History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 234

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 234

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The first house attacked was that of Thomas Dus- ton. Ilis wife, Hannah, was the eldest daughter of Michael Emerson, and was at this time not quite forty years old. She was the mother of thirteen chil-

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dren in all, the twelfth of whom was a babe of six days old at the time of the descent. She was still in bed under the care, as nurse, of Mary Neff, the daugh- ter of George Corliss, who married William Neff. Neff had gone off in Andros' Eastern expedition, and died at Pemaquid, February, 1688. Corliss gave Mrs. Neff, by will, the farmn (as is supposed), now oc- cupied by William Swasey, on Broadway.

Dnston was at work in the field, and seeing the enemy at a distance, ran home. There were seven children capable of doing something for themselves, of whom the eldest, Hannah, was over eighteen, and the youngest, Timothy, was two years and a half. Directing these to fly towards the garrison-house (probably Marsh's, at what is now Pecker's IIill), about a mile distant, he hastened to see what could be done for his wife and the infant. But the Indians were swiftly approaching, doubtless uttering their horrible war-whoops ; and, as we are told, in all the savage glory of war-paint, armed with guns, "their tomahawks drawn for the slaughter and their scalp- ing-knives unsheathed and glittering in the sun- beam." Recognizing the impos-ibility of rescuing the sick wife, and possibly bidden to do so by her (though no account says so), he determined to attempt to save at least one of the children. Hastily mount- ing his horse, he rode after them, armed with his gun, and overtook the flying group about an eighth of a mile from his door. Unable to determine which one to save, he dismounted from his horse and faced a little party of Indians who had pursued him. Re- cognizing his air of resolntion, they hesitated to ap- proach a desperate man. Accordingly, Duston, en- couraging his children to press on towards the garri- son, and keeping his horse as a barrier between himself and the savages, continued the retreat in good order, and reserving his fire, whilst the Indians, skulking behind trees and fences, fired without effect. Thus keeping the foe at bay, he reached the place of safety, when the Indians doubtless appreciated that their time for retreat had arrived, and the victorious but distracted father lodged in garrison the children whom he doubtless looked upon as already orphaned by the death of their mother. In the mean time the main body of Indians captured Mrs. Neff, who was attempting to escape with the babe ; and entering the house, directed Mrs. Duston to rise, doubtless by furious gestures. She had scant time for toilet ; in- deed, it is said, she had only secured one shoe for the terrible journey before her, when the red men, seizing what they wanted, set the house on fire. They had no time to lose, for they doubtless ex- pected a speedy attack from the village, and rallying to retire, they hastened to rid themselves of encum- brances. Such of the captives as were leg-weary or lagged in the march, were tomahawked and aban- doncd. An Indian seized the Duston babe and dashed its brains out against an apple tree. Of this there cannot well be any doubt, because, for a hun-

dred years after there were aged females who said they had often caten fruit grown upon the fateful tree. But upon the farm of John James Marsh (for- merly Jeff Emery's), near Creek Pond, now Crystal Lake, there used to be shown a rock against which it was said that the Indians had struck the poor little babe. Notwithstanding her weakened state from ill- ness, Hannah Duston travelled a dozen miles or so that day, and in the keen March wind, the weather happening to be extremely cold, kept on with her savage captors through alternate snow, ice and mud. It is related that the women reached their destination in comparatively good health. Such was the hardi- hood of the pioneer women of New England. Their halt was made at last at a small island, now known as Dustin's, at the mouth of Contoocook River, six miles above the State-House, at Concord, N. II. In the family of the Indian who claimed them as his special property, were twelve persons-"two stout men," three women and seven children.

They were converts of the Catholic priests, and performed their devotions, morning, noon and night, with scrupulous care. Cotton Mather himself, can- not hut observe the irony of the situation as he re- cords; "Indeed these Idolators were, like the rest of their whiter brethren, Persecutors, and would not endure that these poor women should retire to their English prayers if they could hinder them." Yet they treated with kindness their unhappy captives ; who found here another captive, an English youth, named Samuel Leonardson, taken prisoner at Wor- cester a year and a half before. It was intended to take the prisoners to Canada, and sell them to the French, according to custom. They were told also, that when they arrived at an Indian town, they would be stripped and made to run the gauntlet. Although they had unflinchingly endured so much, the prospect of these further indignities was insup- portable to the women. They determined to escape, and Hannah Duston, who doubtless suggested the idea, planned the method, which was carried into execution on the 30th or 31st of April, after a stay of five weeks at the island. The Indians looked upon Leonardson, who had lived so long with them in apparent contentment, as one of their own family, and through him Mrs. Duston obtained from one of the Indians, in social chat, much needed information where to strike an enemy in orderto kill him instant- ly and how to scalp a man. Everything being in readiness, an hour before the break of day, the two women and the boy, armed with hatchets, began their attack upon the sleeping Indians. Mrs. Duston killed her master, and young Leonardson killed the man who had taught him where and how to strike. One squaw, whom they had wounded sorely, yet managed to escape ; also a little Indian boy, whom they had intended to spare and bring away with them. Then gathering up what small stock of pro- visions the wigwam afforded, the gun of the master,

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and the tomahawk with which she had killed him, scottling all the canoes save one to impede pursuit, Mrs. Duston embarked her command in the remain- ing one, to voyage down the Merrimac. Before pro- ceeding far she suddenly recollected that they had neg- leeted to avail themselves of the information how to scalp neatly, which they had procured from the dead Indian. Expressing her fears that the neighbors would not believe their whole tragie story without the bloody evidence of the sealps, they returned to the wigwam, took the ten sealps, and, wrapping them in a piece of linen eloth brought from her house at the time of capture, resumed their perilous voyage. It was indeed perilous. The squaw and child who had escaped, would as soon as possible report what had happened to neighboring Indians, who would be sure to pursue. Besides, they were thinly elad and illy supplied with food. However, they did not lose courage, having been favored so far. They kept a good-look out: at night, two slept and one paddled. And thus in due time they reached home and pre- sented themselves to their friends who had given them up for dead.

After recovering from their fatigues, the now famous returned captives repaired to Boston, accompanied by Thomas Duston, the gun, the tomahawk and the ten sealps. Duston presented to the General Assembly a petition for recompense on account of "the just slaughter of so many of the Barbarians," and his own misfortunes, "having lost his estate in that calamity." Twenty-five pounds were voted Duston ; twelve pounds ten shillings to Mary Neff, and twelve pounds, ten shillings to Samuel Leonardson. Hannah Duston had the honor of being interviewed by no less important a reporter than Cotton Mather, who gives the whole story in the " Magnalia," in his usual graphic, staring fash- ion. Thomas Duston was, quite probably, son of Thomas Duston, of Dover, N. H. The name is first found in the records of Haverhill, as the builder of a cottage before 1675; as soldier in King Philip's war (August, 1676) ; in the list of cottagers before February 1677 : and again, in the list of cottages built between February, 1677 and January 1679, is the name of Thomas Duston second. The record of town meetings, first presents the name in 1682.

It may be conjectured that Thomas Duston and Thonas Duston second in the cottage lists, are the same. Duston livedin a small house at thetime of the attack. Moses Merrill, who was living in 1860, remembered the cellar as a boy, and showed the site to Chase, the historian. Duston was building a new brick house at the time of the attack.

The name was originally Durstan; in the town records it is generally spelt Duston, but occasionally Dustan and Dustin. Dustin is the most common form at the present time, Mirick writes of him : " Thomas Dustin was a man of considerable ingenuity, and tradition says that he had a vast deal of mother wit." It is pretty clear that at the time of the attack, he

lived on the west side of Little River. August, 1697, three months after Mrs. Duston's return, Thomas Du-ton bought of William Starlin the land Starlin had bought and received by grant of the town in 1684. This land was at the Fishing River and east of Little River, near the northerly end of Primrose Street. The consideration was one hundred pounds, and tradition says the scalp-money was part of it. The town records, March 4, 1701-'2, mention " the highway that leads to Tho. Duston's mill." In 1723-'4, Duston lived on the Starlin estate. Duston was living in March, 1729. The date of his death is uncertain, as is that of his wife. It seems to be known, however, that she survived him some years, living, after his death, with her son Jonathan, who resided on the southwest part of the original Thomas Duston farm. From 1715 to 1721-'2, Duston was moderator of most of the Proprietors' meetings.

Duston's feat has been commemorated in poetry and prose. President Dwight, of Yale College, in his " Travels," has a spirited account of the retreat and defense of the flying children.

Some years since a monument was erected on Duston's (or Contoocook) Island in the Merrimack, in memory of this bold slaughter and escape.

In 1855 a Duston Monument Association was formed in the West Parish of Haverhill, which re- sulted in the erection of a suitable monument, dedi- eated in June 1861. Unfortunately, the Association had ineurred debts which were not liquidated, and in 1865 the monument was actually taken on execution and removed, and has been, it is said, erected as a soldier's monument, in another town of Massachusetts. This was a mortifying incident. But on the 25th of November, 1879, a statue, ereeted upon the Common in front of the City Hall, at the cost of the late Hon. E. J. M. Hale, was donated by him to the city in honor of Ilannah Duston, and accepted in its behalf in appropriate resolutions of the City Council.

The famous tomahawk is said to have been lost in the woods long afterwards. The Indian gun, remaining in possession of the male line of Hannah Duston's descendants till 1859, was then presented to the Duston Monument Association. It has since found a resting- place at the City Library ; but it is understood that the trustees have recently surrendered it to a descendant whose claim to its possession was considered well- founded. The Duston descendants are numerous and highly respectable. After the terrible alarm and massacre, the town authorities awoke vigorously. It has been said that Thomas Duston was at the time building a new briek house. This was appointed a garrison, and Duston himself its commander, as appears by the following order :

"To Thomas Dustin, upon the settlement of garrisons, April 5, 1696-97. Yon being appointed master of the garrison at your house, you are, in his Maj's (Majesty's) name, required to see that a good watch is kept at your garrison both by night and by day, by those persons hereafter named, who are to be nuder your command and inspection in building or repairing your garrison : aud if any person refuse or neglect their

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duty, you are accordingly required to make return of the same, under your hand, to the Committee of Militia in Haverhill. The persons appointed are as follows : Josiah Heath, sen., Josiah Heath, jun., Joseph Bradley, John Heath, Joseph Kingsbury, and Thomas Kingsbury.

By order of the Committee of Militia,

SAMUEL AYER, Capt."

It will be observed by the date that Hannah Duston was still in captivity, nothing as yet being known of her fate.

Mr. Duston was, for the time, largely engaged in brick-making. The business, however, was carried on at great risk, because the Indians were almost always lurking about, watching their opportunity. The clay-pits were only a short distance from the garrison, but the savages were so bold that a file of soldiers constantly guarded the men who brought the clay from the pits to the yard near the house, where it was made into bricks.

Considering the remarkable character of Mrs. Duston's exploit, and the Indian's disposition to re- venge losses incurred in such a manner, it would not have been surprising if special efforts had been made to recapture her and wipe out so deadly an affront.

It may be observed that Mather in the " Magnalia," presents to us Mrs. Duston's own views of her feat in its moral aspect. "Being where she had not her own life secured unto her, she thought she was not forbidden by any law to take away the life of the murderers by whom her child had been butchered." Being without the pale of the law, she was a law unto herself. Mirick, in his history informs us that " various opinions are afloat concerning the justness of this truly heroic deed." He intimates that per- haps the strict moralist would not approve the act. It may be apprehended that, in Hannah Duston's day, such scruples would have found little favor. A de- scendant of hers, recently deceased at an advanced age, came to Haverhill in 1880 to delight his eyes with an inspection of the then newly erected monu- ment, and to traverse the scenes to him hallowed by her former presence, When he was asked in a rather delicate and guarded manner what he thought, mor- ally and æsthetically, of the killing and, more es- pecially of the scalping which did not appear to have been necessary for safety and which some squeamish people might even regard as wanton-whether it was in his judgment a slight departure from the normal delicacy and sensibility, so beautiful in woman-the veteran's eye glared and with a voice of thunder he replied, "Not a bit on't -- I glory in her spunk !"

Mirick has a story that one of the Indians ravag- ing to and fro, stole the first town-book of records. Retreating up the river with a few others, the party found a yoke of oxen in the westerly part of the town, now Methuen, cut out the tongues of the poor beasts, struck up a fire and broiled them. Then, continuing their rapid return towards the north, they left the town-book behind them either by accident or design. It was speedily found, but so damaged with water that many of the records were illegible.

Chase does not believe these anecdotes, for plausi- hle but not conclusive, reasons-first, because Nath- aniel Saltonstall, who was then town clerk and had been for a long time, would have had this record in his possession, and the Indians did not penetrate within about two miles of his house in the village. But he concedes that the book might have been in the possession of the family of John Carleton, the second town clerk from 1664 to 1668, who lived west of the village. He does not think, however, that au Indian would make "prize of an old record-book when there were so many other things within his grasp far more attractive and valuable to savage eyes." But the Indian, who could neither read nor write, might regard the book covered with characters illegi- ble to him as the white man's fetich and carry it away either as the method most effectually of annoy- ing his enemies, or in the vague hope of deriving some unknown virtue from its possession. But proba- bly the following transactions taken from the town records will serve better to make the matter clear than any conjecture, however aided by ingenious reason- ing.

March 3, 1673-74, Mr. George Browne and Thomas Whittier were appointed to overlook the transcript of book No. 1 copied into book No. 3, as made by the town clerk. May 15, 1674, they reported the tran- script to be " consonant and agreeable to the said old book," and that there was no need for the town to use the old book, but should commit it to the town clerk, who adds this memorandum in Latin, with which he was fond of garnishing his records: "Vera copia oppidanis publicita ; et tradita, et iis conscripta et approbata, qua nunc scriptis meis deposita est. Nathaniel Saltonstall, recorder."

The book being thus traced to the town clerk, who evidently means in this manner to acknowledge its receipt and deposit, it is hardly probable it should have been permitted to stray off again into the West Parish.

This original record book is in the town archives at City Hall. Considering its great age and rough usage, it is in a state of respectable preservation. In 1848, when a new town hall was completed, a safe was pur- chased for the better preservation of the town records ; and the first two books of the records were ordered to be copied. Chase writes: "The latter task was per- formed in a most faithful and beautiful manner by Mr. Josiah Keeley."

Mr. Keeley's work is beautifully executed ; but it is not a copy, it is an abstract. The ancient record is crabbed and difficult, but not undecipherable; and the experts in such writing at the present time would have made literal copies. Mr. Keeley seems, how- ever, to have got the sense of the orders for all prac- tical purposes.

The Haverhill town records have, upon the whole, been exceedingly well kept and preserved. There is a loose leaf, the history of which is told in the

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records :- " March 10, 1717-18. At a town-meeting in Ilaverhill by adjournment, Captain John White brought one leaf of town-book and delivered it to Mod- erator, who delivered it to town-clerk to put it into the town-book, and note when it was returned ; and was accordingly done by John Eaton, Town-Clerk, and this is the leaf that was brought by Captain White." The leaf is still safe in the custody of the present excellent City-Clerk .- March 22, 1697, the Massa- chusetts Assembly adopted the following order : " Whereas, it is reported that Colonel Saltingstall hath been very negligent of his duty as colonel, and that the late damage at Haverhill, wherein about forty of his majesty's subjects were killed and eap- tured by the heathen enemie, besides six houses burnt and much spoile, and yt the said Colonel did not (as be might, when he had notice of the enemies ap- proach) take care to draw them into Garrison ; nor encourage the pursuit of them when persons of- fered; that bis Honor will be pleased to make in- quiry into the said affair, and see that there may be due animadversions, which may be a proper means to prevent the like miscarriages."

This order was adopted a week after the massacre, when doubtless many idle rumors were flying about, and there was the usual disposition to blame some- body. "Ilis IIonor" was William Stoughton, then Lieutenant-Governor and acting Governor, an old associate of Colonel Saltonstall. There may have been " due animadversion," but there is no record of it, and the Colonel retained his command.

This order recites the burning of six houses. Mather, whom Drake and others have followed, says, "about half a dozen houses; " a cotemporary jour- nalist (Fairfield) entered in his diary that the Indians " burnt nine houses," Saltonstall, Myrick, Chase and other local writers, agree upon nine.

February 22, 1798, a party of Indians, early upon the war-path, made an attack in Andover, killing five and capturing five, returning through the west- erly part of Haverhill. Here they captured in am- buscade Jonathan Haynes and Samuel Ladd, with their eldest sons, Joseph Haynes and Daniel Ladd. They each had an ox and horse team, with which they were hauling home hay from the extreme western part of the town, where it had been stacked since the preceding summer. The savages killed the elder Haynes, because "he so old he no go with us " -too infirm-and Ladd, who had a stern face, "be- cause be so sour." Chase repeats a tradition that the savages camped at night in " Mill Meadow," a mile and a half north-east of World's End Pond. Here they killed the oxen, eutting out their tongues and other seleet pieces, to carry along in their home- ward march. Chase is of the opinion that this inci- dent has been transferred by Mirick to the Duston affair of a year previous, with exaggerated details, and so that the Indians were not guilty of cruelty to living animals, as had been charged.

The young men were carried to Pennacook, where they were kept some years till ransomed. Ladd was terribly disfigured by the savages with powder, being caught in an abortive attempt to escape. A descend- ant of Haynes has an ornamented staff, which his mas- ter gave him upon his return from captivity in token of regard.

March 5th a party of about forty Indians made a second raid on Andover, killing five persons and burning two houses and two barns, with the cattle in them. "On their return," says Hutchinson, "they made spoil on Haverhill." This is supposed to have been the burning of the house and buildings of Philip Eastman.

A treaty of peace had been made in the preceding autumn between the English and French (September 20, 1697), known as the peace of Ryswick, and soon after the last injuries the Governor of Canada noti- fied the Indians to bury the hatehet. It was quite time for the poor English in such exposed settle- ments as Haverhill. They now had a little breathing space in which to cultivate their land and increase their floeks, sleeping tranquilly at night without hearing the war-whoop.

In this interval a building was erected (1700) on what is now Main Street, near the top of the hill, and facing the Merrimack, for a watch-house, school- house, or any other publie use. In this year, for the first time, the town referred claims against the town to a committee to audit, instead of considering each one by itself in town-meeting.

At the annual election in 1701, John White was chosen town elerk in place of Nathaniel Saltonstall, who had served since 1668, a period of thirty three years. He had doubtless been an admirable clerk, though he sometimes presumed upon the citizens' ignorance of Latin to interpolate irrelevant comments in that language. This year the town remitted Jo- seph Peaseley his rates on account of his loss by fire.

At a special meeting in 1702, it was voted to levy a rate or tax of £31 12s. 00d., to defray the town's in- debtedness for the previous year. In this amount were included £6 for the schoolmaster, £2 10s. for the selectmen's salary, and six shillings for "time and money spent to obtain a schoolmaster." Ten pounds was voted Mr. Rolfe for wood, and "four pub- lic contributions," which had first been given him the previous year, and were annually continued till his death. Such contributions, of one sort or another, were taken every Sunday towards the close of service, their object being previously explained by one of the deacons. The people proceeded to the "deacon's seat," and deposited their offerings in due order,- first the magistrates and dignitaries, then the elders, and lastly the common people. After the benediction all the people remained standing, whilst the minister marched down the aisle, followed by bis family, and gravely bowing on either side.

In 1698 a clerk of the markets was first ehosen-

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Ensign Thomas Eatton, who continued as such till 1706.

At the annual meeting in 1703 Captain Richard Saltonstall petitioned the town for liberty to run a fence " from the pound cross over the spot where the old meeting-house formerly stood to his fenee," and to " feed on the burying-place," viz., to pasture animals upon it, or else that the town should fence in the burying-place by itself, which the townsmen voted to do, when the old meeting-house had now been re- moved.

May 4, 1702, England declared against France and Spain, the war known in Europe as the " War of the Spanish Succession," but in America as Queen Anne's War. It was not long before the French and the English colonies in America were involved in it; notwithstanding the previous peace, it appears that in March and April, 1700, Capt. Samuel Ayer had twenty soldiers under his command, who were in constant service here. March 16th twenty men were sent from Ipswich to Haverhill. Early in 1702, the House of Representatives ordered snow shoes to be provided for the militia in the frontier towns, that they might be prepared to resist and pursue Indian depredators in the winter.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 234

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1672

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672