Some Wyandots who had gained the deck, caught the meaning of his words and gave the alarm to their companions. Instantly every Indian leaped overboard in a panic and the whole were seen diving and swimming off in all directions to escape the threatened explosion. The schooner was cleared of her assailants, who did not dare to renew the attack, and on the following morning she sailed for the fort, which she reached without molestation. Six of her crew escaped unhurt. Of the remainder, two were killed and four seriously wounded, while the Indians had seven men killed upon the spot and nearly twenty wounded, of whom eight were known to have died within a few days after. As the whole action lasted but a few minutes, the fierceness of the struggle is sufficiently apparent from the loss on both sides. The survivors of the little crew were afterwards rewarded as their undaunted bravery deserved." This schooner brought to the fort a much needed supply of provisions, for by this time their supplies had become short. It was not, it will be seen, however, sufficient for the wants of the garrison, and the whole were now put upon the shortest possible allowance.

September was now drawing to a close. The savages having pressed the siege since the beginning of May, were now becoming tired of their ill-success, and hearing that Major Wilkins was now approaching with a large army to destroy them, as well as becoming shaken in their faith regarding the advancing army of the king of France, they sued for peace.

The different tribes around Detroit who now, weary of the siege, came to the fort for peace, were by no means sincere in their desires. Fearing the advance of the English from Niagara, and knowing that with the approach of winter their sufferings would be increased, and, their ammunition being nearly spent, they had resolved to conclude a peace, retire to their wintering grounds, and renew the war with increased vigor in the spring. Accordingly, on the twelfth of October, Wapocomoguth, great chief of the Mississaugas, a branch of the Ojibwas, living east of the Detroit River, visited the fort, bringing with him a pipe of peace. He declared to Gladwyn that he and his people were fast friends of the English, and

now desired to conclude a lasting peace with them. He further added that he had been requested by the Pottawatomies, Ojibwas and Wyandots, to say that these tribes were now sorry for taking part in the war; that they repented of their bad conduct, and also sincerely desired to conclude a treaty of peace, which they had resolved on, if made not to break. The British commandant was now too well acquainted with the Indian character, and more especially with the tricks of these tribes, to believe these representations; but, the circumstances in which he was placed made it necessary for him to adopt any measure that would enable him to procure further supplies. His garrison was on the eve of famine, and every attempt to secure provisions while his fort was surrounded with hostile. Indians, had been attended with evil results. He replied, therefore, that he was not empowered to grant peace, but he would consent to a truce. The Ojibwa chief left the fort with this message, and Gladwyn, favored with a lull in the storm, hastened to collect provisions among the French settlers. He met with many difficulties, as the Canadians were fearful lest, should they be instrumental in supplying the garrison with food, they would incur the wrath of the savages, and, perhaps, perish under the tomahawk. But he succeeded in collecting a a very good supply, sufficient to se. the garrison through the winter.

It should be remembered, here, that the Ottawas had not yet asked for peace. Goaded on by their great leader, Pontiac, they would not humble themselves as their brethren had done, but, continuing their hostile acts, they harrassed the fort con. tinually. With the end of October, however, Pontiac received a severe blow to his energies. A French messenger came to his camp with a letter from M. Neyon, commandant at Fort Charters, the principal post in Illinois. The letter assured Pontiac that all the stories which had been told him regarding the approach of his French father, with a great army, were false; that the French and the English were now at peace and regarded each other as brothers, and that they had better abandon the siege. This letter broke the pride of the Ottawa leader, and he departed from Detroit, accompanied by his prin

cipal chiefs. Descending the Detroit, he encamped on the Maumee, when he began to stir up the tribes in that place, with a view of renewing the war in the spring.

A few day's after Pontiac's departure, two friendly Wyandot Indians came to the fort. One of them handed Major Gladwyn a letter. It proved to be from Major Wilkins, and contained the disastrous news that his detachment had been overtaken by a storm; that many of the boats had been wrecked, and that seventy men had perished; that all the stores and ammunition had been destroyed, and he, and the remnant of his men had been forced to return to Niagara. This news had a bad effect upon the cheer of the garrison, but, delighted at the departure of Pontiac, and with the temporary peace which they were enjoying, they took courage, and looked forward to the dreary winter, with hopeful hearts.

Detroit, and the territory for miles around was now almost deserted. The besiegers had departed for the chase. Some crossed Lake Huron to the north, others advanced far westward into the wilds of Michigan, while, as already observed, a large number went southward to the Maumee.

Detroit, as we have seen, had been the central point of Indian operations. Around it they had concentrated their greatest forces. Its capture had been their favorite project. It was the only barrier which prevented them from carrying out the original plan of uniting in one mighty onslaught against the frontier settlements. With the failure of this part of the work, the savages become discouraged, and, for the time being, they retired from the siege.

CHAPTER XIII.

FRONTIER SETTLEMENTS AND FORTS

ALARMS AT FORT PITT SLAUGHTER OF TRADERS NARROW ESCAPE OF A GARRISON DESTRUCTION OF FORTS - THE WAR RAGING TO THE HIGHEST PITCH DANGER THICKENING AROUND FORT PITT.

WHILE the clouds of Indians were blackening around Detroit, a tempest was gathering which was soon to pour a torrent upon the whole frontier. In 1763 the British settlements did not extend beyond the Alleghanies. The German Flats on the Mohawk might have been regarded as the extreme verge of the frontier of the State of New York. The same could have been said of the town of Bedford, in Pennsylvania, while the settlements of Virginia extended to a corresponding distance. Through the wilderness immediately west of these places, ran chains of forts, for their protection. One of the most important of these passed through the country of the Six Nations, and guarded the route between the northern colonies and Lake Ontario. The route was by the way of the Hudson, the Mohawk, Wood Creek, the Oneida Lake and the River Oswego, and was defended by Forts Stanwix, Brewertown, Oswego and two or three smaller forts. Fort Niagara stood near the western end of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the river from which it derived its name. This was a strong and well supplied fort, guarding, as it did, access to the whole interior country, both by way of the route just mentioned, also by that of the St. Lawrence. From Fort Niagara the trader would make the portage past the great falls to Presque Isle, now the city of Erie, Pennsylvania. Thence he would pass, by an overland route, to Fort Le Boeuf, on a branch of the Alleghany; thence by water to Venango, and thence down the Alleghany to Fort Pitt. This last-mentioned place stood on the site of the present

prosperous city of Pittsburgh. Before the forests had been leveled to the earth, at the period of which I am writing, this was a beautiful spot. Everywhere for miles around, the landscape was rich and captivating. On the right the waters of the Alleghany, bordered by high, steep banks, flowed onward towards the Mississippi. On the left, the winding Monongahela came in and emptied its gurgling waters into the former, or both united to form the broad Ohio. For a long distance down this placid stream, on either side, the picturesque hills and declivities presented a scene of rare beauty. The place, too, had its historic associations. It was on this spot where the French had erected Fort Duquesne. Near by the same place, Braddock had been defeated, and on the hill, in the rear of the fort, Grant's Highlanders and Lewis' Virginians had been surrounded and captured after a long and desperate resistance.

General Stanwix erected Fort Pitt in 1759, upon the ruins of Fort Duquesne, which General Forbes had destroyed. It is needless to say that the walls of this strong fort have long since been leveled to the ground, and that on its site has arisen the populous city of Pittsburgh. But in 1763, Fort Pitt stood alone in the dense forest, being over two hundred miles from the frontier settlements of Pennsylvania. There were two routes leading from this post to the settlements, one of which had been cut out by General Braddock, in his disastrous march in 1755; the other, and, perhaps, the one most frequented, was by the way of Carlisle and Bedford, and was first traversed by General Forbes in 1758. Leaving Fort Pitt by the Forbes route, the traveler, after journeying fifty-six miles, would reach the post of Ligonier, whence he would soon reach Fort Bedford. This post was about one hundred miles from Fort Pitt. It was nestled among the mountains, and surrounded by several log cabins, the huts of the first pioneers. Continuing on and passing several small posts, the traveler would come to Carlisle, which was nearly one hundred miles further east, a place resembling Fort Bedford in its surroundings. From Carlisle, the traveler would proceed to Harris' Ferry,