USA > Connecticut > A complete history of Connecticut, civil and ecclesiastical, from the emigration of its first planters, from England, in the year 1630, to the year 1764; and to the close of the Indian wars > Part 8
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Having put the enemy to flight, the English returned to the village, where they found the jesuit Ralle, firing on a number of our men, who had not been in pursuit of the enemy. He had in the wigwam an English boy, about fourteen years of age, who had been taken about six months before. This boy he had shot through the thigh,
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Book II. and afterwards stabbed in the body ; but by the care of surgeons, he recovered .* Moulton had given orders not 1724. to kill the jesuit, but as by his firing from the wigwam, one of the English had been wounded, one lieutenant Jaques broke open the door and shot him through the head. Ja- ques excused himself to his commanding officer, alledging that Ralle was loading his gun when he entered the wig- wam, and declared that he would neither give nor take quarter. Moulton allowed that some answer was given which provoked Jaques, but he doubted whether it was the same which was reported. He ever expressed his disap- probation of the action. Mog, a famous Indian chief and warrior, was found shut up in another wigwam, from which he fired and killed one of the three Mohawks. This so en- raged his brother, that he broke down the door and shot him dead. The English in their rage, followed and killed his wife and two helpless children. It is painful to relate the inhumanity of war, and the unnecessary shedding of blood which is the mere fruit of revenge, or at least of a great want of benevolent feeling.
Having cleared the village of the enemy, the troops fell to plundering and destroying the wigwams. The plunder of an Indian village afforded no considerable booty. As it was near harvest, there was but little corn ; a few blan- kets, kettles and guns, with about three barrels of pow- der, was all they could find to bring off, except the plate of the church, which they judged to be no sacrilege to bring away. They expressed some zeal against idolatry in breaking the crucifixes and other imagery which they found.
Harman and his party, who went to the corn fields, did not come up till nearly night, when the action was over. 'The whole army lodged in the wigwams that night, under a guard of forty men. The next morning they counted twenty seven dead bodies, and they had one woman and three children prisoners. Among the dead were Boma- zeen, Mog, Job, Carabeset, Wissememet, and Bomazeen's son in law, all noted warriors. As the troops were anxious for their men and whale boats, they marched early for Ta- conick. Christian, one of the Mohawks, was sent back, or went of his own accord, after they had begun their march, and set fire to the wigwams and to the church, and then rejoined the company. On the 27th, they returned to the fort at Richmond.
This was a heavy blow to the enemy : more than one
Governor Hutchinson says, " I find this act of cruelty in the account given by Harman upon oath." Hist. vol. II. p. 312.
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half of their fighting men were killed or wounded, and Book II. most of their principal warriors. Charlevoix says, " Al- though more than two thousand shot had been fired upon 1724. them, yet there were no more than thirty killed and four- teen wounded." He paints the cruelty and profaneness of the English in very strong colours ; especially in killing and mangling father Ralle, the jesuit, and in breaking the images, the latter of which he terms profaning the adora- ble body of Jesus Christ.
The English, encouraged by their success at Norridge- wock, engaged in several other enterprizes. Colonel Westbrook marched with three hundred men across the country from Kennebeck to Penobscot, with a view to sur- prize the enemy in that quarter. But the only advantage of the expedition was the exploration of the condition of that part of the country, which before was but little known.
Other parties were ordered up Amaseconti, and Ama- rescoggin, and a second attempt was made on Norridge- wock, but no Indians were to be found in those places. The old men, women and children had been removed, and the warriors were lurking in secret places, and watching every opportunity to alarm and harass the frontiers.
In September, a party of English, consisting of fourteen men, went out from Dunstable in search of two men who were missing. About thirty Indians lay in wait for them, and shot down six and took three prisoners. A second went out and lost two of their number. The western fron- tier was better guarded. Though often alarmed, little damage was done. At the eastward much loss had been sustained both in men and in vessels. No advantages had been derived by the war. The people of Massachusetts found it a much more serious business than their house of representatives, or they themselves, had imagined.
At the session in October, colonel Stoddard was sent to Colonel Connecticut, earnestly soliciting, that the General Assem- Stoddard's bly would unite with Massachusetts in offensive operations applica- tion to the against the enemy. The legislature however could not be General persuaded to do any thing more than they had done. Assembly They agreed that they would defend their own frontiers, of Con- and those of the county of Hampshire.
necticut, Oct. 1724,
They observed, that they were not satisfied with respect and the to the justice of the war : that though governor Saltonstall assembly's had been to Boston, and at the desire, and upon a resolu- answer, tion of the assembly, had taken much pains to inform him- self of the grounds of it, they had not been satisfied; nor had they now obtained satisfaction from the representations of colonel Stoddard. They further observed, That the
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Book Il. government of Massachusetts had not consulted them, but proclaimed and began the war without their consent, or 1725. even given them notice. They wished the government of Massachusetts would coolly and seriously consider the grounds of the war, lest much innocent blood should be shed. At the same time they professed their esteem and friendship for their brethren of Massachusetts, and that if they had full satisfaction relative to the reasons of the war, they should be ready to engage in it with greater alacrity and spirit. What effect this answer of the assembly had on the general court and people of Massachusetts is not known ; but it is probable that it was very considerable, as they soon after gave intimations of their willingness to be at peace with the Indians.
The government of Massachusetts, to promote enterprize and encourage volunteers, raised the premium for Indian scalps and prisoners to an hundred pounds for each. This induced one John Lovell, to raise a company of volun- teers on purpose to hunt the Indians, and bring in their scalps. On his first scout he got one scalp and one pri- soner, which he brought into Boston on the 5th of Janu- ary, 1725. He took them more than forty miles above the lake of Winnepesiaukee. On a second enterprize, he dis- covered ten Indians round a fire, all asleep. He ordered part of his company to fire on them as they lay, and the other part to fire on them as they rose. Three were killed by the first fire, and the other seven as they rose. On the 3d of March the ten scalps were brought to Boston. Animated by these repeated successes, he made a third at- tempt with a company of thirty three men. On the 8th of May, they discovered an Indian on a point of land which joined to a great pond or lake. They were suspicious that he was set there to draw them into a snare, and that there might be many Indians at no great distance. They therefore laid down their packs, that they might be pre- pared for action. They then marched nearly two miles round the pond, to kill or take the Indian whom they had discovered. At length, when the English came within gun shot, he fired and wounded Lovell and one of his men with large shot. He was immediately shot and scalped. In the mean time, a party of about eighty Indians seized the packs of the English, and, at a place convenient for their purpose, waited for their return. When they return- ed, the enemy rose with the Indian yell, fired and ran upon them with their hatchets, in great fury. Lovell, to se- cure his rear, retreated to the pond, and the English, though their number was so unequal, continued the action five of
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six hours, until night. Captain Lovell, his lieutenant, Book II. Farwell, and ensign Robbins, were mortally wounded early in the action, and five more were afterwards killed. Six- teen escaped unhurt, and returned, but they were obliged to leave eight of their wounded companions in the woods, without provisions and without a surgeon. One of them was Mr. Fry, their chaplain, of Andover, who had be- haved with great bravery, had killed and scalped one In- dian in the heat of the action, but finally perished for want of relief. Two of the eight afterwards got into the En- glish settlements. Fifteen in the whole were lost, and eighteen saved. This unfortunate affair discouraged all scalping parties for the future.
From this time the war languished, and nothing mate- rial was transacted. The English and Indians were both weary of it, and wished for peace. After the death of Ralle, the Indians were at liberty to follow their own in- clinations. The Penobscots began war with the greatest reluctance, and were now considered as most inclined to peace. To discover their feelings, an Indian hostage was suffered to go home near the close of the winter of 1724, with a captive, on their parole. They came back to the fort at St. Georges on the 6th of February, accompanied with two others of the tribe. They related, that at a meet- ing of the Penobscots, it was agreed to make proposals of peace. One of the Indians, who was a sachem, was sent back with the other Indian, to bring a deputation of several other chiefs, for the purpose of concluding a peace. In consequence of these measures, some time in June, pre- liminaries of peace were settled, and a cessation of arms was agreed upon. Soon after, four delegates came to Boston and signed a treaty of peace.
The next year, this peace was more publicly ratified at Falmouth, in Casco bay. Lieutenant governor Dummer, of Massachusetts, with several gentlemen of the council, John Wentworth, Esq. lieutenant governor of New-Hamp- shire, and Paul Mascerene, Esq. one of the council, and a commissioner of the government of Nova-Scotia, were parties in this treaty.
Thus, after much loss of blood and treasure, both to the English and the Indians, and without the least advantage to either, ended this unhappy war. The province of Mas- sachusetts had their frontiers ravaged for a great extent, lost between one and two hundred brave men, and had many wounded and taken prisoners, with eleven vessels, besides all the trouble and expense which they had in- curred.
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It was some thousands of pounds damage to Connecti- cut. Besides maintaining soldiers at their own out posts, about fifty or sixty were sent every year, during the war, into the county of Hampshire, to cover and defend that part of the country .* These were paid by Connecticut. The whole colony was put into a state of warlike defence, but suffered no loss of lives.
The treaty which was made with the Indians at Fal- mouth, has been greatly applauded as the best treaty ever made with the Indians in that part of the country. From that time, there was a long and profound peace with them. But this cannot be attributed at all to any peculiar excel- lence in the treaty, but entirely to other circumstances. The treaty was nothing different in any thing important from former treaties. They had felt the ruinous conse- quences of war; the Indians were left more to their own inclinations, and were less under jesuitical and French in- fluence. The province of Massachusetts treated them with more policy and friendship. The Indians had long been desirous of trading houses, to supply them with nc- cessaries, and take off their furs and skins. Governor Shute promised them that this should be done for them, but, as has been observed, the general court would make no provision for it, at that time. But now provision was made, and trading houses were erected at St. George's, Kennebeck and Saco rivers. The Indians soon found that they could purchase goods on better terms at these houses, than they could of the French, or even of the private En- glish traders among them. This broke up their trade with the French and with the private traders, by whom they were imposed upon, defrauded and provoked. Had these measures been adopted before, as governor Shute had proposed, it would doubtless have prevented the war.
* Governor Hutchinson observes, "Justice should be done to the go- vernment of Connecticut ; they generally, at the request of Massachusetts, sent forces every year during the summer, in this and former wars, and païd their wages, the provisions being furnished by this government." Vol. II. p. 304. Connecticut gave the men three pounds per month.
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CHAPTER VI.
BOOK II.
Grants and settlements of the lands in the colony which had not been granted and settled before the year 1713; prin- cipally in the counties of Windham and Litchfield. A more particular account of the settlement of the towns of Lebanon and New-Milford, than had been given in the first volume of this history. Settlement of the towns of Ashford, Tolland, Bolton, Stafford, and Litchfield. Coun- ty of Windham formed. Somers and Willington settled. Incorporation of East-Haddam. Extraordinary noises formerly heard in that town. Settlement and incorporation of Union. Controversy between the government and the towns of Hartford and Windsor, relative to the lands with- in the county of Litchfield, and the disorders and troubles created by it, in the colony. Agreement between the gov- ernment and the said towns. The lands in controversy divided into townships and measured. Orders for the sale of those of them belonging to the colony, at auction, at dif- ferent times and places. The money arising from the sale to constitute a permanent fund, for the benefit of schools in the colony. New-Fairfield settled and incorporated. De- scription of the new townships ; their progressive sale and settlement.
T HE township of Lebanon originally consisted of a num- ber of parcels of land, purchased by different persons, and at different times, but finally united by particular agree- ments in one town. There were four proprieties, as they were called. That which has been called the first, was a purchase of five miles in length and three in width, extend- ing from Windham line on the north-east part, south-west- erly to the bounds of Hebron and Colchester. This pur- chase was made of Owanecho, sachem of the Mohegans. This grant bears date in 1698, and is called the five mile purchase. The second propriety, as it has been called, was a tract of five miles in length and one in width, lying south of the five mile purchase and adjoining to it. This is called the Fitch and Mason, or mile purchase. It was a grant made by the aforesaid Owanecho to the Rev. Mr. Fitch and the famous Major John Mason. This grant was made in 1695, and the tract originally belonged to the town of Norwich.
The third propriety was termed the Clark and Dewy purchase, from the names of the first owners and settlers,
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Book II. This tract was obtained in the year 1706. This adjoined the five mile purchase on the northerly side, extending from the Windham bounds on the easterly part, to Hebron on the westerly ; and from the said five mile purchase, southerly, to the Mansfield and Coventry bounds on the north side. It was of a triangular form, leaving a small gore between the five mile and Windham bounds. The greatest length of the hypothenuse of the triangle was about eight miles, and the greatest breadth or perpendicular at the Hebron line was nearly six miles, forming a very acute angle at the north-eastern extremity.
The fourth propriety, the small gore already mentioned, lying; between the five mile and the Clark and Dewy pur- chase, was called the Whiting purchase. This was about half a mile in length, and from ten to two hundred rods in width. This was annexed to the town of Lebanon about the year 1715. This completed the original dimensions of the town.
These several parcels were united, by agreements be- tween the settlers, about the year 1700. The settlers on the one mile propriety, wished, for the convenience of pub- lic worship and ecclesiastical purposes, to be joined to those of the five mile purchase, and an agreement was made on this condition, that the meeting-house should be placed in the centre line of the two tracts north and south.
The inhabitants of the northern tracts united with the southern, in beginning a town with them. A certain part of the inhabitants of the northern purchase, called the vil- lage, lying north of five mile purchase, upon their desire, were admitted to associate in their public worship with the first society, until they slrould be able to support the gos- pel among themselves, upon this express stipulation, that. they would make no attempt to disturb the then established place of public worship.
New-Milford, which is the second town in the county of Litchfield, and was the chief seat of the Indian kingdom, in that part of the colony, also merits a more particular de- scription than was given of it in the first volume. Upon the petition of the people of Milford, in May, 1702, the General Assembly granted them liberty to purchase a town- ship at Wyantenock,* and directed them to make a report of their doings to the assembly. The next March they made an extensive purchase of the natives. In October, 1704, the legislature enacted, that the tract purchased by the people of Milford, should be a township, by the name
* This is the spelling on the Records ; but it is spelt, Oweantonoge. more generally.
1704.
CHAP. VI. CONNECTICUT. 8.3
of New-Milford ; and that it should be settled in five years. Book II. The town plot to be fixed by a committee appointed by the assembly.f The town is situate on both sides of the Hou- 1704. satonick,t or Stratford river. The river enters it at the north-west corner, and running a meandering course of about twenty miles, goes out at the south-east corner. The longest straight line of the town, from north-west to south- cast, is about eighteen miles. Its original limits were much more extensive than its present boundaries. Two consid- erable defalcations have been made from the original town- ship. One at the south end, west of the river, which forms a part of the town of Brookfield ; and another on the north- east corner, which is now part of the town of Washington, comprising a large part of the society of New-Preston. About two miles below the centre of the town, is a fall in the river, which the Indians called Metichawon ; the Eng- lish, the Great Falls. These stopped the progress of the large fish, and made it formerly one of the best fishing places for shad, herring, &c. in the colony. But by rea- son of seines and embarrassments below, it is now made of little importance for fishing.
This township was the principal seat of the Indians in the county of Litchfield. The seat of the chief sachem was near the Great Falls. His name was Wehononague, a man of uncommon powers of mind, sober and regular in his life, who took much pains to suppress the vices of the Indians. When the English were first acquainted with him, he was supposed to command about two hundred war- riors. The whole number of Indians might be one thou- sand. The other clans of Indians in the county, at Pom- parague, (Woodbury ;} Bantom, (Litchfield;) Piscata- cook, (Kent ;) Weatauge, (Salisbury ;) and the adjacent. parts, were supposed to be in the strictest league of friend- ship with the Indians at Wyantenock, otherwise Oweanto- noge. The palace of the chief sachem, where he com- monly resided, was near the Great Falls. The tradition is, that it was constructed of barks, with the smooth side inwards, on which were pictures of all known species of beasts, birds, fishes and insects ; drawn by an artist sent to him by a friendly prince, from a great distance.
There was no white man settled in the township until 1707. This year John Noble, from Westfield, began the settlement. Sometime after he was joined by John Bostwick, from Stratford. But the settlement was retard- ed and went on slowly, by reason of a dispute relative to the
+ Records of the colony.
# Sometimes spelt Ousatonic,
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Book II. title. One John Read laid claim to a considerable tract, by virtue of a purchase which he had made of the natives : and the better to support his title, he now moved on to the land and took formal possession. This was the occa- sion of a tedious law suit, and much discouraged the set- tlers under the company's title. In 1712, there were but twelve families in the town ; but the next year a consid- erable number joined them, and the town was incorpo- rated.
The first minister was the Rev. Daniel Boardman, or- dained, November 21st, 1716. Finding Wehononague, the Indian sachem, to be a discreet and friendly man, he took much pains to instruct him, and from the character he gave of him, it appears that he professed repentance for his sins and faith in Christ, and died a christian. In a letter to a particular gentleman, he calls him, " That " distinguished sachem, whose great abilities and cminent "virtues, joined with his extensive dominion, rendered him " the most potent prince of that or any other day in this "colony : and his name ought to be recorded by the faith- " ful historian as much as that of any crowned head since "" his was laid in the dust."
These Indians, about the years 1742 and 1743, were visited by the Moravian missionaries, under count Zinzin- dorf. These missionaries tarried with them several years, and appeared to be very religious, peaceable, inoffensive men. At this time there appeared to be almost a perfect reformation among those Indians. Almost their whole dis- course, when among the English, was upon religious sub- jects. Nearly an hundred and twenty were baptized, principally at Piscatacook, or Kent. They spent much of their time in religious worship, public and private. After some time, the missionaries prevailed with them to remove to Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania. This change of climate proved fatal to many of them, especially the old people. The remnant of them, discouraged by sickness, returned to Piscatacook. They appeared to forget their religion, fell into intemperance and appeared to be wasting away .*.
As the settlement of the lands granted by the royal char- ter was an object constantly kept in view by the legisla- ture, and which they were anxiously engaged to effect, they selected convenient tracts of land and laid them out into townships, and gave all proper encouragements to ad- venturers who were willing to encounter the hardships and dangers of new settlements. As there was a good tract of
* Manuscripts of an aged worthy gentleman of New-Milford, compared with the Moravian printed account of missions.
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land lying west of Pomfret, and north of Mansfield, ad- Book II. joining Crystal Pond, they, in 1706, granted a township six miles square, by the name of Ashford. The settle- ment of the town, however, did not commence until 1710, when two families moved on to the lands. In about four Ashford years the inhabitants were so increased, that upon their incorpo- petition, in 1714, the Assembly vested them with the priv- rated, ileges of a distinct town. Their first minister was the 1714. Rev. James Hale, ordained, November 26th, 1718. The Crystal pond, mentioned in the grant of the township, is at the north east corner of the town. It is about a mile in length, north and south, and half a mile in breadth. Why it was named the Crystal pond, is not known at this day; the conjecture however is, that it was derived from the clearness of the water, and the whiteness of the sand at the south end of the pond.
About the same time measures were adopted for the set- tlement of another township in the same vicinity. A num- ber of gentlemen in Windsor, made a purchase of the na- tive proprietors of a tract six miles square, lying north of Coventry, and east of the ancient boundaries of Windsor. In 1713, they appointed a committee who laid out a num- ber of lots, and made grants to such as were willing to be- come purchasers. Upon the petition of the Windsor claim- Tolland ants, the Assembly, in 1715, incorporated them by the rated, name of Tolland. It was bounded south on Coventry, east 1715. on Willamantic river, and is now bounded west partly on Bolton and partly on East-Windsor, or what is called Ellington. Its north boundary was also East-Windsor, or Ellington. Two families the same year began the settle- ment of the town. But the progress of the settlement was very slow. In 1720, the number of families was but twen- ty eight. About one half of the township, comprising the south part, was claimed by a number of gentlemen, who were legatees of Joshua Uncas, sachem of the Mohegan Indians. This proved to be a source of great difficulty and trouble ; and, doubtless, very considerably retarded the settlement of the town. The legatees commenced suits at law against the settlers : and while the title of the land was in controversy, the legislature declined giving them a patent. The affair finally came to this issue. The proprietors holding under the Windsor claimants were obliged, at a dear rate, to purchase quitclaims of the le- gatees of Joshua. In consequence of this, the patent of the town was granted, by the governor and company, in 1728.
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