The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-12

In rumaging in an old attic in the
Mohawk valley recently I came across
several unpublished records of stirring
battles of the Revolution, written by an
ancestor Of mine. From this account
1 have made the following extracts.
Part of the letter is written in Mohawk
Dutch, while other parts relate to the
personal opinions of the writer of some
of the officers. Most of these officers
have come down to us by name only.
1.-THE surrender of CORVALLIS at
Yorktown says my historian, is
supposed to have ended the ReYo-
lutionary war. But the last bat
tie, according to my authority, was
fought in the Mohawk valley, October
25, 1881" The captain s, my ancestors,
account is as follows: Tac
Butler, with several companies Of
British and Indians, crossed the Mo-
hawk river above its ih!junction with
Schoharie creek, SO aSnte avoid Fort
Hunter, and proceeded toward Johns
town. Colonel Willetts, who was at
Fort Van Rensselaer,, Isabout twenty
miles west up the Mohawk, started
after him, expecting to eatch up with
him at Fort Hunter, but when he got
there he found that Butter had pro-
ceeded toward JohnstoWn.
"WillettS followed and, caught up with
him near Quillhoits, andnWhipped him.
They all started running, and Willetts
after them. At the West Canada Kill
he overlook them again. and in the en-
gagement that followed Butler was
killed. He begged for mercy when cap
tured and cried "Quarterl Quarter"
but Hans only put bis Ratchet into his
head, saying:-I give you Cherry val
ley quarter
The historic struggle for supremacy
in the Mohawk valley is also recited in
considerable detail.
I'm the spring of 177S the Continental
congress sent engineers to the Mohawk,
Schoharie and Cherry valleys to aid
the inhabitants to build defenses to
protect themselves against the hostile
Indians and British. After these block
houses were built a, small number Of
Continental troops were sent to aid in
defending them. The farmers erected
small houses in these palisaded forts as
| homes when danger threatened.
In the Schoharie valley there were
three of these forts, called the upper,
middle and lower forts They were
about four miles apart. The upper one
was on the Feeck place, the middle at
the Vrooman, while the lower included
| the church. On October II, 1880, Sir
John Johnson, with eight hundred
| troops, including Indians, appeared
near the upper fort. Feeck fired the
alarm gun, and 1t was soon followed by
the guns from the other two forts. The
Indians commenced to=burn all the
houses that We're left defenseless and
destroy all the live stock hay and grain
fields, etc. The invaders did not mo-
lest the upper fort, but passed down
the valley to the middle fort, where
they fired several shotssfrom small
mortar.
"A white flag carried by a man
named Hare, who once lived near Fort
Hunter, and who was. hanged in 1871
as a spy approached the fort Murphy,
who came from PhiladeIphia, and who
married Margaret FeeeAysas soon as he
saw Hare approaching raised his rifle
and fired, the shot stirling the pole.
Hare dropped the flag and got back
| into the woods, as if thHsdeviI was after
him. The colonel whoSw command
ing the fort was very angry, but as
he was coward no one obeyed him.
They all looked up to old Peter Vroo-
man for what to do.
Soon after the flag came out the Sec
ond time, and this time an officer held
it. 1t was waved back and forth until
David Ziele got tired and sent bullet
after him The flag was then dropped.
Soon after we could see the Indians
crawling along to get closer. We
opened fire and soon drove them back.