who occupied lands on the province's eastern borders (now in the state of Maine) and objected to the encroachment of settlers on their lands. Even though there was some desire on the part of the French and the Abenaki for a peaceful resolution to the dispute, the Massachusetts assembly, over Shute's objections, took a hard line, cutting off trade with the Abenaki, and authorizing a militia expedition against Norridgewock, one of the main Abenaki towns. Relations deteriorated into open warfare in 1722, and Shute declared war on the Abenaki that July. Because of the ongoing disputes with the assembly, Shute abruptly left the province for London on January 1, 1723, leaving Dummer to act as governor and commander-in-chief. Prosecution of the conflict was left to Dummer, and it has since become known as Dummer's War (among other names). Western frontier war Dummer's tenure as acting governor has been described by historian John Ragle as "unspectacular but able". In the first half of 1723 Dummer made concerted efforts to recruit the Iroquois (of what is now upstate New York) as allies against the Abenaki, and sought to avoid the participation of bands of western Abenaki (based in what is now Vermont) in the conflict. In both of these he was unsuccessful: the Iroquois, despite significant financial inducements, refused to take up arms against tribes seen to be allied with New France, or to engage in a conflict in which they had no stake. The Massachusetts embassy to Grey Lock, the principal leader of the western Abenakis, failed to find him. In August 1723 Grey Lock began raiding Massachusetts frontier communities in the Connecticut River valley, taking captives and inflicting casualties at Northfield. Dummer appealed to the leaders of the Connecticut Colony, who stationed a company of militia there in December to little effect. He also authorized construction of a fort north of Northfield, on land he had acquired a few years before in Connecticut's auction of the so-called "Equivalent Lands" Massachusetts gave to Connecticut as compensation for border issues. The stockaded fort was located in what is now Brattleboro, Vermont, and was named Fort Dummer in his honor. It is regarded as the start of permanent European settlement in the modern state of Vermont. Fort Dummer was ineffective at stopping the Indian raids. When Grey Lock's raids continued unabated in 1724, Dummer renewed his appeals to Connecticut Governor Gurdon Saltonstall, noting