Chapter VI

Increase of disaffection in the North--Seizures of prominent citizens by
bands of loyalists from Canada--Captivity of John J. Bleecker--Plot
against General Gansevoort--Daring attempt upon General Schuyler in the
city of Albany, by John Waltermeyer--Intrepidity of Margaret
Schuyler--Arrest of loyalists at the Beaver Dams--Mysterious movements
of the enemy on Lake Champlain--Controversy with the New-Hampshire
Grants--Sketch of its origin--Outrages of the Vermont
insurgents--Declaration of Independence by the Grants--Interposition of
Congress--Its authority disregarded--Progress of the
controversy--Difficult situation of General Gansevourt--Suspected
intercourse of the Vermontese with the enemy--Letter of Governor
Clinton--Invasion of the Mohawk country by Major Ross--Warrens-bush
ravaged--March of the enemy to Johnstown--Followed by Willett with the
levies and militia--Battle of Johnstown--Ross defeated--Pursued by
Willett, and routed at Jerseyfield--Death of Walter N. Butler--General
progress of the war--Arnold in Virginia--Returns to the North, and
destroys Groton and New London--Siege of Yorktown and capture of
Cornwallis--Affairs of the North--Meditated treachery of
Vermont--Message of Governor Clinton--British open a correspondence with
the Vermont insurgents--Mission of Ira Allen to Canada--Separate
armistice with Vermont--Stipulations for erecting Vermont into a royal
colony--Correspondence with the enemy during the Summer--Negotiations
renewed at Skenesborough--St. Leger ascends the lake with a strong
force--An awkward occurrence for the Vermontese--Excitement at the seat
of Government of the Grants--Throwing dust in the eyes of the
people--News of the surrender of Cornwallis--Its effect in
Vermont--Causes the nasty return of St. Leger to Canada--Insurrection
in the north-eastern towns of New-York, in connexion with the
Vermontese--Troubles of General Gansevoort--Unable to quell the
insurgents--Cherokee Indians--Close of the year.

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