and afterwards employed in a French, family where both the father and the son fell in love with the fair captive. The father had a wife, who together with the chill years, left him in less danger from the fiery darts of Cupid, while Mrs. Howe was not so obliging as Dido. When she was exchanged, and passed across Lake Champlain under the kind protection of Major Putnam, the son still followed her in all the frenzy of his passion. He threw himself into the Lake, swam after the boat which conveyed her away; and whether the chill waters extinguished his passion or his life, it has never been ascertained.

Indian depredations continued indeed, but their numbers were diminished on account of the savages having joined the army under General Montcalm at the fort near Lake Champlain. The colonial troops had occupied fort William Henry, near Lake George. Though invested by a strong force under Montcalm, the English made a brave defence against the united forces of the French and the Indians, till their ammunition being expended, they were forced to capitulate. The people in the fort were not to serve against the French for 12 months, were to march out with all the horrors of war, and with a safe escort were to proceed with their baggage to fort Edward, The Indians, accustomed to receive the plunder and redemption money as their wages of warfare, were offended at these terms. The prisoners marching out unarmed, the Indians fell upon them, stripped them naked, and murdered those who resisted. The extent of this massacre, which General Montcalm was unable or too tardy to prevent may be conceived from this circumstance, that out of the New-Hampshire regiment of 200 men, 120 only escaped this

horrid destruction.

Hitherto the war had been disastrous to the English colonies; but in 1759, the decisive councils of the illustrious Pitt gave a new turn to the fortunes of America as well as of the world. Ticonderoga and Crownpoint were soon reduced by General Amherst; the French Fort at Niagara surrendered to General Johnson; and the strong city of Quebec was taken in September by storm when the brave General Wolfe became immortal by his valor and by his fall in the very lap of victory, which gave decision to the destinies of North America.

The Indian village of St. Francis had long been the seat of captivity, whence a large proportion of all the expeditions

against the English had been made. Two hundred rangers were sent to chastise them. At night, they came within 3 miles of the village, which was now plainly to be seen from the top of a tree. The next morning the attack was made, while the inhabitants were yet asleep. The evening before, it had been reconnoitered by Major Roberts in disguise, who found the savages engaged in a grand dance. Posting the men to the best advantage, very little resistance could be made. Some were killed in the houses; while the others were shot or tomahawked as they fled. The light of day disclosed scenes of horrors as well from what they themselves had occasioned as from the English scalps which had been hoisted up on poles, hundreds of which now waved in the wind.

This village had been enriched by plunder from the English and from the sales of many captives. It had a rich Roman Catholic Church, adorned with plate, and the private houses were well furnished. Two hundred guineas, a silver image of 10 pounds in weight, as well as much wampum and clothing were brought away, and the village itself left in ashes. The English, attacked in their retreat, lost 7 men. The rest took different routes on their return; some perished with hunger; some were lost in the woods; and others, after incredible sufferings, found their way to the Upper Coos, bringing the redeemed from captivity.

Several massacres and spoilations after this took place on the frontiers, chiefly on Connecticut river. But as the French colonies were subdued, and unable any more to instigate the savages, peace ensued, after dreadful ravages for the period of 15 years. It was a happy time, when captives returned from among frightful barbarians to the bosom of beloved friends; when their fields could once more be tilled, without the apprehension of ambush, death, or captivity. This joy was heightened by the reflection, that the power of cruel enemies was broken forever; and that no fear could be felt, that former alarms and suffering were likely ever to be again renewed, in any part of New-England.

CHAPTER XI.

Indians at the Westward troublesome. French plans of aggrandisement. Remonstrance to the French commandant on the Ohio. Embassy by George Washington. Virginian troops under his command. Defeats the enemy. Battle at Little Meadows. General Braddock arrives in America. Advice of Washington neglected. Battle near Fort du Quesne. Braddock defeated and slain. Retreat effected by the military skill of Washington. Presages of him, 1755.

TEN years before the conclusion of the last French war in America, which terminated in the complete conquest of Canada, the Indians were incessantly carrying waste and death into all the English settlements on the frontiers, from Canada on the North to Louisiana on the South. At that time, aiming at universal dominion on both continents, France had begun her system of aggrandizement in North America by establishing a line of forts, and by encouraging early settlements from the lakes down the Mississippi to a vast extent. She had early seen and adopted the barbarous policy of engaging the numerous tribes of savages in her wars and in her interests.

The claims of the English, whose charters included regions extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, necessarily interfered with the claims derived from the right of discovery by LaSalle of vast territories lying north and south to an extent equally extravagant. The French designed to confine the English to the lands east of the Allegany mountains; while the English perceived not only the excessive ambition of a powerful rival, but also their danger from being thus completely environed. The disparity of their national strength in America was very great; the English being reckoned considerably more than a million of people, while the French could number about 50 thousand only. The latter possessed the great advantage of having all her provinces united under one governor, and having engaged in her interest all the tribes of Indians, except the 5 nations; while G2

the English, divided into many distinct colonies, had no means of efficient union, their strength being weakened by the multiplicity of objects, to which it was directed.

The dreadful incursions of the Indians all along the western frontiers had become intolerable. It was necessary to begin the work of resistance by a remonstrance to be made to the French commandant on the river Ohio. Several are said to have declined a message so full of labors and perils. It was no easy thing to pass more than 300 miles through a wilderness, into the midst of savages, across rapid rivers, elevated mountains, and at the approach of winter, carrying too a disagreeable burthen of complaints to a people already exasperated.

Major George Washington, who afterwards led his countrymen to independence and empire, undertook this difficult embassy, carrying a letter of remonstrance to the French commandant, requiring him to withdraw the French forces from the dominion of his Britannic majesty. It was not indeed to be expected, that the French would relinquish the plan, on the execution of which all their ambitious hopes were placed. In this tour, the military genius of Washington, at the age of 20, began to discover itself in discerning the commanding situation of the point of land, where the fort of Du Quesne, now Pittsburgh, was soon after built.

Col. Washington was soon placed at the head of 400 men, whom Virginia had raised to defend the rights of the English. In the course of their march to the confluence of the rivers Allegany and Monongahela, he met and defeated the forces composed of Indians and French under Capt. Dijonville, taking and killing 31 men. He hastened on towards the place of destination, till he arrived at the Little Meadows, where he built a stockade fort, called "Necessity," waiting to be joined by the forces from New-York and Pennsylvania, who left him however, to contend alone with the enemy. In this situation, he was attacked by 4 times his own number of troops, composed of Indians and French. The battle continued 3 hours; 200 of the enemy were slain ; when Count de Villiers sent a flag of truce to Col. Washington, extolling the bravery of the youth, and suggesting that neither courage nor skill can always succeed against numbers, he offered the most honorable terms of capitulation.

A more effective and formidable force was now preparing. The colonies had formed into a union, by which means

they became more powerful by acting in concert. General Braddock had in June, 1755, arrived at Alexandria in Virginia with 2000 regular troops from Great Britain, to whom about 800 provincials were added. Colonel Washington had relinquished the command of the latter, in order to become, on account of his superior acquaintance with the country to every other person, the aid de camp of the general. The army had passed the mountains, and arrived within 7 miles of fort du Quesne. To this place they had marched unmolested, except by deep rivers, steep mountains, pathless forests and natural impediments. Washington, not yet recovered from severe indisposition on the way, he had but just joined the army. Though young in years, yet old in experience, he had ventured, with great modesty, to intimate to the general, what kind of troops he had to encounter; that they were used to effect by ambush what they dared not attempt by open force; and that the enemy would be wholly invisible, till there should be great certainty of the fatal execution of their purposes. He advised, therefore, to prevent surprisal by sending the provincial troops on scouting parties, since they were better acquainted with the Indian mode of warfare. The veteran general could not easily conceive, that his European troops, bred up in arms, could be inferior on any service.

With sentiments of contempt for the enemy, he had crossed the Monongahela, and was pressing forward almost in sight of du Quesne. Entering a thick wood set with high grass, the front of his army was suddenly attacked, but still no enemy was to be seen. The fall of the commander of the enemy's troops, and the arrangement of the main body of the English army produced at length a momentary cessation of battle. It was soon renewed with increased vigor. Astonished at the fury of the onset, as well as surprised at the novelty of the scene, the veteran troops were thrown into confusion. Totally unacquainted with this new mode of warfare, full of courage, but not quick to adapt new measures to new circumstances, Braddock endeavored to form his troops on the same ground, amidst a most tremendous discharge of musketry, by which every officer on horseback, except Mr. Washington, was either killed or wounded. The general himself, after having 3 horses shot under him, at an early period of the battle, received a mortal wound. Still beholding from his litter the wonders wrought by Washington and his