USA > Maine > The history of the state of Maine; from its first discovery, A. D. 1602, to the separation, A. D. 1820, inclusive, Vol. II > Part 14
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Mogg, an aged and noted chief, was shut up in another wig- Mogg kill- wam, from which he fired and killed one of the three Mohawks. ed. This so enraged his brother, that he broke through the door and shot the old Sagamore dead; and the soldiers despatched his squaw and children.
Near night, after the action was over and the village cleared of The losses Indians, Captain Harman and his party arrived ; and the compa- dians. of the In- nies, under a guard of 40 men, took up a lodgment in the wig- wams till the morning. When it was light, they counted, as two authors state, "twenty-seven," and a third says, "thirty" dead bodies, including Râle ; among whom were those of Mogg, Job, Carabesett, Wissememet, and Bomaseen's son-in-law, all known and noted warriors. They also recovered three captives and took four prisoners ; and it was afterwards reported, that they wounded fourteen Indians, who escaped. The whole " number, killed and drowned, was supposed to be eighty," some say more. The plunder they brought away, consisted of the plate and furniture of the altar, a few guns, blankets, and kettles, and about three barrels of powder. After leaving the place, on their march to Teconnet, Christian, one of the Mohawks, either sent back or re- August 23. turning of his own accord, set fire to the chapel and cottages, and wock burnt. Norridge- they were all burnt to ashes.
An extract from the account given by Charlevoix,* who was about that time resident in Canada, is subjoined with its embel- voix's ac- Charle- lishments. He says-' the thickets which surrounded the village count. ' were such, that the enemy were not discovered until the very ' instant, when they made a general discharge of their guns ; and ' their shot had penetrated all the Indian wigwams. The noise ' and tumult gave father Rale notice of the danger his converts ' were in. Not intimidated, he shewed himself to the enemy in ' hopes to draw all their attention to himself, and secure his flock, ' at the peril of his own life. He was not disappointed. As soon ' as he appeared, the English set up a great shout, which was ' followed by a shower of shot; when he fell down dead near to
* 4 Charlevoix, Hist. de la France Neuvelle, p. 120 .- 2. (Paris Ed. 1744.) He says, some of the Indians escaped by swimming, some by fording the river, and some fled to the woods :- 30 Indians were killed and 14 wounded.
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A. D. 1724.' a cross, which he had erected in the midst of the village,-sev- 'en Indians, who sheltered his body with their own, falling around ' him. Thus died this kind shepherd, giving his life for the sheep, ' after a painful mission of thirty-seven years. Moved by the 'greatest consternation at his death, the Indians fled. The En- ' glish finding they had nobody left to resist them, fell first to ' pillaging and then burning the wigwams. They spared the ' church, so long as they thought proper to profane the image of the ' adorable Saviour, and the sacred vessels, and then they set it on ' fire. At length, they withdrew in so great precipitation, that it ' was rather a flight ; and they seemed to be struck with a per- ' fect panic. The Indians immediately returned to their village, ' when they made it their first care to weep over the body of their ' holy missionary ; whilst their women were looking for plants and ' herbs to heal their wounded. They found him shot in a thous- ' and places, scalped, his skull broke to pieces with the blows of ' the hatchets, his mouth and eyes full of mud, the bones of his ' legs fractured, and all his members mangled in an hundred dif- ' ferent ways. After his converts had raised up and oftentimes ' kissed the precious remains, so tenderly and so justly beloved by ' them, they buried him in the same place, where he had the even- 'ing before, celebrated the sacred mysteries,-namely, where the ' altar stood before the church was burnt.'
Our forces return with- out loss. On the 27th, the brave detachment arrived at Fort Richmond, without the loss of a man. It was an exploit exceedingly grati- fying to the community, and considered as brilliant as any other, in either of the Indian wars, since the fall of king Philip. Har- man, who was senior in command, proceeded to Boston with the scalps, and received in reward for the achievement, the commis- sion of Lieutenant-Colonel ;- an achievement in which Moulton had the principal agency, though he received no distinguishing recompense, except the universal applause of his country. Supe- rior merit has been often shaded by superior rank, in much more of the Cani- important services. In this bloody event, the glory departed from the celebrated Canibas tribe, to return never more .*
The heart bas tribe broken.
* In the particulars of this expedition, there are among authors some dis- crepancies .- Sullivan, p. 175, calls the senior officer " Hammond"-Har- man is the name ; he represented York in the General Court, A. D. 1727. Belknap, (2 vol. Hist. N. H. p. 50,) supposes there were only two compa- nies, each 100 men ; But Hutchinson, (2 Hist. p. 279) says four companies,
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To turn the Indians from the frontiers, which they continually A. D. 1724. infested during the autumnal months, Col. Westbrook was fur- West- brook's ex- nished with a regiment of 300 fresh recruits, and was ordered pedition. to range with them through the country from Kennebeck to Pe- nobscot, one of the principal places of the Indians' "rendez- vous for planting and fishing." But in this enterprize, owing to the unskilfulness of the guides, he was led into a labyrinth of difficulties ; being glad to return safely, though they had done nothing more than to explore a part of the country which before was little known. Equally fruitless was the visit to Penobscot of Capt. Heath and his company. The Indians were extremely shy and subtle ; and the government assigned 300 men, for the defence of Maine, through the winter. These were formed into The winter five companies ; one was posted at Berwick and its vicinity ; . forces. two were rangers ; and the others were directed either to scout or be stationary, as the exigency of circumstances might require.
Receiving fresh and more ample information, that the Gov- Commis- ernor of Canada was assisting the Indians, Massachusetts sent to Canada. to him three Commissioners, with instructions to protest against his conduct, and assure him if he did not immediately desist, his offence would be severely retaliated, upon the French in Aca- dia and other places. It was also given them in charge, to effect an exchange of prisoners .- The Governor affected to repel the accusation, till his letters to Rale were to his surprize shewn him ; and then he said the prisoners among the Indians were be- yond his control ; but those among the French should be restor- ed, upon paying " the first cost." The price or ransom, enor- mous as it was, effected the release only of sixteen, and obtain- ed the promise of ten more .* When the Commissioners shewed him that the Indians had conveyed their lands to the English, and become British subjects ; he sent for the chiefs at St. Fran- cois to meet him at his own house. In this interview, the Sag- amores told the Commissioners, ' if the English would demolish ' all their forts, remove one mile westward of Saco river; re- ' build their church at Norridgewock,-and restore to them their
sinners sent
and 208 men. He and Penhallow, (Indian wars, 1724,) suppose one of the Captain's name was " Bean,"-whereas it is evidently " Bane ;" and prob- ably Lewis Bane, a Representative of York in General Court, A. D. 1708 -17. One account says, Norridgewock was burnt August 12th ; this must have been old style. * 11 Mass. Rec. p. 316.
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A. D. 1724. ' missionary father,-they would be brothers again.' These terms were too insolent to deserve a moment's consideration ; and they returned, attended to Crown Point, by a military guard, generously furnished by Vaudreuil himself .*
December: Lovewell's first excur- sion.
It was about this time, and in the course of the subsequent spring, that the famous CAPT. JOHN LOVEWELL; and his com- panies of volunteers so highly distinguished themselves in three successive expeditions against the savage enemy. In his first excursion, undertaken in December, which was however, far less important than either of the others, he proceeded with thirty men to the north-eastward of Winnipiseogee pond, in New-Hamp- shire. Here his company killed and scalped a man, and carried an Indian boy to Boston ; and for both, they received the bounty promised by law, and likewise a liberal present.
His second excursion. His popularity, his patriotic and military ardor and his suc- cess, now drew around him volunteers to the number of 70, who Feb. 24. readily joined him ; and in February, they marched off to the place he had lately visited. Here, through fear of short-pro- visions, 30 were dismissed by lot and returned home. The others, pursuing their march, discovered at night, near the mar- gin of Lovewell's pond, at the head of Salmon Fall river, on the New-Hampshire side of the line, ten Indians lying around a fire, fast asleep ; nine of whom they shot, and the tenth wound- His success. ed. In the attempt of this one to escape across the pond, he was seized by a faithful dog, and holden till he was dispatched. For the scalps taken from their heads, Lovewell and his com- panions received from the Provincial treasury, a bounty of £1,000, and from the public, universal applause.
April 13. Cochran's Maquoit. In April, while he was preparing for a third excursion, there exploit from were a few occurrences, which must not be passed unnoticed. Two Indians took a soldier whose name was Cochran, at Ma- quoit, on the 13th of the month, and carried him two days into the woods. The first night they pinioned him, but in the next, left him loose. Rising softly when they were asleep, he knock- ed them both on the head, took their scalps and guns, and set out for the fort. In wading a river, he unfortunately lost one scalp and one gun. But when he arrived at the garrison, he told
* The Commissioners arrived at Albany, May 2, 1725.
t He belonged to Dunstable in Massachusetts .- Penhallow, Hutchinson, and Belknap, spell "Lovewell"-others " Lovel."
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so good a story, that several returned with him and found the A. D. 1725: dead Indians as he left them. The exploit was afterwards re- warded by his promotion. The next Monday, William and Matthew Soales, two most industrious and active men were slain near the fort at North-Yarmouth. Another party waylaid Lieut. North-Yar- mouth and Prescott and others, as they were passing the highway at Cape- Arundel visited.
Porpoise, and by particular aim, wounded him in several places.
Captain Lovewell, joined at Dunstable by forty-six volunteers, April 16. well supplied and armed, was prepared, April 15, for a third ex- Capt. Love- pedition. In good spirits, they took up their march the next excursion. well's third day, towards Ossipee ponds, and the upper branches of Saco river-the region and range of the remaining Sokokis tribe of Indians. The great bravery of these natives, and their antipa- thy to the English were characteristics, which were well known. Lovewell's Lieutenants, were Josiah Farwell, and Jonathan Robbins ; his ensigns, John Harwood and Seth Wyman; his chaplain, Jonathan Frye ; and his chief pilot was Toby, an Indian. On their march, Toby fell sick and returned. A soldier becoming lame was dismissed though with reluctance, who was barely able to get home. Another was brought down by fatigue and illness, after travelling upwards of 100 miles,-when the Captain came to a The jour- halt on the westerly side of Great Ossipee pond, in New-Hamp-ney. shire, ten miles from the west line of Maine. Here he built a small stockade fort, principally for a place of retreat in case of A fort built any misfortune, and partly for the accommodation of the sick man left. and 10 men who was now left, with the surgeon and some provisions, under a guard of eight wearied men. The number was thus redu- ced to thirty-four,* including the Captain ; who, resuming their Thirty-four march, shaped their course north-eastward till they came to the Lovewell's arrive at north-westerly margin of a pond, about 22 miles distant from the pond. fort-since called Lovewell's, otherwise Saco pond ; which is sit- uated in the south-easterly part of the present town of Fryeburg.+
* Of these, 7 belonged to Dunstable ; 5 to Woburn ; 7 to Concord; 7 to Groton ; 2 to Haverhill ; 2 to Billerica; and one to each of the towns of An- dover, Weston and Nutfield .- See their names in Mr. Symms' Hist. of the Battle, p. 10-11 .- Mr. Frye or " Frie" was graduated at Harvard College, in 1723.
+ The extreme length of the pond, which lies north-west and south-east, is short of two miles ; its mean width half a mile ; though its north-westerly end, which inclines to the north-east, is about 3-4ths of a mile wide. Peg- wacket, or the Indian village, was about two miles west of the pond, being
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discover and kill an Indian.
A. D. 1725. They had passed by the bend of the Saco river, where it crosses the line between New-Hampshire and Maine, and turns north- eastward ; leaving the Indian Pegwacket village between one and two miles north of them, and pursuing down on the north- erly side of Lovewell's or Mill brook, nearly to its mouth, and then in direct course to the western corner of the pond. Here, in the heart of the enemy's country, they encamped. They were alarmed during the night by noises around them, which they imagined were made by Indians; and early on the 8th of Saturday, May, while at their morning devotions, they heard the report of May 8, they a gun, and discovered a single Indian standing on a point of land, a mile distant, which runs into the easterly side of the pond. They suspected, that he was placed there to decoy them, and that the body of the enemy was probably in their front. A con- sultation being held, they determined to march forward, and by encompassing the head of the pond, to gain the place where the Indian stood. That they might be ready for action, they dis- encumbered themselves of their packs when they had travelled about half a mile, which they left without a guard at the north- erly end or corner of the pond, in a pitch-pine plain, where the trees were thin, and the brakes at that time of the year small. A stream, since called Battle Brook, which emptied into the pond at that place, was then too full of water to be forded near its mouth, and they crosed it above. They travelled in all nearly a mile from their packs, when they espied the Indian they had discovered at the point, returning towards the village. As he pass- ed, he did not see them, till he received their fire ; then instantly returning it, wounded Lovewell and another with a charge of
situated several rods distant from the eastern bank of Saco river; and as many west of the present academy and village. Nature had given this place a delightful situation, and prospect. The Indians used to range round from the village, through the northern ox-bow to Lovewell's pond, which at its eastern end is so near the Saco, as in freshets to receive its waters; and to ascend the Saco to the same pond ;- and then pass through the pond to its western corner-and thence over land, to their village. Hereabouts are several mounds of earth left by the natives of singular aspect. Whether they are ancient burying grounds, fortifications, or en- campments, cannot now be ascertained. The circumference of one of these banks is 60 feet ; and in its centre is another, in which a tree of considerable size formerly stood. There are four others, forming eight angles, and running from the centre one-all evidently the work of de- sign .- MS. letter and plan from Fryeburg.
CHAP. IV.]
OF MAINE. 137
small shot. Ensign Wyman firing again killed him, and they 4. D. 1725. took his scalp. Seeing no other enemy, they returned towards the place where they had left their knapsacks.
But it happened, that Lovewell's march had crossed the carry- A party of ing place, between the pond and the village, through which two in ambush. 50 Indians parties of Indians, consisting of about 63 men,* commanded by Paugus and Wahwa, were returning from an excursion down the Saco. Perceiving the new made track, they followed it, till they came to the packs, which they removed ; and counting them, found the number of Lovewell's men to be less than their own ; therefore they placed themselves in a well-chosen ambush, and awaited their return.
It was about ten in the morning when they arrived back, and Lovewell's the moment they reached the spot, the Indians rose in front and fight. rear, and ran, three or four deep, towards them with guns pre- sented, raising a horrid yell .- Lovewell and his companions re- ceived the shock with entire firmness, and facing the enemy, pre- sented their guns and rushed forward. When they had approach- ed within a few yards of each other, they fired on both sides- the Indians were shot in considerable numbers; yet the most of our men escaped the first fire, and drove their foes several rods. Turning, they renewed the charge with great spirit and bravery ; and at one time some of the combatants, were within twice the length of each other's guns,-the Indians constantly raising hid- eous whoops, and the English frequent shouts and cheers. Three rounds were fired on each side ; in which Captain Lovewell and eight of his men were killed ; and Lieutenant Farwell and two others were wounded. Several more of the enemy fell, yet being superior in number, they endeavored to surround our men ; when, at the word given for a retreat, the English retired in great order, two or three rods to the pond. In this forlorn place, they were compelled to take their station. On their right was the mouth of Battle Brook ; on their left was a point of rocks, which extended into the water ; their front was partly sheltered by a few pine trees standing on a sandy beach, partly covered by a deep bog, and partly uncovered ; and the pond was in the rear. Here they maintained the fight upwards of eight hours, with he-
* Penhallow says " seventy ;"-Hutchinson and Symms say " eighty," and Belknap says "forty-one."
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A. D. 1725. roic. resolution, against a much more numerous force ; being at frequent intervals severely engaged, in front and flank, and so completely in the power of the enemy, that had he made the best use of his advantage, the whole company must either have been killed, or obliged to surrender at discretion.
Incidents of the battle.
At one time, a group of savages appeared by their strange ges- tures to be engaged in a powow : when Ensign Wyman, secretly approaching them, shot the chief actor and dispersed them. Some of the Indians holding up ropes or cords towards our men, ex- claimed, will you have quarter ?- ' Yes, said they, at the muz- zles of our guns.' They were determined to meet a speedy and honorable death, rather than expire in torture, or in a linger- ing captivity. Mr. Frye, the chaplain, who was a young man greatly beloved for his piety and excellence, fought with undaunt- ed courage, till the middle of the afternoon, when he received a wound which proved to be mortal, and fell; yet was he after- wards heard in audible prayer several times, for the success and preservation of his surviving companions. As a few of them and of the Indians had some previous acquaintance, they bespoke each other several times during the engagement. John Cham- berlain, a soldier, and Paugus, a chief, both men of undaunted courage and large of stature, finding their guns too foul for proper use, accidentally stepped down, at the same moment, to wash them at the brink of the pond. Standing not far apart, they ex- changed a few defying words, while they without waste of time washed their guns ;- then the chief, as he forced down the bul- let, called out to his foe-" Quick me kill you now ;"_" may be not," said Chamberlain, whose gun by priming itself, gave him an advantage, and he sent the warrior in an instant to his long home.
The Indians
retreat.
This was one of the most desperate and hard-fought battles, which the English ever had with the Indians. Several discharged their guns more than 20 times .* Retreat was impracticable, and surrender never mentioned. The brave men fought through the day, without respite or a morsel of sustenance. By an unremit- ting and well-directed fire, so long a time, the number of the sav- ages was manifestly thinned-as their whoops and halloes became fainter and fainter, till just before dark, when they quitted their advantageous ground ; carrying off their slain and wounded, yet
* Penballow says, " between 20 and 30 times a piece."
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leaving the dead bodies of Lovewell and his men unscalped. The A. D. 1725. loss sustained by the Indians, has been estimated variously, and by some too high. Their killed and disabled, however, were fully equal in number, to the entire force of the English engaged in the action ; Messrs. Penhallow and Symms, two authentic wri- ters, representing the Indians to have lost in the battle of Peg- wacket, more than forty lives, possibly fifty .*
The shattered company of Lovewell's Spartan companions, Losses of collecting together in the evening, so far as they were able, found there were ten already dead ; nine uninjured ; one missing ; and fourteen wounded,-five of whom afterwards died. It was inex- pressibly painful to leave any of their dying associates behind. But ensign Robbins and Jacob Usher could not be removed. Robbins desired them to lay his gun by him charged, that he might be able to kill one more, if the savage foe should return before his death. Solomon Kies, exhausted with fatigue and faint through loss of blood from three wounds, told his ensign in the heat of the battle, he was a dying man; yet if possible, I will (said he) get to a place, where the Indians shall never be gratified with mangling my lifeless remains. Hence with diffi- culty, he crept to the pond, and rolled himself into a birchen ca- noe, providentially found there ; and while he lay unable to pad- dle, and almost senseless, his slender bark drifted towards the side of the pond nearest the stockaded fort, to which he at last attained.
After the rising of the moon, the condition of the survivors, as they Survivors thought, rendered a longer delay imprudent, so much as to pay , the last sad tribute of respect to the dead ; and therefore, twenty of them leaving the fatal spot, directed their march towards the fort. Eight were lame or full of anguish from their wounds ; and all of them having lost their knapsacks and provisions in the morning, and taken no refreshment as mentioned, were still with- out food, blankets, tents or the means of dressing a wound. When Farwell, the lieutenant, Frye, the chaplain, and two sol- diers, Davis and Jones, had travelled about a mile and a half, they sunk down, unable to go another step. They however en- couraged the others to proceed, in hopes of ultimate relief, possi-
Penhallow says also, " 40 were said to be killed, and 18 more died of their wounds."
the English.
take up their harch for the fort.
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A: D. 1725. bly from their return and help ; and after reviving, travelled to- gether at short stages several days. At length, Frye, reclining upon the ground, said to his friends, I shall never rise more ;- linger no longer for me ;- should you by Divine favor ever ar- rive home, tell my father, though I expect in a few hours to be in eternity, I fear not to die." Jones, there leaving them, proceeded down the river Saco to Biddeford, subsisting upon wild vegeta- bles, cranberries and the inner bark of trees ; being on his arri- val emaciated to a skeleton from the loss of blood, the want of food, and the putrefaction of his wounds. Farwell, who was de- servedly applauded in a high degree for his heroic conduct, being left on the tenth day by Davis, perished in the woods within a few miles of the fort ; Davis himself being the only one of the four, who reached it, Elias Barron, one of the wounded, was lost about Ossipee river, and nothing more heard of him,
Their suf- ferings.
To all the survivors, the night after they left the battle ground, was altogether too dreadful to admit of an adequate description, Deprived of strength, rest and guides, they felt that every step they took along the untrodden wilderness, was attended by the echoing whoops of savages, and the shadows of death. In the morning, they divided into three bands, through fear of making a track to be traced by their inveterate enemies; and indeed, one party of them was pursued a considerable distance by three In- dians, who occasionally showed themselves. After travelling three or four days, a distance of twenty miles in direct course, t six- teen arrived at the fort ; when, to their great disappointment, they found it deserted. It seemed, that in the beginning of the action, the man missing, whose name has not been thought worthy to be transmitted to posterity, quitted the field, and flee- ing thither, gave a frightful account of the battle, stating that Lovewell and most of his brave companions were killed, and the whole company defeated. Believing the story, they made the best of their way home. They left, however, a quantity of bread
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