USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Manchester > History of Manchester, formerly Derryfield, in New-Hampshire : including that of ancient Amoskeag, or the middle Merrimack Valley, together with the address, poem, and other proceedings of the centennial celebration of the incorporation of Derryfield at Manchester, October 22, 1851 > Part 5
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But a day ago, in her beauty's pride, The wrinkled crone was a fair young bride ; And the silken locks of her auburn hair, Caught many a youth in a fatal snare ; And the damask rose on her blushing cheek Filled many a breast too full to speak :- But now, she sits in her high-backed chair, With her wrinkled cheeks and her hoary hair, With her toothless lips and her grisly brow, Like a faded rose is her beauty now.
But she sits and sits in her high-backed chair, With her dull eyes fixed in a dreamy stare, And she talks to herself, in a murmur low, Of the things she did but a day ago.
"But a day ago, when my voice was young, How the lovers sighed at the songs I sung, How their eyes would flash with a meaning glance, As I twined my feet in the mazy dance ! And I smiled on all, with a look as gay s if beauty ne'er would pass away -
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And it seems, in spite of my locks of snow, It seems to me but a day ago."
"But a day ago, on a Sabbath morn, I was standing up with my bridals on ; And the noblest youth of a noble land Was to place the ring on my snowy hand : And the roses blushed to the summer air, As they kissed the curls of my auburn hair; And the diamonds dimmed, as they failed to vie With the starry light of my sparkling eye .- 'Tis a weary life, as the moments flow, Yet it seems to me but a day ago."
"But a day ago, since the joyous time When I danced and sang in my beauty's prime ; But a day ago, on the village green, With a blooming wreath, I was crowned the queen." -And a tear drop steals down her furrowed cheek, - As she tries again, but in vain to speak, And her thin lips quiver, whispering low, "But a day ago, but a day ago !"
As the sailor sits in his cabin door, With his vessel moored and his voyage o'er, How he loves to read from his dingy log, Of the piping blast or the murky fog, Of the towering berg, which the vessel passed, E're she safely came to the port at last.
So let us unite, as we gather here, On the safe return of a hundredth year, In a hasty search, with a curious eye, O'er the record book of the days gone by, From the letters old on its mouldy page, We may draw some good for the coming age.
Oh ! a merry life led the hunter bold, As he trod these hills in the days of old ; When his only friend was the trusty gun, And his only compass the rolling sun ; When his warmest couch was a leafy bed, With the branches waving overhead ;
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When his only quilt was the dark blue sky, With its starry patchwork waving high.
When the day was o'er, and the hunt was done, With the parting ray of the setting sun, What a dainty meal did his hands prepare, By his hunting fire in the open air.
When the silver stars through the branches peep, And the squirrel curls in his hole to sleep ; When the warbler flies to her leafy nest, And the spotted deer lies down to rest, How he sweetly sleeps 'neath the open sky, With the evening breeze for his lullaby.
And the fishermen were a sturdy race, Who had this spot as their dwelling place .- On the slimy rock by the water side, On the jutting peak 'mid the foaming tide, Where the speckled salmon wildly leapt O'er the lofty rock where the water swept, Where the shad was showing his silver side, And the alewife sculled in the foaming tide ; 'Mid the wat'ry spray, and the snowy foam, 'Mong the raging waves, was their dearest home. And they loved to stand on the slip'ry rock, Which had stood through time 'mid the waters' shock, In the foaming waves below, to feel With an iron crook, for the squirming eel, And they loved to take from the eel his life With a horrid gash, from a monstrous knife ; And, to stain their hands and garments o'er With the sticky slime and the ruddy gore ; And they loved to fish through the live-long night, And they loved to drink, and they loved to fight.
But, your pardon here, as I must digress, For I cannot give e'en a short address On my fathers' home, their woes, their weal, And omit the claims of the squirming eel.
"Ignoble theme !" does the critic say,- But what care I for his sneering bray ?
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In my boyhood's days upon eels I fed, And as now to you, I a banquet spread, Of such simple food as the past reveals, I invite you now to a dish of eels.
O'er ev'ry land and in ev'ry age, By the high and low, by the fool and sage, For the dainty eel has been left a space, At the festive board in an honored place.
When the Roman consul gave his feast, Of the rarest kind of bird and beast, 'Twould have seemed to him but a scanty meal, Had he failed to furnish the dainty eel.
Great Flaccus doffed his robes of pride, And in sack-cloth mourned for an eel that died ; And with keenest pang which the heart can feel, Horatius wept for a squirming eel .* And higher still in the list of fame,- I'll point to the royal Henry's name, Who died, as history's page reveals, A martyred soul in the cause of eels ! t Our fathers treasured the slimy prize : They loved the eel as their very eyes : And of one 'tis said, with a slander rife, ] For a string of eels, he sold his wife !
From the eels they formed their food in chief, And eels were called the "Derryfield beef !" And the marks of eels were so plain to trace, That the children looked like eels in the face ; And before they walked-it is well confirmed, That the children never crept but squirmed.
Such a mighty power did the squirmers wield O'er the goodly men of old Derryfield, It was often said that their only care, And their only wish, and their only prayer, For the present world and the world to come, Was a string of eels and a jug of rum!
* Enc. Am. Art. Petronyson.
+ Turner's His. Eng., vol. 4, p. 192.
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Oh the eel, the eel, the squirming eel, What a lovely phase does his life reveal ! In his chamber dark, 'neath the silver wave, Where the sleeping rocks in the waters lave, Harmless and lone, how he gently glides, As he sucks the dew from their mossy sides !
As the little fry through the water swim, Not a single fear have the fry for him : Not a single fear need the minnows feel, For a gentle thing is the squirming eel.
When attacked by foes, not a blow he deals, But away alone in his glory steals ; Not an angry thought to disturb his rest, Not an envious wish in his peaceful breast ; What a lesson here for his surest weal, Might be taught to man by the squirming eel.
If I should e'er, at a later age, Support a costly equipage ; In a palace live, and, with swelling pride, In a gaily gilded chariotride, I'll 'grave upon my family seal "The eel ! the eel ! ! the squirming eel ! ! ! "
Enough of this-no faithful heart desires To mark the failings of our noble sires :- From little follies, though but seldom free Of grosser vices they had less than we,- Their deeds of honor are by far too high To feel the lash of scorn and ribaldry, For every field which drank the patriot's blood Has tasted theirs the free'st of the flood.
But while they point with proudly swelling eye, To Bunker's column towering in the sky ; And while they boast the noble blood they shed, Till Concord's plains blushed with the gory red, They have their glory-it is theirs alone ;- We too, have ours, and we too, claim our own.
Where'er a school-house dots the village green, Where'er a church spire charms the rural scene ;
.
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Where christian people to the altar wend, Where happy children o'er their lessons bend, Where iron horses whistle o'er the land, Where crowded cities rise on barren sand : Where captured rivers feed our monster mills, There are our "Concords," there our "Bunker Hills."
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EXERCISES IN THE EVENING.
-
October 22, 1851.
The citizens assembled in the evening, in the City Hall, which was crowded to its utmost capacity.
The meeting was called to order by ISAAC W. SMITH, Esq. President of the Common Council.
On motion of Mr. JOHN L. KELLEY, Hon. RICHARD H. AYER, was chosen Chairman.
On motion of DANIEL C. GOULD, Esq. ISAAC W. SMITH, Esq. was chosen Secretary.
Mr. Ayer, in a brief manner, announced the objects of the gathering, paying at the same time, merited compliments to the Orator and Poet of the day. He then proceeded to call the names of gentlemen, who were expected, to make remarks on the occasion.
Hon. C. E. POTTER, being the first to respond, came forward and said nearly as follows :
The Merrimack, which has so often been alluded to, as the source of our city's prosperity, has ever been a source of profit to the inhabitants upon its banks. Not only to ourselves, and our forefathers, but to that race of men whose characters have been so little appreciated, and whose history is so little known among us-the Indians. Here, in Manchester, ("old Derry- field,") the most powerful race of the time, thePennacooks, for a long time, had their head quarters. Here at " Namaoskeag," was the royal residence of their Sagamons, while at Penna- cook (now Concord,) upon Sewall's island, and at Naticook (now Litchfield, ) upon what is now called Reed's island, they had their summer residences, during the planting season ; their most valuable planting grounds being in the neighborhood of those islands. But " Namaoskeag" was the place whence, not only the "Pennacooks," but all the neighboring tribes in amity with them, or of their confederacy, drew much of their suste- nance. Their harvest, their traps or kulheags, might fail them, but "Namaoskeag," the fishing place, never failed them. The Indians pursued their fishing and agricultural operations, with much more of skill and system than they have credit for. In fishing they used the hempen dip net and seine. The seine they stretched across creeks and rivers, by means of stakes driv- en far into the bottom of the creek or river, and the fish, col-
4
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lected far above them, were taken from their bark canoes with the stone spear, or dip net, or when taken upon salt creeks, were secured by the squaws, when the tide ebb- ed. Their nets and seines were made, with much skill, from the wild hemp. Their harpoon, or dart of stone, was used in taking sturgeon, blue fish, &c., and was used with much adroitness, and, in fact, their whole system of canoe fishing, was pursued with consummate skill. I have not a doubt, that much of the success of the Nantucket, and New Bedford whale fishe- ries, is owing to knowledge obtained from the Indians in manag- ing their canoes, approaching, wounding and securing their large fish. In fact, the dart now used by the Cape Cod fishermen, for taking the Sword-fish, Albicore, &c., is the exact pattern of the stone dart of the Indian; while the whale boat, in form and lightness, is made to correspond as much as possible to the In- dian birch canoe.
We first hear of the Merrimack through the Sieur De Monts, who wrote from the banks of the St. Lawrence, in 1604, thus : "The Indians tell us of a beautiful river far to the south, which they call the Merrimack." Its fisheries and planting grounds, were the scenes of Indian story at that early date. But in 1605 the Sieur de Champlain discovered the Merrimack river, its po- . sition being marked out for him, with a coal, upon a board, by some Indians whom he met upon the beach near Odiorne's point, west of the mouth of the Piscataqua. This rude map was drawn July 16th, 1605. The next day, June 17th, 1605, Champlain sailed along the Piscataqua Bay, and discovered the Merrimack, as laid down upon the Indian map. He named it the "Riviere du Gas."
This same Indian geographer gave him to understand, that there were six tribes of Indians on the coast, or upon the Mer- rimack, under as many chiefs ; and, if upon the Merrimack, the Pennacooks of "Namaoskeag" were of the number, without a doubt. Be this as it may, as early as 1628 we have authentic information of the Pennacooks upon the Merrimack. Thomas Morton, who left the country in 1628, and printed his "New English Canaan" in 1637, in London, gives an account of Pas- saconnaway; & among other curious matters, relates the unhappy termination of a marriage between the daughter of Passacon- naway and Winneperket, the Sagamon of Saugus. Winneper- ket, and the old Sagamon's daughter were married, with all the pomp and ceremony becoming their station-of the best blood in the country. Feasting, music, and revelry were the order, not only of the day, but of the night, and a chosen band of
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warriors were sent to accompany the bride to her home, at Sau- gus, where they were feasted in turn, as became the royal groom. But a sumptuous feast did not make a happy marriage.
The young bride, the following spring, desired to visit her father, and Winneperket sent her to her father's home, with an escort befitting her station. When she wished to return to Sau- gus, Passaconnaway sent a messenger to Winneperket, to send for his wife.
This message Winneperket took in high dudgeon, as he thought it insulting to him that Passaconnaway, should not re- turn her to him, with a fitting escort. In the beautiful language of Whittier, the Merrimack poet, Winneperket returned for an- swer :-
I bore her as became a chieftain's daughter Up to her home beside the flowing water.
If now, no more for her a mat is found, Of all which line her father's wigwam round, Let Pennacook call out his warrior train, And send her back with wampum gifts again.
This message enraged Passaconnaway, and he refused to send her back.
"Dog of the marsh !" cried Pennacook, "no more Shall child of mine sit on his wigwam floor. Go ! let him seek some meaner squaw to spread The stolen bearskin of his beggar's bed.
Son of a fish-hawk ! let him dig his clams For some vile daughter of the Agawams, Or coward Nipmucks ! May his scalp dry black In Mohawk smoke, before I send her back."
And the old Sagamon was as good as his word, for Morton adds that when he left the country, in 1628, she was still liv- ing with her father. At this time, Passaconaway was nearly ninety years old, as Gen. Daniel Gookin, who was well acquain- ted with him in after years, says that he saw him in 1660, when he was about one hundred and twenty years old.
In 1629, Passaconnaway executed the noted deed to the Rev. John Wheel wright, covering the land from the Merrimack to the Piscataqua.
I am aware that this deed has been pronounced a forgery, but authentic documents have lately come to light, that go to show the genuineness of this instrument.
In 1648, Passaconnaway became a convert to Christianity, un- der the preaching of the "Apostle Eliott," and publicly made known, at Pawtuckett, his change of faith.
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Passaconnaway was importunate with Mr. Eliot to visit "Na- maoskeag," and teach his people, and there is no doubt that he complied with his urgent request, and preached at this place.
For in 1648 Mr. Eliot "hired a hardy man of Nashaway, to cut out a way and mark trees," from "Nashaway" to "Namaske;" and he hired Indians and cut out his way and marked the trees. And when they came to Souhegan, in their work, the Indians of Souhegan were much pleased to think that Eliot was com- ing to visit them, for they had heard him at Pawtuckett and Nashua.
So that the first bridle path ever made from Nashua to "Nam- aoskeag," was made at the expense of the "Apostle Eliot." In the spring of 1649, when Mr. Eliot proposed to pass over this road, to visit "Namoskeag," he was taken sick, and for this time did not carry out his intentions. But soon after, he was doubt- less enabled to visit this place,and establish schools and preaching here ; for Gookin says, there "were preaching and schools at Namkeke." And who was there to preach or establish schools here, except the Rev. John Eliot ?
Passaconnaway was alive in 1663, and had a grant of land here at "Namaoskeag" from the Government of Massachusetts. He probably died soon after that period. He, at that time, lived and planted at the Islands in the Merrimack, north of the mouth of the Souhegan.
Wonnalancet inherited the Sagamonship of his father. He was friendly to the English, and, following the advice of his father, ever remained steadfast in his friendship. On the 6th day of May, 1674, Wonnalancet publicly renounced his religion. and embraced Christianity, in the presence of Mr. Eliot, Gen, Gookin, and a large number of Indians, at Pawtuckett. There was reason to suppose, that he ever remained true to his adopted faith.
He refused to join with Philip in his war against the Eng- lish, and for fear he might be drawn into the difficulty, he re- tired with his tribe in the winter of 1675-6 to the head of the Connecticut, where "was good hunting for moose, deer, bear, and other wild beasts."
In November of the same year, the Wamesits, of Pawtuckett, for fear of the same difficulty, and because they had been in- jured by unprincipled whites, came up the Merrimack in search of Wonnalancet, but not finding him, they wandered about in the woods in this neighborhood, and many of them perished from starvation and cold.
Simon Betogkom, an Indian preacher, who had been educa-
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ted by Eliot, was with them, and preached three successive Sabbaths here in the wilderness-the first Sabbath from the 35th Psalm-the second from the 46th Psalm, and the third from the 118th Psalm. These portions of scripture were chosen with much judgment, and were remarkably applicable to the situa- tion of his hearers. Especially so, when the fact is made known, that prior to the last Sabbath, on which Betogkom preached from the 11Sth Psalm, messengers had been sent to them on the part of the government of Massachusetts, promis- ing them protection if they would return to Pawtuckett.
On the 19th of September, 1677, Wonalancet, with his im- mediate friends, left his home in this region, and retired with the St. Francis tribe in Canada, with which he was connected by marriage.
In 1685, he came back again, and was living at Pennacook.
The year following he sold his lands at Wamesit, Wickasauke and Nashua, to Edward Tyng and others at Dunstable.,
In 1696-7, Wannalancet and his tribe were living at Wicka- sauke, and Major Tyng was alowed £20 for overlooking them. After this date we hear nothing of this Sagamon, and it may be that he died about 1700.
The majority of his tribe left him after he refused to join Philip's confederacy, in 1675, and as early as 1685, the Penna- cooks had chosen for their chief, the noted Kancamagus, or John Hogkins, the son of Nanamocomuck, the eldest son of Passa- connaway. He had been at the head of the Amariscoggins, and was a brave and wary chief. It was Kancamagus who planned and executed the attack upon Cocheco, in which Major Waldron lost his life, and which attack was managed with the most consummate skill.
The Indians were in the valley of the Merrimack in consid- erable numbers, as late as 1726, and in 1704, twenty Indians were in the employment of the government of New Hampshire as soldiers. Of these, two bore the military title of Captain, to wit : Capt. Samuel Pegen and Capt. Caleb, as is seen upon the files in the Secretary's office.
As late as 1626, an Indian by the name of Christi or Christoe, lived here at "Namaoskeag." His wigwam was upon the west side of the road leading to the Falls Bridge, and just upon the bank of the small brook that crosses the road, and empties into the Merrimack at the Falls. This brook is called Christi's Brook from this fact.
After Lovewell's fight, some of the whites at Dunstable and Haverhill, were suspicious of Christi's friendship, and came up
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here to the Falls to kill him ; but Christi escaped, and this body of Christian people contented themselves with burning his wig- wam. This outrage did not make an enemy of Christi, and he served as a soldier in 1745 and in 1746, as is shown by the Mus- ter Rolls of Col. Benjamin Rolf and Capt. Jeremiah Clough.
Our people treated the Indians badly in all sections of New England, and it is not strange that the Indians should seek re- venge. They did seek it, long after the Indians left the Merrimack valley, and most of the attacks upon the frontiers, from 1700, to 1760, were planned or piloted by Indians who had fled from New England, and taken refuge at St. Francis. They proved most efficient allies to the French.
The inhabitants of Derryfield suffered very little from the In- dians. John Stark was the only one taken captive. This was in 1752. There is one fact connected with this capture that I will relate, as it shows that the Indains were capable of appre- ciating sport.
Stark and his companion had been informed that they would be obliged "to run the gantlet," upon their arrival at St. Fran- cis, and they had been put in training for this ceremony.
Accordingly Eastman had committed an Indian sentence, to repeat while he was running the gantlet, which translated meant-"I'll beat all your young men." The sentence given to Stark, translated, read-"I'll kiss all your young women."- When arrived at the village, the entire tribe were in waiting to take part in the imposing ceremony. Two extended lines had been formed from the men, and women, and boys and girls-each one armed with a club or stick as suited the fancy, and it was expected that each one would hit the prisoners a kick, blow, or buffet, as they passed through the lines.
Each prisoner was furnished with a pole or staff six or eight feet in length, upon the top of which was a skin of some ani- mal. On Stark's was a Loon skin.
Eastman "run the gantlet" first. He started upon the run shouting in Indian, "I'll beat all your young men," and this shout lent weight to their blows, and he just escaped with his life.
Stark thought he would die game when it came his turn, and when starting, he returned the first blow given him with his pole, without thought of the Loon skin, and sang out at the top of his voice, "I'll kiss all your young women." Thus he went through the lines, striking right and left with his club, and escaped uninjured. The old Indians stood laughing at the
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blows dealt out to their young men, and the women stood mo- tionless to see if he would put his threat in execution !
We know nothing of the sufferings of a frontier life. Our fathers were obliged to go to their daily work with arms in their hands, and to the Sabbath meeting, armed for the attack. Often they had to take refuge in Forts or Garrison houses, for the se- curity of their families. Then, they never laid down to rest by night, or went from the gate by day, without fear of an attack from the savages.
In 1753, there was a fort at Derryfield called Stark's Garri- son, and a small force was stationed there under Capt. John Goffe. It was situated on the south side of Nutt's pond, near the outlet of the same, and the well remains to this day, to point out the locality. At this place, it accommodated the inhabi- tants of the Amoskeag Falls, McMurphy's Mills, and Goffe's Falls.
We have ever had in Derryfield brave men, and have always furnished our portion of fighting men, and done our portion of fighting.
When the attack was made upon the inhabitants of Stevens- town, by the Indians in 1754, Captain John Webster of this town, was ordered by Gov. Wentworth, to march with twenty men to the scene of action. These twenty men were enlisted here and at Londonderry, and marched as directed about the 24th of June. The same year, when the massacre took place at Stevenstown, on the 16th of August, Gov. Wentworth sent the following order to Col. Blanchard of Dunstable :-
"To Col. Joseph Blanchard-Upon the mischief done by Indians at Stevenstown, I have ordered a detachment from Capt. Odlin's troop of twenty-four horse and officers to command, al- so the like detachment from Capt. Steven's troop to guard the inhabitants in that frontier, until I can relieve them by a suffi- cient number of foot; and as your regiment lies contiguous to the frontier where the mischief was done ; I have thought prop- er to order and direct, that you forthwith enlist or impress fifty men, or more, if you think that number is not sufficient, and put them under an officer that you can confide in, and order them forthwith to march to Contoocook and Stevenstown, to relieve the detachment of horse posted there.
B. WENTWORTH."
" And put them under an officer that you can confide in !"- said Gov. Wentworth.
Now Col. Blanchard sent to Derryfield after that officer .-
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John Goffe of Derryfield, had the command of that detachment of troops, sent upon that hazardous service.
Among his men were the names of Caleb Paige, Joshua Mar- tin, Wm. Morse, John Harwood, Josiah Parker, Archibald Stark, Lemuel Hogg, Thomas Grear, John Barrett, James McNeil, and Robert Rogers, all men well known in the annals of Amoskeag, and some of them, names connected with the brightest pages of our country's history.
A number of men from Derryfield, were in the massacre at Fort William Henry, Aug. 9th, 1757, when the French so base- ly permitted our unarmed troops to be massacred by the Indians, in cool blood, after the capitulation. The N. H. Battalion un- der the command of Col. John Goffe, had the rear, as the for- ces were marched from the fort, and eighty were killed or ta- ken. Ezekiel Stevens of Derryfield was taken, tomahawked, and scalped. , He revived, was cared for by some French sol- diers, came home in a few months, and lived to a good old age, wearing a skull-cap instead of his scalp. Judge Blodgett was sutler to the battalion, and escaped by hiding himself under a batteau upon the shore of the Lake.
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