Nebraska advertiser., 1866-11-15
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THE SPY OF THE MOHAWK.
pY WILLIAM ". cAMpBELL.

/ BIZ WILLIAM We .CAMEBELLs
Who has not seen the beautiful valley
Of the Mohawk? As the iron-horse
draws the long train, now winding around
the base of some lofty bill. and now al
most suspended over the foamlng waters
of the river, the traveller, seated at his
ease and looking out upon the Yariegated
beauties of the shifting scene can have
but an imperfect idea of the tolls and
trials of those who seventy years ago
traversed this same valley. Then, days
and weeks were occupied in passing from
Schenectady 10 Utica The old fashion
ed keel boat was forced up against the
rapid current with great labor; and
when the river was swollen in the
Spring. the navigation was even consid,
cred dangerous. And yet, in the old
French war, large army, with all It's
muniticns and equipage, passed through
the valley on It's way to the western and
northern frontier; and in the Revolution,
the bold scheme was devised of sending
division of The American forces, inlen-
ded to Operate against the Six Nations,
up to the Mohawk to Canajoharie, and
thence to The head of the Qlsego Lake.
1t was hazardous and tOilsome expe-
diuon; and the old soldier, General
James Clinton, was appointed to the COM
mand. 1t was fitting pOst@Or the man
who had from early youth been Injured
to the dangers and hardships of border
wars. Early in the spring of 1879, he
reached, with the detachment, the point
now occupied by the village of CanajO-
hare, and which was formerly the site
of an Indian castle of the same name.
From here large parties were sent out
to clear the way, and open road to the
head of Otsego Lake, over which the bal-
leapz used apon The river could be lraus-
ported Is was laborons ea prise,
eud scaanea 81 q s,,u1sf s sas sssn-
mander, and laxed The patience and pat.
riotiSm of officers and men in its exeCu.
tion. The distance was some twenty
miles, and the rout lay over the high
range of land which there separates the
tributaries of the Mohawk from the head
waters of the eastern branch of the Sus-
quehanna. Spring had gone and Sum-
mer had come, before the batteaux were
carried over the mountains, and launched |
tor the first time upon the bosom of that
beautiful lake. WnIle this portion of the
American army lay at lCanajoharle, the
events occurred which Ii is proposed here
briefly to relate.
1t was at the close of a long day In
early Summer. The sun was low in the
west, and its rays. no longer holding dal-
lance with the clear waters of the Mo-
hawk, were taking their farewell kiss or
the green old forest-trees which covered |
the tops of the surrounding hills. Slrag-
Cling parties of soldiers, in their fatigue
dresses, were moving slowly down the
winding road, returning TO camp wearied
from their hard days toll some of them
rejecting upon the PLEASANT scenes which
they had left, and calling to mind their
own distant homes, where their wives
and htlle ones, at such an hour IN days
gone by, had looked out and watched i
their return and resolving never again
to leave those quiet scenes for the rude
and hard life of soldier. The evening
parade was over the roll of the evening
drum was ended; the walch-fires were
kindled, and here and there a light
twinkled through the small window OF
the houses of the German settlers, which
were even at that day tnickly sprnkled
along this portion of the valley.
Around the house occupied BY the gen
eral as his head. quarters, there seemed,
on this evening to be an unusual gather
ing of officers, and from the hurrying to
and-fro of subordinates, it was evident that
preparations were making for some occur
renee Of more than ordinary interest. 4n-s
deed. it was no secret in the camp that two
persons had been arrested on the previous
day as spies, and that a court-martial
would assemble that evening before which
they would be arraigned. 1t Is hardly
necessary TO observe, that the war of the
revolution found the settlements along
the upper part of the valley of the Mo-
hawk. and upon the bead-waters of the
Susquehanna, in very exposed situation.
Sir William johnson died in 1774. For
more than a quarter of century he had
exerted great influence over the inhab-
itanIs of that region, and over the In
dian tribes, and especially over the tribe
which even then had their dwelling la
ces on the banks of the river to which
they had given the name, and who by