much of the food for the men and the fodder for the horses and cattle.  The Moravians begged humbly to be left where they were, but without avail.  They were forced away to Lake Erie, the missionaries being taken to Detroit, while the Indians were left on the plains of Sandusky.  The wild Indians were very savage against them, but the British commandant would not let them be seriously maltreated, [Footnote:  Do., December u, 1781.] though they were kept in great want and almost starved.

    Also by the Americans.

A few Moravians escaped, and remained in their villages; but these, three or four weeks later, were captured by a small detachment of American militia, under Col.  David Williamson, who had gone out to make the Moravians either move farther off or else come in under the protection of Fort Pitt.  Williamson accordingly took the Indians to the fort, where the Continental commander, Col.  John Gibson, at once released them, and sent them back to the villages unharmed. [Footnote:  Gibson was the old friend of the chief Logan.  It is only just to remember that the Continental officers at Fort Pitt treated the Moravians even better than did the British officers at Detroit.] Gibson had all along been a firm friend of the Moravians.  He had protected them against the violence of the borderers, and had written repeated and urgent letters to Congress and to his superior officers, asking that some steps might be taken to protect the friendly Christian Indians. [Footnote:  Haldimand MSS.  Jan. 22, 1780 (intercepted letters).] In the general weakness and exhaustion, however, nothing was done; and, as neither the State nor Federal governments took any steps to protect them, and as their missionaries refused to learn wisdom, it was evident that the days of the Moravians were numbered.  The failure of the government to protect them was perhaps inevitable, but was certainly discreditable.

The very day after Gibson sent the Christian Indians back to their homes, several murders were committed near Pittsburg, and many of the frontiersmen insisted that they were done with the good will or connivance of the Moravians.  The settlements had suffered greatly all summer long, and the people clamored savagely against all the Indians, blaming both Gibson and Williamson for not having killed or kept captive their prisoners.  The ruffianly and vicious of course clamored louder than any; the mass of people who are always led by others, chimed in, in a somewhat lower key; and many good men were silent for the reasons given already.  In a frontier democracy, military and civil officers are directly dependent upon popular approval, not only for their offices, but for what they are able to accomplish while filling them.  They are therefore generally extremely sensitive to either praise or blame.  Ambitious men flatter and bow to popular prejudice or opinion, and only those of genuine power and self-reliance dare to withstand it.  Williamson was physically