cke.

The regiment went up the Kennebec, built a fort, and then half of them
went further up the river, to the Great Carrying Place, but found no
settlements, no French nor Indians, nothing but immense and terrible
swarms of black flies, midges, and bloodsucking mosquitoes; and after
considerable blood was shed on both sides, they retreated and returned
home.

This was but the beginning of the great struggle that we had with the
French for seven long years. In the next year, 1755, early in the
spring, Colonel Winslow was again ordered to beat his drums through our
Province, and raise a regiment to proceed against Acadia; and Captain
Spikeman began to enlist a company in our county.

The captain made his headquarters in Concord at Rowe's Tavern, which was
kept by Edmund's uncle, Captain Thomas Munroe.

Several times, a sergeant, corporal, and a couple of drummers came down
to Lexington, and marched through the town, beating a rub-a-dub on
their drums. The sergeant would speak to the crowd, and try to get them
to enlist. He would promise them--well, what wouldn't he promise them?
Lands, booty, rich farms, the chance of becoming a general at least. He
was an oily-tongued fellow, and Uriah Hall's son Uriah, Phineas Parker,
and Tom Blanchard enlisted with him. He and his drummers stopped at our
shop one day, and he came in. He placed his halberd in a corner, brushed
the dust from the top of a box, and sat down.

[Sidenote: EXPEDITION TO ACADIA]

"Well, which of you young men is going to serve the King? There never
was such a chance for a soldier as this. Here we are, going down to the
richest country in the world, to turn these Acadians out of house and
home; and any soldier who wants a farm can have it for the asking.
Richest soil in the world. You can raise anything there. Level as a
table, all cleared, not a stone in it, farm tools, housen and outhousen,
and everything all ready for you. Hundreds of acres for the asking, and
lots of booty besides. What better chance do you want?"

Mr. Harrington, who was leaning on his hammer by the forge, asked:--

"But why do you turn them out? Why don't you let them alone?"

"Why do we turn them out? Because we must. That country has belonged to
England for forty-two years. And not one of those people will take the
oath of allegiance. They have the easiest time in the world. Not a penny
of taxes was ever asked them, and they have been treated like pet lambs.
Their priests tel