The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-03-02
THE SACK OF DEERFIELD.
BY CHARLES L. SHIPLEY.

fathers should not be forg ten. "
WASHINGTON.
"What wars they waged, what seas,
what dangers past,
What glorious empire crowned their
tolls at last. "-CAMoENs.
When the American reader of
the present era takes up the his
tory of his country and contrasts
its condition in this, the com
mencement of the twentieth cen
fury. with all its luxurieS, that
art. science and mechanics can
invent and devise for his comfort
and happiness, and contrast the
same with its condition of one
hundred and fifty to two hundred
and fifty years ago, what a vision
is presented to his view.
Then. with the exception of
the leading inland and coast
towns. the settlements were widely
separated, miles after miles of
gloomy forests in many instances
intervening between them, aud
from which issued at intervals
the melancholy howl of the wolf,
the walllng cry OF the panther,
or the more savage Quavering
war cry Of the red denizen of the
wilderneSS-the blood thirsty In
dian.
Such was the condition of our
country two centuries ago when
the second French and Indian
War-from 1902 to l7l3-known
to us as "Queen Anne's WARP
was deluging the frontiers OF the
New England colonies in a sea
of blood and tears. and such was
It's condition when the attack
was made upon Deertield, the
subject of this sketch.
70 give our readers an account
Of that awful tragedy of that
bitter February night. it will he
necessary TO take them back two
hundred aud Two years-to the
winter of 1901.
In the winter Of 1903, cam
paign was formulated in Canada
to cut off the frontier Inhabitants
of Maine. New Hampshire and
Massachusetts. from one cxtrem
ity to the other, but the plan was
not entirely contaminated Though
the eastern settlements fro m
CaSCO to Wells were DESTROYED,
and one hundred and forty people
killed and captured, the W stern
frontiers we're lullei into fan
cied and what proved fatal
security.
Fron a numhcr Of Indians who
traded with the English at Al
bany. New York, Colonel Peter
Schuyler, OF that town. aud one
of the most celebrated officers of
his day. received intelligence of
design in Canada 10 fall upon
DerrfielG, Mass. large town
upon the Conuecticutt River, in
the western part Of the province,
ahunt ninety miles from Boston.
The people of Deerfield were
informed of The design in MAY.
but aS 1t was net carried into eX-
ecution during TIN" course Of the
summer, the intelligence was
llghilv regarded 10y the residents
OF the town.
In the winter Of 1904, however,
NJ. Nandrieui, the Governor of
Canada, again revived the pro
Ject with much attention. Deer
field at that period was the most
northelly settlement on the Con
nectcntt River, a few families at
Mortified excepted. 1t contained
a population Of about $50 or 100.
was substantially built and sur
rounded by Il palisade. Several
strong block houses formed a part
of the deieuceS.
Against TINS village, NJ. Nau.
drleui sent a body Of about 800
French and Indians. under the
command Of Hertel de Rouville,
assisted by four of his brothers.
all of whom had been trained to
trontier warfare by their father.
who had been a famous partisan
leader i'll the former wars. The
route they took was by the way
of Lake Champlain, until they
reached the French or Onion
River.
Advancing up that stream tney
passed over 10 the Connecticut,
and travelled on the ice until thew
approached the vicinity of Deer
field. The minister of the vii.
lage, the Rev. John Williams.
had been apprehensive of danger
during the early part of the
winter, and tried to impress the
same upon the minds of his peo-
pie, but not with sufficient sue
cess.
However, upon his earnest so.
llcitatlon, the Governor of Mas
sachuSettS sent a detachment of
twenty soldiers to their assist