History of Framingham, Massachusetts, early known as Danforth's Farms, 1640-1880; with a genealogical register, Part 9

Author: Temple, J. H. (Josiah Howard), 1815-1893
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Framingham, Pub. by the town of Framingham
Number of Pages: 822

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The family tradition is, that the mother had expressed the resolution never to be taken alive by the savages; and that, true to her word, she courageously defended her home, using hot soap and such weapons as were at hand in the kitchen. According to the confession of one of the murderers, the party -comprising six of the former residents at Magunkook - had returned thither for some corn which was left in their granaries, and finding that it had been destroyed, started at once, partly for food and partly for revenge, towards the nearest English settler. And it is probable that the stout resistance of the brave woman so provoked them that they left nothing alive.

The children were carried to the neighborhood of Wachusett, and a part of them to Wennimisset. Three of them found means to escape from their captors, and returned in the course of a few months. One of these was with the party of savages that attacked Sudbury the twenty-first of April. The escape of another is thus related: "On the next day (May 12), a youth of about eleven years made his escape from the Indians, who was taken prisoner when his father's house was burnt and his mother murdered on the Ist of February last ; and though the boy knew not a step of the way to any English town, and was in continual danger of the skulking Indians in the woods, and far

1 Mass. Archives, LXVII. 245.

History of Framingham.

from the English, yet God directed him aright, and brought him to the sight of Plantain (the herb which the Indians call 'English Foot,' because it grows only amongst us and is not found in the Indian plantations) ; whereupon he concluded he was not far from some English town, and accordingly following of the plantain he arrived safe amongst us."1

Of the girls taken, some authentic accounts are found. Thomas Reed, a soldier taken captive at Hockanum April I, escaped from the Indians who were in camp at Turner's Falls, May 14, 1676, reports : "There is Thomas Eames's daughter and her child [younger sister], hardly used."2 Aug. 14, Joseph Wannuckhow in his exami- nation states : "That about two months since he inquired concerning Goodman Eames's two daughters, and understood they were at a great hill about middle way between Wachusett and Pennacook, (Concord, N. H.), and were in good health and not in a starving plight." "William Jackstraw [same date] saith, that Mattahump [sachem of Quaboag] hath one of Goodman Eames's daughters, and Pumapen [former ruler at Magunkook] the other, and they were alive at planting time, and he thinks they may yet be towards the-at Auranea (Albany)."

There is evidence that these girls, and perhaps one boy, were carried to Canada, where the youngest, Margaret, was found by the agents sent by the Colonial Government to effect the release of captives, and redeemed, and returned home. The author agrees with Mr. Barry, that "It is quite probable that one or more of the children remained in Canada ; a not uncommon event, and in some cases the result of preference on the part of the captives, who became so accustomed to their change of life, as to lose all attachment to their English society and friends. Hutchinson states in his History (II. 140) that the captives who have been carried to Canada have often received very kind usage from the French inhabitants."

The following inventory exhibits the particulars of the loss sustained by Mr. Eames, as he valued them.

An Inventory of the loss of Thomas Eames, when his house was fired by Indians at Framingham near unto Sudbury in the county of Middlesex, the first of February 1675-6.

Imprimis - A wife and nine children.

Item - A house 34 feet long, double floores and garret, and cellar, and a barn 52 foot long, leantir'd one side and two ends, · £ 100. 00. 00

It. 4 oxen

024. 00. 00 .

It. 7 cows fair with calf .

028. 00. 00

1 Old Ind. Chronicle, p. 258.

2 Letter of Rev. Mr. Russell, of Hadley.

Indian Occupation.

It. 2 yearlings

· 003.00. 00

It. I bull

. 002. 00. 00

It. 2 heifers fair with calf

006. 00. 00

It. I heifer

. 002.00. 00

It. 8 sheep fair with lamb . 003. 12. 00

It. 30 loads of hay in ye barn at 8s. per load . 012.00.00

It. Io bush. wheate at 6s. p. bush. 003.00. 00

It. 40 bush. rye at 4s. 8d. p. bush. 008.00. 00

It. 210 bush. of indian at 3s. p. bush. . . 031.00.00

It. Hemp and flax in ye barn . 001.00.00

It. Fire arms with other arms and ammunition . 006.00. 00

It. Butter 20s., cheese 40s., 2 barrels and a half of Pork and 4 flitches of bacon .

013.00.00

It. Carpenter's and joyner's tooles .

005. 00. 00

It. 2 great spinning wheels and 2 small wheels 4s. 4s. for cards

001.00.00

It. 6 beds 3 of them feather beds and 3 flock, 6 rugs, 12 blankets . 012.00.00

It. I chest of lynen, with ye sheets and shifts · 010. 00.00

It. A livery cupboard with what was in it 002. 00. 00

It. My wife's linen and wearing apparel, and chil- dren's cloathing, and my own cloathing, with cloathing that was my former wife's ·

025. 00. 00

It. Pewter, brasse, and Iron ware 014.00.00

It. Churns, and other dairy vessels, with other wooden lumber .

. 005.00. 00

Total 330. 012. 00

This was a large estate for those times, and comprised all he pos- sessed, except the two horses and vehicle, and what money he had with him. As indemnity, the General Court granted him 200 acres of land. He also sued the Indians at law, and obtained from them, with consent of the Court, the tract of 200 acres lying near where his former habitation stood. He also recovered three of his own children, Samuel, Margaret, and Nathaniel ; and one of his wife's children, Zechariah Paddleford.

According to a list in the handwriting of Thomas Danforth, now on file in the State Archives, the Indians accused of participation in the murderous assault were as follows : Netus, Anneweaken, Aponapaw- quin alias Old Jacob, Acompanatt alias James, Pakananumquis alias Joshua Assalt, William Wannuckhow alias Jackstraw, Joseph Wan- nuckhow, Apumatquin alias John, Pumapen, Awassaquah, and Aquit- ekash. Of these, six were former residents at Magunkook ; and the fate of two of them, viz., Old Jacob and Pumapen, has already been narrated. Anneweaken was killed before the time of their trial. He was son of Dea. Naous, and brother of Tuckapawillin, the minister ;

History of Framingham.

and, according to Mr. Gookin, was at one time ruler at Hassanamesit. He was the "another man" who, with Netus, was charged by the Jackstraws with killing Mrs. Eames and her children, as will pres- ently appear.

August 11, 1676. Mr. Danforth issued a warrant commanding the consta- ble to apprehend Joshua Assalt, John Dublet, William Jackstraw and two of his sons Joseph and John, also Jackstraw's wife, all of them late of Ma gunkook, and bring them before me to answer the complaint of Thomas Eames for killing, burning, etc. In case you can enquire out Peter Ephraim's wife, warn her to come to me forthwith. Endorsement. I have apprehended and taken William Jackstraw and his wife and two of his sons Joseph and John, and also John Dublet, and warned Peter Ephraim's wife to come, but Joshua Assalt is as I understand at Marlborough with the army.

JOB HIDE, Constable.

Of Joshua Assalt and Awassaquah, Mr. Danforth writes to Gov. Leverett : "They confess that they were accessories ; but the latter is at the Ponds sick, and the former is with Capt. Hunting at Marl- borough. Goodman Eames is very earnest that he may be attached. I am in some doubt about the expediency of it while abroad. Let me entreat you to give me your advice in the case. Dated Aug. 14, 1676."

William Jackstraw and his two sons were examined before Mr. Danforth August 14. His minutes of the examination are as follows :

"Joseph Indian, son of William of Mogoncocke, being examined do say & confess that himself with these others named in the margent [see list above] were the persons that destroyed Thomas Eames' family in the beginning of Feb. last: that the same was occasioned by their missing of corn which they expected to have found at Mogun- cocke, & by that means were provoked to come & do that spoil, kill- ing of some & carrying captive of the rest, and burning house, barn and cattle ; and do confess that he carried away on his back one of Eames's sons.

" Apumatquin alias John, being examined, do confess the same thing.

"William Jackstraw, being examined do confess the same thing as above: owns that his sons Joseph and John were present at the desolation of Goodman Eames's family and that himself was of the company, but kept at a distance a little way off in the cornfields.

"Isaac Beech being present at this examination do say Joseph above named confessed the same thing to him and Jno. Prentice.

" for encouragement to Joseph who was first examined to tell the truth (they at first denying all) I told him I would speak to the Governor to spare his life in case he would tell me plainly how all this said matter was acted.

Indian Occupation.

"Taken the day and year above said, Before Thomas Danforth, John Speen Interpreter.

"Confessions were owned by the prisoners at the barr, 18, 6, 76. E. R. Sec."

Copy of Indictment. "We the grand jury for our Sovereign Lord the King do present and indict Joseph Indian of Maguncog by the name of Joseph Indian, for that he not having the fear of God before his eyes and being instigated by the devil did with other his accomplices on the beginning of Feb. 6 last burn the house and cattle of Thomas Eames and killed his wife and children, contrary to the peace of our Sovereign Lord the King his crown and dignity, the laws of God and of this jurisdiction.

" The Jury ffinds this bill, and have him to fforthwith tryal. Richard Colicott fforeman for the name of the rest of the Jury."

William, the father, and John were also indicted ; and the three were tried August 18, and convicted.

Sept. 5, they sent in the following petition. It has much historic value, as showing the method of procedure in this case ; and also as throwing light on the proclamation of conditional amnesty, issued June 19, which is referred to in the petition of Thomas Eames' sons [ante p. 57], and referred to in the case of Old Jethro and others that surrendered at Cochecho [ante p. 52.]

To the Hon. Court of Assistants sitting in Boston, Septr the 5th 1676.

The humble Petition of William Wannuckhow, Joseph Wannuckhow and John Appamatahqeen, all prisoners at the barr: Humbly imploreth your favor to hear and consider our application. We know that your Honours are men of truth, fearing God, and will faithfully perform your promises especially when it concerns so great a matter as the lives of men. You were pleased (of your own benignity) not for any desert of ours, to give forth your declaration dated the 19th of June, wherein you were pleased to promise life and liberty unto such of your enemies as did come in and submit themselves to your mercy and order and disposal within a time limited which afterwards was enlarged to a longer time, and tidings thereof sent by James Prentice unto us, which offers of grace, as soon as we heard of it, we readily embraced it, and came in accordingly ourselves wives and children, as Capt. Prentice and his son, with others, to whose house we were directed to come, are ready to testify; and those orders of yours are upon record, the copies whereof we are ready to present. If it should be said that we are known to be notorious in doing mischief to the English, we answer, none can so say in truth, or prove any such thing against us. Indeed we do acknowledge that we were in company of those that burnt Goodman Eames his house. But we did not act in it. It was done by others, who were slain in the war, and so have answered God's justice for their demerits ; as for our part we came along with that company upon a necessary and just occasion, to get our corn which we had planted gathered and put up at Magunquog. But finding our corn taken away, we

History of Framingham.

intended to return. But Netus and another man that were our leaders earnestly moved to go to Goodman Eames's farm for to get corn, and they said they did believe he had taken our corn. But we were unwilling to go. But they by their persuasion and threatening carried us with them. But as we said before, we neither killed nor burnt nor took away any thing there. But were instrumental to save Goodman Eames his children alive, one of us carried one boy upon our backs rather then let them be killed. This is the truth of things, so that we cannot be reckoned among such as have been notorious in doing mischief. Indeed we were enemies, being tempted to go among them by the example of our choice men Capt. Tom and others. But we had no arms and did not hurt the English as many others have done, that upon their submission to your mercy are pardoned. Besides it was a time of war, when this mischief was done ; and though it was our unhappy portion to be with those enemies yet we conceive that depredations and slaughters in war are not chargeable upon particular persons, especially such as have submitted themselves to your Honours upon promise of life, &c. as we have done.

Therefore we desire again to insist upon that plea, that we may receive the benefit of your declarations before mentioned. Our lives will not be at all beneficial to Goodman Eames. Those that slew his wife and relations and burnt his house have already suffered death, and the satisfac- tion of Goodman Eames in our death will not countervail the honour and justice or authority of the country that may be blemished thereby. 1

" The testimony of Thomas Prentis Sen. aged about 55 years, doth testify and say that Wm Wannuckhow alias Jackstraw, and his son Joseph with his wife and the rest of his children came into my house and submit themselves to the Council's order the twentyeth of July last which was some few days after the return of James Prentis and Nehemiah who told me they had left some Indians behind that desired to come in and submit, but were hindered."

The following entry in Judge Sewall's diary, indicates the end of these three men: "Sept. 21, '76. Stephen Goble of Concord was executed for murder of Indians-Three Indians for firing Eames his house and murder. The weather was cloudy and rawly cold, though little or no rain. Mr. Mighil prayed ; four others sat on the gallows, two men and two impudent women, one of which, at least laughed on the gallows, as several testified."

Netus, the leader of the marauding party, did not survive to be brought to trial. He was killed March 27, at Marlborough, by a party of English soldiers under the command of Lieut. Jacobs. His history is in many respects an interesting one. His name was often written Nataous, but he was commonly called William of Sudbury, from the fact that he lived there a number of years, and owned land there. He was a Nipnet, whose original home was in Grafton. The

1 Mass. Archives, XXX. 217.

Indian Occupation.

historian, Hubbard, speaks of him as " very familiar with the whites," which implies that he spoke the English language tolerably well, and fell in with English customs. He was for a time an attendant on the ministry of Rev. Mr. Browne of Sudbury, and was converted to a belief in the Christian religion by his preaching. He was in the habit of trading with the Sudbury settlers ; and either they had so much confidence in his honesty, or the temptation to drive a good bargain was so strong, that they "trusted " him, when he could not pay cash down. In 1659 the Court records mention a suit for debt entered 'against him by Sergt. John Parmenter of Sudbury.

When the Society for Propagating the Gospel in New England made arrangements with schoolmaster Corlett, of Cambridge, to edu- cate Indian youths in preparation for college, a son of Netus was sent to him for instruction. It appears that there were charges connected with the tuition of this boy which the English Society failed to pay ; and Mr. Corlett obtained leave of the General Court "to purchase of Netus, the Indian, so much land as the said Netus is possessed of according to law, for the satisfaction of the debt." The original amount due was £4. 10; interest and charges raised it to £7. 10. Under the Court's order, Edmund Rice, Sen., and Thomas Noyes laid out to said Corlett, from the lands of said Netus, a farm of 320 acres. This farm lay "about three miles off the Indian Plantation Hassanamiscox, at Nipnap Hill," in the northeasterly corner of Graf- ton.1 In 1685 Mr. Corlett sold this farm to Alice Thomas, widow, and Benj. Thompson, her son ; and Sept. 12, 1699, Benj. Thompson and wife Prudence sold to Peter Goulding, saddler, of Sudbury, "for one negro wench called Nanny, delivered at £25. 10, and £10 in money."

Netus joined the Christian Indians at Natick, where he resided for some years. Gookin (1674) speaks of him as "among the good men and prudent who were rulers at Natick."

When, a year later, these Indians were forced from their plantation, and taken to Deer Island, he and some others escaped into the woods. The evidence already given in full, goes to show that he heartily joined the enemy. The sequel has been told.

It should be added, that the wife of Netus, and the wife of Aquita- kash, accused of complicity in the murder of the Eames family, were sold into slavery.

1 Midd. Deeds, XII. 370.

CHAPTER III.

FIRST COMING OF THE ENGLISH - OLD CONNECTICUT PATH - BEAVER DAM - LAND GRANTS, AND EARLY SETTLEMENTS BY THE WHITES - MR. DANFORTH'S LEASES AND WILL. COVERING OUR HISTORY AS A PLANTATION, 1633-1699.

HE first coming of the English upon this territory, so far as is known, was in the year 1633. In that year a company of four men started from Watertown to go to the Connecticut river. The party consisted of John Oldham, Samuel Hall and two others, who went to look out a place for a new settlement at that then distant point.

The main obstacle to travel across the country, at that date, was not the forests, but the rivers and swamps. The annual burning of the grass and underbrush by the Indians, kept the dry uplands pretty clear of all except the old timber ; so that men on horseback could readily pass over the open country. But wet swamps were secure against the fires, and were impenetrable ; and large streams could be passed only at natural fordways.

The only way from Cambridge to Hartford, where the path would not cross any considerable stream of water, was up the northerly bank of the Charles river, to Waltham Centre, thence to the northerly end of Cochituate pond, thence following a southwesterly course through the village of South Framingham, into what was the northwest part of Sherborn, then turning more west, through Hopkinton, and following the upper south slope of the watershed of the streams that ran into Narragansett Bay and the Sound. The route was somewhat circuit- ous, but comparatively safe.

Probably Mr. Oldham and his party had a limited knowledge of the geography of the country. They were induced to travel this way by one of those circumstances, trival in themselves, which prove to be pivots on which turn the destiny of individuals and communities. Three years before, in the fall after the arrival of Gov. Winthrop, his colony fell short of supplies. The news was carried - perhaps by some of our more enterprising Washakamaugs-to the Wabbaquassets, a Nipnet clan living at [now] Woodstock, Ct., that the English at the

Old Connecticut Path.

Bay were in great want of corn, and would pay a good price for it: The hill-sides at Woodstock were famous for their bountiful crops of Indian corn; and the old chief of the Wabbaquassets, from his full granaries filled large sacks with the precious commodity, and with his son and other Indians carried the heavy burdens on their backs to Boston, " when there was but one cellar in the place, and that near the Common."1 These Wabbaquassets were related by tribal affinity to our Washakamaugs. From previous journeys, they knew the best way to tramp with their burden. And the white explorers, being acquainted with this trading expedition, which happened in 1630, followed three years later their track, partly because they knew it was the native trail, and also because they had information that it led near several Indian villages scattered along in the route. The chronicle of the time says that Mr. Oldham and his party "lodged at Indian towns all the way." [Winthrop, I. III.]

The next year [1634] some Watertown people made a journey to the Connecticut river, erected a few huts at Pyquag (Wethersfield), in which a few men made a shift to winter. [Trumbull, I. 48.]

In the summer of 1635 some pioneers went on to make prepara- tions ; and Oct. 15, about sixty men, women and children, with their horses, cattle and swine, started for the Connecticut valley, where they arrived in about two weeks. Finding there was too many for their accommodations and provisions, twelve of the number started, about the middle of November, to return. Though light loaded, they were ten days on the way, got lost, one of them died, and all would have perished but that they lighted on some Indian wigwams, where they .got food and directions for the way.

But the most distinguished company of early travellers on this route, was that of the Rev. Messrs. Hooker and Stone, who with a party of one hundred of their church members and their families took their departure from Cambridge for Hartford, in the beginning of June, 1636. The path had become better defined, and with the aid of a compass they made good progress. The historian says: "They had no cover but the heavens, nor any lodgings but those which simple nature afforded them. They drove with them one hundred and sixty head of cattle, and by the way subsisted on the milk of their cows. Mrs. Hooker was borne through the wilderness upon a horse-litter. The people generally carried their packs, arms, and some utensils. They were nearly a fortnight on their journey." [Trumbull, I. 55.]

An Indian horse-litter was merely two long ash poles, with slats fastened across the middle, the forward ends attached to the horse's saddle-girth, and the hind ends dragging on the ground. Probably

1 Larned's Hist. of Windham County, p. 2.

History of Framingham.

the litter on which Mrs. Hooker was borne had two horses, one forward, to draw, the other behind, to push.

This way, which these several parties of adventurers travelled, was known, for the next half century, as the "Old Connecticut Path." And this path, thus established, as we shall soon see, became an important factor in the first settlement and the early fortunes of our town. From Watertown to Mr. Dunster's farm, it is named on the Sudbury town records as a highway, in 1643, and was formally laid out in 1649. From the north end of Cochituate pond, the path followed the present road to the house of Joseph Brown, where it turned more to the west, crossing Cochituate brook at the fordway, where was afterwards the fulling-mill dam ; thence by a southerly and southwesterly course to a point about thirty rods east of Hollis Hasting's ; thence on nearly a straight line to the Pará rubber-works, and across the railroad, when it turned slightly to the west, going past the south school-house site, and from thence bearing to the left nearly as the road now runs into Sherborn, and round the southerly side of the Quinneh meadow, just shunning the marshy lands, 1 and turning more west crossed Cold spring brook about thirty rods above its junction with Hopkinton river, thence westerly to the cold spring on the Frankland place in the west part of Ashland, and so through Grafton2 in this State, and Thompson, Ct.

As already indicated, the general course of this path was determined by the conformation of the land; but its exact course at the south bounds of Framingham, was decided by that curious structure, which figures so largely in our early annals, viz., the Beaver Dam. This stood at the point where the highway crosses the stream, to the south of the house of Joseph Phipps. It is called in our earlier records the "Beaver Dam," and sometimes the " Indian Bridge," showing that it was in use by the natives when the country was first visited by the whites. It is mentioned as a bound-mark of land grants as early as 1658; and is perpetuated in the name of the stream on which it stood.

It must have been built at a very remote date by those sagacious animals. It was put in at the most available point for setting back the waters coming from the hills and springs, as well as the autumn overflow of Washakum pond, which would thus flood the meadows, and give the beavers safe winter quarters. As is well known, the beaver cuts two or more large trees in such a way that they shall fall across the stream, or outlet of a swamp, for he seems to understand either the leaning of trees or the force of winds, or both. He then sets sharpened stakes upright in the soft bottom, and fills the spaces

1 See Russell's Grant, Mass. Col. Rec., Iv. pt. I, p. 370.

2 " Hassanamesit is near unto the old road-way to Connecticut." Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., I., 185.

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History of Framingham, Massachusetts, early known as Danforth's Farms, 1640-1880; with a genealogical register, Part 9

Author: Temple, J. H. (Josiah Howard), 1815-1893 Publication date: 1887 Publisher: Framingham, Pub. by the town of Framingham Number of Pages: 822

Author: Temple, J. H. (Josiah Howard), 1815-1893
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Framingham, Pub. by the town of Framingham
Number of Pages: 822