History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II, Part 13

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 896

USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II > Part 13

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).

Three weeks later, these, with others, fell upon Northfield and killed six people. This raid was instigated by De Non- ville, Governor of Canada, who offered a bounty for every scalp, and this after the treaty of peace between France and England, made December, 1687, was known in Canada. These facts had been revealed by the friendly Indians, and the alarm here was serious and general. The woods were filled with scouts, but no Indians were discovered. Deerfield was the frontier town, with little provision for defense. The policy of Gov. Andross increased the distress, for it almost invited invasion. From this source of unquiet, however, relief was at hand. News that William of Orange had landed in England was received at Boston, April 12, 1689, and on the 18th Andross was imprisoned by the people, and a council of safety, assuming the government of the colony, issued a call for representatives to meet at Boston on the 22d of May.

There is no record of a town-meeting, but Jobn Sheldon, Benjamin Hastings, Benoni Stebbins, and Thomas French-a majority of the selectmen-took the responsibility, appointed Lieut. Thomas Wells, and sent him, with credentials over their own hands, to join the revolutionary party. This was a bold step. No news had been received of the success of Wil- liam and of the flight of James to France, and this act was treason, and they subject to the penalty of treason in case of a failure of the revolution,-a penalty sure to fall upon Lieut. Wells, for he held his commission from Andross himself. Capt. John Bull, so well known in Connecticut history, was here with his company at the same time, and joined in the re- volt. June 26th, the military was reorganized, the old offi- cers being chosen anew. The town was free from Indian raids this year, but watching and warding were constant, and all labor in the fields was carried on under apprehension of immediate danger.

603

HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.

Schenectady was burned by the enemy in February, 1690- 91. On the 26th, the news having reached here, a town- meeting was held, and a vote passed to fortify Meeting-house Hill by stockading, to be finished in ten days! To carry out this order, 202 rods of treneh three or four feet deep was to be dug in the frozen ground, 4000 or 5000 sticks of timber to be cut, hauled, hewed on two sides, and set together in the trench, and the whole available force not over 50 men. This year, Lieut. Wells died,-" a sad frown of God in this junc- ture of affairs,"-and his brother Jonathan succeeded him in office. In December 'great excitement was created by the arrival of 150 Indians, with passes from the mayor of Albany, who located on the plateau east of Josiah A. Allen's ; the men engaged in hunting, the women and children remaining in camp. Some were thought to be old enemies, and trouble was anticipated. A minute company was organized, under Capt. Jona. Wells, Lieut. David Hoyt, and Ens. John Shel- don. Scouts were kept constantly out, and a message of inquiry was sent to Albany. A company of soldiers from the towns below marched up, to make a show of strength. Col. Pyn- chon issued a prochunation, fixing rules for their guidance, warning them to leave in the spring. No serious difficulty occurred. At one time " nine or ten of them were insolent toward a ład of Deerfield, and took some of his father's corn and pumking without leave." Early in the spring a messenger from Albany came to call them home, bringing news that a large army of French and Indians were on the march, and would fall upon this town about the middle of May, 1692. Capt. Whiting, with 50 men from Connecticut, came up about the Ist of February, and assisted in putting the fortification in good condition, and the people were deter- inined to defend it. Further news came that the French army of 400 men might be expected Sunday, May 16th. The inhabitants all gathered within the stockade; the soldiers were ready for instant action. The invading army, however, came to surprise rather than fight. One of their vanguard having been taken by a party of scouts, and a surprise here being impossible, the commander, turning toward the east, succeeded in surprising Wells, Me., on the 10th of June.

The spring of 1692 found the people suffering from the want of the necessaries of life. For obvious reasons, their crops bad been growing less and less, and in 1692 the corn crop-their chief reliance-had been cut off' by worms, while consumption had been largely increased by garrison-soldiers and scouting- parties. Feb. 8, 1693, the General Court was asked to furnish them ammunition and abate their taxes for 1692, and until " we recover ourselves from the low estate we are now in." In re- sponse, the court directed the fortifications to be put in repair and ammunition furnished at the expense of the province.

Another descent from Canada was expected, and on the 8th of March, 1693, Connecticut held 150 men in readiness to march here on notice. It does not appear that they came. In May of this year a party of Hudson River Indians were encamped at Carter's Land, for the purpose of bartering the furs col- lected in their winter's hunt for such supplies as the white settlers could furnish. Capt. Wells became suspicious that mischief was brewing there, and employed Cotasnoh to find out what was going on. He failed to discover anything, and no precautions were taken. On the night of June 6th a party of Indians, probably from this camp, made an attack upon the families of Thomas Broughton and Widow Hepzibah Wells, who lived where Messrs. Amidon and Ashley now live, at the north end of the street. They had no design to take prisoners; were only bent on wanton murder. One Holmes, who was in the chamber at Broughton's, heard " the people plead for their lives: the man pleaded that if his own life might not be spared, his children's might ; but they an- swered in Indian, ' We don't care for the children, and will kill you all.' " Accordingly, Broughton, his wife, and three children were tomahawked and scalped. Widow Wells had

gone to watch with a sick child near by, leaving four children at home,-Mary, Sarah, Daniel, and Hepzibah,-and Nathan- iel Kellogg, who stept in the chamber with Daniel. The girls were all tomahawked and scalped; Kellogg, jumping from the window, escaped. Daniel, a boy of ten years, slept soundly through the whole horrid affair in the chamber. When the alarm reached Mrs. Wells, the heroic, true mother, without waiting one moment for aid, ran to the rescue of her children. She was too late for assistance, but not too late to share their fate. Mary lived a day or two. Mrs. Wells and Hepzibah, after years of suffering, finally recovered. Young Hepzibah, then seven years old, married, about 1717, John Dickinson, and was grandmother of " Uncle Sid."

The next morning after this assault two Indians were ar- rested at Carter's Land, and confronted with the mangled victims. Mary Wells recognized one, and Broughton, who was still living, the other. The chief, Ashpelon, defended them, insisting that the wounded persons were not in a condi- tion to testify. The prisoners were sent to Springfield and confined. There was great commotion among both whites and Indians about Albany when the news of these events reached them. Gov. Fletcher went up from New York. Messengers were sent here and to Boston, and much corre- spondence was had between the governors of Massachusetts and New York. The question of the arrest was debated at the grand council of the Mohawks, under whose protection the prisoners lived. A Dutchman recognized the war-clubs found with the murdered people as belonging to Canada In- dians. Meanwhile, the Indians escaped from prison and fled, the controversy thus coming to an end, and the feared rupture with the Mohawks was averted. The truth appears to be that Canada Indians were the murderers, and that some young Indian bloods from Carter's Land came over to witness the exploit.

July 27th, Brookfield was attacked, and, on the alarm reach- ing here, Capt. Wells with 30 men made an extended scout through the eastern and northern woods, but failed to en- counter the marauders. There was no safety outside the stockade, but the crops must be looked after, or starvation stared them in the face; so the settlers ventured, at the peril of their lives. While thus employed at Wapping on the 13th of October, Martin Smith was captured and taken to Canada Mr. Williams, as it afterward appeared, had a narrow escape at Broughton's Hill the day before.

November 6, 1693, the town again petitioned the General Court for aid, without which they say they " must of necessity forsake their habitations and draw off to some neighboring towns." They were relieved of taxation, £40 allowed toward fortification, and a company of soldiers stationed here for the winter. The spring and summer of 1694 passed without molestation from the enemy. During this period the allied enemy had been engaged on a successful foray to the east ward. On their return, flushed with victory and loaded with spoil, an expedition was suddenly determined upon against this town. No notice of this movement reached this frontier. Eluding the scouts that were ranging the woods, Castrine, the commander, reached the vicinity of the town undiscovered September 15th. Coming down from the East Mountain to make his attack at the north gate, he was discovered at the rear of William Sheldon's home-lot by Daniel Severance, who was shot, and the alarm given. Mrs. Hannah Beaman, the school-dame, from the lot next north of Sheldon's, at once started with her flock for the fort. It was a race for life or death,-the school in the road, the Indians up the swamp to intercept them. All escaped, but the bullets of the pursuers whistled about their ears as they crossed the causeway in front of the present Grange Hall.

Meanwhile, within the palisades all was activity, but not confusion. Capt. Wells had been for years training the people for just such an emergency. Each yeoman snatched his loaded

604

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

musket from its hooks on the summer-tree, his powder-horn and bullet-pouch from the mantel-tree, and in an instant was ready to meet the invader. Castrine had led his army three hundred miles through the wilderness to surprise this little plantation, butcher its inhabitants, and carry their scalps in triumph to Canada. Failing of a surprise, he was bravely met and driven ignominiously back into the northern forest. Our loss was John Beaman and Richard Lyman, wounded. It was a narrow escape.

No large parties were sent against New England in 1695. Small bands, however, lurked about the frontiers, waylaving roads and fields. As Joseph Barnard, Godfrey Nims, Philip Mattoon, Henry White, and one other were going on horse- back to mill, August 18th, they fell into an ambush at Indian Bridge. Eight guns were fired at them,-Joseph Barnard shot off his horse, and one man thrown by his horse starting. One called, as if more were behind, which kept the Indians in check while Barnard was mounted, and all turned for home. A second volley was fired at this moment, and Barnard's horse killed. Once more Barnard was mounted, with one to hold him on, and the party started for the garrison. One of the Indians ran out, and, picking up Barnard's gun, fired, and its owner was again struck. All reached the fortification, where Bar- nard died, September 6th. A force at onee turned out in pursuit. Traeks were followed eight or nine miles up the Pocomptuck River, but the enemy were not discovered. They were very skillful in hiding in swamps and thickets. Their canoes were found and broken. At this time the garrison was but 24 men. Lieut. Hollister came up from Connecticut with 38 men for three weeks. He left 12 men to remain until the Indian eorn was harvested. The woods were full of Indians watching a chance for booty, and a large part of the garrison was constantly under arms. Indians appeared on the west side of the Pocomptuck, as if to draw our people into an ambush. This was repeated, but Capt. Wells suspected that the tactics of the enemy were to weaken the garrison by draw- ing out the soldiers, then fall upon it from another direction, and take it.

About this time a Maqua reported that an army of 600 French and Indians were on the march to assault Albany, and were to take Deerfield in the way. On the 25th of September, Capt. Clapp, of Northampton, came up with his company for a few days, and shortly after the garrison was increased to 52 men. This activity and vigilance saved the town.

Sept. 16, 1696 .- A small party surprised John Smead and John Gillet upon Green River, and captured the latter ; push- ing on to the town, they found most of the inhabitants collected in the fort attending a lecture. Daniel Belding, having just come in with his team, was belated, and his family were wait- ing for him. The Indians fell upon this party, and in less than fifteen minutes they had taken Belding and two children, killed his wife and three children, and wounded two others. All this was within gunshot of the palisades, and one Indian was wounded before he got off. A return shot wounded Zebe- diah Williams as he was rushing out of the gate. The assail- ants were pursued, but nothing effected. The Beldings re- turned by the way of Albany in June, 1698; Gillet by the way of France and England a short time before.

June 12, 1698 .- Notice was received of a party on the route to this place. Not finding the desired opportunity, they passed on to Hatfield, where, on the 15th of July, they killed two and captured two more. Notice of this reaching this town, a party of fourteen started and made a night march to what is now Vernon, Vt., where, just at dawn, the party of Indians was discovered coming up the river in canoes. Several Indians were shot, the two prisoners rescued, but Nathaniel Pomeroy of our town was killed. "Pomeroy's Island" marks the place of his death. He was the last man killed in that war.

The close of King William's war left the inhabitants in an impoverished and destitute condition. Their cultivated fields

had been neglected and were overgrown, the fences broken down, their cattle and sheep reduced in numbers, their pro- visions exhausted by quartering soldiers and fitting out scouts. Domestic industry had fared little better ; were the settlers able to raise flax and wool, the overburdened women, crowded into the few houses within the stockades, could neither card, spin, nor weave to any advantage. Their elothing was nearly worn out, and their children almost naked. The taxes were unpaid, the minister's salary largely in arrears, With a nominal peace no one felt safe from Indian incursions ; " for," writes Gov. Stoughton, " these barberous salvages are not to be trusted on their most solemn protestations of fidelity ;" and the mili- tary service was still burdensome. Mr. Williams, with seven children, the oldest but ten, must have shared all the hardships of his people, and conjecture is at a loss as to how he lived and attended his official duties; still, on the 2d of March, 1702, before the death of William III. could be known and Queen Anne's war anticipated, he gave up several years' salary, and caused an aequittance to be recorded on the town book, "to prevent any future trouble ;" "although," he says, "they never asked it of me."

QUEEN ANNE'S WAR.

At the opening of this war the town was in a low condition, still destitute of clothing, deeply in debt, the palisades de- vayed and falling down, having been constructed of poor material, doubtless, in the haste of erection. June 22, 1702, the town voted " to right up" the fort,-every man his pro- portion as last laid out to him,-to be done by Wednesday night, under a penalty of 3s. per rod, and 1s. per rod for each day's delay. June 29th a petition was sent to the General Court, setting forth the condition of the defenses, the presence of an unusual number of Indians, and their fears of some evil design. In response, Col. Pynchon was directed to send his lieutenant-colonel to Deerfield to stay and see that the fortifi- cations were put in order, and " cover them with a scout of ten men while about the work."

The most memorable event in the history of our town was the attack by French and Indians, Feb. 24, 1703-4. The Aben- akis of Maine had complained to the French governor of English aggression, and asked redress. The fidelity of this tribe had been doubtful, and De Vaudreuil at once organized an expedition of 200 men to this valley. When the place was taken it was given over to the Indians for fire and slaughter, without let or hindrance. So the Abenakis were revenged, and their friendship secured to the French interests.

The palisades at this time inclosed about 15 acres on Meet- ing-house Hill, the north line being at the brick meeting- house, the south at the Wilson place. The population was about 250, with 20 garrison soldiers quartered among the fam- ilies. The snow, which lay three feet deep, was drifted against the stockades and covered with a hard crust.

Hertell de Rouville, the commander of the French forces, arrived at Petty's Plain at night on the 28th of February, where his men deposited their packs and made ready for the attack. An hour before day the next morning, Tuesday, the 29th, the whole army stole silently across the meadows, and on the drifted snow over the stockades, and scattered among the houses. When they were discovered by the watch, he dis- charged his musket and cried, "Arm! arm!" This was the sig- nal for the assault. Doors and windows were broken down; men, women, and children dragged from their beds, murdered in cold blood, or bound as captives. The main body of the French stood to their arms, firing upon the houses and killing all who resisted, shooting the cattle and sheep, while detached parties were securing "provisions, drink, and eleathing," which were packed up and carried to their rendezvous, others collecting and guarding the prisoners and leading them to the same place. After overrunning the fort, the picketed house of Capt. Wells, who lived on the Fogg lot, was fiercely as-

605

HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.

saulted, but successfully defended ; and little progress was made at the south end of the street by the enemy. The house of Ens. John Sheldon, more strongly built than most, re- sisted the first onset. With their hatchets the assailants soon cut a hole through the front door. Firing at random through this, Mrs. Sheldon was killed. Entrance was finally effected at the back door, which a frightened lad left unfast- ened. Into this house the captives were temporarily col- leeted. It was here that the wife of John Catlin performed an act of Christian charity which secured her release. A French officer, severely wounded, was brought in and laid upon the floor in their midst ; in great distress, he called for water. Mrs. Catlin tenderly supplied his wants. When re- monstrated with by her friends, she repeated, " ' If thine enemy hunger feed him; if he thirst give him water to drink.' " This house, which stood until 1848, was known far and wide as the Old Indian House.

It was now nearly eight o'clock, and those not engaged in caring for the prisoners, and securing or wasting the contents of the houses, had maintained a determined resolution to cap- ture the Stebbins house, and hotly continued the assault. At this time, however, they were suddenly attacked by a party from the towns below, led on by Sergt. Benjamin Wait. The enemy were soon driven from the fort, setting fire to the Sheldon house as they left it. This was soon extinguished. Thomas Selden and Joseph Ingersoll were killed in this affair. The siege being raised, the brave garrison, with men from Capt. Wells, joining their rescuers, to the number of 57 men in all, at once pursued the retreating enemy across the mea- dows, Here, their small numbers being seen, De Rouville halted his front and formed an ambuscade. Into this the ex- cited and exasperated men, led on by Sergt. Wait, fell, in spite of a command to retreat by the cautious Capt. Wells. In this trap and on the retreat nine men were lost. The enemy

1704

DOOR OF THE OLD INDIAN HOUSE.

OLD INDIAN HOUSE, BUILT BY ENSIGN JOHN SHELDON.

The stout old door, hacked and scarred by the blows of the savages, is carefully preserved by the Pocomptuck Valley Memorial Association as a precious relic of that awful night.

The house of Benoni Stebbins, about eight rods southwest from Sheldon's, was occupied by seven men, with some women and children. They had a moment's notice, and the first at- tack was repelled, they killing several of the enemy and wounding the French officer before spoken of. Having failed in the surprise, the house was surrounded, and bullets showered upon it like hail. The walls were lined with brick, and so pro- tected the inmates. In an attempt to set the house on fire three or four Indians were killed. As the light of day in- creased the keen marksmen, from the loop-holes, singled out and shot down the besiegers until they took shelter in the Old Indian House, the meeting-house, and the house of Mr. Wil- liams. From this shelter the attack was renewed. Mr. Steb- bins was killed, and one man and one woman wounded; but the brave survivors had no thought of accepting terms of capit- ulation, which were repeatedly tendered them. The women were busy in casting the bullets with which the men plied the enemy.

The touching account given by Mr. Williams in the " Re- deemed Captive" of the capture and sufferings of his family, so often published, need not be repeated, and nothing can be added to it.

in turn pursued the English until they were within the stock- ades, and then withdrew to Petty's Plain. The Stebbins bouse, which had been so nobly defended for nearly four hours, took fire while the men were engaged in the meadows and was burned, the women and children having left it and gone to Wells' fort. The loss of the enemy was three Frenchmen and about thirty savages. De Rouville retreated the first night, by the Indian path, to the upper part of Greenfield Meadows. The next morning Mrs. Williams was murdered near the foot of Leyden Glen, and fresh horrors accompanied each day's doleful march.

By midnight, February 29th, 80 men had collected in the town; a pursuit and night-surprise of the enemy were con- sidered, but, partly from want of snow-shoes,-for it had begun to thaw,-and partly from fear of endangering the captives, it was not attempted. By two o'clock, March Ist, some 250 soldiers were on the ground. Then the question of a pursuit was again taken up, but the same reasons which before pre- vailed prevented its adoption. March 2d the dead, with the exception of Mrs. Williams, were buried in one common grave in the burying-ground at the foot of Hitchcock Lane, -- 54 in all.

The captives numbered 112; of these, 2 escaped the same day, about 8 were murdered before leaving the valley, and about 12 more perished before Canada was reached.

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

The following is a list of those who lost their lives at the · attack or on the march to Canada :

David Alexander, Mary Alexander, Samuel Allis, Hepzibah Belding, Robert Boltwood, Samuel Boltwood, Mary Brooks, Haunah Carter, Mary Carter, Thomas Carter, John Catlin, Jonathan Catlin, Joseph Catlin, Elizabeth Corse, Sarah Field, Mary Frary, Samson Frary, Samuel Foot, John French, Mary French, Mary French, Jr., Alice Hawks, Elizabeth Hawks, John Hawks, John Hawks, Jr., Martha Ilawks, Thankful Hawks, Samuel llinsdale, Jacob Hip, Abigail lloyt, David Hoyt, David Hoyt, Jr., Benoni Hurst, Joseph Ingersoll, Jonathan Ingram, Jonathan Kellogg, Philip Mattoon, Rebecca Mattoon (their infant child), Henry Nims, Mary Nims, Mchitable Nims, Mehitable Nims, Jr., Merey Nims, Esther Pomeroy, Sarah Price, Mary Root, Thomas Selden, Hannah Shel- don, Mercy Sheldon, Elizabeth Smead, Mary Smead, Sarah Smead, William Smead, Martin Smith, Benoni Stebbins, Andrew Stevens (an Indian), Benjamin Wait, Nathaniel Warner, Waitstill Waruer, Mary Wells, Eunice Williams, Jernsha Williams, John Williams, Frank (a negro), Patthena (his wife), ser- vants of Mr. Williams.

Wounded .- John Bridgman, Benjamin Church, Samuel Church, Mary Iloyt.

Mr. Sheldon returned in May, having obtained five cap- tives. Jan. 25, 1706, with two attendants and two French prisoners of war, he again started on foot for Canada. Having collected what captives he could, on the 30th of May he em- barked at Quebec, and landed in Boston, August 1st, with 40-odd of these exiles, among them Deacon Thomas French. The brigantine " llope" was at once despatched for the rest that had been secured, which returned November 1st with Mr. Williams and 55 others.

Many still remaining in captivity, Governor Dudley recom- mended the council " having a Person Leger at Quebec, " and that " Mr. John Sheldon, with a suitable retinue, be em- ployed on that service." This was agreed to, and in April, 1707, a third journey by land was made to Canada. With an escort of six French soldiers and seven more captives, he re-

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.

History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II, Part 13

Author: L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts Number of Pages: 896

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 896