fiii 
 liillllil! 
 
 i||i|p 
 
 ^!?f|i|!li 
 
 ifliljljiiilljillliiilr 
 
 
 M 
 
 I If 
 
 11 
 
 1 r 
 
 1 i 
 
 iiiP^ 
 
 
 1 11 
 fffmftfl! 
 
 iiiiii 
 
■"V ■ 6 
 
 BRIEF SKETCH 
 
 OF THE 
 
 FIRST SETTLEMENT OF 
 
 Together with a few of the events which took 
 place there in early times. 
 
 BY ONE OF THE DESCENDANTS OP THE FIRST 
 SETTLERS OF THE TOWN. 
 
 ..J 
 
 GREENFIEIiD. 
 
 JAMES P. FOGG PRINTER. 
 
 1833. 
 
>' 'Y 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The writer of the following sketch is desirous 
 3f preserving to posterity some account of the in- 
 jidents which relate to the early settlement of the 
 iown, with a view of handing it down to poster- 
 ity; believing that it will gratify the feelings of 
 chose who are descendants of the early settlers 
 of the place ; — to them it may be a source of sat- 
 isfaction to learn what privations and suflferings 
 their ancestors endured. To those who are not 
 immediate descendants from the suflferers, it may 
 be some gratification to read of the exploits, 
 the sufferings, the hairbreadth escapes which were 
 the lot of those who first ventured to take a stand 
 on the borders between civilized man, and the 
 savage state. 
 
 A writer on this subject, a half a century ago, 
 makes the following remarks : — "I have often 
 heard it lamented" says he, ''that no more care 
 was taken in the first settlement of this country, 
 to preserve the memory of the early transactions 
 2 
 
IV 
 
 of our forefathers, of the many hardships and 
 difficulties they endured in this wilderness, of the 
 perils and dangers they endured, of the signal 
 deliverances granted to them, and of the distin- 
 guished blessings conferred upon them, both of a 
 spiritual and a temporal nature."* 
 
 It has now become a matter of much interest 
 to the Antiquarian, to learn what were the per- 
 ils endured by the first settlers, the time and 
 place of some of the principal incidents, which 
 without some record, would soon be lost. One 
 object is to mark out the places where, and note 
 the time when, such incidents occurred ; together 
 with as many facts relating thereto as can now 
 be collected to substantiate them. Time has ob- 
 literated many of the facts, — death has removed 
 nearly all the ancient men, who once could have 
 entertained us with much interesting information 
 on those topics. It is hoped that the time spent 
 in collecting the facts for this little work, may 
 not be wholly lost, but that it may serve to grati- 
 fy the curiosity of some at least, into whose hands 
 it may chance to fall. 
 
 Deerfield, 1833. E. H. 
 
 ♦Rev. Mr. Breck's century sermon delivered at 
 Springfield, Oct. 16, 1775. 
 
FIRST SETTLEMENT 
 
 OF . 
 
 DEERFIEliB. 
 
 In the year 1669, during the adminis- 
 tration of Governor Bellingham, the 
 government of Massachusetts Bay, made 
 a grant of 8000 acres of land to the town 
 of Dedham in the County of Norfolk ; 
 this tract was located, and is a part of 
 the territory which was in 1673, incor- 
 porated by the general Court, into a 
 town by the name of Deerfield, situated 
 in that part of the state which was af- 
 terwards erected into the County of 
 Hampshire, (since into the County of 
 Franklin.) The Indian name of Deer- 
 field, was Pocomtuck. The first meet- 
 ing of the proprietors of Dedham grant 
 was held at Dedham, March 1st, 1670, 
 'at which time, measures were taken to 
 lay out the town plat at Pocomtuck — 
 
6 
 
 soon after a settlement was commenced 
 there, (probably, in 1671,) a few houses 
 were built on the main street, and the 
 settlers continued to live in peace with 
 their Indian neighbors, until the break- 
 ing out of King Phillips' war (so-called) 
 in 1675. In September of that year the 
 place was attacked and one of the settlers 
 slain ; — they were again assailed by the 
 Indians the same month while going to 
 attend public worship on Sunday, fortu- 
 nately no lives were lost. There being 
 at this time a considerable quantity of 
 grain at Deerfield, it was deemed pru- 
 dent to remove it to some place of safe- 
 ty ; accordingly Captain Lathrop with 
 about 80 men, marched from Hadley, 
 (about 15 miles south of Deerfield) ac- 
 companied by a suitable number of 
 teams, for the purpose of moving the 
 grain to that place ; when on his return 
 from Deerfield, September 18th, 1675, 
 about four and a half miles south of the 
 village, at a place now called Bloody- 
 Brook, he was suddenly assailed by a' 
 large body of Indians, lying in ambush, 
 
who were said to be commanded by- 
 King Phillip in person ; the attack was 
 sudden and furious. Capt. Lathrop and 
 seventy three of his men fell in the ac- 
 tion, the teams were destroyed and most 
 of the teamsters slain. Captain Mosely 
 who was stationed at the village of 
 Deerfield, heard the firing, and immedi- 
 ately marched with his company, to the 
 relief of Capt. Lathrop, but he arrived 
 on the battle ground too late, Lathrop 
 with nearly all his men were slain. Capt. 
 Mosely found himself obliged to engage 
 the whole Indian force several hours. 
 When Major Treat very opportunely 
 coming from a scout up the river hearing 
 the firing and marched to his relief with 
 a force of about one hundred men, con- 
 sisting of English, Pequod and Mohegan 
 Indians, with their united force they de- 
 feated the enemy and drove them off the 
 ground ; Maj. Treat and Capt. Mosely 
 then marched to the village of Deerfield 
 and encamped ; the next day they return- 
 ed to the battle ground to bury the dead. 
 In the mean time a body of the same In- 
 2# 
 
8 
 
 dians appeared before the village and 
 threatening an attack, holding up to 
 view the scalps, and the bloody gar- 
 ments which they had taken from Capt. 
 Lathrop and his men, but at length they 
 withdrew. There were about ninety 
 men killed in Lathrop*s defeat including 
 teamsters ; and it is said that the Indian 
 loss amounted to ninety-six, during the 
 day. 
 
 Soon after this bloody catastrophe the 
 garrison was withdrawn to Hadley, and 
 the people left the town, which was de- 
 stroyed by the Indians. 
 
 At the winter session of the General 
 Court 1677, the following order was 
 passed : viz. 
 
 " Ordered that a garrison be sent to 
 Deerfield, and that the inhabitants pre- 
 pair to rebuild the town in a compact 
 order, and that the inhabitants repair 
 their this winter, that twenty soldiers be 
 sent their." 
 
 It appears that an attempt was made 
 to carry this order into effect, the set- 
 tlers repaired to Deerfield, and made an 
 
9 
 
 effort to rebuild the town, but soon sev- 
 eral of the inhabitants were slain by the 
 Indians, and the town was again aban- 
 doned to the enemy ; but in the Spring 
 of 1682, the settlers again returned and 
 commenced rebuilding the place and for 
 several years lived unmolested. 
 
 In 1693, the Indians again commenc- 
 ed their depredations on the inhabitants 
 and continued to harrass them until 
 1704. At this period an expedition was 
 fitted out by the Governor of Canada, 
 (Vaudrieul) from Montreal, for the ex- 
 press purpose of making an attack on 
 Deerfield, consisting of 200 French and 
 142 Indians, commanded by Major Kar- 
 tell de Rouville, a French Partizen ofii- 
 cer of note, they marched from Canada 
 in the winter, and arrived and attacked 
 the town February 29, 1704, a little be- 
 fore day light in the morning, they en- 
 tered the fort on the snow, it being then 
 four feet deep and sufficiently hard, 
 (with a crust) to bear them up ; they 
 came over the palisadoes, and immedi- 
 ately divided themselves into parties arid 
 
10 
 
 assailed the houses in various parts of 
 the fort, at the same instant. This was 
 the first intimation that the inhabitants 
 had of their approach, there was a few 
 soldiers stationed here, but as there was 
 no apprehension of an attack during the 
 winter season, the guards were in the 
 habit of retiring to rest sometime before 
 midnight, so when the assault was made 
 all were in profound sleep. The as- 
 tonished inhabitants arose from their 
 beds to defend themselves against the 
 musket, the tomahawk, and the scalping 
 knife; "at fearful odds," the struggle 
 was soon over ; the enemy succeeded in 
 taking all that part of the village which 
 was situated within the principal fort, 
 except one house, which was bravely 
 defended, but that was afterwards burn- 
 ed. The population at this time amount- 
 ed to about 280, of which there were 
 killed by the enemy 47, and made pris- 
 oners, 112, nineteen of whom were slain 
 on their way to Canada, principally on 
 account of being unable to bear the fa- 
 tigues and hardships of the journey^ in- 
 
11 
 
 eluding two who starved to death : viz. 
 David Hoyt and Jacob Hix. Of those 
 who were carried to Canada 28 
 never returned ; 62 were redeemed and 
 returned after an absence of two and a 
 half years. The descendants of some 
 of those who remained and settled among 
 the enemy, after several years, and dur- 
 ing peace came to visit their relatives ; 
 among them was Eunice, a daughter of 
 the Rev. Mr. John Williams who with all 
 his family (except his son Eleazer,) were 
 either killed or carried into captivity 
 this daughter was but about six years 
 old when she was taken ; she lived 
 among the Indians until she was grown 
 to a state of womanhood, when she 
 was married to a native Indian, and 
 reared up a family of children, who took 
 the name of the mother, (Williams.) — 
 She became firmly attached to the Indi- 
 an habits, and modes of living, and also 
 to the Romish religion, her friends made 
 an effort to pursuade her to remain with 
 them when at Deerfield, but all in vain ; 
 Sh^ could not be induced to give up her 
 
12 
 
 Indian habits, she utterly refused to sleep 
 on a bed, but choose to camp down up- 
 on the floor with her blanket. One ot 
 her descendants was educated m New 
 England and has been a preacher of 
 the gospel, somewhere on the borders of 
 Lake Michigan, he bears the name of 
 Eleazer Williams, his father is an Indian 
 and lives at St. Rigis in Canada. During 
 the attack on the town the enemy set 
 fire to, and destroyed all the village 
 within the fort, except the house men- 
 tioned above, the house that is now 
 standing (1833) and a small log church. 
 As fast as they took prisoners they con- 
 fined them in the church, or in the house 
 now standing, and this is believed to 
 be the reason why those buildings were 
 not burned. It is said that the last men- 
 tioned house was set on fire by the ene- 
 my when they left the town, but the 
 people who had escaped captivity came 
 in soon and extinguished the fire before 
 it had made much progress ; at this 
 time, this was a frontier town there be- 
 ' ing no other settlement between it and 
 
13 
 
 St. Johns' in Canada, (nearly 300 miles.) 
 The house now owned and accupied 
 by Elihu Hoyt, was at that time owned 
 and occupied by Capt. John Sheldon, 
 he was absent, but the principal part of 
 his family were either killed or taken ; 
 his wife was killed by a musket ball, fired 
 through a hole cut in the front door ; by 
 the tomahawk, (marks of which are now 
 to be seen) the place where the ball pas- 
 sed into the wall is still to be seen, as 
 are several other ball holes, which were 
 fired through the front window into the 
 walls of the same room. It is said that- 
 the Indians dashed out the brains of two 
 children who were taken in this house, 
 upon the flag stones, which still remain at 
 the front door. There were many peo- 
 ple in the house at the time, as it was 
 the custom for all the inhabitants to re- 
 tire to the forts at night for safety. The 
 enemy did not force their way into the 
 house through the front door, but effect- 
 ed their entrance by a back passage 
 which had been left open by a lad who 
 had escaped from the house during the 
 
14 
 
 assault. What is meant by the princi- 
 pal fort here spoken of, is all that part 
 of the village contained within the pick- 
 ets, or palisadoes. The principal fort 
 extended around a tract of the village 
 containing probably fifteen or twenty 
 acres, and included, as near as can be 
 now ascertained, ten or twelve dwell- 
 ings, besides out buildings. The houses 
 were some of them built in form of a 
 block-house with port holes, to fire down 
 on an enemy ; their walls filled in with 
 brick, making them proof against musk- 
 etry, as may be seen by the house now 
 standing, besides, there were mounds 
 (so-called) built of hewn timbers and 
 were ball proof; they were intended to 
 be occupied for places of defence 
 in case of an attack, but they were of 
 no use in the present instance for instead 
 of occupying the block-houses, the few 
 troops here and the inhabitants were oc- 
 cupying their beds, instead of ^ being on 
 the watch, they were all asleep until they 
 were roused from their slumbers by the 
 
15 
 
 savage yells of the enemy at their 
 doors. 
 
 . There was one small fort about sixty 
 rods south of the principal one, which 
 was not taken by the enemy ; it is said 
 they did not make a very powerful at- 
 tack upon it, they had probably full em- 
 ploy in the great fort, for the time they 
 had allotted to themselves to finish their 
 work, the}' commenced their retreat by 
 sun an hour high on the morning of the 
 assault, their departure was most likely 
 hastened from an apprehension that they 
 might be visited by a force from the 
 towns down the river, where there were 
 troops stationed, particularly at Hadley 
 and Northampton. 
 
 Could the Inhabitants have been ap- 
 prised of the approach of the enemy, 
 sufficient time to have prepared for de- 
 fence, very little doubt exists that the 
 fort might have been defended, and the 
 people delivered from the bloody trage- 
 dy w4iich followed, for it is well authen- 
 ticated that they had exhausted their 
 stock of provision, and were well nigh 
 
16 
 
 a state of starvatioiij and there were 
 some symptoms of mutiny among them, 
 had they have failed of success in their* 
 assault, and met with a defeat, they must 
 have been compelled to lay down 
 their arms and surrender at discression, 
 for they were 300 miles from their sup- 
 plies, and they could not have subsisted 
 their army by hunting or fishing at this 
 season of the year ; but by the fatal se- 
 curity felt by the inhabitants ; the enemy 
 succeeded in taking the fort, massacre- 
 ing one portion of the people and carry- 
 ing nearly all the remainder into capti- 
 vity. 
 
 A son of Capt. Sheldon with his wife 
 lodged in the chamber directly over the 
 room in which Mrs. Sheldon, (the moth- 
 er) was killed, on the alarm they leaped 
 out of the window, at the east end of the 
 house, by the fall she so injured her an-' 
 cle as to be unable to escape, being sen- 
 sible that they should both fall into the 
 hands of the enemy, she pursuaded her 
 husband to leave her to her fate, and se- 
 cure his own safety by flight, or they 
 
n 
 
 would be both made prisoners with little 
 chance of having their lives spared ; he 
 with much reluctance left her, and es- 
 caped from the savage enemy, and won- 
 derful to relate, she was taken, and not- 
 withstanding her lameness, was carried 
 to Canada where she remained a prison- 
 er about two and a half years, when 
 she returned from captivity and lived 
 with her husband and reared up a fam- 
 
 During the time the prisoners were 
 confined in the house, one of them by 
 the name of Bridgman, secreted him- 
 self under a quantity of bark in the gar- 
 ret, but his enemy soon sought him out ; 
 the Indian who discovered him called 
 to his companions, and they came up 
 and marched him down stairs forthwith ; 
 soon after, they proceeded to the cellar 
 in search of plunder, where Bridgman 
 had again concealed himself behind the 
 cellar door, and he remained there un- 
 til all the Indians had passed him on 
 their way up stairs, he came to the con- 
 clusion to follow them, lest he should 
 
 3 
 
18 
 
 meet with harsh treatment if found a 
 second time concealed ; he rejoined 
 them at the head of the stairs without 
 having been missed. When the enemy 
 were preparing to march, the prisoners 
 were brought out pinioned, preparatory 
 to moving off; while waiting orders a 
 young Indian came to Bridgman and 
 took him by the hand, and with his 
 knife deliberately cut around his fore- 
 finger and twisted it off, and went his 
 way. Whether this cruel transaction was 
 to punish him for having concealed 
 himself, or to try the young savage's skill 
 in the use of the knife, or for some other 
 purpose is unknown. Bridgman felt a 
 disposition to retaliate on the spot, and 
 abide the consequences ; but his hands 
 being confined, he was under necessity 
 of submitting to this savage insult. Soon 
 after this they commenced their march. 
 Bridgman began to loiter in the rear, 
 and before they had proceeded far, he 
 turned from them and made an effort to 
 regain the town, and he succeeded in 
 effecting his object, but he was severely 
 
19 
 
 wounded by a shot from the enemy, 
 ■while ascending the hill a short distance 
 from the fort. 
 
 When the enemy commenced their 
 retreat from the fort, all those capable 
 of bearing arms, who had escaped the 
 fate of their neighbors, mustered out, 
 aided by a few who had arrived from 
 Hadley and elsewhere, pursued and 
 overtook the enemy in the meadow 
 about one mile from the village, where 
 they engaged them for a considerable 
 length of time, and it is said that our 
 people fought bravely, notwithstanding 
 they were greatly outnumbered, and at 
 one period of the battle they pushed the 
 enemy so hard that their commander 
 was apprehensive of a defeat ; he sent 
 an Indian runner with orders to the 
 guard who had the charge of the prison- 
 ers to put them all to death ; but before 
 the runner had proceeded far, a lucky 
 hall put an end to his mission. 
 
 The Indians soon after prevailed, 
 and our people were compelled to re- 
 treat. The savage order was not renew- 
 
20 
 
 ed, and the prisoners escaped death for 
 this time. They had been sent forward 
 under a guard, and were bound to the 
 trees until the action was over, and the 
 army came up, from whence they were 
 marched forward about four or five miles, 
 where they encamped for the night. Here 
 " they dug away the snow and made 
 some wigwams, cut down some small 
 branches of the spruce tree to lie down 
 on, and gave the prisoners some what 
 to eat." During the night one of the 
 captives by the name of Alexander es- 
 caped. In the morning Rev. Mr. Wil- 
 liams was called for, and ordered by the 
 commander, " to tell the captives, that 
 if any more made their escape, they 
 would burn the rest of the prisoners.'' 
 The loss of the enemy in the meadow 
 fight was thirty-six, and they had eleven 
 killed in the assault on the fort. The 
 loss of the English in the meadow was 
 nine, and they also lost about forty- seven 
 killed in the attack on the town. 
 
 During the engagement in the fort 
 one house (situated a few rods from the 
 
21 
 
 house now standing,) was bravely de- 
 fended by seven men, and they maintain- 
 ed the defence against the whole French 
 and Indian force during the time they 
 remained. Great efforts were made by 
 the enemy to carry the house by strata- 
 gem, or to set fire to it. They procured 
 an ox sled, and loaded it with straw, 
 and set, it on fire, and forced it against 
 the house ; but the brave men within 
 sallied lorth and extinguished the flames ; 
 and at length succeeded in driving the 
 enemy from the house. While these 
 men were thus engaged, their wives 
 were employed in the cellar, casting 
 balls to supply their husbands with the 
 means of defending their families and 
 their homes. One of those brave men 
 lost his life by a shot from the enemy by 
 imprudently exposing himself at the win- 
 dow after they commenced their retreat ; 
 another of them fell while engaged fight- 
 ing the enemy in the meadow battle. 
 
 While the inhabitants were thus en- 
 gaged with the Indians in the meadow, 
 the fire rekindled in the house which 
 
22 
 
 had been so "bravely defended, and it 
 was consumed. 
 
 The people of Deerfield did not de- 
 sert the town,but maintained themselves 
 there through the Indian wars, but they 
 were frequently harrassed by them until 
 the conquest of Canada in 1760. Dur- 
 ing this period many lives were lost, 
 after which they had no more visits from 
 the Indians, except a few straggling ones 
 in time of peace. 
 
 Among the trophies which the enemy 
 carried away, was a small bell, which 
 they took from the log Church ; it is 
 said they transported it on a sledge un- 
 til they arrived on the borders of Lake 
 Champlain, where they buried it, and 
 let it remain there until the opening of 
 the Spring, when they returned, took it 
 up and transported it to the village of 
 St. Regis, and placed it in the Catholic 
 Church, where it has remained ever 
 since. 
 
 There is a tradition that this bell was 
 first purchased in France by the Romish 
 Priest, belonging to St Regis, and that 
 
23 
 
 the Indians, by his direction furnished 
 sufficient amount of furs to pay the cost 
 and charges, and it was expressly in- 
 tended for their Church ; that the ves- 
 sel on board which it was sent out, was 
 captured by an English cruiser and 
 brought into Salem, where the ship and 
 cargo were sold for the benefit of the 
 captors. The bell was bought at auc~ 
 tion by some one, and sold to the people 
 of Deerfield, and put up in their church 
 for the use of the parish. Tradition 
 says further, that when the people of St. 
 Regis learned the fate of their bell, there 
 was great lamentation among them, not 
 so much for the loss of it, but because it 
 had fallen into the hands of heretics ; 
 and their E,ev. Teacher gave them to 
 understand that it must be rescued out 
 of the hands of these unbelievers in the 
 true faith, at all hazards, and persuaded 
 them to offer their services to join an 
 expedition against Deerfield, for the pur- 
 pose of recovering the bell out of un- 
 holy hands ; hence they say was the 
 origin of the expedition, but it is believ- 
 
24 
 
 ed some more definite account of this 
 transaction would have been transmitted 
 to us than we now find, if these facts 
 were so. We see no account in the 
 history of those times relating to this 
 event, we are therefore, disposed to be- 
 lieve that it is at least problematical. 
 
 Soon after the destruction of the town 
 Capt. Sheldon conveyed his house and 
 homelot to his son Ebenezer Sheldon, 
 and removed to Hartford in Connecti- 
 cut, the place of his nativity. 
 
 In the year 1744, Ebenezer Sheldon 
 sold this Homestead to Jonathan Hoyt, 
 who, at his decease devised the same to 
 his son David Hoyt, and he gave it by 
 will to his son, the present owner. It is 
 now (1833) eighty nine years since the 
 place was purchased by the Grandfather 
 of the present owner. The precise time 
 when this house was built is not now 
 known, but it is believed that it was 
 not far from the time that the in- 
 habitants returned to rebuild the town 
 in 1682, certainly between that period 
 and the time of the attack in 1704. 
 
25 
 
 David, Hoyt, Great Grandfather to 
 the present owner of the house was ta- 
 ken by the enemy at the time, together 
 with his wife and four children ; he 
 starved to death while in the hands of 
 the Indians, at, or near, what is now 
 Newbury, in Vermont. One daughter 
 was slain on the way to Canada; one 
 son never returned from captivity, but 
 he remained with the Indians until his 
 death, at what period it is not known. 
 One son and one daughter were redeem- 
 ed, and returned to their native town, 
 after an absence of two years and a 
 half; his son Jonathan, (the one men- 
 tioned above) was about 16 years of age 
 when he was taken by the Indians, and 
 he lived with them two and a half 
 years at a place called Lorete, a few 
 miles from Quebec, upon the river St 
 Charles ; he could speak their language 
 fluently until his death, which was in the 
 ninety second year of his age. After he 
 had a family and was settled in Deer- 
 field, his old Indian master came from 
 Canada to make him a friendly visit, 
 
26 
 
 he was well received, and treated kindly. 
 When he left, they took an affectionate 
 leave of each other expecting to meet 
 here no more. The Government of Mas- 
 sachusetts employed an agent to redeem 
 such as had been carried into captivity 
 by the Indians. In 1706, Major Dudley, 
 son to the Governor of Massachusetts, 
 was residing at Quebec in that capacity, 
 by whom Jonathan Hoyt was redeemed 
 from his master in the following manner: 
 The Indians were in the habit of raising 
 and bringing to market, garden sauce 
 &c. One day Major Dudley saw young 
 Hoyt in the street, he said to him, are 
 you not an English boy ? he answered 
 yes ; do you not wish to go home and 
 see your friends ? I do, was his answer ; 
 where is your master ? said the gentle- 
 . man ; somewhere in the city said the 
 boy ; bring him to me said he ; the lad 
 now tripped over the ground with a light 
 heart, in pursuit of his master, who soon 
 came. The agent said to the Indian, I 
 will give you this for the boy, holding 
 out to him twenty dollars ; the tempta- 
 
27 
 
 tion was too great to be rsisted; the 
 bargain was made, the money handed 
 over, and the Indian went away well sat- 
 isfied. The gentleman immediately sent 
 the boy on board a ship then lying in 
 the river for the reception of the ran- 
 somed prisoners. The agent was aware 
 that when the Indian had leisure to re- 
 flect he would return and make a pro- 
 position to give up the money and take 
 his boy again ; he was not mistaken in 
 his conjecture ; he soon came back and 
 desired to give up the money for the 
 boy; he was told he could not have 
 him, he was out of his reach ; the Indian 
 went away lamenting that he had part- 
 ed with his favorite captive boy, for a 
 few dumb dollars, that would neither 
 hunt nor fish. By this means the cap- 
 tive was restored to his home and his 
 friends; the ship sailed from Quebec to 
 Boston, from whence the captives were 
 sent to their respective places of destm- 
 ation, rejoicing once more to meet and 
 enjoy their friends, and to be free from 
 bondage. 
 
28 
 
 The Rev. John Williams, minister of 
 the town, together with his wife and 
 children, except his son Eleazer. were 
 all either killed or taken prisoners. 
 Two of his children were slain at the 
 threshold of his own door. Mr. Wil- 
 liams was a son of Mr. Samuel Williams, 
 of Roxbury, where he was born, Dec. 
 10th, 1664. He took his degree at 
 Harvard College 1683 ; Settled in the 
 ministry at Deerfield, May 1686, He 
 married Eunice, daughter of the Rev. 
 Eleazer Mather of Northampton. At 
 the time of the attack on the town Mrs. 
 Williams was weak and unable to travel ; 
 the next day after she was taken, in 
 crossing the Green river, in the north 
 part of what is now Greenfield, about 
 six miles from her home she fell in the 
 water, and was unable to proceed ; her 
 savage master thereupon sunk his toma- 
 hawk into her head, and she expir- 
 ed on the spot, and was left unburied. 
 Her husband had requested his master 
 to let him go to her assistance before 
 she fell, but he refused to grant the re- 
 
29 
 
 quest. Her remains were soon after 
 found by some of the people of Deer- 
 field and were brought in and decently 
 interred. The tomb stones show the 
 place where her remains rest, on which 
 is the following Inscription : viz. — 
 
 " Here lyeth the body of Mrs. Eu- 
 nice Williams, the vertues and desira- 
 ble consort of the Rev. John Williams, 
 and daughter of Rev. Eleazer and Mrs. 
 Esther Mather of Northampton. She 
 was born Aug. 2, 1664, and fell by the 
 rage of the barbarous enemy, March 1, 
 1703—4." 
 
 " Proverb 31 — 28. Her children rise 
 up and call her blessed." 
 
 Mr. Williams with his remaining chil- 
 dren was carried into captivity where 
 they endured much hardship ; he event- 
 ually effected the redemption of all his 
 children except his daughter Eunice, 
 spoken of above. She married an In- 
 dian and lived in their habits and died 
 in the Romish faith. Mr. Williams re- 
 turned from captivity in November, 1706, 
 after an absence of two and a half years ; 
 
30 
 
 he landed at Boston, from Quebec, and 
 was immediately waited on by a com- 
 mittee from his parish in Deerfield, with 
 a request that he would return and con- 
 tinue his labors amon^ his people, which 
 invitation he accepted : and he preached 
 there until his death which took 
 place June 12th, 1729. He lived much 
 respected, and died greatly lamented, by 
 the people of his charge, and by all his 
 friends and acquaintances. He was 
 buried near by his first wife, and his 
 tomb stones bear the following inscrip- 
 tion : viz. — 
 
 " Here lyes the body of the Rev. John 
 Williams, the beloved and faithful pas- 
 tor of this place, who died on June 12, 
 1729, in the 65th year of his age." 
 
 " Rev. 14 — 13. Writes, blessed are 
 the dead which die in the Lord." 
 
 Mr. Williams had three sons educated 
 at Harvard College, and they were all 
 eventually settled in the ministry as fol- 
 lows : viz. — 
 
 Eleazer, at Mansfield, Conn. Stephen, 
 
31 
 
 at Longmeadow, Mass. Waretiam, at 
 Waltham, Mass. 
 
 There are not now living in Deerfield 
 any descendants from the Rev. John 
 Williams, in a direct male line ; but one 
 of Mr. Williams' daughter's, by his sec- 
 ond wife, married Doct. Thomas Wil- 
 liams of Roxbury, (now deceased,) who 
 has one son settled at Deerfield. It is 
 believed that there are many descend- 
 ants of Rev. John Williams, in Connec- 
 ticut and elsewhere. We have always 
 understood that the Rev. Eleazer Wil- 
 liams left a family at Mansfield, and Rev. 
 Stephen Williams at Longmeadow, some 
 of whom we have seen. Rev. Ware- 
 ham Williams of Waltham left a family, 
 but we know little of them, except his 
 son Samuel, who was a professor in 
 Harvard University ; he afterwards re- 
 moved to Vermont, where he died, leav- 
 ing posterity; some of them have re- 
 cently visited Deerfield to view the place 
 where their ancestors met with severe 
 trials and sufferings. 
 
 The inhabitants of Deerfield suffered 
 
32 
 
 as much by the cruelties of the savages, 
 according to their number, perhaps, as 
 those of any other town in New Eng- 
 land ; it was for a long time a frontier 
 settlement; from the time the people 
 began to settle in 1671. to the conquest 
 of Canada in 1760, a period of eighty 
 nine years, there was but a short space 
 that the inhabitants were not exposed to 
 the attacks of the enemy ; during which 
 period the town was twice destroyed, 
 and its inhabitants mostly killed or car- 
 ried into captivity ; many of the latter 
 were compelled to spend their days 
 among the Indians, and adopt their hab- 
 its and mode of living, those who were 
 young seemed soon to forget their rela- 
 tives and friends, and reconcile them- 
 selves to their condition, and in a short 
 space of time lost the use of their native 
 language, and adopted that of the In- 
 dians, which they soon spoke fluently. 
 Many of the elder ones fell into the 
 hands of the French, and in some in- 
 stances intermarried and formed con- 
 nection among them, but with few ex- 
 
33 
 
 ceptions, very little is known either 
 of those whose lot it was to fall into the 
 hands of the French or Indians. There 
 are doubtless many of their descendants 
 now living in Canada, who are unknown 
 by their connections here, and probably 
 will always remain so. 
 
 Two brothers were taken from Deer- 
 field and carried to Canada, and resided 
 among the Indians, a short distance from 
 Quebec, on the river St. Charles. The 
 elder one lived with them two and a 
 half years, when he was redeemed out 
 of their hands and returned to his native 
 town, where he settled. He said, that 
 his younger brother, (who was about 14 
 years old) had so far adopted the Indian 
 habits, before he left them, and become 
 so much attached to them, that he al- 
 ways avoided meeting him, if in his 
 power, and would never speak the En- 
 glish language, but make use of the In- 
 dian dialect. That in fine he had be- 
 come in the short space of two and a 
 half years, completely Indian in his hab- 
 its, manner and feelings. His friends 
 
 4 
 
34 
 
 never heard more from him after his 
 brother's return, he probably lived and 
 died among the Indians. 
 
 Much has been said in relation to the 
 manner by which our ancestors procur- 
 ed their titles to the lands which they 
 purchased of the Indians ; many enter- 
 tain an idea that the first settlers of New- 
 England took from the natives their lands 
 without giving them any consideration 
 therefor ; that this may have been the 
 case in some instances is probably true, 
 and it would be very strange if it were 
 not so, after the severe struggles and tri- 
 als which were had between the settlers 
 and the natives ; but there is reason to 
 suppose that the purchase of lands of 
 the Indians was much more extensive 
 than is generally believed to be ; by a 
 little recurrence to the history of our 
 country, we find evidence to show that a 
 large portion of New England was pro- 
 cured either by treaty, or by deed, from 
 some of the' head men of the several 
 tribes inhabiting the lands so conveyed ; 
 and a valuable consideration paid there- 
 
35 
 
 for. Most of the lands lying along the 
 Connecticut river, were purchased of the 
 natives by deeds, (many of which are still 
 extant.) So far as we have examined, 
 we find that the territory contained in 
 the following towns, along the valley of 
 the Connecticut, is among that which 
 was purchased by deed, viz : 
 
 East and West Haddam, Wethersfield, 
 Hartford, Windsor, Suffield in Conn. ; and 
 Springfield, Longmeadow, Westfield, 
 Northampton, Hadley, Deerfield, and 
 Northfield, in Mass. 
 
 Many more might be mentioned did 
 we deem it necessary ; that these pur- 
 chases were made in good faith by both 
 parties, we have no doubt. If any doubt 
 exists on our mind, it is whether the per- 
 sons who sold the land had sufficient 
 ^ authority to do so, and if they had 
 whether they were not deceived in the 
 amount or value, of what they received 
 in payment.* But taking into view the 
 
 *When the Rev. John Davenport and compa- 
 ny, first went to settle at Quinipiack, (now New- 
 Haven,) they purchased the territory of Monan- 
 
36 
 
 natural sagacity of the natives, add to 
 this the jealousy they entertained tow- 
 ards their white neighbors, we may pret- 
 ty safely conclude that their bargains 
 were as well understood by the Indians 
 who participated in them, as by the 
 whites ; they were doubtless considered 
 by both parties, as a bona fida sale, and 
 conveyance of the lands. The natives 
 perhaps did not consider the consequen- 
 ces which would be likely to follow, by 
 dispossessing themselves of their lands. 
 This we think is most likely to have been 
 the case, still we incline to believe that 
 the sales were mutually satisfactory at 
 the time they were made, and that not 
 so much injustice was done the natives 
 in the purchase of their land, as has by 
 some been imagined. It would have 
 been a difficult matter to have taken the 
 
 guin, the Sachem of that part of the country. 
 Besides engaging to protect him against the In- 
 dians of the neighborhood, they paid to him and 
 his tribe, twelve coats of English cloth, twelve 
 alchimy spoons, twelve hatchets, twelve hoes, 
 two dozen knives, twelve porringers, and four 
 cases of French knives and scissors. 
 
37 
 
 advantage of the Indians in those bar- 
 gains, if the Settlers had been so mind- 
 ed, as the government early took the 
 whole management of the land sales in- 
 to their own hands, and passed prohibi- 
 tory laws upon this subject, as will ap- 
 pear by an extract of a letter from Gov- 
 ernor Winslow dated May 1st, 1676, 
 wherein he says, " I think I can clearly 
 say that before the present trouble broke 
 out, the English did not possess one foot 
 of land in this colony, but what was fair- 
 ly obtained by honest purchase of the 
 Indian proprietors. Nay, because some 
 of our people are of a covetous disposi- 
 tion and the Indians are in straits, easily 
 prevailed upon to part with their land, 
 we first made a law that none should 
 purchase or receive of gift, any lands of 
 the Indians without the knowledge and 
 allowance of our court, and a penalty of 
 a fine of five pounds per acre for all that 
 should be so bought or obtained.'* This 
 was the regulation of the Plymouth Col- 
 ony, and Massachusetts Bay passed a 
 similar act. None were allowed to take 
 
38 
 
 deeds of the Indians, except under cer- 
 tain conditions pointed out and regula- 
 ted by the Government* 
 
 That the Indians were sometimes harsh- 
 ly treated by the whites in time of war 
 cannot be denied ; notwithstanding their 
 mode of warfare, and their barbarous 
 disposition to cruelty and bloodshed, yet 
 we are satisfied that there are some acts 
 of the first settlers, which do not fall a 
 whit behind those of their red enemies. 
 We have reference particularly to the 
 treatment of their prisoners, which in 
 
 * Soon after the termination of the Pequod 
 war, about 1637, the settlers on the Connecticut 
 River, above Hartford and Windsor, were ex- 
 tremely straitened for want of bread corn, and 
 were under necessity of applyinj^ to their neiich- 
 bors for a supply, but not having any to part with, 
 they next sent to the Narragansett country, but 
 they were unable to find sufficient relief. 
 Agents were then sent up the river to Pocom- 
 tuck, (now Deerfield) to purchase corn of the 
 Indians, who fitted out a fleet of fifty canoes 
 loaded with corn, and descended the river, and 
 sold it to the English at Windsor, this in some 
 measure relieved the sufieriug people, and the 
 most delicate fed on bread of this coarse, thoug h 
 wholesome material. 
 
39 
 
 some instances are not easily reconciled 
 to the principles of justice, and the hum- 
 ble requirements of Christianity. We 
 have particular reference to the dispo- 
 sition made of Anawon, (Phillip's great 
 captain and counsellor,) when he was 
 made prisoner by Capt. Church, soon af- 
 ter the death of Phillip, he was conduct- 
 ed to Boston, and there perfidiously put 
 to death, and we have too much reason 
 to believe that it was done with the 
 knowledge, if not the consent of the 
 government. This violent procedure 
 could not be justified by any act of the 
 natives, more especially by any act of 
 this high-minded chief. He had conduc- 
 ted himself with the utmost propriety, 
 after his capture, he had fallen into the 
 hands of his enemy by the fortune of 
 war, and so long as he submitted to his 
 fiite with humility, he was entitled to 
 protection. He was taken by surprise, 
 and submitted to his fate nobly. His 
 conduct to Capt. Church was open, fair, 
 honorable and high-minded ; when he 
 surrendered himself and his. little army, 
 
40 
 
 he brought forth all Phillip's richest ward- 
 robe, consisting of elegant wampum 
 belts, on which were wrought flowers, 
 beasts and birds. One to which two 
 flags were appended, and one with a 
 star, and richly edged with red hair, cu- 
 riously wrought ; a rich red cloth blank- 
 et, and two horns of glazed powder. He 
 addressed Capt. Church in the follow- 
 ing language : 
 
 '' Great Captain, you have killed Phil- 
 lip, and conquered his country, I be- 
 lieve I and my company are the last who 
 war against the English. I suppose the 
 war is ended by your means." 
 
 He then proceeded to deck Capt. 
 Church with Phillip's royal robes, which 
 when he had done, he said; "you have 
 won them, and I am happy in having an 
 opportunity of delivering them to you." 
 
 Who does not remember with some 
 degree of gratitude, the many favors and 
 kind acts of Masassoit the chief of the 
 Wampanoags and father to Phillip, and 
 Chickatawbut the principal chief of Mas- 
 sachusetts Bay. Both of whom rendered 
 
41 
 
 essential services to our fathers when 
 they first landed and commenced a set- 
 tlement. The former particiilaily made 
 a treaty with them and he faithfully ob- 
 served it for more than fifty years, and 
 his people were friendly to the English. 
 Some have believed that these two chiefs 
 had it in their power to have destroyed 
 the infant settlement, but by the appoint- 
 ment of Providence, or som.e other cause 
 they remained friendly while many of 
 the neighboring tribes were hostile. 
 
 Much is due to Uncas, chief of the 
 Mohegans, who remained friendly to the 
 English, and joined them in their wars 
 against his Indian neighbors, he assisted 
 them with his warriors, in fighting many 
 a hard battle against their enemies. 
 There is something noble in many ac 
 tions of these high-minded Indians. 
 When Uncas met his enemy Miantino- 
 moh, chief of the Narragansetts, in time 
 of war; the former at the head of five 
 hundred, and the latter with nine hun- 
 dred of his warriors, Uncas addressed 
 his antagonist thus ; ''You have a num- 
 ber of men with you and so have I with 
 
42 
 
 me ; it is a great pity that such brave 
 warriors should be killed in a private 
 quarrel between us. Come like a man, 
 as you profess to be, and let us fight it 
 out. If you kill riie, my men shall be 
 yours ; but if I kill you your men shall 
 be mine." Miantinomoh replied, my 
 men came to fight, and they shall fight." 
 
 As soon as this answer was given, Un- 
 cas gave the signal and his warriors 
 poured in a shower of arrows upon the 
 Narragansetts with a horrible yell, and 
 advanced rapidly upon them and put 
 them to flight. About thirty of them 
 were slain ; Miantinomoh was overtak- 
 en and seized by Uncas, who by a war 
 whoop brought back the pursuers. Mi- 
 antinomoh finding himself in the hands 
 of his implacable enemy, he remained 
 silent, nor could Uncas by any art, force 
 him to break his sullen mood. 
 
 " Had you taken me," said the con- 
 queror, " I should have asked you for 
 my life." No reply was made by the 
 indignant chief, and he submitted with- 
 out a murmur to his humiliating condi- 
 
43 
 
 tion. He was conducted by his con- 
 queror, to Hartford, where I regret to 
 state, he was informally condemned to be 
 executed by Uncas, on the same ground 
 where he was taken prisoner ; he was 
 marched by him to the battle ground, 
 accompanied by some of his most trusty 
 warriors, and also two Englishmen, to 
 see that no torture was inflicted ; the 
 moment he arrived at the fatal spot, one 
 of Uncas' men came up behind, and 
 with his hatchet split the skull of the un- 
 fortunate chief. The body was hurried 
 on the spot, and a heap of stones piled 
 upon the grave. The place since that 
 time has been known by the name of 
 Sachem s plain. It is situated in the town 
 of Norwich in Connecticut. 
 
 There is one other instance, more 
 strongly marked by the independent and 
 high-minded character of one of those 
 great captains, who fought against the 
 English, at the first settlement of the 
 country. It was Conanchet the princi- 
 pal Sachem of the Narragansetts, who, 
 after Winslow's defeat of the Indians in 
 
44 
 
 the great swamp, in the Narragansett 
 country, fled to Connecticut river, and 
 had now returned to procure seed corn, 
 to plant the lands on that river, he was 
 fallen in with by Captains Dennison and 
 Avery and taken prisoner. A young 
 man belonging to the expedition, com- 
 ing up began to question the chief, on 
 various subjects, on which the indignant 
 captive, with a look of contempt, repli- 
 ed, "you much child — no understand 
 matters of war ; let your captain come ; 
 him I ivill answer!^ IJe was conveyed 
 to Stonnington, after a short trial con- 
 demned to be shot by the Mohegan and 
 Pequot Sachems. On being oflfered his 
 life, provided he would make peace with 
 the English he rejected the proffer. 
 When told his fate he complacently re- 
 plied, that '' he liked it well — that he 
 should die before his heart vms soft, or he 
 had said any thing umvorthy of himself y 
 This high-minded chief was a son of the 
 famous Miantinomoh, mentioned above ; 
 and he seemed to possess much of the 
 spirit of his father. 
 
45 
 
 Subjoined is a list of a few towns in 
 Massachusetts and Connecticut, with 
 their former Indian names, which will 
 be generally found correct, except per- 
 haps some variation in spelling. 
 
 In Massachusetts. 
 
 Boston, 
 
 Salem, 
 
 Worcester, 
 
 Brookfield, 
 
 Petersham, 
 
 Athol, 
 
 Northfield, 
 
 Pittsfield, 
 
 Deerfield, 
 
 Hadley, 
 
 Springfield, 
 
 Northampton, 
 
 Westfield, 
 
 Shawmut, 
 Naumkeag, 
 PaJiachoog. 
 Quaboag, 
 Nichewaug. 
 Poquaig. 
 Squakeag. 
 Pontoosiick. 
 Pocomtiick. 
 Norwothiick, 
 Aggawam. 
 Nonotuck, 
 Woronoke. 
 
 In Connecticut. 
 
 Haddani, 
 Hartford, 
 Wethersfield, 
 Middletown, 
 
 Machemood'iis. 
 Suckiang. 
 Pauqidaug. 
 Matabesick. 
 
46 
 
 Windsor, PoquanocTc, 
 
 New Haven, QuinipiacJc, 
 
 Lyme, Nehardick. 
 
 Symsbury, Massecoe, 
 
 Derby, Paugassett. 
 
 Woodbury, Pomperang, 
 
 Indian names of the following rivers : 
 viz. Connecticut River, Quoncktacuty 
 Deerfield River, Pociimtuck. Green 
 River, Pickomegan. Miller's River, 
 Poquaig. 
 
 Recapitulation of events in Deerfield. 
 First grant of land to Dedham, 1669 
 Began to settle at Pocomtuck, 1671 
 Capt. Lathrop's defeat, town de- 
 stroyed, 1675 
 Began to re-settle, were driven off, 1677 
 Commenced settling second time, 1682 
 Settled a minister (Mr. Williams,) 1686 
 Town destroyed second time, 1704 
 Number of inhabitants at this time, 280 
 Killed by the enemy, 47 
 Taken prisoners at same time, 122 
 Slain on the way to Canada, 19 
 The number that never returned, 28 
 The whole number redeemed from 
 the enemy, 62 
 
NOTE . 
 
 In offering the foregoing work to the 
 public, I can only say, it is not my wish 
 to appear as an author to any work ; but 
 being frequently called upon to relate 
 some of the incidents here recorded, I 
 have been induced, at the repeated so- 
 licitations of my friends, as well as 
 those who often call to view the marks 
 made by the savages upon the ancient 
 house now standing at Deerfield, to 
 put them down in my humble style, 
 claiming no credit for the manner in 
 which the work has been done ; nor " set 
 down aught in malice " for criticims 
 which any may choose to bestow upon 
 it. I am sensible that if I had afforded 
 myself more time, the arrangement of 
 this plain humble matter, might have 
 been improved. 
 
 So far as relates to facts, I have en- 
 deavored to be as accurate as the means 
 
48 
 
 before me would permit, I have been 
 obliged to rely for many facts, on the 
 memory of those who have had them 
 handed down from their fathers, and 
 from my own memory, as related to me 
 by my ancestors, who were sharers in 
 many of the severe trials with the na- 
 tives. I have also consulted, Rev. 
 John Williams' Redeemed Captive; — 
 Church's History of Indian Wars ; — 
 Hoy t's Antiquarian Researches ; — Wil- 
 'liam's History of Vermont ; — Holme's 
 American Annals ; Bouchett's Descrip- 
 tion of Canada, the ancient Journal of 
 Massachusetts Legislature, and the re- 
 cords of the towU; and sundry other au- 
 thorities. 
 
 In relation to Indian names, of per- 
 sons and places, I have been governed 
 vary much by authors before me. It is 
 not strange that the orthography should 
 very as we consult different authors, but 
 the variation is so trifling, that it is not 
 believed to be essential. 
 
 The Author. 
 
 X 
 
f