1764, Oct.] HE RETURNS HOME. 197 



At length, declaring that provisions were failing 

 and the season growing late, he resolved to return 

 home ; and broke up his camp with such precipi- 

 tancy that two soldiers, who had gone out in the 

 morning to catch fish for his table, were inhumanly 

 left behind ; ^ the colonel remarking that they might 

 stay and be damned. Soon after leaving Sandusky, 

 he saw fit to encamp one evening on an open, 

 exposed beach, on the south shore of Lake Erie, 

 though there was in the neighborhood a large 

 river, " wherein," say his critics, " a thousand boats 

 could lie with safety." A storm came on : half 

 his boats were dashed to pieces ; and six pieces 

 of cannon, with ammunition, provisions, arms, and 

 baggage, were lost or abandoned. For three days 

 the tempest raged unceasingly ; and, w^hen the 

 angry lake began to resume its tranquillity, it was 

 found that the remaining boats were insufficient to 

 convey the troops. A body of Indians, together 

 with a detachment of provincials, about a hundred 



1 " 8th. His going away, leaving at Sandusky Two Jersey Soldiers, 

 who were sent out by his Orders to Catch Fish for his Table & Five Prin- 

 cipal Inds. who were Hunting, notwithstanding several spoke to him abt. 

 it & begged to allow a Boat to stay an hour or two for them ; his Answer 

 was, they might stay there & be damned, not a Boat should stay one 

 Minute for them." — Remarks on the Conduct, etc., MS. 



Another article of these charges is as follows : " His harsh treatment 

 at Setting off to the Inds. and their officers & leaving some of them 

 behind at every encampment from his flighty and unsettled disposition, 

 telling them sometimes he intended encamping, on which some of the 

 briskest Inds. went to kill some Game, on their return found the Army 

 moved on, so were obhged to march along shore without any necessarys, 

 and with difficulty got to Detroit half starved. At other times on being 

 asked by the Indt* officers (when the Boats were crowded) how they and 

 ye Inds. should get along, His answer always verry ill natured, such as 

 swim and be damned, or let them stay and be damned, &c. ; all which 

 was understood by many & gave great uneasiness." 



