Class. Book_ Mu 7 I 't "t*^* ^7?/?^ fn d n cji Wa rdj HISTORICAL SKETCH NORTHAMPTON, %v FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT : IW A. SERMON, DELIVERED ON THE NATIONAL THANKSGIVING, APRIL 13, 1815. BY REV. SOLOMON WILLIAMS. PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF THE TOWN. y^ PPtlNTED AT THE HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE OFFICE. W. W. CLAPP 1815. dt a meeting of the Inhabitants of the town ofJVorth- amjpton on the 8th day of May 1815. Foted—Thzt the Selectmen be authorized to request of the Rev. Mr. Williams a Copy of the Historical Sermon, delivered by him on the late National Thanksgiving, for the presss ; and that they make such disposition of the Copies, among the families of the town, as they shall think proper. Attest, SOLOMON STODDARD, Jun. To-wtt ClaL b Deuteronomy, 82, 7. Re)nemher the days of old, consider the years of many generations ; ask thj father and he will shew thee ; thy elders^ and they icill tell thee. This song of Moses, as it is stiled, lias a very solemn introduction. Whether he addresses angels and men, or the inanimate creation called heaven and earth, may be questionable. If the latter, it may be to awaken tlie attention and reprove the stupidity of rational creatures, and constrain their devout regard to a subject, interesting to Israel, to that generation and to their posterity. " Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak ; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the ten- der herb, and as the showers upon the grass." He does not hold them long in suspense. He soon enters upon a subject, wliich tliey could not too carefully study, too thoroughly understand, too deeply feol or too closely apply. What is written in the sacred volume is also designed and adapted to guide and guard us; to profit all, who have that volume. He first unfolds a portion of supreme excellence, of the divine character, and calls for correspondent affections and conduct. " Because I will publish the name of the Lord : ascribe ye greatness unto our God.'' Con- template him, feel towards him, and treat him as his transcendent majesty demands. We should all feel that we are but worms of the dust, as nothing and less than nothing before Jehovah. Reflecting also on the moral distance, which there is between God and our- selves, we shoulcTlie low before him, and be clothed with humility. Instead of dwelling upon his eternity, immensity and infinity, he rather selects his inviolable faithful- ness, his spotless righteousness, and unerring recti- tude. " He is the Rock, his work is perfect ; for all his ways are judgment : a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." From this sum- mary view of divine perfections, he passes directly to the future character of Israel, and the mighty evils, to which their strange and gross defection and corruption would expose them. '^ They have corrupted them- selves, their spot is not the spot of his children ; they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the Lord, foolish people and unwise ! is not he thy father that hath bought thee ? hatli he not made thee, and established thee ?'' He, who seeth the end from the beginning, by his servants, the prophets, re- veals the conduct and destiny of his people for ages. He sets before them good and evil, life and death, a blessing and a curse ; a blessing, if they cleave unto the Lord their God, and a curse, if they forsake him. If the latter, he charges them with folly and ingrati- tude. The same charge will lie on that ground against any other people ; it lies against the American nation, favored perhaps beyond any other in divine Provi- dence. We can surely own that God hath at all times helped us. He hath been on our right hand and on our left. He hath encompassed us with his salvation ; gjycn us peace, as at this time, when we did not so soon look for ii ; and saved us, wlieu we knew not from what quarter oiu* help would come. Moses, astonished at the infatuatiou of Israel, carries their view back to distant periods, to the covenant transac- tions, in which their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Ja- cob, were immediately concerned : to the fulfilment of the promises, made to Abraham,the father of the faithful, in their deliverance from their bitter and hard bondage in Egypt, and their preservation in the wil- derness till they had almost reached the promised land. " Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations : ask thy father and he will shew thee ; thy elders, and they will tell thee." What is here urged upon God's ancient Israel, we should urge upon our own hearts. It is of good re- port, approves itself to reason, Itas the support of long experience and the sanction of revealed truth. What is past should be recalled, and according to its nature aiford us instruction, warning and comfort ; it should, animate our devotion, strengthen our faith and hope in God, and kindle within us a pure flame of gratitude and love to our benefactor and Saviour. On special occasions it is peculiarly proper, and the rather be- cause we have such sluggish hearts, such treacherous memories, and so many worldly cares pressing upon us. You perceive by the proclamation, which is our warrant for this religious meeting, that what God did at first, and at diircrent times since, for his people in this land, is suggested. God hath never ceased to do us good; though we have frequently and greatly ginned against him, he hath not cast us oft* ; he hath not in anger shut up his tender mercies from us, and dealt with us after our sins and iniquities. Ten- der hath been liis compassion, rich his mercy, and marvellous his patience towards us. We may now come into his house and unite in our homage and praise. By remembering the days of old, and con- >jsi,dering the years of past generations, and by inquir- ing of our fathers, and asking the elders of the people, •we may excite one another to fear and praise, to love and hope in God. Impressed with these sentiments, allow me to call your attention to a sketch of the history of this town, from its earliest settlement; and may it awaken in our hearts those feelings of gratitude and affection, so justly due to our merciful and munificent benefactor. To enable me to prepare such an caccount as might be satisfactory and advantageous, application was made to a member of tliis society, able and ready to afford ihe requisite information, and who had easy and full access to the necessary records and documents. The following facts are for the most part such as he has put into my possession. The lands bordering on Connecticut river, which are now in the towns of Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield, were first known by the Indian name Jy^ono- tuck. On the 6th of May 1653, a number of persons petitioned tlie General Court of Massachusetts to grant them liberty to plant, possess, and inhabit the place on Coucdiquot river above Springfield, called Nonotuck, as tiieir own inheritance, representing that the same was a place suitable to erect a town for the furtherance of the public weal, and the propagating the Gospel, and whic]i promised, in an ordinary way «f God's providence, a comfortable subsistence, where- by they miglit live anil atteud upon God in his holy ordinances without distraction. At the same time^ and in aid of the above petition, Mr. John Pynchon, Elizur Holyoke and Samuel Cha- piji, of Springfield, presented their petition to the general court, stating that the place was very commo- dious, containing largo quantities of excellent land and meadow, and tillable ground, sufficient for two large plantations; that divers in the neighbouring plantations had a desire to remove thither, to the num- ber of twenty-five families at least that had already appeared, whereof many of them were of considerable quality for estates and fit matter for a church ; the^'^ therefore requested, that liberty might be granted to erect a plantation about fifteen miles above them on' the river Conetiqiiot, that so the glory of God might be furthered, and the peace and happiness of the government not retarded. Their inducement, in these desires, they declared, was not any sinister respect of tlicir own ; but that, being so alone, they might by this means have sonic more neighborhood of this juris- diction. In answer to these petitions, the geneml court, on the 18th of May 1658, appointed a committee to di- vide the land petitioned for, into two plantations, and^" ordered that the petitioners should make one of themy"^ where they should have liberty to plant themselves. It is probable that the committee attended to the business assigned them immediately; and on the 9th of May 1654, they reported to the general court, that having been appointed to lay out the land at JSTono- tuck for two plantations, they for tlie present had only appointed the bounds of one of them, to which they allowed the great meadow on tiie west side of Con- necticut river ; as also, a little meadow called Cajjci- i£?awAr/( otherwise called LamjMunchus^) which ihey described as lying about two miles above the great meadow ; and to extend from the upper end of the little meadow to the great falls down towards Spring- field;- and eastward, to extend nine miles into the woods, from the river Connecticut : the said meadows and uplands to belong to the petitioners, and such as should come to plant with them, vtho, according to liberty granted them from the court, had made choice thereof for themselves and their successors ; not mo- lesting the Indians, or depriving them of their just rights and propriety, without allov/ance to their satis- faction. ' The other plantation, which the committee omitted then to lay out, was afterwards formed into the town *>f Hadley, in which Hatfield was at that time in- cluded. There is a tradition, that one English family came to this place in 165S, and lived here during the next winter, on land which lies east of what is called Hawley street. However this may be, in the year 1653, a number of the petitioners took possession of the township, in consequence of the liberty given them by the government. Selectmen, or townsmen, as they were then gene- rally called, were chosen in the year 1655. It is pre- sumed from this, as well as from other circumstances^ that the town was incorporated in the year 1654» But it is said the act of incorporation cannot now be found.* * It was probably burnt, with the records, in the great fire in Boston, in- 1711, or afterwards, when the court house was burnt. 9 The Indian title to the land had been purchased in 1653, from a number of Indians, who claimed to be the owners of it ; and a deed was given by them accordingly, to the use of the settlers. But on the S8th of September, 1658, the sachem, Umpancliela, complained to the commissioners, assembled to hold a court at Northampton, that he had not received so much for his part of the land as he expected. It was thereupon agreed by the inhabitants to satisfy his de- mand : and the Sachem executed a new deed, in the presence of the court, releasing to the inhabitants of Northampton, all his right and title to the township. On the 17th of October, 1658, the town voted to give away their whole right and title to Capawonk or jyamjmunsus, which is now the south meadow in Hatfield, on condition, among other things, that the grantees should come and settle two plantations, one on the east side of the great river, and the other on the west, and begin to inhabit upon it the next May; and that themselves, and their families, should not desert it for seven years. This seems to refer to the first settlement of Hadley and Hatfield. At a General Court, holden at Boston, on the 7th of May 1662, it was ordered, that thenceforth Spring- field, Northampton and Hadley should be constituted a county, and be called Hampshire ; the bounds on the south to be the south line of the patent, and to extend full thirty miles distant from either of said towns; that Springfield should be the shire town, and that the courts should be kept one time at Spring- field, and another time at Northampton ; and the shire meetings, one year at one town and the next year at the other. 10 For the space of twenty two years after tliis towa was settled, the Indians continued to live here peace- ably in the neighborhood of the English inhabitants. In April 1661, they petitioned the town for a place to build a Fort, which was granted them, on conditions, purporting that they should behave in an orderly man- ner. This fort is said to have been built on the nor- therly end of Fort Plairif which is now in Easthamp- ton. The danger, apprehended by the Indians, prob- ably arose from the hostility of neighboring tribes, as there were several instances of murder, committed on their people, either by Indians from abroad, or by some among themselves, who afterward absconded. And though complaints were sometimes made of their petty thefts, and of abuses committed when they were in a state of intoxication, yet they remained here in peace and friendship with the English, until the Avar commenced in 16/5, called Philip^s warj in the course of which they left this part of the country, and none of them have ever since had a settled residence here. At the beginning of Philip's war, the Indians about Springfield, Northampton and Hadley seemed inclined to join the English, or at least to remain neutral ; but they were soon induced by the emissaries of Philip to unite with him and the other hostile Indians. The combination was so general and extensive, as to en- danger the existence, not only of the settlements on Connecticut river, but of the whole colony. Tiie In- dians frequently assaulted the towns on the river, and in some instances did greatmischief to the inhabitants, killing their cattle and destroying their property, when they were unable to take their lives. ii On the 25th of August 1675, the Indians killed Samuel Mason, in this town, and on the 28th of Sept. in the same year, they killed Praisever Turner and two other persons. About the middle of October fol- lowing, seven or eight men, venturing to bring in some of their harvest from Pynchon^s meadow, were sud- denly attacked by the Indians, and the greater part, being destitute of arms, as the enemy had observed where they were deposited and seized them, they were glad to ftee with their horses, which they took from their carts. One of them, however, got posses- sion of his gun, and killed one of the Indians, and then escaped with the rest. At the same time the In- dians burnt four or five houses, and two or three barns, that stood at some distance from the principal settle- ment. On the 29th of the same month, the Indians killed Thomas Salmon, Joseph Baker, and Joseph Baker jr. as they were at work in the meadow, and attt mpted to burn the mill, but it was so well defend- ed, tliat they were unable to effect their purpose. To guard against a surprise, the inhabitants made a kind of barricade about the town, by setting up palli- sados, or cleft wood about eight feet long, to check tlie force of any sudden assault. This must have been a weak defence against a warlike enemy, but it proved to be of great use against the Indians ; for though on the 14th of March I676 a large number of them broke through the pallisados at the lower end of the street, now called Pleasant street, in three places, yet as a company of soldiers had arrived in town the evening before, the Indians met with a warm reception, and as soon as they began to he repulsed, they fled with pre- cipitation through the breaches, and never afterwards. • iZ during that war, adventured to break into this or tlie neighboring towns, that were so secured. In this at- tack, they killed Robert Bartlet, and Tliomas Holton, and two other men and two women, and setiire to four or five dwelling houses, and as many barns. Many of the^Indians, it was supposed, were killed. In the attack, made upon the Indians at Deerfield, near Miller's Falls, on the 19th of May 1676, by up- wards of one hundred and fifty men, who had been collected from Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield, and which has been called the Fall fights several of the inhabitants of this town lost their lives, with Caft. William Turner, who commanded tliem. Of those, who marched from Northampton, fifteen were killed ; but as some of them were garrison soldiers, and others inhabitants of the town, I am not able to ascertain the exact number of the latter. The pallisados, before mentioned, were kept up several years ; but having gone to decay, the people in March 1690, considering themselves in danger of being assaulted by the enemy, encompassed a great part of the town with pickets, near the place where the former stood in Philip's war. This kind of de- fence was maintained for a number of succeeding years. On the 13th of May 1704, old style, the Indians attacked the village of Paskhomuck, The inhabitants Ijad been settled there only two or three years, the town having granted them their home lots in 1699- The Indians had been to Merriraac river, but met with no success ; they then directed their course to- ward Westfield, but Westfield river was so high, that Ihey could not pass it. Some of the Indians had beea 13 at Noi tliampton in a fiieudly manner the year before, and informed their companions, that there was a small village at Paskhomuck, where they might get provi- sions, for they were almost famished, and intended, as they afterwards declared, to resign themselves up, if they could obtain no food otherwise. In the evening before the 13th of May, the Indians went upon Mount Tom, and observed the situation of the place. As the meadow was then covered with water, they supposed the village might be taken, and that no aid could come seasonably from the town, on account of the interven- ing flood. The village consisted only of five families, Samuel Janes's, Benoni Joneses, John Searls\ Dea- con Benjamin Janes- s and Moses Hutchinson's.* A little before day-light, the Indians attacked the village. Benoni Jones's house, which stood on the lot where %S*athaniel Kentjleld afterwards lived, was encompass- ed with pickets. The Indians procured flax and other combustibles, and set them on fire, which was commu- nicated to the house. A young woman, named Patience Webb, was waked, and looking out of the window was shot through the head. The people surrendered, and all the above families were killed or taken pris- oners. Some of the prisoners were afterwards rescued by the people from the town. These, commanded by Capt. Taylor, went round by Ppymroy's meadow, and met the Indians near the Mountain, when a skirmish ensued, in which Caj)t, Taylor was killed. Of the five families before mentioned, the Indians killed • Samuel Janes lIvcJ wl.ei-e the Iior.se of Mi-. Obadiah Janes now itaads; John ScaHs, wlierc his son Elisha and his grand-son of the samo name afterwards dwelt ; Benjamin Janes, where Captain Pliilip Clark lives; and Moses Hutcliinson, near the plsce wliere M:-. Solomon Ferry's bouid stands. 1* the following persona ; Samuel Janes and his wife and three children ; Benoni Jones and two children, and the young woman before named ; John Pearls and three children ; Deacon Benjamin Janes and four children; and Moses Hutchinson and one child. The wife of Benjamin Janes was taken to the top of Pomroy's mountain, and was there knocked in the head and scalped. Our people found her in that situation, and perceiving that she was still alive, brought her home, and she recovered and lived till she was more than eighty years old. The wife oi Moses Hutchinson was taken prisoner, but soon made hep escape. John S earls' wife was also taken and severely wounded, but was afterwards rescued from the Indians. Benoni Jones' wife, and Elisha, the son of John Searls, were taken prisoners to Canada. Ten Indians went to the lower farms, where there was then but one house, in which Captain Wright lived, at the place afterwards owned by Mr. Elias Lyman. Captain Wright refused to surrender, and shot one of the Indians and broke his arm. Tliey then attempted to burn the house by shooting spiked arrows, dipped in brimstone, upon the roof; but a young man in the house, named Thomas Stehhins, wrapping himself in a feather bed, drew water from the well, and put out tlie fire.* In August of the same year, 1704, the Indians fired on some men, who were going from Northampton to ♦ The season at that time was remarkahly backward ; foi' though so late in the year, being- the 24th of May, according to the present style, the trees and bushes had not budded ; and the year was so far advanced before the flood subsided from the me"