222 BOUQUET IN THE INDIAN COUNTRY. [1764, Oct. 



conducting troops of prisoners, or leading captive 

 children, — wild young barbarians, born perhaps 

 among themselves, and scarcely to be distinguished 

 from their own. Yet, seeing the sullen reluctance 

 which the Indians soon betrayed in this ungrateful 

 task, Bouquet thought it expedient to stimulate 

 their efforts by sending detachments of soldiers to 

 each of the villages, still retaining the chiefs in 

 pledge for their safety. About this time, a Cana- 

 dian officer, named Hertel, with a party of Caugh- 

 naw^aga Indians, arrived with a letter from Colonel 

 Bradstreet, dated at Sandusky. The writer declared 

 that he was unable to remain longer in the Indian 

 country, and was on the point of retiring down 

 Lake Erie with his army ; a movement which, at 

 the least, was of doubtful necessity, and which 

 mio-ht have involved the most disastrous conse- 

 quences. Had the tidings been received but a few 

 days sooner, the whole effect of Bouquet's meas- 

 ures would probably have been destroyed, the 

 Indians encouraged to resistance, and the war 

 brought to the arbitration of a battle, which must 

 needs have been a fierce and bloody one. But, 

 happily for both parties, Bouquet now had his 

 enemies firmly in his grasp, and the boldest warrior 

 dared not violate the truce. 



The messengers who brought the letter of Brad- 

 street brought also the tidings that peace was mad6 

 with the northern Indians ; but stated, at the same 

 time, that these tribes had murdered many of their 

 captives, and given up but few of the remainder, 

 so that no small number were still within their 



