333
He continued his route and after inexpressible fatigues and suffering reached the vicinity ofthe Oneida Castle whither he sent four influential Indians as bearers of the General’s Word.
He continued his march as far as the River Corlaer and had the satisfaction of examining fiveEnglish forts abandoned by command for that erected since the reduction of Chouaguen, on thesite of Old Fort Bull.
The Indians, informed that there was a garrison of 350 men in a Fort named Kouari situateon the said river about a quarter of a league from the Village of the Palatines 1 did not fail toexhibit fear, but M. de Belletre having told them that their Father did not despatch a pickeddetachment, so well selected, except to make a blow of some interest, they recovered theircourage and evinced a lively ardor, except some young' Warriors and aged men who gave in,already fatigued by a weary march.
The four Savages sent to the Oneidas returned with the six warriors of that tribe who joinedour detachment, and told M. de Belletre that they had no other will than that of their Father.
On the 11th November at three o’clock in the afternoon M. de Belletre, preceded as was hiscustom by the scouts crossed the River Corlaer [Mohawk ] with his detachment, partly swim-ming, partly in the water up to the neck. He encamped at night fall in the woods a leagueand a half from the first of the five forts that covered the Palatine Settlements.
The 12th at three o’clock in the morning he gave his detachment the order of March andattack so as to surround the said five forts and the entire Palatine Village, consisting of sixtyhouses.
Though M. de Belletre knew that the English got notice the day preceding, yet that thecourage of the Indians may not receive the least check and to show them he would not rashlyexpose them, he liberated an Indian of the Five Nations whom he had until then detained un-der suspicion. But this Savage could not injure M. de Belletre because he commenced at thesame time to attack the five forts and the Palatines’ houses.
At sight of the first fort he decided to take it by assault. The enemy kept up the mostactive fire of musketry but the intrepidity with which M. de Belletre, with all the Officers andCanadians of his detachment advanced, coupled with the war whoop of the Indians, terrified theEnglish to the degree that the Mayor of the Village of the Palatines, who commanded the saidFort, opened the doors and asked for quarter.
M. de Belletre lost no time in repairing to the second, the third, the fourth and fifth whichwere not less intimidated than the first by his intrepidity and the cries of the Indians. Theyall surrendered at discretion, and were entirely burnt.
During this time a party of Canadians and Indians ravaged and burnt the said 60 houses ofthe Palatines, their barns and other out buildings as well as the Water Mill .
In all these expeditions about 40 English perished—killed or drowned. The number of prison-ers is nearly 150 men, women and children, among whom is the Mayor of the Village, the Sur-geon and some Militia Officers. We had not a man killed; but M. de Lorimer, officer, waswounded in the right side by a ball, and three or four Savages slightly.
The damage inflicted on the enemy is estimated according to the representations of the English themselves, To wit
In grain of all sorts, a muGh larger quantity than the Island of Montreal has produced inyears of abundance.
The same of hogs.
1 This fort, to which so much reference is made in a subsequent paper describing the Valley of the Mohawk , was situateon the South side of the Mohawk River , nearly opposite the mouth of the West Canada Creek, in what is now the Town ofGerman Flatts. It is alluded to by Lt. Gov. Delancey (see post p. 334) as “Fort Hareniger,” and is now known as FortHerkimer, The settlement destroyed by the French was on the opposite, or North side of the Mohawk .