commander-in-chief.

On a certain day during the last week in May--the exact date I have
forgotten--we were drilling as usual, with Sergeant Corney finding more
fault than ever, when we frightened the famous Thayendanega away from an
attack on the settlement, although, as I have said, we knew nothing about
it until many months afterward.

It seems, as we learned later, that the villainous Brant had made all his
plans for an attack upon Cherry Valley, and had secretly gained a position
on the hill to the eastward of the place, counting on waiting there until
nightfall, when he might surprise us; but, much to his astonishment, he
saw what appeared from the distance to be a large body of well-equipped
soldiers evidently making ready for serious work.

The scoundrelly redskin was not so brave that he was willing to make an
attack where it seemed that the Whigs were prepared to receive him, and,
like the cur that he was, he marched his force to a hiding-place in a deep
ravine north of the settlement, near the road leading to the Mohawk River,
about a mile and a half from where we were drilling.

Now hardly more than an hour before it is probable that the Indians got
their first glimpse of us Minute Boys, Lieutenant Wormwood had arrived
from Fort Plain with information to my uncle that a force of patriot
soldiers was on the way to check Sir John's plans for killing all who did
not quite agree with him in politics, and to request that arrangements be
made to care for the men during such time as they might remain in that
vicinity.

When, late in the afternoon, the lieutenant was ready to return to Fort