hawks and Schakook* Indians, passed Lake Cham plain, and made a bold attack on the French settlements north of the lake. Meanwhile, De Callieres, the Governour of Montreal, spared no pains to give him a proper reception. He crossed the river with twelve hundred men, and encamped at La Praire. Schuyler attacked and put to flight his out posts and Indians, pursued them to the fort, and on that commenced a brisk attack. He had a sharp and brave action with the French regulars, and afterward forcing his way through a body of the enemy, who intercepted him, on his return, made good his retreat. In these several conflicts, the Major slew of the enemy, thirteen officers, and in the whole three hundred men; a greater number than he carried with him into the field."+

Before this, in 1688, twelve hundred warriours of the Sixnations, made a descent on the island of Montreal, slew a thousand of the inhabitants, and carried off twentysix prisoners, whom they burnt alive. About three months after, they attacked the island again, and went off with nearly the same success. "These expeditions had the most dismal consequences on the affairs of the French in Canada." They had a garrison at lake Ontario, which they now abandoned, and fled in canoes down the Cadarackui in the night; and, in descending the falls, a great number of men were lost. The warriours then took possession of the garrison, and twentyseven barrels of powder fell into their hands. Nothing but the ignorance of the Sixnations, in the European art of war, saved Canada from total ruin; and, what will ever be lamented, the colonies, through the caprice of their European lords, were unable to lend them any assistance. With a little help from the English, a period would have been put to the torrents of blood that

Trumbull, I, 221, but at $01, he spells it as seen in Philip's war, page 68 except that he used but one t

† Ibid. 221-225.

flowed until, the conquest by the immortal Wolf and Amherst, in 1760.

IX.-DESTRUCTION OF DEERFIELD.

IN 1703, the plan was laid to cut off the frontier inhabitants of Newengland, from one extremity to the other, but it was not fully executed. Though the eastern settlements from Casco to Wells were destroyed, and one hundred and thirty people killed and taken, the western frontiers remained unmolested, and were lulled into a fatal security. From the Indians that traded at Albany, Colonel Schuyler receiv-. ed intelligence of a design in Canada to fall upon Deerfield, of which the inhabitants were informed in May. "The design not being carried into execution in the course of the summer, the intelligence was not enough regarded. But the next winter, 1704, M. Vaudrieul, [Vaudreuil] Governour of Canada, re sumed the project with much attention."

The history of this affair from the accomplished historian of Vermont, Dr. Samuel Williams, is perhaps more particularly interesting, as he is an immediate descendant of a principal sufferer, the Rev.. John Williams, I give it in his own words.

"Deerfield, at that time, was the most northerly settlement on Connecticut river, a few families at Northfield excepted. Against this place, M. Vaudrieul sent out a party of about three hundred French and Indians. They were put under the command of Hertel de Rouville, assisted by four of his brothers; all of which had been trained up to the business by their father, who had been a famous partizan in their former wars. The route they took, was by the way. of Lake Champlain, till they came to the French. river, now called Onion river. Advancing up that stream, they passed over to Connecticut river, and travelled on the ice till they came near to Deerfield. Mr. Williams, their minister, had been much appre

hensive of danger, and attempted to make the same impression on the minds of his people, but not with sufficient success; but upon his application, the government of the province had sent a guard of twenty soldiers for their assistance. The fortifications were some slight works thrown round two or three garrison houses, but were nearly covered in some places with drifts of snow. To this place, Rouville with his party, approached on February the twentyninth. Hovering round the place, he sent out his spies for intelligence. The watch kept the streets of the town till about two hours before day, and then, unfortunately, all of them went to sleep. Perceiving all to be quiet, the enemy embraced the opportunity and rushed on to the attack. The snow was so high, that they had no difficulty in jumping over the walls of the fortification; and immediately separated into small parties, to appear before every house at the same time. The place was completely surprised, and the enemy were entering the houses at the moment the inhabitants had the first suspicion of their approach. The whole village was carried in a few hours, and with very little resistance; one of the garrison houses only, being able to hold out against the

enemy.

Having carried the place, slain fortyseven of the inhabitants, captured the rest, and plundered the village, the enemy set it on fire; and an hour after sun rise on the same day, retreated in great haste. A small party of the English pursued them, and a skirmish ensued the same day, in which a few were lost on both sides. The enemy, however, completely succeeded in their enterprize, and returned to Canada on the same route, carrying with them one hundred and twelve of the inhabitants of Deerfield, as prisoners They were twenty five days on their march from Deerfield to Chambly; and like their masters, the savages, depended on hunting for their support. On their arrival in Canada, they found much hu

of war,

manity and kindness from the French, and from M. Vaudrieul their Governour; but complained much of the intolerance, bigotry, and duplicity of the priests."*

Among the captives was the minister of the town, Rev. John Williams. As the Indians entered his room, he took down his pistol, and presented it to the breast of the foremost, but it missed fire. They then laid hold on him, and bound him naked as he was, and thus kept him for the space of an hour. In the mean time two of the children were carried out and killed; also a negro woman. His wife, who was hardly recovered from childbed, was with the rest marched for Canada. The second day, in wading a river, Mrs. Williams fainted and fell, but with assistance was kept along a little farther; when at the foot of a hill she began to falter, her savage master, with one blow of his tomahawk, put an end to her miseries.

The distance they had to march was at least three hundred miles. At different times the most of the prisoners were redeemed and returned home. Mr. Williams and fiftyseven others arrived at Boston from Quebeck, in 1706. One of his daughters, Eunice,. married an Indian,, and became a convert to the Roman Catholick religion, which she never would consent to forsake. She frequently visited her friends in Newengland; "but she uniformly persisted in wearing her blanket and counting her beads."+

Mr. Williams, after his return, was invited to preach near Boston; but refused every offer, and returned again to Deerfield and collected his scattered flock, with whom he continued until 1728; "dying in peace, beloved by his people, and lamented by his country." He published a history of his captivity, which, when Dr. Williams, his grand son, wrote his • Williams' Hist. Vermont, I, 304-307.

Holmes' American Annals, II, 63.

history of Vermont, had passed through seven editions.*

X.-RAVAGES OF THE EASTERN INDIANS.

IN 1707, the frontiers suffered extremely. Oyster river, Exeter, Kingstown, and Dover in Newhampshire; Berwick, York, Wells, Winterharbour, Casco, and even Marlborough in Massachusetts, were considerably damaged. In 1710, Col. Walton with one hundred and seventy men made an expedition to Norridgewock, in the beginning of winter. The chief of that place was taken and killed,† and many more. The next year is rendered memorable by the great expedition against Canada; memorable only for its bad success, and the monstrous debt it brought upon the Colonies. In 1713, a peace was concluded with France, in consequence of which the eastern Indians desired peace with the colonies, which was accordingly brought about. It was however of short duration. In August 1717, it was renewed at Arrowsike, but was broken within two years after,

*Hist. Vermont.

His name was Arruhawikwabemt, "an active bold fellow, and one of an undaunted spirit; for, when he was asked several questions, he made no reply; and when they threatened him with death, he laughed at it with contempt." hallow, 70.

Pen

The delegates met at Portsmouth, N. H., 11 July,-and a treaty was signed the 13. The articles are preserved entire in Penhallow's History, 82-85.

§ Penhallow, page 90, relates a story concerning the abundance of Ducks at this place, which, though we do not doubt it, is certainly equally astonishing to many fish stories. About three days after the renewal of the treaty, "a number of Indians went a duck hunting, which was a season of the year that the old ones generally shed their feathers in, and the young ones are not so well flushed as to be able to fly; they drove them like a flock of sheep before them into the creeks, where without either powder or shot, they killed at one time, four thousand and six hundred.” The English bought for a penny a dozen.

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