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In this strange soil

 Jillian Hensley’s account of the 1704 raid on Deerfield, which is central to her story, feels authentic and fully imagined. I have read other accounts of this famous event, but for me this is the most engaging and original.” – Frances Kidder

“Hensley’s Jesuit narrator records his experiences, thoughts and observations in a voice so consistent and believable that one might forget he’s fictional. His perspective opens history and, in particular, humanizes missionary activity in the New World—both the good and the bad of it. Respectfully researched and thoughtfully composed In This Strange Soil is a work of grace and integrity.” – Libby Maxey, Editor, Thornapple Press

Against a backdrop of events in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), both in the New World and the Old, Hensley weaves together two events of 1704: the well-known February raid on Deerfield by Indians under French command; and the abduction in August of four young boys of the Rice family from the hamlet of Chauncy (Westborough), Massachusetts, by a small band of Mohawks from the Jesuit mission of Kahnawake in Canada. Thefictional narrator, Jesuit Father Vincent de Surville, records his experiences in letters to his brother, a cavalry officer with Louis XIV’s army. Through these accounts, we accompany him on the march to Deerfield in the dead of winter, sharing his privations and those of the 112 captives taken in the raid. When two of the Rice boys arrive at the mission later in the year, we participate in their evolution from English Puritans to Mohawk Catholics under Father Vincent’s tutelage. “Hensley’s Jesuit narrator records his experiences, thoughts observations in a voice so consistent and believable that one might forget he’s fictional. His perspective opens history and, in particular, humanizes missionary activity in the New World—both the good and the bad of it. Respectfully researched and thoughtfully composed, In This Strange Soil is a work of grace and integrity.” Libby Maxey, Editor, Thornapple Press

Raid on Deerfield

 

Today's anniversary. Here

The Raid on Deerfield, also known as the Deerfield Massacre, occurred during Queen Anne's War on February 29, 1704, when French and Native American raiders under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville attacked the English colonial settlement of Deerfield, Massachusetts Bay, just before dawn. They burned parts of the town and killed 47 colonists. The raiders left with 112 colonists as captives, whom they took overland the nearly 300 miles to Montreal; some died or were killed along the way because they were unable keep up. Roughly 60 colonists were later ransomed by their associates, while others were adopted by Mohawk families at Kahnawake and became assimilated into the tribe. In this period, English colonists and their Indian allies were involved in similar raids against French villages along the northern area between the spheres of influence.

Peter's Paperboys French and Indian war

 Paper soldiers for the Seven Years war  in America. Have a go page here

Defending the Carolina frontier in February of 1760 during the Anglo-Cherokee War. Cody Cook

 

Fort Ti's Battle on Snowshoes event.

 Event on March 9. Tickets and details here.

Frontier Soldiers of New France

 

New title added to the Autumn 2024 list!

Frontier Soldiers of New France examines the official and regulation dress, weapons and equipment of the regular colonial troops maintained by the French government in North America from 1683 to 1760, including unpublished information with a focus on new illustrations, line drawings, and photos of rare portraits and surviving artefacts from public and private collections.

This volume is the first of a series of three that will present all the regular forces that served in New France from 1683, when the first permanent garrisons of royal troops arrived, to September 1760. Many North American military campaigns of that era have been, and continue to be, covered in countless history books. The purpose of this work is, however, to be the first to present in detail the organisation and especially the material culture of all military participants, be they generals or private soldiers. There have been some sections of books, usually brief, and articles devoted to organisation, armament, dress, and equipment previously published. The aim of this work is to present a complete record of these aspects.

Register your interest here:

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/frontier-soldiers-of-new-france-volume-1-regulation-clothing-armament-and-equipment-of-the-colonial-troops-in-new-france-1683-1760.php

Old Fort Niagara

 

2024 is the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the 8th Regiment of Foot at Fort Niagara. The regiment’s commander, Lt. Col. John Caldwell received orders to deploy to the Great Lakes in March 1774. During May and June, the regiment moved to their new postings at Michilimackinac, Detroit, Fort Niagara and Oswegatchie. Caldwell took command of Fort Niagara in early August. With the outbreak of the American Revolution the following year, the regiment remained on the Great Lakes for eleven years.

Event at Carillon/Ticonderoga

 Here. July 20, 2024 09:30 AM to July 21, 2024 05:00 PM

Les Compagnons de Nouvelle France

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Nos compagnons sont allés jouer dans la neige au Fort Ingall - Société d'Histoire et d'Archéologie du Témiscouata la fin de semaine dernière! ❄️