Tiie General seeing that nothing else was to be done, resolved, with Serjeant Major Van der Hil, to set fire to the huts; whereupon the Indians tried every way to escape, not succeeding in which they returned back to the flames, preferring to perish by fire than to die by our hands. What was most wonderful is, that among this vast collection of Men, Women and Children, not one was heard to cry or to scream. According to thereport of the Indians themselves, the number then destroyed exceeded five hundred. Some say, full 700, among whom were also 25 Wappingers, our God having collected together there the greater number of our enemies, to celebrate one of their festivals; no more than eight men in all escaped, of whom even three were severely wounded. The fight ended, several fires were built in consequence of the great cold the wounded ;

fifteen in number, were dressed and sentinels having been posted by the General, the troops bivouacked there for the remainder of the night. On the next day, the party set out much refreshed in good order, so as to arrive at Stantfort in the evening. They marched with great courage over that wearisome mountain, God affording extraordinary strength to the wounded some of whom were badly hurt ; and came in the afternoon to Stantfort after a march of two days and one night, with little rest. The English received our people in a very friendly manner,

188 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.