"I have the honor to be. Sir, Your most obedient servant, The Mqs. de Lafayette. "Col. Gansevoort, Com't. Fort Schuyler." [FN]
[FN] This letter has been copied from the original, among the Gansevoort papers.
The condition contained in this letter, that, to entitle the captor to the promised reward, Carleton must be brought in alive, comports with the well-known humanity, through life, of the illustrious friend of human liberty who wrote it. But the search was fruitless, Carleton was an active and efficient partisan officer, and was never taken. The Marquis retained the command at the North only until the middle of April, when he was ordered to head-quarters, and Gates again assumed the command of the department.
In the month of June, the loyalists who had fled to Canada with Sir John Johnson, to the number of one hundred and upward, performed an exploit equally bold and remarkable, which naturally suggests the inquiry, where were the Whigs of Tryon County at that time; and in what were they engaged? The incident to which reference is had, was the return of those selfsame loyalists for their families, whom they were permitted to collect together, and with whom they were suffered to depart into the country, and the active service of the enemy. Nor was this all. Not only was no opposition made to their proceedings, but on their way they actually committed acts of flagrant hostility, destroyed property, and took several prisoners. Having completed their arrangements, they moved northward from Fort Hunter, through Fonda's Bush—making four prisoners on their way thither, [FN-1] and at Fonda's Bush five others. [FN-2] From this place they proceeded across the great marsh to Sir William Johnson's fish-house, on the Sacondaga, capturing a man named Martin, and another named Harris, on the way, and at the fish-house taking a brave fellow named Solomon Woodworth and four others. [FN-3] They burnt the house and outbuildings of Godfrey Shew at this place, and departed with their prisoners, leaving the women and children houseless. Embarking on the Sacondaga in light canoes, previously moored at that place for the purpose, they descended twenty-five miles to the Hudson, and thence, by the way of Lakes George and Champlain, proceeded to St. Johns in safety. The day after his capture, Woodworth succeeded in making his escape. At St. Johns, John Shew and four others were given up to the Indians, by whom they were taken to their village in Canada. They were neither considered nor treated exactly as prisoners of war; and Shew, with three of his companions, soon afterward escaped and returned home. [FN-4] From St. Johns, the loyal party proceeded down the St. Lawrence to Quebec, where the residue of the prisoners were kept in close confinement about four months. Some of the number died, and the remainder were sent to Halifax, and thence exchanged by the way of Boston. This movement of the Tories back in a body to their deserted homes, and its success, form one of the most extraordinary incidents, though in itself comparatively unimportant, which transpired during the wars of the Mohawk country. [FN-5]
[FN-1] Mr. Cough and his son, and Mr. Marinas and his son.
[FN-2] John Putnam, Jr., Mr. Salisbury, Mr. Rice, Mr. Joseph Scott, and Mr. Bowman.
[FN-3] Godfrey Shew, and his three sons, John, Stephen, and Jacob.
[FN-4] In the Autumn of 1780 young Shew was again captured by a scouting party of Indians and Tories, in the woods in the neighborhood of Ballston, and at the instigation of one of the latter, named John Parker, was immediately murdered. Parker was himself soon afterward taken as a spy by Captain Bernett of the militia—carried to Albany, tried, convicted, and executed.