I896-97-] BRANT IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 253 



deli\'ering the Mohawks in course of a flying march down that historic 

 valley, and then endeavour to join Burgoyne's army which was known 

 to have reached the Hudson River. In carrying out this project, he 

 was obliged to pass around an American army and march for a hundred 

 miles through a hostile country studded with forts. In one skirmish, 

 his favourite companion, Captain John, falling to the rear was surrounded 

 and " being determined not to surrender, had a whole charge of buck- 

 shot fired into his left breast and arm and, notwithstanding, made 

 a miraculous escape." At the lower Mohawk village, they were joined 

 by about a hundred of its inhabitants, after which they continued their 

 hurried flight towards Saratoga. When at length almost within sight of 

 the British camp. Brant " had an encounter with the rebel party which 

 he soon put to flight and arrived safe with Gen. Burgoyne who received 

 and treated him according to his merit." 



The arrival of his party is noticed by Anburey when at the Batten 

 Kill on the 24th of August. 



" The Mohawk nation," says that author, " which are called Sir 

 William Johnson's Indians, as having their village near his plantation, 

 and who in his lifetime was constantly among them, were driven from 

 their village by the Americans, and have joined our army ; they have 

 come with their squaws, children, cattle, horses, and sheep, and are 

 encamped at the creek from whence this place takes its name. When 

 the army cross the river, the squaws and children are to go to Canada 

 and the men to remain." 



Like all the other Indians, the Mohawks soon became impatient 

 under the restrictions imposed upon their movements by the presence of 

 so large a regular army, and the}' deserted Burgoyne some time before 

 the catastrophe of Saratoga. 



Claus relates in his " Anecdotes " that Brant " procured encouraging 

 messages from the Canada Indians that remained with Gen. Burgoyne 

 and accordingly attended a general meeting of the whole confederacy at 

 Onondaga where he spared no pains to prepare and harangue them 

 against the shock of Gen. Burgoyne's disaster, of which they soon after 

 had a most exaggerated account from the rebels, the only channel they 

 could get it then, who at the same time with threats invited them to join 

 their cause with a large belt of wampum and a war axe worked in it. 

 However, Mr. Brant, counteracting and using the most urgent argu- 

 ments such as the loss of brave chiefs and warriors at Fort Stanwix and 

 what subjection and slavery they must be exposed to if the rebels got 



