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From: Carol J Cooke <>
Subject: Re: [MAFRANKL] Brief Sketch of the First Settlement of Deerfield, Mass., byE. H., 1833 part 1 p 1-24
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:33:52 -0400
That was a very interesting read.
My ancestors were in MA - the Cook, Payne and Cleaveland families.
Uncas was from Montville, CT.
The Mashantuckets or the Foxwood Casino tribe of Pequots were from
Ledyard, CT
across the river from the Uncas tribe of Mohegans.
They went a long way for the British.
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08/11/2005 01:33 PM
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Subject: [MAFRANKL] Brief Sketch of the First Settlement of Deerfield, Mass., by E.
H., 1833 part 1 p 1-24
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Alexander, Avery, Bridgman, Chickatawbut, Church, Conanchet,
Davenport, de Rouville, Denninson, Dudley, Hix, Hoyt, King Phillip,
Lathrop, Massassoit, Mather, Miantinomoh, Mosely, Sheldon, Teacher, Treat,
Uncas, Vaudrieul, Williams, Winslow
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/4EB.2ACE/976
Message Board Post:
Brief Sketch
of the
First Settlement of
DEERFIELD, MASS.
Together with a few of the events which took
place there in early times.
__________________________________
By One of the Descendants of the
First Settlers of the Town.
_________________________________
Greenfield.
James P. Fogg........Printer.
1833
Names found in this transcription:
Alexander, Avery, Bridgman, Chickatawbut, Church, Conanchet, Davenport, de
Rouville, Denninson, Dudley, Hix, Hoyt, King Phillip, Lathrop, Massassoit,
Mather, Miantinomoh, Mosely, Sheldon, Teacher, Treat, Uncas, Vaudrieul,
Williams, Winslow,
Indian Tribes mentioned in this transcription:
Mohegan, Narragansett, Pequot, Wampanoags
PREFACE.
The writer of the following sketch is desirous of
preserving to posterity some account of the incidents which relate to the
early settlement of the town, with a view of handling it down to
posterity; believing tat it will gratify the feelings of those who are
descendants of the early settlers of the place; - to them it may be a
source of satisfaction to learn what privations and sufferings their
ancestors endured. To those who are not immediate descendants from the
suffers, 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
page 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 distinguished 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 perils 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 place 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 obliterated 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 gratify 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.
page 5
FIRST SETTLEMENT
of
DEERFIELD.
In the year 1669, during the administration 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,
incorporated by the general Court, into a town by the name of Deerfield,
situated in that part of the state which was afterwards erected into the
County of Hampshire, (since into the County of Franklin.) The Indian name
of Deerfield was Pocomtuck. The first meeting 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 --
page 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 breaking out of King
Phillip's 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,
fortunately no lives were lost. There being at this time a considerable
quantity of grain at Deerfield, it was deemed prudent to remove it to some
place of safety; accordingly Captain Lathrop with about 80 men, marched
from Hadley, (about 15 miles south of Deerfield) accompanied by 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 Indian!
s, lying in ambush,
page 7
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 actions, the teams were destroyed and most of the teamsters slain.
Captain Mosely who was stationed at the village of Deerfield, heard the
firing, and immediately 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, consisting of English,
Pequod and Mohegan Indians, with their united force they defeated the
enemy and drove them off the ground; Maj. Treat and Capt. Mosely them
marched to the village of Deerfield and encamped; the next day they
returned to the battle ground to bury the dead. In the mean t!
ime a body of the same
page 8
Indians appeared before the village and threatening an attack, holding up
to view the scalps, and the bloody garments 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 destroyed 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 prepair 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 settlers repaired to Deerfield, and made an
page 9
effort to rebuild the town, but soon several of the inhabitants were slain
by the Indians, and the town was again abandoned 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 commenced their depredations
on the inhabitants and continued to harass them until 1704. At this
period an expedition was fitted out by the Governor of Canada, (Vaudrieul)
from Montreal, for the express purpose of making an attack on Deerfield,
consisting of 200 French and 142 Indians, commanded by Major Hartell de
Rouville, a French Partizen officer of note, they marched from Canada in
the winter, and arrived and attacked the town February 29, 1704, a little
before day light in the morning, they entered the for 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 immediately divided themselves
into parties and
page 10
assailed the houses in various parts of the fort, at the same instant.
This was the first intimation that the inhabitants bad 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 astonished 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 burned. The population at this time amounted to about 280,
of which there were killed by the enemy 47, and made prisoners, 112,
nineteen of whom were slain on their way to Canada, principally on account
of being unable to bear the fatigues and ha!
rdships of the journey,
page 11
including 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 during 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 Indian habits, and modes of living, and also to the Romish religion,
her friends made an effort to persuade her to remain with them when at
Deerfield, but all in vain; She could not be induced to!
give up her
page 12
Indian habits, she utterly refused to sleep on a bed, but choose to camp
down upon the floor with her blanket. One of her descendants was educated
in 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 mentioned above, the house that is now standing
(1833) and a small log church. As fast as they took prisoners they
confined 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 mentioned house was set on fire by the enemy 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 being no other settlemen!
t between it and
page 13
St. John's in Canada, (nearly 300 miles.) The house now owned and
occupied 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 passed 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 people in
the house at the time, as it was the custom for all the inhabitants to
retire to the forts at night for safety. The enemy did not force their
way into the house through the front door, but effected their entrance by
a back passage which had been left open by a la!
d who had escaped from the house during the
page 14
assault. Wheat is meant by the principal fort here spoken of, is all that
part of the village contained within the pickets, 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 dwellings, 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
musketry, 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 defense 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 occupying their
beds, instead of being on the watch, the were all asleep until they were
roused from their slumbers by the
page 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 attack upon it, they had probably full employ in the
great fort, for the time they had allotted to themselves to finish their
work, they 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 apprised of the approach
of the enemy, sufficient time to have prepared for defense, very little
doubt exists that the fort might have been defended, and the people
delivered from the bloody tragedy which followed, for it is well
authenticated that they had exhausted their stock of provision, and were
well nigh
page 16
a state of starvation, 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 supplies, and they could
not have subsisted their army by hunting or fishing at this season of the
year; but by the fatal security felt by the inhabitants; the enemy
succeeded in taking the fort, massacring one portion of the people and
carrying nearly all the remainder into captivity.
A son of Capt. Sheldon with his wife lodged in the
chamber directly over the room in which Mrs. Sheldon, (the mother) 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 ancle as to be unable to escape,
being sensible that they should both fall into the hands of the enemy, she
pursuaded her husband to leave her to her fate, and secure his own safety
by flight, or they
page 17
would be both made prisoners with little chance of having their lives
spared; he with much reluctance left her, and escaped from the savage
enemy, and wonderful to relate, she was taken, and notwithstanding her
lameness, was carried to Canada where she remained a prisoner about two
and a half years, when she returned from captivity and lived with her
husband and reared up a family.
During the time the prisoners were confined in the house,
one of them by the name of Bridgman, secreted himself under a quantity of
bark in the garret, 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 until all the Indians had passed him on their
way up stairs, he came to the conclusion to follow them, lest he should
page 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 forefinger 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
page 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
and Indian runner with orders to the guard who had the charge of the
prisoners to put them all to death; but before the runner had proceeded
far, a lucky ball put and end to his mission.
The Indians soon after prevailed, and our people were
compelled to re
treat. The savage order was not renew
page 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, were 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 escaped. In the
morning Rev. Mr. Williams 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
for-seven killed in the attack on the town.
During the engagement in the fort one house (situated a
few rods form the
page 21
house now standing,) was bravely defended by seven men, and they
maintained 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 stratagem, 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 forth 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 window after they commenced
their retreat; another of them fell while engaged fighting the enemy in
the meadow battle.
While the inhabitants were thus engaged with the Indians
in the meadow, the fire rekindled in the house which
page 22
had been so bravely defended, and it was consumed.
The people of Deerfield did not desert the town, but
maintained themselves there through the Indian wars, but they were
frequently harassed by them until the conquest of Canada in 1760. During
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 ledge until they arrived on the borders of Lake
Champlain, where they buried it, and let it remain there unti 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
page 23
the Indians, by his direction furnished sufficient amount of furs to pay
the cost and charges, and it was expressly intended for their Church; that
the vessel 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 auction 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 Rev. 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 purpose of recovering the bell out of unholy
hands; hence they say was the origin of!
the expedition, but it is believed
page 24
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 believe 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 Connecticut, 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 is believed that it was not far from the time that the
inhabitants returned to rebuild the town in 1682, certainly between that
period and the time of the attack in 1704.
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