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Lucy Terry Prince's poem describes the last attack on Deerfield, Massachusetts, by Native American warriors during King Geoge's War (1744-1748.) This war was one of multiple colonial conflicts as the competing empires of England and France fought for control of New York, New England, and Nova Scotia in Canada. When Fort Massachusetts in Western Massachusetts (present-day North Adams) was forced to surrender in August of 1746, some of the Native attacking force decided to return to Canada via the Connecticut River Valley in hopes of gaining more English captives to ransom. On August 25, they attacked a group of men and children gathering hay in the Bars section of Deerfield, about 1 1/2 miles from the main village. All of the men and several children were killed or gravely wounded; a young boy, Samuel Allen was captured. Lucy, a gifted storyteller, was enslaved in Deerfield when the attack occurred and the people who were killed and injured were her friends and neighbors. She composed this poem describing the attack and the community's shock and sorrow in its aftermath:

"The Bars Fight"

Lucy Terry, 1746

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August, 'twas the twenty-fifth,

Seventeen houndred forty-six,

The Indians did in ambush lay,

Some very valiant men to slay.

'Twas nigh unto Sam Dickinson's mill,

The Indians there five men did kill.

The names of whom I'll not leave out,

Samuel Allen like a hero foute,

And though he was so brave and bold,

His face no more shall we behold.

Eleazer Hawks was killed outright,

Before he had time to fight,

Before he did the Indians see,

Was shot and killed immediately.

Oliver Amsden he was slain,

Which caused his friends much grief pain.

Simeon Amsden they found dead

Not many rods from Oliver's head.

Adonijah Gillett, we do hear,

Did lose his life which was so dear,

John Sadler fled across the water,

And thus escaped the dreadful slaughter.

Eunice Allen see the Indians comeing

And hoped to save herself by running;

And had not her petticoats stopt her,

The awful creatures had not cotched her,

Nor tommyhawked her on the head,

And left her on the ground for dead.

Young Samuel Allen, Oh! lack-a-day!

Was taken and carried to Canada.