The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-10-13 00:00:00, page 2

PHILADELPHIA, October 9 .
SIR Teaoga, September 30, 1779.
IN mine of the 30th ult. to his Excellency General
Washington, and by him transmitted to Congress,
I gave an account of the victory obtained by this
army over the enemy at Newtown, on the 29th of
August. I now do myfelfthe honour to inform Con
gress of the progress of this army, and the most
material occurrences which have since taken place.
The time taken up in destroying the corn, in the
neighbourhood of Newtown, employing the army
near two days, and there appearing a probability that
the deftruttion of all the crops might take a much
greater length of time than was at firft apprehended,
and being likewise convinced, by an accurate calcu
lation, that it would not be possible to effect the de
struction of the Indian country, with the provision 0:1
hand, which was all I had in store, and indeed all I
had pack-horses to trairfport from Teaoga; in this
lituation I could think of but one expedient to answer
the purposes of the expedition, which was to prevail
if possible, on the soldiers, to content themselves
with half a pound of flour, and the fame quantity of
frefh beef per day, rather than leave the important
business unfinifhed. I therefore drew up an address
to them, a copy of which I have the honor to inclofe
you, which being read, was answered by three cheers
from the whole army. Not one dissenting voice was
heard from either officer or soldier. I had then on
hand, from the best calculation I could make, twenty
two pounds of flour, and sixteen pounds of beef per
man; the former liable to many deductions by rains,
crofling rivers and defiles; the latter much more so,
from the almost unavoidable lot's of cattle, when fuf
fered to range the woods at night for their support.
I was, however, encouraged in the belief,- that I
Should be enabled to effect the destruction and total
ruin of the Indian territories, by this truly noble and
virtuous resolution of the army, or which, I know
not, whether the public hand more indebted to the
perfuafivc arguments which the officers began to use,
or to the virtuous disposition of the soldiers, whose
prudent and chearful compliance with the requisition
anticipated all their wiflies, and rendered persuasion
unnecessary. I sent back all my heavy artillery on
the night of the 30th, retaining only four brass three
pounders, and a small howitzer, loaded the necessary
ammunition on horseback, and marched early on the
31st for Catharine's-town. On our way we destroyed
a small settlement of eight houses, and a town called
Knawaholee, of about twenty houses, lituated on a
peninsula at the conflux of the Teaoga and Cayuga
branches. We also destroyed fevcral fields of corn.
From this Col. Dayton was detached with his regi
ment and the rifle corps up the Teaoga about fix
miles, who destroyed several large fields of corn.—
The army resumed their march, and encamped with
in thirteen miles and an half of Catharine's-town,
where we arrived the next day, altho' we had a road
to open for the artillery, through a swamp nine miles
in extent and almost impervious. We arrived near
Catharine's-town in the night, and moved on in
hopes to furprize it, but found it forfaken. On the
next morning an old woman of the Cayuga nation,
was found in the woods, who informed, that on the
night after the battle of Newtown, the enemy having
fled the whole time, arrived there in great confufion
early the next day ; that the heard the warriors tell
their women, they were conquered and must fly;
that they had a great many killed and vast numbers
wounded. She likewise heard the lamentations of ma
ny at the loss of their connections. In addition to this,
flie assured us, that some other warriors had met But
ler at this place, and desired him to return and fight
again. But to this request they could obtain no fa
tisfaftory answer, for as they observed, " Butler's
mouth was closed." The warriors who had been in
the action, were equally averse to the proposal, and
would thinly of nothing but flight and the removal of
their families ; that they kept runners on every moun
tain to observe the motion of our army, who reported
early in the day on which we arrived, that our ad
vance was very rapid, upon which all those who had
not been .before sent off, fled with precipitation,
leaving her without any possible means of escape.—
She said that Brandt had taken most of the wounded
up the Teaoga in canoes. I was from many circum
stances fully convinced of the truth, and sincerity of
her declaration, and the more so, as we had, on the
day we left Newtown, difeovered a great number of
bloody packs, arms and accoutrements, thrown away
in the road and in the woods on each fide of it. Be
sides which we difeovered a number of recent graves,
one of which has been since opened, containing the
bodies of two persons who had died by wounds.—
Those circumstances when added to that of so many
warriors being left dead on the field, a circumstance
not common with Indians, were fufficient to corro
borate the woman's declaration, and to prove what
I before conjectured, that the loss of the enemy was
much greater than was at firft apprehended. I have
never been able to ascertain, with any degree of cer
tainty, what force the enemy opposed to us at New
town, but from the best accounts I have been able to
collect, and from the opinion of General Poor and
otters, who had the best opportunity of viewing their
rowers, as well as from the extent of their lines, I
them to have been fifteen hundred, tho' the
^ whom I believe totally ignorant of the
r oft but their own, as well as of the
:.:, eftimat© them only at eight hun
dred, while they allow that five companies of ran
gers, all the warriors of Seneca, and fix other nations
were collected at this place. In order to determine
their force, with as much accuracy as in my power, I
examined their bread-work, and found its extent
more than half a mile. Several bastions ran out in its
front to flank the lines in every part. A small bloek
houfe, formerly a dwelling, was also manned in front.
The bread-work appeared to have been fully manned,
though I suppose with only^une rank. Some part of
their works being low, they were obliged to dig holes
in the ground to cover themselves in part. This cir
cumdance enabled me to judge the didance between
their men in the works. A very thin Scattering line,
designed, as I suppose, for communicating signals,
was continued from those works to that part of the
mountain which General Poor ascended, where they
had a very large body, which was designed, I ima
gine, to fall on our flank. The didance from the
bread-work to this, was at lead one mile and an half.
From thence to the hill in rear of our right, was an
other feathering line of about one mile, and on the
hill a bread-work with a strong party, destined, as it
is luppofed, to fall in our rear. But General Clinton
being ordered so far to the right, occasioned his flank
to pass this mountain, which obliged them to aban
don their post. From those circumstances, as well as
from the opinion of others, I cannot conceive their
numbers less than what I have before mentioned.
A detachment of four hundred men was sent down
on the weft fide of the lake to destroy Gothfeunqueau,
and the plantations in the fame quarters; at the fame
time a number of volunteers, under Colonel Harper,
made a forced march towards Cayuga lake, and de
stroyed Schoyere while the residue of the army were
employed in destroying the corn at Kanadafega, of
which there was a large quantity. This town ccn
fifted of fifty houses, and was pleasantly situated. In
it we found a great number of fruit trees, which were
destroyed with the town. The army then moved on,
and in two days arrived at Kanandaque, having been
joined oil the march by the detachment sent along the
Seneca lake, which had been almost two days employ
ed in destroying the crops and settlement: in that
quarter. At Kanandaque we found twenty-three
very elegant houses, mostly framed, and in general
large. Here we also found very extensive fields of
corn, which having been destroyed, we marched for
Hanneyaye, a small town of ten houses, which we
also destroyed.
At this place we established a post, leaving a strong
garrison, our heavy stores and one field piece, and
proceeded to Chinefee, which,the prisoners informed,
was the grand capital ofthe Indian country ; that In
dians of all nations had been planting there this
spring; that all the Rangers and some Britilh had
been employed in assisting them, in order to raise fuf
ficient supplies to support them while destroying our
frontiers ; and that they themselves had worked three
weeks tor the Indians when planting. This inform
ation determined me at all events to reach that set
tlement, though the state of my provisions, much
reduced by unavoidable accidents, almost forbad the
attempt. My flour had been much reduced by the
failure of pack-horses, and in the passage of creeks
and defiles; and twenty-seven of the cattle had been
unavoidably loft. We, however, marched on for the
Chinefee town, and on the second day, reached a
town of twenty-five houses, called Kaneghfaws.—
Here we found some large corn-fields, which part of
the army destroyed, while the other part were em
ployed in building a bridge over an unfordable creek
between this and Chinefee.
I had the preceding evening ordered out an officer
with three or four riflemen, one of our guides, and
The army spent one day at Catharine's in destroy
ing corn and fruit trees. We burnt the town, con
fiding of about thirty houses ; and the next day en
camped near a small scattering settlement of about
eight houses, and in two days after reached Kendaia,
which we also found deserted. Here one of the inha
bitants of Wyoming, who had been lad year captured
by the enemy, escaped from them and joined us. lie
informed that the enemy had left the town in the
greatest confufion three days before our arrival. He
said, he had conversed with some of the Tories, on
their return from the action of Newtown, who assured
him, they had great numbers killed and wounded,
and there was no fafety but in flight. He heard But
ler tell them, he must try to make a stand at Kanada
fega; but they declared, they would not throw away
their lives in a vain attempt to oppose such an army.
He also heard many of the Indian women lamenting
the loss of their connexions; and added, that Brandt
had taken must of the wounded up the Teaoga in
water crafts, which had been provided for that pur
pose in case of necessity. It was his opinion, the
King of Kanadafega was killed, as he law him go
down but not return, and gave a description of his
person and dress corresponding with those of one
found on the field of action. Kendaia confided of
about twenty houses, which were reduced to ashes;
the houses were neatly built and finished. The army
spent near a day at this place in destroying corn and
fruit trees, of which there was great abundance;
many of the trees appeared to be of great age. On
the next day we crossed the outlet of the Seneca lake,
and moved in three divisions thro' the woods to en
circle Kanadafega, but found it likewise abandoned.
A white child of about three years old, doubtless the
offspring of some unhappy captive, was found here
and carried with the army.
an Oneida Chief, to reconnoitre the Chintfee to«m,
that we might, if possible, furprize it. Lieut. Boid,
of the rifle corps, was the officer entrusted, who took
with him twenty-three men, volunteers from the fame
corps, and a few from Col. Butler's regiment, making
in all twenty-fix, a much larger number than I had
thought of fending, and by no means so likely to an
swer the purpose as that which had been directed.
The guides were by no means acquainted with the
country, miltook the road in the night, and at day
break fell in with a castle, fix miles higher up than
Chinefee, inhabited by a tribe called Squatehakas-
Here they law a few Indians, killed and scalped two fr
the rest fled. Two runners were immediately dis
patched to me with the account, and informed that
the party were on their return. When the bridge was
almost completed, some of them came in and inform
ed, that Lieut. Boid, and most of his party, were al
most surrounded by the enemy; that the enemy had
been difeovering themselves before him for some miles;
that his men had killed two, and were eagerly pursu
ing the rest ; but soon found themselves almost sur
rounded by three or four hundred Indians and Rang
ers. Those of Mr. Boid's men, who were sent to se
cure his flanks, fortunately made their escape; but
he, with fourteen of his party and the Oneida Chief,
being in the centre, were completely encircled. All
the light troops ofthe army, and the flanking divisions
were immediately detached to their relief; but arriv
ed too late, the enemy having destroyed the party and
escaped.
It appeared that our men had taken to a small grove
of trees, the ground around it being clear on every
lide for several rods, and there fought till Mr. Boid
was (hot through the body, and every man killed ex
cept one, who, with his wounded commander, was
made prisoner. The firing was so close before this
brave party was destroyed, that the powder of the
enemy's muskets was driven into their flefh. In this
conflict the enemy must have fuffered greatly, as they
had no covert, and our men were possessed of a very
advantageous one. This advantage of ground, the
obstinate bravery of the party, with some other cir
cumstances, induced me to believe their loss must
have been very considerable. They were so long em
ployed in removing and secreting their dead, that the
advancing of General Hand's party obliged them to
leave one along fide the riflemen, and at lead a wag
gon load of packs, blankets, hats and provisions,
which they had thrown off to enable them to aft with
more agility in the field ; most of them appeared to
have appertained to the Rangers. Another reason
which induces me to suppose they fuffered much was,
the unparallelled tortures they inflicted upon the brave
and unfortunate Boid, whose body, with that of his
equally unfortunate companion, we found at Chinefee.
It appeared they had whipped them in the most cruel
manner, pulled out Mr. Boid's nails, cut off his nose,
plucked out one of his eyes, cut out his tongue, dab
bed him with spears in sundry places, and inflicted
other tortures which decency will not permit me to
mention ; lastly cut oft his head, and left his body
on the ground with that of his unfortunate compa
nion, who appeared to have experienced nearly the
lame fayage barbarity. The party which, it seems,
Mr. Boid fell in with, was commanded by Butler,
and had been polled on an advantageous piece of
ground, in order to fire upon our army when advanc
ing; but found their design fruftrated by the appear
ance of this party in their rear.
I he army moved or. that day to the castle last men
tioned, which consisted of 25 houses, and had very
extensive fields of corn, which being destroyed, we
moved on the next day to Chinefee, crossing in our
rout a deep creek and the Little Seneca river; and
after marching fix miles we reached the castle, which
consisted of 128 houses, mostly very large and elegant.
1 he town was beautifully situated, almost encircled
with a clear flat which extends for a number of miles,
where the most extensive fields of corn were, and
every kind of vegetable that can be conceived. The
whole army was immediately engaged in destroying
the crops. The corn was collected and burned in
houses and kilns, that the enemy might not reap the
least advantage from it, which method we have pur
sued in every other place. Here a woman came to
us who had been captured at Wyoming. She inform
ed us the enemy had evacuated the town two days be
fore; that Butler at the fame time went off with three
or four hundred Indians and Rangers, as he said, to
get a shot at our army. This was undoubtedly the
party which cut off Lieutenant Boid. She mentioned,
they kept runners constantly out, and that when our
army was in motion the intelligence was communi
cated by a yell, immediately on which the greatest
terror and confufion apparently took place among
them. She said, the women were constantly begging
the warriors to sue for peace, and that one of the In
dians had attempted to shoot Col. Johnson for the
faifhoods by which he had deceived and ruined them;
that flie overheard Butler telhng'johnfon it was im
possible to keep the Indians together after the battle
of Newtown ; that he thought they must soon be in
a miserable situation, as all their crops would be de
stroyed, and that Canada could not supply them with
provisions at Niagara ; that he would endeavour to
collect the warriors to assist in the defence of that fort,
which he was of opinion this army would lay siege
to, and the women and children he would fend into
Canada. After having destroyed this town, beyond
which I was informed there was no settlement, and
destroyed all their houses and crops in that quarter,