raid raid massacre occurred queen anne war february french native american forces command attacked english frontier settlement massachusetts dawn burning town killing villagers taking settlers captive canada later typical small scale frontier conflict queen anne war french led raid relied coalition french soldiers variety indian populations including force number lived area diversity personnel motivations material objectives involved raid meant achieve surprise entered village defenders fortified houses village successfully held raiders arriving reinforcements prompted retreat raid clear victory french coalition aimed captives english colonial frontier society captives taken percent village houses destroyed predicted raid shocked new_england colonists relations french native american allies led community war frontier settlements raid early american frontier story principally account captives family forced long overland journey canada young daughter adopted family married man williams account published widely popular colonies background time arrival european colonists middle reaches valley presently flows state massachusetts area massachusetts inhabited speaking nation early shattered nation conflict aggressive nation villagers eastern massachusetts town given grant area acquired land titles uncertain legality variety individuals village called later established early located relatively isolated position edge english settlement involved inevitable frontier conflict groups european settlers native americans colonial outpost traditional new_england farming community majority settlers young families moved west search land outpost rugged frontier individuals english colonial families women minority frontier community women labor essential survival settlement male inhabitants previous raids village grown number individuals year conflict colonists indians southern new_england erupted known king philip war war involved new_england colonies resulted destruction severe reduction indian nations inflicting casualties new_england colonists evacuated september coordinated series attacks culminating resulted death half village adult males abandoned village valley abandoned english briefly indians colonists force local colonists slaughtered indian camp site called called turner falls english leader slain action ongoing raids forced remaining indians retreat north french controlled canada west going west joined tribes formed peace sorts authorities king william war subjected major attacks community residents killed series incidents supposedly friendly indians recognized seen passing area claimed participated attacks frontier communities attacks frontier communities southern maine residents alert response losses campaign french natives attacked town constructed king william war expanded august year local militia commander called militia received intelligence party canada expected hour towns connecticut river happened october men taken pasture outside militia sent guard town response returned homes advent winter thought time warfare minor raids communities convinced governor send men garrison february men trained militia nearby communities arrived 24th making somewhat cramped accommodations town night february addition men townspeople mustered men fighting age forces command captain organizing raid valley identified potential raiding target authorities new france early forces raid begun gathering near montreal early reported reasonable accuracy english intelligence reports incidents intervened delayed execution raid rumor english warships saint lawrence river drawing significant indian force quebec defense second detachment troops critically including lead raid operations maine including raid wells raised frontier return montreal fall force assembled south montreal numbered composed diversity personnel recruits marine including brothers french leadership included number men years experience wilderness warfare indian contingent included sought revenge incidents taken place years earlier joined led party moved south january february raising troop size nearly time reached area late february expedition departure kept secret january new_york indian agent warned possible action governor connecticut governor warnings came mid february specific target raid raiders left equipment supplies miles kilometers north village establishing cold camp miles february point observed villagers prepared night villagers alerted possibility raid took refuge guard posted raiders noticed snow extended greatly simplified entry fortifications dawn february carefully approached village stopping periodically confuse noises natural sounds men climbed snow opened north gate admit rest primary sources vary degree village guard night account claims fell asleep claims discharged weapon raise alarm attack began heard people reverend later recounted shouting raiders launched attack like flood raiders attack probably exactly intended attacks new_york durham new_hampshire included father raiders simultaneously attacked houses happen historians failure launch coordinated assault caused wide diversity attacking force raiders swept village began attacking individual houses reverend williams house raided williams life spared gunshot taken prisoner children servant slain rest family servant taken prisoner similar scenarios occurred houses residents house ones attacked early resisted raiders attacks lasted daylight second house near northwestern corner successfully defended raiders moved village prisoners area north town houses items value setting number fire morning progressed raiders began moving north prisoners mile north town wait finished village men house kept battle hours verge surrendering reinforcements arrived early raid young managed escape began making way nearby raise alarm fires burning houses spotted thirty men rushed arrival prompted remaining raiders flee abandoned weapons supplies panic sudden departure raiders arrival reinforcements raised spirits survivors men joined men chasing fleeing raiders english raiders meadows north village english reported killing wounding pursuit conducted english soon ran ambush prepared raiders left village earlier men gave chase killed wounded ambush retreated village raiders headed north prisoners alarm spread south reinforcements continued arrive village midnight men springfield arrived men connecticut force end day debating action decided difficulties pursuit worth risks leaving strong garrison village militia returned homes raiders destroyed village homes looted people night attack remained town day killed residents men women children garrison soldiers seven men died inside village died fire related causes rest killed edged blunt weapons raid casualties dictated goals village valuable captives french canada large portion slain infant children likely survive ensuing trip canada took villagers captive represented cent village population took captive living villagers raiders suffered losses reports vary governor general reported expedition lost men wounded including brothers heard french soldiers captivity french indian soldiers lost believe lower french figures credible especially compared casualties incurred raids majority captives taken women children french indian captors viewed likely adult males successfully integrate native communities new life french canada captivity ransom english captives raid beginning troubles raiders intended canada mile journey middle winter captives ill prepared raiders short provisions raiders consequently engaged common practice killed captives clear unable williams commented savage cruelty indian raiders killings random killed needed killed taken place slain slow vulnerable party likely died quickly route captives survived ordeal survival chances age gender young children fared worst older children teenagers survived ordeal fared best adult men fared better adult women especially pregnant women small children days captives escaped instructed reverend williams inform recaptured tortured escapes threat known happened raids french leader troubles captives indians disagreements concerning disposition captives times threatened come blows council held day resolved disagreements sufficiently trek continue according account captivity party traveled frozen way point force dispersed captives accompanied captors respective villages williams wife weak having given birth weeks earlier killed trek body recovered cemetery calls went governors northern colonies action french colonies governor wrote destruction sic port royal stores majesty hands forever end indian war frontier wells fortified upwards men bounty indian doubled promptly organized raid present day nova scotia summer leadership raided villages present day maine present day new_brunswick present day nova scotia church instructions included taking prisoners exchange taken specifically forbade attack fortified capital port royal communities collected funds ransom captives french authorities colonists worked captives indian captors year time captives french hands product frontier commerce humans fairly common time sides french converted indians worked convert captives modest success adult captives proved fairly resistant children receptive likely accept conversion younger captives adopted tribes case williams daughter years old captured thoroughly family married man family origin later returned captives remained choice canadian native communities rest lives negotiations release exchange captives began late continued late unrelated issues like english capture french larger concerns including possibility wider ranging treaty neutrality french english colonies residents captives including returned boston august governor needed successful return captives political reason released french captives including remaining captives chose return boston november younger captives adopted indian tribes french canadian society thirty captives children teenagers time raid remained permanently stayed compelled force newly formed religious ties family bonds captive experience largely dictated gender age young women easily readily indian french canadian societies girls remained opposed boys choices reflect larger frontier pattern incorporation young women indian canadian society young women remained fascination outdoor adventure life foreign society transitioned established lives new communities formed bonds family religion language fact half young female captives remained settled montreal lives residents differed little broad outlines neighbors new france women generally frontier agricultural communities tended marry early twenties seven children female captives remained native communities women remained bonds religion family european males slavery indian women captive women time commonly chose remain native society return colonial english settlements wrote captivity narrative experience published williams narrative published ongoing ransom negotiations pressed greater activity return captives written assistance prominent boston minister reverend book framed raid captivity border relations french indians terms history god purpose work widely distributed 18th 19th centuries continues published today reading williams work reasons raid unlike similar time remembered element american frontier story williams work transformed captivity narrative celebration individual heroism triumph protestant values savage enemies legacy historical memory holds special place american history popular captivity narrative sovereignty goodness god generation earlier sensational tale stressed reliance god mercy kept alive spirit mission eighteenth century new_england williams account heightened tensions english settlers native americans french allies led war communities events commonly described massacre 19th century reverend centennial memorial sermon termed events massacre previous eighteenth century accounts emphasized physical destruction described raid assault destruction viewing raid massacre 19th century began remember attack larger narrative celebration american frontier spirit twentieth century american historical memory tended view line singular indian attack community popularized exposed national audience mid twentieth century establishment raid celebration exceptional american individual ambition view served partial justification removal native americans obscured larger patterns border conflict tensions family based structure similar marginal settlements popularly remembered tale triumph rugged protestant male raid better understood lines turner thesis account strong factors community life cross cultural interaction border communities legend recounts attack attempt french regain bell supposedly destined quebec sold legend continues historical fact known school children story common tale refuted early appear significantly affected american perception raid canadians native americans influenced williams narrative turner thesis given raid ambivalent place memory canadians view raid massacre mass abduction successful local application techniques broader context international war stress successful integration hundreds captives taken similar conflicts queen anne war similarly native american records justify action larger military cultural context remain largely particular event portion original village preserved living history museum relics door bearing marks raid raid commemorated weekend closest february moving inclusive yearly educational programs treat massacre dirty word stress place study cultural interaction difference society borders addition historical fiction novel commemorates event eyes young girl
Raid on Deerfield