Acting under Sergeant Corney's commands, for the old man was as cool as if
he had been born amid just such scenes of carnage, I helped raise the body
of the horse until it was possible for General Herkimer to roll himself
out from beneath the dead animal, and, while we worked to aid him, the
commander was crying to his men to stand firm if they would save their own
lives.

"Rally, there!" he shouted, yet lying, unable to move, upon the ground.
"Stand firm, and we yet have a good chance of holding our own!"

All the while Sergeant Corney and I worked over him he continued to cheer
the frightened men, until, by the time we had dragged him to where he
could sit upright with his back against a huge tree, placing his saddle
beneath him to serve as a prop, the men were beginning to understand that
the only chance for life was to fight desperately.

The wagons in the rear, and the horde of savages which had closed in upon
us, prevented any save those who had first fled, from retreating, and by
the time a full third of the command had been killed or disabled, the
remainder understood that it would be well to turn to the man they had so
lately reviled, for possible safety.

Sergeant Corney and I gave no heed to what was going on around us until we
had bound up the general's knee in such a manner that there was no longer
danger he would bleed to death, and when this had been done I noted that
our people had taken shelter behind the trees, where they could strike a
blow in their own defence.

The Indians, understanding that the first daze of terror had passed away,
leaving their intended victims in condition to do considerable execution,