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

1746] THE PRISONERS. 251with them, and leaving two of their own numberdead. Clesson, with such men as he had, followedtheir trail up Deerfield River, but could not overtakethe light-footed savages.Meanwliile, the prisoners at Fort Massachusettsspent the first night, well guarded, in the Frenchand Indian camps. In the morning, Norton, accompaniedby a Frenchman and several Indians, was permittedto nail to one of the charred posts of the forta note to tell what had happened to him and hiscompanions.^ The victors then marched back asthey had come, along the Hoosac road. They movedslowly, encumbered as they were by the sick andwounded. Rigaud gave the Indians presents, toinduce them to treat their prisoners with humanity.Norton was in charge of De Muy, and after walkingfour miles sat down with him to rest in Williamstownvalley. There was a yell from the Indians in therear. "I trembled," writes Norton, "thinking theyhad murdered some of our people, but was filledwith admiration when I saw all our prisoners comeup with us,and John Aldrich carried on the back ofhis Indian master." Aldrich had been shot in thefoot, and could not walk. "We set out again, and1 The note was as follows ": August 20 [31, new style], 1746,These are to inform you that yesterday, about 9 of the clock, wewere besieged by, as they say, seven hundred French and Indians.They have wounded two men and killed one Knowlton. The Generalde Vaudreuil desired capitulations, and we were so distressedthat we complied with his terms. We are the French's prisoners,and have it under the general's hand that every man, woman, andchild shall be exchanged for French prisoners."