Sept 2004 - Indians
By several people that arrived here from Albany since our last, we have the following Account, viz. That a Party of ten Mohawks were arrived there, from a Scout, having been as far as Crown-Point, and that they brought with them the Scalp of a French Officer, which they killed in Sight of the Fort. During the Time they hovered off that Place, they observed about 300 French and Indians, to mark out, in order, as they supposed, to make an Excursion on our Frontiers; and 'tis imagined was the same Party that killed Lieutenant Catling, of Connecticut, and the Albany Man, near Fort Edward, and that did so much Damage at the Great Carrying Place, about the 18th of March last, of which we expected to give our Readers a mere circumstantial Account in this Week's Paper. What we have been able to collect from some Letters, and verbal Information, is as follows, viz.
| Battoes are boats common in Albany, made of white pine boards, with a flat bottom for easy rowing in shallow water. They are pointed at both ends, with a somewhat higher wale at the ends than in the middle, and are 18' to 24' long. |
That about the 18th of March, a large Body of French and Indians attacked, and cut off 16 of our Battoes, near the Carrying-Place, and either killed or captured the greatest Part of the People; that as soon as the Officer that commanded about 35 Men that were posted there, heard the firing, he detached a Party to their Assistance, and as they did not return agreeable to his Expectations, he sent another Detachment, which so weakened the Garrison, that a Number of Enemy that lay in Ambush rushed in, put them all to the Sword, blew up the Powder, and destroyed the Garrison, whilst the Rest of the Enemy were engaged with out People, whom they killed or carried off, as only one was arrived at Fort Williams, the 20th of March, as will appear by the following letter.
Extract of a Letter from Fort Williams, dated the 20th of March, 1756.
These may serve to inform you, that we arrived here safe Yesterday about Eleven o'Clock. The people that were transporting Lansing's Provisions, were attacked between this, and the Marsh, by a Body of French and Indians, and are all, but one that got in here, either killed or taken Prisoners; their Names you have underneath. The Fort at Wood Creek is burnt down, and none of Lansing's Men, or the Red Coats are yet come in. Just now the Commissary arrived from Oswego and informs us, that the 20 Battoes sent there by Capt. Williams were safe arrived to their great joy, and that the People in Garrison were pretty hearty. All Lansing's Provisions are destroyed, as well as the Power that was in the Garrison, the People laid in Heaps and burnt. John Davids, Henry Dawson, James Tock, George Roberson, John Tuyle, John Griefey, John Pain, and Clofs Marseilis, went down Wood Creek last Wednesday, whether they are taken or not, we cannot tell. We believe John Davis got safe to Oswego, as the Commissary met him the other Side of the Lake. Philip Lansing, and John Van Alle, are safe here yet, with the Rest of their Men. Just now 70 of our Indians are came in, and acquaints us, that by the Tracks of the Enemy, they imagined there was at least 500 of them. The Names of the Persons, Residents in and about Albany, and supposed to be killed are as follow, viz. JOHN, JACOB, and ANDRIES KIDNEE [sons of ROELOF KIDNEY and grandsons of JOHN/JAN KIDNEY], John Vanderheyden, Jacobus Sickles, Wolker Dawson, Anthony Brandt, Peter Griffins, Cornelius Sprong, three Servants, and five Negroes.
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| de Léry |
This article describes an early engagement in what came to be called the Seven Years War or the French and Indian War. The force of French soldiers and Indians encountered near "the Great Carrying Place" was undoubtedly an expedition from Montreal under command of Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry, a noted military engineer. He had been sent from Montreal in February 1756 to seize warehouses and supplies at "The Great Carrying Place," a portage location between Albany and Oswego. He was surprised that the English and American Colonists had fortified the location with Fort Bull and Fort Williams. D. Peter MacLeod has written "The Franco-Amerindian Expedition to The Great Carrying Place in 1756," a paper presented at the eighteenth annual meeting of the French Colonial Historical Society, McGill University, Montreal, May 23 1992, if you want more information about this historic battle.