On the twenty-fifth of this month a reinforcement of forty-five
men arrived from North-Carolina, and about the twentieth of August
following, Col. Bowman arrived with one hundred men from Virginia.
Now we began to strengthen, and from hence, for the space of six
weeks, we had skirmishes with Indians, in one quarter or other,
almost every day.

The savages now learned the superiority of the Long Knife, as
they call the Virginians, by experience; being out-generalled in
almost every battle. Our affairs began to wear a new aspect, and
the enemy, not daring to venture on open war, practised secret
mischief at times.

On the first day of January, 1778, I went with a party of thirty
men to the Blue Licks, on Licking River, to make salt for the
different garrisons in the country.

On the seventh day of February, as I was hunting, to procure meat
for the company, I met with a party of one hundred and two Indians,
and two Frenchmen, on their march against Boonsborough, that place
being particularly the object of the enemy.

They pursued, and took me; and brought me on the eighth day to
the Licks, where twenty-seven of my party were, three of them
having previously returned home with the salt. I knowing it was
impossible for them to escape, capitulated with the enemy, and, at
a distance in their view, gave notice to my men of their situation,
with orders not to resist, but surrender themselves captives.

The generous usage the Indians had promised before in my