USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 8
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 8
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 8
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Even though most of the population in North Bridgewater agreed with Daniel Webster rather than Edward E. Bennett, it occasioned no great surprise to see one of Mr. Bennett's livery stable teams return- ing to the stable at all hours of the night. One of his vehicles was a counterpart of Daniel Webster's buggy which is now owned by the Brockton Agricultural Society. Not many years ago there were peo- ple living who could easily recall seeing Mr. Bennett driving in this vehicle, his knees covered with one of the buffalo robes so much in vogue, and there were times when, under this buffalo robe, was con- cealed a dusky fugitive who had occasion to return "thanks for the. buggy ride."
Fall River and New Bedford, in an adjoining county, gave shelter to many fugitives as they journeyed northward. Elizabeth Buffum Chace in her book, "Anti-Slavery Reminiscences," says on Page 27: "From the time of the arrival of James Curry at Fall River, and his departure for Canada, in 1839, that town became an important station on the so- called Underground Railroad." Plymouth County conductors had communications with New Bedford and Fall River observing lightly the penalties of the law, the contempt of smug, conservative neigh- bors and the espionage of persons interested in returning fugitives to bondage. The strange and romantic character of the movement un- doubtedly had a fascination all its own. Vigilance committees were formed in various towns, among them being Kingston, Halifax, Ware- ham, Pembroke, Scituate, Abington, and. Middleboro. It has been claimed that there was at least one Plymouth County man on the vigi- lance committee in Boston, serving with A. Bronson Alcott, John A. Andrew, William Lloyd Garrison, Theodore Parker, Wendell Phillips, Elizur Wright, and many others of glorious memory. Among the "conductors" in Bristol County, which include Fall River and New Bedford, were Robert Adams, John Bailey, and Rev. Charles T. Torrey.
The convictions of those who engaged in the Underground Railroad activities in this section were expressed by Theodore Parker when he said, in 1850: "It is known to you that the fugitive slave bill has be- come a law ... to law framed of such iniquity I owe no allegiance. Humanity, Christianity, manhood revolt against it . .. For myself, I say it solemnly, I will shelter, I will help, and I will defend the fugitive with all my humble means and power. I will act with any body of decent and serious men, as the head or the foot, or the hand,
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in any mode not involving the use of deadly weapons, to nullify and defeat the operation of this law."
One of the old anti-slavery songs, heard beneath the historic pine trees in Abington Grove and elsewhere in the county, expressed the determination and faith of the abolitionists :
'Tis the law of God in the human soul, 'Tis the law in the Word Divine; It shall live while the earth in its course shall roll It shall live in this soul of mine. Let the law of the land forge its bonds of wrong, I shall help when the self-freed crave;
For the law in my soul, bright, beaming, and strong, Bids me succor the fleeing slave.
King Philip's War of Extermination-Many volumes have been written concerning King Philip's War and some of them undoubtedly contain the truth. Our difficulty lies in finding out which ones they are, as eye-witnesses and participants in that war have long since passed to the happy hunting ground or through the golden gates. It seems to have been hard for the English to make friends with the Indians-much more so than the French. The Reverend Cotton Mather observed, having reference to the pestilence that had swept away the red men just before the landing of the Pilgrims, that "the woods were almost cleared of those pernicious creatures to make room for a better growth." Perhaps others shared his views, as some of the colonists offered rewards for Indian scalps.
Palfrey, the historian, does not believe that Philip's war was a wide-spread, premeditated effort to expel the colonists, as other writers claim. John Easton, a Rhode Island Quaker, wrote a "Narrative of the Causes Which Led to. King Philip's War," which was printed in 1858, and is well worthy the perusal of those who like to form their own opinions after hearing testimony on both sides. Easton did not think all the faults were on the side of the Indians. Regardless of whose fault it was, the King Philip War was a terrible experience in the upbuilding of the country and was the origin of the horror with which for more than a century men regarded the Indians.
It was ten years after the opening of Philip's war that Plymouth County had the county designation, but the territory which was set apart as Plymouth County in 1685, contained residents who had a prominent part in that life and death struggle. The hero of the war was Colonel Benjamin Church of Plymouth Colony who had command of the forces in this vicinity. His sword is preserved in the cabinet of the Massachusetts Historical Society. There is also a portrait, so- called, of Colonel Church, which was engraved by Paul Revere.
In an editorial note in the "Memorial History of Boston," published Plym-5
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in 1881, it is stated that this portrait is really a likeness of Charles Churchill, the English poet, with a powder horn slung over his shoul- der. The note further states that Paul Revere also engraved "a pic- ture of 'Philip, King of Mount Hope'." "Colonel Church's son, Thomas Church, wrote, for his father, an account of the war, 'Entertaining Passages Relating to Philip's War,' which were published long after- wards in Boston."
An express started from Marshfield-much later the home of Daniel Webster-June 21, 1765, which delivered to Governor John Leverett of Massachusetts, at Boston, a letter from Governor Winslow of the Plymouth Colony. This letter informed Governor Leverett, as was stated in his own letter later to the Government of Connecticut :
Upon the 21st instant, about three o'clock, came an express to me from the Governor of Plymouth, signifying that upon the Lord's Day before, an armed body of Philip's men attacked to houses not far from Swansea, and drove the people out of them, who fled to the town and gave intelligence thereof; and ac- cordingly Swansea men sent a post to the Governor of Plymouth to acquaint him of their needs-with all intimating that the Indians were marching to Swan- sea. The Governor thereupon ordered some relief to be sent to Swansea, as he informed us. The armed Indians marched up to the bridge at Swansea, but forty of the English at Swansea being posted at the bridge the Indians retreated to Mount Hope again; but since have made several excursions in small parties, and have plundered several houses not far from Swansea. And, afterwards, about the 24th and 25th and 26th day of this instant, have killed about five or six per- sons in all in a skulking way, and barbarously taken the head, scalpe and hands of two persons, and some within sight of a Court of Guard,-others they have wounded about twenty; and a house they have fired, and daily we hear of the increase of trouble. The Governor of that colony has frequently solicited us for aid, which as soon as we could possibly raise we have sent to them. It is certified from Plymouth and Swansea that both Narragansetts and Nipmucks have sent aid to Philip; we sent messengers to Narragansetts and Nipmucks to warn and caution them not to help Philip, and if they were gone to comman'd to return. Our messengers are returned from both these places. The Nipmucks speak fair, and say they are faithful to their engagements, and will not assist Philip. The Narragansetts say they will not meddle; but there is more reason to suspect the latter, and we believe they are not unconcerned in this matter. All our intelligence gives us ground to believe that the poor people in these parts are in a very distressed condition in many respects. Their houses burned, their people killed and wounded, and they not able to make any attempt upon the In- dians, wanting for victuals, ammunition and arms. We have occasion to send greater force for their relief. We have sent about three hundred foot and eighty horse, besides several carts laden with munition, provisions and armes. More- over we are sending two vessels with provisions and munition to supply their forces, the vessels to serve as there shall be cause. We sent Captain Savage and Mr. Brattle four days since to speak with Philip, who are returned, but could not obtain speech with him. The Council has appointed a fast tomorrow to seek God in this matter for a blessing upon our forces. How far this trouble may speed, it is with the Lord to order. There is reason to conceive that if Philip be not soone suppressed he and his confederates may skulk into the woods and
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greatly annoy the English, and that the confederacy of the Indians be larger than yet we see. Major-General Denison was chosen for the general of these forces, but he being taken ill Captain Savage is sent Commander in Chief. Captain Prentice is Commander of the Horse, and Captain Henchman and Captain Mos- ley Captain of the Foot. Our eyes are unto the Lord for his presence with them, and hope you will not be wanting in your prayers and watchfullness over the Indians, and particularly request you to use your utmost authority to restrain the Mohegans and Pequods.
Winslow had not asked for military assistance, but the larger colony recognized the need and gave swift assurance of assistance and sub- stantial testimony, as recorded in the document quoted above. The forces referred to marched June 26 as far as the Neponset River, when there was a total eclipse of the moon. This was even before the day that Robert B. Thomas began publishing the "Old Farmer's Almanac," which has been a New England institution long before the memory of any present-day New Englander, and this may account for the fact that the eclipse evidently came as a surprise to both Philip's red men and the colonists. Evidently both were much given to regarding the sudden darkness as an omen. William Hubbard says that some fancied that they could see in the center of the moon an Indian scalp. What the Indians saw there has not been made known.
It is not within the province of this history to trace the details of the movements in King Philip's War, only so far as Plymouth County towns were concerned in it, and such other historical references as are necessary to explain them.
Winslow informed Governor Leverett that the men of Plymouth Colony would give a good account of themselves in a few days, but urged that efforts be made to prevent the Narragansetts and Nipmucks becoming Philip's allies. He declared that precautions had been taken in the Plymouth Colony not to injure or arouse the ill will of the Indians.
Just as the killing of a Serbian prince in 1914 was the signal for the World War, so the killing of Wausaman or Wussausman, one of the disciples of John Eliot, which led to the execution of the murderers, precipitated the King Philip struggle. One of those executed testi- fied before his death that his father, a counsellor and friend of Philip, had a hand in the murder, which was supposed to have political sig- nificance.
The Plymouth forces marched to the vicinity of Swansea, where Philip was directing his forces, and two messengers were sent to Mount Hope, Philip's headquarters, in the hope of some negotiation with him. The war had already begun. The Indians were driven back from Swansea to Mount Hope. The next day the attack was made on Mount Hope and Philip's own wigwam was included in the destruc-
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tion, but Philip and his followers had gone to Pocassett. Colonel Benjamin Church held him at bay there.
If Colonel Church had had an ordinary foe to deal with, it might soon have been over, but the crafty Philip abandoned his women and children, crossed the Taunton River at low tide and got into the forest, with about seven hundred desperate warriors goaded to frenzy by the stories told them of their threatened extermination by the well- armed colonists. The Indians knew every nook and hiding place in the thicket and, in their natural defenses, could hope to long continue the struggle. The forces from Boston had arrived to help Colonel Church put a swift end to Philip. Captain Daniel Henchman, who had been an assistant teacher in the Latin school in Boston, was in command. He overestimated the desperate condition of Philip and his inability to escape, and ordered all the Massachusetts companies, except his own company on foot, to return. Captain Thomas Prentice, in command of the horse, was ordered to Mendon, in Norfolk County. A day later he learned that Philip was marching northwest. Captain Henchman secured the one hundred women and children whom Philip had left behind and they were, at first, assigned to such families as would receive them, but, before the war ended, they were sold into West Indian slavery.
No one knew the extent of the hostility of the savage tribes, or how many allies Philip had gained; nor when or where the next attack would take place. Some of the colonists began to give way to super- stitious fears. The eclipse of the moon was but the beginning. They now heard troops of phantom horsemen dashing through the air. The howling of the wolves was fiercer than ever and the superstitious de- clared they were to be punished for their sins, such as profane swear- ing, the wearing of long hair by the men and of gay apparel by the women. The more extreme declared they were about to be "judged" for not exterminating the Quakers.
Philip carried the war into the Connecticut Valley. Captain Hutch- inson and twenty men, sent to treat with him, were ambushed and murdered in Brookfield, the town itself was burned. So was the town of Deerfield. Hadfield was attacked while the people were gathered in the church.
There is a historic romance connected with the story of King Philip's War which has been given, in some form, by most historians since 1764, concerning what some of them term the "guardian angel of Hadley." In August, 1675, the war was turned for a time from the vicinity of Plymouth toward the exposed towns on the Connecticut River. On the first day of September the inhabitants of Hadley were observing a fast and most of the garrison was absent. The Indians'
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diabolical cries were suddenly heard in the "meeting-house" and it seemed as if the inhabitants had put themselves into a trap which was to mean their annihilation, or a fate worse than death.
In the midst of them appeared an aged man in the garb of a previous generation, who assumed command, as if he were accustomed to be- ing obeyed. No one knew who he was or questioned his right to lead. With his sword in hand, he advanced at the head of the little com- pany, given new heart by his appearance, and soon the Indians were in flight. The English pursued them to the woods and looked around for their strange leader in Cromwellian habiliments whose appearance and leadership had saved them from a fate too horrible to contemplate. No one had seen him come and no one had seen him go.
The explanation is that Colonel Goffe, the regicide judge, was concealed in the house of Rev. Mr. Russell, their minister. While they were observing their fast, he had seen the approach of the stealthy savages and once more obeyed the impulse to sacrifice himself, if need be, in the cause of humanity. So far as has been recorded it was his final appearance, as no historian has recorded any emergence from his retirement. It is one of those stories which are entertaining and has enough of truth in it to give it a strong appeal, and can do no harm, while everyone has the privilege of rejecting as much of it as he chooses.
Alexander Arrested at Monponsett-The Pilgrim fathers and their immediate descendants had known Philip "from his youth up." His father was the faithful Massasoit, sachem of the Wampanoags, or Pokanokets. They were the third nation in importance among the New England Indians at the coming of the Pilgrim settlers. Their territory included Bristol County, Rhode Island, and the entire southern portion of the Plymouth Colony, with Tiverton and Little Compton. Mount Hope, now a part of Bristol, Rhode Island, was the tribal seat of the Pokanokets and Pokanoket was the tribal designation.
Massasoit had a wigwam at Middleborough (using the present-day name for Namasket) and it was there he received Captain Myles Standish and others of the Pilgrims on various occasions. Standish, with Constant Southworth, John Alden and others, had bargained with Massasoit, one bright May morning, for what is now Bridgewater and some adjoining towns. A few coats, hatchets and other things were given the old sachem.
Samoset had first brought Massasoit and the Pilgrims together, and had Massasoit and his warriors any desire to wipe out the English settlers at that time he would have scarcely had to do anything more than refuse them the provisions which they needed to prevent starva- tion. Moreover, he entered into a league of peace with them which
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was never violated as long as he lived. He allowed them to increase their possessions without suspicion or jealousy and knew none of the restraints to civilization, so-called.
The red men, breathing the aroma of the pine boughs and with it their strength and healing, paddling along his streams of silver in summer, and in mid-winter tramping over his snowy fields on his home-made shoes of hoop-bent ash with the network of interwoven green-hide cut from the skin of some fleet-footed deer, drinking at every breath the sinew-strengthening wine of his northern winds, was a true child of Nature.
One day, Massasoit, the friend of the Pilgrims, moccasined into Plymouth, accompanied by his two sons, asking the Pilgrims to stand God-father to these boys, to whom the colonists gave the names of Alexander and Philip. Their Indian names were Mooanum and Wam- sutta, for Alexander; and Metacomet or Pometacom for Philip. The English names were given by the governor in open court about the year 1656.
About ten years after the occurrence just described Massasoit died and was succeeded by Alexander. He married Namumpum, afterwards known as Weetamo, the squaw-sachem of Pocasset.
The Plymouth men had been informed that Alexander had looked upon the invasion of the English into the country of the Pequots and its results, their enslaving, as possibly a prophecy of the fate of his own people. They therefore requested that he come to Plymouth for a conference and, when he failed to appear, the governor ordered Major Winslow to fetch him. Major Winslow took ten armed men from Marshfield and, on the way to Mount Hope, stopped at a hunting wigwam of the Indians at Monponsett Pond in Halifax. There they found Alexander and some of his braves, about eighty, according to the tradition, well-armed and evidently having some business on their minds rather than hunting and fishing.
Major Winslow's men possessed the arms of the Indians and the major requested Alexander and an interpreter to withdraw a little dis- tance, where the sachem was informed of the errand of the squad and, placing a pistol at the sachem's breast, Winslow demanded that he accompany them at once to Plymouth. This Alexander consented to, with the proviso that he be allowed to proceed thither as a sachem, with his men attending him. The major offered him a horse to ride upon but the gallant sachem refused to ride, inasmuch as his squaw and other Indian women were of the party and he could walk as well as they. Deeming it advisable to proceed to Marshfield, rather than Plymouth, and have the governor come there for a conference, Major Winslow entertained Alexander and his retinue at his own house courteously. While there, however, the proud spirit of Alexander
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fretted and he had a raging fever. Dr. Samuel Fuller, the physician at Plymouth was sent for and administered to him. Alexander gave his promise that he would appear at the court in Plymouth later, and was carried upon the shoulders of his men to Tethquet River, and thence, in a canoe, home, where, two or three days later, he died. There is a story that the English demanded of Alexander his son as a hostage.
Regardless of how their treatment of the sachem affected the Wam- panoags and whether the accusation that Alexander had mischief toward the white men in his mind when he went to Monponsett, also what effect the carrying of him, a violently sick man, to his home before he had a chance to recover-in all of which different writers find dif- ferent conclusions-it is fair to presume that the English took as un- happy a course as they could have conceived to offend the descendants of Massasoit and their braves.
Philip Accused of Conspiracy-Philip sat upon the throne of the Wampanoags and there came a startling rumor to Plymouth that "the Indians are grinding their hatchets and fixing their muskets." Another investigating committee was sent from Plymouth and one from the Massachusetts government. They met at Taunton, sent a summons to Philip and received from him word that he awaited them at Three Mile River, not far away. The governor returned an answer that Philip must come to him, but the proud sachem considered his dignity as much entitled to respect as that of the white chief, and refused to approach nearer than John Crossman's grist-mill.
Shortly afterwards Philip and his warriors appeared on a hill above the mill stream, armed and decorated. The English were also armed and in considerable numbers. One writer says of this situation :
"Some of the delegates were for attacking the Indians at once on the spot where they halted. The Massachusetts delegates were appre- hensive of the results. All agreed, however, that a governor ought not to condescend to go to an Indian." Another writer says the investi- gating committees were sent to prevent, if possible, an open war but the Plymouth people intimated they "would be obliged to begin if they could not otherwise bring the Indians to reason." Pierce in his Indian History, Page 58, makes this point : "The English charged King Philip with plotting rebellion against their government, but the ques- tion is pertinent, how King Philip, an Independent prince and ruler of another nation, could thus rebel." Perhaps it was another instance of an unwise "foreign policy" on the part of the Pilgrims.
Stubborn and proud as he was, King Philip was the one to yield when terms of the conference were proposed, requiring, however, that his men might accompany him as a sachem's retinue and should oc- cupy one side of the meeting-house while the English occupied the
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other. In this setting the governor and the sachem held their parley, sober-visaged Englishmen in slouched hats with broad brims, ban- doleers, cuirasses, long swords and towering muskets; red men, dressed in native simplicity, relieved by decorations calculated to command re- spect and betoken attendance upon a member of the ruling house, long bows and quivers of arrows slung across swarthy shoulders daubed with colored clay, here and there a stray musket, such as had been taken from Alexander's men of the same tribe at Monponsett.
At this meeting Philip was charged with making war-like prepara- tions which he explained by saying he was protecting himself against a threatened invasion by the Narragansetts. In return, he complained that the English injured the planted lands of his people. According to Drake this claim was brushed aside "as a pretense and fabrication." To his story that he dreaded an invasion by the Narragansetts, "they gave him the lie direct."
According to all accounts, Philip saw that he was "out of order" in the white man's court and, furthermore, had no choice but submit to whatever it imposed upon him. They drew up a "Submission" which he signed, witnessed by three of his men. This "Submission" con- tained the quotation "that it was the Naughtiness of his own Heart that put him upon that Rebellion, and Nothing of any Provocation from the English." While they had him undergoing the "third de- gree," the English demanded that Philip deliver into the hands of the government at Plymouth all the guns in possession of himself or his people, which were "to be kept for their security so long as they shall see Reason."
Herbert Milton Sylvester, in his "Indian Wars of New England," says: "With the Indian the day of the bow and arrow had passed; he had become dependent upon the musket as a means of procuring such of his living as was contributed by the hunt; nor were they able to understand the reasons upon which the English founded this act, which to them seemed based upon injustice and oppression."
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