In the summer of 1755, as the French and Indian War raged, there was murder done in Stockbridge. It was a Sunday, and while most in town were at church, the Chamberlain family was attacked by marauding Native Americans, and the wife, an infant, and a female child were murdered. The danger seemed immediate. Stockbridge was terrorized, and many fled.
“The shot heard round the world”—the first shot of the Revolutionary War—was fired early on April 19, 1775. A year later, as the war went on, displeasure with anyone thought to be a Tory, or “King’s man,” was violently expressed. Standing in his dooryard on April 6, 1776, Asa Bement of Stockbridge saw such an attack.
“On Timothy Edwards’ return [to Stockbridge from Lanesborourgh], at about 4 o’clock p.m., five men attempted to stop him by violence – one laying ahold of his coat, another [grabbed] his horse’s bridle. He disengaged himself by striking a blow with his whip and by the speed of his horse. As he sped away, the men armed with clubs and hoes struck at him hitting his horse’s withers and shouting ‘Tory.’ Of enormities of this kind, we feel it our duty to give you the earliest notice. Signed Samuel Brown, Erasmus Sergeant, and Asa Bement.”
The complaint was directed to the Stockbridge Select Board.
Absent the French and Indian War, it is doubtful the colonists would have won the Revolutionary War. Why? Because it was in the French and Indian War that they built forts and were trained by—yup—the British they would next face on the battlefield. Makes the French and Indian war—a war we know very little about—pretty important.
In 1745, the enemy appeared, attacking a number of men who were at a distance from the fort; wounding two, Elisha Nims and Gershom Hawks; and taking Benj. One of the enemy was killed, and the others fled after a short skirmish.
May 6, 1746, as Sgt. John Hawks and John Miles were riding out from the fort, they were fired upon and wounded by the Natives. Miles escaped to the fort. Hawks, having the spirit of an eagle, fought for some time, and might have made both the Natives prisoners had he understood their language, for they asked for quarter before he took leave of them.
August 20, 1746, an army of about 900 French and Natives, under General De Vaudreuil, made an attack upon the fort. Colonel Hawks, who was in command at that time, had only 22 effective men and 33 persons, including men, women, and children. He was also short of ammunition. Yet under such discouraging circumstances, this Massachusetts colonel defended the fort for 28 hours against the Canadian general with more than 40 times his number of men, and he would probably never have surrendered had his powder and balls held out. He finally capitulated, upon terms which were violated by the French commander. It was agreed that none of the prisoners should be delivered to the Natives, but De Vaudreuil gave up half his captives to the savages, on the plea that he could not otherwise pacify them. The Natives immediately killed one of the prisoners, who was sick and unable to travel. In the siege, Colonel Hawks lost but one man, while the enemy, as near as could be ascertained, lost 45, killed or mortally wounded. The fort was demolished by De Vaudreuil. The prisoners were marched to Canada, where 12 of them sickened and died.
The rest, with other prisoners, were sent in a vessel with a flag of truce to Boston, where they arrived August 16, 1747. Rev. John Norton, chaplain of the fort at the time it was taken, wrote an account of his captivity, which was published. Another of the prisoners was Benjamin Simons, who afterward became a distinguished inhabitant of Williamstown and a colonel of militia.
May 25, 1747, while the fort was being rebuilt by the government of Massachusetts, who sent a large force thither, an army of the enemy came to hinder the undertaking, but they fled on a sally from the fort and were frightened by the return of about 100 men from Albany with military stores and provisions. There were charges of cowardice in connection with this affair, and “bush fighting” has a tendency to beget extreme caution, if not timidity, in many men. In this skirmish, three persons were wounded, and a friendly Native from Stockbridge was killed.
October 1, 1747, Peter Burvee was taken prisoner near the fort, and went into his second captivity from the same spot, having been one of De Vaudreuil’s prisoners two years before.
August 2, 1748, the fort was commanded by Captain Ephriam Williams, the founder of Williams College, whose grant of two hundred acres of land in East Hoosac has been already mentioned. Four men were fired upon while outside the fort. Captain Williams sallied out with 30 men, and after driving the enemy about a furlong, a party of 50 Natives in ambuscade suddenly fired and endeavored to cut off his retreat. By a quick movement, he regained the fort, having one man killed, a Mr. Abbott, and two wounded, Lieutenant Hawley and Ezekiel Wells. At once a large body of 300 Natives and 30 French advanced and opened their fire on the fort. After sustaining a sharp fire from the garrison for two hours, the enemy despaired from affecting anything and drew off with their killed and wounded.
On the cessation of hostilities, in the fall of 1748, the forces on the frontier were withdrawn. However, the future combatants in order to form the United States knew where the forts were, where the ammunition was, how to fight, how to lead a garrison, and, as it all turned out, how to win.
