come on the part of the inhabitants, they were treated with 

 perfect indifference. The disaffection was carried so far, that 

 Peter Schuyler found it necessary to go in person to Schenec- 

 tady to see them well quartered. 



The inhabitants of this place appear to have lost all sense 

 of danger and personal safety. The usual precaution of clos- 

 ing the gates and placing sentinels at the outskirts of the town 

 was neglected, and the inhabitants thus exposed to the ma- 

 rauding parties of the enemy. 



When warned of their imminent danger by a small party 

 of gentlemen who liad come from Albany for that express pur- 

 pose, and entreated to keep their outposts manned, they evin- 

 ced a recklessness of consequences bordering upon idiocy. 



While in this exposed condition, the expedition started from 

 Canada, with a view of surprising Albany. It consisted of 

 two hundred French and Indians. Through the advice of 

 the latter, they changed their purpose, and directed their course 

 towards Schenectady, which they reached almost famished, 

 after a march of twenty-two days. They had suffered ex- 

 tremely from the winter, which was uncommonly severe ; and 

 during the latter part of their journey, had endured all the 

 torments of hunger. Their provisions were too far expended 

 to return, and they themselves too feeble to encounter a spirit- 

 ed resistance ; nothing seemed left them, therefore, but to pe- 

 rish, with the object of their expedition almost accomplished, 

 or to surrender prisoners of war : they chose the latter alter- 



It is impossible at this day to estimate the extremity of their 

 sufferings : we are accustomed to judge of the miseries of oth- 

 ers, by the standard of our own feelings, and enjoying the 

 comforts of civilized hfe cannot enter into that degree of hard- 

 ship and wretchedness necessary to induce the savage, (who 

 rehearses his exploits, with all the ardor of an enthusiast, while 

 enduring the most painM and lingering torments,) to surren- 

 der a prisoner of war. 



While in this destitute and wretched condition, the Indian 

 scouts, (who were generally two or three days in advance of 



