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After the terrific defeat of St. Clair, in Ohio, the Indian chiefs amused themselves with a sham fight, in which they re- enacted the folly of St. Clair in marching into the trap in which the Indians virtually annihilated his army. Even the women united in the shouts of derisive laughter which the foolishness of St. Clair elicited.
The nine men despatched from the garrison by Lieut. Plais- ted walked deliberately into an ambuscade. Three were in- stantly shot down; the others, with difficulty, effected their escape. The next day Plaisted sent out a team with twenty armed men, to bring in the dead bodies. Plaisted himself led them. He knew that there were more than a hundred sav- ages, whose cunning was proverbial, lurking around; and yet, apparently, he had taken no precautions against their wiles. * The cart was drawn by oxen. Just as they had placed in it one gory body, a party of a hundred and fifty savages rose from behind a stone wall, amidst logs and bushes, and opened upon them a deadly fire. The oxen terrified, and probably struck by balls, ran frantically towards the garrison. A few of the men escaped. Lieut. Plaisted, one of the most fearless of men, fought with desperation, until he was surrounded by the Indi- ans, and cut down by the tomahawk. Two of his intrepid sons perished with their father.1 One of them, mortally wounded, lingered a short time before he died.
The exultant Indians burned houses, barns, and mills, in all directions. The wretched inhabitants were compelled to seek shelter in the garrison-houses. Just before this terrible disaster Roger Plaisted and a Mr. Broughton had sent a despatch to Dover, then called Cocheco, for aid.
1 Sullivan's History of Maine, p. 250.
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" These are to inform you," they wrote, "that the Indians are just now engaging us with at least a hundred men, and have slain four of our men already. Sirs, if ever you have any love for us and the country, now show yourselves with men to help us, or else we are all in great danger to be slain, unless our God wonderfully appears for our deliverance." 1
At Sturgeon Creek they burned a house, and shot two men. Capt. Frost was caught at some distance from his house. As he fled, ten bullets were fired at him. There were but three little boys in his house. With singular presence of mind he shouted out, as if there were a whole garrison there, ordering them to prepare to repel the foe. The Indians took the alarm, and did not venture within gunshot.
The English settlements were scattered along the seacoast. The Indian bands followed this line, burning and killing, ever ready to vanish beyond pursuit in the interior forest, whenever they encountered an overpowering foe. Many persons were killed at Wells, and much property destroyed.2 No man could move a few rods from the garrison-houses, where the inhabitants were generally huddled together, without danger of being shot down by a lurking savage.
Winter came, with deep snow and great severity of cold. Even the Indians found it needful to abandon their extended forays, and hover around their wigwam fires. They could purchase ammunition only of the French. It required long journeyings, through almost pathless forests, to reach their trading-posts.
The English seemed to act upon the impression that the Indians had no more sense of right or wrong dealing, than had a dog, a horse, or a cow. They would violate their most solemn pledges, maltreat them in various ways, and then express sur- prise that their victims retaliated with savage vengeance. The Indians had become weary of a conflict in which they received
1 Williamson, vol. i. p. 528.
2 "In this terrible posture of affairs, the governor appointed a general fast. Had the English invariably acted upon the Christian principle of doing to all as they would have all do unto them, this appalling calamity would never have come upon thein. It requires a wonderful boldness at the throne of grace, to pray to be saved from the consequences of our own iniquities." - History of Wells and Kennebunk, by Edward E. Bourne, p. 143.
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blows almost as hard as those which they gave. A truce was entered into.
" This armistice," writes Mr. Bourne, " might have resulted in a lasting treaty, had it not been for new acts of folly and wickedness on our part. Some had set in motion whispers of new enterprises on the part of the na- tives; and the fears of the people, from the scenes which they had just passed through, prompted them to seize those who had been active in the war. Under the authority of precepts for this purpose, some were seized near Pemaquid, carried off, and sold as slaves in foreign countries; a barbarity, on the part of civilized man, fully a counterpoise for the Indian enormities. And thus the fire was again kindled to sweep over the Province." 1
Two vile kidnappers, in their vessels, ran along the eastern coast, and caught several Indians, whom they carried into for- - eign parts, and sold as slaves. Some of these poor captives were Mickmaks from Cape Sable. Mr. Shurte, at Pemaquid, remonstrated against these outrages in vain. The Mickmaks were thus induced to join the eastern tribes in their avenging warfare .?
There is something very touching in the imploring cry of the Indians against these wrongs. They evidently desired peace, and were goaded to war by intolerable grievances. Mr. Shurte had won their confidence. A delegation waited upon him, and said, -
"Your people frightened us away last fall, from our cornfields about Kennebec. You have withheld powder and shot from us. We are thus unable to kill either fowl or venison. Some of our Indians, last winter, died of hunger."
Mr. Shurte assured them of his sympathy, of his utter detes- tation of the conduct of the kidnappers. He encouraged them with the hope that the government would take prompt measures to rescue the captives, and to restore them to their homes. The Indians expressed themselves as very much gratified by this parley. They delivered up a captive boy, and presented Mr.
1 History of Wells and Kennebunk, by Edward E. Bourne, p. 145. The truce into which the sagamores entered included, according to Hubbard, only the In- dians between Piscataqua and Casco. - Hubbard's Indian Wars, p. 346.
2 Hubbard, pp. 332-314.
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Sburte with a belt of wampum. Arrangements were soon made for the assembling of an important council at Teconnet, near where Waterville now stands.
Messrs. Shurte and Davis represented the white men. Five . prominent sagamores represented the Indians. But there was a difficulty between them which no human wisdom could solve. The Indians must have powder and shot. It had become with them almost a necessity of life. But the western Indians were in deadly hostility to the whites. If ammunition were freely sold to the eastern Indians, it would inevitably soon reach those in the west. The English commissioners were embarrassed, and gave evasive replies. At length one of the chieftains, Madock- awando, became impatient of the distrust which was manifested. He rose, and with much dignity said, -
" Do we not meet here on equal ground? We ask, where shall we buy powder and shot for our winter's hunting? Shall we leave the English, and apply to the French for it? Or shall we let our Indians die? We have waited long to hear you tell us. Now we want Yes, or No."
Thus driven to a decisive answer, one of them replied, though still, as will be seen, rather evasively, -
"You may have ammunition for necessary use. But you yourselves say that there are many western Indians who do not choose peace. Should you let them have the powder which we sell you, what do we better than cut our own throats? This is the best answer we are allowed to return you, though you wait ten years." 1
The council was held in a large wigwam. The English were entirely at the mercy of the Indians. But the savages, though they took much umbrage at this reply, and broke up the council, were guilty of no treachery.
" It is not our custom," they proudly said, " to seize messengers coming to us. We certainly never do as your people once did with fourteen of our Indians sent to treat with you. You took away their guns, and set a guard over their heads. Keep your arms. It is a point of honor. You are at liberty."
1 Williamson, vol. i. p. 532; Hubbard's Indian Wars, p. 340. Drake gives an Interesting account of this council. "Here," he says, "as might reasonably have been expected, ended the negotiation; and massacres and bloodshed soon after desolated that part of the country." - Book of the Indians, book iii. pp. 100, 101.
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CHAPTER XI.
THE HORRORS OF WAR.
Dispersion of King Philip's Forces - Falmouth Desolated - Scenes of Horror - Arrowsick Plundered - Treachery of Major Waldron - Munjoy's Island captured by the Savages - The Indians ask for Peace- Ancedote of Mugg - The English resume the War- Increased Ferocity of the Indians - The Mohawks Allies of the English - The Ambuscade at Black Point -Its Fatal Results.
K ING PHILIP was hunted down and killed in August, 1676. It is said, that, just before the commencement of the war, the governor of Massachusetts sent an ambassador to him, to inquire why he was making hostile preparations. The Indian chief haughtily replied, " Your governor is but a sub- ject of King Charles of England. I shall not treat with a subject. I shall treat of peace only with the king, my brother. When he comes, I am ready." 2
The death of Philip did not terminate the war : it only scat- tered his forces. Many of his warriors retreated to Maine, and joined the savage bands who were burning and plundering there. Squando was particularly active. He professed to have received a divine revelation, urging him to the conflict .? Three of these warriors, men of much shrewdness and energy, took the Eng- lish names of Simon, Andrew, and Peter. They were desperate
1 The Indian name was Pometacom. It is various spelled. In familiar con- versation the first syllable was frequently dropped, and he was called Metacom. Hubbard says that he was nicknamed King Philip, in consequence of his bold and commanding spirit. - Drake's Book of the Indians, book iii. pp. 13-24.
2 "Squando pretended that God appeared to him in the form of a tall man in black clothes, declaring to him that he was God, and commanded him to leave his drinking of strong liquors, and to pray, and to keep sabbaths, and to go to hear the Word preached; all which things the Indian did for some years, with great seeming devotion and conscience, observe." - Drake's Book of the Indians, book iii. p. 99.
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men. The terror of their deeds spread far and wide. Simon, who was called by his associates the Yankee killer, boasted that he had shot many a white man, and that he had never failed but once in striking his victim to the ground.
Early in August, 1676, this Simon, with a party of savages, entered the house of Anthony Brackett, in Falmouth. They seized all the weapons in the house, and bound Mr. Brackett, his wife, five children, and a negro servant. Mrs. Brackett's brother, Nathaniel Mitten, made some slight resistance, and they instantly killed him. The unhappy captives were all carried away by the savages. Circumstances indicate that Mr. Brack- ett had, by his fair dealings, won the confidence of the Indians, and therefore they spared his life and the lives of the members .
of his family. .
Brackett occupied a large farm at Back Cove. He had several neighbors, whose cabins were scattered in the clearings around. It was a pleasant, sunny day, the 11th of August, 1676. Eden could enjoy no more delightful climate than does Maine in that summer month. It was the custom of the settlers, in much of their farm work, to unite, helping each other. Two of these neighbors, Humphrey Durham and Benjamin Atwell, were as- sisting Robert Corbin to get in his hay. This was round the cove at Presumpscot River.
The riotous savages shot them all down. The report of the guns was heard in the several cabins. The terrified inmates knew too well its import. The women and children, in one of the houses which was near the water, ran to a canoe, and es- caped across the cove. The other families were taken captive. And thus the Indians, encountering no resistance, proceeded from cabin to cabin, killing, burning, and taking prisoners, according to the suggestions of their capricious natures.
Atwell and Corbin were brothers-in-law. They lived on adjoining farms. Durham's lot was on the other side of the river. Richard Pike, with another man, chanced to be in a canoe on the river, a little above Mr. Corbin's house. They heard the fire of musketry, and immediately saw a little boy, running terror stricken towards the river, pursued by the yell- ing savages. They were discharging their guns at him, and the bullets whistled over the heads of the men in the boat.
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Simon himself soon appeared upon the bank, and called upon them to come ashore. But they plied their paddles with the vigor which the peril of death inspired, shouting the alarm to several houses upon the banks, and calling upon all to run, with the utmost speed, to the garrison-house.
On the extreme east of the promontory then called Cleeves' Neck, but which is now covered with the dwellings of Portland, there was a beautiful swell of land, which rose about a hundred and sixty feet above the level of the sea. Upon the southern slope of this charming spot, commanding a view of the sea interspersed with islands, and wide reaches of the land, in all their pristine luxuriance, the first settlers of Portland reared their homes. Here also they erected their garrison-house to protect them from a foe more to be dreaded than sickness or famine or cold, or the most ferocious beasts of the forest.1
But the terror was so great, and those who had escaped to the garrison were so few and feeble, that they dared not await an attack from foes so numerous and merciless. The smoke of their burning dwellings was ascending all around. These woe- stricken fugitives, huddled into canoes, sought refuge upon one of the islands near the mouth of the harbor. This spot is now called Cushings Island. A messenger was immediately des- patched across the water to Scarborough, then called Black Point, for help.
In the panic of their flight, they had left behind them a con- siderable quantity of ammunition. This was essential to their defence. It would also greatly strengthen the savages should it fall into their hands. In the darkness of the night, a small party of brave men paddled stealthily across the harbor, and suc- ceeded in recovering much of the powder which had escaped the scrutiny of the ransacking Indians.
During the next day several of the English settlers succeeded in effecting their escape, and in joining the fugitives on Bangs'
1 "The situation had advantages of utility and beauty. It was open to the sea by a small and handsome bay, accessible to fishing boats, and near the islands, while it was protected from the north winds by the hill in the rear of it. Here the first settlers cultivated the soil, and pursued their traffic with the natives, for a number of years, holding the land by a mere possessory title." - History of Portland, by William Willis, p. 47.
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Island. They saved, however, only their lives. Their homes, and all they contained of food, clothing, farining and domes- tic utensils, were left to be plundered and destroyed by the savages. It is difficult for the imagination to conceive the des- titution and the woes to which these sufferers were doomed.
Thus the peninsula of Cleeves, or Casco Neck, was laid deso- late. Thirty-four persons were either killed, or carried into captivity.1 The amount of property destroyed was the all of these humble settlers. The loss was irreparable. These fami- lies were left in the wilderness, utterly destitute, with the blasts of a Maine winter rapidly gathering in the north.
Upon the receipt of these tidings in Boston, the General Court immediately sent a vessel. with fifteen hundred pounds of bread, to the starving, houseless fugitives on Cushings Island, which was then called Andrews Island. The following extract of a letter from Portsmouth, dated Sept. 26, 1676, will give the reader some conception of the terror of those days. It was addressed to Major-Gen. Denison, at Ipswich : -
" This serves to cover a letter from Capt. Hathorn, from Casco Bay, in which you will understand their want of bread, which want I hope is well supplied before this time; for we sent them more than two thousand weight, which I suppose they had last Lord's Day night. The boat that brought the letter brings also word that Saturday night the Indians burnt Mr. Munjoy's house and seven persons in it. On sabbath day a man and his wife, one Gouge, 2 were shot dead and stripped by the Indians at Wells. Yesterday at two o'clock, Cape Nedick 3 was wholly cut off; only two men and a woman, with two or three children, escaped. So we expect now to hear of farther mischief every day. They send to us for help, both from
1 Hubbard's Indian Wars, pp. 339-369. See also a very carefully prepared ac- count of this tragedy, in the History of Portland, by William Willis, pp. 204, 205.
2 Mr. Williamson gives this name as Gooch, vol. i. p. 540. Mr. Bourne, in his History of Wells and Kennebunk, writes, "As the people were returning to their homes, Mr. James Gooch and his wife were attacked. He was shot and she was cut to pieces by the hatchet," p. 145.
Again he writes, referring to the same date and locality, quoting from a letter, "On sabbath last, a man and his wife, namely one Gouge, were shot dead and stripped by the Indians, at Wells, about two or three o'clock," p. 146.
It can scarcely be doubted that both of these accounts refer to the same event.
8 This is usually spelled Neddock. Sullivan spells it Neddick, p. 241. There was here a very attractive coast region, about four miles from York River, fringed with a beautiful beach of white sand. - Williamson's History of Maine, vol L p. 24.
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Wells and York; but we had so many men out of town, that we know not how to spare any more.
" Sir, please send notice to the council that a supply be sent to the army from the Bay; for they have eaten us out of bread, and here is I'ttle wheat to be gotten, and less money to pay for it. The Lord direct you and us in the great concerns that are before us; which dutiful service presented, in haste I remain, sir, your servant, " RICHARD MARTIN."
The Indians, under the exasperation of the war, were grow- ing more and more barbarous. The massacre at Cape Neddock was attended with savage cruelty hitherto unpractised. Some dead bodies were wantonly hewn to pieces with the tomahawk. Forty persons were slain, or carried into captivity. Some of the atrocities were too dreadful to be narrated. A nursing mother had her brains dashed out. Her infant was fastened to her bosom, and was thus found living, striving to draw nutriment from the cold breast.1
The Indians, with their captives, proceeded to the Kennebec River, where they divided into two bands. Eleven ascended the river; the remainder followed down the stream to attack the settlements near its mouth. They took the fort upon Arrowsic Island by surprise, and killed many of the inhabitants. This island, which was quite celebrated in the early history of Maine, was separated from Pittston by a channel about half a mile in breadth. It contained four thousand acres, and about fifty dwellings had been reared upon its shores.
The battle here was desperate. One wearies of reading the appalling account of these scenes of slaughter. But few escaped. The little settlement had been in a high state of prosperity. Capt. Lake, one of the opulent proprietors, had erected upon the island a large and beautiful mansion, a strong fortress, with mills and outbuildings, at the expense of many thousand pounds.
The Indians, about a hundred in number, came to the island stealthily, by night, landing upon the south-eastern point, and secreted themselves in those hiding-places which they knew so well how to search out. The people were taken entirely by surprise. The Indians crept in at the fort gate by stratagem,
1 Sullivan's History of Maine, p. 241.
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closed the port-holes, and with hideous yells proclaimed them- selves masters of the garrison. Terrible was the consternation. For a few moments there was a hand-to-hand struggle; but Capts. Lake and Davis, finding themselves overpowered, fled, with a few others, by a rear portal, and, seizing a canoe, en- deavored to escape to another island.
The Indians closely pursued them, and, firing upon them in the boat, killed Capt. Lake, and with a severe wound utterly crippled Capt. Davis. He, however, landed, and, creeping pain- fully along upon the shore, hid among the rocks. Here he re- mained, in dreadful suffering, for two days. He then succeeded in reaching the mainland. About a dozen other persons, in various ways, escaped from this midnight attack. Thirty-five were either killed or carried into captivity. The torch was applied to all the buildings, and, as the savages retired, the island presented a scene of utter desolation.
The inhabitants throughout all this region were thrown into a state of dismay. They generally abandoned their homes, and many of them fled to Monhegan, where they thought that they could more effectually defend themselves than on the main land. A watch of twenty-five men was appointed to patrol the shores by night. Clouds of smoke were seen ascending over the burn- ing dwellings of Pemaquid, New Harbor, Corbin's Sound, and from many of the islands. At length the woe-worn fugitives took a vessel, and in utter destitution crowded on board, and sailed for Piscataqua and Salem.1
In the course of about five weeks, sixty miles of the coast eastward of Casco Bay were ravaged and depopulated. Many of the inhabitants were killed, many carried into captivity, and some escaped in the extreme of terror and wretchedness. Mountjoy's1 Island is about 3 miles from the mainland. There
1 Hubbard's Narrative of the Indian Wars, pp. 351-360.
2 The name is so spelled by Williamson, vol. i. p. 537. Mr. Willis spells it Munjoy. He writes, "Cleeves, on the 28th of December, 1637, leased for sixty years, to Michael Mitton who married his only child Elizabeth, the island at the mouth of the harbor, now called Peaks. In the deed it was declared that this was called Pond Island, and is subsequently to be known by the name of Michael's Island, from Mitton. It was afterward successively called, from the owners or occu- pants, Munjoy's, Palmer's, and Peak's Island. - History of Portland, p. 50.
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was here an old stone house where several families, abandoning their homes, sought refuge.
These tragic events are alluded to in the following extract from a letter addressed to the governor and council of Massa- chusetts. It was written by Brian Pendleton of Saco, and was dated, " Winter Harbor, at night, Aug. 13, 1676."
" I am sorry my pen must be the messenger of so great a tragedy. On the 11th of this instant, we heard of many killed of our neighbors, in Fal- mouth, or Casco Bay. On the 12th instant, Mr. Joslin sent me a brief let- ter, written from under the hand of Mr. Burras (Burroughs) the minister. He gives an account of thirty-two killed and carried away by the Indians.
" Himself escaped to an island, but I hope Black Point men have fetched him off by this time, -ten men, six women. sixteen children. How soon it will be our portion, we know not. The Lord in mercy fit us for death, and direct your hearts and hands to acknowledge and do what is most needful in such a time of distress as this! Thus, in haste, I commit you to the guid- ance of our Lord God, and desire your prayers for us.1
Some of the fugitives escaped to Jewell's Island, where there was a partially fortified house, and did not return to their deso- late habitations until the peace of Casco was made April 12, 1678. The Indians, elate with their many victories, pursued in a fleet of canoes. The plumed warriors landed, not secretly, but with the shrill warwhoop shouting the battle-cry. It was the 2d of September. It seems almost incredible that these peo- ple could again have allowed themselves to be taken by surprise. The women were at some distance from the house, washing at a brook. The children were scattered along the beach. The men were absent fishing. No sentinel was stationed to announce the approach of the foe.2
The Indians landed and rushed towards the house, thus cut- ting off the retreat of the women and children, and leaving to
1 "The original of this letter is in the family of John Palmer, Esq." - History of Portland, by Mr. Willis, p. 206, note.
2 At the commencement of the first Indian war, 1675, there were in Falmouth forty-six families: viz., on the east side of the Presumpscot, nine; on the west side of the river, seven; around Back Cove, ten; at Capissic, toward Strandwater, five; on the Neck, four; in Purpoodic, nine; at Spurwink, two; forty houses, eighty militia, and four hundred inhabitants. In Aug. 11 of that year the town was assailed by the Indians, when thirty-four of the inhabitants were slain, and seventeen taken prisoners.
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