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and whenever the cafe fhall alter, then in proportion to 1778. the depreciation will be the lofs of the public in what they borrow, to fay nothing of the enormous burdens for which they must pay intereft in fpecie, or what is equal to it, if fo much as what hath been emitted could be borrowed, as to render the remainder equally valuable with filver.The last method is by very confider able loans or fubfidies in Europe, and is the only mode at once equal to the effect defired, and free from the foregoing exceptions; for if fuch a fum is drawn for, at the advanced exchange, as by taking up the greatest part of our paper to reduce the exchange to par, the paper then remaining will be fully appreciated, and the fum due will not nominally, and therefore in the event not actually exceed its real value. But to this mode there are objections: 1. fubfidies by any means equal to our neceffities can hardly be expected, while our allies, being engaged in a war, will want all the money they can procure; and 2. loans cannot probably be obtained without good guarantee, or other fecurity which Ame rica may not perhaps be able to procure or give.-But until our finances can be in a better fituation, the war cannot poffibly be profecuted with vigor; and the efforts made, feeble as they muft be, will be attended with an oppreffive weight of expence, rendering ftill more weak the confederated ftates. This will appear from the foregoing obfervations, and alfo from hence, that the prefent, and in all probability the future feat of the war; (that is, the middle states) is so exhausted, that unless bý the strenuous voluntary exertions of the inhabitants, no great number of men can poffibly be fubfifted; and

1778- fuch exertions cannot be expected without the temptation of money more valued than ours is at prefent."

Five days before the date of the inftructions above related, congrefs upon the application of the marquis de la Fayette granted him leave to return to France, and directed the prefident to write him a letter of thanks for that difinterested zeal which led him to America, and for the fervices he had rendered to the United States by the exertion of his courage and abilities on many fignal occafions. They also ordered Dr. Franklin to cause an elegant fword, with proper devices, to be made and prefented to him in the name of the United States: and crowned the whole with a letter recommending him to his most christian majefty. The marquis took leave of congress by letter of the 26th of October. The next day when it was received, a letter from the marquis was read, giving an account of the brave conduct of capt. Tonzar, in taking poffeffion of a piece of artillery from the enemy, in which action he loft his right arm; whereupon congrefs promoted him to the rank of lieut. col. in the service of the United States, by brevet, and appointed him a penfion for life of thirty dollars per month. Let us resume our narration of military operations.

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So early as the 8th of February, gen. Schuyler wrote to congrefs" There is too much reason to believe, that an expedition will be formed (by the Indians) against the western frontiers of this ftate (New York) Virginia and Pennsylvania." The next month he informed them" A number of Mohawks, and many of the Onondagoes, Cayugas, and Senecas will commence hostilities against us as foon as they can; it would be prudent therefore early to take measures to carry the war into their country; it would

require no greater body of troops to deftroy their towns 1778. than to protect the frontier inhabitants." No effectual meafures being taken to reprefs the hoftile spirit of the Indians, numbers joined the tory refugees, and with these commenced their horrid depredations and hoftilities upon the back fettlers, being headed by col. Butler and Brandt, an half blooded Indian, of desperate courage, ferocious and cruel beyond example. Their expeditions were carried on to great advantage, by the exact knowledge which the refugees poffeffed of every object of their enterprise, and the immediate intelligence they received from their friends on the fpot. The weight of their hostilities fell upon the fine, new and flourishing fettlement of Wyoming, fituated on the eastern branch of the Susquehanna, in a most beautiful country and delightful climate. It was fettled and cultivated with great ardor by a number of people from Connecticut, which claims the territory as included in its original grant from Charles II. The fettlement confifted of eight town ships, each five miles fquare, beautifully placed on each fide of the river. It had increased fo by a rapid population, that the fettlers fent a thousand men to ferve in the continental army. To provide against the dangers of their remote fituation, four forts were conftructed to cover them from the irruptions of the Indians. But it was their unhappiness, to have a confiderable mixture of royalifts among them; and the two parties were actuated by fentiments of the most violent animofity, which was not confined to particular families or places; but creeping within the roofs and to the hearths and floors where it was leaft to be expected, ferved equally to poifon the fources of domestic fecurity

1778. and happiness, and to cancel the laws of nature and humanity.

They had frequent and timely warnings of the danger to which they were exposed by fending their best men to fo great a distance. Their quiet had been interrupted by the Indians, joined by marauding parties of their own countrymen, in the preceding year; and it was only by a vigorous oppofition, in a courfe of fuccefsful fkirmishes, that they had been driven off. Several tories, and others not before fufpected, had then and fince abandoned the fettlement; and befide a perfect knowledge of all their particular circumstances, carried along with them such a stock of private refentment, as could not fail of directing the fury, and even giving an edge to the cruelty of their Indian and other inveterate enemies. An unusual number of ftrangers had come among them under various pretences, whofe behaviour became fo fufpicious, that upon being taken up and examined, fuch evidence appeared against several of them, of their acting in concert with the enemy, on a fcheme for the deftruction of the fettlements, that about twenty were fent off to Connecticut to be there imprisoned and tried for their lives, while the remainder were expelled. These measures excited the rage of the tories in general to the most extreme degree; and the threats formerly denounced against the fettlers, were now renewed with aggravated vengeance.

As the time approached for the final catastrophe, the Indians practifed unufual treachery. For feveral weeks previous to the intended attack, they repeatedly fent fmall parties to the fettlement, charged with the strongest profeffions of friendship. Thefe parties, befide attempt

ing to lull the people in security, answered the purposes 1778. of communicating with their friends, and of observing the present state of affairs. The fettlers however were not infenfible to the danger. They had taken the alarm, and col. Zebulon Butler had several times written letters to congrefs and gen. Wafhington, acquainting them with the danger the fettlement was in, and requesting affiftance; but the letters were never received, having been intercepted by the Pennsylvania tòries. A little before the main attack, fome small parties made fudden irrup tions, and committed feveral robberies and murders; and from ignorance or a contempt of all ties whatever, maffacred the wife and five children of one of the perfons fent for trial to Connecticut in their own caufe. "At length, in the beginning of July, the enemy fud- July denly appeared in full force on the Sufquehanna, headed by col. John Butler, a Connecticut tory, and cousin to col. Zeb. Butler, the fecond in command in the fettlement. He was affifted by most of thofe leaders, who had rendered themfelves terrible in the prefent frontier war. Their force was about 1600 men, near a fourth Indians, led by their own chiefs: the others were fo disguised and painted as not to be distinguished from the Indians, excepting their officers, who being dressed in regimentals, carried the appearance of regulars. One of the fmaller forts, garrifoned chiefly by tories, was given up or rather betrayed. Another was taken by ftorm, and all but the women and children massacred in the most inhuman manner.

I.

: Colonel Zeb. Butler, leaving a fimall number to guard 3. fort Wilkesborough, croffed the river with about 400 men, and marched into Kingston fort, whither the wo

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