Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-08-07
HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT
LANDMARK,
With Interesting Facts About the
People Of the time,
And an Exact Reproduction OF the Plan
OF the Fort as Made in 1910.

about here was within the Province Of
Massachusetts, Bay. On December -,
1923, during the French and Indian war
begun in l7Z2, the General Court Of that
province voted:
That it will b. Of great service to all the west
ern frontiers both 10 this and the neighboring
government Of Connecticut 70 build Block
House above Mortified in the most convenient
place on the lands called Equivalent Lands, and
TO post in 1t 20 able men English and Western in
diaDs 70 be employed IN scouting at a good dis
lance up Connecticut river, Nes. river, otter
creek, and sometimes eastwardly above great
Monadnock for the discovery Of the enemy com
ing towards any Of the frontier towns. and that
50 much Of the said Equivalent Land as shall
be necessary for Block House b. taken up with
the consent Of the owners Of the said land togeth
er with We or SIX acres Of their interval land 70
Be broke up or plOwed for the present use Of the
Western Indians Ia case any Of them shau think
fit 10 bring their families thither.
Mortified then came up on both sides of
the river to where the line between the
Howe and Hubbard farms in Vernon now
is. The Equivalent lands went down to
the mouth Of Broad brook, and were owned
by Lieut. Gov. William Drummer, acting
governor of the province, William Brattle
Of Cambridge, Anthony Stoddard and John
White Of Boston. Assent 10 the building
of the fort was given and it was located on
the bank of the river where the valley be-
tween the mountain and the rugged hills
toward Guilford is narrow, and where Mr..
Simon Brooks has lived many years. No
settlements had been made above the neigh
borhood where Mortified village is, and
the route 10 the place for the fort was from
there up on the east side of the river 10 op-
poste the place, and across the river 10 it,
1t was begun February 3, 1924, and built
under Col. John Stoddard by Lieut.. limo
thy Dwight Of Northampton, who was the
first commander Of it, with three carpen-
tiers from Northield one John Crowfoot,
an Indian from Springfield, who was paid
a shilling day more than others, II SOL
diers with narrow axes" and two teams.
1t was in shape an oblong running in
length northeast and southwest, with a
corner cut off forming a short side on the
top of the bank Of the river. 1t was built
Of the yellow pine timber covering the
meadow, hewed square, laid up about 20
feet high and locked together at the cor
ners. The northwest side was about 80
feet long, the southwest liz, the southeast
LOG, the northeast so, and the short side on
Inc bank of the river about 20.
1t had a double two-story house in the
southwest corner, with two fireplaces be-
ow and one in a chamber; two-story
house in the northwest corner with two
house adjoining it along the northwest side
a two-story house in the northeast corner
with two fireplaces below; a watch box in
the short side on the bank of the river; q
gate In the southeast and southwest sides
e Eand Recovered underground way under the
short side 30 the river. The walls of the
fort made this. outer walls of the houses
and the inner walls of the houses were
built like the wall: of the fort, with single
roofs sloping from me walls of the fort in.
ward, and doors and windows opening
within the fort, which could be closed anC
barricaded. Col. Stoddard wrote to Gov
Drummer February 3, 1724: "We intenC
the fort shall be so built that the soldiers
shall be as safe il the enemy were in the pa
rade as if they were without the fort" 1
had one great gun for alarms, which coult
be heard at long distance, and four SINAI
swivel guns for defence in the houses. |
partly covered the ground where the pres
ent house owned by Mr.. Brooks stands, an
foundation stone of one end Of the shor
side, hollows left in the places of some O
the cellars of the houses, and the plac
where the covered way was, are plainl
visible now. 1t was completed in tina
summer and was called Fort Drummer i
honor of the lieut. enant governor.
Here is the roll of officers: Capt. Time
thy Dwight, Northampton; Lieut.. Elish
Scarf, Northampton; Sergt. John McRaI
ney, Springfield; Sergt. John Burke, Ha
field; Sergt. Robert Cooper, Mortified
Sachem Hendrick, Maqua; Sachem An
paumet, Hudson river Indian. There wei
SO privates, seven from Springfield, fiV
from Windsor, four from Suffield, two eac
from Deer6eld, Mortified, Marlboro al
birmingham, and the others one each fro
various places. Hendrick had four Maqui
under himi and Ampaumet seven Hudsc
river Indians, and one "Scaticook" und
him. The Maquas were part of the NJ
hawk tribe of Indians occupying the ca
part of the valley of the Mohawk, whiC
was at first called the Maquese river. tt
Hudson river Indians were those occup
ing the valley of the Hudson above Alb
ny, among whom were the Schaghticol
Indians, who went there from above NJ,
nadnock in New Hampshire about 1912.
A committee of clergymen were desire
''to procure person of gravity, ability al
prudence" for chaplain. Daniel Dwigl
of Northampton was chosen; his pay vi
TO be 800 year, and besides his duti,
as chaplain he was to "instruct the India
natives residing thereabouts in the trr
Christian religion" On October II, 172
the fort was attacked by about 10 of Il
enemy and four or five of its occupant
were killed or wounded, but the attack vi
repulsed. 1t does not appear TO have ev
been attacked afterward. Capt. JOSEF
Kellogg had a company of scouts wi
ranged between this fort and that at &c
rain. A scout path was trod about whe
the east part of the lane leading to Il
Brooks farm is, and further north towar
and past the cascade into where the Gro
road and old road to GuilfoTd are. TIL
part of the lane and these old roads a
probably among the oldest roads in We
mont. On some occasions scouts we
''sent up ye West River Mountain there
Lodge on ye top and view Evening al
Morning for smoak, and from thence up
ye mountain at ye Great Falls, and the
also to lodge on V top and view morniI
and evening for smoaks." The Great Fal
came afterward to be called Bellows Fall
The garrison was reduced after the clio
of the war in 1927. Capt. Kellogg w
taken from Deerfield in 1904 when II yea
old, had learned the peltry trade while
prisoner in Canada, and asked the gener
court that trading house be established
Fort Drummer or further up the river. TT
fort was selected for that purpose and
became both captain and truekmaste
June 10, 1928, the General Court set apa
$4,000 equal to about 1888 Is Sd sterliI
for the purchasing goods to be lodged
the Truck-house above Mortified to su
ply the Indians Withal." The truckmast
was directed ito advance so per cent {
rum sugar and molasses and 25 per cent