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 7
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
A second attack on Deerfield was repulsed Sept. 12 and on the 18th occurred the famous Bloody Brook massacre when Captain Lathrop and his force, "the flower of Essex," were destroyed and the wheat for which the trip was made was lost. Seventeen men of Deerfield were killed, that settlement was also abandoned, and Hatfield, Hadley, and Northampton became the frontier towns.
Encouraged by their successes the Indians became bolder. On the 26th they burned the buildings and crops of Major Pynchon at West Springfield. Details of a plot to destroy Springfield were discovered Oct. 4 and the next day the enemy were repulsed in a fierce attack. Much property was destroyed by fire, including the corn mill and the saw- mill.
Major Pynchon resigned from the command of the forces and Capt. Samuel Appleton of Ipswich was appointed commander-in-chief. The success of the savages had so demoralized the whites that they were afraid to meet them in open fight, resorting to defensive tactics. Major Pyn- chon wrote from Hadley Sept. 30, "We are endeavoring to discover the enemy, and daily send out scouts, but little is effected. Our English are somewhat awk and fear- ful in scouting and spying, though we do the best we can. We have no Indian friends here to help us. We find the Indians have their scouts out. Two days ago, two English- men at Northampton, being gone out in the morning to cut wood, and but a little from the house, were both shot down dead, having two bullets apiece shot into each of their breasts. The Indians cut off their scalps, took their arms, and were off in a trice." And a few days later he says, "To speak my thoughts, all these towns ought to be garrisoned as I have formerly hinted. To go out after the Indians, in the swamps and thickets, is to hazard all our men, unless we know where they keep; which is altogether unknown to us." This will explain the defensive policy adopted by the English.
An attack was made on Hatfield Oct. 19. The town was garrisoned by two companies under command of Capt. Sam- uel Mosely and Capt. Jonathan Poole. Fires had been noticed in the morning to the northward and a party of ten dragoons sent out to investigate fell into an ambush the
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
Indians had prepared. Six were killed and three captured, one of whom was afterward tortured to death. Prepara- tions were made to repel the expected attack on the village and when the Indians, numbering seven or eight hundred according to contemporary accounts, appeared about four o'clock in the afternoon they met a spirited resistance. Major Appleton crossed from Hadley with his men and defended the south part of the town, Mosely being stationed at the center and Poole at the north. Major Treat with his company 'appeared from Northampton before the engage- ment was over. The fighting lasted about two hours and the Indians were repulsed with great loss. Their numbers were probably overstated. The English lost nine men, two of them, Thomas Meekins and Nathaniel Collins, from Hatfield. A few barns and other buildings were burned, but the failure of the attack greatly discouraged the Indians. After a repulse at Northampton they changed their tactics and made no more open assaults, confining their attention to murdering defenseless men at work or ambushing small scouting parties.
By November the Indians had disappeared from the valley and the Connecticut troops withdrew, leaving in the towns garrisons of the settlers and a few soldiers. The Hatfield company of 36 men was under command of Lieut. Wil- liam Allis, an officer of the Hampshire troop. Appleton and Mosely set out for the Nipmuck country to the east and destroyed a large quantity of corn so that the savages were destitute of supplies before spring. Captain Appleton marched to Boston and joined the expedition against the Nar- ragansetts in December. The Narragansetts were dispersed, their fort was taken, and they joined the bands in the center and western part of the state. A Council of War to have charge of affairs in the Connecticut valley during the winter was appointed, with Capt. Jonathan Poole as president, con- sisting of the commissioned officers of the garrisons of the three northern towns still held, Lieut. David Wilton of the Northampton militia, Dea. Peter Tilton of Hadley, and Sergt. Isaac Graves of Hatfield. The losses in the county during the year were thus stated by Rev. John Russell, the Hadley pastor, who kept the Councils of War of the Massa- chusetts and Connecticut colonies informed of the opera-
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
tions, about one hundred being troopers from Connecticut towns and the Bay :-
"At Brookfield,
August 2,
13
Above Hatfield,
August 25,
9
At Deerfield,
September
1 and after, 2
At Northfield,
September 2,
8
Near Northfield,
September 4,
16
At Muddy Brook,
September 18,
71
And of Captain Mosely's Co.,
September 18,
3
At Northampton,
September 28,
2
At Springfield,
October 5,
4
At Hatfield,
October 19,
10
At Westfield,
October 27,
3
At Northampton,
October 29,
4
145"
It will be noted that Mr. Russell's account differs in some respects from the numbers given before. His letters were written before accurate accounts of the losses had been secured.
Philip spent the winter of 1675-76 making further plans for the destruction of the English settlements. Arrange- ments were made for help from the Indians in Canada under the protection of the French. An attempt to have the Mohawks join the war failed because of the treachery of Philip and they attacked the eastern Indians in revenge for the murder of some of the Mohawk warriors.
The active campaign was begun by the savages before the spring came. It was their usual custom to wait until the leaves were out so that they could creep through the woods without detection. Lancaster was surprised Feb. 10 and minor depredations were committed at many places. The forces of the United Colonies were again set in motion. Major Treat with the Connecticut companies reached Northampton March 13. Captain Mosely was stationed at Hatfield with two companies. Capt. William Turner of Boston was also at Northampton with his command.
The Indians of the tribes involved in the war were gath- ered in force above Northfield and Philip was with them. In ignorance of the arrival of the troops an attack was made on Northampton early in the morning of March 14, with the expectation of easily overcoming the sleeping inhabi- tants. The line of palisades was broken into in three places, but the Indians found themselves in a death trap. It was
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
not so easy to get out as to get in and, surprised by the appearance of the troops of Treat and Turner, they were slain in great numbers and never again during the war attempted to enter within a stockade. Angered by the failure of the attack on Northampton, they turned against Hatfield and were driven off by Captain Mosely and his men. They remained in the vicinity for two days, but failed in a second attempt to surprise Northampton on the night of the 16th. Warning of their approach was given by sentinels. The whole body then returned to Northfield with some plunder that they had obtained.
The fall and winter had been spent by the inhabitants of the valley towns in building and strengthening fortifi- cations. The fortified dwellings had proved safe against the attacks in the previous summer and for further protec- tion a line of palisades about the dwellings was constructed, such as proved so valuable at the attack on Northampton.
The stockade at Hatfield surrounded probably more than half of the houses built at the time of King Philip's war and the settlers living outside brought their families, val- uables, and live stock inside every night in troublesome times. It ran parallel with the street about 200 feet distant from it. The houses of Fellows, Cole, and Field at the south, and several at the north, were outside. The south line of the palisades was below the Goodwin lot, occupied by Rev. Hope Atherton, and the Daniel Warner allotment on the opposite side of the street. The north line was between the houses of Daniel White, Jr., and John Allis, crossing the street to include the homestead of Samuel Dickinson. (See chart of house lots.) Logs set in the ground close together and projecting perhaps ten or twelve feet high formed the fortifications. Possibly there were at intervals platforms where sentinels could stand. There was a gate at each end.
A letter written in 1889 by Samuel D. Partridge tells of an attempt to locate the line of the stockade, a part of which is as follows :-
"About fifty years ago Mr. Sylvester Judd of Northampton called upon me at my house in Hatfield with a request to join him in an effort to ascertain the precise location of this stockade; with which request I gladly complied, and we proceeded forthwith to give our attention to the business. We commenced in the home lot of Col. Erastus Billings, and soon found
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
the object of our search. We traced it through Col. Erastus Billings's lot, through that of his brother, Mr. Roswell Billings, into the lot of my father-and I recollect that there it passed through the site of an old tan yard; we then followed it into the Dea. Partridge lot, at that time owned by Miss Lois Dickinson, thence through the lot of Chas. M. Billings, thence through that of Capt. Elijah Smith, and through Dr. Lyman's home lot. We knew that we had not reached its northern limit, but for some cause, now forgotten, we followed it no further, being satisfied that we had found the right location."
The tan yard spoken of was in the rear of the place now occupied by Samuel F. Billings. It was operated by the Partridges in the eighteenth century. Mr. Partridge thought that the stockade was about 100 rods in length from north to south. Memorial Hall stands on the Lyman lot.
The campaign of 1676 was opening disastrously for the English. The first Sunday of the year, March 26, old style, Windsor, Conn., was raided, Simsbury burned, a party of 60 under Captain Prince was cut to pieces on the Pawtucket river, Marlboro was devastated, and Longmeadow attacked. The Connecticut troops were called home to defend their own towns; the Bay Colony was greatly alarmed by attacks on towns near the coast and wished to withdraw the sol- diers from the interior. The sudden and often successful attacks at widely scattered points threw the colonists into a panic. Communication was slow and uncertain and the Indians seemed to be united and determined and present in overwhelming numbers.
The strength and unity of the Indians were misjudged, for if they had been as strong and as well led as was sup- posed their cause undoubtedly would have triumphed. The crafty Philip was not enough of a military genius to take advantage of the fear his success had caused. The Indians were short of supplies of food and ammunition. The leaders, most of whom held Philip in contempt, were not united in plans and some were ready to make terms of peace. April 2 one of the most courageous and able chiefs, Canochet, was captured and killed and the savages were greatly disheartened. The main bodies of warriors were in camp above Deerfield. April 7 most of the troops in the valley were marched to the Bay for the protection of the settlements there, Captain Turner being left in command with a garrison of 51 at Hadley. There were 45 soldiers
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
at Hatfield under Sergt. Robert Bardwell, recently arrived from London, and 46 at Northampton under Sergt. Ezra Fogg. Springfield and Westfield were well garrisoned.
The Indians in the camps farther up the river began the planting of crops as spring advanced. The game became more plentiful and with the removal of the fear of starva- tion, which had threatened them during the winter, their spirits revived. Seventy or eighty head of stock were secured in a raid on the North Meadow of Hatfield, May 12.
This raid roused the settlers and the garrisons of the towns to take the offensive and while the Indians were feasting and dancing in their camp at Peskeompskut, the falls between Gill and Montague, in fancied security, prepa- rations for a raid upon them were made. May 15 a captive, Thomas Reed, escaped with the news of the unprepared state of the savages. On the 18th a force of 141 men was gathered at Hatfield for a march northward under command of Captain Turner. Capt. Samuel Holyoke of the Spring- field militia was second in command. Experience Hinsdale of Hadley and Benjamin Waite of Hatfield were the guides and Rev. Hope Atherton accompanied the expedition as chaplain. There were 34 troopers from the garrisons of the three frontier towns and 22 from Westfield and Springfield under command of Lieut. Joseph Fay of Boston. The rest were volunteers, 25 from Hadley, 12 from Hatfield, 22 from Northampton, 23 from Springfield, and 3 from Westfield. They set out after sunset on Thursday, May 18, with provisions for a day's expedition, and pushed on by the scenes of the Swamp fight, the Bloody Brook massacre, and the abandoned settlement of Deerfield. Crossing the Pocumtuck river they had a narrow escape from discovery by an Indian sentinel, but they reached the camp undis- covered before daybreak. It was unguarded and the revel- ers were buried in dead sleep. The attacking force, leaving their horses in the rear, stole softly up and with the dawn the signal for attack was given. The crash of the guns was the first intimation to the Indians of the presence of the whites. Many were killed at the first fire. A wild panic ensued in which few escaped. They supposed the Mohawks were upon them again. No quarter was given and numbers of the savages jumped into the water or fell from the canoes
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
in which they attempted to escape and were carried to death over the falls, the noise of whose waters had drowned the approach of the attacking party, known from this time as Turners Falls, after the leader of the expedition. The only loss to the English was one killed by his companions by mistake as he came out of a wigwam, and one wounded. The camp was wholly destroyed.
Disaster quickly overtook the victors, who delayed upon the spot too long. Other Indians were close by and an alarm was given in the other camps in the vicinity. The re- port that Philip was at hand with a thousand warriors caused a panic among the white troops. The men, exhausted by their long night march, were not in condition to make an orderly retreat and Captain Turner was suffering from illness. One party, guided by Hinsdale, became entangled in a swamp and all were lost. Benjamin Waite led his party safely away. Captain Turner received a mortal wound as he was crossing Green river. The command then fell to Captain Holyoke of Springfield, who did his best to preserve a semblance of order. The infuriated savages with whoops and yells surrounded the fleeing band on all sides in the thick woods, picking off many men, following as far as "The Bars" at Deerfield. When the expedition reached Hatfield again 45 men were missing, nearly one third of the number that set out, and two were mortally wounded. Two others reached the settlement that night, two on Sunday, and two on Monday. The total loss was 42, including the captain and one guide. The accounts of the loss of the Indians vary from 60 warriors to 400, including women and children. The following Hatfield men took part in the expedition: William Allis, son of the lieutenant, William Arms, Rev. Hope Atherton, Sergt. Robert Bardwell, Samuel Belden, Stephen Belden, John Colefax, Samuel Field, Nathaniel Foote, Samuel Gil- lett, William Scott, and Sergt. Benjamin Waite. William Allis, John Colefax, and Samuel Gillett were killed. Among those who found their way back to the settlements later than the main body was Rev. Hope Atherton. He never recovered from the exposure and died June 4, 1677. The story of his remarkable escape was read by him to his con- gregation after his sermon on Sunday, May 28 :-
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
"Hope Atherton desires this Congregation and all people that shall hear of the Lord's dealings with him, to praise and give thanks to God for a series of remarkable deliverances wrought for him. The passages of divine providence (being considered together) make up a complete temporal salva- tion. I have passed through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and both the rod and staff of God delivered me. A particular relation of extreme sufferings that I have undergone, & signal escapes that the Lord hath made way for, I make openly, that glory may be given to him, for his works that have been wonderful in themselves, and marvellous in mine eyes; and will be so in the hearts of all whose hearts are prepared to believe what I shall relate. On the morning (May 19, 1676) that followed the night in which I went out against the enemy with others, I was in eminent danger through an instrument of death; a gun was discharged against me at a small distance; the Lord diverted the bullet so that no harm was done me. When I was separated from the army, none pursued after me, as if God had given the heathen a charge, saying, let him alone, he shall have his life for a prey. The night following I wandered up and down among the dwelling places of our enemies; but none of them espied me. Sleep fell upon their eyes and slumbering upon their eyelids. Their dogs moved not their tongues. The next day I was encompassed with enemies, unto whom I tendered myself a captive. The Providence of God seemed to require me so to do. No way appeared to escape, and I had been a long time without food. They accepted not the tender which I made; when I spake they answered not. When I moved toward them, they moved away from me. I expected they would have laid hands upon me, but they did not. Understanding that this seems strange and incredible to some, I have considered whether I was not deceived; and after consideration of all things, I cannot find sufficient grounds to alter my thoughts. If any have reason to judge otherwise than myself, who am less than the least in the Kingdom of God, I desire them to intimate what their reason is. When I have mused, that which hath cast my thoughts according to the report I first made is, that it tends to the glory of God in no small measure; if it were so as I believe it was, that I was encompassed with cruel and unmerciful enemies, and they were restrained by the hand of God from doing the least injury to me. This evidenceth that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, & doeth whatsoever pleaseth him among them. Ene- mies cannot do what they will, but are subservient to overruling providence of God. God always can and sometimes doth set bounds unto the wrath of man. On the same day, which was the last day of the week, not long before the sun did set, I declared with submission that I would go to the Indian habitations. I spake such language as I thought they understood. Accord- ingly I endeavored; but God, whose thoughts were higher than my thoughts, prevented me by his good providence. I was carried beside the path I intended to walk in & brought to the sides of the great river, which was a good guide unto me. The most observable passage of providence was on the Sabbath day morning. Having entered upon a plain, I saw two or three spies, who I (at first) thought had a glance upon me. Wherefore I turned aside and lay down. They climbed up into a tree to spy. Then my soul begged of God that he would put it into their hearts to go away. I waited patiently and it was not long ere they went away. Then I took that course which I thought best according to the wisdom that God had given me.
"Two things I must not pass over that are matters of thanksgiving unto God; the first is that when my strength was far spent, I passed through deep waters and they overflowed me not according to those gracious words of Isa. 43: 2; the second is, that I subsisted the space of three days & part of a fourth without ordinary food. I thought upon those words 'Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord.' I think not too much to say that should you & I be silent & not set forth the praises of God through Jesus Christ that the stones and beams of our houses would sing hallelujah. I am not conscious to myself that I have exceeded in speech. If I have spoken beyond what is convenient I know it not. I leave these lines as an orphan, and shall rejoice to hear that it finds foster Fathers & Mothers. However it fare amongst men, yet if it find
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
acceptance with God, thro' Christ Jesus I shall have cause to be abundantly satisfied. God's providence hath been so wonderful toward me, not because I have more wisdom than others (Danl. 2: 30) nor because I am more righteous than others; but because it so pleased God. H. A.
"Hatfield, May 24th, 1676."
It has often been supposed that Mr. Atherton crossed the Connecticut. Judd in his "History of Hadley" states that he came into Hadley on Monday, but points out that he did not tell how he crossed the river. The "deep waters" in the narrative were the Deerfield and not the Connecticut, as indicated by Sheldon in his "History of Deerfield." Many people were not willing to credit the story of the escape, suggesting that he was beside himself and for this reason he gave the written record for the benefit of his congrega- tion and posterity. The truth of his account is confirmed by the statement of Jonathan Wells that the Indians told him that after the Falls fight a little man with a black coat and without a hat came toward them, but they were afraid and ran away, thinking it was the Englishman's God. A copy of Mr. Atherton's letter is among the Judd manuscripts at the Forbes Library in Northampton. For an account of the wonderful account of the escape of Jonathan Wells, see Appendix, Note 5.
On the 30th of May the Indians again attacked Hatfield with a force estimated at 700. The inhabitants withdrew inside their stockade for defense, not daring to attack such a large force, and the savages were left free to burn the houses and barns outside the palisades and to collect plun- der. A party of 25 from Hadley, who set out to the rescue when they saw the smoke and flames, were attacked by the Indians while crossing the river and one was wounded. They fought their way gallantly towards the town against a party of 150 Indians. When they were near the gate the Hatfield men made a sally to aid them. The Indians fought desperately and 25 were killed. Of the Hadley men, one, John Smith, was killed and one, John Hawks, wounded. Of the garrison troops stationed at Hadley four were killed, only two of whom are known: Jobanna Smith of Farming- ton and Richard Hall of Middletown; and two were wounded, John Stow and Richard Orris of Connecticut. Volunteers from Northampton under command of Capt. Benjamin Newberry also attempted relief, but they feared
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HISTORY OF HATFIELD.
an ambush on the road from Northampton and crossing to Hadley marched through the streets to the landing at the north. Arriving there they did not attempt a crossing on account of the number of Indians on the Hatfield side of the landing. Many of the cattle of the town were killed and all the sheep driven off. Twelve houses and barns were burned.
Hadley was attacked June 12 by 250 warriors. Rein- forcements from Connecticut had arrived on the 8th under Maj. John Talcott, 250 troopers from the towns on Long Island Sound and 200 friendly Indians: Pequots, Mohe- gans, and Niantics. With their aid the attack was easily repulsed and it proved to be the last battle of the war in Hampshire County. Some have tried to connect General Goffe with this assault.
The Indians disappeared from the region, some taking refuge in New York state near Albany and some in Canada, leaving the English mystified. An expedition from the Bay under Capt. Daniel Henchman arrived on the 14th. A scout to Northfield disclosed the fact that the Indians had gone and the troops, that then mustered about 900, returned to their homes, leaving the settlers alarmed lest another attack should be made.
It was afterward learned that on June 12, while the fighting was in progress at Hadley, the Mohawks had attacked the camp of the hostile tribes and destroyed it, kill- ing fifty women and children. Aid rendered the English by other savages brought about the speedy termination of the war carried on by the tribes instigated by Philip, who was himself killed Aug. 12. No treaty of peace was made because the hostile chiefs had all been killed or had aban- doned their old haunts.
When peace reigned once more in the valley the inhab- itants set about building the destroyed dwellings and again cultivating their fields. A year passed without attack and bountiful crops had been harvested. A feeling of security had taken the place of the former terror.
On the morning of Sept. 19, 1677, the town of Hatfield was visited by a sudden and awful calamity,-another attack from the savages, like a bolt from a clear sky, that left a trail of ruin and devastation. On that bright fall morning
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