History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 6

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317

USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 6

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The English planters took the part of the Name- augs against Uncas, and labored to soften the severity of his treatment of them. In consequence thereof he became jealous of Governor Winthrop, and sought in various ways to terrify and intimidate the inhab- itants of the new settlement.

The first display of Uncas' displeasure towards the planters, on account of their partiality to the Nameaugs, took place in 1646. The Rev. Thomas Peters, then residing at New London, had been seri- ously indisposed, and with returning health his appe- tite craved some venison, which he requested the Na- meaugs to procure for him.

Fearing that Uncas might interfere, they hesitated at first, for he claimed the sole privilege of making a hunt in his dominions ; but being encouraged, and wishing to gain the friendship of the planters, they concluded to make the attempt. But before engaging in the sport they sought an alliance with the Pequots and Eastern Niantics under Harmon Garret; so Rob- bin, with twenty of his men, accompanied by a num- ber of the whites, crossed the river, and joined their friends under Wequash Cook, and sallied forth with high hopes of catching a fine deer for Mr. Peters.

But Uncas, who had obtained notice of their design, waylaid them with about three hundred of his war- riors. Watching a favorable opportunity, they sprang forth from their hiding-place, completely surprising the sportsmen, whom they drove in every direction, pursuing the Nameaugs back to the new plantation, wounding several of them severely, and plundering some of their habitations, and threaten ag to pillage the whites, who became alarmed at such hostile dem- onstrations.

During the month of September, 1646, the com- missioners of the United Colonies met at New Haven, and Mr. Peters complained of Uncas for interfering with his huntsmen, who were peaceably engaged in hunting on the old Pequot territory, only a part of which belonged to him, whereupon he was summoned to appear and answer for himself.

He went to New Haven, and asserted his right to control the Nameaugs, under the tripartite treaty of

THE PEQUOT INDIANS.

1638 ; and further, that a large number of his subjects had been lured from him under the plea of submitting to the English. He managed his case with so much shrewdness and address before the commissioners that he obtained their favor, and Mr. Peters with his co- adjutors were unceremoniously dismissed ; so Uncas came off victorious.

At the next meeting of the commissioners, which took place in July, 1647, Governor Winthrop put in an appearance, with a petition signed by sixty-two Pequots residing at or near Noank, entreating to be released from the tyranny of Uncas, and to be allowed to settle together in one place, under the protection of the English. After a full hearing, Uncas was fitly rebuked for his sinful miscarriages, and fined one hundred fathoms of wampum; but the Pequots were ordered to return to his control, and to amalgamate with the Mohegans, an order which was never carried into effect.

By this time a large portion of the Indians under Robbin had taken up their residence at or near Noank, where they had a good opportunity to fish and raise corn for a living.

In 1648 the commissioners again re-enacted their decree, and ordered all the Nameaugs to remain under the sway of Uncas. The commissioners continued to favor his claims to the control of the Nameangs, and disapproved of their withdrawing from him; but in 1649 consented that they might go and settle by them- selves in some place that would not prejudice the town of New London, and also on condition that they would own Uncas as their chief sachem.

About this time, and for several years after, the haughty Mohegan had his hands full to keep clear of the grasp of his Indian foes. From the time he exe- cuted Miantonomoh until 1660, and in fact until Norwich was settled by the English, Uncas was re- peatedly driven from Mohegan, and compelled to seek shelter among the western Niantics ; nor does it appear that he ever lorded it over the Nameaugs after they were located in the vicinity of Noank under the immediate control of Robbin, where for a few years only they were permitted to live in peace, and not again to be disturbed by Uncas, but by the English.

It was during the year 1649 that Chesebrough began the settlement of Stonington, which was soon followed by grants of land by New London to Winthrop, Ma- son, Stanton, Denison, Miner, Burrows, Gallup, and others, between the Thames and Pawcatuck Rivers, covering the most eligible locations along the sea- shore, some of which included lands planted by the Nameaugs. The Indians did not confine their plant- ing to their villages, but broke up land wherever they could hold control from planting to harvest-time.

The English claimed all the Pequot territory as be- longing to them by conquest; not only the jurisdiction, but the fee thereof. They regarded these Indian set- tlements as only by sufferance and for temporary pur- poses. It was the object of the English, after the 3

Pequot war of 1637, to merge the remnant of that tribe with the Mohegans and Narragansetts, so as to uncover and open up all their lands to the English for settlement.

It will be remembered that by the treaties between the English and Indians at Hartford in 1638 and at Boston in 1645 the Pequots were required to pay tribute to the English, which for some reason was not carried into full effect until 1650, when the commis- sioners appointed Thomas Stanton to demand and receive it, and make a return yearly of the amount collected.

In 1651, Mr. Stanton reported to the commissioners at New Haven that he had collected three hundred and twelve fathoms of wampum from all the clans of the Pequots. When this tribute was laid down before the commissioners, Uncas and others, who claimed that the Pequots were tributary to them, demanded to know why this tribute was required, and how long it would continue, and whether it would be visited upon their children. The commissioner, by Thomas Stanton, said that this tribute was by agreement due yearly since 1638; that it was required of them for sundry murders, without provocation, committed by them upon several of the English at different times, as they had opportunity,-refusing to deliver up the murderers or to do justice upon them; hence the tribute, which had not been paid, and twelve years' tribute was then dne. But on further consideration it was declared by the commissioners "that upon the payment of the same for ten years thereafter they should be free therefrom (unless they drew trouble upon themselves)."

During the years 1653 and 1654, Ninigret became involved in war with the Long Island Indians, very much against the policy and wishes of the commis- sioners. He had neglected to collect and pay the wampum tribute due the English from the Pequots living with his tribe, and had also employed them in his expeditions against the Long Island Indians. Upon his being called to account by the commission- ers for the course he was pursuing, he answered them defiantly; whereupon they ordered a large number of men to assemble and rendezvous at Thomas Stanton's, in Stonington, and with him to go and take the Pequots from Ninigret. The men were mustered in as ordered, and marched to Ninigret's fort, and demanded an inter- view with him, but he was not there. After manœu- vring awhile they learned his whereabouts, and finally succeeded in making a treaty with him, by which he gave up the Pequots and they consented to the control of the English.

About eighteen years had now elapsed since the Pequot war, during which time the English had made every possible effort to merge and amalgamate the Pe- quots with the Mohegan, Niantic, and Narragansett tribes, but in vain. So in 1655 the commissioners decided to take a new departure and adopt a differ- ent policy, by which the Pequots should remain in

HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

two distinct tribes or bands, one at Misquamicut (Westerly) and the other at Noank (Groton). The commissioners adopted certain orders and instructions for their government, and then appointed Cassasina- mon governor of the Groton tribe, and Wequash Cook of the Westerly tribe, commanding them to obey their governors at their peril. The wampum tribute was to be paid to Thomas Stanton, and by him reported to the commissioners.

In 1656, Cassasinamon and Wequash Cook were re- appointed governors of the Pequots, and at their re- quest, for certain reasons, Mr. Winthrop, Maj. Mason, and Capt. Denison were appointed to assist them in compelling the obedience of the Pequots.

In 1657, when Cassasinamon and Wequash Cook made their annual report to the commissioners, they made application for more land for the use of their respective tribes, and after due consideration it was agreed and ordered by the commissioners that We- quash Cook and his company should have a meet pro- portion of land at Squamicut. This was really an en- largement of the land then occupied by them. It was also ordered that Cassasinamon and his company should have a fit proportion of land allowed them at Waremouke, near the path that leads from Mystic River to Moheag, about five or six iniles from the month of Mystic River, and advised the General Court of Connecticut to appoint proper persons to bound out the same for them.

Connecticut did not at first, nor until 1666, respond to the order of the commissioners to lay out land for the Pequots.

After the Pequot war Connecticut claimed the entire conquered Pequot territory. Massachusetts, which furnished men and means for the war, also claimed a share thereof. The matter was referred to the commissioners of the United Colonies, who in 1658 decided that all of that territory lying west of Mystic River should belong to Connecticut, and all east of that river should belong to Massachusetts. Prior to this, and as early as 1649, Connecticut had asserted jurisdiction as far east as Wecapaug Brook, and had made liberal grants of land to the early planters there.

After the decision by the commissioners in 1658, Massachusetts granted land to Harvard College (in- cluding Watch Hill), and made liberal grants to other parties, covering the entire lands occupied and planted by the Pawcatuck Pequots, and nearly half of the present town of Stonington.

In 1660, Sosoa, who claimed to be a valorous Nar- ragansett chieftain, but by some believed to be a ren- egade Pequot captain, sold Misquamicut, or all the land between Pawcatuck River on the west and We- capaug Brook on the east, to William Vaughn, Rob- ert Stanton, and others, who took possession the next year, under the authority of the colony of Rhode Island, ousting the Massachusetts claimants as well as the Pequots. A long and bitter controversy en-

sued between the colonies, as well as among the planters and Indians.

It will be remembered that the commissioners in 1658 had assigned Misquamicut lands to Harmon Garret's company of the Pequots, and at their session in 1660 advised said Indians to keep their possessions, and urged the Connecticut colony to lay out lands for Cassasinamon at Warramouke.

In 1661, the commissioners, recognizing the Massa- chusetts and Connecticut grants, suggested an ar- rangement which was agreed to all around, which was that the Indians should occupy their grounds for five years and then go to new land, which was to be assigned them by the Massachusetts General Court, reserving the right of travel to the river and sea.

At the same time the Connecticut people were stirred up to lay out lands for Cassasinamon. Com- plaint was also made against the Rhode Island planters, who were then occupying some of the lands in question, whereupon the commissioners wrote a letter to the Governor of Rhode Island protesting against their doings. A message was also sent to Harmon Garret forbidding him to sell any lands near Wecapaug.

Soon after the Rhode Island men took possession of Misquamicut (Westerly) they drove the Pequots from their planting-grounds at Massatuxet over Paw- catuck River into the town of Southertown (now Stonington), where they broke up and planted lands belonging to the English planters, by whom they were not disturbed.

It was in view of this condition of affairs that the Massachusetts General Court, instead of following the advice of the commissioners, that the Pawcatuck Indians should retain possession of their lands at Misquamicut until 1665, granted them eight thousand acres of land, the same to be located on the Pequot territory in Stonington.

The next year the commissioners ordered that this land should be laid out at Cosattuck, now North Stonington, or in some other place satisfactory to the Indians. They also wrote a letter to Southertown, saying that three thousand acres would be as little as could well satisfy them, also reminding the town that one thousand acres had been promised the Indians at Cawsut Neck before any English grants were made. This land was finally laid out at Cosattuck, in such a manner as to include some English grants already occupied by the planters.

As soon as the town ascertained the boundaries of the Indian lands at Cosattuck a meeting was called, in 1664, which refused to assent to the settlement proposed by the commissioners, and appointed a com- mittee to go and warn the Indians off of the town lands.

By the charter of King Charles II., of 1662, South- ertown had again become a part of the Connecticut colony; so the town in 1665 appealed to the Gen- eral Court of Connecticut for redress, who appointed a

THE PEQUOT INDIANS.

committee to consider the matter and report back to the court.

This committee decided against the town, who re- monstrated, and the court ordered the committee to revise their work, which was done, and after mature deliberation an agreement was reached in October, 1666, and another committee was appointed to lay out lands for the Pequots at Pachog, outside of the bounds of Stonington.

But no lands were laid out for them at Pachog, nor in any other place, mainly because there was not at that time an unoccupied tract large enough for their wants; and wherever a portion was designated for them it would be found intrenching upon some English grants.

Pending all these proceedings, the Indians were dispossessed of their land at Misquamicut; but not so in Stonington, for they occupied and planted land wherever they could find it uninclosed by the English. When they first crossed the river in 1661 a majority of them located themselves at Pawcatuck and Cawsut Neck, near the salt water. Thomas Stanton and the heirs of Walter Palmer held grants of these lands from the colony of Connecticut, and they labored to have the Pequots removed to Cosattuck, which was an inland place.

Catapeset, a son of Harmon Garret, with a consid- erable company of the Pequots, located themselves on Taugwonk, on lands belonging at the time to Ephraim Miner. There they remained for a long time, cultivating some of the best land in Stonington, and there they had a village, and there to-day is their burial-place.

Stanton and the Palmers did not succeed in getting rid of the Indians for a number of years, though under their influence a large part of them went up to Cosattuck to live, while a large part of their young men lived with and worked for the English. Pawca- tuck River was their favorite fishing-place, and after their removal, for years and years, they would with every returning spring repair to their old haunts, and remain during the fishing season, and carry back to their inland wigwams an innumerable host of smoked buckies.

For several years after their failure to secure eight thousand acres of land at Cosattuck they were none of the best of neighbors. They were so much dis- satisfied that in 1669-70 they lent a listening ear to the wily messengers of King Philip, and their chief men attended a big dance at Robbinstown, where were congregated a large number of Indians hitherto hostile to each other. But through the influence of Mason, Stanton, Denison, and others they were per- suaded to remain friendly to the English, and finally took up arms in their defense.

At the swamp fight in Rhode Island, in 1675, Capt. John Gallup, of Stonington, commanded the warriors of Harmon's company, and Capt. James Avery, of New London, commanded the warriors of Cassasina-

mon's company, where they distinguished themselves for their bravery and fidelity to the English.

They also joined the expeditions under Capt. George Denison against the Narragansett Indians and the remnant of King Philip's men, and performed good service.

Harmon and Cassasinamon were present and as- sisted in capturing Quonochut in Rhode Island, and aided at his execution at Anguilla Lands, in Stoning- ton, in 1676, for all of which they received valuable presents from the English, and were afterwards treated with more lenity by them.

In October, 1676, Harmon and his son Catapset gave to the English a quit-claim deed of all their lands in Stonington bounds, on condition that the General Court of Connecticut would restore to them their old grounds at Misquamicut, which the court undertook to do, and granted them more than one- half of the present town of Westerly. It is difficult to tell what sort of a title, if any, either party had to the lands conveyed. The Indians did not undertake to get possession of Misquamicut again, nor abandon their Stonington lands.

The year previous the General Court enacted a code of laws for the Pequot Indians under Cassasinamon and Harmon Garret, and authorized the appointment of an Indian constable to execute their laws. The General Court continued these sachems in power as governors of their respective tribes as long as they lived, and after their death selected and appointed trustworthy Pequots to fill their places, with English assistants to aid them in the discharge of their duties, until 1699, after which the Indian governors were dispensed with, and guardians and overseers were substituted in their places.

Harmon Garret did not live to see his tribe settled on land they could call their own, nor did he get even a glimpse of his promised land. He died in 1678, leaving a will, by which he bequeathed land to Maj. John Talcott and John Allen, one hundred acres each.

After his death, Momoho, a noted Pequot, was ap- pointed governor in place of Harmon Garret, whose first exploit was to lure Cassasinamon's company away from him. He so far succeeded as to cause a portion of them to ask the General Court for liberty to join Momoho, but before the matter came up for a hearing they withdrew their application and aban- doned the project.

Notwithstanding the promises made to the Indians, no lands had as yet been assigned to the Pequots in Stonington as a permanent home for them to occupy, either by the General Court or the town of Stonington.

Most of the Indians hired lands of the English to plant with corn, paying the rent in labor for the owners. But this paying rent for lands once their own, and being compelled almost every year to change their habitations and break up new lands, was not at all agreeable to the Indians, and they made repeated efforts to secure for themselves a permanent home.

HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

In May, 1678, they petitioned the General Court for lands for that purpose. The court appointed Capt. James Avery and Capt. George Denison a committee to consider where may be found a suitable tract of land for Momoho and the Pequots with him, and to be as near the sea as convenient.

What was done by this committee does not appear, but the General Court, in May, 1679, advised the town of Stonington to lay out a sufficient tract of land for the Indians to plant, on or as near the sea as may be, -- five lıundred acres at least.

The town declined to act upon the court's advice, and in October following the General Court appointed another committee, consisting of Mr. Willis, Maj. John Talcott, and Capt. John Allen, to treat with Mr. John Pyncheon, of Springfield, for lands for Momoho and his company.

In 1680 the court notes the fact that said committee had been treating with Maj. Pyncheon for lands for Momoho near the sea, and that Mr. Pyncheon had taken the same into consideration ; but if that failed, then other lands as convenient as can be should be procured and laid out for them.

In May, 1681, another committee was appointed by the General Court to procure a commodious tract of land for Momoho and his company, either by ex- change or moderate purchase.

The town of Stonington had been from the outset opposed to the location of these Indians within their boundaries, and in 1681 they made an effort to pur- chase lands of Catapeset, situated in the town of Westerly, R. I., and the General Court granted liberty to Nehemiah Palmer, of Stonington, to purchase said land on certain conditions, and Catapeset agreed to sell a part of said tract to the town of Stonington for twenty pounds; but Westerly men disputed Cata- peset's title, and the town abandoned the purchase.

The next year, in May, the General Court appointed another committee to buy lands for these Pequots and to sell lands hitherto reserved for them, and to apply the avails in payment thereof.

In May, 1683, the General Court appointed another committee to move the people of Stonington to lay out a suitable tract of land for them; but if they neglected to do it, the committee were to use their best endeavors to suit the Indians with a commodious tract of land, which they were to procure by exchange of colony land, or by settling them on some unim- proved or colony land, intimating that the law re- quired every town to provide for their own Indians.

But the town refused to make any provision for the Pequots that looked to their permanent location in Stonington. So this committee purchased a tract of land of Mr. Isaac Wheeler, containing about two hundred and eighty acres, situated in said town, a little way south of Lantern Hill. The deed was dated May 24, 1683, and conveyed the land to said com- mittee in trust for the benefit of said Indians, reserv- ing the herbage for Mr. Wheeler, who received in

payment for said tract five hundred acres of colony land.

This purchase was confirmed by the General Court at its October session in 1683, and so to remain during the court's pleasure. Momoho and his tribe reluc- tantly abandoned their claim to lands by the seaside, and at last found an abiding-place bordering upon the sources of the Mystic River.

There they found a permanent home, and there, among those grand old hills, they and their descend- ants have resided ever since, and the land is now held by the State in trust for their benefit. The res- ervation of the herbage in Mr. Wheeler's deed led to a good deal of trouble for the Indians, because it compelled them to fence every patch they planted to protect it from his cattle, and prevented the Indians from owning or keeping cattle for themselves.

Mr. Wheeler, in 1685, took up three hundred acres of his said colony land within the present town of Plainfield, and another tract of three hundred acres at Pachog. Owaneco claimed the Pachog land, which claim Mr. Wheeler purchased for three pounds.

Mr. Wheeler's youngest daughter, Experience, mar- ried the Rev. Joseph Coit, of Plainfield, who in 1713 petitioned the General Assembly to lay out to him the three hundred acres of land granted to Mr. Wheeler in Plainfield, which Assembly directed the surveyor of New London County to lay out said land to Mr. Coit, who was the grantee of said Wheeler's right, and to lay it out at the choice of Mr. Coit and the people of his charge.

Isaac Wheeler, by his last will and testament, dated 1712, gave, with lands adjoining, his said right of herbage to his son, William Wheeler, who, by his last will, dated 1747, gave the same to two of his sons-in- law, viz., William Williams and Nathan Crary.

Some time before 1716, Samuel Miner, of Stoning- ton, and his brother-in-law, Josiah Grant, formerly of the town of Windsor, purchased four grants of land made by the General Court of Connecticut in 1671 and 1672 to certain Pequot soldiers, containing in the whole just two hundred and eighty acres.

In 1716, Mr. Miner (having previously purchased Mr. Grant's interest in said land grants) laid out and located the same upon the land sold by Mr. Isaac Wheeler to the colony for the benefit of the Pequots, and laid claim on the same; which claim was not only resisted by the Indians, but by Mr. Wheeler, because if allowed it would extinguish his right of herbage on said lands.

After the death of Mr. Miner, his brother, James Miner, as his executor, brought in 1723 a petition to the General Assembly, praying that his late brother's grants laid out upon said tract of land might be con- firmed to him, saving to the Indians what might be needful for them; whereupon the Assembly appointed a committee to investigate the matter, first giving notice to all parties interested.

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History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 6

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1317

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317