USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > History of Hatfield, Massachusetts, in three parts: I. An account of the development of the social and industrial life of the town from its first settlement. II. The houses and homes of Hatfield, with personal reminiscences of the men and women who have lived there during the last one hundred years; brief historical accounts of the religious societies and of Smith Academy; statistical tables, etc. III. Genealogies of the families of the first settlers > Part 6
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Rods wide.
Rods wide.
Thomas Bracy
William King
16
Samuel Field
16
Highway to the river
Benjamin Waite
16
John Graves, Jr.
16
Samuel Ball
16
Robert Danks
16
16 Samuel Allis
Deerfield Lane
8
16 Samuel Marsh
Isaac Graves, Jr.
16
16 Philip Russell
Samuel Northam
16
16 Samuel Gillett
Richard Morton
20 0
18 John Wells
Blacksmith's shop.
Town lot
16
16 John Coleman
John Hawkes
16
16 Samuel Belden
Middle Lane
20 Hezekiah Dickinson
20 William Scott
16 Daniel Belden
16 Nathaniel Foote
CHART OF THE HOUSE LOTS AT THE UPPER END OF THE STREET, Granted by 1675, those in italics also appearing on previous chart.
The wealth of the settlers increased at a moderate rate. There was not a great deal of trade. Supplies which could not be produced at home were bought of the Pynchons in Springfield in exchange for farm products. Grain, wool, yarn of woolen or flax, cloth, pork, and probably some beef were sent down the river to find a market in Boston or the Connecticut towns. In the almost patriarchal state of society that then existed the increase of the flocks and herds was the chief source of addition to property. As the animals became more numerous more land was brought under cultivation.
There was little currency in circulation and little need of it. "Provision pay" was legal tender for public and private debts. What money there was in circulation con- sisted mostly of Spanish reals and pieces-of-eight, the former being silver coins worth ninepence, or twelve and
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
one half cents. The pieces-of-eight derived their name from the fact that they contained eight reals, or rials. They were not called dollars till the middle of the eighteenth century. Double and half reals were also in circulation. The English pound of that time was worth about three dollars. The currency was in denominations of crowns (five shillings or one fourth of a pound), half crowns, shil- lings, pence, and farthings. Most of the coins were of silver, even the smaller pieces, as the English did not like a copper currency. Massachusetts began in 1652 to coin money, which passed readily in some of the other colonies also. It was 221/2 per cent. lighter than the English money, for the purpose of keeping the money at home, and of the same purity. Pieces of a shilling, six, three, and two pence were coined by the mint, which was in operation for about thirty years. The shillings, called pine tree shillings from the fact that one side contained the likeness of a pine tree, weighed 72 grains. The new currency was put on a firm basis in 1672, when the value of pieces-of-eight of full weight was fixed at six shillings. In 1642 their value had been fixed at 4s. 6d. in England.
Wheat was the most used medium of exchange in the valley towns, though corn and pork were also standard and peas and oats were sometimes used. One duty of the constables was to collect the rates, or taxes, of grain, which were made at very frequent intervals. A vote of Jan. 14, 1672-3, fixed the price of winter wheat in Hatfield at 3s. 6d. per bushel. At the same time a town rate of £10, 10s. was ordered. Besides the town rates there were county and colony rates payable in grain at fixed prices. While not adapted to twentieth century methods of business and probably used by the early settlers more from necessity than for any other reason, wheat and other provisions furnished a sufficiently good circulating medium and served the purpose well, just as the iron currency of the Spartans did for them when Sparta was young. Business relations with the Athens of America had hardly begun in 1672.
Public improvements in the town went on rapidly. Some work in clearing the highways of brush was done each year, for neglect of which the inhabitants were fined. Fencing of highways and meadows received considerable attention and
69
HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
additional highways were made through the North Meadows. Making a highway often meant only surveying and staking out its course, the traveled way being made by use. Some of the swamps were drained at the expense of the town and additional land for mowing thereby gained. A general division of the Mill Swamp was begun in 1672, a few lots having been granted in it previously, and two or three roads were ordered to be made to render the lots easy of access. According to agreement, before the drawings for lots were made, those who could not easily get to their land were allowed to cross the lots of others. Drawings were made in order of the house lots beginning with Thomas Meekins and then up the west side of the street from south to north and down the other side. House lots not yet occupied were also granted swamp land. The lots in the swamps were numbered and 37 were drawn. At about the same time part of the swamp land north of the Great or North Meadow was taken up, each proprietor receiving ten acres, if in the Mill Swamp, and a little more if in the other.
Much labor was performed by united effort. All the buildings were raised in that way, as is the case to-day with barns. The fences were made by individuals, but if any man did not complete within a specified time the fencing required for mutual protection and decreed by common consent in town meeting, he was fined and in addition had to pay any damages arising from neglect.
The practice of pasturing the flocks and herds together on the undivided common land was begun at an early date, each man taking his turn at herding at first, and each owner had an ear mark to distinguish his stock. August 12, 1672, the town voted that each man having three or more cattle must take his turn or be fined 2s. 3d. and pay damages arising from neglect. When at a later date, 1680, a cattle keeper was appointed at a fixed rate of pay, the owners had to take turns on the Sabbath to allow the herdsman to attend public worship. The cows and other good neat stock were taken out by an hour after sunrise to good pasturage and returned before sundown. The inhabitants took turns in keeping a bull. After the crops were gathered the cattle were turned loose in the
70
HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
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John allen sar mack is a Half penny stock) Eachrise of the Viflotar
Iph Allen, Car marker, a Propos the Loff Ler ans Half pay Cabout of the wander handig. Sma that Allwy ler marc in addition the Spe? Sach Sar kalso aSlit in the lidar Fire of the reavis Sar, as in the mangent
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Elifawait Par mark is a Prop in the offer + a Happeny Put out ofy un : f00 of the Same as.
Ben; Waite his Ear Mark is a loop in theof war and a thet in the irup as may be sheer in the man was
Thomas Grafts his Ear Mach is two hald pourige cut out of the Top of the off Eur
Richard Church's Lar mark is a Slit cut in Each Side of the right lan near the Top
DeEligich Same Lan Mark in a prop of the lights a Halfpasing (ut in guides , de Faul Ear tatie) march 18 1758. Nathan Growers Bar Mark is a Half penny cakes the Widerside of the of war wallpaper darte of San-Entre March 28 765. fett trawy ler-mark 4 0 f0op in the Sop Entre Cipie 11 . 1765
A PAGE FROM THE PROPRIETORS' RECORDS-EARMARKS OF THE CATTLE.
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
meadows, usually about the first of October. There is a tradition that the sheep were folded for several years after the settlement in movable hurdles on the farm now owned by James Breor. A town shepherd was not appointed till 1682. In 1684 the land lying between the North Meadow fence and the home lots on the east of the street, with the hills northwest of William King's homestead near King's hill, was sequestered by vote of the town to be kept "as a pasture and a walk for sheep forever." All rams not considered fit for breeders had to be killed by order of the town.
There is no evidence that hogs were kept in sufficient numbers to require a special attendant, though a hogherd was a regularly appointed official in some towns in the colony. The hogs in Hatfield were ringed, to prevent their doing damage by rooting, and allowed to run at large. Nathaniel Dickinson was excused from holding town office for keeping a boar.
Cattle were used to perform most of the work on the farm. A single horse was sometimes hitched ahead of a yoke of oxen and horses were used on the cultivators. There was little use for horses except in the saddle, for the early settlers possessed no vehicles except oxcarts.
When the foundations of Hadley and Hatfield were laid the Indians were friendly. The necessary land was easily bought from them, they were frequent visitors in the village and seemed to welcome the coming of the whites as a protection against foes of their own color. The greeting "netop," my friend, was often heard in the streets where they came to loaf or barter. They were held in contempt by the English, for they were lazy, ignorant, and given to petty thieving. No attempt to convert them to Chris- tianity seems to have been made. It was soon found best to prohibit the sale of intoxicants to them, but the prac- tice was hard to stop. The county records contain many instances of fines imposed for the illegal sale of liquor to the Indians, the noted scout, Benjamin Waite, being among those detected. The savages also found it quite easy to obtain firearms, ammunition, and knives in spite of the watchfulness of the authorities.
The Indians of the vicinity were of various small tribes
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
or clans, known by the general name of River Indians. The Agawams were at Springfield, the Warranokes at Westfield, the Nonotucks or Norwottucks just above Northampton, the Pocumtucks at Deerfield, and the Squakheags at Northfield. The Pocumtucks were the most warlike clan and dominated a once powerful confederacy. Farther to the east were the warlike Nipmucks, or Nipmets, near Brookfield, or, as it was then known, Quabaug.
The chieftains of whom the Norwottuck plantation was bought, Umpanchala, Chickwollop, and Quonquont, claimed different parts of the territory occupied by their tribe and seemed to be under no binding allegiance to a higher authority. In 1668 at the request of the Hampshire dep- uties the General Court appointed three men to treat with the Indians, who then agreed that Chickwollop should be the chief. He evidently commanded the respect of neither the Indians nor the English. He died before the beginning of King Philip's war. Chickwollop and his immediate followers had a camping ground and a fort close to the Northampton-Hatfield line and their planting field was in the Hatfield meadows. The fort was on the bluff near the bank of the Connecticut at the mouth of Half Way brook, which enters the river by the Laurel Park railroad bridge. It was a commanding position, where the movements of the inhabitants of three towns could be easily observed. The wigwams were pitched either on the gravelly knolls close by or back on the ridge of hills at Laurel Park. The band was a roving one, however, and often took long hunting and fishing trips. Another favorite camping place was at the salmon falls at Red Rock above the Hatfield ferry. Many Indian relics have been turned up by the plow in the meadows in this vicinity. This spot is still one of the best fishing places in the river. There was a fort on the Hadley side near Red Rock in the vicinity of which bones, probably of the red man, have been un- earthed.
The women of the tribe tilled the ground, raising corn, beans, squashes, and pumpkins, and made and sold baskets, mats, and other articles to their white neighbors. The colonists were too busy with their labors to spend much time in hunting or fishing and readily bought game and
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
fish of the Indians as well as furs. Wampum, bright col- ored cloth, and trinkets of various kinds were bartered for goods the savages had to offer.
There is no indication that the settlement of the three towns in the vicinity interfered in any way with the mode of life of the Indians or lessened materially their supplies of food or fuel. Their numbers seem to have been much exaggerated in contemporary accounts. Judd estimates that the number of the savages in all the valley towns with Farmington and Simsbury did not exceed 1200 at the time the fighting began. Sickness and wars among themselves thinned their ranks considerably. Sheldon in his "History of Deerfield" closes a remarkable account of the rise and fall of the powerful Pocumtuck confederacy with a graphic description of the almost complete annihilation of the Deerfield tribe by the Mohawks from New York in 1663 and says, "a feeble remnant, renouncing their independence, sought the protection of the English in the towns on the river below." Their deserted lands were sold to the settlers from Dedham, who located at Deerfield in 1671. The number of Norwottucks left at the outbreak of King Philip's war could not have been, many, perhaps not over 200.
While the Connecticut valley settlers did not anticipate trouble with the Indians, whom they doubtless equaled in numbers, they knew by experience in other places the ever threatening danger of an uprising and had an organized mili- tia force in preparation for an emergency. Massachusetts required each town in the colony to have a supply of ammu- nition on hand constantly. In 1672 Hatfield voted to make a levy on each inhabitant in proportion to secure "powder and lead as required by law for the town stock." + A league for mutual defense had been formed in 1643 by the scat- tered English colonies in New England, comprising the colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven.
The towns of Springfield, Northampton, and Hadley were set off as a county by the name of Hampshire in 1662. It included all the western part of Massachusetts from the then undefined western boundary to the region that after- ward became Worcester County, including later the town of
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
.
Brookfield also. Courts were held alternately in Spring- field and Northampton. Hampshire County was really an independent colony in everything but name and the leading spirits were the Pynchons, ably assisted by the ministers of the churches. There was little communication with towns on the Bay because transportation facilities were very poor.
The first work of the county commissioners was the building of roads. In 1664 a cart path was opened to Windsor whence produce could be shipped to Boston. Freight rates were very high, in one recorded instance one third of the value of the cargo. The overland Bay paths were not opened for travel with vehicles till many years later. In 1668 Hatfield, then the west "side" of Hadley, appointed a committee to act with a committee from North- ampton to build a bridge across the Manhan. The high- way between Hatfield and Northampton was probably laid out in 1665.
Each town had an infantry company of volunteers, which drilled regularly. There was a cavalry regiment recruited from all the valley towns in the colony, called the Hamp- shire troop, under command of Maj. John Pynchon. Hat- field had six troopers in 1674 belonging to this regiment. William Allis was cornet in 1663 and later became lieuten- ant. The foot soldiers drilled with the Hadley company, which was commanded by Aaron Cooke.
A contribution for a new building at Harvard College was taken in the year 1672, for which £14 2s. 6d. were subscribed in Hatfield. The following references to this appear on the town records :-
"Jan. 16, 1671/2, the town hath generally voted and agreed that the money given in by the Town with an intent to the promotion of the college should be distributed to these ends, first the promotion of the college aforesaid, secondly for the relief of some christian friends in necessity, and thirdly for the furthance of the gathering of a church amongst us, and to have the power of distributing the same into the hands of those appointed by the counsel to receive the distribution for the college.
"Feb. 7, '71/2, the Town hath manifest that they were willing that the money engaged to be given toward the promotion of a college notwithstanding any former order shall be still put to the said work of promoting the college."
CHAPTER VII. KING PHILIP'S WAR, 1675-6, AND THE MASSACRE OF 1677.
"And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds ? "
King Philip .- Beginning of the war .- Attack on Brookfield .- Preparations for defense of the Connecticut valley .- The River Indians join the hostile band .- The swamp fight above Hatfield .- Attacks on Deerfield and North- field .- Northfield abandoned .- The Bloody Brook massacre .- Attack on Springfield .- Hatfield attacked .- Close of the campaign of 1675 .- Activity of Philip during the winter .- Opening of hostilities in the spring .- Repulse of the Indians at Northampton and Hatfield .- The stockade .- Disasters near the coast .- The fight at Turners Falls .- Experiences of Rev. Hope Atherton .- Hatfield again attacked .- Attack on Hadley .- The Mohawks attack the River Indians .- Death of Philip and close of the war in 1676 .- The massacre at Hatfield, Sept. 19, 1677 .- Capture of Deerfield settlers .- The expedition of Waite and Jennings .- The return of the captives.
The early settlers of the valley towns were not wholly unaccustomed to Indian warfare, as some had taken part in the short and bloody Pequot war in 1637 in which the Indians had learned to their sorrow that it was best to be at peace with their white neighbors. But nearly forty years had passed and another generation of warriors had grown up and were eager for the test of battle. Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags, who throughout his life kept true to his pledge of peace with the settlers of Plymouth Colony, died in 1662. His son, Alexander, who then became the sachem of the tribe, died the same year and the second son, Philip, assumed the leadership. Philip was cunning, treacherous, and cruel. He was greatly feared by the white settlers and considered the chief instigator of the Indian uprising known as King Philip's war and the personal head of all the attacking parties. He was credited by early his- torians with being the commander-in-chief of all the forces. Later discoveries, however, have shown that he had no genius for leadership in battle or in the planning of cam- paigns, directing his energies to crafty scheming. He did not have a loyal personal following among the Indian tribes
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
or much to do with the conduct of operations in the war that bears his name after the fighting had begun, and he was betrayed at last by a member of his own household and shot by a man of his own tribe whose brother he had treacherously murdered.
It is true that it was Philip's influence more than that of any one else which moved the savages to open hostilities. His ambition and jealousy led him to plan the destruction of all the settlements in New England and he spent many years in plotting against his foes, uniting the various tribes against the common enemy and fanning the flames of hatred and revenge. His stronghold was at Mt. Hope in Rhode Island.
The story of the war has been told so many times that only the incidents in which Hatfield men took part, with a brief summary of the more important engagements in other places, will be narrated here. Hostilities broke out a year before the preparations were completed because of Philip's anger at the hanging of some of his followers by the Plym- outh officials for the murder of a "praying Indian," who had revealed to the whites some of the plots against them. On the 24th of June, 1675, several murders were committed at Swansea by the Indians of Philip's tribe; forces from Boston and Plymouth were dispatched against Philip at Mt. Hope and he was driven to the Nipmucks in the central part of the state.
In spite of attempts to make treaties with the various tribes the whole region became involved in war and the savages, as soon as they could make preparations, took the offensive. Beginning with outrages in the towns near the coast, the war spirit rapidly spread. Capt. Edward Hutch- inson, sent as a commissioner on an errand of peace, was attacked with his party from ambush near Brookfield, Aug. 2, by the Nipmucks, who were responsible for most of the outrages in 1675. Brookfield was attacked, many of the houses were burned and the inhabitants were besieged in the tavern until rescued, Aug. 4, by a troop of forty horse- men from Lancaster under the command of Maj. Simon Willard.
Maj. John Pynchon at Springfield received the news the same day and immediately secured the aid of the Connecti-
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
cut towns. Troops were dispatched to Brookfield from both directions and the forces of the valley towns were called out. A messenger was sent to Albany to Governor Andros to secure his aid in keeping the Mohawks friendly. Troops from the Bay under Captains Thomas Lathrop of Beverly and Richard Beers of Watertown, which had been sent to the relief of Brookfield, passed on to the valley settlements. They numbered about 180. Headquarters were established at Hadley on Aug. 16, and scouting parties were sent out to discover if possible the number of the hostile Indians. The River Indians were supposed to be neutral, but they were closely watched. Captain Watts and a company of Hartford men went up the west side of the Connecticut river, while Lathrop and Beers took the east side. No hos- tile Indians were found, but garrisons were left at North- field, Deerfield, Hatfield, and Northampton and the main body returned to Hadley.
Some suspicious signs had been noted among the Nor- wottucks. It had been their custom early in the spring to make arrangements with the settlers for cultivating parts of the meadows, but no such arrangements were made in 1675 with the Hatfield settlers. They had concentrated at their fort at Half Way brook their goods that were scat- tered at various camping places and in the towns and early in the summer a squaw had advised Goodwife Wright of Northampton to "get into town with her children." The inhabitants of Hatfield, Hadley, and Northampton seemed to feel no special alarm at these unusual proceedings, for no preparations for defense had been made. The same suspicious signs were noted among the neighboring clans.
At the fort between Hatfield and Northampton a band of Pocumtucks, Norwottucks, and roving members of other tribes gathered during the summer, who had given up their arms at the outbreak of hostilities, but received them back again after promises of friendship and of help against the tribes that were on the warpath. They grew insolent soon after the arrival of the troopers and Captain Lathrop decided to take their arms again. Detachments from Had- ley and Northampton met at the fort at daylight on the 25th of August only to find that the Indians had fled, leav- ing one dead sachem, who had perhaps refused to sanction
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
the war. They never returned to their fields and planting grounds again in large numbers to live.
Pursuit was immediately made by about one hundred men. The party was ambushed in a swamp a short distance below Sugar Loaf mountain. Ten of the English were killed or wounded and twenty-six of the Indians. Reports of the Indian losses are untrustworthy as they almost always carried off their fallen comrades and stated as their casualties whatever they thought would produce on their opponents the effect they most desired. Richard Fellows of Hatfield, son of the first settler of that name, was among the slain. The Indians escaped to the northward. The exact spot of encounter was in doubt till located by Temple, the Whately historian, as a ravine about a quarter of a mile south of the mountain.
Sheldon, in his introduction to the "History of Hadley," reprinted in 1905, gives a full discussion of the alleged attack on Hadley, Sept. 1, at which, according to tradition, the aged regicide, General Goffe, appeared and took com- mand. The circumstances may have been as the tradition re- lates, but it seems improbable that two assaults were made by the savages at the same time, for it is well established that. on the morning of Sept. 1 an attack was made on Deerfield, which was repulsed from the fortified houses. Several of the houses not fortified were burned. The next day North- field was attacked and partly burned and eight of the settlers were killed. The following day Captain Beers set out from Hadley with 36 mounted men for the relief of Northfield. They were suddenly and unexpectedly attacked when two miles from the village and routed. Captain Beers was killed-the plain where he fell receiving the name of Beers's Plain-and only sixteen escaped to tell of the disaster. The savages mutilated the bodies of the slain.
A larger expedition was sent out under command of Maj. Robert Treat of Hartford and the settlers of North- field were brought in safety to the towns below. The retreat was made the night of Sept. 6, the inhabitants tak- ing only the horses. Their buildings and all their crops and other property with the exception of what few personal effects they could carry were destroyed soon after by the enemy.
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