273, War in king William's reign. On the access of William, prince of Orange, to the throne of England, a war broke out between England and France; and as Canada then belonged to France, the French instigated the Indians to hostilities against the colonies. A body of French and Indians, from Montreal, attacked Schenectady, in the night of February 8, 1690, when the unsuspecting inhabitants were at rest, killed sixty, and took twenty prisoners. They also set fire to the houses, killed most of the cattle and horses, and marched off with the remainder of the horses laden with plunder. Those of the people who escaped, fled naked towards Albany, amidst the snow, in a severe night, twenty of whom lost their limbs by the frost. The horror and sufferings of the inhabitants were beyond the powers of description.

274. Indian depredations in New Hampshire and Maine. The inhabitants in the eastern part of New England had suffered greatly in Philip's war, but were severely harrassed and desolated from the year 1690 to 1698. The brave and venerable major Waldron, and twenty-two others, were taken by surprise and slain, and their houses burnt. The plantation at Salmon Falls, in New Hampshire, was surprised and burnt on the 18th of March, 1690; thirty men were slain, and the women and children were made captives. The fort and settlement at Casco were destroyed in May following. Continual murders of the people, and destruction of buildings, alarms and distresses, induced the inhabitants to abandon the most defenseless parts of the country, and retire to garrisoned towns. Nor did these calamities cease, till the peace between France and England, in 1698, when Frontenac, the French commander in Canada, ceased to instigate the savages.

275. War in queen Ann's reign. In 1702, war was proclaimed between England and France, and the American colonies were again exposed to Indian ravages. Deerfield was surprised and burnt, and most of the inhabitants carried captive, February 28, 1704. New Hampshire, and especially Maine, was exposed to the inroads of ferocious savages, who continued every year

to alarm or massacre the people, and burn their dwellings. The peace of Utrecht, signed March 30, 1713, put an end to these calamities, and from that time the growing population of New England secured the inhabitants froin similar distresses. Wonderful was the patience, fortitude, self-denial, and bravery, of our ancestors, in settling, cultivating, and defending this goodly heritage which we enjoy !

Our

276. Title of our ancestors to the soil of this country. The inhabitants which our fathers found in America, though savage tribes, which subsisted principally by hunting and fishing, were considered as the rightful owners of the soil, and treated as such. Although the English first landed on their territory without their consent, yet they were careful to acquire a just title to the lands by fair purchase from the possessors. ancestors bought almost all the lands for a valuable consideration, though generally small; and the deeds are registered among the records of the colonies. Had it not been for the French in Canada, who, during the wars between England and France, instigated the savages to seek the blood and property of the English, it is probable our forefathers would have escaped most of the wars with the Indians, and their distressing consequences. The power of the French, in Canada, to injure the colonies, was happily destroyed by the reduction of Quebec, by the forces under general Wolfe, in 1758, and the conquest of the whole province of Canada.

277. Division among the different tribes. When this country was first planted, the Indians, like other nations, were often at war among themselves. The Pequots were terrible to their neighbors; and the Mohegans and Narragansets joyfully assisted the English to exterminate them. In Philip's war, the English were assisted also by a number of friendly Indians. The five nations west of Albany were very useful in aiding the settlers to check the incursions of the Canada tribes under French influence. The first settlements in Carolina, which might have been easily destroyed, were secured and left to thrive, by means of a bloody

war between the two neighboring tribes, which nearly extinguished both. While we may rejoice at such divisions which were favorable to our ancestors, in the infant state of the colonies, yet we are to learn from them the great danger to a people from disunion. Nothing renders the conquest of a country so easy, as disunion and controversies among the inhabitants.

278. War against the Tuscaroras. In the year 1712, the Tuscaroras, a considerable nation of Indians on the frontiers of North Carolina, with some other tribes, made war on the infant settlements in that colony, and threatened it with extirpation. Their first inroad was kept so secret, that they fell on the unsuspecting planters by surprise, killing all without mercy. About Roanoke, one hundred and thirty-seven persons were slain in one night, among whom were most of the Germans, who had then lately arrived. Governor Craven, of South Carolina, as soon as he heard of this plot, sent colonel Barnwell against the savages, at the head of six hundred men, and a body of Indians of other tribes. Marching through a wilderness, colonel Barnwell surrounded the Indians in their own town, slew many of them, and compelled the remainder to ask for peace. Such of the Tuscaroras as escaped, abandoned their country, settled among the Five Na-, tions; and added a sixth tribe, so that they afterwards were called the Six Nations.

279. Conspiracy of the Yamasees. The southern border of South Carolina, along the Savannah, was inhabited by a numerous and powerful tribe of Indians, called Yamasees. These lived, for many years, in friendship with the Carolinians; but in 1715, instigated, it was believed, by the Spaniards of Florida, they formed a general conspiracy of all the neighboring tribes, to destroy the English settlements. Not less than six or seven thousand warriors of the Congarees, Catawbas, Cherokees, Yamasees, and other tribes, were engaged in this plot. On the 15th of April, at daybreak, they began their horrid work of massacre and torture, and ninety persons, who went to Pocotaglio, one of their towns, to trade, or were in the neighboring

plantations, fell victims to the first attack. The Indians approached within a few miles of Charleston, destroying all the people who had not escaped to that town.

280. Defeat of the Indians. At that time, Charleston could muster but twelve hundred men fit to bear arms; out governor Craven took vigorous measures; laying an embargo, proclaiming martial law, and procuring an act of assembly, authorizing him to impress men, stores, and ammunition, he marched against the savages, and found the main body of them in their great camp, at a place called the Saltcatchers. There a sharp and bloody battle ensued, but the Carolinians repulsed the barbarians, and closely pursuing them, drove them beyond the Savannah river, where they were received by the Spaniards. The colony being thus delivered from most imminent danger, the troops returned, and were received with unbounded joy. The savages remained vindictive, and frequently made incursions into the English plantations, exercising their usual barbarities; but never was Carolina again exposed to equal danger.

QUESTIONS.

262. When was the massacre in Virginia, and what the cause?

263. Which were the most formidable tribes of Indians in New England?

264. What was the occasion of the war with the Pequots? 265. Who first made war on the Pequots ?

266. Who destroyed the Pequots, and when?

267. When did Philip's war commence? What was the immediate cause?

268. What towns were burnt by the Indians? Where was captain Lathrop's company destroyed?

269. Who attacked the Narragansets?

attack made, and what was the event? 270. What towns were burnt in 1676?

271. What put an end to this war?

Where was the

272. What were the losses of the English in Philip's war? 273. When, and in what war, was Schenectady destroyed? 274. What were the calamities of New Hampshire and Maine in the Indian wars?

275. When was Deerfield burnt?

276. What title did our ancestors obtain to their lands? Who instigated the savages to make war upon the English? 278. When was the war with the Tuscaroras? Who defeated them, and what was the event?

279. When did the Yamasees conspire against the English? 280. Who defeated the Indians?

CHAPTER IX.

POLITICAL EVENTS.

281. Political history of the colonies. The charters granted to the first planters of New England gave them ample powers of government. The freemen elected their own governors, councils, and representatives; by whom all laws were enacted, subject, however, to be abrogated by the king and council, if found repugnant to the laws of England. But the numerous emigrations to America soon alarmed the English government, and repeated orders were issued by the king to restrain such emigrations. Many jealousies and controversies also arose among those concerned in the plantations, and numerous complaints were made of the disorderly conduct of the settlers, their encroachment on other patents, and their arbitrary proceedings. The principal author of these complaints against the Massachusetts colony was John Mason. In 1634, the king and council had been induced, by these complaints, to issue an order requiring the colony to send their charter to England. On consultation, the governor and magistrates gave answer that this could not be done, without the direction of the general court, which was to be held in September following.

282. Surrender of the patent of the Plymouth com pany. The council of Plymouth, being dissatisfied with the proceedings of some of the company, and especially with the Massachusetts colony, which, as they alledged, had extended their jurisdiction too far, and rendered themselves independent of the company,