the colonists in the tiny frontier settlement of Deerfield, Massachusetts in 1704 were aware of surrounding danger. The French and British were fighting Queen Anne's War for control of the continent. Deerfield, under British rule, was in danger of attack by the French. As a precaution, the town folk stayed within the town's palisade, a tall wooden fence enclosing the area. But they did not expect an attack in the middle of winter. On February 29, 1704, between 200 and 300 French soldiers and their Native American allies surprised and raided Deerfield. The results for the townspeople were disastrous
