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

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

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I<br />

1755] FOURTH FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 273<br />

days and we understood by him tliat there were a number<br />

to come the next day to carry him <strong>of</strong>f.<br />

Tuesday, 30, 1755. A w<strong>in</strong>dy cloudy day, some showers.<br />

Capt. Rogers with 4 men wlio went up the lake last Saturday<br />

night <strong>in</strong> order to view Ticonderoga returned. They<br />

took a good view <strong>of</strong> that place and found <strong>in</strong> their judgments<br />

to be as many if not more encamped there than we<br />

have <strong>in</strong> this place and they were build<strong>in</strong>g a fort. They saw<br />

a battoe with ten men <strong>in</strong> it put <strong>of</strong>f and come up the Lake ;<br />

they has'tened back and placed themselves <strong>in</strong> a narrow<br />

place on a po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> land to wait their return ; the battoe<br />

then went up to an island, the men landed and stayed a<br />

little while and then came back and com<strong>in</strong>g by Capt. Rog-<br />

ers and his 4 men with<strong>in</strong> gun shot they fired upon the bat-<br />

toe with 9 Indians and one Frenchman <strong>in</strong> it, and killed 2<br />

at the first shot and so they cont<strong>in</strong>ued fir<strong>in</strong>g till they had<br />

shot four or five times apiece, and killed or so disabled six<br />

<strong>of</strong> them, that they were not able to paddle the battoe and<br />

only four could work—they put <strong>in</strong> their canoe and jumped<br />

<strong>in</strong>to it pursued them till they had almost caught up to<br />

them, and came so near the French army that they sent out<br />

a number <strong>of</strong> their battoes after them, so our people were<br />

obliged to turn and make the best <strong>of</strong> their way <strong>of</strong>f, but<br />

they all arrived safe without any harm <strong>from</strong> tlie enemy,<br />

and a bold adventure it was.<br />

Wednesday, Oct. 1. This a fair day ; began today to<br />

build a fort for cannon and one quarter <strong>of</strong> our army was<br />

appo<strong>in</strong>ted to work at it. A man went out a little beyond<br />

the fort, lit on a Frenchman deserted <strong>from</strong> the army at<br />

Ticonderoga and gave an account <strong>of</strong> 400 men at that place<br />

which seems to contradict Capt. Rogers account, but Capt.<br />

Rogers was there 2 or 3 days after, who gave an account <strong>of</strong><br />

an army not less than our army which must have come<br />

there after the Frenchman had left that place, so that it is<br />

likely they went and brought cannon for Rogers saw a bat-<br />

tery there with cannon planted ; the deserter said there<br />

was none when he came away so^it is proveable they both<br />

spoke true.<br />

Thursday, Oct. 2, 1755. A fair pleasant warm day. Between<br />

5 and GOO men at work at the fort. Ensign Joseph<br />

Sheldon with 8 <strong>of</strong> Capt. Hitchcock's company came today

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