1765.] CROGHAN'S CONVOY. 277 



about to be reopened, were bastening to Fort Pitt 

 witb a great quantity of goods, eager to throw them 

 into the market the moment the prohibition should 

 be removed. There is reason to beheve that Cro- 

 ghan had an interest in these goods, and that, 

 under [)retence of giving presents, he meant to 

 open a clandestine trade. ^ The Paxton men, and 

 their kindred spirits of the border, saw the proceed- 

 ing with sinister eyes. In their view, the traders 

 were about to make a barter of the blood of the- 

 people ; to place in the hands of murdering sav- 

 ages the means of renewing the devastation to 

 which the reeking frontier bore frightful witness. 

 Once possessed with this idea, they troubled them- , 

 selves with no more inquiries ; and, having tried 

 remonstrances in vain, they adopted a summary 

 mode of doing themselves justice. At the head of 

 the enterprise was a man whose name had been 

 connected with more praiseworthy exploits, James 

 Smith, already mentioned as leading a party of 

 independent riflemen, for the defence of the bor- 

 ders, during the bloody autumn of 1763. He now 

 mustered his old associates, made them resume 

 their Indian disguise, and led them to their work 

 with characteristic energy and address. 



The government agents and traders were in the 

 act of passing the verge of the frontiers. Their 

 united trains amounted to seventy pack-horses, 



1 " The country people appear greatly incensed at the attempt they 

 imagine has been made of opening a clandestine trade with the Savages 

 under cover of presents ; and, if it is not indiscreet in me, I would beg 

 leave to ask whether Croglian had such extensive orders." — Bouquet to 

 Amherst, 10 April, 1765, MS. 



