THE OLD FRENCH WAR, 1744-1748.

The Old French War, so called to distinguish it from that of 1753, was declared by Louis XV. on March 15, 1744, and accepted by England, March 29th. It was two months after before the news reached New England although known a month earlier by the French of Canada. To secure the friendship and active aid of the Six Nations, the Governor of New York called a council of the chiefs of the confederacy, who met at Albany, June 18, 1744 and "renewed, strengthened and brightened the covenant chain that had so long tied them and the subjects of his majesty the great king their father, in mutual ties of friendship."

Although inclining to peace they promised in the strongest terms to stand by their friends if attacked. During this war as in the others preceding it, the French and their allies were the most actively aggresive, sending out almost daily small parties of their Indians to annoy and distress the frontier settlements and bring back such plunder and captives as they could find. The points of attack in this Province were settlements along the Mohawk and Hudson, particularly Saratoga, Schenectady and Albany and the outlying places.

No family was safe unless protected by blockhouse or palisade; no man was exempt from military duty save by age or infirmity. In Schenectady and Albany each, able bodied men kept watch and ward every third or fourth night. French and English reports alike give sad accounts of shocking barbarities practiced on both sides by skulking parties of savages and white men. The following examples, among many others taken from French reports, clearly show the cruelties practiced by these two Christian nations, who rewarded their savage allies in proportion to the number of scalps returned.*

"April 20, 1746, a party of fourteen Iroquois belonging to the Sault St. Louis commanded by Ontasɛago, the son of the grand chief of that village who sojourned at Fort St. Frederic [Crown Point] made several scouts to Sarastean [Saratoga]."

*These extracts are taken mainly from Drake's "Particular History" of this war.

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"April 26, a party of thirty-five Iroquois, belonging to the Sault set out. They have been in the neighborhood of Orange [Albany] and have made some prisoners and taken some scalps."

April 27, 1746, a party of six Iroquois of the Sault St. Louis struck a blow in the neighborhood of Orange [Albany]."

"May 10, 1746, Gatienoude an Iroquois of the Five Nations who has been settled at the Lake [Champlain] for two or three years, left with five Indians of that village, and Sieur St. Blein to strike a blowe in the neighborhood of Orange. This small party brought in one prisoner, Gatienoude the leader of the party is killed and scalped by the English on the field of battle."

"May 24, 1746, a party* of eight Abenakis of Missiskony has been fitted out, who have in the directions of Corlard [Schenectady] and have returned with some prisoners and scalps."

"May 27, 1746, equipped a party of eight Iroquois of Sault St. Louis, which struck a blow near Orange and brought back six scalps."

"A party of Abenekis of Missiskony struck a blow near Orange [Albany] and Corlard [Schenectady] and brought some prisoners and scalps."

"June 2, 1846, equipped a party of twenty-five warriors of the Sault and three Flatheads who joined the former in an expedition to the neighborhood of Orange and who returned with some scalps."

"June 3, 1846, equipped a party of eighteen Nepissings who struck a blow at Orange & Corlard [Schenectady]."

"June 17, 1846, equipped a party of ten Abenekis who went to make an attack at the river Kakecoute and were defeated near a fort; their chief Cadenaret, a famous warrior, has been killed; the remainder returned with some scalps and left others which they were not able to bring away, the dead having remained too near the fort."

"June 19, 1746, equipped a party of twenty-five Indians of the Sault St. Louis, who struck a blow near Orange [Albany].

One or two of the Indians were wounded: - they brought away some scalps."

"June 20, 1746, equipped a party of nineteen Iroquois of the Sault St. Louis, who went to Orange to strike a blow."

"June 21, 1746, equipped a party of twenty-seven Iroquois of the same village to go to Orange. Sieur Parqueville an officer and Sieur Blein, a cadet, have been of this party, which has brought in a prisoner that was in the scout to Sarasteau [Saratoga] and some scalps."

*It was probably in this raid that John Groot of Schenectady was captured. He died in Quebec Nov. 20, 1746.

Probably the English Fort at Schaghticoke on the Hoosac river.

Such is an example of the energetic manner the French and their savages made war upon the almost undefended frontier settlers who were taken by surprise and almost wholly unprepared for this war.

The earliest and most severe attacks were upon the New England Provinces, which in 1745, raised an expedition and took the strongly fortified town of Louisburgh. The greatest annoyance to New York was experienced from the frequents parties sent out from Fort St. Frederick [Crown Point] which the French held strongly fortified in 1731.

“Nov. 16, 1745, a large body of three hundred French & two hundred Indians came upon the Dutch settlement at Saratoga,* murdering the inhabitants without any opposition. The enemy were commanded by one M. Marin, accompanied by a mischeivous priest, Francis Piequet.

"They ravaged a large extent of country, burning all the houses, several saw mills with much sawed lumber and a block house which belonged to John Henry Lydius; also all the cattle. Thirty persons were killed and scalped and above sixty taken prisoners.

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All this was effected without so much as a wound to any of the French. A large number of negroes were among the captives. In the course of the winter the captives were sent to the prison in Quebec; where many of them died of sickness.

"The news of this attack reached Albany three days after it happened, and Deerfield nine days after, namely on the 25th"

Among the prisoners were Jonathan Hagadorn§ taken near Fort Ann while on a scout. He died on the 3d January, following, a prisoner at Quebec, after a long and painful illness, as also Capt. John Fort|| March 21, taken at the same time and place. He died of consumption.

* Schuylerville and vicinity.

+ Son of Dominie Lydius of Albany.

Col. Doc., x, 38, and 761; vi, 289.

He was a son of Hendrick Hagadorn of the Aal plaats, and was baptized Sept. 17, 1721, and married Lea Hagen Oct. 30, 1742.

| Son of Johannes Fort of Niskayuna. He died at Quebec Dec. 7, 1746.

Martha Quackenbos, a girl taken at Saratoga, Nov. 17, 1745, after a long and tedious sickness died Dec. 7, 1746. She was ten years of age.

Abraham Fort, son of Capt. John Fort, taken Nov. 17, 1745, died at Quebec May 19, Also Jacob Quackenbos and Isaac his son; both taken at Saratoga, Nov. 17, 1745, died May 26, 1747.

1747.

March, 1747, there came into prison at Quebec a Dutchman from Schenectady and a woman from Saratoga.

April 26, there came into the prison at Quebec three persons taken some time before at Saratoga.