companions Johnson had been warned of the proximity of the French wa

out two detachments of five hundred men each, one going toward Fort Lyman, and th

dramatic fashion of his race. Picking up a single stick he broke it easily with his hands.

nd directed that the two detachments be joine

he, "they are too many. If they

is objections, but mounted on a gun carriage and harangued his warriors, exhorti

s and Colonel Whiting, marched off from the camp in quest of the French, their orders b

y, and every nerve a-quiver, for he felt it in his bones t

he was walking. "Maybe if they get warning of our advance they will go b

contemptuously

umber us they will not fail to wait for us, but if we outnumber them they will retreat fast enough. N

their advance against the enemy, for no scouts were thrown out in front or flank. They

by scores. The head of the column, as Dieskau afterward boasted, "was doubled up like a pack of cards." The old Mohawk chief's horse,

her side, but left him untouched, and he returned the fire with h

n the contrary, all his nervousness vanished, and thinking only how he mig

alling upon his men to follow him to a piece of ris

all be destroyed." Williams cr

ey from the bushes that laid him dead. And it was foll

ecoiled and began to retreat. Its van became the rear, and all

o get out of reach of the deadly fire of their assailants; and, although his spirit re

of Williams' regiment; and they, adopting Indian tactics, fighting behind trees, and firi

ntil they came within about three-quarters of a mile of our camp. This was the last fire our m

unks for cover as cleverly as any of the Indians, and firing and reloading his musket

in the deadly business of the moment, and without a quiver of nerve saw w

began to slacken somewhat he observed a Colonial, who had not been quick enough in retreat, stumble and fall headlong, and the ne

he would save his helpless countryman it must be by ex

ub, he sprang from behind the tree-trunk which ha

and to the credit of the French be it said that they forebore to fire upon him, leaving

d his tomahawk menacingly. But Seth kept right on until he had got within striking di

fell forward on his knees. Ere he could recover himself the butt of Seth's musket took him in

d was looking about in a bewildered way, having lost his bearings and not

grasping his arm. "Bend as low a

ste back to their own lines, followed by a volley from the

nd the profound gratitude of the man to whom he had rendered s

deadly effect, he ordered a halt and had the trumpet sounded to collect his scattered men, with th

o had lost many of their braves, became sullen and unmanageable, and the French Canadians, whose veteran leader, Legardeur de St. Pierre, had b

marched out with his thousand men the sound of heavy firing was heard in the distance, and as it grew nearer and l

nstructed of wagons, inverted bateaux, and tree trunks was hurriedly made along the front of the camp, and

men bringing the wounded, and finally the main body marching in good order down the road. Among these was Seth, very much out

id to the man he had rescued as they marched together, "we'd not be running from them

t to have been scouts ahead of us to give us warning. I don't know what our colonel was thinki

at the blunder had been committed, and had cost so dearly, it only rem

flat behind the logs and upturned bateaux, the Massachusetts men being on the right and the Connecticut men on the left. Not counting the Indians

into view, marching steadily down the road in serried array. At the same time a terrific burst of war-whoops rose on either side of them, and in the words of Pomeroy to

grew uneasy, their officers, sword in hand, threatened instant death to a

Dieskau certainly had them well in hand, but the rest of his force, both red and w

esult would have been disastrous; but when only the regulars obeyed orders their attack lost much of its force and gave Captain Eyre, who commanded t

omeroy's graphic words, "The hail stones from heaven were never much thicker than the bullet

first directed his attack against the left and centre

was being so stoutly withstood, he turned hi

of satisfaction, "it is our turn no

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