USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 9
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Eben'r Brooks Lt [David] Hoite Deacon [Ens John] Shelding Jno Shelding his Son Mahuman Hinsdale
Jno Stebbins
7 himself wife & 5 children
4
0
0
3 himself wife & servant girl
0
0
0
6 wife & 5 children at home
2 wife & child she wounded 1 child
32
2640
[Footing.]
7 [6] himself & 6 [5] children
3 Mrs Wms found dead 2d days | 1 at Hadley journey of ye Enemy 2 chil- dren 4 children 1 himself
0
3 himself wife and child 2 children
4 [1] children 0
1 wife 0
2 [1] himself & child [himself] 0
001
1 wife
2 himself & Son burnt in his house 1 himself 1 child 1 daughter 0
3 [1] children
1 himself
100 Lost Barn burnt & house Rifled
70 Lost house burnt.
50 Lost 100 Lost 20 Lost 100 Lost
100 house burnt & estate in it 20 Lost
Denyon [Denieur] & wife & 2 Frenchmen Simon Beaman
Nath'l Brooks Benoni Stebbins
David Hoite ju'r Joseph Pettee
0 2 himself & wife
0 1 himself 1 himself 0 33 [25]
300 houses & all goods Barn & cattl burnt 50 Lost 50 Lost
87
1703, 1704]
LOSSES AT DEERFIELD.
20 Lost 20 Lost 250 house, Barn & all in ym burnt 20 Lost 100 Lost
150 house, brnt cattl, hoggs, &c. 20 Lost
4 himself wife & 2 children 5 [7] wife 4 [6] children
0 7 himself wife & children 3 children 1 wife 2 himself & wife
0 0 2 wife & child 0 2 [1] children [& Josiah Rise- ing ? ] 0
2 children 2 himself & 1 child 1 himself 0 0
100 house & all in it burnt cat'l killed. 70 house burnt & estate
4 himself wife & 2 children 0
70 [77]
300 house, Barn burnt & all in them
3 [4] wife & 2 [3] children 0 [1 himself]
250 house, Barn burnt & all in them 50 Lost
3 [2] himself wife & child [wife & child burned in a cellar. S. Williams' M S] 0 3 himself & 2 children
0 1 wife
20 lost 250 house, Barn burnt, Estate in it 40 Lost 20 Lost
2 [5] himself & Son [4 children] 2 himself & wife great with child [born Apl 14 1704] 1 [2] wife [and child] 2 herself and child 2 children
0 7 himself wife & 5 children 1 wife
2 wife and child 0 3 himself & 2 Sons at home 0
3 himself wife & children [Sic]
[next pa.] 88
[Second Page.]
John Allison Tho Allison & mother of 84 yrs JJno Marsh & Sarah Dickinson Jos Pomery Jno Wilton Sam'll Smead
Jno Hawks ju'r
Andr Stephens ye Indian Wid' [Sarah] Hurst.
1 wife
1 himself 0
0 0
20 Lost 20 house burnt 50 house burnt
Jno Hawks Sn'r
Jno Field Robt Price
Mr John Richards
1 child 0 .
0
4 himself wife & 2 children
9 himself wife & 7 children
0
0
0 0
8 [7] himself wife & 6 [5] chil- dren
0
0
4 himself wife & 4 [2] children
0
0
0
3 herself & 2 children
0
0
7 herself & 6 children
0
0
3 himself wife & child
0
Eben'r Smead
6 himself wife & 4 children
0
Michall Mitchall
6 himself wife & 4 children
0
0
0
.
8 himself wife & 6 children
0
1 child
0
7 himself wife & 5 children 10 at home
0
5 captivitie
killed 5
0
25 [27]
20 [19]
105 [104]
375
foregoing page
70 [77]
33 [25]
32
2640
[Total]
95 [104]
53 [44]
137 [136]
*3015
There is yet Left of ye Inhabitants 25 men & 27 are Killed & in Captivitie. There is 17 houses with Barns to ym burnt within side and without the Fort.
There is yet houses standing within side ye Fort, 9 houses, & without, 15 houses, of wch Capt Wells is one of them, well fortified, in wch is the Garrison now kept. The Woemen & children at home are come of to Northampton, Hadley & Hatfield, also the wounded men & one wounded woeman are at Hatf'd undr Dr. Hast- ings cure.
[This paper was indorsed] " The destruction of Deerfield, Feb 29, 1703-4."
[* This is not pounds sterling, but Massachusetts pounds, worth $3.33.]
" Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn."
[1703, 1704
LOSSES AT DEERFIELD
Eben.r Severns [Severance] Jno Alline Edward Alline Garrison Sould'rs sent up
0
0
7 himself wife & 5 children
0
0
0
1 wife 0
5 himself wife & 3 children
50 house burnt 10 Lost
Jos Brooks Capt [Jonathan] Wells Eleez'r Hawks Wm Arms
0
0
10 himself wife & 8 children
0 0
0
1 wife 2 [1] children
1 himself
50 house burnt
1 himself
10 Lost
1 child
7 herself & 6 children in cap- tivitie 2 children 2 [3] wife & [2] child
6 himself wife & 3 children smothered in a Seller with Martin Smith
0
70 house burnt
0
2 Hatf'd persons 2 himself & wife 1 himself 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1 himself
50 house burnt
4 wife Mother & 2 children Smothered in a seller
2 himself & wife 2 himself & Mother
10 Lost 10 Lost
0 0
5 Lost 20 Lost 00
1 himself
Win Belding Wid [Sarah] Williams Wid [Sarah] Mattoone Jno Smead
0 [1 daughter] 0 0
0
-
89
MORE VICTIMS
1703, 1704]
Sheldon says, " To the above list of captives must be added Joseph Alexander, John Burt, Abagail Brown, Mary Harris, Daniel Crowfoot, Frank, negro slave to Mr. Williams, killed the first night, and Samuel Hastings. To the list of slain, Joseph Ingersoll, Pathena, wife of Frank, Thomas Selden, and two, (names unknown,) of the seven from towns below who were killed in the meadows. Total of killed 49 ; of captives III.
John Smead proved himself a hero, and received a bullet in his thigh which he carried until his death in 1720. He killed two Indians in the meadow fight, and his heirs received from the General Court a grant of two hundred acres of land at Poquoig. Samuel Church and Benjamin Church of Hadley, and John Bridgeman of Northampton, also received allow- ances for wounds received in the fight .*
Father Davaugour writes to the Superior General in France of the Great Lorette Huron warrior Thaovenhosen who took part in the attack on Deerfield :
" There is nothing barbarous in him, save his origin. His mind is broad and elevated (conceiving) nothing base, nothing unworthy of an honest and wise man. He is all covered with scars received in honorable battle. His remarkable kindness and gentleness-with which the Christian law inspires him- has abated naught of the bravery of the warrior, or the bold- ness of the Huron. Wherever he fought, the enemy was routed, defeated and slaughtered ; and great was his share in the victory won over the English when their great village, which I mentioned before, was stormed ; more than a hundred prisoners were taken in it, and distributed among the allied savages who had taken part in the war." (Jesuit Relations, vol. 66, page 169.)
* For most interesting particulars of this tragedy, read " The Redeemed Captive," and papers by Rev. John F. Moors, George Sheldon, and C. Alice Baker, in the pub- lished volumes of " The Proceedings of Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association."
CHAPTER XI
REDEMPTION OF THE CAPTIVES
in an age When men were men, and not ashamed of heaven."
A FTER the Meadow fight, which occurred about the mid- dle of the forenoon, De Rouville and his men with their captives, crossed the Pocumtuck on the ice, climbed the steep hill to Petty's plain and took the great trail toward Canada. Until recently the place of their encampment upon the night of the fatal day has been supposed to be in the swamp just west of the old Nims farm, but later the dis- covery of an ancient broad axe, (believed to be a portion of the Deerfield plunder,) at the former junction of the Hinsdale and Punch brooks, makes it seem more probable that the first camp was made about in the middle of the north meadows in Greenfield.
Many of the captives were children of tender age, twelve being under five and forty under twelve years of age. Marah Carter between three and four years old was killed before reach- ing the first camp. Mr. Williams' colored man, Frank, was killed during a drunken frolic at the camp in Green river meadows. John Bridgeman, taken prisoner, made his escape before crossing the river. This caused De Rouville to direct Mr. Williams to tell the prisoners that if any more ran away the remaining prisoners should be burned at the stake. Fear of endangering the lives of the prisoners caused the inhabitants to forego pursuit of the enemy. Early in the morning of the second days' march, it became necessary for the retreating party to cross Green river, always a turbulent stream. The fording
90
91
MURDER OF EUNICE WILLIAMS
1703, 1704]
was a few rods below the present bridge near the Leyden line, and Mrs. Williams being weak from her confinement, which took place six weeks previously, fell in the chilly waters and was only able to continue the march for a few rods to the foot of a steep hill up which the trail extended.
Her savage master giving up all hope of taking his captive to Canada, with one stroke of his hatchet ended her miseries. Her body was recovered by her friends and lies buried in the old graveyard at Deerfield. In 1884 the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association erected a solid granite monument which will forever mark the spot of this tragedy, the dedication services being largely attended and made remarkably interesting by addresses by Rev. Allen Hazen and Rev. Dr. John F. Moors. (See Vol. II, Proceedings, P. V. M. A.)
The route chosen by the French led across the southeast- ern corner of Leyden, through North Bernardston, and struck the river near where Fort Dummer was erected twenty years later. The main body reached Chambly on the Sorel river after twenty six-days' march, but many of the prisoners did not reach their destination until months had elapsed. Twenty were slain en route " for their manner was, if any loitered, to kill them."
The military authorities urged by their active and reliable allies, the Connecticut authorities, decided that Deerfield must be continued as the frontier post, and that the settlers must not desert the town. Connecticut sent up a large number of soldiers, being anxious that the frontier should be sustained at as great a distance from her border as possible, and also largely in sympathy with her distressed neighbors. Gradually recover- ing from their benumbed condition, the people again took up the usual round of duties incident to frontier life.
John Allen, (a brother of that Edward Allen who built the fort where the Hollister place now stands,) and his wife Eliza- beth, were killed at the Bars, May 11, 1704. They and five of their children had escaped the February massacre, only
92
FRUITLESS EXPEDITION
[1704
their daughter Sarah, then nineteen years old, being made prisoner at that time.
May 12, Mons. De Montigny in command of twenty French and fifty Indians surprised and captured Pascommuck fort (just out of Northampton). Old Hampshire records have this entry :
"May 12, Pascomock Fort taken by ye French & Indians being about 72. They took and Captivated ye whole Garri- son, being abont 37 Persons. The English pursueing of them caused them to nock all the Captives on the head Save 5 or 6. Three, they carried to Canada with them, the others escap'd and about 7 of those knocked on the head Recovered, ye rest died. Capt. John Taylor was killed in the fight, and Sam'l Bartlett wounded."
The successful issue of these expeditions so excited the French that Governor Vaudreuil declared that he would "lay desolate all the places on the Connecticut river." No trouble arose in gathering a force of 700 Indians and about 125 French officers and soldiers for another expedition. The whole were commanded by Captain De Boucours, and Vaudreuil said, "This force will be competent to attack whatever posts or village they please and I regard as certain the success of the expedi- tion." But the captive John Williams says, " The great army turned back ashamed." De Vaudreuil in his report, to the home government declares the reason to be that a " French soldier, one Peter Newgate, deserted within a day's journey of the enemy ; a panic hereupon seized the minds of our Indians to such a degree that it was impossible for Sieur de Beaucours to prevent them retreating." He continues : " Though this party broke up, it did not fail, my Lord, to cost the enemy considerable sums; the advices they received of it, having obliged them not only to postpone their meeting the Iroquois nations, but also, to remain a great portion of the summer idle, not knowing where this party might strike."
All through the season of 1704 the woods and hiding places
93
CAPTAIN LYMAN'S SCOUT
1704]
were full of scouts and spies of the savages, and they hovered around the towns and waylaid the settlers at every opportunity. July Io, a friendly Indian named Kindness was killed near Hatfield mill. Thomas Russell, a soldier of Deerfield, sent into the woods on a scout, was killed. A party of Indians passed along west of Deerfield street and fired their guns "in a bravado," were followed by Deacon Sheldon and others, but they " went along up to ye Northward & killed Tho's Russell July 20, 1704." July 30, Dr. Crossman and three others were fired into in the night between Hadley and Springfield, wounding the Doctor in his arm. About the same time Ser- geant John Hawks was wounded in the hand near Hatfield. July 29, Thomas Battis, who was returning from riding post to Boston, was killed east of Hadley. July 31, two Connecticut scouts were killed near Westfield. Another English scout coming up killed two of the attacking party of the Indians.
Word having reached the settlements that some of the In- dians who had attacked Deerfield were camped at " Cowas " near the mouth of White river, where they had planted corn, a scout of five Connecticut Indians under charge of Caleb Ly- man set forth about June 6th, to gather information. When within about twenty miles of his destination, Lyman sent for- ward a spy, his head covered with green leaves, and all his senses on the alert. He soon discovered a wigwam and Lyman de- termined to attack it in the night. Creeping up the six men at a given signal fired into the tepee and dropping their useless guns as Lyman said, "we surrounded them " and " with our clubs and hatchets knocked down several we met with." They killed six men and one woman; two others escaped, one of whom was mortally wounded. With canoes loaded with skins, guns and other plunder, they went down the river twelve miles, destroyed their canoes and struck into the woods, safely reach- ing Northampton June 20th.
The General Court awarded Lyman { 21 and the Indians £ 10, while Major Whiting, in command of the Connecticut
94
ENSIGN SHELDON GOES TO CANADA
[1704,1705
forces, gave the Indians £ 40 which Massachusetts soon after repaid to him.
During the winter of 1704-5 Ensign John Sheldon and John Wells, a young man about twenty-five years of age, ob- tained permission from Governor Dudley to undertake a journey to Canada and negotiate for the redemption of the captives. Captain John Livingston of Albany, New York, who was familiar with the route by way of Lake George and Champlain, was hired for the sum of one hundred pounds and his expenses, to accompany them and aid them in their undertaking. Travel- ling on snowshoes over the deep snows, through the thick and untrodden forests, over the frozen streams and the treach- erous ice of the lakes, through snow and sleet and rain, these intrepid men made their way to the French settlements, where they were received with all that deference and politeness which is customary with the French as a nation, and were by Vau- dreuil assured of a successful mission. Negotiations for the ex- change of prisoners was vexatious and much protracted, the Indians fearing the loss of the demanded ransom. Early in June, Captain Livingston, Ensign Sheldon, his daughter Han- nah and another of his children, Esther Williams, and two other captives, under the escort of Captain Courtmanche and eight French soldiers, arrived at Albany from Canada, having come by way of the lakes. Ensign Sheldon pushed on to Boston, on his way leaving the rescued captives at Springfield for their return to Deerfield. The Governor and Courtmanche con- tinued their negotiations for an exchange of prisoners, but the French messenger being taken sick, he was sent home by sea. At his solicitation the Governor's son, young William Dudley, accompanied Courtmanche upon his return to Quebec, bearing new proposals for the release of the captives.
Young Dudley returned to Boston in October bringing with him eleven of the captives, but only the names of Stephen Williams, Samuel Williams and Jonathan Hoyt are now known to have been of the eleven,
95
SEVERAL CAPTIVES ESCAPE
1705]
In 1705, soon after Livingstone and Sheldon left Canada for Albany, Thomas Baker, * John Nims, Joseph Petty and Mar- tin Kellogg conspired to make their escape from captivity. The story is best told by Joseph Petty in a letter addressed to Rev. Stephen Williams of Longmeadow, the original being in the keeping of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.
" Revd. Sr.
" Upon your desire, I now present you with a Narative of my escape from Canada, tho it is now so long Since yt I may possibly forget some particulars. But the acet as near as I can remember is as follows vist. About thirteen months after I was taken from Deerfield (we you well remember) four of us consulted methods to make our escape. Sometime in May upon y" great procession day we had Liberty to go & about ye city of Mont Real & there we happened all to meet together & John Nyms & I informed ye other two of our design to make our escape. This was on a thirsday (May 10) & we agreed yt ye other three were to come down to where I lived we was about 9 miles from ye city & wt was something re-
Province Laws, Chapter 16, 1718.
A petition of Thomas Baker . . Setting forth that he being a Soldier under the command of Cpt. Wells was taken Prisoner at Deerfield by the French & Indians in Febr. 1703(4). That he lost his Arms & a good Suit of Cloaths & was carried to Canada, That the Summer following the Chevalier Boncour went from Canada with a great Army designing to spoil & destroy some of the Towns on Connecticut River, Which the Petitioner understanding, in Order to serve his Country, by giving season- able Intelligence of the said Intended Expedition, made his Escape from Mont Real to the utmost Hazard of his Life, & was unfortunately taken, & Preparation was made by the Salvages to burn him alive, but he very happily got out of their hands & ran to the House of one Lebair, who ransom'd him by advanceing five Pounds which Peti- tioner promissed to repay him. After which the Petitioner was by Order of the Gov- ernour of Canada put into Irons, & made a close Prisoner for four months. After which the Petitioner being made a Prisoner at large escaped a third Time, & then got safe to his own Country, & therefore Praying that this Court would make him an Al- lowance for his loss of Time, the Difficulties & Hardships he pass'd thro' in his Get- ting home, & the Money he has been forced to pay for his first Ransom out of the Hands of ye Indians.
Read & Resolved that the Sum of Ten Pounds be allowed & paid out of the publick Treasury to Capt. Thomas Baker the Petitionr in full all of the Allegations mentioned in this Petition. (Passed June 16,)
96
[1705
JOSEPH PETTY'S RELATION
markable ye guns and Provisions we I had designed to bring with us was in another room from where I Lodged we exercised my mind very much how I should come at ym since I Lodged is mother room with ye people of ye house & wt still oppressed my spirits more was, yt coming in from work at noon I found a bed & sick person placed in yt room where y' guns & Pro- visions were ; & I thot now it was impossible to escape but upon my return at night I found ye sick person removed & my bed brought into yt room we much revived me.
"on ye Sabbath (May 13) following I was to go to ye city again to conclude further about our escape, & having con- firmed all matters I returned at night & found my landlords son there we was designed to Lodge with me we again dashed my spirits much for now I thot it impossible for me to Es- cape from him.
"But while I sat pausing wt to do I remembered yt I was to set up a sign by ye River for ye other three to know where ye house was & I thot I would go & do yt we wh I had done upon my return I found my Landlord's son moving off & would not stay tho much persuaded to tarry & altho it was very Dark & he would go; we again revived me & about break of day ye other three came & I handed ym two guns & some Provisions & we took a Canoe & passed ye River by sun rising & tho ye people Lived on ye other side we passed by them undiscovered. This was on Monday morning (May 14) & on wednesday about sun two hours high we ar- rived at Chamblee River about 9 miles below ye fort yre we made a raft & went over & ye next day we travelled up against ye fort yre & stopped to get some Provision killed a calf & dryed it, but fryday & Saturday rained so hard yt we could not travel we yn we judged made against us but in Providence we found it otherwise, for those yt pursued us were at this time returned.
"on ye Sabbath following we set out for ye Lake & arrived yre on Wednesday about no (torn) there we found two cannoes
97
PETTY'S RELATION CONTINUED
1705]
we judged our pursuers (torn) ad Left one of these we took we & came along with our journey, & came along yt day & all night & ye next day & at night Left our Cannoe (x pou?) we came along on ye east side of ye Lake untill we came to " mouth of Misiscou River we went up this river all night for it comes along ye same course as ye east shore of ye Lake & next morning we found a small runn (? ) wather we Led out of ye River into ye Lake we we made use of to waft us into ye Lake again : there is extraordoary good Land on each side of this River all ye way we went as far as we could perceive. this day we travelled on ye Lake till night & Lay by ye Lake, but next morning ye wind was so high against us yt we left our Cannoe & travelled on ye side of ye Lake yt day : & ye next day being Saturday we struck across for French river falls & arrived there on Sabbath about 9 in ye morning, this we travelled up about 2 or 3 dais & Left it & struck away for ye branches of White River. Now our Provision was spent excepting some small matters we had Left to fish withal, & yt day we spent in getting Provision & supplied ourselves for ye night & part of ye next day we was all ye Provision we had untill we came to Deerfield excepting ye leg of a tortoise & a small hook fish we we brought along a Little way. ye next night we came to ye mouth of white river & made a fire & designed to Lodge there & we set one to fish for us ; but by reason of ye flies he was soon discouraged & as soon as he came up I was going down to ye River to drink & espied an indian on ye East side of ye Great river coming to drink we made me stop & hide myself untill he was gone off & for fear of discovery we made of yt night & ye next day our pro- vision being spent some time & we weak & faint we thot best to make a raft upon we we came down yt day & ye next night on Connecticut River & ye next day also we continued our Course on ye raft & on thursday about 9 or 10 in ye morning we came to ye great falls, there we Let go our raft & went be- low ye falls & made another & came yt day to ye Lower end
7
98
PETTY'S RELATION CONTINUED
[1705
of ye great meadows or ye place now called ye Cannoe place there we Lodged yt night & ye next morning we came on our raft to ye meadows where ye fort is now there we Left our raft & came on foot yt day into Deerfield about twilight in ye evening & thus thro the good hand of divine Providence (we watched over us all ye way) we safely arrived at our own native Land again & were joyfully received & well taken care of by our friends upon we I cannot but say yt we have reason to praise God four our deliverance, & never forget his be (torn) ts. thus Sr. I have given you a brief & as exact a re- lation (torn) can well, since t'is so Long a time passed since, & if it may be of any service I Rejoyce & subscribe my-self yours to Command
"JOSEPH PETTY."
Joseph Petty was the man for whom Petty's Plain was named. He removed to Northfield, and was a soldier during King William's war. John Nims was the oldest son of God- frey and through his son Thomas, who settled in Greenfield, was the ancestor of the Nims family of this town. He was sent to Canada with a party under charge of Lieutenant Sam- uel Williams (son of Reverend John Williams) in 1712 to ne- gotiate for the return of the remaining captives, in exchange for a party of French prisoners who returned with them. Martin Kellogg had a home lot granted to him at Green river in 1707. He became a captain and was of great service to the govern- ment as official interpreter at Indian treaties. Thomas Baker gained great celebrity as a scout and was a captain in the Indian wars. He was in command when Captain John Stod- dard and Reverend John Williams went to Canada as commis- sioners to treat for the return of Eunice Williams and other captives. The story of his romantic marriage with Christine Otis, a New Hampshire captive, at this time, is most delight- fully told by Miss C. Alice Baker, in her " True Stories of the New England Captives."
99
SHELDON AND WELLS RETURN TO CANADA
1706]
In December, 1705, Dudley had sent forty-seven French prisoners to Port Royal for exchange, and on the 25th of January, 1706, Ensign John Sheldon and John Wells again entered the great wilderness, and defying the wintry elements, once more began the long and dreary journey to Canada. Upon their arrival at Quebec, Sheldon insisted that an equal number of captives should be released to offset those deliv- ered at Port Royal. He carried this point and on the 30th of May, 1706, Mr. Sheldon sailed for Boston on a French vessel accompanied by forty-four of his released countryman. Mr. Williams and fifty-seven other captives sailed from Que- bec, October 25th, on the brigantine Hope (which had brought the French prisoners from Boston), and after great peril of shipwreck they safely landed in Boston November 21, I 706.
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