Page:The Red Man and the White Man in North America.djvu/519

Rh people, as to the employment of savages as allies. Especially among the English at home was there manifested at the time a strong reluctance, and even a bold protest and opposition, to the engagement of Indians as mercenaries, as it was known to be utterly impracticable to restrain them from their barbarities within the rules of what is called civilized warfare. The satire, invective, and denunciation which early in our war were poured out upon Burgoyne, for his employment of Indians and for his absurd proclamation on his route, might be regarded as the expression of a widely prevailing sentiment of disapprobation and disgust.

Near the close of this famous and fulsome proclamation addressed to the rebels as he was advancing from Ticonderoga, are these sentences: —

When afterwards defending himself for enlisting the savages, Burgoyne said “he spoke daggers, but used none.” He called these allies “at best a necessary evil;” and he said their blood-thirsty and plundering propensities, which he could not restrain, far exceeded the worth of their services.