HISTORY OF VERMONT. 23© 



inform the Americans that if they proceeded to 

 attack them, they would instantly put all the 

 prisoners to death. To two of them, the ex- 

 pectation of an attack had already proved fatil. 

 One of the prisoners, expt cting the Americans 

 would relieve them, refused to march ; another 

 was doomed to be a victim on account of the 

 Indian that had been slain ; their savage mas- 

 ters tomahawked and scalped them, as they tn.y 

 bound on the ground : And their warriors took 

 their station to cover the retreat. Having taken 

 these measures, they immediately crossed the 

 stream, proceeded up the west side, some dis- 

 tance iwto Randolph, took one prisoner, passed 

 through the west part of Brookfield, went" to 

 Onion river,,, and in that way to St. Johns and 

 Montreal. House and his men were waiting 

 fbr the dawn of day, and deliberating on the 

 message brought to them by the prisoner, till 

 the enemy were all gone from their camp* 

 They proceeded about five miles further to 

 Brookfield, where they found all quiet ; judging 

 it to be in vain to make any further pursuit, they 

 returned to their own habitations, having lost 

 the opportunity of attacking the enemy to ad- 

 vantage, by their caution and delay. 



In this Indian expedition there were several 

 occurrences which seemed to denote a change 

 in the Indian customs, manners and habits. 

 Their attachment to devastation and plunder, 

 appeared to be as strong as it ever had been io. 

 any of their former vvars. From the time when: 

 they began their retreat in Sharon, they burned, 

 plundered, destroyed and carried, off every thing 

 that came in theh way. They did not however 



