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

22 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1724.
Garrisons in North- Garvisons, composed largely of men from
field and Deer- ^lie valley towns, Were kept constantly in
Nortlifield and Deerfield. Capt. Kellogg
was in command there, liis Lieutenant being John Pomeroy
of Northampton. The utmost vigilance was required
to ward off threatened danger. Reports that bands of Indians
were seen in various directions, were frequent, and
traces of them were everywhere visible.
Disaster at Hatfield. Gray Lock, who had returned to the scene
of his former exploit,, made an attack on
the 18"' of June, upon a party of men who were haying
about three miles above Hatfield. Benjamin Smith was
killed and Aaron Wells and Joseph Allis taken captive.
The savages also killed two oxen in one of the farm wagons
and disappeared as suddenly as they came. Col. Partridge
immediately sent out men in different directions in pursuit,
but as usual, the enemy escaped. JosejDh Allis was killed
the next day, and a detachment of twenty-one men, in addi-
tion to those already ordered out, started for Otter Creek.
It was commanded by Sergt. Joseph Clesson and Joseph
Wait, both of whom were Northampton men. They suf-
fered greatly in their hurried and hazardous pursuit.
When they started '
' they were Lusty & in good j^light
Effective men;" when they returned they were "much
emaciated & their feet so Swolen and galled that they could
scarce Travel." Gray Lock spent the summer hovering
about the settlements, and succeeded in killing several men
in different towns. His headquarters were at Missisquoi
Bay, just above the Vermont line in Canada,
Scarcity of Men. The ueccssity for constant scouting so depleted
the settlements of men that there
were not enough left to carry on the customarj^ work and
do guard-duty. The need of additional soldiers in every
town was most conclusively shown by the above attack.
On this point Col. Partridge writes : —
" Our Towns all the day are so emptied of men that we are veiy
much exposed & the Enemy seem to shape there course upon the lower
Towns and our men abroad at their work in a moments tyme may be
shot down before anything can be seen who it is that doth it."
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