32 THE WAR ON THE BORDERS. [1763, June. 



defiles and narrow passes, he was sometimes known 

 to advance before his men, armed with a rifle, and 

 acting the part of a scout.^ 



Sir Jeffrey had long and persistently flattered 

 himself that the Indian uprising was but a tempo- 

 rary ebullition, which would soon subside. Bou- 

 quet sent him, on the fourth of June, a copy of a 

 letter from Captain Ecuyer,^ at Fort Pitt, reporting 

 the disturbances in that quarter. On the next day 

 Bouquet wrote again, in a graver strain ; and Am- 

 herst replied, from New York, on the sixth : '• I 

 gave immediate orders for completing the light 

 infantry companies of the 17th, 42d, and 77th reg- 

 iments. They are to assemble without loss of time, 

 and to encamp on Staten Island, under Major 

 Campbell, of the 42d. . . . Although I have 

 thought proper to assemble this force, which I 

 judge more than sufficient to quell any disturbances 

 the whole Indian strength could raise, yet I am 

 persuaded the alarm will end in nothing more than 

 a rash attempt of what the Senecas have been 

 threatening, and which we have heard of for some 

 time past. As to their cutting off defenceless fam- 

 ilies,' or even some of the small posts, it is certainly 

 at all times in their power to effect such enter- 

 prises. . . . The post of Fort Pitt, or any of the 

 others commanded by officers, can certainly never 

 be in danger from such a wretched enemy. . . . 



1 There is a sketch of Bouquet's life prefixed to the French trans- 

 lation of the Account of Bouquet's Expedition. See also the reprint in the 

 first volume of Clarke's " Ohio Valley Historical Series." 



2 An extract from this letter, which is dated May 30, is given on 

 page 374. 



