After a time I heard a shot, and
shortly two more, when Shanks came running back to me. He had killed an
advancing indian and stopped them for a moment. He kicked me vigorously,
telling me to come on, as the Indians would soon come on again. I got
up, and though I could scarcely move I was minded diligently to
persevere after Shanks. Thus we staggered on until near night time, when
we again stopped and I fell into a deep sleep, but the enemy did not
again come up. On the following day we got into Fort Edward, where I was
taken with a distemper, was seized with very grevious pains in the head
and back and a fever. They let blood and gave me a physic, but I did not
get well around for some time. For this sickness I have always been
thankful, otherwise I should have been with Major Rogers in his
unfortunate battle, which has become notable enough, where he was
defeated by the Canadians and Indians and lost nigh all his private men,
only escaping himself by a miracle. We mourned the loss of many friends
who were our comrades, though it was not the fault of any one, since the
Enemy had three times the number of the Rangers and hemmed them in. Some
of the Rangers had surrendered under promise of Quarter, but we
afterwards heard that they were tied to trees and hacked to death
because the indians had found a scalp in the breast of a man's hunting
frock, thus showing that we could never expect such bloody minded
villiains to keep their promises of Quarter.
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