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

1745.] SETH POMEROY's JOURNAL. 137
preparing at tlie west and south west part of the city in
order to heat down the walls and gates. The cannon were
drawing from the Grand Battre to place in them ; some
already placed in the south west part to play well upon the
town, also a large mortar with some cow horns. Some
hundreds of cannon fired from the town in order to prevent
our people proceeding in their work, but no man was hurt.
I would make remarks upon our campaign. The people
many of them are ill, the reasons I think are plain :
the ground here is cold and wet, the water much of it is in
low marshy ground of a reddish color and stagnated. The
people have no beds to lay on, nor tents to keep off the fogs
and dew.
gnciiy Q^j. provisions are chiefly pork and bread without
sauce, except a small matter of beans and peas, which sets
the people into fluxes, and many of the people are unacquainted
with lying in the woods and keep no fires, get
great cold. The places are not convenient for sick people,
and very uncomfortable for them to be taken to, so that
their illness must of necessity increase upon them ; so I
learn by this campaign how to do better in another if
it should ever be in my time.
Thursday, the 16*'\ One man killed by a bomb (this was
a fair day) belonging to Piscataque at Portsmouth in New
Hampshire.
Friday, the l?^*". A fair day. A number of French from
town, near the Light House engaged a company of our
men who were upon that land about 40 of ours beat off
about 100 of them. One French man was wounded and
taken, and how many killed we do not know. One of our
men was wounded at night. We drew two large cannon
from the Grand Battre and two more that were partly
drawn before and their carriages, and placed them within
•40 or 50 rods of the town. A gun split at the Grand
the third that has split there.
Saturday, the 18"'. This was a fair day in the morning.
Battre and wounded 2 men ;
The French engaged our people with small arms from the
walls, and our people attacked them, many hundreds of
guns were fired to and from one and another. Several of
them we killed without doubt. Two of ours were killed
b}^ noon, two or three more in the afternoon. Capt. Parce
was killed by a cannon ball.
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