Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/143

 DELAWARE COUNTY. 119 in lake G-eorge. A party of pleasure, as he stated, had gone to this island on a sailing excursion, and having spent more time than they were aware of before they were ready to return, con- cluded to encamp and remain all night, as it was impossible for them to return to the fort. ^ From the shore where we lay hid it was easy to watch their motions ; and perceiving their defenceless situation, as soon as it was dark we set off for the island, where we found them asleep by their fire, and discharged our guns among them. Several of them were killed, among whom was one woman, who had a sucking child which was not hurt. This we put to the breast of its dead moth,er, and so we left it. But Major Hopkins was only wounded, his thigh bone being broken ; he started from his sleep to a rising posture, when I struck him,' said Barney Cane, ' with the butt of my gun, on the side of his head ; he fell over, but caught on one hand ; I then knocked him the other way, when he caught with the other hand ; a third blow, and I had laid him dead. These were all scalped except the infant. In the morning a party from the fort went and brought away the dead, together with one they found alive, although he was scalped, and the . babe, which was hanging and sobbing at the bosom of its life- less mother.' Having rested ourselves, and our tantalizing companions having finished the stories of their infamy, we descended the mountains towards the Genesee, which we came in sight of the next day about two o'clock. Here we met a small com- pany of natives, who had come to the flats of the Genesee for the purpose of corn-planting, as soon as the waters of the river should fall sufficiently to drain the ground of its water. These Indians had with them a very beautiful horse, which Brant di- rected to be cut in pieces in a moment, and divided equally, without dressing or any such fashionable delay, which was done ; no part whatever of the animal being suffered to be lost. There fell to each man of the company a small piece, which we