Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

The Story of Old Fort Plain and the Middle Mohawk Valley
by Nelson Greene
O'Connor Brothers Publishers, Fort Plain, NY 1915

CHAPTER XX.
1781-Oct. 24, Ross and Butler's Tory and Indian Raid in Montgomery and Fulton Counties-Oct. 25, American Victory at Johnstown-Willett's Pursuit, Killing of Walter Butler and Defeat of the Enemy at West Canada Creek-Rejoicing in the Mohawk Valley-Johnstown, the County Seat, at the Time of the Hall Battle, 1781.

Small guerilla parties continued to lurk around the frontier settlements during the remainder of the summer and early autumn of 1781. The vigilance of Col. Willett's scouts prevented their doing any great damage. The Tories, however, had lost none of their animosity against their former neighbors in the Mohawk valley, and in the late autumn of this year again took the field.

In October, 1781, occurred the last great raid, which took place during the war in the limits of western Montgomery or within present Montgomery and Fulton counties. The invaders were so severely punished by the valley troops under Willett, that it had a deterrent effect upon their further enterprises of this kind, at least in the neighborhood of Willett's headquarters at Fort Plain.

This last local foray was commanded by Major Ross and Walter Butler and consisted of 700 Tories and Indians and British regulars. Ross was afterward in command of the British fort at Oswego, when Capt. Thompson came from Fort Plain bearing to the enemy news of an armistice between England and the United States. Of this interesting journey, mention is made in a following chapter. Oct. 24, 1781, the enemy broke in upon the Mohawk settlements from the direction of the Susquehanna, at Currytown, where they had so ravaged the country a few months earlier. They burned no buildings as they did not wish their presence yet known to the neighboring militia.. That same morning a scouting party went from Fort Plain towards Sharon Springs, there separating, all of them returning to their post except Jacob Tanner and Frederick Ottman, who set out for Currytown where Tanner wished to visit his family. Near Argusville they came in touch with the enemy, who were approaching the Mohawk by the southwest route. The two American scouts ran down Flat creek and, throwing away their guns and knapsacks, escaped and spread the alarm. At the Putman place (Willow Basin, in the town of Root below the Nose), they came upon a funeral party attending services over the remains of Frederick Putman, who had been killed by the enemy while hunting martin up Yatesville creek. Thus warned, the party broke up and its members fled for safety and to warn others.

The enemy in force, to the number of 700, went from Argusville to Currytown, plundering houses on their way but avoiding the little fort at that place. From Currytown they made for the Mohawk and there came upon and captured the two scouts. Tanner and Ottman, Rudolf Keller and his wife, Michael Stowitts and Jacob Myers, all returning from the Putman funeral, and later took John Lewis near the river. Mrs. Keller was left near Yatesville (now Randall) by the intercession of a Tory nephew. Half a dozen other women just previously taken were also left here, among them Mrs. Adam Fine and a girl named Moyer. The Invaders after this did not encumber themselves with any more women prisoners on this raid. Myers was an old man and, on the forced and terrible march which followed the Tory defeat at Johnstown, he could not keep up with the party and was killed and scalped.

Leaving the Yatesville neighborhood, Major Ross led his party on the south side down the Mohawk, taking the new road recently laid over Stone Ridge, into the present town of Glen. On the ridge, they came at twilight to the Wood home, and took there John Wood captive. Here Joseph Printup, a lieutenant of militia, was at his son's (William I. Printup) house, as were also Jacob Frank, John Loucks and John Van Alstyne, neighbors. Printup had been cleaning his gun and, as he reloaded it, said: "Now I'm ready for the Indians." Almost at the same instant the advance party was seen approaching the house. Frank and Loucks ran for the woods, Loucks being shot down and scalped and Frank escaping. Printup fired on the advance party. An Indian put his gun to the patriot's breast, but a Tory friend of Printup's, with the Indians, struck the gun down and the Whig lieutenant was hit in the thigh. The Tory interfered and saved Printup's life and then he was made a prisoner. Several times, during the following march the lieutenant was saved from the Indians' tomahawks by his friend of the enemy. Printup suffered agonies on the way but finally got to Johnstown, where an old Scotch woman, Mrs. Van Sickler (probably the wife of Johnstown's first blacksmith and also Sir William's), interceded for him and he was left at her house. From here he returned to Stone Ridge and was finally cured of his wounds. At the time of his capture Van Alstyne was also made prisoner and he helped Printup along the road. According to the Indian custom, had he not been able to keep up, he would have been at once scalped and killed.

Jacob, a brother of the former Van Alstyne, was taken shortly after as was Evert Van Epps. John C., a son of Charles Van Epps, spread the alarm on horseback down the river, and the inhabitants fled to safety in the woods. At Auriesville Printup told John Van Alstyne to escape if he could and the latter promptly ran for liberty up the ravine. The enemy continued on to Yankee Hill, in the town of Florida, fording the Schoharie at its mouth. Captain Snook sent Conrad Stein to warn the settlers hereabouts, who mostly escaped. On the morning- of October 25, 1781, the invading party broke camp, forded the Mohawk, entered the town of Amsterdam and headed (or Johnstown, small parties of Indians meanwhile raiding the country in every direction. Houses were burned belonging to farmers by the name of Wart, Henry Rury, Captain Snook, John Stein, Samuel Pettingill, William DeLine, Patrick Connelly, George Young and several others in the neighborhood. A man named Bowman was killed and scalped.

The raiders crossed the Mohawk near Stanton's Island, below Amsterdam. Here they burned the houses of Timothy Hunt and Nathan Skeels, Soon after the Tory main body went over the ford a Whig named Ben Yates, came up on the south bank and saw an Indian on the opposite shore. "Discovering Yates and, doubting his ability to harm him, he turned "round and slapped his buttocks in defiance. In the next instant, a bullet, from the rifle of Ben, struck the Indian, and the former had only to ford the river to get an extra gun and some plunder made in the neighborhood."

That same morning Capt. Littel led a scouting party from the Johnstown tort to learn the enemy's whereabouts. Five miles east of Johnstown they came upon Ross's advance party. Here Lieut. Saulkill, of the scouts, was killed and the rest of the party fled and 'later were in the ensuing battle. At Johnstown, Hugh McMonts and David and William Scarborough were killed by the raiders.

As soon as the news reached Col. Willett at Fort Plain, he started to the rescue with what men he could hastily collect. Marching through the night he reached Fort Hunter the next morning (October 25, 1781), but the enemy had already crossed the river and directed their course toward Johnstown, plundering and burning right and left. Willett's force lost some time in fording the Mohawk which was not easily passable at this point, but this accomplished, the pursuit was vigorously prosecuted and the enemy were overtaken at Johnstown.

Col. Willett had but 416 men, and his inferiority of force compelled a resort to strategy in attacking. Accordingly Col. Rowley, of Massachusetts, was detached with about 60 of his men and some of the Tryon County militia to gain the rear of the enemy by a circuitous march and fall upon them, while Col. Willett attacked them in front. The invaders were met by Col. Willett near Johnson Hall and the battle immediately began. It was for a time hotly contested, but at length the patriot militia, under Willett, suddenly gave way and fled precipitately, before their commander could induce them to make a stand. The enemy would have won an easy and complete victory had not Col. Rowley at this moment, attacked vigorously upon their rear and obstinately maintained an unequal contest. This gave Col. Willett time to rally his men, who again pressed forward. At nightfall, after a severe struggle, the enemy overcome and harassed on all sides, fled in confusion to the woods, not halting to encamp until they had gone several miles. In the engagement the Americans lost about 40; the enemy had about the same number killed and 50 taken prisoners. This American victory was won on the northwest limits of the present city of Johnstown and near Johnson Hall, where a monument marks the field.

A young patriot, named William Scarborough, was among the garrison at the Johnstown fort at the time of this action, left it with another soldier named Crosset, to join Willett's force. They tell in with the enemy on the way, and Crosset, after shooting one or two of the latter, was himself killed. Scarborough was surrounded and captured by a company of Highlanders under Capt. McDonald, formerly living near Johnstown. Scarborough and the Scotch officer had been neighbors before the war and had got into a political wrangle, which resulted in a fight and the beating of the Highland chief. Henceforward he cherished a bitter hatred toward his adversary, and finding him now in his power, ordered him shot at once. His men refusing the murderous office, McDonald took it upon himself, and cut the prisoner to pieces with his sword.

Capt. Andrew Fink of Palatine, was also in the Johnstown battle. During the action near the Hall, the British took from the Americans a field-piece, which Col. Willett was anxious to recover. He sent Capt. Fink with a party of volunteers, to reconnoitre the enemy and if possible, get the lost cannon. Three of the volunteers were Christian and Mynder Fink, brothers of the captain, and George Stansell. While observing the movements of the enemy from the covert of a fallen tree, Stansell was shot down beside his brave leader with a bullet through his lungs, and was borne from the woods by Han Yost Pink. Strengthening his body of volunteers, Capt. Pink again entered the forest. The cannon was soon after recaptured and, it being near night and the enemy having fled, Willett drew off his men and quartered them in the old Episcopal church at Johnstown, gaining entrance by breaking a window.

The day after the battle, Col. Willett ordered Capt. Littel to send a "scout" (scouting party as then called) from Fort Johnstown to follow the enemy, discover its direction and to report the same. Captain Littel had been slightly wounded in the Hall battle but took with him William Laird and Jacob Shew and set out after the enemy. (Shew was on service in many of the neighborhood posts, Fort Plain included, and is responsible for much of the Information Simms used regarding local events).

The enemy camped the first night near Bennett's Corners, four miles from the Hall, and the following day, striking the Caroga valley, went up that stream and went into camp for the night (Oct. 26, 1781) half a mile beyond the outlet of Caroga lakes. The next day Littel's scouting party came up and warmed themselves at Boss's deserted camp fires. After further observing the enemy's trail Littel became satisfied that they would go to Canada by way of Buck's Island. His party lodged in the woods, near Ross's last camp, and returned to Fort Johnson next day, from whence Peter Yost was sent on horse, with messages to Col. Willett at Fort Dayton, to which post he had advanced.

Ross's party meanwhile was heading for West Canada creek. The retreating Tories and Indians struck the most easterly of the Jerseyfield roads (leading to Mount's clearing), followed it several miles and encamped for the night on what has since been called Butler's Ridge, in the town of Norway (Herkimer county), half a mile from Black creek.

Early the next morning (Oct. 26, 1781) Willett started his pursuit. He halted at Stone Arabia, and sent forward a detachment of troops to make forced marches to Oneida lake, where he was informed the enemy had left their boats, for the purpose of destroying them. In the meanwhile he pushed forward with the main force to German Flats, where he learned the advance party had returned without accomplishing their errand. From his scouts of the Johnstown fort party, he also learned that the enemy had taken a northerly course to and along the West Canada creek. With about 400 of his best men, he started in pursuit in the face of a driving snow storm.

The route of the pursuing band of Americans was as follows: From Fort Dayton up West Canada creek, crossing it about a mile above Fort Dayton, going up its eastern side to Middleville, from there up the Moltner brook to the Jerseyfield road leading to Little Falls; striking the Jerseyfield road northeast of present Fairfield village, following it up and camping at night a mile or two from the enemy's position.

Willett's camp was In a thick woods on the Royal Grant. He sent out a scouting party under Jacob Sammons, to discover the enemy. Sammons found them a mile or so above and, after reconnottering their position, returned and reported to Col. Willett that the enemy were well armed with bayonets.

The American officer gave up the plan of a night attack upon them and continued his pursuit early the next morning (Oct. 28, 1781), but the enemy were as quick on foot as he. In the afternoon he came up with a lagging party of Indians, and a short but sharp skirmish ensued. Some of the Indians were killed, some taken prisoners and others escaped. Willett kept upon the enemy's trail along the creek, and toward evening came up with the main body at a place called Jerseyfield, on the northeastern side of West Canada creek. A running fight ensued, the Indians became terrified, and retreated across the stream at a ford, where Walter Butler, their leader, tried to rally them. In this action it is said 25 of the enemy were killed and a number wounded. A brisk fire was kept up across the creek by both parties for some time. Butler, who had dismounted, left cover and took some water out of the creek with a tin cup. He was in the act of drinking it when he was seen by two of the American pursuing party-Anthony, an Indian, and Daniel Olendorf, a man from the present town of Minden. They both fired at once at Butler, who fell wounded in the head. The savage then threw off his blanket, put his rifle on it and ran across the stream to where Butler lay in great pain, supporting his head on his hand. Seeing the Indian brandishing his tomahawk, the Tory raised his other hand saying, "Spare me-give me quarters!" "Me give you Sherry Valley quarters" replied the red man and struck Butler dead with his weapon, burying it in his head. Just as the Tory captain fell. Col. Willett came up on the opposite side of the creek. Olendorf told him where Butler lay and the American commander together with Andrew Gray of Stone Arabia and John Brower, forded the stream and came upon the scene just as Anthony was about to take his dead victim's scalp. Col. Lewis, the Oneida chief with the American party here came up also and Anthony asked permission to scalp the fallen Tory. The red officer asked Willett if he should permit it. Col. Willett replied: "He belongs to your party. Col. Lewis," whereupon the chief gave a nod of assent and the reeking scalp was torn off the quivering body of the man who had incited his savages to inflict death and the same bloody mutilation on the bodies of scores of men, women and children. Anthony stripped Butler and returned across the creek to Olendorf. Here the savage put on the red regimentals and strutted about saying: "I be British ofser." "You a fool," remarked Olendorf and told the Indian that it he was seen in Butler's uniform he would be instantly shot by mistake. The savage thereupon hurriedly shed his victim's clothes.

Butler's body was left where It fell, and the place was afterwards called Butler's Ford. The pursuit was kept up until evening, when Willett, completely successful by entirely routing and dispersing the enemy, stopped and started on his return march.

The sufferings of the retreating force of beaten Tories and Indians, on their way to Canada, must have been many and acute. The weather was cold and, in their hasty flight, many of them had cast away their blankets to make progress more speedy. The loss of the Americans in this pursuit was only one man; that of the enemy is not known. It must have been very heavy. Colonel Willett, In his despatch to Governor Clinton observed, "The fields of Johnstown, the brooks and rivers, the hills and mountains, the deep and gloomy marshes through which they had to pass, they alone can tell; and perhaps the officers who detached them on the expedition."

On account of the inclement weather and the lack of provisions, Willett and his force returned to Fort Dayton, after abandoning the chase of the badly beaten enemy. Here the people had gathered together and prepared a feast for the victorious American soldiers and their able commander. And the occasion was also one of great rejoicing over the death of Butler, from whom the people of Tryon county had suffered so much.

The news of the Johnstown and West Canada creek victories and the death of Butler was spread through the valley at about the same time as the tidings of the surrender of the British army under Cornwallis at Yorktown. That great event did not give any more joy to the people along the Mohawk than the welcome assurance that the fiend Butler had been wiped out in the vigorous pursuit by "Willett and his fighting men. Willett's return to his headquarters at Fort Plain must have been in the nature of a triumphal march and he probably was there heartily greeted by the much tried people of the Canajoharie and Palatine districts.

The battle of Johnstown was fought by the garrisons of the Fort Plain headquarters and its adjacent posts, by what local militia could be quickly gathered, and probably some men from Fort Hunter and Fort Johnson and with the aid of the Johnstown garrison. The picked force Willett took up West Canada creek doubtless included some of the scouts or militia posted at Fort Herkimer and Fort Dayton. So this campaign takes on a particular local interest as, although the battle of Johnstown and the skirmish at West Canada creek were fought outside of the Canajoharie and palatine districts, the great majority of the forces there engaged were from the Fort Plain valley headquarters and the posts within a five-mile radius of It. This, as has been before mentioned Is true of the Sharon Springs battle as well. So, like the greater action of Oriskany, these Revolutionary Tryon county conflicts are of much local interest because so large a proportion of the American soldiers engaged came from the Canajoharie and Palatine districts of which Fort Plain was the center, even though the scenes of battles were outside of them.

Three of the late Revolutionary actions-Stone Arabia, St. Johnsville and Sharon Springs, occurred within the Canajoharie and Palatine districts and the two former within the present limits of the towns of Palatine and St. Johnsville. The battle of Johnstown has been stated to have been the last action of the Revolution on record and fittingly terminated in an American victory.

The Mohawk Valley Democrat(Fonda), in its issue of Feb. 27, 1913, printed a statement of Philip Graft, a Mohawk valley soldier who took par tin the West Canada creek skirmish and was present at the death of Walter Butler. This document has been in the possession of the Sammons family for over a century. Graft's account differs somewhat from Olendorf's, but both are probably true, the confusion of the battle preventing both from seeing all its incidents individually. The Graft statement follows in its original form:

"In October 1781, I was inlisted in the state troops for four months and was then stationed at Fort Herkimer in a company of Capt. Peter Van Ranselaer and Lieut. John Spencer. Some time in November after Col. Willett had a battle with Major Ross at Johnstown he arrived at Fort Herkimer. Our company then was ordered to join with Col. Willett's men and with them we crossed the river from the south to the north side the next morning; we were marched to the north through the Royal Grants and encamped in the woods, made fire; some snow had fell that day. The next morning by daybreak we marched on to the enemy about one and came with the rear of the enemy, took some prisoners and Lieut. John Rykeman, several of their horses with blankets and provisions and packs on-we then pursued the enemy on to Jersey Field and in coming down a hill to the creek, we received a very strong fire from the enemy who had [crossed] the west Canada creek, which was returned from Willett's men with spirit. The enemy on the west side of the creek and Willett's men on the east side. One of the Oneida Indians having got near the creek saw Major Butler look from behind a tree to Willett's men at the east, took aim at him and shot him through his hat and upper part of his head. Butler fell, the enemy run, the Indian run through the rest of the Indians and [an] advance immediately followed when Indian who shot Butler arrived first having noticed particular where Butler fell; he was tottering up and down in great agony, partly setting, looking the Indian in the face when the Indian shot him about through the eye brow and eye and immediately took his scalp off. The Oneida Indians then mostly got up and give tremendous yell and war hoop, immediately striped Butler of all his close, left him naked laying on his face. The Indian walked forward (the rest followed) with the scalp in his hand; came to the guard called out, 'I have Butler's scalp,' struck it against a tree, 'take the blood' [evidently addressing] Lieut. Rykeman who was in the guard, [and] struck it at his face [saying] 'Butler's scalp, you Bogen.' Rykeman drew his head back and avoided the stroke. I saw two [of] his sergeants and little farther saw another of the enemy shot through the body. Butler was killed about 11 o'clock. We pursued the enemy until evening and returned the morning, past Butler again in the position we left him the day before. I believe he never was buried."

Some incidents of the West Canada creek pursuit follow:

Soon after crossing West Canada creek, some of Willett's men found a little five-year-old girl beneath a fallen tree, crying piteously. She had been made a prisoner and left by the Indians in their flight. The militiamen comforted her and took her back to her valley home. The weather at this time was very severe and the sufferings of the enemy and their prisoners were intense.

A militiaman named Lodowick Moyer, who was in the American pursuit, said that "ice was forming in the creeks and, in crossing them, the soldiers took off their pantaloons (note the 'pantaloons') and thought the ice would cut their legs off." They were gone four days on two days rations. He said "the enemy left a wounded Tory behind after the West Canada creek skirmish, who had been wounded at the Hall battle. Col. Willett sent him back down the creek on a horse,with someone to care for him. He died on the way and was buried under a fallen tree. Col. Willett was as kind as he was brave."

Simms says: "The prisoners captured by Major Ross and party suffered much on their way to Canada from the cold, being 17 days journeying to the Genesee valley, during which time they were compelled to live almost entirely on a stinted allowance of horse-flesh. Some of the prisoners wintered in the Genesee valley and were taken to Niagara the following March. Keller, one of the Currytown prisoners, on arriving at Niagara was sold, and one Countryman, a native of the Mohawk valley and then an officer in the British service was his purchaser." He was sent successively to Rebel Island (near Montreal), to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and finally to Boston, "where he was exchanged and left to foot it home without money, as were many [liberated] prisoners during the war. They were however, welcomed to the table of every patriot on whom they chanced to call and suffered but little by hunger. Keller reached his family near Fort Plain, whither they had removed in his absence. Dec. 24, 1782. Van Epps, a fellow prisoner, reached his home [in Glen] about 18 months after his capture and the rest of the prisoners, taken that fall [1781], returned when he did or at subsequent periods, as they were confined in different places."

Johnstown, the scene of the foregoing battle, was begun by Sir William Johnson in 1760. At the time of the battle of Johnstown, in 1781, it consisted, besides Johnson Hall, of a court house and jail (both erected in 1772), a stone Episcopal church (built In 1771), a few taverns and stores and a small number of dwellings, some of which had been built by Sir William. After Sir John Johnson's flight to Canada in 1776, the patriot committee had the stone jail converted into a fort, further strengthening it with a palisade and block-house. The Johnstown fort, Fort Johnson, Fort Hunter, Fort Paris, Fort Plain, Fort Clyde, Fort Plank, Fort Willett and Fort Windecker were the chief fortifications in the present limits of Montgomery and Fulton counties during the Revolution. With the addition of Forts Dayton and Herkimer (in present Herkimer county) and Fort Schuyler (abandoned in 1781, and in present Oneida county) they formed the defenses of the valley and this part of the Revolutionary New York frontier. Six of these nine Fulton and Montgomery army posts were within the limits of the present Minden and Palatine townships.

On June 26, 1872, at Johnstown, was held the centennial celebration of the erection of the court house and the Jail which was the Johnstown fort of the Revolution. Gov. Horatio Seymour was the chief speaker. A portion of his address follows:

The edifice and its objects were in strange contrast with the aspect of the country. It was pushing the forms and rules of English jurisprudence far into the territories of the Indian tribes and it was one of the first steps taken in that march of civilization which has now forced its way across the continent. There is a historic interest attached to all the classes of men who met at that time [the laying of the corner stone of the court house in 1772]. There was the German from the Palatinate, who had been driven from his home by the invasion of the French and who had been sent to this country by the Ministry of Queen Anne; the Hollander, who could look with pride upon the struggles of his country against the powers of Spain and in defense of civil and religious liberty; the stern Iroquois warriors, the conquerors of one-half the original territories of our Union, who looked upon the ceremonies in their quiet, watchful way. There was also a band of Catholic Scotch Highlanders, who had been driven away from their native hills by the harsh policy of the British government, which sought by such rigor to force the rule of law upon the wild clansmen. There were to be seen Brant and Butler and others, whose names, to this day, recall in this valley scenes of cruelty, rapine and bloodshed. The presence of Sir William Johnson, with an attendance of British officers and soldiers gave dignity and brilliancy to the event, while over all, asserting the power of the Crown, waved the broad folds of the British flag. The aspects of those who then met at this place not only made a clear picture of the state of our country, but it came at a point of time in our history of intense interest. All, in the mingled crowd of soldiers, settlers and savages, felt that the future was dark and dangerous. They had fought side by side in the deep forests against the French and Indian allies; now they did not know how soon they would meet as foes in deadly conflict.

In the fall of 1781, Conrad Edick was captured by a party of seven marauding Indians in the neighborhood of Fort Plank, in the present town of Minden. They hurried off into the wilderness and at nightfall stopped at an abandoned log house to stay there for the night. The party made a fire, as the weather was cold, and ate a scanty supper. After this the savages sat about on the cabin floor and discussed the poor success of their expedition, lamenting the lack of spoil and prisoners they had secured. They determined to hold a pow wow in the morning, kill and scalp their prisoner and return to the vicinity of the Mohawk to secure more plunder and prisoners if possible. Edick, unbeknown to them, understood the Mohawk dialect, and was harrowed to thus learn his fate. When the Indians lay down to sleep, their prisoner was placed between two of the red men and tied to them by cords passing over his breast and thighs. Sleep was out of the question for the agonized white man, as he lay trying to figure out some plan of escape. His restless hands felt about the debris on the floor and came in contact with a bit of glass, to his great joy. Assuring himself that his savage bedfellows slept soundly, he found he could reach his bindings with his hands and cautiously severed those which were fastened to his chest and then the ones about his legs. He knew the Indians had left a large watch dog on guard outside the door and he had also noticed, on his captive journey the preceding day, a large hollow log in the woods nearby. From the door he made a break for the forest and the dog at once chased him barking loudly. Before Edick reached cover 100 yards away, the Indians woke, grasped their rifles and pursued. As he neared the edge of the woods they fired at the fleeing prisoner but Edick luckily stumbled and the volley went over his head. Jumping up he ran among the trees until he found the hollow log and crawled inside. The Mohawks and their dog made a search for their escaped captive but the animal proved poor on the scent and did not discover Edick's hiding place. The savages sat down on the very log in which the white man was concealed and discussed their prisoner's escape. They decided he had climbed a tree or that "the devil" had spirited him away. As it was nearing morning the party resolved to eat and follow their plan of the night before to return and plunder along the Mohawk. One Indian went to a neighboring field and shot a sheep which they dressed. Then the savages built a fire against the same log In which Edick was hidden and proceeded to cook their mutton. The white man suffered tortures from the heat and smoke and stuffed parts of his clothing and some leaves into the crannies of the log to keep the fire out. He controlled his tortures of mind and body and desire to cough on account of the smoke, knowing he would be instantly killed if discovered. When the cooking was finished, his miseries gradually subsided with the dying fire. The savages, after their breakfast, left one of their number on guard to keep a lookout for their lost prisoner and started on their new foray. Often during the morning the Indian sentinel sat or stood on Edick's log. Not hearing the savage's movements for some time, the white man ventured to creep out of his hiding place. Not seeing the savage, Edick ran for his life and eventually reached Fort Plank in safety. Conrad Edick, after this terrible experience, lived to a ripe old age, dying at Frankfort, N. Y., 1846, aged about 80 years, which would make him under 20 at the time of the above exciting affair. Ittig was the original German for the name Edick.

In the latter part of October, 1781, four patriots were captured in the Sharon neighborhood by Indian marauders. Christian Myndert abandoned his home there in the fall of 1781, on account of the several Indian forays in that neighborhood. He returned with Lieut. Jacob Borst of Cobleskill, Sergeant William Kneiskern and Jacob Kerker, all armed, to fix his buildings for the winter. After the work the party went to the house, built a fire and warmed themselves, setting their guns in a corner of the room. Six Indians, commanded by a valley Tory named Walrath, broke into the room, seized the guns and captured the entire party, carrying them off to Canada. They were subjected to such cruelties in the Indian country that Borst died at Niagara.

Following are the principal national occurrences of the year 1781 summarized: 1781, Jan. 17, Americans under Morgan destroy British force at Cowpens, S. C.; 1781, March 1, Articles of Confederation (adopted 1777) between the thirteen states finally go into effect; 1781, March 15, indecisive battle at Guilford Court House, S. C., between British under Tarleton and Americans under Greene; 1781, April 25, defeat of Greene's army at Hobkirk Hill, near Camden, S. C.; 1781, Sept. 6, Benedict Arnold, in command of a British force, burns and plunders New London, Conn., while his associate officer, Col. Eyre, takes Fort Griswold and massacres half the garrison after the surrender; 1781, Sept. 8, battle at Eutaw Springs, S. C., with advantage with the Americans; 1781, Oct. 19, surrender of the British army, under Cornwallis, to Washington at Yorktown, Va.