USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > West Brookfield > Historical discourse : delivered at West Brookfield, Mass., Nov. 27, 1828, on the day of the annual Thanksgiving > Part 3
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eight men, viz .- Zechariah Phillips of Boston, Timothy Far- low,* of Billericay, Edward Coleborn, of Chelmsford, Samuel Smedly, of Concord, Sydrach Hopgood, of Sudbury, Serjeant Eyres,t Serjeant Prichard,; and Corporal Coy, ยง the inhabitants' of Brookfield, aforesaid. It being the good pleasure of God,. that they should all there fall by their hands, of whose good in- tentions they were so confident, and whom they so little mis- trusted. There were also then five persons wounded, viz .- Captain Hutchinson, myself, and my son Thomas, as aforesaid, Corporal French, II of Billericay, who having killed an Indian, was (as he was taking up his gun), shot, and part of one of his thumbs taken off, and also dangerously wounded through the body near the shoulder ; the fifth was John Waldoe, of Chelms- ford, who was not so dangerously wounded as the rest. They also then killed five of our horses, and wounded some more, which soon died after they came to Brookfield. Upon this sud- den and unexpected blow given us, (wherein we desire to look higher than man the instrument,) we returned to the town as fast as the badness of the way, and the weakness of our wound- ed men would permit, we being then ten miles from it. All the while we were going, we durst not stay to stanch the bleed- ing of our wounded men, for fear the enemy should have sur- prized us again, which they attempted to do, and had in prob- ability done, but that we perceiving which way they went, wheeled off to the other hand, and so by God's good providence towards us, they missed us, and we all came readily pon, and safely to the town, though none of us knew the way to it, those of the place being slain, as aforesaid, and we avoiding any thick woods and riding in open places to prevent danger by them. Being got to the town, we speedily betook ourselves to one of the largest and strongest houses therein, where we fortified our-
* Timothy Farley was son of George Farley, one of the first settlers of Billerica,
t John Ayres. # Joseph Pritchard. & John Coye.
T Corporal John French was son of Lient. William French of Billerica. He went from Cambridge with his father to Billerica, about 1654, and lived ; there until his death in October, 1712, aged about 78.
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selves inthebest manner we could in such straits of time, and there resolved to keep garrison, though we were but few, and meanly fitted to make resistance against so furious enemies. The news of the Indians' treacherous dealing with us, and the loss of so many of our company thereby, did so amaze the in- habitants of he town, that they being informed thereof by us, presently left their houses, divers of them carrying very little away with them, they being afraid of the Indians sudden com. ing upon them ; and so came to the house we were entered in- to, very meanly provided of cloathing or furnished with provi- sions.
I perceiving myself to be disenabled for the discharge of the duties of my place by reason of the wound I had received, and apprehending that the enemy would soon come to spoil the town and assault us in the house, I appointed Simon Davis, of Con- cord, James Richardson,* and John Fiske,t of Chelmsford, to manage affairs for our safety with those few men whom God hath left us, and were fit for any service, and the inhabitants of the said town ; who did well and commendably perform the duties of the trust committed to them with much courage and resolutiou through the assistance of our gracious God, who did not leave us in our low and distressed state, but did mercifully appear for us in our greatest need, as in the sequel will clearly be manifested. Within two hours after our coming to the said house, or less, the said Captain Hutchinson and myself posted away Epraim Curtis, of Sudbury, and IIenry Young, of Con- cord, to go to the Honored Council at Boston, to give them an account of the Lord's dealing with us, and our present con- dition. When they came to the further end of the town they
* James Richardson is supposed to have been brother to Capt. Josiah Richardson, of Chelmsford, who died 22 July, 1695, the ancestor of the Hon. Judge Richardson, of Chester. He went from Woburn, the hive from which issued most of the Richardsons, to Chelmsford, in 166 -. The first Richardson who came to the Massachusetts colony was Ezekiel Richardson, who was made a freeman, in May, 1631, and was afterwards a deputy of the General Court Samuel and Thomas were made freemen, 2 May, 1638, and they settled in Woburn, as did also, it is believed, Ezekiel, though not upon his first coming here.
t John Fiske was son of Rev. John Fiske, first minister of Chelmsford.
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saw the enemy rifling of houses which the inhabitants had for- saken. The post fired upon them, and immediately returned to us again, they discerning no safety in going forward and being desirous to inform us of the enemies' actings, that we might the more prepare for a sudden assault by them. Which indeed presently followed, for as soon as the said post was come back to us, the barbarous heathen pressed upon us in the house with great violence, sending in their shot amongst us like hail, through the walls, and shouting as if they would have swallow- ed us up alive ; but our good God wrought wonderfully for us, so that there was but one man wounded within the house, viz. -the said Henry Young, who, looking out of the garret win- dow that evening, was mortally wounded by a shot, of which wound he died within two days after. There was the same day another man slain, but not in the house ; a son of Serjeant + Prichard's adventuring out of the house wherein we were, to his father's house not far from it, to fetch more goods out of it, was caught by these cruel enemies as they were coming to- wards us, who cut off his head, kicking it about like a foot-ball, and then putting it upon a pole, they set it up before the door of his father's house in our sight.
The night following the said blow, they did roar against us like so many wild bulls, sending in their shot amongst us till towards the moon rising, which was about three of the clock ; at which time they attempted to fire our house by hay and other combustible matter which they brought to one corner of the house, and set it on fire. Whereupon some of our company were necessitated to expose themselves to very great danger to put it out. Simon Davis, one of the three appointed by myself as Captain, to supply my place by reason of my wounds, as aforesaid, he being of a lively spirit, encouraged the soldiers within the house to fire upon the Indians ; and also those that adventured out to put out the fire, (which began to rage and kindle upon the house side,) with these and the like words, that God is with us, and fights for us, and will deliver us out of the hands of these heathen ; which expressions of his the Indians hearing, they shouted and scoffed, saying : now sce how your
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God delivers you, or will deliver you, sending in many shots whilst our men were putting out the fire. But the Lord of Hosts wrought very graciously for us, in preserving our bodies both within and without the house from their shot, and our house from being consumed by fire, we had but two men wounded in that attempt of theirs, but we apprehended that we killed divers of our enemies. I being desirous to hasten intelli- gence to the Honored Council, of our present great distress, we being so remote from any succor, (it being between sixty and seventy miles from us to Boston, where the Council useth to sit) and fearing our ammunition would not last long to with- stand them, if they continued so to assault us, I spake to Ephraim Curtis to adventure forth again on that service, and to attempt it on foot, as the way wherein there was most hope of getting away undiscovered ; he readily assented, and according- ly went out, but there were so many Indians every where there- abouts, that he could not pass, without apparent hazard of life, so he came back again, but towards morning the said Ephraim adventured forth the third time, and was fain to creep on his hands and knees for some space of ground, that he might not be discerned by the enemy, who waited to prevent our sending if they could have hindered it. But through God's mercy he escaped their hands, and got safely to Marlborough, though very much spent, and ready to faint by reason of want of sleep before he went from us, and his sore travel night and day in that hot season till he got thither, from whence he went to Boston ; yet before the said Ephraim got to Marlborough, there was intelligence brought thither of the burning of some houses, and killing some cattle at Quabaug, by some who were going to Connecticut, but they seeing what was done at the end of the town, and hearing several guns shot off further within the town, they durst proceed no further, but immediate. ly returned to Marlborough, though they then knew not what had befallen Captain Hutchinson and myself, and company, nor of our being there, but that timely intelligence they gave before Ephraim Curtis his coming to Marlborough, occasioned the
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Honored Major Willard's turning his march towards Quabaug, for their relief who were in no small danger every hour of be- ing destroyed ; the said Major being, when he had that intelli- gence, upon his march another way, as he was ordered by the Honored Council, as is afterwards more fully expressed.
The next day being August 3d, they continued shooting and shouting, and proceeded in their former wickedness, blasphem- ing the name of the Lord, and reproaching us, his afflicted ser- vants, scoffing at our prayers as they were sending in their shot apon all quarters of the house and many of them went to the town's meeting house, (which was within twenty rods of the house in which we were) who mocked saying, come and pray, and sing psalms, and in contempt made an hideous noise some- what resembling singing. But we, to our power, did endeav- our our defence, sending our shot amongst them, the Lord giv- ing us courage to resist them, and preserving us from the de struction they sought to bring upon us. On the evening fol- lowing, we saw our enemies carrying several of their dead or wounded men on their backs, who proceeded that night to send in their shot, as they had done the night before, and also still shouted as if the day had been certainly theirs, and they should without fail, have prevailed against us, which they might have the more hopes of in regard that we discerned the coming of new companies to them to assist and strengthen them, and the unlikelihood of any coming to our help. They also used sev- eral stratagems to fire us, namely, by wild fire in cotton and linen rags with brimstone in them, which rags they tyed to the piles of their arrows, sharp for the purpose, and shot them to the roof of our house, after they had set them on fire, which would have much endangered the burning thereof, had we not used means by cutting holes through the roof, and otherwise, to beat the said arrows down, and God being pleased to prosper our endeavors therein .- They carried more combustible mat- ter, as flax and hay, to the sides of the house, and set it on fire, and then flocked apace towards the door of the house, either to prevent our going forth to quench the fire, as we had done be-
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fore, or to kill our men in their attempt to go forth, or else to break into the house by the door ; whereupon we were forced to break down the wall of the house against the fire to put it out. They also shot a ball of wild fire into the garret of the house, which fell amongst a great heap of flax or tow therein, . which one of our soldiers, through God's good Providence espyed, and having water ready presently quenched it; and so we were preserved by the keeper of Israel, both our bodies from their shot, which they sent thick against us, and, and the house from being consumed to ashes, although we were but weak to defend ourselves, we being not above twenty and six men with those of that small town, who were able for any ser- vice, and our enemies, as I judged them about, (if not above,) three hundred, I speak of the least, for many there present did guess them to be four or five hundred. It is the more to be observed, that so little hurt should be done by the enemies' shot, it commonly piercing the walls of the house, and flying amongst the people, and there being in the house fifty women and children besides the men before mentioned. But abroad in the yard, one Thomas Wilson of that town, being sent to fetch water for our help in further need, (that which we had being spent in putting out the fire,) was shot by the enemy in the upper jaw and in the neck, the anguish of which wound was such at the first that he cried out with a great noise, by reason whereof the Indians hearing him rejoiced, and triumphed at it ; but his wound was healed in a short time, praised be God.
On Wednesday, August the 4th, the Indians fortified them- selves at the meeting house, and the barn, belonging to our house, which they fortified both at the great doors, and at both ends, with posts, rails, boards, and hay, to save themselves from our shot. They also devised other stratagems, to fire our house, on the night following, namely, they took a cart, and fil- led it with flax, hay and candle-wood, and other combustible matter, and set up planks, fastened to the cart, to save them- selves from the danger of our shot. Another invention they had to make the more sure work in burning the house. They
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got many poles of a considerable length and bigness, and splic- ed them together at the ends one of another, and made a car- riage of them about fourteen rods long, setting the poles in two rows, with peils laid cross over them at the front end, and di- viding them said poles about three foot asunder, and in the said front of this their carriage they set a barrel, having made an hole through both heads, and put an axle-trec through them, to which they fastened the said poles, and under every joint of the poles where they were spliced, they set up a pair of truckle wheels to bear up the said carriages, and they loaded the front or fore-end thereof with matter fit for firing, as hay, and flax, and chips, &c. Two of these instruments they prepared, that they might convey fire to the house, with the more safety to themselves, they standing at such a distance from our shot, whilst they wheeled them to the house: great store of arrows they had also prepared to shoot fire upon the house that night ; which we found after they were gone, they having left them there. But the Lord who is a present help in times of trouble, and is pleased to make his people's extremity his opportunity, did graciously prevent them of effecting what they hoped they should have done by the aforesaid devices, partly by sending a shower of rain in season, whereby the matter prepared being wet would not so easily take fire as it otherwise would have done, and partly by aid coming to our help. For our danger would have been very great that night, had not the only wise God (blessed for ever) been pleased to send to us about an hour within night the worshipful Major Williard with Captain Par- ker of Groton, and forty-six men more with five Indians to re- lieve us in the low estate into which we were brought; our eyes were unto him the holy one of Israel; in him we desired to place our trust, hoping that he would in the time of our great need appear for our deliverance, and confound all their plots by which they thought themselves most sure to prevail against us ; and God who comforteth the afflicted; as he comforted the holy apostle Paul by the coming of Titus to him, so he greatly com- forted us his distressed servants both soldiers and town inhab-
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itants, by the coming of the said Honored Major, and those with him. In whose so soon coming to us the good providence of God did marvellously appear ; for the help that came to us by the Honored Council's order (after the tidings they receiv- ed by our post sent to them) came not to us till Saturday, Au- gust 7, in the afternoon, nor sooner could it well come in re- gard of their distance from us, i. e. if we had not had help be- fore that time, we see not how we could have held out, the num- ber of the Indians so increasing, and they making so many as- saults upon us, that our ammunition before that time would have been spent, and ourselves disenabled for any resistance, we being but few, and always fain to stand upon our defence ; that we had little time for refreshment of ourselves either by food or sleep; the said Honored Major's coming to us so soon was thus occasioned ; he had a commission from the Honored Council (of which himself was one) to look after some Indians to the west-ward of Lancaster and Groton, (where he himself lived) and to secure them, and was upon his march towards them on the aforesaid Wednesday in the morning, August 4th, when tidings coming to Marlborough by those that returned thither as they were going to Connecticut, concerning what they saw at Brookfield as aforesaid, some of Marlborough know- ing of the said Major's march from Lancaster that morning, presently sent a post to acquaint him with the information they had received ; the Major was gone before the post came to Lancaster; but there was one speedily sent after him, who overtook him about five or six miles from the said town; he being acquainted, that it was feared, that Brookfield (a small town of about fifteen or sixteen families) was either destroyed, or in great danger thereof, and conceiving it to require more speed to succour them (if they were not past help) than to proceed at present, as he before intended, and being also very desirous (if it were possible) to afford relief to them, (he being then not above thirty miles from them) he immediately altered his course and marched with his company toward us; and came to us about an hour after it was dark as aforesaid ; though he
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knew not then, either of our being there nor of what had befal- len us at the swamp and in the house those two days before.
The merciful providence of God also appeared in preventing the danger that the Honored Major and his company might have been in, when they came near us, for those beastly men, our enemies, skilful to destroy, endeavored to prevent any help from coming to our relief, and therefore sent down sentinels, (some nearer and some further off) the furtherest about two miles from us, who if they saw any coming from the bay they might give notice by an alarm. And there were about an hundred of them who for the most part kept at an house some little dis- tance from us, by which if any help came from the said bay ; they must pass, and so they intended (as we conceive) having notice by their sentinels of their approach to way-lay them, and if they could, to cut them off before they came to the house where we kept.
But as we probably guess, they were so intent and busy in preparing their instruments (as abovesaid) for our destruction by fire, that they were not at the house where they used to keep for the purpose aforesaid, and that they heard not their senti- nels when they shot; and so the Major's way was clear from danger till he came to our house. And that it was their pur- pose so to have fallen upon him, or any other coming to us at that house, is the more probable in that (as we have since had intelligence from some of the Indians themselves) there were a party of them at another place who let him pass by them with- out the least hurt or opposition, waiting for a blow to be given him at the said house, and then they themselves to fall upon them in the rear, as they intended to have done with us at the swamp, in case we had fled back as before expressed. The Major and company were no sooner come to the house, and un- derstood (though at first they knew not they were English who were in the house, but thought that they might be Indians, and therefore were ready to have shot at us, till we discerning they were English by the Major's speaking, I caused the trumpet to be sounded) that the said Captain Hutchinson, myself, and
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company with the town's inhabitants were there, but the Indians also discerned that there were some come to our assistance, whereupon they spared not their shot, but poured it out on them : but through the Lord's goodness, though they stood not far asunder one from another, they killed not one man, wound- ed only two of his company ; and killed the Major's son's *horse ; after that, we within the house perceived the Indians shooting so at them, we hastened the Major and all his company into the house as fast as we could, and their horses into a little yard before the house, where they wounded five other horses that night ; after they were come into the house to us, the enemies continued their shooting some considerable time, so that we may well say, had not the Lord been on our side when these cruel heathens rose up against us, they had then swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us. But wherein they dealt proudly, the Lord was above them.
When they saw their divers designs unsuccessful, and their hopes therein disappointed, they then fired the house and barn (wherein they had before kept to lie in wait to surprise any coming to us) that by the light thereof they might the better di- rect their shot at us, but no hurt was done thereby, praised bo
* It does not appear which of the Major's nine sons is referred to. Of a family which has afforded so many descendants, and some of them highly distinguished, it may be proper to give their names and the times of their births, so far as they have been ascertained after the most patient and diligent research.
1. Josiah Willard; (no record of his birth has been found. ) He married Hannah Hosmer in 1657.
2. Simon Willard, born 31st January, 1640. It has been conjectured that this date must refer to Samuel's birth, and that a mistake was made in the Dame.
3. Samuel Willard : (the time of his birth has not been ascertained.) He married Abigail Sherman, and after her death, Eunice Tyng.
4. Henry Willard, born 4th June, 1655.
5. John Willard, born 12th February, 1657.
6. Daniel Willard, born 26th December, 1658.
7. Joseph Willard, born 4th April, 1660.
8. Benjamin Willard, born (time not ascertained. )
9. Jonathan Willard, born 14th December, 1669.
The first six were probably born in Concord, Ms.
The 7th and 9th and perhaps the Sth were born in Lancaster. Further notice of this family may be found in Farmer & Moore's Collections, Vol. I.
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the Lord. And not long after they burnt the meeting house wherein their fortifications were, as also the barn, which be- longed to our house, and so perceiving more strength come to our assistance, they did, as we suppose, despair of effecting any more mischief against us. And therefore the greatest part of them, towards the breaking of the day, August the fifth, went away and left us, and we were quiet from any further molesta- tions by them ; and on the morning we went forth of the house without danger, and so daily afterwards, only one man was wounded about two days after, as he was out to look after hor- ses, by some few of them skulking therebouts. We cannot tell how many of them were killed, in all that time, but one that was afterwards taken, confessed that there were killed and wound- ed, about eighty men or more. Blessed be the Lord God of our salvation, who kept us from being all a prey to their teeth. But before they went away they burnt all the town except the house we kept in, and another that was not then finished, They also made great spoil of the cattle belonging to the inhab- itants ; and after our entrance into the house, and during the time of our confinement there, they either killed or drove away almost all the horses of our company.
We continued there, both well and wounded, towards a fort- night, and August the 10th Capt. Hutchinson and myself with the men there that had escaped without hurt, and also some of the wounded, came from them ; my son Thomas and some other wounded men, came not from them, being not then able to en- dure travelling so far as from thence to the next town, till about a fortnight afterwards. We came to Marlborough on August the 14th, when Capt. Hutchinson being not recovered of his wounds before his coming from Brookfield, and overtired with his long journey, by reason of his weakness, soon after grew worse, and more dangerously ill, and on the 19th day of the same month, died, and was there the next day after buried ;- the Lord being pleased to deny him a return to his own habitation, and his relatives at Boston, though he was come the greatest part of his journey thitherward. The inhabitants of the town
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