Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-11-25

men. English and western Indians
to be employed In scouting a good
distance up the Connecticut river
West river, otter creek, and some-
times eastwardiy above Great Monad-
mock for the discovery of the enemy
coming towards any OF the frontier
towns"
Mr.. Dummer was at that time
| lieutenant governor OF Massachu-
sets. He commissioned Col. John
Stoddard of Northampton to superin-
tend the building Of the blockhouse.
In May, 1924, Lieut. Dwight asked
permission to bring his family to the
fort and In June of the same year
provision was made for chaplain.
Daniel Dwight of Northampton,
younger brother of the lieutenant,
was chosen to act In ministerial
capacity In the fort and to instruct
the Indian natives a residing there
about In the true Christian religion
To show the importance In which
the position of chaplain was held II
Is recorded that Chaplain Dwight
was paid more for his services than
was his brother, commander of the
fort.
Col. John Stoddard of Northamp-
ton, In writing TO Gov. Dummer
about the fort, said Dwight thinks
they should lead heathenish Ire
unless chaplain be allowed, ana,
besides the advantage the English
soldiers may receive from him, 1t
may possibly be an opportunity TO
Christianize the Indians, which the
assembly lin the former parD seems
very DESTROYS Of
Three years after the fort was
built trading post was established
for traffic with the northern Indians
who found ii more for their advan-
tage to bring their furs and other
commodities to this market than TO
the other trading posts. Capt. DO
seph Kellogg was appointed truck
master and he was directed ITO adj
vance 50 per cent on raw sugar ana
% per cent on European goods.
Capt Kellogg was also IN command
of a company of scouts which ranged
between Fort Dummer and fort
in Colrain There were at the fort
II friendly Indians of the Maqua,
Scatacook and Hudson river tribes,
who were more or less opposed 10
the eastern and northern Indians.
They were to some extent used as
scouts. but experience showed that
their fidelity could not be depended
upon in an emergency, and that they
could be hired to desert the post.
European quarrels did not surfer
peace to last long in this frontier for
tress and the death of Charles vi.
in a remote European village found
consequences of fire and sword in
this pioneer Vermont settlement. Oct:
5 and 6, 1897, a friendly conference OF
the Caughnawaugan Indians ana
Massachusetts commissioners met IN
the fort to renew treaty maue
some years previous. King George
was toasted by the savages and com
missioners. blankets and wampum
were exchanged, and the two parties
parted with the best of feeling.
The auarrels of European nations
about succession to the vacant throne,
and in 1744 the fight between France
and England over the claims OF Ma
ria Theresa to the Austrian sover-
eighty. brought Englishmen and
Frenchmen to arms on the North
American frontier. For protection
against the new impending danger
Fort Dummer was materially
strengthened. Sharpened pickets, 20
feet high, were built around the en-
closure, sentinel boxes were set
up on the corners, a number OF new
swivel guns were added to the arma-
ment and for the use of the hlgher
officers, strong houses, called Prov-
lnce houses were SCI UP 'ii'i'N "
fort
In 174O Col. Josiah Willard of VIM
chester was placed in command or
the fort He was in command of the |
fort for about 10 years and was sue
ceeded by his son, Maj. Josiah Will
lard jr. Capt. Nathan Willard af-
became the commander
Lieut.. Dudley Bradstreet, son of Rev.
Dudley Bradstreet, became the com
of the fort April Is, 1747, HIS
regime lasted but short time ana
at the end Of five months the COM
mand was again restored to capt
Willard.
During the French and Indian war
soldiers were kept scouting on the
line between the fortresses that ex-
tended from Fort Drummer to Will
Jamestown and large dogs were
trained to scent the trail of the In
dams. A bounty was offered by the
of Massachusetts for In
lian scalps and the bounty was much
sought for by the frontiersmen. Men
who knew wood craft and the ways
Of the Indians were brought in TO the
service and many of them valued an
Indian as they valued wolf, for the
money got on his head.
/. rr.~t,oo+o Captar apd East High |