On this occasion it may not be amiss to observe, that the custom adopted by the Americans, and with so much success, of levelling their pieces at the officers, originated with the Indians, who are possessed with an idea that the men will naturally be thrown into confusion when their leaders are dead. This however is not without exceptions: the Mattaugwessawacks, whose country lies west-*ward of Lake Superior, hold the persons of officers sacred; and Josepsis, one of their tribe, who was taken prisoner, and sold to the Penobscot Indians, says that the Savages they were at war with have adopted the same method.
[20] I was immediately ordered on a scout, at the head
of ten Connecedaga or Rondaxe Indians, with captain La
Motte, a Canadian gentleman,[1] in search of the person
who had killed major Gordon, and to reconnoitre the
woods, in hopes of gaining information of the real force
of the Americans at Isle au Noix. To avoid suspicion,
we were all dressed like Savages; and as captain La
Motte and myself were well acquainted with the Iroquois
language, it was impossible to distinguish us from the
natives. We were out six days and nights, with very
————
- ↑ This was probably Captain Guillaume Lamothe, who during this period led so many Indian scalping parties from Detroit while Hamilton commanded at that place. Lamothe accompanied Hamilton on the latter's expedition to Vincennes, and was captured there by George Rogers Clark (February, 1779). After the surprise of Vincennes he was sent in irons to Virginia, and kept in close confinement. In April, 1780, he accepted a parole, and returned to Canada.—Ed.
(April 19, 1776). For further details of this, and the following movements, see Jones, Campaign for the Conquest of Canada (Philadelphia, 1882), pp. 54-65.
Major Gordon, who had recently been made brigadier-general, was shot
from ambuscade, July 24, 1776, while returning to his headquarters well within
British lines. His fellow officers were exceedingly indignant over it, and
Washington appeared to deprecate the matter; although General Gates promoted
the American officer involved. See Sparks, Life and Writings of Washington
(Boston, 1855), iv, pp. 56-59.—Ed.
