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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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246 FORT MASSACHUSETTS. [1746.cloudy.The lights <strong>of</strong> a camp could be seen by theriver towards the southeast, <strong>and</strong> those <strong>of</strong> anothernear the swamp towards the west. There was asound <strong>of</strong> axes, as if the enemy were mak<strong>in</strong>g scal<strong>in</strong>gladdersfor a night assault; but it was found thatthey were cutt<strong>in</strong>g fagots to burn the wall. Hawksordered every tub <strong>and</strong> bucket to be filled with water,<strong>in</strong> preparation for the crisis. Two men, JohnAldrich <strong>and</strong> Jonathan Bridgman, had been wounded,thus farther reduc<strong>in</strong>g the strength <strong>of</strong> the defenders.The chapla<strong>in</strong> says :" Of those that were <strong>in</strong> health,some were ordered to keep the watch, <strong>and</strong> some laydown <strong>and</strong> endeavored to get some rest, ly<strong>in</strong>g down <strong>in</strong>our clothes with our arms by us. . . . Wegot littleor no rest ; the enemy frequently raised us by theirhideous outcries, as though they were about to attackus. The latter part <strong>of</strong> the night I kept thewatch."Rigaud spent thenight <strong>in</strong> prepar<strong>in</strong>g for a decisiveattack, " be<strong>in</strong>g resolved to open trenches two lioursbefore sunrise, <strong>and</strong> push them to the foot <strong>of</strong> thepalisade, so as to place fagots aga<strong>in</strong>st it, set them onfire, <strong>and</strong> deliver the fort a prey to the fury <strong>of</strong> theflames. "1 It began to ra<strong>in</strong>, <strong>and</strong> he determ<strong>in</strong>ed towait till morn<strong>in</strong>g. That the comm<strong>and</strong>er <strong>of</strong> seven1 " Je passay la nuit a conduire I'ouvrage auquel j'avois dest<strong>in</strong>ele jour pre'cedent, resolu a faire ouvrir la tranchee deux heuresavant le lever du soleil, et de la pousser jusqu'au pied de lapalissade, pour y placer les fasc<strong>in</strong>es, y appliquer I'artifice, et livrerle fort en proye a la fureur du feu." — Journal de Riyaud. He mistakes<strong>in</strong> call<strong>in</strong>g the log wall <strong>of</strong> tlie fort a palisade.

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