This is the 9th part of a series about my ancestor Jeremiah Swain:
Jeremiah Swain to Gov. Bradstreet.
Newechewonock Salmon falls in Barwick
Octobr 4th 89 att 5 of ye clock in ye afternoone Honrd Srs
After ye tender of my humble Service to yor Honrs these are to acquaint yor selves
vt I with a small troope with me consisting of 39 psons taking with me Capt.Willard
& Capt. Convers wee advanced toward Casco 17th of Sept. last & upon or march
found ye people att Saco Black point & Blew point in a pore expos'd condition uppon
ye knoledge thereof wee were forc't to divide Capt. Willards into six parts for ye
present & so wee advanced to Casco where we had a relation of wt we done there,
an account of wch yor Honrs wee suppose have had from Majr Church
Then my self with about 35 marched into ye woods with Majr Churches fforces
about 18 or 20 miles out & home but could finde none of ye Enimy, ye next daye
wee received a post from Black point, Signifying vt ye Garrison att Blew point ws
attact att Mr ffoxwells house where a young man ws Slayne & a lad taken Captive,
wee came over Casco ferrie in ye night & ridd to Black point ye same night, forth
with sent a partie of horse to understand their condition att Blewpointbutt could
not come att vm by reason of ye tides, & ye canoes were taken from ye banks by
ye Eniimy as we supposd, ye night before. I therefore tooke a sloope & put a board
about 30 men & Sayled up ye river to see if I could understand their condition, ye
wch wn Wee understood by advice of ye Captaines with mee wee all mounted &
with much difficulty wn ye tide Served wee all gott over ye Rivers but before wee
come there about Sun rise ye Enimy had attackt ye Garrison againe being a remote
place & weake handed, & wn wee come on Blew point Side wee espied ye Enimy &
perceived vy had ambusht us, where uppon wee were forc'd to lead or horses up ye
bank on ye marishes for wee had no other waie to move except wee had gon right
back againe ye wch by ye help of God wee resolv'd not to do, upon ye marsh, wee
mired all or horses, broke or tackling where ye Enimy made Shot uppon us & wounded
several of or horses but th`u mercy not one of or men hurt, & after wee had securd
or horses under ye Garrison wee Sallied out after ye Enimy on foote, ye ground being disadvantagius to ye hors, but wee understanding their ambushments beat ym up
made shot att each other a considerable time, & tho' some of or men narrowly
Escaped yet God so ordered it yt none of us we wounded or hurt, neither do wee
know whether any of ye Enimy ws hurt, yet there we a great out crie wn vy called
off their men where uppon 'tis supposd some might be hitt vy mov'd awaie with all
Speed, wee followed vm a mile or two, & tooke from vm 48 Sheepe a live, 4 dead
swine, found a pore mans house on fire where all his corn ws, wee put out ye fire
Sav'd his corne & returnd to ye Garrison, & found ye lad wch ws slayne, & brought
him thither, & procured part of Capt. Willards men to Strenthen ye Garrison wch
we by ye consent of Majr Church before wee come from Casco. vn attending ye tide
wee rid in ye night to Saco & Strenthned their Garrisons & so return'd to or head
quartrs ye 28 Sept: in ye night where I received an account of ye officers of ye
several companies of their Scouting gathering of corne bringing in haye etc. & vn
sent out such of or men as had cloathing about 120 Capt: Gardner with 40 to Oister
River Lieut fflag with 30 to Wennipesockee: & about 30 of Capt. Convers & about
30 of Capt : Wiswall to Bonniveage Pond wch stayd out 3 dayes & 2 nights but
could finde none of ye Enimy nor where vy had lately binn, I should have told yor
Honrs before vt there ws about 50 or 60 Indians vt ingaged us att ffoxwells
Garrison.
This very hour I received advice from Capt Willard vt two of his men & a Garrison
soldier ws surprised by ye Enimy att Saco, his two men are found dead & ye other
lost, vy were all three fetching up a fatt beast within sight of ye Garrison but on ye
contrary side of ye river, ye Indians call'd to ye Garrison told vm vt vy would goe
up to ye falls & burne ye mills & ye fort, Soone after vy Saw great fires vt waye,
wee intend to make out after vm, this is ye sum of ye newes att present, Mr Benj.
Backworth is come into ye river ye Comissory has received his invoice, by wch
wee perceive vt we shall stand in great need of more Shooes & Stockins & all Sorts
of Cloathes & three or four peeces duffalls because ye English as well as ye Indians
desire blankits to lie in, in ye woods wee have great neede of a Chyrurgeon for
many of or Soldiers are out of order, by reason of lameness Sickness &c. Except
you have provided other waise wee judge Lieut Prescot of Conchord to be a very
meet person & willing to come, you promised to send us up a minister but none
coming_wee procured Mr Jno Emerson who has bin helpfull to us ever since wee
come up & are sattisfyed in his help so vt you neede not trouble yor selves to send a
nother Wee have had a great deale of trouble in setling of Garrisons by reason of ye refractoriness of some persons too large here to give yor Honrs a particular account
of. Sudden business coming upon us Wee Crave yor Honrs pardon for breaking of so
abruptly desiring yor prayers att all times I rest yor Honrs most humble
Servant att comand
Jer: Sweyne/
" For
The honrd Symond Broadstreet Esqr
Governr of ye Colony of ye Massathusets
& Councill
Hast Post hast.
Memorandom.
duffals 4 peices two peices of Red Cotten 20 axes 30 hatchets more shoos & stockins
and all sorts of Cloaths for our men are almost naked: more Rhum to be Used about
persons vt are ill to be applyed Externaly & Internaly 60 men to keep Garreson at
black & blew point Salco and winter harbor & wells vt Cap Willards men may be
released, for he is much wanted, If he be drawn off those places must be thrown
away. Chees is convenyent to Carry into ye woods: lether for Indian Shoos. pray
let this be minded.
Jer Sweyne/
Some men are Sick & lame some released by yow selves Some were wanting from
ye first Coming out our companyes are very lame to march to ya head quarters
If we can have where vy be pray lett us have a supply to fill up our Companyes
Jer Sweyne
pray send a few shoe nails
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