The

tions, and bore the name of the province. In August 1746, an army of about nine hundred French and Indians set out from Crown Point, under the command of M. de Vaudrieul, to attack this place. They came before it, August the twentieth. The fort was commanded by colonel Hawks; but thirty three persons were in the garrison, including women and children; and the fort was not properly provided with ammunition. Hawks defended the place with much fortitude and spirit, but at the end of twenty eight hours, he had expended his powder, and was obliged to propose terms of capitulation. It was agreed that the garrison should be prisoners of war, but that none of them should be delivered to the Indians. day after the capitulation was compleated, Vaudrieul divided the prisoners, and delivered the one half of them to the Indians; one of the prisoners being unable to travel, was immediately killed. The French general, when accused of an open violation of the capitulation, assigned as the reason for his conduct, the state of his army; that they were in danger of a mutiny, the Indians being highly irritated that they were by the capitulation deprived of their part of the plunder and prisoners. Hawks lost but one man in the siege; and supposed he could have preserved the fort, had he been supplied with ammunition and provisions. From the best accounts that he could procure, the enemy, in those that were slain or died of their wounds, lost forty five of their men in this enterprise.

MR. SHIRLEY, to the astonishment of all

Europe, having succeeded in effecting the conquest of Louisbourg by the New-England troops, was deeply engaged in a plan for the reduction of the French dominions in the northern parts of America. For this purpose in the fall of 1745, he had written to the British Ministry, soliciting the aid of a fleet and army to attempt the conquest of Quebec, while the colony forces should be engaged in an expedition against Crown Point, The British Ministry agreed to the proposals, and Shirley with his usual spirit of energy and enterprise, engaged all the NewEngland provinces, and New-York in the proposed expedition. The provinces, animated by the success at Louisbourg, pursued the bu siness with great eagerness; their troops were raised early in the season, and they waited all summer, impatient for intelligence and orders from England. In this state of impatience and expectation, the news came that a large fleet and army from France, had arrived at NovaScotia, commanded by the duke D'Anville ; that it was designed, and powerful enough to recover Louisbourg, take Annapolis, to break up the settlements on the eastern coast of Massachusetts, and effect the conquest of Boston, and perhaps of New-York. England was not more alarmed by the approach of the Spanish armada in 1588, than was Boston, and the other sea ports, on this occasion. Alarm and terror ran through the country, and nothing was to be seen or heard, but preparations to defend the maritime towns, and sea coasts. An uncommon series of misfortunes, losses, storms and shipwrecks, destroyed the power, and defcated

the designs of the French armada; and those of their ships, that escaped destruction by the storms and seas, returned singly to France, without having made any attempts upon the English colonies. When the alarm occasioned by the French fleet had subsided, and it became known that it was nearly destroyed, and was attempting to return to France, Mr. Shirley's hopes revived that he might still effect something against the enemy. So much was he engaged in the business, that he proposed to make the attacks upon the enemy in the midst of winter; that the New-Hampshire troops should proceed by the way of Connecticut riv er, to the Indian village of St. Francis, and lay it waste; and that the Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New-York troops, at the same time should move on through lake George, and attempt the conquest of Crown Point. Such was Mr. Shirley's influence at that time, that all the provinces which had raised troops for the expedition, agreed to his proposal of a winter campaign, except Connecticut. To that colony, such an experiment appeared too dangerous and uncertain; and it was owing to their refusal to join in it, that the winter expe dition was given up.*

ON Connecticut river, the most advanced settlement at that time, was at a place called Number Four, now Charlestown in NewHampshire. A fort had been built there some years before, which was designed to protect the settlements and forts in the vicinity. From the

Belknap's Hist. New Hampshire, Vol. 2, p. 224.

Commencement of the war several parties of In. dians had appeared at that place; and at different times had killed, and captivated some of the inhabitants, and frequently destroyed their cattle. In the spring of the year 1747, the enemy made an attempt to take the fort, and destroy the settlement. On the fourth of April, M. Debeline came before it with a large party of French and Indians. It was defended by captain Stevens, an able and judicious officer, The enemy commenced their attack by firing at the fort, on all sides, with their muskets, These making little or no impression, they next attempted to burn the fort by setting fire to the fences, log houses, and other buildings; and by discharging against it flaming arrows.

Hav

ing tried these methods for two days without success, they next prepared a wheel carriage, loaded with dry faggots. This machine they pushed before them to set fire to the fort, while it served to protect them from the fire of the garrison. These attempts were defeated by the bravery and prudence of Stevens and his men. Debeline then urged Stevens to surrender the garrison, and be conducted to Montreal as prisoners of war; threatening to storm the fort and put all to the sword, if this was refused. In answer he was told that the garrison had determined to defend the fort to the last extremity. On the morning of the third day it was proposed, if Stevens would sell them provisions they would depart. This also was refused; but Stevens informed them he would give five bushels of corn for any captive, for whom they would give an hostage, till they

could be brought from Canada. On receiving this answer a few guns were fired, and Debeline with his troops withdrew to Crown Point. Sir Charles Knowles, a commodore in the British navy, was then in Boston harbor; and so much did he admire the bravery, and soldier like conduct of Stevens' in defending his fort, that he presented him with a valuable and elegant sword, as a testimony of respect. From this circumstance it was that the town when incorporated by the government received the name of Charlestown.*

DURING the remainder of this war the Indians were scattered around the frontiers in small parties, and did much damage to the inhabitants; burning their houses, destroying their cattle, pillaging their property, killing some of the inhabitants, and making captives of others; but there was not any regular expedition undertaken by the French till the treaty of peace at Aix la Chapelle of October the seventh, 1748, put an end to the war, between the English and French colonies. But it was not till the next year, that the Indians ceased from their hostilities.

* Belknap's Hist. New Hampshire, Vol. 2. p. 251.