40O Transactions of the Canadian Institute. [Vol. VII. 



Lieut.-Colonel Butler, with 200 ranp^ers and 220 regular troops from 

 the garrison of Niagara, was directed to join Sir John Johnson at Oswego 

 and act under his orders. His instructions forbade him to take " a single 

 man who is not a good marcher and capable of bearing fatigue. I hope 

 Joseph is returned," the Governor added, " as I would by all means have 

 him employed on this service." 



Contrary winds prevented Butler from arriving at Oswego until 

 October ist, and by that time the garrisons on the Mohawk were warned 

 by their Indian spies that he had sailed from Niagara on an expedition 

 of some kind. It was not until daybreak on the 17th that the weary 

 column, commanded by Sir John Johnson, passed the fort at the head of 

 Schoharie, having made a long detour through the wilderness for the 

 purpose of attacking the enemy in an entirely unexpected quarter, and 

 swept along the west bank of that stream down to the Mohawk, burning 

 every building and stack of grain as they went along. Sir John then 

 " detached Captain Thompson of the rangers and Captain Brant with 

 about 150 rangers and Indians to destroy the settlement at Fort Hunter 

 on the east side of Schoharie Creek, which they effected without opposition, 

 the inhabitants having fled into the fort." Advancing swiftly up the 

 Mohawk the invaders laid waste the country on both sides until midnight, 

 when utterly exhausted they halted at the narrow pass called " the 

 Nose " to snatch a few hours' sleep. Before daybreak they were again on 

 the march and soon encountered Colonel Brown with 360 men from Stone 

 Arabia who attempted to check their further progress. While the 

 detachments of the 8th and 34th Regiments advanced directly upon the 

 front of the enemy's position. Brant with a party of Indians made a 

 circuit through the woods to turn their right flank, and Captain John 

 Macdonnell led a body of rangers in the opposite direction to turn their 

 left. The position was carried with trifling loss to the assailants, while 

 Colonel Brown was killed and about a hundred of his men killed or taken. 

 Johnson reported that " Captain Macdonnell and Captain Brant exerted 

 themselves on this occasion in a manner that did them honour and 

 contributed greatly to our success. Captain Brant received a flesh wound 

 in the sole of his foot near his former wound." 



Before night they were forced to fight a sharp rear-guard action with 

 a pursuing force of more than a thousand men under General Van 

 Rensselaer. They turned upon their assailants, drove them from their 

 position and crossed the river unmolested. During their raid they had 

 destroyed thirteen gristmills, many sawmills, a thousand houses and about 

 the same number of barns, containing, it was estimated, 600,000 bushels 



