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not ready, they should bring five of their most influential Chiefs as hostages, and that they should besoon followed by the army to oblige them by force to execute the conditions imposed on them.
On the next day, the 7th, a young Frenchman, seven years a prisoner among the Onnontaguesarrived in the camp. He had escaped with those who had come into the outposts the night preceding.He reported that they had retired with their families twenty leagues from their fort, having scoutsalways around them in order to fly farther off if pursued. He added that it is probable a greatnumber would perish having been in such a hurry to fly that they took away scarcely any corn,caches of which they hastily made, and that they began to fall short. Almost all these caches werediscovered. The grain and the rest of the booty consisting of pots, guns, axes, stuffs, wampum belts,and some peltries were plundered by our Frenchmen and Savages. The destruction of the Indiancorn was commenced the same day, and was continued the two following days. The grain was soforward that the stalks were very easily cut by the sword and sabre without the least fear that anycould sprout again. Not a single head remained. The fields stretched from a league and a half totwo leagues from the fort: The destruction was complete. A lame girl was found concealed undera tree, and her life was spared.
An old man, also captured, did not experience the same fate. M. le Comte’s intention, after hehad interrogated him, was to spare his life on account of his great age, but the savages who had takenhim and to whom he was given were so excited that it was not deemed prudent to dissuade themfrom the desire they felt to burn him. He had, no doubt, prepared himself during his long life todie with firmness, however cruel the tortures he should have to endure. Not the slightest complaintescaped his lips. On the contrary he exhorted those who tormented him to remember his death,so as to display the same courage when those of his nation would take vengeance on them; andwhen a savage, weary of his harangues, gave him some cuts of a knife, “ I thank thee,” he cried,“ but thou oughtst to complete my death by fire. Learn, French dogs ! and ye, savages! their allies—that ye are the dogs of dogs. Remember what ye ought to do, when you will be in the same positionthat I am.” Similar sentiments will be found perhaps to flow rather from ferociousness, than truevalour; but there are heroes among barbarians as well as among the most polished nations, and whatwould be brutality in us may pass for valour with an Iroquois .
The 9th M. de Yaudreuil returned from Oneida at eight o’clock in the morning. He departed on'the morning of the 6th, with a detachment of six to seven hundred of the most active men of thewhole army, soldiers, militia and Indians. He had, under him, Sieurs de Louvigny and de Linvil-lieres, Captain; Desjordis and Dauberville, Calvinist Captains; Soulange and de Sabrevois, lieutenantsof foot, and several other subaltern officers. Sieur de Villedenay, also lieutenant, acted as his Aidde Camp.
As it was necessary to use great expedition, they did not march in as exact order as the army haddone; M. de Vaudreuil contented himself throwing the scouts some quarter of a league in advance;and on the wings, between the scouts and the main body he placed a detached corps of 50, a forlornhope commanded in turn by a lieutenant. They arrived on the same day before sundown within aleague of the village; they would have pushed even farther if the convenience of encamping on thebank of a beautiful river had not invited them to halt. They w'ere at the first dawn in sight of thevillage and as they were about to enter the fields of Indian corn, they met the Deputies of all thatNation.
They requested M. de Vaudeuil to halt, fearing that our savages w'ould spoil their crops, assuringhim that they w r ould execute in good faith the orders which M. le Comte had given to their first delegate.
M. de Vaudreuil determined also on his side to obey punctually those which he had received, toldthem it was useless for them to think of preserving their grain, as, according to the word of theirFather they should not want for any when retired among us; that, therefore, he should cut all down;