USA > Maine > Oxford County > Bethel > History of Bethel : formerly Sudbury, Canada, Oxford County, Maine, 1768-1890, with a brief sketch of Hanover and family statistics > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62
They then passed on to Shelburn, New Hampshire, and at a brook they found several children at play who were much terrified at the sight of the Indians. There was a house near by, and one of the Indians asked the children how many men there were in that house, to which they answered that there were ten, and that they had guns. This was a random answer and far from the fact, but the Indians were so terrified that they lightened themselves of their packs and placed them upon their captives in addition to those they already had, and immediately crossed to the other side of the Androscoggin by fording it. They crossed with great difficulty, especially the
49
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
prisoners, heavily loaded as they were, but they reached the oppo- site side in safety. They then resumed their march and came to a small house occupied by Mr. Hope Austin. The family was at home but Austin fortunately was absent. The Indians plundered the house, taking a little money and some other light articles and passed on. They told Mrs. Austin to remain in the house and she would not be hurt. After marching a short distance, they halted in the woods and Tomhegan, taking his gun, went away by himself. Soon the report of a gun was heard and Tomhegan returned accom- panied by a negro named Plato. They learned from Plato that Tomhegan had shot and killed a man named Peter Poor, who was on his way to his work after his mid-day meal. Having an addition to their party, the Indians informed Segar and the Clarks that one of them might return to the settlement in Sudbury Canada. It was decided that Lieutenant Jonathan Clark, who had a family, might. return, but the Indians charged him to keep the road. Clark joy- fully turned back but did not obey the injunction to follow the road by which they had come, and had he done so he would doubtless have been shot, two of the Indians having tarried behind, doubtless for the very purpose. Clark crossed the river, then turned into the woods and in the course of two or three days, reached his home in safety.
They next came to a place where Captain Rindge had begun a clearing and was stopping with his family. On seeing the Indians approach in their war paint, the family was much alarmed, but Rindge tried to gain their favor by telling them he was on the side of the king. This did not prevent them from robbing his house, securing plunder of great value. The Indians went out and scalped Mr. Poor. Hope Austin was at the house, but seeing the Indians approach he fled to the woods and escaped injury. A boy by the name of Elijah Ingalls was stopping at the house of Mr. Rindge, and the Indians proposed to take him along, but being prevailed upon by Rindge, they allowed him to remain. The settlements had now been passed, and the Indians struck off for Canada direct. After traveling two days, they stripped a piece of birch bark and untying Segar's hands, directed him to write upon it that if the party should be pursued by Americans, they (the Indians) would certainly kill their prisoners. After pursuing their journey for two or three days, and no longer fearing pursuit, the Indians stopped to rest and celebrate their successful raid. They had three scalps for which
4
50
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
they were to receive eight dollars each, when they reached Canada. From this fact, it would seem that the attack on the settlements was authorized by English authorities in Canada, but I have vainly sought for any record of it among the Canadian archives. While stopping, the Indians took the scalps and holding them by the hair in their teeth, shook their heads, whooped, jumping and skipping from rock to rock, and conducting themselves in such an insane and awful manner as to frighten their captives almost out of their senses.
Finally, the fifth day after the capture, the party reached the shores of Umbagog Lake, where the savages had left their three canoes on their way down to the settlement. Embarking, they crossed the lake in safety, and now considering themselves abso- lutely safe from pursuit, they proceeded more leisurely. Here the Indians divided their plunder, and gave the prisoners a little flour and some scraps of moose meat dried with the hair on. This was the last food they had for several days, except a little maple sugar left from the plunder of the settlers. The prisoners were now unbound and remained so by day during the remainder of the jour- ney, but their legs and arms were pinioned with thongs by night. Passing up the Magalloway river, the Indians shot a moose on which they made a feast, but their prisoners could not partake of the half-cooked flesh without salt or bread. The Indians cut up a part of what was left and put it into the packs of the prisoners, and of the skins, they made themselves moccasins. They again set out, and as their way was through thick woods, over mountains and through dismal swamps, the journey became tedious and the prisoners footsore and weary. They also suffered much for lack of food. The new moccasins of the Indians being worn through on the bottoms, they took them off and threw them away, and the prisoners picked them up, roasted and devoured them.
After many days of suffering, the divide of the watershed was reached, and they came to the source of the river Saint Francois. At first it was only a tiny stream, but as they passed down, the volume of water increased, and arriving at the main branch, they found more canoes, and a little store of corn which they boiled and ate with great relish. Remaining here over night, in the morning they entered their canoes and commenced the descent of the rapid river. On the way, they speared fish and cooked them which, with boiled corn, made a very decent diet, compared with what they had been having. There were many rapids and consequent carrying
51
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
places, so that their progress was somewhat slow. They came to a little farm house on the bank, where cows were kept. They milked the cows and had a delicious meal of boiled corn and milk.
At length after fourteen days from the time of their capture, the party approached the Indian village, the home of the captors, and the prisoners began to fear and tremble, not knowing the things that might befall them there. It was dark as they approached, but whoop responded to whoop, and with their torches, the Indians made their village as light as day. The warriors at this point numbered seventy. There was great rejoicing over the prisoners, scalps and plunder. The prisoners were surrounded and pulled and hauled around, while a terrific howling was kept up sufficient to appall the stoutest heart. The Indians had a great frolic over Plato, the negro, throwing fire-brands at him and otherwise abusing him. But the prisoners were soon rescued by parties in authority, and conveyed to the guard house where they were safe. At the request of the Indians, on the following morning, Benjamin Clark was given up to them. They cut his hair, painted him and dressed him in Indian costume, and then requested him to become their chief. The captives remained here two days, and were then taken to Montreal and delivered to the English authorities. They were guarded on the passage up the Saint Lawrence by ten Indians who desired to retain Mr. Clark, but this they were not permitted to do. They remained prisoners at Montreal until the following year, when, after the surrender of Cornwallis, there was an exchange of prisoners. The prisoners were taken down to Quebec, and after long and vexatious delays, on the tenth of November, seventeen hundred and eighty-two, they embarked on board a ship, and after a pleasant passage, reached Boston. Segar and Clark immediately proceeded to their old home at Newton, where they were received by their relatives and friends almost as persons risen from the dead. Not one word had they heard from them since their capture, fifteen months before, and they had abandoned all hope of ever seeing them again. They remained at Newton, resting and recup- erating, for several months, and then returned to their adopted homes in Sudbury Canada.
٠
CHAPTER VII.
DEFENSIVE MEASURES.
HE Indian raid upon Sudbury Canada, in and of itself, and in its results, was not a very serious affair. Two men were carried captive to Canada, two were killed, one in Gilead and the other probably in Shelburne, and a small amount of plunder was obtained. Yet it is no wonder that after the marauders had left, there was great excitement and consterna- tion in the settlements. It had developed the fact that the border settlements were insecure, and it showed the possibilities of the savages should they be disposed to continue their depredations. The report quickly spread, and the few settlers in New Pennacook (Rumford) deserted their homes and went to New Gloucester, where they remained until the close of the war. Captain Eleazer Twitchell, after remaining in the woods all night, crept out and reconoitered early in the morning, not knowing what the condition of things might be. The Indians had given him to understand that the attacking party numbered hundreds, and he did not know but the entire settlement might be destroyed. Cautiously approaching his house he was espied by one of the family who had passed the night in the greatest anxiety. The true state of the case was soon under- stood, and a messenger, John Grover, was started on horseback for Fryeburg to ask for assistance. The response was everything desired. The messenger reached Fryeburg at not far from noon, and immediately two men were despatched along the Saco who summoned all the able-bodied men to repair, with their guns, to the house of Nathaniel Walker. When the call for volunteers was made, thirty brave men stepped out and volunteered to go to the assistance of their friends in Sudbury Canada. Only a few of them were in a condition to go, for some were bare-headed, others bare- footed, and some had on clothing barely sufficient to cover their nakedness. Before nightfall, however, a party was made up con-
54
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
sisting of thirty men, well armed and equipped, and under the leadership of Captain Stephen Farrington.
In Indian file, with Sabattis as guide, they followed the Indian trail through Lovell, Waterford and Albany, and as the sun arose on the following morning, they reached the house of, Captain Twitchell. Captain Farrington and Lieutenant Nathaniel Walker came on horseback. Sabattis soon discovered the Indian trail, and stopping but a few moments at Captain Twitchell's, they pushed forward with the utmost dispatch. The Indians had thirty-six hours the start. Following their guide, who kept the trail in sight, although the whites ;could see no signs, they at length came to a rocky hill where even old Sabattis was at fault. Passing around the hill, they met Jonathan Clark on his return, who briefly gave the pursuers what knowledge he had, and informed them of one of the conditions upon which he was allowed to return, namely, that he should try and stop any party of white men who should go in pursuit of the Indians. The men, however, would not be persuaded. Their blood was up, and Sabattis having again found the trail, they pushed on. They at length reached the point where the Indians had posted the piece of birch bark written upon by Segar The
men now thought that further pursuit was worse than useless, as it might jeopardize the lives of the captives, and while Captain Farrington wished to push on, he yielded to the majority, and having interred the remains of Pettengill, they returned to Sudbury Canada, where spending the night, on the following day they returned to their homes in Fryeburg.
In the absence of plantation records, it is somewhat difficult to determine just what defensive measures were taken by the people of Sudbury Canada, to guard against any future attack. Docu- mentary history found in the Massachusetts archives shows that they built two garrison houses, and applied for soldiers to garrison them. One of these garrisons was at the end of Captain Eleazer Twitchell's house and was constructed of logs with cabins for the men. The other was built on the farm of Colonel John York, in the lower settlement. The Massachusetts government sent Lieutenant Stephen Farrington with twenty-seven men, to garrison the two defences, and they remained for the space of two months and at an expense to the Commonwealth of two hundred and five pounds, twelve shillings and eleven pence. The following documentary history, properly comes in here :
55
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court Assembled, June 7th, 1784.
The petition of Joseph Twitchell, in behalf and by order of the Proprie- tors of a New Township of Land, late granted by the General Court to Josiah Richardson and others, laid out on Androscoggin River and known by the way of Sudbury Canada, Humbly Showeth, That said Proprietor at great expense (by reason that said Township being near 30 miles from any Settlement) cleared Roads, built mills and settled a number of Inhab- itants, before the War broke out. But several of them that had begun there, went into the public service and "dyed," but still some of the Inhabitants continued there and the beginning of August, 1781, the Indians came from Canada to that place and took four of the Inhabitants prisoners and plundered several of the Inhabitants of their most valuable effects and alarmed the Inhabitants of that and several other places, and it was thought Advisable by the Authority to place Garrisons in that place, as it was situated so as to cover a number of other Settlements that would be much exposed. If the Inhabitants should be removed and before they could have orders from Government the Inhabitants were obliged for the defence of the settlement to go to work and begin to build forts, to garrison the place, and charged the proprietors with the cost, which was allowed by said Proprietors and paid them by their Treasurer, amounting to forty pounds, five shillings, which will appear by the acompt. And whereas by the Eighth Article of the Confederation all charges of war and all other expenses that should be Incurred for the common Defence of general welfare, &c., shall be defrayed out of a common Treasury, which shall be "suplied" by the several States. Therefore your Petitioners Humbly pray your Honors would Take their cause under their Wise consideration and grant to the said Proprietors the said sum of 401b., 5s., which they have Incurred for the common defence and general welfare, and your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
(Signed) JOS. TWITCHELL, Proprietors' Treasurer.
Paid to Benj. Russell for time spent going to Boston, &c., to
get orders for soldiers to Garrison the place, and to Jona. £ SP
Bartlett for ditto
11 0 0
To John Grover for his time at the alarm going to Fryeburg. 1 10 0
" Jonathan Clark for ditto ..
1 10 0
" Jesse Dusten 9 1-2 days on ye forts at 6s 2 17 0
" Joseph Bean for 14
4 6s 4 0
" Jona. Bean for 9 66 6s
2 14 0
" Daniel Bean for 10 66 6s
3 0 0
" Sam'l Ingals for 5 66
6s 1 10
0
" Isaac York for 5 1-2
66 6s 1 13 0
" Elea'r Twitchell for 14 days scouting and on ye Fort 1 4 0
" James Swan for 4 days on ye Fort. 1 4 0
56
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
To John York for 1500 of boards for fort .. 1 16 0
" Elea'r Twitchell for 1000 boards and carting 1 13 0
" Ben Russell for 2 days on ye Fort. 0 12 0
" Jesse Dusten, Joseph Bean and Isaac York, 1 day each at 6s 0 18 0
40 5 0
Taken from the Proprietors' Records
per JOS. TWITCHELL, Proprietors' Treasurer for Sudbury Canada, so-called.
The foregoing account does not appear to have been allowed, and another petition an'd account was forwarded three years later, of which the following is a copy :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, Feb. 12th, 1787.
The Petition of Joseph Twitchell in behalf and by order of the Proprie- tors of a New Township of Land late granted by the Grand Court to Josiah Richardson and others, Laid out on Androscoggin River known by the name of Sudbury Canada, Humbly Sheweth, that said Proprietors had a great expense (by reason of said township being about 30 miles distant from any Settled Town) building Mills, clearing roads, &c Settled a few inhabitants before the war. But Several of them that had begun there went into the Servis & Dyed. But still some of the Inhabitants continued there & in July or August 1781 the Indians came to that place and took four of the Inhabitants Prisoners & plundered Several of the Inhabi- tants of all their valuable effects, allearmed the Inhabitants of that & several other Places & it was thought Advisable that place should be garrisoned, as it was situated so as to cover a Number of other Towns that would be very much exposed if the Inhabitants of that Township should be removed, & they went to work to Build Forts to Garrison the Place & charged the Proprietors with the Cost which was allowed by said Proprie- tors & paid them by their Treasurer amounting to Forty five Pounds, Seventeen Shillings 45£-17s-Od which will appear by the account & Receipt. And whereas by the Eighth Article of the Confederation all charges of war & all other expenses that shall be Incurred for the Common defence or general welfare &c should be defrayed out of a Common Treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states : Therefore your Petitioner Humbly Prays your Honors would take their case into their Consideration, & grant to the said Proprietors the said sum of 45£-17s- Od & to Benj'n Barker 1£-19s-Od which they have Incurred for the common defence and your Petitioner as in duty bound shall ever Pray.
(Signed) JOSEPH TWITCHELL.
57
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
1782 Friday November ye 8th the Proprietors of Sudbury Canada (so called) voted to allow the account of Sundry persons as Followeth. Viz. :
To Benj'n Russell for going with an Express to Boston to ye General Court 190 miles for Soldiers to Garrison the Place £ P
with &c Expenses.
9 18 0
4 To Jona'n Bartlett for two days at Boston. 0 12 0 & Cash paid Simon Frye Esq . 1 0
To John Grover For going to Fryeburg on Express 30 M's. 1 10 0
To Jonathan Clarke For ditto & work on Fort &c. 1 10 0
4 0 To John York For 14 days work on the Fort at 6s 4
17 0 To Jesse Dusten 9 1-2 Days on the Fort at 6s . 2
To Josiah Bean For 14 days on the Fort at 6s 4 4
0
To Jona'n Bean For 9 days on the Fort at 6s. 2 14 0
To Dan'l Bean for 10 days work on the Fort at 6s 3
0 0
To Sam'l Ingals For 5 days on the Fort at 6s. 1 10 0 To Isaac York for 5 1-2 Days on the Fort at 6s. 1 13 0
To Capt. Elea'r Twitchell 12 Days on ye Fort & 2 days Scouting at 6s 4 4 0 & to going to Fryeburg to agree on a commander by order of Court. 1 12 0
To James Swan For 4 days on the Fort at 6s . 1 4
0
To John York for 1500 of Boards for the Fort .. 1 16 0 To Capt. Elea'r Twitchell For 1000 of Board and carting 1 13 0
To Benj'n Russell for 2 Days on the Fort at 6s. 0 12 0
The above payment made by Joseph Twitchell, Treasurer 45 17 0 To Benj'n Barker account of. 1 19 0
We the subscribers have received the within sums as are within men- tioned & for the Services as within Set forth of Capt. Joseph Twitchell Proprietor's Treasurer.
Rec'd by us (Signed)
BENJAMIN RUSSELL JESSE DUSTIN
JOHN YORK ISAAC YORK
DANIEL BEAN JOSIAH BEAN
ELEA'R TWITCHELL SAMUEL INGLES
JONATHAN CLARK.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
To Benj'n Barker Debtor to working on Fort at Sudbury Canada six days & Half in August 1781 £ S P
at 6s per day.
1 19 0
Sudbury Canada November ye 9th 1782
BENJ'N BARKER.
Some years later and the demand had not been settled. A new petition was now presented, asking for a grant of the territory, now
58
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
the town of Greenwood. Their claims were presented at this time in aggregates rather than in detail. The prayer of the petition was not granted, and the claims never settled. Following is a copy of the last petition :
To the Honorable Senate and the Honorable House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General Court Assembled.
The Subscribers, Inhabitants of the Plantation called Sudbury Canada, in the county of Cumberland, humbly pray that your honors would make a grant to them of the Township Number Four, lying between said Planta- tion and the town of Paris in said county, which although of an Indifferent quality, would be of use to them, and as it lies adjoining to their settle- ment, might by their attention become a benefit to other Individuals as. well as to the commonwealth. And as reasons for their making their request they humbly shew, That during the war of the revolution about eighteen years ago, some of your petitioners, having a grant from the General Court, entered upon said Plantation and began a settlement of it ; whereby others were encouraged to settle there, and by means of their hard labour and incessant toil, they have brought forward the said Planta- tion to its present increased and increasing state, insomuch that it is now Taxed for the support of government, and they expect soon will become an Incorporated Town. That at the beginning of the settlement and during their progress in the same, they had many difficulties to encounter ; which they now reflect upon with wonder as well as gratitude to that Being who supported them in their attempts, relieved them in their distresses, and enabled them to withstand the difficulties they endured, and to convert a dark and gloomy wilderness into fruitful fields, which they flatter themselves other citizens of the commonwealth will now delight to dwell in. To those who know or can conceive of the evils which exist in bringing forward the settlement of new Townships no particulars of the hardships they endured need be mentioned, but during the settlement of this Plantation the settlers have had peculiar difficulties to encounter. They have been exposed to the invasions of the Savages, and some of them have been carried into captivity ; they have been at great expense in building Fortresses for their protection, and in clearing Roads to the nearest settlement, which are now inconvenient for them to travel in, being not only bad in themselves, but lengthens the travel to the Sea Port, where they would carry their produce to market. It is there- fore thought necessary for them to cut a New Road to Cummings Gore, that they may have a more direct one to Gray and thence to Portland, to which place through their Plantation Coos teams would undoubtedly travel, provided there were a road, it being nearly Thirty miles nearer than their Present Route. Your Petitioners (without boasting of their Labours or presuming to represent anything beyond the truth),-the evils they have suffered-presume to say that in consequence of them, they have much promoted the settlement of the adjacent country, and thereby
59
HISTORY OF BETHEL.
greatly benefitted the Commonwealth at large, and that notwithstanding the immediate benefit arising from the sale of waste land to those who purchase more for their own benefit than that of the publie, the real wealth of the State, the solid and lasting advantages it will receive from lands of those by whose exertions and persevering Resolutions the Wilderness is- subdued, are, in the opinion of your Petitioners, vastly more important than such sales. An estimate of the expenses which your Petitioners have been at. is prepared to lay before your Honors. This with the reasons offered above they flatter themselves will without any other consideration, induce your Honors to grant the prayer of their Petition-but if your Honors should judge otherwise, they humbly desire it may be granted on such additional Terms as may be able to comply with. And in duty bound will ever pray.
JONATHAN CLARK,
EZRA TWITCHELL,
JOHN BRICKETT, AMOS POWERS,
JOHN YORK,
JEREMIAH ANDREWS,
MOSES BARTLETT,
STEPHEN BARTLETT,
PEREGRIN BARTLETT,
THAD'S BARTLETT,
JOHN HOLT,
JONATHAN BARTLETT,
JAMES SWAN,
DANIEL BEAN,
ELEA'R TWITCHELL,
ELI TWITCHELL,
JOSEPH G. SWAN,
BENJ'N RUSSELL, JR.,
AMOS GAGE,
DANIEL GAGE,
JEDEDIAH GROVER,
B. RUSSELL, THAD'S RUSSELL,
JOHN GROVER,
JAMES HOLT,
ELI GROVER,
ZELA HOLT,
WILLIAM RUSSELL,
CHARLES STEARNS,
NATHANIEL SWAN,
WALTER MASON,
JOHN RUSSELL,
ELIPHAZ CHAPMAN.
An estimate of the expense as set forth in a Petition from Sudbury, Canada :
DOLLS.
Bulding Fortresses, Clearing Roads, &c., &c .- Cutting out and making Eighteen Miles of Road, which in Proportion to cut- ting out and making other Roads in that part of the Country is estimated at Twenty-five dollars per mile. 450
150 Cutting ten miles in another direction at Fifteen dollars per mile, Building Fortresses. 152 1-2
752 1-2.
The Amount of the loss Lieut. Jonathan Clark sustained by the Indians.
80
Two men who were carried into Captivity that were taken at the time the aforesaid Clark sustained the aforesaid loss, Fifteen months absent 300
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.