"Sir,
"I have received the proceedings of a court-martial held by your order, respecting Samuel Geake. As neither the articles of war, nor any resolves of Congress, authorise the constituting of general courts-martial by any other than the Commander-in-chief, the commanding officer of a separate department, or a general officer commanding in a particular State, I should have been under the necessity of ordering a second trial, and appointing a court for the purpose, if it had been judged expedient to bring Geake to punishment. But as his confession contains information very pointedly against Major Hammell, which concurs with other accounts I have received, I think it of more importance to the public to save Geake, as a witness against Hammell, than to make an example of him. You will therefore keep him in such a kind of confinement as will effectually prevent his escape, till matters are ripe for the prosecution of Major Hammell, and at the same time will be as little rigorous as the nature of the case will admit. He need, however know nothing of my intention. I am, &c.
"Geo. Washington. "Col. Gansevoort."
The position of Fort Schuyler was of the first importance, as the key to the western entrance of the Mohawk country; but it was nevertheless too remote from the upper German settlements of the valley, to afford them protection from sudden irruptions of the enemy avoiding that fortress in their approach. The consequence was that the work of destruction was actively prosecuted among the settlements referred to, during the Summer of this year. The first blow was struck upon a small and rather secluded hamlet, called Andrus-town, situated about six miles south-east of the German Flats, [FN-1] on the 18th of July, by a small party of Indians led by Brant in person. This settlement consisted of seven families, planted upon a lot of one thousand acres. [FN-2] They were in affluent circumstances for borderers, and the object of the invasion was plunder. The settlement was utterly destroyed—every thing of value that could be removed, was carried away—the houses and other buildings were reduced to ashes—an aged man named Bell, with his son and two others, was killed—one other inhabitant perished in the flames of his own house—and the remainder of the little colony were carried into captivity. Advices of this catastrophe had no sooner reached the Flats, than a party of resolute Whigs determined to pursue the marauders, among whom was John Frank, one of the Committee of Safety. [FN-3] Arriving at the scene of desolation, they hastily buried the dead, and continued their march, accompanied by six or seven friendly Indians, to the Little Lakes, [FN-4] where, also, was a small white colony known as "Young's Settlement," from the name of its founder. Here it was discovered that the enemy was so far in advance, that the chase was relinquished. But as Young, the head man of the settlement, was a Tory, as also was his next neighbor, a man named Collyer, the exasperated Whigs avenged, to a small extent, the destruction of Andrus-town, by plundering and burning their habitations.
[FN-1] In the North part of the present town of Warren.
[FN-2] The names of the proprietors were Bell, Frank, Oosterhoudt, Crim, Staring, Lepper, and Hoyer.
[FN-3] John Frank, Esq. yet a resident of German Flats, very old, but with mental faculties unimpaired. The author has known him these twenty-five years, and in September, 1837, paid him a visit. Most of the information respecting the events now immediately under consideration, is derived from him.
[FN-4] Two small lakes in the South-east part of the town of Warren, discharging their waters into Otsego Lake.
But the most considerable event of the season in that vicinity, was the entire destruction of the comparatively extensive and populous settlement of the German Flats. This settlement, originally called Burnetsfield, from the circumstance that the patent had been granted by Governor Burnet, extended over the richest and most beautiful section of the Mohawk Valley, comprehending the broad alluvial lands directly beyond the junction of the West Canada creek and the river, and including about ten miles of the valley from east to west. Midway of the settlement, on the south side of the river, yet stands the ancient stone church, the westernmost of the line of those structures built under the auspices of Sir William Johnson. A short distance east of the church stood the large and massive-built stone mansion of the Herkimer family, which, like the church itself, was used as a fort. [FN-1] Hence it was called Fort Herkimer. On the north side of the river, upon a gravelly plain, elevated some ten or fifteen feet above the surrounding Flats, stood Fort Dayton. [FN-2]