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Fort Massachusetts, North Adams, Mass.

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Fort Massachusetts was a lightly defended outpost of Massachusetts, located near the western edge of the colony. During King George's War (1744-48), the fort came under attack by a combined force of French regular troops, Canadian militia, and their Abenaki allies. The fort was commanded by Sergeant John Hawks of Deerfield, and at the time of the attack only ten men were able to take up arms in its defense. Among the others in the fort were five women and three children. Hawks held out for 28 hours before surrendering; he lost only 3 men but killed 16. The French leader, Major Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, guaranteed the safety of the prisoners and his Indian allies agreed. They were taken to Canada, where they were exchanged for French prisoners in British hands. The fort was located near the town of North Adams, Massachusetts. Beginning in 1895, the North Adams Women's Club raised money and purchased the site. A reconstructed fort was dedicated in 1933 and operated for several years before a lack of funds and vandalism closed it. The fort was eventually torn down, and today the site is now the parking lot of the Price Chopper supermarket situated between Williamstown and North Adams.

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