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This Examination of Walter Elliot was done on Wednesday,
April 12th, 1780 upon his return to the Middle Fort. He was
released as Brant's prisoner and told to take the letter from
Joseph Brant and the personal letter of Alexander Harper
to the commander of the Middle Fort in the Schoharie Valley.

  Letter image Transcription
 



Examination of Walter Elliot.

That on Friday the 7th of April a party of Indians commanded
by Joseph Brandt, 19 white men came to Harpersfield about 12
miles distant from Brackabien, and killed three & took Capt
Harper & eleven more prisoners, and said Walter Elliot was
taken and kept almost four days and three nights — Those
people taken being gone there to make sugar — the party
that took them was designed for Schohary but happening
to fall upon that place, those poor people became victims
for them.          Schoharie   12th April 1780.
(Copy.)                                                       Walter Elliot.


N. B. The Persons who are taken and killed were as follows —
Capt. Alexander Harper - Lieut. John Henry -William Lamb and
Son -David Brown and his three Sons - Ezra Tarp -Freegift Patchin
Isaac Patchin & William Trumbull a soldier belonging to
Colo Van
Schaick's Regiment -. Those killed were Major Thomas Henry &
Lieut. James Henry of Colo Harper's Regt. and William Stephens
The Party informed the Examinent that the Flag that was sent
to Niagara woud be, detained Prisoners there till their Return
five white Men were with the party vizt. Hendrick Nellis
Archibald Thompson -Benjamin Begraft William Smith
and Henry Huffson —

Notes:

This letter was transcribed and published in Volume V, page 632-633, of the "Public Papers of George Clinton". The original manuscripts were held in the State Archives in Albany.

 

 

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