Progress of the war in the South—Fall of Charleston—Brilliant achievements—Rigorous winter of 1780—Destruction of the Oneida Castle and villages—Third marriage of Brant—Irruption into Harpersfield—Captivity of Captain Harper, Freegift Patchin, and others—Conduct of Brant—Consultation whether to put the prisoners to death—Sagacity and firmness of Harper—Marched off for Niagara—Remarkable adventures by the way—Murder of an old man—Cure of the fever and ague—A thrilling scene—Sufferings for food—Justice and impartiality of Brant—Approach to Niagara—The ordeal—Humane device of Brant to save his prisoners from the trial—Arrival at Niagara—Farther irruptions of the Indians—Shawangunk— Saugerties—Captivity of Captain Snyder and his son—Arrival at Niagara—Examination—Guy Johnson, Butler and Brant—Prisoners sent to Montreal—The Mohawk Valley—Bravery of Solomon Woodruff—Irruption to Little Falls—Burning of Ellis's Mills—Incidents on the Ohio—Bold exploit of McConnel—Attack of Colonel Bird, with his Indians, upon the Licking Settlement—Colonel Clarke takes vengeance upon the Shawanese.
53
[CHAPTER III.]
Night invasion of Johnstown, by Sir John Johnson, with an army of Indians and loyalists—The Visschers—The route of Sir John—Arrest of the Sammons family—Destruction of their property—March along the river—Burning of buildings, and murders of aged people—Destruction of Caughnawaga—Return to Johnson Hall—Proceedings there—Thomas Sammons escapes—Sir John moves off—Sampson Sammons applies for his liberty—His speech—The object of the expedition—Recovery of the Baronet's plate—A faithful slave—Character of the expedition—Sir John returns to Montreal—Jacob and Frederick Sammons carried into captivity—Imprisoned at Chamblee—Conspiracy to escape—Prisoners refuse to join them—The brothers escape alone—The pursuit— Separation—Journey, adventures and sufferings of Jacob Sammons—Arrives at Schenectady—The narrative returns to Frederick—Perils of his escape—Prosperous commencement of his journey—Dreadful sickness—His recapture—Confined in irons at Chamblee—Removed to an Island—Projects an escape—Plot discovered—Ironed again—Second plan of escape—Perilous leap into the St Lawrence—Swimming the Rapids—Other surprising adventures, by flood and field—Crossing the woods to Schenectady—Remarkable fulfillment of a dream—Direct history of the Mohawk country resumed—Destruction of Canajoharie by the Indians—Conduct of Brant—Case of doubtful courage.
Page 72
[CHAPTER IV.]
General progress of the War—Design against New-York—Glance at the Southern Campaigns—Treason of Arnold—Execution of Andre—Indian deputation to Count de Rochambeau, in Rhode Island—Invasion of the Schoharie-kill and the Mohawk Valleys, by Sir John Johnson, Brant, and the Corn-planter—Surprise of the upper fort—The middle fort invested—Conduct of Murphy in firing upon a flag—Singular prosecution of the siege—Murphy's contumacy—The flags fired upon thrice—Sir John proceeds to the lower fort—After a brief halt, advances again to the Mohawk, destroying every thing in his way—Murder of the inhabitants—The Vroomans—Heroism of a woman—Sir John arrives at Fort Hunter—Ravages the Mohawk Valley—Battle of Stone Arabia and death of Colonel Brown—His character—Remarkable anecdote of General Arnold—Sir John proceeds to Klock's Field—Is pursued by Van Rensselaer, though with unaccountable delay—Battle of Klock's Field—Flight of the Indians—Strange retreat of Van Rensselaer—Affairs of the night—Secret flight of the Greens and Rangers—The pursuit—General Van Rensselaer prematurely relinquishes it—Capture of Captain Vrooman and his company, by Brant, in the neighborhood of Oneida—Touching incident at Fort Hunter—Singular story respecting the Corn-planter—Major Carleton's expedition against Forts Anne and George—Correspondence on the subject of prisoners—Affairs at Niagara—Setting in of Winter.
98
[CHAPTER V.]
Gloomy opening of the year—Distresses of the army—Revolt of the Pennsylvania line—Negotiations—Revolt of the New Jersey troops—Arnold's expedition to Virginia—Progress of the war at the South—Distresses at the North—Active movements of Brant in the Mohawk country—Meditated attack upon the Oneidas—Letter of Colonel Claus—Destitution of the country—Letter of General Schuyler—Destruction of Fort Schuyler by fire and flood—Suspicions of design—General Clinton's correspondence respecting that catastrophe—Hostile indications in the North—Indications of extensive treachery—Arrest of the disaffected at Ballston and its vicinity—Bearing of Washington in adversity—Colonel Willett appointed to the command of the Mohawk District—Slender means at his disposal—Burning of Currie-town—Battle of Durlagh—Defeat of the Indians—Death of Captain McKean—Irruption into Palatine—Willett's letter to Washington—Willett's influence upon the broken militia—Battle near the German Flats—Death of Solomon Woodworth—Story of John Christian Shell—Invasion of Ulster County by Indians and Tories under Captain Cauldwell—Another case of individual bravery—Incidents on the Kentucky border.