Black Nick, the hermit of the hills

In Short

Set in 1777 during Burgoyne’s campaign in the American Revolution, this dime novel follows Captain Adrian Schuyler, a Continental aide-de-camp and former Prussian hussar, as he navigates the wilderness between Ticonderoga and Albany. Intertwined with Schuyler’s military reconnaissance is the dark mystery of "Black Nick," a terrifying forest demon who uses pyrotechnics, phantom horns, and subterranean hideouts to terrify British soldiers and their Indian allies. Blending historical military maneuvers with melodrama, gothic stagecraft, and frontier skirmishes, the tale captures the populist energy and theatrical flair of post-Civil War American pulp fiction.

The Story

The narrative opens in the wilderness west of Albany in 1777, where a party of Mohawk warriors, acting as scouts for General Burgoyne’s advancing British army, awaits an emissary. Meanwhile, Captain Adrian Schuyler, an aide-de-camp to Continental General Philip Schuyler and a former officer of the Prussian Zieten Hussars, rides through the forest on a secret military mission. Choosing a route past the dreaded "Haunted Hill" to avoid hostile native patrols, Schuyler spots smoke rising from the peak and investigates. On the mountain, he encounters a mysterious young woman named Diana, clad in a white deer-skin tunic, alongside a stone hut guarded by hounds. Before he can unravel her presence, an Indian ambush forces Schuyler into a desperate saber fight. He escapes on his swift gray charger, but his detour costs him time.

As Schuyler continues toward the settlement of Derryfield, he captures a sullen, heavy-set frontier recluse who turns out to be a spy. During the journey, the prisoner violently attacks Schuyler in the saddle. A party of ambushing warriors and Tories intervenes, taking Schuyler captive while his horse bolts toward Derryfield. Bound and guarded by British-aligned "Johnson Greens" and Native scouts, Schuyler attempts escape at night. His efforts are interrupted by a horrifying spectacle: a ball of crimson fire glowing in the trees overhead, signaling the presence of the mountain demon.

In the chaos that follows, Schuyler breaks free and crosses paths with General John Stark in Derryfield. Joining the Patriot forces, Schuyler leads a scouting party against Colonel Baum’s Hessian and Tory forces along the Wollonsac River, playing a crucial role in the Battle of Bennington. Throughout the campaign, the mysterious "Black Nick"—a tall, gaunt, specter-like figure wrapped in a dark cloak—haunts the British camps. Appearing inside Burgoyne’s own quarters and striking down sentries, the phantom paralyzes the British forces and their indigenous allies with superstitious dread.

Accompanied by British staff officer Sir Francis Clark and the ruthless Loyalist partisan Colonel Butler, a force tracks the specter to a subterranean limestone cavern. There, Black Nick and his allies employ glowing phosphorus suits, blue-flamed swords, and overhead ropes to simulate flying demons, scattering the terrified scouts and knocking Butler into an icy underground lake.

The conflict culminates after the surrender at Saratoga. The true identity of Black Nick is revealed to be Alphonse, Count de Cavannes, a French nobleman living in secret after being financially ruined and betrayed by his former steward—who is none other than the Tory partisan Butler, originally named Pierce Harley. Years earlier, Harley had embezzled Cavannes's estate, forged documents, and caused the death of the count's wife. In a final, ferocious confrontation between long-standing enemies, Harley attempts to shoot Cavannes, but Captain Schuyler intervenes, running Harley through with his saber. His family's honor restored, Cavannes returns to Europe with Diana and Schuyler, who are subsequently married.

How It Unfolds

The forest rendezvous A scouting party of Mohawk warriors attached to Burgoyne's army gathers at a forest spring, awaiting a British emissary to direct their attacks against American forces.

The mystery of Haunted Hill Captain Adrian Schuyler spots smoke rising from a mountain reputedly haunted by a forest demon, leading him to investigate and encounter the elusive Diana.

Ambush and escape Surrounded by hostile warriors who kill his hounds and shoot his mount, Schuyler uses his Prussian cavalry training to fight his way free on horseback.

Capture near Derryfield While escorting a captured Loyalist spy, Schuyler is overpowered during a roadside struggle by a joint force of British rangers and Native allies.

The phantom's intervention As Schuyler lies bound in the enemy camp, a blinding ball of crimson fire appears in the canopy above, terrifying the sentries and enabling his escape.

Scouting the Hessians Rejoining Continental forces under General Stark, Schuyler uses a telescope to spy on Colonel Baum’s entrenched camp along the Wollonsac River prior to the Battle of Bennington.

Terror in the camp Black Nick infiltrates General Burgoyne’s headquarters, stepping over a slain sentry to deliver a dark omen directly to the British commander.

The cavern of horrors Butler leads a party into a limestone cave, where Black Nick uses rigged ropes, glowing phosphorus, and theatrical trickery to drive the soldiers away in terror.

A duel of old hatreds Following the British defeat, Count de Cavannes faces his former steward Pierce Harley in single combat, exposing a history of forgery, robbery, and murder.

The fatal saber thrust As Harley raises his rifle to kill Cavannes, Schuyler strikes up the barrel and runs the villain through, ending the feud once and for all.

The People

• Captain Adrian Schuyler: A Continental aide-de-camp and former officer in the Prussian Zieten Hussars. Highly trained, cool under pressure, and skilled with a saber, he seeks to deliver vital military dispatches while unraveling the mystery of Haunted Hill.

• Count Alphonse de Cavannes ("Black Nick"): A gaunt, aristocratic French nobleman driven to the American wilderness after being ruined by his trusted steward. To wage psychological warfare against the British and protect his retreat, he adopts the terrifying persona of a forest demon.

• Diana de Cavannes: The count's beautiful daughter, who lives hidden on Haunted Mountain in a deer-skin tunic. She seeks to protect lost travelers from her father's wrath while remaining fiercely loyal to his cause, eventually falling in love with Captain Schuyler.

• Pierce Harley (Colonel Butler): A ruthless Loyalist partisan and leader of Tory rangers. Formerly Cavannes's trusted steward, he forged land documents, stole an estate, and caused the death of Cavannes's wife, standing as the primary antagonist driven by greed and malice.

• General John Stark: A tall, sharp-eyed Continental officer with a stern Scotch demeanor. He commands the New England militia at Derryfield with fiery energy and nervous intensity.

• General John Burgoyne: The proud, aristocratic commander of the British invasion force, who scoffs at frontier superstition until the phantom demon appears directly inside his private quarters.

In Its Own Voice

“The pale-faces are all liars,” said a young brave, disdainfully, as he leant upon his bow. “When was a Mohawk known to break his word?”

A young Mohawk warrior expresses his deep distrust of British promises while waiting for instructions at a secluded forest spring.

“I am the demon of the forest,” answered the other, in the same hollow tones.

The gaunt, cloaked figure of Black Nick confronts General Burgoyne inside the commander's own headquarters, defying the British army's authority.

“There they are, sure enough, Kerr,” said Schuyler, as he shut up his glass; “but I don’t see any Indians.”

Captain Schuyler observes the entrenched camp of Colonel Baum’s Hessian troops along the Wollonsac River through his field glass.

What It's Really About

Underneath its fast-paced wilderness chases and theatrical melodrama, the book explores the power of psychological warfare and the blur between frontier superstition and calculated theater. Black Nick’s "demonic" appearances demonstrate how fear and illusion can disarm a technologically superior military force. The novel contrasts European military discipline—represented by Schuyler’s hussar training—with the improvisational, unstructured nature of American wilderness combat. On a personal level, the story centers on vengeance and accountability, framing the clash between Cavannes and Harley as a moral struggle between noble integrity and corrupt treachery played out against the backdrop of an empire's collapse.

Why Read It Today

This text offers modern readers a vivid look into nineteenth-century popular fiction. Published in 1873 as part of Beadle's famous series, it shows how post-Civil War American writers transformed the Revolutionary War into high-octane entertainment filled with Gothic flair, secret identities, and stagecraft.

Readers who enjoy melodrama, military history, or early American pulp literature will appreciate its energetic pace, theatrical set pieces, and unabashed dramatic turns. The prose moves swiftly, favoring action over deep character interiority. However, modern readers should be prepared for period conventions common to nineteenth-century dime novels, including heavily stylized regional dialect, melodramatic dialogue, and stereotypical depictions of Native American characters that reflect the racial attitudes of the 1870s rather than historical reality. Taken on its own terms, it remains a fascinating cultural artifact—a brisk, action-packed window into how romanticized history and gothic thriller elements were packaged for the mass reading public of the nineteenth century.