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Updated: May 20, 2025
We collected our horses early set out on our return to the flatts. we all felt some mortification in being thus compelled to retrace our steps through this tedious and difficult part of our rout, obstructed with brush and innumerable logs of fallen timber which renders the traveling distressing and even dangerous to our horses. one of Thompson's horses is either choked this morning or has the distemper very badly I fear he is to be of no further service to us. an excellent horse of Cruzatte's snagged himself so badly in the groin in jumping over a parsel of fallen timber that he will evidently be of no further service to us. at the pass of Collin's Creek we met two indians who were on their way over the mountain; they had brought with them the three horses and the mule that had left us and returned to the quawmash grounds. these indians returned with us about 1/2 a mile down the creek where we halted to dine and graize our horses at the same place I had halted and remained all night with the party on the of Septembr last. as well as we could understand the indians they informed us that they had seen Drewyer and Shannon and that they would not return untill the expiration of two days; the cause why Drewyer and Shannon had not returned with these men we are at a loss to account for. we pressed these indians to remain with us and to conduct us over the mountain on the return of Drewyer and Shannon. they consented to remain two nights for us and accordingly deposited their store of roots and bread in the bushes at no great distance and after dinner returned with us, as far as the little prarie about 2 miles distant from the creek, here they halted with their horses and informed us they would remain untill we overtook them or at least two nights. they had four supenumery horses with them. we sent on four hunters a head to the quawmash flatts to take an evenings hunt; they so far succeeded as to kill one deer. we left Reubin and J. Feilds at the Creek where we dined together with Sergt Gass in order to hunt about that place untill our return. at seven in the evening we found ourselves once more at our old encampment where we shall anxiously await the return of Drewyer and Shannon.
Bratton's horse was also discovered to be absent this evening. I presume he has also returned to the flatts. Reubin Field killed a redish brown bear which was very meagure. the tallons of this bear was remarkably Short broad at their base and Sharply pointed, this was of the Species the Chopunnish call Yahkar. as it was in very low order the flesh was indifferent.
I observed the apples of this speceis last fall to be more than triple the size of those of the ordinary wild rose; the stem of this rose is the same with the other tho the leaf is somewhat larger. after we encamped this evening we sent out our hunters; Collins killed a doe on which we suped much to our satisfaction. we had scarcely reached Collins's Creek before we were overtaken by a party of Indians who informed us that they were going to the quawmash flatts to hunt; their object I beleive is the expectation of bing fed by us in which how ever kind as they have been we must disappoint them at this moment as it is necessary that we should use all frugallaty as well as employ every exertion to provide meat for our journey. they have encamped with us. we find a great number of burrowing squirels about our camp of which we killed several; I eat of them and found them quite as tender and well flavored as our grey squirel. saw many sand hill crains and some ducks in the slashey glades about this place.
I looked at the forest-clad range of northern hills over which the French and Indian horde stole in the night, and tried to picture their stealthy approach in my mind. Below us, flowing tranquilly past the willow-hedged farms of the German Flatts settlers, lay the Mohawk.
The next day we saw the land, and came to the anchorage at York Flatts the following morning, with sentiments of gratitude to God for his protecting Providence through the perils of the ice and of the sea, and for the little interruption in the duties of my profession from the state of the weather, during the voyage.
Thence North 5 Miles to the Eastern boarders of the Quawmash flatts where we encamped near the place I first met with the Chopunnish Nation last fall. the pass of Collins Creek was deep and extreemly difficult tho we passed without sustaining further injury than wetting some of our roots and bread.
They attend the Shoals, and flatts, one where or another, every day at low water to gather Shell fish, or whatever they can find to eat, and have each a little bag to put what they get in; this bag is made of net work.
"It is true, Major. The old man died while I was at German Flatts. They say the amputation of his leg was a wretched piece of work.... He died bolt upright in his bed, smoking his pipe, and reading aloud the thirty-eighth Psalm.... His men are wild with grief, they say.... They called him a coward the morning of Oriskany."
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