USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
In this connection we will insert the following petition :
" To his Excellency William Shirley Esq. Capt. General & Commander in Chief in and over his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, &c., And to the Honourable His Majesty's Council and House of Represen- tatives now assembled.
"The Petition of Alexander McDowell of Colerain in the County of Hampshire, Clerk, Humbly Sheweth ; That your Petitioner with the Flock committed to his Charge lay much exposed to the Cruelty and Barbarity of the Inhuman & Sav- age Indian Enemy. Your Petitioner having with the assist- ance of his Hearers, got his House somewhat Fortified, there- fore Humbly Prays your Excellency & Honours to Grant such a number of Men, to defend the same & to annoy the Enemy, as your Excellency and Honours in your Wisdom shall see meet ; otherwise your Petitioner with His Family will be obliged to move from his Habitation & People to some other Place where he may dwell with safety. And your Peti- tioner as in duty bound will ever Pray.
" ALEXANDER McDOWELL.
"Colerain, Feby. 7, 1756."
The large army gathered at Albany in the late summer of 1755, under command of General William Johnson, built a fort at the great carrying place on the Hudson and named it Fort Edward. In preparing for the attack upon Crown Point the army pushed on to the upper end of Lake George and established a camp. Baron Dieskau, the French commander, marched his army up the Sorel and coming up Lake Cham- plain established his camp at South Bay. On the morning of September 8, Johnson sent Colonel Ephraim Williams with
209
"THE BLOODY MORNING SCOUT"
1755]
his regiment and Hendrick, the Mohawk sachem with two hundred men, " to intercept the French in their retreat, either as victors or defeated in their attempt to take Fort Edward." Dieskau intercepted a letter which disclosed the fact that Johnson's army was encamped at the foot of Lake George, and instead of continuing his march upon Fort Edward, he turned a right angle and marched directly for Johnson's camp. The Baron had learned by his scouts of Williams's approach, and laid an ambush in the form of a cul-de-sac into which Williams blindly marched. Both Colonel Williams and chief Hendricks were killed, with many of their men; those who suvrived fled until met by succor from Johnson's camp ; Dieskau followed up his victory, made a spirited charge upon the entrenched camp of Johnson, was defeated, badly wounded and taken prisoner. Doctor Thomas Williams of Deerfield had charge of the wounded French general, who partially re- covered, and lived until 1767. Colonel Williams's regiment was largely recruited from this valley, and this fatal day was long remembered as " The Bloody Morning Scout."
" He slept an iron sleep, Slain fighting for his country."
This battle ended the active operations for the year. During the year 1756 the people who were crowded into the fortified places were in great distress and fear, and the numer- ous pitiful appeals to the General Court for aid in furnishing men to guard, while the inhabitants put in their seed and se- cured their crops, make a most dismal story. They must have protection, as they were in instant peril of their lives if they ventured upon the cultivation of their fields, and neces- sity compelled their raising crops or they must abandon their homes. The following petition of the committee of the three year old District of Greenfield tells the story :
"To the Honorable Spencer Phipps Lieutenant Governour; ye Honorable his Majesties Council and House of Represent- atives. The Petition of ye inhabitants of Greenfield humbly
14
210
[1756
GREENFIELD PETITIONS THE GENERAL COURT
sheweth, that we your petitioners have a long time felt ye Dis- tresses of war; Tho' we stood our ground in ye last war, we did it at ye peril of our Estates and lives, and we were groaning under ye effects of it till the present war commenced. We beg leave to represent our State, not doubting but it will excite pitty & compassion in ye Honorable court towards us in Dis- tress.
" Greenfield lays about three miles North of Deerfield, there being no Town between that and Canady ; the space between Colrain and Falltown being eight or ten miles. · Our general field which is five miles in Length in which ye Chief part of our business lays in ye summer, is surrounded with a thick Swamp, at ye south end of which field the Inhabitants live. The line of forts can afford us but little protection nor can we often expect to be apprized of ye Enemy before they come amongst us, for ye Rout or road of ye scout from Fall- town to Colrain is but about two miles North of Greenfield North Bound. One man was killed and two taken from us by ye Indians last summer. Thirty-two of our Inhabitants have left us since ye War commenced, and we have now but fourty and two men in ye place that may be called Inhabitants, altho we have 192 souls in this Place. And many of those families that are now resident at Greenfield cannot live upon their own places ; twelve at least have been driven from their Home, and take up their abode in other men's Houses; and our small number of Inhabitants cannot perform one Days labor in their General Field in safety, unless in company with other men, and a guard to stand round them, and but little business can be performed by men under such circumstances, and some days we have been obliged to hire our guards, or to do nothing, for we have had but eight soldiers to guard our Town and Laborers in ye Field this year, for the more Alarms have often called us off from our Labours this year, and much time has been spent by the Inhabitants in Scouting this year. Your Petitioners in Consideration of their very difficult cir-
211
THE GENERAL COURT GRANTS RELIEF
1756]
cumstances humbly request ye honorable Court to think of some expedient for our Relief and Safety.
" It is Evident we cannot subsist here much longer ; that we must fly to some other place not only for Safety from ye En- emy, But for ye Necessaries and Comforts of life ; unless ye General Court will please to grant us Relief and put us under advantages to Defend ourselves.
" We therefore Earnestly pray ye Honourable Court to exempt us from public Taxes which we are certain we cannot pay without selling our Lands, which are scarcely vendible, our scituation being so difficult and dangerous. And also to en- able us to build fortifications, for at present we have nothing better than picqueted Houses to fly to in time of Danger. And we also humbly request that we may have a sufficient Num- ber of Soldiers (and it being so difficult to improve our own Lands) that the Inhabitants may be Soldiers alternately, If ye Court in their wisdom shall think fit.
" And your Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever pray &c.
" BENJ'N HASTINGS
"Greenfield, October " DAN' NASH' Committee." y® 5, 1756 "EBN" WELLS
"In the House of Rep's February 23d 1757."
" Read and Ordered That the Prayer of this Petition be so far granted as that there be allwed out of ye public Treasury to said Inhabitants the sum of twelve Pounds to be improved for building Fortifications there under the Conduct of Elijah Wil- liams Esq". as far as it respects ye laying out the said money & to be paid into his Hands for yt purpose.
"T. HUBBARD. Spekr."
"In Council Feby. 25, 1757. Read and Concur'd. " A. OLIVER Sec."
"Consented to S. PHIPPS."
212
[1756
THE MASSACRE AT COUNTRY FARMS
The officials in charge of the frontier posts were vigilant in the discharge of their duty in seeing that the fortifications were put into as perfect a state of defence as was possible, with the means supplied. As residences were seldom given in the muster rolls returned by the commanding officers, it is difficult to tell what Greenfield men served in the French and Indian war; but the following named were either then or soon after residents of this town, and performed service: Jonathan Cat- lin, Samuel Hinsdale, Benj. Munn, Jr., Moses Chandler, Benj. Hastings, Isaac Foster, Moses Bascom, Asher Corse, Elijah Wells, Agrippa Wells, George Frost, Joseph King, John Foster, Lemuel Smead, and Seth Denio.
April 19th, two scouts going from Colrain to Charlemont saw two Indians near a log house, one very much colored with red. June 7th, Josiah Fisher and his family were cap- tured at Northfield. The same day Benj. King and Wm. Meecham were killed near Fort Massachusetts. June 19th, news was received of the killing of Lieutenant Moses Fisher and the wounding of his son Moses, at No. 4, July 2d, an Indian was discovered creeping upon a party who were hay- ing near New Fort (Deerfield), and was fired upon. July 9th, an Indian was fired upon and wounded near Fort Taylor. July 13th, news was received of the deaths of Sergeant Chid- ister and his son James, and the capture of Captain Elisha Chapin at Hoosac. Captain Chapin was killed soon after his capture. Frenchmen wearing laced hats were seen near Fort Massachusetts. August 21, two men were attacked at North- field and one wounded ; they had only one gun, with which they fired at an Indian, "he fell down & cried out then the men made off as fast as they could."
August 23d, Daniel Graves aged about sixty, his son John Graves, about sixteen, Nathaniel Brooks, about forty-nine, Benjamin Hastings, about sixty-four, and Shubal Atherton, thirty-six, were at work on the meadow in Country Farms about a half mile southwest of the house now owned by J. G.
213
MAJOR WILLIAMS' REPORT
1756]
Pickett, engaged in harvesting grain. Being quite a party, they had no guard, and placing their guns against a stack of flax, they began their labors. From a neighboring hill a party of savages had watched their proceedings, and stealthily creep- ing through the grass and stubble they got between the men and their guns, and arose and fired, but without effect. Hast- ings and young John Graves jumped down the river bank, forded Green river, and made their way across the plain, reaching the Arms place in safety. Hastings said the fern on Irish Plain grew as high as his waist, but that he went over the whole of it. Shubal Atherton hid himself under the river bank among some bushes, but the Indians ferreted him out and shot him. He was a grandson of Reverend Hope Atherton who had such a terrible experience upon the opposite side of Green river while making his escape after the battle at Turners Falls. Daniel Graves and Nathaniel Brooks were taken prisoners and Graves being lame and unable to travel was killed just below the Ley- den Glen. Brooks was taken to Canada where he was known to be living in 1758, but was never afterward heard from. Major Elijah Williams in his report to Colonel Israel Williams, says : " I immediately went to the place with as many men as could be soon rallied, when we came there we found Green- field people who had got there before us gone on the track of the enemy, except one or two who informed us what course they steered, & that they judged they had one or two cap- tives with them. We went in search of one man, who, al- lowing two to be taken, was still missing : after some time we found Shubal Atherton killed & scalped-I judge he jumped down a steep pitch amongst the brush & lay there til he was found and killed for he was shot in his breast & out of his back near his waistband & his breast shot full of powder A lad of Joshua Wells who was going to his labor near where the men were & in open sight of them, says : when he came to his work he saw the Indians a Drawing off & that they had two men with white shirts &c-but that he did
214
FAILURE OF EXPEDITIONS AGAINST CANADA
[1756, 1757
not then think so much of Indians as to leave his work til people from Greenfield meadows got up-he thinks there were 7 or 8-but by what signs I could discover I judged there were not more than six."
The advance made against Canada by way of the lakes by the army under General Winslow was a failure, getting no further than Fort William Henry, which was completed that season. The French besieged and took Oswego, and its gar- rison of fourteen hundred men, one of the most important English posts on the frontier, and the people were much de- pressed.
The campaign of 1757 was one of miserable disappoint- ment. A large army under Lord Loudon, undertook the re- duction of the fortress of Louisbourg, but the French largely reinforced it and the expedition directed against it returned to New York before the first of September, without making any demonstration of its strength. Montcalm, taking advantage of the absence of Loudon and his army, advanced up the lakes and investing Fort William Henry with eleven thousand five hundred French and Indians compelled its surrender. Its commander, Colonel Monroe, made a most gallant defence, but after a six days' siege, his ammunition giving out, he surren- dered upon honorable terms, but the French were either un- able or unwilling to control their savage allies, and the dis- armed English suffered barbarous butchery, several hundred becoming victims of the hatchet and scalping knife. Larger garrisons were kept at the forts between Northfield and Hoosac, there being fifteen men under Sergeant Brown at Greenfield, and fifty-one men at Charlemont. Alarms were frequent, and scouts reported many "signs " but only one person was killed in the valley during the season, this being a man by the name of Wheeler, killed at Charlemont. Almost a panic existed in the valley when it became known that Fort William Henry was taken by the enemy. Invasion by the victorious Montcalm was expected, and Sir William Pep-
215
DISTRESS OF THE PEOPLE
[1757
perell, whose headquarters were at Springfield, was directed : " If the enemy should approach the frontier, you will order all wagons west of Connecticut River to have their wheels knocked off, and to drive the said country of horses, to order in all provisions that can be brought off & what cannot to destroy. You will receive this as my order not to be exe- cuted but in such case of necessity & then not to fail to do it." Lieutenant John Hawks was relieved from the command of the local forts and made a Major in Colonel Williams's regi- ment. In 1758, Captain John Catlin was made commander of the line of forts, and Sergeant Charles Wright and fifteen men were in garrison at Greenfield.
The people of Greenfield were in the utmost distress. Un- able to cultivate their lands, they had no way of paying the necessarily heavy taxes laid upon their estates, and again their committee laid their grievances before the General Court.
" To his Excellency Thomas Pownall Esq. Capt. General & Commander in Chief in and over His Majesties Province of the Massachusetts Bay &c &c. To the Honourable his Majesties Council : and the Honble House of Representa- tives ; in General Court assembled. Nov- 23d 1757.
"The memorial of Benjamin Hastings, Ebenezer Smead and Daniel Nash a Comtee of the District of Greenfield in the County of Hampshire :- Humbly Sheweth : That said Dis- trict Labours under many Burthens From which no relief can be obtained, but from this Honble Court. And would therefore beg your Excellency & Honrs patience, while they in the best manner they can, represent them to your wise & paternal con- sideration. That we are a Frontier & have had our Brethren & Friends killd & captivated from among us by the salvages, this War, your Honors cannot be insensible of, & we would acquaint your Excellency & Hon's that near one half who in the whole consisted but of thirty three Family's lived scatter- ing, one-two-three & four miles distant & since the War have been obliged to huddle into a few contiguous Houses,
216
A WOEFUL STORY
1757]
at the South East end of our Improvements which renders the Lives of all very uncomfortable & expensive ; but this could be born with, was it not attended with innumerable other inconveniences & losses. Amongst which our being obliged to work in a body & as it were with Arms in our hands makes a large stride towards our ruin. The time that is lost in trav- ailing from Field to Field & working so many together, de- stroying more than a third of it. And our Improvements be- ing between four & five miles in extent, some fields of grain Crinkled before they could be cut, some pieces of Grass is hayd before tis cut, being ripe near the same time, some cut before 'tis come to its growth because They would not go there again, and others devoured by the creatures, being so far dis- tant from our observation, with many other Losses too long here to enumerate which we hope some Gentleman acquainted with the distresses of War will more fully set forth to your Excellency & Hon's. We are sensible Complaints of this nature in time of war frequently come before this Honble Court, but circumstances alter cases, and we apprehend few, if any place is in like situation with us. And we would inform your Excellency & Honrs that from the discouragement we have laboured under, Seventeen of our number have left us since the War & we have now but thirty eight ratable Polls. That before the War we had 200 acres of Wheat growing in a year, that we have not now six acres in all our meadow. That one full quarter part of our Improvements lay wholly neglected, and by the little & imperfect Improvement of the rest our produce has been so small that as a people for these two years past we have gone behind hand. And 'tis with us as in Joseph's time, we are obliged to sell our Cattle to buy corn & pay our Taxes, and in a little time our Lands must inevit- ably follow for not half their value.
" We therefore beg your Excellency & Honrs to compas- sionate our pressing circumstances & abate our Province Tax, as we are objects of public compassion, and taxed & have been,
217
THE GENERAL COURT AIDS GREENFIELD
1757]
as we apprehend, double to some other Towns that have twice the number of Inhabitants and under vastly better advantages than we, was there no war ; owing as we conceive to a mistake when we were made a District, in calling us a third of Deer- field ; but of this we are sensible this Honble Court cannot be ascertained, as no Valuation List has been taken since we have been made a District. The diminution of our number, the little Improvement we can make of our Land, the constant anxiety & perplexity we live in, cannot we flater ourselves possibly pass unnoticed by this Honble Court. The Govern- ment the last War, when our Taxes were comparatively noth- ing, being sensible of our necessity's put us into the pay of the Government rather than we should quit our possessions & that a stand should be made in this place. The reason of Things being still the same, we would with all humility hope & pray that our circumstances may be considered & such re- lief, in such manner as this Honble Court in their great wis- dom & goodness shall think proper to be afforded to us: and as in duty bound shall ever pray.
" BENJN HASTINGS " EBNR SMEAD COMTEE."
" DANL NASH
" In the House of Rep"" Dec' 23 1757
" Read and Resolved : That in consideration of the Inhabit- ants of the said District of Greenfield being so much reduced in their numbers and driven off from their Improvements by the war as mentioned, there be allowed & paid out of the public Treasury the sum of Twenty pounds to ye Selectmen of ye said District to be by them distributed to and amongst the said Inhabitants in proportion to what each one is taxed to the Province this present year ; and also voted, That the Treasurer be and hereby is impowered and Directed to add the same sum of Twenty pounds to the Province Tax which
218
ENGLISH REPULSED AT TICONDEROGA
[1758
shall be assessed on the Town of Deerfield in the next year's Tax acct.
" Sent up for concurrence. T. HUBBARD, Spr.
"In concurrance Dec 24 1757. Read & concurred. " A. OLIVER, Sec'y.
" Consented to. T. POWNELL."
When William Pitt had come into control of colonial affairs in England, new courage came to the dispirited men of New England, and it was determined that Canada should be con- quered, and Indian warfare forever ended. Indian marauders entered the valley early and commenced their hellish work at Brattleboro, where they murdered Captain Fairbanks Moore and his son and took the son's wife and four children captives.
March 21, 1758, they burned a house and barn of Captain Morrison's at Colrain, wounded John Morrison and John Henry, killed several cattle and sheep. "Fired at the fort and went off and lodged within a mile and a half of the fort," writes Reverend Mr. Ashley, who made the cowardice or lack of energy of the garrison the subject of a sermon, from the text Hosea 7: II,-" Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart."
June 25, Matthew Severance and Martin Severance, of Deer- field, Agrippa Wells (afterward known as "Capt. Grip ") of Greenfield, and William Clark, of Colrain, members of the famous " Rogers Rangers," were taken prisoners at Sabbath Day Point, Lake Champlain.
July 8, General Abercrombie with seven thousand troops was repulsed in an attack upon Fort Ticonderoga, and suf- fered a loss of nineteen hundred men, but Louisbourg sur- rendered to General Amherst July 26, with a vast amount of stores and three thousand men. Fort Frontenac on Lake Ontario and Fort Duquesne also surrendered to the English forces, and it became evident that the power of France in America was crumbling. Captain John Catlin, commander
219
PRISONERS IN CANADA
1758]
of the local forts died at Burke's fort in Bernardston, Sep- tember 24, 1758. 1
In 1758 A. Oliver, Secretary of the Council called for in- formation from the towns in regard to prisoners taken from the several towns to Canada, which had not returned. In response thereto the following certificates among others were filed in his office :
" These sertifie that Nath11 Broocks of Greenfield was taken from thence to Canada by the Indians on August ye 23 1756 where he Remains without Redemption.
" Sept. ye 15th, 1758.
MOSES BASCOM."
" Martin Severance of Deerfield in the County of Hamp- shire being in a Ranging Company under the command of Robert Rogers, Esq., and Matthew Severance and Agrippa Wells both of Greenfield in said County being in a Ranging Company whereof Jonathan Burbanks is Capt. were all taken by the French and Indians June 25, 1758 when going on a scout to Sabbath Day Point in Lake George, and now in Captivaty. Wm. Clark of Colrain in the same scout taken att the same Time now in Captivaty. .
"To Andrew Oliver, Esq.
" We are s", Your Most humb servts,
" JOHN CLARK. " SARAH WELLS."
" Asa Rice Taken Captive June 11, 1755, att Charlemont & carried to St. Francis by the Indians. He was eight years old when taken.
" SAMUEL RICE."
Pitt wrote to Lord Amherst, commander in chief in America, under the date of December 29th : " That you do im- mediately concert the properest measures for pushing the operations of the campaign with the utmost vigor early in the year, by the invasion of Canada."
The remarkable and successful campaigns of 1759 were
220
TRAGEDY IN COLRAIN
[1759
participated in by the men of this valley in their full share. The men had the utmost confidence in their leaders, and they felt that at last the home government in the hands of the beloved Pitt would amply sustain the operations in the field. The greatest enthusiasm prevailed, aud all joined in a mighty effort to conquer their hated adversary, and it was hoped and believed that a bloody warfare which had lasted for nearly three quarters of a century was about to be ended.
The following fragment of a letter from Sergeant John Taylor, in command at Colrain, gives an account of the last Indian incursion upon our boarders, Lord Amherst soon giving the enemy enough to occupy their attention nearer home. The letter is dated, " Colrain, March ye 21, 1759," and addressed "To Maj. Elijah Williams, or Ensign Jos. Barnard, at Deerfield :
" Sir : These are to inform that yesterday as Jos. McKoun & his wife were coming from Daniel Donitson's & got so far as where Morrison's house was burned this day year, they was fired upon by the enemy about sunset. I have been down this morning on the spot and find no Blood Shed but see where they led Both the above mentioned; they had their little child with them. I believe they are gone home. I think their number small, for there were about ten or twelve came."
More particulars may be obtained in the following petition of McCowen to the General Court :
"To his Excellency Thomas Pownall Esq. Capt. General in and over his Majesties Province of the Massachusetts Bay &c. The Honorable His Majesties Council, and House of Representatives in General Court assembled. The petition of Joseph McCowen of Colrain humbly sheweth Whereas your petitioner being in the service of the Province on the Twentieth of March last, was together with his wife and a young Child captivated by the Enemy Indians, near Capt. Morrison's Garrison ; his wife not being able to Traval far was killed, he with his child went into Canada, where the Child
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.