HISTORY OF VERMONT. 34S 



capitulation were so expressed, as to make the 

 English acknowledge that they had committed 

 murder in the case and camp of his brother Ju- 

 monville ; and that the favors manifested to 

 them in the capitulation, were designed to show 

 how much they desired to treat them as friends. 

 Hostilities being thus commenced, and some of 

 the Indians slain, it was known that in confor- 

 mity to what had always been the maxims and 

 customs of the savages, the other tribes would 

 immediately engage, and an Indian war w^ould 

 commence from one end of the British colonies 

 to the other. And before the summer was 

 ended, the Indians all round the frontiers from 

 Virginia to the province of Maine, appeared to 

 be in arms, and began their attacks upon the 

 English. 



Such was the commencement of war in 

 1754 ; a war, in which all Europe was soon to 

 be involved ; and by which, the empire and 

 destinies of North America were to be decided. 

 The French, with a policy superior to the Eng- 

 lish, had for several years been pursuing an uni- 

 form and systematic plan of colonization. 

 Their settlements in Canada and Louisiana were 

 at a great distance from each other. By means 

 af the lakes, and the rivers St. Lawrence and 

 Mississippi, they had found situations by which 

 these settlements might be connected by a chain 

 of posts and forts. The plan they were execj.!- 

 ting, was to take possession of all the comman- 

 ding situations from one colony to the other ; 

 to erect forts and trading houses, not far from 

 each other ; and thus to command the trade, 

 exclude the Englkh from the Indian country^ 



