USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > The history of Concord, Massachusetts > Part 27
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"All the above named Indians signed this deed- James Speen by writing his name, and the others by their marks, in presence of Moses Parker, Noah Brooks, Samuel Wheeler jr., Benjamin Bohow and Sarah Bohow (the two
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last of whom were Indians), and acknowledged 'before Pet : Bulkeley, Assistant.'
The foregoing deed applied to the south part of the tract. The same individuals, in behalf of Concord, bought of 'John Thomas, and Naaunoushqua, his wife; Tasunsquaw, the relict of Waban, deceased, and eldest daughter to Tahattawan, Sagamore, deceased ; Thomas Waban her son ; Solomon Thomas ; John Nasqua; James Casumpal, sen., and Sarah, his wife; and Sarah, the relict widow of Peter Conaway, Indians,' for £21; by estimation, 8000 acres, lying in "the last grants of land by the General Court to the town of Concord, and is bounded southeast by the old bounds of the said town of Concord, easterly partly by Bil- rerca, partly by a farm formerly layed out by Major Wil- lard for himself, and partly by Chelmsford, till it meet with Nashoba line, and then westerly by the said Nashoba to the southeast corner of the said Nashoba, then northerly by the said Nashoba till it meets with Stow, and so bounded norwest by the said Stow, till it comes near to a hill by the Indians called Naaccuhpavil, and then running upon a straight line to the North River, at the old bounds of the said town of Concord.' This deed was executed and acknowledged in the same form as the preceeding, on the 13th of Aug. 1684 ; and witnessed by Ebenezer Engolds- bey, Joseph Wooley, Joseph Shambery, and Andrew Pitte- mey. These several grants were afterwards known as the 'Town's New Grant' -the 'Enlargement of the Town by the General Court,' -and generally 'Concord Village'; till after about seventy-five years they were in great part separated from Concord and incorporated as the town of Acton.
"Lieutenant Joseph Wheeler, by trading with the Nash- oba Indians, became their creditor, and petitioned the Gen- eral Court, in 1662, for a grant of 200 acres of land at the southerly part of their plantations as payment for his debt ; but it was refused. In 1669, he, with several inhabitants of Concord, petitioned for a tract of land at Pompasiticutt :
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and the Court appointed him, with John Haynes of Sud- bury, William Kerley of Marlborough, James Parker of Groton, and John Moore of Lancaster, a committee to view it and report at their next session. This report was made May 11, 1670; and it was found 'to contain 10,000 acres of country land, whereof 500 is meadow. The greater part of it is very mean land, but we judge there will be planting ground enough to accomodate 20 families. Also there is about 4000 acres more of land that is taken up in farmes, whereof about 500 acres is meadow. There is also the Indian plantation of Nashobah, that doth border on one side of this tract of land, that is exceedingly well meadowed, and they do make but little or no use of it.' George Hay- ward, Joseph Wheeler, Thomas Wheeler, John Hayward, William Buttrick, Sydrach Hapgood, Stephen Hall, Edmund Wigley of Concord, and Joseph Newton and Richard Holdridge, petitioned for this tract of land; and it was granted to them 'to make a village, provided the place be setteled with not less than ten famyles within three years, and that a pious, an able, and orthodox minister be maintained there.' Daniel Gookin, Thomas Danforth, and Joseph Cook, were appointed 'to order the settlement of the village in all respects;' and the various proceedings in relation to it resulted in the incorporation of the town of Stow, May 16, 1683 ; which has since been found able to accomodate more than twenty families !"
Not only did the people of Concord during its first cen- tury set themselves to subduing the soil, and seek assidu- ously to extend their domains even to the extent of obtaining territory from which might be made new town- ships but they sought to bring forth treasures from the earth other than those of a vegetable nature. Soon after the arrival of settlers it was ascertained that iron ore existed in the south-west part of the town in such quantities as might pay to establish iron works. Promoters of the enterprise pre- sented themselves, promminent among whom was Oliver Purchis who had been in the iron business at Lynn.
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March 5, 1658, a company was organized "To erect one or more Iron Works in Concord."
May 30, 1660, the Colonial Court gave the Com- pany permission "To dig iron ore without molestation in any land now in the Court's possession." It also granted one thousand acres for the Company's purposes.
The industry continued with more or less success until the close of the century, when it closed as it is supposed, through lack of ore.
As the result of these operations a dam was built over the Assabet river at what is now Westvale, and near its upper portion iron works were established.
Among the names of Concord people who were stock- holders are Rev. Edward Bulkeley, Robert Meriam, Tim- othy Wheeler, Jr. William Buss, John Niles or Miles, Joseph Hayward and Mary Griffin.
After various transfers the property passed to an owner who by 1715 had erected upon it a Grist Mill and a Fulling Mill, and in process of time a mill was built for the manufacturing of woolens. The lands in this vicinity have long been known as the Ironworks farm. The scene of some of the operations is still known as Mine hill.
It is stated that when one Leihtenegger "did attend the work of a mine at a place called fair haven" he "did build a bridge to facilitate his passage to and from said work." At the farm formerly owned by George H. Wright at "Nine Acre Corner" indications of this industry have long been visible.
CHAPTER XXXV.
King Philip's War - Activity Preparatory to its Coming - The Part taken in the Conflict by Con- cord - Its Cause -The Havoc - Condition of the Country at the Outbreak of Hostilities - The State of Society - The Town's Means of Defense - Its Militia - Its Garrison Houses - The Foot Com- pany - The Troop of Horse - Means Provided for the Relief of Refugees - Miscellaneous Military Matters.
W E have thus far considered some of the chief civic events, incidents and episodes that occurred at Concord during its first half century. We will now notice some military events of the period.
Hitherto the progress of the town was marked by a reign of peace. No shout of hostile Indian had been heard in the home of any inhabitant. No public proclamations had been issued for the levying of war-accoutred soldiers; and there had been no mortal combat. The struggle had been with the rough conditions of a new country ; with rocks and brambles of unsubdued hillsides and the gnarled and mossy tree trunks of the timberlands. But at the begin- ning of the last quarter of the seventeenth century the scene changed. A season of strife was at hand. Along the hori- zon a cloud was gathering which as it arose and burst over the feeble settlement was to cause a consternation of which we in the present can but faintly conceive.
The Colony was on the eve of King Philip's war; a war which for atrocity, destructiveness, and for various dismal features was exceptional. For months before the tempest broke out, its coming was announced by a variety of unmistakable forerunners. Messengers from the forest 342
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brought intelligence that the Indians in distant places were sharpening their hatchets, and tightening their bow strings ; that a conspiracy was being brewed, and that soon they might expect savage invaders to prowl about the farm houses and haunt every highway and bypath and bridge.
Because of these forerunners the settler was put on his guard and in preparation for the issue he became corres- spondingly active. He set himself to meet prowess with prowess, and to pit strength against strength. He took down from over the mantlepiece his old musket, scraped its flint, inspected its lock, and scoured the rust from its priming pan. Bullets were cast by him on the old kitchen hearth, the contents of his powder horn were replenished from the public stock, - and everything possible was done to protect his home.
While these things were going on there was much con- sternation, and doubtless households were disturbed to an unusual degree. The children probably wondered why their mother looked worried and furtively glanced toward the woods. They did not understand why the cows were kept in the barnyard during the day and why outbuildings were closed early at night. To them it was all a mystery that the neighbors talked together in small companies and that after the trundle bed had been pulled out at evening there were whispered voices at the fireside. But the sig- significance of all this at length showed itself and soon all were made aware that experiences were threatened such as were without parallel in their pioneer history and that the peaceful relations that had hitherto existed between the Indians and whites were to give place to a period of strife the result of which none but Heaven could foresee.
The town of Concord was so situated and circumstanced and a kind Providence so favored that it suffered no gen- eral attack as did some other places. It was however sub- ject to dire contingencies and was called upon to bear in common with the whole colony grievous taxation and to contribute its quota of soldiers to be in readiness to take
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the field at short notice. Moreover, it was ordered to fur- nish garrison houses and to provide relief measures to such as fleeing from distant frontier farm houses or neighboring towns sought refuge there.
The town also near its western frontier in the part then known as Nashoba was the scene of a dismal tragedy which was doubtless long a subject of fireside conversation for the inhabitants of that region. But although no portion of the town became a battle ground during the period of King Philip's war some of its citizens became conspicuous by their services on the battle fields of other towns and in several instances these were of a character quite distin- guished. Before entering in detail upon the narration of these or other matters pertaining to Concord in Phil- ip's war, let us notice the cause and nature of the conflict and some things concerning the condition of the country and the state of society at its commencement.
The cause of the war was a feeling of jealousy or unrest on the part of some of the aborigines engendered by a belief that the English were trying to crowd them from the soil.
This feeling culminated in an Indian alliance of several tribes for the purpose of exterminating the English and appropriating or destroying their property.
The principal progenitor of this alliance and director of its operations was Philip, a chieftain of the Wampanoags who dwelt at a place called Pokanoket or Mount Hope or Montaup near Bristol R. I.
Philip was called King by Governor Prince but his abo- riginal name was Metacomet.
His father was Massasoit a friend of the Plymouth pil- grims.
The means King Philip employed were very sagacious, and savage though he was his energy and exploits have eli- cited the admiration and wonder of many writers, and been the subject of ballad and song.
He is supposed to have personally visited the tribes with
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which he sought to form an alliance and to have fanned into a flame whatever sparks of hatred already existed, and by his example and enthusiasm to have stirred his followers to deeds which with a less daring leader, would never have been committed. By his savage torch home- steads were reduced to ashes in an hour ; whole households were destroyed by his tomahawk and scalping knife; and farms once smiling in plentitude and peace were left aban- doned and desolate.
Of the results of the war Trumbull in his history of Connecticut says, "About six hundred of the inhabitants of New England, the greatest part of whom were the flower and strength of the country, either fell in battle or were murdered by the enemy. Twelve or thirteen towns in Massachusetts, Plymouth Colony and Rhode Island were utterly destroyed and others greatly damaged."
Another writer has stated that were all the events of the Revolution comprised in a single twelve month, they would not exceed the horrors of King Philip's war.
The condition of the country at the breaking out of the war was such as to augment the terrors even of civilized warfare. Much of the territory was still uncleared. There were vast areas of impassable swamps and thick timberlandr. The roads were many of them through deep forests; the bridges were frail and infrequent and those over the smal- ler streams may have been mere log crossings that might be swept away by a sudden flood or easily destroyed by the foe. More or less of the outlying farms were situated in exposed places without means of repelling assaults, and where the drear shadows that crept out from the woods were suited to increase the disquietude of the defenseless family. Moreover the settler was subjected to seasons of suspense ; it was difficult to obtain news ; the foe might be near or remote, he could not determine which. It might be venturesome to go beyond his own dooryard, and all the information he could get from the outer world may have been brought by some scout or circumstance or sign.
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Another factor in the case was the nature of the enemy. The Indian when on the warpath was implacable, cunning and capable of any cruelty by which he could cripple his foe. His knowledge of the country enabled him to move about with remarkable celerity. He was acquainted with the location of every village and hamlet and no lone farm- house had escaped his notice.
All these things King Philip took advantage of, and a characteristic of the conflict was the suddenness with which he struck, the rapidity with which settlements widely sep- arated from each other felt the blows. So swift were his movements and so unexpectedly did he attack towns that the inhabitants almost considered him possessed of super- natural powers.
The state of society when the war broke out, may be best indicated by saying that it was just prior to the witch- craft delusion and about the time which has been desig- nated as New England's dark age. The early fathers of the colony were dying off and with them the learning which they had brought from the old country, for there were few schools through which to transmit it to their chil- dren. It was in this period perhaps more than in any other when people signed their names with a mark. As ignorance usually begets superstition, so there was a ten- dency at this time to accept the marvellous, and to believe that Philip's war was preceded by omens. Mather informs us that strange sights were seen. The perfect form of an Indian bow was supposed to appear in the air at New Plymouth. This was regarded as a "prodigious apparition."
The inhabitants of Hadley, Northampton, and other towns in that vicinity thought they "heard the report of a great piece of ordinance with a great shaking of the earth and a considerable echo." Some believed that on a still morning there was a noise of discharged musketry ; that bul- lets flew past them; that a noise of drums was heard; and that there was a sound as of the galloping of horses.
Thus the condition of the country and the state of soci-
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ety were such that the community and individuals were kept constantly on the alert, and became suspicious of all inexplicable phenomena. To them there was a significance either natural or supernatural in every unusual sound or sight. The report of a gun fired far off in the forest, the bellowing of cattle in the pastures, flocks of birds flying affrighted from the shrubbery, a wounded deer, a missing shoat, the loud barking of a dog in a distant clearing, the mysterious imprint on the soft earth of strange footsteps, and fresh camp coals in the woods, either of these migh betoken the approach of Indians and send families to the friendly garrisons.
For the reasons now considered Philip's war has been asso- ciated with exceptional hardships, and its annals, long after its occurrence were related to curious and half reluctant listen- ers about the home hearthside, the rude campfire, and wher- ever companies were gathered together under circumstances that tended to recall them. The farm boy became fami- liar with its leading actors and event sthrough frequent rehear- sals; and the few objects that came down through the years as grim reminders of the dismal experiences were looked upon by him as something which, if it could speak might utter strange things. Around the rusty firearms that stood in the old shed corner were gathered memories which were fraught with thrilling adventure. The snow-shoes stowed in the cold garret, the bullet moulds in the little closet over the wood box, the cocked hat and faded waist- coat which clothed the dummy that relieved the weary night watch, were each suggestive in their turn. The grim walls of the old garrison, worn and weather-stained by time and storm were long associated with things that had been said of them ; whether of the midnight assault and repulse, or of the timely rescue of beleaguered inmates, or of the ruse of the savage who sought to approach it behind the slow moving bush. The stone hatchet that was unearthed in the plow land, though silent and unshapely, was eloquent never- theless by its suggestiveness. The low grave by the
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meadow side, the stone heap under the trees, the faint out- line of a cellar hole about which were coals yet uncrum- bled,- all of these were pointed out to succeeding gen- erations as memorials of King Philip's war.
The military history of Concord in this war comprises a description of the means employed for its own defense, the measures for a maintenance of such soldiers as the Col- onial authorities might send into the town as a convenient place from which to operate by marchings and scout- ings, the payment of its share of such extra taxation as was superinduced by the war, and the special service that the town by its own soldiers rendered to other places.
We will now consider each of these in the order here given.
First its means of defense. - This consisted in the town militia and garrison houses. At the outbreak of the war the organized militia of Concord consisted of one foot company and a troop of horse.
The foot company was organized in 1636, with Simon Willard, then a sergeant, as acting Captain or drill master. About a quarter of a century later the appointment by the Court was as follows :
Timothy Wheeler, Captain; Jos. Wheeler, Lieut .; Wil- liam Buss, Ensign; Richard Rice, Thomas Bateman and Thomas Wheeler, Sen. Sergeants ; William Buttrick, Sam- uel Stratten and John Scotchford, Corporals.
The horse company had its organization Oct. 13, 1669 and included beside members belonging to the town also some from places adjacent. It first captain was Thomas Wheeler; its first Lieutenant Thomas Henchman; and its Quartermaster was Henry Woodhouse (or Woodis.)
Shattuck says that the Horse Company was "the second and western horse company in the county and from it the present Concord Light Infantry descended."
It is probable that a portion of the members of the afore- said companies saw service in the Old Narraganset War in 1654, as its former captain, Simon Willard was at that time
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the commander of an expedition which set forth by order of the United Colonies against Chief Ninigret. In this expedition which was composed of 250 infantry men and 40 cavalrymen there were several soldiers from Concord.
Concerning the garrison houses of Concrod Shattuck states as follows:
"We have no other means than tradition to ascertain the number or situation of the garrison-houses in Concord. The house now occupied by Dr. Hurd was originally one ; another stood near John Flint's ; another near Meriam's corner ; two others within the present limits of Bedford ; another near John Hosmer's; and another near Silas Holden's. An Indian fort was built near Nashobah Hill in Littleton, then in Concord. These were not all. The num- ber and situation varied, at different times, for the subse- quent twenty years."
That these were all the defensed places of the town we are not to infer, since ordinary farm houses were sometimes fortified and used as places of rendezvous.
In relation to the militia and other means of aggressive warfare Shattuck says,
"In October, 1675, the government ordered that the mil- itia 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.' 'Committes 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.'
The work of the militia and garrison houses of Concord we conclude proved a benefit to the people outside the
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town as well as to those living within it. They served as a protection for the people living on the Blood farms on the North, and after the burning and sacking of Lancaster and Groton the inhabitants of those places found these garrison houses a safe shelter. Shattuck says,
"March 14th the Council ordered 'that the companies of militia of Concord and Sudbury, doe forthwith impress so many carts as may bee sufficient to bring off the goods and provisions belonging 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 the 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."
As the war progressed and the destruction of town after town threatened a common calamity, Concord became a gen- eral rendezvous for colonial soldiers that from time to time were sent out to meet sudden emergencies. Of these sol- diers Shattuck states,
"The detachments of soldiers for the relief of the frontier towns were frequent and heavy in May. Early in that month 80 from the troops of Essex, Suffolk, and Middle- sex, were ordered to repair to Concord for the country ser- vice. On the 20th, 270 garrison soldiers from the same counties, were ordered to be stationed at the following 'frontier towns for the better security of them from the incur-
sions of the enemy.' Concord 20, Sudbury 30, Chelms- ford 20, Billerica 20, Andover 20, Haverhill 20, Bradford 10, Exeter 20, Medfield 30, Dedham 20, Milton 10, Brain- tree 15, Weymouth 15, Hingham 20. These soldiers were to be maintained at the cost of the several towns, and to be under the direction of the commitees of militia.
"Major Daniel Gookin succeeded Major Willard after his death in April, in command of the military forces in Mid- dlesex ; Thomas Clark was commander in Suffolk, and
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Daniel Dennison in Essex ; all of whom were in Concord, May 30th."
"Capt. Joseph Sill commanded one of the companies which were at Concord several months, and was frequently sent out on scouts."
An early and important military service during King Philip's war in which Concord was represented is the famous Hutchinson Expedition to Brookfield, Massachusetts.
The object of this Expedition was to pacify the Nipnet Indians living in the vicinity of the Connecticut river, and to gain their favor, and perhaps to secure their sympathy in behalf of the colony.
The person selected by the Council at Boston for this important mission was Captain Edward Hutchinson, who was to take with him Capt. Thomas Wheeler of Con- cord and a part of his troop of horse, together with Eph- raim Curtis, a noted scout of Sudbury, well skilled in Indian diplomacy, to repair at once to the rendez- vous of these Indians and assure them of the kind intentions of the Colonial authorities toward them and that no harm would come to them if they would submit to the government.
On July 28, Capts. Hutchinson and Wheeler with about twenty or twenty-five of the latter's troop of horse marched from Cambridge to Sudbury and by August I found them- selves at Brookfield or Quaboag as the Indians called it. Upon their arrival they were informed that the Indians were at a place about ten miles to the westward. Whereupon Capt. Hutchinson despatched Capt. Wheeler and Ephraim Curtis to inform them of their coming and the nature of their errand. The messengers found a body of about one hundred and fifty Indians to whom they delivered their message and after some perilous parleying and surly treat- ment by the savages, an agreement was reached by which Capt. Hutchinson and his company were to meet the sachems the next day on a plain about three miles from Brookfield. They went according to agreement, but
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