USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Gorham > History of Gorham, Me. > Part 2
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The Narragansetts were a numerous and powerful tribe, number- ing many warriors. Though under a treaty of neutrality with the whites, suspicions began to arise of them. It was believed that they welcomed and gave shelter to the Indians returned from the western frontier along the banks of the Connecticut. They were jealous of the English and of the Mohicans, who remained friendly to the English. It was thought that they had joined the confederacy under King Philip, now numbering some three or four thousand warriors. The commissioners of the united colonies agreed to raise an army of one thousand men, and as many friendly Indians as could be persuaded to join them, and to march against this foe. Of these men, Massachusetts was to furnish 527, Plymouth 158, and Connecticut 315. There were two Plymouth companies, one under Capt. John Gorham of Barnstable. It is interesting to note, from the Message sent up from the House of Representatives to the Council in 1731, what manner of men these were who engaged in this fight. It specifies that those who fought to rid the country of those enemies, before whom even Boston trembled, were not vaga- bonds and beggars and outcasts, but they were some of the best of our men, and the fathers and sons of some of the greatest and best of our families.
It was now, 1675, in the midst of a winter of unusual severity, with a great depth of snow, but it was deemed dangerous to wait until spring, lest the great numbers of Indians known to be gathered together might rise then and destroy all before them. The leaves
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
of summer covering the thickets would furnish hiding places and ambuscades for them, from which to dart upon their victims, and in which they could vanish secure from pursuit. It was decided to proceed at once upon the enemy in their stronghold in the coun- try of the Narragansetts. There could be no hesitancy in fighting against the Narragansetts, as there was now no question as to their hatred of the whites and their treachery toward them. The Mas- sachusetts forces were mustered at Dedham plains, Dec. 9, 1675, and to Gen. Josiah Winslow, Governor of Plymouth Colony, was given the command of the army. That same day they marched twenty-seven miles on their way. On Dec. 18, the whole force reached Pettisquamscot, where they had hoped to rendezvous at the garrison of one Jerry Bull. They found the house in ruins, it having been burned three days previous by a party of Indians, and seventeen people at this garrison had been killed. As there was no shelter left our army was compelled to march on in the cold stormy evening, and to pass the night with no covering save the drifting snow and the darkness. Before dawn on Dec. 19, piloted by Peter, a friendly Indian, they recommenced their journey, and waded through the deep snow until one P. M., without stopping to warm themselves, or to take food, " save such as they could chew in their mouths." After proceeding in this way some fifteen or sixteen miles they came to the borders of the Pettisquamscot swamp, where the fortress of the Indians was situated. This fort was on rising ground on an island of some acres in the middle of the swamp. There were some hundreds of wigwams surrounded by palisades four or five feet high, and the whole by a wall or hedge of brush a rod in width. There was but one entrance to the fort, and this by a fallen tree four or five feet from the ground above the water. This was protected by a kind of blockhouse over it, and many were killed in trying to force an entrance. There was a fierce and bloody fight, in which six English captains were killed, but at length the enemy was driven out, and the huts within the enclosure were set on fire and consumed, thus leaving no shelter for either party, and our men retired to their quarters of the night before, carrying their dead and wounded. That night a tremendous snow storm raged, and the severity of the cold was fearful. They had no provisions, and Mr. Dudley says the whole camp must have perished but for the arrival of Goodale next morning.
It was told afterwards by the Indians that one-third of the Narra- gansetts were killed by the English, or perished in the cold of that
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NARRAGANSETT WAR AND GRANTS.
night. It has been estimated that the Indians lost that day seven hundred men, and that three hundred died afterwards of wounds. This, with the burning of their wigwams and the losing of their provisions, was a blow from which they never recovered. The Eng- lish lost eighty killed ; about one hundred and fifty were wounded, but recovered. Twenty men of Major (Capt.) Bradford's and Capt. Gorham's Plymouth companies were killed.
The Narragansett's, though reduced in numbers, were still a for- midable and dangerous foe, and urged on by hatred and desire of revenge, did not abandon hostilities. Under their dauntless leader, Canonchet, they continued to strike terror to all hearts by burning, plundering, slaying and destroying. Our army was ordered to pur- sue them, and did so for many days, until provisions failed them, and the pursuit was abandoned. The men suffered so intensely from privation and hunger on this expedition that it is known in history as " the hungry march."
The Narragansetts joined themselves to Philip and his forces, and after the capture of Canonchet, and his execution by order of the authorities, Philip still continued his bloody work. One reverse, however, after another overtook him, and many of his followers for- sook him. He scornfully rejected all overtures of peace, and struck dead an Indian who ventured to suggest submission to him. His wife and son were captured, and the boy sold into slavery. In less than a year from the great battle in the Swamp, Philip, to quote from an old writer, was, "by a divine mandate sent back there, (Mt. Hope) to receive the reward of his wickedness where he first began his mis- chief." He was killed, August 12, 1676, by the brother of the Indian whom he had slain for advising him to sue for peace. With his death hostilities ceased. Some of the Indians submitted to the authorities of the colonies, and some betook themselves to remote tribes, and welcome peace reigned once more.
We learn from the Message, mentioned above, given in full else where, that a proclamation was made to the army in the name of the government, before they began their march against King Philip, that if they would play the man and take the fort and drive the enemy out of the Narragansett country, they should have a gratuity of land besides their wages. As early as 1685, the officers and soldiers of the Narragansett War commenced to petition for the promised land bounty, or for a tract of land eight miles square, and the grant was made the same year, as the following documents will show :
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
A.
ACTION OF THE GENERAL COURT ON THE PETITION OF WILLIAM BASSET AND OTHERS.
(From the Massachusetts Court Records, June 4, 1685.)
"In ans' to the petition of Wm Basset, Jnº Lynsey, Robert Porter, Sen, & a twenty two more inhabitants of Ljn, Jeremiah Swayne, Samll Damon, Sam Lambson, Wm Robbins, James Pyke, Juñ, & James Nicholls, of Reading, Wm Raymond & 5 more of Beverly, & Samuel Lyncolne, & three more, of Hingham, as on ye peticon on file, the Court judgeth it meet to grant the peticoners a tract of land, in the Nipmug country, of eight miles square, for their encouragement and others that were serviceable to the country in the late Indean warr, to a competent number, who shall see meet to joyne themselues to them in order to the making of a plantation or touneship, provided it be lajd out so as not to interfere wth any former grants, & that an orthodox minister, on their settlement of thirty familjes, be settled wthin the space of fower yeares next coming."
B.
ACTION OF THE GENERAL COURT ON THE PETITION OF JOSEPH SILL PRAYING FOR A GRANT OF LAND.
(From the Massachusetts Court Records, November 17, 1685.)
"In answer to the peticon of Joseph Sill, humbly desiring the Courts favor to grant him some lands where he can find it, hauing binn imployed in the countrys service in ye late Indean warr, --
" VPON the consideration that this Court hath already granted a plantation of eight miles square, in the Nepmug country, for the accomodating such as were souldiers in the late warr, wth whom the petitioner may haue liberty to come in for a settlement, if he thinke good."
One of the conditions of the grant here was actual settlement, and as this and other conditions were not performed the land was after- wards sold by the colony. The Nipmuck territory included some of the best land in the colony, being land near the great ponds in the towns of Webster, Oxford and others in Worcester county.
After this the matter of the land grant seems to have rested many years. July 1, 1727 the General Court took the following action on the petition of Samuel Chandler and Jacob Wright, and again at the fall session Dec. 14, 1727, on the same :
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NARRAGANSETT WAR AND GRANTS.
C.
ACTION OF THE GENERAL COURT ON THE PETITION OF SAMUEL CHANDLER AND JACOB WRIGHT. (POST, " D.")
(From the Massachusetts Court Records, July 1, 1727.)
"A Petition of Samuel Chandler & Jacob Wright in Behalf of themselves and a great Number of other persons, SHEWING that the General Court of the late Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in the Year 1685, did in answer to the Petition of divers Persons of the Towns of Hingham, Lyn, Reading, & Beverly grant them a Tract of Land in the Nipmug Countrey of eight miles square for their encouragemt & others that were serviceable in the late Indean war; wch Grant was not persued to Effect, and for as much as the Petitioners were either personally present at the Fort & Fight at Narraganset or Descendants from those that were or in the strictest alliance to them; THEREFORE Praying that a Grant may be made them of such vacant Lands as may Serve the Petitionrs for Settle- ment under such Restrictions & Limitations as this Court shall judge fit.
" In the House of Represetves Read and In answer to this Peti- tion, RESOLVED that Major Thomas Tilestone, Capt. John Alden, Mr Edward Shove, Mr Samuel Healy of Newton & Mr Samuel Chandler of Concord be a Committee fully authorized & impowered to survey & lay out the Contents of eight miles square in some of the unappropriated Lands of this Province, and that the said Lands be granted & disposed of to the Persons (whether Officers or Soldiers) belonging to this Province, who were in the Service of their Country in the said Narraganset War or to their legal Representatives, as a Reward for their publick Services, and is in full Satisfaction for the Grant formerly made them by the Great & General Court; and for as much as it is the full Intent & Purpose of this Court that every Officer & Soldier who served in the said War should have a Compen- sation made them over & above what wages & Gratuities any of them have received already, THAT the said Committee give publick Notice in the NEWS LETTER, or otherwise, six months at least before their meeting, When & where they intend to meet, so every Officer & Sol- dier that served in the said War, or the lawful Representatives of such as served and are since Deceased may have an Opportunity of enlist- ing their Names with the said Committee, who are hereby directed to take a List accordingly; and when & so soon as the said Committee has received a compleat List of the names of such Persons as have served as aforesaid or their legal Representatives; which they are enjoined to do with all convenient speed, the Grantees shall be obliged to assemble within as short a time as they can conveniently, & proceed to the Choice of a Committee to regulate the Propriety, who shall pass such Orders & Rules as will effectually oblige them to settle sixty Families at least thereon with a learned orthodox Minister within the Space of seven Years from the Date of the Grant; PROVIDED never-
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
theless, if the said Grantees shall not effectually settle the said number of Families, & also lay out a Lot for the first' settled Minister, one for the Ministry & one for the School, they shall have no advantage of but forfeit the Grant; any thing to the Contrary herein contained Notwithstanding.
" In Council ; Read & Refer'd for further Consideration to the next Fall Session."
After this postponement by the Council, the petition was again brought up before the House at the fall session, when a grant was made of two townships, each six miles square, with the same condi- tions as before. In this the Council concurred.
D.
THE GENERAL COURT AGAIN TOOK ACTION ON THE PETITION OF SAMUEL CHANDLER AND JACOB WRIGHT .- (ANTE, "C.")
(From the Massachusetts Court Records, December 14, 1727.)
"On the Petition of Samuel Chandler, Jacob Wright &c in Behalf of themselves & others Praying as Enter'd July 1, 1727.
In the House of Representves RESOLVED that Major Thomas Tilestone, Capt. John Alden, Mr Edward Shove, Mr Nathaniel Healy of Newton, Mr Samuel Chandler of Concord John Wainwright & Ezra Bourn Esqrs (any four of whom to be a Quorum) be a Commit- tee fully authorized & impowered to survey and lay out two Tracts of Land for Townships of the Contents of six miles square, of the unappropriated Lands in this Province, and that the said lands be granted & disposed of to the Persons, whether Officers or Soldiers, belonging to this Province, who were in the Service of their Country in the said Narraganset War, or to their lawful Representves as a Reward for their publick Services & in full satisfaction of the Grant formerly made them by the Great & General Court; and for as much as it is the full Intent & Purpose of this Court that every Officer & Soldier who served in the said War should have a Compensation made them over & above what Wages & Gratuities any of then have already received, THAT the said Committee give publick Notice in the NEWS LETTER or otherwise six months at least before the Time of their Meeting, where & when they intend to meet, that so every Officer & Soldier that served in the said War, or the lawful Repre- sentatives of such as served & are since Deceased, may have an Opportunity of enlisting their names with the said Committee, Who are hereby ORDERED to take a list accordingly ; and when and so soon as the said Committee has received a compleat List of the Names of such Persons as have served as aforesaid or their legal Representves (which they are enjoined to do with all convenient speed,) the Grantees shall be obliged to assemble within as short a Time as they can conveniently & proceed to the Choice of a Committee to regulate
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NARRAGANSETT WAR AND GRANTS.
each Society, who shall pass such Orders and Rules as will effectually oblige them to settle sixty Families in each Township with a learned orthodox Minister within the Space of seven years from the Date of the Grant, PROVIDED nevertheless that if the said Grantees, shall not effectually settle the said Number of Families in each Township & also lay out a lot for the first settled Minister, one for the Ministry & one for the School in each of the said Townships, they shall take no advantage but forfeit the said Grant, any thing to the Contrary contained Notwithstanding.
" In Council; Read & Concur'd with the Amendments"
The next June there was further action taken in refrence to the laying out of these two townships, and the notifying of all persons surviving who were in the fight, and of the legal representatives of those deceased, in order that a full list of the claimants could be presented to the Court as speedily as possible. To this end, public notice was to be given in the NEWS LETTER, and the following advertisement posted up in every town in the Province :
" Advertisement. These may Certify whom it may concern. That the General Assembly of this Province at their Session began and held the 29th of May 1728 Pass'd a Resolve for granting two Tracts of unappropriated Land for Townships of the Contents of Six Miles square each, to the Persons whether Officers or Soldiers, belonging to this Province, who were in the service of their country in the Nar- raganset War; And all such officers and Soldiers now surviving, and the legal Representatives of those that are Deceased, are desired to give or send into the Secretaries Office Lists of their Names and Descent, to be laid before the General Court at their next Fall Session.
J. WILLARD, Secr."
(Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 72 : 367.)
On Dec. 18 following, plans were given in by Major John Chandler, Mr. Edward Shove and Mr. John Hobson, a Committee of the House, describing the bounds of land laid out for the two town- ships. These plans were accepted by the House, and the land described confirmed to the soldiers; the Council concurred, and the Governor, W. Burnett, consented thereto.
The next April, 1728-9, a Committee was appointed in the House "to take & Examine" a list of the claimants to the lands lately granted to the Narragansett soldiers, and to make report on their doings at the next May session. This list was presented, and Dec. 20, 1729, the House voted that the land should be granted to the persons contained in the written list, and that the Grantees should
22
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
meet at Boston if the small-pox should not be there. If so, at Cam- bridge on the first Wednesday of the following June. This time was changed, by order of the Court, to the second Wednesday of the next fall session, and by an order in October, the place of meeting was appointed to be at Boston.
It seems that the list of claimants for the lands proved to be larger than was at first anticipated, and petitions were presented to the Court, by a committee of the Narragansett officers and soldiers, ask- ing for a larger grant of land, and more time to perfect the list of claimants. On these petitions action was taken by the House, in which the Council concurred, that the time for persons to bring in their claims to the Narragansett lands should be extended to the first Wednesday of the next April; and a further grant of land be made to the petitioners, of a township of the contents of six miles- square to each hundred and twenty persons, under the same condi- tions and limitations with those already granted. But notwithstanding this, we find two months later, the following action on the petition of Thomas Hunt and others :
(From the Massachusetts Court Records, February 17, 1730.)
"A PETITION of Thomas Hunt & others a Committee for the Narraganset Soldiers, setting forth that their number is so great that the Grant of Land already made will not be sufficient, when it comes to be divided among them all, to make any tollerable Lots for settlemt and therefore PRAYING an Enlargemt of the sd Grant, as also that further time may be allowed for Persons to put in their Claims to said Land.
"In the House of Representves Read & ORDERED that there be Liberty given to the persons to bring in their Claims to the Narra- ganset Lands to a Committee to be appointed by this Court until the first Wednesday in June next; and that such further Grant of Land be made to the Petitioners, as that each One hundred & twenty Persons, whose Claims are or shall be allowed of by this Court, may have a Township of the Contents of Six Miles square, under the same restrictions & limitations, with those already granted, and that the Committees formerly appointed to lay out the Towns for the Narraganset Soldiers, & for examining the Claims of said Soldiers be the respective Committees for performing the like services as above directed to, and that the PROVINCE be at the Charge of laying out the Land to be granted as above into Tracts of six miles square, but not of any subdivisions to particular Grantees.
"In Council; Read & Non Concur'd, & ORDERED that there be Liberty given to all Persons concerned to bring in their Claims to the Lands granted to the Officers & Soldiers in the Narraganset War, unto the Committee formerly appointed by this-Court for that service,
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NARRAGANSETT WAR AND GRANTS.
until the first Wednesday in June next, & that the Lands already granted by this Court to the said Officers & Soldiers & their legal Representves under certain Conditions and Restrictions be & hereby are absolutely given & granted to such Persons whose Claims are or shall be allowed by this Court & to their Heirs & assigns for ever ; any former Order of this Court referring to the said Grant notwith- standing."
The petitioners, however, still further pressed their claims express- ing their discouragement as to settling the lands formerly granted, and calling to mind the vote of the two Houses to give each hundred and twenty claimants a town of six miles square, to which the Council had not agreed; and again prayed for an additional grant of land and more time to prove their claims. Once more the House extended the time, and again voted the additional land, and once more the Council refused to concur. Then followed the sending up from the House the message to which reference has already been made in these pages. This message goes over the whole ground with great skill and weight of argument. It shows most clearly the claim the soldiers had for the grant of land (Gorham as well as the other Societies). This message was read in the Council, but action on it was deferred.
THE MESSAGE.
(From the Massachusetts Court Records, January 19, 1731.)
"In the House of Representatves ORDERED that ye following message be sent up to the Honble Board. Viz-WHEREAS there have been several Endeavours to accommodate the Narragansett Soldiers & their Descendants with a Sutable quantity of Land for thr Settlemt as an acknowledgement & Reward of their great Service to this Country which have failed hitherto of the desired Success; This House have thought it might tend to promote a good understanding & Harmony in this Court to lay before the Honble Board, WHERE- FORE it is that the Representves have come into the Grant of a Tract of Six miles square to Each number of One hundred & Twenty persons which they have made this Session in answer to the Petition of Thoms Tilestone & others a Commtee in behalf of themselves & the rest of the Soldiers & their Descendants, who were in the Narraganset War. AND one great Reason is that there was a Proclamation made to the Army in the name of the Governmt (as living Evidences very fully testify) when they were muster'd 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 has been
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
performed, certainly the promise in all Equity & Justice ought to be fulfilled; and if we Consider the Difficulties these brave men went thro' in Storming the Fort in the Depth of Winter, & the pinching wants they afterwards underwent in pursuing the Indians that escaped thro' 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 tho' 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 yt those Instrumts 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 wt they receive from us, by wt we enjoy & have receiv'd from them, We need not mention to the ye Honble Board the Wisdom Justice & Generosity of Our Mother Country & of the ancient Romans on such Occasions, Tri- umph, Orations Hereditary Honors & privileges all the Riches, Lands & Spoils of War & conquer'd Countrys have not been thought too great for those to whom they have not owed more if so much as We do to those our Deliverers; and We ought further to observe what greatly adds to their merit that they were not Vagabonds & Beggars & Out-casts, of wch Armies sometimes are considerably made up who run the Hasards of War to Avoid the Danger of Starving; so far from this that these were some of ye best of Our men, the Fathers & Sons of some of ye greatest & best of Our familes & could have no other View but to Serve ye Country & whom God was pleased accordingly in every remarkable mann' to Honour & Succeed. Of these things the Honble the General Court of the Late Colony of the Massachusetts in those days was not insensible & accordingly gave to ye Soldiers being upward of Five Hundred, abt Two thirds of the Army that went from ye Massachusetts, & the late Colony of Plimouth a Tract of abt forty thousand acres in the Nipmug Country, this or the Value of it these Soldiers would be contented with & take in their Brethren of Plimouth too, tho' that shd take away two thirds of wt was granted them & would after that have more in Value than wt they now ask for them all, for every one must own that 40000 acres in the Heart of the Country as the Nipmug Country is, is of more Value than five times that quantity remote in the Borders & in Danger, if there should be a french War, as is & would be the Case with all the unappropriated Lands of the province, whch they now ask for. -
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