William's War, King
The first intercolonial war in
America, so-called because it occurred at the beginning of the reign of William and Mary, and continued seven years. The accession of these Protestant monarchs caused disaster to the more northerly
English-American colonists, for, the
French King having espoused the cause of James, war between
England and
France soon began, and extended to their together, accompanied by a father confessor.
The
Indians, remembering the treachery of
Major Waldron, at
Dover, fearfully slaked their thirst for vengeance there.
It was the first town attacked (July 7, 1689), when the venerable
Major Waldron and twenty others of the garrison were killed, and twenty-nine made captives and sold as servants to the
French in
Canada.
Instigated by
Father Thury, a Jesuit, an Indian war-party fell (Aug. 12) upon the
English stockade at Pemmaquid, built by
Andros, and captured the garrison.
A
respective colonies in
America.
When the declaration of war between the two nations reached
America, the eastern
Indians were easily excited to make war by the
Baron de Castine, seated at the mouth of the
Penobscot, and the
Jesuit missionaries among the Indians.
The recent revocation of the Edict of
Nantes had kindled fiercely the fires of persecution in
France (see
Edict of Nantes), and the heat was felt in
America.
Through these Jesuits, the Indians were made allies of the
French and the two races were frequently found on the war-path few months later
Frontenac, governor of
Canada, sent a party of 300 French and Indian warriors from
Montreal to penetrate the country towards
Albany.
On a gloomy night in the winter (Feb. 18, 1690), when the snow lay 20 inches deep in the
Mohawk Valley, they fell upon the frontier town of
Schenectady (q. v.), massacred many of the people, and burned the village.
Early in the spring
Salmon Falls, near
Piscataqua, was surprised (March 28) and thirty of its inhabitants were killed; and the attacking party, on its way homeward, met a third party that
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Women settlers standing Guard. |
had come from
Quebec and joined them in destroying the fort and settlement at
Casco, where a similar attack had been repulsed by the famous Captain Church.
Other eastern villages suffered.
All the colonies were aroused by these atrocities, and the
New England people resolved on speedy retaliation.
In May (1690)
Massachusetts fitted out an expedition under
Sir William Phipps, who, with nine vessels and 800 men, seized
Port Royal, in
Acadia (q. v.), and obtained sufficient plunder there to pay the expenses of the enterprise.
In June,
Port Royal was again plundered by English privateers from the
West Indies.
Then the colonies of
New England and New York joined in efforts to conquer
Canada.
A land and naval expedition was arranged, the former commanded by a
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son of
Governor Winthrop, of
Connecticut, to go from New York by way of
Lake Champlain to attack
Montreal; and the latter, fitted out by
Massachusetts alone, and commanded by
Sir William Phipps, to attack
Quebec.
Phipps's armament consisted of thirty-four vessels and 2,000 men. The expenses of the land expedition were borne jointly by
Connecticut and New York.
Both were unsuccessful.
Some of
Winthrop's troops, with
Iroquois warriors under
Colonel Schuyler, pushed towards the
St. Lawrence and were repulsed (August, 1690) by
Frontenac.
The remainder did not go farther than the head of
Lake Champlain.
Phipps reached
Quebec at about the middle of October, landed some of his troops near, but, finding the city too strongly fortified to warrant a siege, he returned to
Boston before the winter set in. Having no chart to guide him,
Phipps had been nine weeks cautiously making his way around
Acadia and up the
St. Lawrence.
Massachusetts was compelled to issue bills of credit, or paper money, to defray the expenses of the expedition.
Fierce forays by the
French and
Indians continued along the
New England frontiers.
The
English were held up to the Indians by the Jesuits not only as enemies, but as heretics, upon whom it was a Christian duty to make war. The
Indians were encouraged, too, to make forays for the capture of women and children, for whom they found a ready market, as servants, in
Canada.
About 100 persons were killed or made captive (July 28, 1694) at
Durham, 10 miles from
Portsmouth.
Two years later
Baron de Castine and a large force of French and Indians captured the garrison at Pemmaquid.
Haverhill, 33 miles from
Boston, was attacked (March, 1697), and forty persons were killed or made captive; and during the ensuing summer more remote settlements suffered greatly.
This distressing warfare was closed the same year by the treaty of
Ryswick, Sept. 20, 1697.
