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 42
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with my earnest desire & prayr for divine Guidance & support to y' Honor & the whole Corte I am yr
Afflicted & very Humble Servt SAMUEL PARTRIDGE
The leader of this party was Gray Lock. With his prison- ers, he hurried to the woods westward, where Allis was killed the next day, under circumstances unknown. Partridge sent twenty-one men in pursuit, under Sergts. Joseph Clesson and Joseph Wait. They went up as far as Otter Creek, but met with no enemy. It appears by the following statement of Dr. Hastings that this scout suffered severely :-
To the Hon'ble the Gentlemen of the House of Representatives In General Court Convened:
May it please your Hons, I being desired by Sergt Clesson and Sergt Wayte to inform what I know of their Expedition in June last to Otter Creek, Do Inform on my Certain Knowledge that the Ex- pedition being suddenly formed Suitable Nessessaries was wanting for such a Long & hard Journey; Saw most of ye men when they went forth, they were Lusty & in good Plight-Effective men; Saw them when they returned & they were much emaciated & their feet so Swolen & galled that they could scarce Travel on their feet, for some they necessitated to hire horses, some one or more applied to me to dress their feet & were under my care for a week or more in bathing & emplastering before they were anything Tolerably Recruited, in Fine they underwent much, & I believe they were hearty in their de- sires & faithful in their Indeavours to overtake the Enemy & make Reprisals.
419
RAPID TRANSIT BY POST RIDERS.
With Leave humbly say its Pitty Such Persons undergoing such Difficulties for ye Country's cause should fail of a suitable Reward.
Excuse me, I pretend not to prescribe to yr Hon's Wishing the Blessings of Heaven on your persons & on your Consultations for the Good of the People whom you Represent, I crave Leave to subscribe yo'r most humble & ob't Sevt, THOMAS HASTINGS.
Hatfield, May 26, 1725.
As we have seen, a post was dispatched from Albany to Boston June 19th. By the following letter it will be seen he was in Northampton the next day. Remarkable time was made by these riders, considering the roads, or paths, of the day. They must have ridden night and day ; dispatches sent from the Connecticut Valley were often received and an- swered in Boston the next day. Notwithstanding this dan- gerous and constant service, I recall but a single instance in which the messenger fell into the hands of the enemy.
NORTHAMPTON June 20 1724
Colonoll Partridge
Honored Sir: According to your desire I have procured a man to go to Boston on his Maj'ts Service: viz: Daniel King.
Sir: it is the desire of our people at Northampton: myself and the rest of the Commissioned officers: that your Honor would propose to his Honor the Lieutenant Governor that we may have a Number of men, about eight or ten in each town appointed to be there a scout and also to guard our people when they are obliged to goe in exposed places on their necessary Occasions: And also that we have some stores provided in each Town: Especially of Indian Shoes and Bis- cake: that when we have extraordinary occasion of a sudden (as of Late) we may have where withall to furnish men Immediately for a march: Pray your Honor not only propose as above but that you wuld urge it so far as may be convenient if your Honor see meet which is all at present from your Humble Sevant
JOSEPH HAWLEY
Sir since I wrote the above Benj Alvord is come from Albany or- dered to Boston, and to travel to day. I would advise yt King go along with Him think it to much boldness for one to travel alone especially upon public service: Have sent your letters to yourself pr farefield thinking you might add something: King is now at Hadly wth Alvord waiting your Honors pleasure
Your Honors Sev JOSEPH HAWLEY
June 22d, 1724, Partridge writes the Governor that messen- gers "from Springfd out Farms say they are much molested with trails of Indians. So that they fear to get in there Har- vest desiring a ptie of men to guard them *
* * they think a fortnight or 3 weeks tyme they hope will serve there turn."
420
FATHER RASLE'S WAR.
June 24th, 1724, four Indians scouting from the Block House, discovered the tracks of about forty Indians east of the Connecticut, " going towards Sunderland." as they ascer- tained by marks on the bushes by the way. Capt. Dwight dispatched the news to Partridge the 25th, and the same was sent by Lieut. John Pomroy, from Northfield, to Capt. Thomas Wells at Deerfield the same day.
HATFIELD June 26 1724
Honorable Sr
Your Honors letter of the 24th just Received this day att noone with directions & a Lett' to ye Hounerable Gov Saltonstall. yor Honors directions in the affair I am immediately prosecuting I hope to effect. However shall with as much speed as may be Give an ac- count of that affair to yr Honor:
Sr as to y' Honors Letter Referring to or towns its true about the Middle of May Last I Recd yr Honors order for 30 men to be Raysd & plact 15 at Northfd & 15 at Deerfd which accordingly was done this supply made 25 at Deerfd & but 45 at Northfd. If yr Honor Re- member 10 of these Northfd men was carried over to the Fort, when the Fort was first settled with men & then Northfd had but 30 men & the 15 aforsd made them to 45. So that if Northfd be reduced to 40 men there is but 5 men a spare for Brookfield & none to relieve Sunderland with who indeed have great need of at Least ten men & this day we are alarmed of the Enemies comeing down the East side the river directly upon Sunderland or Rutland or Brookfield and we are forct to leave or villages and sent out of Northampton, Hadly & Hatfield 40 men if posible to secure Sunderland & waylay the Enemie & immediately sent to Brookfd to Alarm them & directed them to Alarm Brimfield & Rutland & so upon ym Frontiers. Be- sides the 29 men that went out in prsuite of the Enemie that came upon Hatfield on the 18th & are not Returned.
As to the 25 men at Deerfd I am of opinion that they are few Enoff to scout watch and ward Deerfd & can be no Reliefe Hatfield 13 mile distant & much Less to Westd 30 miles distant & therefore Humbly intreat that my two former lettrs may be considered in be- half of Sunderland Hatfd Hadly Northampton & Westfd & some Re- liefe be ordered if it be but 5 or 6 men in each town aford to Guard or people in the townes & at there worke. We must improve the means for Bread or dye & the Lord sanctify this day of trouble & Rebuke & be not a teror to us for there is or Hope I pray God Sup- port yr Hon'. I am satisfyed yr Burthen is very great & Render Myself yr Afflicted & very Humble Servt SAMUI PARTRIDGE
Capt. Wells at once led a party from this town in search of the same invaders. None were found by either party in the pursuits. The Indians at the fort "thought the enemy heard the whites coming up the river, & were discouraged at their numbers and fled." It is more probable they concealed their trail and broke up into small parties to skulk about the set-
421
CAPT. WELLS'S SCOUT AMBUSCADED.
tlements. Capt. Wells, who apparently believed they were beyond reach, was rudely undeceived. While returning in careless security, June 27th. Ebenezer Sheldon of Northamp- ton, Thomas Colton, and Jeremiah English, an Indian "who used to be Col. Lambs," riding in advance of the main body, fell into an ambuscade about four miles north of Deerfield, probably at the great spruce swamp near Turners Falls. They were fired upon, their horses shot down and the riders all killed.
The company behind, hearing the guns, rode up with all speed, and came upon the enemy while they were scalping the slain, and firing upon them, wounded several. Upon which the enemy fled into the swamp, and the English dismounting their horses, ran in after them, and tracked them a considerable way by the blood of the wounded, but found none. However, they recovered 10 packs and heard afterwards that 2 died of their wounds, and a third lost the use of his arm.
The saddened scouts returned to Deerfield bearing the mangled remains of their comrades. After an affecting ser- vice by Mr. Williams, they were laid to rest in the old bury- ing yard. A moss-grown stone still marks the spot where Ebenezer Sheldon sleeps near the graves of his kindred. There is a tradition in the Sheldon family that Ebenezer was killed by a hatchet thrown by one of the enemy, which stuck in his skull: that he wore silver shoe buckles, which an In- dian was trying to get off when interrupted by the fire of Capt. Wells. The buckles were bent in the attempt, but not secured. The hatchet and the buckles were long kept in the Sheldon family in Northampton as mementos of that bloody day. Memorial Hall at Deerfield would be the most fitting place for their preservation.
To add to the general alarm, word came from Zachariah Prescott, a prisoner at Montreal, of a report there that the Abenaki hostages "were dead in Boston prison, which has put the Indians in a great rage; that about 700 are gone or going to all parts of New England, in parties of 10, 12, 15, 20, 25." June 29th, an appea was made to Connecticut by Gov. Dudley for help, and Gov. Saltonstall sent seventy-five men under Capt. Goodrich, thirty-seven under Capt. Butler, with forty-two Indians to report to Col. Partridge at Hatfield for orders. This bad news from Canada was soon confirmed. Stoddard writes :-
422
FATHER RASLE'S WAR.
ALBANY June 28, 1724 in the Evening
Just now hether came Sam11 Dickinson from Canada with two Genlmn belonging to this place (Dickinson was taken from Nothfield last Octbr) they give an accompt that about fifteen days since the In- dian called Graylock with eleven others set out for war towards New England and disegn to go with all speed and that last Tuesday night they passed by another company of thirty Abenaquois near the fur- ther end of the lake, they knew before of there going to war, and the same day were advised by a Frenchman where they lay so that we avoided them in the night. They add that there were about forty more that have sung their war songs & are preparing to goe out.
Dickinson tells us further that about ten of the Cagnawago Indians that were for war and that the Sachems told him that they would stone them out of the fort, he adds that Denion a French Man (well known in New England) was in the Army at Nthfield last fall. We have aquainted Co11 Partridge with the news; and if we omit anything Needful you will attribute it to our hast. Dickinson just now informs us that Mr love hath written a letter to the Interpretre of the East- ern Indians, that [Dote? | Peter is dead. Another of the Hostages is Sick but well looked after the third is well. this hath greatly in- sensed the Eastern Indians, and they were for going to war and some of them came to the gov' for liberty to goe to war against these parts, being angry at Co11 Schuyler assisting us.
In reply to the letter from Dudley asking aid, Gov. Salton- stall writes :-
NEW LONDON July 2 1724
On Monday last I had yous of ye 29th, by an Express from Colo Partridge 'The next day I saw two of our Indian Tribes of Mohegan & Niantic They would not be pursuaded to March Eastward, but 20 of them agreed to go into your County of Hampshire, whom I have joined to 30 English under the command of Capt Walter But- ler. They will begin to march tomorrow, will be in Hampshire next week about the middle of it, with orders to attend such Directions as you have given to Colo Partridge; or your Chief Commanding Offi- cers there
The Pequots could not go "on account of there corn " until a month later.
As the failure to engage the Five Nations or the Caghna- wagas as active allies had been disheartening, so the present success in another direction was cheering. It was held to be necessary to secure Indians to fight Indians, they being bet- ter able to cope with the enemy in their own fashion, and to meet wile with wile. No doubt they were more to be feared than the English. It is surprising that more damage was not done by the swarms of Abenakis and their Canadian al-
423
MOHAWK CHIEFS AT FORT DUMMER.
lies which infested the dense forests surrounding the settle- ments.
As we have seen, a few Mohawks and Scatacooks had been enlisted by Schuyler and Stoddard at Albany, and stationed at Fort Dummer-not then so named.
The Indians at the Block House were well cared for. June 20th, a Committee of the General Court reported, that pur- suant to the promise of Col. Schuyler,-
Two shilling per day be allowed Hendrick and Umpaumet, as they are Sachems, and the first of that Rank that have entered into the service of this province; that none of ye Indians be stinted as to allowance of provisions; that all have the use of their arms gratis, and their guns mended at free cost; that a supply of knives, pipes, tobacco, lead, shot, & flints be sent to the commanding officer at the fort, to be given out to them at his discretion; that 4 barrels of rum be sent to Capt. Jona. Wells, at Deerfield, to be lodged in his hands, and to be delivered to the commanding officer at the Block House as he sees occasion to send for it, that he may be enabled to give out one Gill a Day to each Indian & some to his other Men as Occasion may Require.
According to the usual estimate of Indian character these attractions at the fort should have drawn crowds into the ser- vice under Capt. Dwight; but it is a singular fact that only about a dozen enlisted. Was the counter influence of the Dutch traders stronger, or did the natives really believe the Abenakis were in the right, and acted up to their convic- tions? In any event, they rejected an opportunity for animal gratification, the like of which could never have been open to them in all their lives before.
Early on the morning of July 8th, 1724, a party of Indians plundered some houses at the Bars, "of rum, meal, cheese, meat, &c." The houses had been deserted, the occupants having doubtless gone to spend the night within the stock- ade at the Town Street.
Partridge writing Dummer, July 11th, says :-
We are much distressed by lurking enemies We are confident they are still about us waiting to shed blood, so that we, being in the middle of our harvest, are forced to go 30 or 40 men in a day with their arms & with a guard to accompany & work together * The whole country is alarmed & upon their guard every- where, its hopeful the stress of the enemy will abate.
Writing again July 14th, he says :-
These aquainte yor Hon' that yor Lett" pr John Huggins I recd last
424
FATHER RASLE'S WAR.
Night with the proclamations enclosed & shall endeavr to Suppress such pernicious acting, but am not apprised of any that have done so here, but shall enquire about itt [Proclamation not found-Offence unknown]
We have been Much distressed with the Lurcking Enemys that first set on a ptie of or men killed a lusty young man, took 2 men Captive (killed a yoke of oxen in a cart.) the next betwixt Deerfield & Northfield they killed 3 young men-a third time they Revlled Several hoases in a village of Deerfield and they wounded 2 men in Deerfield.
This was July 10th. While a party was at work in North Meadows, they were being watched by a party of Indians on Pine Hill,-probably the same that recruited its commissary department at the Bars. Hiding themselves in a thicket at the south end of the hill near the road, the skulkers waited until nightfall and the return of the laborers to their homes. At the right moment they fired from the ambush, and Lieut. Timothy Childs and Samuel Allen were wounded, but not disabled ; all escaped, Childs, says Hoyt, "by dashing through an adjacent pond."
Of this affair we give a vivid account from the lips of one who had a finger in it-to his cost :-
He Being at work with 3 men & 2 boys Northward of the Town, Capt Wells working with a Company of men farther Northward Still with 4 guardsmen, having done his work a Little before me, came by and I Desired him to wait a few minutes and so I would go with him home, now he told me he had a Little piece of [work] to do in harrow meadow, West of the Town Plot. Then I desired him to Leve me the guards that he had with him, of which two men tarried, and in a Short Time we finished our work and mounted our horses to go home & came to ye South End of Pine Hill when the Rode Carried us Close to the Hill, there being fired upon by three indians that way Laid the Rode, Myself was wounded in both Shouldiers & in one finger, which was so broken that it was forced to be cutt off which was on my right hand & ye same Shouldier the Bullett going so far thro that it was cutt out on ye other Side, which has very much Disabled my Arm from almost any Service: There being one man behind me at the same Time, Sam11 Allen by Name, who also was wounded by a Shoot going into his Buttock. My horse being also shoot in ye Neck made him Spring forward, so that he threw us both off, but finding that we had ye use of our Leggs soon made our escape, Calling to the rest of ye men to face about, with yt they turned and fired upon ye Enemy, With that they ran down where we had fallen of ye horse, and catched up Allen's hat. People being alarmed in the Town came out with great Speed. The Indians run- ning acrost ye hill passed over ye river at Cheapside & soon got to the woods without any Damage. Afterwards our people finding 3
425
CONCERNING SCALP HUNTING.
packs supposing them to be the Packs of these same Indians which fired upon us which were in Number three. Finis.
Gov. Dummer writes Capt. Joseph Kellogg about the af- fairs on the frontier and at Fort Dummer :-
BOSTON, July 25th 1724
Capt Kellogg. I have your Ltre of the 20th & am glad you find your garrisons in Good order & the Service so well performed You do well to have great regard to the protection of the people in there Harvest which you must always do in the most impartial manner
I have wrote to Collo Partridge & Collo Stoddard that you may ex- change your men until you have got a good company. I have an act from Capt Dwight of one George Swan who behaved in a very vil- lianous manner in his Garrison (who would have been shot for it in any Garrison in Eng) & that in your absence Hee was admitted into your Company at Nffield. Let the fellow forthwith be turned out of the Company with disgrace I would you as soon as you can Inlist a Surgeon for the Service of your Company & Capt Dwight & in the meantime I enclose you my warrant to enable you to ffetch a Sur- geon when you want one. I shall be glad to see a scalp or two brought downe by some of your scouts. I am yr Hble Svt
WVm DUMMER
An active correspondence was kept up between the govern- ors of Massachusetts and Connecticut concerning the Indians in the service, their officers, their supplies and their move- ments. Gov. Saltonstall writes July 23d, 1724, to Secretary Willard :---
It fell out unhappily ye Lt Govr is out of town, for tho what you sent me shows wt wages or Premiums on scalps; yet I cant tell whith- er such a Small Number as our Pequods weh at ye most will not be above 25 or 30 will be acceptable to him or whether He will like that they should have English officers of there acquaintance from here, wh they always expect.
They seemed rather inclined to try for a scalps about Menadnuck and the back side of Dunstable & Groton.
My account of scalp money from Col Partridge much exceeds your act in many particulars; How the Indians will like yt when they come to understand I cant tell
I appointed to meet the Pequods on Wednesday next in order to there marching but am obliged to put it off till the Return of the Post the week after that I may know the Lt Gov's Inclination as low number of Indians & there being joined with English, as also wheth- er He will fit them with arms at Boston, for the Indians have very few. We have had now about a fortnight [40?] English and Indians in Hampshire county for a standing party, but I have heard nothing from them, above a week
July 27th, the Secretary writes that "the Gov' is pleased with the offer, wishes them sent out at once. They can go
426
FATHER RASLE'S WAR.
where they suggest until October & will then send them east- ward. May choose there own officers if the Gov" approve them. He cant arm them for his supplies are exhausted."
By another letter of the 27th, it appears that thirty Pequot Indians, -- having I suppose, finished hoeing their corn, -- were to be "employed in scouting about Manadnock and other parts between Connecticut & Merrimack Rivers." Orders were sent to Stoddard and Partridge to, --
Dispatch them to Col. Tyng at Dunstable as soon as they come to you. Let them take such a Rout thither through the woods as will be best for the Defence of the Frontier & you must take effectual care that in there coming in to you, & going from you to Col Tyng, the places through which they pass may be notified & apprised of it; that the Indians have some signal, which must also be known by our people to prevent any evil that might otherwise happen.
With our limited knowledge of frontier warfare in those days, it seems that it must have been a difficult thing indeed, to devise any scheme by which friendly and enemy Indians could be distinguished in the woods, in season to prevent the "evil" which the Governor fears. And we must bear in mind that should harm come to one of them by any mistake of the English, the rest would instantly become active ene- mies.
In this case the people in Middlesex were alarmed and an order was sent to Col. Stoddard by the Governor "that some effectual method may be agreed on to distinguish there In- dians or to limit them in there hunting so as that there may be no Danger of the Towns being Alarm'd by them, or there being Surprizd & hurt by our scouts." If no method can be devised for the safety and security of both parties, then the Mohegans must be told of their danger, "and that it is abso- lutely necessary that they desist from Hunting on our Fron- tiers."
The defensive policy of the English not being successful in preventing incursions of the Indians, it was resolved to carry the war into the enemy's country. An army of two hundred and eighty men, including three Macquas, under Captains Harman, Moulton, Bourn, and Lieut. Bean were sent to the eastward. August 12th, they surprised Norridgewock, destroyed the town, killed thirty or forty men, among whom were six noted warriors and Father Rasle, the chief agent under De Vaudreuil, in fomenting the war. The following
427
DEATH OF FATHER RASLE.
French account of his death is utterly irreconcilable with that of the English. Charlevoix says the attacking force was,-
1100 men, part English, part Indians *
* The noise and tumult gave Father Rasle notice of the danger his converts were in. Not intimidated he went to meet the enemy, in hopes to draw all their attention to himself, and secure his flock at the peril of his own life. He was not disappointed. As soon as he appeared, the English set up a great shout, which was followed by a shower of shot, and he fell down dead near to a cross which he had erected in the midst of the village, seven Indians who accompanied him to shelter him with their own bodies, falling dead round about him
* The Eng- lish first fell to pillaging, then burning the wigwams. They spared the church so long as was necessary for their shamefully profaning the sacred vessels, and the adorable body of Jesus Christ, and then * set fire to it * * The Indians returned to their village, where they made it their first care to weep over the body of their holy mis- sionary. They found him shot in a thousand places, scalped, his skull broke to pieces with the blows of hatchets, his mouth and eyes full of mud, the bones of his legs fractured, and all his members mangled in a hundred different ways.
This charge of barbarity in the treatment of the body of Father Rasle is held by some Romanists to be true, and brought by them against the English, to offset, or palliate, the wanton cruelty so often practiced by the French and In- dians in their raids against New England. But such an out- rage on the body of the missionary was not only contrary to the habits and character of New England people, but there is not a particle of evidence to support the charge of Charle- voix. De Vaudreuil, who must have had all the accessible facts, writing to the home government, Nov. 18th, only three months after the event, says: " All the circumstances attend- ing the affair deserve to be fully narrated ; you will permit me not to omit any of them," and then gives the following details of the affair :-
Father Rasle went out of his house on hearing the noise, but the moment he made his appearance the English fired a volley at him by which he was immediately killed. Those of the Indians who possessed not the courage to resist, fled towards the riv- er as soon as they perceived the Father was slain * *
* The mass of the village which escaped amounts to 150 persons, among whom there still remain 29 warriors, who were so incensed at the death of their Missionary, and the profanation of the sacred vessels belonging to their church, that they would have pursued the English the day following their defeat, had they not found themselves with- out arms, powder and clothes.
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