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
After the loss of Louisburg, the conflicts on the borders became more
frequent and fatal. The enemy was exasperated, and determined to give
the colonists no rest. Various places on the Connecticut were
accordingly attacked, but chiefly settlements in New Hampshire, the
results of which were very distressing to individual families.
Charlestown, Keene, New Hopkinton, Contoocook, Rochester, and many other
places whose situations exposed them to the enemy were attacked, and a
greater or less number of individuals were killed, wounded, or captured.
One attack may be stated in detail; it followed the surrender of Fort
Massachusetts to Vaudreuil's French and Indian forces, an honourable
capitulation, which took place in the summer of 1746, the fort having
defended itself as long as its ammunition lasted. The narrative is
given in the language of another: "Immediately after the surrender of
Fort Massachusetts, about fifty of Vaudreuil's Indians passed Hoosack
mountain, for the purpose of making depredations at Deerfield, about
forty miles eastward. Arriving near the village on Sunday, they
reconnoitered the north meadow, for the purpose of selecting a place
of attack upon the people, as they should commence their labor the
next morning. Not finding a point of attack suited to their design,
which seems to have been rather to capture than to secure scalps, they
proceeded about two miles south, to a place called the _Bars_, where
were a couple of houses, owned by the families of Arnsden and Allen,
but now deserted; and early in the morning formed an ambuscade on the
margin of a meadow, under the cover of a thicket of alders, near which
was a quantity of mown hay. The laborers of the two families,
accompanied by several children, then residing in Deerfield village,
proceeded to their work in the early part of the day, and commenced
their business very near the Indians, who now considered their prey as
certain. But a little before they commenced their attack, Mr. Eleazer
Hawks, one of the neighboring inhabitants, went out for fowling; and,
approaching near the ambuscade, was shot down and scalped. Alarmed at
the fire, the persons fled down a creek towards a mill, fiercely
pursued by the Indians. Simeon Arnsden, a lad, was seized, killed and
scalped; Samuel Allen, John Sadler, and Adonijah Gillet, made a stand
under the bank of Deerfield river, near the mouth of the mill creek,
whence they opened a fire on the Indians. Soon overpowered, Allen and
Gillet fell; but Sadler escaped to an island, and thence across the
river, under a shower of balls. In the mean time, others, making for
the road leading to the town, were closely pursued, and Oliver
Arnsden, after a vigorous struggle for his life, was barbarously
butchered. Eunice, a daughter, and two sons of Allen (Samuel and
Caleb) were in the field; Eunice was knocked down by a tomahawk, and
her skull fractured, but, in the hurry, was left unscalped. Samuel was
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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