Sweeping down from Canada with his powerful army, Burgoyne recaptured Crown point and Ticonderoga, while his auxiliaries, the Indians and tories, attacked the defenses more remote from his route. Of these Fort marched Colonel Butler the was which first, against Schuyler

The

reference

is

not

to the lower

Mohawk castle of which Little Abraham was chief sachem while his brother Henknown

the of Praying Mohawks, at the mouth Schoharie creek, which maintained at least a nominal alliance with the colonists, or rather observed the neutrality to which General they had pledged themselves. drik lived, but

Sullivan,

" were

to

however,

that

believed

that

as

.

they

constantly employed in giving intelligence to the enemy, and in supporting their scouting parties when making incursions," and that

" when the Mohawks "

left to joined the enemy," they were answer those purposes, and keep possession of the land" of the tribe. By his

direction

they were subsequently taken

prisoners and removed to Albany.

Life of Brant, n, 40. Originally Fort Stanwix. city of Rome,

Stone's

The present

OAeida county, now covers

THE INDIJN TRIBES

from Oswego with a motley crew of whites and Indians, 1 un commands of John Johnson, Claus, and Brant, and united with the forces under St. Leger. 2 The siege commenced on the fourth of August, when a few bombs were thrown into der the

the fort, while the Indians, concealed behind trees and bushes,

wounded several men who were engaged in raising the parapets. Similar annoyances occurred on the fifth, but formidable opera tions were held in abeyance pending an attack upon a force of colonists who were approaching, for the relief of the fort, under