Diary of Captain Bloomfield

Monday, 20. [May 1776, Johns-Town, New York]. This morning the Commissioners appointed by Genl. Schuyler to treat with the Indians arrived in Town & at twelve, Abraham, the Indian King accompanied by the Sachems & Indian Warriors painted & dressed in their Warlike Manner also arrived and the Treaty was opened by the Indians demanding in a haughty maner of our great Warrior (as they called Col. Dayton) what He was for coming into their country with armed Troops & whether He was for Peace or War? To which Col. Dayton replied that He came not to molest our Brothers the Mohawks but to suppress the Highlanders & others who had taken up arms against the Congress & hoped our Brothers the Mohawks would not interfere in our Family Quarrel with great-Britain. They replied that we came to take Sr. Johns life, . . . and they would stand by him. . . .

It is really surprizeing to see what an assuming behaviour those Savages put on whilst in Council. They sett in their Indian painted warlike dress with their Indian Tomahawks with Pipes (the handle of the Tomahawks being a Tube & and the head of the Hatchet the Bole) and smoaking with such a confident air of Dignity & Superiority as if they were above all other beings mad[e] and their Authority extended over the whole Earth. . . .

Our Great Warrior (Col. Dayton) told the Mohawks by the Interpreter that if they offered to take up the Hatchet or oppose his Warriors in their present Expedition He would break the Covenant Chain, He would burn their upper & lower Castles on the Mohawk River, would burn all their houses, destroy their Townes & Cast the Mohawks with their Wifes & Children off of the face of the Earth. . . . Upon this the Indian Chiefs & Warriors withdrew for one hour, then returned appeared more mild, submissive & peaceable. Said they were determined not to meddle with our Family Quarrell; all they wanted was to be assured Sr. John should not be killed. . . upon which our Chief (Col. Dayton) told them not a hair of Sr. John's head should fall to the ground. . . . The Covenant Chain was promised by both to be brightened and the Hatchet buried. . . . Then this great & mighty Council broke up, after drinking plentifully of Toddy. . . .


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