" 
 
 COp* 2 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 IC-NRLF 
 
 *D 3*4 OMQ 
 
 PBENOH AND INDIAN WARS, 
 IN AMERICA, 
 
 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 
 
 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 1 
 
 PUBLISHED BY DOfcE. & HOVTLAV 
 
 1827. 
 
 


I 
 
FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 OR 
 
 A TALE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS. 
 
 IN AMERICA, 
 
 - 
 
 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 
 
 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY DORR & ROWLAND. 
 1827. 
 

 i 
 
 CHARLES GRIFFIN PRINTER WORCESTER 
 
^ 
 B 
 
 lit* 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 - A"" 
 
 THE following Letters, first pub 
 lished in the CONNECTICUT MIRROR, 
 will be found to contain much in 
 structive and interesting historical 
 matter. Although clothed in the 
 garb of fiction, they will serve to il 
 lustrate many circumstances connect 
 ed with the spirit and character of 
 the cotemporary actors of the age 
 in which these scenes are laid. In 
 the peaceable enjoyment of the mul 
 tiplied blessings, so bountifully show 
 ered down upon our native land, it 
 is difficult for a generation, so far 
 removed from the perilous times 
 herein delineated, to place a proper 
 estimate upon the institutions, that 
 so largely contribute to their happi 
 ness, and so firmly secure their 
 rights. Without an occasional in- 
 
 : M552266 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 quiry into the origin of our estab 
 lishments, and the price at which 
 they were purchased, we should be 
 come insensible to their value, and 
 indifferent to their preservation. 
 The tedious details and dull narra 
 tions of many ancient historians, 
 have caused their works to be unin 
 teresting to most modern readers. 
 Hence it has been found necessary to 
 present detached passages of their 
 works, in the gildings of fiction and 
 romance, to render them more invit 
 ing to the taste of a fastidious pub 
 lic. Our own writers have, as yet, 
 been following in this path, the great 
 Novelists of Europe, with unequal 
 steps indeed, but not warranted by 
 the deeds of chivalry and noble dar 
 ing, so plentifully scattered through 
 our own annals ; transactions which, 
 without the aid of fancy, surpass 
 the legends of other countries, or 
 the efforts of the most eccentric po 
 etical imagination. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Witli a view, therefore, of en 
 couraging a taste for inquiries into 
 the deeds of our fathers, these Let 
 ters are now presented to the pub 
 lic, in a form less perishable than 
 the columns of a newspaper* The 
 unknown, from whom they originat 
 ed, evidently drinks deep at the rich 
 fountains of American history, and 
 wields a pen not unworthy of an im 
 itator of his great prototype of Scot 
 land. Nor is the value of these 
 sketches lessened from the apparent 
 anachronisms, scattered through 
 their pages : For it is a well known 
 fact, that graduates from Yale Col 
 lege could not be concerned in the 
 capture of the notorious Capt. Kidd, 
 who expiated his crimes at Execu- 
 tionJDock, before any students had 
 left that seminary. 
 
 The work receives its title from 
 
 the circumstance that, in their first 
 
 publication, they purported to be 
 
 discovered bv an officer of the pres- 
 
 1* " 
 
VI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ent American Army, concealed in a 
 trunk, secreted in a neglected cor 
 ner, among the ruins of an ancient 
 fortress near Plattsburg, (N. Y.) at 
 the northerly end of Lake Cham- 
 plain, and now rebuilt, and named 
 Fort Braddock. 
 
FORT BRADDOCK LETTERS. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 w And what is friendship but a name." * 
 
 MORE than a century ago, in the evening 
 of a day in September, three students in 
 the college which was then at Saybrook, 
 and which is now known at New Haven by 
 the name of Yale College, were seated in 
 a room, in the only building which that in 
 stitution had then to boast of. Something 
 like a commencement was at hand, and 
 these young men had parts to perform at 
 the approaching public exhibition, when 
 they were to receive the honors of that in 
 fant seminary. The Rev. Mr. Davenport 
 with his cap and band, had already arrived 
 in town ; the Rector Williams, was expect 
 ed from Weathersfield, in the first boat 
 down the Connecticut river ; the Rev. Mr. 
 Saltonstall, the clergyman at New London. 
 
& FORT ERADDOCK 
 
 afterwards the ambassador to the Dutch 
 settlement at Manhattan, now New York, 
 and shortly after the governor of this colo 
 ny, was expected to accompany his excel 
 lency governor Winthrop from New Lon 
 don ; and most of the clergy from the 
 churches then gathered, it was thought 
 would attend. The word splendid is a rel 
 ative term it was used by our ancestors, 
 and was good English as long ago as the 
 time of Richard the Lion hearted. They 
 expected a splendid commencement at Say- 
 brook. The native stock of female beau 
 ty, for which that town even to the present 
 day is famous, was to be increased on the 
 occasion by the great grandmothers of the 
 present generation, then in the bloom of 
 youth, who came, some on foot and some in 
 canoes, from the shore of the river. The 
 more highborn and wealthy came on horse 
 back, and generally rode double: They 
 were dressed in cloth of their own manu 
 facture, made up by themselves in the fash 
 ion of the day, with long waists, short 
 sleeves, &c. their stockings were blue, ana 
 their shoes were not morocco. Yet the 
 manuscript speaks of bright eyes, rosy 
 cheeks, smiling lips, pearly teeth, and all 
 the witchery of female charms. This sad 
 taste on the part of the writer, considering 
 the unimproved state of the female cus 
 toms, can only be accounted for by the fact 
 
LETTERS. 9 
 
 that these classic beaux themselves wore 
 (except on public days) checked shirts and 
 bnttenut coloured coats, with long backs, 
 full skirts and large pewter buttons. It is 
 even said that in those days of simplicity, 
 one of the lay members of the corporation 
 rode with beetle rings in the place of stir 
 rups. 
 
 At the meeting I have mentioned, this 
 display was in expectency. The conver 
 sation of those young men related in part 
 to the several subjects on which they had 
 written, and in part to their approaching 
 separation, and the course of life they 
 would pursue. They read to each other 
 their several compositions. One of them 
 by the name of Dudley, from the vicinity 
 of Boston, whom his parents had always in 
 tended for a military mar, and who was 
 soon to enter into the small but active ser 
 vice of the times, had prepared an oration 
 in Greek upon civilizing the Indians. An 
 other whose name was Van Tromp, whose 
 Dutch parents had owned the very spot 
 where Fort Braddock now stands, and lived 
 in its vicinity, had written a piece of pas- 
 torial poetry on the pleasures of retire 
 ment ; which as he was quite domestic, for 
 this charming retreat, was said to be very 
 feeling. His parents were dead, and he 
 was to return with a considerable property 
 and much family influence to his large but 
 I* 
 
10 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 wild estate, which was then known for 
 many a mile by the Dutch name of Hardzs- 
 coggin. At the early age of twenty he was 
 to be master of his own conduct and with 
 ample means for the times, was to he the 
 head man among servants and dependants, 
 and the new settlers in his neighborhood. 
 
 The remaining member of the trio, was 
 a reserved youth who had formed no inti 
 macy during his stay at college, but with 
 these two companions. He had never un 
 til now spoken of his origin or his pros 
 pects ; his name was Du Quesne. He 
 made on this accasion rather a melancholy 
 disclosure to his companions, that he knew 
 little or nothing of his parentage ; that he 
 had been constantly supplied by a gentle 
 man in New York, with a quarterly pay 
 ment of money, which was remitted from 
 France by some unknown hand, accompani 
 ed by letters not signed, which directed the 
 plan of his education. He was to return to 
 New York and attempt the study of the 
 Jaw. He had always been better dressed 
 than the other students, and wore by ex 
 press direction, one of the most rare and 
 extravagant ornaments of the day a large 
 gold watch, of curious workmanship. Great 
 care had been taken to supply additional 
 books, and private instructions upon sever 
 al branches of science not professedly 
 taught in the college. A turn of mind rath- 
 
LETTERS. 1 1 
 
 er melancholy, inclined him to study and 
 made him a scholar. He not only learned 
 the dead languages, which were then bet 
 ter understood than at present, but he spoke 
 French, and had a good acquaintance with 
 polite literature. He read in his turn a 
 little essay which he proposed to speak, on 
 the uncertainty of fortune, and the vicissi 
 tudes of human life ; some of which it af 
 terwards appeared he was doomed to expe 
 rience. The unsettled state of this new 
 country, and their approaching separation 
 for a distance of time and space which they 
 could not determine, was then the topic of 
 conversation ; they spoke ot their pilgrim 
 age as lonely, and dwelt with the enthusi 
 asm of young men upon the great benefits 
 that might result from union and mutual as 
 sistance. They seemed each to feel the 
 want of support, and expressed their confi 
 dence in each other; this ended before 
 their separation for the night in solemn 
 pledges for future friendship, which they 
 engaged should be of so serious and practi 
 cal a kind, that if any one of them should 
 at any time in their lives be- involved in 
 difficulty, or need assistance, the others 
 should immediately, on notice, be bound to 
 render it, at the expense of every hazard 
 whether of person or property. Upon the 
 strength of this they departed in better 
 spirits. 
 
12 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 It is said that the commencement was 
 celebrated with more parade than was evefi 
 expected for in addition to the dignitaries 
 of church and state, whose attendance was 
 as punctual as usual, the celebrated Capt. 
 Mason on his return from an Indian victory, 
 on his way to Stonington, stopped at the 
 town and honored the company with his 
 presence. It is of this very occasion, that 
 he speaks in a manuscript account of his 
 campaign, which is still extant, in which 
 he commends the good conduct of Lt. Gar 
 diner who commanded the garrison on the 
 platform, where, to use his own language, 
 he was " formally received and nobly en 
 tertained with many great guns." 
 
LETTERS. 13 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 u Ah who ran tell how hard it is to climb 
 
 The steep where Fame s proud temple shines afar. 1 
 
 The scholars were dismissed from Say- 
 brook and each betook himself to his home 
 and entered upon the course of life which 
 his friends or his fortune had prescribed for 
 him. Du Quesne, with whom we must at 
 present continue, repaired to New York, 
 where upon his being admitted to the bar, 
 as in due time he was, his mysterious sup 
 ply of money was withheld, and he was left 
 without relatives or connexions to make the 
 usual slow and uncertain progress in the 
 business of the profession. He was of a 
 temperament much too sensitive for his own 
 comfort, in a calling, which at that time at 
 any rate, however it may be at present, ex 
 posed him to personal altercation, contra 
 diction, and that sharp and harsh collision 
 which tries and strengthens the passions of 
 the heart, at least as much as it does the 
 faculties of the mind. 
 
 He had a natural and easy eloquence, and 
 more taste and learning than most of his as 
 sociates. His attention to his Business was 
 strict, but it was forced, and his occasional 
 success embittered his enemies more than 
 it conciliated his friends. He even conceit 
 ed at times, that the courts before which he 
 practised, had their favorites, arid that he 
 
14 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 was not in the number. Sometimes neg 
 lected, always opposed, and often mortified, 
 he yet patiently persevered though he 
 soon found himself the object of personal 
 enmity, and was convinced of attempts to 
 defeat his progress. He resolved to exert 
 his industry to acquire the means of support 
 in some place in the new settlements, as re 
 mote as was consistent with personal secu 
 rity, where land was cheap, and where in 
 dependence might be easily purchased. 
 This vision of comfort he cherished in se 
 cret, and resorted to it in his day dreams as 
 his standing consolation. But his enemies 
 were too active, and shortened the period 
 which was necessary to his success. Some 
 bills and papers relating to claims in a suit 
 to a large amount, and which were entrust 
 ed to him, were missing, as he found when 
 he was preparing his cases. He searched 
 in, vain his anxiety amounted to distress. 
 He feared to ask for an accommodation, for 
 it was attended with the risque of disclos 
 ure. Those who had artfully accomplished 
 their object, by involving him in this em 
 barrassment, were little likely to show him 
 favor. Thefe was no alternative after 
 weeks of agony the term began, the suits 
 were defeated he was personally liable for 
 the loss, and industriously exposed to cen 
 sure. His employers were advised to their 
 
LETTERS. 15 
 
 remedy against him, and the least of his 
 troubles was the constant expectation of be- 
 in^ arrested. 
 
 One morning very early, with an agitat 
 ed mind he crossed the river to the Jersey 
 shore, for the sake of relieving or indulging 
 his melancholy, and having to himself a few 
 moments of silence and security. There 
 was a retired spot at no great distance from 
 the shore sheltered by trees, and surround 
 ed by rural beauty, which seemed to invite 
 the solitary, and ofter its quiet scenery to 
 sooth the angrv passions, and imperceptibly 
 to substitute feelings of a softer kind. And 
 yet this is the very spot which from that 
 day to this has been the battle ground of 
 wounded honor. How often has it witness 
 ed the worst of passions, and how rich has 
 been the blood that has at times been shed 
 there ! To this spot he was unconsciously 
 approaching, when he was roused by the 
 near report of fire arms. Fie quickened his 
 pace in the direction of the noise, and on 
 coming to a natural lawn among the trees, 
 discovered a man apparently wounded and 
 just fallen. Three others were hastening 
 through the thicket and evidently bent on a 
 hasty escape, The nature of this transac 
 tion was evident. He called upon the fu- 
 gatives in vain he followed them some dis 
 tance, till they were out of his sight, and 
 returned, when he found there was no hope 
 
16 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 of assistance, towards the wounded man. 
 He stopped in his way only to take up a pis 
 tol which lay on the ground about ten pac 
 es from the object of his attention. On his 
 reaching the wounded man, what was his 
 astonishment to find that his own most bit 
 ter enemy and rival lay speechless and dy 
 ing", lie looked up with an expression un 
 utterable, when he saw who it was that 
 came to his assistance, made a violent at 
 tempt to speak, gasped and died. 
 
 This moment Du Quesne was stooping to 
 assist in raising the body already lifeless, 
 when several men who had been alarmed 
 by the same noise which drew him to the 
 place, rushed hastily upon him and as he 
 began artlessly to ask them for help, secur 
 ed him as their prisoner, and charged him 
 with the murder. 
 
 His surprise made his answers incoherent, 
 and his agitation to their eyes was evidence 
 of guilt. In this state of mind he was re- 
 conveyed to the city, taken before a magis 
 trate and charged with the facts. On the 
 examination, it appeared the pistol found in 
 his possession, had been recently discharg 
 ed, the lock was sprung, and the smell and 
 marks of newly burnt powder were strong 
 about it. A surgeon had extracted a ball 
 from the dead man, which exactly corres 
 ponded with the calibre of the pistol. It 
 was likewise in proof that there had been 
 
LETTERS. 17 
 
 a bitter enmity between the deceased and 
 the accused. 
 
 l " You are a lawyer, Mr. Du Qussne," 
 said the magistrate, u and know that you can 
 answer or not to the charge. What say you, 
 is there any reason why you should not be 
 fully committed for trial ? The offence is 
 not bailable you know." " Arid if it wns," 
 said Du Quesne " I have no bail." " Do 
 you choose to attempt any defence or ex 
 planation ? It will be evidence against you 
 you know, though not in your favor. You 
 are agitated take a moment s time." 
 
 This, moment s time helped a little to com 
 pose the prisoner s spirits. He cast his eye 
 around a room filled with boys and men, 
 black and ivhite, ragged, dirty and vulgar. 
 It occurred to him how absurd it was, in the 
 presence of such an audience, to say to a 
 Dutch Justice, that his morning walk was 
 one of sentiment, and that the scenery and 
 silence operated upon the workings of his 
 mind to cross the river. 
 
 He contented himself with a simple dec 
 laration of his innocence, which he knew 
 the Justice did not believe, and mustering 
 his self-possession, said, that he was with 
 out evidence and without friends. He ut 
 tered this last word with a voice, and in a 
 manner that would have out-done the best 
 of actors. A tear slid upon his long and 
 drooping eyelash, and fell upon the floor : 
 2* 
 
18 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 it was succeeded by another his face was 
 fixed and the last word friends, had recalled 
 to his mind some strong recollections. 
 
 The Justice was looking fully at him, and 
 felt ior his distress, and as far as morals 
 were concerned, could excuse the man who 
 met his adversary in an honorable way. He 
 went up to him and led him to the further 
 corner of the room. " My worthy friend, 
 (said he,) confess the whole ; I ll help you 
 if I can he was a good for nothing fellow, 
 and I have no doubt fairly killed; come 
 tell me what you ve got to say !" 
 
 " Mr. Van Erp," said the prisoner, " up 
 on my soul s safety, I am not guilty!" 
 
 " Oh I know that," said the Justice, " it 
 is no great crime in a fair way to dispose of 
 such a fellow, especially in your case but 
 don t deny the fact ; you may confide." 
 
 " Yes, I do confide, while I tell you that 
 I did not do it." 
 
 " What," said the justice "not shoot him!" 
 " No, I did not." 
 
 "Be it so," said the Justice, incredulous 
 ly shaking his head, " you are a lawyer, and 
 have heard the evidence ; you know 1 must 
 commit you: delay is useless. The squire 
 as he was termed, made out his mittimus 
 himself, (for in this country the magistrates 
 have no clerks,) and Du Quesne was fol 
 lowed to the gaol by the rabble that had 
 attended his trial. The gaol then stood on 
 
LETTERS. 1 9 
 
 the East River, near the centre of that bu 
 sy spot, where there are now so many slips 
 and grocers where the streets are so dirly 
 and the passing so difficult. The building 
 itself was made partly of stone and partly of 
 logs ; and the gaol house, in which the keep 
 er and his family lived, was part of the 
 building. The gaoler too, was a man of 
 some distinction ; and, by virtue of his of 
 fice, a member of the city corporation. In 
 one of the cells of this establishment was 
 our high minded and aspiring friend locked 
 up, and left to his meditations. It was some 
 time before he could regain his self-posses 
 sion, and his busy thoughts then suggested 
 to him the certainty of his fate, the short 
 ness of the interval, and the agonizing re 
 flections which that interval must be mark 
 ed. The gallows would be the last object 
 before his closing eyes at night, and the first 
 thought which the mild beam of morning 
 would bring along with it. His very slum 
 bers were disturbed with dreams dreams 
 of the throng of faces which would surround 
 the place of his execution, vacant, vulgar, 
 and unfeeling dreams of the cart, the 
 hangman, and the coffin on which he should 
 sit and of the awful dialogue with his ghost 
 ly confessor about his future state the 
 dread memento of the sheriff, u you have 
 but half an hour to live," and the grave 
 ready dug at the foot of the scaffold. These 
 
20 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 dreams would awake him only to the con 
 sciousness that it was all true ! When a- 
 wake, he meditated on his hopes of acquit 
 tal. The law on duelling 1 was very severe, 
 and the common law called it murder. 
 The statute, however, in those sad times, 
 unlike these of modern and more impartial 
 days, was unequally administered. Some 
 who had friends could transgress with im 
 punity, while others were left to the rigor 
 of the law. It was easy for the judge to 
 show that the law was plain and that con 
 viction was inevitable. It was equally sat 
 isfactory to hear him put anaiagous cases 
 and show that the man, who on midden prov 
 ocation, would be guilty only of manslaugh 
 ter, if he should exercise a noble forbear 
 ance and give his adversary a chance for 
 his life, would commit a crime still less when 
 he killed his man in fair and honorable duel. 
 
 But our friendless prisoner was well aware 
 that very little ingenuity from the bench, 
 would be exercised in his favor. The most 
 impartial direction would be, that the law 
 should take its course. 
 
 Nearly five years had elapsed since his 
 residence at Saybrook. To this last peace 
 ful period of his life, his thoughts naturally 
 recurred, and dwelt on the only friendship- 
 with which his days had been sweetened, 
 Dudley was probably on the ocean, and 
 would hear of his misfortunes only to bewail 
 bis death. 
 
LETTERS. 52 I 
 
 He knew \\e\\ where Van Tromp lived 
 but could not see how he could assist. Yet 
 his presence, his influence, and perhaps his 
 counsel, might relieve if not avert his suf 
 ferings. There was at that time a regular 
 communication kept up between the Dutch 
 settlement at New Amsterdam and the 
 French Posts on the Canada line, by the 
 way of the North River and Lake Cham- 
 plain. To be sure, as the residence of Van 
 Tromp was out flf the way and the country 
 was wild, the arrival of a letter was uncer 
 tain. Yet as he had nothing else to do, he 
 determined if only to feed his hopes, to write 
 letter after letter by every return of the 
 carrier and by every other opportunity of 
 sending to that vicinity. 
 
 His letters were of nearly the same ten 
 or, all conversant about the same thing. 
 The only one preserved is the following. 
 
 GAOL AT NEW AMSTERDAM. 
 
 My Dear and only friend^ 
 
 I am here confined as a criminal, on a 
 capital charge, and am to be tried in about 
 ten months, with no hope of being acquit 
 ted. To you it is not necessary that I should 
 go into detail ; I know your confidence in 
 me to be such, that you will take my de 
 claration that I am wholly innocent; for I 
 would not call you to the rescue of the guil 
 ty. My only solace now is, that I can dis- 
 
22 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 close my every thought to you, that I can 
 repose on your friendship with perfect se 
 curity, and rely on your exertions as fully 
 as on my own. My thoughts are too dis 
 tracted to devise any mode of* assistance ; I 
 leave that to you. Yet use your influence, 
 and though it may all be in vain, let me, if 
 possible, see you once more. 
 
 CARLOS Du QUESNE.,- 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 "Speed, Malise, speed! the dun deer s hide 
 " On fleeter foot was never tried." 
 
 A war between the French and English 
 settlers, on their respective frontiers, was 
 at this time on the oul break, as it was term 
 ed : several log bouses of remote adventur 
 ers had been burned. The Indian tribes 
 had been enlisted upon the one side and the 
 other, and news was constantly corning in 
 to the Blasted Tree, (as Van Tromp s pro 
 prietary, or land patent was termed) of In 
 dian scalps and massacres. 
 
 One evening as he sat alone, thinking of 
 the approaching trouble?, and devising plans 
 of security, a negro domestic came into the 
 room and presented to him the letter of Du 
 Quesne. He read it over with the utmost 
 interest. Troubled as he was to provide 
 for the security of his numerous dependants, 
 and exposed as he was to sudden inroads of 
 
LETTERS. 23 
 
 the hostile Indians, he remembered his 
 promise of support, and resolved lo redeem 
 his pledge. At any other time he would 
 have gone himself; but to be absent at 
 present would be desertion, and might be 
 followed by the ruin of the settlement. 
 Those, xvho had settled in the neighbor 
 hood, had families which they could not 
 leave, and were of a capacity not adequate 
 to the undertaking. The members of his 
 household were of a motley character, and 
 yet those only could he employ. Of them, 
 there was but one on whose desperate spir 
 it of enterprise, and perfect fidelity, he 
 could rely; but he doubted is prudence, 
 and most of all his means. 
 
 There seemed no alternative. u Sha- 
 drach," said he, calling to the ne^rb, (who 
 soon made his appearance,) " look for VVe- 
 shop, and ask him here." 
 
 Van Tromp resumed his meditations, and 
 tried and rejected a thousand contrivances 
 for his friend s escape, when the door again 
 opened, and an Indian warrior made his ap 
 pearance. His hair was cut close, except 
 a tuft of jetty black, which stood upright 
 on the top of his head; the skin of a rattle 
 snake was twisted round his neck; his feet 
 were guarded with mocassins, ornamented 
 with beads, and a wampum belt was over 
 his shoulders. He wore round his waist 
 the Indian cincture, and had his bow in his 
 
!24 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 hand and his tomahawk in his girdle. He 
 was what they termed a friendly Indian, and 
 lived occasionally in this family, not as a do 
 mestic, much less a slave, for to a state of 
 servitude, it is doubtful whether a genuine 
 North American Indian was ever reduced, 
 or is indeed capable of being reduced. The 
 motions of this being were more free than 
 those of the master of the mansion. He 
 went and came at any hour, and consulted 
 his own wishes as to the frequency of his 
 visits or the length of his absence. He had 
 been rescued from his enemies on one oc 
 casion by Mr. Van Tromp and the men of 
 his plantation, and ever afterwards display 
 ed in its full force, the principle of Indian 
 gratitude. His fixed features seldom be 
 trayed the working of his passions, or any 
 vicissitudes of feeling. Upon this occasion- 
 he continued standing, because it suited his 
 convenience, and listened with his charac 
 teristic silence and indifference to the na 
 ture of his commission. 
 
 Van Tromp wrote some letters to gentle 
 men of influence, requesting their interfer 
 ence in postponing a trial, till every means 
 could be used of discovering the truth, and 
 assured his friend that he would soon come 
 to his assistance. The Indian took time 
 thoroughly to comprehend his employment. 
 
 Whether he there devised any better 
 plan than the one proposed, is not certain ; 
 
LETTERS. 25 
 
 but it is certain he never delivered the let 
 ters, not even the one for Du Quesne. A 
 stranger might even think loud in We.shop s 
 presence, without the least danger that his 
 confidence would be betrayed ; and might 
 talk to him a week, without obtaining an 
 exchange of privacy. Ttns trait was not 
 peculiar to him ; the red man never whis 
 tles and sings in the wood ; his steps are 
 noiseless, and his presence unexpected in 
 deed, to the iirst settlers of the country, a- 
 larming. 
 
 The messenger now made immediate 
 preparation for his journey. He had just 
 eaten, yet he set himself to despatch anoth 
 er enormous meal, to which he was urged, 
 not by appetite, but by calculation, and 
 loading himself with provisions, departed so 
 sluggish and dull, that he seemed little like 
 ly to reach the end of his journey, much 
 less to return. No one questioned him, and 
 no one missed him. 
 
 What were his adventures through the 
 wilderness were never known : . and his 
 route was conjectured, only from his subse 
 quent conduct. It was about twelve days 
 afterwards he presented himself suddenly 
 in one of the streets of New Amsterdam, 
 near the Government House, just before 
 the hour when a meeting was to be held of 
 the governor and his council. His entrance 
 into town had not been observed ; and he 
 3 
 
26 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 had the advantage of claiming to have come 
 from any quarter or any tribe. The Indi 
 ans, partly civilized, who lived in the neigh- 
 horhood, were seen daily ; but a genuine 
 inhabitant of the wilderness is always, in 
 a populous place, an interesting spectacle, 
 particularly (as upon this occasion) to the 
 boys and rabble. 
 
 Weshop stood with his bow in his hand, 
 and his bundle of arrows at his back stowed 
 in a long basket or quiver made of splinters ; 
 his face gave no expression of wonder or 
 curiosity. Hundreds were gazing at him as 
 he leaned against the railing that led to the 
 door, and were surprised that he took no 
 notice of the spectacle which to him, must 
 he so new. He preserved his impenetrable 
 stupidity, and was the only one of the mul- 
 * titude, who appeared indifferent, even at 
 the idle gaze of which he was the object. 
 They tempted him to show his skill with 
 his bow, but an owl in the day time could 
 not be duller at taking a hint. The council 
 at length convened the governor made his 
 appearance, and was followed by Weshop 
 into the house. He knew the governor by 
 the respect that was shown him as he pas 
 sed. The door-keeper would have stopped 
 the intruder, but it. happened that the sub 
 ject of the present meeting involved some 
 Indian difficulties ; and the governor s 
 Dutch fancy had already converted Weshop 
 
LETTERS. 27 
 
 into an Indian ambassador, the rather on 
 account of his silence and gravity, which 
 the whole Dutch council greatly admired. 
 The governor took some credit to himself 
 for the discrimination with which he could 
 detect the diplomatic character. The wa 
 ry Indian made a few signs, which the 
 council, after the governor s hint, could at 
 once interpret, and which they agreed were 
 fully as intelligible as any language that a 
 foreign ambassador should venture to use. 
 They complimented the natural sagacity of 
 the Indian character, which had directed 
 them to choose an envoy, not likely to com 
 mit himself by talking, or betray himself by 
 passion. The secretary of the council, who 
 was a learned man, took occasion to remark, 
 that in regard to tho establishment of a 
 boundary with the Indians, it would proba 
 bly end in a question between the status an 
 te bellum and the usi possidetus. Enough 
 seemed done for the first interview. We- 
 shop was recommended to the gaoler, not 
 as a prisoner, but as a guest ; for none of 
 the council thought of inviting his sans cu- 
 lotte excellency to dinner ; and there was 
 no eating house at the public expense, but 
 the gaol. It is hardly proper to say, that 
 the deportment of Weshop won upon the 
 gaoler, so as to gain his confidence, but it 
 certainly checked every hint at precaution. 
 He was accommodated in the chimne^-cor- 
 
FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 ner, where he eat by himself, and smoked 
 ;i Dutch pipe that the governor had given 
 him. He went out but once or twice dur 
 ing the afternoon, and wandered then no 
 farther than the gaol door, where he stood 
 smoking when the gaoler locked up the 
 rooms, after furnishing the prisoners with 
 their evening meal. The gaoler and his 
 family were in the habit of retiring early. 
 They gave Weshop a blanket, and left him 
 in the kitchen to repose before the fire. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Du Quesne was awakened in the night, 
 by the slow and careful unlocking, and o- 
 pening of the door of his dungeon ; and in 
 the light of the setting moon, which shone 
 through the grates, an Indian stood before 
 him, with his bow in his hand, and toma 
 hawk in his girdle. He had been dream 
 ing of being executed, and his first waking 
 thought was, that he had fallen into the 
 hands of a new tormentor of another world. 
 
 He was on the point of crying out, when 
 the Indian shook him by the shoulder, and 
 pointed to the door. He was wide awake 
 in an instant. There was a sense of honor, 
 which urged him to await a public vindica 
 tion of his innocence but the conviction 
 that his own honesty would be no security 
 
LETTERS. 29 
 
 against the attempts of his enemies, and the 
 slrong circumstances against him, decided 
 his resolution. He arose and followed his 
 deliverer. The moon had gone down ; the 
 night was dark, and the streets were quiet. 
 Alter they had gained a little distance from 
 the prison, the Indian directed him to stand 
 by the side of a building while he went 
 himself, as it afterwards appeared, to drop 
 the gaol keys in a direction different from 
 their route, and to set afloat on the East 
 River, one of the small boats which as the 
 tide was coming in would float towards the 
 Narrows and mislead pursuit. He then re 
 turned and led the way up the Island in si 
 lence, at a rate so rapid, that elate with lib 
 erty and buoyant with hope, as Du Quesne 
 was*, he could hardly keep pace with him. 
 The Indian travelled with the certainty of 
 a man familiar with every street and turn, 
 till he arrived at a marshy piece of ground 
 on the North River, at some distance from 
 the city, where a bark canoe lay floating 
 among the rushes. The wind was strong 
 from the south, but though it was fair for 
 their purpose, the size and frailty of the 
 boat, with what he knew of the danger of 
 ihe. navigation, would have made him hesi 
 tate had there been any alternative. He 
 was directed to lay himself down in the 
 boat, while the Indian pushed it from the 
 shore, and raised a small pine mast ou 
 3* 
 
30 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 which was spread a blanket in the form of 
 a sail. He put his skiff hefore the wind 
 and urged its motion with a rude oar or 
 paddle, with which at the same time, he di 
 rected its course. The waters were very 
 rough, and though his pilot was evidently 
 a bold one. the job in hand required skill as 
 well as courage. The motion of the boat 
 through the water, was so varying, as to 
 furnish no means of judging what progress 
 they made. He was not insensible of his 
 danger, but more sensible to the joy of his 
 recent escape. Morning discovered them 
 in that part of the river, which forms the 
 entrance into Tappan Sound.- The shores 
 were covered with wood to the very edge, 
 and the land on either side rose into the 
 mountains, which grew dim in distance till 
 they mingled with the clouds. Accustomed 
 as Du Quesne had been for weeks, to no 
 other prospect than what was to be seen 
 through the loop-holes of his dungeon, so 
 many natural beauties gradually displayed 
 by the rising sun, till they were shown in 
 perfection, filled him with joy. He wor 
 shipped in silence and with thanksgiving; 
 and the thoughtful look of his new friend 
 seemed to pronounce an impressive amen. 
 
 This noble river for a great part of its 
 length, discovered at that time, no appear 
 ance of art or improvement, except that 
 now and then a heavy built Dutch vessel. 
 
LETTERS. 31 
 
 moved along slowly on its surface, keeping 
 up the only intercourse between the few 
 scarce settlements on the banks. Still the 
 features of the scenery were interesting and 
 grand. The savage put into a solitary bay, 
 where his canoe was concealed by the jut 
 ting rock, but where without being perceiv 
 ed, he could observe for some distance up 
 and down the river. It was impossible for 
 Du Quesne to conjecture the motives which 
 should be so powerful with his deliverer, as 
 to induce all this labor, nor could he well 
 imagine whither he was going, or where 
 his journey was like to end. The Indian 
 seemed to understand the turn of his 
 thoughts, and quickly produced a scrap of 
 paper, on which was written in his proper 
 hand the name ot Derick Van Tramp. This 
 satisfied his anxious inquiries, and he saw 
 at once, not merely the name, but the con 
 duct of a friend. His guide began smoking 
 his pipe ; they spent the whole day with 
 out food or sleep, watching every movement 
 on the river, till the evening returned, 
 when they again set forward. Their pro 
 gress was now more slow and laborious, for 
 want of a favorable wind. The Indian was 
 anxious to arrive at a particular point, for 
 a reason that appeared when they reached 
 it. This was one of several places, where 
 on his way down the river he had deposit 
 ed a part of his load of provision ; and this 
 
32 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 unlocked for repast was the more grateful 
 to Du Quesne, from the long fast to which 
 he had not been used. It was thus that they 
 continued their voyage till they came to a 
 part of the river, near Sandy Hill, from 
 which they were to proceed by land. Here, 
 at one of his depots, Weshop rested a day 
 and a night; as preparatory to the fatigues 
 that remained. On the morning of the sec 
 ond day they abandoned the canoe, and set 
 through the woods. The activity and vig 
 ilance ot the guide, were now constant ; he 
 examined the ground for what he called the 
 signs to detect footsteps in the grass altered 
 his course at the slightest noise, and every 
 now and then examined the bark of trees, 
 which seemed to serve him for a compass. 
 The Indian is artful and patient when he 
 lays in wait, and cautious and observing 
 when he fears an ambush. Weshop obtain 
 ed from a friendly Indian, seasonable intel 
 ligence that those tribes under the influence 
 of the French, and the French themselves, 
 had already begun their attack on the front 
 ier ; and he knew that an Indian war to 
 those in the immediate vicinity of it, is a 
 state of constant exposure to the greatest 
 perils and sufferings without a single mo 
 ment of security. The war cry is usually 
 unexpected ; and fire, murder and robbery, 
 steal without warning upon their victim. 
 Weshop directed his course to the south 
 
LETTERS. 33 
 
 Bay of Lake George, where they at length 
 arrived. A canoe was in readiness as be 
 fore, and the two travellers after many 
 hardships reached a point on the western 
 shore of Lake Champlain, then known by 
 the name of SunkettypaMg. During this 
 long journey, they had given one another 
 some occasional uneasiness, without intend 
 ing it ; owing to the strong contrast of their 
 characters. One had. been educated to 
 speak, the other to be silent ; one was made 
 for display, the other for concealment. 
 
 One bright November morning, when our 
 travellers were pursuing their way among 
 the highlands west of Champlain, which 
 seem in some degree to connect the Green 
 Mountains In Vermont with the northern 
 part of the first range of the Alleghanies, 
 they arrived at a high opening between the 
 mountains, which goes by the name of the 
 Wind Gap. The prospect to the north was 
 commanding, and rich with various colors 
 the uniform green of the pine and hemlock, 
 mixed with the blood red of the maple, and 
 the yellow of the birch, to which the frost 
 had changed their natural hue. They 
 both paused at the same time. One seem 
 ed admiring the beauty of the landscape, 
 which blended the distance with the rich 
 tints of the sky, whose gold and red and 
 purple it seemed to vie with, or rather to 
 reflect, as the moon and the inv^ed trees 
 
34 VORT BRADDOCK 
 
 are seen in a sheet of water. The other 
 gazed anxiously in one direction, till a 
 slight but unusual joy gladdened his features. 
 He pointed the way he was looking, and 
 asked " do you see that smoke ?" It was 
 sometime before his companion, assisted by 
 his guide, could answer u yes." u There," 
 replied he, " our journey ends. I have 
 prayed the Great Spirit for many days, that 
 when I should corne> to this spot, I might 
 see a smoke and not a blaze." 
 
 It was near sun-down when they arrived 
 at the residence of Van Tromp, which 
 seemed for the time to be the rendezvous 
 of the surrounding country. Every thing 
 betokened confusion and sudden alarm. 
 The first object that caught attention, was 
 the numerous group of men, women, and 
 children, of all colors, of many nations, 
 dressed in every variety of garb and fash 
 ion : Indians, negroes, and whites, speaking 
 as many tongues as are taught in a German 
 university. Their horses and cattle had 
 been driven to this place for safety; and 
 they had brought such moveahles as they 
 could manage to transport. They seemed 
 to have been newly assembled, and were 
 variously employed ; some in cooking their 
 evening meal some in fixing their fire 
 arms some in tending cattle, and some in 
 building additional barracks and huts for 
 their present accommodation. They were 
 
LETTERS. 35 
 
 generally cheerful and seemed glad to have 
 reached a place of comparative security. 
 For this purpose the place itself seemed 
 well selected. It was elevated, and ot a 
 triangular form ; one side made by the 
 right bank of the Chazy, another by a steep 
 and continued ledge which commanded the 
 valley or bottom land to a great distance, 
 and the remaining side defended artificially 
 by a high breast work, flanked with basti 
 on*, and protected in fiont b} a ditch faced 
 with rude abbatis. Within, were several 
 low buildings, made of logs and stone, in 
 separate square blocks, and sometimes con 
 nected by a continual roof. Most of the 
 rooms were tight and comfortable, and some 
 of them were decently furnished. There 
 were several rows of barracks in the fort, 
 and others on the outside, near the foot of 
 the walls, which answered only a present 
 purpose, and were to be left in case of in 
 vasion. The garrison was composed of 
 men well armed, and whose habits of life 
 rendered them the best marksmen in the 
 world. 
 
 LETTER v. 
 
 Through the assemblage of armed men 
 at the garrison, VVeshop held his way with 
 out stopping to make enquiries ; he went 
 
36 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 directly to Van Tromp s room, and found 
 him alone. With a motion of the hand 
 which native feeling rendered graceful, he 
 introduced to one another these long sepa 
 rated friends, who fairly rushed into each 
 other s arms, and shed tears of joy at so un 
 expected a meeting. Du Quesne, who felt 
 at the moment happier, perhaps than he 
 had ever been before, pointed in silence to 
 the Indian as his deliverer ; and Van Tromp 
 was astonished at the success of the achieve 
 ment, and additionally grateful on this emer 
 gency, because he should have the assist 
 ance of his friend. He clasped the hand of 
 Weshop strongly, and looking full upon his 
 quiet features, while his own were agitated 
 with different emotion, spoke to him a few 
 words in Indian, to which Weshop replied, 
 for he loved to hear the sound of his native 
 tongue, particularly from Van Tromp. 
 
 The Patroon, for so was Van Tromp 
 commonly called, relaxed his grasp, and 
 left the Indian to supply Ms wants, and his 
 pleasure : adding only, kt You will not go !" 
 " No," said the warrior, " not now, per 
 haps never." The two friends left to them 
 selves, commenced that sort of conversa 
 tion which was natural on the occasion, in 
 the course of which they explained, each 
 to the other, whatever was the subject of 
 mutual inquiry, till Du Quesne declared that 
 it was the first undisturbed moment that he 
 
LETTERS. 37 
 
 had enjoyed for a long lime before, he 
 would retire. " What a luxury," said he, 
 " once more to sleep" in safety after all my 
 troubles." 
 
 u But you will wait for the evening ser 
 vice," said the Patroon, " the drum heats 
 in a few moments." " What do you mus 
 ter your men for exercise ?"- " No our 
 people shoot best without a manual, but we 
 meet men, women and children when the 
 drum beats for prayers." " What, and the 
 Indians too ?" " I should think they would 
 be disorderly." " They are full as quiet as 
 the rest. We have with us a young clergy 
 man, by the name of Ell ot, from Massachu 
 setts, who performs part of his service in 
 their language; and there is no doubt they 
 are benefitted by his instruction. They on 
 ly require attention." 
 
 " The Indians," said Du Quesne, " seem 
 a mysterious people, about whom little can 
 be known, though they swarm about us in 
 such numbers. They are savage, blood 
 thirsty and implacable. I don t think they 
 can ever be civilized." " What think you 
 of that specimen which came to you in pris 
 on?" said Van Tromp. "Ah! that indeed 
 think of him ? he is a wonder any where 
 I owe him my life. That man could re 
 deem his tribe if they were all murderers." 
 " He has been cultivated some," said Van 
 Tromp, "but you may one day see him use 
 4 
 
38 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 his tomahawk, and bow, and not wait your 
 bidding, or ask your advice ; and use the 
 rifle too, with as little remorse as any of his 
 countrymen. One reason why so little has 
 ever been known about the Indians, is, that 
 they will not communicate. They have a 
 religion it is certain ; and I suspect they ob 
 serve their articles of faith, though they 
 seldom tell what they are, not for want of 
 language, for if you understand their lan 
 guage, you v/ill find it sufficiently copious ; 
 and if you listen to their conversation, you 
 will be convinced that the sounds are softer 
 than those ot any other tongue that is spok 
 en. When the English undertake to write 
 them in words, they fairly exhaust their liq 
 uids and vowels, and the reader who is ac 
 quainted with the spoken language is as 
 much at loss to utter it as if he stood at a 
 desk of printer s types : I have heard a bet 
 ter speech from an Indian chief, than that 
 Greek oration of Dudley s Peri ton Indianon, 
 but I forget my Greek, and I could not think 
 of the word for civilized, if it was to civilize 
 the whole tribe. Hark, the drum beats, 
 you will know more of these in time. Let 
 us go." 
 
 The religious service of the evening was 
 performed, and the friends retired, Du Ques- 
 ne to a repose, which after his fatigue, was 
 as sweet as the sleep of infancy, and Van 
 Tromp to visit his new inmates and to go 
 
LETTERS. 39 
 
 the rounds of his duty after which at the 
 winding of a horn the garrison was silent. 
 
 Meanwhile VVeshop, after eating and 
 drinking among the people and learning the 
 particulars of the gathering, was retiring to 
 the kitchen where he meant to spend the 
 night. One Jonathan Hodges, a Yankee 
 man, had taken up his quarters with Shad- 
 rach, and the black was just saying to him, 
 " I wonder what s become of our runaway 
 Indian," as the door opened. " Ah here he 
 comes," continued the speaker, "glad to 
 see you old friend, help yourself," as Wes^ 
 hop unasked was taking up their mug of ci 
 der, the remains of which he drank without 
 stopping for breath. 
 
 " Well Weshop," said Jonathan, " what s 
 the news; you must have been somewhere, 
 by the strange gentlemen I saw tagging at 
 your heels who was he Weshop, I say 
 W T eshop who was he ?" u Why dont you 
 tell him dumbhead," said the black, (can t 
 get nothing out of him) or here help clear 
 away these things, never was so poor a tool 
 in the house as an Indian." 
 
 u Come bearskin," said Jonathan, " clear 
 your calm with some more cider and give 
 us the news. Did you see any thing of my 
 brindled cow that I lost last June ? 1 always 
 thought Jim Staines shot that cow for a 
 grudge he owed me, or I owed him." 
 
40 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 " My name an t benrskin, it s Weshop ; 1 
 have nt seen your cow." " Nobody cares 
 for your name," was the reply " Blueskin, 
 redbird, yellowlegs ; any thing is name e- 
 nough for an Indian" the name of an In 
 dian, and he muttered it very much as Dr. 
 does the form of a hat!" 
 
 Weshop motioned towards ao unfinished 
 hoe handle which stood in the corner. 
 
 " What going to strike !" said Jonathan, 
 " they talk about civilizing the Indians ! 
 bless my soul I d rather tame that wild 
 cat I shot night before last." "One thing 
 I ll say for Weshop," said the black, " he 
 an t a talking man." " No," said Jonathan, 
 "but to hear em yell in the woods, as I 
 have done, a body would think they could 
 talk. There is an oddity among people of 
 different colors." " Talk to Shadrach a- 
 bout colors," said the Indian. " Different 
 colors are nothing," said the black. " O 
 no it s owing to heat and cold, and shade 
 and the sun, and moon and seven stars ; but 
 there is a difference among nations," said 
 Jonathan, " though, by the way, I was nev 
 er out of this." " Pray Jonathan," said 
 Shadrach, u how many nations are there ?" 
 " Ten thousand ; but what is that to you? 
 brush your master s boots, and have the 
 guns in order for the hunting that is to be 
 on Thursday ; but put out the candle now 
 don t you hear the horn blowing for nine 
 
LETTERS. 41 
 
 o clock ? VVeshop has turned in I see, and 
 I ll follow his example." So saying Jona 
 than walked towards his bunk on one side 
 of the kitchen, muttering something about 
 Shadrach, Mesheck, and Abednego. 
 
 All was still, when Weshop, who awoke 
 at the slightest noise, heard the howling of 
 a dog at the door. u Get up Shadrach and 
 let in Dash." The negro delayed some 
 time till the loudness of the dog s cries urg 
 ed him to open the door. tk Lay down, 
 Dash," said he as the dog bounced into the 
 room ; but he was not to be quieted. He 
 overturned stools and benches, howled, re 
 turned to the door and then back, till the 
 astonished negro exclaimed, " the dog is 
 mad." " Something is the matter," said 
 the Indian, " where is your master ?" Sha 
 drach lighted a candle, and the Indian 
 springing on his feet, opened an inner door, 
 and followed by the dog, went directly to 
 the bed room of Van Tromp. It was emp 
 ty, and the bed had not been occupied dur 
 ing the night. He roused Du Que^ne, and 
 told his conjectures. The newly arrived 
 guest, with the advice of his late guide, led 
 the way, and kept close to the dog, set out 
 upon a search, without disturbing the gar 
 rison : attended by Shadrach and Jonathan. 
 
 A few who had been detailed for the du 
 ty of a night watch, waited to prepare lan 
 terns and horses, and soon overtook the par- 
 4* 
 
42 POUT B HADDOCK 
 
 ty in advance, but as they found themselves 
 at a loss in the dark, it was agreed to tuke 
 the dog for a guide. Weshop fastened a 
 string 1 to his collar, and hastened along at a 
 round trot, as the horsemen dared to ven 
 ture. 
 
 After passing through woods and under 
 brush, they came to something like a path 
 which led along the brow of a steep decliv 
 ity, whose sides were covered with bushes, 
 and too dark to be seen. The turf was 
 broken at the edge of the bank, and there 
 were some deep prints of a horse s hoofs. 
 Weshop let slip the dog, and followed him 
 down the descent ; supporting himself by 
 the way with shrubs and stones. The re 
 sult of the search was soon known. Van 
 Tromp s horse lay dead from the fall, and 
 he was almost senseless. He was carefully 
 conveyed to the garrison, without unneces 
 sary disturbance ; and as Jonathan and Sha- 
 drach were again betaking themselves to 
 rest, they wondered what he could have 
 been doing there at that time of night. 
 
 Van Tromp had rode out of the garrison, 
 soon after sunset, for the purpose, as those 
 who saw him supposed, of reconnoilering 
 the country. His departure was noticed 
 only by a few, who might be elsewhere at 
 his return, and the constant hurrying and 
 shifting from place to place among the new 
 comers, left every one to suppose, when the 
 
LETTERS. 43 
 
 horn blew, that all -was we//, as the sentinel 
 on his duty declared. A largo black dog, 
 was the only attendant that followed his 
 master. 
 
 The manuscript, which is unusually brief 
 in this spot, makes mention of a family in 
 the neighborhood, where an elderly lady 
 resided, and a young lady lived, toq, of un 
 common beauty and accomplishments : and 
 adds, that in peaceful times Van Tromp, 
 for want of more edifying company, rode 
 that way. How that may have been, is 
 rather to be conjectured from the residue 
 of the story. The immediate result of the 
 night s adventure was, that he was so bad 
 ly bruised as to be scarcely able to lurn 
 himself in bed: and it was certain that he 
 could not attend the hunting which was to 
 take place three days alter. 
 
 This hunting, was not the common sport 
 ing chase after a fox, or a tame deer, nor 
 did the skill which it required, depend on 
 leaping fences, or clearing ditches. It was 
 not a search after u a partridge among the 
 mountains ;" provision, until more quiet 
 times, was to be made for nearly 90 souls, 
 including women and children; an extent of 
 dangerous country was to be scoured, em 
 bracing what is called the Iroquois hunting 
 ground, and the still rougher tract beyond; 
 and a fortnight would be consumed in the 
 enterprise. Meanwhile the garrison would 
 
44 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 bo stript of its men, except a few for imme 
 diate service, and left to the family disci 
 pline of old and young women. 
 
 " I shall not be able to hunt with you I)u 
 Quesne," said Van Tromp, u and you ll find 
 it a bad job for a beginner." u I hope 
 you ll find your hurt not serious," said he. 
 " I shall not be able to endure it," was the 
 reply ; "but after all, my mind torments me 
 the most. I have had a dreadful apprehen 
 sion, Du Quesne. This accident warns me 
 that I must meet with others, and for fear of 
 what may happen, must make you my con 
 fident. What think you I took this ride for ? 
 I will tell you. About five miles off, at a 
 place near the lake which the Indians call 
 Manhaddock, and in the French Point au 
 Fer but no matter for the name is a fam 
 ily by the which, except servants and la 
 borers, consists of a lady and a girl by the 
 name of Dubourg. She was the daughter 
 of a French officer, who commanded a post 
 on the lines, I believe. 
 
 He married somewhere on the Hudson, 
 and lost his wife, and then was ordered a- 
 broad but pshaw ! what care you for that ?" 
 " Any thing that interests you I care for," 
 said Du Quesne. U O! it s no interest of 
 m ine that is, it would be very neglectful 
 in me to leave such a family, at such a time ; 
 so I meant to have brought the old lady and 
 her people here. But Du Quesne," added 
 
LF.TTF.RS. 45 
 
 he, lowering his voice, " the house and 
 buildings are burnt to the ground ; and what 
 can have become of the girl so beautiful, 
 I wish you could have seen her. A horrid 
 suspicion came across my mind as I wf pt 
 over the spot. I raked the allies, not know 
 ing but I might rind human bones." 
 
 V an Tromp made a pause of some mo 
 ments, which Du Quesne did not interrupt. 
 He proceeded, u There is one chance ; the 
 New England troops were to assemble on 
 the other side of the lake ; nnd it may be 
 they are there already. If so, these peo 
 ple may have gone down the water to their 
 protection. But what I meant to say if 
 any thing befals me, remember to find them 
 out, and take care of them if living." 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 A famous hunting once there did 
 In Cheve Chase befal." 
 
 The two succeeding days were employ 
 ed by the Garrison at the Blasted Tree, in 
 busy preparations for their hunting expedi 
 tion. Provisions, blankets, runlets, and 
 knapsacks, were got ready several hordes 
 were loaded, guns and ammunition, bowg. 
 arrows, axes, &c. were put in order with 
 a view to as much comfort, as was consist- 
 
4t> 10KT BRADDOCK 
 
 ent \vith spending three nights in the woods. 
 They arranged themselves in three bodies, 
 which were to keep the same general di 
 rection, at no greater distance from one a- 
 nother, if practicable, than would admit of 
 their meeting at night. Indeed, for the two 
 first nights, they appointed their rendez 
 vous, and as they did so, they talked of Buf 
 falo paths, and prairies, and beaver ponds, 
 and wolf dens, and Indian names, which are 
 no where to be found on the map. 
 
 It was expressly forbidden to blow a horn 
 or a bugle, except in case of imminent dan 
 ger. Du Quesne and Weshop were to head 
 one party ; Jonathan and Shadrach anoth 
 er ; and the third was to be directed by 
 some of their sturdy neighbors. Thus e- 
 quipped, our adventurers sallied forth at 
 day break, on their perilous and fatiguing 
 duty. 
 
 The incidents of this hunt made a lasting 
 impression on the memories of all who sur 
 vived it; and Shadrach, in alter days, 
 charmed many a breathless listener, as he 
 smoked his pipe in the chimney corner, and 
 told this hunting story. The manuscript is 
 less minute. It seems that the game was 
 abundant, consisting principally of moose 
 and common deer, the bear and buffalo 
 sometimes the wolf or the wild cut would 
 fall in the way of the hunters. 
 
LETTERS. 47 
 
 During (his lime, the parties sometimes 
 met, and were sometimes separated. We- 
 shop and Du Quesne were apart from the 
 rest, but kept near one another, from a 
 sense of duty on the part of Du Quesne ; 
 who missed his way when he missed his 
 guide, and was in constant danger of losing 
 himself in the woods. 
 
 The attention of YVeshop was suddenly 
 arrested by the actions of a small spaniel 
 dog, that kept at his heels and then by a 
 slight rustling noise in the thicket. He 
 made a sign to Du Q,uesne not to stir, and 
 crept softly among the bushes, where he 
 saw several of the hostile Indians, and had 
 convincing proof that there were many of 
 them in the neighborhood. 
 
 He perceived the nature of his danger, 
 and guessed the extent of it. Without be 
 ing discovered, he made good his retreat to 
 Du Quesne, and with his tinger on his lip, 
 led his noiseless way to a place where the 
 heavy timbered upland joins the edge of a 
 large natural meadow, that extended far 
 ther than the eye could reach ; and was 
 covered with a coarse jointed grass, which 
 grew thick, and in most places, taller than 
 a man s head. Weshop explained the dan 
 ger, and said they must take means to noti 
 fy and assemble their party, and instantly 
 retreat for the garrison. 
 
48 FORT ERADDOCK , 
 
 " But tell them," added he, " to avoid 
 the direct course, for between the Lion s 
 Tail (which was the name given to the ex 
 tremity of a long- ridge of hills) and the 
 beaver ponds, that pass will be guarded. 
 I would rather risk the run than the am 
 bush." 
 
 It is proper to observe, that when a par 
 ty of the settlers and a party of the Indians 
 discovered each other in the woods, the 
 weaiier was pursued by the stronger with 
 out any hope of mercy, if they were over 
 taken, and with little chance that the pur 
 suers would relinquish their object until the 
 flying enemy should gain a place of safety. 
 Day after day, sometimes, would the fear 
 ful march be kept up, usually in Indian file, 
 from ihe difficulty of the way, and the nec 
 essary caution of leaving as few signs as 
 possible, by which the pursuers could dis 
 cover their course. This was termed run 
 ning the Indians, or being run by the Indians, 
 depen-ling, as a lawyer would say, on who 
 was the party plaintiff, and who was the 
 party defendant. 
 
 Our two wary hunters moved with ex 
 treme caution through the high grass, lest 
 the waving motion of the top should detect 
 them, as with all their caution, it probably 
 did. It was not till they had come to the 
 buffalo path, that Weshop directed his 
 fnerul to blow his bugle, and himself set up 
 
LETTERS. 49 
 
 the Indian cry of alarm, which he continued 
 as he went, to give a direction he was t. ik 
 ing-. The hunters began to fall in from dif 
 ferent quarters, and the horns and bugles 
 were heard in several directions. It was 
 determined that they should attempt their 
 flight in their three divisions, and by differ 
 ent routes, so as to- divide, and perhaps con 
 fuse their pursuers. Du Quesne and his 
 party were under the guidance of Weshop, 
 who set off again at a brisk trot for the head 
 of the lake. "Quirk, quick," said the In 
 dian, "the woods will he soon on fire, and 
 this day the grass will flash like gunpowder. 
 See the smoke there and there ; we must 
 get out of the grass; don t wail for it to 
 kindle." He kept near the eastern border, 
 that he might have it in his power to es 
 cape being burnt alive ; but all his sp- j ed 
 and caution were nearly in vain. The fire 
 was now seen darting its streams to the top 
 of the pines arid hemlock, and leaping with 
 the activity that belongs to the element, 
 from one dry tree to another, till the woods 
 were in a blaze seizing the tallest trees 
 that crowned the headlands, and breaking 
 them, as if by manual force. It caught the 
 grass in several places at once. Without 
 stopping to consume the fuel before them, 
 the long pointed flames darted and kindled 
 as they touched. The wind rose with the 
 fire, and the wild animals who seek in 
 5 
 
50 tORT BftADDOCK 
 
 these spots their food and shelter, were 
 seen and heard with cries and bellowings, 
 to fly before it. 
 
 It often happens, that the deer are over 
 taken at full speed, and consumed by the 
 flames before they reach the upland, while 
 the waves of this fiery deluge pass over 
 them. 
 
 The hunting party had already turned to 
 the east, short of reaching the place of 
 their destination ; and had scarcely gained 
 a dry ridge, when the whole plain was one 
 continued sea of fire. A strong current of 
 air was raised by the heat, which occasion 
 ed a roar much resembling heavy thunder. 
 The senses of Du Qucsne were confounded. 
 He dared hardly turn his eyes to this dread 
 ful conflagration, which threatened to con 
 sume the spot on which he stood. He trod 
 close on the steps of Weshop, who was now- 
 certain that the hostile Indians were on his 
 track, and whoso only hope rested on gain 
 ing the lake. Every nerve was strained ; 
 partly from the heat, and partly from exer 
 tion. Du Quesne was ready to fall, when 
 he sprained his ancle and dropped. 
 
 " Leave me, Weshop," said he, as the 
 sweat poured from his body, u escape if 
 you can, but lay me in the bushes, and de 
 part, perhaps they may pass me by." We 
 shop cast on him one look ot agony, as he 
 said u a man who falls in the run is never 
 
LKTTUK3. 51 
 
 heard Iroin again." He look him by the 
 arm, arid sometimes carried him on his 
 shoulders, till they found themselves cut off 
 from their party, and surprised and taken 
 by a party of the pursuing Indians. 
 
 As Du Quesne moved with difficulty, his 
 fate was for a moment uncertain ; but the 
 encampment of the enemy happened to he 
 near, and Weshop was compelled to assist 
 his companion in keeping up with the par 
 ty- 
 
 They arrived about night-fall at a spot 
 near the left bank of the Saranac, where 
 that stream, which is full of falls and rapids, 
 passes between high hills, and is bounded 
 by a country which corresponds with the 
 troubled motion of its waters. Several 
 wigwams were disposed under the shelter 
 of a rocky height, the face of which was 
 nearly perpendicular, and whose top was 
 thinly covered with savin bushes, that seem 
 ed looking down as they bent over the 
 brink. The warriors immediately betook 
 themselves to eating and sleeping ; some in 
 the wigwams, and some round loose fires, 
 which were already kindled, where the 
 squaws and santops, and poppooses (as the 
 larger and smaller children are called) stood 
 ready to welcome their friends. 
 
 Weshop and Du Quesne were secured in 
 one of those natural caves or openings in 
 the rock, which are common in this vicini- 
 
52 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 ty, and which the Indians with a little labor, 
 often "convert into places of residence they 
 generally resort to them in times of danger, 
 as afforciii.g -bolter and safely. 
 
 The narrow entrance was strongly se 
 cured, and they were left to conjecture 
 their approaching fate. Du Quesne be 
 wailed tiie continual misfortunes in which 
 he seemed to have involved himself, and 
 those with whom he had been and was con 
 nected, and compared his present misery 
 with his more tolerable imprisonment at 
 New Amsterdam, from which his fellow- 
 sufferer had released him. 
 
 u What," said he, " will these wretches 
 do with us? shall we be tortured and mur 
 dered, Wesbop ? I have heard they roast 
 their prisoners I have heard even worse 
 than that !" 
 
 Weshop slowly replied, "they can get 
 pay for a white man, if they carrry him to 
 the next French town, but me," said he, 
 firmly, " they will burn." 
 
 4 Oh 1" said Du Quesne in horror, u God 
 forbid toll them, / beg of you, if they car 
 ry me as a prisoner, among civilized men, 
 to-wait till I can send your ransom. You 
 shall be ransomed if it takes all the prop 
 erty at Blasted Tree, if it costs the evacua 
 tion of the whole country, if it cost my life ; 
 certainly they can ask no more," and he 
 groaned with anguish. 
 
LETTERS. 53 
 
 " Twill do no good," was the answer. 
 T once escaped before ; may be they wont 
 save you. lie paused, and then continued, 
 " Do not the white men say that the good 
 are happy as soon as they die ?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " We believe it takes seven days to go 
 to the country of good spirits, after that, I 
 expect to see you and know you, if yois 
 should be alive, but I can t make you see 
 me, nor know tne." 
 
 JDu Quesne was unable to reply. 
 
 Weshop seemed more inclined to talk 
 than usual. His notions were wild and fan 
 ciful, but his manner was calm and serious; 
 and particularly was it affecting to one who 
 was likewise endeavoring to prepare him 
 self for the same awful trial. In the course 
 of the next day, Du Quesne was surprised 
 to see him produce his tomahawk, which 
 he had artfully contrived to secure to his 
 arm, by a fold of his blanket, so that it es 
 caped the notice of his enemies. 
 
 The Indians who held thorn prisoners, 
 were only a detachment of those who had 
 surprised the hunting party. Most of them, 
 as it afterwards appeared, had made direct 
 ly for the garrison, where this division was 
 soon to join th^m. It was led by a warrior 
 named Tantinok, whose business it was to 
 x^cute,- or otherwise dispose of such as 
 were made captive, according to the ben- 
 
54 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 (once of the Sagamores, or Elders. This 
 Indian came into the cave towards the even 
 ing of the second day. His appearance 
 showed he had been preparing lor some 
 usual occasion. The expression of triumph 
 in his features was made more ferocious, by 
 stains and streaks of different colored paints, 
 with which his face was disfigured or adorn 
 ed, according 1 to the taste of the beholder. 
 His head was decked with feathers, and his 
 nose, ears, ancles and wrists, with rings, 
 shells, and strings of beads. He told We- 
 sbop, with an appearance of great satisfac 
 tion, that at midnight he would lead him 
 out to his tormentors. The warrior heard 
 his sentence with seeming indifference, and 
 even reproached his enemy with weakness 
 and cowardice. Every sensation of anguish 
 was now felt by Du Quesne, in the extreme. 
 He had no consolation to bestow, for he felt 
 that he needed much, and he watched over 
 Weshop in bewildered sitence. The "stoic 
 of the woods" lay stretched on his straw, 
 where he slept till awakened by the ap 
 proach of his midnight visitor. Tantinock 
 had a tomahawk in one hand, and a pine 
 knot burning in the other. He stood over 
 his prisoner as he rose, and making signs 
 for him to follow, led the way from the cav 
 ern. 
 
 The small cavity in the rock where they 
 were, communicated outward by a very 
 
55 
 
 uarrow passage, or cleft in the ledge, with 
 room for but one person to walk at once. 
 Du Quesne cast a look upon the departing 
 hero, but it wa 4 * not answered, and he was 
 about to turn his eyes, when just as Weshop 
 entered the passage, the broad glare of the 
 torch light showed the tomahawk in his 
 hand. He struck with his whole force a 
 single blow, which needed no repeating. 
 The weapon sunk into the head of the fore 
 most Indian, who fell instantly dead. We- 
 shop put his finger to his lip, as lie turned 
 to Du Quesne, with a look that showed him 
 to be at that instant, perfectly happy. 
 " Turn to the right," said he, " as soon as 
 we get out ; don t be afraid, but jump down 
 the rocks to the gap in the bank where the 
 canoes are. I must move a little towards 
 the fires with the torch." Du Quesne in 
 stantly obeyed. His ancle was now strong, 
 and his agony of mind for the last two 
 nights, had prepared him to welcome any 
 danger, and defy any hazard. He turned 
 round the corner of the ledge, jumped, and 
 sprung, and fell several times, rose, and ex 
 erted all his might, reckless of danger, to 
 reach the narrow landing place, where he 
 knew, such was VVeshop s activity, that his 
 friend, unless taken, would be found. 
 
 Some of the ridges of the rocks which 
 fell towards the river in different tiers, or 
 strata, were so high and difficult that he ap- 
 
5(3 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 peared to have fallen, with occasional in 
 termissions, the whole way. Weshop reach 
 ed the spot nearly at the same moment. 
 The snow wns falling very thick and fast, 
 so that an object could net be distinctly seen 
 but a small distance off. We&hop had left 
 his torch in the cleft of a tree burning-, and 
 now contrived himself to get off with a ca 
 noe, and stave holes with his tomahawk 
 through the bottom of several others. Du 
 Quesne remembered his old posture, and 
 dropped in (he bottom of the boat, which 
 his active pilot soon conducted to the mid 
 dle of the stream. The river was little less 
 than a succession of rapids and falls, which 
 made their progress as dangerous as it was 
 speedy. The little barge of birch and splin 
 ters held its; onward way, like the charmed 
 egg-shell of the Lapland witches. The noise 
 was now hearrf of the Indians now gathered 
 on the bank of the river, firing the few fire 
 arms that they had, and raising their cries 
 above the roar of the waters and the storm \ 
 but tbe motion of the boat could not be per 
 ceived, and the rushing of a frigate through 
 the waves, would have been drowned by 
 the violence of the storm, and the dash of 
 the torrent ; and the boat shot over the rap 
 ids with the boundless velocity of an arrow 
 from the string. There was a desperate 
 plunge soon to be taken over a fall below. 
 Du Quesne was directed to make himself 
 
LKliLKb. . b i 
 
 fast to the boat with a cord, that in any event 
 he might not he separated i rom their only 
 hope. The precaution was not in vain. 
 The boat in the dark plunged over the fall, 
 and fell so swift, as to rob him of his breath, 
 He fell downright, without knowing- where 
 the descent would stop, till he found him 
 self plunged in the river, and covered near 
 ly to drowning, by water, under which he 
 felt himself drawn by the rope. The boat 
 had turned sidewise, and had tilled so that 
 the slightest weight would hve sunk it but 
 for the current that pressed it forward. 
 Weshop told him to hold on, and both clung 
 to the canoe till they came to the edge of a 
 shelving shore where the water eddied 
 round a point, and the Indian touched the 
 bottom with his feet. Their united efforts 
 drew the skiff on shore, emptied it, and 
 launched it again buoyant upon the stream. 
 The Indiar: kept it steady while Du Ques- 
 ne got in, and then sprung lightly over the 
 stern, and continued his course till he reach 
 ed the peaceful bosom of Lake Champlain. 
 They were now far southward of the Chazy, 
 and made no doubt that the garrison was so 
 beleaguered that any attempt to join it, 
 would expose them to certain capture. Du 
 Qiifsne knew so as to describe to Weshop, 
 nearly the place where the New England 
 troops were to rendezvous. 
 
58 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 " We must cross the lake and find em, ; 
 said the Indian, ns he stood balancing in the 
 stern of the boat. " Van Tromp wants em. 
 The enemy is around him so that there s no 
 coming 1 out or going in. The Oneidas and 
 Mohawks will burn and murder every living 
 soul ; without help, they will leave nothing 
 but ashes, so let us push for the New Eng 
 land troops. 1 
 
 Our adventurers accordingly continued 
 their course across the lake, where for the 
 present we must leave them; for the con 
 nexion of events require that we should now 
 shift our scenery to another, and a distant 
 part of the country, and leave for a space 
 our northern friends, that we may bring up 
 to the samp period, the fortunes of Dudley ; 
 who, it will be remembered, was in the 
 league of friendship at Saybrook College. 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 u My name was Robert Kidd, 
 
 And God s laws I did forbid, 
 
 And thus wickedly I did as I sailed." 
 
 The appearance of the sky indicated on* 3 ? 
 of those autumnal storms which render nav 
 igation dangerous on the coast of New Eng 
 land, when a ship ot a size and appearance 
 more large and imposing than was usually 
 seen in those waters, was crossing Long Isl 
 and Sound, and making for Gardiner s Bay, 
 
LETTERS. 59 
 
 She came round the point, and anchored un 
 der the land, as near the shore as was sate, 
 in a place so sheltered by the woods, and 
 the projection of land towards the sand bar, 
 as not to be readily seen from the sound. 
 Two boats put off from the vessel, one of 
 which steered towards the southern part of 
 the hay, and the other directly for the shore. 
 This last was tilled with men, who repair 
 ed to a rude cabin, which stood in the edge 
 of the wood, not far from the water. Here 
 they made preparations for spending the 
 night, by kindling a fire, and bringing into 
 the hut refreshments, and several other ar 
 ticles from the boat. 
 
 The night, which had now set in, soon 
 became pitchy dark, and the storm, which 
 had been foreseen, began with violence. 
 The hut was dry, and derived an air of com- 
 ibrt from the tempest without, and the fire 
 which blazed within. A light was kept 
 burning at a small window, to direct the re 
 turn of the other boat through the darkness, 
 and a guard placed at the door; while the 
 rest of the men reposed themselves round 
 the sides of the room, except one who ap 
 peared to exercise unlimited authority. He 
 sometimes seated himself sometimes stood 
 alone by the tire, and sometimes walked 
 back and forth in the room. He was a mus 
 cular and strong built man, of a morose 
 look, and foreign air. His dress was rich 
 
60 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 with lace, and somewhat resembled a Brit 
 ish Naval uniform. He had a pair of sil 
 ver mounted pistols, and a heavy eastern 
 sabre at his side. He listened now and then 
 till he could distinguish the dash of oars in 
 the pauses of the storrn. 
 
 " Douse the glim there, Darby Mullens. 
 Off with these cutter s men to the ship, and 
 back by day-light. Tell Watson to keep 
 his eye on the prisoner, for we are close 
 on shore ; look out, for if any body deserts, 
 you shall walk the plank." 
 
 At this moment the door opened, and a 
 man entered armed like the other, except 
 that instead of pistols, he wore a carbine or 
 arquebuss, with a spring bayonet. The wa 
 ter was pouring from the spout of his three 
 cornered hat, and his black beard grew so 
 high on his face, and so near the fell of un 
 combed hair above, that his eyes looked 
 like those of a Newfoundland dog, though 
 far less prepossessing. He was followed by 
 six or seven of a very motley or weather- 
 beaten appearance. 
 
 " Bolton," continued the first speaker, 
 <c what does he say ? Can I have provision 
 enough for another cruise ?" 
 
 " Wait till I get the water out of my eyes, 
 and I ll tell you." 
 
 So saying, he poured a liberal allowance 
 of brandy into a tumbler, and drank it undi 
 luted. The commander seconded the mo- 
 
LETTERS. 6 1 
 
 tion, as he called it, and then handed it to 
 the sailors, who drank extempore from the 
 neck of the bottle. Their conversation, 
 though it throws some light on after circum 
 stances, was not such as should he publish 
 ed in the Fort Braddock MS. We learn 
 from it, however, that Lord Bellamont was 
 about entering on the duties of Governor, 
 both of Massachusetts and New York that 
 Gardiner s Bay was the commander s only 
 place of safety that he had a commission 
 from the Board of Admiralty, and sailing or 
 ders from Lord Bellamont himself. 
 
 tc Strain every nerve to get to sea again," 
 said Kidd, u and immediately, with provis 
 ions for a long voyage. Kill Gardiner s cat 
 tle and pay him one day, rain or shine, is 
 all I ask the Earl of Bellamont is himself 
 suspected ot assisting us, and his enemies 
 have urged the colonies to prove their sus 
 pected loyalty by bringing my head. There 
 is a provincial sloop under Dudley, that 
 may suspect our haunt, and seek in this 
 very storm, this infernal tempting harbor." 
 
 " Why then," said Bolton, " did vou come 
 here." 
 
 " Did you never know why I often come 
 here ? This island belongs to no state or 
 province, and is embraced in no patent, but 
 is holden directly from King William, like 
 the Isle of Wight ; and it belongs to the 
 family of the Gardiners, in which it is en- 
 6 
 
62 FORT BRAD-DOCK 
 
 tailed, with no law or responsibility except 
 to the King, who doesn t know whether it 
 is in the East or West Indies or the West. 
 There is on it but a single family and its la 
 borers, and we have them always under our 
 control. They can send for no militia, and 
 claim no assistance ; the dead peace of the 
 spot is disturbed only by us. Here are 
 woods, water, and provisions, at our own 
 price, and more security in these regions, 
 than is to be found elsewhere." 
 
 u Then why not stay," said Bolton, u the 
 very expense of pursuit will sicken the 
 plantation* ; and they have Indians enough 
 on shore to look out for, without chasing pi 
 rates at sea. 1 " 
 
 " Do you not notice," said the captain, 
 u among the prisoners we took in the Que- 
 dah, a Frenchman, that seemed A passenger 
 fro n the East Indies? I seldom see a man 
 but I remember him again. Tis more than 
 twonty years ago that I knew that man in 
 New York, as they call it now. He was 
 an officer in the French service, when I tra 
 ded from that port with the Bucaniers. He 
 had a wife with him, I think ; any how, he 
 was much respected ; his connexions are 
 every where, and if he should escape, then 
 Robert Kidd sails no more. Depend on t 
 there s danger. Fifty of my men deserted 
 at St. Mary s, vVhen we burnt the Adven 
 turer, and went on board the Mocha Pirafo. 
 Do you see, Bolton ?" 
 
LLTTER3. 63 
 
 Bolton looked him full in the lace, and 
 Living- his hond on the hilt of his Turkish 
 scimetar, said, a Moore lies qnief on Black 
 Point, and though his money is within the 
 reach of his arm, he can t mutter whore it 
 is." 
 
 " I know," was the reply, "but this m;n 
 can pay a ransom ; he shall neither die here 
 or escape." 
 
 " Then," said Bolton, " I agree we must 
 put to sea. Hark ! how high the wind 
 blows ! how the arms of these, old oak trees 
 swing and creak blow high or low. we" 1 !! 
 he ready tomorrow night. It is now W. N. 
 W. it will clear off in the S. \V. in a day or 
 two, let s see, the moon changes tomorrow. 
 What s become of that bottle? The eastern 
 nations understand weather hetter than \ve 
 do; no wonder, with their monsoons and 
 tornadoes. Thunder and lightning ! here 
 an t half a drink ! Molucca," said he to a 
 short brown colored fellow, " Arrack !" 
 The boy looked for another bottle. " And 
 put some straw near the fire there, that 
 will not do not so close, if I burn up I ll 
 torment you forever." 
 
 So saying, he took his laudanum, as he 
 called it, unbelted his sword which he drew, 
 and placed it at his head, and then threw 
 himself on the straw. 
 
 " Thank Heaven, 1 am tired," said he, 
 looking at Captain Kidd, more in earnest 
 
64 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 than in jest, " how much hard labor it takes 
 to supply the little place of a quiet con 
 science. I shall sleep, though, whatever I 
 may dream" 
 
 There is not in the whole compass of na 
 ture s music, a sound more soothing, than 
 the rushing of a heavy rain upon a drowsy 
 head. It seems to force upon the rnind a 
 strong conviction of comfort, and to excite 
 feelings of gratitude for the shelter we en 
 joy, mixed with a slight and painful touch 
 of pity, for the unknown, but the possible 
 exposure of others. When this lullaby is 
 joined by the chorus of waters lashed by 
 the wind, and dashed at intervals on the 
 shore, the sense of personal safety, and the 
 contrasted images of peril by sea, serve on 
 ly to heighten this pensive pleasure. But 
 to enjoy the beauties or the music of nature, 
 innocence is necessary. Eden faded from 
 the eyes of our first parents, and though the 
 spot be left, it will never be found again by 
 their short sighted and sinful posterity. 
 
 The next morning the storm continued, 
 as was expected ; the boats put off from the 
 ship to the shore, and the captain set out in 
 his barge for the south part of the island, 
 where the mansion house has always stood. 
 He landed, notwithstanding the rain, in a 
 sort of naval style, left a trusty man with 
 the boat, and sent another to announce his 
 approach. The rest followed him at a rr- 
 
LETTERS. 65 
 
 specif ul distance, fully armed, and with mili 
 tary preci c ion. They paraded before !he 
 door till they had leave to retire to the 
 kitchen, and Kidd himself entered the house. 
 
 This was by no means his first visit. Mr. 
 Gardiner, commonly called Lord Gardiner, 
 from his being an immediate tenant of the 
 crown, and having a separate charter or pa 
 tent, which granted him certain royal privi 
 leges on his own territory, received him 
 very civilly, though with some embarrass 
 ment. He knew that he sailed at first with 
 a commission from the British Admiralty, 
 and more than suspected the use he had 
 made of it. Kidd knew all this, but acted 
 as if he wore King William s commission, 
 and would resent any suspicion to the con 
 trary. He mentioned the urgency of the 
 service on which he was sent, and spoke of 
 recent orders from the Admiralty. He 
 brought some presents for Mrs. Gardiner 
 and children, and politely requested her to 
 retire, that he might have a moment s con 
 versation with her husband. 
 
 In this private interview he made a mem 
 orandum of the provision he wanted, which 
 he carried out at his own prices ; and after 
 footing it up, paid the money down, and ad 
 ded that it must be delivered by sunrise the 
 next morning at the Fisher s hut, for he 
 dared not trust his men on the island, for 
 fear of desertion. He regretted that the 
 6* 
 
66 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 weather was such that he could not enter- 
 terlain his friends on board dropped a 
 word or two about his men and guns, and 
 politely took his leave. No military con 
 tribution was ever levied with more parti 
 cularity. The Quedah was watered and 
 supplied with provisions for a cruise ; the 
 plan of which Kidd had contrived, but the 
 success of which he could not foresee. 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 The weather on the third day was fair, 
 and the wind favorable. The ship was un 
 der weigh, and the spars were whitened 
 with canvass at a single order. The pro 
 prietor of the Island saw her with pleasure, 
 when she doubled the point to get out of 
 the bay, and put before the wind in the di 
 rection of Montauk. 
 
 The infant trade of our colonies, and in 
 deed, all the navigation, on the coast had 
 been endangered by other pirates besides 
 this noted freebooter. Barbarous cruelties, 
 and some shocking and unprovoked murders 
 upon the neighboring seas, had been com 
 mitted, and the colonies, particularly Mas 
 sachusetts, had fitted out a few vessels to 
 protect their trade, and if possible, capture 
 the pirates. DUDLEY, who was considered 
 an officer of much promise, had been lately 
 promoted to the command of the Martyr 
 
LETTERS. 67 
 
 sloop of War, and sent on this service. He 
 had obtained an accurate description of the 
 Quedah, and overhauled every sail he saw, 
 in hopes of falling in with this noted pirate. 
 Kidd was still in sight of land, when he made 
 out the Martyr, and bore down for her, in 
 expectation of finding a merchant vessel. 
 He was soon undeceived bv her size and 
 appearance, and most of all, by her stand 
 ing directly for him, though the wind was 
 in the wrong quarter. He called to Bolton. 
 " What say shall we fight for the fun of it, 
 when there s nothing to get ? There s noth 
 ing but Spartan coin by the looks there s 
 no glory to be got. That fellow now," 
 pointing to the vessel, " would he afraid to 
 
 run. D n it, Bolton, I dare do any thing, 
 
 fight or run ; what say ?" 
 
 u Just as your stomach is," said Bolton, 
 shipping a large quid of pigtail aboard his 
 month, " but in three hours sailing you ll be 
 overhauled." 
 
 "Quarters then beat to quarters ; but 
 pack all sail, put her before the wind. 
 Ilehn a-port steady there, hold her at 
 that." A few gratuitous curses, by way of 
 emphasis, garnished the order. 
 
 Discipline was Kidd s creed, and he sup 
 posed it was brought about only in one 
 method. The cat o nine tails had been 
 freely used that very morning; the yard 
 arm was handy, and the plank lay in the 
 
68 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 gangway, ready at word to be run out from 
 the vessel s side. At every springing of the 
 dreadful trap, a living corpse was heard to 
 plunge, and cries for help to come with the 
 wind, till the speed of the ship left them far 
 behind. 
 
 Kidd now put his crew to every various 
 and rapid service, which is suddenly requi 
 red in preparing for flight and battle at the 
 same time. Different orders were given in 
 the same breath, which were sometimes 
 misunderstood, and sometimes, to his criti 
 cal eye, too slightly and negligently execu 
 ted. His orders had at first some few words 
 of intelligible English, mixed here and 
 there among his oaths; but he soon confin 
 ed himself to his vocabulary of profanity, 
 which he fairlv exhausted more than once, 
 in French, Dutch, and English. He soon 
 saw that a battle was inevitable: for the 
 Quedah, from a long voyage, was not in so 
 good sailing order as the vessel in pursuit, 
 tvhich was fast coming up. 
 
 u I did not care enough whether I fought 
 or run, to make up my mind about it," said 
 he to Bolton, as he suddenly assumed an air 
 of perfect composure, "but I think we shall 
 be saved the trouble of a council of war on 
 that point-. We must take in sail, and 
 clear for action, after the men have had 
 their fighting rations. Let the Quarter 
 Master bring some this way, that 1 maj- 
 
LETTERS. 69 
 
 have a word over a social glass with you, 
 Mr. Bolton. I like this chance of a battle, 
 if it was only as an apology for drinking; 
 though you may say i rn not difficult about 
 excuses. But Bolton, to be serious, we 
 must be prepared, you know, for the worst; 
 and be the chance of our being taken what 
 it may, there shall be none of our being be 
 trayed." 
 
 A conversation succeeded in a tone low, 
 but earnest, in which nothing could be dis 
 tinguished, except at intervals, such words 
 the prisoner the plank he knows all, 
 and it can t be helped dead men tell no 
 tales, &c. 
 
 The result was not known. Without ce 
 remony, or even a public declaration ot the 
 design, a few men were despatched for the 
 unhappy object of Kidd s suspicions, who 
 brought the victim upon the deck, strug 
 gling and reluctant, with his eyes bound, 
 though his hands were free. He was led 
 along the plank, which projected over the 
 side at the gangway, and which was cut 
 from its slight lashing, so that he dropped 
 in the waler, and was left in the wake of 
 the vessel 
 
 There was carelessly seated on the deck 
 of the Martyr, a young, and what ladies 
 would call a handsome looking man, with a 
 spy-glass in his hand, which he happened at 
 that moment to apply to his eye. I cannot 
 

 70 FORT ERADDOCK 
 
 stop as the manner of some is, to tell how 
 he looked, how his hat had fallen from his 
 head, and left it with no other covering 
 than thick dark curls of chesnut hair, which 
 the wind stirred from his high, fair fore 
 head, nor of the form that graced the rude 
 ground work of the quarter deck. I must 
 be. if possible, as rapid in my narration, as 
 he was in action, when his accidental glance, 
 assisted by the spy glass, rested on that 
 sight of horror, which I have just descri 
 bed. The fair readers of this time-worn 
 manuscript, must pardon me, if I leave them 
 to conjecture how he looked when he 
 sprang on his feet, and with a freedom of 
 language, which in those pure days, even 
 the profession of a seaman did not allow, 
 exclaimed, " Good God ! they ve murdered 
 a man away there to his help!" 
 
 The hoarse voice of the boatswain was 
 heard above the busy hum of the ship s 
 crew, away there you first cutters, away /" 
 and the hint was taken by a boat s crew, 
 who, headed by an officer, were over the 
 vessel s side and seated at their pars, with 
 the activity of a flock of mother Gary s 
 chickens. 
 
 The speed of manual exertion is no where 
 shown to more advantage than on board a 
 vessel of war. 
 
 " Pull, pull," said the officer, as he stood 
 in the stern with the tiller in his hand. A 
 
LETTERS. 71 
 
 shot from the Quedah went so near his 
 head, that he could tell from the scream 
 that there was a flaw in the bullet. " Ah, 
 \ve shall engage in a minute, pull pull a- 
 way." 
 
 The men sprung 1 to their oars for the 
 floating victim. The long ridges of the 
 ocean wave were dashing over him, and in 
 his drowning ears, " deep answered unto 
 deep." He had pulled the bandage from 
 his eyes, and it now hung loose about his 
 neck, so that he saw the effort for his relief, 
 and was struggling with the exertion of a 
 spent swimmer, lo whom hope had given 
 preternatural power, when the barge was 
 sweeping by him, and the man in the bow 
 caught the handkerchief round his neck, 
 with a boat-hook. The oars stopped, the 
 boat with the body alongside, drove through 
 the water with the headway already acquir 
 ed. The man was exhausted, and lifeless, 
 to all appearaace, when they took him on 
 board, and put about for the ship. By this 
 time the vessels were so near, that some 
 shots had already been exchanged, and an 
 engagement was certain. 
 
 It is said that the silent moment, before 
 the "grim ridges of war" join in the con 
 flict, is dreadful ; and the occasion has been 
 taken by the great captains of antiquity, to 
 address their armies in speeches 
 
 "On the rough edge of battle ere it joined, 11 
 
72 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 and this practise, as to the length of the 
 speeches, has been improved upon in mod 
 ern times, as indeed all sorts of speech-mak 
 ing has been. 
 
 Upon this occasion, the prefatory words 
 were few and unpremeditated. 
 
 " Bolton," said Kidd, " we mut fight, but 
 
 he ll be sorry, for d n him, if he had 
 
 been worth taking, I d have done it an hour 
 ago. Haul up the courses, and bring her 
 to. My boys, we must sink her directly. 
 We can t be taken, that s out of the ques 
 tion. Those of you who d rather die here 
 like herops, than be hung for pirates at Ex 
 ecution Dock, let s know by three cheers." 
 The three cheers were given, and the ship 
 was ready for action. 
 
 The Martyr, not certain of bringing her 
 adversary to action, was holding on under 
 full sail. The commander had directed a 
 shot or two, to ascertain the distance, till 
 he saw the move of the Quedah for action, 
 when he gave orders to call all hands. At 
 the shrill whistle of the boatswain, the deck 
 was filled with men, who came, some from, 
 aloft, and some from below. The officer 
 stepped forward, and inclined his head, 
 every hat was off, and every eye on him. 
 
 " My lad?," said he, " I shall keep you 
 but a moment fronruyour duty. See that in 
 human wretch tis Robert Kidd, the devil 
 has deserted him at last, and Providence 
 
LETTERS. 73 
 
 has delivered him into our hands the vic 
 tory is ours, now to your quarters, and wait 
 the word." 
 
 " Where shall I lay her," said the sail 
 ing-master. 
 
 "O, Mr. Conklin," said Dudley, " I for 
 got that ; lay her along side, at pistol shot. 
 Mr. Endicot, he ready to lead away the 
 boarders." 
 
 The sides of the Quedah had smoked and 
 blazed with repeated discharges of her guns, 
 which did some damage before Dudley near- 
 ed his distance, and gave the word to fire. 
 Both ships were instantly involved in smoke. 
 The distance was so small, that musketry 
 was used from the tops, and th.e decks of 
 both vessels. Few battles have been more 
 desperately fought. Dudley was resolved 
 to capture, and Kidd, not to be taken. The 
 Martyr was constantly nearing the Quedab, 
 till the fluke of her anchor caught in one 
 of the Quedah s port holes, and Dudley 
 sprang forward, calling on the boarders and 
 heading them himself. To gain the Q,ue- 
 dah s deck, would have been no easy mat 
 ter; but it happened that Kidd had been 
 stunned by a splinter, and Bolton was killed 
 outright. 
 
 The boarders cleared the decks of the 
 
 pirate. They were found slippery with 
 
 blood, and strewed with the dead and the 
 
 dying. The men ceased to fight when Kidd 
 
 7 
 
74 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 fell, for they apprehended little danger from 
 capture, as many of them had been compel 
 led into the pirate s service, and wished an 
 opportunity to leave it. This was under 
 stood, and they experienced as kind treat 
 ment as they hoped for. The Martyr was 
 dreadfully injured, and lost many of her 
 rthen ; but the Quedah was sinking. 
 
 The prisoners, with every thing valua 
 ble which could be removed, were immedi 
 ately conveyed to the other ship, which lay 
 along side. Dudley gave orders to fall off, 
 leaving a boat s crew to set fire to the prize 
 and leave her. Kidd, who had been brought 
 too, was conveyed with the survivors of the 
 crew on board the Martyr ; strict attention 
 was paid to the wounded of both parties; 
 the sloop of war repaired as well as possi 
 ble, for immediate sailing ; and the sad ser 
 vice of burying the dead, at which the cap 
 tain is always present. Dudley deferred to 
 the next day, in hope that he might possi 
 ble arrive in port before that mournful of 
 fice would be necessary. 
 
LETTERS. 75 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 By skeleton shapes her sails are furPd, 
 
 And the hand that steers is not of this world." 
 
 We resume that part of the tale which 
 relates to Dudley and Kidd. 
 
 The last boat had now left the Quedah, 
 in haste, after setting her on fire, and leav 
 ing none on board but the dead. They had 
 scarcely joined the Martyr, when a fresh 
 breeze sprung up from the southwaid, and 
 drove the Q,uedah before the wind, wrap 
 ped in deep red flames, in the same direc 
 tion with the victor ship, and apparently in 
 pursuit. A current of air was raised by the 
 heat, which made her gain in this singular 
 chase. Her sails and rigging which had 
 not been shot away, were all set and stand 
 ing, and the quick flames fed by tar and 
 pitch, ran along her cordage and leaped to 
 the very top gallant head, while the ship 
 was yet above water, and under full waj, 
 as though the dead men on board of her had 
 awakened with new life, and sprung to their 
 duty. 
 
 This appearance, as she held onward 
 wrapped in smoke and blaze, added to her 
 character as a pirate, was a spectacle to the 
 crowded deck of the Martyr, where some 
 viewed it as sublime, and some as porten 
 tous and supernatural. 
 
76 FORT ERADDOCK 
 
 * 
 
 The spectacle was long- after recorded 
 among the marvels, and gave rise to the 
 tale of the Ghost ship, or flying Dutchman, 
 which was manned by spectres, and with all 
 her canvass spread, sailed rapidly in a gale 
 against the wind. It was necessary for the 
 Martyr to bear away for fear of being run 
 down by this dreadful fire-ship. 
 
 The prisoner of Kidd, who had been so 
 providentially saved from drowning, excited 
 very strongly the sympathy of Captain Dud 
 ley. 
 
 " Were it not for the war wiih France," 
 said he, addressing the stranger, "you 
 should, on our arrival at Boston, be set im 
 mediately at liberty ; but under existing cir 
 cumstances, though the rescued prisoner of 
 a pirate, you are still in my hands a prison 
 er of war, and your parole of honor is the 
 only indulgence I can give you." 
 
 Du Bourg, ior that was his name, thank 
 ed his deliverer with a deep feeling of grat 
 itude, and expressed a desire to continue 
 under his protection. 
 
 " 1 fear," said Dudley, " we shall find it 
 impposible. My services on the water, af 
 ter the capture of Kidd, will be no longer 
 required. My character in this new settle 
 ment." said he with a smile, u is rather am 
 phibious ; and I shall soon after my arrival, 
 be despatched on a long and fatigueing land 
 service, to the borders of Lake Champlain. 
 
LETTERS. 77 
 
 where the French and Indians, on the fron 
 tier, threaten to disturb and destroy the 
 New England settlements." 
 
 " If that be your destination," said the 
 stranger, " I will gladly follow you ; strange 
 as it may seem, my business is to visit that 
 very spot. Th *re, in younger life, on the 
 western shore of that lake, was I stationed 
 as an officer in Le Gendre s regiment, be 
 fore I was ordered on other service. There 
 1 lost my wile, and left my only daughter. 
 She was then an infant ; and now if living, 
 a woman. I know where, and with whom 
 I left her. I have regularly heard from 
 her, and I can find the very spot of her 
 abode, after an absence of twenty years. 1 
 am," added he, " a man of property, and if 
 I find rny daughter, shall become a citizen 
 of that country where I spent my happiest 
 days." 
 
 Dudley made the proposal that Du Bourg 
 should be his company across the country, 
 and march with the troops which were to 
 be in readiness at Tautinsque, near the nor 
 thern line of the colony, to which place 
 Dudley would repair with him, after rep 
 resenting his case to the Governor of the 
 Massachusetts colony, discharging his crew, 
 and settling his concerns as commander of 
 the Martyr. 
 
 On their arrival at Boston, the news of 
 the capture of the pirate was soon spread; 
 7* 
 
78 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 witnesses were summoned, Dudley among 
 the rest and even the peaceful inhabitants 
 of Gardiner s Island to attend the public ex 
 amination of Kidd, who was oh this prelim 
 inary^ proof, sent home to England for trial, 
 where, after an examination by the House 
 of Commons, he terminated his voyages, as 
 recorded in the New Gate calendar, and in 
 the ballad, of which he was the hero. 
 
 " At Execution Dock, as he sailed." 
 
 Meanwhile the provincial troops, in this 
 instance, principally from Massachusetts, 
 though aided by Connecticut and Rhode Is 
 land, had taken up their line of march, and 
 with their military " furnishments," accom 
 plished a journey of difficulty, through a 
 country unsettled, and but little known, and 
 encamped in safety on the eastern shore of 
 Champlain. They were strongly posted to 
 defend the country against an unexpected 
 inroad from the French and hostile Indians. 
 
 Du Bourg was anxious for the safety of 
 his daughter, and obtained from Dudley per 
 mission to cross the lake with a party of 
 men, to convey her, and the family in which 
 she lived out of the immediate neighbor 
 hood of Indian hostilities, which were at 
 this time more rife on the New York side. 
 As soon as he discovered their residence, 
 he spent little time even in expressing his 
 joy, but hurried their departure from a place 
 
LETTERS. 79 
 
 
 
 of peril. Pie had reason to be thankful for 
 his expeditious course ; for on the night fol 
 lowing, a detachment from the Iroquois cjime 
 upon the plantation, and finding it deserted 
 laid the whole in ashes. 
 
 The New England troops were disposed 
 in barracks and huts of their own construc 
 tion, and as they had chosen a commanding 
 place which they meant to fortify strongly, 
 they erected some log houses, in one of 
 which, Dudley lived with Du Bourg and 
 the inmates of the removed family. The 
 troops were well disciplined, and inured to 
 this sort of warfare. They kept by night 
 and day, the strictest watch against their 
 northern enemies, of every character, by 
 land or water. 
 
 It was after the regular arrangement of 
 military duty, that a centinel at his post 
 near the shore of the lake, where it indent 
 ed the land with a little shady bay, indistinct 
 ly discerned the figures of two men. He 
 stood waiting their approach to a short dis 
 tance before he should hail. One he saw 
 was an Indian the other was dressed in tat 
 tered clothes, and W 7 as doubtless a spy ; and 
 how many more might be in the woods be 
 hind them, he could only imagine. He edg 
 ed towards the side of a tree, and cocked 
 his gun as he cried, " Who goes there !" 
 
 "Friends." 
 
 " Friends stand ! don t advance," said the 
 centinel in alarm, then straining his voice to 
 
80 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 the utmost, he called " Du lha n," dwek 
 ling on the last syllable, like a village mat 
 ron calling her skulking children, or as a 
 militia colonel on a regimental day, calls 
 " atten tion the whole," 
 
 Corporal Jeduthun Banks, of Marblehead 
 had just incurred the severities of the mar 
 tial law, by stretching his martial length, 
 and " reposing his weary virtue" at the foot 
 of an oak tree, and had just mentally joined 
 in Sancho s bension upon the " man who 
 first invented this self same thing called 
 sleep," when he was aroused by the unwel 
 come cry of his companion in arms. 
 
 " As when men wont to watch 
 
 " On duty, found sleeping by whom they dread 
 " Rouse and bestir themselves e er well awake." 
 
 He was instantly on the ground, where 
 his platoon of men were directly paraded, 
 and received the new comers, at the point 
 of the bayonet. 
 
 Du Quesne (for he and Weshop were 
 the intruders) requested that they might be 
 shown to the quarters of the chief in com 
 mand. 
 
 They found him alone, in a small log hut, 
 without a fire, and with no appearance of 
 comfort or convenience about it: a light 
 was burning upon a large log of wood saw 
 ed at the end, so as to resemble a horse 
 block, more than a table, though it was 
 
LETTERS. 81 
 
 meant for the latter. The person who was 
 seated at it, requires a more particular de 
 scription. 
 
 Miles Standish had the only pride of birth 
 which is pardonable in this country. He 
 was directly descended from one of those 
 men, who ate their meal of clams near 
 Plymouth Rock, and listened to the grace 
 which Parson Robinson said over them. 
 Even the puritans, who fled from the stake, 
 called him obstinate, and considered him in 
 matters of faith, as rather intolerant. He 
 hated all separates, as he called them ; but 
 his greatest dislike was towards the church 
 of Rome, and for reasons which he pretend 
 ed to be able to explain, he was not very 
 cordial to the church of England. The 
 men who stoned the first martyrs, he would 
 say, were no worse than those who stood 
 and held their garment. Nay, in the zeal 
 of some of his controversial conversation, he 
 ventured to call them worse they were 
 more cowardly and less sincere. 
 
 Godfrey of Boiogne, aever put on hi? har 
 ness against the enemies of the cross in the 
 Holy Land, with more zeal, than Miles 
 Standish buckled on his sword against the 
 French and Indians, in this Land of Prom 
 ise. He referred to the scriptural account, 
 of the march of the Israelites from the land 
 of Egypt, and the bouse of bondage, -rti <>[)- 
 plied it literally, as did many others 10 the 
 

 82 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 emigration of the puritans ; and he derived 
 his authority for much of his own conduct, 
 from the fighting part of the character of 
 Joshua. The Onondagas the Tuscaroras 
 the Wampagoes and the Potawatomies, 
 were with him, but the other names for the 
 Hitlites Porezites Jehusites and Gergu- 
 shiles; all of whom were to be exterminat 
 ed. Indeed it Father Raal, on his way from 
 Penobscot to his Catholic friends, had fallen 
 into the hands of Miles Standish, he would 
 have considered the fate of Affag as his suf 
 ficient warrant. He possessed vigorous 
 strength, was patient of fatigue, and fixed 
 in his purpose. A man as Mr. Southey says, 
 
 u Firm lo resolve, and stubborn to endure." 
 
 He sat reading Pilgrim s Progress, which 
 he allegorised beyond the spirit of Bunyan 
 himself. 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 After hearing Du Quesne, without inter 
 ruption, " are you," said he, " true men 
 and no spies ? Is it not to spy out the na 
 kedness of the Jand ye are come ? You, sir, 
 must be a Frenchman, and surely, if ever I 
 saw one, this is an Indian Know you not 
 that it is against such that I have come out 
 to fight? I have the authority of scripture 
 history. It is in vain for the Kenites to air 
 
LETTERS. 83 
 
 tempt deceiving me, with their old shoes, 
 and clouted, tattered garments, and mouldy 
 beard, and broken bottles." 
 
 The dialogue between them, lasted some 
 time. The engaging manners and conversa 
 tion of Du Quesne, interested the chieftain, 
 though it was apparent he doubted the truth 
 of the story, and looked on the disinterest 
 ed heroism of Weshop, particularly, as apoc 
 ryphal. 
 
 " But aside from his incredubility, and some 
 strong suspicions of design, he resolved not 
 to cross the lake, but to keep his provin 
 cials within the boundary of New England. 
 He cared as little for the Dutch as for the 
 French. 
 
 " Let them," said he to himself, fight it 
 out between themselves, and if the Indians 
 take sides, so much the better." 
 
 Great was the joy of Du Quesne, when 
 he learned that Dudley, his long lost, and 
 as he supposed, far distant friend, was on 
 the spot, and the second in command. He 
 hastened to his quarters, where he found 
 Du Bourg and his daughter. Standish was 
 present at this cordial interview, and listen 
 ed once more, but with greater confidence 
 and interest, to the story and request. The 
 anxiety of Dudley was extreme. He saw 
 the emaciated form of Du Quesne, worn 
 down by famine, fatigue and suffering rep 
 resented to himself the exposure of Van 
 
84 FORT BUADDOCK 
 
 Tromp to a fate from which it might even 
 now be too late to save him, and made up 
 his mind. u I will go, and that immediate 
 ly, if 1 go alone. Major Standish," said he 
 u this is no matter of political or provincial 
 interest ; it is rny private business, and of 
 great emergency. Providence gives me 
 this opportunity perhaps the only one of 
 redeeming a sacred pledge ; my sworn, my 
 bosom friend is in peril ! " See," said he, 
 pointing to Weshop, what an example this 
 man has set me." 
 
 l Ah, he s a Kenite,"said Standish, wring 
 ing Weshop s hand, " worthy to be ranked 
 with Squantum himself. In a case like this 
 I will not be outdone by the best heathen 
 that ever lived. Weshop ! but there s no 
 time to be lost beat to arms! I wish," ad 
 ded he, in a lower tone to Dudley, " that 
 Weshop was a chrisXian he would make a 
 better one than some white men I know of ; 
 but now have the boats ready I ll show 
 you how to deal with Indians, when you 
 catch them on fair ground, in a body. We 
 shop, you must lead us. Capt. Dudley, we 
 march Indian file, without music. Three 
 ferriages will carry over as many as we 
 want. Let the ladies stay with those who 
 keep guard at the camp. If I don t return 
 I ll send for them." 
 
 During the bustle of a slight and rapid 
 preparation, the young lady found means to 
 
LETTERS. 85 
 
 set her large dark eyes upon Du Qucsne, 
 and beckon him towards her. "This, sir," 
 said she, u is no time for ceremony, or af 
 fected delicacy. I feel interested in the 
 safety of your friend. I shall wait here, oh, 
 with how m .ich anxiety, to hear of your ar 
 rival in time to save him ; and [ beg that as 
 soon as he is safe, I may be immediately sont 
 for, to join yon and Mr. Dudley, at the Blast 
 ed Tree. I know from your zeal, you will 
 save him, 1 know you will ; but you have 
 eaten nothing. These hasty men forgot to 
 ask you, and you have forgot to call : here 
 I will set a table for you and wait upon you 
 myself." 
 
 I must not eat without my friend." 
 
 " Who ?" 
 
 " The Indian warrior that brought me 
 here." 
 
 " Oh ! VVeshop, I know him, let me call 
 him myself." 
 
 Weshop came back, but the honest fellow 
 could not stay for a regular meal, he look a 
 quantity of provision in his hand, to eat as 
 he went onwards to the place of embarka 
 tion, saying as he left the shore " make 
 haste, make haste." 
 
 The party in fine order, and under strict 
 discipline, were soon paraded, marched and 
 wheeled to the landing. 
 
 Tbe lake at a narrow place, was ferried 
 ->ver. again and again, till all but a guard 
 8 
 
86 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 for the defence of the women, and the few 
 effects that were left behind, had quit the 
 shore. Miles Standish directed the embar 
 kation himself, and brought up the rear in 
 the last boat, with his drummer, trumpeter 
 and bugleman ; and as he had an ear for 
 music, and a strong taste for sublime scene 
 ry, he directed them to play Old Hundred, 
 and accompanied them with his voice in 
 these noble words : 
 
 " When Israel free d from Pharaoh s hand, 
 Left the proud tyrant and his land 
 The tribes with joyi ul homage own 
 Their King, and Judah was his throne." 
 This psalm he sung to the end, as he sal 
 in the stern of the boat, and the bugleman 
 swelled his cheeks in vain, to overpower 
 the loud bold tones of this vocal accompa 
 niment. 
 
 They landed and took up their line of 
 march in the dark, till the moon, just past 
 the full, shone on the rocks and woods west 
 of Lake Champlain. 
 
 " Who is there to mourn for Logan." 
 Van Tronap, and his small garrison, had 
 evidence of the misfortune that had befal 
 len their friends, when they saw, the second 
 day after their departure, straggling rem 
 nants of the hunters, returning in haste and 
 disorder. His anxiety for Du Quesne and 
 Weshop, was succeeded by a horrid convic 
 tion, when he saw his savage enemies as 
 sembling in formidable numbers naar the 
 
LETTERS. 87 
 
 edge of the wood on the south side, at a lit 
 tle more than gunshot distance. There 
 they seemed deliberating, whether to com 
 mence an immediate attack, or wait for 
 some less hazardous mode of gaining their 
 purpose. The latter course was adopted, 
 principally, because they expected by the 
 next night, to he joined by another body. 
 In the mean time the best preparations were 
 made in the garrison, against an Indian mas 
 sacre. % 
 
 The night and the next day were spent 
 in watching, and the ensuing evening wit 
 nessed the expected addition to the Indian 
 force. An assault was now certain ; an in 
 discriminate murder would he the probable 
 consequence of their success. Twenty 
 times a day had Jonathan s head, as he rais 
 ed it above the breastwork, been a mark lor 
 musket balls and Indian arrows, and twice 
 as often, through the loopholes and crevices, 
 had he returned this mark of attention with 
 his nflt?. 
 
 " What think s become of Weshop?" 
 said Shadrach, " I never missed him as 
 much afore, in my life." 
 
 u Poor fellow, 1 said Jonathan Hodges, 
 u I guess that bag of hair is off his head, by 
 this time twas a mighty handy thing to 
 catch him by." 
 
 u It makes me crawl to the heart, Jona 
 than, but I expect we shall be killed to- 
 
7 
 
 / v V "f "^ 
 
 88 I OKT BUADDOOK 
 
 night. They mny kill my master I most 
 hope it ll be my turn first. There s him, 
 poor soul, hobbling about when he ought to 
 be abed." 
 
 li Ah, Shadrach, we shall have a field bed 
 to-night, and a bloody one too, I m think 
 ing." 
 
 Shadrach in obedience to an order from 
 Van Tromp, posted himself on the lop of 
 the house to look out. It was now night, 
 and the lull ntoon had been some time risen. 
 The Indians from- without commenced stor 
 ming the place, and rushed towards the a- 
 battis with yells and war-whoops. They 
 attempted to cut them down, and to set them 
 on fire ; but as they had been newly made 
 of green trees drawn close together with 
 their roots inward, they found themselves 
 stopped and exposed to the sure aim of the 
 markfmen, who shot from the bastions. 
 
 They then attacked the gate, hand to 
 hand, and the fight became furious but the 
 besiegers had the advantage of number*, 
 and it was pretty certain that they would 
 soon make good their entrance. The as 
 sailants were animated with the hope of suc 
 cess, and the defenders made desperate nt 
 the fate which impended over them and 
 theirs. 
 
LETTERS. 89 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Most of the fighting- men in the garrison 
 had now drawn round this place of combat. 
 The besiegers had foreseen this, and had 
 placed a body of men in ambush, \rlio were 
 to attempt gaining the place, by scaling the 
 sleep ledge of rocks which formed the nor 
 thern angle of the enclosure. This party 
 had already risen from the bushes, and was 
 running to that part which was defended 
 only by the natural steepness of" the ascent, 
 when Shadrach, who was the only one that 
 saw this mano2uvre, gave the alarm ; but in 
 the confusion and horror of the moment he 
 had no chance of being understood. In the 
 agony of despair, he ran to the spot alone. 
 They were already climbing the face of the 
 rock, and pulling themselves up by the 
 bushes that grew out of its clefts. The 
 large trunk of an oak tree had been placed 
 along the top of the ledge, where it served 
 as a sort of breast-work for about twenty 
 feet. The thoughts that he might instantly 
 be despatched, gave him new strength, and 
 quickened his ingenuity. He seized a stake, 
 which he applied as a lever to the middle 
 of the log. It moved tottered a moment 
 on the edge of the precipice he applied 
 all his strength it fell ; and Shadrach dart 
 ed back with all his speed. Never, even 
 in ancient days, was a more dreadful missile 
 8* 
 
. 
 
 5:10 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 put in motion. The face of the rock was 
 covered with the assailants, and the base 
 was crowded with others waiting 1 to ascend. 
 The ruin swept and crushed all before it. 
 Those who escaped, retired, and paused for 
 a moment, but observing no one above, ven 
 tured the attempt, and a few gained the top. 
 
 Meanwhile those who defended the gate 
 were on the point of being overpowered. 
 when the troops under Standish nnd Dud 
 ley emerged from the woods. They saw- 
 how critical the moment was, and rushed 
 to their aid. A full fire of musketry and 
 arrows was poured in upon the savages, and 
 bayonets, swords, and tomahawks, were im 
 mediately in contact. Weshop and Da 
 Quesne, alarmed at the dangerous situation 
 of their friends, and personally exasperated 
 with the enemy, were directly merged in 
 the middle of the combat. 
 
 A conflict like (his could not last long. 
 The savages were amazed at an attack so 
 unexpected; they fled hastily in every di 
 rection, and were followed by Standish to 
 the woods, where he ordered the grass and 
 bushes to be set on fire. It was instantly 
 done, in an hundred different places. He 
 then blew his horn to call in his men. (Avho 
 might be in danger of an ambush) and en 
 tered the garrison. 
 
 The women -md children had been shut 
 np in a sort of block house, and escaped un- 
 
LETTERS. 91 
 
 hurt. Few who belonged to the garrison, 
 but were wounded or killed. Van Tromp 
 was much hurt, and Jonathan would never 
 have found his way from the gate, had not 
 Shadrach litied him in his arms. 
 
 Du Quesne in almost breathless eager 
 ness, met him as he was staggeiing under 
 his burthen. 
 
 " Where is Weshop," said he. 
 
 The African s heart was undergoing such 
 mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, as almost 
 choaked his utterance. He could only say 
 "dead." 
 
 Du Quesne stopped, and for a moment, 
 friends, country, all were forgot but poor 
 Weshop. 
 
 Almost all the garrison were by this time 
 assembled at the gate. Weshop lay cover 
 ed with his wounds, in the midst of his foes ; 
 his bow was near him, and his bloody toma 
 hawk was clenched in his hand. He was 
 bitterly lamented by more than one. Du 
 Quesne s grief could not be silent. " He 
 lifted up his voice and wept." 
 
 Weshop was buried with military honors ; 
 
 his grave is still marked by a pile of large 
 
 stones, on one of which there seems to have 
 
 been an inscription, but it cannot now be 
 
 ead. 
 
 The newly arrived troops, took up their 
 quarters, for the present, in the garrison; 
 for several of them were unable to march, 
 8*-2 
 
92 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 and the new settlers had been so reduced 
 in number, and were so many of them 
 wounded, that they could not well be left 
 in their present condition. 
 
 One chilly evening in November, most of 
 the personages mentioned in the MS. were 
 sitting in the best room of the garrison, 
 round a cheerful lire, ruminating, some on 
 the past, and some on the future, but saying 
 little to disturb one anothers thoughts. Van 
 Tromp was still an invalid ; Du Bourg now 
 and then smiled to see the attentions of his 
 new found daughter, to one whose first 
 wound* were received in her service, and 
 whose modest eye, when he felt occasional 
 twinges of pain from wounds, more recent, 
 seemed to look to her for relief. 
 
 Standish was saying to Dudley, (who was 
 thinking of something else) that the VVinne- 
 bagoes, and the Potawatomies would never 
 join on the other side of the river after this, 
 and that the French would soon be obliged 
 to confine themselves to the Canada line ; 
 and Du Quesne was thinking almost to tears 
 of the virtues of Weshop. when Shadrach 
 entered the room with Du Quesne s watch 
 in his hand. 
 
 ik Massa Du Quesne," said he, " here s 
 your watch you left it when you went a 
 hunting; I buried it the night of the battle, 
 so it don t go. I ve been trying to put it to 
 rights, but I can t make out." 
 
LETTERS. 93 
 
 " Thank ye Weshop, I mr.an Shadrach," 
 said Du Quesne. 
 
 Du Bourg s eye was on the watch. 
 
 " Let me see it," said he to Du Quesne ; 
 u it s a very elegant one." 
 
 He took it, opened and examined it with 
 surprise. 
 
 4k Where did you get it ? pardon my in 
 quiry." 
 
 Du Quesne told him all he knew about it 
 or about himself. 
 
 " You see sir," said he, " our stories are 
 intimately connected." 
 
 " My young friend," said Du Bourg, " tell 
 me when and where you was born ?" 
 
 Du Quesne told him u but you are un 
 well sir," said he, as he took back the watch. 
 
 " Slightly," said he ; " Captain Dudley., 
 I wish to speak with you." 
 
 " Me, sir," said Dudley, who had been 
 twirling his sword with his becket, as sailors 
 call it, that was fastened to the hilt, and 
 whose mind had been so absent that he had 
 heard only the last request, as it was par 
 ticularly addressed to him. " Me, sir ? I ll 
 wait on you sir." 
 
 " There s a good fire in t other room," 
 said Shadrach, as he showed the way. 
 
 " Captain Dudley," said Du Bourg, " that 
 young man is my lost son ; he is, Captain 
 Dudley." 
 
94 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 " A worthier, or a nobler one," said Dud 
 ley, "you could not claim. The probabili 
 ty of such a thing occurred to me, when 
 you told me on board the Martyr, why you 
 wanted to visit the banks of this lake, and 
 that you had two children in this country, 
 though you expected to find but one left. 
 This gentleman was my class-mate, and 
 more -he was my bosom friend. I know 
 all his story." 
 
 " Sit down then sir, I will tell you mine 
 without being tedious. I came to this coun 
 try as a captain in the 33d regiment of Roy 
 al Infantry. The regiment was never as 
 sembled that I know of. I was employed 
 as an inspecting Officer went from port to 
 port was occasionally at New York, and 
 often at different places on the lake, and on 
 the Hudson. 
 
 I was married at Sandy Hill to a lady of 
 the most respectable connexions, but whose 
 friends were averse to the match, owing to 
 my commission in a marching regiment, and 
 my liability to be ordered away. I livd in 
 New York wiih my wife until my eldest 
 child was two years old, when I was requir 
 ed to join a battallion of our regiment as 
 sembled near Lake Champlain, from which 
 it was soon to remove to Detroit, on the 
 upper lakes. 
 
 The little boy could not be at once re 
 moved to so great a distance considering 
 
LLTTLU3. U5 
 
 the hazards and difficulties- of such a jour 
 ney, and I provided lor his immediate sup 
 port at New York, in the family whore i 
 had liveri, intending to send for him when 
 ever I should find myself and family perma 
 nently settled. This time never arrived, 
 and I was afterwards assured of his death. 
 I lost my wife after the birth of a 
 daughter. I was soon obliged to go to Mon 
 treal thence to Quebec; and instead of 
 being ordered to Detroit, as was expected, 
 I was embarked with a part cf the regi 
 ment, and sent to the French settlements in 
 the East Indies, where a war had Unexpect 
 edly broken out, and where troops were im 
 mediately wanted. I had only lime to make 
 provision for my infant daughter, hy entrust 
 ing her to the care of the lady with whom 
 sli^ has always lived, the widow of an offi 
 cer of my acquaintance with whom, as you 
 know, I found her. 
 
 Upon the birth of my first child, I had 
 written to my brother, younger than myself, 
 whom I left in France to manage my pater 
 nal estate, that I intended to call him Dvi 
 Quesne, after a distinguished soldier of that 
 country. His own name is Carlos Du 
 Bourg. The ship in which I sailed, was 
 wrecked on the coast of Mysore; a few of 
 us gained the shore in a boat, but the news 
 in Europe, (as I afterwards learned) was, 
 that she wt\s lost with all her crew. My 
 
96 FORT BRADDOCK 
 
 brother succeeded to my property in France, 
 which this son would have inherited on my 
 death. The sctlique law of France, you 
 know, would exclude the daughter. But in 
 the management of this boy. I fear I see the 
 hand of my brother. That watch is mine ; 
 I left it with Voothies, my host in New 
 York, with an earnest request that the child 
 might be enjoined to keep it till I should 
 see him again." 
 
 Dudley felt assured that Du Bourg had 
 found his son, and took upon himself to 
 break the tidings to his friend. "Nothing 
 more," added he, " can be wanting, than 
 the letters from France, which can be pro~ 
 cured through New York." 
 
 The hour was now late, and the garrison 
 was silent. Shadrach, who had remained a 
 wandering listener to this strange recital., 
 declared his resolution to wake up his mas 
 ter, and tell him all about it. 
 
 The first light of the morning discovered 
 the garrison in different groups. Dudley 
 and Du Quesne Du Bourg and his daught 
 er Shadrach and his master, with Miles 
 Standish, who said it fairly put him in mind 
 of the story of Joseph. 
 
 When these groups collected, Du Quesne 
 presented himself to his father and eister. 
 His feelings had been of late, too much ag 
 itated to admit of any stronger sensations 
 than calm satisfaction, at the discovery of a 
 
LETTERS. 97 
 
 family connexion of so respectable a char 
 acter. 
 
 The answer to Dudley s inquiries brought 
 the letters which Du Bourg knew to be in 
 the hand-writing of his brother; and they 
 were accompanied with the intelligence 
 that the gentleman who was engaged in the 
 duel and who had been absent from New 
 York ever since, had sent from the southern 
 plantations an account of that affair, which 
 completely exculpated Du Quesne. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 "The last boat lingers on the shore." 
 
 The mystery which had hitherto involv 
 ed the life of Du Quesne, was now satisfac 
 torily cleared up. It appeared that on the 
 reported death of Du Bourg, his brother in 
 France, to whom the inheritance descended 
 on failure of male heirs in the elder branch 
 of the family, had taken effectual means to 
 keep Du Quesne from any knowledge of his 
 right, or even of his parentage. Though 
 liis temptation proved too strong for his re 
 sistance, yet, a remaining sense of duty 
 urged him to supply the means of education, 
 and to present the chance of future support. 
 
 Du Quesne never changed his name. He 
 adopted the profession of arms, and served 
 

 98 FORT SHADDOCK 
 
 in several campaigns with Dudley, till 
 peaceful times restored him to his friends. 
 
 The successes of Van Tramp s courtship 
 had been promoted by every recent occur 
 rence. He served to unite the members of 
 a long separated family, with one between 
 whom and themselves there had been an in 
 terchange of kind offices, and mutual obli 
 gations. 
 
 A meeting of the settlers was called, at 
 which they took into consideration the los 
 ses they had met with, the unsettled state of 
 the country, which was growing daily more 
 dangerous, and their increased exposure af 
 ter the New England troops should be with 
 drawn ; and resolved to retire in a body to 
 the southern part of Lake George. Miles 
 Standish crossed the lake, to the remnant 
 of his former camp, with a view of march 
 ing down the eastern side, and joining the 
 main body near Ticonderoga point. The 
 vow of friendship was solemnly renewed, 
 and on a day appointed, Dudley at the head 
 of his troops, look up his line of march, and 
 escorted the whole of the wandering settle 
 ment as in patriarchal times with their 
 wives and their little ones their flocks and 
 their herds; leaving fort Braddock to its 
 original solitude, which, from that time to 
 this, has met with few interruptions. 
 
 THE END. 
 


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