USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > West Brookfield > Historical discourse : delivered at West Brookfield, Mass., Nov. 27, 1828, on the day of the annual Thanksgiving > Part 4
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WHEELER'S NARRATIVE.
also, not long after, men, women, and children, removed safely with what they had left, to several places, either where they had lived before their planting or setting down there, or where they had relatives to receive and entertain them. The Honored Major Willard stayed at Brookfield some weeks after our coming away, there being several companies of soldiers sent up thither and to Hadley, and the towns thereabouts, which are about thirty miles from Brookfield, whither also the Major went for a time upon the service of the country in the present war, and from whence there being need of his presence for the ordering of matters concerning his own regiment, and the safety of the towns be- longing to it, he through God's goodness and mercy returned in safety to his home and dear relatives at Groton.
Thus I have endeavored to set down and declare both what the Lord did against us in the loss of several person's lives, and the wounding of others, some of which wounds were very pain- ful in dressing, and long ere they were healed, besides many dangers we were in, and fears we were exercised with ; and also what great things He was pleased to do for us, in frustrating their many attempts, and vouchsafing such a deliverance to us. The Lord avenge the blood that has been shed by these heathen, who hate us without a cause, though he be most righteous in all that hath befallen us there, and all other parts of the country, he help us to humble ourselves before him, and with our whole hearts, to return to him, and also to improve all his mercies, which we still enjoy, that so his anger may cease towards us, and he may be pleased either to make our enemies at peace with us, or may destroy them before us. I tarried at Marlbo- rough with Capt. Hutchinson until his death, and came here to Concord, August 21, (though not then quite recovered of my wound) and so did others that went with me. But since I am reasonably well, though I have not the use of my hand and arm as before : my son Thomas, though in great hazard of his life for some time after his return to Concord, yet is now very well cured, and his strength well restored ! Oh, that we could praise the Lord for his great goodness towards us, that he was pleased
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WHEELER'S NARRATIVE.
to spare so many of us, and add unto our days : he help us whose souls he hath delivered from death and eyes from tears, and feet from falling, to walk before him in the land of the living, till our great change come, and to sanctify his name in all his ways about us, that our afflictions and our mercies may guide us to live more to his glory all our days."
APPENDIX.
IN collecting materials for the preceding discourse various difficulties have been encountered. No records kept by the town previously to 1675 have come down to us. Of those, which commence in 1687, some were destroyed by the burning of the clerk's office; and the rest excepting such as relate to the last 40, or 50 years, are so impaired and mutilated, that it is difficult to obtain from them even a general view of the progress of the town. The records of the church, if any had been kept, previously to 1755, were destroyed or lost more than 50 years ago. As this was an insulated settlement, its early history can- not be learned from the records of the towns, by which it is now surrounded. The following notes collected from various sour- ces are annexed for the purpose of substantiating statements made in the discourse, of illustrating the character of the times and of preserving the knowledge of several facts, which could not be introduced into the Sermon.
A.
The occasion of this notice was, that in the year 1647, three Indians living between this place and Springfield were murder- ed by other Indians ; and in the spring of 1648, five others were killed about half way from this place to Lancaster. On ac- count of these murders some of the Quaboag Indians made friendship with Cutshamoquin sachem of the Massachusetts. They influenced him to procure the Reverend Mr. Elliot to go to the Deputy Governor and solicit his assistance in taking the mur-
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APPENDIX.
derers. An order to assist the Quaboag Indians was forwarded to William Pynchon, Esq. of Springfield. In his reply Mr. Pynchon exposed the subtlety of the Indians, shewed that though they were within the line of this province and subjects of Cutshamoquin, yet neither the murdered, nor the murderers, were subjects of the Government, and that by assisting these In- dians the English would expose themselves to an injurious and destructive war. These statements produced a reversal of the order. The Indians of this section of the country are thus de_ scribed. " There are several small factions at Quaboag, and in all near places there are other small factions. No one faction doth rule all. And one of these petty factions hath made friend- ship with Cutshamoquin, but I believe they will stick no longer to him than the sun shines upon him."
See Winthrop's journal, Appendix vol. 2, p. 384.
By " Quaboag and all near places," it is not improbable, that Mr. Pynchon intended to comprehend the Nipmuc country ge- nerally. The principal settlements of Indians were in Wesha- kim alias Nashua (Lancaster,) Quaboag (Brookfield) Man- choag (Oxford,) Chabanakongkomum (Dudley,) Waeuntug (Uxbridge,) Hassanemesset (Grafton,) Packahoag (part of Worcester and Ward) Maanexit Wabquisset and Quantisset (Woodstock,) Conn.
B.
At a General Court of Election held at Boston the 20th May 1660.
In answer to the petition of several inhabitants of Ipswich; this Court judgeth it meet to grant the petitioners six miles square, or so much land, as shall be contained in such a compass in a place near Quaboag Pond : provided they have twenty families there resident within three years and that they have an able minister settled there within said term, such as this Court shall approve ; and that they make due provision in some way or other for the future; either by setting apart of lands, or
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APPENDIX.
what else shall be thought meet for the continuance of the min- istry amongst them ; and that if they shall fail in any of the par- ticulars aforementioned ; this grant of the Court to be void and of no effect.
C.
" These presents testify, that Shattoockquis, alias Shadookis the sole and proper owner of certain lands at Quaboag here- after named, hath for good and valuable considerations, him the said Shattoockquis, thereunto moving ; given, granted, bargain- ed and sold, and by these presents doth fully, clearly, and abso- lutely give, grant, bargain and sell unto Ensign Thomas Cooper of Springfield, for the use and behoof of the present English planters at Quaboag and their associates and their successors and to them and their heirs forever, certain parcels of land at, towards or about the north end of Quaboag pond, that is to say, beginning at a little meadow at the north end of the pond Qua- boag, which meadow is called Podunk, with the land about it, and so to a little hill Wullamannuck, and from thence northward or north and by east about three miles, and so westward off to the north end of Wickaboag pond, taking in all the plains, meadows and upland from Podunk by Quaboag pond, to Wick- aboag pond, all the land betwixt, as that called Nacommuck (viz. a brook where meadow is) and so to Massaquockcummis, viz. another brook where meadows is, and so through the plain to Wickaboag pond, and then down to Lashaway, viz. the river which comes from Quaboag pond, all the land as aforesaid on the east or the north east side of that river and about three miles north and by east from the river, together with the said river, and the lands on the west side or south or southwest side of the said river, and particularly from Lashaway down the river to a brook or stream called Naultaug, and so up that brook to the head of it southward, and then from the head of that brook to the verge of a hill called Asquoach, and so down southward or south east to that pond Quabong, taking in all the wet meads
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APPENDIX.
dow and meadows called Masquabanish and Nanantomqua, it being about four miles from the river to the verge or foot of the hill aforesaid called Asquoach, and about six miles or near thereabouts from the river at the mouth of the brook called Naltaug, to Quaboag pond all the aforesaid tract of land from Wickaboag to Podunk, at the north end of Quaboag, and from Naltaug, to Quaboag, called Naltaug, Lashaway, Massaquock- cummis, Nacommuck, Wullamannuck, Podunk, Nanantom. qua, Masquabamisk, and so to the hill called Asquoach ; all which land afore described, together with the trees, waters, stones, profits, commodities and advantages thereof and there- unto belonging, the said Ensign Thomas Cooper, for himself, and for the present planters of Quaboag, and their associates and successors, is to have, hold and enjoy, and that forever. And the said Shattoockquis, as well for other considerations, as also for and in consideration of the sum of three hundred fathom of wampumpeage* in hand received, doth grant, bargain and sell all and singular the aforenamed tract of land to Ensign Thomas Cooper, his successors and assigns as aforesaid, and to their heirs forever. And the said Shattoockquis doth hereby covenant and promise to and with the said Ensign Thomas Cooper, that he will save the said Thomas Cooper harmless from all manner of claims of any person or persons lawfully claiming any right or interest in the said lands hereby sold, or in any part thereof, and will defend the same from all, or any molestation and in- cumbrance by any Indians lawfully laying claim or title there- unto. In witness whereof the said Shattoockquis hath here- unto set his hand this tenth day of November 1665.
'"Wompompague," says Mr. Gookin, " is made, artificially, of a part of the wilk's shell, [wholke.] The black is of double the the value of the white. It is made, principally, by the Narragansett black Islanders (Block- Islanders) and Long Island Indians. Upon the sandy flats and shores of those coasts the wilk shells are found."
Hist. Coll. I, 152.
In Roger Williams' Key, Wampum is considered as the Indian money, and is described in the 24th chapter of that interesting tract. "One fathom of this their stringed money is worth five shillings. Their white money they call Wampum, which signifies white; their black, Suckawhock; suki signifying, black."
Hist. Coll. III, 231.
-
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APPENDIX.
delivered in the --
Subscribed and The mark of Shattoockquis.
The mark of Mattawamppe, an Indian presence of witness, who challenging some in-
Elizur Holyoke Samuel Chapin Japhet Chapin.
terest in the land, above sold, received part of the pay, and consented to the sale of it all.
Shattoockquis an Indian above mentioned did own and ac- knowledge this to be his act and deed, resigning up all his right, title and interest in the lands abovementioned, unto Thomas Cooper, his associates and assigns as abovesaid, this tenth day of November 1665.
Before me, John Pynchon, Assistant.
D.
At a second session of the General Court held at Boston the 18th of October, 1673.
In answer to the petition of the inhabitants of Quaboag, the Court judgeth it meet to grant their request, and the liberty and privilege of a Township, and that the name thereof be Brook- field : provided they divide not the whole land of the Town- ship till they be forty or fifty families ; in the mean time their dividings one to another, exceed not two hundred acres to any present inhabitant.
A true copy as of record.
Examined-Josiah Willard, Secretary.
Immediately after the incorporation of the town, Ensign Tho- mas Cooper resigned to them his title to the land by the follow- ing deed.
I, Thomas Cooper above-mentioned, do hereby relinquish and resign up all my right and title in the lands within mention- ed to be bought of Shattoockquis, hereby declaring that my act- ing in the premises was only in the behalf of and for the use and- behoof of the inhabitants of Quaboag (now called Brookfield) and their successors, the purchase of the abovementioned land
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APPENDIX ..
being at their proper cost and charge, who had obtained a grant thereof from the honorable General Court and are now allowed a Town. I do therefore hereby deliver up this instrument or deed of sale to John Warner, Richard Coye and William Pritchard of Quaboag, alias Brookfield, for the use and as the proper right of the inhabitants of Brookfield, the said persons being betrusted by the town or present inhabitants of Brookfield for taking in and receiving this present deed. Wherefore I do hereby deliver it up to them, hereby declaring it and the land therein mentioned 10 be sold, to be, and belong to the present inhabitants of Brook- field as they are a township, and to particular persons only, ac- cording as they have, or shall have grants of land confirmed to them. The whole tract of land above-mentioned I do fully and absolutely resign up to the inhabitants of Brookfield aforesaid, and to their successors and their heirs forever, as witness my hand this 19th day of December 1673.
Thomas Cooper.
December 19th 1673, Lieutenant Thomas Cooper aboro-men- tioned, subscribed hereunto and acknowledged the resigning up this Deed and all his interest in the premises to the inhab- itants of Brookfield.
Before me, Jolin Pynchon, Assistant. This deed was recorded March 1673,
by me, Elizur Holyoke, Recorder.
Hampshire, sc. A true copy from record, examined per Edward Pynchon, Register.
E.
By his English contemporaries Philip was supposed to be governed chiefly by feelings of hatred and revenge excited against the English on account of a few imaginary injuries re- ceived from them. He was regarded not only as implacable in his resentments, but as delighting in the infliction of injury and death. The customs of savage warfare undoubtedly led them to misunderstand the principles, by which he was influenced and
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APPENDIX.
to regard as wanton cruelty those measures which were dicta- ted by ardent patriotism. It is believed that the views ex- pressed in the discourse respecting his character and motives, coincide with the opinions of those, who have carefully examin- ed the subject, and also account for his conduct during every part of the war. There are, however, traditionary accounts, which if it were not for their inconsistency with every other part of his course would lead us to adopt a very different opinion respecting him. "Tradition says, he was forced on by the fu- ry of his young men, sore against his own judgment and incli- nation ; and that though he foresaw, and foretold the English would in time by their industry, root out all the Indians, yet he was against making war with them, as what he thought would only hurry on, and increase the destruction of his people. There is a constant tradition among the posterity of the people, who lived next to him, and were familiarly conversant with him, as also with the Indians who survived the war, that both Philip, and his chief old men, were utterly averse to the war, and they shew the spot where Philip received the news, of the first Eu- glish men that were killed, with grief and sorrow, and wept at the news ; and that a day or two before the first outrages, he had protected an English Man the Indians had captivated, rescued him from them, and privately sent him home safe."
See Callender's Hist. Disc. respecting Rhode-Island, p. 73, Boston Edition, 1739.
E 2.
" It will not be amiss to let the reader understand the horri- ble, perfidious and treacherous dealing of these Nipnet Indians, who although of all other they had the least reason as to any pretence of injury, yet did most deceitfully join with Philip and his Indians after they had been several times sent unto by the governor and council to have prevented their rising and also had faithfully promised not to meddle in the quarrel .. The inhab- itants of Brookfield had been so deluded by those treacherous
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APPENDIX.
villains, that fearing no danger they obtained of those Nipmucs the promise of a treaty upon the 2d of August. Whereupon some of the chief of the town rode along unarmed with Captains Wheeler and Hutchinson till they came to the place appointed." Hubbard Ind. Wars.
F.
According to all tradition this place is the hill at the north end of Wickaboag Pond. This Hill appears to have been used as an Indian Cemetery. When it was cultivated by the English after their return, great numbers of human bones were exhu- mated.
G.
The largest collection of Indians at this time was at a place in the south western part of New Braintree. It was called Weni- messet, or Meminimesset. The spot where Captain Hutchin- son and his company were attacked cannot now be ascertained. "There are two places, which tolerably answer the description given by historians. The one is near the line of Brookfield and New Braintree. The other is nearly two miles north of this line. Without records and with contradictory traditions it is probably impossible to determine with certainty at which place the onset was made.
H.
There has been of late years no small disagreement respecting the place, where the fortified house stood. Some have attempt- ed to maintain that it was northeast of Foster's Hill .* But as no satisfactory evidence in support of thi sopinion has been found, it is to be regarded as unworthy of credence. There are several
* The Hill east of the Meeting House in the West Parish.
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APPENDIX.
weighty reasons for believing, that it stood on this hill. 1. The principal English settlement was there. 2. The meeting-house> which was burned by the Indians was there. 3. In the account of the attack on the fortification a well in the yard is mentioned, and a well has been discovered near the north west corner of Mr. Marsh's door yard, of which the oldest inhabitants can give no account except that they have been told, it belonged to the fortified house. 4. At a distance of a few feet north of the well the ground when cultivated as a garden was unproduc- -tive. As the soil appeared to be good, it was difficult to see any reason for the barrenness. . On examination howev- er it was found that a building had stood on the place. Sev- eral loads of stone, which had formed a cellar and chimney were removed, amongst which various instruments of iron and steel were found. 5. There is a hill directly west of this place, which corresponds sufficiently well with the descriptions of that, down which the Indians rolled the cart of kindled combustibles. There is then good reason to conclude that it stood between Mr. Marsh's house and barn.
The following particulars respecting the attack have been pre- served by Reverend Dr. Fiske. Note p. 13, Historical Sermon. He states, "that three of the men who were killed in the ambushment belonged to Brookfield, viz. Captain John Ayres, John Coye and Joseph Fritchard :- That when the Indians pur- sued the party into the town, they set fire to all the buildings except a few in the neighborhood of the house in which the inhabitants had taken shelter :- That they endeavored to in- tercept five or six men that had gone to a neighboring house to secure some things there; but they all got safe to the place of refuge, except a young man, Samuel Pritchard, who was stop- ped short by a fatal bullet :- That the house in which they were besieged was unfortified, except by a few logs hastily tumbled up on the outside after the alarm, and by a few feather beds hung up on the inside. And though the siege continued several days, in which time innumerable balls entered the house, only one man, Henry Young, who was in the chamber, was killed .- The-
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APPENDIX.
Indians shot many fire arrows to burn the house; but without effect. And on one night the besieged were surprized by a gud- den light without doors, and soon perceived that the Indians had placed a quantity of combustibles by the side of the house, and set them on fire. And though the people were obliged to go out and draw water to extinguish the flames, and were all the . while exposed as marks to the enemies bullets, yet they saved the house without any one's being hurt .- During the siege one man was wounded as he was drawing water. A board fence hid him from the Indians ; but one of them seeing the well-pole drawing down, took aim at the place where he thought the man must stand, and struck him just under the chin. The man af- frighted exclaimed that he was killed. The Indian, knowing his voice, shouted and said, " Me kill Major Wilson." When the troop which relieved Brookfield got into the town, which was late at night, they were joined by a great number of cattle, that had collected together in their fright at the conflagration of the buildings, and the firing and war-whoops of the Indians ; and for protection these poor animals followed the troops till they arrived at the besieged house. The Indians deceived hereby, and thinking there was a much larger number of horsemen than there really was, immediately set fire to the barn belonging to the besieged house, and to Joseph Pritchard's house and barn and the meeting-house, which were the only buildings left un- burnt, and went off. A garrison was maintained at this house till winter, when the court ordered the people away ; soon after which the Indians came and burnt this house also.
Long as this note is, I cannot conclude without saying some- thing concerning Major Willard, the celebrated deliverer of the people here. His conduct in altering his course and coming to the relief of Brookfield, being dictated by humanity and execu- ted with bravery and success, has gained him the applause of people in general. But as it was beside his orders,* he was cen-
* " In all expeditions against Indians in the distant forest some latitude is evidently necessary. Probably the very Indians, against whom Major Wil- Jard was destined were then at Brookfield." Hoyt, p. 102.
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APPENDIX. 1
#ured by the Court and cashiered, which disgusted his friends and broke his heart."
.
It is well known, that a report respecting the censure and deg- radation of Major Simon Willard had been widely circulated and generally believed. But there are subsantial reasons for con- cluding, that he was not deprived of his office. A gentleman well acquainted with the history of those times, says, " I have consulted the contemporary historians Hubbard and Mather and various pamphlets of that day, and Neal and Ilutchinson of a later day, and our historical collections. I have looked through the doings of the Court of assistants from July, 1675, to July, 1676, and also the records of the general court, but find not a word to countenance the assertion that he was cashiered," and concludes, that Doctor Fiske must have derived it "from tradi- tion." To this it is necessary only to add, that on the 2d of March, 1676, he was commander of a detachment for the relief of Groton,* and died at Charlestown, April 24th, of the same year, whilst attending the court of assistants of which he was a member, and his military successor was not appointed till the 3d of May following. These circumstances warrant the conclu- sion, that Major Willard was not cashiered. Ilis conduct in rescuing the inhabitants of this place from destruction deserves to be commemorated by the descendants of those whose lives he preserved, and his memory will be dear to all, who know how to value deeds of heroism performed for the deliverance of the defenceless.
I.
It is frequently stated or implied by modern historians that Philip personally led on the Indians in their attack. The fol- lowing statement will correct this misapprehension.
" Upon Friday, being the 5th of this instant (August) Philip and his company came to us at this swamp, six miles from the
ยท Indian Wars, p. 196. Wor. Edition.
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swamp where they killed our men. Philip brought with him about forty men, but women and children many more, the num- ber I cannot tell. Philip's men were about 30 of them armed with guns, the rest had bows and arrows. He observed there were about ten of Philip's men wounded. Philip was conduct- ed to the swamp by two Indians, one of them Caleb of 'I'atum- asket, beyond Mendon. The Indians told Philip, at his first coming, what they had done to the English at Quaboag ; then he presented and gave to three sagamores, viz. John, alias Ape- quinash, Quanansit, and Mawtamps,* to each of them about a peck of unstrung wampum, which they accepted. Philip, as I understood, told Quaboag and Nipmuck Indians, that when he first came towards the Nipmuc country and left his own, he had in his company about 250 men, besides women and chil- dren, including the squaw sachem and her company, but now they had left him, and some of them were killed, and he was reduced to 40 men, besides women and children. I heard also that Philip said, if the English had charged upon him and his people at the swamp in his own country one or two days more they had been all taken, for their powder was almost spent; he also said, that if the English had pursued him closely, as he traveled up to them, he must needs have been taken." MS. narrative of George, a christian Indian, taken prisoner in the ambushment of Captain Hutchinson.
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