The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-26
ADDRESS BY DIR. WALKER,
His Paper Before a Deerheld Historical

HIS Idper be1ore Deerheld Historical
 Society-Story of Fort Drummer.
 The Rev, George Leon Walker of Hartford delivered the historical ad- dress at the twenty sixth annual field day of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial association of Deerfield, Mass, August 18th. The meeting was held at the site of the old Fort Drummer in Brattleboro. pr. Walkers paper was clear review of the history of Fort Drummer, and in- eluded principally the incidents of the wars through which it passed. Dr. Walker read the first part of his ad- dress himself, after which, on account of difficulty with his eyes. he yielded to his son, Professor Williston Walker. Following is the portion of the address more directly relating to Fort Dum- mer.
 The peace of 171S gave to the colonies little breathing space. Settlers came back to the deserted frontier towns, and agriculture revived. At this time certain lands were deeded to Connecti- cut in return for others it had lost. These were known as the equivalent lands, and when sold at Hartford, those including this region fell to the posses sion of four men, one of whom was William Drummer It was valuable land, well diversified, near good fishing grounds and on the direct line of traffic north. Their hopes for good invest ment were illfounded, however. Scarcely had the land passed to their possession when Indian hostilities be- gan again. It was a revival of the old race and religious war, stirred up by a priest from Canada. War was de- clared by Massachusetts, and the for mer ravages were feared, To provide for protection it was resolved, in De- cember, 1723, to build block-house north of and near Northfield
 William Drummer was by this time lieutenantg governor, and he intrusted the building of the house to Timothy Dwight of Northampton, who began work in February, 1724. Around the interior of the fort were built houses, leaving an irregular open space in the center In April of that year the fort was so far advanced that it was fur nished with small garrison. The fort was near enough to the river to make dangerous its passage by Indians in ca AipSC. iS 5diilooll WClS fired upon from the opposite bank, when going to the river to wash, and the bullets thus used have been found in digging the soil of the banks. The fort was built none too soon. On June 18th the Indian scouts of the garrison found fresh Indian trail, and a band of Indians harassed the troops throughout the summer. attacking the fort unsuccessfully In October. During the following year number of dwell- CTS near by were killed A party sent out from the fort to locate the enemy were met by a hostile band and only one escaped.
 For time after this there was peace, and the garrison could rest from their constant watchfulness. On May 27th, 1726, was born another Timothy Dwight in the fort. He was the father of the first president of Yale college, and grandfather of the president president. The fort became more of a trading sta-, ton than 8 seat of war. In 1737 a meeting was held between the Caugh- nawaga Indians and the officers at the fort, in which continual friendship was sworn But European quarreis soon IHlluGtlEGu t1llS EOullIy, dllN III Itff tHC French and English were in deadly strife here in America The fort was now materially strengthened and line of piclets was built around it. Two province houses were built for the higher officers, and the armament was increased.
 After war was declared, the English attempted to establish line of forts from Drummer to Williamstown, and the war became more bitter Bounties were offered for Indian scalps, and pa- trlotism gave way in some measure to killing the Indians for greed. From this time on till the peace of l749, Fort Drummer was the scene of continual warfare, Indian warfare, the horrors of which we of these times can have no conception. Besides the constant watchfulness against surprise, the fort had to stand always prepared to aid any parties who had been captured by the foe. or who went to it for escape.
 After the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which closed the hostilities, there came a hope that agriculture might again go on So secure was the feeling that in many districts, including that of the IOrL movements were .btdItSu loi toWH organizations. But they were again | doomed to disappointment. The treaty proved only nominal Not for ten years did actual peace come, and dur | ing this period the warfare was often as bitter as before. Fort Drummer re-
 stunned it's position as protector of the 1 frontier, and many exciting skirmishes
 were the result. So severe did the l struggle become that during this period
 the great signal gun was fired, calling aid to the front from surrounding places. The formal declaration of war between England and France in 1756
 scarcely increased the hardships of the garrison. Instead it rather decreased
 them, as their number of men was in-
 creased. Throughout the region there
 were still terrible tragedies and awful
 murders, however. Soon, with the cap-