painted allies were at the end of their rope, so far as this fight in the
ravine was concerned, for our people pressed the foe yet more hotly, and
in a short time the savages raised the cry of "Oonah! Oonah!" which told
that they had had enough of the battle.

So far as my experience goes, and I have had considerable from first to
last, Indians are only brave when they have the advantage; but, let the
tide turn against them, and they are veriest cowards.

Hemmed in as we were, our ranks thinned by death and the desertion of the
rear-guard, it should have been possible for the enemy to cut us down to a
man, and yet the retreating cry of the savages sufficed to send all that
force back to the encampment, leaving us in possession of the field, even
though we might not rightly be called victors.

Some of our people, upon whom the fever of battle had fastened more
firmly, would have pursued the cowards, even though it might have been to
come directly upon the main army, who were then, doubtless, engaged in
checking the sortie from the fort; but General Herkimer sent a squad of
the cooler soldiers after them, with the result that the valiant Johnson
Greens were allowed to continue their retreat unmolested.

And it was high time we had a breathing-spell. More than two hundred of
General Herkimer's force lay dead among the trees, while even a larger
number were so seriously wounded as to be unable to defend themselves,
therefore it was impossible for us to act in concert with those who were
making the sortie, and the commander issued orders to fall back.

The contents of the baggage-wagons were thrown out to make room for our
wounded, and, while the uproar of the battle near the fort rang in our