USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Whately > History of the town of Whately, Mass., including a narrative of leading events from the first planting of Hatfield, 1661-1899 : with family genealogies > Part 3
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*Stoddard's Letter.
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brook intersects the Deerfield and Hatfield (afterwards Whately) line. Starting from "Poplar Spring," a well-known locality on this path, and following the line of trail towards the point indi- cated, at a point about a fourth of a mile south of Sugar Loaf Brook the traveler comes upon a ravine which exactly meets all the published conditions of the fight. The swamp here trends into the plain, making a triangular depression, where is a spring of water that finds its way into Hopewell Brook. An ambush of forty Indians(the number named by Stoddard) could be hid- den among the "beaver holes," prostrate stumps and huge hem- locks, and as their pursuers crossed the head of the ravine their line would be exposed for nearly its whole length, as the Indians could fire up both slopes of the bluff. The peculiar lay of the land also accounts for the fact that "One of ours was shot in the back by our own men," which might readily happen if he pushed down into the swamp while a part of the force remained on the opposite of the triangle.
There is no doubt that the destruction of Quaboag and the successful stratagem by which they escaped from the fort at Hat- field and the indecisive struggle at "The Swamp," last de- scribed, greatly encouraged the Indians. The advantage gained was on their side. The loss of the Indians in the Swamp fight was put by our men at twenty-six, but this is conjecture and the number is improbable. The scattered and isolated situation of the towns and their almost defenceless condition was in the savages' favor. Our officers and soldiers were not familiar with their modes of warfare and were not united in opinion as to the best method of attack and defence. The settlers were not lacking in courage, but in skill and unity.
From the date last given, August 25, there were constant alarms, individual surprises and scouting, till the disastrous fight at Northfield and desertion of the place, September 2 and 4, and the still more disastrous slaughter of "The flower of Es- sex" at Muddy Brook, September 18. Deerfield was immedi- ately abandoned and her settlers retired to Hatfield and Hadley. The whole valley was a scene of apprehension and mourning. Fathers went out to cut fire wood or gather corn in the morning and returned not ; the light of blazing barns at night sent fear to the hearts of the boldest ; the crack of the Indian's gun in the thicket was at once the traveler's warning and death knell.
Thus passed the month after the battle of Muddy Brook, afterwards appropriately called Bloody Brook. The savages
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were always on the alert and usually appeared just when and where they were least expected. Springfield was burned Octo- ber 5, the very day on which an attack on Hadley from the north was expected. An extract from a letter written by Maj. John Pynchon, dated Hadley, September 30, will give a vivid picture of the situation : "We are endeavoring to discover the enemy and daily send out scouts, but little is effected. Our English are somewhat awk and fearful in scouting and spying, though we do the best we can. We have no Indian friends here to help us. We find the Indians have their scouts out. Two days ago two Englishmen at Northampton, being gone out in the morning to cut wood, and but a little from the house, were both shot down dead, having two bullets apiece shot into each of their breasts. The Indians cut off their scalps, took their arms and were off in a trice." And in a postcript to another letter, dated October 8, he says : "To speak my thoughts, all these towns ought to be garrisoned as I have for- merly hinted. To go out after the Indians in the swamps and thickets is to hazard all our men, unless we know where they keep, which is altogether unknown to us." This will explain the defensive policy adopted by the English.
On Tuesday, the 19th of October, early in the morning, the Indians kindled great fires in the woods to the northward of Hatfield, probably in the neighborhood of "Mother George," to attract the village people, and then concealed themselves in the bushes to await the result. About noon, ten horsemen were sent out to scout, and as they were passing the ambush the Indians fired, killing six and taking three prisoners, one of whom they afterwards tortured to death. They then fell with all their fury upon the village, evidently hoping to wipe it out as they had done to Northfield and Deerfield. But. as the chronicle has it, "According to the good providence of God," Capt. Mosely and Capt. Poole, who with their companies. then garrisoned Hatfield, successfully repelled the assault. After a fierce and protracted struggle the, Indians fled, having mortally wounded one soldier and burned A few buildings. This was the first decided defeat they had suffered, if we except the repulse at Hadley (of which so little is known) through the skill and courage of Gen. Goffe.
Soon after this affair the main body of the Indians withdrew from this part of the valley. The people of Hatfield immedi- ately began the construction of palisades around the more thickly
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built portion of the village, comprising, probably, the southern end of the street; they also fortified the mill and some of the more exposed houses.
Winter set in early and though no attack was made, or seri- ously apprehended, the time passed gloomily enough. - Most of the families from Deerfield, and some from Northfield, were gathered here and a company of thirty-six, under Lieut. Wil- liam Allis, were quartered upon the people. Food appears to have been plenty, but the deep snows (north of Brookfield the snow was "mid-thigh" deep) and severe cold prevented much communication with other parts of the Colony. Shut up and shut out from the world as they were, thoughts of the past and apprehensions for the future must have weighed heavily on their hearts.
Mr. Russell's report of the numbers slain in Hampshire county in 1675 is as follows.
Aug. 2, at Brookfield, 13 Sept. 28, at Northampton, 2
Aug. 25, above Hatfield, 9 Oct. 5, at Springfield, 4
Sept. 1, at Deerfield, 2
Oct. 19, at Hatfield, 10
Sept. 2, at Northfield, 8
Oct. 27, at Westfield, 3
Sept. 4, at Northfield, 16
Oct. 29, at Northampton, 4
Sept. 18, at Muddy Brook 74
Total, 145
The number here given is probably too large by two. Of these not less than forty-four were inhabitants of the county, the rest were soldiers from other parts of the Colony.
From the testimony of a Christian Indian, employed as a spy, the River Indians had their main winter quarters on the west side of the Connecticut, above Northfield, though a few wintered to the eastward of Albany. They returned to Hamp- shire county near the end of February.
When the fishing season arrived they established them- selves, as usual, about the Falls above Deerfield. They also planted large fields of corn, both at Northfield and Deerfield. This would go to show that they considered themselves still masters of the situation, and we can readily credit the testi- mony of Thomas Reed, an escaped captive, that "They are secure and scornful, boasting of great things they have done and will do."
About the iniddle of April, 1676, a party of these Deerfield Indians went down to Hatfield North Meadow and drove off eighty head of horses and cattle. They kept these cattle for a time in the common field, previously well fenced by the settlers,
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at the Deerfield meadow, where Reed saw them, and "Found the bars put up to keep them in."
The report which this man Reed brought in of the defiant manner of the savages and their quiet possession of the culti- vated fields of the expelled settlers, seems to have roused the spirit of the English and induced them to take the offensive. "This being the state of things," writes Mr. Russell, "We think the Lord calls us to make some trial what may be done against them suddenly without further delay ; and therefore the concur- ring resolution of men here seems to be to go out against them to-morrow at night so as to be with theni, the Lord assisting, before break of day."
This was written May 15th, and the determination was carried into effect the 18th, when about one hundred and fifty mounted men, chiefly from the river towns, with Benjamin Wait and Experience Hinsdale as guides, started from Hatfield, "To assail the Indians at the falls above Deerfield."
The expedition was under command of Capt. William Tur- ner. "They found the Indians all asleep, without having any scout abroad, so that our soldiers came and put their guns into their wigwams before the Indians were aware of them and did make a great and notable slaughter among them. Some got out of the wigwams and fought and killed one of the English ; others did enter the river to swim over from the English, but many were shot dead in the waters; others wounded were there- in drowned, many got into canoes to paddle away, but the pad- dles being shot, the canoes overset with all therein; and the stream being violent and swift near the falls most that fell over- board were carried upon the falls. Others of them, creeping for shelter under the banks of the great river, were espied by our men and killed with their swords."* The number of Indians slain, most of them women and children, was probably about one hundred and seventy-five, though the account at the time made it much larger.
But this first success in early morning was later in the day changed into a most disastrous rout of the English. The Indi- ans, who were camped on the east bank and on Smead's Island, crossed the river and assailed our men in the rear after they had begun their homeward march. At the same time a report that King Philip with a thousand warriors was at hand got started and produced a panic.
*History of Hadley.
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Our men got scattered ; Capt. Turner was shot as he was passing Green river; many lost their way in the woods ; and though Capt. Holyoke, the second in command, conducted the retreat with great bravery and skill, he was followed by the vic- torious savages to the south end of Deerfield meadow. In all, thirty-eight of the English were killed, three of whom were Hatfield men, viz. : Samuel Gillet, John Church and William Allis, Jr.
The battle was fought on Friday, but some of the men who got lost wandered about for two or three days. Jonathan Wells, who was wounded, after severe suffering and several narrow escapes, reached Hatfield on the Sabbath. Rev. Hope Atherton of Hatfield, who accompanied the troops, "After sub- sisting," as he says, "The space of three days and part of another, without ordinary food," came into Hadley about 11001 on Monday.
This double defeat had its natural result. The English saw the need of a larger force which could crush by its very weight; and the Indians felt weakened by so great a loss, and contented themselves with securing a stock of provisions, partly by the fisheries and partly by plunder.
Their first plundering expedition was against Hatfield, which was easiest of access from their camp above Deerfield. On the 30th of May, while most of the men were away at work in their planting field, a large body of Indians, estimated at between two and three hundred, made a simultaneous attack on the line of palisaded dwellings, on the herdsmen tending the cattle and on the men at work in the fields. Holding these last at bay they fired twelve houses and barns, killed or drove away many of the cattle and nearly all the sheep. Seeing the flames of the burning buildings, a company of twenty-five young men from Hadley crossed the river in face of a hot fire from the ene- my and by their daring bravery saved the town. This company lost five of their own number, but so far as appears, none of Hatfield were slain.
A large body of troops now concentrated in the valley. About four hundred and fifty came up from Connecticut under Major Talcott. Capt. Henchman, with over three hundred and fifty men, arrived soon after from the Bay. These scoured the country northward and eastward, and effectually scattered the enemy. In one expedition they "Burnt a hundred wigwams upon an island, ruined an Indian fort, spoiled an abundance of
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fish which they found in barns under ground and destroyed thirty canoes."* Later they destroyed all the standing corn at Deerfield and Northfield.
Few Indians were seen in the county later that July. They were suffering from famine and disease, were hunted from place to place and many were killed. Some of the women and chil- dren gave themselves up or were taken prisoners. The death of Philip, August 12th, appeared to put an end to the war. The main body drew off towards Albany where they were harbored and supplied with arms by the authorities acting under Andros.
The military operations of the preceding spring, as well as the danger imminent at that time, prevented the planting of the usual extent of ground. The North Meadow was probably not put in tillage at all this year, consequently the harvests were light.
HATFIELD'S GREAT CALAMITY. The spring of 1677 opened propitiously. Our people planted and tended their fields in peace, and in summer gathered the hay from the intervals. Their sense of security is shown by the fact that a number who were driven from Deerfield in the fall of '75 now returned there and commenced to rebuild their houses.
Though rendered cautious by experience the settlers were somewhat hardened by danger. They had the courage and some of the recklessness which is always engendered by constant alarms, perils, escapes and scouting. "They went about their ordinary business with arms in their hands, and to their solemn assemblies as one goeth to the battle," but it was as much from habit as a sense of imminent danger. As the fishing season went by without the return of the Indians to their old haunts, and the period of full summer foliage of the trees, usually chosen because of the better facility for ambush and skulking, was past, they seem to have regarded themselves as safe for the year. No scouts were sent out and no guards were maintained at home.
But Hatfield paid dearly for her fancied security. On the 19th of September, more than a year after the war was consid- ered closed, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, while the princi- pal part of the men were dispersed in the meadows and unsus- picious of danger, a party of Indians suddenly assaulted the few men left at home, who just then were at work upon the
*History of Hadley.
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frame of a house outside the palisades, killed three of them and then fell upon the defenceless women and children. Before help could come they fired seven houses, killed nine persons, making twelve in all, wounded four, took seventeen captives and escaped to the cover of the woods.
The boldness and suddenness of the movement assured its Success. The people seem to have been paralyzed by the shock and made no earnest effort at rescue. Perhaps the fear lest the captives might be tomahawked, if pursuit was made, and the hope that they would- be spared if unmolested, may have had weight. The Indians went that day to Deerfield where they killed one and captured four men, and halted for the night. They spent the second night at Northfield west meadow. They proceeded further up the river and camped on the east side, about twenty miles above Northfield, where they built a long wigwam and remained about three weeks. About the middle of October the party, augmented by about eighty women and children, taken in the neighborhood of Wachusett, moved off crossing the country to Lake Champlain and thence to Canada.
With perhaps an individual exception these seventeen from Hatfield, and those taken at Deerfield, were the first captives from the valley that had to endure the sufferings and perils of a march through the then almost impassable wilderness. The captives taken in the two preceding years, with two exceptions, were either burned at the stake or otherwise tortured to death.
Of those whose descendants settled Whately, Sergeant Isaac ' Graves and John Graves were killed; Hannah, the wife of John Coleman and her babe, Bertha, were killed ; another child wound- ed and two taken captive; Mary, the wife of Samuel Belden, was killed ; the wife and daughter of John Wells were wounded and his daughter Elizabeth, aged two, was killed; the wife of Obadiah Dickinson was wounded, himself and one child carried off; Abigail, daughter of John Allis, aged six; Martha, the wife of Benjamin Wait, and her three daughters; Mary, the wife of Samuel Foote, her daughter Mary, aged three, and a young son were carried into captivity.
Thus in the three years of the war, twenty seven of Hatfield were killed and nineteen made prisoners. In regard to both life and property, the loss of this town was greater in proportion to population than any of the surviving towns in the valley. "From one-third to one-half the houses were burned and the greater part of their kine, sheep and horses killed or driven off."
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The story of Benjamin Wait, whose house, situated on the west side of Hatfield street, just south of King's hill, was burned, and whose family were among the captives taken on the 19th of September, possesses both a local and a public interest ; and as he was the ancestor of many of our families, it should have a place in these annals. At the time of our narrative he was a young man of about thirty. His family consisted of Martha. his wife and three little girls, Mary, six, Martha, four, and Sarah two years of age. Inured to woodcraft and familiar with Indian customs, it is not difficult to imagine what was his first impulse when he reached the ashes of his home and learned the fate of his young wife and babes. But he had prudence as well as haste, and wisely, as the event proved, took counsel of his sec- ond thoughts.
But after enduring a month of suspense, Wait, and his friend, Stephen Jennings, whose family was also among the cap- tives, determined to ascertain the fate of their friends and re- deem them if found alive. With a commission from the_gov- ernor of Massachusetts they set out from Hatfield, October 24, to go by way of Westfield to Albany, then the only traveled route to Canada.
The authorities at Albany, who were on friendly terms with the French and their Indian allies, blocked their plans and after vexatious detentions, sent them on a false pretense to New York. At length, through the intercession of Capt. Brockhurst, they were sent back to Albany with a pass. It was now the 19th of November and it was the 10th of December before they got on their way. A Frenchman whom they hired to act as guide was bribed by the Dutch governor and deserted them, and they were forced to engage a Mohawk Indian to conduct them to Lake George. This savage, who proved true to them, fitted up a canoe and made a drawing of the lakes by which they were to pass. "They were three days passing the first lakes and then, carrying their canoe two miles over a neck of land, they entered the great lake which the second day they, hoping to trust to the ice, left their canoe, but having traveled. one day upon the ice they were forced to return back to fetch their canoe, and then went by water till they came to the land, being windbound six days in the interim; so as they made it about the first of January, having traveled three days without a bit of bread or any other relief but some raccoon's flesh which they had killed in an hollow tree.
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"On the 6th of January they came to Chamblee, a small village of ten houses belonging to the French, only by the way they met with a bag of biscuit and a bottle of brandy in an empty wigwam with which they were not a little refreshed ; and in traveling towards Sorell, fifty mile distant, from thence they came to a lodging of Indians, among whom they found the wife of Jennings."* They found the remainder of the captives at Sorell and, to his great joy, Wait found a little daughter added to his family. He named her Canada .* Unable to secure all the captives without the assistance of the French authorities, they went down to Quebec. Here they were well entertained by the governor, who granted their desire and assigned them a guard of eleven soldiers for the journey to Albany. They left Quebec on the 19th of April and Sorell on the 2d of May, hav- ing redeemed all the captives then living. They reached Albany on their return May 22.
From Albany a messenger was sent to Hatfield with letters telling of their success and need of assistance. But Wait's let- ter will tell its own story:
ALBANY, MAY 23, 1678.
To my loving friends and kindred at Hatfield :-
These few lines are to let you understand that we are arrived at Albany now with the captives, and we now stand in need of assistance, for my charges are very great and heavy ; and therefore any that have any love to our condition let it move them to come and help us in this strait. Three of the captives are murdered, -old Goodman Plympton, Samuel Foote's daugh- ter, Samuel Russell. All the rest are alive and well and now at Albany, namely: Obadiah Dickinson and his child, Mary Foote and her child, Hannah Jennings and three children, Abigail Allis, Abigail Bartholomew, Goodman Coleman's children, Samuel Kellogg, my wife and four children and Quintin Stock- well. I pray you hasten the matter for it requireth great haste. Stay not for the Sabbath nor shoeing of horses. We shall en- deavor to meet you at Kanterhook ; it may be at Housatonock. We must come very softly because of our wives and children. I pray you hasten them, stay not night nor day, for the matter requireth haste. Bring provisions with you for us.
Your loving kinsman,
BENJAMIN WAIT.
*Hubbard's New England.
*Canada Wait m. Joseph Smith, son of the John Smith of Hadley who was slain in Hatfield Meadow, May 30, 1676 ; she was the grandmother the late Oliver Smith.
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P. S .- At Albany, written from mine own hand. As I have been affected to yours, all that were fatherless, be affected to me now, and hasten the matter and stay not, and ease mne of my charges. You shall not need to be afraid of any enemies.
After stopping at Albany three days they started, May 27, and walked twenty-two miles to Kinderhook, where they met men and horses from Hatfield. They rode through the woods to Westfield and all reached home safely after an absence of eight months. "The ransom of the captives cost above £200, which was gathered by contribution among the English." Copies of this letter and one from Stockwell were carried to Medfield and thence sent to the governor and council at Boston.
On their receipt, the following official notice was issued: "Knowing that the labour, hazard and charge of said Ben- jamin Wait and his associate have been great we recommend their case with the captives for relief to the pious charity of the elders, ministers and congregations of the several towns; that on the fast day [previously appointed ] they manifest their char- ity by contributing to the relief of said persons. And the min- isters are desired to stir up the people thereunto. For quicken- ing this work we do hereby remit a copy of Benjamin Wait's letter to be read publickly, either before or upon that day ; and what is freely given is to be remitted to Mr. Anthony Stoddard, Mr. John Joyliff and Mr. John Richards, or either of them, who are appointed to deliver and distribute the same for the ends aforesaid." Signed, "Edw. Rawson, Sec'y.
Wait rebuilt his burned house, but it is not strange that he was a changed man. The next few years were years of peace. He reared a family of three hardy boys, in addition to the girls already named. When the news reached Hatfield of the French and Indian attack on Deerfield, Feb. 29, 1704, though nearly sixty years old, he was the first to start for her relief. He was killed by a musket ball in the meadow fight of that morning.
We cannot refrain from saying, all honor to the brave scout and Indian fighter! His name is not often mentioned among the heroes of those wars, but among them all, among those who did most for their country's welfare and stood firmest in the hour of her early peril, who dared, suffered, made no boasts and claimed no official distinction, who offered his life in sacri- fice for those he loved, among those whose heroic deeds have made this beautiful valley immortal, no name is brighter and no
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one's memory is more worthy to be cherished than that of Ben- jamin Wait.
Thus did our fathers receive early the baptism of blood, by which they did enter into living covenant with Him who was their "Life and breath and all things; " whose Providence was their strength and defence and whose grace was their hope. And thus by a "fiery trial" were they fitted to give vital force to the life, shape to the character and firm foundation to the social and religious institutions which are our favored heritage to-day.
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