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

28 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1724-1725.
capt. Loveweii's Fa- Capt. Lovewell, from Dunstable, with a
tai Expedition. company of volunteers, made several expeditions
against the eastern tribes, in two of
which he was quite successful, killing a dozen or more of
the enemy. In April, 1725, he started on another enterprise,
with a party of forty-four men. Coming suddenly
upon a large body of Indians near Ossipee, a desperate
fight ensued, in which Capt. Lovewell and most of his men
were killed.
Another uusuccess- In December, in response to a dispatch
fui Peace N ego- f^om Col. Scliuyler, stating that Mons.
Vaudreuil was ready to render assistance
in arranging a treaty with the Indians. Lieut. -Gov. Dudley
appointed an embassy, consisting of his son William Dudley,
and Col. Stoddard, to proceed to Canada, and enter
upon negotiations. The Governor of New Hampshire appointed
Thomas Atkinson to represent that colony. Col.
Stoddard was unable to accept the appointment. Probably
he had not forgotten his diplomatic encounter with the
wily Frenchman twelve years before, when he sought the
release of the English captives. Samuel Thaxter was sub-
stituted, and the commissioners set out on their journey.
They reached Montreal on the 13*'' of March, 1731, and
three days afterwards had their first interview with the
French Governor. Several other conferences were had
with him, but with his usual tact he parried all their propositions.
It was not till the 24"' of April , that the Indian
delegates and the commissioners met, and then it was found
that the former were in no mood to negotiate, except upon
their own terms. Acting under the advice of Vaudreuil,^
they demanded the restitution of their lands, indemnity
for the death of Father Rale, and the demolition of their
1
" Being persuaded that nothing was more opposed to his Majesty's interests
than peace between the Abenakis and the English, the safety of the Colony on its
eastern frontier having been the sole object of this war, M. de Vaudreviil thought of
sounding the chiefs of these Indians on their arrival and before they should speak tothe
English, and of insinuating to them that it was not enough to demand of the
English the demolition of the forts thej- had built on the Abenakis territory, and the
restitution of their lands and prisoners, but that the death of Father Rale and of a
great number of their people, whom they had killed, and the burning of their Church,
ought to make them demand heavy indemnities, without which they ought not listen
to any proposals for peace, or a suspension of hostilities.'"— N. Y. Col. Documents,
vol. 9, p. 048.