Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

124 RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH.
conclusive evidence that the fact is otherwise. Col. Meserve, a neighbor of Hart, died at Louisburg that year,
and the names were probably thus confounded.
In 1758, Col. John Hart took command of a New Hampshire regiment of several hundred meni, and marched with
them to Lake George to join Gen. Abercrombie. His
forces were joined by those of Col. Goff; and under command of the latter they were ordered down the shores of
Lake Champlain to cut off a body of French and Indians,
who had been in what is now the State of New York, and
had done some mischief there. But Col. Goff, regarding
discretion the better part of valor, thought best to keep
clear of bullets, and so landed on an island in Lake Chamn.
plain, drew his men up in a hollow square, went to prayer,
and prayed that there might be a long and moderate war
and no bloodshed. The religious services were extended
to so great a length that the enemy had time to and did
pass by,-so his prayer was answered in part, as there was
no bloodshed. Although we have no knowledge that this
fact has ever before appeared in print, yet " a long and
moderate war and no bloodshed" was a by-word brought
home by the New Hampshire militia men of the French
war, which was in common use here during the Revolution, and is yet familiar in the ears of our old men.
Among the soldiers in this expedition was Joseph Quint,
who afterwards, we think, lived in Newington. He was
sent out on a skirmish in the neighborhood of Fort William
Henry, and night coming on he found himself alone in the
woods, without sufficient light to find his way out. He
gathered a quantity of leaves for his bed, and laying himself down was soon asleep. Awaking in the night, he saw
but a veiy few yards from him a large wolf; with glaring
eyes directed towards him! He had his gun by his side,
and while thinking what to do, he saw, or imagined he
saw, hundreds of wolves' eyes glaring upon him in every