Three Of Their Men Neverthelesse Weare Killed; The Rest Is On The
Other Side Of The River, Where There Was A Fort Which Was Made Long Before.
There They Retired Themselves With All Speed.
We passe our boats to augment
our victory, seeing that they weare many in number.
They did what they
could to hinder our passage, butt all in vaine, ffor we made use of the
bundle of Castors that they left, which weare to us instead of Gabbions,
for we putt them att the heads of our boats, and by that means gott ground
in spight of their noses. They killed one of our men as we landed. Their
number was not to resist ours. They retired themselves into the fort and
brought the rest of their [men] in hopes to save it. In this they were far
mistaken, for we furiously gave an assault, not sparing time to make us
bucklers, and made use of nothing else but of castors tyed together. So
without any more adoe we gathered together. The Iroquoits spared not their
powder, but made more noise then hurt. The darknesse covered the earth,
which was somewhat favorable for us; but to overcome them the sooner, we
filled a barill full of gun powder, and having stoped the whole of it well
and tyed it to the end of a long pole, being att the foote of the fort.
Heere we lost 3 of our men; our machine did play with an execution. I may
well say that the ennemy never had seen the like. Moreover I tooke 3 or 4
pounds of powder; this I put into a rind of a tree, then a fusy to have the
time to throw the rind, warning the wildmen as soone as the rind made his
execution that they should enter in and breake the fort upside down, with
the hattchett and the sword in their hands.
In the meane time the Iroquoits did sing, expecting death, or to their
heels, att the noise of such a smoake & noise that our machines made, with
the slaughter of many of them. Seeing themselves soe betrayed, they lett us
goe free into their fort, that thereby they might save themselves; but
having environed the fort, we are mingled pell mell, so that we could not
know one another in that skirmish of blowes. There was such an noise that
should terrifie the stoutest men. Now there falls a showre of raine and a
terrible storme, that to my thinking there was somthing extraordinary, that
the devill himselfe made that storme to give those men leave to escape from
our hands, to destroy another time more of these innocents. In that
darknesse every one looked about for shelter, not thinking of those braves,
that layd downe halfe dead, to pursue them. It was a thing impossible, yett
doe believe that the ennemy was not far. As the storme was over, we came
together, making a noise, and I am persuaded that many thought themselves
prisoners that weare att Liberty.
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