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

I
CHAPTER XXI.
• FOURTH FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
The "Bloody Morn- News of the advaiicG of the enemy up
ing Scout." Wood Creek was received on Sunday, Sept.
9"'. Col. Pomeroy reports officially to Col.
Israel Williams —
:
" We suposing y* they intend to Cut off onr wagons, or atack y" Fort
at y^ Carrying Place but wanted better Information. Sent Monday
morning about 1200 Men near 200 of them Indians commanded by Col".
Williams Col". Whiting & Col°. Cole of Rhode Island. Whiting In y«
Middle Cole brought up y« rear old Hendrick King of y^ Six nations before
with Col". Williams the Indians, Some afore, some in y^ middle &
Some in y" rear & so Intermix'd Through."
Dieskau pursued the old, well tried and too often successful
game of ambuscade, into which the colonial commander
marched with the stereotyped alacrity characteristic
of the military movements of that campaign. The
French general drew up his forces so as to form a " cul de
sac,"' in which he placed the French regulars at the bottom,
and the Canadians and Indians on opposite sides. Consequently
after marching about three miles without throwing
out scouts or flankers, "between 10 & 11 of y'' clock," the
detachment of colonial troops suddenly found itself in the
midst of a deadly fire. ' Consternation seized both officers
and men, and the rear ranks, panic-stricken, fled to the
camp. But the main body, as Pomeroy testifies, made a
"very handsome retreat," though the commander. Col.
Ephraim Williams, was killed early in the fight. A hasty
attempt was made to form a breastwork to protect the
1 Dieskau ordered th« Canadians and Indians not to fire till the regulars began
the battle, but some of the latter, seeing Mohawks in the ranks of the advancing
army, fired a gun to warn them. This brought on the action before Col. Williams'
detachment had fairly entered the trap set for it, and undoubtedly saved it from
annihilation.