Chapter II

Early symptoms of disaffection at Boston--Origin of the Revolutionary
War--First blood shed in 1770--Stirring eloquence of Joseph
Warren--Feelings of Sir William Johnson--His influence with the Indians
and Germans, and his unpleasant position--Last visit of Sir William to
England--His death--Mysterious circumstances attending it--Suspicions
of suicide unjust--His son, Sir John Johnson, succeeds to his title and
estates--His son-in-law, Col. Guy Johnson, to his office as
superintendent General of the Indians--Early life of Sir John--Joseph
Brant appointed Secretary to Guy Johnson--Influence of the Johnson
family--Revolutionary symptoms in County, fomented by the
proceedings in New England--First meeting of Tryon County
Whigs--Declaration of Rights--First meeting of Congress--Effect of its
proceedings--in England--Tardiness of Provincial legislature of
New-York--Spirit of the people--Notes of preparation in Massachusetts,
&c.--Overt acts of rebellion in several States--Indians exasperated by
the Virginia borderers in 1774--Melancholy story of Logan--Campaign
of Lord Dunmore and Colonel Lewis--Battle of the Kanhawa--Speech of
Logan--Its authenticity questioned--Peace of Chilicothe--Unhappy feeling
of the Indians.
29

CHAPTER III.

Unyielding course of the parent Government--Efforts of the Earl of Chatham
unavailing--Address to the Crown from New-York--Leslie's Expedition to
Salem--Affair of Lexington--Unwise movements of Tryon County
loyalists--Reaction--Public meetings--The Sammons family--Interference
of the Johnsons--Quarrel at Caughnawaga--Spirited indications at Cherry
Valley--Counteracting efforts of the Johnsons among their
retainers--Intrigues with the Indians--Massachusetts attempts the
same--Correspondence with the Stockbridge Indians--Letter to Mr.
Kirkland--His removal by Guy Johnson--Neutrality of the
Oneidas--Intercepted despatch from Brant to the Oneidas--Apprehensions
of Guy Johnson--Correspondence--Farther precautions of the
Committees--Reverence for the Laws--Letter of Guy Johnson to the
Committees of Albany and Schenectady--Substance of the reply.
49