History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1T48.] KING GEORGE'S FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 159
Col. Dwight's sug- Col. Joseph Dwiglit of Brookfield in a letter
gestions. ^q i\-^q Secretary suggested tliat it was " time
for the government to exert its power, & if
need be raise half the militia of the province. I beg we
may have 1000 men to drive the woods & pursue the enemy
even to Crown Point ;
and perhaps it would be best to give
£'1000 for a scalp. Why should we lie still and do nothing
? " He also suggested that volunteers might readily be
obtained, and urged the government to do something. His
letter Was dated July 16'\ Two days afterwards, acting
Gov. Phip]3S sent him orders to raise a company of volun-
teers, accompanied by commissions signed in blank for its
officers. Acting promptly under this authority, he speedily
raised a company, and within a month lead it on a scouting
expedition. Col. Dwight held a command in the army designed
for the invasion of Canada, which had been disbanded
during the previous year, and doubtless found
many of his old soldiers ready for further service.
A Series of Disas- A number of misfortunes f(jllowed each
^^^^- other in quick succession in 1748. On the
13'" of May, Capt. Eleazar Melvin with
eighteen men went '"'out upon a scalping design."" They
were absent between two and three weeks, saw and fired at
some Indians in canoes, killing one and wounding another,
near Fort Frederick (Crown Point). A party was sent
from the fort in pursuit, but Melvin eluded them. But
afterwards, supposing himself safe, vigilance was relaxed,
he was surprised, five of his men were killed, and one
wounded. Leaving their wounded comrade, Joseph Petty
of Northfield, Melvin and the survivors of his party, made
the best of their way to Fort Dummer. A detachment
sent out in pursuit of the Indians, found and buried Petty 's
body, but saw no savages.
On the 16^" of June, a company of fourteen men, en
route from Col. Hinsdale's Fort at Ashuelot to Fort Dum-
mer, fell into an ambuscade ;
four of them were killed, six
carried captive to Canada, and four, one of them wounded,
escaped.
Ten days later, Capt. Hobbs, commanding forty men,
while marching from No. 4, Charlestown, to Fort Shirley