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 26
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257
A SAD CATASTROPHY.
employ themselves for the defense and security" of the in- habitants.
Part of this employment may have been to put the defen- sive works in repair. There was need of it, and the town voted Oct. 31st,-
"Thatt all Train Soldiers belonging in the Town of Deerfield shall labor about their fort ye next Monday & Tuesday being ye 2d & 3d days in November next ensuing for a general way beginning att one certain place of ye fort and so going on."
The only other business at this meeting related to their de- fense against the devil. It was upon securing for each a proper seat in the new meetinghouse.
At a meeting Dec. 11th, 1696, voted,
"Thatt upon consideration, yt Joseph Brooks, his cattle were killed by ye enemie he shall have his cattle yt he has sence bought, yt is to say, 3 cattle one horse, Rate free for ye year." "There was granted to Eleizer Hawks twelve shillings, which was formerly granted to Godfrey Nims as constable to pay him and was lost by ye burning of sd Nims house."
The sad casualty to which reference is thus made, oc- curred Jan. 4th, 1694. A step-son of Nims, Jeremiah Hull, perished in the flames. The particulars of the affair are learned from the return of the jury of inquest.
The said Jeremiah Hull, being put to bed in a chamber with an- other child, after some time, Henry, said Godfrey Nims's son, a boy of about 10 years of age, went into the chamber with a light & by accident fired some flax or tow, which fired the house. Sd Henry brought down one child, & going up again to fetch sd Jeremiah, the chamber was all aflame & before other help came, sd Jeremiah was past recovery.
This house stood on the site of the present Nims house, and where another house was burned with three children in it, Feb. 29th, 1704.
1697. This year proved to be another of uncommon hard- ship. It became evident before the opening of spring, that the short grain crop of the year before would soon be ex- hausted ; and an appeal was made to Connecticut for charita- ble aid. Feb. 18th, six of the leading ministers of that colo- ony wrote Gov. Treat, asking help for "such as are, or are likely in a short time to be in distress." March 6th, the Governor andCouncil,-
having heard and considered their affecting lines, and bearing on their spirits a deep sense of their obligation to works of charity to
25.
KING WILLIAM'S WAR.
such of God's people as stand in need, doe see cause to order that a brief be sent forth through the Colonie, and do hereby recommend it to all the reverend elders, to exhort *
* * the several congre- gations to contribute as God has blessed them * * suitable relief to their christian brethren in distress.
Agents were selected to receive and transport the contri- butions, and a day of fasting and prayer appointed "for Wednesday come seven night."
March 27th, the Massachusetts Council ordered the regi- mental commanders to visit the frontier towns, and after consulting with the principal persons, to order such repairs on the old fortifications, and the building of such new, as they judged necessary for protection. This was to be done at the expense of the respective towns.
Our town had already anticipated the action of this order. March Ist, the town voted,-
Thatt there shall be 3 Mounts built to ye fort about ye Town: to be set where and built according to ye Appointment of ye Committy of malitia for ye Town: The 3 fort great gates to be built new strong and substantial with conveniences for fastening both open & shut as also yt ye whole fort shallbe repaired and maintained sufficient & sub- stantiall att these 3 particulars: To be done on a Town charge : only yt ye fort and gates are to be maintained on a Town charge but for a twelve-month after ye date herof.
This was for the emergency. Usually, individuals had special parts of this work assigned them in proportion to their ability.
The spring was backward, with little promise. The sum- iner was cold and wet. There was frost every month, and the crops were smaller than ever. The danger of invasion was imminent. Parties of English and Indians from Connecti- cut ranged the woods to the north and east continually. About twenty-five men came up in April. In May the num- ber was inereased to sixty-four, under the command of Lieut. Peter Aspinwall; and quite as many continued here until the fall of the leaves in October. Our frontiers were so well guarded that the only depredation recorded for this year was the killing of Sergt. Samuel Field at Hatfield, June 24th. No particulars of this affair have been found.
Sept. 15, Capt Jona Wells and Ensigne Jnº Sheldon were made choice by ye Town to view & look over all those Town papers (to- gether with ye Town Clerk) yt were left lose & unrecorded by ye for- mer Town Clerk and to judge what papers are needful to be recorded and ye present Town Clerk is hereby ordered to record them.
250
A HARD WINTER.
The result of this action was the preservation of much im- portant information on the records.
1698. The winter of 1697-8 was long and severe. Gov. Walcott writes :-
In February and March the snow was very high and hard. There was a great cry for bread, the cattle famishing in the yards for want, the sickness very distressing and mortal. Those in health could hardly get fuel, tend the sick, and bury the dead. Many suffered for want of fire and tendence.
Though this was said of Connecticut, the condition of things here was essentially the same. No mode of relief ap- peared but in an appeal to the Most High, and the 23d of March was appointed a day of fasting and prayer, "consider- ing the hand of God upon his people in great sickness and mortality, and the sharpness and long continuance of the winter season." No Connecticut troops were sent up to Deer- field this winter, but sixteen Massachusetts soldiers were in garrison here, and June 10th, by an act of General Court, 16 men were allowed to garrison Deerfield.
The Peace of Ryswick, signed Sept. 20th, 1697, was pro- claimed in Boston in December following. It was not pro- claimed in Quebec until Sept. 22d, 1698, and it did not release the settlers from fear of Indian hostilities ; and the continued necessity of watching by night, warding and scouting by day, seriously interfered with every other occupation. Alarms were frequent, but no attack was made on Deerfield this year, the vigilance of the guards preventing a surprise.
Joe English, a friendly Indian captured in 1697, came into town and reported that he left Canada "with a party of In- dians, with some French joined to the number of near 70, in the whole (from whom he made his escape) and that 16 of them are designed for Deerfield, the remainder to assault the Frontiers lying upon the Merimack." This news was ex- pressed to Boston, and laid before the Council, at a meeting on Sunday, June 12th. The invaders were not after heard from, having probably turned back on Joe's escape. A dis- patch was sent to the Governor of New York, asking him to prevent the Scatacook, or River Indians, from joining the In- dian rebels in this Province.
On the 15th of July a party in Hatfield north meadows
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KING WILLIAM'S WAR.
were fired upon by four Indians ; John Billings, aged twenty- four, and Nathaniel Dickinson, Jr., thirteen, were killed. The horse of Nathaniel Dickinson, Sen., was shot under him, and his son Samuel, and Charley - were captured. A post reached here with the news after dark. It seems to have been known or suspected that the Indians had canoes some- where on the Connecticut, and a party was at once organized under Benjamin Wright to march up the river and intercept them. The English reached the great bend, in Vernon, Vt., some twenty miles distant, before daylight. Securing their horses at a safe distance, they silently posted themselves on the west bank of the river. The only account of what fol- lowed is found in Cotton Mather's " Wars of the Lord," pub- lished a few months after. I give it in his own quaint words :-
They perceived the Indians in their canoos coming up the river, but on the other side of it, within a rod or two of the opposite shore; whereupon they so shot as to hit one of the Indians, and they all jumpt out of the canoos, and one of the boys with them. The wounded Salvage crawled unto the shoar; where his back being brok- en, he lay in great anguish, often endeavoring with his hatchet for to knock out his own brains, and tear open his own breast, but could not; and another Indian seeing the two boys getting one to another, design' em a shot, but his gun would not go off; whereupon he fol- lowed em with his hatchet for to have knockd em on the head; but just as he came at em, one of our men sent a shot into him that spoild his enterprise : and so the boys getting together into one canoo, brought it over to the friends thus concerned for them. These good men seeing their exploit performed thus far; two Indians destroyed and two children delivered, they fell to praising of God; and one young man particularly kept thus expressing himself: Surely 'tis God, and not we, that have wrought this deliverance! But as we have some- times been told, that even in the beating of a pulse, the dilating of the heart, by a diastole of delight, may be turned into a contracting of it, with a systole of sorrow: In the beating of a few pulse, after this, they sent five or six men with the canoo, to fetch the other which was lodged at an island not far off, that they might pursue the other Indians; when those two Indians having hid themselves in the high grass, unhappily shot a quick death unto the young man, whose ex- pressions were but now recited. This hopeful man's brother-in-law was intending to have gone out upon this action ; but the young man himselfe importuned his mother to let him go: which, because he was an only son, she denied; but then fearing she did not well to withhold her son from the service of the publick, she gave him leave saying: See that you do now, and as you go along, resign, and give yourself unto the Lord; and I desire to resign you to him! So he goes, and so he dies; and may he be the last that falls in a long and sad war with In- dian Salvages!
1
261
POMROY'S ISLAND.
This brave and pious young man was Nathaniel Pomroy of Deerfield, then eighteen years old. He was not an "only son," but he was the last that fell in that war. No memorial marks the rude grave, where his comrades tearfully laid him to his long sleep beside the murmuring river; but let " Pom- roy Island," the spot where he fell, keep green the story of his sad fate to all coming generations.
It was thought at first that this party of Indians were from Scatacook, and by order of the Council Joseph Hawley and Joseph Parsons were sent to Albany to give a particular ac- count of the affair. They were guarded by Benj. Wright, Wm. King, Benj. Stebbins, Jona. Taylor and Nath'l Gillet.
The following paper, found in the Massachusetts Archives, gives the names of the men in the "Pomroy pursuit :"-
To the Gentlemen appointed to grant Debenters, or others who may Be Concerned therein. These may Inform that the Persons yt followed and waylaid the Indians: Redeemed ye Captives with the loss of one and in probability of two of our enemies, on the 14 [16th] of July, 1698, Are As follows: Benj. Wright, Corporal of the troop, Leader; Benj. Stibbins, Jonathan Taylor, troopers; Thomas Wells, Benoni More, Ebenezer Stebbins, Nath. Pumrey, Dragoons; Corpo- ral gillit, Benj. King, Jonath Brooks, Saml (?) Root, Jos Petty, Jos Clesson, Henerey Dwit, Garrison Soldiers at Deerfield.
We are of opinion that the persons above mentioned ought to be well rewarded. The 3 first Newly come into Deerfield weary out of the woods, and upon hearing of the news from Hatfield, four of the town, with seven of the garrison joining with them, went away in the Night. Their Journey was difficult, their undertaking hazardous, The issue successfull, & we hope of good consequence. The ready spirit of the Soldiers to go out tho under pay already, we beleive will be taken notice of for incouragement. The time of their service may well be esteemed two dayes. They travelling all the Night Before and the first three the night after from deerfield to North- ampton, where they did belong. They all found themselves horses And provisions.
Deerfield, Augst 26, 1698-A true account as attest Jona. Wells, Capt of the fort in Dfld
& Comander of the garrison there.
JOSEPH HAWLEY. SAMUEL PATRIGG.
Nov. 9th, 1698, Benj. Wright was allowed £3, the "six in- habitants," £2 each, and the garrison soldiers £ each, by the General Court.
Aug. 13th, Earl Bellamont wrote a letter to Frontenac, Gov- ernor of Canada, complaining of the attack at Hatfield. The latter replies Sept. 21st, regretting it and says: "This obliges
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KING WILLIAM'S WAR.
me to send a second order to these Indians to make them cease hostilities." The assailants were Pocumtucks, and some of them were known to the captive boys. Frontenac pretended they were Acadians, and that the attack was to avenge the imprisonment of some of these people in Boston. He had been willing that the Indians should harass our set- tlers until formal complaint was made. But Sept. 22d, the day after he wrote to Bellamont, peace was proclaimed at Quebec, by Frontenac; a year and a day after, the treaty was signed.
In April, 1698, Col. Schuyler and others went from Albany to Canada to gather and bring away the English captives. In June, Daniel Belding and his children, with Martin Smith, and about twenty other prisoners, left Canada by the way of the lakes for Albany, where they arrived after a journey of fifteen days. There Mr. Belding and his children were enter- tained and provided with clothing at the expense of his brother, John Belding of Norwalk, Connecticut. After re- cruiting three weeks, the Belding family went down the Hudson to New York, and by a vessel to Stamford, whence they walked to Norwalk, to visit their benefactor, after which they returned to Deerfield. Martin Smith was sent home from Albany. John Gillett reached home before the Beldings by the way of France and England.
Gillett's story is well told below by Col. Partridge :-
Wheras John Gillet who hath been a very active and willing souldr within the County of Hampshire & Being on the 16th day of Sept 1696 out upon service & together with some others was that day taken by the Enemy & suffering hardship was carried to Canada Captive & there Remaynd till Septer Last & then was sent from thence Prison' unto old ffrance & thence (by the later Articles of Peace) the sª Gillet together with other Captives was Released & carried into England: Since his Arrivall there hath Lived & obtained pay for his Passage by the Charitie of some English Marchet there: & now being arrived here Destetute of Money or Cloaths for his Prs- ent Reliefe Humbly propose it to yr Honobie Gen11 Corte to allow him something wt this Corte judge meet for his Prsent Reliefe
SAMUEL PATRIGG-
June 17 1698-In the House of Representatives-Orderdered that there be allowed and paid out of the Publick Treasury the sum of six pounds to the above named John Gillet for the consideration above mentioned
NATH! BYFIELD. Speaker
By vote of the town, December 27th, 1698,-
263
CRIME AND FATE OF SARAH SMITH.
Daniel Belding & Martin Smith, being new returned out of cap- tivity, their heads, together with wt Ratable estate was on there hands at ye date of ye present meeting, were freed from Town charges ye year 1688.
Among the prisoners sent home from Canada under the treaty was Martin Smith, who was taken in 1693. A sorrow- ful tragedy awaited him. His wife was in prison at Spring- field, about to be tried for murder. Little is known of the Smiths, beyond what is found on the court records. Judd thinks they came from New Jersey. Martin received sever- al grants of land here, among the first settlers. The first mention we find of his name is on the court record at North- ampton : "May 31, 1674, Martin Smith, a resident of Pocum- tuck, was fined 20s for trying to kiss the wife of Jedediah Strong, on the street." Aug. 4th, 1694, Sarah Smith enters a complaint against John Evans of Deerfield, for "attempting to force an unclean act upon her." Two young soldiers of the night watch were witnesses of the act, which was at her house, "ten rods south of the south gate of the fort." I find no action under this complaint. In the assault of Feb. 29th, 1704, Martin Smith was "smothered in a seller," with the family of John Hawks, Jr. No children of Martin and Sarah Smith are known. The crime and fate of Sarah appear in the following record :-
At a meeting of the Council in Boston, Aug. 8, 1698-Upon in- formation given by His Majesty's Justices in the County of Hamp- shire, that one Sarah Smith lies in prison for murdering her bastard child. *
* Ordered and appointed that a Court of Assize and General Gaol Delivery be held and kept at Springfield within said county of Hampshire by the Justices, upon Thursday, the eighteenth of the present month of August for the trial of said Sarah Smith.
Pursuant to this order three justices, Wait Winthrop, Elisha Cooke, and Samuel Sewall, escorted by a guard of twenty-six troopers, went up to Springfield and held a court. Sarah Smith was indicted by a grand jury of sixteen men, John Holyoke, foreman, and charged that,-
on Tuesday the eleventh day of January in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and ninety-seven-8 betwixt the hours of one and five a clock afternoon of the same day at Deerfield * * in the dwelling house of Daniel Wells * by the providence of God one female bastard child did bring forth alive * * be- ing led by the instigation of the devil, between the hours of one and seven a clock afternoon of the same day, withholding her natural
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KING WILLIAM'S WAR.
affection, neglected and refused all necessary help to preserve the life of sd child, and with intent to conceal her Lewdness the said child did strangle and smother.
She pleaded not guilty, was tried, and found guilty before a jury of twelve men, Joseph Parsons, foreman. Justice Win- throp pronounced the sentence, that she be hung the follow- ing Thursday, Aug. 25th. Her minister, Rev. John Williams, preached a sermon before her on the day of the execution, in accordance with the custom of the times.
Tradition concurring with known facts, fixes the place of the murder to be in the northeast room of the house now standing on the east side of the street on the second lot north of Memorial Lane, now owned by C. Alice Baker. By the same authority, in several generations, this house has been haunted. The last visible ghost disappeared about thirty years since.
CHAPTER X.
COMMON FIELD FENCES-STOCK-MILLS-ROADS- SCHOOLS-RATES-HOUSES.
One of the earliest and most frequent subjects of legisla- tion by the settlers was that of fencing the meadow lands. It was an affair of vital interest. These lands, as we have seen, were laid out in long, narrow strips; this, and the fact that they were subject to inundation, alike made it impossi- ble to fence the lots separately. The stock was allowed to run at large on the East Mountain, and to protect the crops on the meadow a common fence was built as a prime necessi- ty. Beginning at the "point of rocks," at Cheapside, it ran by the foot of the hills to the north end of the street, thence along the rear of the west home lots to South Meadow, along its north and east borders to Wapping, by the west end of Wapping home lots to Boggy Meadow, thence westerly, cross- ing the the Hatfield road at the Bars, and skirting Stebbins Meadow to the Pocumtuck River at Stillwater-an extent of about seven miles. Later the meadows at Cheapside and Wisdom were also enclosed, requiring about seven miles more of fence. This fence was laid out in "divisions," and two fence viewers were annually chosen to each division, whose duty it was to see that the fence was made secure, and that all orders concerning it were obeyed. In 1692 it was found necessary to extend the fence from the "point of rocks," along the bank, to the mouth of Deerfield River, "to prevent the cattle going over [the river] to Cheapside to damnify the corn and grass there. A committee was chosen to lay out to the proprietors of land at Cheapside their pro- portion of said fence, and the rest of sd fence to be done by ye town."
All fences were ordered "to be made sufficient as against orderly cattle, so also against hoggs that be sufficiently ringed," but no prescribed material or mode of building is
266
COMMON FIELD FENCES-STOCK-MILLS.
found at the period we are considering. This common fence was supported by the owners of land enclosed, in proportion to their interest. February, 1687, Thomas Wells, Henry White and Thomas French, were chosen a committee to ap- portion the fence and locate each man's share. They report- ed a list of fifty-seven owners, and the length set to each in rods, feet and inches. The shortest was to Francis Keet- ten feet three inches. The owners of home lots in the town were obliged to build one half of their rear fence, and those at Wapping the whole of it. A condition was made in all grants there, that the grantee should make all fence wherev- er the grant abutted on the common field.
Gates were set up on all roads leading into the meadows, except on the road leading from Hatfield into South Mead- ows, where there was a set of bars. The name of the village there testifies to that fact to this day. The first gate-keepers were John Broughton, at the north gate, Samuel Northam, the middle of the town, Jonathan Wells, at Eagle Brook, and Ephraim Beers at Wapping. Eleazer Hawks had care of the bars. Beers, in 1686, agreed to keep up forever, two rods of fence across the highway, including the Wapping gate, in consideration of a grant of twenty acres of land in Wisdom. When cow commons in the meadow fell short of measure, "wanting lands " were located elsewhere ; but the rule was to assess the fence on the original number of commons. Votes like the following illustrate this practice. After granting sixteen acres to John and Benoni Stebbins, "for want of 8 acres of measure in the meadow, yt is to say, in the whole 36 cow-com'ons (formerly John Stebbins' sen'r), ye sª Jno. & Be- nony making com'on fence, & paying Rates for the whole 36 com'ons forever." In a similar case, William Smead was "to maintain com'on fence & pay Rates for his land as it now lies for, by com'ons, in the meadow."
The regulations about the fence were strict, and provision made to bring easily home to the offender any neglect in keeping his share secure. It was voted,-
"'that any person whatsoever, concerned with any com'on fence * *
* shall set up a stake with the two first letters of his name fairly written, at ye north end of every part * * * of ye com'on fence to be made up, on penalty of 12d a stake for every stake yt ye viewers shall find wanting, & so from time to time, as often as they shall by ym be found wanting."
267
OPENING THE MEADOWS.
A few years later, stones in place of stakes were ordered for this purpose.
The fall feeding, or "opening the meadows," was yearly a subject of legislation. The Common Field fence was "made intire," or closed, in the spring, and opened in the fall, at times fixed, first by the selectmen, and later in town meeting. The earliest action recorded was :--
April 4, 1692; whereas ye Selectmen have taken great care and paynes yt all defects in ye common fence be repayered for the preser- vation of ye meadows now the Town does hereby order yt all com- mon fence yt shall be found defective after ye LIth day of this in- stant: ye own' of sd fence shall pay as a fine to ye use of ye Town one shilling pr rod for one day & so forward for every day till such de- fective fence shall be repayered
That all cattle baited upon other mens land without leave shall be liable to be pounded
That any persons baiting cows or young cattle upon ye meadows shall be liable to be pounded tho there be a keep" wth ymi.
That all hoggs shall be rung according to law : × * the hog ringers shall have 6d pr head for every hogg yª ring.
That all horses and cattle found in ye meadow are liable to pay 12d pr head : and for hogs 6d pr head & for sheep 4d pr head
That ye penalty for leaving creatures in the meadow wilfully shall be 3d pr head
That pounding creatures shall be present pay
Similar regulations in even more stringent language were passed in December following, and repeated in some form every year.
March 3d, 1693-4, the by-laws already given were adopted by the town. A vote was passed, -
Sept 15 1697, that the time for opening the meadow or corn field shall be on Monday at night being the 4th day of October unless ye Townsmen having hereby power see cause to lengthen the time. That the selectmen now in being shall have powr to make sale of ye old Red Town Bull & dispose of ye money to ye Towns use.
Dec: 7: 1697 ye Town Bargained with Ens Jnº Sheldon to main- tain a gate at ye uper or South end of their meadows on ye highway at ye meadow fence : to be made and set up by the first of April next.
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