﻿HISTORY 
  OF 
  THE 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  IROQUOIS 
  355 
  

  

  Indians 
  assembled 
  near 
  Oswego 
  would 
  soon 
  strike 
  a 
  blow. 
  

   Colonel 
  Claus 
  had 
  been 
  appointed 
  commander 
  of 
  the 
  Indians 
  in 
  

   Canada, 
  and 
  St 
  Leger 
  was 
  on 
  his 
  way 
  to 
  Oswego, 
  where 
  the 
  Six 
  

   Nations 
  would 
  join 
  him. 
  In 
  July 
  he 
  said 
  the 
  Indians 
  had 
  made 
  

   some 
  successful 
  attacks 
  and 
  were 
  ready 
  to 
  join 
  either 
  St 
  Leger 
  

   or 
  Burgoyne. 
  

  

  St 
  Leger 
  was 
  joined 
  by 
  Sir 
  John 
  Johnson 
  at 
  Buck 
  island 
  and 
  

   by 
  150 
  Mississagas 
  and 
  Iroquois 
  on 
  the 
  way. 
  The 
  Indians 
  

   Colonel 
  Claus 
  knew 
  best 
  were 
  with 
  Burgoyne. 
  When 
  St 
  Leger 
  

   reached 
  Oswego, 
  matters 
  were 
  not 
  in 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  condition, 
  

   and 
  great 
  promises 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  made. 
  Mary 
  Jemison 
  said 
  every 
  

   warrior 
  received 
  a 
  suit 
  of 
  clothes, 
  brass 
  kettle, 
  tomahawk, 
  gun, 
  

   powder 
  and 
  money, 
  and 
  a 
  bounty 
  for 
  scalps 
  was 
  offered. 
  Thus 
  

   richly 
  furnished, 
  she 
  said, 
  the 
  Senecas 
  became 
  " 
  full 
  of 
  the 
  fire 
  

   of 
  war, 
  and 
  anxious 
  to 
  encounter 
  their 
  enemies." 
  They 
  were 
  

   told 
  they 
  might 
  smoke 
  their 
  pipes 
  and 
  see 
  these 
  whipped, 
  but 
  

   instead 
  " 
  they 
  were 
  obliged 
  to 
  fight 
  for 
  their 
  lives, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   battle 
  were 
  completely 
  beaten." 
  

  

  Claus 
  met 
  Brant 
  at 
  Oswego, 
  his 
  300 
  Indians 
  coming 
  next 
  day. 
  

   They 
  had 
  been 
  out 
  two 
  months 
  and 
  were 
  destitute, 
  Butler 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  given 
  him 
  too 
  little 
  ammunition. 
  When 
  Herkimer 
  visited 
  

   him 
  with 
  300 
  men, 
  with 
  500 
  more 
  near 
  by, 
  he 
  caused 
  him 
  to 
  

   retire 
  by 
  a 
  firm 
  front, 
  though 
  having 
  but 
  200 
  men 
  and 
  20 
  pounds 
  

   of 
  powder. 
  Such 
  was 
  his 
  story. 
  

  

  St 
  Leger 
  intended 
  leaving 
  the 
  lake 
  at 
  Salmon 
  river, 
  but 
  came 
  

   to 
  Oswego, 
  passing 
  through 
  Oneida 
  lake 
  afterward, 
  Three 
  Rivers 
  

   being 
  the 
  Indian 
  rendezvous 
  and 
  place 
  of 
  equipment. 
  The 
  army 
  

   left 
  Oswego 
  July 
  26, 
  part 
  reaching 
  Fort 
  Stanwix 
  Aug. 
  2, 
  where 
  

   the 
  siege 
  began 
  next 
  day. 
  St 
  Leger 
  brought 
  no 
  heavy 
  guns, 
  

   intending 
  a 
  surprise, 
  but, 
  instead 
  of 
  60 
  men 
  in 
  a 
  stockade, 
  his 
  

   scouts 
  found 
  600 
  repairing 
  the 
  old 
  fort, 
  who 
  knew 
  his 
  strength 
  

   and 
  plans. 
  He 
  had 
  time 
  to 
  get 
  more 
  artillery 
  but 
  would 
  not 
  do 
  

   it, 
  and 
  the 
  garrison 
  feared 
  no 
  assault. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  definite 
  intelligence 
  of 
  his 
  advance 
  was 
  brought 
  by 
  

   Thomas 
  Spencer, 
  a 
  half-breed 
  Oneida 
  chief. 
  He 
  had 
  been 
  con- 
  

   cealed 
  at 
  a 
  council 
  at 
  Cassasseny 
  (St 
  Regis), 
  where 
  Colonel 
  Claus 
  

  

  