Deerfield Massacre

The Deerfield Massacre

I read the article, "The Deerfield Massacre" by John Demos. This article was very interesting to read and I will try to summarize the main ideas to the best of my abilities.

The Deerfield Massacre occurred in 1704, when some fifty-six villagers of Deerfield Village were killed and over one hundred were taken captive by French and Indian attackers. Though this may seem that the village simply had no military protection at all, this would not be the case. Deerfield had hired soldiers to guard and keep watch over their stockade, and to patrol the local wooded areas. The French and Indians attacked the village just before dawn, when everyone was still deep in their slumber, including the guards.

Once inside the village, the attackers ruthlessly killed villagers with no mercy. The Indians also took many captives, including Rev. John Williams. Rev. John Williams was the local pastor of the village and was taken back to Canada where the French and Indians had their headquarters. Williams' daughter Eunice was also taken captive and sent to Canada.

After months of being captive in Canada, John Williams was ransomed back to New England, and later wrote a book on his experiences. His daughter Eunice chose to stay with her Indian captors though, and embraced their culture. Both became famous for John's book and Eunice's decision.

The Deerfield Massacre affected many lives in the New England area, and drastically changed the Williams' family.

This has been my article on the deerfield massacre, I hope you enjoyed it.