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

1725.] FATHER RALE'S WAR. 31
On the 23'' of August, their ])rovisions liaving become
nearly exliausted, the party turned homeward, not having
been within sight of Gray Lock's fort. Capt. Wright's
journal, showing the course and extent of the march, was
forwarded to the Governor, and has been several times
printed. ^
Special M i 1 i t a r }• About the middle of June, Lieut.Gov.
Guard Or d e r e d Dummer Ordered that ten men from this
for Northampton. ^ iiiij-iii
town should be detailed to scout, guard and
watch within the town of Northampton. They were under
the control of Capt. Ebenezer Pomeroy, but were commanded
by Sergt. Joseph Clesson. One half the squad
served at a time, alternating every few days. The following
twelve names, however, are upon the muster-roll : —
"Joseph Clesson, Sergt. John Miller, Samuel Allen, Josiah
Pomeroy, and Benjamin Lyman, alternately ; Joseph Wait,
Ebenezer Corss, Ebenezer Kingsley, Gideon Parsons, Sam-
uel Hannum, Medad King and Joseph Phelps, alternately,"
They were on duty from June 23'* to October 25"', at an expense
for wages and subsistence, of £135.18.4.
Carelessness and its Thus far the experience gained in Indian
^^^^1*^- warfare seems to have been of little avail.
The folly of visiting the outskirts of the
settlements without a sufficient guard, which had so often
proved fatal, taught the people nothing. Although the
military authorities were persistent in their efforts to ob-
tain a sufficient number of soldiers to protect the inhabi-
tants in their necessary work, and the commanders zealous
in their endeavors to caution and warn the citizens against
too great carelessness, men constantly went about their
usual employments without taking reasonable precautions
for safety. On this point Col. Stoddard writes in September,
in a letter to the Governor, as follows : —
"Our people live too careless, most of them live in secure places in
the town where they depend upon being alarmed before they are in
danger themselves. * * * i protested to our officers against our
careless way of living. & used all arguments I was capable of to persuade
them to order a watch that might be of some significancy, in
case of the approach of an enemy, but to very little purpose."
1 See History of Northfleld, pp. 310-213 ; History of Deerfleld, pp. 445, 446.