sertion to the enemy. He chose
two of his trustiest warriors and gave them instructions
to waylay the bearers of the flag of truce from Sullivan's
camp. The bearers were killed and the proposals of the
American commander fell into Brant's hands, and Red Jacket
and his party were left to imagine that Sullivan had not
been gracious enough even to send them an answer.

Not long after the rout of the Six Nations on the Chemung
river and the destruction of their villages the snow had
begun to fall. The winter of 1779-80 was an unusually
severe one, and the Indians suffered untold hardships
through famine and disease. They were driven to trek in
great numbers to the vicinity of the English fort at
Niagara. Brant was there at this time, and during his
sojourn he saw a wedding performed according to the sacred
rites of the Anglican Church. He had lost his first wife,
the mother of Isaac and Christiana, and had married her
half-sister, Susanna; but she also had died childless,
and Brant had taken to his tent the daughter of a Mohawk
chief, whom he now decided to wed after the manner of
the white people. His third bride, who was about twenty-one
years of age at the time of her marriage, is known in
history as Catherine Brant. She bore Brant three sons
and four daughters, and lived for some years after his
death. Her father was the leading sachem of the Tortoise
clan and consequently she was able to bestow high rank
within the Mohawk nation upon her son, Ahyouwaighs, or
John Brant.

The story of Brant's part in the War of the Revolution
from this time on can be related very briefly. Before
spring he was again on the war-path and helped to destroy
the villages of the Oneidas, because of their active
sympathy for the rebel cause. In the month of April he
closed in upon the settlement of Harpersfield and levelled
it to the ground. As he was making his way back from
the last adventure, he was seized with fever and forced
to move by slow stages. He allowed his warriors to travel
only every other day. There is an anecdote telling how
he cured himself of his malady in a very Indian-like
manner. Taking his position on the side of a hill, a
haunt of rattlesnakes, he waited till one should crawl
out to bask in the sun. When at length a snake showed
itself he seized it and bore it to his camp. This reptile
was cooked in a broth, and Brant supped eagerly of the
hot decoction. And after partaking of this wonderful
remedy, according t