USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Northfield > History of the town of Northfield, Massachusetts : for 150 years, with an account of the prior occupation of the territory by the Squakheags : and with family genealogies > Part 26
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I Mass. Archives, LXXIII, 274.
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same party ambushed the road to Lower Ashuelot. A squad of sol- diers was passing, and just as they came where the Indians lay, they turned out of the path ; seeing which the Indians supposed that they were discovered, and that the English were rounding them in, rose up and fled through thick and thin. Ours gave chase, but the In- dians outran and escaped them. Dea. Wright's Journal.
August II. This day the first mischief was done at Northfield. The mounts were so situated as to command a view of the entire village and the meadows ; and the soldiers in garrison here, together with the almost constant passing and repassing of troops had proved an effectual protection. Probably most of the families slept at night within the different stockades. This morning, the milch cows owned at the lower end of the street were sent out to pasture in the south lane and the commons beyond Dry Swamp. Just at evening, Benja- min Wright (aged 21, son of Remembrance) started on horseback, with his gun as usual, to bring them in. He found them on the Commonwealth, and was following the sound of the bell on the leader (as he supposed), when he was fired upon by a small party of Indians in ambush. A ball entered his side and came out at the shoulder opposite. Wheeling, he supported himself by laying his gun across the pommel of the saddle, and reached the street. When opposite the house of Seth Field, he was seen to reel ; the horse was stopped, and he was carried into the house, where he died about midnight. It is a tradition that the Indians watched his funeral from the top of Round Knob.
The same day the Indians were in the thickets east of Merry's meadow, and hung up a white flag in sight of Shattuck's fort, proba- bly as a decoy ; and on the 15th, they shot upon 4 men who were near the fort, but without damage.
Aug. 20, happened one of the most serious events of the war. This was the surrender and destruction of Fort Massachusetts at East Hoosuck. Serg' John Hawks was in command, and had at this time a chaplain and 20 men. Three of the men had with them their wives and (7) children. The French and Indian army under Gen. Rigaud de Vaudreuil numbered 800. After a gallant defence of 24 hours, Sergt. Hawks surrendered, for want of ammunition. He had 2 men killed ; the rest were carried prisoners to Quebec. The fort was burnt. For a full and most interesting account of this affair, see " Norton's Redeemed Captive." After the destruction of this fort, a detachment of about 30 of Vaudreuil's Indians came down to Deer- field, and on the 25th killed 5, wounded I, and took I captive.
. Nothing is heard, this fall, of Capt. Melvin and his 50 rangers
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with their dogs, only that, as the legislature failed to provide subsist- ence for the dogs, Col. Stoddard is ordered, Nov. 12, " to dispose of them." The use of dogs is hereafter abandoned, as they proved of little service in tracking Indians.
1747. This year opened with gloomy prospects for our western frontiers. The destruction of Fort Massachusetts, opened the way to expeditions that should come by the southern route ; and the dis- mantling of No. 4, left the northern route in a measure unguarded. And New Hampshire still refused to supply men or means for the defence of her river border.
In February, Capt. Stevens sent a memorial to Gov. Shirley, shewing :
" That he has been employed in the fervice of the government ever fince the commencement of the prefent war, and has had confiderable opportunity to obferve the methods the French and Indians ufe in carrying it on. And would beg leave to fuggeft fome things that appear to me would be profitable for the publick. No. 4. is fituate upon Connecticut river about 45 miles above Northfield ; on which place (No. 4), the enemy have been continually endea- voring to do fpoil, and many great advantages have been loft for want of a fuitable number of foldiers at that garrifon. Fort Maffachufetts (that was) is fituate about 34 miles weft from Deerfield, and is the proper road of an enemy coming upon our frontiers when they come by Wood Creek and the Drownded Lands, as No. 4 is when they come by Otter Creek. Now it appears to me that if 100 men were early fent to each of thefe pofts, fay by the latter end of March, and fuitable encouragement was given them to go and waylay the ftreams the enemy come upon when they iffue out from Crown Point, they might be very much difcouraged in coming in fmall parties as heretofore ; which in my opinion will be of the greateft fervice to the publick, and the only effectual method to carry on the war. If anything be done, it fhould be done early in the fpring, as it is evident from paft experience that this enemy will be down by the firft of April. There is one thing which I have obferved while among the Indians, they are a people which are greatly elated and flathed up when they have fuccefs and as foon difcouraged when they are difappointed."1
Acting on the idea embodied in his paper, Capt. Stevens started with a company of 30 rangers, as soon as the snow was gone, for No 4. He found the fort uninjured, and the dog and cat, left alone since January, in tolerable condition ; and at once set about making things comfortable, and strengthening his defences.
Mar. 19, Capt. Melvin came to Northfield with a company of 60 rangers, and made his head-quarters here till September.
Simultaneously with these movements of our troops, the French
1 Mass. Archives, LXX111, 57.
-
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fitted out an immense army, and sent it in large detachments to dif- ferent points on the frontier.
Mar. 30, thirty or forty Indians suddenly appeared at Shattuck's fort. In the night they prepared faggots of dried spruce and pitch pine boughs, and placed them against the south end of the fort. Then taking some live coals in a kettle covered with a blanket, they set the faggots on fire, and soon the south half of the fort was in flames, with a strong breeze driving them towards the other half on the opposite side of the brook. But suddenly the wind shifted to the north, and the garrison, with the aid of the water in the brook, saved the north building. Amazed at the sudden change of the wind, the Indians drew off, without attempting any further mischief. The garrison fired at them, and broke the leg of one. The next day Capt. Melvin went up with some of his rangers and some Northfield men, and followed the Indians as far as the Great Meadow, where he caught sight of them, and shot across the river and killed one. Lieut. Jona. Hoyt with 12 men from Deerfield also came up and joined in the pursuit. But the Indians had effected a junction with a still larger body lying to the north.
April 1, the General Court adopted an order, that there be pay and subsistence allowed for a garrison of 20 men to be posted at North- field ; for 20 men in the block-house at Fall-town ; 20 men at a new . block-house to be built between Fall-town and Colrain ; 20 at Col- rain ; 20 at Fort Shirley ; 20 at Fort Pelham ; 20 at a new block- house to be built west of Fort Pelham ; and 30 at a block-house to be built near where Fort Massachusetts stood ; and that two swivel guns be allowed to each block-house except the two west of Pelham, which are to be allowed one swivel and one four pounder each. It was also ordered that scouts be constantly maintained from one block- house to another, and west from Fort Massachusetts ; and that a number not exceeding 10 of the inhabitants of Colrain, and 10 of those at Green River above Deerfield be kept in the pay of the Province.
Capt. Stevens had got things in good posture at No. 4, when, April 4, he was furiously assaulted by a large French and Indian army under Mons. Debeline. The assault and defence were alike determined ; and many incidents of the siege equal in valor and bril- liancy those renowned in ancient story. The French shot fire arrows, and pushed a mantelet loaded with blazing faggots against the fort ; but the men inside had dug trenches under the parapet, from which they threw water and extinguished the flames. The
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siege continued three days ; when finding his task hopeless the French commander withdrew. The only casualties to the defenders were the slight wounding of Joseph Ely and John Brown.
A part of Debeline's force steered for Northfield, and lay in am- bush to the northward of the town. April 15, a little after sunset they killed and scalped Nathaniel Dickinson and Asahel Burt as they were bringing the cows home from Pauchaug meadow. They then drew off in the night to Winchester and the two Ashuelots, and burnt down these three towns which had the winter before been de- serted by the inhabitants, because the soldiers were all drawn off.
The following account of the killing of Mr. Dickinson is given by his grand-daughter, Mrs. Polly Holton, now (1873) 93 years old. " According to the town regulations, the meadows were pastured only in the fall. But owing to the fact that Indians were known to be lurking constantly in the adjacent woods in the autumn of 1746, the owners did not venture to drive their cows upon Pauchaug mea- dow, and it was thought best to feed it for a while in April. On the 15th, near sundown Mr. Dickinson and Mr. Burt started on horse- back to fetch the cows from the meadow. When going up Pauchaug hill near where the monument stands, they were fired upon by the Indians. Dickinson's horse was shot and fell, and he came down with it. Instantly the savages sprang upon him, tomahawked and scalped him. As no guns were allowed to be fired, except when Indians were discovered, the report of the fire-arms directly brought the people from Dea. Alexander's fort to the spot. Mr. Dick- inson's eldest son, Ebenezer, was the first to reach him. Find- ing him still alive, he asked, " Father, who shot you ?" He an- swered, " Indians," and soon expired. The first intimation of the murder received by his wife was when the bleeding body was brought to the door. She was then pregnant, and the shock to her nervous system can be readily understood. And as a striking example of ante-natal impressions, it may be stated that the son, who was named Benoni, born some months after, had the greatest dread of fire-arms, and could not be induced to use them. He could never listen to any tale of Indian warfare ; and when drafted into the Revolutionary army, the officers, being informed of his inability to bear arms, assigned him a place in the commissary department. He was also averse to taking the life of any creature. And even to old age he was never known to voluntarily speak of his father's death.
It appears that Burt's horse was also killed, and that he made an attempt to escape by going back to the meadow, but was overtaken at the foot of the hill a few rods to the north, where he was scalped.
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Dickinson's horse was on the right hand as they travelled, and his body was found lying a little outside of the road bed. A rude stone was set on the exact spot. Burt's body was in the road, so that a stone could not be placed on the spot ; and for convenience it was set close beside that to Dickinson. Both have disappeared ; and, a substantial granite monument has been erected by some of Dickinson's great-grand children. MIEL DICK KINSON It stands on the opposite side of the way and - WAS KILLED about two rods to the northward of the spot Z AND SCALPED Z BY THE INDIANS where Dickinson was scalped. NATHAT
AT THIS PLACE
APRIL.IS. 1747 When news of the killing of these men AGED. 48: reached Boston, the governor immediately, April 21, communicates the intelligence to the legislature, and issues orders to Capt. Thomas Cheney of Dudley to march with his com . pany of 60 troopers to Northfield. He staid here and at Hinsdell's fort a short time. The horses were billeted on our farmers, for which they got no pay. The bill for the subsistence of the company on the march of 60 miles up and return was 75 pounds old tenor. Capt. Cheney also paid Col. Hinsdell for powder and ball 4 pounds 3 shillings 2 pence.
April 23. The General Court passed an order providing that two companies of. 42 men each should be stationed at Northfield - the said companies to perform alternately marches of 14 days in ranging the woods, and on duty at the forts and guarding the inhabitants in their labors. But the order was not carried into effect. And as an illustration of the " changing of schemes" - alluded to by Mr. Doo- little -'that so weakened our efforts in the prosecution of this war, it may here be noted that the General Court on the first of April or- dered a line of block ·houses to be built, from Northfield east to Towns- end, to be located 4 miles apart, and fully equipped and manned. A committee was appointed to carry the project into execution. As soon as the plan became known at Northfield, a town meeting was called and a committee chosen " to confer and discourse with the Gen- eral Court's committee respecting the place of setting the block-house in this town, and to transact whatever may be thought necessary and proper in that affair." In a few days the legislature reconsidered its action ; then re-ordered the building of the forts; then reconsidered, and the project fell through. The following letter from Col. Stod- dard to Gov. Shirley, dated April 22, '47, throws some light on the matter : " I perceive that the Indians are continually about Northfield,
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and the people there are in a great measure confined to the town. When I was at Hadley last Friday, I mentioned to Col. Dwight the taking care of the men at No. 4, but he giving me a short answer, I said no more to him. * * Mr. Alvord told me that last Monday morning, he sent several letters to Col. Dwight at Hatfield, and I have heard several times that he had orders for sending a guard to cover the workmen in building the fortifications, and concluded he would meet the committee and advise with them ; but I hear that yesterday after- noon he set off for Brookfield without saying anything to either of us." "
The real heroes of this, as of most wars, were the men who either singly or in small squads, penetrated into the enemy's country to seek information and make reprisals. A few, or even one such man, in a garrison or town, would keep up the spirits of the rest, and inspire confidence, and give a sense of safety. We always read over care- fully the list of such adventurers ; and their names are cherished with a reverential regard, which never attaches to mere rank and official glory.
May 15, a scout of 7 men, viz. Lt. Elias Alexander, Ens. John Sergeant, Joseph Petty, Thomas Taylor, Eleazar Stratton, Daniel Brooks and Jonathan Sartwell, started to range the woods and make discovery of the enemy. They went up as far as Otter Creek, and returned June 8.
Forty of Capt. Melvin's men at Northfield had been detached for garrison duty at Fort Dummer, which left only 20 men as a perma- nent guard ; and the inhabitants were thus liable to be called upon, at this busy season, to watch and ward at the mounts. June 6, Mr. Doolittle in behalf of the town, sent a petition to the General Court, representing their present exposed condition, and praying that they may be allowed some swivel guns and ammunition from the Province, to be placed in their forts as a protection against the Indian enemy. The petition was read and committed ; but no definite action resulted.
July 15, Eliakim Sheldon was shot and mortally wounded, as he was hoeing corn in his field, at Fall-town; and a young man was shot through the body in two places, while travelling the road between Fall-town and Northfield.
Aug. 4, a bold adventure was undertaken and carried out by a small scout, consisting of Matthew Clesson and Martin Severance of Deerfield, Moses Harvey of Sunderland,2 Aaron Terry of Spring- field and Aaron Belding of Northfield. They went up to and tra- versed the Black river, " to discover the motions of the enemy, and
: Mass. Archives, LI11, 230.
2 April 22, 1746, Moses Harvey was shot at by the Indians as he was passing between Northfield and Deerfield, the ball passing thro' the rim of his hat ; he returned the fire, and hurried on.
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see if they were fortifying on or near the same, as had been reported." They were out 22 days. Clesson, who was pilot, received £8 5 ; the others received £5 5 each.
SIEUR RAIMBAULT .- An event of much interest to Northfield,hap- pened October 16. The following account is compiled from Rev. Mr. Doolittle's Narrative, and papers still preserved in the Alexander family.
As Capt. Josiah Willard Jr., Capt. Ebenezer Alexander and Dr. Hall were coming from Ashuelot to Northfield, when a little south of the Ashuelot river in Winchester they met some cattle running as if being driven off. Carefully reconnoitering, Capt. Alexander being foremost saw a Frenchman in the path coming towards them. When he saw our men he jumped out of the path behind a tree. Capt. A. fired and shot him in the breast. The Frenchman at once came up to him and saluted him handsomely, but he soon grew faint, and as our men supposed he was dying, they being afraid the Indians were near made haste and left him. After our men were gone, the Indians, attracted by the report of the gun, came to him, and he revived. They carried him to the bank of the stream, where he again fainted ; and fearing the English would pursue them, left him and made off for Canada, where they reported him dead. He revived again ; and a few days after in wandering about he struck the road to Northfield about 5 miles from the village, which he followed and came in in an almost famished condition, having lived on cranberries and nuts. The first man he met was Capt. Alexander, to whom he resigned himself prisoner. Among his papers was the following commission:
" I command aufieur Raimbault, cadet in the Troop, to go at the head of forty favages to the cities of the government of Orange, in order to make war againft our enemies of whatever nation they be, armed as warriors ; charging him to reftrain as far as he may be able the favages accuftomed to practice out- rages againft the prifoners whom they take.
Montreal 27 Septem. 1747. Signed, BONBERTHELOT.
The cadet was put under the care of Mr. Doolittle, by whose skill his wound was soon cured. When he had fully regained his strength he was taken to Boston by Capt. Alexander, where he received kind treatment by the authorities. He engaged to use his influence for an advantageous exchange of prisoners, and preparations were made to send him home.
Feb. 8, Lt. John Hawks, Lt. Matthew Clesson and John Taylor · of Deerfield started with Raimbault for Canada. They made the journey on snow-shoes, carrying their provisions on their backs. They went by way of No. 4, up the Black river, down Otter Creek,
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and to Crown Point and so on the usual course over Lake Champlain. After much difficulty and many delays, they secured two captives, Samuel Allen of Deerfield and Nathan Blake of Keene, and returned nearly on their outward route, reaching home April 30.
May 3, Sieur Raimbault, or Sieur Simblin, as he is sometimes named, was sent out with a party of 2 Canadians and 9 upper country Indians on a war expedition against our frontiers, and returned June 19 with five scalps.
Oct. 19, 1747. A party of Indians lay in ambush where the country road between Northfield and Sunderland crossed Miller's river ; killed and scalped John Smead of Sunderland as he was re- turning home from Northfield. The history of this family is strangely interesting. He, with his wife and 5 children, was in garrison at Fort Massachusetts, when that place was surrendered to the French Aug. 20, 1746, and of course all were made prisoners. His wife was delivered of her 6th child in the woods, on the second night after the capitulation. The child was called Captivity, and died at the age of 9 months in Quebec. His wife died March 28. His son John Jr. died April 8. His son Daniel, then a young man, died May 13. With his remaining children be returned from captivity and reached Boston August 16, two months and three days before he met his death, as above.
Oct. 22. About 40 Indians came to Bridgman's fort. They took Jonathan Sartwell, as he was going from Col. Hinsdell's fort into the woods on the west side of the river. The only further record is, " they set fire to and burnt down the fort and Capt. Bridgman's house and barn."
This finished the season's work of destruction in our immediate neighborhood. When the garrison which had been posted at No. 4, was relieved Nov. 14, a squad of 12 of the soldiers passing down the river, was fired upon by Indians almost before they were out of sight of the fort, and Nathaniel Gould and Thomas Goodale were killed, Oliver Avery wounded, and John Henderson taken.
Capt. Phinehas Stevens, with a company of 60 men went into win- ter quarters at No. 4 ; Capt. Josiah Willard Jr. with 26 men was stationed at Upper Ashuelot ; Capt. Ephraim Williams Jr. with a large company was posted at Fort Massachusetts, which had been re- built ; Lt. John Catlin with 39 men was posted at Fort Shirley ; and Lt. Daniel Severance with 42 men at Colrain. Lt. Elias Alexander, Sergt. John Burk, Sergt. Caleb How, Dr. Bildad Andros and his son Nathaniel, Titus Belding, Josiah Foster, Eleazar Holton, John Henry, Joshua Gerry, of Northfield or associated with our annals, James
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Johnson, James Holden, Stephen Johnson, Daniel McKeeney, Joseph Perry, Eleazar Priest, Ebenr. Scott, Charles Stevens, Joshua Train, Matthew Wyman, Moses Walker, were with Capt. Stevens. Lt. Wm. Syms, Corp. Wm. Smead, Thomas Crisson Sen. and Jun., Benoni Wright, Hezekiah Elmer, Joseph Alexander, Benj. Melvin, Thomas Taylor, James, Samuel and William Heaton, Asahel Graves, Jethro Wheeler, William Grimes, and others were with Capt. Wil- lard. On the roll of Lt. Catlin's men, Dec. 10, '47, to June 10,.'48, are Amariah Wright of Northfield, Daniel Brewer, William Hutson, Isaac How and John Harris of Framingham, William Crisson of Ashuelot, Thomas Waban of Sherborn, John Fitch of Natick, et als. Sergt. Ebenezer Stratton, Beriah Grandy, Ebenezer Wright and Rich- ard Chamberlain, of Northfield, William Orvis and Martin Ashley of Winchester, James Taylor of Sudbury, Francis Pierce of Hopkinton, and others, were with Lieut. Severance, who also was of Northfield.
1748. A NEW SCHOOL HOUSE. - At a town meeting held Jan. 18, the town voted to build a new school-house, and chose a committee to erect the new and dispose of the old one. This house was set in the main street, a little north of the meeting house.
There was evidently, on both sides, the feeling and the determina- tion, that this should be the eventful year of the war. Both powers made preparations for an early opening of the campaign. Each was determined to strike the first blow.
The small number of soldiers posted at Northfield the year before, had obliged the inhabitants to do garrison duty, and neglect their fields, and the consequence was great scarcity of provisions. And they felt that, without better protection the coming spring, they must send their families away for safety. They appealed to Col. Stoddard : and he sent the following letter, dated Mar. I, to Gov. Shirley : " I perceive that the government have allowed more men to Hoosick and No. 4, than can (as I suppose possibly) be subsisted there, unless earlier care had been taken ; but find no provision made for Deerfield and North- field, and some other places more eminently exposed, where the people have for some time been waiting to see what provision will be made for their safety, that they may be able to determine whether to tarry or to remove to places of more safety, which many seem resolute to do, unless they are allowed much greater numbers of men than 'tis probable the government will allow them. Those people, for want of being seasonably guarded last spring, could not sow, and neces- sarily could not reap, and so are now obliged to go as far as Westfield to buy provisions for their families, which they could have raised in
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abundance, if protection had been seasonably sent them ; The con- sequences of these places being deserted have been so often mentioned by me, that I am ashamed oftener to repeat them." *
In consequence of this appeal, a bounty of £5, was offered to men who would enlist for one year. And Mar. 7, orders were issued for the posting of soldiers, as follows : at Fort Pelham, 30; Fort Shirley, 30 ; Colrain, 15 including 10 inhabitants ; Morrison's, 20 ; Fall-Town, 20 including 6 inhabitants ; Green River, 10 ; Road-town, 10 including 5 inhabitants ; New Salem, Io includ- ing 5 inhabitants ; Fort Dummer, 20 ; the Ashuelots, 25 each. There were already in garrison at Fort Massachusetts, 42 men ; and at No. 4, 60 men. And the governor was instructed by the legisla- ture to send to Connecticut for 200 men, of whom 60 were to go into garrison at Deerfield, and 60 at Northfield. The Connecticut government responded favorably ; and Capt. Leeds and his company from Hartford came up to Northfield about the middle of April, and staid through the spring and most of the summer. But they would do only garrison and guard duty ; refusing to go above the line ; and refusing to obey military orders, except from the Conn. authorities.
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