by throwing their tomahawks at the tree, directly over his head,
brandishing their scalping knives around him in the most frightful manner,
and accompanying their ceremonies with terrific shouts of joy. Having
punished him sufficiently in this way, they made a small opening in his
abdomen, took out an intestine, which they tied to the sapling, and then
unbound him from the tree, and drove him round it till he had drawn out
the whole of his intestines. He was then beheaded, his head was stuck upon
a pole, and his body left on the ground unburied.

Thus ended the life of poor William Boyd, who, it was said, had every
appearance of being an active and enterprizing officer, of the first
talents. The other prisoner was (if I remember distinctly) only beheaded
and left near Boyd.

This tragedy being finished, our Indians again held a short council on the
expediency of giving Sullivan battle, if he should continue to advance,
and finally came to the conclusion that they were not strong enough to
drive him, nor to prevent his taking possession of their fields: but that
if it was possible they would escape with their own lives, preserve their
families, and leave their possessions to be overrun by the invading army.

The women and children were then sent on still further towards Buffalo, to
a large creek that was called by the Indians Catawba, accompanied by a
part of the Indians, while the remainder secreted themselves in the woods
back of Beard's Town, to watch the movements of the army.

At that time I had three children who went with me on foot, one who rode
on horse back, and one whom I carried on my back.

Our corn was good that year; a part of which we had gathered and secured