USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > History of the town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts : from its earliest settlement to 1832; and of the adjoining towns, Bedford, Acton, Lincoln, and Carlisle; containing various notices of county and state history not before published. > Part 6
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > History of the town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts : from its earliest settlement to 1832 : and of the adjoining towns, Bedford, Acton, Lincoln, and Carlisle > Part 6
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GENERAL HISTORY.
1675.]
English retreated to Brookfield, and had scarcely entered the town, before it was set on fire in various places by the pursuing enemy. All the houses (20) were consumed excepting one, in which the inhabitants and the company were gathered. In this distressing situation, Capt. Wheeler appointed Lt. Simon Davis of Concord and two others to take the command, being disabled himself ; and gave orders to Ephraim Curtis of Sudbury, and Henry Young of Concord, to proceed to Boston to give information of these lament- able occurrences to the Council. After two unsuccessful attempts to proceed, in which they were driven back by the Indians and Young was killed, Curtis escaped. On his arrival at Marlborough, he met Major Simon Willard and Capt. James Parker of Groton with 46 men, who had been despatched to scout between Marlborough, Lancaster, and Groton. On hearing of the sufferings of the people at Brookfield, he altered his course, and rushed on immediately to their relief. He arrived late in the evening of the 4th of August, just in time to save the lives of a few of the English, who still survived ; when the engagement was renewed with vigor, and continued most of the night. Towards the morning of the 5th, the Indians were compelled to retreat. They lost 80 men killed and wounded. The inhabitants of Brookfield suffered the total loss of their houses and property. Twelve or fifteen of the English fell in this hard-fought battle, of whom Samuel Smeadly, Henry Young, and some others, belonged to Concord.1
A part of the company remained there on account of their wounds nearly a month ; the remainder came away about a fortnight after the battle. "The 21st of October, 1675, was kept in Con- cord, by Capt. Wheeler and those who returned with him, as a day of praise and thanksgiving to God for their remarkable and safe re-
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1 The assertion first published by Rev. Mr. Fiske, and by many writers since, and recently with additions by the author of the History of Plymouth Colony, in relation to the conduct of Major Willard at Brookfield, in Aug. 1675, is entirely destitute of truth. He was in commission, in February and March, 1676, and in a letter from the secretary of the colony now be- fore me, dated Feb. 11, 1676, he was requested " to be in a readiness if he should have a full command over the forces to be sent forth from this colony." He also received, just before his death in April, the highest number of votes but two in the choice of eighteen gentlemen for magistrates. These honors would not have been conferred, had the other assertion, resting en- tirely on tradition, been true.
7
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
[1675.
turn, when the Rev. Edward Bulkeley preached a sermon to them from Psalm cxvi. 12: ' What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me ? ' " 1
Though important services had been rendered to the country by the Praying Indians, yet such a great and indiscriminate prejudice had arisen among the common people against all natives, that the very name of Indian had become hateful. Under these circum- stances the government passed an order, 30th August, 1675, to confine all the Praying Indians to five towns ; and none were allowed to go a mile from any town under forfeiture of their lives. The same day, 15 of the Christian Indians were unjustly seized at Marlborough, and carried to Boston, bound neck to neck. They were confined in prison nearly a month before their trial, which resulted in their honorable acquittal. This was done by a captain without authority, but was a most unfortunate occur- rence for the country, and the cause of much of the subsequent trouble.2
In October, 1675, the government ordered that the militia of Suffolk and Middlesex be " put in a posture of war ; and be ready to march at a minute's warning to prevent danger ; " and at the same time authority was given to Capt. Timothy Wheeler "to impress an able gunsmith to repair to Concord to be resident there for the fixing up of arms from time to time during the war for this and the towns adjacent." "Committees of militia," somewhat resembling the committees of safety in the revolution of 1775, were appointed in the several towns. The Hon. Peter Bulkeley was chairman of that committee in Concord. He and Joseph Dudley were appointed in November to " attend the forces that are now to go forth against the enemy, and to be ministers unto them."
About the last of November, the Nashobah Indians removed to Concord ; and December 13th, Major Willard, the Rev. Mr. Eliot, and Major Gookin, were appointed to order their settlement. They
1 A narrative of this expedition, written by Capt. Wheeler, was publish- ed, from which the foregoing facts are principally taken. It was reprinted, with notes, by John Farmer, Esq. in Vol. II. of the N. Hamp. Hist. Coll. from the original edition in the library of the Essex Historical Society, where may also be found a copy of Mr. Bulkeley's Sermon above alluded to.
2 The assertion of many writers, that these Indians were suspected of treachery, does not appear true after reading Gookin's MS. account of this affair.
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1675.]
were placed under the care and superintendence of Mr. John Hoar, "the only man in Concord," says Gookin, "who was willing to do it. He was compensated by being exempted from impressment and taxation. They had pitched their wigwams on his ground near his house. This man was very loving to them, and very diligent and careful to promote their good, and to secure the English from any fear or danger by them." 1 The excitement generally was so great, that the Natick Indians had been previously carried to Deer Island for fear of being attacked by the English.
From this time depredations continued to be frequently commit- ted by the unfriendly Indians on the frontier settlements ; and not- withstanding the precautions of the government, the friendly Indians occasionally suffered unjustly from the enmity of the whites. Companies of soldiers were often sent for the relief of these suffer- ing towns, in which Concord was usually represented.2
On the first of February, 1676, the Indians burnt the house of Thomas Eames of Framingham, and £330 12s. worth of property, and either killed or carried into captivity his wife and nine chil- dren. The next day orders were given to Major Willard to raise a party of troops to scour the country between Groton, Lancaster, and Marlborough. Similar orders were given to Major Gookin in relation to the country between Marlborough and Medfield. In- telligence was brought to Major Gookin, Feb. 9th, at 10 o'clock (evening), by Job Kettenanet, one of the Christian Indians who had been sent out as spies, that 400 of the enemy were at Mene- mese, and had already marched forth intending to burn Lancaster the next day. He immediately sent orders to Marlborough, Concord, and Lancaster, mustering forces for the defence of Lancaster forth-
1 Gookin's MS.
2 Soldiers often volunteered on these occasions. When they could not be obtained in this manner, they were impressed into the service. Precepts were issued by the committees of militia in the several towns to the con- stable ; and none were freed from his arbitrary will, except by a special act of the government. Nathaniel Pierce, with several others, of Concord, were pressed in September, 1675, went to Springfield, and continued in the service nearly a year, till they were thus liberated. Daniel Adams belong- ed to a party which went from Concord to Groton when that town was de- stroyed. He fired from Willard's garrison and killed an Indian. It is impossible, however, to ascertain the names of all those who were engaged in this bloody war; but it is said that nearly all the able-bodied men bore arms in defence of their homes, at some time during this conflict.
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
[1676.
with ; and 40 soldiers were collected and marched from Marlborough under Capt. Wadsworth by break of day. But notwithstanding they succeeded in getting possession of one of the garrisons, they could not prevent the Indians from carrying their threats into execution. Lancaster then contained about 50 families, out of which the Indi- ans killed and captured forty persons. Among the latter were Mrs. Rowlandson and her children, the family of the minister. By the bold and successful exertions of Mr. John Hoar of Concord, in connexion with Tom Doublet, and Peter Conaway, Christian Indians of Concord, they were subsequently redeemed from cap- tivity. Hubbard says the Indians burnt a house and murdered three persons in Concord, on the 19th of February, but who they were I know not.
About the 21st of Feb., says Gookin in the manuscript before quoted, " there befel another great trouble to the Christian Indi- ans of Nashobah, who sojourned in Concord. The Council had by several orders empowered a committee, who, with consent of the selectmen of Concord, settled those Indians at that town, under the government and tuition of Mr. John Hoar. The number of those Indians was about 58 of all sorts, whereof were not above 12 able men, the rest were women and children. These Indians lived very soberly and quietly and industriously, and were all unarmed, neither could any of them be charged with any unfaithfulness to the English interest. In pursuance of this settlement, Mr. Hoar had begun to build a large and conven- ient work-house for the Indians, near his own dwelling, which stood about the midst of the town, and very nigh the town watch- house. This house was made, not only to secure those Indians under lock and key by night, but to imploy them and set them to work by day, whereby they earned their own bread ; and in an ordinary way (with God's blessing) would have lived well in a short time. But some of the inhabitants of the town, being in- . fluenced with a spirit of animosity and distaste against all Indians, disrelished this settlement, and therefore privately sent to a cap- tain of the army [probably Capt. Mosely], that quartered his com- pany not far off at that time, of whom they had experience that he would not be backward to put in execution any thing that ten- ded to distress the Praying Indians. For this was the same man that had formerly without order seized upon divers of the Pray-
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GENERAL HISTORY.
1676.]
ing Indians at Marlborough, which brought much trouble, and disquiet to the country of the Indians, and was a great occasion of their defection. This captain accordingly came to Concord with a party of his men upon the Sabbath day into the meeting-house, where the people were convened in the worship of God. And after the exercise was ended, he spake openly to the congrega- tion to this effect, " that he understood, there were some heathen in the town committed to one Hoar, which, he was informed, were a trouble and disquiet to them ; therefore if they desired it he would remove them to Boston." To which speech of his, most of the people being silent, except two or three that encour- aged him, he took, as it seems, the silence of the rest for consent, and immediately after the assembly were dismissed, he went with three or four files of men, and a hundred or two of the people, men, women, and children at their heals, and marched away to Mr. Hoar's house ; and there demanded of him to see the Indi- ans under his care. Hoar opened the door and showed them to him, and they were all numbered and found there. The cap- tain then said to Mr. Hoar, that he would have a corporal and soldiers to secure them ; but Mr. Hoar answered there was no need of that for they were already secured, and were committed to him by order of the Council, and he would keep and secure them. But yet the captain left his corporal and soldiers there, who were abusive enough to the poor Indians by ill language. The next morning the captain came again to take the Indians, and send them to Boston. But Mr. Hoar refused to deliver them unless he showed an order of the Council ; but the captain could show him no other but his commission to kill and destroy the enemy. Mr. Hoar said these were friends and under order; but the captain would not be satisfied with his answer, but commanded his corporal forthwith to break open the door, and take the Indi- ans all away, which was done accordingly ; and some of the sol- diers plundered the poor creatures of their shirts, shoes, dishes, and such other things as they could lay their hands upon, though the captain commanded the contrary. They were all brought to Charlestown with a guard of twenty men. And the captain wrote a letter to the General Court, then sitting, giving them an account of his action. This thing was very offensive to the Coun- cil, that a private captain should (without commission or some
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
[1676.
express order) do an act so contradictory to their former orders, and the governor and several others spake of it at a conference with the deputies at the General Court, manifesting their dissatisfac- tion at this great irregularity in setting up a military power in op- position to the chief authority of the country, declaring of what evil consequence such a precedent was, instancing the evil effects of like practices in England in later times, urging that due testi- mony might be borne against the same, by the whole court. The deputies seemed generally to agree to the reason of the magis- trates in this matter, yet, notwithstanding, the captain (who ap- peared in the Court shortly after upon another occasion) met with no rebuke for this high irregularity and arbitrary action. To con- clude this matter, those poor Indians, about 58 of them of all sorts, were sent down to Deer Island, there to pass into the fur- nace of affliction with their brethren and countrymen. But all their corn and other provision, sufficient to maintain them for 6 months, was lost at Concord, and all their other necessaries except what the soldiers had plundered. And the poor Indians got very little or nothing of what they lost, but it was squandered away, lost by the removal of Mr. Hoar, and other means, so that they were necessitated to live upon clams as the others did, with some little corn provided at the charge of the Honorable Corporation for the Indians, residing in London. Besides, Mr. Hoar lost all his building and other cost, which he had provided for the enter- tainment and employment of those Indians, which was consid- erable."
It appears from a manuscript letter of Mr. Hoar in my posses- sion, that the English were very insolent to the Indians, and threatened to destroy them. One of the Lancaster soldiers, sta- tioned at Concord, snapped his gun three times at one of them while standing at Mr. Hoar's door. It is believed, however, that this prejudice existed rather among the soldiers, who had witnessed - the horrid barbarities of the Indians in other places, and who did not distinguish justly between the friends and enemies of the Eng- lish, than among the citizens generally. By the influence of this class of men, the unfortunate occurrences detailed above were brought about.
.About the middle of February, Abraham and Isaac Shepherd were killed near Nashobah in Concord village, while threshing
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GENERAL HISTORY.
1676.]
grain in their barn. Apprehensive of danger, says tradition, they placed their sister Mary, a girl about fifteen years old, on a hill a little distance off to watch and forewarn them of the approach of an enemy. She was, however, suddenly surprised and captured, and her brothers were slain. She was carried captive into the Indian settlements, but with great heroism made her escape. While the Indians were asleep in the night, probably under the influence of spirituous liquors, she seized a horse, which they had a few days before stolen at Lancaster, took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper, mounted, swam across the Nashua river, and rode through the forest to her home.1
On the 15th of February, a party attacked Joseph Parker of Chelmsford with his friends, who had been to visit Major Willard. The latter part of this month they burnt Medfield, and killed 20 of the inhabitants ; and on the 13th of March nearly all of Groton was reduced to ashes. Major Willard was engaged in this battle.2 A company from Concord, and another from Watertown were also there. March 10th, says Hubbard, a man going after hay was killed in Concord.
March 14th, the Council ordered " that the committees of mili- tia of Concord and Sudbury, doe forthwith impress so many carts as may bee sufficient to bring off the goods and provisions be- longing to the people left at Lancaster, unto Concord or any other towne, they desire to come unto ; and for guarding the said carts it is ordered that Sargant Lamson, commander of tlie garrison soldiers at Lancaster, do send two files of soldiers, to guard the said carts up and down." Besides the inhabitants of Lancaster, several of Groton and other frontier towns resided in Concord till after the peace. The proprietors of Groton held a meeting here, Dec. 12, 1677, when many of them bound themselves to rebuild the town. They commenced the next year.
The government of the colony, justly apprehensive of the dan- gerous condition of the frontier towns, appointed a committee on
1 Hubbard. Foster's Century Sermon, p. 25.
2 Major Willard and his company remained there several days. They were ordered, on the 16th, if they had " issued that business of Groaten, at least done what you can, and no likelihood of your reaching or engageing the enemy, that you with your forces thereabout keep so scouting or rang- ing towards Marlborough, as may seasonably give present relief and fur- ther prevent what increase may be." Colony Files.
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
[1676.
the 15th of March, consisting of Capt. Hugh Mason of Watertown, Jonathan Danforth of Cambridge, and Richard Lowdon, to con- sider the best means to be provided for their safety. After con- sulting " the several towns in the county of Middlesex with refer- ence to the best means for the preservation of our out-towns, re- mote houses, and farms," they submitted the following propositions, March 28th, which were approved.
" 1. That the towns of Sudbury, Concord, and Chelmsford be strengthened with forty men a piece, which said men are to be improved in scouting between town and town, who are to be com- manded by men of prudence, courage, and interest in the said townes : and the parties in each towne are to be ordered to keep together in some place comodious in the said towns, and not in garison houses : and these men to bee upon the charge of the country.
"2. That for the security of Billerica there be a garrison of a number competent at Waymesett [Lowell], who may raise a thou- sand bushels of corn upon the land of the Indians in that place ; and may be improved daily in scouting and ranging the woods be- tween Waymesett and Andover, and on the west of Concord river on the east and north of Chelmsford, which will discover the ene- my before he comes to the towns, and prevent lurking Indians about our towns. Also they shall be in readiness to the sucor of any of the three towns at any time when in distress ; also shall be ready to joine with others to follow the enemie upon a sudden after their appearing.
"3. That such towns as Lancaster, Groton, and Marlborough, that are forced to remove ; and have not some advantage of settle- ment (peculiar) in the Bay, be ordered to settle at the frontier towns that remain for their strengthening : and the people of the said towns to which they are appointed are to see to their accom- odations in the said towns.
" 4. That the said towns have their own men returned, that are abroad, and their men freed from impress during their present state.
"5. That there be appointed a select number of persons in each town of Middlesex, who are, upon any information of the distress of any town, forthwith to repair to the relief thereof; and that such information may be seasonable, the towns are to dispatch
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GENERAL HISTORY.
1676.]
posts, each town to the next, till notice be conveyed over the whole country, if need be."
Another subject is embraced in the report from which the above is extracted. The committee were instructed to consider the pro- priety of erecting a " line of stockadoes or stone worke " across the county, to include Chelmsford, Concord, Sudbury, and the other most populous places ; but they deemed this inexpedient, on account of the length of way to be fortified, the difficulty of cross- ing ponds and rivers, the peculiar season of the year, and the scarcity of laborers. For these and several other reasons the pro- ject was abandoned. It would indeed have been a work of no small magnitude to erect such a barrier as would have been effect- ual against the incursion of savages. A line of garrison-houses was, however, erected on the frontiers of all these towns ; and it is probable that in fixing upon the location of the Christian Indian towns before the war, reference might have been had to the safety of the English in case of danger. They served, says Gookin, as a " wall of defence."
The month of April witnessed other horrible events to this county. Having destroyed most of the remote towns, the Indians looked to those remaining, and formed a determination to destroy them also. At this time they collected in great numbers, and ap- proached nearest to Boston ; and the colonists were called upon to make the most vigorous defence. On the 21st of April an alarm was spread abroad that a large number of Indians, said to be 1500, were about to attack Sudbury. They had already burned several houses,1 and the day before killed Thomas Plympton, and a Mr. Boon and his son, returning from the west part of the town, where the former had been to bring the two latter to a garrison-house.2 A company from Watertown, aided by several of the citizens, had attacked them on the east side of Concord river ; where a severe battle was fought, and they were compelled to retreat across it. At this time several of the citizens of Concord immediately went to their relief. Arriving near the garrison-house of Walter Haynes,3 they observed several squaws, who, as they drew near, danced, shouted, powwawed, and used every method to amuse and decoy them. Eleven of the English pursued and attacked them, but
1 Gookin's MS.
2 Tradition. 3 Ibid.
8
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
[1676
found themselves, too late, in an ambuscade, from which a large number of Indians rushed upon and attacked them with great fury. Notwithstanding they made a bold resistance, it was desperate, and ten of them were slain. The other escaped to the garrison, where the neighbouring inhabitants had fled for security, which was bravely defended.1 Of those who were killed at this time belonging to Concord, I have been able to ascertain the names of five only, - James Hosmer, Samuel Potter, John Barnes, Daniel Comy, and Joseph Buttrick.
Capt. Samuel Wadsworth of Milton was then at Marlborough, having been left there to strengthen the frontiers on the return of the army from the interior. Understanding the situation of Sud- bury, he marched with 32 soldiers to its relief. Capt. Brocle- bank, whose quarters had been at Marlborough, also accompanied him as a convoy to Boston, where he was intending to go to com- municate with the Council. They marched in the night, and fell into an ambuscade early in the morning, when all but a few, who escaped to a mill, were slain. These unfortunate soldiers were buried the next day, principally by a company of Christian Indi- ans, who had been organized and sent out the day before by direc- tion of the English under Capt. Hunting from Charlestown. Four dead Indians only were found.2
1 Tradition.
2 It will be perceived that these statements differ somewhat from Hub- bard, and particularly in the date. He places it on the 18th, while Gookin in the MS. from which I have extracted, says it was the 21st. I had been led to adopt the same date previous to seeing that MS. Judge Sewall's MS: Journal says : "Friday about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, April 21, 1676, Capt. Wadsworth, and Capt. Broclebank fall - about 50 men slain 3 miles off Sudbury - the said town burnt - except garrison-houses." The Mid- dlesex Records, in speaking of the settlement of James Hosmer's estate, have this expression : " Being slayene in the engagement with the Indians at Sudbury on the 21st of the second month [April] in the year 1676." The order of the Council on the 22d of April affords presumptive evidence that the unfortunate loss of the Concord party was on the same day, though Hubbard does not positively assert it. The Roxbury Records say : "Sam- uel Gardner, John Roberts, Nathaniel Seaver, Thomas Hawley, sen., Wm. Cheaver, Joseph Pepper, John Sharp, Thomas Hopkins, Lieut. Samuel Gardner, slain by the Indians at Sudbury under command of Samuel Wads- worth, April 27, 1676. This was probably the day of entry, or a mistake for 21st.
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