278 FATE OF THE FOREST GARRISONS. [1763, Mat. 



mand, and the white or red savages who ranged 

 the surrounding woods. Holmes suspected the 

 intention of the Indians, and was therefore on his 

 guard, when, on the twenty-seventh of May, a 

 young. Indian girl, who lived with him, came to 

 .tell him that a squaw lay dangerously ill in a wig- 

 wam near the fort, and urged him to come to her 

 relief. Having confidence in the girl, Holmes for- 

 got his caution and followed her out of the fort. 

 Pitched at the edge of a meadow, hidden from view 

 by an intervening spur of the woodland, stood a 

 great number of Indian wigwams. When Holmes 

 came in sight of them, his treacherous conductress 

 pointed out that in which the sick woman lay. He 

 walked on without suspicion ; but, as he drew near, 

 two guns flashed from behind the hut, and stretched 

 him lifeless on the grass. The shots were heard at 

 the fort, and the sergeant rashly went out to learn 

 the reason of the firing. He was immediately taken 

 prisoner, amid exulting yells and whoopings. The 

 soldiers in the fort climbed upon the palisades, to 

 look out, when Godefroy, a Canadian, and two other 

 white men, made their appearance, and summoned 

 them to surrender ; promising that, if they did so, 

 their lives should be spared, but that otherwise they 

 would all be killed without mercy. The men, being 

 in great terror, and without a leader, soon threw open 

 the gate, and gave themselves up as prisoners.^ 



1 Loss of the Posts, MS. Compare Diary of the Siege, 22, 26. 



It appears by a deposition taken at Detroit on the lltli June, that 

 Godefroy, mentioned above, left Detroit with four other Canadians three 

 or four days after the siege began. Their professed object was to bring 

 a French officer from the Illinois to induce Pontiac to abandon his hostile 



