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 5
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INDIAN HISTORY
ceive hath been the indisposition and averseness of sundry of his chief men and relations to pray to God which he foresaw would desert him in case he turned Christian. But at this time, May 6th, 1674, it pleased God to so influence and overcome his heart that it being proposed to him to give his answer concerning pray- ing to God after some deliberation and serious pause he stood up and made a speech to this effect :
"Sirs: You have been pleased for years past in your abundant love to apply yourselves particularly unto me and my people to exhort, press and persuade us to pray to God. I am very thankful to you for your pains. I must acknowledge,' said he, 'I have all my days used to pass in an old canoe (alluding to his frequent custom to pass in a canoe upon the river), and now you exhort me to change and leave my old canoe and embark in a new canoe to which I have hitherto been unwilling, but now I yield up myself to your advice and enter into a new canoe and do engage to pray to God hereafter.' "
This act of Wannalancit's was the year before the com- mencement of King Philip's war, and there is a strong proba- bility that he knew that chief was making preparations for the Indian uprising and was endeavoring to enlist the Merrimack Valley Indians in the war to come, so he took a stand, that he consistently followed, of peace throughout the struggle. Many happenings are on record of this. Wannalancit withdrew into the wilderness and this disquieted the Great and General Court so on Sept. 8th, 1675 it ordered Capt. Thomas Brattle and Lieut. Thomas Henchman to send a runner or two to Wannalancit, Sachem of Naamkeke, who had withdrawn into the woods from fear, to come in again and to inform the Indians at Penacook and Naticook if they will live peaceably they shall not be harmed by the English. Under date of Oct. 1st, 1675 they gave the follow- ing :
"This our writing or safe conduct doth declare that the governor and council of Massachusetts do give you and every of you provided you exceed not six persons free liberty of coming unto and returning in safety from the House of Lieut. T. Hench- man of Naamkeke and there to treat with Capt. Daniel Gookin
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
and Mr. John Eliot whom you know and (whom) we will fully empower to treat and conclude with you upon such meet terms and articles of friendship, amity, and subjection as was formerly made and concluded between the English and old Passaconaway your father and his sons and people; and for this end we have sent these messengers to convey these unto to you and to bring your answer whom we desire you to treat kindly and speedily to despatch them back to us with your answer.
Dated in Boston Ist October 1675.
Signed by order of the Council
JOHN LEVERETT, Gov'r. EDWARD RAWSON, Sec'y."
The message reached Wannalancit, but he declined to return and the government bringing force to make him, ordered the noted Indian fighter, Capt. Samuel Mosely, with a company of one hundred men to disperse the Indian enemy at "Penagog," said to be gathered there for the purpose of mischief, and Capt. Mosely marched to Penacook but found their fort entirely deserted. Mosely burned their wigwam and destroyed their dried fish which had been cured for their winter use. Daniel Gookin says: "This was a mistake for there was not above one hundred in all the Penagog and Namkig Indians whereof Wanna- laneit was chief when the English drew nigh (whereof he Wannalancit) had intelligence by scouts they left their fort and withdrew into the woods and swamps where they had advantage and opportunity enough in ambushment to have slain many of the English soldiers without any great hazard to themselves; and several of the young Indians inclined to it, but the Sachem Wannalancit by his authority and wisdom restrained his men and suffered not an Indian to appear or shoot a gun. They were very near the English and yet though they were provoked by the English who burnt their wigwams and destroyed their dried fish, yet not one gun was fired at any Englishman."
At this time the Wamesit Indians who lived below Pawtucket Falls at the mouth of the Musketaquid River (Concord), who acknowledged allegiance to the Pawtuckets, were wrongly accused of burning a stack of hay belonging to James Richardson and all the able-bodied men were arrested and taken to Boston. Three of them were convicted and sold as slaves; the others set
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INDIAN HISTORY
free and as they were returning home, in passing through Woburn, were fired upon by a man by name of Knight, killing an Indian related to the principal Indians of Natick and Wamesit.
On the fifteenth day of November a barn of Lieut. James Richardson of Chelmsford being burned, the Indians were charged with it and a body of fourteen armed men went to the wigwams of the Indians, called them to come out,-men, women and children. Two of the English fired upon them, killing one boy and wounding five of the women and children. There now being no safety for them at their home, the entire tribe removed into the wilderness to join Wannalancit. The English ordered Lieut. Henchman to send after them and persuade them to come back. An Indian, by the name of Weeoposit, was sent who found the Indians about Penacook, but could not persuade them to come back. They were suffering much for food, but still they pre- ferred staying in the wilderness, but they sent back a letter giv- ing their reasons for leaving which was written by Simon Betogkow, their Indian preacher and teacher, who had been taught by Mr. Eliot :
"To Mr. Thomas Henchman, of Chelmsford: I: Numphow and John Line we send the messenger to you again with this answer; we cannot come home again; we go towards the French ; we go where Wannalancit is. The reason we went away from our home we had help from the Council but that did not do us good, but we had wrong by the English. 2dly: The reason we went away from the English for when there was any harm done in Chelmsford they laid it to us and said we did it and we know ourselves we never did harm to the English, but we go away peaceably and quietly. 3dly: As to the Island we say there is no safety for us because many English be not good and maybe they come to us and kill us as in the other case. We are not sorry for what we leave behind, but we are sorry the English have driven us from our praying to God and from our teacher (Mr. Eliot). We did begin to understand a little praying to God. We thank humbly the Council; we remember our love to Mr. Heuchman and Mr. James Richardson.
The mark of X John Line Their The mark of X Numphow Rulers"
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
These Wamesits missed finding Wannalancit and the Pawtuckets and most of them were forced to return to Chelms- ford from fear of starvation. Major Gookin, Major Williard, and Mr. Eliot were appointed a committee to visit and comfort them and to make necessary provision for them. On the 5th of February, following, they petitioned the Government and Council, through Jerathmel Bowers, that they might be removed from Chelmsford fearing to stay, and their petition being neglected they fled again into the woods towards Pennakoog, leaving only five or six in one wigwam who were lame and blind. This wigwam was set on fire by some of the people of Chelmsford and they were all burned together.
The Wamesits succeeded this time in finding Wannalancit, but not until a number had perished of hunger among whom was Mystic George and Numphow, then Sagamore, the husband of Bess, daughter of Passaconaway.
None of the Indians returned to Pawtucket until after the close of King Philip's War when a few came with Wannalancit who at this time called upon the Rev. Mr. Fish of Chelmsford and inquired if they had suffered much during the war. Mr. Fish told him very little for which he thanked God. The following March, 1677, this information was communicated to the Governor and Council by James Parker from Mr. Henchman's farm "near Merrimack Haste Post Haste."
"To the Honored Governor and Council. This may inform your honors that Sagamore Wannalancit came this morning to inform me and then went to Mr. Tyng's to inform him that his son being on ye other side of Merrimack River, a hunting, and his daughter with him up the River over against Souhegan upon the 22nd of this instant he discovered 15 Indians on this side of the River which he supposed to be Mohawks by their speech. He called them; they answered, but he could not understand their speech and he having canou there in the River he went to fech his canou that they might not have anines of it; in the mene time they shot about thirty guns at him and he being frighted fled and came home to Nahamcook forthwith where their wig- wams now stand.
Rec'd 9 night 24 March 76-77."
JAMES PARKER.
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INDIAN HISTORY
Wannalancit stopped about in the region of Wickasee until September, but the English had taken his planting grounds. Mr. Eliot says, "He (Wannalancit) was persuaded to come in again; but the English having plowed and sown all their lands they had but little corn to subsist by. A party of French Indians (of whom some were of the kindred of this Sachem's wife) very lately fell upon this people being but few and unarmed and partly by persuasion and partly by force carried them away.
"The fact is Wannalaneit saw his lands taken up and im- proved which the Legislature had granted him."
This was the 19th of September, 1677. Major Gookin, the fast friend of Wannalancit, gives the following reasons for his leaving and retiring to St. Francis :
"First this man had but a weak company, not above eight men.
"Secondly, he lived at a dangerous frontier place for the Mohawks that were now in small parties watching opportunities to slay and captivate these Indians, had lately done mischiefs a few miles off.
"Thirdly he had but little corn to live on for the ensuing winter, for his land was improved by the English before he came in.
"Fourthly, the Indians that came from the French were his kindred and relations for one of them was his wife's brother; and his oldest son also lived with the French.
"Fifth, these Indians Informed him that the war was not yet at an end and that he would live better and with more safety among the Indians."
All the injury to Dracut in King Philip's war was when "the strange Indians," not the Pawtuckets, attacked and burned, with one exception, all the buildings Edward Coburn had pur- chased of John Evered alias Webb. This exception still stand- ing is what at present is known as the Major Durkee house, and at that time was Daniel Gookin's Indian Court. It then was successfully defended by Edward Coburn and sons, having been palisaded and used as a garrison. It was at this time Samuel Varnum and sons were crossing the river to milk his cows that the Indians shot and killed two of his sons. In April, 1676, the
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
General Court ordered Lieut. James Richardson to build a garri- son house at Pawtucket falls and it was placed under his com- mand. It was located on the Indian reservation and was never attacked by the Indians. This was in excellent condition when torn down.
Our ancestors, in their desire to possess the land, were blinded and did not understand the Indians and never seemed to realize that they were composed of the good and the bad, but in every controversy acted on the theory that they were all bad.
Jeremy Belknap, D. D., author of the "History of New Hampshire," bears testimony as follows:
"However fond we may be of accusing the Indians of treachery it must be confessed that the example was first set them by the Europeans. Had we always treated them with justice and humanity, which our religion inculcates and our true interest at all times required, we might have lived with them in as much harmony as any other people on the globe."
George Catlin, in his "Manners, Customs and Conditions of the North American Indians" bears the following testimony : "I fearlessly assert to the world and I defy contradiction that the North American Indian in his native state is everywhere a highly moral and religious being endowed by his Maker with an intuitive knowledge of some great author of his being and the Universe in dread of whose displeasure he constantly lives with the apprehension before him of a future state where he expects to be rewarded or punished according to the merits he has gained or forfeited in this world."
The incidents related by Magistrate Gookin of the raid by the Mohawks was from the river toward Lake Mascuppic. When Dracut was incorporated in 1701-2 its bounds commenced and took in a part of Wannalancit's island of Wickasee, and the falls at that place furnished the fish to fertilize the corn planted on the island, but the great fishing place was the Pawtucket falls from which an enormous quantity of salmon, shad, alewives and Lamprey eels was each year secured and a year's supply of dried and smoked fish stored. The fishing season brought a great
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INDIAN HISTORY
gathering of the Indians of the Merrimack Valley and it was the time of council, merry-making and match-making. In all deeds given by the Indians the right to fish and hunt was reserved. With the departure of Wannalancit to the French, the Paw- tuckets never returned to the Falls.
Jeremy's Hill in New Hampshire is often mentioned in early deeds and the following Indian deed dated 1659 but not recorded until 1679 is here given.
"Know All Men By These Presents that I Nedacockett, an Indian born within that tract of land now inhabited and known by the name of Matachusetts, having by lawful right a tract of land which was given my father and uncle, at their death, have upon due consideration and for a debt due to Jeremiah Belcher of Ipswich in New England which has been owing to him seven or eight years of about twenty six pounds, do give and fully grant and make over and sell all my right of that land of mine which butting against Pawtucket and so running along Haver- hillward as far as old William's Wigwam and so up the country to a Hill called Jeremy's with all meadows; and this I make over to Jeremy Belcher of Ipswich as above to enjoy with peace and quietness and his heirs forever as witness my hand and seal dated the 28th of March 1659.
Signed and delivered in presence of us
John Denison
Lidia Jordan.
NEDACOCKETT (a mark and seal) Recorded Feb. 27th, 1679."
Of localities named we present a map of grants of land on the north bank of the Merrimack from Webb's dated 1659 to 1693 which shows the great Indian reservations of Pawtucket Falls which commenced on the river above the Lowell General Hospi- tal; from thence to easterly side of Spruce Swamp; thence to Long Pond (Lake Passaconaway) taking in part of the pond; thence down Alewive or Double Brook to Beaver Brook; from thence up the river to the starting point. There still remains in the woodland, not far from the Lowell General Hospital, a part of the Indian ditch which marked the reservation. There was
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
an Indian settlement at Long Pond which, in justice, should be named the Indian name of Lake Passaconaway as Tyng's pond has regained its Indian name Lake Mascuppic. The records plainly show that the Indian Court was at Nahamkeag which was the land by the river at the point of the grant to the members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.
As Chapter V, relating to the establishment of the Province line, is written to prove the important part taken by Dracut when the line was surveyed in 1721, so in the article prepared by Mr. Wilson abundant proof is presented which shows conclu- sively that the territory now Dracut was the capital seat of the great chief Passaconaway, whose jurisdiction extended over the tribes who dwelt in the valley of the Merrimack. This locality held the same relationship to the others that a capital city does to a state. It was the home of the chief, the location of the court and the place where the first schools for the Indians were es- tablished. The article prepared by Mr. Wilson closes after re- cording events which preceded the commencement of King Philip's war in 1675. The following records relate more to the customs and habits of the Indians and their history during the Colonial period. An effort has been made to avoid repetition but to retain the quaint manner of writing of those early days some of the contents of those early documents are recorded a second time.
The time of the arrival of the Indians in this country and the place from which they came has long been the problem which learned men have tried to solve. They had no written language and consequently no records for the antiquarian to study. Their houses were wigwams composed of frail, perish- able material and their abiding places only in such localities as suited their present needs. They located near a river which was a natural highway for journeying in their canoes as their natural indolence caused them to be averse to the labor of walking. They also derived much of their food from the river, and long practice made them skillful in the use of nets and seines. By killing deer and trapping beaver and other animals and dress- ing the hides, much of their clothing was procured. As many of
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INDIAN HISTORY
the tribes were enemies, they chose those locations most suited for defence and safety. The productiveness of the soil did not influence their choice as they knew nothing of agriculture beyond the raising of yellow corn, beans and squashes and all drudgery of this kind was performed by the squaws. The vast forests of pine and oak trees were of value to them only as homes for the wild animals which they hunted for food.
Their encampments were sometimes found at a distance from the river, but would be near a ledge which would be composed of stone suitable for arrow heads, hatchets, motars, etc. In the Dracut museum there are fragments of a stone basin found while excavating a cellar at the Navy Yard village, also stone hatchets found at New Boston village, a stone knife shaped like a chopping knife and used for scraping the flesh from hides, a butterfly ornament, a stone gouge and arrow heads all found in Dracut. The methods, by which the Indians were able to cut and shape their flint arrow-heads, were for a long time a problem. They knew nothing of the use of iron or steel, but the articles fashioned show skilful work. Selecting proper shaped bones they placed them in the ground and let them remain until the fatty matter was all extracted, and with this hard bone they were able to shape their implements of war and hunting. There were workmen whose duties were to shape these implements, and long practice made them skilful in their work. They studied carefully the grain of the stone and understood the direction and force of the blow as is the custom of the lapidary of the present day when he shapes precious gems.
An Indian encampment mentioned in County records has been identified as being located on the high ground a few rods east of Long Pond and near its southern extremity. Here the Indians cooked their fish and the ashes and charred wood which have been turned out by the plow with the many Indian utensils found here in former times are proof of the location of the camp ground. This field is a part of the Varnum farm now owned by Joseph P. Varnum. They acknowledged a chief or sachem who was the supreme head of the tribe, also sagamores who were next in rank while subject to the chief. They claimed certain locations not as we do by individual ownership but as tribal possessions. When the white men came here, the Pawtucket tribe
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
of Indians was located near the Falls. The Indians gave the name to the vicinity of the falls as it meant in their language place of a loud noise. Pautuck means a water fall from pau a loud noise and tugh, place. The Wamesits lived near Concord River where a part of Lowell is now located. Both tribes were friendly and peacable.
The spirit of cruelty and the love of war was lacking and they were subject to invasions of the Mohawks who lived to the west and who were fierce and warlike. The chief, whom the whites found on their arrival, was named Passaconaway and he is entitled to the credit of realizing the situation in which the country was placed and of forecasting accurately the future. In his dealings with the whites we have an illustration of the pro- verb that history repeats itself. Three thousand years before this time, when the Hebrews were about to enter Canaan, a woman of that nation said to the spies: "I know that the Lord hath given you this land and that a terror is fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you." In the same spirit Passaconaway addresses his people when he conferred the office of sachem on his son, Wannalancit: "I am now going the way of all flesh. I am ready to die and not likely to see you meet together any more. I will now leave this word of counsel with you. Take heed how you quarrel with the English. Hearken to the last words of your father and friend. The white men are the sons of the morning. The Great Spirit is their father. He shines bright about them. Sure as you light the fires the breath of Heaven will turn the breath upon you and destroy you. Remember it and live."
As their numbers decreased, they quietly withdrew and be- came identified with Canadian tribes. The settlers were not to be allowed to occupy their land in peace, for soon after the Varnums and Coburns arrived, a war of extermination of the settlers was commenced by King Philip and relentlessly carried on. No one was spared, while buildings were burned and cattle driven off and great havoc made before the savages could be overcome. The towns in the Connecticut valley were destroyed and as they advanced eastward the settlements in the Merrimack valley were attacked. Although to some extent Chelmsford was forewarned it did not escape their fury. Extracts from early
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INDIAN HISTORY
histories relating to this territory record these facts. As this occurred before the organization of the town this locality was called Chelmsford.
Fox, in his "History of Dunstable," records: "February 25 1675 an attack was made by the Indians upon Chelmsford and several buildings were burned, Colburn's garrison, on the east side of the river was strengthened but nearly all the other settlements were deserted."
Another writer says: "At Chelmsford the Wamesit Indians about March 18th 1676 fell upon some houses on the north side of the river and burned down three or four that belonged to the family of Edward Colburn."
Another early historian writes: "Chelmsford, where were many deserted houses burned in the beginning of April 1676 belonging to one Ed. Colburn that had formerly purchased the Seat of Capt. Web."
Drake, in his "Indian Wars," says: "Mar. 18th 1675 at Chelmsford the said Wamesit Indians fell upon some houses on the North side of the River burnt down three or four that be- longed to the family of Edward Colburn : the said Colburn with Samuel Varnum his neighbor being pursued as they passed over the river to look after their Cattell on that side of the river."
As Edward Colburn's land was on the Merrimack River these houses stood on what is now Varnum Avenue or near it. The historians who have given us the facts have evidently reasoned from the proximity of the Wamesits that they were the aggressors in the destruction of these buildings, but a study of their disposition leads to the conclusion that it was not this peace- ful tribe, but either the Mohawks from New York or some wandering parties of King Philip's men who burned and destroyed wherever they found the white man.
On the highland overlooking the river and between the Hamblett or Garrison House Cemetery and Riverside Street, there was a Garrison House erected. Realizing the need of a fort for protection from the raids of the Indians, Lieut. Thomas Rich- ardson received orders to erect one and he chose this site on what is now Riverside Street. It was later the home of Joseph, the youngest son of Samuel Varnum, and probably the one who was wounded at Meadow bridge, as will be recorded later. It was
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
demolished about 1880. The older residents will remember the low posted two-story building with its large chimney and ancient appearance. Like other block houses, it was huilt with pro- jecting stories. The first rested on the cellar wall and was of the same size. Th second was larger than the first and the top or attie was still larger.
Mr. Atkinson C. Varnum was interested in Dracut history and preserved much valuable information relating to the early days. His manner of writing and presentation of facts are ex- cellent and his description of the garrison house will be recorded in his own words: "The old two story pitched roof house in Dracut, known as the Garrison house, and situated on the westerly side of the road leading from Pawtucket Bridge to the Navy Yard, is being demolished to make way for the march of improvement. The house is forty-five feet front by twenty-two feet deep and was built by the early settlers of Dracut in 1674 as a place of rendezvous in case of an attack by the Indians for the safety of the women and children, and for the better defence of their property by the men. The roof was about one third pitched and persons could stand under the ridge pole of the attic. The flooring and framing timbers were sixteen inches square and are all hewed instead of being sawed. They are of a reddish variety of pitch pine. The second story projected over the first in order to afford an opportunity to shoot through loop- holes downward upon any foe that might make an attack upon the garrison. The perpendicular projecting timbers of the second story terminated in an ornamental finish at their lower extremity and appear as sound as when put into the framework of the building 212 years ago. The bricks of which the lower portion of the chimney was constructed were made in Scotland as appears from the inscription on them. A portion of the basement is partitioned off from the rest by a heavy stone wall. This en- closure is supposed to have been made for the better safety and security of the women and children who sought safety from time to time in the basement."
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