Chapter VII

History of Brant resumed--Advanced to the chieftaincy of the
Confederacy--Mode of appointing chiefs and sachems--Embarks for
England--Arrives in London--Received with marked consideration--Becomes
acquainted with James Boswell and others--Agrees to espouse the Royal
cause, and returns to America--Steals through the country to
Canada--Curious supposed letter to President Wheelock--Battle of the
Cedars--Cowardice of Major Butterfield--Outrages of the Indians--Story
of Capt. McKinstry, who was saved from the stake by Brant--Indignation
of Washington, the people, and Congress--Resolutions of
retaliation--Mutual complaints of treatment of prisoners--Murder of
Gen. Gordon--Indignation at the outrage--Indian deputation at
Philadelphia--Speech to them--Congress resolves upon the employment
of an Indian force--Schuyler opposed--Review of the incidents of the
war elsewhere--Destitution of the Army--Evacuation of Boston by the
English--Disastrous termination of the Canadian campaign--Deplorable
condition of the army--Humanity of Sir Guy Carleton--Glance at the
South--Declaration of Independence--Spirit of Tryon County--Cherry
Valley--Fortifications at Fort Stanwix--American army moves to
New-York--Arrival of the British fleet and army--Battle of
Long-Island--Washington evacuates New-York--Battle of White
Plains--Retreats across New-Jersey--Followed by Cornwallis--Defeat of
Arnold on Lake Champlain--Fall of Rhode Island--Battle of Trenton.
Page 147

CHAPTER VIII.

Continuation of movements in New Jersey--Extinguishment of the council-fire at Onondaga--Tryon County--Colonel Harper's mission to Oghkwaga--The Harper family--Adventure at the Johnstone settlement--Capture of Good Peter and his party--Thayendanegea crosses from Canada to Oghkwaga--Interview with the Rev. Mr. Johnstone--Doubtful course of Brant--Feverish situation of the people--Expedition of General Herkimer to Unadilla--Remarkable meeting between Herkimer and Brant--Meditated act of treachery--Wariness of the chief--Meeting abruptly terminated--Ended in a storm--Brant draws off to Oswego--Grand council there--The Indians generally join the Royal standard--Approach of Brant upon Cherry Valley--How defeated--Death of Lieutenant Wormwood. 175

CHAPTER IX.

British preparations for the prosecution of the war--Indications at the
North--Doubtful position and conduct of General Howe--Embarrassing to
the Americans--Intercepted correspondence--General Howe sails to the
Chesapeake--Enters Philadelphia in triumph--Burgoyne approaches from
the North--Indian policy--Sir Guy Carleton--False estimates of the
strength of Ticonderoga--Burgoyne arrives at Crown Point--Feasts the
Indians--Invests Ticonderoga--Carries the outworks--Fortifies Sugar
Hill--The fortress evacuated by St. Clair--Retreat of the
Americans--Battles near Skenesborough and at Fort Ann--Burgoyne enters
the valley of the Hudson--Schuyler, without means, retreats from Fort
Edward--Terror of the people--Cruelties of the Indians--Story of Miss
McCrea--General flight of the population--Mrs. Ann Eliza
Bleecker--Heroism of Mrs. Schuyler--Attempted assassination of General
Schuyler.
195