BURNING ONONDAGA, APRIL ‘79
21st. this morning set of about Day Break on the same line of march and went about 6 Miles when we halted, Capt. Graham with his Compy. was sent forward as an advance party then proceeded on to the Onandaga lake about 8 Miles in length & 4 in Breath waded an arm of it about 4 foot deep and 200 yards wide and came to Onandaga creek, small but deep, had to cross it on a log. Capt. Grahams Co Just as he had crossed the creek caught an Indian who was shooting Pidgeons & made him prisoner, And we got some Information from him, then proceeded on till we come within about one Mile of the Town…
when we Recd. word from Capt. Graham that he had caught one Squaw and killed one and had taken two or three Children and one White man and one or two made their escape and alarmed the town The Col Immediately sent me forward to order him on as quick as possible and make as many prisoners as he could & he would support him with the main body. I overtook him at the first town and delivered my orders and he Immediately pushed on about two miles to the Next town where he made a small halt and took a great many prisoners, soon after Magor Cochran with Capt. Grays Compy. came up and ordered me to stay with the prisoners and their two Compys. to push on to the next town about one mile forward which they did and made more prisoners and killed some particularly a Negro who was their Dr. they then plundered the houses of the most valuable things and set fire to them and Returned to the middle town where I was. Capt. Bleekers Compy. had come up by this time and left the main body at their first town we then collected all our prisoners plundered this town and sett fire to it then marched of to the main body which lay at the first town, we stayd there about 8 hours and killed some five horses and a Number of Hogs & plunderd their houses and set fire to them and Marched of about 4 o’clock in the same line of march as we came only the front changed and a Compy. to guard the prisrs. who was to march between they two Colums marched on about 2 Miles from the town down the Onand’ga creek when about 20 Indians who Lay concealed on the oppisite side of the Creek fird upon us, but the Rifle Men soon Dispersed them killing one of them, we then march’d on and crossd the Onandga Creek in two. places for fear the enemy should attack us but we met with no interruption, crossed the arm of the lake and encamped by the side of the lake about 8 Miles from the town’ We killed about 15 took 34 Prisoners, Burned about 30 or 40 Houses, took 2 stand of Coulors, and we had not one man killed or wounded’
Journal of participant Erkuries Beatty
