A few days after this conference, Brant withdrew his warriors from the Susquehanna, and joined Sir John Johnson and Colonel John Butler, who had collected a body of tories and refugees at Oswego, preparatory to a descent upon the Mo

hawk and Schoharie settlements.

There Guy Johnson, and

other officers of the British Indian department, a

The conference of July, 1775. CampbtlFs Annah of Tryon County,

Claus tells the brazen story that Herkimer " had three hundred men with him and five hundred more in the distance," and that " Brant, who had not two hundred men, after resolutely declaring that he was determined to act for the king," obliged Herkimer to retreat

"with mere

menaces, not having twenty pounds of powder among his party." ( Colonial HisIt was by such stories /cry, vin, 7^o.) that the Indian ring managed to give a consequence to the Six Nations which they did not possess.

Ini7Z2, under the direction of Governor

Burnet,

a

trading

house

was

summoned a

at Oswego, on the east side of In 1726, in order to prevent the river. the encroachments of the French, Governor Burnet erected old Fort Oswego, on the west side of the river. In 1755, Fort Ontario was constructed, on the east side of the river, under the direction of Governor Shirley. On the I4th of Auerected

gust,

1756, both these

forts,

with a garrisoaofi6oo men, and a large quantity of ammunition, were surrendered to the The forts French, under Montcalm. were returned to the English under the They were su/treaty of peace of 1763. rendered to the United States, by the British government, under the treaty