HISTORY OF VERMONT. 27§ 



defeat of the whole army had it- n6t been preven- 

 ted by the superior prowess of the French Iildi- 

 ans. Accustomed to such scenes, they under- 

 stood the business, and the outrage of an Indi- 

 an attack ; ralhed their forces, rushed on to the 

 attack, repulsed the Senecas, and saved the army 

 of the French. 



So dispirited Vv'as the French general by this 

 unexpected and alarming onset, that he could not 

 be pursuaded to make any further attempts that 

 day, or even to pursue the retreating enemy. 

 While he was collecting his spirits and his 

 troops, the Senecas burnt their town and mar- 

 ched off with safety into the woods ; leaving 

 nothing but two of their oldest men^ for the 

 French to kill and torture. All the exploits that 

 remained for De Nonville. was to burn the 

 cornfields belonging to the Indian village, and 

 make captives of the two old men. Having 

 compleated this business he marched his army 

 back to lake Ontario ; and erected a fort on 

 the strait at Niagai-a. To preserve this fort, he 

 left a garrison of one hundred men; all of which, 

 except seven or eight who escaped, being close- 

 -ly blocked up by the Seneca's, perished in a few 

 months bv famine. 



Receiving intelligence of the event ofDe 

 Nonville's ex])edition, the governor of New- 

 York concerted measures to avail himself of the 

 power and friendship of the Indians. For this 

 purpose he repaired to Albany, and had a con- 

 ference with the five nations in the month of 

 August. His speech on that occasion was wtII 

 adapted to secure their confidence and depen- 

 diiUice. He rejoiced, he told them, that they. 



