journals of sir wm. Johnson’s scouts.

179

then returned about 4 miles in the middle of the Lake , put in on the East Shoar into a little Creek &lay there that night The 7 Inst in the Morning he & two men went by Land & concealed them-selves in some Spruce Shrubs where the Enemy had been felling some Timber ath 5 Rod from theLake side w ch is there about 300 yards wide, saw the Enemy come down to the West side of theLake & carry away some Timber w ch lay there floating & carried it up to their Encamp 1 upon hand-spikes, heard Workmen Chopping & liamering. Saw the Guards from the Two Advanced Firesupon the Lake side, come in, in Two Birch Canoes, each of w ch contained 12 or 13 men. Saw noIndians, discovered a Breast work round their Incamp 1 with pickets put up like ours here, &several Log houses within it & suppose there may be between 150 or 160 men there, lay there til itbegan to rain hard & the Enemy left off working w ch judge was between 10 & 11 a Clock yesterdaymorning, then came away & joined the other men at the Battoe lays still till about 12 a Clock atnight, then set off for this Camp, about 3 this morning struck up a. little fire upon a small Islandab l 20 miles from hence about half an hour afterwards heard a whooping of Indians on the East sideof the Lake kept a strict watch till Day break when the whooping was repeated more stronly, thenset off in the Battoe homewards & made no further Discoveries.

Camp at Lake George 8 Nov r Afternoon taken by me Peter Wraxall

(Endorsed) The Report of James Connor relatingto the Enemys Advanced Guard.

A EE PORT OF THE SCOUT TO THE N. E. OF THIS INCAMPMENT.

Camp at Lake George 8 th Nov r 1755.

Having according to Orders Gone the Distance w h we Reach’d: the 6 th sent out Two Scouts Ime-diately one for South Bay the other for wood Crick, the one that went to wood Crick returnd thesame Evening and acquainted me they had Discoverd Newly beating Tracts to the s d w d upon \\ bon the 7 lh at day break sent four y e same way to reach the falls of wood Creek But being aRainy day & having no Compass within they went about S E as nigh as I can judge from theirInformation, and In the Close of the Evening Came up with a Tract Just Trod which they Imme-diately follow’d: & not Long before they discoverd the Rise of a smoke from a small hutt on the sideof a hill, they made a halt & Concluded to send one forwarded to make what discoverys he Cou’d(the other lay in ambush ab l 30 rod off) on his Coming near he Discovered Seven Nigh the fireThree french and four Indians. On w h lie-returned to his party and Acquainted them of theirNumbers, upon w h they Concluded that as soon as it was Dark to go & attack ’em : in the meanTime the person that Had made the discovery went & Lay to watch ’em to see if they sett anySentrys : he had not sett Long before it Grew Dark : and he Discoverd four of ’em Come’g withina Rod or Two of him, & having a Great Cold Could not refrain Coughing: w h he did at the Time ,with his hand to his mouth as the first of the four Came across him : upon w h he thinking theyhad discoverd him, He fires on him & he Dropt & Scremd out Bitterly he Imediately made to theparty & they went of from the place & return’d to me this morning at Ten o Clock ; the Scout thatwent to South Bay having reached it, Stay’d some Time To make what Discovery they Coud. ButReturned not having Discoverd anything—Nothing more that’s material has happen’d

Mich l Thodey.

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