USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 8
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 8
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 8
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"A SMALL CHIMNEY EASILY HEATED"
by Hobamok, a chief captain of Massasoit, who had come to reside with the English, and told them he had heard of a plot on the part of the Indians and advised that the conspirators be killed. Captain Standish was ordered to take a sufficient number and fall upon the conspirators, including Witawamet. This was on March 23, yearly court day, when the governor informed the people of the recommenda- tion of Hobamok, based on a rumor which he had heard concerning the Indians of Paomet, Nauset, Mattachiest, Succonet, Capawak, Mano- met and Agawam; and they left the matter entirely with the governor.
Accordingly the following day, Captain Myles Standish, with several men, started for Wesagusquaset, in the present town of Weymouth, their errand seemingly to be the first massacre, not by, but of the Indians. They met the Indians "under the pretence of trade, Wita- wamet, Peksuot, a noted chief and counsellor, a brother of Witawamet and one other." Watching their opportunity, Captain Standish and his men fell upon the unsuspecting Indians, killed three of them with knives and hung the fourth. Captain Standish was disappointed that another Indian was not present but later in the day he was found and killed. Another party assisting, two others were killed. The Pil- grim party then returned to Plymouth, carrying with them, in triumph, the head of Witawamet, which they set up on a pole over the fort. According to Prince and Winslow: "This action so amazes the natives, that they forsake their houses, run to and fro, live in swamps, etc., which brings on them sundry diseases, whereof many die, and many others are still daily dying among them."
Freeman, still taking for his authority Prince and Winslow, says: "It was on hearing the report of these transactions, that Rev. Mr. Robinson wrote from Leyden to the church at Plymouth, begging them 'to consider the disposition of their captain, who was a man of a warm temper.' He 'trusted the lord had sent him among them for good, but feared he was wanting in that tenderness of the life of man, made after God's image, which was meet; and thought it would have been better if they had converted some before they had killed any'." Free- man continues: "Notwithstanding these humane suggestions of Mr. Robinson, Dr. Young, in his 'Chronicles of the Pilgrims,' intimates the great risk which any man runs who impeaches the Puritans. We have no disposition to speak disparagingly of them, nor do we boast of sufficient fortitude or recklessness to encounter the danger; but we will here venture the remark, that had they followed the example of Roger Williams,-the victim of their persecution and outlawry,-or of William Penn,-that noble representative of the abused Quakers,- in their treatment of the Indians our duty of recording these painful
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PLYMOUTH, NORFOLK AND BARNSTABLE
facts might have been alleviated, and they might have saved an im- mense amount of treasure and blood."
Freeman goes on to say of this situation: "The news of this mas- sacre, spreading among the Indians, caused the greatest consternation, causing them to feel that no confidence can be reposed in those they have befriended, and that any and everyone is liable, at any moment, to become the victim of some false accusation, and, upon the slightest pretence, and without a hearing, to be called to swell the number of those fallen before the spirit of relentless extermination.
"Among those who now ceased to regard their dwellings as safe resorts, and, in hourly expectation of an attack upon themselves, took to woods and swamps, where they contracted disease and became familiar with death, were several of the Cape Cod tribes. Thus miser- ably died Caunacum, the sachem of Manomet; Aspinet, the sachem of Nauset; and the noble-hearted and courteous Iyanough, sachem of Mattachiest, and very many of their people. From one of the above tribes a boat was despatched to the governor of Plymouth, with pres- ents, to procure a peace; but, when near Plymouth, the boat was cast away, three of the Indians were drowned, and the only one surviving dare not come near the English to make known his errand."
Much more has been recorded of the forbearance and good offices of the Indians, even after the massaacre at Wesagusquaset. Two notable instances will suffice for this volume. A ship bound from London to Virginia was, in December, 1626, cast ashore at Monamoyick. The Indians saw their plight and asked them "if they were the governor of Plymouth's men" and offered to assist them or carry letters for them to Plymouth, which offer was accepted and the Indians returned with the articles asked for, in addition to what the Indians them- selves supplied.
There was another shipwreck on Cape Cod in 1630, when Richard Garratt and others from Boston were undertaking a voyage. Some of the party died and the Indians buried the dead, to save the bodies from being eaten by wild beasts, although the ground was frozen and much labor was occasioned in digging the graves with such implements as they had. The survivors were "literally nursed back to life" by the Indians who later conducted them some fifty miles through the woods to Plymouth in safety.
There was, however, a different feeling on the part of the Indians toward the white people after the massacre at Wesagusquaset and trading between them was not as cordial or satisfactory as before. It had been a great advantage to the settlers at Plymouth to traffic with the Cape Cod tribes and, so jealous were they of the privilege,
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"A SMALL CHIMNEY EASILY HEATED"
that in 1631, "great misunderstandings existed" between the Plymouth and Massachusetts settlements, and "rash measures" were threatened, the Plymouth Colony demanding the exclusive privilege.
Evidently it was not considered desirable to hold office in those days as historical records show that, in 1631, it was enacted that, "if, now or hereafter, any person chosen to the office of governor refuse, he shall be fined twenty pounds; and that, if a councillor or magistrate chosen refuse, he shall be fined ten pounds; and in case this be not paid on de- mand, it shall be levied out of said person's goods or chattels."
Concerning some of the laws and the way in which penalties were imposed at that time it is recalled that there was an order of the General Court that "Whosoever shall shoot off a gun on any unneces- sary occasion, or at any game, except at an Indian or a wolf, shall forfeit five shillings for every shot." Evidently there was no "close season" on Indians at that time.
Reference has already been made to the way in which John Billing- ton, one of the children who came over in the "Mayflower," was rescued by the Indians and restored to his home. Another story concerning him is that while the vessel was at anchor in Provincetown Harbor, this same John Billington busied himself one day in an inspection of one of the ancient firearms, an old musket which was loaded for Indians or what have you. John shot off the gun within four feet of a keg of loose powder and the wadding distributed itself about, but, as Bradford says in his diary, "by God's mercy, no harm done."
Early Census of Praying Indians-Harking back to the early history of Cape Cod and the early Indians, much information was contained in an historical address given some years ago by Sidney Brooks of Harwich, pioneer exponent of higher education. Among other things he said : "It is the glory of Cape Cod that, instead of waging with the Indians a war of extermination, the settlers made early efforts for their instruction and conversion to Christianity. While the apostle Eliot had at Natick and the other towns eleven hundred praying Indians, and the Mayhews had their fifteen hundred at Nantucket and Marthas Vineyard, and Richard Bourne his large flock on the mainland, Samuel Sweat of Nauset gathered his parish of five hundred Indians, who regularly attended his meeting for worship. Existing documents give the exact number in the Indian villages of the Cape at this time. 'There were,' says the account of Bourne and Cotton, of praying Indians, 'at Neeshame (Provincetown and Truro) men and women, fifty-one; young men and maidens, twenty-one; total, seventy-two, of whom twenty-five can read Indian and sixteen can write it. At Pottanumaquet (East
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PLYMOUTH, NORFOLK AND BARNSTABLE
Harwich) men and women, twenty-four; young men and maids, twenty ; total, forty-four, of whom seven can read Indian and two can write it. At Monomoy (Chatham) men and women, forty-two; young men and maids, twenty-nine; total, seventy-one, of whom twenty can read Indian and fifteen can write it.' Twenty Indian villages on the Cape are thus described, and the names of several native preachers given. ‘Such was the result of these efforts,' says Mr. Otis, 'that on the breaking out of the Indian War of 1675, King Philip could not induce the Indians of Cape Cod to join him, otherwise the total destruction of the Colony was imminent'."
One of the speakers at the dedication of the Francis A. Nye Memorial Park at Falmouth several years ago, William T. Rich, spoke of the curiosity excited as to the origin of the word Megansett. In the registry of deeds many parcels of
land are bounded on the one side by the Megansett Way. But who or what was Megansett? Those of us (newcomers, it is true) who have learned to love the spot for its beauty of surroundings, its picturesque waters and woods, its restful and healthful conditions; we have wished we might know and place the wreath of homage on the totem of this chief who first lived and loved here. Experts of the Bureau of Ethnology investigated with meagre results. The Assistant Sec- retary of the Smithsonian Institution reported: "I am greatly surprised at the lack of information regarding the Indians formerly occupying the Falmouth region, as I had always supposed that the tribes living in that part of the country had been well known and recorded in history." The first guess of the expert is that the word may mean "Little Point Town." But another interpretation might be "Wolf (or Little Wolf) Place." This expert on Indian language concludes: "I know of no record of a Megansett, Negansett or Ma-in-gas-set tribe, and think it more probable that the name is not a tribe name, but merely that of a local set- tlement or village, probably of the Mohigan or Mohican tribe, possibly of the Pe- quot. Certainly these tribes occupied the region about the present Falmouth, and certainly there were no tribes hereabouts that did not belong to the great Algon- quin family.
We are very close to an Indian burying ground. Mr. Nye used to tell how his father pointed out to him the spot where the last Indian was buried. The poet doubtless included him in his thought when he wrote:
They softly lie and sweetly sleep Low in the ground.
The storm that sweeps the winter sky No more disturbs their calm repose
Than summer evening's latest sigh That shuts the rose.
Let us hope that in the near future those having this Park in charge will clear away the growth which now conceals some of the stones that mark the last rest- ing place of these aborigines.
Tradition says that about the year 1,000 of the Christian era, the Norsemen, by way of Iceland and Greenland, came to Cape Cod and gave to its extensive and
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"A SMALL CHIMNEY EASILY HEATED"
monotonous shore the name of Wondershand. Another name given by them was Keep Cape. But five hundred years elapsed before Columbus discovered Amer- ica. The ships of John and Sebastian Cabot passed by our coast in sailing from Newfoundland southwest. A quarter of a century later, a French man-of-war, the "Dauphin," came in sight of Monomoy. She hove to only long enough to get a view of the land, which Captain Verrazani named Cape Avenas or Sandy Cape. But it was in 1602 that commonly dates the discovery of Cape Cod, "for its soil was then for the first time trodden by an Anglo-Saxon." The commander of the vessel was our old friend, Captain Gosnold. After making his great haul of cod- fish, he gave the name which has stuck, Cape Cod. With four of his men, he landed in the month of May. He discovered Marthas Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands and entered Buzzards Bay. In July, 1605, came two vessels, one of which bore Sieur de Monts, and his captain was Champlain, who gave his name to the lake and who founded Quebec. The company spent fifteen days and took formal possession for the French King. But the historian says the reason we are not Frenchmen, but English, is the bad Cape Cod harbors. In 1609 Hendrick Hud- son visited Cape Cod shores. In 1614 the infamous Captain Hunt carried off twenty-eight Indians and sold them into slavery in Spain. But in 1616 a French vessel having grounded below Chatham, was boarded by the Indians and all on board killed or taken captives. Then came the "Mayflower." The events which cluster about her are too well known to need repetition.
Plym -- 46
THE MAYFLOWER
CHAPTER XXXIV CHARACTERS IN THE DRAMA OF FREEDOM
Manner of Men Who Hewed A Republic Out of A Wilderness-List as Given in the Log of the "Mayflower"-In Early Spring Twenty- one Men and Six Boys Constituted the Male Remnant of the "May- flower" Arrivals-New Arrivals on "Fortune" Cause Famine-Ge- ology and Mineralogy Not Conducive to Making an Easy Living-+ Eastham Settlement in Early Days Commented on by Governor Bradford-Pertinent Facts About Barnstable County and its Island Neighbors.
Before definitely landing the Pilgrims at Plymouth, from which some of them and their early descendants or associates returned to Cape Cod, it is well to more clearly introduce the cast of characters in that great drama enacted in the bay and on the sand. Neither at Plym- outh or at Cape Cod were any hints to encourage agricultural endeavor, except to follow the methods of the Indians. Most histories have referred to the Pilgrims by mentioning them as Captain Myles Standish and his followers, or Governor Bradford and his associates to such an extent that the other individuals have hardly had their rightful mention.
Undoubtedly there were among those who perished the first winter many noble souls who would have been of invaluable assistance in the beginnings of the colonial life if they had been spared. But, by the time Samoset uttered his English words, "Welcome, Englishmen," there were only twenty-one adults and six boys of sufficient size to engage in carrying on the task before them, under the Compact which was agreed to and signed by the following, in the order given :
No. in family
No. in family 1
John Carver, * (about 60)
8 Richard Warren (over 45)
William Bradford * (30)
2 John Howland + (27)
Edward Winslow * (25)
5 Edward Fuller * (over 25)
3
William Brewster * (54)
6 John Turner (over 30)
3
Isaac Allerton * (32)
6 Francis Eaton * (about 25)
3
Capt. Myles Standish * (36) 2 James Chilton * (about 40)
3
John Alden (over 21)
1 John Crackston (about 35)
2
Samuel Fuller (about 30)
2 John Billington * (over 30)
4
Christopher Martin * (40)
4 Moses Fletcher (over 30)
1
William Mullens * (over 42)
5 John Goodman (over 21) 1
William White * (about 30)
5 Degory Priest (41)
1
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No. in family
No. in family
Thomas Williams (over 21) 1
Thomas Rogers (over 30)
2
Gilbert Winslow (20) 1 Thomas Tinker * (over 21) 3
Edmund Margeson (over 21)
1 John Ridgdale * (over 21) 2
Peter Brown (over 25)
1 Richard Clarke (over 21) 1
Richard Butteridge (21) 1
Richard Gardiner (over 21) John Allerton (over 21)
1
Stephen Hopkins * (over 35) 8
Edward Tilley * (about 30)
4
Edward Dotey @ (over 21)
John Tilley * (over 35)
3
Edward Leister @ (over 21)
Francis Cooke (about 38) 2
* Those who brought their wives + Of Carver's family # Of Edward Winslow's family @ Both of Stephen Hopkins' family
Dates given indicate year of deaths
Of the 101 English settlers, there were 20 wives accompanying their husbands and 42 children and servants.
The Compact was signed November 21. Before the end of March death had claimed Christopher Martin, William Mullens, William White, Edward Fuller, John Turner, James Chilton, John Crackston, Moses Fletcher, John Goodman, Degory Priest, Thomas Williams, Edmund Margeson, Richard Butteridge, Ed- ward Tilley, John Tilley, Thomas Rogers, Thomas Tinker, John Ridgdale, Rich- ard Clarke, John Allerton and Thomas English of those who signed the Compact.
In addition to those who signed the Compact the following tables give addi- tional information of interest about the "Mayflower" people.
Servants, i. e., Employees, 9
John Hooke (a lad) Roger Wilder (probably over 21)
Solomon Prower (probably under 21)
Edward Thompson (probably under 21)
Elias Story (probably under 21)
William Holbeck (probably under 21) Robert Carter (probably under 21) John Langemore (probably under 21) William Latham (about 16)
Of the servants, so called, all died the first winter except William Latham, whose death occurred later than 1640.
Youths and Children, Girls, 11.
Priscilla Mullens (over 16) after 1687 Mary Chilton 1679
Mrs. Carver's maid (probably about 20) Elizabeth Tilley (13) dau. of John 1687
Remember Allerton (about 6)
Constance Hopkins (about 11) 1677
Demaris Hopkins, about 1666 Mary Allerton (about 4) 1699
Humility Cooper
Ellen More (died the first winter)
Desire Minter (about 16)
Love Brewster (about 7) 1650 Wrestling Brewster 164 -? Joseph Mullens (over 16) Bartholomew Allerton (about 8)
John Crackstone Jr. 1628? Giles Hopkins (about 15) 1690
Boys, 21
Turner Turner (2nd)
John Billington, Jr., (about 16) 1628-9 Francis Billington (about 14) after 1674 Joseph Rogers 1678
1
George Soule # (about 21)
Thomas English 1
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CHARACTERS IN THE DRAMA OF FREEDOM
John Cooke (about 10) 1695 Richard More (about 6) 1656 Jasper More (small boy) More
Tinker Samuel Fuller, son of Edward (about 5) 1683
Samuel Eaton (infant) 1684
Henry Sampson (6) 1684
Oceanus Hopkins (infant) before 1627
Resolved White (5) after 1690
Joseph Mullens, two Turner boys, Jasper More and his brother, the Tinker boy died the first winter.
There was a William Butten who died on the voyage.
While the "Mayflower" was in Provincetown Harbor, Peregrine White, (son of William and Susanna) was born. After the death of William White and the death of Elizabeth, wife of Edward Winslow the first winter, Susanna White be- came the second wife of Winslow.
The wives who died the first winter were Dorothy Bradford, aged 23; Eliza- beth Winslow, aged 23; Mary Allerton; Rose Standish, under 36; Mrs. Christo- pher Martin; Alice, wife of William Mullens; Ann, wife of Edward Tilley; Bridget, wife of John Tilley; wife of Thomas Tinker who also died, both about 21; Alice, wife of John Ridgdale who also died, both about 21; Sarah, wife of Francis Eaton;
Summary
Adults
Died 26
Survived 23
Total 59
Seamen
2
2
Servants
8
1
9
Girls
1
10
11
Boys
6
15
21
51
51
102
The above list generally follows that given in "The 'Mayflower' and Her Log," considered an authority.
Frederick Freeman in his "History of Cape Cod," published in 1869, says of this Compact: "Thus was executed, in Cape Cod Harbor, the first instrument, probably, that the world ever saw, recognizing true republican principles, intrusting all powers in the hands of the majority. Government was thus regularly established; and the next day being Sunday, was observed as a day of rest."
John Quincy Adams said: "This is perhaps the only instance in human history of that positive, original, social compact, which specu- lative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government."
Hon. Francis Baylies, in his "History of New Plymouth," says: "This brief, comprehensive and simple instrument established a most important principle, a principle which is the foundation of all the democratic institutions of America, and is the basis of the Republic; and however it may be expanded and complicated in our various con- stitutions, however unequally power may be distributed in the different branches of our various governments, has imparted to each its strongest and most striking characteristic.
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PLYMOUTH, NORFOLK AND BARNSTABLE
Many philosophers have since appeared, who have, in labored treatises, en- deavored to prove the doctrine that the rights of men are unalienable, and na- tions have bled to defend and enforce them; yet in this dark age, the age of des- potism and superstition, when no tongue dared to assert, and no pen to write this bold and novel doctrine, which was then as much at defiance with common opin- ion as with actual power, of which the monarch was then held to be the sole foun- tain, and the theory was universal that all popular rights were granted by the crown,-in this remote wilderness, amongst a small and unknown band of wan- dering outcasts, the principle that the will of the majority of the people shall gov- ern, was first conceived, and was first practically exemplified.
The Pilgrims from their notions of primitive Christianity, the force of circum- stances, and that pure moral feeling which is the offspring of true religion, dis- covered a truth in the science of government which had been concealed for ages. On the bleak shore of a barren wilderness, in the midst of desolation, with the blast of winter howling around them, and surrounded with dangers in their most awful and appalling forms, the Pilgrims of Leyden laid the foundations of American liberty.
The same day the Compact was signed John Carver was unanimously elected governor. Upon his death, April 5, he was succeeded by Gover- nor Bradford, with Isaac Allerton as assistant. The governor was the sole executive officer and the legislative and judicial power was by the consent of the governed. The government regulation and discipline ecclesiastical remained as when under the superintendence and instruc- tions of Rev. John Robinson in Leyden.
First Birth and Deaths at Cape Cod-The following day, Monday, December 11, after sounding the harbor and finding it fit for shipping and after making an investigation of conditions on shore, they returned to the "Mayflower" to find that during their absence Peregrine White, the first child born of English parents in New England, had been added to the number of the Pilgrim family. Another occurrence in their absence was the accidental death by falling overboard of Mrs. William Bradford, who was drowned December 11. Her husband was one of the number absent in the shallop.
The first death, however, was that of Edward Thompson, who died December 4. He was a servant to Mr. William White and his name does not appear affixed to the Compact. Jasper, a son of Mr. Carver, died December 6; and James Chilton, December 8. These vital statis- . tics concerning the first birth and first four deaths among the colonists, all occurred at Cape Cod before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.
Those who had discovered Plymouth, and whose recommendation made it the chosen place of abode, were John Carver, William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Captain Myles Standish, John Howland, Richard Warren, Stephen Hopkins, Edward Tilley, Thomas Clark, Coppin, John Allerton, Thomas English, Edward Dotey, with the Master and Gunner
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CHARACTERS IN THE DRAMA OF FREEDOM
of the ship and three common seamen. The place was the same to which Captain John Smith had in 1614 given the name of New Plymouth.
An attempt was made to sail the "Mayflower" to Plymouth December 15, but it was forced back by a northwest gale and so December 16, under more favorable conditions, the "Mayflower" sailed into Plymouth Harbor, and the Pilgrims landed "on the stern and rock-bound coast."
From this time on the history of the Pilgrims centers about Plymouth County rather than Cape Cod, but, inasmuch as Cape Cod was for a long time under the jurisdiction of the Plymouth Colony, present-day boundaries and limitations were unknown to those early colonists.
Pilgrims and Puritans Not the Same-Rev. Dr. Edward Everett Hale remarked in a history of Massachusetts which he wrote many years ago :
It is pathetic and curious to observe that the Pilgrim colonists landed at Plym- outh on the shortest day in the year. Poetry and eloquence and the sympathy of a nation have of course seized on this critical coincidence, and the astronomical fact that from that moment the days began to grow longer and the sun to rise higher in the western world has been made the theme of a thousand poets and ora- tors. It is equally curious, though for obvious reasons the fact has attracted less enthusiasm, that the ship of Winthrop, the leader of the prosperous and wealthy colony, arrived in Salem Harbor on the longest day in the year. The vessel came to anchor, and the enfranchised passengers landed, upon a world of ripe straw- berries, of roses in bloom, and of all the fresh and fragrant delights of that rarest thing on earth, "a day in June." The marvelous prosperity, the cheer and comfort, which, on the whole, the people of Massachusetts Bay have known from the bc- ginning, were typified and re-figured, had Winthrop but known it, in the charming surroundings of his landing and that of his associates.
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