Native American Relations: . The relationship between frontier inhabitants like those at No. 4 and the Native Americans whose homeland they were on was complex. - In times of peace, No. 4 inhabitants had the opportunity to interact with the native population, mostly Abenaki. - This included establishing a trading relationship with the local Indians. - The account book of Phineas Stevens who set up a trading post at No. 4 reveals how often he traded with the Indians. - This relationship was disrupted during times of conflict. - Relations were already tense by the early 1740s when war from Europe spread to America (King George’s War 1744-1748). - Located in the midst of Indian routes and the river, the families at No. 4 experienced this conflict first hand. - Since they arrived at the settlement, they lived in fear of being attacked or captured by Native warriors allied with the French soldiers. - The inhabitants of No. 4 held a meeting in 1743 where they decided to build a fort that would offer protection for the families.
Yeah - pretty much how I look at it, took courage. - I would think the closes French Troops would have been around the Lake George or "maybe" Lake Champlain areas. - Don't recall reading about any French Troops in northern N.H. - The Abernaki usually took captives to Canada (French territory) for ransom or killed them.
There were raids like the one into Deerfield and probably other areas of Mass, but the area north and east of Lake Champlain was tough country, as Robert Rogers found out.
"Les deux pieds contre la muraille et la tete sous le robinet"