German Flats - September 20, 1778
Transcribed by Judy Longley
Montreal, 15 June 1778
Sir
Major Campbell being but Just arrived and very much fatigued with the Journey prevents his writing you by this Post, but desires that I may acquaint you (for his Excellency's information) that the Scout which had gone to the Mohawk River, are returned and brought off all the Indians of the Mohawks which were taken on their way hither last Fall. They have also taken off six Royalists that wished to come to this Army, & took seventeen of the most noted Rebels in that Country prisoners. I blamed them for taking those people from their own houses as they did not find them actually in arms -- To which they answered, that they took three of them actually in Arms and that the other fourteen woud have opposed them if they had not found themselves overpowered. That they found their Arms & Accoutrements in their houses, & by their own confession they were next day to have gone in to Garrison to Fort Johnson. That they had taken a great many others whom they knew to be Rebels & Militia Men, but not finding them equipped for Service they dismissed them without the least ill treatment upon their quitting the Mohawk River. They say they did not touch the value of a Pin belonging to any Royalist but that they burnt three houses the property of noted Rebels on finding casks of Ammunition in them. I am sorry to add that they burnt a grist Mill belong to Sir Jn'o Johnson -- this was done by the Mohawks alone, and the reason they give for it is that it wou'd distress the whole Country & that the Rebels will be obliged to rebuild it when Sir John gets possession of his Estate again. I wish they had rather have burnt a powder mill which lay at six miles distance & where they mannufacture a thousand weight of good powder pr. Week, which cou'd have been done with equal ease. It however can be destroyed at any time shou'd His Excellency please to desire it.
I enclose a list of the Prisoners names ten of them are lodged in the Provost Guard of this town. The Indians of St. Regis carried six of them off to their Village without my knowledge & contrary to my positive orders, I was at the time confined to my Bed with the Ague otherwise shoud have pursued them. They told a Man I sent to bring them back that they sould kill every one of them if they were not allowed to shew them to their Wives & Children in their Village, & that they meant to deliver them back without the smallest hurt when they made their appearance there.
By an Express which Pere Gordon at St. Regis sent down last night I am informed that the Negroe of Cashnawago with three others, past by that village two days ago, on their way towards Cachnawago. They left a Note addressed to an Iroquois Chief who openly declares himself a Rebel requesting a meeting with him if he was at St. Regis. There is no doubt of this mans coming regularly with letters to some people in this Country. In an hour after I received the information I dispatched Lamotte with twelve Mohawks & four Otawa, in quest of him & with instructions to bring him in dead or alive. I woud wish to know His Excellencys pleasure respecting the Cachnawaga Chief that makes a practise of meeting him & by whose means this Correspondence is held up. He has acknowledged himself to have received Belts & Messages from him in the course of the Winter.
I have the honor to be, Sir
Your most obed't humble Serv't.
A. V. Fraser[to] Fran's LeMaistre Esq'r. Dep'y Adj. Genl.
From microfilm of the Haldimand Papers in possession of the British Library Addtional Manuscripts #21,771, folio 1, with thanks to the British Library (London, UK) and by courtesy of Public Archives of Canada.