HISTORY OF VERMONT. 235 



ever of this nature had been alarming and dis- 

 tressing, the memory of which ought to be pre- 

 served. Most of them were made by the refu- 

 gees and tories, attended by parties of Indians ; 

 and designed against individuals on personal ac- 

 counts, for the purposes of revenge or abuse. 

 One of these Indjan excursions proved very 

 distressing to the inhabitants of Royalton, In' 

 the beginning of October, 1780, an expedition 

 was planned against Newbury, on Connecticut 

 river. One of their objects was supposed to be 

 to captivate a lieutenant Whitcomb. In July, 

 1776, this officer was out with a scouting party 

 on the river Sorel. General Gordon, a British 

 officer, was riding between Chambly and St. 

 Johns. Whitcomb mortally wounded the gen- 

 eral, and took from him his sword and watch. 

 The British deeply resented this attack, and 

 viewed it as a base and villanous action, un- 

 worthy of an officer ; resulting wholly from a 

 desire of plunder.* Against this man they had 

 conceived a violent aversion, and wished to get 

 him into their power. But whatever was the 

 object, the party set out with a design to fall 

 upon Newbury. It consisted of two hundred 

 and ten men, almost all Indians ; there being 

 but seven white men, tories, and refugees, in 

 the party ; the whole under the command of 

 lieutenant Horton, a British officer. As they 

 W'ere proceeding up Onion river, they fell in 

 with two men who were hunting ; by these 

 men they were told that the people at Newbury 

 were expecting an assault from Canada, and 

 were well prepared to oppose it. This infor-* 



Gordon^ Vol. 2, p. 14a. 



