The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

For want of room, we insert an abbreviation of a letter, &c. from Col. M. Willet to Lord Stirling, dated Fort Renelaer, Nov. 2, 1781, and transmitted to, and published by order of Congress; in a Philadelphia paper of the 15th instant--By which it appears, That on the 20th of October, Col. Willet fell in with a party of the enemy, Tories and Indians, near Schoharie, whom he completely defeated and drove into the woods--on the 27th he cut off their retreat to their boats at Oneida Creek--about eight o'clock on the morning of the 28th, he fell in with the enemy between their rear guard and a detachment of 40 men: some of which party were taken, others killed, and the rest dispersed:--Their main body was pursued closely and warmly till quite night. ... The enemy but once endeavored to resist, which was at a very bad ford on Canada-Creek, where they left Major Walter Butler and several more. (This is the same Butler who commanded the massacre at Cherry Valley in November 1778). We have lost but one man in the pursuit. Our Indians were very useful, and behaved with their usual alertness upon such occasions.

Strange as it may appear, it is true, that notwithstanding the enemy had been four days in the wilderness, with only half a pound of horse flesh per man, per day, yet in this famished situation they trotted 20 miles before they stopped. Many of them indeed fell a sacrifice to such treatment. -- Their packs and blankets were strewed through the woods. All their horses, except five, which were got a considerable distance forward in their van, with their wounded and a few prisoners fell into our hands.