, " after deliberately lighting his pipe," gave orders that the regiment under his brother Colonel Charles Lewis, and another under Colonel Fleming, should march and reconnoitre the enemy, while he would place the remainder of the troops in order for battle. The two re- giments marched without delay, and had not proceeded more than fi ftpproii ensued of the I the ran but ah Field a to the a obliged a breast structed Lewi.'' tlie poin nioved 1 across ft soon ext complete of tliem, wo chanc Never was slow to their h although attacked; his left w] greatest c tinually outflank t his men w defeated I tlie fortun Fleming m he would leading on became as the day. f Red-Eagle, nees, Dela\ as was sup DUNM0RE8 WAR. 209 of larcli. the next tance by a ■with com- nian ; ;hting rother 3ining, I place Avo re- inore than four hnndred yards when they were met Uy the InfRfttiH, apiJroacliinj^ for tlio samo puqjono. A .skiiMiinh imir ''liatoly eiisuwl, and iHjtoro the contest had continued ii iiir. the coIoiioIn of tlio two re^imentB fell mortally wounded, when a disonh'r in the ranks followed, and the troo[)H began a preeii)itiite reti«'at; but almost at this moment another regiment under Colonel Field arriving to their aid, and coming up with great firnmesH to tho attack, eflectually checked the ^*avage8 in the pursuit, and obliged them in turn to give way till they had retired behind a breastwork of logs and brush which they had partially con- structed. Lewis, on his arrival at the place, had encamped quite on the point of lanil between the Ohio and Kenhawa, and luiving moved but a short distance out to tiie attack, the distance across from river to river was still but short. The Indians soon extending their ranks entirely across, had the Virginians completely hemmed in, and in the event of getting the better of them, had them at their disposal, as there could have Ixsen no chance for escape. Never was ground maintained with more obstinacy ; for it was slowly, and with no precipitancy, that the Indians retired to their breastwork. The division under I^wis was first broken, although that under Fleming was nearly at the same moment attacked: This heroic officer first received two balls through his left wrist, but continued to exercise his command with the greatest coolness and presence of mind. His voice was con- tinually heard, " Don't lose an inch of ground. Advance, outflank the enemy, and get between them and the river." But his men were about to be outflanked by the body that had just defeated Lewis ; meanwhile the arrival of Colonel Field turned the fortune of the day, but not without a severe loss ; Colonel Fleming was again wounded, by a shot through the lungs ; yet he would not retire, and Colonel Field was killed as he was leading on his men. The whole line of the breastwork now became as a blaze of fire, which lasted nearly till the close of the day. Here the Indians under Logan, Cornstock, Elenipsico, Red-Eagle, and other mighty chiefs of the tribes of the Shaw- nees, Delawares, Mingos, Wyandots, and Cayugas, amounting, as was supposed, to fifteen hundred warriors, fought, as men s2 210 dunmore's ttar. will ever do for their country's wrongs, with a bravery which could only be equalled. The voice of the great Cornstock was often heard during the day, above the din of strife, shouting : " Be strong ! Be strong !" And when by the repeated charges of the whites, some of his warriors began to waver, he is said to have sunk his tomakawk into the head of one, who was cowardly endeavouring to desert. General Lewis, finding at length that every charge upon the lines of the Indians lessened the number of his forces to an alarming degree, and rightly judging that if the Indians were not routed before it was dark, a doy of more doubt might follow, he resolved to throw a body, if possible, into their rear. As the good fortune of the Vir- ginians turned, the bank of the river favoured this project, and forthwith three companies were detached upon the enterprise, under the three captains, Isaac Shelby, (after renowed in the revolution, and since in the M'ar with Canada), George Matthews, and John Stewart. These companies got unobserved to their place of destination upon Crooked Creek, which runs into the Kenhawa. From the high weeds upon the banks of this little stream, they rushed upon the backs of the Indians with such fury, as to drive them from their works with precipitation. The day was now decided. The Indians, thus beset from a quarter they did not expect, were ready to conclude that a re- inforcement had arrived. It was about sunset when they fled across the Ohio, and immediately took up their march for their towns on the Sciota. Of the loss of both Indians and whites in this engagement, various statements have been given. A number amounting to seventy-five killed, and one hundred and forty wounded of the whites, has been rendered ; with a loss on the part of the In- dians not so great, but not correctly known.* Governor Dunmore, having collected his troops at Fort Pitt, descended the Ohio to Wheeling, and thence to the mouth of the Hockhocking. On arriving at that point, he sent two scouts, one of whom was the famous Simon Giyty, to General Lewis, to march to the Shawnee towns, where a junction should take place. The Governor then proceeded towards the Piqua plains. Before he had reached that place, the Indiana * History of the Backwoodf. sent mc liberatii to Gene Govern! continul when a| with gr An ei opened Cornij warm a| occasioi below He oratory,! votiou DUNMORES WAR. 211 BIMOM OIRTT. sent messengers to meet him, suing for peace. After some de- liberation, Dunmore determined to comply, and sent an express to General Lewis, ordering him to retreat. Lewis supposed the Governor was ignorant of the victory at Point Pleasant, and continued his march until he was met by Dunmore in person, when a retreat, in compliance with his orders, was commenced with great reluctance. An encampment being made by the governor, a council was opened on the ensuing day. Cornstock, the Shawnee chief, opened the meeting with a warm and animated speech, in which he boldly attributed the occasion of the war to the murder of their people above and below Wheeling. He displayed the skill of a statesman, joined to powers of oratory, rarely, if ever surpassed. With the most patriotic de- votion to his country, and in a strain of most commanding I 212 DUNMORES WAR. eloquence, he recapitulated the accumulated wrongs whieli had oppressed their fathers, and which " were oppressing them. Sketching in lively colours the once happy and powerful con- dition of the Indians, he placed in striking contrast their pre- sent fallen fortunes and unhappy destiny. He is said to have been opposed to the war from its commencement ; and to have proposed on the eve of the battle at Point Pleasant, to send in a flag, and make overtures for peace ; but this proposal was overruled by the general voice of the chiefs. When a council was first hold after the defeat of the Indians, Cornstock remind- ing them of their late ill-success, and that the Long Knives were still pressing on them, asked what should be then done. But no one answered. Rising again, he proposed that the women and children should all be killed ; and that the warriors should go out and fight until they too were slain. Still no one answered. Then, said he, striking his tomahawk into the council-post, " I will go and make peace." Peace was accord- ingly sued for, and the treaty held. Logan would not meet the whites in council, but remained in his cabin in sullen silence, until a messenger was sent to him to know wliuther he Avould accede to the proposals it contained. What the distance was from the treaty-ground to Logan's cabin we are not told; but of such importance was his name con- sidered, that he was waited on by a messenger from Lord Dunmore, who requested his assent to the articles of the treaty. Logan hfid too much at heart the wrongs lately done him to accede without giving the messenger to understand fully the grounds upon which he acceded ; he therefore invited him into an adjacent wood, where they sat down together. Here he related the events of butchery which had deprived him of all his connexions; and here he pronounced his memorable speech : " I appeal to any white man to say, if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him no meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and he clothed him not. " During the course of the last long bloody war, Logan re- mained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, 'Logan is the friend of the white man." CORNSTALK. 27 S «I injuria blood, not e\ living it. I For ni harboi felt fot is ther The ginia, i made the pn terms Indian The They v death, able ba Ellinipi terms ^ in the Indianj fort, an spot, punish resigna British of tb'^i DUNMORES WAR. 215 " I had oven thought to have lived with you, but for the injuries of one man. Colonel Crcsap, the last spring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan ; not even sparing my women and children. " There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have sought it. I have killed many. I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbour a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. lie will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan ? — Not one !" The treaty of peace was not satisfactory to the people of Vir^ ginia, and they boldly asserted that Governor Dunmore had made the war for the purpose of breaking the proud spirit o^ the provincials. But the Governor could not have obtained terms more advantageous to the whites without wronging the Indians. The noble chiefs, Logan and Comstock, were both murdered. They were the friends of the whites up to the time of their death. The murder of Cornstock was an act of the most detest- able barbarity. In the spring of 1777, he went with his son, EUinipsico, to the Fort at Point Pleasant, and was on intimate terms with the officers of the garrison. While the chiefs were in the fort, one of the rangers, named Gilmore, was killed by Indians of a hostile tribe. His friends immediately came to the fort, and, in revenge, shot Comstock and his son dead upon the spot. The officers dared not attempt to prevent the murder or punish the murderers. Comstock met his fate with heroic resignation. The Shawnees immediately took up arms for the British cause, and took a dreadful vengeance for the slaughter of tb'nr mighty chief. I' II THE MINUTB UAN. CHAPTER XIII. THE REVOLUTION. ROM the time of the first settlement of Virginia and Massachusetts, the colo- nists had displayed an unquenchable love of free institutions. In general, they had their representative assemblies, and the assent of those bodies was necessary to the eflfective operations of the government. All assertions of an extensive royal pre- rogative met with a determined resistance. Quarrels between the governors, appointed by the sovereigns of Great Britain, and the colonists, were frequent, and it is to be observed, that the people generally came out of those contests triumphant. During the wars with the Indians and French, the provinces did not receive that amount of assistance to which thej' thought them- selves entitled, and were forced to depend upon their own exer- tions and resources. This necessity developed their strength and gave them confidence; so that after the destruction of the French (216) power their i minist( sought too, wi constit This c eloquei In Mas find Jol Virgini Ini; a measi in Ame chequer pro])ose( scheme from fo These 1 debate c the reflj quiesced Amoi imposin; clared t until t law woi adoptee violatin; the adri pendent before t ^hec to their proceed i mencom resisted, subjects, in June, THE REVOLUTION. 217 power in America, we find them making bolder assertions of their rights. Unfortunately for the British .government, its ministers, instead of yielding somethhig to this I'ising spirit, sought to heap additional burdens upon the colouit^ts, and that, too, without allowing them, what all British tubjects had a constitutional right to demand, a representation in parliament. This course provoked resistance; and bold, determined, and eloquent men Avere found to lead the friends of civil liberty. In Massachusetts, James Otis, Joseph Warren, Samuel Adams, and John Adams were prominent upon the patriotic side. In Virginia, the thunders of Patrick lienry sounded the alarm. In 17G4, Mr. Grenville, in the British parliament, proposed a measure, the avowed object of which was to raiso a revenue in America, the entire produce of which was to go into the ex- chequer of Great Britain. Early in this year, the minister proposed several resolutions, as a sort of prelude to this grand scheme ; laying additional duties upon imports into the colonies from foreign countries; on clayed sugar, indigo, cofiee, &c. Those resolutions were passed by parliament, without much debate or notice ; and though they awakened some fea "s among the reflecting politicians of America, they were quietly ac- quiesced in, as a commercial regulation of Great Britain. Among the resolutions reported by Mr. Grenville, vas one imposing " certain stamp duties on the colonies;" but he de- clared to the house, his desire that it should not be acte 1 upon until the next session of parliament. It was foreseen tliiat the law would be disregarded, if extraordinary measures were not adopted to enforce it; and provision made that penalties for violating it, and all other revenue laws, might be recoveied in the admiralty courts. The judges of these courts wera de- pendent solely on the king, and decided the causes brought before them without the intervention of a jury. The colonial agents in London sent copies of the resolutions to their respective colonies. As soon as the intelligence of tiiese proceedings reached America, they were considered as the com- mencement of a system of oppression, which, if not vigorously resisted, would eventually deprive them of the liberty of British subjects. The General Court of Massachusetts, at their session in June, took this law into consideration. The house of Repr©. IM« 218 THE REVOLUTION. sentatives sent instructions to their agent in England, in which they denied the right of parliament to impose duties and taxes upon those who were not represented in the house of Commons ; and directed him to remonstrate against the duties imposed, and the stamp act in contemplation. They acquainted the other colonies with the instructions they had given to their agent, and desired their concurrence. When their communication was received in the house of Burgesses in Virginia, a committee was immediately appointed to prepare an address to the king and two houses of parliament, expressing their sense of the consequences of such a measure to the colonies. Every argument which ingenuity could furnish, or interest could enforce, was employed, in order to prevent the passage of the obnoxious statutes ; but all without effect. Associations were formed in all the provinces, in order to diminish the use of British ma- nufactures ; a step which, besides its immediate effects, rendered the merchants of England a party against the ministry, and increased the opposition with which those in power were obliged to contend. In March 1765, Mr, Grenville, not deterred by an opposition which he had expected, brought into parliament a bill for im- posing duties in America. The friends of the administration employed much able reasoning in support of the bill. Among those who distinguished themselves by the ability and eloquence with which they advocated the cause of the colonies, was Colonel Barr^. He stated with a manly freedom, that the same spirit which had actuated the people at first, still continued with them. He insinuated, in a way that could not be mistaken, what would be the effect of the measure which England was about to adopt. He declared that he spoke from a particular acquaintance with the character of the Americans, and expressed his belief, that while they were jealous of their rights, they were loyal to their king ; and finally, he entreated the ministry to pause before they ordained that the privileges of Englishmen were to be invaded or destroyed. Eloquence and argument, however, availed nothing. The bill almost unanimously passed in parliament ; and received the sanction of the crown. The night after its passage. Dr. Frank- lin, then in England as agent for Pennsylvania, wrote to Charles Thomps( you mus "Be assij torches o which fo processes fumishet prices. Onth( general i] resolutio] way. On proposed rights an and expl These he and they in his ab had gone position by the THE REVOLUTION. 219 COLONEL BARRE. Thompson, his friend, in America — " The sun of liberty is set; you must light up the candles of industry and economy." " Be assured," said Mr. Thompson in reply, " we shall light up torches of quite another sort ;" — thus predicting the commotions which followed. The act provided that all contracts and legal processes should be written on stamped paper, which was to be furnished by agents of the British government, at exorbitant prices. On the arrival of the news of the stamp act in America, a general indignation spread throughout the colonies ; and spirited resolutions were passed. In these resolutions Virginia led the way. On the meeting of the house of Burgesses, Patrick Henry proposed five resolutions ; the four first asserted the various rights and privileges claimed by the colonists ; and the fifth boldly and explicitly denied the right of parliament to tax America. These he defended by strong reasoning and irresistible eloquence, and they were adopted by a majority of one. The next day, in his absence, the fifth was rescinded ; but this with the rest had gone forth to the world. They formed the first public op- position to the stamp act, and to the schemes of taxing America by the British parliament. Nearly at the same time, and be- 220 TilE REVOLUTION. V' PATRICK HENRT. fore the proceedings of Virginia were known in Massachusetts, her General Court had also adopted measures to produce a com- bined opposition. Letters were addressed to the other Assem- blies, proposing a congress of deputies from each colony, to consult on the common interest. The knowledge of what had been done in Virginia aroused the most violent feelings. The resolutions, which at first were circulated cautiously, were at length openly published in newspapers ; and one general feeling of indignation pervaded all classes of society. On the first Tuesday of October, 1765, the day appointed for the meeting of the proposed congress, the delegates assembled at New York, where were present members from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Dela- ware, Maryland, and South Carolina. A committee from six of the provinces drew up a declaration of their rights and grievances. They declared themselves entitled to all the rights and liberties of natural born subjects of Great Britain : among the most essential of which, were the exclusive right to tax tliemselves, and the privilege of trial by jury. The first of these they regarded as infringed by the stamp act ; the last, by the extension of the jurisdiction of the courts of admiralty. The con memoria represeni The 1 ftct was were evei of the p( places th( funeral j aversion, attached ruin of A could be intcmpera houses of sition to t obliged to alarming, universall I be import( though k in all the spirit, che was manu of justices the colonic who took by referen In the I British cal of the trei repeal the to them advocates, the house "is this; taxation j founded on law of na 28 THE REVOLUTION. 221 The congress also agreed upon a petition to the king, and a memorial to both houses of parliament. The colonies not represented, forwarded to England similar petitions. The 1st of November, the important day when the stamp act was to take effect, at length approached. Combinations were everywhere formed to prevent its execution. The violence of the populace could with difficulty be restrained. In some places the day was ushered in with the tolling of bells, as for a funeral procession. The act which was the object of their aversion, was hawked in the streets with a death's head attached to it. It was styled the " Folly of England, and the ruin of America." The stamps were destroyed wherever they could be found by the enraged multitude ; who, with all the intemperance of popular agitation, burned and plundered the houses of such as supported the act. So general was the oppo- sition to the law, that the stamp officers in all the colonies were obliged to resign. Opposition became general, systematic, and alarming. Confederacies were everywhere forming. It was universally agreed that no articles of British manufacture should be imported, and that those which were prepared in the colonies, though both dearer and of worse quality, should be employed in all the settlements. The women, animated with a similar spirit, cheerfully relinquished every species of ornament which was manufjictured in England. The proceedings in the courts of justices were suspended, that no stamps might be used ; and the colonists were earnestly and frequently exhorted by those who took the lead on this occasion, to terminate their disputes by reference. In the mean time an entire change had taken place in the British cabinet : the Marquis of Bockingham became first lord of the treasury; and it was perceived that they must either repeal the obnoxious statutes, or oblige the Americans to submit to them by force of arms. Each of these measures had its advocates. Among the foremost to vindicate the colonies, in the house of Peers, was Lord Camden. " My position," said he, "is this; I repeat it, I will maintain it to my last hour — taxation and representation are inseparable. This position is founded on the laws of nature ; it is more — it is itself an eternal law of nature ; for whatever is a man's own is absolutely bis 28 T 222 THE REVOLUTION. own; no man has a right to take it from him witliout \\\n consent. Whoever attempts to do it, attcmptM an injury ; whoever does it, commits a robbery." In the house of commons. Lord Chatham entered into tlio views of. the colonists ; and maintained with all the eloquence for which he was conspicuous, that taxation is no part of the governing or legislative power, but that taxes are a voluntary gift and grant of the commons alone: and concluded his speech with a motion, " that the stamp act be repealed, absolutely, totally, and immediately." About this time (17CG) Dr. Franklin was examined before the house of commons, and gave it as his opinion, that the tux was unprofitable and ruinous. He asserted that it had alien- ated the aflfections of the colonists from the mother-country, and made them regard the people of England as conspiring against their liberties, and its parliament as desirous to oppress rather than to protect them. A petition was received from the Congress at New York ; and some change having taken place in the cabinet, the existing administration agreed with Lord Chatham, and the stamp act was repealed. But accompanying the repeal of the stamp act, was published another act, de- claring, " that parliament have, and of right ought to have, power to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever." This asser- tion diminished the joy which the repeal of the stamp act would otherwise have occasioned. It was considered by the Americans as a foundation on which any future ministry might oppress them, under the sanction of parliamentary authority ; and it had no other effect than that of rendering them more suspicious of arbitrary designs, and more solicitous to mark with a jealous eye the first encroachments of power. An opportunity for the exercise of this spirit was not long wanting. Immediately after the ratilication of the treaty of peace at Paris, the intention of the ministers to quarter troops in America, and oblige the colonies to support them, was an- nounced in the English papers. The maintaining of a standing army was connected with the system of taxation, but the ministry well knew it would be opposed, and they calculated that an army sent under pretence of protecting the colonies, afforded a plausible pretext for taxing them, while it would awe them into Aul An act for pro\ colonies, circumsl which til obedienc them wii followed further; issuing n with pro' disabled which hii proved in tlie in ten of sentim liament. lor of th( and paint position, { (17G7.) greater a\ from MasI the injust were seni expedien( redress. They fe{ strength it. Thej sachusettj directing dissolve il the house seven teer This ment at the colon into flubmiHsion to the mandates of tl»e British government. An tict had been pasned by the UcK'kingham adminiHtration, for providing the soldiers, who had been quartered in the colonies, with the necessaries and aniommmlations which their circumstances might require, at the expense of the colony in which they were stationed. The Assembly of New York refused obedience to this law, considering it an indirect m(Kle of taxing them without their consent. The Assembly at Boston not only followed the example of that of New York, but proceeded still further; and resolved, that the conduct of the governor, in issuing money from the treasury in order to furnish the artillery with provisions, was unconstitutional and unjust ; and thnt it disabled them from granting cheerfully to the king the aids which his service demanded. These resolutions were not ap- proved in England, even by many who had heretofore esjxjused the interests of the colonies. The consequence of this change of sentiment was perceptible by a change of measures in par- liament. A bill was introduced by Mr. Townsend, the chancel- lor of the exchequer, imposing a duty on all tea, glass, paper, and painters' colours. It passed both houses without much op- position, and was the next year sent to the colonies. (17G7.) The act for imposing the new taxes was received with greater aversion than the stamp act itself. Letters were sent from Massachusetts to all the other colonies, inveighing against the injustice and tyranny of the British legislature. Circulars were sent to most of the colonial assemblies, suggesting the expediency of acting in concert in all endeavours to obtain redress. These proceedings incensed and alarmed the ministry. They feared that a union of the colonies would give them strength and confidence ; and determined if possible to prevent it. They instructed Sir John Bernard, then governor of Mas- sachusetts, to require the General Court to rescind the vote directing the circular to be sent; and in case of refusal, to dissolve it. The governor communicated these instructions to the house of Representatives ; which, by a vote of ninety-two to seventeen, refused to rescind, and was accordingly dissolved. This measure, like all the others which the British govern- ment at this period pursued, with the intention of intimidating the colonies, did but exasperate and arouse them. Frequent i 4 II I if' ■li' 224 THE REVOLUTION. meetings of the people were held at Boston, and the different provinces ; a petition was made to the governor, in which he was desired to remove the ships of war from the neighbourhood uf the town ; a request with which he was neither able nor willing to comply. At the opening of the year 1768, everything appeared to indicate a rupture between the colonies and the parent state. The agent of the province was refused admission to the presence of the king. A report was circulated that the troops had been ordered to march into Boston, a dreadful alarm took place, and all ranks of men joined in beseeching the governor that a general assembly might be convoked. The answer of Governor Bernard was, that by his last instructions from England, he was prevented from complying with this wish of the people. On this refusal, the selectmen of Boston proposed to the several towns in the colony to hold a convention, which was accordingly liolden in that town on the 22d of September. In this convention it was resolved that they would defend their violated rights at the peril of their lives and fortunes, and that the people who had no arms, should furnish themselves. At the same time, they thought it proper to assure the government of their pacific intentions, and requested again that an assembly might be called ; but after transmitting to England an account of their proceedings, and the reasons which had induced them to assemble, they were again refused, and stigmatized with the appellation of rebels. The refractory spirit of the people of Boston had been so often displayed, that General Gage, who was commander-in- chief of the troops in the colonies, was ordered to station a regiment in that town, not only to overawe the citizens, but to protect the officers of the revenue in the discharge of their duty. Before the order was executed, the seizure of a sloop belonging to Mr. Hancock, an eminent merchant, and a popular leader, occasioned a riot, in which those officers were insulted and beaten. On the 28th of September, two regiments, escorted by seven armed vessels, arrived at Boston from Halifax. The lauding of the troops was protected by the fleet, which was drawn up with the broadsides of the vessels opposite the town. In con- 11 sequenc Boston The se with qu opened great but the creased Early of parli mended and hac governo treasons order th be sent to the c The the ne^ BurgessJ not tare THE REVOLUTION. 225 JOHN HAHCOCK. sequence of their formidable appearance, they maAjhed iiilo Boston without any resistance on the part of the inhabitants. The selectmen of the town having refused to provide them with quarters, the governor commanded the state house to be opened for their reception. The presence of the soldiers had great influence in restraining the excesses of the population ; but the hatred of the colonies towards England was much in- creased by this highly offensive measure. Early in 1769, news reached the colonies that both houses of parliament, in a joint address to his majesty, had recom- mended vigorous measures in order to enforce their obedience ; and had even gone so far as to beseech the king to direct the governor of Massachusetts Bay to make strict inquiries as to all treasons committed in that province since the year 1767, in order that the persons most active in committing them might be sent to England for trial. This proposal gave great offence to the colonists. The Legislature of Massachusetts was not in session when the news of this address reached America ; but the house of Burgesses in Virginia, which met a few days afterwards, were not tardy in expressing their sense of it. They passed several t2 1 -(i--!« J •a I 226 THE REVOLUTION. spirited resolutions, declaring their exclusive right to tax them- selves, and denying the right of his majesty to remove an offender out of the colony for trial. An address to his majesty was also agreed on, which stated, in a style of loyalty and real attachment to the crown, the deep conviction of the house of Burgesses of Virginia, that the complaints of the colonists were well founded. When the intelligence of these proceedings reached the governor, he suddenly dissolved the Assembly. But the current of opposition was too strong to be stayed. The members assembled at a private house, elected their speaker, Peyton Randolph, Esq., moderator; and proceeded to pass re- solutions against importing British goods. Their example was followed by other colonies; and non-importation agreements, which had before been entered into by Boston, Salem, the city of New York, and the colony of Connecticut, now became general. On the 5th of March, 1770, an affray took place at Boston between the military and some of the inhabit.ants, who insulted them while under arms, in which four persons were killed. The l)ells were instantly rung ; the people rushed from the country to the aid of the citizens ; and the soldiers were obliged to retire to Castle William, in order to avoid the fury of the enraged multitude. A trial was instituted : the soldiers engaged in the aflfray were all acquitted, except two, who were found guilty of manslaughter. The moderation of the jury, and the ability with which the soldiers were defended by two of the leading oppos**rs of British aggression, John Adams and Josiah Quincy, were honourable to the individuals and to their country. This event, however, increased the detestation in which the soldiers stationed among the people were held. In the mean time the parliament of Great Britain showed, that it had neither sufficient vigour to compel the Americans to submit, nor sufficient liberality to yield to their remon- Btrances. The ministry agreed to take oflf all the duties which had lately been imposed, except that on tea ; but it was pre- dicted by the opposition that their indulgence would have no good effect, while any duty remained which was imposed upon the Americans without their consent. What was predicted by the opposition^ was in the end found to be true. It was resolved that the the same that it W( modity s in great been coi that the^ engage their coil chusettsi Such tea arrii vessels, with tht nccessar been coi of the landing! with thi ships THE REVOLUTION. 227 DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA. that the tea should not be landed, but sent back to Europe in the same vessels that had brought it ; for it was obvious to all, that it would be extremely difficult to hinder the sale, if the com- modity should once be received on shore. The people assembled in great numbers at Boston, and forced those to whom it had been consigned to give up their appointments, and to swear that they would abandon them for ever. Such as refused to engage in this opposition were denounced as the enemies of their country. This disposition was not confined to Massa- chusetts alone; but the same spirit appeared in all the colonies. Such was the situation of affairs, when three ships laden with tea arrived at the port of Boston. The captains of these vessels, alarmed at the menaces of the people, offered to return with their cargoes to England, provided they could obtain the necessary discharges from the merchants, to whom the teas had been consigned ; and likewise from the governor, and the officers of the custom-house. But though afraid to issue orders for landing the tea, the merchants and officers, in conjunction with the governor, refused to grant the discharges, and the ships were obliged to remain in the harbour. The people, 228 THE REVOLUTION. m i> however, apprehensive that the obnoxious commodity would be landed in small quantities, if the vessels should continue in the neighbourhood of the town, resolved to destroy it at once. For this purpose, several persons disguised themselves as In- d^s, boarded the ships during the night, and threw their cargoes into the \vater, without making any further disturbance. No fewer than 142 chests were thus broken open, and their contents emptied into the sea. At Philadelphia, the pilots were enjoined not to conduct the ships into the river : and at New York, though the governor ordered some of the tea to be landed under the protection of a man-of-war, he was obliged to deliver it into the custody of the people, who took care that none of it should be sold. The parliament of England resolved not to change their measures, but to punish the inhabitants of Boston in a exem- plary manner, by imposing a nne upon them, equal to the value of the tea which had been destroyed. The port of Boston was shut by an armed force until this should be accomplished, and their refractory spirit subdued. An act was also passed, giving to the crown the appointment of counsellors ; whereas, it had resided with the court. The custom-house was to be removed to Salem ; and General Gage was made govenior in the pl.-ce of Hutchinson. Gage removed the Assembly from Boston, in Massachusetis, to Salem. Having met at that place, they declared it necessary that a congress of delegates from all the provinces should as- semble, to take the affairs of the colonies into their most serious consideration. And they nominated James Bowdoin, Thomas Gushing, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, men celebrated for their talents and opposition to England, as the representives to such a congress, from Massachusetts. They recommended to the whole province to abandon the use of tea ; and urged the necessity of giving all the encouragement in their power to the manufactures of America. In the mean time, the governor having learned their pro- ceedings, sent an officer to dissolve the assembly in the king's name ; but he finding the door shut and entrance denied him, was compelled tv, read the order of dissolution aloud on the staircase. Thei polls of with th( of the li their ha and tha selves 1( could th their nc their coi Thee The 1st by the 1 and hu Americf style of mind, f Virginia Congres without that in inhabit.i 2! THE REVOLUTION. 229 SAMUEL ADAH8. The inhabitants of Salem, which had now become the metro- polis of the country, appear to have adopted the same spirit with those of Boston. They published a declaration in favour of the latter ; in which they asserted, that nature, in forming their harbour, had prevented their becoming rivals in trade ; and that even if that were otherwise, they would regard them- selves lost to every idea of justice and all feelings of humanity, could they indulge one thought of seizing upon the wealth of their neighbours, or raising their fortunes upon the ruins of their countrymen. The cause of Boston wn,s espoused by the rest of the colonies. The 1st of June, the day on which the city was to be blockaded by the king's ships, was observed in Virginia as a day of fasting and humiliation ; and a public intercession in behalf of the American people, was enjoined throughout the province. The style of prayer was, "That God would give them one heart and mind, firmly to oppose every invasion of American rights." Virginia united with Massachusetts in recommending a General Congress. They declared if any one of the colonies was taxed without its consent, the rights of the whole were violated ; and that in the present case, they regarded the injury done to the inhabitants of Boston as done to themselves. 29 t 230 THE REVOLUTION. The proposal for a General Congress had now been discussed, and was approved, and eleven of the colonies had elected their delegates. Georgia had not determined to unite her fate with that of New England ; and North Carolina was later than the ot(prs in acceding to the measure. At length, on the 4th of September, 1774, the first Congress of the American States assembled at Philadelphia. This was the most important deliberative body which had ever met in America. Peyton Randolph, Esq., of Virginia, was chosen pre- sident by the unanimous suffrage of the delegates. To this august body of citizens, who were met for the highest purposes which can affect the temporal interests of men, the eyes of the people of America were turned with anxious concern. The officers and dependants of the crown looked also to their measures with the deepest interest, and, alarmed at the calm determined spirit which they manifested, dreaded the conse- quences of their deliberations. These delegates, having resolved that each colony should have only one vote, and that their deliberations should take place without the admission of strangers, proceeded to the high duty which their countrymen had imposed on them. They first expressed their approbation of what had been done by the inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay; warmly ex- horted them to perseverance in the cause of freedont; and voted that contributions should be made for them in all the provinces, and continued so long, and in such a manner, as their circumstances might require. They next addressed a letter to General Gage, in which they informed him of their unalterable resolution to oppose every attempt to carry the British acts of parliament into effect ; and entreated him to desist from military operations,, lest a dif- ference, altogether irreconcileable, should take place between the colonies and parent state. The next step was a declara- tion of their rights, addressed to the people in the shape of resolutions. This instrument is commonly quoted by the title of the bill of rights. A committee was next appointed, who drew a petition to the king, stating the grievances under which they had laboured ; — ^grievances, which they said were the more intolerable, as the colonies it under that thei no privi riglitful chiding t the fathe law, and which, if suffering The cc Mr. John The oriji Lee. The pe people of in the m( This a^ tuents. ' shown in abstaining in Englar melancho might tal The ini the decisi supplied by their sation of I distress, generousll and ware procure Compl^ late emif many wl clared thj distingui^ cause of THE REVOLUTION. 231 colonics were born the heirs of freedom, and had long enjoyed it under the auspices of former sovereigns ; and stating also, that they had wished for no diminution of the prerogative, and no privileges or immunities, except those which were their rightful inheritance as the subjects of Great Britain ; — cA| chiding the whole with an earnest prayer, that his majesty,lra tlie father of his people, would not permit the ties of blood, of law, and of loyalty to be broken, in expectation of consequences, which, if they ever took place, would never compensate for the suffering to which they must give rise. The committee who brought in this address, were Mr. Lee, Mr. John Adams, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Henry, and Mr. Rutledge. The original composition has been generally artributed to Mr. Lee. The petition to the king was followed by an address to the people of England, conceived with great vigour, and expressed in the most energic language. This address was followed by a memorial to their consti- tuents. They applauded them for the spirit which they had shown in defence of their rights ; enjoined them to persevere in abstaining from the use of everything manufactured or prepared in England ; and hinted at the necessity of looking forward to melancholy events, and being ready for any contingency that might take place. The inclinations of the people were in exact accordance with the decision of the Congress. The inhabitants of Boston were supplied by contributions from all quarters. Even those, who by their station seemed likely to derive advantage from the ces- sation of their trade, were most forward to relieve them in their distress. The people of Marbleh'.ad, a town at no great distance, generously offered them the use of their harbour, their wharfs, and warehouses, free of all expense. Every one who could procure arms was diligent in learning their use. Complete unanimity, however, did not exist. Some of the late emigrants, on whom England had bestowed offices, and many who feared her power, clung to her authority, and de- clared themselves her adherents. Whigs and Tories were the distinguishing names of the parties. The former favoured the cause of the colonists , the latter that of Great Britain. i\ m ii.il 3 ■ ! 232 THE REVOLUTION. Ill the mean time, many British troops having assembled at Boston, General Gage thought it prudent to fortify the neck of land that joins that city to the continent. He also seized the magazines of gunpowder, ammunition, and military stores at ^■■ibridge and Charlestown. An Assembly was called, and its sitting immediately coun- termanded ; but the representatives met at Salem, notwith- standing the proclamation of the governor; and after waiting a day for his arrival, they voted themselves "a Provincial Congress," and adjourned to Concord. Mr. Hancock was chosen president ; and the delegates resolved, that for the defence of the province, a military force, to consist of one-fourth of tlio militia, should be organized, and stand ready to march at a minute's warning ; and that money should be raised to purchase military stores. They appointed a committee of safety to sit during the recess. The more southern provinces, particularly Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland, displayed the same determination to resist, and passed resolutions designed to animate those who, in Massachusetts, stood in the post of danger. General Gage had hitherto, probably under instructions from home, avoided every movement which could bring on a collision, and lead to a commencement of actual war. Yet, remaining almost besieged at Boston, he began to experience scarcity of provisions ; and an impression was felt, that something must be done to check these extensive preparations, and seize the military stores now collected all over the countrj'. He formed the injudicious plan of sending out secretly small detachments to capture them by surprise. Even if successful, which was not very probable, the adoption of such a scheme must have loweried the impression of British power. If the troops w^ere to march into the country, it should have been in such large bodies as would overpower, and even deter resistance. A small party sent towards Salem were induced to return, owing to the mere obstacles raised by the country people against their march. The governor, having learned that a considerable magazine of stores had been formed at Concord, determined on an attemp*^^ to seize them. He employed a larger force, but trusted still to se^^ncy ai Colonel S forward Dr. Warr mit previi of guns people to at five in dred mill followed, volved in cleared a^ supportet galloped and disp muskets lish assei reluctant from bell became g THE REVOLUTION. 233 BATTLE OF LEXWGTOX. se>"i\cy and surprise. On the night of the 19th of April, 1775, Colonel Smith began hi;^ march, seeking to conceal it by sending forward some horsemen to arrest all travellers on the road. Dr. Warren, from Boston, however, having contrived to trans- mit previous notice, they had not advanced far when the firing of guns and the ringing of bells were heard, summoning the people to arms. They pushed forward nearly fifteen miles, ond at five in the morning reached Lexington, where about p, hun- dred militia were exercising on a green. The events which followed, and form the fatal crisis of this great contest, are in- volved in a cloud of controversy which will never perhaps be fully cleared away. According to the statement of the Americans, supported even by affidavits, Major Pitcairn, who led the van, galloped up, calling, " Disperse, rebels ! throw down your arms and disperse." The soldiers than ran up, huzzaing; some muskets were fired, followed by a general discharge. The Eng- lish asserted that the summons to disperse was slowly and reluctantly obeyed, and that, mean time, some shots were fired from behind walls, which being returned, the contest soon became general. i u . !,.: vt '.■■f i 234 THE REVOLUTION. MTRBAT rt>9lt 005C0RD. The troops, who drove the militia before them, proceeding about four miles farther, arrived at Concord ; and while the main body were destroying the stores, a detachment was sent forward to occupy two bridges beyond. It was surrounded by the colonists in great numbers, and in a threatening attitude ; a firing was commenced, but returned with such vigour, that the party were obliged to fall back upon the main body. The whole then began a retrograde movement to Boston ; but the Americans, in increasing numbers, attacked them incessantly on their rear and flanks, firing from houses, trees, and behind walls. The British, accordingly, when they arrived ai Lexing- ton, found themselves in a most exhausted state; and it is alleged, that they would have been totally destroyed, but for a timely succour. General Gage had sent forward Lord Percy with sixteen companies and two pieces of cannon, who drove back the provincials, and forming a square, protected their countrymen while they lay down to recruit their strength. All together then proceeded to Boston ; while the assailants, with- out attempting to obstruct their march, kept up an incessant firc, both in front and rear, from behind stone fences, which are there very numerous. On their arrival, they found that they had lost sixty-five killed, one hundred and eighty wounded, and twenty-seven missing ; while the Americans, who fought mostly 1 thirty-ei Thei through arrayed that a \\ cess gair inspired provincii teen the New En all thirtj of £100, numbers the leviei officers, 1 now rais( fortificati preclude was forn nexion w\ Mean determin collected against — the k( tracts, tl land, thi ance, bo supply o a sloop < mand of Meanr a report earnest serious and ph before al with sod THE REVOLUTION. 235 mostly from under cover, acknowledged only fifty killed and thirty-eight wounded. The intelligence of this event excited the utmost enthusiasm throughout Massachusetts, and the whole country was soon arrayed in a warlike form. The people were studiously assvAd that a wanton attack had heen made; while the degree of Ac- cess gained by their undisciplined force against regular troops, inspired the most sanguine hopes and military ardour. The provincial Congress immediately passed a vote for raising thir- teen thousand six hmidrcd men, and called upon the other Now England cohmies for their respective quotas, making in all thirty thousand. Me., aires were also taken to obtain a loan of £100,000. The provincials crowded to the standard in numbers greater than could be maintained in the field ; and the levies were placed under the command of Ward and other officers, who had acquired experience in the last war, and were now raised from the rank of colonel to that of general. The fortifications of Boston were considered sufficiently strong to preclude the hazard of any attack; but a lino of thirty miles was formed around the peninsula, entirely cutting oflf its con- nexion with the surrounding country. Meantime, an adventurous scheme was formed by two determined leaders, the colonels Arnold and Allen. Having collected a small body of troops in Connecticut, they proceeded against the strong fortresses of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, — the keys of Canada. Traversing undiscovered the immense tracts, then almost desert, that lay to the north of New Eng- land, they completely surprised and captured, without resist- ance, both these important places, each containing a valuable supply of military stores. Arnold was equally successful against a sloop of war lying at St. John's, and thus obtained the com- mand of Lake Champlain. Meantime Congress, having met on the 10th of May, received a report of these transactions, which called for their most earnest consideration. Some it is said were unprepared for so serious a result ; but the general resolution was to follow it up, and place all the colonies in a posture of military defence. Still, before adopting any active measures, they determined, though with some dissentient voices, to make fresh appeals to the king f^i i i i 230 THE REVOLUTION. 1 I' ''Hi nnd people of Great Britain. To his majesty they professed as strongly as ever their devotion to his person, family, and government; their deep regret at any event which could ■weaken their connexion with his crown, and their ardent desire fo^he restoration of harmony. To the people they strenuously repelled the charge of aiming at independence, which none of their jictions were said to justify. They had never made over- tures to any foreign power, nor availed themselves of the weak state of the cities, to become masters of them. The late hostili- ties had been merely the repulse of a wanton attack ; they had lamented the wounds they were obliged to give, and had not yet learned to rejoice at a victory over Englishmen. The armies were said to be raised with objects purely defensive, and the fortresses seized merely as a preventive against invasion from Canada. Complaining, however, that the clemency of their sovereign was diverted, that their petitions were treated with indignity, and that their prayers were answered by insults, they dreaded that the nation wanted either the will or the power to assist them. In that case, they expressed a firm determination that, "while we revere the memory of our gallant and virtuous ancestors, we never can surrender those glorious privileges, for which they fought, bled, and conquered ; — your fleets and armies can destroy our towns and ravage our coasts ; these are inconsiderable objects, — things of no moment to men whose bosoms glow with the ardour of liberty. We can retire beyond the reach of your navy, and, without any sensible diminution of the necessaries of life, enjoy a luxury, which from that period you will want, — the luxury of being free." Having emitted these declarations, Congress proceeded to make military arrangements which should comprehend the whole range of the colonies. AH the troops within their limits were to be now called the Continental Army ; committees were appointed to devise ways and means for supporting and sup- plying it with arms and stores, and preparing regulations for its government. An issue of paper-money was voted to the amount of three millions of dollars. The first object was con- sideicd to be the choice of a commander, and in this respect Ihey were singularly fortunate. There had at this time sprung up among them an uncommon number of men of distinguished abilities was (u'o to him, ' sense of a conscu not he c would ei ho possof had boor of an ail bursomoi It wa! North's being co ordered t faction e posed of decidedly Before character On the 1 land, con officers o favour o active op to lay do copting I take ad^ most act Boston fi Hill, the On the e thousanc took pos America morning by a smi break tf opened 80 THE REVOLrTION". 237 nbilitic's; but it was generally ajjjrcod that the fittest person vvuH (Jc'orgo Washington. Next day the cliolce was announced to him, when, in a plain, modest reply, ho expressed his hi^di sense of the honour, not concealing the pain which arose iVom a consciousness that his abilities and military experience nii|^ht not 1)0 tupial to so mighty a trust. Yet ho assured them, ho would enter on the momentous duty, and exert every j)o\\er lio possessed in so great a cause. Five hundred dollars monthly had been voted for his pay and expenses; but being possessed of an ample fortune, ho declined anything beyond tho reim- bursement of his actual outlay. It was at this crisis — certainly not auspicious — that TiOrd North's conciliatory propositions arrived. Tho propositions, being communicated to Congress on tho 30th of JNIay, were ordered to lio on tho table ; and notwithstanding tho dissatis- faction excited, wore afterwards referred to a committee, com- posed of Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, and Lee ; whoso report, decidedly unfavourable, was adopted on the 31st of Jul}'. Before Washington had reached New England, tho trngic character of tho groat drama had boon more fully develoj)ed. On tho 25th of May, large reinforcements arrived from Kng- land, commanded by Generals IIowo, Burgoyno, and Clinton, officers of high reputation, and chosen seemingly without any favour or political bias. General Gage, before commencing active operations, issued a proclamation calling upon tho people to lay down their arms, and offering a free pardon to all, ex- cepting Adams and Hancock. Far, however, from thinking to take advantage of this offer, they were busily planning tho most active operations. A channel divides the peninsula of Boston from that of Charlostown, on which last rises Bunker's Hill, the fire from which in some degree commands the ca])ital. On the evening of the 16th of June, General Prescot, with one thousand men, having crossed unperceived the isthmus or neck, took possession of that eminence ; and such activity did the Americans employ during the night in intrenching it, that by morning they had completed a redoubt and breastwork, flanked by a small river, and forming a very strong position. At day- break they were discovered, and a cannonade immediately opened from the ships, but without producing much effect, or 80 n2 . I ■I).: ^iii Hi) SI V ;Lj. -,. 238 THE REVOLUTION. t'i" even interrupting the prosecution of the works. Gage, con- sidering it extremely inexpedient that they should be allowed to retain this position, immediately prepared a strong de- tachment to expel them. It was not ready till noon, wlien General Ilowe, being appointed to command, sailed across, but found the adverse party so strongly posted, that it appeared necessary to wait for a reinforcement ; the Americans at the same time receiving one under Dr. Warren. Either from accident, or to secure the English position, the village of Charlestown was burned. Howe at length began to ascend the hill, while, from the heights around Boston, numerous specta- tors, agitated by intense and opposite emotions, Avitnessed the eventful scene. The provincials reserved their fire till the ad- vancing party was within sixty or seventy yards, when they commenced a sudden and general discharge of musketry and rities, which they used with peculiar skill. So deadly was the eflect, that the British troops fell back in confusion ; they were rallied, but a second time repulsed ; and General Howe is said to have been left at one time almost alone, having every ofliccr around him either killed or wounded. To have suffered a final repulse, however, would have been most disastrous. Clinton, seeing the exigency, hastened across with a fresh detachment ; when the British, being led afresh to the charge, rushed upon the intrenchment, and carried it at the point of the bayonet, after a fierce struggle, the ammunition of the Americans being exhausted. The Americans slowly retreated, with little mo- lestation except from a straggling fire by the vessels. The loss on the part of the English was most severe, being stated officially at two hundred and twenty-six killed, and eight hun- dred and twenty-eight wounded. The other party r-^ported only one hundred and forty-five slain, with three hundred and four wounded ; and though they had lost the field, almost all the glory and advantage was felt to be on th'ir side. The vigorous stand made by their raw levies, and the severe loss inflicted on veteran troops, elevated their courage ; while it appalled not a little the power which had undertaken to bring them into subjection. The death of the gallant Warren, who was killed while striving to cover the retreat of the provincials, was a severe ^4 IkSS^^'' i ^r^lH? ' ' . If! mi w|iiii IB fv n' (239) I THE REVOLUTION. 241 GENERAL JOSEPH WABHEN. loss to the patriots. His great zeal and splendid abilities had ruisod him very high in the general estimation. Though the centre of the movement was in Now England, it extended to other colonies. In Virginia, Lord Dunmore, the royal governor, was compelled to retire from the colony. In North Carolina, Governor Martin was involved in similar controversies with the provincial convention, which also led to his retirement on board a ship of war. Lord William Campbell, governor of South Carolina, was equally obliged to seek security on ship-board, and joined Martin in the vicinity of Cape Fear. Governor Tryon, also, at New York, betook himself to a similar I'efuge, but still retained command of the harbour, and preserved an iutercour' with the numerous loyalists in that quarter. Governors E(ien and Franklin, in Maryland and New Jersey, contrived to maintain their place, but not to exercise any juris- diction. The colonists had thus experienced an almost uninterrupted 242 THE REVOLUTION. SIEGE OF BOSTON. career of succoss, and, with the exception of Boston, England had not a spot left in the whole range of their territory. Yet reflecting men easily saw, that they had prevailed only against an advanced guard and scattered detachments, and that the struggle had not yet commenced with the main force of ttie British empire. Washington, meantime, on proceeding to the army, was received in the most cordial manner, and without the smallest symptom of jealousy; the provincial Congress sending a committee to meet him at Springfield on the frontier, and escort him to Boston. He there found fourteen thousand five hundred men, able-bodied, zealous in the cause, and personally courageous, but destitute of almost every element of military organization. A great proportion wanted bayonets, and the alarming discovery was soon made, that they had not above nine rounds of gunpowder. There were no tents, and clothes extremely deficient ; there was neither commissary nor quartermaster-general. No combination existed between the troops drawn from different colonies ; and the officers, mostly chosen by the men, could exercise scarcely any authority. These evils were the more difficult to remedy, as the army, en- listed onl and be circumstf Boston, {1 forcemen become j on good of succes turn whi The ii spirit wb ministry down a open ins appear t( Penn, th the add] second it pressed i from an professio on the 2 by gross people, loyalty f standard obviousl well as 1 down su should n and be r that inc tionary ] province of aid 1 there wj any qua Thed means v THE REVOLUTION. 243 listed only for a short period, would disband in a few months, and be replaced by one composed of raw recruits. In these circumstances, he anxiously desired to make an attack upon Boston, and dislodge the troops before the large expected rein- forcements should arrive, when the prospects could not but become gloomy. Yet a council of officers decided, seemingly on good grounds, that such an attempt could have no chance of success ; and he was obliged, very reluctantly, to await the turn which events might take. The intelligence of these proceedings excited in England that spirit which former examples might lead us to expect. The ministry determined upon the most vigorous measures to put down a movement which had now assumed the character of open insurrection. The nation poured in addresses, which appear to have expressed decided assurances of public support. Penn, the hereditary governor of Pennsylvania, came over with the address from Congress to the king, and endeavoured to second it, declaring his positive belief that the sentiments ex- pressed in it were sincere. It was rejected, however, as coming from an illegal body, and consisting only of a series of empty professions. The royal speech at the opening of parliament, on the 26th of October, 1775, lamented that a desperate faction, by gross misrepresentations, had inflamed the minds of the people, overawed the well-affected, and, amid protestations of loyalty and attachment to the parent state, openly raised the standard of rebellion. It was added that these persons now obviously aimed at total independence, and hence clemency, as well as prudence, called for decisive exertions speedily to put down such disorders ; that those of the misled multitude, who should repent of their error, would experience the utmost lenity, and be received into favour, as if they had never revolted ; and that individuals on the spot would be invested with discre- tionary power to grant immediate pardon and indemnity to any province or colony which should return to its allegiance. Offers of aid had been received from several foreign powers ; and there was no reason to apprehend hostility or impediment in any quarter. The detennination being formed to employ force, the requisite means were to be provided. In the estimates, the number of ik-ii! t I 244 THE REVOLUTION. seamen was fixed at twenty-eight thousand, of land forces at fifty-five thousand ; but the difficulty lay in making up this latter number. The troops at Boston, amounting to ,«even thousand four Ijundred, were manifestly inadequate; while in Britain there was merely the small peace establishment con- sidered necessary for the security of the country. The levying of a new army by voluntary enlistment was difficult and tedious; while an additional time would be required for its training. In this exigency, ministers saw no expedient except that of having recourse to several Genn.an princes, who, on former occasions, had been induced, partly by alliance, but more by pecuniary motives, to hire out their soldiers for tem- porary service. In the beginning, therefore, of 177G, treaties were concluded w^ith the Landgrave of Ilesse-Cassel for twelve thousand one hundred and four men, the Duke of Brunswick for four thousand and eighty-four, the Prince of Ilesse for six hundred and sixty-eight, and the Prince of Waldeik for six hundred and seventy ; in all, seventeen thousand five hundred and twenty-six. These rulers, keeping in view the extreme necessity of the British government, extorted very advantageous terms. The sum of £7. 4s. 4c?., was to be paid for each man ; and besides being relieved from the whole burden of their main- tenance, they were to receive compensation for all extraordinary losses, in addition to certain stipends, amounting in all to about ^GlS-jjOOO, not only during the whole period of their engagement, but considerabl}' longer. Besides this heavy charge, the em- ployment of foreign mercenaries, subjects of despotic princes, aggravated much the odium of the undertaking. We must now return across the Atlantic, where the contest was actively carried on. In the autumn of 1775, the Americans formed a plan for invading Canada, knowing that country to be very slightly defended, and believing the inhabitants well affected to tb.e popular cause. A force of about three thousand men, levied in Connecticut, wms placed under the command, first of Schuyler, and then of Montgomery. ^ ^ latter officer, proceeding along Lake Champlain, speedi) xoduced Fort Chambly, and after considerable difficulty johj^-id that of St. John also to surrender. Colonel Ethar Allen had already attempted Montreal, but was defeate*^ and taken prisoner. Montgom citv, and Quebec, request, b to that c hoping th desert, in were com tion of ti setts. Ai of starvat peo])le of at Point ] tained hii of Colone that the j Montgomi 31 THE REVOLUTION. 245 on GENERAL MONTOOMERT. Montgomery, however, M-itli liis whole force, marched upon that city, and compelled Carleton to retreat precipitately upon Quebec. Meantime Arnokl, a daring officer, had, at his own request, Ijeen despatched, with eleven hundred men, to penetrate to that capital l)y way of the Kennebec and the Chaudiere, hoping thus to take it by surprise. The route was then nearly desert, intersected by dense forests and swamps. The troops were compelled to endure the greatest hardships, and one por- tion of the armv, under Colonel Enos, returned to Massachu- setts. Arnold pressed on, and when his men were on the point of starvation, reached Canada, to the utter astonishment of the people of that province. On the 9th of November, he arrived at Point Levi, opposite Quebec. But want of conveyance de- tained him there several days, during which the active exertions of Colonel McLean placed' the town in such a state of defence, that the American chief was obliged to await the arrival of Montgomery. This officer, who took the command on the Ist 31 ' X m 246 THE REVOLUTION. of December, soon saw that a regular siege, amid th«; rigours of a Canadian winter, would involve such sufferings and priva- tions as his raw levies could scarcely endure. He, therefore, determined on a night assault, which was made with the greatest intrepidity, but completely baffled. Ilis troo'^s vM^re repulsed at every point, and he himself fell, deeply and generally lamented. Arnold, wounded in the assault, retreated up the river; and, though he stood his ground some time, was ultimately obliged to evacuate Canada. This first reverse sustained by the cause was severe, yet the signal displays of gallantry on the part of the provincial officers prevented its influence from being on the whole very depressing. Washington, meantime, laboured under accumulated difficul- ties in prosecuting the blockade of Boston. The scarcity of ammunition, notwithstanding every effort of Congress, ooi. tinucd almost unabated ; while the want of money, as well as of necessary equipments, was deeply felt on the advance of the rigorous season. Meantime, General Gage remained inactive at Boston ; a course generally condemned by historians as at once unaccount- able and shameful. In the beginning of October he was recalled, without any expression of displeasure, yet probaljly under the impression of the disasters which the cause had sus- tained in his hands, and the hope that it might be more for- tunate in those of another. The command then devolved upon Howe, who concurred with his predecessor as to the inex- pediency of advancing into the interior of New England. He submitted to the cabinet another plan, by which Boston should be held only till the close of the winter, and the troops there, with all those expected from the mother-country, be then con- centrated at New York, and the main attack made from that quarter. The inhabitants were more friendly, and by striking at the heart of the Union, he would separate the northern find southern states, and then, according to circumstances, carry on operations against either. This plan was approved by Lord Dartmouth. Washington, meantime, was very slowly recruiting his army, which, at the beginning of February, did not reach quite nine thousand men. Being at that period permitted to offer a bounty, h reinforced sidored th officers d( offered n( and forti whence t and the consented Ward, cannonade March, G( dred, a co of materir most elev chiefly prr and labou English w position, harbour held by th was emplo the operati THE REVOLUTION'. 24: LORD PEhcr. bounty, he had in a month collected above fourteen thousand, reinforced by six thousand Massachusetts militia. He con- sidered this force sufficient to attack the city ; but a council of officers decided, probably with reason, that such an attempt offered no chance of success. They proposed, rather, to seize and fortify the peninsular point, named Dorchester Neck, whence the harbour would bo in a great dosrree commanded, and the place, it was hoped, rendered untenable. To this he consented, and the execution of the movement was intrusted to Ward. The British were amused two days by an incessant cannonade and bombardment ; till at nightfall of the 4th of March, General Thomas, with a working body of twelve hun- dred, a covering force of eight hundred, and three hundred carts of materials, marched undiscovered, and took possession of the most elevated part of the heights. The Americans, being chiefly practical farmers, were extremely skilful in intrenching, and laboured with such diligence, that, in the morning, the English with astonishment beheld them in a strongly fortified position. The admiral then gave notice to Howe, that the harbour could not be deemed secure as long as this post was held by the Americans. Lord Percy, with three thousand men, was employed to dislodge them ; but a violent storm rendered the operation impossible, and before it dispersed, the works were i i f :V 4 m ml I 248 THE REYOLUTION. considered Ix'yoiid the reach of assault. Washington had pre- l)are(l a select corps to attack the town, while its main force should ))e directed againut the heights; hut this project, never very leasible, was now of course given up. The IJritish com- mander then prepared to evacuate the place, and indeed its miiintenance was of little importance, since its early relini^Mish- ment formed part of the plan of the compaign ; yet the triumph thus afforded to the opposite party was a circumstance which should have been vigilantly guarded against. Besides, as no arrangements were yet made for landing at New York, it be- came necessary to proceed first to Halifax, involving a great loss of time. About a fortnight was employed in preparing for the embarkation, a hazardous movement in the face of a sui)erior army ; but though Washington watched the oppor- tunity of attacking, he found no means of attempting it Avith any advantage. On the 17th, the whole force was on board, and after renuiining a few da}s in Nantasket roads, sailed towards Halifax. General Putnam immediately entered Boston, which was found strongly fortified, and quite uninjured. Wash- ington entertained great apprehension that the city would be destroyed. Some cannon and stores, which could not be carried away, became available to him. The American general had for some time suspected the intended direction of the invading force against New York. This was the more dreaded, as the feeling in favour of the royal cause was there very strong, especially in the city ; while Captain Parker still commanded the harbour, and Queen's County, in Long Island, had refused to send deputies to the provincial convention. The Congress had ordered a party of troops to enter that district, and seize the arms of all the royalists; but this injunction was afterwards withdrawn, a step much disapproved by Washington. He thought proper to sanc- tion the proposal of General Charles Lee, one of the most distinguished of the provincial leaders, who hastily raised a body of troops in Connecticut, advanced by forced marches upon New York, where there were many disaffected in- habitants, occupied the city, and began to erect fortifications on its different sides. After the evacuation of Boston, the commander-in-chief left it defended by a comparatively small force, un York, wl As 801] assemble determin southern and a de chimerici might pi join HoA there bef New Yoi the main by Sir P( cies dela came bef Its move betrayed the prin( classes, i were gre of its con H THE REVOLUTION. 249 OSNERAL CHARLES LBE. fied force, under Ward, and proceeded with the main army to New- York, where he arrived on the 13th of April. As some months would still elapse before the British could assemble their troops and open the general campaign, they determined to send an expedition immediately against the Bouthern states, where the climate would oppose no obstacle, and a decisive blow might be struck with a smaller army. A chimerical hope was cherished, that Clinton, the commander, might pursue a victorious career northwards, till he should join Howe at New York ; at all events, he was instructed to be there before the opening of the campaign. After touching at New York, he joined Governor Martin, near Cape Fear ; but the main force was to consist of seven regiments from England by Sir Peter Parker and Lord Cornwallis. Various contingen- cies delayed its arrival till the beginning of May ; and June came before the expedition ixjached Charleston, its destination. Its movements, and an intercepted letter, had, by that time, betrayed the design. The most active preparations were made, the principal inhabitants labouring in concert with the lower classes, aided by a numerous body of slaves. The defences were gieatly strengthened, and a new fort, named in honour of its commander, Moultrie, erected on Sullivan's Island, sepa- x2 if 250 THE REVOLUTION. SIR HBNRY CLINTOX. rated by a narrow creek from a larger one named Long Island, commanded the entrance. Between five and aix thousand men ^vore assembled, nearly half of them regulars, and the chief connnand was taken by General Lee. The expedition arrived on the 4th of June, and the troops were landed on Long Island ; } et from various oljstarles, the attack was not made till tlie 28th. The lleet comprised two ships of fifty guns, and six bearing from twenty to thirty ; but three of the latter, through the unskilfulness of the pilot, were entangled in shoals, and could not be brought into action. The others, stationed before the fort, opened a tremendous fire, which was kept up with the greatest energy and spirit. The de- fenders maintained their post with equal firmness; and the walls, though low, were composed of a firm spongy palmetto wood, in which the balls sunk without shattering them. The garrison returned a cool, steady, and remarkably well-directed fire, which did terrible execution; the ships were rendered almost unmanageable, several of the chief ofiicers fell, and the commodore was at one time left alone on his own deck. Clinton, from the land side, did not co-operate, having unexpectedly found the creek impassable. He offered, by conveying over two buttul iMaii(l(M' ; I too con fuU Ikrt liiiull (ibout two other oflit killed am {Killing an levies, and During in active j leading nu ning, exte: connexion In sprin gross had tiiat large their who! large niajo pose of as them, coul complete s felt to carr pected mi arrive froii by Thoma considered multitude, mediate si the forma while the} it open to On the powered t establishin instructin* less forwa necessary, a Virginia THE REVOLUTION. 251 I two l)uttiilions, to ofil'ct a diversion in favour of the naval coin- inaiuier ; l)ut the hitter, he complains, returned no answer, lieing t(M) cunlident, and anihitiouH of doing tlie whole himself. Tho ileet linally moved oft' in a most shattered state, havinj^ lost about two hundred men, including Lord William Cam[)l)('ll and other ollieers of rank; while the Americans had thirty-fivo killed and wounded. Tho whole aftiiir was most lortunate, adding another to tho series of successes gained by the new levies, and inspiring them with fresh courage. During tho course of this winter, a momentous design was ill active progress, which had a very important issue. Si'veral leading men, i)articularly in New England, had, from the begin- ning, extended their views to the entire dissolution of their connexion with Britain. In spring, 177G, news was received that tho petition of Con- gress had been rejected ; that they had been declared rebels ; that large armies were preparing to subdue thom ; and that their Avholo commerce was utterly prohibited. Thenceforth a largo majority of tho leading men formed tho determined pur- pose of asserting independence. The Unitm, it appeared to them, could never be then restored on any footing, but that of complete subjugation. A general desire, accordingly, was now felt to carry out this measure in a decided form, before tho ex- pected military force, or the conciliatory commission, should arrive from Great Britain. Tho essay named Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, from its rough and homely shrewdness, was considered to have produced a very powerful eflect on the multitude. As a preparative, Congress authorized tho im- mediate suppression of royal jurisdiction in all the colonies, and the formation of governments emanating from the people; while they met tho prohibition against their trade by throwing it open to tho whole world except Britain. On the 22d of April, the convention of North Carolina em- powered their delegates to concur with tho others in the establishment of independence. That of Virginia went farther, instructing theirs to propose it. Boston was now somewhat less forward, merely intimating, if Congress should think it necessary, their willing concurrence. Thus supported, Mr. Leo, a Virginia delegate, on the 7th of June, 1776, submitted a t i i 252 THE REVOLUTION. resolution for dissolving all connexion with Great Britain, and constituting the united colonies free and independent states. It was warmly debated from the 8th to the 10th, when it was carried by a majority of one. As this was not a footing on which so !niglity a change could be placed, the final decision was postponed till the 1st of July. On the 4th of July, votes from all the colonies were procured in favour of the measure. The declaration of independence, which had been carefully prepared by Jefierson, Adams, and Franklin, was forthwith emitted. In this instrument Congress solemnly published and declared, that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE and independent states," and entitled, as such, to carry on war, make peace, form alliances, regulate commerce, and discharge all other sovereiirn functions. This niomonlous deed was signed on the 2d of August, 177G, by all the members then present. * In the decisive posture which affairs had now assumed, Washington was actively endeavouring to organize the means of maintaining the hazardous contest upon which he had en- tered, as well as of resisting the attack that immediately im- pended. His most urgent representations to Congress upon the necessity of forming a permanent army had been disregarded; and he found himself at the head of a motley group, in which soldiers, enlisted only for a year half elapsed, were mixed with militia whose services were to be still more temporary'. In these circumstances, the restraints of discipline extended little beyond the general orders. The different states, having hitherto been almost entirely separated, viewed each other with jealous and even hostile feelings, which were shared by their respective troops, who would, it is said, more cheerfully have fought with their neighbours than with the common enemy. Their leader was soon painfully convinced, that though bodies of people may be inspired with bursts of patriotism, self-interest soon becomes among them the ruling principle. Availing themselves of the possession of arms, they indulged in predatory practices of the most scandalous nature. The inferior officers were chosen by the men, who endeavoured in various ways to turn this privilege to account. A previous stipulation, it appears, was often made, that the surplus of the officers' pay above that of the private? should I In generi themselv ments. many w( fitted for Even of of July, ] raised in by militi Meant to the sc consider} toward America himself 1 northern hind the ikiuch sn of July, with asf territorit Howe, >v 32 THE REVOLUTION. 253 OKHKRAL HOWZ. should be thrown into a common stock, and equally shared. In general, however, they were willing to fight, and had shown theiriselves capable both of forminj;^ and defending intrench- ments. Washington made it a rule never to spare the spade ; many were well skilled in the desultory use of the rifle, yet ill fitted for a field campaign with a large body of regular troops. Even of these ineffective soldiers there were, at the beginning of July, 1776, only seventeen thousand; and though they were raised in a few weeks to twenty-seven thousand, it was mostly by militia, numbers of whom were soon on the sick list. Mesintime, General Howe was engaged in conveying his army to the scene of action. The abrupt departure from Boston had considerably deranged his plans, as all the supplies were directed toward that city, and some thus fell into the hands of the Americans. In June, however, the armament set sail ; and he himself landed at Sandy Hook, a long promontory forming the northern extremity of New Jersey. He preferred, however, to hmd the troops on Staten, an island, south of Long Island, ikiuch smaller, and separated by a narrow channel. On the 3d of July, he disembarked there without opposition, being greeted with assurances of welcome and support from the adjacent territories. On the 12th, he was joined by his brother. Lord Howe, who had been appointed commander of the fleet, and 82 iL :A k . •' •» 254 THE REYOLUTION. also joint commissioner to treat of pacification ; while the ships, with the large reinforcements from Britain, began arriving in successive Uetacliments. As operations were delayed till the whole were assembled, his lordship circulated a proclamation, offering full pardon to all who should return to their duty, and to any port or colony so acting, peace, protection, and free trade. No concession being mentioned as to the original grounds of dispute, Congress considered it so unsatisfactory that they circulated it among the people, to many of whom, however, it seems to have been more acceptable than they expected. Lord Howe then attempted to open communication with Washing- ton. He addressed several letters to the American commander- in-chief, without acknowledging his official character. Washing- ton would not reply until properly addressed, and by this dignified course won much applause. Nothing of importance resulted from the communication between the two commanders. The British designs had been well concealed, and the American commander remained long in anxious doubt whether the inroad was not to be made on the side of Canada. Con- sidering New York, however, as the most probable and dan- gerous point, he had been diligently strengthening all its approaches. Having determined also to make a stand for the defence of Long Island, he formed strong lines at Brookl}^, nearly opposite to the city, stationing the flower of his troops along a range of strongly fortified heights in front of the British quarters on Staten Tsland. Howe, meantime, on pretty solid grounds, and with his characteristic caution, waited till his whole force was mustered, when he could follow up without interruption any success he might obtain. He complained particularly of a deficiency in c mp equipage. About the middle of August, he had been joined by nearly all the rein- forcements from Britain, and also by those from the south under Clinton and Cornwallis, which augmented his force to about thirty thousand men. He still, however, waited a few days on account of the intense heat, which, he dreaded, would injure the health of the troops. At length, on the 22d of August, the British army crossed the channel, and, covered by the guns of the fleet, landed on Lon^ Island, taki g post opposite to the range of heights i# THE REVOLUTION. 255 occupied by the Americans. Washing, io; in the immediate view of this grand contest, issued repeated uadresses, strenuously encouraging his men, and seeking to inspire confidence. Howe, on viewing the American's position, considered it too strong to be carried in front, but formed a plan for turning it. Before day on the 27th, General Grant, with the Hessian troops under De Heister, attacked the American right wing, which, being connected with Brooklyn, was considered the most important, and which the Americans directed all their efforts to reinforce. These officers, in conjunction with the fleet, kept up a brisk and continued fire, tending to confirm this impression, yet avoiding to make any material advance. Meantime, during the night, a strong detachment of the English army, under Clinton and Cornwallis, made a wide circuit through a pass in the hills round the extreme American left. This had been insufficiently guarded by a mere party of observation, which was surprised and captured ; so that Clinton reached almost unresisted the level plain behind the American's position. About half-past eight, he appeared in their rear, while Grant and De Heister began pushing forward with their utmost vigour. No choice was then left but for the whole army to regain the intrenched camp at Brooklyn, in reaching which they fell into the utmost confusion, and were pursued on both flanks with dreadful slaughter. Lord Stirling attempted to cover the retreat by an attack with a chosen corps upon Lord Cornwallis, but was sur- rounded and taken prisoner with all his detachment. The entire loss is stated at upwards of three thousand, including eleven hundred prisoners, among whom was General Sullivan. That of the British was only three hundred and sixty-seven killed, wounded, and taken. W.ashington, from Brooklyn, wit- nessed with deep anguish the overthrow of his army, while Howe, from the other side, saw that his forces had gained a decided advantage over the patriots. The British commander had the fault of being over cautious. Instead of following up his advantage, and endeavouring to strike a fatal blow, for which he certainly possessed the means, he remained quiet. On the 29th, Washington, with a degree cf military skill, which alone would establish his claim to be considered a great general, succeeded in conducting the retreat of his whole army, 256 THE REVOLUTION III'' »1 ! BKTREAT FROM LORS ISLAND. witli its artillery, lo New York. This was achieved in the face of a greatly superior force. The commissioners, who certainly showed an anxious desire for pacification, chose this occasion to send Sullivan, the cap- tured general, to Congress, stating that they could not indeed as yet acknowledge its political character, but inviting some of its members to a conference. A deputation was sent, consisting of Adams, Franklin, and Rutledge, — strenuous votaries of in- dependence. Lord Howe received them with great politeness ; but his offers included merely, as usual, a general amnesty, and a promise to reconsider the obnoxious acts ; while they declared a treaty inadmissible on any basis, except that of the states being acknowledged independent. On these terms there could not be the least approximation between the two parties. General Howe now proceeded with measures for driving the patriots out of New York, which, as usual, lie sought to effect rather by circuitous manoeuvre than by direct assault. He piepared expeditions to ascend the opposite branches of the Hudson, which enclose New York Island, and by landing above frigate iW THE REVOLUTION. 257 the city, oblige the Americans either to evacuate or be com- pletely shut up within it. Washington, viewing with alarm these movements, called a council of officers, and recommended the immediate withdraAval of the troops ; but strong objections being expressed, it was determined rather to leave there five thousand men, while the main body occupied a strong post at Kingsbridge, connecting the northern point of the island with the continent. As the British operations advarced, the perils attending this detached position became evident, so that by general consent, the evacuation was determined upon, and the utmost activity employed in removing the artillery and stores. On the 15th of September, Clinton landed at Kipp's Bay, a position strongly fortified, and defended by eight regiments ; but, dispirited by late disasters, they fled without attempting resistance, and Washington in vain strove to rally them. It was then necessary with the utmost haste to withdraw the troops, which was effected with the loss of only about three hundred prisoners ; but they left behind them a large quantity of artillery, stores, and camp equipage, the want of which was most sensibly felt. The British army now entered on the peaceable occupation of New York ; yet it was disturbed by a distressing occurrence. On the night of the 20th or morning of the 21st of September, a fire broke out which continued to rage till a third of the city was consumed. Gordon says that, amid the rejoicings and revelry of the troops on their entry, the flames broke out in an obscure tavern, in the most crowded quarter ; while from the same circumstunces they for some time spread undiscovered, and were with the utmost difficulty extinguished. Washington now took post on Harlem Heights, a range which crossed the island, and had been so carefully fortified, that Howe, with his wonted caution, did not venture an attack. His plan was to oblige the Americans to relinquish the post by landing on the eastern shore, thus threatening their rear and communication with New England. As a preliminary, three frigates were sent up the main stream of the Hudson ; and, notwithstanding the resistance made by Forts Washington and Lee, and by chevaux-de-frize sunk in the channel, they passed without injury. Before pushing into the interior, the British M' '>\ ,J mm V\ m • u \ ^ 258 THE REVOLUTION. commander spent about three weeks, seemingly a needless waste of time, in fortifying New York. On the 12th of October, having placed the flower of his army in flatrbottomed boats, he proceeded up the eastern channel, and through the pass of Hellgate, to the point called Frog's Neck. Finding his advance here nnich obstructed, he re-embarked and landed higher up at Pell's Point, whence he advanced upon New Rochello. The American commander, meantime, had called a council of war, which decided that the position on New York Island was no longer secure; and the troops accordingly crossed at Kings- bridge, taking up a position extending thence eastward towards White Plains, which was fortified as well as time would admit. Howe, on coming up and reconnoitring, determined to attack first a detached corps of sixteen hundred men under General M'Dougall, who, after a sharp, but short conflict, were dis- lodged; but the general position was judged so strong as to make it advisable to wait for some reinforcements. These arrived, and the attack was preparing ; when, during the night of the 31st, Washington retired to a range of heights five miles in his rear, which he had been employed in strengthening. To the cautious view of the British commander, this post appeared so formidable, that he determined to change the seat of war to New Jersey, a less defensible territory, whither his antagonist would be obliged to follow him. As a preliminary, he resolved to attack Fort Washington, a strong post still held by the Americans on New York Island. Howe, with an unusual boldness, determined to attempt the place by storm ; and, on the 16th of November, the army, in four divisions, advanced to the assault. In a few hours they had carried all the outworks, in which the chief strength con- sisted ; and Magaw, the governor, felt himself obliged to capitu- late, though Washington sent word, that if he could hold out till evening, an attempt would be made to rescue him. The prisoners amounted to two thousand eight hundred and eighteen, rendering the loss nearly as heavy as at the battle on Long Island ; while the royal army had eight hundred killed and wounded. Cornwallis immediately landed with a strong force on the Jersey shore, when the Americans found it necessary to evacuate Fort Lee, opposite to Fort Washington. The THE REVOLUTION. 259 jer, he of Unce at ^he Kar, no KETREAT THROUGH NLW JER8CT. garrison was saved, but the cannon, tents, and stores were left Dehind. The American army was now pursued through New Jersey, a level country, which afforded no defensible position, and time was not .allowed to fortify any. After a retreat of three weeks with the ghost of an army, Washington only secured himself by crossing to the opposite side of the Delaware. The critical period was again approaching, when the terms for which the troops had been enlisted would expire. Exhausted and dis- pirited, they eagerly availed themselves of the liberty thus afforded, and even anticipated it without any regard to the exigencies of the service. He had been urging in the strongest terms upon Congress the ruinous nature of the temporary system hitherto pursued, warning them that, without a perma- nent and well organized army, the cause was lost. Seconded by the disastrous state of affairs, he had been empowered to raise, first eighty-eight, and then sixteen more regular battalions ; to give higher bounties and pay ; and to act in other respects for six months as a military dictator. The men, however, were not yet raised, and present circumstances were little calculated to invite them into the service. In crossing the Delaware, he had with him only three thousand, independent of a detach- ment left at White Plains, under General Lee. That officer, while reluctantly obeying the order to join the main force, and suspected to be meditating some schemes of his own, was sur- ?; 1. 1 260 THE REVOLUTION. prised and made prisoner, — an event which threw additional gloom over the American prospects. The course- seemed now open before Howe to cross tlie Dela- ware with the utmost possible expedition, and advance on Philadelphia. Though probably not aware of the extreme weakness of his antagonist, he could not suppose him to have any force capable of arresting such a movement. The river was unfordable ; but vigorous exertion could surely have pro- vided the means of passing, which the ice at all events would soon have rendered easy. Washington entertained no doubt of this being his opponent's intention; and, though its ac- complishment "would wound the heart of every virtuous Ame- rican," declares himself wholly without the means of preventing it. Congress, in consequence, removed their sittings to Balti- more. Still, though the American cause seemed reduced to the lowest ebb, Congress remained firm, announcing to their coun- trymen and to the powers of Europe, a determination to adhere immutably to the declaration of independence. Washington felt, with almost exaggerated force, the weight of the evils that pressed upon the cause ; yet, with a firm and bold spirit, he watched every opportunity of retrieving it. He had collected about five or six thousand men, and prevailed upon some, whose service had expired, to remain for other six weeks. The English army, covering the Jerseys, was ranged along the De- laware, from Trenton to Burlington, on which line there was reason to believe that no very strict watch would be kept. The bold genius of Washington conceived a plan, which was eagerly adopted. The troops being formed into three detachments, he, with the strongest, amounting to two thousand four hundred, crossed the river on the night of the 25th of December, and from two opposite points attacked Trenton, then occupied by Colonel Rhalle with a strong body of Hessians. That officer, while hastily mustering his men, received a mortal wound ; and the whole corps, surprised and surrounded, speedily surrendered. The two other detachments were arrested by severe cold and tempest, otherwise they might, it was hoped, have been equally successful, and a sweep made of the whole range of positions. Washington, however, had good reason to congratulate himself on carry his own which w men. Washi sand me his force 1777, tl] Americr armv, over the a bold round t where have su regimen were at ington, his opp( tions. of Corn frustrate out the cut off, 83 THE REVOLUTION. 261 , BATTLE OF TRBNTOM. on carrying off nearly one thousand prisoners, with only ten of his own men killed and wounded, — a most unexpected event, which wonderfully revived the sinking spirits of his country- men. Washington now crossed the Delaware, and, with five thou- sand men, took post at Trenton ; but Cornwallis, mustering all his force, advanced upon him ; and, on the 2d of January, 1777, the two armies were separated only by a creek. The American general easily saw that, by engaging here a superior army, he ran imminent hazard of being defeated, and driven over the Delaware with great disadvantage and loss. He formed a bold design ; breaking up silently in the night, he moved round the British right, and advanced rapidly upon Brunswick, where their chief magazines were lodged. He might, seemingly, have succeeded, had he not encountered at Princeton three regiments coming up to join the main army. The Americans were at first repulsed, and General Mercer killed ; but Wash- ington, by extraordinary exertions, restored the action, separated his opponents, and obliged them to retreat in different direc- tions. He then, however, saw advancing against him the van of Cornwallis, who, having received the alarm, hastened to frustrate his scheme ; and as he could not hazard a battle with- out the certainty of defeat, with the risk of having his retreat cut off, he prudently fell back. In this skirmish, the loss on 33 2G2 THE REVOLUTION. ^ ) ■ both .sidos was nearly equal ; but the having made another bold oiren.sivu inoveuient without disadvantage, heightened greatly the favourable impression produced by his former enterprise. The Euglish general then repaired to Brunswick, and limited liimself to a defensive line thence to Amboy, merely covering New York. This, in a military sense, was perhaps most eligible ; but with a view to moral effect, it would have been better to have resumed, almost at any cost, his former positions, and not allowed his weak and beaten enemy to re-occupy nearly the whole of the Jerseys. It now behoved the British commander-in-chief to form plans for the approaching compaign ; and the first which he com- municated was in accordance with the general views we have observed him to entertain. A detachment being left to cover New Jersey, one expedition was to ascend the Hudson, another to land at Rhode Island, and endeavour thence to push on to Boston. Tills course seems liable to all the objections already stated, with the additional one of its dividing the active force into two entirely detached portions. It would also have required a reinforcement of fifteen thousand men, which, it appears, was not likely to be forthcoming. On further consideration, he decided in favour of an expedition against Philadelphia, which could be accomplished with a smaller force, and was favoured by the reported disposition of the inhabitants. This was ap- proved by the ministry, and, for reasons above stated, seems the wisest course, though too tardily adopted. A detachment had already been sent, under Clinton, to occupy Rhode Island, — a measure justly censured by Botta, as weakening, for this very subordinate object, the main body, still scarcely adequate to its destination. Lord Howe considered it very important as a naval station ; but he should have considered that it was by land operations only that the campaign was to be decided. The remainaer of the winter was employed by the British in making two expeditions for the destruction of stores collected by the A nericans, at Peekskill and Danbury. The first was conducted by Colonel Bird, who landed with about 500 men at Peekskill, on the east side of Hudson river, nearly 50 miles from New York ; but on his approach, General M'Dougal, with the few Americans stationed there as a guard, fired the principal store-houa other valii The se Ti'von, wl York, and between i tlie couiitr Colonel I militia an< where ho ' houses, 80 bushels of and Sillim tiuits, pro< about eigl divided th< fell on th( movement Wooster attacked t in which 1 pelled to Arnold, passage ; pelled to east of ^ Ridgefield their man tinued sk when, on American! and broke York. 170; the This pi quantity the eastei 12 guns command THE REVOLUTION. 2G3 store-lioust's, and retired. The loss of provisionH, forage, and otiier valuable articles, was considerable. The second enterprise was conducted by Major General Trvon, who with a detachment of 2000 men embarked at New York, and [)as,sing through Long Island Sound, landed at Campo, between Fairfield and Norvvalk ; whence he advanced through tlie country, almost undisturbed, to Danbury. On his approach, Colonel Huntington, who had occupied the town with 100 militia and continental troops, retired to a neighbouring height, wiiere he waited for reinforcements. The British destroyed 18 houses, 800 barrels of pork and beef, 800 barrels of flour, 2000 bushels of grain, and 1700 tents. Generals Wooster, Arnold, and Silliman, hastily collecting several hundred of the inhabi- tiuits, proceeded that night through a heavy rain to Bethel, about eight miles from Danbury. The next morning they divided their troops ; and General Wooster with about 300 men fell on their rear, while Arnold with about 500, by a rapid movement, took post in their front at Ridgefield. Wooster, coming up with them about eleven in the morning, attacked them with great gallantry. A sharp skirmish ensued, in which he was mortally wounded, and his troops were com- pelled to give way. The enemy proceeded to Ridgefield, where Arnold, who had barricaded the road, warmly disputed the passage ; but, after a skirmish of nearly an hour, being com- pelled to give way, he retreated to Saugatuck, about three miles east of Norwalk. The British, having remained that night at Ridgefield, set fire to the place, and early next morning resumed their march. Arnold met them again about eleven, and a con- tinued skirmishing was kept up until five in the afternoon, when, on their making a stand at a hill near their ships, the Americans charged them with intrepidity, but were repulsed and broken. The enemy immediately re-embarked for New York. Their killed, wounded, and missing, amounted to about 170 ; the loss of the Americans was not admitted to exceed 100. This predatory excursion was not long after retaliated. A quantity of provisions had been deposited at Sagg Harbour, on the eastern end of Long Island, and confided to a schooner with 12 guns and a company of infantry. General Parsons, who commanded a few of the Connecticut recruits at New Haven, M 2G4 THE REVOLUTION. m^ K' 'lir il'i! I conceiving it pnicticablo to surpriHc tliis huiiiU post luul noino others not very (liHttmt from it, intrusted the execution oC his plan to Lieutenant Colonel Meigs, a very enterprisiii^j and gallant ollicer, who had distinguished himself in the attempt on QuelK?c. On the 2.')d of May, he embarked at (Juilfoi'd with about 170 men, on board 13 whale boats, and [U'oeeeded, iiiidcr convoy of two armed mKm)P8, across the Sound to the north division of the island near Southhold. A small foraging party, against which the expedition was in part directed, having kit this [)lace for New York, the boats were immediately conveyed across the lan^eans popular. Abo\it the middle of June, 17''7, Burgoyne began his march, with six thousand seven hundred British and Germans, to which he could only add two hundred and fifty Canadians, a?ri four hundred Indians. His first movement was against Crown Point and Ticonderoga, considered the barriers of the Union on that frontier. These forts, which the Americans so fortunatelv acquired at the beginning of the contest, had been enlarged and strengthened, and were now garrisoned by above three thousand men. When, however, on the 5th of July, the works were nearly invested. General St. Clair called a council of officers, who decided that the force, being mostU militia, was insufficient for their defence. A retreat was therefore effected during the r'ght, the baggage and stores being embarked upon Lake George. As soon as morning betrayed this movement, a vigorous pursuit was commenced, several detachments were cut oftj and the flotilla on the lake destroyed j while the American 84 Z '7f3 f4 270 THE REVOLUTION. '":!i'"Si QEXERAL SCHUYLER. forces, greatl}> reduced in numbers, retreated to Fort Edward, on the Hudson. This triumphant opening filled the British with exultation, while it created alarm among the patriots. The former, how- ever, soon encountered great and unforeseen obstacles. The country, wholly intersected with creeks and marshes, required a constant alternation of land and water conveyance, which the Americans, Under General Schuyler, rendered more difficult by felling large trees and laying them across the paths. It was necessary to construct forty bridges, one of them two miles in extent, while the bateaux had to be dragged from creek to creek by ten or twelve oxen. The interval between the 30th of July and 15th of August was thus spent in an advance of only eighteen miles. The inhabitants were animated with a stronj; spirit of independence, and eminently fitted for r jsultory war- fare. The " Green Mountain boys," who roamed and hunted over that lofty branch of the Alleghany, poured down in large bodies, and with rifles all but unerring, proved as formidable in this wild region as the best trained regulars. The Indians Vi did not yi( ment excit two '.omei taken in d the pursui the story c they were killed and reward for therefore alive to believed, the time, universal Burgoyi means of t at Bennin Germans t THE REVOLUTION. 271 HCnDEE OF kiss m'crea. did not yield services equal to the odium which their employ- ment excited. A party of them attacked a house, and captured two '.omen, one of them a Miss M'Crea. The prisoners were Idken in different directions towards the British camp, to avoid the pursuit of the Americans at Fort Edward. Accordiiig to the story of the two red men v^ iio had Miss M'Crea in charge, they were fired upon, and she was wounded ; whereupon they killed and scalped her. The British general had offered a reward for scalps, but a greater one for prisoners : and as it was therefore to the interest of the Indians to take their captive alive to the British camp, their story of her death may be believed. A more romantic version of the affair was given at the time, and a feeling of mingled horror and indignation was universal. Burgoyne, being now hard pressed for provisions, and the means of transport, and learning that there was a Inrge supply at Bennington, Vermont, despatched Colonel Baum, with 600 Germans and Indians, to seize thera. The alarm was soon ■'^■1 1. !% 1. i. , IM II i 272 THE REVOLUTION. GENERAL STiLRK. sounded. Tlie militia of Vermont and New Hampshire mustered strongly under General John Stark, an officer of ex- perience and determination. Arriving at Walloon Creek, Bauni heard of the approach of the Americans, and there halted and intrenched his force. An ">vpress was sent to Burgojne for a reinforcement. Stark, having IGOO men under his command, resolved to attack the enemy. Tiit bnUle was fought upon the IGth of August, 1777. Having yent Colonel Nichols, with 250 men, to the rear of the enemy's left wing, and Colonel Hen- drick, with 300, to the rear of their right, and placed 300 to oppose their front and draw their atter.tion. Stark sent Colonels Hub])ard and Stickney with 200 to attack the right wing, and 100 more to reinforce Colonel Nichols. The attack began precisely at three o'clock in tl\e afternoon. The several (k- tachments seconded the onsets and General Stark advanced at the same time with the main body. The engagement lasted two hour abandon their cor Lieutena with 500 up just i by the A sistance, ; The loss GOO men the Ame: Anoth' tunate. Canadian Leger, ar Schuyler THE REVOLUTION. 273 -i^itii^. BATTLE OF BENMINQTON. two hours ; but the German troops were at length obliged to abandon their breastworks, and retreat into the woods, leaving their commander mortally wounded on the field of battle. Lieutenant Colonel Breyman, whom Burgoyne had detached with 500 Germans to the assistance of Colonel Baum, coming up just in time to join the fugitives, was vigorously attacked by the Americans, and, after having made a very gallant re- sistance, and expended all his ammunition, was obliged to retreat. The loss of the British in these two engagements was about GOO men; 1000 stand of arms, and 900 swords, were taken by the Americans. Another portion of Burgoyne's army was equally unfor. timate. It consisted of one thousand five hundred regulars, Canadians, and Indians, under the command of Colonel St. Leger, and was destined to cross Lake Ontario, capture Fort Schuyler, and, ascending the Mohawk, reinforce the main body. z2 m .^%,. >••*■. m 'If 274 THE REVOLUTION. iiri W BBKBDICT ARNOLD. But Colonel Gansevoort defended Fort Schuyler with indomi- table resolution. On the first approach of the royal army, General Herkimer, who commanded the militia of Try on county, assembled them in considerable force for the relief of the garrison. St. Leger, receiving information of his approach, sent out a strong detachment of regulars and Indians, who lay in ambuscade on the road, by which he was to march. Into this ambuscade Herkimer fell, and his party was defeated with great slaughter. The loss was estimated at about 400 men. (August 6.) General Arnold was now despatched with a brigade of troops to attack the. besiegers ; but their force being greatly superior to his own, recourse was had to stratagem. A man who was the proprietor of a handsome estate in the vicinity, having been taken up as a spy, was employed as a deceptive messenger to spread an alarm, and induce the enemy to retreat; on con- dition, if he succeeded, that he should be liberated, and his estate secured to him. The stratagem was successful. The Indians instantly determined to quit the ground; and St. Leger, finding himself deserted by 700 or 800 of these important auxiliaries, decamped in thp greatest hurry and confusion, and returned to Montreal, leaving his tents, with most of his artillery and stores, in the field. Burgoyne now felt the difficulties of his situation daily thickcninj been sent body of militia, m habits em tions pure while yet the dishor discipline( on Albans be waitin< round, am He had tl vance at > his commi force ade( solving to troops to along the artillery ji sisting thi it at Stil maintaine retired wi they had men sustf character surroundt fortify hii fifteen hu advanced when th( drove th( then foil lines. F German taken, ai wounded back upo THE REVOLUTION. 275 thickening around him. Gates, a distinguished leader, had been sent to take the command of the Americans, bringing a body of regulars, who, with the numerous volunteers and militia, now formed an army of thirteen thousand men, with habits eminently fitted for this desultory warfare. Considera- tions purely military would have dictated a return into Canada, while yet possible ; but the English general had to consider the dishonour of the British arms by a retreat before this un- disciplined foe ; the strict injunctions laid upon him to advance on Albany, where he was thought to exiject that Howe would be waiting for his junction, while otherwise Gates might wheel round, and augment the force acting against that commander. He had therefore strong motives for his determination to ad- vance at whatever cost. It was necessary, however, to give up his communication with Ticonderoga and the lakes, having no force adequate to maintain the necessary chain of posts. Re- solving to push forward and cut his way through the American troops to Albany, he led his army briskly, in several columns, along the roads leading thither, disposing them so as to cover his artillery and baggage. The Americans determined upon re- sisting this movement by a general attack. They commenced it at Stillwater, about noon of the 19th of September, and maintained the contest very obstinately till dusk, when they retired within their lines. The energy, however, with which they had maintained their ground, and the loss of six hundred men sustained by the already reduced British force, gave it the character of a triumph ; while it heightened the gloom which surrounded Burgoyne, who now determined to pause, and fortify himself in his present position. On the 3d of October, fifteen hundred men, sent out to forage and reconnoitre, rashly advanced within half a mile of the American intrenchments, when the daring Arnold instantly sallied out, attacked and drove them back to their camp. The whole American army then followed and commenced a most furious assault on the lines. From the British quarter they were repulsed ; but the German intrenchments were carried, two hundred prisonei's taken, and Breyman with several leading officers killed or wounded. After this disaster it was judged necessary to fall back upon Saratoga. , .t- mtULv i. , i-"]f ■-? \ - ■f 1* , ■ '!!:■- : ,j s'ii ^ f| ||llg:! v; 1 HI 1 278 THE REVOLUTION. Ill l^i^l ij! As already noticed, Burgoyne had been impelled forward by the belief that Howe with his whole army wa.s waiting for him on the llud.son, and probably at Albany; and having been strangely kej)t ignorant of that commander's total change i<»""'le with the surprised garrison, carried the works. The gi^-*"' jn, 543 in number, were made prisoners, and treated with a humanity but little expected, as, on several such occasions, the British had shown no mercy. The opposite fort was n could not Point, th< Clinton, h An exp station on Colonel M militia, ui sular poin to him too which wer however, I squadron f and formec show of re superior fo of six frigf The men long exten was slight! fort immed British lin( from which he was roi resistance, Circumstan found some More ira southern st war. Alrei force agains able to the i arrived at ' and summo by General successful e: in a strong ] town in his telligence of THE REVOLUTION. 299 fort was also attempted, but without success. As Washington could not spare a number of men, sufficient to garrison Stony Point, the works were partially demolished and abandoned. Clinton, however, soon re-occupied and repaired the post. An expedition was also sent in June, from Boston, against a station on the river Penobscot, formed by a detachment under Colonel Maclean from Nova Scotia. Above three thousand militia, under General Lovell, effected a landing on tlie penin- sular point occupied hy the English; but the works appeared to him too strong to be carried without the aid of regular troops, which were promised by General Gates. Before their arrival, however. Sir George Collier appeared in the river with a squadron from New York, when Lovell re-embarked his troops, and formed with his ships a crescent across the river, making a show of resistance, till, seeing his adversary bearing up with superior force, he took to flight, and having no retreat, his fleet of six frigates and nine smaller vessels was entirely destroyed. The men escaped on shore, but had to penetrate through a long extent of desert, in which many perished. This blow was slightly compensated by the surprise of Powles Hook, a fort immediately opposite to New York. Being far withii^ the British lines, the commander yielded to a feeling of security; from which, about three in the morning of the 18th of August, he was roused by Major Lee, who entered the place without resistance, and made one hundred and fifty-nine prisonera. Circumstances did not allow the captor to retain it, and he found some difficulty in retreating. More important military operations took place in the southern states, which had not hitherto become a theatre of war. Already, in the close of 1778, Clinton had despatched a force against Georgia, whose inhabitants were reported as favour- able to the mother-country. Colonel Campbell, the commander, arrived at Savannah, the capital, about the end of December, and summoned the place. The Americans were commanded by General Howe, whose force had been weakened by an un- successful expedition into Florida ; nevertheless he drew it up in a strong position, covered by a swamp in front, and with the town in his rear. The British officer, however, received in- telligence of a private path unknown to the Americans, and 800 THE REVOLUTION. detached a column under Sir James Baird, which got unper- ceivcd into their rear. Being then attacked at once on all Bides, they were completely routed, with the loss of their artillery, stores, and nearly five hundred prisoners. They pre- cipitately retreated into South Carolina, leaving all Lower Georgia in the hands of the invaders. The inhabitants were found extremely well disposed ; and, being treated in a con- ciliatory manner, readily formed themselves into corps for the defence of the country. General Prevost then entered from Florida, and without difficulty reduced Sunbury, the only for- tress still held by the adverse party. Having assumed the command of the forces from New York, he despatched Camp- bell to Augusta, capital of the upper territory, the reduction of which completed that of the state. Congress, meantime, even before this landing, had planned the reduction of East Florida, and hence had recalled Howe, supplying his place by Lincoln, an officer of much higher repu- tation, who had been second under Gates against Burgoyne. He found everything in the most unprepared state ; and before being able to put any force in motion, learned the total defeat of his predecessor, and the conquest of Georgia. He could then aim only at covering South Carolina ; and the river Savannah formed so strong a barrier, that the British general did not attempt to cross. Meantime, about seven hundred royalist re- fugees, who had left their homes and taken shelter among the Indians, attempted to rejoin the king's forces. Being attacked, however, by Colonel Pickens with a body of militia. Colonel Boyd, their commander, was killed, and only three hundred reached their destination. Several of the prisoners were tried and put to death. Lincoln, encouraged by this success, and being daily rein- forced, caused General Ashe with fourteen hundred men to cross the Savannah, and take post at its junction with Brier Creek, a stream unfordable for some miles up, and appearing completely to secure his front. It was thus hoped to exclude the English from Augusta and all the upper territories. Colonel Prevost, howevtr, brother to the general, making a circuit of fifty miles, and crossing at fords fifteen miles above, came un espectedly on the rear of this body, and totally routed them, >/2: 'I * Lli I.! I 'i' the regular killed or tak reinforced, d Augusta, that directic Charleston ; leisure whicl practicable s into his hai Buch active attack, but d fc5t. John. I 88 THE REVOLUTION. 301 OENKIIAL LINX'OLK. the regular troops, after attempting resistance, being all cither killed or taken. Notwithstanding this disaster, Lincoln, again reinforced, determined to proceed with his main body against Augusta. Prevost, instead of a long and harassing march in that direction, sought to recall him by a movement against Charleston ; but intending only a feint, he proceeded with a leisure which he found reason to regret, as it appears had all practicable speed been employed, that capital would have fallen into his hands. The alarm, however, had been given, and such active preparations made, that he did not venture to attack, but distributed his troops in the neighbouring island of St. John. Lincoln, who had hastened down, made an attempt 88 if 802 THE REVOLUTION. to beat up lii8 quarters, without hucccss ; nnd the nudsuninuT heat causing a HUHpension of military operations, the British troops retired unmolested into Georgia. This state of affairs in the southern colonies called im- periously for the attention of Congress, and Washington found it necessary to detach thither some part even of his rediiccd army, lie solicited more powerful aid from D'Estaing, wiio then comnuuided in the West Indies an army sufficiently power- ful to crush entirely the English in Georgia. The Frciu'li admiral received this application just after having fought ii hard battle against Commodore Byron without any decisixc result, yet such as obliged the latter to go into port to refit. The former being thus for a time master of the sea, deterniiiK il at once to com[)ly with the request, took on board six thousand land-troops, and steered direct for Savannah, where, arriving quite unexpectedly, he captured by surprise a fifty-gun ship and three frigates. Prevost, too, was very unprepared, having his force broken up into detachments distributed along the frontier; but these being instantly ordered in, obeyed with such promptitude that before the French had landed and formed a junction with Lincoln, nearly all had arrived. On the ICtli of September, D'Estaing appeared before the place and sum- moned it to surrender. Prevost, under pretext of negotiation, obtained a suspension for twenty-four hours, during whioii Colonel Maitland entered with the last and largest detachment, eluding the Americans by a route supposed impassable ; nnd the full determination to resist was then announced. The allies, on reconnoitring the works, deemed it imprudent to attempt them by storm, and were obliged to wait a few da}s till the heavy ordnance and stores could be brought from the fleet. They broke ground on the 23d of September ; but the • defence was conducted with great vigour and skill, under the direction of Major Moncrieff, a very able engineer; so that notwithstanding some progress made by the 1st of October, an interval must still elapse before surrender could be expected. D'Estaing then refused to adventure his fleet longer on this insecure coast, in a tempestuous season, and while liable to attack from the British squadron refitted and reinforced ; yet beforo departing, he ofiered to concur in an attempt to carry ?• the place b k'ing obser' yards of the of the coml rest amused pushed on w mounted the Being here works well c way; Count Glaziers dro renounced th hundred Fre killed and W( five. The I troops and sji appointing sj cause in the i Clinton, or operations or formation sh habitants bet THE REVOLUTION, 803 ig the with armed i IGth suni- latioii, which imciit, nnd The nt to V days m tlic ut the [»r the that ler, an »ected. ti this ble to I; yet carry DBATB or PULAIKI. the place by storm. This was agreed to ; and a hoUow way k'ing ol)served, by which troops could advance to within lil'ty yards of the wall, four thousand five hundred men, the flower of the combined army, undertook to penetrate it, while the rest amused the garrison by feigned attacks. This party pushed on with great vigour ; they had even crossed the ditch, mounted the parapet, and planted their standards on the wall. Being here exposed, however, to a tremendous fire from the works well constructed and completely manned, they soon gave way ; Count Pulaski was killed, and a brisk attack by Major Glaziers drove the whole back into the hollow. They then renounced the attack, having sustained the severe loss of seven luHidred French and two hundred and thirty-four Americans killed and wounded ; while that of the besieged was only fifty- five. The French admiral no longer paused in embarking his troops and sailing for the West Indies ; thus a second time dis- appointing sanguine expectations, and leaving the American cause in the same state as before. Clinton, on learning this success, determined finally to begin operations on a great scale in the southern states. Recent in- formation showed them to be more defenceless, and the in- habitants better inclined to the dominion of the parent state. i ;804 THE REVOLUTION. than those on the great northern theatre of war ; while their reduction might facilitate that of the others, or at all events preserve for Britain an important portion of her American ter- ritory He had recently obtained a reinforcement from home, and had withdrawn the force hitherto stationed with little advantage upon Rhode Island. On the 26th of December, 1779, leaving Knyphausen with troops sufficient to defend New York against the ill-organized array of Washington, he sailed with five thousand men for Savannah. The voyage was most tem- pestuous, and prolonged till the end of January ; some of the vessels were wrecked, and nearly all the horses perished. He exerted himself actively to repair these losses; and by the middle of February had re-embarked and landed on St. John's Island near Charleston. Some time was spent in recruiting and reinforcing his troops and remounting his cavalry; while Lincoln was actively strengthening the garrison, and restorin"' the works, which, since the memorable attack in May, had fahon into almost complete decay. He succeeded in assembling above two thousand regulars, one thousand militia, and a great body of armed citizens ; but the chief hope, which was soon proved to be fallacious, rested on preventing the British from crossing the bar, as the fleet; under a favourable wind and tide, passed with scarcely any opposition. Lincoln then seriously deliberated on evacuating the place and saving his army ; but he dreaded popular reproach, and was buoyed up with promises of rein- forcements that never arrived. On the 1st of April, Clinton crossed the Ashley, which, with Cooper River, encloses the peninsula of Charleston, and broke ground before the city. On the 9th, the first parallel was completed, and the maritime blockade rendered very close ; yet the garrison still comnmni- cated with the country by their cavalry at Monk's Corner, about thirty miles up Cooper River. Colonel Tarleton, by a circuitous route, came upon this body so unexpectedly, that though they held their horses bridled and saddled, they were attacked before they had time to mount, routed, and completely dispersed. The British soon after received a reinforcement of three thousand ; when Lincoln seriously proposed an attempt to extricate his army ; but the principal inhabitants, enter- taining a dread of ill treatment from the captors, prevailed 11 upon him son bein^ rejected ; successive were by t nearly des parations seeing his by the vie the regula giving the their hom five thous seamen, ar This wr the reunic revolted C( of the railii all its mei A number and the re a soldier ii a prisoner known as i assurances, ful support, the people the additioi Soon after, their parolef in aiding th of, and with policy seems remain in a On the 5t Lord Cornw could, exten( sent up the j the last only. THE REVOLUTION. 805 while storin"' 1 falion 5 above it body proved rossing passed berated Ireaded )f reiii- linton ,es the y. On laritime iiiuni- orner, , by a , that y -were pletely ent of ttempt enter- •evailed upon him only to offer a capitulation on condition of the garri- son being still allowed to serve. This proposal was at once rejected ; the siege was steadily pushed ; all the outward posts successively fell ; two detachments of cavalry which had rallied were by the active movements of Tarleton again dissipated and nearly destroyed ; and the third parallel being completed, pre- parations were made for a general assault. Lincoln, then seeing his situation hopeless, submitted to the terms proffered by the victor, that all the military stores should be given up, the regular troops made prisoners of war, while the militia, on giving their parole, might return and remain unmolested at their homes. The prisoners taken were stated by Clinton at five thousand six hundred and eighteen, with one thousand seamen, and three hundred and eleven pieces of ordnance. This was a very important triumph, and seemed to assure the reunion to Britain of at least a large portion of hor revolted colonies. With very small exceptions, the whole of the military force stationed in the southern states, including all its means and implements of war, was at once captured. A number of the inhabitants now testified their satisfaction, and the rest were awed into silence. There was scarcely a soldier in Georgia and South Carolina who was not either a prisoner or in arras for Britain. North Carolina was well known as a decided seat of royalism, and Clinton had secret assurances, as soon as he should reach that province, of power- ful support. He now published a proclamation, promising to the people a renewal of all their former privileges, with the addition of not being taxed unless by their own consent. Soon after, he issued another, absolving the militia from their paroles, and calling upon them to join with other citizens in aiding the British cause. This step was much complained of, and with reason, as involving a breach of faith ; and the policy seems doubtful of not allowing the enemies of Britain to remain in a state of silent and passive submission. On the 5th of June, Clinton set sail for New York, leaving Lord Cornwallis with four thousand men to secure, and, if he could, extend his conquests. Detachments had already been sent up the principal rivers, Savannah, Saluda, and Santee. On the last only, a party of four hundred, under Colonel Buford, 2C \^\^' 'Km 306 THE REVOLUTION. TARIiETON'S QUARTERS. was rapidly retreating. Though ten days in advance, they were overtaken by the rapid march of Tarleton, and at Wax- haw's completely routed and dispersed. Tarleton seldom gave quarter. The principal force was then advanced to Camden on the Wateree, near the frontier of North Carolina ; but the intense heat, with the difficulty of provisioning the army till the corn was on the ground, rendered a delay necessary. The loyalists in that province were advised to remain quiet till a powerful support could be brought forward ; but their ardent zeal could not be restrained, and broke out in several insurec- tions, which were suppressed and punished with a rigour tending to deter from similar attempts in future. Extreme alarm was felt by the American government on receiving intelligence of these events ; and amid the greatest obstacles, it was necessary to make vigorous efforts to retrieve their affairs. Washington made arrangements for the march of tlie troops in Maryland and Delaware, and for calling out the militia of Virginia and North Carolina. He placed them under the Baron de Kalb, a veteran German officer ; but Con- gress soon after conferred the chief command on Gates, hoping that the conqueror of Burgoyne might again turn the tide of fortune. Notwithstanding the utmost despatch, the want of money, mill that thougl ginning of about four t determinati( to induce I officer, how< to the spot, causes, had resolved wit night of the by a singula same design British was ( postpone th( line, De Ka right, while of Virginia were attack( with such ii THE REVOLUTION. 307 DATTLK or CAMDEN AND DEATH OP DE KALB. money, military stores, and provisions, detained him so long, that though the expedition set out in M.arch, it was the be- ginning of August before he could approach Camden, with .about four thousand men, mostly militia. He advanced in the determination to push vigorously offensive operations, hoping to induce Lord Rawdon to fall back upon Charleston. That officer, however, had given notice to Cornwallis, who hastened to the spot, and though the troops, from disecose and other causes, had been reduced to little more than two thousand, he resolved without hesitation to attack. He had set out in the night of the 15th, with a view to surprise the Americans, when, by a singular concurrence, he met Gates in full march with the same design against the British. The advanced guard of the British was driven in, when both parties thought it advisable to postpone the general action till daylight. In the American line, De Kalb, with most of the regulars, commanded on the right, while the militia of Carolina formed the centre, and that of Virginia the left. The conflict began with the last, who were attacked by the British infantry, under Colonel "Webster, with such impetuosity, that they threw down their arms and f*: F S '•* :)rj t it 308 Tift: RErOLtTTION. precipitately fled. The whole of the left and centre were very speedily off the field, few having fired a shot, and still A.nver carrying away a musket. Gates was borne along by the torrent, and after vain attempts to rally his men, gave up all for lost, and never stopped till he reached Charlotte, eighty miles distant. Meantime, De Kalb, on the right, opposed to Lord Rawdon, long and firmly maintained his ground, gaining even some advantage ; and it was not till the victorious divisions had wheeled round against him, that his corps was broken .ind dispersed. He himself, covered with wounds, became a captive, and, notwithstanding every care, expired in a few hours. About one thousand prisoners were taken, and the whole army was scattered. Gates seems manifestly to have erred in fight- ing a pitched battle with an army consisting chiefly of militia, and Tarleton particularly censures him for having composed of them so great a part of his regular line, instead of merely em- ploying them to skirmish on his front and flanks ; but, in fact, his veteran force seems to have scarcely sufliced for a duly extended order of battle. There was still some resistance to overcome. The patriots in South Carolina, recovering from their first panic, had l)egun to rise at different points. The militia, complaining that the terms granted had not been duly observed, disregarded their engagements to remain passive, and prepared to take the field. A number, after joining the royal banner, went over to the Americans; one Colonel Lisle carried with him a whole battalion. Thus were assembled, under Colonel Sumpter, an active partisan, upwards of six hundred, raised, by a detachment from the main army, to about one thousand. He was repulsed in attacks upon the stations called Rocky Mount and Hanging Rock; but, on the evening before the battle of Camden, succeeded in carrying a strong redoubt on the Wateree, taking above one hundred prisoners. On learn- ing the fatal issue of that day, he instantly began his retreat, find reached with such celerity the fords of the Catawba, that he considered himself safe, and allowed his men to repose during the heat of the day. But nothing could escape the in- defaiigable ardour of Tarleton, who had been sent in pursuit. Mis rapidity was such, that the greater part of his corps could not follow I only he car pared, their arms. Rou band, they struggle, ab lost one hi] hundred an( British cap master of a them with a and then de The estates, confiscated. those who b the ardour c After a fe general adva time, a corp been assemb' was directed the foot of tl by the mover 29 THE REVOLUTION. 309 (OI.ONKL 8UHPTER. not follow him from fatigue ; but with one hundred and sixty- only he came up, and found the Americans completely unpre- pared, their videttes asleep, and the men lying apart from their arras. Roused from slumber by the attack of this active band, they scarcely attempted resistance; and after a short struggle, about half were captured, the others dispersed. They lost one hundred and fifty killed and wounded, besides three hundred and ten prisoners ; all their stores were taken, and the British captives recovered. Cornwallis, having thus become master of a considerable number of prisoners, proceeded against them with vigour ; several, who had joined the British militia and then deserted from their ranks, were executed as traitors. The estates, too, of all those who joined the patriots were confiscated. This severity created enemies to Britain among those who before had been disposed to be loyal, and increased the ardour of the friends of freedom. After a few weeks' delay on account of the heat, the British general advanced to Charlotte Town, in North Carolina. Mean- time, a corps of about sixteen hundred loyal militia having been assembled, under Major Ferguson, an active partisan, he was directed to move westward, and clear the territory along the foot of the mountains. He was led farther in this direction by the movements of a hostile party which threatened Augusta, 39 2c 2 ■? 'm 310 THE REVOLUTION. m If, w where he approached and roused into action a class marked as terrible foes to the British cause. The borderers, who roved along the sides of the Alleghany, were, if possible, ruder and bolder than the boys of the Green Mountain. They rode on light fleet horses, carrying only their rifle, a blanket, and knap- sack. Food was procured by the gun, or, on its occasional failure, from a small herd of cattle driven before them. At night, the earth was their bed, the sky their canopy. They thus moved with a swiftness which no ordinary troops could rival. Ferguson, having learned that about three thousand of these daring mountaineers had mustered against him, under the command of Colonels Campbell, Shelby, and Williams, began a rapid retreat upon the main body; but being informed that one thousand of the fleetest and boldest had been formed into a select band in chase of him, and seeing the hopelessness of escaping their almost preternatural swiftness, he took post on King's Mountain, and awaited their attack. They came up on the 7th of October, and began to ascend the mountain in three divisions. Ferguson charged the first, and drove it back with the bayonet ; aad wherever this weapon could be used, he was victorious ; but the assailants c' astered round on every side, and from beneath the covert of trees and steeps discharged their rifles with almost unerring aim. The British soon began to fall in great numbers, and when their commander himself received a mortal wound, the whole party were routed, three hundred killed and wounded, the rest completely dispersed. In retaliation of Cornwallis's proceedings at Camden, ten of the principal captives were hanged on the spot. Comwallis, meanwhile, had pushed on to Salisbury, approach- ing Virginia ; and in expectation of his reaching that state, a reinforcement destined for him, under General Leslie, was ordered to enter the Chesapeake. Learning, however, this dreadful catastrophe, and fearing that so numerous a band might overrun and spread insurrection in South Carolina, he judged it necessary to fall back upon that colony; and Lesiio was instructed to join by the circuitous route of Charleston. The alarm leading to this retrograde movement proved, in a great measure, unfounded. That tumultuary mass, roused by a local impulse^ having accomplished their immediate object, could not 1 fare was co holdiii" toffi harassed th and marshi Sumpter, t< again assen threatened at hand, M him; but b tacked by tl necessary tc eiderable foi got in the r( whom he wi whose rapi( Tarleton, se time to pre pushing for mounted inf the bank of THE REVOLUTION. 311 0E5BBAL KARIOX. could not be prevented from dispersing, and the partisan war- fare was continued by only two small bodies. Marion, though holding together only from fifty to two hundred men, severely harassed the British, keeping himself so well covered by woods and marshes, that even Tarleton could not hunt him down. Sumpter, too, after being entirely routed by that officer, had again assembled a considerable corps of mounted militia, and threatened some important posts. His former enemy not being at hand. Major Wemyss was employed, and soon came up with him ; but being early wounded, and his troops vigorously at- tacked by the patriots, he suffered a severe repulse. It was then necessary to have recourse to Tarleton, and give him a con- siderable force. Using his accustomed despatch, he had nearly got in the rear of his adversary, who, as soon as he learned to whom he was opposed, hurried by rapid marches to the Tyger, whose rapid stream once passed, would secure his retreat. Tarleton, seeing that with his whole force he could not be in time to prevent this movement, adopted his former plan of pushing forward with two hundred and fifty cavalry and mounted infantry. He found his opponent strongly posted on the bank of the river, and with his wonted promptitude rushed ,*■ ,K r" ?v 312 THE REVOLUTION. Ill GBITERAL OHBIME. n forward to the attack. The conflict, however, was obstinate and bloody, and he was finally obliged, with considerable loss, to fall back on his infantry. Sumpter then crossed the river; but his men had been so severely handled, that they lost courage and dispersed; so that his opponent reaped all ihe fruits of victory. Gates, meantime, used diligent exertions to collect and re- organize the remains of his defeated army ; and Congress, amid every difficulty, forwarded to him reinforcements. He incurred, however, the reproach to which the unfortunate are usually exposed, Washington being called upon to institute an inquiry into his conduct, and to nominate another commander. Greene Was named, with the assurance that a commander had been furnished, provided troops and means could be supplied. This announcement was amply fulfilled ; yet Gates was considered hardly treated, especially as his first intimation was the arrival of his successor to take the command, who bore testimony that, on this tr^ uble mann When G been raise number w support tl] very able deavour to upper cour l)ectation c movement, thousand i abandoned this difficu" await the a darv of the his militia he could fu came up, i American rear of the some confui unite with flight by th irregular or tlieir line, 1 fire on thei made with swords. Af completely and obliged upwards of prisoners, for so total usual impe mostly loos force was v< regulars rec most severe THE REVOLUTIOy. 813 on this trying occasion, he behaved in a handsome and honour- able manner. When Greene arrived, on the 2d of December, the army had been raised to nearly two thousand men, of whom the larger number were regulars. Determining by some movements to Bupport the cause in South Carolina, he detached Morgan, a very able partisan, to take post on the Broad River, and en- deavour to cut off Cornwallis, then at Winnsborough, from the upper country. He had about six hundred men, with the ex- pectation of assembling more in the district. On learning this movement, Tarleton was immediately despatched with one thousand men to resist the inroad. The American at first abandoned his camp, and began a rapid retreat; but finding this difficult, and his forces being nearly equal, he resolved to await the attack at Cowpens, a spot three miles from the boun- dary of the Carolinas. Avoiding the fault of Gates, he disposed his militia in front, keeping in reserve a chosen body, on whom he could fully depend. On the 17th of January, 1780, Tarleton came up, and immediately rushed to the charge. The first American line was soon broken, and hastily retreated into the rear of the second, which was then attacked, and thrown into some confusion, when Morgan ordered the men to fall back and unite with the reserve. This movement was mistaken for a liight by the assailants, who pushed on exultingly, in somewhat irregular order. Suddenly the Americans, having fully adjusted their line, halted, wheeled round, and commenced a destructive fire on their pursuers, who being seen to falter, a charge was made with the bayonet, and by the cavalry with their drawn swords. After a short contest, the lately victorious British were completely routed, and nearly the whole infantry surrounded and obliged to surrender. The cavalry escaped by flight ; but upwards of one hundred were killed, and five hundred made prisoners. Tarleton declares himself quite unable to account for so total a rout. He appears in fact to have attacked in his usual impetuous manner, on the calculation of encountering mostly loose militia levies, whereas a part of the opposing force was veteran ; two of the militia companies consisted of regulars recently discharged. The British army suffered thus most severely, having lost all its light infantry, a corps parti- »-i ho il m ^ 814 THE REVOLUTION. BATTLB or THB COWPBHS. cnlarly useful in such warfare; nor was it a small injury that the fame of the commander as an almost invincible partisan officer was deeply tarnished. Cornwallis, however, having just received the niiiforcement of two thousand six hundred men under Leslie, determined to efface the impression of this disaster by a series of the most active offensive operations. Destroying all his superfluous baggage, he supplied the loss of his light infantry by converting the whole army nearly into a corps of that description. His first hope was to overtake Morgan, and recover all that was lost, which he had so nearly effected that his van reached the Catawba on the 29th of January, only two hours after the patriots had passed ; when a torrent of rain swelled the waters and rendered it impossible for him to follow. Greene, who had hastened to take the command, hoped to defend the passage of this river, but it was forced on the 1st of February at a private ford defended by Colonel Davidson, who was defeated and killed. Tarleton then surprised and dispersed a body of militia assembled at a neighbouring inn. The American general, con- sidering himself wholly unable to hazard a battle, retreated before his adversary, who presently began a chase, which was continued incessantly and rapidly across the whole of North Carohna, sions of tl the Yadki with the taken. I the nigiit, so that C( fords, whi towards tl nearly alo broad unf side, won! confident 1 transport ferry imm( led his am detachmen collected a had his an just as tl march, or : parties. G advantageo pursued wi army, but be owned 1 by fortune. Cornwall borough, V royalist for did not con tion, as els( inert attac prevalent ; by former cause shoul distress an( march, was formed, anc THE REVOLUTION. 315 the divi- Carolina. On the night of the 2d of Februa; sions of the American army having effected a jtuiction, crossed the Yadkin, but so closely followed, that their rear skirmished with the van of the enemy, and part of their baggage was taken. By another favourable chance, heavy rain fell during the night, and in the morning rendered the river impassable; so that Cornwallis was obliged to make a circuit to its upper fords, while his opponent continued his retreat. He marched towards the Dan, the chief branch of the Roanoke, Avhich flows nearly along the boundary of Carolina and Virginia. It was a broad unfordable stream, and Greene, if he reached the other side, would be in safety ; but the pursuit was continued in the confident hope of his being unable to find vessels sufficient to transport over his troops. This was indeed the case at the ferry immediately before him ; but by an able movement he led his army twenty miles downward to two others, sending a detachment to bring the boats from the upper one. He thus collected a sufficient number, and by extraordinary exertions had his army ferried over, his rear reaching the northern bank just as the English van appeared on the southern. This march, or rather hunt, was considered highly creditable to both parties. Greene gained great applause on account of his dis- advantageous situation, fleeing before a superior enemy who pursued with such rjipidity, yet placing in safety not only his army, but the greater part of his heavy baggage ; still it must be owned that he was in several instances singularly favoured by fortune. Cornwallis now gave up the pursuit, and repaired to Hills- borough, with the view of calling out and organizing the royalist force. His adherents, though here peculiarly strong, did not come forward to the extent expected. The larger por- tion, as elsewhere, regarded the cause with that passive and inert attachment which we have remarked to be generally prevalent ; and even the more zealous, having suffered severely by former premature displays, dreaded lest the republican cause should regain the ascendancy. The view also of the distress and exhaustion of the British troops, after so long a march, was by no means alluring. Yet seven companies were formed, and detachments began to come in from different 816 THE REVOLUTION. v^ii MAJOR nRNRT LEE. quarters. On the other hand, Greene, having obtained a rein- forcement of Virginia militia, repassed the Dan, and with his light troops endeavoured to annoy the British army and pre- vent recruiting. Major Lee surprised a detachment of royalists, who mistook him for Tarleton, and cut them nearly to pieces. On account of the exhausted state of the country at Hills- borough, Cornwallis withdrew to a position on the Allimance Creek, between Haw and Deep Rivers, where he could be better supplied, and support his friends, who were there numerous. Greene, however, by an active use of his cavalry and light troops, severely harassed his opponent ; and by changing his own position every night, eluded the attempt to bring him to an engagement. At length, the American general, having received reinforce- ments, which raised his army to above four thousand two hundred men, of whom about a third were regulars, determined to offer battle. This was what the other had eagerly sought ; yet his own effective force being reduced to somewhat under two thousand, he felt now some hesitation, and probably would have acted more wisely in maintaining the defensive. Even the enterprising Tarleton observes, that in his circumstances defeat would have been total ruin, while any victory he might expect to j views of Co paign, he ft j)r(H'c'('de(l t< jiuliciouHly, hills coverei system of i that of Car somewhat h tlie tiiird wii full confiden having drive Carolina line cipitately afi Tiiis front 1 against the '\ ness ; but Ix brought agai assailants th< gimenta, hav came on imj Greene then chosen troops mayed to see after which I at the head ol corps under ' and somewha after which tli Yet a strong galling fire, ti] field. In this dred and twer after having o] The Englis wounded amoi Colonels Stew reducing the el corps, too, was 40 THE REVOLUTIOK. 817 and t'xpoct to gain could yioKl little fruit. All the ImhitH and views of Cornwallis, however, being directed to an active cam- paign, he formed hifl resolution, and on the 15th of March ]>ro('t'('(k'd to the attack. Grone had drawn up his army very jiidiciouHly, near Guildford vJourt-house, mostly on a range of iiills covered with trees and brushwood. Adopting still the system of making the militia l)oar the first brunt, he placed that of Carolina in the front, while the Virginia, considered .somewhat better, formed the second line, and he remained in the third with the continental troops, in whom alone he placed full confidence. The British, proceeding with impetuosity, and liaving driven in the advanced guard of cavalry, attacked the Carolina line, who, scarcely discharging their muskets, lied pre- cipitately after the first hostile fire, and many even before. This front having gone for nothing, the next movement was against the Virginians, who stood their ground with some firm- ness ; but Ixjing unable to resist the bayonet, which was soon brought against them, they, too, were put to flight. The assailants then advanced against the third line; but the re- giments, having experienced different degrees of resistance, came on impetuously, in an uneven line and some disorder. Greene then felt sanguine hopes that a steady charge from his chosen troops would turn the fortune of the day. He was dis- mayed to see the second Maryland regiment give way at once, after which he thought only of retiring; but Colonel Gunby, at the head of the first, gained a decided advantage over the corps under Colonel Stewart, and there followed an obstinate and somewhat desultory contest between the different corps, after which the Americans were compelled to a general retreat. Yet a strong body of riflemen, on the left flank, kept up a galling fire, till Tarleton, with the cavalry, drove them off the field. In this hard-fought battle, the Americans had three hun- dred and twenty-six killed and wounded. The militia dispersed, after having one hundred killed and wounded. The English victory was dearly earned, the killed and wounded amounting to five hundred and thirty-two, including Colonels Stewart and Webster, two of their best officers, and reducing the effective force below fifteen hundred. This small corps, too, was in a very reduced and exhausted state. In short, 40 2D ^v 'I '^ii t. 318 THE REVOLUTION. the English general formed the resolution to fall back upon Wil- mington, near the mouth of Cape Fear River, which had been occupied by Major Craig, where he could recruit hia troops and obtain supplies and reinforcements by sea. Greene retreated about fifteen miles ; taking post behind a small stream named Troublesome Creek, where he expected and determined to await an attack; but was soon agreeably surprised by learning that his antagonist was in full retreat, and had even left eighty wounded recommended to his caro He immediately set out in pursuit, and after overcoming various obstacies, arrived on the 28th of March at Ramsay's Mills, on Deep River, where, having learned the direction which the British were taking, he paused for a few days to recruit, and deliberate on his future plans. At Wilmington, the hostile army would be in communication with the sea, of which they were then masters ; so that there no serious impression could be made upon them; and if they received reinforcements, serious danger might be incurred. He formed, therefore, the bold but able resolution of carrying the war into South Carolina, to which he was now nearer than his adversary, and where Lord Rawdon (afterwards Marquis of Hastings) had been left with only the force that appeared necessary to keep down in- surrection. Directing his march immediately to this quarter, he had made some progress before the tidings reached Lord Cornwallis, by whom this movement appears to have been quite unexpected. He now, however, considered that it was impossible to reach the American army till the collision had taken place between it and Lord Rawdon ; and if the latter should retreat upon Charleston, he himself could reach the scene of action only by a long and difficult march, crossing several broad rivers, and exposed to attack in disadvantageous positions. He resolved, in preference, to advance in the oppo- site direction upon Virginia, where, uniting himself to consider- able forces already assembled, he might make the cause de- cidedly preponderant. He hoped thus to recall Greene ; or, at all events, by conquering that great and important colony, to secure the ultimate subjugation of the southern states. Greene, without regard to the movements of his opponent, pushed on to his destination. The militia having either deserted, or their tei eighteen h he could ei he found men, the c tached pos no hope of by throwin and cut ofl' fall back, to co-operal seeing the 1 formed the circuit roui unexpected washing. [ tlioy quickl They had c land regime Iiad highly < fell into cor I been it was ion had le latter ach the crossing itageous le oppo- onsider- tiuse de- er, at >lony, to 38. )ponent, leserted, THB REVOLUTION. 319 LORD RAWDON. or their term of service being expired, his force was reduced to eighteen hundred men j but those, in fact, included all on whom he could ever place much dependence. Approaching Camden, he found it occupied by Rawdon, with about eight hundred men, the other troops being employed upon the defence of de- tached posts ; yet his position was judged so strong as to afford no hope of success in a direct attack. The object aimed at was, by throwing out detachments which might capture the forts, and cut off the supplies in his rear, to compel him gradually to fall back. Lee, for this purpose, was sent with a strong party to co-operate with Marion and Surapter. The English general, seeing the hostile troops thus reduced to about fifteen hundred, formed the bold resolution of attacking them. Making a large circuit round a swamp, he came upon their left flank quite unexpectedly, while the soldiers were busied in cooking and washing. This first surprise was never wholly recovered ; yet thoy quickly stood to their arms, and formed in order of battle. They had even gained some advantages, when the 1st Mary- land regiment, considered the flower of the army, and which had highly distinguished itself both at Cowpens and Guildford, fell into confusion j and when ordered to make a retrograde /'■ M^ i m ^ 820 THE REVOLUTION. ■iii'' movement, converted it into a complete retreat. The other corps, also, beginning to give ground, Greene thought it expe- dient to cause the whole to retire. The loss on each side was about two hundred and sixty killed and wounded ; and the Americans carried off fifty prisoners. Though compelled to retreat, the Americans reaped all the advantages of this victory. The triumph of the British was nearly as fatal as that of Pyrrhus. Greene could still maintain his posi- tion, and support tlie detachments operating in the roar of his adversary. Lee and Marion proceeded first against Fort Watson on the Santee, which commanded in a great measure the communication with Charleston. Having neither artillery nor besieging tools, they reared a tower above the level of the rampart, whence their rifle fire drove the defenders, and them- selves then mounted and compelled the garrison to surrender. They could not, however, prevent Colonel Watson from leading five hundred men to reinforce Lord Kawdon, who then advanced with the intention of bringing Greene again to action, but found him fallen back upon so strong a position, as to afford no reasonable hope of success. His lordship, finding his convoys intercepted, and viewing the generally insecure state of his posts in the lower country, considered himself under at least the temporary necessity of retreating thither. He had first in view the relief of Motte's House on the Congaree ; but before reaching it, had the mortification to find that, with the garrison of one hundred and sixty-five, it had fallen into the hands of Marion and Lee. He continued his march to Monk's Corner, where he covered Charleston and the surrounding country. The partisan chiefs rapidly seized this opportunity of attacking the interior posts, and reduced successively Orangeburg, Granby on the Congaree, and Augusta, the key of Upper Georgia. In these five forts they made eleven hundred prisoners. The most important one, however, was that named Ninety-six, on the Saluda, defended by a garrison of five hundred men. Orders had been sent to them to quit and retire downwards; but the messenger was intercepted ; and Colonel Cruger, the commander, made the most active preparations for its defence. Greene con- sidered the place of such importance, that he undertook the siege in person, with a thousand regulars. He broke ground before i impeded with sue was con: surrende capture < and effe( time fall, havinir r march to impede h himself u fortress u two most the forme he peiietn three-quar a fire as ( diately rai in triumpl ward in th latter rath Charlotte i him beyon Notwith having fai the genera possible to South Caro Edistoj an( with a strc him. Gree Marion and imprudent series of ac the heat of Lord Rai return home the lower co THE REVOLUTION. 321 corner, )untry. tacking rranby la. In le most Ion the 1 Orders )ut the lander, le con- before it on the night of the 23d of May, and though much impeded by a successful sally on the following day, proceeded with such energy, that by the 3d of June, the second parallel was completed, and the garrison summoned, but in vain, to surrender. On the 8th, he was reinforced by Lee, from the capture of Augusta ; and though he encountered a most gallant and effective resistance, trusted that the place must in due time fall. Three days after, however, he learned that Rawdon, having received a reinforcement from Ireland, wjis in full march to relieve it. and had baffled the attempts of Sumptcr to impede his progress. The American leader, therefore, feeling himself unable to give battle, saw no prospect of carrying the fortress unless by storm. On the 18th, an attack against the two most commanding outworks was led by Lee and Campbell, the former of whom carried his point ; but the latter, though he penetrated into the ditch, and maintained his party there for three-quarters of an hour, found them exposed to so destructive a fire as compelled a general retreat. The siege was imme- diately raised, and Lord Rawdon, on the 21st, entered the place in triumph. Being again master nf the field, he pressed for- ward in the hope of bringing his antagonist to battle ; but the latter rather chose to fall back towards the distant point of Charlotte in Virginia, while Rawdon did not attempt to pursue him beyond the Ennoree. Notwithstanding this present superiority, his lordship, having failed in his hopes of a decisive victory, and viewing the general aspect of the country, considered it no longer possible to attempt more than covering the lower districts of South Carolina. He therefore fell back to Orangeburg on the Edisto ; and though he attempted at first to maintain Cruger with a strong body at Ninety-six, was soon induced to recall him. Greene, being reinforced by one thousand men under Marion and Sumpter, reconnoitred his position, but judged it imprudent to attack ; and both armies, exhausted by such a series of active movements, took an interval of repose during the heat of the season. Lord Rawdon, being at this time obliged by ill health to return home, left the army under Colonel Stuart, who, to cover the lower country, occupied a position at the point where the h^ H. 322 THE REVOLUTION. Congarec and Wateree unite in forming the Santee. Greene, having received reinforcements from the north, and collected all his partisan detachments, found himself strong enough to try the chance of battle. His approach with this evident view induced the other party to retire forty miles down the river, to the strong post of Eutaw, whither the American immediately followed by slow and easy marches. On the 8th of September, tlie latter determined to attack the British camp, placing as usual his militia in front, hoping that the English, in beating and pursuing them, would at least get into confusion ; but from this very dread, the latter had been warned to keep their posts till ordered to move. The American front, however, main- tained their ground better than usual, and the British, before beating them, became heated, and, forgetful of the warnings given, pushed forward irregularly. They were then charged by the veterans in the second line, and after a very severe struggle, driven cff the field. Thers lay in their way, however, a large brick building and adjacent garden, where Stuart placed a strong corps, who could not be dislodged, and kept up a deadly fire, which checked the victors, enabling the retreating troops to be formed anew. At the same time. Colonel Wash- ington attjicked the British flank ; but finding it strongly posted among woods, he was repulsed with loss, and himself taken prisoner. The American general, seeing; no hope of making any further impression, retreated to his previous posi- tion. In this bloody and doubtful battle, both parties claim the victory, though the Americans with most reason, as the general result was greatly to their advantage. It was certainly far from decisive ; and the British loss of eighty-five killed and six hundred and eight wounded, was much greater than that of the Americans, who carried oflf also above two hundred pri- soners. The British commander, conceiving himself unable to maintain so advanced a position, began to move on the evening of the 9 th, and proceeded down to Monk's Corner, where he merely covered Charleston and its vicinity. To this and to Savannah were now limited British authority, which had lately extended so widely over the southern states. This great reverse was brought about not only by the resolu- tion and military skill of General Greene, and his gallant sub- ordinates, towards tl perly trea pecured so of the chic leaders, ali them to rei power. In the 1 tnice this e than in fn thus been I back to tra of the theat When CI command a theatre of i defensive pc Washington as during t waters arou frozen, and the mortific was, it still tute of foo( together, an supplies sti scantily and of making proved still i in the comi eflfect. At from starvin rendered eff forthcoming, by Lord Stir he found it t The army hundred anc \.w' THE REVOLUTION. 323 resolu- it sub- ordinates, but also by the conduct of the British commanders towards the inhabitants of the country. Had they been pro- perly treated, tlie successes of Greene would scarcely have pocured so complete a triumph. But the persecution of many of the chief families, and the cruelty of Tarleton and the tory leaders, alienated the affections of the people, and induced them to render the American general every assistance in their power. In the belief that it would be satisfactory to the reader to truce this eventful campaign in the south continuously, rather than in fragments intermingled with other subjects, we have thus been led to anticipate the order of time, and must now go back to trace the course of events in the more central parts of the theatre of war. When Clinton sailed for the south, Knyphausen was left in command at New York, Avith instructions, while the main theatre of action continued elsewhere, to maintain a merely defensive position. An opportunity was thus afforded, which Washington eagerly desired to seize, and felt the more tempting, as during the intense cold of the succeeding winter all the waters around New York and its adjacent insular posts were frozen, and thus rendered accessible to a land force. He had the mortification to find that, reduced as the adverse forcp was, it still outnumbered his own, which was besides so desti- tute of food and clothing, that it was with difficulty kept together, and quite unfit for any laborious movement. The supplies still depended on the states, which furnished them as scantily and precariously as ever; while a new plan adopted of making the requisitions in goods rather than in money, proved still more cuiiibrous and inefficient. Changes were made in the commissariat, but injudiciously, and without any good effect. At one time, Washington only preserved his army from starving by a requisition on the people of New Jersey, rendered effective by the intimation that the articles, if not forthcoming, would be taken by force. One attack was made by Lord Stirling against a detached post on Staten Island ; but he found it too well guarded. The army for 1780 was fixed at thirty-five thousand two hundred and eleven men, instead of which the actual force ii ' ^f t'^ 324 THE REVOLUTION. f i: I !■ GENERAL WATMI. under arms in June, did not exceed five thousand five hundred. Their pay was five months in arrear, and even when received was scarcely of any value, through the depreciation of the cur- rency. A pledge was given that the deficiency from this source should be made good at the end of the war ; but the troops complained that this availed little when they were at present without the means of subsistence. On the 1st of January, 1780, the troops of the Pennsylvania line paraded under arms, and declared their resolution to obtain relief or return home. General Wayne attempted to recall them to their duty, but he was threatened with death, and obliged to yield to the mutinous tide of feeling. A com- mittee of Congress was appointed to confer with the troops, and at length they were induced to return to their camp at Morristo;^ follow thi] determina hauscn w« his agents on sendin army read fensive, h( On the with abou greatest a another es not advan( withstand! himself in his whole f three hun( posts in an able body < to any dep reinforcem< hope of red An even gave a ne Lafayette the Amerii it so strong of a stronp tidings, brc exultation promised i thousand n indeed son and made i quotas, rej army shoul state, totall remonstran ceded; but 41 THE REYOLUTION. 325 Morristown. Some New England regiments attempted to follow this example of mutiny, but they were quieted by the determination and severity of General Robert Howe. Knyp- hauscn was encouraged to make offers to the mutineers ; but his agents were delivered over to the American authorities, and, on sending a strong force towards Morristown, he found the army ready to give him battle. His present policy being de- fensive, he returned to his former quarters. On the 18th of June, Clinton arrived from South Carolina with about four thousand men, — an event which caused the greatest alarm to General Washington ; and, in fact, he made another excursion in this quarter, but from similar motives did not advance farther then Springfield. He did not, indeed, not- withstanding the weakness of the American army, consider himself in a condition for any large offensive operation, stating his whole force at twelve thousand men, of whom nine thousand three hundred were fit for duty ; and after garrisoning the posts in and round New York, there remained scarcely a move- able body of five thousand, wholly insufficient for penetrating to any depth in the interior. He row, therefore, demanded a reinforcement of ten thousand, before he could hold out any hope of reducing America by force of arms. An event, moreover, had by this time been announced, which gave a new turn to the current of affairs. The Marquis de Lafayette had embraced, with the utmost ardour, the cause of the Americans, and on a visit to his native country, had urged it so strongly upon his court, as at length to obtain the promise of a strong fleet and army to co-operate with theirs. These tidings, brought out by himself, were received with the highest exultation by Congress, who, in the preceding; January, had promised to the Frenc]i minister to bring forward twenty-ilve thousand men and abundant supplies. They roused themselves indeed somewhat from the torpor into which they had sunk, and made urgent requisitions for the states to make good their quotas, representing the disgrace inevitably incurred if the army should be exhibited to their allies in its present reduced state, totally incapable of any effective co-operation. These remonstrances had an effect too similar to those which had pre- ceded ; but some individual spirit was kindled. A bank w^is 41 ! tr ■ '•.'I ■•( 326 THE REVOLUTION. c formed at Philadelphia, under the auspices of Robert Morris, and £315,000 subscribed, solely to supply provisions to the troops ; the ladies in that city and elsewhere made liberal con- tributions; but these means did not go far in relieving the immense wants under which the army laboured. On the 13th of July, intelligence was received that the French fleet had been seen off the capes of Virginia, and next day that, according to previous arrangements, they were stand- ing into the harbour of Newport, on Rhode Island. About six thousand men, under the Count de Rochambeau, were escorted by a squadron under the Chevalier Ternay. A second division was at Brest, waiting for transports ; but it was afterwards blockaded by an English fleet, tlnd never reached America. This arrival, while it gratified, not a little embarrassed Wash- ington. All the recent efforts had brought only a thousand recruits, and he laboured under extreme uncertainty as to when he might expect more. The whole combined force would not exceed that now strongly fortified in New York; yet he determined to propose a joint attack by sea and land. This arrangement, however, rested upon the naval superiority which Ternay at first possessed ; but it was transferred to the othor side by the arrival of six sail under Graves. Clinton was even encouraged to make an attempt upon the ships and troops at Newport ; but delays in equipping his own vessels retarded the movement till the place was found too strongly secured. Hopes were meantime entertained that Admiral de Guichen, from the West Indies, would re-establish the French superiority; but instead of hira, Rodney arrived with a squadron, which gave the enemy the advantage in these seas. Rhode Island, during the rest of the season, was kept closely blockaded. An occurrence now happened which excited an intense in- terest throughout the union. General Arnold had been a most conspicuous military character of the Revolution. His campaign in Canada, notwithstanding its misfortunes, had elevated him to the highest reputation. Unluckily, his temper and manners, proud and overbearing, raised up numerous enemies, who became even a majority in Congress. Hence, when an exten- sive promotion was made, he was passed over, and five ofiicers, junior in the service, and much inferior in reputation, were placed ove justice, an everything \vlio.se exp coa.st of N granted th inandor-in-( th\3 army s* liis reputat service, obt; of comman bearing bro gress and claim for campaign, i and even i stated, it is: that Arnolt the really account, de part was e as an extra barrassmeni commercial unsuitable they aggrav circumstanc abusing, for mand. £a the city co but a comr had been pi rent by fac report of tl named, com this was not to a court-r a plausible a delay of THE REVOLUTION. 327 placed over his head. Washington deeply deplored this in- justice, and remonstrated, though vainly, against it. He did everything possible to soothe the wounded pride of his friend, whose exploits as a volunteer, during several attacks on the coast of New England, were so very splendid, that Congress granted the promotion he so ardently sought. The com- mander-in-chief then procured for him an appointment in till} army sent against Burgoyne, where he greatly augmented his reputation, and being disabled by severe wounds for field service, obtained from the same authority the honourable station of commandant in Philadelphia. Here, however, his haughty bearing brought him into collision with the members of Con- gress and the provincial council of that city. He made a claim for reimbursement of advances during the Canadian campaign, which was alleged by his enemies to be exorbitant, and even fraudulent. Its amount or nature being nowhere stated, it is difficult to judge ; but there is reason to believe that Arnold had, at least, laid himself open to the suspicion of the really patriotic. Congress, alleging the intricacy of the account, delayed the settlement from time to time, and no part was ever actually paid. This was the more harassing, as an extravagant mode of living had involved him in em- barrassments, which he sought to relieve by privateering and commercial speculation, not certainly dishonest, yet considered unsuitable to his rank and situation ; and being unfortunate, they aggravated his distress. From the observation of these circumstances, his enemies inferred the likelihood of his abusing, for corrupt purposes, the powers attached to his com- mand. Eagerly scanning with this view every particular, the city council presented a series of charges to Congress; but a committee of that body reported that nothing criminal had been proved. Among its members, however, then violently rent by faction, the party hostile to him preponderated. The report of their own committee was rejected, and a new one named, composed partly of the accusing council ; yet, as even this was not found to work well, the a£fair was finally referred to a court-martial. The great difficulty found in making up a plausible accusation, with some military operations, caused a delay of more than a year. At length, on the 26 th of mil .,/■ ..;lfB! IJ I 328 TBE REVOLUTION. f January, 1780, the court pronounced its sentence, finding liim guilty of two charges, — that, when at Valley Forgo, he had granted protection to a vessel sailing from Philadelphia, when it was somewhat irregular to do so ; and that he had once employed public wagons in the conveyance of private property, though paying all the expenses. Neither act, in the opinion of the court, implied any criminal intention ; yet, upon these nugatory grounds, he was sentenced to be publicly reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. That great man could not escape the unwelcome task, but executed it in the most delicate pos- sible manner, rendering it, indeed, rather a panegyric than a censure. He recalled Arnold's great actions, and promised fresh opportunities for distinction ; but nothing proljably could soothe Arnold's wounded feelings at not obtaining that full acquittal to which he thought himself entitled. Arnold now finally determined to go over to the British cause. The purpose was carried out in a manner which fully justifies the Americans in branding him with the name of traitor. He made, perhaps, too large personal stipulations for himself, especially if they included a sum of money ; which, there is reason to believe, was the case. He carried on a long correspondence, and gave information to the British, while he held office, and professed zeal in the American interest ; lastly, he took steps now to be narrated, by which no man of honour would seek to support even the best of causes. His object was to obtain possession of some important post, by delivering over which he might gain high credit with his new employers ; and this design was facilitated by the great value set on his talents by the commander-in-chief. He accord- ingly solicited the command at West Point, the key of all the positions on the Hudson, and by which the two wings of tlic army mainly communicated. This choice surprised Washing- ton, who had destined him for leader of one of the wings of the army, as likely to be both the most useful and most agree- able to his ardent temper; however, he consented. Arnold could then arrange that, while the place appeared perfectly secure, there might be left an unguarded point by which an enemy could enter. Of thi9 he apprised Major Andr4, with whom he hf and pointii lines. Thi necessary ai the Englis with an es( safely all th ground, wh rushed out a pistol to li British, he searched hi ticulars of t to Colonel J and unable once to Was his while a the coramai: a hurried ar threw hims< duced the i he got on Ix surprised on THE REVOLUTION. 829 iiir CAPTCra or ARDRI. whom he had all along corresponded, at the same time soliciting and pointing out mea'wS for a meeting within the American lines. This was effected after some difficulty, and all the necessary arrangements were then made. Circumstances obliged the English officer to return by a circuitous route; but, with an escort and Arnold's passport, he succeeded in passing safely all the hostile guards, and had reached a sort of neutral ground, where he appeared quite safe. Suddenly three men rushed out from a wood, stopped his horse, and one presented a pistol to his breast ; when, erroneously supposing them to be British, he rashly betrayed his own character. They then searched his person, and found papers containing all the par- ticulars of the plot, which, along with the prisoner, were carried to Colonel Jameson, the nearest commandant, who, bewildered and unable to see the bearings of the affair, sent expresses at once to Washington and to Arnold himself. The latter received his while at breakfast, and waiting a visit of inspection from the commander. He suppressed his emotion, and having taken a hurried and agonizing leave of his wife, ran down to the river, threw himself into a boat, and by urgency and promises, in- duced the men to row him down with the utmost rapidity till lie got on board a British vessel. Washington was not a little surprised on arriving not to find Arnold, of whom nothing could 2E t I i>l 830 THE REVOLUTION. MAJOR AMURB. be learned during the whole forenoon. At four he received Jameson's despatch, when he is said to have displayed the utmost self-possession, only saying to Lafayette, " Whom c^n we trust now ?" Andre, thus placed in the power of his enemies, was con- sidered the most rising young officer in the British army. After a few years' service, Clinton had appointed him adjutant- general, and he had every prospect of rising to the highest commands. His brilliant accomplishments, amiable temper, and engaging manners, rendered him the idol of his brother officers. With a noble, though imprudent frankness, he wrote to Washington a statement of all the circumstances, not seem- ingly dreading that he would be treated otherwise than as a prisoner of war. That commander, however, submitted the case to a council of fourteen general officers, who decided that he t)ught to be considered as a spy, and as such to suffer death. The justice of the sentence seems indubitable, since the only plea offered, that he came at the desire and under the flag of an American general, appears futile when the well known pur- pose is considered. Clinton lavished offers of exchange, and Arnold wrote a violent letter, threatening bloody reprisals; but this rather injured the cause. The only overture made was to take th Clinton w( gt'iitle ami dommul hii During t Congress jir somewhat palpable lii degree of m state than their credit levied on tl in collectioi foreign cou Mr. Jay, i recently jo for the ne^ That gentl the favour interest, or in this ext: Colonel Lai memorial in that Ameri( tained a su way of loan guilders. 'J aid that cou Washinfft Congress to war, and to states were i thirty-seven commander that number whoever, th mined, with operations, c the very lasl ; seem- to take tlio latter himself in exchange, to which, of coiifho, Clinton would never li.sten. The captive met his doom with i\ gentle and heroic fortitude, admired even by those who con- demned him. During the winter, Washington wns indefatigable in urging Congress and the states to take measures for rendering the army somewhat eflicient. His remonstrances, with the shame of a palpable iiiilure Ix-fore their great ally, roused them to a certain degree of activity. But their fniances were in a more desperate state than ever. Their pai)er had ceased to bear any value ; their credit was entirely exhausted ; the taxes which could be levied on the people were of small amount, slow and uncertain in collection. There remained no possible resource unless from foreign courts, to whom they had already made application. Mr. Jay, nevertheless, was sent to Spain, which, having recently joined the confederacy, and professed great friendship for the new republic, was expected to grant some assistance. That gentleman, however, soon warned his employers that the favour of this, as of other courts, rested solely upon interest, or even the whim or caprice of statesmen. Congress, in this extremity, sent over on a special mission to France, Colonel Laurens, who, by presenting, contrary to etiquette, a memorial in person to the king, and even hinting to the minister that America might otherwise be obliged to join Britain, ob- tained a subsidy of six million livres, with a further sum by way of loan, and guarantee for a Dutch loan of five million guilders. This was intimated to be the very last pecuniary aid that could be granted ; but it relieved the present urgency. Washington had also the satisfaction of prevailing upon Congress to promise half-pay to the officers at the end of the war, and to enlist troops only for its whole duration. The states were also urged to make up the army to the number of thirty-seven thousand by the 1st of January, 1781, and the commander hoped that something approaching to the half of that number might have been assembled. By the Ist of June, whoever, the whole fell short of eight thousand ; yet he deter- mined, with the aid of the French, to press forward offensive operations, considering it, in the present state of the Union, of the very last importance that the contest should be brought to ml ' i 332 TDE REVOLUTION. BOCBAVBBAU. a speedy period. Having, in the beginning of July, been joined by the French army under Rochambeau, he projected an attempt to surprise the posts defending the northern part of New York Island. The approach was made on two diflferent points ; but want of concert, and the prepared state of the British, rendered the attempt abortive. The American commander, then, learn- ing that a reinforcement of three thousand Hessians had ar- rived in New York, gave up all hopes of carrying that capital, and turned his views in another direction. Virginia had insensibly, as it were, become a principal theatre of war. Leslie, as already observed, had been sent thither to reinforce Cornwallis, who, it was hoped, might penetrate through the Carolinas ; but after Ferguson's disaster, he was ordered to go round by Charleston. With the view, however, of creating a diversion in favour of the southern army, Clinton, in December, 1780, sent Arnold with sixteen hundred men to the Chesapeake. That officer, displaying all his wonted activity, overran a great extent of country, and captured Rich- mond, the ington, m( upon Desi a land-for( endured i defeat, ob view, sent Phillips, w This office country be town of Pe rendezvous shipping a ette being thousand n Richmond. was receive spite of ev( May, joinec whole {irmy of Richmoi retreated ii that he coi turned back destroyed tl of James R Charlottevil members w Lafayette, 1 and, by his retire to Wi to Portsmoi attack, but severe loss. Under th< ments of Ws Clinton had < but countern an additiona 42 THE REVOLUTION. 333 ;heatre her to letrate le was wever, linton, nen to onted B Eich- mond, the capital, destroying great quantities of stores. Wash- ington, most anxious to strike a blow against hira, prevailed upon Destouches, the French admiral, to proceed thither with a land-force ; but the latter was overtaken by Arbuthnot, and endured a hard battle, which, though not admitted to be a defeat, obliged him to return. CUnton, still with the same view, sent another force of two thousand men, under General Phillips, which arrived in the Chesapeake on the 26th of March. This officer, being complete master of the field, overran the country between the James and York rivers, seized the large town of Petersburg, as also Chesterfield courthouse, the militia rendezvous, and other stations, destroying great quantities of shipping and stores, with all the warehoused tobacco. Lafay- ette being sent against him, added to his force about two thousand militia, and succeeded by good dispositions in securing Richmond. Operations seemed at a stand, when intelligence was received of Cornwallis's march into this territory ; and, in spite of every effort of the French general, he, in the end of May, joined Phillips at Petersburg, taking the command of the whole army. Being then decidedly superior, he took possession of Richmond, and began a hot pursuit of Lafayette, who retreated into the upper country so rapidly and so skilfully, that he could not be overtaken. The English general then turned back, and sent a detachment under Colonel Simcoe, who destroyed the chief magazine at the junction of the two branches of James River. Tarleton pushed his cavalry so swiftly upon Charlotteville, where the state assembly was met, that seven members were taken, and the rest very narrowly escaped. Lafayette, however, now returned with a considerable force, and, by his manoeuvres, induced the British commander to retire to Williamsburg. He afterwards continued his retreat to Portsmouth, in the course of which the former made an attack, but was repulsed, without, however, sustaining a severe loss. Under the apprehension inspired by the threatening move- ments of Washington and the French army against New York, Clinton had ordered a considerable reinforcement from Virginia, but countermanded it on receiving new instructions, along with an additional body of troops. He had formed apparently a 42 2e2 A '4 is II ii S34 THE REVOLUTION. favourite plan. It is nowhere distinctly developed in his letters; V- it by a passage in one, very active operations were proposed at the head of the Chesapeake, to be combined pro- bably with a movement from New York, and comprehending Philadelphia and Baltimore. Aware that this plan required the mar time command of that great inlet, he inquired if ministers would insure its maintenance ; and they made this engagement without duly considering its difficulties. Under these views, he directed Cornwallis to occupy and fortify a naval position at the entrance of the bay, specially recommend- ing Old Point Comfort, at the mouth of James River. Th's measure did not harmonize with Cornwallis's views : however, he obeyed; but the above position being declared by the engineers indefensible, he recommended, in preference, York- t-own, on the river of that name ; which was agreed to, and operations actively commenced. Washington, meantime, had been meditating movements in Virginia, and had solicited De Grasse, then in the West Indies, to secure for him at least a temporary command of the Chesapeake. After the failure of his efforts and hopes in regard to New York, this became his main object. With the highest satisfaction he received the intimation, that, on the 3d of August, the French admiral, with above twenty-five ships of the line and three thousand two hundred troops, would sail for the Chesapeake, and remain there till the middle of October. No hesitation was then made in commencing a movement upon Virginia with the whole French army and a strong de- tachment of the American. It was impossible that so great a movement could be concealed; but the utmost pains were taken to lead Clinton into the belief that its object was New York. This was the less difficult, as the American commander's aims and efforts had long been really turned in that direction, and his opponent had felt extremely sensitive on that subject. The crossing of the Hudson, and the march down its right bank, might have been undertaken with either design. Letters were written, and contrived to be intercepted, tending to con- firm the deception. It was not till the Slst of August, that the allied force took their direct route to the Chesapeake : they had then an easy march to the head of that estuary, dowu which the Avallis's po amid the i was hoped with twen August. I but, imagii been sent i that direc Hood, to ^ mand of vessels, he? superior fo entrance, a the whole Newpprt b: force so Ire Ami M Sxsr that Cli tion, and o thus be ex J out the cii I n his ? were (1 pro- snding quired ired if ie this Under •rtify a nmend- ■. Tb's 3wever, by the ,, York- tc, and [lents in ■j Indies, of the 1 regard highest 3 3d of ships of I sail for October, ovement Tong de- ) great a ns were vas New nander's irection, subject. its right Letters g to con- ust, that ■^e: they , dowu THE REVOLUTION. 335 BAT-TF ' TWFBN THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH FLEKTS. which they would I/o conveyed in transports to Lord Com- Avalli.s'.s position, which could be reached from New York only amid the uncertainties of a maritime voyage, and the access, it was hoped, blocked up by a superior fleet. In fact, De Grasse, with twenty-eight sail of the line, had entered it in the end of August. Rodney had been opposed to him in the West Indies ; but, imagining that a great part of the French fleet must have been sent to protect a convoy going to Europe, he himself took that direction, and sent only fourteen sail, under Admiral Hood, to New York. That officer there came under the com- mand of his senior. Admiral Graves, w^ho, having nineteen vessels, hesitated not to sail for the Chesapeake, to attack the superior force of De Grasse. He found it ranged across the entrance, and an obstinate contest ensued, with various and on the whole indecisive results. Then, however, Barras from Newport brought a reinforcement, which rendered the French force so Iccidedly superior, that Graves was obliged to return. Ami i,ll these movements, it was not till the 6th of Septera- i)er that Clinton became fully aware of Washington's destina- tion, and of the extreme danger to which Cornwallis would thus be exposed. He then wrote to that nobleman, pointing out the circumstances, and proposing, as the only mode of re- tt'ip 336 THE REVOLUTION. lieving him, that he himself should sail from New York, and join him with a reinforcement of four thousand troops. This course implied that the Virginia array should meantime remain on the defensive in its present position. Cornwallis continued, therefore, in his position at Yorktown, while perils thickened around him. Washington, dreading chiefly the march southward, directed Lafayette to take post at Williamsburg, where he himself arrived on the 14 th of September. Colonel Tarleton urged an attack upon this force while still inferior to the British ; but this was declined ; and indeed it should seem that such able commanders would easily have avoided fighting in a disadvantageous position by retreating behind the broad estuary of James River. The successive divisions, descending the Chesapeake, continued to arrive at Williamsburg, where, on the 25th of September, the last of them landed, raising the army to seven thousand French, five thousand five hundred American regulars, and three thousand five hundred militia. On the 28th, this force broke up and moved towards York, which the British commander had been diligently fortifying, while a smaller post was main- tained at Gloucester, on the opposite side of the river. He had formed an outer circuit of intrenched lines ; but these, during the evening of the 29th, he abandoned, retiring within the body of the fort. This movement surprised Washington, and is also disapproved by Tarleton, who thinks he might have gained time by maintaining this exterior position. He had just, how- ever, received a letter from Clinton, intimating a full expecta- tion of sailing on the 5th of October, or at most, two or three days later; and judging the works fully sufficient to hold out till his arrival, dreaded loss and peril from encountering, even within lines, so superior an enemy. The operations of the besieging army were confined to a strict blockade till the 6th of October, when the artillery and military stores tarrived in the camp. On the evening of that day the first parallel was begun in silence and caution, and before morning was so far advanced as in a great measure to cover the troops. All being felt to depend upon rapidity, operations were pushed with the utmost ardour, and the two nations were incited to deeds of valour. By the 10th, the fire had become most formids a frigate and consumed, i commenced, ; undiscovered completion ; several new 1 That in parti out carrying grand operati fort was unc Viomenil, the by Colonels E such impetuos the post, mafe and wounded, and suffered their redoubt Cornwallis approaching, morning of th THE REVOLUTION. 337 COLOSBL JOHN LAl'MBAs. most formidable ; a number of the batteries were silenced, and a frigate and three transports in the harbour set on fire and consumed. On the night of the 11th, the second parallel was commenced, and had the same success as the first, of being undiscovered till morning Three days were devoted to its completion ; but the British, having with great labour opened several new batteries, then poured in a most destructive fire. That in particular from two redoubts was so terrible, that with- out carrying them, the siege could not be prosecuted. This grand operation was fixed for the night of the 14th, when one fort was undertaken by the French, under the Baron de Viomenil, the other by the Americans under Lafayette, aided by Colonels Hamilton and Laurens. The latter rushed on with such impetuosity, that, without firing a gun, they soon carried the post, making twenty prisoners, though losing forty killed and wounded. The French encountered a stronger resistance, and suffered the loss of about a hundred, but finally carried their redoubt also. Cornwallis now perceived that a fatal crisis was rapidly approaching. He endeavoured to retard it by a sally, on the morning of the 16th, of three hundred and fifty men under m 1 1 ■1 H 1 ^ni ti H ■ if' nnnnn ^^ffl^^r ^H ij 338 THE REVOLUTIOir. BUnltENDER OF CORinTALLIS. Colonel Abercrombie, who carried the two most advanced bat- teries, but could not retain them for a sufficient time to com- plete their destruction. On the following night, it was deter- mined to cross to the northern bank, and endeavour to force a way by land to New York. The bbats were collected with the greatest secrecy, the eiiibarkatioh completed, and even the landing commenced, when a violent tempest of wind and rain interrupted the movement, and obliged the troops to employ all their efforts in regaining the fortress. On the following day, all the batteries of the second pat^llel w'ere finished, and began to play with such tremendous effect, that, in the opinion of the officers and engineers, the place was no lottger tenable. Com- wallis therefore opened a negotiat* •< fbi surrender, on the basis 6f the garrison b^ing sent to Eiir and remaining on parole until released or exchanged; bu^ ',v shington would admit only of unconditional surrender. T^ y^^ agifeed, however, that the officers should be allowed tb' - honours of wAr, with their arms dnd baggage; and that the Bonetttt sloo^ of'war should be per- mitted to in securit • obnoxious lions, the The priso: three, of "n were fit fo: Clinton, but the fli ment, that It was, ho luilitiiry jin bo fixed as a reason ub] ol' 8'jpteinl) important the 8th; t( for that da^ • exceeded, day on whi This cat the actual i which it n the popular indignation by the bril colonies see indeed, Mr, dieted that expectation however, w nation. In of Europe a other conne declaration with almos Empress of placed hers neutrality, THE REVOLUTION. 339 mitted to go unsearched, with the understood view of placing in security those civil officers who had rendered themselves obnoxious to the United States government. On these condi- tions, the capitulation was signed on the morning of the 19th. The prisoners surrendered were seven thousand and seventy- three, of whom, however, only four thousand and seventeen were fit for duty. Clinton, meantime, had not heen lorge ^ of his promis " • but the fleet had been so much shattered in the late enfrag.,- mcnt, that some preparation was necessary to fit it for sailing. It was, however, resolved, at a general meeting both of the military and naval commanders, that the 5th of October should bo fixed as the period for this movement; and he had therefore a reasonable expectation of fulfilling his promise. On the 28th ol" ISeptemlwr, he addressed a letter to Admiral Graves on this important point, who replied that the fleet could not sail till the 8th ; terms which did not indeed imply a positive pledge for that day, yet gave reason to hope that it would not be much exceeded. It did not, however, depart till the 19th, the very Jay on which the capitulation was signed. This catastrophe, like that of Burgoyne, was felt less from the actual amount of loss sustained, than from the impression which it made upon the public mind of Europe. In Britain, the popular feeling had been raised above former disasters by indignation against the league of the continental powers, and by the brilliant promises which the successes in the southern colonies seemed to afford. During the session of 1780-1781, indeed, Mr. Fox, who now figured as leader of opposition, pre- dicted that these would be very ephemeral, and repelled any expectation of finally recovering the lost colonies. Ministers, however, were still confident, and generally supported by the nation. In the course of the year 1781, however, the horizon of Europe assumed a different aspect. A commercial treaty and other coimexions formed by Holland with the colonies led to a declaration of war against her, involving a consequent collision with almost the whole naval power of the continent. The Empress of Russia, taking advantage of the state of affairs, placed herself at the head of what was termed the armed neutrality, having in view to limit the right of search hitherto ; 'h /' , 1 ^ i'4 I J 340 THE REVOLUTION. CHARLES JAIIK8 FOX. exercised by Great Britain ; and though this did not lead to any actual hostility, it rendered the situation of the country still more critical. When, to the severe pressure thua caused, was added the disastrous intelligence from the new continent, there arose in the nation a cry for peace and for the recognition of American independence, as vehement as formerly for war and supremacy. After a short struggle against the popular current, Lord North resigned. A new ministry was formed under the pre- miership of the Marquis of Rockingham. Russia having offered her mediation, the United States Congress sent Jay, Laurens, and Jefferson, to co-operate with Adams and Franklin in negotiations for peace. They were instructed not to treat, except in conjunction with the French officials, and upon no other basis than the absolute recognition of the independence of the United States. The negotiations were carried on at Paris. Mr. Oswald represented the British government. On the 30th of November, 1782, a treaty was signed by the Ameri- can commissioners, independent of the French minister, and the joyful news of peace was sent to both the mother country and the states. On the 20th of January, 1783, the preliminary treaty was signed between France, Spain, and Great Britain, and on the 3d of September, the definitive treaties of all the powers we Congress o Sir Guy the chief ( the evacun army was true great] was achiev struggled power to menced a c ^ 48 THE REVOLUTION. 341 ead to ountry ed the rose in lerican emacy. Lord he pre- offered aurens, din in treat, pon no indence on at t. On Ameri- md the ry and minary ritain, all the aiXIRAL OAUnOII. powers were signed together. That of America was ratified by Congress on the 14th of January, 1784. Sir Guy Carleton, who had succeeded Sir Henry Clinton in the chief command of the British forces, then superintended the evacuation of the country, by his troops. The American army was disbanded, Washington retired to private life, with true greatness of spirit, and the independence of the States was achieved. The cause for which the patriots had so nobly struggled was triumphant. A new nation had asserted its power to maintain the freedom of its firesides, and now com- menced a career of glory. t M ^■^ m I % n\ i A WESTERN HUNTER. CHAPTER XIV. INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. HE causes of the long and bloody wars between the pioneers of the West and the Indians have been variously stated. Hos- tility to the advance of a people, who deprived the savage tribes of their fair and extensive hunting grounds was, doubt- less, the most influential of the motives to take up the hatchet ; but the representations and the pay of those who claimed to be civilized, but who were willing to use any means of injuring the republican settlers, were impulses nearly as powerful. It may be true, as is asserted, that the lands of the west were not fairly bought from the Indians, that (342) v y wars ind the H09- who eir fair doubt- notives he pay Uing to npulses hat the 18, that 1) OAFTVRi or Boon. (348) i li : J Ik "5 :■ I- H- '• ^ 'S ,■ 'i they were aV any approach Hurely justilie boned of their been admired cases, liowevc occupied, and The instigatic mitted by son U) the causes The early ] the borders c attempting t( Englishman a was made pr visited Kentu At that time, Tiie forests 8\ and southern frequent, and return to Nor Eden. His ti otliers, who i With five com On the 7th o had journeyed engaged in hu in the prime activity, and s On the 22d captured by captivity a we companions ht time, Boone's But the confid tinue long. ' Stuart was ki Squire Boone were left alone INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. 345 they were iilwayH compelled to sell, and then did not receive any approach to a connideration ; and if this be so, tlioy were Burely justified in fighting for the regions where reposed the boned of their uncestorH and relatives ; such conduct has always been admired by the civilized portion of mankind. In many cases, however, the Indians fought for land they had never occupied, and to which, consequently, they could have no claim. The instigations of renegade white men, and the outrages com- mitted by some of the more reckless borderers, may bo added to the causes of Indian hostility in the West. The early French adventurers in the West may have vifimsB. (354) Short c McColloi McCol Indians towards present terrific Ic pieces ; 1 noted ev exploit, descent, i Findin killed all burned h ture. 01 five were hundred i The ne famous e: coinpletel daunted i the India the concLj Clarke, numbers j at Cahok explaininj the coloni of peace, the India white ne< character another fi While lowered u while mak dians, am became ve up to Go) INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. 855 Short creek. Of these all entered the fort except Major McColloch, the leader of the Short creek volunteers. McColloch possessed a great reputation as a borderer, and the Indians were anxious to take him alive. They drove him towards the summit of a steep hill overlooking the site of the present town of Wheeling, where the daring Major made a terrific leap. The Indians thought that he would be dashed to pieces ; but he escaped unharmed. McColloch's Leap is a noted event in border history, and certainly was a wonderful exploit. The precipice down which the Major plunged, has a descent, nearly perpendicular, of one hundred and fifty feet. Finding all attempts to take the fort fruitless, the Indians killed all the stock, including more than three hundred cattle, burned houses and fences, and destroyed every article of furni- ture. Of the forty-two men who had been in the fort, twenty- five were killed, all outside of the walls. Of the savages one hundred are supposed to have perished. The next year, Colonel George Rogers Clarke undertook the famous expedition against Kaskaskia and Vincennes. lie was completely successful in overcoming difficulties that would htave daunted most men, and capturing the British posts, from which the Indians had Ijeen supplied with arms. The whole merit of the concL| >ion and execution of this enterprise belongs to Colonel Clarke. His daring genius supplied what was wanting in numbers and equipment. He held a council witli the Indians at Cahokia, addressed them in a manly and eloquent strain, explaining the causes of the quarrel between Great Britain and the colonies, and succeeded in getting their assent to a treaty of peace. In this council, Clarke displayed more knowledge of the Indian character than had ever before been shown by a white negotiator. The colonel was certainly the greatest character who figured in the early history of the west, and, on another field, might have won a splendid reputation. While Clarke was fortunate in the far west, misfortune lowered upon other Kentuckians. Daniel Boone and 27 others, while making salt at the Blue Licks, were captured by the In- dians, and carried to Detroit. On the way, the Shawnees became very much attached to Boone, and instead of giving him up to Governor Hamilton, with the other prisoners, insisted h^ li it 'f' iJ 356 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST CAHADIASB AND INDIANS XNCAMPBD BBFORB BOONB'8 STATION. npon taking him home with them. Boone was forced to comply. On arriving at Chilicothe, he found a hirge army of Indians collected for an expedition against the settlements of Kentucky. He then resolved to escape, and succeeded in the attempt. Reaching his station, he found it totally unprepared for defence. The alarm was given, and all the men set to work to repair the fortifications. The escape of Boone delayed the starting of the Indian expedition. The red men had calculated on surprising the settlements, and they now saw their plans frustrated. About the Ist of August, Boone, with nineteen men, set out to reconnoitre, and, if possible, to strike an anticipating blow. After crossing the Ohio, the party suddenly met the advancing army, and was forced to take a circuitous route to get back to Bne8lx>rough in safety. u On the 8th of August, the enemy, five hundred in number, with Briti Duquesno, surrender, these were his determ treat. Bo might hav( the fort, bt concluded ; his friends Captain Du continued f the enemv ' a vast amoi] ton by Clai then mitiga frontiers we expedition ever, brougl they unexp( importance, proceeding few Indians, seventy of 1 In a few m after a hard- Captain Bei escape. Ben less in the till the Indi broken, and These two r they could, rescued. In the sun formidable fo existence of Canadians an officer, and a< 45 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 357 with British and French flags flying, and led by Captain Duquesno, surrounded Boonesborough. On being summontid to surrender, Boone requested two days for consideration, and these were granted. At the end of that period, he announced liis determination to fight. Captain Duquesne then desired to treat. Boone consented, with singuhir inprudence, which might have proved fatal. The conference was held outside of the fort, but within rifle reach of the garrison. A treaty was concluded ; but symptoms of treachery api)earing, Boone and his friends fled to the fort, and tiius broke off" negotiation. Captiiin Ducjuesne then opened a fire upon the fort, which was continued for ton days without effl'ct. On the 20th of August, the enemy was forced to retire, having lost 37 men, and wasted a vast amount of ammunition. The capture of Governor Hamil- ton by Clarke and the expeditions of Sullivan and Brodhead then mitigated the hostility of the Indians for a time, and the frontiers were saved from entire desolation. The failure of an expedition under Colonel Bowman to the Little Miami, How- ever, brought the Indians south of the Ohio again in 1779, and they unexpectedly won a victory over the whites of no slight importance. As Colonel Rogers with a body of riflemen was proceeding along the Ohio, near the Licking, he discovered a few Indians. Supposing himself to be far superior, he ordered seventy of his men to land, intending to surround the savages. In a few moments, however, he was himself surrounded, and after a hard-fought battle, only twenty of the whites escaped. Captain Benham, and another Kentuckian, had a singular escape. Benham was shot through both hips, so as to be power- less in the lower limbs, but contrived to conceal himself till the Indians had retired. His companion had both arms broken, and also concealed himself till the savages had gone. These two men then rendered each other such assistance as they could, lived in this way for six weeks, and were then rescued. In the summer of 1780, Kentucky was invaded by a more formidable force than had yet been seen on her soil during the existence of the settlements. A body of six hundred men, Canadians and Indians, commanded by Colonel Byrd, a British officer, and accompanied by either two or six cannon, marched 45 2a2 'I i m 1 1 I 358 INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. up the valley of the Licking. It first appeared, on the 22d of June, before Riddle's station on the south fork of that river, and required instant surrender. The demand could nut be resisted, as the Kentucky stockades were powerless npainst cannon. Martin's station on the same stream was next taivcn ; and then, from some unexplained cause, the whole body of invaders, — whose number was double that of all the fighting men ejist of the Kentucky river, — turned right about face, and hurried out of the country with all speed. The only reasonable explanation of the matter is that the British commander, horror-stricken and terrified at the excesses and cruelties of his savage allies, dared not go forward in the task — by no means & hopeless one — of depopulating the woods of Kentucky. This incursion by Byrd and his red friends, little as it had effected, was enough to cause Clarke, who had just returned from his labours on Fort Jefferson, and who found at the Falls a letter from the Governor of Virginia, recommending an attack upon the Indian villages north of the Ohio, — to take immediate steps for the chastisement of the savages, and especially for the destruction of the store which furnished goods to the natives. This was situated where the post destroyed by the French in 1752 had been, and was known in latter days as Loramie's store. When, however, in accordance with his determination, Clarke, in July, went to Harrodsburg to enlist recruits, he found the whole population crazy about land entries, Mr. May, the Surveyor, having opened his office but two months previous. The General proposed to him to shut up for a time while the Indians were attended to; the Surveyor in reply expressed a perfect willingness to do so in case General Clarke would order it, but said that otherwise he had no authority to take such a step. The order woo accordingly given and public notice spread abroad, accompanied by a full statement of the reasons for the proceeding. The result proved, as usual, Clarke's saga- city; volunteers flocked to his standard, and soon with a thousand men he was at the mouth of the Licking. Silently and swiftly from that point he proceeded to attack the town known as Chilicothe, on the Little Miami, and then the Pika- way towns on Mad river. In both attacks he succeeded;, destroying the towns, burning the crops, and above all annihi* jl M ij I saga- [ith a [lently town Pika- jeded ; ] mihi- \ y • .<> ■ •\ '' ■ I .J 'i • . vV' ..■ .'-' ■*t k 1*^ A •: '1 ;| BOMmrO BCOUTB, OR BAXaERS. (360) lating the This expe tlie Miami tiie attack produce se The Iiid missionarit were peace of them, { These pooi and savage In the sj against sor This, a por opportunity difficulty h( welder, and liis flock. he did not. troops take killed, and assurances i a noted par Virginians i Colonel Da^ towns of tl Hurons hac friends of pc In the CO the frontier, that they w< their veins. would be mc year, the K< their forces. Boone, Tod( with subordi The year of Kentucky INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 361 I lating the British store above referred to, with its contents. This expedition, the first efficient one ever undertaken against the Miami nests of enemies, for a time relieved Kentucky from the attack of any body of Indians sufficiently numerous to produce serious alarm. The Indians converted by Heckewelder and other Moravian missionaries to Christianity, resided upon the Muskingum. They were peaceful and industrious ; but both parties were jealous of them, and entertained suspicion of their secret action. These poor Indians were thus exposed to attack from whites and savages. In the spring of 1781, Colonel Brodhead led a body of troops against some of the hostile Delawares upon the Muskingum. This, a portion of his followers thought, would be an excellent opportunity to destroy the Moravian towns, and it was with difficulty he could withhold them. He sent word to Hecke- welder, and tried to prevent any attack upon the members of his flock. In this attempt he appears to have succeeded ; but he did not, perhaps could not, prevent the slaughter of the troops taken from the hostile Delawares. First, sixteen were killed, and then nearly twenty. A chief, who came under assurances of safety to Brodhead's camp, was also murdered by a noted partisan, named Martin Wetzel. From that time, the Virginians rertted until autumn, when the frontier men, led by Colonel David Williamson, marched out expressly against the towns of the Christian Delawares j but they found that the Hurous had preceded them, and the huts and fields of the friends of peace were deserted. In the course of this year, the Indians were very active on the frontier, and their outrages so exasperated the borderers, that they were disposed to slay all who had Indian blood in their veins. The details of all the skirmishes and attacks would be monotonous, and we therefore omit them. During the year, the Kentuckians made a more effectual organization of their forces. Clarke was commissioned a brigadier-general ; and Boone, Todd, Trigg, Floyd, Logan, and Pope were invested with subordinate commands. The year 1782 was the most eventful in the early history of Kentucky. The very extraordinary afiair known as Estill's 1 1, 362 INDIAN TTARS OP THE WEST. Defeat, and the Battle of the Blue Licks, will ever make it memorable. The first conflict was memorable for a display of military skill on the part of the Indian commander, unparalleled in the warfare of his people. In the month of May, a party of about twenty-five Wyandots, invested Estill's Station, on the south of the Kentucky river, killed one white man, took a negro prisoner, and, after de- stroying the cattle, retreated. Soon after the Indians disap- peared. Captain Estill raised a company of twenty-five men. With these he pursued the Indians ; and on Hinkston's Fork of Licking, two miles below the Little Mountain, came within gunshot of them. They had just crossed the creek, which in that part is small; and were ascending one side, as Estill's party descended the other, of two approaching hills, of mode- rate elevation. The water-course which lay between, had produced an opening in the timber, and brush, conducing to mutual discovery ; while both hills were well set with trees, interspersed with saplings and bushes. Instantly, after dis- covering the Indians, some of Captain Estill's men fired at them ; at first they seemed alarmed, and made a movement like flight: but their chief, although wounded, gave them orders to stand and fight — on which they promptly prepared for battle, by each man taking a tree, and facing his enemy, as nearly in a line as practicable. In the mean time. Captain Estill, with due attention to what was passing on the opposite site, checked the progress of his men at about sixty yards' distance from the foe, and gave orders to extend their line in front of the Indians, to cover themselves by the means of the trees, and to tire, as the object should be seen, with a sure aim. This order, perfectly adapted to the occasion, was executed with alacrity, as far as cir- cumstances would admit, and tho desultory mode of Indian fighting was thought to require. So that both sides were preparing, and ready, at the same time, for the bloody conflict which ensued, and which proved to be singularly obstinate. The numbers were equal : some have said exactly twenty- five on each side ; others have mentioned, that Captain Estill, upon seeing the Indians form for battle, despatched one or two of his men upon the back trail, to hasten forward a small reinforcen] so, it gav( producing arrived. Now we became wa combat; e saw his mr neither ad with cauti although li firmly stooc of one-four on either i probably, w put to a t necessary, c to spare frc front, with because in s of them wo versary, T enemy, whi hawk in ha expert. He obtained ove own mode o best shcofers hiders ; so th the loss of hi tion for the 1 without som determined t flank or reai maintained h The detacl of Lieutenan order given, tion ; unfort -A ^ what of his gave cover object iapted as cir- ndian were onflict te. venty- Estill, ■Dne or small INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. 363 reinforcement which he expected was following him; and if so, it gave the Indians the superiority of numbers, without producing the desired assistance — for the reinforcement never arrived. Now were the hostile lines within rifle-shot, and the action became warm and general. Never was battle more like single combat; each man sought his man, and fired only when ho saw his mark. Wounds and death were inflicted on either side, neither advancing nor retreating. The firing was deliberate ; with caution they looked, but look they would, for the foe ; although life itself was often the forfeit. And thus, both sides firmly stood, or bravely fell, for more than one hour; upwards of one-fourth of the combatants had fallen, never more to rise, on either side, and several others were wounded. Never, probably, was the native bravery or collected fortitude of men put to a test more severe. Never was monoeuvring more necessary, or less practicable. Captain Estill had not a man to spare from his line, and deemed unsafe any movement in front, with a view to force the enemy from their ground; because in such a movement he must expose his men, and some of them would inevitably fall before they could reach the ad- versary. This would increase the relative superiorit} of the enemy, while they would receive the survivors with the '.v la- hawk in hand ; in the use of which they were piiTtlsed rnd expert. He clearly perceived that no advantage was to be obtained over the Indians, while the action was continue^l in their own mode of warfare. For although his men were pro; ibly the best shcoicrs, the Indians were undoubtedly the laost expert liiders ; so that victory itself, could it have been purchased with the loss of his last man, would afford but a melancholy consola- tion for the loss of friends and comrades ; but even of victory, without some manoeuvre, he could not assure himself. He determined to detach six of his men, by a valley, to gain the flank or rear of the enemy ; while himself, with the residue, maintained his position in front. The detachment was accordingly made under the command of Lieutenant Miller, to whom the route was shown, and the order given, conformably to the above-mentioned determina- tion; unfortunately, however, it was not executed. The •s.;! 4% it i! ■ "c ' iff 11 !ii 864 INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. lieutenant, either mistaking his way, or intentionally betraying his duty, his honour, and his captain, did not proceed with the requisite despatch ; and the Indians, attentiv 9 to occurrences, finding out the weakoncil condition of their adversaries, rushed upon them, and compelled a retreat, after Captain Estill and eight of his men wore killed. Four others were badly wounded, who, notwithstanding, made their escape ; so that only nine fell into the hands of the savages, who scalped and stripped them, of course. It was believed by the survivors of this action, that one half of the Indians were killed ; and this idea was corroborated by reports from their towns. There is also a tradition, that Miller, with his detachment, crossed the creek, fell in with the enemy, lost one or two of his men, and had a third or fourth wounded, before he retreated. In reviewing the incidents of this battle, the conduct of the Indians cannot fail of commanding attention. Their deter- mined bravery ; their obstinate perseverance ; the promptitude with which they seized on the absence of the detachment, to advance on their enemy ; and thus, by a step not less bold than judicious, to insure to themselves a victory of immortal renown : conduct alike bespeaking the possession of skill in war, iind a training to command, which could but render them formidable, and even victorious. The Shawnees, Delawares, and Wyandots, in particular, were terrifying to the exposed stations, as their depredations were frequent. It was thought that they fought with more than usual obstinacy, and were even likely to derive an increased audacity from rep^iated success. A party of twenty or more, without a formal attack, showed itself at Hoy's Station, and took several persons belonging to it ; with these they made of;', and were soon afterwards pursued by Captain Holder and seven- teen men, for twenty miles or more. The ensuing day the Indians were overtaken, near the uppe'' Blue Licks ; a battle ensued; but the captain thinking his force too unequal, retreated, with the loss of four men Killed or wounded. The loss on the side of the Indians was not known. The time now approached, w^hen, in consequence of former arrangements, the several Indian nations surrounding the country were to meet at Old Chilicothe, and thence to proceed on the gre Knife from the red mer Even tilt dezvous at succeeded h continuance, reinforced b Britannic M of parties fr mees, Delaw Mississippi c Shawnees, w they amoun trimmed for ^ Of this foi no certain in alarmed by a the attention -aack, while nothing more men, who cul and their love Hasty was scout or spy ( their approacl both sides, tli changing its h forbid an attc ineffectual, for Two years Ruddle's Stat] Grant had bee frontier on th It consisted of fifty men. It Jogs, built in The cabins we other, and con 46 ■mer the seed INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 365 on the great expedition which was to exterminate the Long Knife from Kentucky, and to give the country once more to the red men, its rightful owners. Even tlie scouts and patrols were withdrawn to the ren- dezvous at Chilicothe, and the popular perturbation was succeeded by a calm. The suspense was but short in its continuance. At Chilicothe, the assemblage of Indians was reinforced by a detachment from Detroit, as the quota of his Britannic Majesty. When the whole grand army, consisting of parties from tlie Cherokees, "Wyandots, Atawas. Pottowato- mees, Delawares, and several other nations bordering on the Mississippi or the lakes, including the Canadians and the Shawnees, who were considered the principals, were convened, they amounted to about five hundred men, painted and trimmed for war. Of this formidable armament the people of Kentucky had no certain intelligence at the time. The country was soon alarmed by advanced parties, so disposed as rather to divert the attention from, than direct it to, the object of designed I '^.ttack, while the inhabitants even flattered themselves that nothing more terrible was yet to come. So prone are husband- men, who cultivate the soil, to indulge their hope of safety, and their love of peace, even in war. Hasty was the march of the Indians, nor was there any scout or spy on their route to collect and briru an account of their approach. So i j-aarkably alike appears the conduct of both sides, that each suffers surprise after surprise, without changing its habits of policy. Perhaps, their conditions equally forbid an attempt, which would be rendered on either side ineffectual, for want of means. Two years before, a similar army had surprised and taken Ruddle's Station — Martin's shared the like fate — and that of Grant had been abandoned. Bryant's Station was thence the frontier on that quarter, approaching nearest to the enemy. It consisted of about thirty or forty cabins, and from forty to fifty men. It had a bastion at either end, composed of strong logs, built in the block-house form, with necessary loop-hole'?. The cabins were ranged in two or three rows parallel to each other, and connected by strong palisades, where they did not 46 2H It 866 INDIAN TTARS OF THE WEST. otherwise join. It had no supply of water within, but a very fine spring ran from the foot of the pointj on which it stood, near to the bank of Elkhorn, at that place but a small creek. On the 15th of August, some few of the men being absent, and others in the adjacent corn-field, but the greater part of them about the station, the Indians suddenly appeared before the place, and without any summons commenced an attack with small arms. Fortunately, they had no cannon ; and it was recollected that no station had been taken without. Their numbers were not known, as they were dispersed among the gro v'ing corn, or concealed by the fences and the weeds. Tlic fort gates were immediately manned, and kept, for the reception of those who were out and should desire to enter : t;r] tiis of the garrison ran to the bastions and loop-holes, iVoni wlt'c; they fired and kept off the assailants. Some of the men btiOTTruig to the fort entered from without; othord, thinking the attempt too hazardous, or else that it was proper to alarm their neighbours, repaired to Lexington and other places with the news, and a call for help. To render this, the utmost alacrity was everywhere shown. Some volunteers from Lex- ington, with great speed and gallantry, threw themselves into the place that evening; the next day it was reinforced by detachments from Boone's and Strode's Stations, ten or twelve miles distant. These parties rode through a lane, which led to the place besieged, and were fired on by the Indians, lying behind the fences, witho t injury. The Indians had made their camps on both sides of the creek, then in wood above the station, and so near the spring as to reader it useless tf. ihe j-jjirrison, without incurring the most imminent danger in attempting to get the water by day, or even by night, notwithstanding which it was however obtained. The place was closely invested for the two sue ceeding days, during which time the Indians kept up almost a constant fire, on the one side or the other, from fences, trees, or stumps, whereby they killed four men and wounded three others. They made several attempts to fire the cabins, and for that purpose shot lighted arrows on the roofs, and even approached the walls with torches ; but from these they were repulsed, nor had their ignited arroAvs the desired effect. The ) besiegers eat, and f having e attem])ts, was belicA otliers woi day. TJi to take tl prehend, t raised in after rem? the next i their roasj buffaloes a Kuddle's ^ viating tli scene of f( plainest, nc expect Olid the sequel. In the m m Lexingti Trigg, livin: leaving it i Colonel Bei Boone, who the men in promptitude had left th- command oi they had i officers. T Harrodsburi The eneni was prompt for the arri\ ing a stronsr ways ; but ^v oonimaud. INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. 367 'g led the spring the day, wever o sue nost a trees, three 5, and i even Y were The besiegers killed a great number of cattle, some of which they eat, and after killing some, they took away other horses. But having exposed themselves considerably in their various attemi)ts, some of which were bold, and after suftering, as it was believed, the loss of about thirty warriors killed, and many others wounded, they raised the siege the morning of the fourth day. This experiment liad proved that they were not likely to take the place in any short time, while they could but ap- prehend, that if they continued before it, the country would be raised in arms and brought upon their backs. They therefore, after remaining the third night in their cjimp, about sunrise the next morning left their fires burning, some bits of meat on their roasting sticks, and deliberately took the road made by buffaloes and hunters to the lower Blue Licks, by the way of Ruddle's Station, for the purpose, as it was surmised, of alle- viating their present mortification, by viewing in ruins the scene of former triumph. For it was neither the shortest, plainest, nor smoothest way to the Licks. That they could not expect av.d did not desire to conceal their route, will appear in the sequel. In the mean time, however. Colonel John Todd, who resided m Lexington, despatched intelligence to Lieutenant Colonel Trigg, living at Ilarrodsburgh, of the attack on Bryant's Station, leaving it to the latter to give the intelligence to his superior, Colonel Benjamin Logan. Neither Colonel Trigg nor Colonel Boone, who had also been called on, lost any time in collecting the men in their respective neighbourhoods, but with singular promptitude, on the 18th of the month, but after the Indians had left the ground, repaired to Bryant's Station under the command of Todd, as the superior oificer from Ijcxington, where they had rendezvoused their men under their appropriate officers. The majors were M'Gary and Harland, from near Ilarrodsburgh, and Levi Todd of Lexington. The enemy having retreated, a council was held in which it was promptly decided to pursue the Indians, without waiting for the arrival of Colonel Logan, who was known to be collect- ing a strong party, and to be expected on the ground in a few days ; but when arrived, would as the superior officer have the command. \ circumstance, which it was suspected, both T( Id 'f it's The I •"■onimand. \ci •-i.At'j 3G8 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. and Trigg desired to avoid — thinking themselves equal to the command and sanguine of success — as they were emulous of prai.se, and possessed an idea of mental superiority. In consequence of the determination of the council, the march was immediately ordered and forthwith commenced, under the command of Colonel Todd, and next to him. Colonel Trigg, on the route of the enemy : whose numbers, as yet, though considerable, were not lps, were [bliquely, »wed by IV excep- I formed a arallel to ?l «i if 4 '^1 S I. he dis- U imme- |on either fell. It [length of vho fired, point of when the IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^^>^ ^^ ^J^ % 1.0 !.l 21 12.5 |W|/ itt 1^ 12.2 ^ li£ 12.0 I 1 L25 11.4 1.6 ^ 6" ■ ► >i Photographic Sdenoes Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRKT WIBSTER.N.y. 14SS0 (716)872-4S03 '^ ^ *\^ y.^ !> \ \ BATTU OF T9B BL1TB LIOKt. (372) line froi] flank wa began. turning more of i already \ meneed i battle ms the retre over the by high a a flat, as ii the wri-^r, Some of t and fell 1 at the waj some on e was exhib and. amonj and gaine( checks his to rush in many live! flight, criei who had Indians, ar desired effc the enemy many lives momentary of them i suggests a The fug place of sa the scene o within six, battle. Never ht the Blue Li 47 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 37a line fronted the ravines, were thrown into the rear when its flank was changed, and it moved to the left when the battle began. Already had those fallen ; already were the Indians turning the right or rear of this line ; already had twenty or more of those brave men who first engaged breathed their last ; already was the line everywhere assailed, when a retreat com- menced under the uplifted tomahawk. At the beginning of the battle many of the men dismounted, while others did not ; in the retreat, somo recovered their horses, others fled on foot, over the rocky field already described, which was environed by high and rugged cliffs on either hand, until it declined into a flat, as it approached the salt spring. The ford was narrow, and the wiS^r, though shallow on it, was deep, both above and below. Some of the fugitives were overtaken on the way to the river, and fell beneath the stroke of the Indian spear or hatchet, but at the water was a greater havoc — some were slain in the water, some on either shore. Here it was, that a singular phenomenon was exhibited : a man by the name of Netherland, well mounted and. among the foremost in the flight, having crossing Licking and gained the farthest bank, thinking himself out of danger^ checks his horse, takes a back view, sees the savages preparing to rush into the water, and there to extinguish the remjiins of many lives, almost exhausted by wounds and the fatigue of flight, cries out with a shril! and commanding voice to those who had made the shore next to him : " Halt ! fire on the Indians, and protect the men in the river !" The call had the desired effect on ten or a dozen, who immediately halt, fire on the enemy and check their pursuit, probably by so doing a* many lives were saved. This resistance, however, proves but momentary ; the Indians gather rapidly on the shore ; numbers of them are seen crossing the river, and personal safety suggests a speedy flight. The fugitives were pursued for miles ; nor did they find a place of safety short of Bryant's Station, thirty-six miles from the scene of action. Here, many of those on horseback arrivA»* within six, and others on foot within eight hours, after tu.; battle. Never had Kentucky experienced so fatal a blow as that at the Blue Licks ; of the one hundred and sixty-six brave men, 47 374 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. who repaired to the assistance of Bryant's station, one half, or more, were from Harrodsburgh, and its vicmity. The whole loss on the side of Kentucky, was sixty killed, and seven made prisoners. Of the wounded, but few escapea. The Indians, it was said, lost sixty-four killed, besides a number wounded. Such were the reports from their towns alterwards; and that they masacred four of their prisoners to make the loss equal. The equal loss is doubted. In the midst of these disastrous events, there was yet one consolation ; the party with Colonel Logan was considerable, in full march, and unbroken, as undismayed. The van of Logan's command had passed Bryant's Station, on its way to the Blue Licks, when it was met by the fugitives from the field of recent battle; it then returned to Bryant's, where the colonel halted, on receipt of the intelligence, until the rear came up, which was one day, and then, late in the evening, resumed his march, which was continued the greater part of the night, and again, at sunrise next morning, for the Licks ; to engage the enemy if there, and if not, to bury the dead. About noon, the battle ground was approached, and the dead bodies seen strewed along the field. Some were mangled by savages, some by vultures, some by wild beasts ; they were swollen, and rendered quite yellow, by the scorching rays of the sun, upon their naked skins. Each man who had lost a par- ticular friend, or relative, sought for him, that if found, he might receive the solemn rites of burial ; if not found, that the hope of his being a prisoner, and that he would return at some future day, might be indulged, to cheer the melancholy impression of the scene. But even this imperfect consolation was denied ; for none knew the remains of his friend, when found, so much were the visages of the dead disfigured. No Indian carcase was seen : nor was it known how the enemy bad disposed of their killed, for no grave appeared; nor many trails of blood. The party with Logan, having performed the last solemn duties of the field, and no fresh sign of the Indians being seen, it was marched back to Bryant's, and dismissed, to the number of four hundred and fifty men. A force, which it is. believed, under the direction of Logan, had it come up before the battle, or been \ certainly The Ii ments frc to return the greal western Jeiferson offered th Their sisr: blow. ] Colonel F scour the pected to loe's Stati creek. Ii of Septen those belo Thinking ; selves and upon the people of t several pei to destroy favoured t General with the Ii sufferers, a from its against the him in coi means of certed. A ( of voluntee might be Much relia personal ex fideiice of i expedition INDIAN "WARS OP THE WEST. 375 or been waited for by Colonel Todd and his party, would have certainly been successful. The Indian army consisting, as has been observed, of detach- ments from different nations, determined, after so great a victory, to return home with the scalps. Those from the north, being the greater portion, gave no further molestation; but the western bands, taking their route through the settlements in Jefferson county, could not forego the temptation which was offered them of increasing their number of scalps and prisoners. Their sign was however seen, before they struck the intended blow. Intelligence of which being promptly conveyed to Colonel Floyd, he forthwith ordered out a party of militia, to scour the country on Salt river, where the savages were sus- pected to be lurking. Some of this party were from Kinche- loe's Station, consisting of six or seven families on Simpson's creek. In their absence, no accident occurred ; but on the first of September, the party finding no Indians, dispersed, and those belonging to Kincheloe's returned home in the evening. Thinking all well, and being much fatigued, they resigned them- selves and families to sleep, when i.i the night the enemy fell upon the place by surprise, and were in the houses before the people of them were awake. Thus circumstanced, they killed several persons, men, women, or children, and were proceeding to destroy or capture the rest, when the darkness of the night favoured the escape of a few. General Clarke, then resident at the falls of Ohio, impressed with the liveliest feelings of sympathy for the distress of the sufferers, and convinced of the necessity of rousing the country from its anguish and despondence, proposed an expedition against the Indians, and invited the superior officers to meet him in council. This invitation was complied with, and the means of calling out the men, and of furnishing them, con- certed. A draft was to take place where there was a deficiency of volunteers, and impressments of horses and other supplies might be resorted to, where voluntary contributions failed. Much reliance was nevertheless had on the patriotism and personal exertions of the people generally. Nor was this con- fidence of the officers in the least disappointed. The intended expedition being announced, and the adopted regulations pro- 876 INDIAIT WARS OP THE WEST. claimed, with a call for assistance, soon was seen the utmost activity of preparation. Both officers and men volunteered ; and beeves, packhorses, and other supplies offered by those who could not leave their home. But in every case where property was offered or impressed, it was valued, and a certificate given to the former owner, as evidence of his claim to future compen- sation, should the government make provision for payment, which at the time was uncertain. Bryant's Station was appointed the place of rendezvous for the upper part of tlie country, the falls of Ohio for the lower, and the mouth of Licking for the point of union. There, Gene- ral Clarke was to take the command : previous to which, the two divisions were commanded by Logan and Floyd respect- ively. In the last of September, an army of about one thou- sand mounted militia, armed with rifles, assembled on the bank of the Ohio, and was put in motion by the general for the Indian towns on the Miami and Scioto. This expedition was conducted with the despatch essential to the quality and equipments of the troops, and for which the commander-in-chief had on former occasions obtained celebrity. He had proceeded without being discovered into the neighbour- hood of the first town, and within half a mile of a camp of the rear of the party that had been in Kentucky, when a straggler discovered his approach, and gave the alarm of "a mighty army on its march." The camp was immediately evacuated with precipitation, and the frightful intelligence being spread through the different villages, everywhere produced similar effects, dismay and flight. Empty cabins and deserted fields were only to be found, or here and there a scouting party of savages were seen, who sometimes fired, sometimes not, but always fled. This scene was repeated in the course of a march of several days through the different Chilicothes, Pickawa, and Willstown. These were severally reduced to ashes, and the fields of corn entirely cut up and destroyed, leaving only ruin and desolation in the country. Among the few prisoners taken — seven in all — there was an old man of distinction in his tribe, who was murdered by Major M'Gary ; and although highly disapproved by the general, it was not deemed prudent to cause the subject to be inv< according t upon an eq by the ent account of was but a j had nevert and the pe( that there ' country. From thi Kentucky, molested bj able to the general pen season of tl consideratio In the n unparallelec who had b returned to of the remi returned fo upon the £ frontier-men acts of the ^ it was deter least to wasi ninety men named, and villages. T the gleaners while they d mander of women, and the eighty c were for gn prepare for dead; slaugl INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 377 to be investigated. There were two other Indians killed, according to the laws of war, which place running and fighting upon an equal footing of offence. The loss of two men killed by tile enemy, and an equal number by accident, closes the account of losses on this excursion. And although its success was but a scanty compensation for the defeats of the year, it had nevertheless the good effect of proving both to the Indians and the people of Kentucky that the latter were superior, and that there was no danger of the former ever overrunning the country. From this time, no formidable party of Indians ever invaded Kentucky, nor was the country for the residue of the year molested by their scouts or marauders. Consequences attribut- able to the recent expedition, the progress of negotiations for a general peace, the conviction of inadequate force, and the season of the year, for the winter was near, and all the other considerations pressed upon them. In the mean time, the Moravian Indians were treated with unparalleled barbarity. In the spring of 1782, some of them, who had been almost starved to death during the winter, returned to their old places of abode, to gather what they could of the remainder of their property. About the time they returned for that purpose, parties of Wyandots came down upon the settlements, and slew many. This excited the frontier-men, and believing a connexion to exist between the acts of the Wyandots and the late movement of the Moravians, it was determined to attack and exterminate the latter, or at least to waste their lands and destroy their towns. Eighty or ninety men met for the purpose of effecting the objects just named, and marched in silence and swiftness upon the devoted villages. They reached them ; by threats and lies got hold of the gleaners scattered among them, and bound their prisoners, while they deliberated upon their fate. Williamson, the com- mander of the party, put the question: Shall these men, women, and children be taken to Pittsburgh, or be killed ? Of the eighty or ninety men present, sixteen or eighteen only were for granting their lives ; and the prisoners were told to prepare for death. They prepared for death, and soon were dead; slaughtered, some say in one way, and some in another; 378 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. but thus much is certain, that eighty or ninety American men murdered, in cold blood, about forty men, twenty women, and thirty-four children, — all defenceless and innocent fellow Christians. . It was in March of 1782, that this great murder was com- mitted. And as the tiger, having once tasted blood, longs for blood, so it was with the frontier-men ; and another expedition was at once organized, to make a dash at the towns of the Moravian Delawares and Wyandots upon the Sandusky. No Indian was to be spared ; friend or foe, every red man was to die. The commander of the expedition was Colonel William Crawford, Washington's old agent in the West. He did not want to go, but found it could not be avoided. The troops, numbering nearly five hundred men, marched in June to the Sandusk}'^ uninterrupted. There they found the towns deserted, and the savages on the alert. A b.ittle ensued, and the whites were forced to retreat. In their retreat many left the main body ; and nearly all who did so perished. Crawford was cap- tured and burned at the stake, after being subjected to horrible tortures. The peace between Great Britain and the United States, con- cluded in 1783, did not lead at once to the cessation of Indian hostilities. The British government determined not to sur- render the posts in the northwestern territory until certain claims were adjusted, and there is every reason to believe that British agents were actively employed among the Indians, to render them inimical to the States. Still, the commissioners of the west contrived to get the assent of a number of the tribes to advantageous treaties. The indefinite claim of the Six Nations to the northwestern territory was extinguished by a treaty concluded at Fort Stanwix on the 22d of October, 1783. Arthur Lee, Richard Butler, and Colonel Clark, on the 21st of January, 1785, held a conference with the Wyandots, De- lawares, Chippeways, and Ottawaa, at Fort M'Intosh, and obtained the grant of a large portion of the northwestern territory, for the settlement of which a company was immedi- ately formed in New England. On the Slst of January, 1786, another treaty was concluded at the mouth of the Miami, between Clark, Butler, and Parsons, and representatives of the Delawares, refused to i The treaty the politic that he wf daunted the of treaties, along the fr Upon the to write upi companies d June authoi invasion of i mand of th that it wa; Clarke's exp any rate thi measures on necessary; a Wabash beft gathered at i which place t the army re arrival of tl sent down t( delayed by th old mode of proved fatal t their confiden the fact that darkened by t obedience ; a ward, and tl expedition coi who had resu that under th and their crop Various attc finitive treaty INDIAN WARS OT THE WEST. 379 lern idi- [86, the Delawares, Wyandots, and Shawnees. The Wabash Indians refused to attend this council, and evinced a growing hostiUty. The treaty was only brought to an advantageous conclusion by the politic bearing of Clarke, who, by showing the red men that he was indiiferent whether they accepted peace or war, daunted them, and was enabled to dictate terms. Still, in spito of treaties, the Indians continued to make predatory incursions along the frontier. Upon the 16th of May the Governor of Virginia was forced to write upon the subject to Congress, which at once sent two companies down the Ohio to the Falls, and upon the 30th of June authorized the raising of militia in Kentucky, and the invasion of the country of the mischief-makers, under the com- mand of the leading United States officer. We do not learn that it was nominally under this resolution that General Clarke's expedition of the ensuing fall was undertaken ; but at any rate this act on the part of Congress justified offensive J measures on the part of the Kentuckians when they became necessary; and it being thought necessary to act upon the Wabash before Avinter, a body of a thousand men or more gathered at the Falls, and marched thence towards Vincennes, which place they reached some time in September, 1786. Here the army remained inactive during nine days, waiting the arrival of their provisions and ammunition, which had been sent down to the mouth of the Wabash in boats, and were delayed by the low water. This stay, so different from Clarke's old mode of proceeding, was in opposition to his advice, and proved fatal to the expedition. The soldiers became restive, and their confidence in the General being destroyed, by discovering the fact that his clear mind was too commonly confused and darkened by the influence of ardent spirits, they at last refused obedience ; a body of three hundred turned their faces home- ward, and the rest soon followed in their track. Another expedition conducted by Colonel Logan against the Shawnees, who had resumed hostilities, terminated very differently from that under the conqueror of Illinois ; their towns were burned and their crops wasted. Various attempts were now made to bring the Indians to a de- finitive treaty of peace, in order to secure the Ohio settlers from 880 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. flIXBIUIi ST. CLAIR. hostile incursions. These efforts were not successful, until January, 1789, when a council was held at Fort Harmar, on the Ohio, opposite the mouth of the Muskingum. In the sum- mer of the same year, Marietta, the first settlement in Ohio, was founded under cheering auspices, and other settlements were made soon afterwards. The Indians, however, respected no treaties, and continued their depredations along the frontier. The Wabash tribes threatened to destroy all settlements made north of the Ohio, and west of Pittsburgh. Fort Washington was begun in June of this year, on the site of Cincinnati. The garrison consisted of 140 men, under the command of Major Doughty. Upon the 29th of December, General Harmar, with three hundred additional troops, arrived. General St. Clair was appointed Governor of the territory, north of the Ohio. Soou after, news arrived that the Wabash Indians and other tribes, protesting against the treaty of Fort Harmar as made by un- authorized persons, had taken up arms and had burned an American. St. Clair and Harmar then concerted a plan for a campaign into the Indian country. Authorized by acts of Congress, St. Clair called upon Virginia for 1000, and upon Pennsylvania for 500 militia. Of these, 300 were to meet at Fort Steuben, to aid the tro of the Wii 500 just b to march General h Mary and come in a 1790. TJi and camp troops deh Wii.siiiiigto: to the Miai in many pi consumed distance of of provision forest with swarmed w were cut of At lengtl warfare, ca general ore regulars, an and fifty m: of this ord of a superio bushes and stantly gav orderly moA rushed upo: rounded the the bayonei exception ol Captain . succeeded ir without rece pressed, he lay concealei of the Indi 48 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 381 until ir, on sum- Ohio, nents I )ected ntior. made ngton The Major with ir was Soon tribes, )y un- ed an ipaign 88, St. lia for )en, to aid the troops from Fort Knox against tho "Weas and Kickapoos, of tho Wabash ; 700 were to gather at Fort Wasliington, and 500 just beh)w Wheeling; the two hitter l)odit's being intended to mareh witii the reguhirs from Fort Washington under General Ilarmar, against the towns at the junction of the St. Mary and tiie St. Joseph. The Kentucky militia began to come in at Fort Washington about the middle of September, 1700. They were badly equipped, and averse to subordination and camp discipline. On the 20th of September, the various troops designed for the expedition rendezvoused at Fort Washington, and on the following day commenced their march to the Miami villages. The country was rough, swampy, and in many places almost impassable, so that seventeen days were consumed before the main body could come within striking distance of the enemy. In the mean time, the great scarcity of provisions rendered it necessary for the general to sweep the forest with numerous small detachments, and as the woods swarmed with roving bands of Indians, most of these parties were cut off. xVt length, the main body, considerably reduced by this petty warfare, came within a few miles of their towns. Here the general ordered Captain Armstrong, at the head of thirty regulars, and Colonel Hardin of Kentucky, with one hundred and fifty militia, to advance and reconnoitre. In the execution of this order they suddenly found themselves in the presence of a superior number of Indians, who suddenly arose from the bushes and opened a heavy fire upon them. The militia in- stantly gave way, while the regulars, accustomed to more orderly movements, attempted a regular retreat. The enemy rushed upon them tomahawk in hand, and completely sur- rounded them. The regulars attempted to open a passage with the bayonet, but in vain ; they were all destroyed, with the exception of their captain and one lieutenant. Captain Armstrong was remarkably stout and active, and succeeded in breaking through the enemy's line, although not without receiving several severe wounds. Finding himself hard pressed, he plunged into a deep and miry swamp, where he lay concealed during the whole night within two hundred yards of the Indian camp, and witnessed the dances and joyous 48 2i2 382 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. festivity with which they celebrated their victory. The lieu- tenant (Huitshorn), escaped by accidentally Htuinbling over a log, and falling into a pit, where he lay concealed by the rank grass which grew around him. The loss of the militia was very trifling. Notwithstanding this severe check, Ilannar advanced with the main body upon their villages, which he found deserted and in flames, the Indians having fired them with their own hands. Here he found several hundred acres of corn, which was completely destroyed. lie then advanced upon the adjoining villages, which he found deserted and burned as the first had been. Having destroyed all the corn which he found, the army commenced its retreat from the Indian country, supposing the enemy sufficiently intimidated. After marching about ten miles on the homeward route, General Ilarmar received information which induced him to suppose that a body of Indians had returned and taken pos.ses- sion of the village which he had just left. He detached, there- fore, eighty regular troops under the orders of Major Wyllys, and nearly the whole of his militia under Colonel Hardin, with orders to return to the village and destroy such of the enemy as presented themselves. The detachment accordingly counter- marched and proceeded with all possible despatch to the ap- pointed spot, fearful only that the enemy might hear of their movement and escape before they could come up. The militia in loose order took the advance; the regulars moving in a hollow square brought up the rear. Upon the plain in front of the town, a number of Indians were seen, between whom and the militia a sharp action commenced. After a few rounds, with considerable effect upon both sides, the savages fled in disorder, and were eagerly and impetuously pursued by the militia, who in the ardour of the chase were drawn into the woods to a considerable distance from the regulars. Suddenly from the opposite quarter several hundred Indians appeared, rushing with loud yells upon the unsupported regulars. Major Wyllys, who was a brave and experienced officer, formed his men in a square, and endeavoured to gain a more favourable spot of ground, but was prevented by the desperate impetuosity with which the enemy assailed him. Unchecked by the murderous fire which was poured upon them from the di to the poii fatal accura or clogging with the tn effect. In Wyllys fell lieutenant, of whom w but despcra The Indii heavy fires destructive, with the mc object was t , return to tli II been finely from the p to a distanc of the day. retreat to t eight killed so reduced \ was happy totally faile and by obst detachment of his regu to encourag incursions. The inht permission the 9 th of ral Scott, a John Brow an expedite the Wabasl line of ma; burned to r INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. 383 from tho 'liflercnt sides of the square, they rushed in masses up to tho points of the bayonets, hurled their tomahawks with fatal accuracy, and putting aside tho bayonets with their hands, or cloj^ging them with their bodies, they were quickly mingled with the troops, and handled their long knives with destructive effect. In two minutes tho bloody struggle was over. Major Wyllys fell, together with seventy-three privates and one lieutenant. One captain, one ensign, and seven privates, three of whom were wounded, were the sole survivors of this short but desperate encounter. Tho Indian loss was nearly equal, as they sustained several heavy fires which the closeness of their masses rendered very destructive, and as they rushed upon the bayonets of the troops with the most astonishing disregard to their own safety. Their object was to overwhelm the regulars before the militia could return to their support, and it was as boldly executed as it had been finely conceived. In a short time the militia returned from the pursuit of the flying party which had decoyed them to a distance ; but it was now too late to retrieve the fortune of the day. After some sharp skirmishing, they effected their retreat to the main body, with the loss of one hundred and eight killed and twenty-eight wounded. This dreadful slaughter 80 reduced the strength and spirits of Harmar's army, that he was happy in Ijeing permitted to retreat unmolested, having totally failed in accomplishing the objects of the expedition, and by obstinately persevering in the ruinous plan of acting in detachments, having thrown away the lives of more than half of his regular force. This abortive expedition served only to encourage the enemy, and to give additional rancour to their incursions. The inhabitants of Kentucky now petitioned Congress for permission to fight the Indians in their own way, and upon the 9th of March, 1791, orders were issued to Brigadier Gene- ral Scott, authorizing him, in conjunction with Harry Innis, John Brown, Benjamin Logan, and Isaac Shelby, to organize an expedition of mounted volunteers against the nations upon the Wabash. On the 23d of May, the detachment took up its line of march from the Ohio. Colonel John Hardin, who burned to retrieve his fame, led the van and directed the scouts '*i 384 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. BBBLBr. and rangers. On the 1st of June, the towns of the enemy were discovered. We give General Scott's account of the movements that followed. " I immediately detached Colonel John Hardin," says he, " with sixty mounted infantry, and a troop of light-horse under Captain M'Coy, to attack the villages to the left, and moved on briskly with my main body in order of battle, towards the town, the smoke of which was discernible. My guides were deceived with respect to the situation of the town : for, instead of standing at the edge of the plain through which I marched, I found it on the low ground bordering on the Wabash : on turning the point of woods, one house presented in my front. Captain Price was ordered to assault that with forty men. He executed the command with great gallantry, and killed two warriors. "When I gained the summit of the eminence which over- looks the villa^ss on the banks of the Wabash, I discovered the enemy in great confusion, endeavouring to make their escape over the river in canoes. I instantly ordered Lieutenant Colonel-commandant Wilkinson to rush forward with the first battalion. The order was executed with promptitude, and this detachment gained the bank of the river just as the rear INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 385 of the enemy had embarked ; and, regardless of a brisk fire kept up from a Kickapoo town on the opposite bank, they in a few minutes, by a well directed fire from their rifles, destroyed all the savages with which five canoes were crowded. To my great mortification the Wabash was many feet beyond fording at this place : I therefore detached Colonel Wilkinson to a ford two miles above, which my guides informed me was more practicable. Wilkinson moved the first battalion up to the fording place, found the river impassable, and returned to Ouiatenon. " The enemy still kept possession of the Kickapoo town : I determined to dislodge them ; and for that purpose ordered Captain King's and Logsdon's companies to march down the river below the town, and cross, under the conduct of Major Barboe. Several of the men swam the river, and others passed in a small canoe. This movement was unobserved ; and my men had taken post on the bank before they were discovered by the enemy, who immediately abandoned the village. About this time word was brought to me that Colonel Hardin was encumbered with prisoners, and had discovered a stronger village further to my left than those I had observed, which he was proceeding to attack. I immediately detached Ciiptain Brown, with his company, to support the Colonel : but the distance being six miles, before the Captain arrived the business was done, and Colonel Hardin joined me a little before sunset, having killed six warriors, and taken fifty-two prisoners. Captain Bull, the warrior who discovered me in the morning, had gained the main town, and given the alann, a short time before me; but the villages to my left were uninformed of my approach, and had no retreat. " The next morning I determined to detach my Lieutenant Colonel-commandant, with five hundred men, to destroy the important town of Keth-tip-e-carnunk, eighteen miles from my camp, on the west side of the Wabash ; but on examina- tion, I discovered my men and horses to be so crippled and worn down by a long laborious march, and the active exer- tions of the preceding day, that three hundred and sixty men only could be found in a capacity to undertake the enterprise, and they prepared to march on foot. Colonel 386 INDIAN -WARS OF THE WEST. Wilkinson marched with this detachment at half after five in the evening, and returned to my camp the next day at one o'clock, having marched thirty-six miles in twelve hours, and destroyed the most important settlement of the enemy in that quarter of the federal territory. "Many of the inhabitants of the village (Ouiatenon) were French, and lived in a state of civilization. By the books, letters, and other documents, found there, it is evident that place was in close connexion with, and dependent on, Detroit. A large quantity of corn, a variety of household goods, peltry, and other articles were burned with this village, which con- sisted of about seventy houses, many of them well finished." As the expedition under Scott, although successful, had not reached the higher towns upon the Wabash, Governor St. Clair thought it best to send another (the Secretary of War having authorized such a step), against the villages on Eel river ; and Wilkinson was appointed to command. He marched from near Fort Washington, upon the first of August, and on the 7th reached the Wabash just above the mouth of the river he was in search of. While reconnoitring, however, in the hope of surprising the natives, word was brought him that they were alarmed and flying; a general charge was instantly ordered. " The men," says Wilkinson, " forcing their way over every obstacle, plunged through the river with vast intrepidity. The enemy was unable to make the smallest resistance. Six war- riors, and (in the hurry and confusion of the chorge) two squaws and a child, were killed, thirty-four prisoners were taken, and an unfortunate captive released, with the loss of two men killed and one wounded. " I found this town scattered along Eel river for full three miles, on an uneven, scrubby oak barren, intersected alternately by bogs almost impassable, and impervious thickets of plum, hazle, and black jacks. Notwithstanding these difficulties, if I may credit the report of the prisoners, very few who were in town escaped. Expecting a second expedition, their goods were generally packed up and buried. Sixty warriors had crossed the Wabash to watch the paths leading from the Ohio. The head chief, with all the prisoners; and a number of families, INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 387 were out digging a root which they substitute in the place of tlie potato; and about one hour before ray arrival, all the warriors, except eight, had mounted their horses, and rode up tiie river to a French store to purchase ammunition. This ammunition had arrived from the Miami village that very day, and the squaws informed me was stored about two miles from the town. I detached Major Caldwell in quest of it ; but ho fiiiled to make any discovery, although he scoured the country for seven or eight miles up the river. " I encamped in the town that night, and the next morning I cut up the corn, scarcely in the milk, burnt the cabins, mounted the young warriors, squaws, and children, in the best manner in my power, and leaving two infirm squaws and a child, with a short talk, I commenced my march for the Kickapoo town in the prairie." The Kickapoo prairie metropolis was not reached ; the horses were too sore, and the bogs too deep ; but various cornfields were destroyed, " and a respectable" Kickapoo town given to the flames; for which the General was duly thanked by his country. In the mean time, preparations were making for an expedition on a greater scale, under the command of General St. Clair. Cincinnati, as usual, was the place of rendezvous. In Septem- ber, 1791, an army was assembled at that place, greatly superior, in numbers, officers, and equipments, to any which had yet appeared in the west. The regular force was composed of three complete regiments of infantry, two companies of artillery, and one of cavalry. The militia who joined St. Clair at Fort Washingt-on, amounted to upwards of six hundred men, most of whom had long been accustomed to Indian warfare. The General commenced his march from Cincinnati on the 17th of September, and following the route of Harmar, arrived at Fort Jefferson without material loss, although not without having sustained much inconvenience from scarcity of provi- sions. The Kentucky rangers, amounting to upwards of two hundred men, had encountered several small parties of Indians, but no serious affair had as yet taken place. Shortly after leaving Fort Jeflferson, one of the militia regiments, with their usual disregard to discipline, determined that it was inexpedient 388 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. to proceed farther, and detaching themselves from the main body, returned rapidly to the fort on their way home. This ill-timed mutiny not only discouraged the remainder, but com- pelled the General to detach the first regiment in pursuit of tiiem, if not to bring them back, at least to prevent them from injuring the stores, collected at the fort for the use of the army. With the remainder of the troops, amounting in all to about twelve hundred men, he continued his march to the great Miami villages. On the evening of the 3d of November, he encamped upon a very commanding piece of ground, upon the bank of one of the tributaries of the Wabash, where he determined to throw up some slight works for the purpose of protecting their knapsacks and baggage, having to move upon the Miami villages, supposed to be within twelve miles, as soon as the first regiment should rejoin them. The remainder of the evening was employed in concerting the pljin of the proposed work with Major Ferguson of the engineers, and when the centries were posted at night, everything was as quiet as could have been desired. The troops were encamped in two lines, Avith an interval of seventy yards between them, which was all that the nature of the ground would permit. The battalions of Majors Butler, Clarke, and Patterson, composed the front line, the whole under the orders of Major-General Butler, an officer of high and merited repu- tation. The front of the line was covered by a creek, its right flank by the river, and its left by a strong corps of infantry. The second line was composed of the battalions of Majors Gaither and Bedinger, and the second regiment under the com- mand of Lieutenant Colonel Darke. This line, like the other, was secured upon one flank by the river, and upon the other by the cavalry and pickets. The night passed away without alarm. The sentinels were vigilant, and the officers upon the alert. A few hours before day, St. Clair caused the reveille to be beaten, and the troops to be paraded under arms, under the expectation that an attack would probably be made. In this situation, they continued until daylight, when they were dis- missed to their tents. Some were endeavouring to snatch a few minutes' sleep, others were preparing for the expected march, w militia a followed drums in tion, and battle. 1 utmost dif many plac down witl Major thrown in who, in th them. H( here St. C confusion line. The many of tl gress coulc at the firs Indian whc to the spo attendants < killed. By order, and pel led the e This int( visible but front of th( and encomp that time w horse, nevei w^ith a cour He instantl where the particularly manded, an the revoluti himself to ginning to 49 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 389 6. I march, when suddenly the report of a rifle was heard from the militia a few hundred yards in front, which was quickly followed by a sharp irregular volley in the sjime direction. The drums instantly beat to arms, the officers flew in every direc- tion, and in two minutes the troops were formed in order of battle. Presently the militia rushed into the camp, in the utmost disorder, closely pursued by swarms of Indians, who, in many places, were mingled with them, and were cutting them down with their tomahawks. Major Butler's battalion received the first shock, and was thrown into disorder by the tumultuous flight of the militia, who, in their eagerness to escape, bore down everything before them. Here Major-General Butler had stationed himself, and here St. Clair directed his attention, in order to remedy the confusion w^hich began to spread rapidly through the whole line. The Indians pressed forward with great audacity, and many of them were mingled with the troops, before their pro- gress could be checked. Major-General Butler was wounded at the first fire, and before his wound could be dressed, an Indian who had penetrated the ranks of the regiment, ran up to the spot where he lay, and tomahawked him before his attendants could interpose. The desperate savage was instantly killed. By great exertions, Butler's battalion was restored to order, and the heavy and sustained fire of the first line com- pelled the enemy to pause and shelter themselves. This interval, however, endured but for a moment. An in- visible but tremendous fire quickly opened upon the whole front of the encampment, which rapidly extended to the rear, and encompassed the troops on both sides. St. Clair, who at that time was worn down by a fever, and unable to mount his horse, nevertheless, as is universally admitted, exerted himself with a courage and presence of mind worthy of a better fate. He instantly directed his litter to the right of the rear line, where the great weight of fire fell, and where the slaughter, particularly of the officers, was terrible. Here Darke com- manded, an officer who had been trained to hard service, during the revolutionary war, and who was now gallantly exerting himself to check the consternation which was evidently be- ginning to prevail. St. Clair ordered him to make a rapid 49 2K 390 INDIAN WARS OT THE WEST. charge with the bayonet, and rouse the enemy from their covert. The order was instantly obeyed, and, at first, apparently with great effect. Swarms of dusky bodies arose from the high grass, and fled before the regiment with every mark of conster- nation ; but as the troops were unable to overtake them, they quickly recovered their courage, and kept up so fatal a retreat- ing fire, that the exhausted regulars were compelled, in their turn, to give way. This charge, however, relieved that par- ticular point for some time; but the weight of the fire was transferred to the centre of the first line, where it threatened to annihilate everything within its range. There, in turn, the unfortunate General was borne by his attendants, and ordered a second appeal to the bayonet. This second charge was made with the same impetuosity as at first, and with the same momentary success. But the attack was instantly shifted to another point, where the same charge was made and the same result followed. The Indians would retire before them, still keeping up a most fatal fire, and the continentals were uniformly compelled to retire in turn. St. Clair brought up the artillery in order to sw'^p the bushes with grape, but the horses and artillerymen were destroyed by the terrible fire of the enemy, before any eflfect could be produced. They were instantly manned afresh from the infantry, and again swept of defenders. The slaughter had now become prodigious. Four-fifths of the officers and one-half of the men were either killed or wounded. The ground was covered with bodies, and the little ravine which led to the river was running with blood. The fire of the enemy had not in the least slackened, and the troops were falling in heaps before it in every part of the camp. To ha'«'e attempted to maintain his position longer, could only have led to the total destruction of his force, without the possibility of annoying the enemy, who never showed them- selves, unless when charged, and whose numbers (to judge from the weight and extent of the fire) must have greatly exceeded his own. The men were evidently much disheartened, but the officers, who were chiefly veterans of the revolution, still main- tained a firm countenance, and exerted themselves with un- aviiiling Clair det and for ti bito one Colonel I in order Darke ex Indians b remainder in order t( liis battali the Indian The ret] strove to a the leader i and his cc were now and « devil pursuit, at plunder of ; wounded, a from the fie Jeflfersoii, t\ lasted more the fire was The loss, and is unpi eight office! wounded. ( five hundrec of the surv] touched, alt clothes, and loss was re wounded, w never visible bayonet. A first regimen pursuit of tl INDIAN WARS OF TEE WEST. 391 of avuiling heroism to the last. Unc'er these circumstances, St. Clair determined to save the lives of the survivors if possible, and for that purpose collected the remnants of several battalions mto one corps, at the head of which he ordered Lieutenant Colonel Darke to make an impetuous charge upon the enemy, in order to open a passage for the remainder of the army. Darke executed his orders with great spirit, and drove the Indians before him to the distance of a quarter of a mile. The remainder of the army instantly rushed through the opening, in order to gain the road ; Major Clarke, with the remnant of his battalion, bringing up the rear, and endeavouring to keep the Indians in check. The retreat soon degenerated into a total rout. Officers who strove to arrest the panic, only sacrificed themselves. Clarke, the leader of the rear guard, soon fell in this dangerous service, and his corps were totally disorganized. Officers and soldiers were now mingled without the slightest regard to discipline, and " devil take the hindmost," was the order of the day. The pursuit, at first, was keen ; but the temptation afforded by the plunder of the camp soon brought them back, and the wearied, wounded, and disheartened fugitives were permitted to retire from the field unmolested. The rout continued as far as Fort Jefferson, twenty-nine miles from the scene of action. The action lasted more than three hours, during the whole of which time the fire was heavy and incessant. The loss, in proportion to the number engaged, was enormous, and is unparalleled, except in the affair of Braddock. Sixty- eight officers were killed upon the spot, and twenty-eight wounded. Out of nine hundred privates who went into action, five hundred and fifty were left dead upon the field, and many of the survivors were wounded. Greneral St. Clair was un- touched, although eight balls passed through his hat and clothes, and several horses were killed under him. The Indian loss was reported by themselves at fifty-eight killed and wounded, which was probably not underrated, as they were never visible after the first attack, until charged with the bayonet. At Fort Jefferson, the fugitives were joined by the first regiment, v/ho, as noticed above, had been detached in pursuit of the deserters. Here a council of war was called, 392 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. which terminated in the unanimous opinion, that the jjinction with the first regiment did not justify an attempt upon the enemy in the present condition of affairs, and that the army should return to Fort Washington w.ithout dehiy. Tliis was accordingly done, and thus closed the second campaign against the Indians. The unfortunate General was, as usual, assailed from one end of the country to the other, but particularly in Kentucky, with one loud and merciless outcry of abuse, and even detestation. All the misfortunes of his life (and they were many and bitter) were brought up in array against him. He was reproached with cowardice, treason, imbecility, and a disposition to prolong the war, in order to preserve that authority which it gave liim. He was charged with sacrificing the lives of his men and the interests of his country, to his own private ambition. Men, who had never fired a rifle, and never beheld an Indian, criti- cised severely the plan of his encampment and the order of his battle ; and, in short, all the bitter ingredients which compose the cup of the unsticcessful general, were drained to the dregs. The leader of the Indian army in this bloody engagement was a chief of the Missassago tribe, known by the name of the " Little Turtle." Notwithstanding his name, he was at least six feet high, strong, muscular, and remarkably dignified in his appearance. He was forty years of age, had seen much service, and had accompanied Burgoyne in his disastrous invasion. His aspect was harsh, sour, and forbidding, and his person during the action was arrayed in the very extremity of Indian foppery, having at least twenty dollars' worth of silver depend- ing from his nose and ears. The plan of attack was conceived by him alone, in opposition to the opinion of almost every other chief. Notwithstanding his ability, however, he was said to have been unpopular among the Indians, probably in conse- quence of those very abilities. Many veteran officers of inferior rank, who had served with distinction throughout the revolutionary war, were destined to perish in this unhappy action. Among them was the gallant and unrewarded Captain Kirkwood, of the old Delaware line, so often and so honourably mentioned in Lee's Memoirs. The state of Delaware having had but one regiment on the continental establish company proinotet commissi cation of tlie scale compellec small fore Notwit, fought wii was perst Hobkirks, which occi he returne courage, Ik war in the action, am of officers v battles in enemy witl] as it was ui Lieutena Possessed o mounted, lu in each of v cut in man wound. In teen, was si rear of the r to their ori' uniform, spri him. Darke suddenly fac cleft his skul the act a ra rejoined his leave the bod of the 8tb c arrived at Foi INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. 393 establishment, and that regiment having been reduced to a company at Camden, it was impossible for Kirkwood to be promoted without a violation of the ordinary rules, by which conmiissions were regulated. He accordingly had the mortifi- cation of beholding junior officers daily mounting above him in the scale of rank, while he himself, however meritorious, was compelled to remain in his present condition, on account of the small force which his native state could bring into the field. Notwithstanding this constant source of mortification, he fought with distinguished gallantry, throughout the war, and was personally engaged in the battles of Camden, Guilford, Hobkirks, Ninety-six, and Eutaw, the hottest and bloodiest which occurred during the revolution. At the peace of 1783, he returned with a broken fortune, but a high reputation for courage, honour, and probity, and upon the re-appearance of war in the north-west, he hastened once more to the scene of action, and submitted, without reluctance, to the command of officers who had been boys while he was fighting those severe battles in the south. He fell in a brave attempt to repel the enemy with the bayonet, and thus closed a career as honturable as it was unrewarded. Lieutenant-Colonel Darke's escape was almost miraculous. Possessed of a tall, striking figure, in full uniform, and superbly mounted, he headed three desperate charges against the enemy, in each of which he was a conspicuous mark. His clothes were cut in many places, but he escaped with only a slight flesh wound. In the last charge. Ensign Wilson, a youth of seven- teen, was shot through the heart, and fell a few paces in the rear of the regiment, which was then rather rapidly returning to their original position. An Indian, attracted by his rich uniform, sprung up from the grass, and rushed forward to scalp him. Darke, who was at that time in the rear of his regiment, suddenly faced about, dashed at the Indian on horseback, and cleft his skull with his broadsword, drawing upon himself by the act a rapid discharge of more than a dozen rifles. He rejoined his regiment, however, in safety, being compelled to leave the body of young Wilson to the enemy. On the evening of the 8 th of November, the broken remains of the army arrived at Fort Washington, and were placed in winter quarters, 33* 894 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. Washington now informed the unfortunate St. Clair, that he could neither grant him a court of inquiry, nor allow him to retain his position. More vigorous operations to secure peace to tlic northwestern frontier were determined upon ; but, in the mean time, commissioners were sent into the Indian country to see if it was possible to bring about negotiations. Of course, under the circumstances, these attempts to conclude a peace were not successful. After their great triumph, the red men ever cherished hopes of driving the whites beyond the Ohio. It being determined to raise a more efficient army, "Wash- ington began to look about for a general to take the command. Generals Morgan, Scott, Wayne, Lee, and Colonel Darke, were proposed. Washington selected the energetic Wayne — surnamed, for his furious courage in battle, " Mad Anthony." Wayne imme- diately repaired to Pittsburgh, and proceeded to organize the army. Every exertion was made to fit the men for the pecu- liar warfare in which they were about to engage. In the mean time, commissioners, under the direction of the general government, continued their fruitless exertions to quiet the Indians without the use of force. Wayne's "Legion" passed the winter of 1792-93 at Legionville, and there remained until the last of April, 1793, when it was taken down the river to Cincinnati, and encamped near Fort Washington. There it continued till October, engaged merely in preparations, the Commander-in-chief having been directed by the executive to issue a proclamation, forbidding all hostile movements north of the Ohio, until the northern commissioners should be heard from. This proclamation was issued, and the country remained tranquil, although preparations were made for action, in case it should finally become needful. On the 16 th of August, 1793, the final messages took place between the American commissioners and the Indians, at the mouth of Detroit river ; on the 23d reached Fort Erie, near Niagara ; upon the same day they sent three letters to General Wayne, by three distinct channels, advising him of the issue of the negotiation. Wayne, encamped at his " Hobson's choice," and contending with the unwillingness of Kentuckians to volunteer in connexion with regular troops, — with fever, in- fluenza, and desertion, — was struggling hard to bring his army to such enemy that he left in (. vol un toe Fort Jel On th without J Fort Jeff by 1000 to whom with all t 11 to compij^ I had ordei I troops, ho ! One att I 23dofOcl ninety nor wagons of beyond Fo with thirt( had thus f stay where on hand ii the Indian! fortify his j was situate name. Th detachmenf St. Clair's day. "Sis up and bui night, we out, to mak was properl Alexander ( was steadilj; when the tii various spie INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 396 to such form and consistency as would enable him to meet tho enemy with confidence. On the 5th of October, ho writes that he cannot hope to have, deducting the sick and tho.so left in garrison, more than 2600 regular troops, 360 mounted volunteers, and 36 guides and spies to go with him beyond Fort Jefferson. On the 7th the legion left Cincinnati, and upon the 13th, without any accident, encamped upon a strong position beyond Fort Jefferson. Here, upon the 24th of October, he was joined by 1000 mounted Kentucky volunteers under General Scott, to whom he had written pressing requests to hasten forward with all the men he could muster. This request Scott hastened to comply with, and the Governor, upon the 28th of September had ordered, in addition, a draft of militia. The Kentucky troops, however, were soon dismissed again, until spring. One attack had been made upon the troops previous to the 23d of October, and only one : a body of two commissioned and ninety non-commissioned officers and soldiers, conveying twenty wagons of supplies, was assaulted on the 17th, seven miles beyond Fort St. Clair, and Lieutenant Lowry and Ensign Boyd, with thirteen others, were killed. Although so little oppo.sition had thus far been encountered, however, Wayne determined to stay where he was, for the winter, and having 70,000 rations on hand in October, with the prospect of 120,000 more, while the Indians were sure to be short of provisions, he proceeded to fortify his position ; which he named Fort Greenville, and which was situated upon the spot now occupied by the town of that name. This being done, on the 23d or 24th of December, a detachment was sent forward to take possession of the field of St. Clair's defeat. They arrived upon the spot at Christmas day. " Six hundred skulls," says one present, " were gathered up and buried ; when we went to lie down in our tents at night, we had to scrape the bones together and carry them out, to make our beds." Here was built Fort Recovery, which was properly garrisoned, and placed under the charge of Captain Alexander Gibson. During the early months of 1794, Wayne was steadily engaged in preparing everything for a sur^^ blow when the time came, and, by means of Captain Gibson and his various spies, kept himself informed of the plans and move- 390 INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. monts of the naviigeH. All iiis information Hhowed tho fiiith in Uritisii jiHMiMtanco which still aniniutcd the doomed ruco of rod-men. On the 3()th of Jnne, 1704, Fort Recovery, the advanced American post, was asMaulted by the Little Turtle, ut the head of lOUO to lOOO warriors; and although rciKjUed, the a^f^ail- nnts rallied and returned to the charge, and kept up the attack through the whole of that day, and a part of tho follow- ing. Nor was this assailing force entirely composed of natives; General Wayne, in his despatch, says his spies report "a great number of white men with the Indians." On the 20th of July, Scott, with some IGOO mounted n>en from Kentucky, joined Wayne at (jlreenville, and on the 28th the legion moved ibrward. On the 8th of August, the army was near the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee, at Grand Glaizo, and proceeded at once to build Fort Defiance where the rivers meet. The Indians had hastily abandoned their towns upon hearing of the approach of the army from a runaway member of the Quartermaster's corps, who was afterwards taken at Pittsburgh. It had been Wayne's plan to reach the head-quarters of the savages, Grand Glaize, undiscovered ; and in order to do this, he had caused two roads to be cut, one towards tho foot of tho rapids (Roche de Bout), the other to the junction of the St. Mary and St. Joseph, while he pressed forward between the two : and this stratagem, he thinks would have been successful but for the deserter referred to. While engaged upon Fort Defiance, the American commander received full and accurate accounts of the Indians and the aid they would receive from tho volunteers of Detroit and elsewhere ; he learned the nature of the ground, and the circumstances favourable and unfavourable ; and upon the whole, considering the spirit of his troops, officers and men, regulars and volun- teers, he determined to march forward and settle matters at once. But yet, true to the last to the spirit of compromise and peace so forcibly taught by Washington, on the 13th of August he sent Christopher Miller, who had been naturalized among the Shawanees, and had been taken prisoner on tho 11th by Wayne's spies, as a special messenger, oflfering terms of friendship. Unw 15th, a that if they (t Wayne the Leg and bei some lij heavy b of Way camp of fell, and battle, h the VM at 7 or 8 forces n; Legion < brigade General neral Ba in front directed notice fc undeterij war. "After so seven woods ai gion wa! close thi( a very c( with old rendered afforded of warfa fiupportii miles at the wcij enemy w 50 tU of ilizcd 11th US of INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 397 Unwilling to waste time, the troops moved forward on the 15th, and on the 10th met Miller returniiig with the message, that if the Americans would wait t< n days ui rirand Glaize, they (the Indians) would decide for peace or war; which Wayne replied to only hy marching straight on. On the 18th, the Legion had advanced forty-one miles from Grand Glaize, and being near by the long looked for foe, began to throw up some light works, called Fort Deposit, wherein to place the heavy baggage during the expected battle. On that day, five of Wayne's spies, among whom was May, rode into the very camp of the enemy : in attempting to retreat again. May's horse fell, and he was taken. The next day, the day before the battle, he was tied to a tree and shot at as a target. During the 19th, the army still laboured on their works: on the 20th, at 7 or 8 o'clock, all baggage having been left beliind, the white forces moved down the north bank of the Maumee; — "the Legion on the right, its flank covered by the Maumee: one brigtule of mounted volunteers on the left, under Brigadier General Todd, and the other in the rear, under Brigadier Ge- neral Barbee. A select battalion of mounted volunteers moved in front of the Legion, commanded by Major Price, who was directed to keep sufficiently advanced, so as to give timely notice for the troops to form in case of action, it being yet undetermined whether the Indians would decide for peace or war. " After advancing about five miles. Major Price's corps received so severe a fire from the enemy, who were secreted in the woods and high gross, as to compel them to retreat. The Le- gion was immediately formed in two lines, principally in a close thick wood, which extended for miles on our left, and for a very considerable distance in front ; the ground being covered with old fallen timber, probably occasioned by a tornado, which rendered it impracticable for the cavalry to act with effect, and afforded the enemy the most favourable covert for their mode of warfare. The savages were formed in three lines, within supporting distance of each other, and extending for near two miles at right angles with the river. I soon discovered, from the weight of the fire and extent of their lines, that the enemy were in full force in front, in possession of their favourite 50 398 INDIAN WARS OF THE WEST. WATRB DEFEATINO THI HTDURS. ground, and endeavouring to turn our left flank. I therefore gave orders for the second line to advance and support the first ; find directed Major General Scott to gain and turn tlie right flank of the savages, with the whole of the mounted volunteers, by a circuitous route; at the same time I ordered the front line to advance and charge with trailed arms, and rouse the Indians from their coverts at the point of the bayonet, and when up to deliver a close and well directed fire on their backs, followed by a brisk charge, so as not to give them time to load again. " I .also ordered Captain Mis Campbell, who commanded the legionary cavalry, to turn the left flank of the enemy next the river, and which afforded a favourable field for that corps to act in. All these orders were obeyed with spirit and prompti- tude ; but such was the impetuosity of the charge by the first line of infantry, that the Indians and Canadian militia and volunteers were driven from all their coverts in so short a time, that although every possible exertion was used by the officers of the second line of the Legion, and by Generals Scott, Todd, and Barbee, of the mounted volunteers, to gain their proper positions, but part of each could get up in season to participate in the action ; the enemy being driven, in the course of one INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 399 hour, more than two miles, through the thick woods, already mentioned, by less than one-half their numbers. From every account the enemy amounted to two thousand combatants. The troops actually engaged ngainst them were short of nine hundred. This horde of savages, with their allies, abandoned themselves to flight, and dispersed with terror and dismay, leaving our victorious army in full and quiet possession of the field of battle, which terminated under the influence of the guns of the British garrison, as you will observe by the enclosed correspondence between Major Campbell, the commandant, and myself, upon the occasion." The broken remains of the Indian army were pursued under the guns of the British fort, and so keen was the ardour of Wayne's men, and so strong their resentment against the English, that it was with the utmost difficulty they could be restrained from storming it upon the spot. As it was, many of the Ker.tucky troops advanced within gunshot, and insulted tlie garrison with a select volley of oaths and epithets, wliich must have given the British commandant a high idea of back- woods gentility. He instantly wrote an indignant letter to General Wayne, complaining of the outrage, and demanding by what authority he trespassed upon the sacred precincts of a British garrison ? Now, " Mad Anthony" was the last man in the world to be dragooned into politeness, and he replied in terms but little short of those employed by the Kentuckians, and satisfactorily informed Captain Campbell, the British com- mandant, that his only chance of safety was silence and civility. After some sharp messages on both sides, the wjir of the pen ceased, and the destruction of property began. Houses, stores, cornfields, orchards, were soon wrapped in flames or levelled with the earth. The dwelling-house and store of Colonel M'Kee, tho Indian Agent, shared the fate of the rest. All this was performed before the face of Captain Campbell, who was compelled to look on in silence, and without any effort to prevent it. There remains not the least question now that the Indians were not only encouraged in their acts of hostility by the English traders, but were actually supplied with arms, ammunition, and provisions, by order of the Eng- lish commandant at Detroit, Colonel England. There remains 4C0 INDIAN "WARS OP THE WEST. a correspondence between this gentleman and M'Kee, in which urgent demands are made for fresh supplies of ammunition, and the approach of " the enemy" (as they called Wayne) is mentioned with great anxiety. After the battle of the Rapids, he writes that the Indians are much discouraged, and that " it will require great efforts to induce them to remain in a body." Had Wayne been positively informed of this circumstance, he would scarcely have restrained his men from a more energetic expression of indignation. The Indian force being completely dispersed, their cornfields up, and their houses destroyed, Wayne drew oif from the dibourhood of the British posts, and, in order to hold the Indians permanently in check, he erected a fort at the junction of the Auglaize and Miami, in the very heart of the Indian country, to which he gave the appropriate name of Defiance. As this was connected with Fort Washington by various inter- mediate fortifications, it could not foil completely to overawe the enemy, who, in a very short time, urgently and unani- mously demanded peace. No victory could have been better timed than that of Wayne. The various tribes of Indians throughout the whole of the United States, encouraged by the repeated disasters of the armies in the northwest, had become very unsteady, and menacing in their intercourse with the whites. The Creeks and Cherokees, in the south, were already in arms, while the Oneidas, Tuscaroras, &c., in the north, were evidently prepar- ing for hostilities. The shock of the victory at the Rapids, however, was felt in all quarters. The southern Indians in- stantly demanded peace ; the Oneidas, conscious of their evil intentions, and fearful of the consequences, became suddenly affectionate even to servility ; and within a few months after the victory, all the frontiers enjoyed the most profound peace. Wayne reported his loss at thirty-three killed and one hundred wounded. The Indian loss could not be ascertained, but was supposed to exceed that of the Americans. This, however, is very doubtful, as they gave way immediately, and were not so much exposed as the continentals. One circumstance attending their flight is remarkable, and deserves to be inserted. Three Indians being hard pressed by INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. 401 the cavalry upon one side, and the infantry upon the other, plunged into the river and attempted to swim to the opposite shore. A runaway negro who had attached himself to tlie American army, was concealed in the bushes upon the opposite bank, and perceiving three Indians approaching nearer than in his opinion was consistent with the security of his hiding-place, he collected courage enough to level his rifle at the foremost, as he was swimming, and shot him through the head. The other two Indians instantly halted in the water, and attempted to drag the body of their dead companion ashore. The negro, in the mean time, reloaded his gun and shot another dead u[)on the spot. The survivor then seized hold of both bodies, and attempted, with a fidelity which seems astonishing, to bring them both to land. The negro ha^'ing had leisure to reload a second time, and firing from his covert upon the surviving Indian, wounded him mortally while struggling with the dead bodies. He then ventured to approach them, and from the striking resemblance of their features, as well as their devoted attachment, they were supposed to have been brothers. After scalping them, he permitted their bodies to float down tlie stream. The Indians now sued for peace. Preliminaries were settled, and it was determined that a grand conference should be held at Greenville, to form a definitive treaty. During the month of June, 1795, the representatives of the northwestern tribes began to gather at Greenville, and on the 16th of that month Wayne met in council the Delawares, Ottawas, Pottawatamies, and Eel River Indians ; and the conferences, which lasted till August 10th, commenced. On the 21st of June, Buckongehelas arrived ; on the 23d, the Little Turtle and other Miamies ; on the 13th of July, Tarke and other Wyandot Chiefs reached the appointed spot; and upon the 18th, Blue Jacket with thirteen Shawnees, and Masass with twenty Chippeways. Most of these, as it appeared by their statements, had been tampered with by M'Kee, Brant, and other English agents. They had, however, all determined to make a permanent peace with the Thirteen Fires, and although some difficulty as to the ownership of the lands to be ceded, at one time seemed likely to arise, the good sense of Wayne and of the Chiefs prevented it, and upon i I 402 INDIAN WARS OP THE WEST. the 30th of July the treaty was agreed to which was to bury the hatchet for ever. Between that day and the 3d of August it vvas engrossed, and having been signed by the various nations upon the day last named, on the 7th was finally acted upon, and the presents from the United States distributed forthwith. While the Council was in session some mischief had been done in Virginia by a band of Shawnees, but on the 9th of September these also came to Greenville, gave up their prisoners, and asked for forgiveness. The basis of the treaty of Greenville was the previous one made at Fort Harmar. Hostilities were to cease ; all prisoners were to be restored, a large portion of the north- western territory was ceded to the United States ; the Indians were allowed to hunt within the ceded lands; all previous treaties were annulled. From this tim.' until the mighty Tecumseh began to agitate the west, the inhabitants enjoyed peace and security.