USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > History of the White mountains > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20
In 1818, a Congregational church was formed, consisting of Melvin Farwell and wife, Abraham Burbank and wife, Widow Susannah Burbank, Betsey Philbrook, John Mason, jr., H. Ingalls, Rhoda Styles, Mary Peabody, and Ephraim and Seth Wight. This church, sometimes through its own efforts, and sometimes in connection with Shelburne, has had preaching most of the time since its formation. Its regularly settled pastors have been Rev. Henry White, and Rev. Henry Richardson. Besides those, Rev. Daniel Goodhue and others have been supplies for different portions of time. There is a Methodist church, also, which has been instru- mental of great religious and moral benefit to the place.
During the terrible storm of 1826, when my brother's family was destroyed at the Notch, slides also took place on many of the mountains around this town. From Picked Hill came rushing down thousands of tons of earth, and rocks, and trees, and water, destroying all that lay in their path. No lives were lost, but the consternation of the
inhabitants was great. The darkness was so intense as almost to be felt. The vivid lightnings and long streams of fire, covering the sides of the mountains, caused by the con- cussion of the rocks, only served to make the darkness more visible. Amid the deluge of rain, the terrific crashings of the thunder, and. over all, the deafening roar of the descend-
226
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
ing slides, it was impossible to make one's self heard. The valley rocked as though an earthquake was shaking the earth. The frightful scene did not last long; but, during its continuance, more terror was crowded into it than during an ordinary lifetime. The inhabitants under these moun- tains alone can appreciate the awful scene through which my brother and his family passed on that terrible night.
This region has been very much infested with bears, especially during the summer months. Many live now on the mountains, preventing entirely the raising of sheep. Though much of the land, especially on the mountains, is well adapted to grazing, still it is never safe to trust sheep and young stock far from the settlements. So late as the summer of 1852, a most desperate encounter took place between one of the farmers in this vicinity and a large black bear of the white-face breed - the most savage of that variety.
A Mr. Bean was to work in his field, accompanied by a boy twelve years of age. The bear approached him, and having his gun with him, charged for partridges, he fired, but with little effect. The bear bore down upon him; he walked backwards, loading his gun at the same time, when his foot caught by a twig, which tripped him up, and the bear leaped upon him. He immediately fired again, but with no visible effect. The bear at once went to work,- seizing his left arm, biting through it, and lacerating it severely. While thus amusing himself, he was tearing with his fore paws the clothes, and scratching the flesh on the young man's breast. Having dropped his arm, he opened his huge mouth to make a pounce at his face. Then it was that the young man made the dash that saved his life. As the bear opened his jaws, Bean thrust his lacerated arm down
227
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
the brute's throat, as far as desperation would enable him. There he had him! The bear could neither retreat nor ad- vance, though the position of the besieged was anything but agreeable. Bean now called upon the lad to come and take from his pocket a jack-knife, and open it. The boy marched up to the work boldly. Having got the knife, Bean with his untrammelled hand cut the bear's throat from ear to ear, kill- ing him stone dead, while he lay on his body ! It was judged the bear weighed nearly four hundred pounds. One of his paws weighed two pounds eleven ounces.
The earlier annals of this town are full of adventure, nearly equalling this in daring and bravery. The older in- habitants can recall many a scene of thrilling interest which took place within sight of their very cabins.
A man by the name of York, living in the woods, one day came rather suddenly upon a full-grown bear. They both stopped and looked each other steadily in the face. Neither seemed disposed to retreat. The bear bade defiance in her look, and York did the same. An encounter seemed unavoidable, partly because he dare not retreat now if he might, and partly because he had the pluck not to do it if he could. So they both addressed themselves to the battle. The bear raised herself on her hind feet, standing upright, and spread her fore legs to receive her antagonist. York responded by open- ing his arms, and a close grip succeeded. Then followed a struggle for dear life, the issue of which no one could have decided but for one circumstance. York had the advantage in it from having an open, long-bladed jack-knife in his right hand when it commenced. This, of course, he used in the best way he could, not stopping to ask whether it was fair or not. Making a little extra exertion on the first good opportunity, he drew the blade across the bear's throat, and
228
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
she relaxed her hold and soon bled to death. The victory was his.
One dark night Mr. Oliver Peabody, living in a log hut, was disturbed by his cattle in the hovel near by. Supposing that one of them had broken from his fastening, and was · goring the rest, he arose from his bed, and, with nothing on but his night-dress, ran towards the hovel to search out the cause of the trouble. As he came to the entrance, which was merely a hole in its side, he espied some black creature standing just inside, and, thinking it one of his cattle, stepped forward a little, and struck it on the rump with a stick he had in his hand, crying, "Hurrup ! hurrup there !" The creature, deeming this rather a rough salutation, turned round, and, with the full force of his huge paw, gave him a heavy slap on the side. By this time he began to imagine that he was in no very delicate, refined company, and must look out for himself. The salutation he received from the creature was a little more unceremonious and rude than the one he first gave him. He was fully aware, now, that some- times a person must take blows as well as give them, and hard ones, too. Certain it was, he had no disposition to re- peat his stroke, or his cry of " Hurrup ! hurrup !" and, per- ceiving that the bear was about to repeat the blow, he sounded a retreat, and made haste back to his hut. Whether the bear kept his ground, and proceeded to annoy the cattle fur- ther, we were not informed.
In the autumn of 1804, it required all the vigilance and courage of the inhabitants to preserve their cattle and hogs from the ferocious creatures. The nuts and berries, their usual food, had failed them, and, driven on by hunger, the infuriated beasts would rush almost into the very houses of the settlers. Young hogs were caught and carried off in sight of their
229
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
owners, and within gunshot of their pens. A huge, growl- ing monster, seized a good-sized hog in his paws, and ran off with it, standing on his hind legs, satisfying his hunger as he went.
One dark night Mr. Oliver Peabody, the same we have spoken of before, was disturbed by the loud squealing of his hogs. As unsuspecting as before, he rushed out in his night- dress to the yard where they were kept, back of his barn. Scarcely yet fully awake, he placed his hands upon the top rail, and stood peering out into the darkness, shouting lustily to whatever might be disturbing his hogs. So intent was he on driving away the intruder, that he was conscious of nothing until he felt the warm breath of a large bear breathing directly in his face. The huge monster had left the hogs on his first approach, and, rearing herself on her hind legs, placed her paws on the same rail, near his hands, and stood ready for the new-year salutation of the Russians - a hug and a kiss. Realizing fully his danger, he darted away for his house, the bear following close at his heels. He had barely time to reach his door, and throw himself against it as a fastening, when Madam Bruin came rushing against it. The frail thing trembled and squeaked on its wooden hinges, but his wife had placed the wooden bar across it, and thus it with- stood the shock. Opening the door slightly, on the first op- portunity, he let out his dog. The dog, used to the business, seized the bear fiercely by the throat, as she sat on her haunches eying the door. Not so easily driven off, however, she threw the mastiff with tremendous force against the house. and leaping a fence near at hand, sat coolly down. The noble dog, as soon as he could recover from the stunning blow, again attacked her. With still more force she threw him this time against the cabin, displacing some of its smaller
20
230
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
timbers, near where some of the children were asleep in a truckle-bed. Bounding away, she ran some eighty rods, to the house of one Stephen Messer, seized a large hog, and leaping a fence three feet high with it in her arms, ran thirty rods, and sat down to her feast. Before Messrs. Peabody and Messer could reach her, she had finished her repast and walked slowly off into the woods.
CHAPTER XVII.
SEGAR'S NARRATIVE.
ATTACK ON BETHEL. - SEGAR. - INDIANS. - CAPTURE OF SEGAR AND COM- PANIONS. - MRS. CLARK. - THE JOURNEY TO CANADA. - PETTENGILL'S HOUSE. - HOPE AUSTIN. - CAPT. RINDGE. - MURDER OF POOR. - CLARK'S ESCAPE. - ENCAMPMENTS AT NIGHT. - UMBAGOG LAKE. - SUFFERINGS FROM HUNGER. - ARRIVAL AT ST. FRANCIS RIVER. - INDIAN DANCE. - BRITISH PROTECTION. - RETURN HOME.
" With hearts unbent, and spirits brave, They sternly bore Such toils as meaner souls had quelled."
ON the third of August, 1781, a party of six Indians from Canada, in the employ of British officers, made an attack upon Bethel, then Sudbury, Canada, and Shelburne, killing three men, and carrying as many more into captivity. It was the last of a long series of outrages upon the frontier settle- ments, commencing with King Philip's war, and ends the bloody Indian history of this region.
Segar, one of the three men captured, who published an account of this surprisal and captivity after his return, and whose narrative we have more particularly followed, had early removed to Sudbury, Canada, from Massachusetts. He had been a soldier in the revolutionary army on the breaking
232
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
out of war, had retreated from Bunker Hill, and had helped to garrison the fort at Ticonderoga.
With three others he had built a hut, and at the time of his capture was residing six miles from any white settlement. No danger was apprehended from the Indians. Since the decisive victories of Norridgewock and Pequawket, they had appeared perfectly subdued, and lived on the most friendly terms with their more powerful neighbors. Since the break- ing out of war there had been some indications of returning hostility, but not enough to excite alarm. Frequently they had come to the settlements, painted and decorated for war, and occasionally, for a moment, assumed their old demeanor of insolent brutality ; but their generally kind and frank man- ner quieted all fear, and no one imagined harm.
On the day above stated Segar and two others, Jonathan Clark and Eleazer Twitchell, were at work in the field some distance from any house. Suspecting nothing, they were entirely unarmed. Suddenly six Indians, headed by one Tomhegan, a bold, impudent fellow, well known to the set- tlers, painted and armed with guns, tomahawks and scalping- knives, with a shrill war-whoop, sprang from a piece of woods near by, and made captives of the three.
Having secured their prisoners they marched them to Clark's house, the nearest to the party. Here they bound them down, and, with threats of killing them if they attempted to escape, commenced plundering the premises. Clark's wife, a courageous, resolute woman, did not admire the operation, and determined by stratagem or fight to oppose it. While they were filling their bottles with some rum they had found in the cellar, she took her husband's valuable watch and hid it in the ashes. Some old clothing she allowed them to take, without making any objection ; but when they demanded the
233
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
gold necklace on her neck, she plainly told them they could not have it, and summoned all her strength to fight it out. In the struggle which ensued, the string broke, the beads flew about the floor, and the Indians were never the richer by one. Not succeeding in obtaining the beads, they next demanded the silver buckles on her shoes ; but the undaunted woman gave them to understand, in plain words and a shrill voice, that her feet and the buckles on them were her own, and their safety lay in not meddling with them; and so thoroughly were the fellows frightened, that they made no more attempts on her.
While this was going on, her husband and the others were quaking with fear that the Indians would become infuriated, and kill the whole party together. Says one of the trem- bling captives : " My fears were that they would kill her ; she was very bold towards them, and showed no fears."'
During the struggle with Mrs. Clark, another Indian joined the party with Mr. Benjamin Clark, whom he had just taken. Him they secured, and sat down to count their gains, and make their arrangements for escaping undetected with their prisoners. Twitchell, seeing them thus engaged, and somewhat emboldened by the courageous bearing of the woman and the timidity of the savages, slipped his fasten- ings, and left suddenly for the woods, where, hiding himself among the logs, he escaped the search made for him.
The Indians, having determined on their course, packed up their plunder into large, heavy bundles, which they fastened on the backs of their prisoners. Whether fearing to take Mrs. Clark or not, they left her unharmed, simply remark- ing, as the fearless matron followed her husband to the door, that, if she remained in the house, she would not be mo- lested; but, if she attempted to follow, she would be killed 20*
234
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
for there were hundreds of Indians in the woods. Numbers, they might have thought, would terrify her, who, if they had undertaken to lead her off with them with their present forces, would have been quite likely to have turned upon them with
" Nay, then,
Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day ; No, nor to-morrow, nor till I please myself."
It was now late, and they could go but a few miles before it would be dark. With heavy hearts the poor men trudged on under their heavy burdens, their hands bound closely behind them, and their captors continually hurrying their speed, fearing their booty might be taken from them. Con- tinuing on as long as they could see, the darkness at length compelled them to halt for the night in the hut of one Peter Austin, who, fortunately, chanced to be from home. Here they found but little to plunder. Two guns,- one of them not good for anything, which they broke to pieces,-and a little sugar, were all they could find.
Tightening the cords with which they were tied until their hands were benumbed, they compelled their captives to lie down, and, surrounding them, the savages went to sleep. Says our narrator : "Here we spent a gloomy night, which none can realize except those who have been in a like con- dition." At daylight the Indians were astir, and lading their captives for the march. In Gilead, then Peabody's Patent, they stopped at the house of one Pettengill. Pet- tengill himself was not in the house, but some distance from it, in sight; and, the Indians calling him, he instantly came in. They searched the house, as usual, and found sugar and some cream in a tub, on which they breakfasted, "eating like hogs," but gave none to the prisoners.
235
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
After finishing the repast, they told Pettengill he must go with them, and to make himself ready. But he pleaded his want of shoes ; and fearing, perhaps, resistance, or the danger of having too large a number of captives, they left him, but strictly charged that he should not leave the house. Mrs. Pettengill and the children, remaining quiet, received no abuse.
· They had gone but a short distance from the house when two of the Indians returned, captured and bound Pettengill, and gave him his load among the others. But, for some reason, they feared him. They dared not take him with them, and they dared not leave him free. But one course was left, and, after having proceeded but a little way, they killed him on the spot. His wife, a few days after, discov- ered his body, and friends from Bethel buried it.
At Shelburne the Indians became greatly alarmed. Ques- tioning some children, whom they found at play near a small brook, concerning the number of men in an adjoining house, they replied there were ten, and that they all had guns. This so terrified them that they placed all the packs on the prisoners, and prepared themselves to take to their heels if attacked. The poor fellows, thus loaded down, were ordered to cross the Androscoggin river at a place where "it was never forded before or since." None of the men could swim, and how they succeeded in getting over, our narrator says he "cannot imagine." The fright, however, was groundless, as not a man was in the house. At the house of Hope Austin, which they passed, they found money, and other booty of less value, but left Mrs. Austin unharmed, bidding her remain in the house.
They were now on the very outposts of the scattered fron- tier settlements. Some miles after leaving the house of
236
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
Austin, Tomhegan, the instigator of these barbarities, left the party, and struck out into a by-path. He had not been gone long, when a gun was heard, and, soon after, Tomhegan returned with a negro, named Plato. He had been lurking round the premises of a Capt. Rindge, and, as one Poor and Plato were going out to work, Tomhegan had called to them to come to him. Poor, suspecting treachery, turned to run, when Tomhegan instantly shot him, and captured the black.
After learning from Plato that there was no one to fear but Capt. Rindge and wife, it was determined to march the captives to the house. Rindge was exceedingly terrified. He not only submitted patiently to the plundering of the savages, but even brought them articles they would never have found. Here the poor prisoners fared well. While they were eating, the Indians went out and scalped Poor. A boy named Ingalls was seized, but, by the persuasion of Rindge, was left.
Having satisfied their cupidity, they started on. Finding the number of captives too large to manage safely, they told Jonathan Clark he might return, provided he would keep the path they had travelled. Suspecting something was wrong, after going a short distance out of sight of the Indians, he left the path, and struck out into the woods. As he afterwards learned, it was the saving of his life; for, not long after he had taken the woods, two Indians who had been left behind came along the path, and would undoubtedly have killed him as a deserter.
Capt. Rindge's was the last house on the frontier, and an unbroken wilderness now lay between them and Canada. Shortly after leaving the house, the Indians took a large piece of spruce bark, and ordered Segar to write on it, that
237
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
if they were taken by Americans the prisoners would all be killed. This they fastened to a tree.
At the encampments at night the savages amused them- selves by their brutal dances. Says our author, of one of these scenes : " During our tarry in this place, we were per- mitted to sit down and rest ourselves; but they would not permit us to sit together. This was a very rocky place. Here they took the hair of their scalps in their teeth, and began to shake their heads, to whoop, to jump from rock to rock, and conducted and acted in such a hideous and awful manner, as almost to make our hair stand upright upon our heads, and to fill us with fear and trembling. I had heard of an Indian powwow ; but what tongue can tell, or imagination can describe, the looks and actions of these savages on such occa- sions ? Such scenes are beyond description. Their actions are inconceivable. It would seem that Bedlam had broken loose, and that hell was in an uproar."
After reaching Umbagog Lake, the remaining distance was made in canoes, carrying them on their shoulders across the carrying-places. During the whole march the captives suffered exceedingly from hunger. For days nothing would be given them to eat; and, when so worn down that they could with difficulty move, old moccasons of moose-skin, tainted by the heat, would be broiled, and bits of it given them. But once after leaving the settlements until they reached the St. Francois river was anything eatable given them, and this was moose-meat dried in the smoke. Most of this distance, too, they travelled with their hands tied fast behind them.
After reaching the St. Francois they fared better. Fish were plenty in these waters, and easily taken. Sturgcon were taken in large quantities by torchlight. As they came
238
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
among the remote settlers, milk frequently was obtained, and occasionally, says our narrator, "we had good bread and milk to eat, which was a very luscious dish, and highly pleas- ing to us, and we ate as much as we wanted."
But a short distance from their village the Indians com- menced loud demonstrations of rejoicing. As they entered the encampment, it was dark; but the Indians made it as light as day with their torches. There were seventy Indian warriors at this place. "When we came near the shore, an Indian clinched me by the arm, and violently pulled me to him, swaggering over me as though he would have killed me. I was surrounded by the Indians on every side, with terrible countenances, and of a strange language which I did not understand. At this time there were great rejoicings among them over the prisoners, scalps and plunder, which they had taken in this nefarious enterprise."
The captives were readily given up to the British officers, except Clark. No abuse was offered them amid the wild carousal of their captors. Black Plato stood awhile as a mark at which they threw firebrands ; but, crying lustily, was released uninjured.
Clark had completely taken the fancy of the Indians, or, perhaps, of the squaws. They determined on making him their chief, and had already " cut off his hair, painted him, and dressed him in an Indian dress," when they were pre- vailed upon to give him up. A bounty was paid the Indians by the British officers of eight dollars for a scalp, or for a prisoner.
" We were here under guard two days. After this, we were given up by the British guard to the Indians, with an interpreter, to carry us in their canoes to Montreal. About ten Indians took the charge of us. On account of contrary
239
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
head winds, we were many days in going up the river St. Lawrence. The prisoners were sometimes ordered to march by land, with a number of Indians to guard them. When we were in the canoes we were not permitted to wear our shoes. The canoes, as soon as we were on the land, left the shore even before I could pick up my shoes. When the Indians came up again, I immediately went for my shoes ; but I could not find them. I asked for them, but an Indian told me they had sold them for pipes. I found some fault with them for their conduct; but they told me the king would find me shoes. These were the last things they could take from me. They had ordered me to give them my shirt before, and they gave me an old frock for it without giving me any back. I could not help myself, for I was a prisoner, and in their power.
" We at length arrived at Montreal, and were conducted to the commander. There were three of us. They examined us, and asked us many questions ; - where we were taken prisoners; how long we had been in the American service, and many other like questions.
" The Indians requested the commander that they might keep Mr. Clark; but he would not grant their request. The Indians then took off all the ornaments from him, and every rag of clothes, except a very short shirt. They now received their bounty money for the prisoners and scalps. They took Plato away with them, and sold him to a Frenchman in Can- ada. Afterwards he was sent back to his old master, Capt. Rindge. The rest of us were given up to the British. We were ordered to go with a man, who conducted us to the jail, and delivered us to the guard, where were ten prisoners, and some of them confined in irons. Our situation now was truly distressing. We had been so worn down with hunger
240
INCIDENTS IN WHITE MOUNTAIN HISTORY.
and a fatiguing journey through the wilderness, and distress- ing fears in our minds, that we were almost ready to despond. Our allowance was not half sufficient for us. In this place were multitudes of rats, which would devour the whole allowance that was granted to us, and was of itself too small for us ; but we took every measure to secure it from the rats. The lice which we caught of the Indians were a great annoy- ance to our bodies. We were, therefore, afflicted on every side."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.