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People haveing Escaped y e Cruelty of y e french and there Indians came Running here & told us y°Village was a fyre and y 4 they had much adoe to Escape for all y c streets were full of french andIndians, & y 4 many People were murthered and y 4 y® enemy were marching hither which news wasContinually Confirmed till afternoon Letters were sent forthwith to Sopus for y e assistance of ahundred men an Expresse sent to Skachkook but by reason of y e highwater deep snow & yse couldnot Proceed, notice was given to all y e farmers of Kinderhook Claverak & ca of y e sad news, Somehorse men sent out to Discover y® Enemies force and there march but were forced to Return y e snowbeing so Deep yet some were sent out again who got thither, Laurence y e Indian with y e Maquasey 4 were in Town were sent out also to Skinnechtady to Dispatch posts to y e Maquase Castles for ally e Indians to come doune, but unhappily sa d Indians comeing to Skinnechtady were soe much amazedto see so many People murthered and Destroyed that they omitted y e sending up to y e Maquase Cas-tles according to there Engagement, While y® Enemy was at N. Scotia a man came to Ensign Joh:Sander Glen and said he would goe to y e Maquase Castles and warn y e Maquase to come doune whowas ordered to goe in all haste but comeing to y e Upper Plantations went for fear along with someof ye oy r Inhabitants into y e Woods and never went to y e Maquase Castles, this night we gott a letterfrom Skinnechtady Informing us y 4 the Enemy y 4 had done y 4 Mischieife there were about one hun-dred and fifty or 200 men but that there were 1400 men in all; One army for Albany & anoy r forSopus which hindred much y® marching of any force out of y e Citty fearing y 4 y® enemy might watchsuch an opportunity.
The l(h/t day of February.
Present. P r Schuyler May 4 D. Wessels Rec r , J. Bleecker, C. Bull, Capt Staets, Aid. Shaick, AidRyckman, Joh. Cuyler, Ens. Bennett.
Resolved y 4 Capt Jonathan Bull be sent w 4h 5 men out of each Comp 4 to Skinnechtady to buryy® dead there &'if y® Indians be come doune to joyn with them & Pursue y® Enemy.
Instructions for Capt Jonathan Bull.
You are to goe w 4h all Convanient speed with ----- men to Skinnechtady & thereBury y« dead which are Killed by y e Enemy and give such succor and Reliefle to y e Poor Peopleleft alive at Skinnechtady as y u can, and if there be any considerable number of friendly Indians atSkinnechtady y u are w 4h all speed to Pursue & follow after the french and Indian Enemy & themSpoyle and Destroy what in y» Lyes and use all means Imaginable to Rescue y® Prisoners which theyhave Carried along with them.
You are to take Especial Care to have always Spyes and Skouts out on both sides of y® Path wherey u March y 4 Men and to be as Carefull as Possible for ambushes of y® Enemy and to keep y 4 men ingood order and Discipline