USA > Maine > A brief history of Maine > Part 6
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4. A few families of those who had been driven from Casco Neck had gathered on Jewel's Island, un- willing to go far from the pleasant places they had chosen for their homes; but here, too, the savages found them. One day as the women were washing their scanty clothing along the gravelly marge of the sea, and the children playing happily about, the re- port of a gun suddenly signalled the presence of dan- ger. The men were out in their boats catching fish, as usual; and it was a lad at the house who had fired the gun. The brave little fellow had actually killed two Indians with the shots that gave the alarm. Some of the men now came rapidly to shore, and, making a sudden charge, drove the savages to their boats. In this affray the English lost two killed, and five made prisoners.
5. The General Court now found that something
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must be done, or the Indians would soon carry the war into Massachusetts; so one hundred and thirty English and forty Natick Indians were enlisted, and put under the command of Captain William Haw- thorn. These arrived at Dover, New Hampshire, on September 6th, where they met the soldiers under Majors Waldron and Frost. Four hundred other In- dians had also gathered there. Most of them were of the neutral Pennacooks; but others belonged to King Philip's defeated forces; while some were known to have been concerned in recent depredations in Maine,-and were the very savages whom these troops expected to fight; and it was difficult to prevent the soldiers from falling upon them at once. Probably they had come there at Major Waldron's invitation for the purpose of making a treaty; for he protested to the troops that they were relying upon his honor and fidelity.
6. Finally he proposed an expedient which, he thought, might preserve his honor with the Indians and still satisfy the soldiery. So the next day the In- dians were invited to join with the English in a sham fight. After they had gone through several military manœuvres Major Waldron ordered a grand round of musketry. The Indians promptly discharged their guns, while the English, who were in the secret, did not empty a musket. They immediately surrounded the astonished savages, and made prisoners of them all without the loss of a life. The Pennacooks and other friendly Indians were set at liberty; but the others-about two hundred-were marched to Boston. Here several were proved to have taken the lives of the English since the treaty, and were therefore put to death; while the others were carried to foreign countries and sold as slaves. This affair was long known as "Waldron's Ruse." It was a trick that the Indians never forgot nor forgave; and they wreaked on him a terrible vengeance.
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7. Captain Hawthorn the next day set out with a small company for Casco Neck, to rebuild the fort. One day seven of the inhabitants, who had now re- turned, went to Peaks' Island to kill some sheep. While thus employed they were attacked by savages, and took refuge in an old stone house. They de- fended themselves bravely; but by the guns of the savages and the stones thrown down upon them from the walls, all were killed except one, who soon after- ward died of his wounds.
The next day, in Wells, James Gooch was shot from his horse by the Indians, as he returned from divine service; and his wife, who rode on the same horse, was cut in pieces with their hatchets. On the follow- ing day they burned the settlement at Cape Neddock, in York, killing and carrying away captive forty per- sons. The Indians came and went with such rapidity and secrecy that Captain Hawthorn's troops were una- ble to meet them; so on the twelfth of October they returned to Berwick. Two days after their departure one hundred and twenty Indians attacked the fort at Black Point in Scarborough, where the inhabitants who remained had taken refuge, which was immedi- ately abandoned.
The leader of the savages was a shrewd Tarratine sagamore named Mugg. IIe knew the garrison was strong, and induced the commander, Henry Jocelyn, to come out and hold a parley with him. Mugg pro- posed easy terms of surrender; and while they were talking the subject over, managed to draw Jocelyn to a distance from the garrison. On returning to the fort he was astounded to find that all the occupants except his own servants had fled to the boats. Mugg therefore secured the fort unharmed, much to his gratification; for the Indians desired the place for an encampment.
8. About this time Captain Fryer was sent to Richmond's Island to bring away goods; but the sav-
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ages set upon his men as they were carrying the goods to the vessel, and all were killed or made prisoners. They were offered release for a certain additional quantity of goods; and two of the English were sent for the articles. They returned within the time nam- ed, but the Indians who had been left to guard the prisoners, took the goods and kept the men.
Mugg next led his band against the garrison at Wells, and sent a prisoner to demand a surrender.
"Never," replied the commander, "never shall the gates be opened until every one within is dead."
This determined reply showed Mugg that he could not hope to get possession of the fort except by severe fighting, and he made no attack; but his Indians killed two or three men whom they found outside. They then cut the throats of thirteen cattle; and taking out their tongues, retired to the woods to make a dainty meal.
9. The cold weather was now coming on, and it was supposed that the Sokokis would soon be gathered in their winter quarters at the great fort on the Ossi- pee River; and on the first of November Captains Hawthorn and Sill set out with their companies to attack them. After two months of severe toil and hardship, they returned without having seen a single Indian.
Before the troops had been gone a week, Mugg himself came into Piscataqua bringing Captain Fryer, who was dying from his wounds. He told the au- thorities that the prisoners taken at Richmond's Isl- and should be restored without ransom; and offered to negotiate a treaty. He was taken to Boston, where, on November 6th, he signed a treaty in behalf of his master, Madockawando, sachem of the Tarra- tines. The terms of this treaty were that all acts of hostility should cease, all English captives, vessels and goods be restored, full satisfaction rendered for dam- ages, that his tribe should buy ammunition of those
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only whom the governor should appoint, and that the Indians of Penobscot should take up arms against the Androscoggins and other eastern natives, if they per- sisted in the war.
"In proof of my sincerity and honor," said Mugg, "I pledge myself an hostage in your hands till the cap- tives, vessels and goods are restored; and I lift my hand to Heaven in witness of my honest heart in this treaty."
10. It was certainly a strange treaty for a victori- ous leader to make, as all its stipulations were in favor of the English. A vessel was sent to Penobscot with him to have the treaty ratified by the sagamores, and to bring home the captives. The treaty was agreed to, but only some eighteen or twenty prisoners were restored, though there must have been more than fifty at this time among the Indians. Mugg now set out for the Kennebec for the purpose of inducing the Canibas tribe to join in the peace. He pretended to be in much fear of harm for having made so easy a peace; saying to the captain of the vessel, "If I do not return in four days you may conclude I am cer- tainly bereft of life or liberty." A week passed, vet nothing was heard from Mugg; and the vessel went back to Boston with the treaty and the captives.
11. There was still a fear among the settlements that peace and safety were not secured. Few of the prisoners were restored, and Mugg's conduct was sus- picions; besides, it was believed that Indians from Narragansett were in Maine inciting the natives to resume the war. At length it began to be quite cer- tain that hostilities would be resumed in the spring unless some decisive steps were taken; therefore in February of 1677, Majors Waldron and Frost were sent eastward with an hundred and fifty men to see what the savages were about, and to obtain further pledges of peace.
The troops landed at Mare Point in Brunswick;
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meeting there a party of Indians led by Squando, the Sokokis sachem, and Simon, the Yankee-killer,-with whom they had a skirmish. Unable to obtain any captives here, the troops re-embarked and went to the Kennebec. Here a party was sent to Merrymeeting Bay in search of the Canibas Indians, while Waldron kept on to Penobscot with the remainder.
12. About the last of the month he met a com- pany of Tarratines at Pemaquid. At the first inter- view they agreed to deliver up some prisoners whom they had received from the Canibas, for twelve beaver skins each and some good liquor. Major Waldron and five men were to bring the articles in the after- noon; and both they and the Indians who met them were to be unarmed. Only three captives were brought. Waldron suspected treachery, and looking about he espied the point of a lance under a board. This led to the discovery of other weapons. Seizing one, he brandished it in their faces, exclaiming, "Per- fidious wretches ! you intended to get our goods and then kill us, did you ?" For a moment the savages were confounded; then they rushed upon him and tried to wrest the weapon from his hands. He waved his cap to the ship, and bravely continued the strug- gle. His companions armed themselves from a pile of guns which they had uncovered, while other In- dians came to join in the affray. A re-enforcement which had started from the vessels at the waving of the cap, now reached the shore,-and just then a stout squaw seized her arms full of the hidden guns, and ran away with them into the woods. Finding themselves overpowered, the natives fled, some into their canoes and others into the woods. The boats attacked the canocs, sinking one and disabling others, and killing several of the Indians. A pow-wow and two saga- mores-Mattahando and the bloody Megunnaway- were killed, and a sister of the sachem Madocka- wando was taken prisoner. The whole force now re-
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turned to Boston, with the exception of forty men under Captain Davis, who remained as a garrison at the mouth of the Kennebec. This expedition did more harm than good; for the natives were not paci- fied, but rendered more revengeful.
13. In the spring the General Court decided to employ the Mohawks in the war ; though many good people thought it wrong to seek the aid of the heath- en. The Mohawks were the hereditary enemies of the eastern Indians; and the first thing they did was to kill some of a friendly tribe, not knowing the differ- ence between friends and foes. Among others who fell by their hands was a sagamore called Blind Will; but the English did not feel very sorry for his death, because of his duplicity. Finally these heathen allies were dismissed; but the news that the English were bringing the Mohawks to fight then went like the wind through the tribes from Piscataqua to Cape Sable, exciting them to the highest pitch of activity.
14. The garrison at Kennebec, sometime in March, attempted to bury the bodies of those slain on Arrowsic Island seven months before; but the In- dians were watching them, and nine were killed before they could escape in their boats. This point was soon after abandoned; and now there remained in Maine only the settlements of York, Wells, Kittery, Newich- awannock and Winter Harbor. On the seventhi of April the savages killed eight men while at work in their fields in York; and the next day they were heard from in Wells, where they prowled about in large and small parties, killing and burning, all through the month.
15. Black Point had now been garrisoned anew; and on May 16th it was again attacked. After three days a sharp shooter in the fort brought down the In- dian leader, and the siege was soon after abandoned; but the English had lost four men, one of whom was tortured to death. On the twenty-eighth of June
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Captain Benjamin Swett and Lieutenant Richardson with a force of English and friendly Indians arrived to aid in the defense of this place and Winter Harbor. The next day they marched out in search of the ene- my. They soon came upon a party, which immedi- ately retreated, leading the whole pursuing force between a swamp and a dense thicket about two miles
from the fort. The party was only a decoy. The moment the English reached the most exposed point they heard the terrible war whoop, and a volley from a host of ambushed savages laid many a brave man low. Soon Lieutenant Richardson fell; and the fight became hand to hand.
16. It was now plain that the English were greatly outnumbered; yet Captain Swett, with great bravery and coolness, repeatedly rallied his old fighters to cover the retreat of the new recruits, and to bring off the wounded. He had received many wounds, and was becoming weak. The savages, seeing his condi- tion, grappled him, and, throwing him to the ground, cut him in pieces before the eyes of the garrison. With him fell forty English, and twenty friendly In- dians, -- just two thirds of the number he led into action.
The chief who had been shot from this. garrison in May, which had caused the Indians to withdraw, proved to be Mugg, the Tarratine. He was a savage more than usually brave and cunning. You will re- member that he made a treaty for his tribe the year before, and was sent to persuade the Canibas to join in the peace. He pretended to be very much afraid that they would kill him for his services to the Eng- lish; but I suspect that he was as much opposed to a permanent peace as they were, for he even made sug- gestions to them for the next season's campaign. know how we can even burn Boston and drive all the country before us," said he. " We must go to the fishing islands and take all the white man's vessels."
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17. Accordingly, when the time of year came for Bay fishing, the savages proceeded to execute this plan. In the daytime they prowled along the shores, spying out their prey; and in the darkness of night they slid out noiselessly in their light canoes, boarding the motionless vessels, and killing or capturing their sleeping crews. In the month of July they secured about twenty vessels, each of them having a crew of from three to six men. When these captures became known, a large ship was sent out after them. She was supplied with plenty of cannon and small arms, and manned by forty seamen and soldiers. It was expected that this vessel would somewhere encounter the Indian fleet, which she would capture or sink, and at the same time destroy a multitude of savages. She came upon the vessels,-one here, another there,-some aground, and others beating against the rocks,-but not an Indian in any of them. The vessels were so large they could not be navigated by paddles; and the sails flew and flapped about, while the vessels went in any direction but that which their dusky sailors de- sired; consequently they soon abandoned the prizes in fright and disgust.
18. Manhattan had now been regained by the English, and again become "New York"; and Sir Ed- mund Andros was sent over as governor. He saw how the eastern settlements were overrun by the sav- ages; and, fearing that the French might take posses- sion of the Duke of York's province, he sent a strong military force to Pemaquid. The Indians were much discouraged by the failure of their naval project, and the sight of so large a force broke their courage down entirely; and the Tarratines very soon made a treaty with the commander, and gave up their captives and some booty.
The next spring the commissioners of Massachu- setts and the sagamores of the Sokokis, Androseog- gins and Canibas met at Casco (Falmouth) and made
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a treaty. The agreement was that all captives should be restored without ransom, and that the inhabitants should possess their lands on condition of paying to the natives a peek of corn annually for each family. This closed the first Indian war, which had raged three years. In this war two hundred and sixty inhabitants of Maine were known to have been killed or carried into captivity from which they never re- turned; while more than half the settlements were laid waste.
What excellent magistrate lived at Pemaquid? When did King Philip's war close ? What fugitive from Philip's forces led the attack on Falmouth ? What places at Sagadahoc were captured by the Indians soon after ? What took place at Dover soon after these events ? What happened at Peak's Island while Capt. Haw- thorn was rebuilding the fort at Casco Neck? What chieftain led the attack on Black Point and Wells ? For what point did a large force set out to meet the Indians ? Who came into Piscata- qua to make peace a few days after? Where did Major Waldron go in February to meet the Indians? What happened this spring at Arrowsic Island ? What two brave English leaders fell at Black Point this season ? What noted sagamore was killed by a shot from the fort in May? What was Mugg's plan for attacking tho settlements? What events put an end to the war? How many settlements had been destroyed ?
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CHAPTER XI.
1. Several years before the first Indian war a French- man called Baron Castine had come to Biguyduce, on the eastern side of Penobscot Bay, and opened a trade with the natives. He had originally come to Canada in command of a regiment; and when that was dis- banded, feeling himself aggrieved, he plunged into the wilderness far away from all his kindred and na- tion. Here he soon married a daughter of Madocka- wando, sachem of the Penobscot Indians, and himself became a sagamore of that tribe. Twice during the war the Dutch drove him away from his settlement; and in 1676 the English drove the Dutch away. Then, as the Dutch liked the region so well, and there were too many at New York, Governor Andros settled several families of them about Pemaquid.
2. In 1687 Andros was appointed governor of New England; and, taking a tour castward in the spring of the next year, he, also, made a descent upon Castine's settlement. He found there a fort, dwelling house, trading house, and chapel; but Castine himself with all his people had cautiously retired to the woods. Like Castine, Andros was a Papist; so he touched nothing in the chapel, which was very richly decor- ated, but carried away all else that was movable,- furniture, firearms and goods. On his return he met some of the Tarratines at Pemaquid, and told them not to fear or follow the French, offering them his protection. "Tell your friend Castine," said Andros, "if he will render loval obedience to the King of Eng- Jand, every article taken from him shall be restored." In order to make sure of the good will of the Indians, he made them presents of clothing, and treated them with ardent spirits.
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The colonists did not have much confidence in the peace-making of Governor Andros, and wanted to prepare for war; but he would not allow them. A little more than two months later the war broke out.
3. It was about the middle of August, 1688, that the Indians waylayed two men in North Yarmouth as they were out looking for their oxen. Other savages then approached a party who were at work on the garrison house, and soon commenced a fight with them. The English retired to the river, where they were partially protected by the high, steep bank, and made a brave defense until their ammunition was gone. The people living on the other side of the river had become aware of the fight. One of these, Captain Walter Gendell, perceiving that his country- men had ceased firing, seized a bag of ammunition and hastened in his boat to their relief; but as he reached the shore he was shot fatally by the savages upon the bank. HIe had just strength enough to throw the ammunition to his friends, and say, "I have lost my life in your service,"-then breathed his last. With this fresh supply the English beat off their foes.
4. At midnight the Indians repaired to Lane's Isl- and, a short distance out in the bay; where they held their horrid carousal, butchering the two men whom they captured before the fight. The settlers consid- cred it imprudent to remain any longer at North Yar- mouth, and soon removed to the islands; being fiercely attacked here also, they finally fled to Boston.
Early in August a band of near a hundred Indians, unknown to the inhabitants, hung about the village of Jamestown at Pemaquid, and at length captured a man passing from there toward the Kennebec. Learning from their prisoner the condition of the set- tlement, they proceeded to make an attack. One party followed Judge Gyles, who, with fourteen men, had gone to work on the farms at the falls three miles 5
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above; while the others entered the village, and suc ceeded in getting possession of several dwellings, and from this shelter made their assault on the fort.
5. At night the garrison were summoned to sur- render : the cool reply was, "We are weary and want sleep." They expected, doubtless, that the party from the farms would return as soon as the darkness was sufficient to cover them. The night passed, but there were no tidings of the absent men. Two days more the garrison held out, and all hopes from Gyles and his men were given up. Weems, the commander of the fort, had fallen, and his little company found themselves obliged to yield. They were allowed, ac- cording to the stipulations, to retain their arms, and depart in a sloop which lay in the harbor. The In- dians then destroyed the fort and houses, and departed with their spoil and prisoners.
6. It was soon after noon of the first day of the siege when about forty warriors led by a chief named Moxus came upon Gyles' party. The savages at once gave them a volley; then with demoniac yells rushed upon them. A few only escaped, the larger number be- ing either killed or captured. Judge Gyles was mor- tally wounded, and his sons James and John taken pris- oners. In answer to a taunt of Moxus, the old man made reply: "I am a dying man, and ask no favors but to pray with my sons." This having been grant- ed, the poor old gentleman was led aside and dis- patched with a hatchet. Soon after this the boys met with their mother and two little sisters, also captives; but these were redeemed within a few months. John remained in captivity nine years, enduring many hard- ships and abuses. At last he was purchased by a French trader, and restored to his surviving relatives. Afterward he served the government as interpreter and as a soldier for many years. His brother fared worse. After three years of captivity he attempted to escape, but was retaken, and put to torture on the heights of Castine.
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7. In consequence of the fall of Jamestown at Pemaquid, the coast east of the Kennebec was now deserted; and it remained without inhabitants for nearly thirty years. Governor Andros still pursued his peace policy, setting the Indian captives at liberty, and attempting to treat with the tribes at several times and places. Not meeting with the least success, the governor took a violent turn the other way; and, raising eight hundred men, he sent them eastward to wreak terrific vengeance on the refractory savages. By setting out late in November, they suffered greatly during the whole campaign from cold and exposure; and failed to kill or capture a single savage, or even to see one of them.
In the spring the Massachusetts people revolted against Governor Andros, and sent him a prisoner to England; for King James II., who appointed him to office, had abdicated the throne, and William and Mary were king and queen of England. The government chosen by the people of New England was again re- vived; Deputy Governor Danforth of Massachusetts being governor of the province of Maine.
8. The new government sent peaceful messages to Baron Castine and to the Tarratines, hoping that these and the well-manned garrisons might prevent the renewal of hostilities. The hope was vain. My readers will remember the affair at Dover in the first war, called "Waldron's Ruse." That evil seed now bore its dreadful fruit. On the evening of the seventh of June, 1689, two squaws came to the garrison at this place, and begged for lodgings. Their request was granted. At the most silent hour of night, when all others in the garrison were sunk in repose, the treacherous squaws opened the gates; and two hun- dred savages who had been crouching outside, rushed in at the moment. The commander of the garrison was the same Major Waldron who, twelve years be- fore, had broken his faith with the Indians, and made
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