Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

"one Body, and to have one Soul. The French CHA P.
"invite us to war against the Five Nations, with V.
Design to make us Slaves, and that we fhould
make ourselves the Tools to effect it. As foon
"as they fhall have deftroyed the Five Nations,
"they will no longer obferve any Measures with us,
"but ufe us like thofe Beafts they tie to their Ploughs.
"Let us leave them to themselves, and they will
"never be able to accomplish any Thing against the
"Five Nations.”

But the Putewatemies had entertained fuch Notions of the French, as made them deaf to the Politicks of the Utawawas.

The French however grew jealous of these Caballings, and therefore refolved to delay their March no longer, and would not ftay one Day more for the Utawawas, who defired only fo much Time to pitch their Canoes, and went away without them.

Mr. Tonti, Commandant among the Chillaghicks, met with another Party of the English of about thirty Men, in Lake Erie, as he marched with the Chicktagbicks and Twibtwies, and other neighbouring Nations, to the general Rendezvous. He fell upon the English, plundered them, and took them Prifoners. The French divided all the Merchandize among the Indians, but kept the Rum to themselves, and got all drunk. The Deonondadie Prisoners, that conducted the English, joined with the Mibikander Indians that were among Mr. Tonti's Indians (who had privately diffuaded about twenty of the neighbouring Nations from going with Tonti) and endeavoured to perfuade all the Indians to fall upon the French, while they were drunk, and deftroy them; faying, the French are a proud, imperious, covetous People, that fell their Goods at an extravagant Price; the English are a good natured honeft People, and will furnifh you with every Thing at reasonable Rates. But thefe Arguments were to no Purpose, for thefe far Indians had

enter

[ocr errors]

CHA P. entertained an extraordinary Opinion of the French Power, and knew nothing of the English.

V.

The French and Putewatemies being gone from Teicdonderagbie, the Utawawas began to be afraid of the French Refentment, and therefore, the better to keep up the Colour they had put on their Delays, marched over Land, with all poffible Expedition, to the general Rendezvous near Oniagara, where all the French Force, both Chriftians and Indians, was

to meet.

The Five Nations being informed of the French Preparations, laid afide their Defign against the Twihtwies, and prepared to give the French a warm Reception. Upon this the Prieft at Onondaga left them, but the Prieft at Oneydo had the Courage to ftay. The Senekas came to Albany to provide Ammunition, and the Commiffioners made them a Prefent of a confiderable Quantity of Powder and Lead, befides what they purchased. They were under a great deal of Concern when they took Leave of the Commiffioners, and faid, "Since we are to "expect no other Affiftance from our Brethren, "we muft recommend our Wives and Children to you, who will fly to you, if any Misfortune fhall happen to us. It may be we shall never fee you again; for we are refolved to behave fo, as our Brethren fhall have no Reason to be afhamed of

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small]

We must now return to Monfieur de Nonville's Army.

Monfieur Campagnie marched eight or ten Days before the rest of the Army, with between two and three hundred Cannadians. As foon as they arrived at Cadarackui, they surprised two Villages of the Five Nations, that were fettled about eight Leagues from that Place, to prevent their giving any Intelligence to their own Nation of the French Preparations, or of the State of their, Army, as it was fuppofed they did in the laft Expedition under Mon

fieur

V.

fieur de la Barre. These People were surprised when CHA P. they leaft expected it, and by them from whom they feared no Harm, because they had fettled there at the Invitation, and on the Faith of the French. They were carried in cold Blood to the Fort, and tied to Stakes, to be tormented by the French Indi ans, (Chriftians, as they call them) while they continued finging in their country Manner, and upbraiding the French with their Perfidy and Ingratitude.

While Monfieur de Nonville was at Cadarackui Fort, he had an Account, that the Chicklaghicks and Twibtwies waited for the Quatoghies and Utawawas at* Lake St. Clair, with whom they defigned to march to the general Rendezvous, at the Mouth of the Senekas River. For this Expedition was chiefly defigned against the Senekas, who had abfolutely refused to meet Monfieur de la Barre, and were moft firmly attached to the Englife. The Senekas, for this Reason, were defigned to be made Examples of the French Refentment to all the other Nations of Indians.

The Meffenger having affured the General, that it was Time to depart, in order to meet with the western Indians, that came to his Affiftance, he fet out the twenty-third of June, and fent one Part of his Army in Canoes, along the North Shore of the Lake, while he, with the other Part, paffed along the South, that no Accidents of Wind might prevent the one or the other reaching, within the Time appointed, at the Place the Indians were to meet him. It happened, by reason of the good Weather, that both arrived on the fame Day, and joined the western Indians at Trondequat, As foon as the Men were put on Shore, they hawled up the Canoes, and began a Fort, where four hundred Men were left to guard the Canoes, and the Baggage. Here a

*In the Straights between Lake Erie and Quatozbie Lake.

young

[ocr errors]

CHAP. Young Cannadian was fhot to Death, as a Deserters V. for conducting the English into the Lakes, though

[ocr errors]

the two Nations were not only at Peace, but their Kings in ftricter Friendship than ufual. But this Piece of Severity is not to be wondered at, when this War was undertaken, chiefly to put a Stop to the English Trade, which now began to extend itfelf far into the Continent, and would in its Confequence ruin theirs. The next Day the Army began to march towards the chief Village of the Senekas, which was only feven Leagues diftant, every Man carrying ten Bifkets for his Provifion. The Indian Traders made the Van with Part of the Indians, the other Part marched in the Rear, while the regular Troops and Militia compofed the main Body. The Army marched four Leagues the first Day without difcovering any Thing; the next Day the Scouts advanced before the Army, as far as the Corn of the Villages, without feeing any Body, though they paffed within Piftol-fhot of five-hundred Senekas, that lay on their Bellies, and let them pafs and repafs without disturbing them.

[ocr errors]

On the Report which they made, the French haftened their March, in hopes to overtake the Women, Children, and old Men; for they no longer doubted of all being fled. But as foon as the French reached the Foot of a Hill, about a Quarter of a League from the Village, the Senekas fuddenly raised the Warfhout, with a Difcharge of their Fire-arms. This put the regular Troops, as well as the Militia, into fuch a Fright, as they marched through the Woods, that the Battalions immediately divided, and run to the Right and Left, and, in the Confufion, fired upon one another. When the Senekas perceived their Disorder, they fell in among them pell-mell, till the French Indians, more ufed to fuch Way of fighting, gathered together and repulfed the Senekas. There were (according to the French Accounts) a hundred Frenchmen, ten French Indians,

and

and about fourfcore Senekas killed, in this Ren- CH A P.

[merged small][ocr errors]

Monfieur de Nonville was fo difpirited with the Fright that his Men had been put into, that his Indians could not perfuade him to purfue. He halted the remainder of that Day. The next Day he marched on with Defign to burn the Village, but when he came there, he found that the Senekas had faved him the Trouble; for they had laid all in Afhes before they retired. Two old Men only were found in the Castle, who were cut into Pieces and boiled to make Soup for the French Allies. The French ftaid five or fix Days to deftroy their Corn,) and then marched to two other Villages, at two or three Leagues diftance. After they had performed the like Exploits in thofe Places, they returned to the Banks of the Lake.

Before the French left the Lakes, they built Fort of four Baftions at Oniagara, on the South-fide of the Straights, between Lake Erie and Cadarackui Lake, and left a hundred Men, with eight Months Provifions in it. But this Garifon was fo closely blocked up by the Five Nations, that they all died of Hunger, except feven or eight, who were accidentally relieved by a Party of French Indians.

The western Indians, when they parted from the French General, made their Harangues, as ufual, in, which they told him, with what Pleasure they faw a Fort fo well placed to favour their Defigns against the Five Nations, and that they relied on his never finishing the War, but with the Destruction of the Five Nations, or forcing them to abandon their Country. He affured them, that he would act with fuch Vigour, that they would foon fee the Five Nations driven into the Sea.

He fent a Detachment of Soldiers to Teiodonderaghie, and in his Return to Canada, which was by the North Side of the Lake, he left a fufficient

Number

V.

17

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »