In the Current of the Revolution 133 



and children, their beasts of burden and pasture, and 

 their household goods; like most bands of new im- 

 migrants, they suffered greatly from the Indians, 

 much more than did the old settlers. 27 The follow- 

 ing year a Baptist congregation came out from Vir- 

 ginia, keeping up its organization even while on the 

 road, the preacher holding services at every long 

 halt. 



Soon after the rush of spring immigration was at 

 its height, the old settlers and the new-comers alike 

 were thrown into the utmost alarm by a formidable 

 inroad of Indians, accompanied by French partisans, 

 and led by a British officer. De Peyster, a New 

 York tory of old Knickerbocker family, had taken 

 command at Detroit. He gathered the Indians 

 around him from far and near, until the expense of 

 subsidizing these savages became so enormous as 

 to call forth serious complaints from headquarters. 28 

 He constantly endeavored to equip and send out dif- 

 ferent bands, not only to retake the Illinois and Vin- 

 cennes, but to dislodge Clark from the Falls 29 ; he 

 was continually receiving scalps and prisoners, and 

 by May he had fitted out two thousand warriors to 

 act along the Ohio and the Wabash. 30 The rapid 

 growth of Kentucky especially excited his apprehen- 



27 State Department MSS. No. 41, Vol. V, Memorials K, 

 L, 1777-1787, pp. 95-97, Petition of Low Dutch Reformed 

 Church, etc. 



28 Haldimand MSS. Haldimand to Guy Johnson, June 30, 

 1780. 



19 Do. Haldimand to De Peyster, Feb. 12 and July 6, 1780. 

 30 Do. De Peyster to Haldimand, June i, 1780. 



