Decennium luctuosum. An history of remarkable occurrences, in the long war, which New-England hath…

ARTICLE. XVII. The Fort at Pemaquid.

ARTICLE. XVII. The Fort at Pemmaquid.

His Excellency Sir William Phipps, being arrived now the Governor of New England, applied himself, with all possible Vigour, […] on the War: and the Advice of a New ⟨p. 100⟩Slaughter some time in July made by the Indians, on certain poor Husband-men, in their Meadows, at the North Side of Merrimack River, put an Accent upon the Zeal of the Designs, which he was now vigorously prosecuting. He Raised about Four hundred and Fifty Men, and in pursuance of his Instructions from Whitehall, he laid the Foundations of a Fort at Pemaquid, which was the Finest Thing that had been seen in these parts of America. Captain Wing, assisted with Captain Bancroft, went through' the former part of the Work; and the latter par• of it was Finished by Captain March. His Excellency, attended in this matter, with these worthy Captains, did, in a few Months, dispatch a Service for the King, with a Prudence, & Industry, and Thriftiness, Greater than any Reward they ever had for it. The Fort, called, The William Henry, was built of Stone, in a Quadrangular Figure; being about Seven hundred and thirty seven Foot in Compass, without the Outer Walls, and an Hundred and Eight Foot Square, within the Inner ones. Twenty Eight Ports it had; and Fourteen (if not Eighteen) Guns mounted whereof Six were Eighteen-Pounders. The Wall on the South Line, fronting to the Sea, wa• Twenty Two Foot High, and more than Six Foo• Thick at the Ports, which were Eight Foot from the Ground. The Great Flanker, or Round Tower, at the Western End of this Line, was ⟨p. 101⟩Twenty Nine Foot High. The Wall on the East line, was Twelve Foot High, on the North it was Ten, on the West it was Eighteen. It was Computed, That in the whole, there were laid above Two Thousand Cart-Loads of Stone. It stood about a Score of Rods from High Water Mark; and it had generally at least Sixty men posted in it, for its Defence, which if they were Men, might easily have maintained it against more than Twice Six Hundred Assailants. Yea, we were almost Ready to flatter our selves, that we might have writ on the Gates of this Fort, as the French did over that of Namur, (yet afterwards taken by K. William) Redds, non Vinci potest. Now, as the Architect, that built the Strong Fortress at Narne in Poland, had, for his Recompense, his Eyes put out, lest he should build such another;