USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > The history of Concord, Massachusetts > Part 31
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At the breaking out of Philip's war, several families of white people were living in that part of Littleton known as Nashoba but which was really in Concord Village. Prominent among these families was Walter Powers whose estate had been called the " Powers Farm " and " Nashoba Farm." Upon this farm there once stood a garrison house which was long called the " Reed House." The ruins of this building are now, or were recently, visible at the foot of Nashoba hill. There was also visible until within a few years vestiges of an ancient burying place which probably contain the dust of the Shepards, the Powers, and others of the earliest pioneers, who soon after the abandon- ment of the Nashoba plantation, and the fires of Philips
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war had fairly faded out found their way thitherward. The old graveyard was years ago ploughed over but some of the grave stones which found their way into a wall give unmistakable evidence that thereabouts they were once used as grave markers. It may be proper to observe be- fore leaving this subject that as a portion of Littleton, which was not of the Indian plantation, may have been associated and known by the name of Nashoba, care may be necessary in making a distinction between the two tracts of territory. That which has been designated as Nashoba but which was not within the Indian plantation, is a part of what has been called Concord Village, and has been known as " Power's Farm " and " Nashoba Farm."
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THE WRIGHT TAVERN.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
The Narragansett Campaign - Its Object and Nature- Names of Concord Soldiers - Company in which they Served - The Officers - Return of Order of Concord Committee of Militia - Object of the Expedition - The Swamp Fort - The Wintry March from Dedham Plain - The Fight - Description by Rev. G. M. Bodge-Casualities to the Concord Soldiers - Burial of the Dead - The Return March- Comments on Criticism of Conduct of the Campaign - Account of Petitions for Land Grants - Concord Names in List of Land Claim- ants-The "Long" or "Hungry" March - Authen- tic Account of the Swamp Fight by Capt. James Oliver
T HE next prominent movement in which Concord soldiers were engaged was the famous Narragan- sett Campaign.
In December 1675, after the retirement of King Philip and his followers from the Nipmuck country and his defeat about Springfield, the United Colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth and Connecticut, perhaps for the double purpose of preventing the Narragansett Indians from rendering him aid and also to punish them for alleged acts of perfidy, fitted out an Expedition.
The project was hastily planned and placed under the command of General Josiah Winslow of Plymouth. The army consisted of one thousand men ; five hundred and twenty coming from Massachusetts. The Massachusetts men consisted of six companies of foot and one of horse under command of Samuel Appleton of Ipswich. The commanders of these companies were as follows : Ist
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Jeremiah Swain, Lieut .; 2nd Samuel Mosely, Capt. ; 3d James Hosmer Oliver, Capt. ; 4th Isaac Johnson, Capt. ; 5th Nathaniel Davenport, Capt. ; 6th Joseph Gardner, Capt. ; Cavalry Company., Thomas Prentice, Capt. The Concord men were in Capt. Davenport's company, and the following are from a list of men impressed for it from the several towns. Mass. Archives, Vol. 68, page 100 and pages 67-100. The date is from November 25 to December 3, 1675.
The list is made up of men from Cambridge, Woburn, Sudbury, Cambridge Village, Reading, Medford and Concord.
The names of Concord men are as follows : Joseph Busse, Abraham Temple, Samuel Howe, John Wood, Joseph Wheeler, Thomas Brown, John Wheeler, Timothy Rice, George Hayward, Steven Farre, John Taylor.
The line officers of Company 5 were Nathaniel Davenport, Capt. ; Edward Tyng, Lieut .; John Drury, Ensign.
Captain Davenport was born in Salem. He was a man of enterprise and ability and had gained some distinction by governmental appointment. His experience with men and his daring nature fitted him for a military leader. He was said to be popular with his men ; and that upon taking command he made a speech to them and also gave them liberty to choose their own sergeants " which pleased them very well." Lieut. Ting or Tyng, who commanded the company after Davenport fell, was son of Capt. Edward Tyng and was born March 25, 1649. He was subse- quently made Lieutenant Colonel by Gov. Andros, and after the reduction of Nova Scotia, Andros appointed him Governor of Annapolis, but on his way there, the vessel that conveyed him was captured by the French and he was taken to France where he died.
The following is the return of the order of the Concord Committee of Militia which directed them to impress men for the country's service, a part of which service was in the
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Narragansett campaign. State Archives, Vol. 68, page 65. "To the honora Court sitting in Boston 3ª IOth 75.
By virtue of a warrant from Majr. Simon Willard directed to the Comittee of the Militia in Concord requir- ing them to impresse eleven able souldiers well fitted &c: for the service of the Country in the present expedition : The said Comittee have impressed ( & accord : to order of honord Council doe returne the names of ) these persons ; viz : Joseph Brusse, Abraham Temple, Samuel How, John Wood, Joseph Wheeler, Thomas Browne, John Wheeler, Timothy Rice, George Hayward, Stephen Farre & John Taylour, who were at present ( most of them & the rest seasonably will bee ) fitted for arms: But several of them doe want & desire to be supplyed with some cloathing ( coates especially ) & where they may bee accom- modated with them they would understand. 3ª IOth 75. Yo' worships humble servant. TIM : WHEELER Capt. of Concord.
Postscript.
Wee having severall Troopers also impressed in this Towne, & there being a Company of Indians ordered amongst us, wch wee are to take care of: Tis humbly desired, that favor may bee shown us, in the release of some ( if it may bee ) of the persons above mentioned.
TIM : WHEELER."
The more immediate object of the expedition and that which has rendered it famous was the reduction of the Indian stronghold in what is now Kingston, R. I. This fort, for such it has been called, though of Indian construc- tion, was very strong, having been built, it is supposed, under the direction of an Englishman by the name of Teffe or Tift.
It was situated upon an upland or island in the midst of a large cedar swamp of five or six acres in area. About the place was a circle of palisades or timbers set upright,
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outside of which, Hubbard states, was a hedge of almost a rod in thickness. The " Old Indian Chronicle " asserts that it was in the middle was a clay wall and that felled trees were about it. At the corners and exposed portions were block houses or flankers for cross firing upon any who might seek entrance between them. Within the enclosure were several hundred wigwams, and there the Narragansetts had ensconced themselves and accumulated their winter stores. At one corner of the fort where the defenses were incomplete, there being neither hedge nor palisades, the entrance was guarded by a fallen tree about five feet from the ground.
It is probable the Indians relied very much upon the nature of the ground for defense; this being such that except when it was frozen an approach to the fort would be very difficult and dangerous, and perhaps this was one reason why the attack was made in the winter.
The Massachusetts forces mustered on Dedham plain Thursday, December 9, 1675. On the same day they marched twenty-seven miles to Woodcock's garrison in the present town of Attleboro. On December ro they arrived at Seekonk, and on the 12th crossed over Patuxet river, and going by way of Providence reached Smith's garrison at Wickford, R. I. at night. Several days were then spent in scouting and skirmishing and on December ·18, a march was made to Pettisqnamscott where the Connecticut force consisting of 320 men under the command of Major Treat joined them.
This army it is alleged was the finest that had ever been organized in America. The starting was a sad one. At Pettisqnamscott they found that Bull's garrison house which was a stone building and at the time con- sidered a very strong one had been destroyed by the Indians, and the entire expedition was compelled to bivouac in the open air with a driving snow storm raging about them.
When the morning broke it was still snowing; but
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chilled though the men were by the night's exposure they moved forward to the Indian Fort which was but a few miles ahead.
The Massachusetts men were in the advance; the Plymouth men next, and the Connecticut contingent at the rear.
The snow grew deeper as the march progressed and it was with difficulty that the men plodded forward with their heavy packs and military accouterments. By about noon the army had reached the border of the large swamp in which the stronghold was situated. As they came in sight of it a body of Indians were discerned which the companies of Capts. Davenport and Mosely, which were in the advance, pursued and fired upon.
The Indians after returning the fire fled into the swamp, the English following without waiting for orders or for the other companies to come up.
Upon arriving, however, near the only possible entrance to the Fort, which was by a long fallen tree " over a place of water " and across which the pursued Indians had just passed, Davenport and Morsely halted their companies, hesitating, doubtless to follow over a path so perilous and not knowing but that the Indians who had just passed over it had been sent to decoy them to a place deadly of entrance. But the halt was a short one; for they quickly discovered the incompleted portion before spoken of and the two compan- ies dashing forward, then and there was commenced that terrific conflict which for three hours was waged with a most appalling fierceness.
We quote the following description of the battle by Mr. Bodge.
"The companies of Capts. Davenport and Johnson came first to this place, and those officers at once charged through the gap and over the log at the head of their companies; but Johnson fell dead at the log, and Davenport a little within the fort; and their men were met with so fierce a fire that they were forced to retire again and fall upon their faces
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to avoid the fury of the musketry till it should somewhat abate. Mosely and Gardiner, pressing to their assistance, met a similar reception, losing heavily, till they too fell back with the others, until Major Appleton coming up with his own and Capt. Oliver's men, massed his entire force as a storming column, and it is said that the shout of the com- manders that the Indians were running, so inspired the sol- diers that they made an impetuous assault, carried the entrance amain, and beat the enemy from one of his flankers at the left, which afforded them a temporary shelter from the Indians still holding the blockhouse opposite the entrance. In the mean time, the General, holding the Plymouth forces in reserve, pushed forward the Connecticut troops, who not being aware of the extent of the danger from the block- house, suffered fearfully at the first entrance, but charged forward gallantly, though some of their brave officers and many of their comrades lay dead behind them, and unknown numbers and dangers before. The forces now joining, beat the enemy step by step, and with the fierce fighting, out of their block-houses and various fortifications. Many of the Indians, driven from their works, fled outside, some doubt- less to the wigwams inside, of which there were said to be upward of five hundred, many of them large and rendered bullet-proof by large quantities of grain in tubs and bags, placed along the sides. In these many of their old people and their women and children had gathered for safety, and behind and within these as defences the Indians still kept up a skulking fight, picking off our men. After three hours hard fighting, with many of the officers and men wounded and dead, a treacherous enemy of unknown numbers and resources lurking in the surrounding forests, and the night coming on, word comes to fire the wigwams, and the battle becomes a fearful holocaust, great numbers of those who had taken refuge therein being burned.
When now the fortress and all its contents were burning, and destruction assured, our soldiers hastily gathered their wounded and as many as possible of their dead, and formed
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their column for the long and weary march back to Wick- ford."
As the result of the battle about 80 were slain on the side of the English and 150 wounded. The Indians lost about 300 killed, although prisoners reported their dead to be as many as 700, and if their wounded were in the usual proportion to the number of the slain then the casualities of those dreadful hours might run into the thousands.
The casualties to the Concord men were: George Hay- ward killed, and Abraham Temple and Thomas Browne wounded.
That the position of the company in which the Concord soldiers served was one of extreme peril is indicated by the terrible manner in which Capt. Davenport, their com- mander was riddled by bullets, the circumstances of whose death is thus narrated in the "Old Indians Chronicle": "Before our men came up to take posession of the Fort the Indians had shot three bullets through Capt. Davenport whereupon he bled extremely, and immediately called for his Lieut. Mr. Edward Ting, and committed the charge of the Company to him, and desired him to take care of his Gun, and deliver it according to Order and immediately died in his place."
Ninigret, chief of the Niantick Indians informed Gen. Winslow that his men buried twenty four bodies of the English at the Fort and asked for a charge of powder for each.
Forty of the English soldiers were buried at Wickford, and the spot was long marked by a tree called the " Grave apple tree." But comparatively little is recorded of the march back to Wickford.
The night was bleak, the wild storni of snow which was raging at the start continued.
The dread of ambuscade, the scant knowledge of the country, by which some lost their way, not to meet the main body till the next morning, the sad loss of comrades who might have been townsmen or neighbors, all contributed
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to make the night dreary and the journey a terrible one.
It was, however, considered unwise to bivouac, so the column moved on bearing with them 210 of their wounded and dead, and this after marching from morning till mid- day and from that time engaging in fearful combat until the sun sank behind the dark storm cloud, leaving them to find their way in darkness over a strange country.
The fort of the Narragansetts was utterly destroyed. The wigwams being of frail inflammable material and fanned by the rough wind of that tempestuous December night, an resting upon no foundation but the bare earth, all vestige of this defenced city of the aborigines and even the identity of the spot might have been lost except for tradition and a few scattered relics ; but these have been faithful to their trust, and the spot where the Swamp Fight occurred is pointed out to a certainty. Many bullets have been found in the vicinity and charred corn and cooking utensils and arrow heads. As criticism of the English has sometimes occurred on the ground that the closing scene of an event already sufficiently calamitous was unnecessary we quote from the last mentioned author.
"I wish here to record my protest against the unjust, often weak, and always inconsiderate, criticism bestowed upon our leaders, in this campaign, and especially in this battle, for their lack of foresight in abandoning the shelter and provisions of the fort, their sacrifice of the lives of our wounded men through their removal and the dangers and fatigues of the long march, and their inhumanity in burning the helpless and innocent in their huts and wigwams.
It is well to remember at the start that many of the wisest, ablest and bravest men of the three colonies were the leaders in this affair. A noble commander, wise and brave : reverend ministers, by no means backward with their opinions ; the most prominent and skillful surgeons the country afforded ; veteran majors and captains of Massachusetts and Connecticut, with their veteran soldiers fresh from severe experiences in the western campaign,
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inured to danger and experienced in Indian wiles and deceits : against all these we have recorded only the remonstrance of Mr. Church, who up to that time, at least, had experience in Indian warfare only as a scout, and the only record we have of any protest by him was made many years after the affair. And again, from the standpoint of their conditions as nearly as we can now judge, it seems that their hasty retreat was wise. They were some sixteen miles from their base of supplies ( it is doubtful if they had noted the Indian supplies until the burning began). There was no way of reaching their provisions and ammunition at Wickford except by detaching a portion of their force now reduced greatly by death, wounds and exposure. The number of Indians who had escaped and were still in the woods close at hand were unknown, but supposed to be several thousand, with report of a thousand in reserve about a mile distant. These were row scattered and de- moralized, but in a few hours might rally and fall upon the fort, put our troops, in their weakened condition, upon the defensive, and make their retreat from the swamp extremely difficult if not utterly impossible, encumbered as they would be by the wounded, whose swollen and stiffened wounds in a few hours would render removal doubly pain- ful and dangerous. Added to this was the chance of an attack upon the garrison at Wickford, and the dread of a midnight ambuscade, which every hour's delay made more likely and would render more dangerous."
When the men of the Massachusetts force were ready to march for the reduction of the Narragansett Fort, a proclamation was made in the name of the Governor to the soldiers that, " If they played the man, took the Fort, and drove the enemy out of the Narragansett country, which is their great seat, they should have a gratuity of land besides their wages."
Years after, a petition was presented to the General Court by the people living in several towns of Essex
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County dated June 4, 1685, asking for a tract of land pursuant to the foregoing promise.
The Court responded to the petition favorably, and allowed the grant of a tract of land eight miles square in the Nipmuck country " provided it be laid out so as not to interfere with any former grants, and that an Orthodox minister on their settlement of thirty families be settled within four years next coming." Mass. Col. Records Vol. 5 page 487.
For forty years nothing more was done in the matter.
The place specified for the grant was remote, and the conditions imposed hard to be complied with.
In process of time, however, when the Massachusetts and Plymouth colonies had become one, and went by the name of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, a petition was again presented by Samuel Chandler and Jacob Wright of Concord in behalf of themselves and a number of other persons, recalling the act of the General Court in 1685, and asking that a grant of land might be made to the petitioners.
The result was that a committee was appointed consist- ing of Mr. Samuel Chandler of Concord and two others who were fully empowered to lay out an area of land eight miles square, in some unappropriated land of the Colony for the purpose set forth in the petition.
A list also was to be prepared by the committee, of those who by reason of service in the Narragansett war or their legal representatives were entitled to a share in the lands thus laid out.
As it turned out that the number of claimants as reported by the committee was so great that the land grant would be insufficient for them all, the committee was instructed to lay out " two tracts of land for Townships of the contents of six miles square," the same conditions being imposed as in the first order.
After some delay and some controversy as to the sufficiency of the lands granted there being disagreement
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between the Council and House of Representatives with regard to it, the latter body January 19, 1731, sent up to the Council a pleading message in advocacy of the claims of the Narragansett soldiers and their representatives. The following is a copy of a part of this paper :
"And one great Reason is that there was a Proclamation made to the Army in the name of the Government ( as living Evidences very fully testify ) when they were mustered on Dedham Plain where they began their March, that if they played the man, took the Fort & Drove the Enemy out of the Narraganset Country, which was their great Seat, that they should have a gratuity in Land besides their Wages ; and it is well known, & our Sitting to hear this petition is an Evidence that this was done ; and as the Conditions have been performed, certainly the promise in all Equity & Justice ought to be fulfilled ; and if we Con- sider the Difficulties these brave men went through in Storming the Fort in the Depth of Winter, & the pinching wants they afterwards underwent in pursuing the Indians that escaped through a hideous Wilderness famously known throughout New England to this day by the Name of the hungry March ; and if we further Consider that until this brave though small army thus played the Man, the whole Country was filled with Distress & fear & We trembled in this Capital Boston itself & that to the Goodness of God to this army We owe our Fathers & our own Safety & Estates, We cannot but think that those Instruments of Our Deliverance & Safety ought to be not only justly but also gratefully & generously rewarded & even with much more than they prayed for, If we measure what they receive from us, by what we enjoy and have received from them.
We need not mention to the Honorable Board the Wisdom Justice and Generosity of Our Mother Country & of the ancient Romans, on such Occasions, Triumph, Orations, Hereditary Honors & privileges all the Riches, Lands & Spoils of War and conquered Countrys have not
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been thought too great for those to whom they have not owed more if so much as We do those our Deliverers : & We ought further to observe what greatly adds to their merit that they were not Vagabonds & Beggars & Out- casts, of which Armies are sometimes considerably made up, who run the Hasards of War to Avoid the Danger of Starving : so far from this that these were some of the best of Our men, the Fathers & Sons of some of the greatest & best of Our families and could have no other View but to Serve the Country & whom God was pleased accordingly in every remarkable manner to Honour & Succeed."
A result of this message and a renewal of the soldiers' petition was the appointment of a committee for an adjust- ment of claims ; and pursuant to the work of the committee townships were confirmed, among which was Narragansett township No. 6, now Templeton, Mass.
This township was confirmed to one hundred and twenty claimants or their representatives then living in the towns of Concord, Groton, Marlborough, Chelmsford, Billerica, Lancaster, Lexington, Stow, Framingham, Littleton, Sherborn, Stoneham, Southborough and Woburn.
Samuel Chandler of Concord was one of the Committee to have the matter in charge.
The following are the familiar Concord names found in a list given in the old "Proprietors' Record" Book in Templeton, headed
"June 24, 1735. Those that drawed their lots in the Narragansett Township No. 6." No. of lot Claimant Grantees and references.
49 Samuel Chandler for
. Joseph Buss
52 Samuel Chandler for . . Assignee to John Taley
19 Benjamin Temple . in the right of his father Abraham 9 96 Simon Davis
39 Johnathan Buttrick . . for heirs of Samuel Buttrick
8 Ephraim Brown . . for his father Thomas Brown
14 Samuel Miles
26 John Wood
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80 Joseph Buckley . for his father Peter Buckley
18 George Farrar I . heir to Samuel How
I18 Daniel Adams . . for his father-in-law Daniel Dean
III Daniel Billings for his father . Nathaniel Billings
643 Joseph Wheat for Moses Wheat
117 Abraham Taylor
7
Samuel Hartwell for his father Samuel
120 David Wheeler . assignee to Samuel Greeland
79 Thomas Ball
69 Ebenezer Wheeler for his father John
23 Nathan Brooks for "Snow"
42 Eleazer Bateman
25 John Wheeler for his brother Joseph
32 Joseph Wood
43 John Adams
21 Ephraim Temple
IO2 John Barrett
The following is an additional list which purports to be the names of Concord Claimants.
Claimants Grantees
Samuel Chandler assignee to John Griggs
Samuel Chandler Jr assignee to John Kent
Jonathan Whiting alive
Jane Cane
for her father John Cane
William Clark
heir to John Taylor
James Russel for his father Benjamin
The Concord soldiers were probably absent from home about two months, during which time they were subjected to great hardship occasioned by long marches, hunger and cold.
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