He gives the following account of their ftrength, movements & designs .... That the whole force they will be able ten afsemble will not exceed fifteen hundred fighting men whites and Indians, which they themselves conceive will be eqjal to double the number of our men in the woods. . . . That Butler with a party of both sorts was at Conofadago in number 3 or 400. . . . That at Chemung and the adjacent town^ were two or three hundred warriors .... That Chemung was appointed as the place of rendezvous where or in the neighborhood the Indians intended to glv^e you battle, after which if they were unfuccefsful they intended to retire towards Niagara harafsing your march as much as possible with small parties and by

154 NEW YORK STATE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.

ambuscades.... That fome of the towns had fent off their old men & women, others more confident and discrediting that there was an army coming against them, had f till kept them at home .... That no reinforcement had yet come from Canada ; but that Brandt who was lately arrived from thence afsured the Indians there was one coming after him.... The principal ftrength of the Indians is in the Genefee towns. . . . You will give as much credit to this account as you think proper and in proportion to its conformity to your other intelligence. The informant is a deserter from Cortlandts Regiment who fays he was carried off by force to the Indians and took the present opportunity of leaving them.... He appears not to be destitute of fhrewdness and as his apprehensions were pretty strong I am inclined to think as far as his knowledge extended he was sincere. . . . In my last I forgot to inform you that on the 15th instant at night Brigadier Gen.