1764, Aug.] ALEXANDER HENRY. 175 



the rocks at Lewiston, and dragged by oxen over 

 the rough portage road. The troops had been 

 joined by three hundred friendly Indians, and an 

 equal number of Canadians. The appearance of 

 the latter in arms would, it was thought, have great 

 effect on the minds of the enemy, who had always 

 looked upon them as friends and supporters. Of 

 the Indian allies, the greater part were Iroquois, 

 and the remainder, about a hundred in number, 

 Ojibwas and Mississaugas ; the former being the 

 same who had recently arrived from the Sault Ste. 

 Marie, bringing with them their prisoner, Alex- 

 ander Henry. Henry was easily persuaded to 

 accompany the expedition ; and the command of the 

 Ojibwas and Mississaugas was assigned to him — 

 " To me," writes the adventurous trader, " whose 

 best hope it had lately been to live by their forbear- 

 ance." His long-continued sufferings and dangers 

 hardly deserved to be rewarded by so great a mis- 

 fortune as that of commanding a body of Indian 

 warriors ; an evil from which, however, he was 

 soon to be relieved. The army had hardly begun 

 its march, when nearly all his followers ran off, 

 judging it wiser to return home with the arms and 

 clothing given them for the expedition, than to make 

 war against their own countrymen and relatives. 

 Fourteen warriors still remained ; but on the fol- 

 lowing night, when the army lay at Fort Schlosser, 

 having contrived by some means to obtain liquor, 

 they created such a commotion in the camp, by 

 yelling and firing their guns, as to excite the utmost 

 indignation of the commander. They received 



