History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

104 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1744.
Capt. Pomeroy, however, commanded a company the next
year, but its field of operations was remote from Massa-
chusetts.
A Commission on De- When War became a certainty, additional
fences Appointed. methods of defence were provided by the
authorities, designed more especially to
command the customary lines of Indian travel across the
frontiers, from the northward. It was decided to establish
a series of forts, about five and a half miles distant from
each other, westward to the boundaries of New York. A
commission consisting of Col. Stoddard, Col. Partridge,
and John Leonard, was appointed to carry these orders
into efi:ect. Col. Stoddard was the working man of the
commission, and under his supervision, the fortifications
were designed, located and built.
Fortifications Con- Fort Dumuier, erected in 1724, by Lieut.
structed. Tiuiothy Dwiglit of Northampton, having
been thoroughly repaired after its destruction
by fire,^ was now more formidable than ever. In
order to carry out tlie intentions of this commission it was
necessary first to establish a military line on which to erect
the blockhouses. Early in July, Lieut. Timothy Dwight,
now Col. Dwiglit, was instructed to survey a line in accordance
with general orders, " from Colrain to the Dutch set-
tlements." This was promptly done, and on the 34'*' of the
month, orders were issued to Capt. William Williams of
Hatfield, for the erection of a fort in the town of Heath,
which was named Fort Shirley, in honor of the Governor
of the Province. Another fort was built in the town of
Rowe, and named Fort Pelham, but it was not completed
1 Ou the 15"' of January, 1738, 9 o'clock at night, fire broke out in the room adjoining
the magazine at Fort Dummer, and Capt. Kellogg, fearing the fire would soon
reach the powder, ordered all the people'immediately to leave the fort (after trying
in vain to put out the fire), before his orders could be executed the powder blew up
and scattered the fire all over the fort, and in a short time it was all consumed, with
the stores of war, goods for the Indian trade, and all that belonged to the officers
and soldiers, except the clothes they had ou. Loss from £6,000 to £T,(XX)."— Boston
Evening Post, 1738.
The fort was probably rebuilt by Capt. Kellogg the ensuing year. It was commanded
by Capt. Josiah Willard in 1740, who complained that it was in a " defenceless
condition." He says that the garrison will put things in a posture for defence
and erect two bastions if government will allow him a carpenter and provide nails,
iron and boards. These bastions were built in 1741, and a line of pickets twenty feet
high, set around the fort.