USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Dracut > History of Dracut, Massachusetts, called by the Indians Augumtoocooke and before incorporation, the wildernesse north of the Merrimac. First permanment settlement in 1669 and incorporated as a town in 1701 > Part 4
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We next come to the Indian deed of Haverhill in which Passaconaway is again recognized as Chief Sagamore of the Merrimack Valley Indians :
"KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that we Passaquo & Sagga Hen with the consent of Passaconaway have sold unto the inhabitents of Pentucket all ye lande we have in Pentucket that is eight miles in length from ye little river in Pentucket, Westward six miles in length from ye aforesaid river; Eastward with ye Islands and the river that ye islands stand in as far in length as ye land lays by as formerly expresses that is fourteen miles in length, and we, ye said Passaquo & Sagga
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INDIAN HISTORY
Hen with ye consent of Passaconaway have sold unto ye said Inhabitants all ye right to that we or any of us have in ye said ground & Islands & Rivers. And we warrant against all or any other Indians whatsoever unto ye said Inhabitants of Pentucket to their heirs and assigns forever. Dated ye fifteenth day of November Anno Dom. 1642.
WITNESS our hands and seals to this bargain of sale ye day and year above written (in ye presence of us) we ye said Passaquo & Sagga Hen received in hand for and in consideration of ye same three pounds & ten shillings.
JOHN WARD ROBERT CLEMENT
TRISTIAM COFFIN
HUGH SHERRITT WILLIAM WHITE
The sign of THOMAS DAVIS
X The Mark of Passaquo X The mark of Sagga Hen."
We next come to a treaty with Passaconaway as Chief Saga- more of the Merrimack Valley Indians :
"At a general Court held in Boston the 12th day of the fourth month (June) 1644.
Passaconaway, Nahanancommock did voluntarille submit themselves to us as appareth by their covenant subscribed by their own hands heire following & other articles to wch they con- sented. We have & doe by theise presents voluntarily & without any constraint or persuasion but of our own free motion put our- selves our subjects Lands and estates under the Goverment and protected by them according to their just laws and order so far as we shall be made capable of understanding them. And we doe promise for ourselves & and all our subjects to all our pos- teritie to be true and faithful to the said Govrmt. & ayding to the maintenance thereof to our best abilitie and from tyme to tyme to give speedy notice of any conspiracie attempt or evil intention of any which we shall know or heare of against the same and we doe promise to be willing from tyme to tyme to be
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
instructed in the knowledge and worship of God. In witness whereof wee have heerento put our hands the day and year above written."
Charles Cowley writes in his "Memories of the Indians and Pioneers of the Region of Lowell":
On the part of the Indians every stipulation in their in- strument was faithfully kept and performed. Would that the same praise could be awarded to the whites. History must weep to relate that within twenty years from the date of this treaty of submission, Passaconaway was reduced to the condition of a pauper, a stranger in the land of his fathers, dependent for his subsistence on the cold charity of those who had dispossessed him of his native soil.
In 1642, upon suspicion that a conspiracy was forming among the Indians to destroy the English, forty men were sent out to arrest Passaconaway, but he escaped by reason of a storm, but his son Wannalancit was taken and they barbarously led him with a rope which he loosened and tried to escape. His cap- tors fired at him and came near hitting him, and he was retaken and imprisoned at Boston. For this outrage the government of Massachusetts feared the just resentment of Passaconaway and they sent Cutshamekin whom they had arrested upon the same occasion and had discharged to excuse the matter to the old Chief and invited him to go to Boston and hold a conference with them. The answer of the old Sagamore showed an independent spirit : "Tell the English when they restore my son and his squaw then will I talk with them." This outrage upon the family of Passaconaway must have made a deep impression upon his mind and led him to doubt the sincerity of the professions of the Eng- lish toward him, and in 1647 he exhibited this distrust in a forcible manner. At this time the Rev. Mr. Eliot for the first time came to Pawtucket Falls for the purpose of preaching to the natives. It was the fishing season, and a vast number of Indians were present. Among them was Passaconaway with two of his sons. The old Chief refused to see Mr. Eliot and retired immediately from the neighborhood taking with him his sons saying "he was afraid the English would kill him."
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1277114 INDIAN HISTORY
In 1648, Mr. Eliot came again to Pawtucket as usual at the fishing season, and the Old Sagamore had become convinced of his sincere friendship and heard him gladly. Mr. Eliot preached to the assembled Indians from Malachi I; XI. This verse he paraphrased thus: "From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same Thy name shall be great among the Indians; and in every place prayer shall be made to Thy name, pure prayer, for Thy name shall be great among the Indians."
The Indians paid the closest attention and after the dis- course proposed many appropriate and amusing questions. Afterwards Passaconaway arose and amid the most profound at- tention announced his belief in the God of the English. He remarked, says Mr. Elliot in a letter of date of Nov. 12, 1648 "That indeed he had never prayed unto God as yet for he had never heard of God before as now he doth and that he did believe what I taught them to be true. And for his own part he was purposed in his heart from thenceforth to pray unto God and that hee would persuade all his sonnes to doe the same pointing to two of them who were there present and naming such as were absent."
In 1652 Passaconaway furnished several of his Indians as guides to a committee of the General Court attended by Jonathan Ince and John Sherman, surveyors, to find the most northerly bound of the Merrimack River. The Indians had told them it was at Aquedochtan, the outlet of Lake Winnepesaukee. On their return they reported as follows:
The answer of John Sherman, Sergt. at Watertown, and Jonathan Ince, student at Harvard College, in Cambridge, to Captain Simon Williard and Capt. Edward Johnson, Com- missioners of the General Court held at Boston May 27th, 1652, concerning the latitude of the northernmost part of Merrimack River :
"Whereas wee, John Sherman and Jonathan Ince, were pro- cured by the aforesaid Commissioners to take the latitude of the place above named; Our answer is that at Aquedahcan the name of the head of the Merrimack where it issues out of the Lake called Winnapusseait upon the first day of August, one thousand six hundred and fifty two, wee observed and by obser- vation found that the latitude of the place was forty three de-
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
grees forty minutes and twelve seconds beside those minutes which are to be allowed for the three miles more north wch run into the Lake. In witness whereof wee have subscribed our names this nineteenth day of October one thousand six hundred fifty two.
JOHN ENDICOTT, Subi. JOHN SHERMAN, JONATHAN INCE."
In a letter of Oct. 29, 1649, Mr. Eliot writes: "Passacona- way, the Great Sachem of all the tribes that dwell in the valley of the Merrimack did exceeding earnestly and importunately in- vite me to come and live at his place and teach them. We used many arguments ; this was one, that my coming once a year did them but little good because they soon forgot what I had taught. You do as if one should come and throw a fine thing among us and we should catch at it earnestly because it appears so beauti- ful, but cannot look at it to see what is within; there may be in it something or nothing, a stick or a stone or precious treasure; but if it be opened and we see what is valuable therein then we think much of it. So you tell us of religion and we like it very well at first sight but we know not what is within; it may be excellent or it may be nothing - we cannot tell; but if you will stay with us and open it to us and show us all within we shall believe it to be as good as you say it is."
Eliot afterwards complied with the earnest invitation of Passaconaway in that he writes, which Gookin confirms, that he established schools and preaching at Nahamkeage and later Mag- istrate Daniel Gookin his Indian Court, the old building of which is still standing. This then was in the wilderness and ac- knowledged to be the Indians' own land up to the military grant to John Evered and associates. After Magistrate Daniel Gookin came Magistrate Jonathan Tyng. The Indian and Colo- nial Court building was afterwards used as a Tavern, the Court Room becoming a dance hall. During King Philip's war it was palisaded and used as a garrison by Edward Coburn aud sons.
We now come to the appropriation of an opening up of the wilderness in this military grant to members of the Ancient and Honorable Company.
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INDIAN HISTORY
At the time of this military grant Namamocomuck, the oldest son of Passaconaway was imprisoned in Boston for a debt due from another Indian to one John Tinker and for which he had become responsible. In order to raise the money to pay the debt and charges the Indians petitioned the Court for the right to sell the Island of "Wickasauke." The Court gave permission to sell it as follows :
"License for Indians to sell an Island. Whereas this Court is informed yt Pesaconaway's sonne now in prision as surety for ye payment of a debt of forty five pounds or thereabouts and having nothing to pay but affirme that severall Indians now in possession of a small Island in Merrimack River (about sixty acres) the half whereof is broken up; are willing after this next yeares use of their sayd Island to sell theire Interest in ye said Island to whoever will purchase it and so to redeem the sayd Pesaconaway's sonne out of prison. The magistrates are willing to allow the sayd Indians liberty to sell ye sayd Island to En- signe Jno. Evered as they and he can agree for ye ends afore- said. If their brethren the deputys consent hereto.
"Nov. 8th, 1659. The deputys consent hereto provided the Indians have liberty to sell the sd. Island to him that will give most for it.
Consented to by ye magistrate.
EDW. RAWSON, Secy. June 7th, 1659.
"Laid out to Left. Peter Oliver, Capt. James Oliver, Capt. James Johnson and Ensigne John Evered one thousand acc. of land; in ye wilderness on ye northerne side of Merrimack River ; Lying about Nahamkeage being bounded with Merrimack Riv. on ye south and on ye west; the wildernesse elsewher surround- ing according to marked trees; as bye a plott taken of the same is demonstrated.
By JONATHAN DANFORTH, Surveyr
The deputies approve of this returne with reference to the consent of or Honnrd. Magists. hereto.
WILLIAM TORRY, Cleric.
Consented to by ye magist.
EDW. RAWSON, Secre'ty."
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
Up to this time all the wilderness north of the Merrimack belonged to Passaconaway and his tribes and seeing by this grant that the English were going to claim it all without con- sidering his or their rights, the following spring at a great gath- ering of the Indians during the fishing season at Pawtucket falls, he abdicated his office as head of the nation and prophesied their extinction in the following speech as reported by an Englishman present :
"Hearken to the words of your father. I am an old oak that has withstood the storms of more than an hundred winters. Leaves and branches have been stripped from me by the winds and frosts - my eyes are dim - my limbs totter - I must soon fall! But when a young man and sturdy, when my bow - no young man of the Pawtuckets could bend it - when my arrows would pierce a deer at an hundred yards - and I could bury my hatchet in a sapling to the eyes - no weekwam had so many furs - no pole so many scalp locks as Passaconaway! Then I delighted in war. The whoop of the Pawtuckets was heard when the Mohawks came - and no voice so loud as Passaconaway's. The scalps upon the pole of my weekwam told the story of Mo- hawk suffering. The English came, they seized our lands; I set me down at Pawtucket. They fought with fire and thunder, my young men were swept down before me when no one was near them. I tried sorcery against them but still they increased and prevailed over me and mind, and I gave place to them, I that can make the dry leaf turn green again. I who have had com- munion with the Great Spirit dreaming and awake - I am powerless before the Pale Faces. The oak will soon break before the whirlwind - it shivers and shakes even now; soon its trunk will be prostrate, the ant and the worm will sport upon it. Then think, my children, of what I say; I commune with the Great Spirit. He whispers to me now-Tell your people Peace Peace is the only hope of your race. I have given fire and thunder to the pale faces for weapons - I have made them plentier than the leaves of the forest and still shall they increase; these meadows shall they turn with the plow - these forests shall fall by the axe - the pale faces shall live upon your hunting grounds and make their villages upon your fishing places. The Great
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INDIAN HISTORY
Spirit says this, and it must be so. We are few and powerless before them. We must bend before the storm; the wind blows hard; the old oak trembles; its branches are gone; its sap is frozen; it bends; it falls! Peace, Peace with the white men - is the command of the Great Spirit - and the wish -the last wish of Passaconaway."
In 1665 the Indians petitioned the Governor and Court as follows :
"To the Worshipful Richard Bellingham, Esq., Gov., and to the rest of the Honord Jenerall Court. The petition of us poore neibor Indians whose names are hereunto subscribed humbly sheweth that whereas Indians severall years since we yr. petits. out of pity and compassion to our pore brother and countreman to redeem out of prision and bondage whose name is Nanamocomuck, the eldest son of Passaconewa who was cast into prison for a debt of another Indian unto John Tinker for which he gave his word; the redemption of whome did cost us our desirable posetions where we and ours had and did hope to enjoy our Livelihood for ourselves and posterity; namely an Island on Merrimack River called by the name of Wicomke which was purchased by Mr. John Web, who hath curtiously given us leave to plant upon ever since he hath possessed the same we do not know whether to goe nor where to place ourselves for our Livelyhood in procuring us bread; having beine very very so- licitous wh. Mr. Webb to let us enjoy our said posetions againe he did condecend to our motion provided we would repay him bis charges but we are pore and cannot doe so-or request is Mr. Webb may have a grant of about 5C. acres of lands in the wilderness which is our own proper lands as the aforesaid Island ever was.
10 -- 8 -- 65
Nob How in behalf of my wife and children UNANUNQUOSETT WANNALANCITT NONATOMINUT"
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
The petition was granted in the following terms :
"In ans. to this petition the Court grant Mr. Jno. Evered five hundred acres of land adjoining to his lands upon condition hee release his right in an Island in Merrimack river called Wi- cosaeke which was purchased by him of the Indian petitioners - also upon condition Wanalancett do release a former grant to him of an hundred acres and the Court do grant said Island to petitioners - John Parker and Jonathan Danforth are ap- pointed to lay out this grant of five hundred acres to John Evered.
14 Oct. 1665.
EDW. RAWSON, Secy. Consented by the Deputies."
At this time Evered alias Webb had from Bess, wife of Nobb How, a daughter of Passaconaway, an agreement to release all right, claim, or interest she had in the land Evered had ac- quired and following this he acquired a deed from the sons of Passaconaway with her of all the Court had granted him.
The original papers of agreement and deed are now in pos- session of a direct descendant of Edward Coburn, original per- manent settler of Dracut, and were but lately brought to light having for years lain concealed in a secret drawer of an old desk. This agreement and deed is as follows:
The Covenant of promise of Bess Nobb How wife xxx ye Land of Augumtoocooke: "Be it known unto all men by these presents that I Bess, wife of Nobb How of Wea-Wamesit in the County of Middlesex in New England for and in consideration of four yards of Duffill and one pound of tobacco do hereby covenant and promise to and with Captayne John Evered alias Webb of Draucutt in the County of Norfolk that I, the said Bess for the consideration aforesaid will sign, seal and deliver a de- mand of covenant in writing of bargain and sale to the said John Webb his executors, administrators and assigns, any or either of them of me the said Bess of all the lands, premises and Heredita- ments now in the tenure, possession and holding of him, the said John Webb, his assign or assigns, tenant or under tenants now known and called by the name of Draucutt aforesaid and before the alienation thereof called and known and reported to be called
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INDIAN HISTORY
and known by the name of Augumtoocooke. In testimony whereof I, the said Bess, have hereunto subscribed my name or made my mark this six and twentieth day of the month of Aprill in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty and five (1665)
Signed, and delivered in BESS-NOBB How, wife
the presence of Richard Shatewell, X her mark"
Samuel Varnum.
This is followed by a deed to Capt. John Evered alias Webb:
"To all Xtian (Christian) people to whom this present deed of Bargayne and Sale shall come: GREETING :
Be it known unto all men by these presents that wee Manu- musett alias Annansauge, Nonatoonamit and Bess, the wife of Nobb How for divers good causee and valuable consideration we hereunto moving have devised, granted, bargayned, sold, alyened, and enfeoffed and confirmed and by these presents do joyntly and severally devise, grant, bargayne, sell, alyen, enfeofe and confirm unto Captayne John Evered alias Webb of Drawcutt upon Mynomack alias Merrimack in the County of Norfolk, late of the town of Boston in New England, Merchant, all and singular one and every of right, title and titles, interest and interests, challenge and challenges, property and properties, deed and deeds, clayme and claymes whatsoever we all or any of us have or may ever of right or of any rights ought to have challenge or clayme whatsoever upon any pretense or color what- soever into or unto all and every part of the Lands, premises, hereditaments to those and every of them now or at any tyme or tymes thereof in the tenure, use, occupation, holding, or posses- sion of the said John Evered, his heyres or assigns, tenants, or under tenants now called and known by the name of Drawcutt aforesaid lately called and known or reported to be called before the alienation thereof Augumtoocook or by what other name or names soever before the same hath been called or known or re- ported to be called or known or any part thereof.
Any tyme or tymes soever before the sealing and delivery hereof to have and to hold all and singular ye said land, premises hereditaments whatsoever as is in said presents before devised, granted, bargayned, sold, alyened, enfeoffed and confirmed unto
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
the said John Evered as aforesaid unto him the John Evered, alias Webb, his heyres and asignes forever, the same and every part thereof to enure and be his sole and only power, benefit, use and behoof of him, the said John Evered, alias Webb, his heyres and assigns forever and to their use and benefit or behoof what- soever. And furthermore we the said Manumusett, Nona- toonamit and Bess, the wife of Nobb How doe by these presents for us and every of us, jointly and severally covenant and promise to and unto the said John Evered his heyres and assigns all and singular the said devised premises with theyr and every of theyr appurtenances aforesaid from tyme to tyme and all tymes thereafter to warrant and defend against us and every of us our heyres executors, administrators and assigns and every of them and all manner of other person or person whatsoever clayming the same or part thereof in, by, from or under or any or either of us or either of our heyres executors or administrators.
In testimony whereof wee, the said Manumusett, Nona- toonamit and Bess, the wife of Nobb How aforesaid have hereunto sett our hands and seals or caused them to be sett and our names with our marks subscribed the nineteenth day of August in the year of our Lord God according to the computation of New England aforesaid One thousand six hundred and sixty five.
Signed, sealed and delivered
by Manumsett and Nonatoonamit aforesaid according to the date aforesaid in presence of us Joseph Maumauneronoote X His marke
NIMROD
INDIAN
his X marke
(El) HEN NELSON
MANUMUSETT
his seal
NONATOONAMIT
seal
BESS wife of NOBB How her X mark (Seal)
Then appeared before me this fifteenth of the sixth month 1666, the three persons yt have here- unto signed, sealed and acknowl- edged the deed, before me
DANIEL GOOKIN
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INDIAN HISTORY
This instrument entered and recorded in ye County Records for Norfolk County Page 74 this 5th day of the 9th mo. 1666. (Register's name is torn off)"
It will be seen by this deed that Passaconaway kept to his abdication and that deeds of lands were given by his children and without obtaining his signature. At this time it is apparent that Wannalancit's principal residence was at the island of Wickasce and that Passaconaway was on the Indian reservation of Pawtucket Falls on the north bank of the Merrimack which later became a large part of Dracut. About Namkeke, as Gookin writes, two miles from the Falls was Eliot's school, preaching station and Gookin's Indian Court. The following happening related by Gookin shows the intense hostility of the Mohawks and how near they came to Pawtucket in their raids :
"In the year 1670 a party of Mohawks looking for their prey met with Indians in the woods belonging to Nahamkeke upon the north side of the Merrimack river not far from English houses. When falling upon Indians that were traveling in a path they killed some and took some whom they also killed and among the rest a young maid of about fourteen years of age was taken, and the scalp of her head taken off and her skull broken and left for dead with others. Some of the Indians escaping came to their fellows and met a party of men. They went to bury the dead bodies when they found the maid with life in her, so they brought her home and got Lieut. Thomas Henchman, a good man and one that hath inspection over them by my orders to use means for her recovery. Though he had little hope he took the best care he could. As soon as he conveniently could, he sent her to an ancient and skilful woman called Goodwife Brooks, living at Woburn, about ten miles distant to use her best en- deavors to recover the maid, and by the blessing of God she did, although she was about two years recovering her.
"I was at Goodwife Brook's in May 1673 and she showed me a piece or two of the skull she had taken out, and in May 1674 I was among the Indians at Pawtucket to keep Court and Mr. Eliot and Mr. Daniels and others with me. I saw the maid alive and in health and looked upon her head which was whole except
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
a little spot as big as a sixpence might cover and the maid fat and lusty, but there was no hair come again where the scalp was flayed off."
It is recorded that in 1669, the year before this raid, Wanna- lancit came down the river to Pawtucket and rebuilt the fort as a protection from the Mohawks. This fort was the oval hill from which so many Indian relics have been taken, situated on Riverside Street opposite the Lowell Textile School. It is evident the raiding party kept well away from the fort as this incident was between the Merrimack and Lake Mascuppic. Another fact in connection with this raid is that Gookin met the maid on her recovery at the same time and place of Wannalancit's embracing the Christian faith which he relates as follows :
"At this place once a year at the beginning of May the Eng- lish magistrate keeps the court accompanied by Mr. Eliot the minister who at this time takes his opportunity to preach not only to the inhabitants but to as many of the strange Indians that can be persuaded to hear him of which sort usually in times of peace, being an ancient and capital seat of the Indians, they come to fish ; and this good man takes opportunity to spread the net of the gospel to fish for their souls. Here it may not be im- pertinent to give you the relation following: May 5th, 1674, ac- cording to our usual custom Mr. Eliot and myself took our journey to Wamesit or Pawtucket and arrived there that even- ing. Mr. Eliot preached to as many of them as could be got to- gether out of Matt. 22d, 1-14, the parable of the marriage of the king's son. We met at the wigwam of one called Wannalancit about two miles from the town near Pawtucket falls and border- ing upon Merrimack river. This person Wannalancit, is the eldest son of old Passaconaway the chiefest sachem of Pawtucket. He is a sober and grave person and of years between fifty and sixty. He has always been loving and friendly to the English. Many endeavors have been used several years to gain this sachem to embrace the Christian religion, but he has stood off from time to time and not yielded up himself personally though for years he hath been willing to hear the word of God preached, and to keep the Sabbath. A great reason that hath kept him off I con-
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