CHAPTER VI.

Increase of disaffection in the North--Seizures of prominent citizens by bands of loyalists from Canada--Captivity of John J. Bleecker--Plot against General Gansevoort--Daring attempt upon General Schuyler in the city of Albany, by John Waltermeyer--Intrepidity of Margaret Schuyler--Arrest of loyalists at the Beaver Dams--Mysterious movements of the enemy on Lake Champlain--Controversy with the New-Hampshire Grants--Sketch of its origin--Outrages of the Vermont insurgents--Declaration of Independence by the Grants--Interposition of Congress--Its authority disregarded--Progress of the controversy--Difficult situation of General Gansevourt--Suspected intercourse of the Vermontese with the enemy--Letter of Governor Clinton--Invasion of the Mohawk country by Major Ross--Warrens-bush ravaged--March of the enemy to Johnstown--Followed by Willett with the levies and militia--Battle of Johnstown--Ross defeated--Pursued by Willett, and routed at Jerseyfield--Death of Walter N. Butler--General progress of the war--Arnold in Virginia--Returns to the North, and destroys Groton and New London--Siege of Yorktown and capture of Cornwallis--Affairs of the North--Meditated treachery of Vermont--Message of Governor Clinton--British open a correspondence with the Vermont insurgents--Mission of Ira Allen to Canada--Separate armistice with Vermont--Stipulations for erecting Vermont into a royal colony--Correspondence with the enemy during the Summer--Negotiations renewed at Skenesborough--St. Leger ascends the lake with a strong force--An awkward occurrence for the Vermontese--Excitement at the seat of Government of the Grants--Throwing dust in the eyes of the people--News of the surrender of Cornwallis--Its effect in Vermont--Causes the nasty return of St. Leger to Canada--Insurrection in the north-eastern towns of New-York, in connexion with the Vermontese--Troubles of General Gansevoort--Unable to quell the insurgents--Cherokee Indians--Close of the year.

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