98 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



who were opposed to them in arms ; that old 

 men, woTTien, children and prisoners, should be 

 spared from the knife and hatihtt, even in the 

 midst of action ; that they should only scalp 

 those w ho were killed by their fire in fair Oppo- 

 sition ; bui th;tt under no prttence whatever, 

 should t;r:y sciup the wounded, or even dying, 

 and much less kill any in that condition. A 

 handsome compensation was promised, for all 

 prisoners they should i^ring in ; but if instead 

 of this they brought in their sCulps, they were 

 to be called to account.* The British generai 

 could not be so unacquainted with the estab- 

 lished customs and habits of the Indians, as to 

 expect that an elegtmt speech would have any 

 considerable effect upon them ; still it might be 

 useful to their cause, as it bore the appearance 

 of humanity, and might tend to abate the re- 

 proaches vvith which their conduct v/as loaded 

 in every part of Europe, for calling forth the 

 savage barbarities at all into the contest. 



With regard to the Americans, the com^ 

 mand in the northern department, had been as^ 

 signed to major general Schuyler. It w^s fore- 

 seen that the contest M'ould be carried on in the 

 northern and western parts of the state of Nevv' 

 York ; and it was supposed that he was the 

 only man, who would have influence enough to 

 keep the inhabitants in those parts of the state, 

 united against 'the enemy. Four dc'iys before 

 Burgoyne made his speech to the Indians, 

 Schuyler arrived at Ticonderoga, but did not 

 find either the garrison or the works, in so res- 

 pectable a condition as he expected. Most of 



* Appendix, No. II. 



