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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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250 FORT MASSACHUSETTS. [1746.them a close fire, shot down fifteen <strong>of</strong> them, <strong>and</strong>captured the rest.^This or another party <strong>of</strong> Rigaud'sIndians pushed as far as Deerfield <strong>and</strong> tried to wa}'-lay the farmers as they went to their work on aMonday morn<strong>in</strong>g. The Indians hid <strong>in</strong> a growth <strong>of</strong>alder-bushes along the edge <strong>of</strong> a meadow where menwere mak<strong>in</strong>g hay, accompanied by some children.One Ebenezer Hawks, shoot<strong>in</strong>g partridges, came sonear the ambushed warriors that they could not resistthe temptation <strong>of</strong> kill<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> scalp<strong>in</strong>g him. Thisalarmed the hajonakers <strong>and</strong> the children, who ran fortheir lives towards a mill on a brook that enteredDeerfield River, fiercely pursued by about fiftyIndians, who caught <strong>and</strong> scalped a boy namedAmsden. Three men, Allen, Sadler, <strong>and</strong> Gillet, gotunder the bank <strong>of</strong> the river <strong>and</strong> fired on the pursuers.Allen <strong>and</strong> Gillet were soon killed, but Sadler escapedunhurt to an isl<strong>and</strong>. Three children <strong>of</strong> Allen —Eunice, Samuel, <strong>and</strong> Caleb — were also chased bythe Indians, who knocked down Eunice with a tomahawk,but were <strong>in</strong> too much haste to stop <strong>and</strong> scalpher, <strong>and</strong> she lived to a good old age. Her brotherSamuel was caught <strong>and</strong> dragged <strong>of</strong>f,but Caleb ran<strong>in</strong>to a field <strong>of</strong> tall maize, <strong>and</strong> escaped.The fir<strong>in</strong>g was heard <strong>in</strong> the village, <strong>and</strong> a fewarmed men, under Lieutenant Clesson, hastened tothe rescue; but when they reached the spot theIndians were gone, carry<strong>in</strong>g the boy Samuel Allen1 One French account says that the Indians failed to meet theEnglish party. N. Y. Col. Docs. x. 35.

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