User:MNewton123/Battles of Deerfield, Massachusetts

Battles of Deerfield, Massachusetts
The Battles of Deerfield, Massachusetts were a serious of raids lead by various Native American tribes and French soldiers during Queen Anne's War. The raid on Deerfield took place on February 29, 1704. During this time French soldiers and their allies Native American tribes set raids down the eastern coast in the new colonies discovered and settled by England. These raids were led by Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville. There were over 47 village casualties, 112 taken captive and 60 were later used for a ransom of some families. The rest the villagers that were taken captive became apart of the mohawk Indian tribe and or died on the journey to Montreal. This Battle was one of many but by far the bloodiest of the time during Queen Anne's War. Image of Native Americans invading Deerfield

The Beginning
The on going battle during Queen Anne's war was over the domination and control of the European continent, between the two biggest powers the French and the British. This fight continued all the way into the new country now known as the United States. The British that settled in Deerfield knew the risk of settling in a town so close to the French. Because the British knew the risks of settling everyone in the settlement stayed with in the borders of the wooden fence that was built. No one in this colony expected 200-300 French soldiers and their allied Native American tribes to attack in the middle of the winter.

The Raid
The Battles of Deerfield, Massachusetts are considered to be raids on varies villages and towns along the Connecticut river. The raid at Deerfield is considered to be the worst and bloodiest one there was during Queen Anne's War. The raid took place on February 29, 1704, when some 200 French soldiers marched into Deerfield and killed 50 plus people and took 112 people men and women back to Montreal. Before the raid, the town minister, Rev. John Williams, conducted a day of fasting and prayer in the church, Rev. John Williams hosted the fasting and prayer session because he was so called "posseted" and reportedly said "that the town would in a little time be destroyed". The French and the Native Americans learned the layout of Deerfield and the different precautions they used to protect the village based on the Indians and hunters going in for visits for several months before the raid. The night of the raid the Native Americans sent scouts out to observe the watchers of the village and learn the patterns that the soldiers of Deerfield were using. Once the night watchers went on leave or switched post that when the French Soldiers and Native American Tribes lead by Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville invaded Deerfield. John Williams lived through this even and wrote his story saying that "in households throughout the stockade: killings (especially of infants and others considered too frail to survive the rigors of life in the wilderness); “firing houses”; “killing cattle, hogs, sheep & sacking and wasting all that came before them.” In short, a village-size holocaust". The French Soldiers and Native Americans gathering outside of Deerfield

After the Raid
After the Raid on the village the Indian and French soldiers took 112 British settlers captive and forced them to march 300 miles to Montreal. Of the 112 that left Deerfield about 60 were later used for ransoms for families left in Deerfield, the rest either perished, were murdered, or forced to join the Mohawk Tribe. Most of the people forced to leave with the invaders are never spoken of again except for the few that were ransomed back to the families. The people left in Deerfield pick up the pieces left behind and rebuild the town forever remembering what happened on February 29, 1704. The French went back to what is now known as Canada, and thus began the struggle between the Angelo-Saxon's and the French control of the new world.