USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > North Brookfield > History of North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Preceded by an account of old Quabaug, Indian and English occupation, 1647-1676; Brookfield records, 1686-1783 > Part 10
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 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98
The night following the said blow, they did roar against us like so many wild bulls, sending in their shot amongst us till towards the moon rising, which was about three of the clock; at which time they attempted to fire our house by hay and other combustible matter which they brought to one corner of the house, and set it on fire. Whereupon some of our company were necessitated to expose themselves to very great danger to put it out. Simon Davis, one of the three appointed by myself as Captain, to supply my place by reason of my wounds, as aforesaid, he being of a lively spirit encouraged the soldiers within the house to fire upon the Indians ; and also those that adventured out to put out the fire, (which began to rage and kin- dle upon the house side,) with these and the like words, that God is with us, and fights for us, and will deliver us out of the hands of these heathen; which expressions of his the Indians hearing, they shouted and scoffed, saying : now see how your God delivers you, or will deliver you, sending in many shots whilst our men were putting out the fire. But the Lord of Hosts wrought very graciously for us, in preserving our bodies both within and without the house from their shot, and our house from being consumed by fire, we had but two men wounded in that attempt of theirs, but we appre- hended that we killed divers of our enemies. I being desirous to hasten
84
FIRST SETTLEMENT, 1660-1676.
intelligence to the Honored Council, of our present great distress, we being so remote from any succor, (it being between sixty and seventy miles from us to Boston, where the Council useth to sit,) and fearing our ammunition would not last long to withstand them, if they continued so to assault us, I spake to Ephraim Curtis to adventure forth again on that service, and to attempt it on foot, as the way wherein there was most hope of getting away undiscovered ; he readily assented, and accordingly went out, but there were so many Indians every where thereabouts, that he could not pass, with- out apparent hazard of life, so he came back again, but towards morning the said Ephraim adventured forth the third time, and was fain to creep on his hands and knees for some space of ground, that he might not be discerned by the enemy, who waited to prevent our sending if they could have hindered it. But through God's mercy he escaped their hands, and got safely to Marl- borough, though very much spent, and ready to faint by reason of want of sleep before he went from us, and his sore travel night and day in that hot season till he got thither, from whence he went to Boston; yet before the said Ephraim got to Marlborough, there was intelligence brought thither of the burning of some houses, and killing some cattle at Quabaug, by some who were going to Connecticut, but they seeing what was done at the end of the town, and hearing several guns shot off further within the town, they durst proceed no further, but immediately returned to Marlborough, though they then knew not what had befallen Captain Hutchinson and myself, and company, nor of our being there, but that timely intelligence they gave before Ephraim Curtis his coming to Marlborough, occasioned the Honored Major Willard's turning his march towards Quabaug, for their relief who were in no small danger every hour of being destroyed; the said Major being, when he had that intelligence, upon his march another way, as he was ordered by the Honored Council, as is afterwards more fully expressed.
The next day being August 3d, they continued shooting and shouting, and proceeded in their former wickedness, blaspheming the name of the Lord, and reproaching us, his afflicted servants, scoffing at our prayers as they were sending in their shot upon all quarters of the house, and many of them went to the town's meeting house, (which was within twenty rods of the house in which we were) who mocked saying, come and pray, and sing psalms, and in contempt made an hideous noise somewhat resembling sing- ing. But we, to our power, did endeavour our defence, sending our shot amongst them, the Lord giving us courage to resist them, and preserving us from the destruction they sought to bring upon us. On the evening follow- ing, we saw our enemies carrying several of their dead or wounded men on their backs, who proceeded that night to send in their shot, as they had done the night before, and also still shouted as if the day had been certainly theirs, and they should without fail, have prevailed against us, which they might have the more hopes of in regard that we discerned the coming of new companies to them to assist and strengthen them, and the unlikelihood of any coming to our help. They also used several stratagems to fire us, namely, by wild fire in cotton and linen rags with brimstone in them, which rags they tyed to the piles of their arrows, sharp for the purpose, and shot them to the roof of our house, after they had set them on fire, which
INDIAN ASSAULT ON SERGT. AYRES INN.
13/2000'07
85
CAPT. WHEELER'S NARRATIVE.
would have much endangered the burning thereof, had we not used means by cutting holes through the roof, and otherwise, to beat the said arrows down, and God being pleased to prosper our endeavors therein. - They car- ried more combustible matter, as flax and hay, to the sides of the house, and set it on fire, and then flocked apace towards the door of the house, either to prevent our going forth to quench the fire, as we had done before, or to kill our men in their attempt to go forth, or else to break into the house by the door ; whereupon we were forced to break down the wall of the house against the fire to put it out. They also shot a ball of wild fire into the garret of the house, which fell amongst a great heap of flax or tow therein, which one of our soldiers, through God's good Providence espyed, and having water ready presently quenched it ; and so we were preserved by the keeper of Israel, both our bodies from their shot, which they sent thick against us, and the house from being consumed to ashes, although we were but weak to defend ourselves, we being not above twenty and six men with those of that small town, who were able for any service, and our en- emies, as I judged them about, (if not above) three hundred, I speak of the least, for many there present did guess them to be four or five hundred. It is the more to be observed, that so little hurt should be done by the enemies' shot, it commonly piercing the walls of the house, and flying amongst the people, and there being in the house fifty women and children besides the men before mentioned. But abroad in the yard, one Thomas Wilson of that town, being sent to fetch water for our help in further need, (that which we had being spent in putting out the fire,) was shot by the enemy in the upper jaw and in the neck, the anguish of which wound was such at the first that he cried out with a great noise, by reason whereof the Indians hearing him rejoiced, and triumphed at it ; but his wound was healed in a short time, praised be God.
On Wednesday, August the 4th, the Indians fortified themselves at the meeting house, and the barn, belonging to our house, which they fortified both at the great doors, and at both ends, with posts, rails, boards, and hay, to save themselves from our shot. They also devised other stratagems, to fire our house, on the night following, namely, they took a cart, and filled it with flax, hay and candlewood, and other combustible matter, and set up planks, fastened to the cart, to save themselves from the danger of our shot. Another invention they had to make the more sure work in burning the house. They got many poles of a considerable length and bigness, and spliced them together at the ends one of another, and made a carriage of them about fourteen rods long, setting the poles in two rows, with peils laid cross over them at the front end, and dividing them said poles about three foot asunder, and in the said front of this their carriage they set a barrel, having made an hole through both heads, and put an axle-tree through them, to which they fastened the said poles, and under every joint of the poles where they were spliced, they set up a pair of truckle wheels to bear up the said carriages, and they loaded the front or fore-end thereof with matter fit for firing, as hay, and flax, and chips, &c. Two of these instruments they prepared, that they might convey fire to the house, with the more safety to themselves, they standing at such a distance from our shot, whilst they
86
FIRST SETTLEMENT, 1660-1676.
wheeled them to the house : great store of arrows they had also prepared to shoot fire upon the house that night ; which we found after they were gone, they having left them there. But the Lord who is a present help in times of trouble, and is pleased to make his people's extremity his opportunity, did graciously prevent them of effecting what they hoped they should have done by the aforesaid devices, partly by sending a shower of rain in season, whereby the matter prepared being wet would not so easily take fire as it otherwise would have done, and partly by aid coming to our help. For our danger would have been very great that night, had not the only wise God (blessed forever) been pleased to send to us about an hour within night the worshipful Major Willard with Captain Parker of Groton, and forty-six men more with five Indians to relieve us in the low estate into which we were brought ; our eyes were unto him the holy one of Israel ; in him we desired to place our trust, hoping that he would in the time of our great need appear for our deliverance, and confound all their plots by which they thought them- selves most sure to prevail against us ; and God who comforteth the afflicted ; as he comforted the holy apostle Paul by the coming of Titus to him, so he greatly comforted us his distressed servants both soldiers and town inhabit- ants, by the coming of the said Honored Major, and those with him. In whose so soon coming to us the good providence of God did marvellously appear ; for the help that came to us by the Honored Councils' order (after the tidings they received by our post sent to them) came not to us till Sat- urday August 7, in the afternoon, nor sooner could it well come in regard of their distance from us, i.e. if we had not had help before that time, we see not how we could have held out, the number of the Indians so increas- ing, and they making so many assaults upon us, that our ammunition before that time would have been spent, and ourselves disenabled for any resist- ance, we being but few, and always fain to stand upon our defence; that we had little time for refreshment of ourselves either by food or sleep; the said Honored Major's coming to us so soon was thus occasioned ; he had a com- mission from the Honored Council (of which himself was one) to look after some Indians to the west-ward of Lancaster and Groton, (where he himself lived) and to secure them, and was upon his march towards them on the aforesaid Wednesday in the morning, August 4th, when tidings coming to Marlborough by those that returned thither as they were going to Connecti- cut, concerning what they saw at Brookfield as aforesaid, some of Marl- borough knowing of the said Major's march from Lancaster that morning, presently sent a post to acquaint him with the information they had received ; the Major was gone before the post came to Lancaster; but there was one speedily sent after him, who overtook him about five or six miles from the said town ; he being acquainted, that it was feared, that Brookfield (a small town of about fifteen or sixteen families) was either destroyed or in great danger thereof, and conceiving it to require more speed to succour them (if they were not past help) than to proceed at present, as he before intended, and being also very desirous (if it were possible) to afford relief to them, (he being then not above thirty miles from them,) he immediately altered his course and marched with his company toward us ; and came to us about an hour after it was dark as aforesaid ; though he knew not then, either of our
87
CAPT. WHEELER'S NARRATIVE.
being there nor of what had befallen us at the Swamp and in the house those two days before.
The merciful providence of God also appeared in preventing the danger that the Honored Major and his company might have been in, when they came near us, for those beastly men, our enemies, skilful to destroy, endeav- ored to prevent any help from coming to our relief, and therefore sent down sentinels, (some nearer and some further off) the furtherest about two miles from us, who if they saw any coming from the Bay they might give notice by an alarm. And there were about an hundred of them who for the most part kept at an house some little distance from us, by which if any help came from the said Bay, they must pass, and so they intended (as we con- ceive) having notice by their sentinels of their approach to way-lay them, and if they could, to cut them off before they came to the house where we kept.
But as we probably guess, they were so intent and busy in preparing their instruments (as abovesaid) for our destruction by fire, that they were not at the house where they used to keep for the purpose aforesaid, and that they heard not their sentinels when they shot; and so the Major's way was clear from danger till he came to our house. And that it was their purpose so to have fallen upon him, or any other coming to us at that house, is the more probable in that (as we have since had intelligence from some of the Indians themselves) there were a party of them at another place who let him pass by them without the least hurt or opposition, waiting for a blow to be given him at the said house, and then they themselves to fall upon them in the rear, as they intended to have done with us at the swamp, in case we had fled back as before expressed. The Major and company were no sooner come to the house, and understood (though at first they knew not they were English who were in the house, but thought that they might be Indians, and therefore were ready to have shot at us, till we discerning they were English by the Major's speaking, I caused the trumpet to be sounded) that the said Captain Hutchinson, myself, and company with the town's inhabitants were there, but the Indians also discerned that there were some come to our assistance, whereupon they spared not their shot, but poured it out on them : but through the Lord's goodness, though they stood not far asunder one from another, they killed not one man, wounded only two of his company; and killed the Major's son's horse; after that, we within the house perceived the Indians shooting so at them, we hastened the Major and all his company into the house as fast as we could, and their horses into a little yard before the house, where they wounded five other horses that night; after they were come into the house to us, the enemies continued their shooting some considerable time, so that we may well say, had not the Lord been on our side when those cruel heathens rose up against us, they had then swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us. But wherein they dealt proudly, the Lord was above them.
When they saw their divers designs unsuccessful, and their hopes therein disappointed, they then fired the house and barn (wherein they had before kept to lie in wait to surprise any coming to us) that by the light thereof
88
FIRST SETTLEMENT, 1660-1676.
they might the better direct their shot at us, but no hurt was done thereby, praised be the Lord. And not long after they burnt the meeting house wherein their fortifications were, as also the barn, which belonged to our house, and so perceiving more strength come to our assistance, they did, as we suppose, despair of effecting any more mischief against us. And there- fore the greatest part of them, towards the breaking of the day, August the fifth, went away and left us, and we were quiet from any further molesta- tions by them ; and on the morning we went forth of the house without danger, and so daily afterwards, only one man was wounded about two days after, as he was out to look after horses, by some few of them skulking thereabouts. We cannot tell how many of them were killed, in all that time, but one that was afterwards taken, confessed that there were killed and wounded, about eighty men or more. Blessed be the Lord God of our salvation, who kept us from being all a prey to their teeth. But before they went away they burnt all the town except the house we kept in, and another that was not then finished. They also made great spoil of the cattle be- longing to the inhabitants ; and after our entrance into the house, and during the time of our confinement there, they either killed or drove away almost all the horses of our company.
We continued there, both well and wounded, towards a fortnight, and August the 10th Capt. Hutchinson and myself with the men there that had escaped without hurt, and also some of the wounded, came from them ; my son Thomas and some other wounded men, came not from them, being not then able to endure travelling so far as from thence to the next town, till about a fortnight afterwards. We came to Marlborough on August the 14th, when Capt. Hutchinson being not recovered of his wounds before his coming from Brookfield, and over-tired with his long journey, by reason of his weakness, soon after grew worse, and more dangerously ill, and on the 19th day of the same month, died, and was there the next day after buried ; -- the Lord being pleased to deny him a return to his own habitation, and his relatives at Boston, though he was come the greatest part of his journey thitherward. The inhabitants of the town also, not long after, men, women, and children, removed safely with what they had left, to several places, either where they had lived before their planting or setting down there, or where they had relatives to receive and entertain them. The Honored Major Willard stayed at Brookfield some weeks after our coming away, there being several companies of soldiers sent up thither and to Hadley, and the towns thereabouts, which are about thirty miles from Brookfield, whither also the Major went for a time upon the service of the country in the present war, and from whence there being need of his presence for the ordering of matters concerning his own regiment, and the safety of the towns belonging to it, he through God's goodness and mercy returned in safety to his home and dear relatives at Groton.
Thus I have endeavored to set down and declare both what the Lord did against us in the loss of several persons' lives, and the wounding of others, some of which wounds were very painful in dressing, and long ere they were healed, besides many dangers we were in, and fears we were exercised with ; and also what great things He was pleased to do for us, in frustrating
89
ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS.
their many attempts, and vouchsafing such a deliverance to us. The Lord avenge the blood that has been shed by these heathen who hate us without a cause, though he be most righteous in all that hath befallen us there, and all other parts of the country, he help us to humble ourselves before him, and with our whole hearts, to return to him, and also to improve all his mer- cies, which we still enjoy, that so his anger may cease towards us, and he may be pleased either to make our enemies at peace with us, or may destroy them before us. I tarried at Marlborough with Capt. Hutchinson until his death, and came here to Concord August 21 (though not then quite recov- ered of my wound) and so did others that went with me. But since I am reasonably well, though I have not the use of my hand and arm as before : my son Thomas, though in great hazard of his life for some time after his return to Concord, yet is now very well cured, and his strength well restored ! Oh, that we could praise the Lord for his great goodness towards us, that he was pleased to spare so many of us, and add unto our days : he help us whose souls he hath delivered from death and eyes from tears, and feet from falling, to walk before him in the land of the living, till our great change come, and to sanctify his name in all his ways about us, that our afflictions and our mercies may guide us to live more to his glory all our days."
From contemporary documents we are able to add to this Narrative some particulars which have historical value, and which help to fill out the dark picture. I. The three Brookfield men and the five soldiers who were slain in the ambuscade, were left unburied. Mather, in his " Brief History " says : "The English were not in a capacity to look after their dead, but those dead bodies were left as meat to the Fowls of heaven, and their flesh unto the Beasts of the earth, and there was none to bury them." 2. A special interest attaches to the three Indians who were chosen as interpreters and guides to Capt. Hutchinson and Wheeler. One of these was George Memicho, a Christian Indian of Natick, and a man of some education, good general information and tried courage, who was true to the English, and was employed in important embassies ; he was taken prisoner by Mettawamppe's men, and confined at one of the Menameset towns, but found means to escape, and, says Gookin, " came home afterwards and brought good intelligence." Having been a participant in the Fight in the narrow defile, and carried thence to the Indian stronghold on the Ware river, his testimony as to locations and distances is reliable, and helps materially to fix the place where the Am- bush was laid. He was present when Philip came to Menameset, and gives authentic details as to his forlorn condition and feeble following. The other guides were two brothers, Joseph and Sampson, sons of old Robin Petuhanit, a faithful Christian Indian, deceased, who had been Ruler at Hassanamesit. In 1674, Sampson was teacher at Wabbaquas- set, and Joseph was teacher at Chabonakongkomun. They had been under Mr. Eliot's instruction, were intimately acquainted with the Indian
90
FIRST SETTLEMENT, 1660-1676.
country and tribes ; and on this expedition "acquitted themselves courageously and faithfully," and by their care and skilful conduct guided Capt. Wheeler and the remnant of his company through a by- trail safely back to Brookfield. But for them, the whole Troop must, in all human probability, have been cut off. "But, notwithstanding all this and previous service they were, with others of our Christian Indians, through the harsh dealings of some English, in a manner constrained, for want of shelter, protection and encouragement, to fall off to the enemy, at Hassanamesit ; and one of them, viz. Sampson, was slain in fight by some scouts of our praying Indians, about Wachusett ; and the other, Joseph, taken prisoner in Plymouth Colony, and sold for a slave to some mer- chants at Boston, and sent to Jamaica ; but upon the importunity of Mr. Eliot, was brought back again, but not released. [Gookin's History.] 3. From the description given by Capt. Wheeler, it is evident that the house where he and his company and the inhabitants took refuge, was Sergt. Ayres' tavern. It stood near the spot where D. H. Richard- son's dwelling house now stands. The well, which must have been close by the door, is now covered with a flat stone.1 It was nearest the centre and was "the largest and strongest house " in the town. A hasty attempt was made to fortify the building by setting up logs and planks against the outside, and hanging feather beds before the windows on the inside. From the fact that " the enemies' shot pierced the walls and flew amongst the inmates," it would appear that the house had only the ordinary board covering and finish ; and the preservation of so many lives from the Indian bullets during the siege, can be accounted for only as Capt. Wheeler expresses it -" we were preserved by the Keeper of Israel." 4. The total number of persons confined in that house during the siege, as near as can be ascertained, was eighty-two. Capt. Wheeler says he had twenty-six able men, i.e., thirteen of his soldiers, and thir- teen citizens ; and in addition there were six wounded men, and " fifty women and children." The plain story, as told by Capt. Wheeler, nar- rating the events of those three sultry August nights and days, conveys perhaps the best impression possible to be gained, of the anxiety, and sufferings and horrible forebodings of the crowded inmates of that be- leaguered house ! Without, the smoking ruins of their homes, and the horde of yelling savages bent on their destruction, and cunning to devise the readiest means : within, a scanty supply of food - sleepless watch-
I " Wheeler refers to a well in the yard; and a well has been discovered near the corner of the present door-yard, of which the oldest inhabitant can give no account except that they had been told, it be- longed to the fortified house. A few feet north of the well, the ground when [formerly] cultivated as a garden was unproductive, and it was difficult to see any reason for the barrenness. On examination, however, it was found that a building had stood on the place. Several loads of stone, which had formed a cellar and chimney were removed, amongst which various instruments of iron and steel were found." - Note to Foot's Discourse.
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.