Great Events in the History of North and South AmericaGoodrich, Charles A. (Charles Augustus)
History
Great Events in the History of North and South America
Goodrich, Charles A. (Charles Augustus)
North America -- History; South America -- History; United States -- History
the 28th of May, surrendered themselves prisoners of war. There were
seventy men, and probably a much greater number of women and children;
all of whom, except Captain Davis, who commanded the garrison, and
three or four others, were given up to the Indians, who murdered most
of them in their most cruel manner; and, if the accounts be true,
Hopehood excelled all other savages in acts of cruelty."
These barbarous transactions, producing alike terror and indignation,
aroused New England and New York to attempt a formidable demonstration
against the enemy. The general court of Massachusetts sent letters of
request to the several executives of the provinces, pursuant to which
they convened at New York, May 1st, 1691. Two important measures were
adopted, as the result of the deliberations, on this
occasion--Connecticut sent General Winthrop, with troops, to march
through Albany, there to receive supplies, and to be joined by a body of
men from New York. The expedition was to proceed up Lake Champlain, and
was destined for the destruction of Montreal. There was a failure,
however, of the supplies, and thus the project was defeated.
Massachusetts sent forth a fleet of thirty-four sail, under Sir William
Phipps. He proceeded to Port Royal, took it, reduced Acadia, and thence
sailed up the St. Lawrence, with the design of capturing Quebec. The
troops landed, with some difficulty, and the place was boldly summoned
to surrender. A proud defiance was returned by Frontenac. The position
of the latter happened to be strengthened, just at this time, by a
rëinforcement from Montreal. Phipps, learning this, and finding also
that the party of Winthrop, which he expected from Montreal, had failed,
gave up the attempt, and returned to Boston, with the loss of several
vessels and a considerable number of troops. A part of his fleet had
been wrecked by a storm.
During the progress of King William's War, the atrocities committed upon
the colonists, by the French and Indians, were equal to any recorded in
the annals of the most barbarous age. Connected with these, were
instances of heroic valor on the part of the sufferers, which are not
surpassed by any on the historic page. A specimen will here be related:
On the 15th of March, 1697, the last year of King William's War, an
attack was suddenly made on _Haverhill_, in Massachusetts, by a party of
about twenty Indians. It was a rapid, but fatal onset, and a fitting
_finale_ of so dreadful a ten years' war. Eight houses were destroyed,
twenty-seven persons killed, and thirteen carried away prisoners. One of
these houses belonged to a Mr. Dustan, in the skirts of the town. Mr.
Dustan was engaged in work at some distance from home, but, by some
means, he learned what was passing at the place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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