USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol I > Part 9
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They had been prompted to undertake this expedition by the falfe accounts brought by Mogg, an Indian of Penobfcot, who had come in. to Pafcataqua, with a propofal of peace ; and had reported that an hundred In- dians were affembled at Offapy. This Indian brought with him two men of Portfmouth, Fryer and Kendal, who had been taken on board a veffel at the eaftward ; he was de- puted by the Penobfcot tribe to confent to articles of pacification ; and being fent to Bofton, a treaty was drawn and fubfcribed by the governor and magiftrates on the one part, and by Mogg on the other ; in which it was ftipulated, that if the Indians of the other tribes did not agree to this tranfaction,
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» and ceafe hoftilities, they fhould be deemed 1676. { and treated. as enemies by both parties. This treaty was figned on the fixth of November ; Mogg pledging his life for the fulfilment of it. Accordingly, veffels being fent to Pe- nobfcot, the peace was ratified by Madoka- wando the fachem, and two captives were re- 4 ftored. But Mogg, being incautioufly per- mitted to go to a neighbouring tribe, on pre- tence of perfuading them to deliver their captives, though he promifed to return in three days, was feen no more. It was at firft thought that he had been facrificed by his countrymen, as he pretended to fear when he left the veffels ; but a captive who efcaped in January gave a different account of him ; that he boafted of having deceived the Eng- lifh, and laughed at their kind entertainment of him. There was alfo a defign talked of among them to break the peace in the fpring, and join with the other Indians at the eaft- ward in ruining the fifhery. About the fame time it was difcovered that fome of the Narr- haganfet Indians were fcattered in the eaft- ern parts ; three of them having been decoy- ed by fome of the Cochecho Indians into their wigwams, and fcalped, were known by the cut of their hair. This raifed a fear in the minds of the people, that more of them might have found their way to the eaftward, and would profecute their revenge againft them.
From thefe circumftances it was fufpected, that the truce would be but of fhort continu- ance. The treachery of Mogg, who was fure- ty for the performance of the treaty, was deemed a full juftification of the renewal of
1677,
Q
1
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HISTORY OF
1677. hoftilities ; and the fate of things was, by fome gentlemen of Pafcataqua, reprefented to be fo dangerous, that the government de- termined upon a winter expedition. Two hundred men, including fixty Natick Indians, were enlifted and equipped, and failed from Bofton the firft week in February, under the command of Major Waldron ; a day of prayer having been previoufly appointed for the fuccefs of the enterprize.
At Cafco the major had a fruitlefs confer, ence, and a flight fkirmifh with a few Indians, of whom fome were killed and wounded. At Kennebeck he built a fort, and left a gar- rifon of forty men, under the command of Captain Sylvanus Davis. At Pemaquid he had a conference with a company of Indians, who promifed to deliver their captives on the · payment of a ranfom : Part of it being paid, three captives were delivered, and it was agreed that the conference fhould be renew- ed in the afternoon, and all arms be laid afide. Some fufpicion of their infidelity had arifen, and when the major went afhore in the af- ternoon with five men, and the remainder of the ranfom, he difcovered the point of a lance hid under a board, which he drew out and advanced with it toward them ; charg- ing them with treachery in concealing their arms fo near. They attempted to take it from him by force ; but he threatened them with inftant death, and waved his cap for a fignal to the veffels. While the reft were coming on fhore, the major with his five men fecured the goods : Some of the Indians fnatching up a bundle of guns which they had hid, ran away : Captain Froft, who was
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one of the five, feized an Indian, who was 1677. well known to be a rogue, and with Lieuten- ant Nutter, carried him on board. The ma- jor fearching about found three guns, with which he armed his remaining three men ; and the reft being come on fhore by this time, they purfued the Indians, killed feveral of them before they could recover their canoes, and after they had pufhed off, funk one with five men, who were drowned ; and took four prifoners, with about a thoufand pounds of dried beef, and fome other plunder. The whole number of the Indians was twenty- . . : five.
Whether the cafual difcovery of their arms, which they had agreed to lay afide, was fuf- ficient to juftify this feverity, may be doubt- ed ; fince, if their intentions had really been hoftile, they had a fine opportunity of am- bufhing or feizing the major and his five at- tendants, who came afhore unarmed; and it is not likely that they would have waited for the reft to come afhore before they open- ed the plot. Poffibly, this fudden fufpicion might be groundlefs, and might inflame the prejudice againft the major, which had been already excited by the feizure of their friends at Cochecho fome time before.
On the return of the forces, they found fome wheat, guns, anchors and boards at Kennebeck, which they took with them. They killed two Indians on Arrowfick Ifland, who, with one of the prifoners taken at Pe- maquid, and fhot on board, made the num- ber of Indians killed in this expedition thirteen. They returned to Bofton on the eleventh of March, without the lofs of a man,
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1677. bringing with them the bones of Captain Lake, which they found entire in the place where he was killed *.
There being no profpect of peace at the eaftward, it became neceffary to maintain great circumfpection and refolution, and to make ufe of every poffible advantage againft the enemy. A long and inveterate animofi- ty had fubfifted between the Mohawks and the eaftern Indians, the original of which is not mentioned, and perhaps was not known by any of our hiftorians ; nor can the oldeft men among the Mohawks at this day give any account of it. Thefe Indians were in a ftate of friendfhip with their Englifh neigh- bours ; and being a fierce and formidable 'race of men, their name carried terror where ever it was known. It was now thought, that if they could be induced to profecute their ancient quarrel with the eaftern Indi- ans, the latter might be awed into peace, or incapaciated for any farther mifchief. The
.
Genesis. cháp. 14.
propriety of this meafure became a fubject of debate ; fome queftioning the lawfulnefs of making ufe of their help, "as they were heathen ;" but it was urged in reply, that Abraham had entered into a confederacy with the Amorites, among whom he dwel- led, and made ufe of their affiftance in re- covering his kinfman Lot from the hands of their common enemy. With this argu- ment the objectors were fatisfied ; and two meffengers, Major Pynchon of Springfield,
* Here ends Hubbard's printed Narrative. The account of the remainder of this war is taken from his MIS history, from sundry original letters, and copies of letters, and from a . MS journal found in Prince's collection, and supposed to have been written by Captain Lawrence Hanumad of Charks
7
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and Richards of Hartford were difpatched 1677. to the country of the Mohawks ; who treat- ed them with great civility, expreffed the moft bitter hatred againft the eaftern enemy, Hub bard's MS Histe- and promifed to purfue the quarrel to the ry. utmoft of their power.
Accordingly fome parties of them came down the country about the middle of March, and the firft alarm was given at Amufkeeg falls ; where the fon of Wonolanfet being hunting, difcovered fifteen Indians on the other fide, who called to him in a language which he did not underftand ; upon which he fled, while they fired near thirty guns at him without effect. Prefently after this they were difcovered in the woods near Cochecho. Major Waldron fent out eight of his Indians whereof Blind Will was one, for farther in- formation. They were all furprized togeth- MS Jours- er by a company of the Mohawks ; two or three efcaped, the others were either killed or taken : Will was dragged away by his hair ; and being wounded, perifhed in the woods, on a neck of land, formed by the con- fluence of Cochecho and Ifing-glafs rivers, which ftill bears the name of Blind Will's Neck .. This fellow was judged to be a fecret. enemy to the Englifh, though he pretended much friendfhip and refpect ; fo that it was impoffible to have punifhed him, without provoking the other neighbouring Indians, with whom he lived in amity, and of whofe fidelity there was no fufpicion. It was at firft thought a fortunate circumftance that he was killed in this manner ; but the confequence proved it to be otherwife ; for two of thofe who were taken with him efcaping, reported
nal, March 30.
Hubbard' MS Hist
n
Y
.126
HISTORY OF
1677. -
MS Jour- nal. :
that the Mohawks threatened destruction to all the Indians in thefe parts without dif- tinction : So that thofe who lived in fubjec- tion to the Englifh grew jealous of their fin- cerity, and imagined, not without very plau- fible ground, that the Mohawks had been perfuaded or hired to engage in the war, on purpofe to deftroy them ; fince they never actually exercifed their fury upon thofe In- dians who were in hoftility with the Englifh, but only upon thofe who were in friendfhip with them ; and this only in fuch a degree as to irritate, rather than to weaken or dif- trefs them. It cannot therefore be thought ftrange that the friendly Indians were alien- ated from their Englifh neighbours, and dif- pofed to liften to the feducing ftratagems of the French ; who in a few years after made ufe of them in conjunction with others, fore- ly ,to fcourge thefe unhappy people. The Englifh, in reality, had no fuch defign ; but the event proved, that the fcheme of engag- ing the Mohawks in our quarrel, however lawful in itfelf, and countenanced by the ex- ample of Abraham, was a pernicious fource of innumerable calamities.
The terror which it was thought this in- curfion of the Mohawks would ftrike into the eaftern Indians was too fmall to prevent their renewing hoftilities very early in the fpring. Some of the garrifon who had been left at Kennebeck were furprifed by an ambufh, as they were attempting to bury the dead bodies of their friends, who had been killed the summer before, and had lain under the fnow all winter. The remainder of that garrifon were then taken off and conveyed to Pafcata-
Hubbard's MIS.
.
רוהה
1
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qua ; whither a company of fifty men and 1677. ten Natick Indians marched, under Captain Swaine, to fuccour the inhabitants, who were alarmed by fcattered parties of the enemy, killing and taking people, and burning houf- es in Wells, Kittery, and within the bounds of Portfmouth *. A young woman who was taken from Rawling's houfe, made her ef- cape and came into Cochecho, informing where the enemy lay : Three parties were April 22. difpatched to ambufh three places, by one of which they muft pafs : The enemy appear- ing at one of thefe places, were feafonably difcovered ; but by the too great eagernefs of the party to fire on them, they avoided the ambufh and efcaped.
Soon after this the garrifons at Wells and Black Point were befet, and at the latter place May 16 the enemy loft their leader Mogg, who had proved fo treacherous a negotiator. Upon his death they fled in their canoes, fome to the eaftward and others toward York, where they alfo did fome mifchief. On a fabbath May 29. morning, a party of twenty, under the guid- ance of Simon, furprized fix of our Indians, who lay drunk in the woods, at a fmall dif- tance from Portfmouth ; they kept all day hovering about the town, and if they had taken advantage of the people's abfence from home, in attending the public worfhip, they might cafily have plundered and burned the outmoft houfes ; but they were providential- MS Letter ly reftrained. At night they croffed the riv-
* The following extract from the before mentioned Journal, shews some- thing of the spirit of the times.
" April 16. The house of John Keniston was burnt and he killed at
' Greenland. The Indians are Simon, Andrew and Peter, those three we
" badt in prison. and should have kill J. The good Lord pardon as."
of Mr. Moody
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HISTORY OF
June 13. .
1677. er at the Long Reach, killed fome theep at Kittery, and then went toward Wells ; but, being afraid of the Mohawks, let their prif- oners go. Four men were foon after killed at North Hill, one of whom was Edward Colcott, whofe death was much regretted.
More mifchief being expected, and the eaftern fettlements needing affiftance, the government ordered two hundred Indians of Natick, with forty Englith foldiers, under Captain Benjamin Swett of Hampton, and Lieutenant Richardfon, to march to the falls of Taconick on Kennebeck river ; where it was faid the Indians had fix forts, well fur- nifhed with ammunition. The veffels came to an anchor off Black Point ; where the cap- tain being informed that fome Indians had been feen, went on fhore with a party ; and being joined by fome of the inhabitants, fo as to make about ninety in all, marched to feek the enemy ; who fhewed themfelves on a plain in three parties. Swett divided his men accordingly, and went to meet them. The enemy retreated till they had drawn our people two miles from the fort, and then turning fuddenly and violently upon them, threw them into confufion, they being moft- ly young and unexperienced foldiers, Sweet, with a few of the more refolute, fought bravely on the retreat, till he came near the fort, when he was killed ; fixty more were left dead or wounded, and the reft got into the fort. The victorious fav- ages then furprized about twenty fifhing veffels, which put into the eaftern harbours by night ; the crews, not being apprehen- five of danger on the water, fell an cafy prey
1
MS Letter of Mr. Gookin of Hampton.
July.
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to them. Thus the fummer was fpent with 1677. terror and perplexity on our part ; while the enemy rioted without control, till they had MS Hist. Hubbard's fatiated their vengeance, and greatly reduced the eaftern fettlements.
At length, in the month of Auguft, Major Androffe, governor of New-York, fent a floop with fome forces to take poffeffion of . the land which had been granted to the Duke of York, and build a fort at Pemaquid, to defend the country againft the encroach- ment of foreigners. Upon their arrival the Indians appeared friendly ; and in evidence of their pacific difpofition, reftored fifteen prifoners with the fifhing veffels. They con- tinued quiet all the fucceeding autumn and winter, and lived in harmony with the new garrifon.
. In the Spring, Major Shapleigh of Kittery, 1678. Captain Champernoon and Mr. Fryer of Portfmouth, were appointed commiffioners to fettle a formal treaty of peace with Squan- MS. Jour- do and the other chiefs, which was done at 12. nal, April Cafco, whither they brought the remainder of the captives. It was ftipulated in the treaty, that the inhabitants fhould return to their deferted fettlements, on condition of paying one peck of corn annually for each family, by way of acknowledgment to the Indians for the poffeffion of their lands, and one bufhel for Major Pendleton, who was a great proprietor. Thus an end was put to a tedious and diftreffing war, which had fub- fifted three years. The terms of peace were difgraceful, but not unjuft, confidering the former irregular conduct of many of the caftern fettlers, and the native propriety of
R
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HISTORY OF
i
Hubbard's printed Narrative, page 82 ..
:
Randolph's Narrative in Hutchin- son's col. papers, page 492.
1678. the Indians in the foil : Certainly they were now mafters of it ; and it was entirely at their option, whether the Englifh fhould re- turn to their habitations or not. It was there- fore thought better to live peaceably, though in a fort of fubjection, than to leave fuch commodious fettlements and forego the ad- vantages of trade and fithery, which were ve- ry confiderable, and by which the inhabi- 'tants of that part of the country had chiefly fubfifted.
: It was a matter of great enquiry and fpe- culation how the Indians were fupplied with arms and ammunition to carry on this war. The Dutch at New-York were too near the Mohawks for the eaftern Indians to adventure thither. The French in Canada were too feeble, and too much in fear of the Englith, to do any thing which might difturb the tranquility ; and there was peace between the two nations. It was therefore fuppofed that the Indians had long premeditated the war, and laid in a ftock beforehand. There had formerly been fevere penalties exacted by the government, on the felling of arms and ammunition to the Indians ; but ever fince 1657, licences had been granted to particu- lar perfons to fupply them occafionally for the purpofe of hunting, on paying an ac- knowledgment to the public treafury. This indulgence, having been much abufed by fome of the caftern traders, who, far from the feat of government, were impatient of the reftraint of law, was fuppofed to be the fource of the mifchief. But it was after- ward difcovered that the Baron de St. Caffine, a reduced French officer, who had married a
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daughter of Madokawando, and kept a trad- 1678. ing houfe at Penobfcot, where he confidered himfelf as independent, being out of the lim- its of any eftablifhed government, was the perfon from whom they had their fupplies ; which needed not to be very great as they always hufbanded their ammunition with ibid, p. 562. much care, and never expended it but when they were certain of doing execution.
The whole burden and expence of this war, on the part of the colonies, were borne by themfelves. It was indeed thought ftrange by their friends in England, and re- fented by thofe in power, that they made no application to the king for affiftance. It was intimated to them by Lord Anglefey 'that ' his majefty was ready to affiit them with ' fhips, troops, ammunition or money, if they ' would but afk it ;' and their filence was conftrued to their difadvantage, as if they were proud, and obftinate, and defired to be confidered as an independent ftate. They had indeed no inclination to afk favours from thence ; being well aware of the con- fequence of laying themfelves under obliga- tions to thofe who had been feeking to un- dermine their eftablifhment ; and remember- ing how they had been neglected in the late Dutch.wars, when they ftood in much great- er need of affiftance : The king had then fent ammunition to New-York, but had fent Hutchin. word to New-England, 'that they muft fhift p. 506. col. pp. ' for themfelves and make the beft defence ' they could.' It was therefore highly inju- rious to blame them for not making applica- tion for help. But if they had not been fo ill treated, they could not be charged with
Hutchin. Hist. vol I. p. 809.
.
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HISTORY OF
1678. difrefpect, fince they really did not need foreign affiftance.' Ships of war and regular troops muft have been altogether ufelefs ; and no one that knew the nature of an Indian war could be ferious in propofing to fend them. Ammunition and money were necef- fary, but as they had long enjoyed a free trade, and had coined the bullion which they imported, there was no fcarcity of money, nor of any ftores which money could pur- chafe. The method of fighting with Indians could be learned only from themfelves : After a little experience, few men in fcatter- ed parties were of more fervice than the largeft and beft equipped armies which Eu- rope could have afforded. It ought ever to be remembered for the honor of New-Eng- land, that as their firft fettlement, fo their prefervation, increafe, and defence, even in their weakeft infancy were not owing to any foreign affiftance, but under God, to their own magnanimity and perfeverance.
Our graveft hiftorians have recorded ma- ny omens, predictions, and other alarming circumftances, during this and the Pequod war, which in a more philofophieal and lefs credulous age would not be worthy of notice. When men's minds were rendered gloomy by the horrors of a furrounding wildernefs, and the continual apprehenfion of danger from its favage inhabitants ; when they were ignorant of the caufes of many of the com- mon appearances in nature, and were dif- pofed to refolve every unufual appearance into prodigy and miracle, it is not to be won- dered that they fhould imagine they heard the noife of drums and guns in the air, and
1
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faw flaming fwords and fpears in the heav- 1678. ens, and fhould even interpret eclipfes as ominous. Some old Indians had intimated their apprehenfions concerning the increafe of the Englifh, and the dimintion of their own people, which any rational obferver in a courfe of forty or fifty years might eafily have foretold, without the leaft pretence to a fpirit of prophecy ; yet thefe fayings were recollected, and recorded, as fo many pre- dictions by force of a fupernatural impulfe on their minds, and many perfons of the greateft diftinction were difpofed to credit them as fuch. Thefe things would not have been mentioned, but to give a juft idea of the age : If mankind are now better en- lightened, fuperftition is the lefs excufeable in its remaining votaries.
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HISTORY OF
.
CHAP. VI.
Mason's renewed efforts .- Randolfih's mission and transactions .. -Attempts for the trial of Mason's title -New-Hampshire separated from Massachusetts, and made a royal province .- Abstract of the commission .- Remarks on it.
1675.
May 17.
1
NIS Copy in Superior Court files.
1676.
March 10.
WHILE the country was labouring under the perplexity and diftrefs arifing from the war, meafures were taking in England to increafe their difficulties and divide their at- tention. The fcheme of felling the provinces of New-Hampshire and Maine to the crown being laid afide, Mafon again petitioned the king for the reftoration of his property ; and the king referred the matter to his Attorney General Sir William Jones, and his Solicitor General Sir Francis Winnington, who re- ported that " John Mafon, efq. grandfather " to the petitioner, by virtue of feveral grants " from the council of New-England under " their common feal was inftated in fee in " fundry great tracts of land in New-Eng- " land, by the name of New-Hampshire ; " and that the petitioner being heir at law to " the faid John had a good and legal title to " faid lands." Whereupon a letter was dif- patched to the Maffachufetts colony, requir- ing them to fend over agents within fix months, fully empowered to anfwer the com- plaints, which Mafon and the heirs of Gorges had made, of their ufurping jurifdiction over the territories claimed by them ; and to re- ceive the royal determination in that matter. Copies of the complaints were inclofed ; and Edward Randolph, a kinfman of Mafon, a
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man of great addrefs and penetration, refo- lute and indefatigable in bufinefs, was charg- ed. with the letters, and directed by the Lords of Trade to make enquiry into the ftate of the country. When he arrived, he waited on Governor Leverett, who read the king's letter with the petitions of Mafon and Gorges in council, Randolph being prefent, who could obtain no other anfwer than that " they would confider it."
He then came into New-Hampfhire, and July. as he paffed along, freely declared the bufi- nefs on which he was come, and publickly read a letter which Mafon had fent to the in- habitants. Some of them he found ready to complain of the government, and defirous of a change ; but the body of the people were highly enraged againft him ; and the inhab- itants of Dover in public town-meeting 'pro- ' tefted againft the claim of Mafon; declar- ' ed that they had bona fide purchafed their ' lands of the Indians ; recognized their sub- ' jection to the government of Maffachufetts, ' under whom they had lived long and hap- ' pily, and by whom they were now affifted ' in defending their eftates and families a- ' gainft the favage enemy.' They appointed Major Waldron " to petition the king in " their behalf, that he would interpofe his " royal authority and afford them his wont- " ed favor ; that they might not be difturb- " ed by Mafon, or any other perfon, but " continue peaceably in poffeffion of their " rights under the government of Maffachu- ords. " fetts." A fimilar petition was fent by the inhabitants of Portfinouth, who appointed Records, John Cutts and Richard Martyn, efqrs. Cap- Sept. 1
1676.
June 10.
Hutchin. col. pap. p. 504.
Dover Rec-
Portsmou,
-
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HISTORY OF
1676. taîns Daniel and Stileman to draught and forward it.
Hutchin. col. pap. page 510.
When Randolph returned to Bofton, he had a fevere reproof from the governor, for publifhing . his errand, and endeavouring to. raife difcontent among the people. To which he made no other anfwer than that ' if he ' had done amifs, they might complain to ' the king.'
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