was suddenly attacked. A party of the workmen immediately advanced on the enemy, and a skirmish ensued, and the enemy were finally driven into the woods, and the escort arrived with the loss of only one Stockbridge Indian, and two men wounded.

In the month of July, Eliakim Sheldon was killed at Bernardston, and John Mills at Colrain. In August, the Indians penetrated to Southampton, and killed Elijah Clark at work in his barn. October first, Peter Burvee was captured near fort Massachusetts; and on the nineteenth of the same month, John Smead was killed near the mouth of Millers river, between Northfield and Montague. He was one of the heroes of fort Massachusetts, and but recently returned from his captivity. About this time, Jonathan Sawtel was captured at Hinsdale; and on the twenty fourth, twelve men passing down Connecticut river, from Charleston, were attacked and a skirmish ensued; Nathan Gould and Thomas Goodale were kil ted; Oliver Avery wounded, and John Henderson captured, and the remainder were compelled to retreat.

"

In the Autumn of this year, a scout from a body of provincial troops stationed at Northfield, under Maj. Willard and Lieut. Alexander, wounded Pieere Rambout, a French officer, near Winchester, who afterwards came in and surrendered himself. His wound being cured he was sent to Boston, and at length to Canada, as will be noted hereafter. Soon after, the enemy burnt Bridg man's fort, below fort Dummer, and killed several people; and a few were taken at Charlestown, the ensuing winter.

During the summer, the enemy made several incursions into the interior of New Hampshire. A party of peo ple at labor in a field at Rochester, were attacked in the month of June, but the enemy were beaten off by a party who came to their relief. At Pennacook, a body of the enemy were discovered and pursued by fifty men, who came up with, and engaged them; one man was wounded, and the enemy were driven off, with the loss of their packs, and blankets. Soon after a man was killed at the same place, and another at Suncook; and at Nottingham, Robert Beard, John Fulsome and Elizabeth

Simpson, met the same fate. During the winter, incursions nearly ceased, and the frontiers had a short respite from blood and carnage.

CHAPTER XV.

DURING the last year, the sufferings of the settlers bordering the Connecticut in New Hampshire, were severe; many had been killed and captured, and as the war was not likely to terminate, they had no grounds to promise themselves an exemption from future depredations. Unable to obtain aid from the government of their own province, application was again made to that of Massachusetts, for forces to be stationed in the river towns; and in February, 1748, the house of representatives voted, "That his excellency, the captain general, be directed to cause, as soon as may be, so many men to be enlisted, by the encouragement voted by the court, as with the soldiers already posted at No. four, and at fort Massachusetts, will make the number at each, one hundred effective men, (officers included;) and to give or ders to the commanding officers in said garrisons respectively, that a suitable number be constantly employed to intercept the French and Indian enemy in their marches from Wood creek, and Otter creek to our frontiers; to continue in said service until the first day of October next; and that the commanding officers keep fair journals of their marches, from time to time, and return the same to this court; and that over and above the bounty above mentioned, and the pay and subsistence of the province, agreeable to the last establishment, there be, and hereby is granted, to be paid to the officers and soldiers, in equal parts, who shall be on any scouts that may kill or capture any enemy Indian, the sum of one hundred pounds; the scalp of the Indian killed, to be produced to the governor and council as evidence thereof." The vote was approved by the council and consented to by the governor, and the troops raised accordingly. Captain Stevens was

*Copy of the vote transmitted to the commander of the western frontier of Massachusetts.

again appointed to the command of Charlestown; the garrison amounting to one hundred, agreeably to the order of the governor; and captain Humphrey Hobbs was ordered to the same post, to act as second in command.

About the middle of March, soon after Stevens took the command, a party of about twenty Indians appeared at Charlestown, and attacked eight of the garrison, a small distance from the fort. Stevens sallied, and engaged the enemy, and a sharp skirmish ensued. Charles Stevens was killed, one Andros wounded, and Eleazer Priest captured by the enemy. The next month, Joseph Babcock was captured at Poquaig; and in May, the Indians again penetrated to Southampton, where they killed Noah Pixley.

In the month of May, a scout of eighteen men under captain Melvin, marched from Charlestown, to reconnoitre the woods towards lake Champlain, and arriving opposite to Crown Point, they discovered and fired upon two canoes of Indians. This drew out a party from the fort, who endeavoured to intercept the scout on its return to Connecticut river, and by a rapid march, the enemy gained the front, and Melvin soon crossed their trail, and concluding they would take a route towards Charlestown, he resolved to strike the Connecticut at fort Dummer, and thereby avoid the enemy. On reaching West river, he halted on the twenty fifth, and very imprudently permitted his men to divert themselves in shooting salmon, then passing up the shoals of the river. The enemy, unknown to Melvin, were then in close pursuit on his trail, and hearing the report of the guns, pressed on to the spot, and gave the incautious scout a sudden fire, which threw it into confusion, and scattered the men in various directions. A small party, however, rallying, returned and engaged the enemy, but were soon overpowered and compelled to retreat. Melvin and eleven of his men, at length reached fort Dummer; Joseph Petty, John Haywood, John Dodd, Daniel Mann, Isaac Taylor and Samuel Severance, all valuable men were killed, or taken. When an officer so far neglects his duty, as to forget the rules of prudence, he seldom avoids fatal disasters.

On the sixteenth of June, thirteen men on the route

from Hinsdale to fort Dummer, fell into an ambuscade of Indians, and Nathan French, Joseph Richardson and Joseph Frost were killed; and Henry Stevens, Benjamin Osgood, William Blanchard, Matthew Wiman, Joel Johnson, Moses Perkins and William Bickford, were made prisoners; the latter died of a wound he received in the attack; the three others escaped.

The death of colonel John Stoddard of Northampton, this year. while attending the general court at Boston, was a serious loss to the western frontiers of Massachusetts. He had been entrusted with the defence of that quarter of the country, and in this, as well as in many civil offices, had discharged his duty with skill and judgment, and he stood high in the confidence of the government, as well as that of the people of the province. Colonel Israel Williams of Hatfield, who had acted as commissary under colonel Stoddard, was appointed to succeed him, and immediately entered upon the arduous duty; and major Elijah Williams, of Deerfield, was appointed to the commissary's department, on the western frontier, under John Wheelwright, commissary general.

In the various attacks upon small parties, by surpise, the enemy had generally been successful; but scouting parties under brave and cautious officers sometimes turned the scales against them. A gallant case of this kind occurred about the time colonel Williams took the command. Captain Humphrey Hobbs, with forty men, was ordered from Charlestown, through the woods to fort Shirley, in Heath, one of the posts on the Massachusetts line. The march was made without interruption, until Hobbs arrived at what is now Marlborough, in Vermont, about twelve miles northwest of fort Dummer, where he halted on the twenty sixth of June, to give his men an opportunity to refresh themselves. A large body of Indians under a resolute chief, by the name of Sackett,* discovered Hobbs' trail, and made a rapid march to cut him off. Without being apprized of the pursuit of the enemy, Hobbs had circumspectly posted a guard on his trail, and his men were regaling themselves at their packs, on a low piece of ground, covered with alders, inter

*This chief is said to have been a half blooded Indian, a descendant of a captive, taken at Westfield, Massachusetts.

mixed with large trees, and watered by a rivulet. The enemy soon came up, and drove in the guard, which first apprized Hobbs of their proximity. Without the least knowledge of their strength, he instantly formed for action; each man selecting his tree for a cover. Confident of victory, from their superiority of numbers, the enemy rushed up, and received Hobbs' well directed fire, which cut down a number, and checked their impetuosity. Covering themselves also, with trees and brush, the action became warm, and a severe conflict ensued between sharp shooters. The two commanders had been known to each other, in time of peace, and both bore the character of intrepidity. Sackett who could speak English, in a stentorian voice, frequently called upon Hobbs to surrender, and threatened, in case of refusal, to rush in, and sacrifice his men with the tomahawk. Hobbs, in a voice which shook the forest, as often returned a defiance, and urged his enemy to put his threats in execution. The action continued with undaunted resolution, and not unfrequently, the enemy approached Hobbs' line; but were driven back to their first position, by the fatal fire of his sharp sighted marksmen; and thus about four hours elapsed, without either side giving up an inch of their original ground. At length, finding Hobbs determined on death or victory, and that his own men had suffered severely, Sackett ordered a retreat, carrying off his dead and wounded, and leaving his antagonist to continue his march without further molestation.

Notwithstanding the severity of the conflict, Hobbs' men were so well covered, that they lost only three of their number, viz: Ebenezer Mitchel, Eli Scott and Samuel Gunn, and the same number were wounded; that of the enemy was supposed to be great; for during the struggle, particularly when they advanced and exposed themselves, many were seen to fall, and the ground was profusely covered with blood. In all battles the Indians endeavour to conceal their loss, and in effecting this, they sometimes expose themselves more than in combat with their enemy. When one falls, his nearest comrade crawls up, under cover of the trees and brush, and fixing a tump line to the dead body, cautiously draggs it to the Hobbs' men related that in this action they often

rear.