tunity offered.

These so-called warriors of whom Thayendanega had been so proud, were
taking Tory and British scalps as if they had been summoned for no other
purpose, and during two or three minutes all our people stood as if
suddenly turned into graven images, so much of astonishment and
bewilderment was caused by the wonderful change in affairs.

Captain Jackman's first act, after understanding that the enemy was
actually in retreat, with their former allies harassing the fleeing men to
the best of their ability, was to send a messenger in hot haste to the
fort with the word that he counted on taking his entire force, save those
left to hold the batteries and redoubts, in pursuit, and advising that
nearly all the British equipment could be seized upon without fear of
interruption.

Then we began the pursuit, and this, like the panic in the camp, was the
oddest ever known. British regulars and Tories running helter-skelter,
casting aside their weapons and accoutrements lest they be impeded in the
unreasoning flight, and close at their heels the savages, who fell upon
every unarmed man they saw, sometimes killing him outright, but, in many
cases which came under my personal observation, disabling and then
scalping the poor wretch, leaving him to a lingering death.

More than once did the frightened soldiers flee toward us for protection,
and again and again we lent them weapons with which to defend themselves
against their late friends.

It is almost impossible to give any details of that pursuit, which was not
brought to an end until we were close upon the shore of Oneida Lake,
because it was all so confusing--more like the wildest kind of a
foot-race, wherein each man was trying to gain the lead, and the
hindermost frantic with fear.

It would have been strange indeed had our people been able to hold
anything like a military formation. Captain Jackman yelled himself hoarse
trying to keep us together, and, when it seemed as if he was on the point
of succeeding, some one would set off at a mad pace to save the life of a
British soldier who had fallen at the mercy of a savage.

At first we turned our attention to taking prisoners; but before having
left the main encampment a mile in the rear the Indians, eager for scalps,
began to grow careless of what we might do, and then we paid off many an
old score, although all could not have been settled had we slaughtered
every last one of them.

During that time of pu