USA > New Hampshire > The history of New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 9
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They had been prompted to undertake thisexpedition by the falfeaccounts brought by Mogg, an Indian of Penobfcot, whohad come in to Pafcataqua, with a propofal of peace ; and had reported that an hundred Indians were affembled at Offapy. This Indian brought with him two men of Portfmouth,
147
1676. 4
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Portfmouth, Fryer and Kendal, who had been taken on board a veffel at the eaft- ward. He was deputed 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, and ceafe ho- ftilities, they fhould be deemed and treat- ed 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 Penobfcot, the peace was ratified by Mado- kawando the fachem, and two captives were reftored. But Mogg, being incau- tioufly permitted to go to a neighbouring tribe, on pretence 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 pre- tended to fear when he left the veffels ; but a captive who efcaped in January gave a different account of him ; that he boaft- cd of having deceived the Englifh, and laughed at their kind entertainment of him. There was alfo a defign talked of among L 2 them
1677.
148
HISTORY OF
1677. them to break the peace in the fpring, and join with the other Indians at the eaftward in ruining the fifhery. About the fame time it was difcovered that fome of the Narrhaganfet Indians were fcattered in the eaftern parts ; three of them having been. decoyed 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 profe- cute their revenge againft them.
From thefe circumftances it was fufpec- ted, that the truce would be but of fhort continuance. The treachery of Mogg, who was furety for the performance of the treaty, was deemed a full juftification of the renewal of hoftilities ; and the ftate of things was, by fome gentlemen of Paf- cataqua, reprefented to be fo dangerous, that the government determined upon a winter expedition. Two hundred men, including fixty Natick Indians, were en- lifted 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
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At Cafco the major had a fruitlefs con- ference, and a flight fkirmifh with a few Indians, of whom fome were killed and wounded. At Kennebeck he built a fort, and left a garrifon of forty men, under the command of Captain Sylvanus Davis. At Pemaquid he had a conference with a com- pany 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 con- ference fhould be renewed in the after- noon, and all arms be laid afide. Some fufpicion of their infidelity had arifen, and when the major went afhore in the after- noon 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 ; charging them with treachery in conceal- ing their arms fo near. They attempted to take it from him by force ; but he threatened them with inftant death, and tvaved his cap for a fignal to the veffels. Whilft the reft were coming on fhore, the major with his nve men fecured the goods : Some of the Indians fnatching up a bun- dle of guns which they had hid, ran away : Captain Froft, who was one of the five, feized an Indian, who was well known to be
1677.
150
HISTORY OF
1677. 4 be a rogue, and with Lieutenant Nutter, carried him on board. The major fearch- ing 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 ca- noes, 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 ot their arms, which they had agreed to lay afide, was fufficient to juftify this feverity, may be doubted ; fince, if their intentions had really been hoftile, they had a fine oppor- tunity of ambufhing or feizing the major and his five attendants, who came afhore unarmed ; and it is not likely that they would have waited for the reft to come afhore before they opened the plot. Poffi- bly, this fudden fufpicion might be ground- lefs, and might inflame the prejudice againft the major, which had been alrea- dy 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,
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Kennebeck, which they took with them. They killed two Indians on Arrowfick Ifland, who, with one of the prifoners taken at Pemaquid, and fhot on board, made the number of Indians killed in this expedition thirteen. They returned to Bofton on the eleventh of March, with- out the lofs of a man, 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 invete- rate animofity 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 neighbours; and being a fierce and formidable race of men, their name carried terror wherever it
* Here ends Hubbard's printed narrative. The account of the re- mainder of this war is taken from his MS hiftory, from fundry original letters, and from a MS journal found in Prince's collect on, and fuppo- sed to have been written by Captain Lawrence Hammond of Charleftewn.
1677.
152
HISTORY OF
1677.
Genefis, ch. 14.
Hubbard's MS Hifto- ry.
it was known. It was now thought, that if they could be induced to profecute their ancient quarrel with the eaftern Indians, the latter might be awed into peace, or incapacitated for any farther mifchief. The 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 dwelled, and made ufe of their affiftance in recovering his kinfman Lot from the hands of their common enemy. With this argument the objectors were fatisfied ; and two meffengers, Major Pynchon of Springfield, and Richards of Hartford were difpatched to the country of the Mohawks ; who treated them with great civility, expreffed the moft bitter hatred againft the eaftern enemy, and promifed to purfue the quarrel to the ut- moft 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 Wono- lanfet being hunting, difcovered fifteen Indians on the other fide, who called to him in a language which he did not un- derftand ;
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derftand ; upon which he fled, whilft they fired near thirty guns at him without effect. Prefently after this they were difcovered in the woods about Cochecho. Major Waldron fent out eight of his Indians whereof Blind Will was one, for farther information. They were all furprifed to- gether by a company of the Mohawks ; twoorthree efcaped, the others were either killed or taken : Will was dragged away by his hair ; and being wounded, perithed in the woods, on a neck of land, formed by the confluence 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 con- fequence proved it to be otherwife ; for two of thofe who were taken with him efcaping, reported that the Mohawks threatened deftruction to all the Indians in thefe parts without diftinction : So that thofe who lived in fubjection to the En- glifh
1677.
MS jour- nal. March 30.
Hubbard's MS Hift.
MSjour- nal.
154
HISTORY OF
1677. glifh grew jealous of their fincerity, and ima- gined, not without very plaufible 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 Indians who were in hoftility with the Englifh, but only upon thofe who were in friend- fhip with them ; and this only in fuch a degree as to irritate, rather than to weak- en or diftrefs them. It cannot therefore be thought ftrange that the friendly In- dians were alienated from their Englith neighbours, and difpofed to liften to the feducing ftratagems of the French ; who in a few years after made ufe of them, in conjunction with others, forely to fcourge thefe unhappy people. The Englifh, in reality, had no fuch defign ; but the event proved, that the fcheme of engaging the Mohawks in our quarrel, however lawful in itfelf, and countenanced by the exam- ple of Abraham, was a pernicious fource of innumerable calamities.
The terror which it was thought this incurfion 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 furprized
by
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by an ambufh, as they were attempting to bury the dead bodies of their friends, who had been killed the fummer before, and had lain under the fnow all winter. The remainder of that garrifon; were then taken off and conveyed to Pafcataqua ; whither a company of fifty men and 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 houfes in Wells, Kittery, and within the bounds of Portfmouth *. A young woman who was taken from Raw- ling's houfe, made her efcape and came inte Cochecho, informing where the enemy lay : Three parties were difpatched to am- bufh three places, by one of which they muft pafs : 'The enemy appearing 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 lat- ter place the enemy loft their leader Mogg, who
1677.
Hubbard's MS.
April 22,
May 16.
The following extract from the before mentioned journal, Shews fomething of the fpirit of the times.
" April 16. The houfe of John Kennifton was burnt and he killed " at Greenland. The Indians are Simon, Andrew, and Peter, " thofe three we had in prifon, and fhould have killed. The good " Lord pardon us."
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HISTORY OF
May 27.
1677. who had proved fo treacherous a negocia- tor. 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 morning, a party of twenty, under the guidance of Simon, furprifed fixofour Indians, who lay drunk in the woods, at a fmall diftance from Portfmouth ; they kept all day hovering about the town, and if they had taken ad- vantage of the people's abfence from home in attending the public worfhip they might eafily have plundered and burned the out- moft houfes ; but they were providentially reftrained. At night they croffed the riv- er at the Long Reach, killed fome fheep at Kittery, and then went toward Wells ; but being afraid of the Mohawks, let their prifoners go. Four men were foon after killed at North Hill, one of whom was Edward Colcott, whofe death was much regretted.
MS Letter of Mr. Moody.
June 13.
More mifchief being expected, and the eaftern fettlements needing affiftance, the government ordered two hundred Indians of Natick, with forty Englifh foldiers, under Captain Benjamin Swett of Hamp- ton, and Lieutenant Richardfon, to march to the falls of Taconick on Kennebeck river ; where it was faid the Indians had fix
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
fix forts, well furnifhed withammunition. The veffels came to an anchor off Black Point ; where the captain 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 a- bout ninety in all, marched to feek the enemy ; who fhowed 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 moftly young and unexperienced foldiers. Swett, 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 furprifed 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 eafy prey to them. Thus the fummer was fpent with terror and perplexity on our part ; whilft the enemy rioted without control, till they had fatiated their vengeance, and greatly reduced the eaftern fettlements.
157
1677. L July.
MS Letter of Mr. Gookin of Hampton.
Hubbard's MS Hitt.
At
158
HISTORY OF
1677.
At length, in the month of Auguft, Major Androffe, governor of New-York, fent a floop with fome forces to take pof- feffion of the land which had been granted to the Duke of York, and build a fort at Pemaquid, to defend the country againft the encroachment of foreigners. Upon their arrival the Indians appeared friendly ; and in evidence of their pacific difpofition, reftored fifteen prifoners with the fifhing veffels. They continued quiet all the fuc- ceeding autumn and winter, and lived in harmony with the new garrifon.
1678.
MS Jour- pal, April
In the fpring, Major Shapleigh of Kitte- ry, Captain Champernoon and Mr. Fryer of Portfmouth, were appointed commiffi- oners to fettle a formal treaty of peace with Squando and the other chiefs, which was done at Cafco, whither they brought the remainder of the captives. It was fti- pulated 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 ac- knowledgment to the Indians for the pof- feffion of their lands, and one buthel for Major Pendleton, who was a great pro- prietor. Thus an end was put to a tedious and diftreffing war, which had fubfifted three years. The terms of peace were dif- graceful,
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graceful, but not unjuft, confidering the 1678. former irregular conduct of many of the 4 eaftern fettlers, and the native propriety of the Indians in the foil : Certainly they were now mafters of it ; and it was entire- ly at their option, whether the Englifh fhould return to their habitations or not. It was therefore thought better to live peaceably, though in a fort of fubjection, than to leave fuch commodious fettlements and forego the advantages of trade and fifhery, which were very confiderable, and by which the inhabitants of that part of the country had chiefly fubfifted.
It was a matter of great inquiry and fpeculation 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 In- dians to adventure thither. The French in Canada were too feeble, and too much in fear of the Englifh, 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 for- merly been fevere penalties exacted by the government, on the felling of arms and ammunition to the Indians ; but ever fince
Hubbard : printed Narrative. p. £2.
t 60
HISTORY OF
1678. fince 1657, licences had been granted to particular perfons to fupply them occafion- ally for the purpofe of hunting, on pay- ing an acknowledgment to the publictrea- fury. This indulgence, having been much abufed by fome of the eaftern traders, who, far from the feat of government, were im- patient of the reftraint of law, was' fup- pofed to be the fource of the mifchief. But it was afterward difcovered that the Baron de St. Caftine, a reduced French of- ficer, who had married a daughter of Ma- dokawando, and kept a trading houfe at Penobfcot, where he confidered himfelf as independent, being out of the limits 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 much care, and never expended it but when they were certain of doing execution.
Randolph's Narrative in Hutch. col. papers, p. 492.
Ibid, p. 562.
Hutch. Hint. vol. I. p3c9.
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 refented by thofe in power, that they made no ap- plication to the king for affiftance. It was intimated to them by Lord Anglefey 'that ' his majefty was ready to affift them with ' fhips, troops, ammunition or money, if ' they
NEW-HAMPSHIRE. 16:
' they would but afk it ;' and their filence was conftrued to their difadvantage, as if they were proud, and obftinate, and de- fired to be confidered as an independent ftate. They had indeed no inclination to afk favours from thence ; being well aware of the confequence of laying themfelves under obligations to thofe who had been feeking to undermine their eftablifhment ; and remembering how they had been ne- glected in the late Dutch wars, when they ftood in much greater need of affiftance : The king had then fent ammunition to New-York, but had fent word to New- England, ' that they muft fhift for them- ' felves and make the beft defence they ' could.' It was therefore highly injuri- ous to blame them for not making ap- plication for help. But if they had not been fo ill treated, they could not be charg- ed with difrefpect, fince they really did not need foreign affiftance. Ships of war and regular troops muft have been altogether ufelefs ; and no one who knew the nature of an Indian war could be ferious in pro- pofing to fend them. Ammunition and money were neceffary, 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 flores M which
1678.
Hutch. col. pap, P. 506.
162
HISTORY OF
1678. which money could purchafe. The methe od of fighting with Indians could be learn- ed only from themfelves : After a lit- tle experience, few men in fcattered par- ties were of more fervice than the largeft and beft equipped armies which Europe 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 perfeve- rance.
Our graveft hiftorians have recorded many omens, predictions, and other alarm- ing circumftances, during this and the Pe- quod war, which in a more philofophical and lefs credulous age would not be wor- thy of notice. When men's minds were rendered gloomy by the horrors of a fur- rounding wildernefs, and the continual apprehenfion of danger from its favage in- habitants ; when they were ignorant of the caufes of many of the common ap- pearances in nature, and were difpofed to refolve every unufual appearance into pro- digy and miracle, it is not to be wonder- ed that they fhould imagine they heard the noife of drums and guns in the air, and
₹ 63
NEWHAMPSHIRE.
and faw flaming fwords and fpears in the heavens*, and fhould even interpret eclipfes as omninous. Some old Indians had inti- mated their apprehenfions concerning the increafe of the Englifh, and the diminu- tion of their own people, which any ra- tional 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 re- corded, as fo many predictions 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 men- tioned, but to give a juft idea of the age : If mankind are now better enlightened, fuperftition is the lefs excufeable in its re- maining votaries.
* The rays of the rifing or fetting fun illuminating the edge of a {mall cloud, frequently produce appearances of this kind, and the ex- plofion of a meteor is well known to refemble the found of a gun or drum.
M 2 CHAP.
1678.
164
HISTORY OF
CHAP. VI.
Mafon's renewed efforts. Randolph's mij-
fion and transactions. Attempts for the trial of Majon's title. New-Hampshire Jeparated from Mafachufetts, and made a royal province. Abftract of the com-
million. Remarks on it.
1675.
May 17.
MS Copy in Superior Court files.
W HILST 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 attention. The fcheme of felling the provinces of New-Hampfhire 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 folicitor general Sir Francis Winnington, who reported that " John Mafon, efq. grandfather to the pe- " titioner, by virtue of feveral grants from " the council of New-England under their " common feal was inftated in fee in fun- " dry great tracts of land in New-England, " by the name of New-Hampfhire ; and " that the petitioner being heir at law to " the faid John had a good and legal title " to
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" to faid lands." Whereupon a letter was difpatched to the Maffachufetts colony, requiring them to fend over agents with- in fix months, fully impowered to anfwer the complaints, which Mafon and the heirs of Gorges had made, of their ufurping jurifdiction over the territories claimed by them ; and to receive the royal determi- nation in that matter. Copies of the com- plaints were inclofed ; and Edward Ran- dolph, a kinfman of Mafon, a man of great addrefs and penetration, refolute and in- defatigable in bufinefs, was charged with the letters, and directed by the Lords of Trade to make inquiry into the ftate of the country. When he arrived he waited on June 10. Governor Leverett, who read the king's letter with the petitions of Mafon and Gorges in council, Randolph being pref- ent, who could obtain no other anfwer than that " they would confider it."
He then came into New-Hampfhire, and as he paffed along, freely declared the bufinefs on which he was come, and pub- licly read a letter which Mafon had fent to the inhabitants. 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 inhabitants of Dover in public town-
1676. L March 10,
Hutchin. col. pap. p. 504.
July.
1 66
HISTORY OF
1676.
Pover Re cords.
Portfmou. Records, Sept. 1.
Hatchin. col. pap. 2. 513.
town-meeting 'protefted againft the claim ' of Mafon ; declared that they had bona ' fide purchafed their lands of the Indians ; ' recognized their fubjection to the go- ' vernment of Maffachufetts, under whom ' they had lived long and happily, and by ' whom they were now affifted in defend- ' ing their eftates and families againft the ' favage enemy.ª They appointed Major Waldron " to petition the king in their " behalf, that he would interpofe his royal "authority and afford them his wonted " 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 Maffa- " chufetts." A fimilar petition was fent by the inhabitants of Portfmouth, who appointed John Cutts and Richard Mar- tyn, efqrs. Captains Daniel and Stileman to draught and forward it.
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