USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Swanzey > The history of Swanzey, New Hampshire, from 1734 to 1890 > Part 4
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treal, and bind up our provisions and blankets, lay down our arms and march out of the fort.
Upon our men returning, he desired that the Captain of the fort would meet him half way, and give an answer to the above proposal, which I did; and upon meeting the Monsieur he did not wait for me to give an answer, but went on in the following manner, viz. :- that what had been promised he was ready to perform ; but upon refusal he would immediately set the fort on fire, and run over the top; for he had seven hundred men with him, and if we made any further re- sistance or should happen to kill one Indian, we might expect all to be put to the sword. 'The fort,' said he, 'I am resolved to have, or die. Now do what you please; for I am as easy to have you fight as to give up.' I told the General, that in case of extremity his proposal would do ; but inasmuch as I was sent here by my master, the Cap- tain General, to defend the fort, it would not be consistent with my orders to give it up unless I was better satisfied that he was able to perform what he had threatened ; and, furthermore, I told him that it was poor encouragement to resign into the hands of the enemy, that upon one of their number being killed, they would put all to the sword, when it was probable that we had killed some of them already. ' Well,' said he, 'go into the fort, and see whether your men dare fight any more or not, and give me an answer quick, for my men want to be fighting.' Whereupon, I came into the fort and called all the men together, and informed them what the French General said : and then put it to vote which they chose, either to fight on or resign; and they voted to a man to stand it out as long as they had life. Upon this, I returned the answer that we were determined to fight it out. Upon which they gave a shout, and then fired and so continued firing and shouting until daylight the next morning.
About noon they called to us and said 'good morning,' and desired a cessation of arms for two hours that they might come to a parley ; which was granted. The General did not come himself but sent two Indians, who came within about eight rods of the fort and stuck down their flag and desired that I would send out two men to them, which I did and the Indians made the following proposal, viz. :- That in case we would sell them provisions, they would leave and not fight any more ; and desired my answer, which was, that selling them pro- visions for money was contrary to the laws of nations ; but if they would send in a captive for every five bushels of corn I would supply them. Upon the Indians returning the General gave this answer, four or five guns were fired against the fort, and they withdrew, as we sup- posed, for we heard no more of them.'
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Captain Stevens in writing to another person about this affair says : 'Those who were not employed in firing at the enemy were employed in digging trenches under the bottom of the fort. We dug no less than eleven of them, so deep that a man could go and stand upright on the outside and not endanger himself ; so that when these trenches were finished we could wet all the outside of the fort, which we did and kept it wet all night. We drew some hundreds of barrels of water, and to undergo all this hard service there were but thirty men. The enemy never had the courage to bring their fortification nor run over the fort but in lieu thereof, spent the night in shooting their fiery ar- rows, which were easily put out.
In all this time we had scarce opportunity to eat or sleep. The cessation of arms gave us no matter of rest, for we suspected they did it to obtain advantage against us. I believe men were never known to hold out with better resolution, for they did not seem to sit or lie still one moment. There were but thirty men in the fort, and although we had some thousands of guns fired at us, there were but two men slightly wounded.
By the above account you may form some idea of the distressed circumstances we were under, to have such an army of starved crea- tures around us, whose necessity obliged them to be the more earnest. They seemed every minute as if they were going to swallow us up ; using all the threatening language they could invent, with shouting and firing as if the heavens and the earth were coming together.
But notwithstanding all this, our courage held out to the last. We were informed by the French that came into the fort, that our cap- tives were removed from Quebec to Montreal; which, they say, are about three hundred in number by reason of sickness which is at Que- bec, and that they were well and in good health, except three who were left sick, and that about three captives had died who were said to be Dutchmen. They also informed us that John Norton had lib- erty to preach to the captives, and that they have some thousands of French and Indians out and coming against our frontier.'
The mortification of Debeline in his failure to take the fort must have been extreme but, though baffled in the attack on No. 4 he did not return with his forces immediately to Canada, but, dividing them into small parties, sent them out to hover around various places on the frontier. A small number of them very soon after ventured to re- turn and encamp secretly near the river at no great distance from the fort from which they had been so summarily repulsed.
But Captain Stevens observing a smoke, from which he was led to think that all was notright, went out after them and they precipitately
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retreated. Other parties of them hovered about Northfield, Winches- ter and Upper Ashuelot, but they had been taught too severe a lesson at No. 4, to allow them to return to its vicinity."
April 15, 1747. A party of Indians, or French and Indians, from up the Connecticut river, made a sudden descent upon Northfield, killed and scalped Nathaniel Dickinson and Asahel Burt as they were driving up cows just after sunset.
This party during the night of the 15th started for Winchester, Swanzey and Keene, and burned the three towns which had been aban- doned a few days before. It is probable the inhabitants had learned before they left that the French and Indian forces had attacked Charlestown, and as no military forces had been provided to garrison the forts in these towns they resolved to abandon them immediately. The annals of Keene contain the following :- "The inhabitants re- mained in the fort until March or April, 1747. About that time they passed an informal vote releasing Mr. Bacon, their minister, from all his obligations to them, and resolved to abandon the settlement, which resolution was immediately executed. Soon after a party of Indians visited the place and burnt all the buildings except the mill on Beaver brook, and the house in which the miller had resided."
It is traditional that the inhabitants of Swanzey left very suddenly. They preserved some articles that they could not well take away by burying them. A revered bible is now in the hands of the Belding family that was saved by being buried under a brass kettle. The statement has been made that in one instance a babe was left in its cradle and was rescued in the night.
One can well imagine what must have been the feelings of the men, women and children as they left the settlement. The men's feelings alternated between sadness and hopefulness ; they were sad when they thought of the homes they were leaving which were the result of years of hard labor; they were joyous when they thought that they should succeed in saving their families from the horrors of falling into the hands of the savages. The women thought more about the safety of their children than the homes they were leaving. The children felt a degree of mirthfulness when they were inspired by the thought that they were soon to see their grandfathers and grandmothers, uncles and aunts, at the old Massachusetts homes, about which they had heard their parents talk.
It is evident that some of the men returned to the settlement during the summer for the purpose of obtaining some income from their land. Between these men and the Indians there was some skirmishing in
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August, but without fatal results. The Indians succeeded in killing some cattle.
Oct. 16. Major Willard, Capt. Alexander and others went from here to Northfield, and when passing through Winchester they met a French- man coming towards them. When he saw the party he jumped behind a tree. Capt. Alexander, being foremost, shot and wounded him in the breast, which wound was supposed to be mortal. The party, presum- ing that Indians were near, immediately left. He was found by the Indians, but they left him, fearing that they would be pursued. He revived, and after a few days went to Northfield and delivered himself a prisoner to Capt. Alexander.
Oct. 22. Capt. Bridgman's fort, house and barn at Hinsdale were burned and Jonathan Sawtle captured.
Nov. 14. Twelve men left the garrison at Charlestown to go to places . below. They had gone but half a mile when they were waylaid and Nathan Gould and Thomas Goodale killed and scalped, Oliver Avery was wounded and John Henderson captured.
Active military operations closed in November and the forts in New Hampshire were garrisoned by soldiers provided by Massachusetts. During the winter Capt. Phinehas Stevens had a company of sixty men at Charlestown, and Capt. Josiah Willard, jr., had a company of twen- ty-six men at Ashuelots. Of Capt. Willard's men Thomas Cresson, Thomas Cresson, jr., William Grimes, Asahel Graves, James Heaton, Samuel Heaton and William Heaton had been residents of Lower Ash- uelot before the place was burned.
In the year 1748 soldiers were early provided for the different posts, and companies were enlisted as rangers to be employed in scouting the trails which the enemy were accustomed to take when they made their raids upon the settlements. We insert the following muster-roll of the company stationed at the Ashuelots (Upper and Lower).
ROLL OF CAPT. JOSIAH WILLARD, JR.'S CO. AT ASHUELOTS, FEB. 10 то Ост. 26, 1748.
Capt. Josiah Willard, jr., 1 Jos. Richardson, William Hunt,
Lieut. William Syms,
Thomas Thoyets,
Sergt. Thomas Taylor, Sergt. William Smead, Clerk Jeremiah Hall,
John Evens, James Burt,
Corp. Thomas Cresson,
Jeremiah Butler,
Corp. Benoni Wright, Timothy Fletcher, John Ellis,
Robert Tyler,
Samuel Hall,
William Hill,
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Wm. Bickford, Ruben Walker, Jona. French, Daniel How, jr., Ebenezer Fletcher,
James Billing,
Simeon Green,
Nathaniel Hills,
Asahel Graves, Benja. Nichols,
Robert Ewers,
Thomas Robbins,
John Edgehill,
Josiah Crosby,
Joseph Barron,
John Robert, Aaron Ward,
Wm. Livingston,
John Frost,
Benj. Hoagg,
Henry Stevens,
Benj. Barrett, Samuel Hoflinton,
Joel Johnson,
Henry Chandler, Thomas Crisson, jr., Nath'l Fairbanks,
Isaac Rice,
Jethro Wheeler,
James Eaton,
James Jewell,
John Scott,
Hezekiah Elmer,
Andrew Allard,
Samuel Hill,
Eliph. Corbin,
David Nims,
John Henry,
David Bacon,
Benjamin Osgood,
Wm. Blanchard,
Jona. Lawrence, jr.,
Matthew Wyman,
John Pullard.
The men for this company had been procured partly by enlistments. Massachusetts had offered a bounty of £5 for a year's service. A number of the men had been impressed. These had come mostly from Middlesex county, Mass. Many of the enlisted were New Hamp- shire men who had lived in some of the settlements before the war commenced.
March 29. Moses Cooper, Lieut. Sargent and son, Joshua Wells and one other man went about a mile from Fort Dummer for timber. They were attacked by some twelve Indians. Cooper was mortally wounded the first fire, but made his escape to the fort, where he died the next night. The others fought on a retreat. Wells was soon killed. Sargent and son continued to fight, but the father was killed and the son captured.
Additional soldiers had been furnished by Massachusetts to Capt. Stevens at Charlestown in the spring, so that his command consisted of a hundred men. He sent eighteen of his men under Capt. Melvin to scout as far as Lake Champlain. After they reached this point they were discovered by the enemy and commenced a retreat. They were intercepted by the enemy which got in their front. Melvin eluded them and succeeded in reaching West river some thirty or forty miles northwest of Fort Dummer when he was again intercepted. A disas-
Elijah Holton,
Jonas Holton,
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trous fight ensued. Six of Melvin's men were killed. The rest suc- ceeded in reaching Fort Dummer at different times.
June 16. A squad of twelve of Capt. Willard's men left the Ashue- lots for Fort Dunner by way of Hinsdale's fort having with them two rangers. They were ambushed by a large party of Indians between the two forts. Three were killed and scalped, viz., Joseph Richard- son, John Frost and Jonathan French, all of Billerica, Mass. ; seven were taken prisoners, one of whom, Wm. Bickford, was killed where the Indians camped the first night. Four escaped across the river to Fort Dummer, one of whom was a ranger who was severely wounded in the thigh. The prisoners at the first camping place were stripped of their arms and most of their clothing. They reached Canada about the first of July. Most of them were made to run the gauntlet. They returned in the fall feeble and cmaciated. One of them died soon af- ter his return from the effect of abuse. The prisoners were Mark Per- kins, Concord; Matthew Wyman, Dorchester; Benjamin Osgood, Billerica ; Wm. Blanchard, Dunstable; Henry Stevens, Chelmsford ; Joel Johnson, Woburn.
Capt. Humphrey Hobbs was stationed at Charlestown with a com- pany of rangers. He started June 24, in a southwest direction with forty men to scout the country between Charlestown and Fort Shirley. The second day after leaving Charlestown and while eating their lunch at noon, the sentinel in his rear discovered the enemy approach- ing. Hobbs ordered his men each to take a tree for cover. The Indians rushed forward with a shout and were received with a well directed fire and several fell. The Indians were led by a half-blood by the name of Sackett and he had a much larger number of men than Hobbs. The two leaders were well acquainted and Sackett could speak English. Sackett called to Hobbs to surrender. Hobbs dared him to come and take his men. After four hours of fighting, fortunately Sackett was wounded, when the enemy withdrew taking with them their dead and wounded. Hobbs had three men killed and four wounded. He reached Fort Dummer in the afternoon of the next day with his company and wounded men. The battle was fought about twelve miles west of Fort Dummer.
July 3. A party of Indians killed eleven cattle at Ashuelots and carried off the meat.
Sergt Taylor and six privates of Capt. Willard's company at the Ashuelots went down to Northfield for ten recruits to take the place of those lost in the encounter of June 16. July 14, Taylor started from Northfield for the Ashuelots by way of Hinsdale's fort and Fort
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Dummer with his six soldiers and ten recruits. When within about a mile of Fort Dummer they were attacked by a large number of In- dians under command of a French officer. They were attacked in front and in their rear. Asahel Graves of Lower Ashuelot and Henry Chandler of Westford, Mass., were killed, stripped of their clothing and arms and then scalped. Two escaped across the river to Fort Dum- mer, two got back to Hinsdale's fort and eleven were captured. Two of the captives, Joseph Rose of Northfield and James Billings of Con- cord were severely wounded. After going about a mile the Indians knocked the wounded prisoners on the head with war-clubs. Sergt. Taylor was one of the captives. He subsequently resided in Hinsdale. Thomas Cresson, jr., a captive, belonged to Lower Ashuelot. The other captives were Daniel Farmer, Groton ; Jona. Lawrence, Littleton ; Daniel How, jr., Rutland ; John Edghill, Framingham ; Reuben Walker, Chelmsford ; John Henry, Concord ; Ephraim Powers, Littleton. The prisoners were taken to Canada by the way of West river, Otter creek and Crown Point. In travelling the Indians made frequent halts and went about twenty miles a day. The prisoners were sold to the French who retained them until September.
The French officer above referred to was ordered by the French governor at Montreal " to go to war upon the territories of New Eng- land, with a party of twenty-six Canadians and eighty Indians." The Northfield historian narrates the following :- "'Sieur Raimbault, who had lately returned from a successful raid, was attached to this party, and as will appear, was of great service in selecting the right place for an ambuscade.
The equipment of the savages was as follows :- 80 muskets; 80 breech-clouts ; 80 pairs of mittens ; 100 deer skins ; 8 pounds of ver- milion ; 80 wood-cutters knives ; 80 pounds of powder; 80 pounds of ball; 80 pounds of lead shot; 80 collars for carrying ; 80 awls ; 80 tomahawks ; 400 flints ; 80 powder horns ; 100 needles ; 3 pounds of thread ; 80 war-clubs ; 8 axes ; 4 pairs of scissors ; 80 pounds of tobacco; 8 iron cooking pots; 8 canoes ; and 13 days provisions. This force made directly for the Connecticut valley and took a posi- tion on the highlands to the eastward of Fort Dummer."
Mr. Cresson used to say that the first meal offered him after reach- ing an Indian settlement was broth made from an old sow that had received no other dressing than the burning off of the bristles. He was almost starved, but he could not eat the broth.
The raids of the French and Indians were so far checked by formid- able military operations, that there was comparative quiet the last part of 1748. The settlers were not disturbed when doing their harvesting.
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HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
Peace was made between England and France the last of the year, but this did not wholly restrain the Indians from committing some atrocities on the frontier in 1749. Their appearance at Charlestown and Hinsdale caused general alarm. Soldiers were immediately raised to garrison different forts. Ten were sent to the Ashuelots. A com- pany of fifty six men, commanded by Capt. John Catlin of Deerfield, was mustered July 13, 1749, and discharged Oct. 12. This company was stationed at Northfield half the time and at the Ashuelots the other half.
"A Dark Time .- These were dark days to our people on the fron- tier. The attacks made in such rapid succession, and the signs dis- covered on all sides showed that the Indians were abroad in great force. The full foliage of the underbrush gave them secure cover ; and their uniform success gave them courage. And they had learned the peculiar tactics of each of our captains and commanders of forts. They knew where to look for carelessness, and recklessness, and cow- ardice, and want of foresight. They knew the condition of each gar- rison, and when they set an ambush, they knew whether a relief party might be expected promptly or tardily."
Of all the prominent men who had been engaged in protecting the settlements in New Hampshire on the Connecticut and Ashuelot riv- ers during this dark period was Col. Josiah Willard, the leading man in the settlement of Winchester. He was in command of the garri- son at Fort Dummer, and his son, Josiah Willard, jr., at the Ashuelots. He was commissary for his own garrison, for supplying that at No. 4 and those at the Ashuelots. When the government of Massachu- setts failed to provide him with funds he fell back upon his own re- sources. At one time he had advanced the large sum of ten thousand pounds. In writing to the governor of Massachusetts, April 5, 1748, he said "I have but six hundred pounds Province money in my hands to supply No. 4 for six months past, and to supply No. 4, the Ash- uelots and Fort Dummer for the future."
It was probably for obtaining supplies at Fort Dummer that the two squads from the Ashuelot garrisons undertook to go to Fort Dum- mer; the first, June 16, 1748 ; the second July 14, 1748, and which was attended with such disastrous results.
Fort Dummer was on the west side of Connecticut River and in what is now the southeast corner of Brattleborough. Hinsdale's fort was on the east side of the river and in Hinsdale.
The writer's father was well acquainted with some of the men whose residence in Lower Ashuelot had given them a knowledge of the im- portant events of this Indian and French war. The father obtained
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the statement that two men made their escape at one of the battles and came through during the following night to the Ashuelots. They did not come together although they were much of the time in hearing of each other and each was often alarmed by the other and secret- ed himself, fearing that he was in danger of falling into the hands of the ememy.
It has been generally understood that after the Ashuelots were abandoned in the spring of 1747, nothing was done here to rebuild or to occupy the land until after the close of the Old French and Indian War. This can hardly be accepted as probable from the preceding narrative of events. Soldiers were kept or sent here when danger was apprehended. That soldiers were stationed here makes it quite certain that some of the forts had been rebuilt. To have kept garri- sons here must have been to protect the men who had returned to re- build and prosecute their farming operations. It is not likely that the men generally had their families with them. Many of the men may have done the duty of soldiers and labored for themselves at the same time.
The forts were built generally of square hewed timber and built in a square form, often nearly or quite two hundred feet on a side. This gave room for a number of houses inside.
The years of 1750-51-52 and 53 were years of peace. In 1754 England and France were again engaged in war. The first place at which the Indians commenced their work about here was at Charles- town. Early in the morning August 29, 1754, they captured James Johnson and his wife, three children, a sister of Mrs. Johnson aged about fifteen and two men. The attack was made before the family had risen and they were all carried off to Canada without being op- posed. A daughter was born to Mrs. Johnson the next day after she was captured, and it was named Captive. The party in charge of the captives stopped one day on Mrs. Johnson's account. They then carried her on a litter at first, and afterwards a horse was provided for her to ride. To provide food, the horse was killed and the child was nourished by sucking pieces of its flesh. Mrs. Johnson and two of her daughters and her sister obtained liberty to return in eighteen months. The eldest daughter was retained in a nunnery. It was three years when Mr. Johnson and a son returned.
A letter from Major Benjamin Bellows of Walpole to Colonel Blanchard written two days after the attack at Charlestown, vividly pic- tures the sufferings of the settlers. He says "The people are in great distress all down the River and at Keene and at Swanzey."
Lt. Col. Josiah Willard, also writing at the same time to Col. B.
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and Gov. Wentworth, implores them "to help a poor distressed peo- ple, for almost every man is upon the move in this part of the coun- try. I have had no sleep these three nights." "We have persuaded the Bigger part of the People to tarry a little while and see if we can have some help." " We also this day received intelligence that two women and three children belonging to Swanzey are missing, which after diligent search made, not being found, are supposed to be taken ; and by the discoveries that are made, we are afraid of being invaded on every quarter."
It does not appear that the settlements about here were disturbed during the fall of 1754.
In 1755 Bridgman's fort at Hinsdale was occupied by Caleb How, Hilkiah Grout and Benjamin Garfield with their families. In the morning of June 27, the three men and two boys of Mr. How went to work in the meadow above the fort. They started to return about sunset. Mr. How was on horseback and had with him his two boys and was ahead of the other two men. They were fired upon by a concealed ambush and How brought to the ground from a wound in one of his thighs. He was immediately scalped by the Indians, had a hatchet struck into his head and left for dead. He was found the next morning and still alive, but soon died. The boys were captured. The other men attempted to escape by crossing the river, when Gar- field was drowned, but Grout escaped. The Indians went to the fort and obtained admittance by the wives, they supposing their husbands had returned from work. The Indians had learned the proper signal for gaining admittance to the fort by watching secretly those that entered. The three wives and eleven children were captured and car- ried to Canada. The fort was burned by the Indians.
The last of June an unsuccessful attack was made upon the fort at Keene. Capt. William Syms was in command there at the time. A number of cattle were killed, several buildings burned and Benja- min Twitchel captured.
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