feebled old men, nurses with infants at their breasts, tender children, women just delivered, and some even in the pangs of labor. Above four thousand of these miserable objects were driven under the walls of Londonderry. This expedient, far from answering the purpose of Rosene, produced quite a contrary effect. The besieged were so exasperated at this act of inhumanity, that they resolved to perish rather than submit to such a barbarian. They erected a gibbet in sight of the enemy, and sent a message to the French General, importing that they would hang all the prisoners they had taken during the siege, unless the protestants whom they had driven under the walls should be immediately dismissed. This threat produced a negotiation, in consequence of which the protestants were released, after they had been detained three days without tasting food. Some hundreds died of famine or fatigue; and those who lived to return to their own habitations found them plundered and sacked by the papists, so that the greater number perished for want, or were murdered by the straggling parties of the enemy; yet these very people had for the most part obtained protection from King James, to whom no respect was paid by his generals."

In July the most intense suffering existed. People were reduced to cating the meanest food to sustain life, and it was seriously supposed that they would have to resort to the eating of the dead. Many died from actual starvation. Horses, dogs, cats, rats and mice commanded the highest prices, and were eaten with avidity. The following is the tariff of prices:

Horse flesh, each pound, one shilling and eight pence.

A quarter of a dog, fattened by eating dead bodies, five shillings and sixpence. A dog's head, two shillings and sixpence. A cat, four shillings and sixpence.

A rat, fattened by eating human flesh, one shilling.

A mouse, sixpence.

A pound of greaves, one shilling.

A pound of tallow, four shillings.

A pound of salted hides, one shilling.

A quart of horse-blood, one shilling.

A horse pudding, sixpence.

A handful of seawreck, twopence.

The same quantity of chickenweed, one penny.

A quart of meal, when found, one shilling.

A small fluke taken in the river could not be purchase for

money, and was to be got only in exchange for meal.*

Siege of Derry, pages 213, 214.

14

At length such was the sickness and severity of the famine, that the most hardy and sanguine began to despair. The people were dying by scores, and the garrison had become reduced to four thousand four hundred and fifty-six men. The reports of the commissary's department showed that there was not more than two days' provisions on hand for the garrison, and there was no prospect of relief. In this state of things, Gen. Kirke, who had remained inactive thus far, determined to make the attempt to succor the city. Accordingly, on the 28th of July, he ordered two ships laden with provisions to proceed up the river under convoy of the Dartmouth.

แ

The Rev. Mr. Graham thus describes the scene:

'Immediately after divine service, the ships in the Lough were seen to approach the distressed city, now in the last extremity to which famine and disease could reduce it. * The defenders of the city discharged eight pieces of cannon from the steeple of the cathedral, and slowly waved their crimson flag, to signify the extremity of their distress. With a fair wind, a favorable tide to facilitate the approach of relief before their eyes, NOW OR NEVER was the simultaneous cry of the feeble and emaciated multitude on the walls. The ships approaching were the Mountjoy, of Londonderry, Captain Micah Browning, commander, and the Phoenix, of Coleraine, Captain Andrew Douglass, master. They were both laden with provisions, and were convoyed by the Dartmouth frigate, commanded by Captain Leake. The enemy fired incessantly on the ships from the fort of Culmore, and from both sides of the river, as they sailed up, and returns were made with the greatest bravery and effect. They passed the fort without sustaining any material injury, and the expectation of the besieged rose into transports of joy, which were almost instantaneously succeeded by despair, when the Mountjoy, repelled by the boom, was run aground, and the enemy, who had crowded in multitudes to the water-side, raised a loud huzza, as they launched their boats to board her. The terror which prevailed in the city at this moment, is not to be described. The multitude on the wall stood petrified in the silent agony of grief too great for utterance; a faint and shrill cry from a few women and children alone broke the silence, as it added to the horrors of the scene. The pallid indications of fear suddenly disappearing, were succeeded by a darkness of color, like that which marks the countenance seen by the light of sulphurous flames. All features gathered blackness, and the general despondency was at its greatest height, when the Mountjoy fired a broadside at the

enemy, rebounded from the shore, and the reaction of the vessel, aided by the sudden swell of the rising tide, floated her again into deep water in the channel. Captain Douglass, of the Phoenix, was at this time warmly engaged as he passed up on the breaking of the boom by the gallant Browning, who while his vessel lay aground, was killed by a musket ball from the enemy, which struck him upon the head, as he stood upon the deck with his sword drawn, encouraging his men to the contest. King William afterwards settled a pension upon the widow of this gallant man, and in the presence of the court, placed a gold chain about her neck. *** Four of Browning's gallant crew shared his fate, just as the vessel got afloat; and then the Dartmouth opened a heavy, well directed fire upon the enemy's batteries, diverting them so from both vessels, that, amidst a desponding yell from the crowds on each side of the river, they sailed up slowly, indeed, by a reason of a failure in the wind after they had passed Culmore, but steadily and majestically, to the utter confusion of their baffled enemies. It was ten o'clock in the night when they anchored in the shipquay, upon which a general shout of acclamation was raised by the soldiers on the walls, and reiterated several times, while two guns were fired from the steeple, to give notice to the fleet of the safe arrival of the relief."*

This opportune relief was received with joy and transport by the distressed people of Londonderry. And well it might have been, for their provisions had become reduced to "nine lean horses, and a pint of meal to a man,” and the garrison had become reduced to four thousand and three hundred, of whom, one fourth part were unfit for service. By sickness and famine, the garrison had lost near three thousand men during the siege of one hundred and four days, or nearly thirty a day! Yet from the time of the deposition of Lundy on the 18th of April, to the 28th of July, the word surrender had not been lisped within the walls of Londonderry! On the night of the 28th of July, finding the city replenished with supplies, the royal army fled from the walls in disorder, having lost nine thousand men and one hundred officers since they invested the city. This successful defence of Londonderry disarranged the entire plan of King James, and may be considered the first link in the grand chain of successful events closing at "Boyne water" and Aghrim, that passed the throne of England from King James to King William.

Siege of Derry, pages 217, 218, 219, 220.

Such were the men, and the fathers of the men, who settled Londonderry, Harrytown-Derry field. They had been tried, most severely tried, yet never flinched in the path of duty. Such constancy has seldom been witnessed-more steadfast and persevering, never. But their sufferings availed them but little. True, William and his Parliament, at the time, looked upon the defence as one of great importance, and besides specific grants made to them, every man who bore arms within the city during the siege was exempted from taxation throughout the British dominions. But their services were soon forgotten. As pertinently and beautifully says a writer, "never were a people more unfortunate after all their efforts, than were these brave Presbyterians? They had held the troops of King James in check, while they defended successfully the last stronghold of King William in Ireland; and until Claverhouse had been attacked and destroyed in Scotland. They had freely mingled their blood with the waters of the Boyne. They had consecrated the 'billowy Shannon,' that 'river of dark mementoes,' by the sacrifice upon its banks, of their dearest friends, before the gates of Limerick and Aithlone. They had, in short, expelled James and his allies from the land, and were looking with great confidence for something like tolerance in religious belief and religious worship, from William of Nassau and his Protestant wife. But they were doomed to the sorest disappointment, and ultimately became so disgusted with the calculating and selfish policy of William, his unreasonable and unjust demands of rents and tythes, as well as with the exactions and persecutions of the Anglican church, which now came to be regarded by them, as little better than the Roman Catholic, that they determined, once and forever, to abandon their country, and seek refuge in the wilds of America."

I. O. Barnes Esq's. Address. History of Bedford, 33—4.

CHAPTER IX.

Alarm from Indian War.-"Lovewell's War."-Cause.-Encroachment of English settlers.-Indians excited.-French influence.--Sebastian Kalle.His settlement at Nanrantsouack.-Expedition under Westbrook to seize him.-Indians attack Merry Meeting Bay, Fort George and Brunswick.Destruction of Nanrantsouack.-Death of Ralle.-Continued attacks upon the settlements in New Hampshire.-Attack at Dunstable.-Massacre of French and his party.-Capt. Lovewell.-His first expedition.-Intended against the Pequauquaukes.-Their location.- Paugus and Wahowah.— Lovewell attacks a party at East Pond. Destroys the entire party.-Second Expedition.--Goes against Pequauquauke.-Arrives at l'equauquanke.--Discovers an Indian.-Kills him and retires.-Our men ambushed--The fight.Their fort deserted.--Some of the men arrive at Dunstable.--Benjamin Hassel.-Col. Tyng marches to Pequauquauke.--Gov. Wentworth sends a company to Pequauquauke.-Col. Tyng finds the battle ground and buries the dead.

The little colony of Scotch Presbyterians had hardly got quieted in the possession of their lands at Londonderry, before the alarm of war broke upon their ears; a kind of war for which their sad experience in war had made no preparation, save in courage and energy. There were those among them, who had witnessed the fierce attacks of King James' army upon the walls of Londonderry, who had assisted in repelling those assaults, while the booming cannon from the tower of its cathedral sent havoc among the troops of the besieging armythus adding a terrific grandeur to the scene. Yet the warwhoop of the Indian reverberating through the dense, still forests of the Merrimack valley, struck terror into such hearts

even.

The Indians had remained comparatively quiet for some years subsequent to the close of "Queen Anne's War," in 1713. But the gradual encroachment of the English settlers upon lands claimed by the Indians in the valleys of all the great New England rivers, became a source of continued and growing irritation. This feeling on the part of the Indians was undoubtedly fomented by the French.

At length the Indians became so exasperated, that they broke over all bounds of restraint, and kept up a continual series of