A day or two after being at Oswego, the fort was alarmed by hearing a firing: when on dispatching proper scouts, it was found to be the French and

Indians engaging the batteaux-men and sailors, conveying the provisions to Oswego from one river to another. On this, a detachment of 500 men were ordered out in pursuit of them, whereof I was one.

We had a narrow pass in the woods to go through, where we were attacked by a great number of Indians, when a desperate fight began on both sides, that lasted about two hours. However, at last we gained a complete victory, and put them entirely to the rout, killing fourteen of them, and wounding above forty. On our side we had but two men killed and six wounded. Many more would have been killed of both parties, had it not been for the thickness of the woods.

I cannot here omit recounting a most singular transaction that happened during this my second time of being there, which, though scarce credible, is absolutely true, and can be testified by hundreds, who know and have often seen the man: in short, one Moglasky, of the 50th regiment, an Irishman, being placed as sentinel over the rum which had arrived, and being curious to know its goodness, pierced the cask and drank till he was quite intoxicated; when, not knowing what he did, he rambled from his post, and fell asleep a good way from the garrison.

An Indian skulking that way for prey (as is conjectured) found him, and made free with his scalp, which he plucked and carried off. The sergeant, in the morning, finding him prostrate on his face, and seeing his scalp off, imagined him to be dead; but on his nearer approach, and raising him from the ground, the fellow awaked from the sound sleep he had been in, and asked the sergeant what he wanted. The sergeant, quite surprised at the strange behaviour of the fellow, interrogated him, how he came there in that condition? He replied [that] he could not tell; but that he had got very drunk, and rambled he knew not whither. The sergeant advised him to prepare for death, not having many hours to live, as he had lost his scalp.

“Arrah, my dear now,” cries he, and, “are you joking me?”

For he really knew nothing of his being served in the manner he was, and would not believe any accident had happened him, until seeing his clothes bloody, he felt his head, and found it to be too true, as well as having a cut from his mouth to his ear.

He was immediately carried before the Governor, who asked him how he came to leave his post? He replied, that being very thirsty, he had broached a cask of rum and drank about a pint which made him drunk. But if his Honour would forgive him he'd never he guilty of the like again.

The Governor told him it was very probable he never would, as he was now no better than a dead man. However, the surgeons dressed his head there, as well as they could, and then sent him in a batteau to Albany, where he was perfectly cured; and to the great surprise of everybody, was living when I left the country. This, though so extraordinary and unparalleled an affair, I aver to be true, having several times seen the man after this accident happened to him. How his life was preserved seems a miracle, as no instance of the like was ever known.

In the mid 1800s a small number of mountain men and settlers did survive scalping, most notably Mad Mose, who spent the rest of his life hunting Indians, until killed by the Nez Perce in battle.