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

290 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1757.
five thousand men, was at Fort Edward, distant about
twenty miles. He took no measures for the defense or relief
of the place, but sent a dispatch to the commandant,
exaggerating the numbers of the enemy, and advised him
to surrender. Col. Monroe, however, refused to deliver up
the fort and defended it with great vigor from the 3'' to the
9"^ of August, when his ammunition having been exhausted,
and one half his guns disabled, he capitulated. The terms
of surrender were most honorable ; the soldiers were to
march out with the honors of war under parole not to serve
for eighteen months. Scarcely had the garrison begun the
march towards Fort Edward under the protection of a
guard, than the Indians, who had obtained great quantities
of liquor, fell upon the unarmed prisoners, and a cruel
massacre followed. A feeble attempt was made by the
French officers to save the captives, but without avail. A
few escaped by flight, and others sought protection in the
camp of the French.
Northampton Sol- Great coDstemation prevailed when newsdiers
among the of tliis disaster reached the settlements. In
^^ ^^^^'
the garrison were men from almost every
town in Hampshire County, and none knew how many, if
any, had escaped the terrible butchery. A number of
Northampton soldiers were there and for a time it was
feared that all of them had perished. Several of them
were among the captives, but fortunately none were killed.
In Capt. John Burk's company from Northfield were Joel
Clapp, Nathaniel Day Jr., Nathaniel P. Hay ward, and
Samuel Phelps from Northampton, who were captured.
John Birge Jr., and Rufus Brown, also from this town,
were members of the same company, but they were not in
the capitulation.
Great Alarm through- The Capture of Fort William Henry
out the Province. opened the way for an advance into New
York and Massachusetts, and it caused an
alarm almost reaching a panic throughout the province.
Gov. Pownal appointed Sir William Pepperell lieutenantgeneral
of all the forces of the Province of Massachusetts,
and ordered him to Springfield to collect and forward re-