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A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

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"1746.] SITE OF THE FORT. 243There were also <strong>in</strong> the fort three women <strong>and</strong> fivechildren. 1The site <strong>of</strong> Fort Massachusetts is now a meadowby the banks <strong>of</strong> the Hoosac. Then it was a roughclear<strong>in</strong>g, encumbered with the stumps <strong>and</strong> refuse<strong>of</strong> the primeval forest, whose liv<strong>in</strong>g hosts stoodgrimly around it,<strong>and</strong> spread, untouched by the axe,up the sides <strong>of</strong> the neighbor<strong>in</strong>g Saddleback Mounta<strong>in</strong>.The position <strong>of</strong> the fort was bad, be<strong>in</strong>g comm<strong>and</strong>edby high ground, from which, as the chapla<strong>in</strong> tells us," the enemy could shoot over the north side <strong>in</strong>to themiddle <strong>of</strong> the parade," — for which serious defect,John Stoddard, <strong>of</strong> <strong>North</strong>ampton, legist, capitalist,colonel <strong>of</strong> militia, <strong>and</strong> " Super<strong>in</strong>tendent <strong>of</strong> Defence,was probably answerable.These frontier forts were,however, <strong>of</strong>ten placed on low ground with a view toan abundant supply <strong>of</strong> water, fire be<strong>in</strong>g the mostdreaded enemy <strong>in</strong>Indian warfare.''^1 Rigaud erroneously makes the garrison a little larger. " Lagarnison se trouve de 24 hommes, entre lesquels il y avoit unra<strong>in</strong>istre, 3 femmes, et 5 enfans." The names <strong>and</strong> residence <strong>of</strong> allthe men <strong>in</strong> the fort when the attack began are preserved. Hawksmade his report to the prov<strong>in</strong>cial government under the title " AnAccount <strong>of</strong> the Company <strong>in</strong> his Majesty's Service under the comvi<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>Ser(j{ John Hawks . . . at Fort Massachusetts, August 20 [31, new style],1746." The roll is attested on oath " Before William "Williams,Jiist. Pads." The number <strong>of</strong> men is 22, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Hawks <strong>and</strong>Norton. Each man brought his own gun. I am <strong>in</strong>debted to thek<strong>in</strong>dness <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor A. L. Perry for a copy <strong>of</strong> Hawks's report,which is addressed to " the Honble. Spencer Phipps, Esq., Lieut.Gov": <strong>and</strong> Comm<strong>and</strong>er <strong>in</strong> Chief [<strong>and</strong>] the Hon^.'® his Majesty's Council<strong>and</strong> House <strong>of</strong> Representatives <strong>in</strong> General Court assembled."2 When I visited the place as a college student, no trace <strong>of</strong> thefort was to be seen except a hollow, which may have been the

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