USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Deerfield > History of Deerfield, Massachusetts: the times when the people by whom it was settled, unsettled and resettled, vol 1 > Part 25
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Joseph Barnard killed at Indian Bridge. In the town records for this year may be read these two entries :-
March 1, 1694-5. Joseph Barnard was chosen Town Clerk for the year ensuing ;-
Sept. 17, 1695.
Thomas French was chosen Town Clerk.
No other clue to the surprisal at Indian Bridge is found on the town books. In an appendix to the " Redeemed Cap- tive," Stephen Williams briefly notes this affair as occurring August 18th. Subsequent historians have accepted this date, which is doubtless a mistake, as the 18th was Sunday. Pyn- chon, whom I follow, is the better authority.
On the morning of August 21st, 1695, five men started to- gether for mutual protection to go to mill, three miles away at Mill River. They were all on horseback, each with his gun across his saddle bow, and his bag of grain beneath him. By some subtle and mysterious influence, Capt. Wells, the commander of the town, had the night before been warned of impending danger from the Indians, and passed a sleep- less and watchful night in consequence. On seeing the mill party riding down the street, he went out to stop them. He could give no substantial reason for his order. The bright morning sunshine may have weakened his nocturnal impres- sions, and seeing Mr. Barnard, whom "he thought to be a prudent man, he let them go on." The result is given below in the words of Stephen Williams.
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Joseph Barnard, Henry White, Philip Mattoon, Godfrey Ninis, going to mill came to the place ab'ye drain, & ye horses snuffing & being frightd one of ym cryd out, indians, indians, & yy turned abt, & ye indians fird upon ym & woundd Mr. Barnard in left hand (one wrist broke to pieces), & one bullet in ye body, & his horse shot down, & then N[ims] took him up & his horse was shot down &. then he was mounted behind M [attoon] & came of home.
Joseph Barnard lingered until September 6th, when he died. The stone marking his place of rest bears the earliest date of any in the old graveyard.
Pynchon writing to the Governor, gives a more particular account of this affair, and of subsequent events in connec- tion.
The letters of Pynchon, hastily penned under the pressure of exciting news, with all their tedious details, are photo- graphic pictures, showing the condition of the plantation at this trying period, albeit the shading is dark. No abstract, or narrative based upon their contents, can compare in value. The originals are in the Massachusetts archives.
SPRINGFIELD, Sept. 13, 1695.
Honble Sr :-
So little Travelling hath bene, yt I haue not had opportunity to give yr Honor such acct of affaires as might be needful, though I haue writ twice If not thrice, wch letters (after long stay) I suppose are wth you. By my last you would haue ye acct of about 8 Indians at Deerefield, this was on ye 21st of Augt, who within a mile of ye garrison lay in waite close by ye Road, Hid & altogether vnseene, so yt 5 mnen of Dearefeild coming out in ye Morning on Horses goeing to mil & wth Baggs under yl, Had 7 or 8 guns discharged upon ym, vnexpectedly, & seeing noebody till ye guns were shot of, wherein eminent gracious providence appeared that noe more mischeife was done to ors. For except Joseph Barnard, who was shot downe off his horse and sorely wounded, not one more hurt, whenas ours were surprised & ye Indians had time. For yt our men, one of y™ his horse starting, threw him and stuned him for ye present, ye rest were Imployed in getting vp Jos Barnard, & setting him vpon his horse, so yt ye Indians had opportunity, yet God suffered y" not to be so hardy, as to run in vpon our men (Possibly bec one of ours kept a calling as If they had more) yt ye men behind would come vp) where- by ours had also opportunity to set Jos B. vpon his horse, wth one to hold him on. The rest also mounted & made to ye Garrison; when prsently a shot was made on ym, and killed ye horse dead yt Jos B. was sat on, yet then again they mounted him vpon another Horse, when another gun (tis supposed Jos B's owne gun wch the Indian had taken vp), was discharged vpon ym, & this shot also light vpon Jos Barnard againe: Al wch notwithstanding, our men got off, & came al to ye garrison; though since Jos B. is dead, a Humbling
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providence, he being a very vseful & helpful man in ye place so much vnder discouragement, & will ye more find & feel ye want of him.
We were not wanting in persuing ye enemy. Dearefeild men, & a parcel of Nthampton men, yt had bene vp ye River, being just come in, went out after y" imediately, about 30 or 40 men in al (beside more yt followed from Hatfield & Nth) who soone tooke their tracks Westward vp Dearefeild river, & followed ym, tho lost ym after a while, yet were so Intent vpon it that they found y" againe & per- sued ye enymy 7 or 8 miles, till they could noe longer discover any tracks, & altho they Ranged westward & Northward & vp ye river to ye place where Capt. Colton found and broke 2 cannoes, yet could they not find or discover ye enymy who are skilful in hiding y"selves in Swamps & Thickets.
Possibly these Inds. might draw off wholy, But if they did, yet others were about presently, & then were (& now are) in those q'trs, & Dearefield people who are (in a sence in ye enemy's Mouth almost, & are often & so continualy Pecked at, (tho wonderfully preserved) being apprehensive of their danger & Hazzard, the Number of sol- diers there (viz 24) being few to maintaine so large a fortification, when some must necessarily be Imployed in guarding ye Inhabitants who are in ye fields at worke & others vpon ye scout &c-wherein always some of ye Inhabitants are Improved. They addressed ym- selves to me for some Further addition & supply of men, wh I can- not but think necessary & needful to secure ye Fort, & prevent their Surprisal, wch would be of woeful consequence If (for want of sufi- cient strength there) the enemy should attayne it.
But having noe order from yourselfe, (tho I moved it,) to Place more men there, & knowing how hard it would be to find y" here, we having more men out already than can wel be spared, I thought it advisable to move ye Gent at Hartford, & thervpon writ to Col. Allyn &c that they would be so kind as to send 40 men to range ye woods wel wth some of ours, wh they readyly granted to ye Number of 30, under Lt. Holister, who have been of good vse & incourage- ment to Dearefeild. But they Intending their stay about 3 weeks only. The people at Dearefield, thoughtful of their danger when they should draw off, Intimated ye same to me & that the Number of men for ye garrison might then be increased. So y' I took occa- sion thereby againe to write to Hartford that 12 of their men might be left at Dearfield till Indian Harvest was in, tho' they called off ye rest presently; wch they haue Lovingly & readyly complied wth; or- dering Lieut. Holister to leave 12 men wth a sergt, till ye roth of October, who hath accordingly done it & is gon home ye begining of this weeke, hauing drawn off al their soldiers But 12 left for about a month longer from this time, & I hope these wth ours, wil be suffi- cient in al respect, if noe more of ye enemy appears then at present, & when Indian Harvest is in, & Busyness over, our 24 men may doe, probably, tho what may by yt time be further discovered I know not. We know Indians are now lurking about, & are satisfied yt some number of ym are waiting to get some booty, for besides some seen at Northampton, as also at Hadley, there have been some abt Sprd; twice one hath bene seene, whether the same Indian or another can- not conclude. But upon any appearance we range al ye woods
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about, beside our dayly scouting out 4 men a day on Horses by Turnes, weh God may bless to awe ye enemy who cannot but per- ceive it, for these towns are dayly Infested by ye enymy; so it is not prudent to empty our towns of men [as we arej by so many at Dearefield & Brookfield, wch take 22 men from vs, whereof 30 are out of Sprd & every day we look that some mischief or other wil be done, when to Relieve one another it may prove hazardous ye weak- ning ourselves, If ye enymy take notice therof and haue strength to manage any designe agst vs.
We desire to waite vpon God in ye due use of means for our safe- ty, leaving ye success to him on whom our dependance is for Bless- ing & Preservation.
It is a troublesome time here, we having had 2 Alarmes lately, weh it is mercy prove nothing in reality. But the same, wth other dis- quiets, & exercises, refering to y' enymy & our own safety, take up my time & proves hard for me to do wt belongs to me, wen I am de- sirous to be found in, & anxious for ye Publicke good, wherein I shall be glad of any good directions from yr Honors, who am
Honble Sr Your very Humble sevt, JOHN PYNCHON.
Postcript. An Indian from Wiyantemick come in to Hartford re- ports (as Col Allen writes me) that ye Mohawks Have done greate Spoile upon ye French at Canida. Killed & taken Captive about a hundred. If true it may something allay ye enymys motion but it wants Confirmation & seconding by some good hands. If yº have occasion to write to Hartford mnay it not be of use to take notice of there sending men up (as above declared) to or assistance & Inte- mate yr acceptance weh probably may tend to further there readyness another time when they find I have observed it to you & yt yo doe accept it to them weh is only hinted at by
Your Servt J. P.
[Superscription : ] These for the Honble Wm. Stoughton his Maties Lieut. Govr in Dorchester For his Maties Service.
Stoughton follows Pynchon's suggestion and writes the Governor Sept. 15th, thanking him for "giving help in pur- uing the enemy & your Enforcht of the Garrison at Deerfield with twelvemen when Joseph Barnard was killed."
For his Majties Service-To ye truly Honble Wm. Stoughton, Esq .. his Maties Lieut. Gov. for his Province at ye Massachusetts Bay in Dorchester :- Post haste.
SPRINGFIELD, Sept. 30, 1695.
Honble Sr :- Not being awar of my Neighbors goeing so soone, I am prevented much (of enlarging) yet may not omit to give yr Hon- or some acct of ye discouraged state of ye Inhabitants of Dearefeild-
They having discovered many stragling Indians since yt sudden
.
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KING WILLIAM'S WAR.
surprise when Jos Barnard Recd his death wound, & now ye Relation of a Maqua come in there, (as he says from ye eastward where he hath been several years) startles ym very much, who says yt 600 French & Indians designe mischeife upon Albany (wch he is going to advise ym off, They being (as he tells) out upon yt designe : & Intend to visit Dearefield in their way, weh overbeares y" wth feares of some sudden onset vpon y", & makes y" shy of Leaving their Fort, or goe- ing out to gather in their Corne accounting they haue not strength enough. (They haue 24 soldiers out of this county in garrison there From Conecticot 12 more, wh yy yeilded to leave til 9th of October -In al 36.) But yt if they scatter about their busyness Shall haz- zard ye Fort & endanger their Breaking vp, or abetting & incouraging of ye enymy, wch would be of very ill Consequence to ye country, if any such thing should be; wherfore they sent to me for further as- sistance, & on y" 24th inst. by Post, they signifie that yt morning an Indian discovered himselfe on ye other side of their river ag' Carter's Land, and not far from their Fort, vpon weh they sent out 15 men, who could find noe Indian or Indians, though some signes. Return- ing againe not long after, about Noone Two men Plainly saw anoth- er Indian or ye same, or about ye same Place, walking as if he de- signed to make y" see him. They at Dearefeild are jealous (as they wrote) least ye enemies' designe is to draw their men from ye Fort & so ensnare y" or come vpon ye Fort when they are out of it or weake in it and soe take it. Inasmuch as there scouts yt were out ye day before, saw tracks of 2 or 3 Indians & discovered where corne yt had been gathered was eaten by leaving ye cobs or gr ends of at least 50 eares of corne & this in a corner of ye Neck towards Carter's land afore mentioned, or not far from it, weh is a Bushy swampy Place. Hence Capt. Wells desired my speedy sending some more soldiers to their assistance, & to range about &c., whervpon I ordered Capt. Clap of Northampton, ye next to y™, (Capt. Partridg being here at ye Sessions), to draw out 20 men of his Company y" most apt for serv- ice, to range ye woods and afford y"" all ye assistance they were able, who accordingly went to Dearfd ye 25th of this instant Sept, & re- turned ye 27th, at Night, making little or noe discovery of ye enymy. But yt evening one of ye garrison soldiers yt was at Hatfield going vp to ye garrison, discovered two Indians about 2 miles on this side of Dearfield Fort, & shot at y" as he says &c. Capt. Clap, who hath bene at Dearefield, is very sensible of need of men to be sent vp to strengthen yl, & to guard & scout about while they issue their har- vest. Capt. Partridg also joyns wth him in writing y' I would send vp 20 for a fortnight or three weeks, wch ye people much desire, fear- ing some sudden mischeife Thervpon I have ordered y" some men, wch I suppose went vp or are this day gon, 8 from N. H., 4 from Hatfeild, & + from Hadly, ye next towns, in al 16 men added to their number of 36. to be there a week or ten days, whom I have directed to Capt. Wells for ye best improvement of y" for their saftie, & for ye Public advantage. I hope it will be acceptable to yr Honor. I am very sensible of y" Countrys charges. But if there should be any sudden surprise there, ye want of strength may abet ye enemy, Be- fore we can send further aid, wch vpon ye least notice of, I shall send to yll wth al ye strength ye county can afford if nere, & procure from
·
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Hartford I hope more, could we have any timely discovery of any enemy on y", wch ye good Ld prevent if it be his blessed wil & save his Pore people. I shal gladly Receive from yr Honor Further & better directions & orders as you se meete & best, weh I shal as I am able readyly attend, & in meanetime desire to be found doeing my duty, begging yr Prayers for God's guidance therein, & yt I may act for ye best good of this Pore Wilderness People.
wth humble service I am st yr Honors Faithful Seryt JOHN PYNCHON.
At a town meeting, Sept. 1695, "it was then agreed and vot- ed yt Mr. Samuel Porter of Hadley should carry their present County Bills to get them passed at Boston and to receive the money or orders for ye same."
The vigilance of the inhabitants and the garrison with the activity of the scouts secured the town from further depreda- tions this year.
The General Court declared that all Indians found within five miles easterly or twenty miles westerly of the Connecti- cut river should be considered enemies, and soon after a bounty was offered for Indians captured, or scalps of those killed ; $50 for men, and $25 for women and children under fourteen years of age.
1696. From beginning to end this proved another trouble- some year to the town. Fear and distress pervaded the household, danger and death lurked in every by-way about the fields. Only the least exposed ground could be plant- ed, and the harvest was scanty. The Green River lands had not been wholly deserted by the owners, who had con- tinued to cultivate them to some small extent. This was no longer possible, and all land at Green River was this year exempt from taxation. Notwithstanding the unsettled con- dition of business affairs it was considered necessary that every freeman of this little Commonwealth should punctually attend to his civil duties. March 2d, "It was agreed and voted yt a penalty of one shilling shall be laid upon every le- gall voter not attending Town Meetings, provided they be legally warned therto." The building of the meetinghouse went on. A rate had been laid for that purpose in 1695, and in January of this year another was laid, both payable in " pork and indian corn in equal proportions." It was a sea- sonable relief when, in June, the General Court voted £10
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for the support of the ministry here. The Court also pro- vided a garrison ; and scouting was continued on the front- iers. Although this dangerous service was performed with boldness and fidelity, sudden inroads of the enemy could not always be averted. Like a whirlwind they came and went. leaving destruction in their track.
Belding Family Surprisal. The following account of the at- tack is from the Stephen Williams manuscript :-
7ber 16, 1696, John Smead & John Gillett being in the woods, looking or tracking Bees, were besett by a company of French Mo- hawks. J. G. was taken prisoner & J. S. escapd-the indians fear- ing a discovery by S. 16 of them hastend away toward the town, and three were left with J. G. It being lecture day the people were got out of y" meadows, that so yy might attend ye lecture, so that ye enemy came as far as Mr. Dan1 Beldings house, that was within gun shot of ye fort. Mr. B. being belatd abt his work was but just got home frm the Fiealds & left his cart (yt was loaded wth corn) & went into ye house & left ye xren wth ye cart, & ye indians rushed upon them & took him prisoner & his son Nath' agd 22 years of age & his daughter Esther age 13 years & killd his wife & his sons Daniel & John & his daughter Thankful, & one of y" took his son Sam' from the cart, but he kickd & scratchd & bit, so that ye indian set him down & struck ye edge of his hatchet into ye side of his head; he twichd twice or thrice to pull it out and so left him for dead [illegible] & as he came to himself he lookd up & saw y" running fr" him. Bled con- siderably & brains came out at ye wound & went in a mazd condition towards ye Fort, til he came to ye little bridge where fell off & was carry to Mr. Wus & was so bad as left for dead, but it pleasd god his life was spard & his wound healed & he is yet living; he was once or twice accountd to be dying & once acctd as dead, a day or two af- ter his being woundd.
Abigail Belding another daughter was shot in ye arm as she was running to the fort, but it is generally tho't ye bullet yt struck her came from ye Fort. Sarah Belding another of ye daughters, hid her- self among some Tobacco in ye chamber & so escap".
The people in the fort (being then at the public worship) were alarmed & shot from the Fort & woundd one of ye enemy in the fleshy part of the thigh. the indians fired at ye Fort and woundd one Mr. Wms [Zebediah ] as he opend ye gate. the enemy presently with- drew (were not one quarter of an hour in doing ye exploit) and were followed by some Brisk young men into the meadow, who came with- in 30 rods of them & fired at them & ye indians at them again with- out damage on either side. the indians killd some cattle that were feeding in ye meadows, & a boy that had the care of the cattle hid himself in the weeds & escapd. the enemy went up Green River & came to their companions that they had left wth Gillett. John Smead came into the Town soon after Mr. Belding's family were well off. Ye Ist night ye enemy lodgd in a round hole near the river, above ye rock, at Nfd st., where yr fires were fresh, thence set away for Can-
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IN CAPTIVITY.
ada by ye way of Otter Creek, leaving Connecticut river &c. When they came near Otter creek, they came upon some tracks of Albany indians that were going to Canada, (for in those times ye indians from Albany were wont to go a-scalping, as they call it, to Canada) they sent out their scouts & were upon the lookout, and at length discovered yr smoak; and then they flung down their packs & painted themselves & tyd their English captives to trees & left two men to guard them : & proceeded to yr business, & having dividd themselves into two companies, they sett upon the secure company (wch consistd of six men) & killd two of ym, took two & 2 escapd. Among ye slain was one Uroen an indian known among ye english (& suspectd to be a bloody fellow & sometimes mischievous to ye english). Of their own men one was wounded in ye fleshy part of the thigh (as one had been before at D'f'd). the prisoners were one a Scatocook indian & ye other a young Albany Mohawk. When the skirmish was over, the English were brot up & so they proceedd on their journey. Mr. B. asked the Scatacook Indian, (now his fellow prisoners) what he thought the enemy would do with them, who replyd that they would not kill ye english prisoners, but give some of them to ye french & keep some of them themselves; but he expected to be burnt himself, but when they came to ye lake, one rainy night, they made no fire, and some of them lodgd under yr canoes, from whom this Scatacook made his escape having loosed himself by some means from his cords &c., and altho he was psud the enemy could not recover him &c. As to the young Albany Mohawk, he was kept alive, being of their own nation (the french mohawks went from yr nation over to Canada for ye sak of ye romish religion). W» Mr. B. & company came to the fort calld Oso, the males were obliged to run the Gauntlet near it. Mr. B. being a very nimble or light footed man, received but few blows, save at first setting out, but the other men were much abusd by clubs, firebrands, &c:
They arivd at Canada 8ber 9. Now they found what the Scatacook indian had said, to be true, for the indians kept Mr. B. himself & his daughter with them, & gave J. G. & N. B. to the french. J. G. worked as a servt to ye Nuns at their Farm. N. B. worked for the Holy Sisters. On ye gth of July following, Mr. B. was sold to ye french & lived as a servt with the jesuits at the seminary; his business was to wait upon them & cutt wood, make fires & tend the garden &c. He accounted himself favorably dealt with. In ye winter following Co11 Abr™ Schyler with some others came to Canada & brought with them a copy of ye Articles of peace between England and France & returnd home wth some Dutch Captives.
In Aprill following Coll peter Schyler & Col A. Schyler & the Dutch Domine, wth some oth- ers, came to Canada & the French governor gave liberty to all cap- tives, English & Dutch, to return home, yea alowed them to oblige all under 16 years of age to return wth them, those above yt age were to be at their liberty &c. These Dutch Gentlemen gatherd up wt captives both English & Dutch they could & returned june S & took Mr. B. and his xdren and Martin Smith with abt 20 more English with them, & arrived at Albany in about 15 days, where ye Dutch showed to him a great deal of kindness, offered to send him home directly to Deerfd. Co11 Schyler clothd him & his xdren at the de-
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sire of his brother Mr. John Belding of Norwalk, who paid him for the clothes &c. after about three weeks' stay at Albany, Mr. B. & his children went down the River to N. York wnere his Br had pro- vided a place for his entertainment & from York he went in a vessill to Stamford & from there went to Norwalk to his friends & after some stay there, returnd to D'f'd. J. G. got home a little before him by the way of France & so to England, having received great kind- ness in England.
At Deerfield it was thought that the assailants of the Beld- ing family were some pretended friendly Indians. This sen- timent was voiced by Capt. Partridge, who wrote Oct. 6th, 1696, that "the Deerfield people are fearful concerning the pretended friendly Indians proving enemies, being worse than open enemies;" and he proposed sending them "over the sea, or near the sea coast on some island." This suspicion was natural enough under the circumstances; their fears were justified; the day before, Oct. 5th, a party of Albany Indians who were staying about Hatfield, had killed Richard Church of Hadley, while both parties were hunting in Had- ley woods. Four of the Indians were arrested and tried for the murder. Two of them were convicted, and executed at Northampton, Oct. 23d, 1696. [ For detailed account, see Judd's Hadley, 263-5.]
Oct. 6th, a party of Indians was discovered between Deer- field and Hatfield. Oct. 7th, a letter, signed by John Wil- liams, Solomon Stoddard and Capt. Partridge, was sent to Hartford, "declaring their distressed condition by reason of the mischief done among them by the Indians, and their great and continuall fear of more mischief from their barba- rous enemies, with an earnest desire that the Gen'll Assem- bly would grant them a speedy supply of fortie or fiftie men for their defence." There was another party of Indians hunting at Deerfield, and a repetition of the Hadley tragedy was feared. On the receipt of this paper by the General Court, it "having seriously considered the matter, and com- passionating the condition of their distressed friends, and also apprehending that his Majesties interest and the secur- ity of his subjects was deeply concerned, and that their was a necessity of speedy relief, did order, that forthwith fortie men, two of them officers, be forthwith levied" and well fitted and furnished, to be put under Lieut. Stephen Hollister and "to march with all possible speed up to Dearfield, there to
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