18y2-93.] MEMOIR OP CAPTAIN WALTER BUTLER. 295- 



enemy. They will as usual have the strongest injunctions to avoid the 

 destruction of women and children, and every species of cruelty." 



After a harassing march of eight days, in most distressing weather, 

 they gained the Mohawk River by a very circuitous and unfrequented 

 route, as much to the surprise of the panic-stricken inhabitants as if they 

 had sprung out of the earth itself, although they had been forewarned of 

 their arrival at Oswego. Their appearance at Corrystown on the morning 

 of the 24th October was known in a few hours in all the surrounding forts. 

 There they took a number of prisoners, by whom they were informed 

 that there were 600 militia and 400 regular troops at Schenectady, 500 

 at Schoharie, and 400 more at Canajoharie, besides garrisons in twenty or 

 more smaller forts along the river. They were consequently threatened 

 by the attack of a force at least four times their number and in a manner 

 surrounded by enemies. Major Ross saw that he must make a forced 

 march during the night if he hoped to reach his destination unmolested. 

 The rain fell in floods and the roads were rapidly becoming almost 

 impassable for his jaded troops, still the fourteen miles that lay before 

 them were accomplished before dawn, but although they struggled 

 manfully to keep together and help along their weaker comrades, several 

 became so completely exhausted that they had to be left by the roadside 

 to the tender mercies of an exasperated enemy. They were allowed to 

 rest on their arms for an hour, and at daybreak the work of destruction 

 began. The Indians and a party of rangers were detached for this purpose, 

 while the remainder of the column marched along the road to support 

 them. The settlement was found entirely deserted. By ten o'clock the 

 devastation of the country for seven miles along the river was completed. 

 Three mills, a public granary, a hundred farm houses with their out- 

 buildings were in flames. The troops then reassembled about twelve 

 miles from Schenectady and retraced their steps to Fort Johnson. 

 Shortly after noon they crossed the river there with some difficulty, 

 as the garrison sallied out to oppose the passage, but the commanding 

 officer being killed his men retreated hastily to the shelter of their works. 

 The British column then marched rapidly through the streets of 

 Johnstown under fire from the stone jail as they passed, and halted in the 

 fields beyond the hall for an hour or two to collect provisions. Major 

 ■Ross then directed Captain Tice with the Indians to lead the way by the 

 nearest route to Carleton Island, carefully concealing his intention from 

 all others to prevent deserters or prisoners giving information to the 

 enemy. He had sent out scouting parties but they failed to gain any 

 intelligence of the movements of the enemy. However, Colonel Willett, 

 who had advanced to Caughnawaga with 500 regulars and a hundred 

 militia the day before, was already close in pursuit. The Indians 



