13.08.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

1755.J FOURTH FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 265<br />

to the several governments with orders to send men to our<br />

relief. I sent letters by them to m,y sons at New Haven<br />

and to my wife at home.<br />

Sabbath day, 17^'', 1755. A fair day. So much bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

this forenoon that no sermon. Met at 11 o'clock, sang and<br />

publicly prayed. Orders given for a meet<strong>in</strong>g 5 o'clock <strong>in</strong><br />

the afternoon. Just after we met and began prayers news<br />

came that the waggons were attacked by 300 Indians. I<br />

was immediately ordered with about 400 men to march directly<br />

<strong>in</strong>" the utmost haste to their relief, but after go<strong>in</strong>g<br />

about 4 miles down the road got to the rear <strong>of</strong> all the waggons<br />

and meet<strong>in</strong>g Col. Cockraft he <strong>in</strong>formed me it was a<br />

false alarm, so we had to march back do<strong>in</strong>g no service.<br />

Monday, 18"', 1755. A fair day. A scout went <strong>of</strong>f for<br />

Fort <strong>Massachusetts</strong>. I sent a letter by one Chap<strong>in</strong> to my<br />

wife. A man <strong>in</strong> swimm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>its</strong> thought was taken with the<br />

cramp or a fit, sunk down though a great number <strong>of</strong> people<br />

were near, yet no one went <strong>in</strong> soon enough to get him<br />

out alive ; one depended on another and some were afraid<br />

to go <strong>in</strong> so that the poor man perished. The fourth man<br />

we have lost and the first by accident.<br />

Tuesday, 19. A fair day. A council sat this day at<br />

Head Quarters, and concluded that 1900 <strong>of</strong> our army as<br />

soon as we should have <strong>in</strong>telligence, should march forward<br />

to clear the road to the next water and build store houses<br />

and a fort, and also voted that all the women should be<br />

sent out <strong>of</strong> the camp the first opportunity <strong>of</strong> conveyance<br />

and not return to it aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />

Wednesday, 20*''. A fair day. Capt. Ayers with one <strong>of</strong><br />

his wild schemes set to work 200 or 300 men to dig a<br />

trench round our store house with a design to secure the<br />

store house, but if I was to judge by the present appearance<br />

<strong>of</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs, an ill constructed piece <strong>of</strong> fortification.<br />

Thursday, 21 Aug. A ra<strong>in</strong>y morn<strong>in</strong>g and fair afterwards<br />

<strong>in</strong> the afternoon. 4 Indians came that General<br />

Johnson sent to Canada before he left home, the news if<br />

any comes afterwards. Capt. Parson the head <strong>of</strong> the scout<br />

that went 5 days ago came <strong>in</strong> this day, l)ut could f<strong>in</strong>d no<br />

road to the broad way, which was his bus<strong>in</strong>ess to look out,<br />

it be<strong>in</strong>g all mounta<strong>in</strong>ous so not to be cast with cannon or<br />

waggons.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!