ELISHA HOUGHTON'S PENSION FILE PT 3

The next image is of the other side of Elisha's affidavit. It appears the piece
of paper was folded in half twice lengthways which created four panels. There
are some words I couldn't read and I note them in parentheses. Likewise,
there are two words I'm not sure I've read correctly so I've used a (?) to
show that.

The text above the first fold appears to be an earlier version of Justice
Samuel Putnam's certification of Elisha's testimony. Apparently he decided to
write it on the bottom of the first side instead. He didn't sign this version:

"I
do certify that it appears to my satisfaction
that the said Elisha Houghton did serve
in the revolutionary war as stated in
the within declaration against the common
enemy and I now transmit the procedings
and testimony taken and had before me
to the secretary for the department of  war
pursuant to the directions of the (can't read it)
out of Congress-"

The second panel served as a cover to the document when it was folded
up. As such the writing is at a right angle to the rest of the page:

"Elisha Houghton
Bigelow's Mass. Regt.
Correct."

The third and fourth panels are statements by two witnesses as to the
character of Elisha Houghton and the truth of his story.

"I Asa Dean of Adams in the County of Berkshire Physician do certify
that I have known Elisha Houghton within mentioned a number
of years & that his reputation(?) for truth is good and I have no
no doubt of the truth of  this notation(?) made by him within
mentioned as his story has always been the same (can't read)
his (can't read)                                                                   Asa Dean

May 6th 1818
Sworn to before me
S. Putnam  Just. S.J.C."

"I Nathan Putnam of Adams also do certify that I have
known Elisha Houghton a number of years & I have no
doubt but the certificate of Dr. Asa Dean above is true
                                                                  Nathan Putnam
May 6.  1818
Sworn to before me
S. Putnam J.S.J.C."

ELISHA HOUGHTON'S PENSION FILE PT 2

This next part of Elisha Houghton's pension file is an image
of a sheet of paper with handwriting on both sides. This side
is the more legible.The other side is a mess, so I'll discuss that
in the next installment.

"Commonwealth of Massachusetts
(“District of” crossed out) Berkshires  of Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts.On this sixth day of May 1818 Before me the 
subscriber one of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court
of said Commonwealth personally appears Elisha Houghton 
aged sixty eight years resident in the town of Adams in said 
district who being by me first duly sworn according to law 
doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to 
obtain the provisions made by the late act of  congress entitled 
`an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land 
and naval services of the  United States in the revolutionary war
` that the said Houghton enlisted as a private in May 1778 in
the town of Harvard in the state of Massachusetts in the 
company commanded by Captain Joshua Brown of the fifteenth 
Regiment of commanded by Col. Timothy Bigelow.That he 
continued in the service of the United States until May 1781 
when he was discharged from service at West Point in the 
State of Newyork. That he was in the Battles of  Bunker Hill
Stillwater Monmouth and Newport and that he is in reduced 
circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his 
country for support and that he has no other evidence now in 
his possession of his said services and relinquishes all claim
to any other Pension but what he now asks for.

Sworn to and declared before me this day and year aforesaid
Berks.ss                                                        S. Putnam Just
May 6 1818                                                 S.J. Court of Massts


I Samuel Putnam one of the Justices of the aforesaid Court do 
certify that it does appear to my satisfaction that the said Elisha 
Houghton did serve in the Revolutionary war as stated in the
preceding declaration against the Common enemy and I now 
transmit it the preceding and testimony taken here before me to 
the Secretary of the Department of War. Given under my hand 
at said Court.

S. Putnam Justice S.J. Court of Massachusetts"

ELISHA HOUGHTON'S PENSION FILE PT 1

This is the beginning of my transcription of the images of the Revolutionary
War Pension file of my ancestor Elisha Houghton. The file covers his original
filing in his native state of Massachusetts, and then his application to have
his pension transferred to the state of Vermont. THe pages are a mixture of
preprinted text and handwritten additions, so I've used a system I've used
previously by boldfacing the preprinted words  and italicizing the added
parts. Words or phrases that I couldn't decipher are in parentheses.



The first image is the file cover with the following:
Service                                                                                               Number
Mass.                           Elisha Houghton                                       S39725


The second image is of the beginning of Elisha's  paperwork. It's folded
in thirds, with no writing on the left hand panel. The middle is a preprinted
form.The file number 3925 is written above the printed word INVALID. To
the left of that is the abbreviation Revy for Revolutionary. The rest reads

 
File No. 39725
Elisha Houghton
Pri Rev War
_________
Act: 18th March 18th
Index:--Vol.S, Page 232
(Arrangement of 1870)

On the right hand fold  someone wrote:

27-Aug-25 Hist. to Kate
Starbird. Her letter in (I can't read the next word) of Elias
Monk (I can't make out the rest).

This last part refers to a researcher named Kate Starbird. Apparently she'd
written a letter inquiring about the records of Elisha Houghton and Elias
Monk. A copy of a  typewritten reply to her on Elisha's record is included
in Elisha's record. It is dated August 25th, 1927.

A TALE OF TWO HANNAHS

Back when I really caught the genealogy bug I downloaded the Personal
Ancestry File program and then filled in the pedigree chart using the information
my Aunt Dorothy had sent us years before and then I moved on to what I
found in our original copu of Florence O' Connor's The Ancestors and Descendants
of Asa Freeman Ellingwood and Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood. Then once that
was done I started trying to fill in the blanks. One of these was the identity of the
wife of Elisha Houghton who was Florilla Dunham's great grandmother.
On page 200 of the O'Connor book, Elisha's wife is listed as "unknown". Eventually
I was able to find a record online for the marriage of an Elisha Houghton and a
Meriah Pairs  in Bolton, Ma on 30Nov, 1765.(Her name is also given as Moriah Peirce
or Pierce in other records.). Here's an image of the record

I moved on to find Meriah's parents. Given the variations of Meriah's last name I'd
already encountered, I tried every spelling I could think of in my search. Her birth
record gave her father's name as John and her mother's as Hannah Pierce, so at
least I had the first name. Given that Elisha and Meriah had married in Bolton, I
seached the online  records for there and the neighboring towns of Lancaster and
Harvard in the years prior to Meriah's birth in 1748. I found  a marriage record with
the date of 22 Nov 1744 for John Pirce and Hanna Stone in Harvard Ma. It fit the right
period of years, and confident that I'd found the right person, I continued on tracing
Hannah Stone's lineage eventually back to Deacon Simon Stone and Mary Whipple. 
Then I moved on to my next "blank".

Neat, huh?

((CUE the "WRONG ANSWER!" buzzer here))

Not hardly, but it would be several years before I discovered why not.

About two weeks ago, I was checking out some of the new shaking leaves on
Ancestry.com and found two records for an intention of marriage for John Pirce,
and a  Hannah Houghton made on 10Mar 1747.  It would appear  that  Hannah
(Stone) Pierce died sometime between 1744 and 1747, and that Hannah
(Houghton)Pierce is instead the mother of Meriah Pierce. Looking into this
further it adds up. Hannah Houghton' s parents were Thomas Houghton and
Meriah Moore, which would mean Meriah Peirce was named after her grandmother.
Moreover, Elisha and Meriah (Pierce)Houghton were ist cousins once removed,
sharing descent from James Houghton and  Mary Sawyer.

So I've been doing a bit of "Bonsai Genealogy" lately:snipping off the Stones from
my family tree and grafting the new Moore branch on to it.

THE MILITARY CAREER OF ELISHA HOUGHTON

I was able to find Elisha Houghton's service records and muster rolls on
the Footnotes.com website (Now the Fold3 website). This is the information
they gave me in chronological order of his  military career with the
Massachusetts 15th Regiment of the Continental Army in a company
commanded by Captain Joshua Brown. I've added three battles that
Elisha says in his pension file he was present at:

1May 1777  enlists for 3 years
19Sep 1777 Battle of Stillwater
1Nov 1777 appointed Sgt
10Dec 1777  Sick at Albany.
Jan 1778 reduced to ranks as Pvt.
21Feb 1778 On command at Albany  Jan 1778

5Mar 1778 Sick in Albany Feb1778 Valley Forge
Apr 1778 Sick in camp March 1778 Valley Forge
2May 1778 On Guard Apr 1778 Valley Forge

2Jun 1778 Sgt May 1778 Valley Forge
28Jun 1778 Battle of Monmouth
29Aug 1778 Battle of Newport
25Sep 1779 reduced to ranks as Pvt.
1May 1780 discharged at "Camp near Robinson's Farm(?)"

(This doesn't include his previous service with the militia at Boston.)

Elisha seems to have had a tumultuous time in the army. He was made
a sergeant, busted down into the ranks as a private, regained his
original rank, and then was busted down again where he stayed until
he was mustered out of the army. So far I haven't been able to find
out what caused his reduction of rank twice. Was he a discipline
problem? Many of the New England natives who'd joined the
Continental Army were used to the less formal discipline of the
their own militia. Unless Elisha did something notable enough to
make the journal of one of his officers I may never find out what
he did.  


In an earlier post on Elisha in 2009 I raised a question about terms.
I knew what "on guard" meant  and of course "sick", but what did "on
command" mean? Not finding much information on my own I asked my
friends on Facebook if anyone knew what the term meant. I received
answers and suggestions from genealogist and non-genealogist friends
alike, and I finally decided that the best explanation was that Elisha
was either on a special detail or detached duty from his company
during those periods he was "on command". Fellow blogger Susan
Clark of Nolichucky Roots sent me a link to a Google ebook that seems
to confirm my theory:

"The term "on command," as given on the published returns of the
Revolutionary Army, is understood to be equivalent to the term
"on detached service," as used at the present day, and the number
 of men so reported should be included with the number of "
present and fit for duty" to determine the effective force of the Army. . ."
((A letter from Col F.C. Ainsworth, quoted in The Scotch-Irish:
Or, The Scot in North Britain, North Ireland, and North America, Volume 1
by Charles Augustus Hanna,  G.P. Putnam & Sons, 1902, p.7))

So that's an overview of Elisha Houghton's Revolutionary War service
before I start the transcription of his pension file. But first there's another
matter I need to clear up, involving a mistake I made about the identity
of Elisha's wife.

ELISHA HOUGHTON HAD A GUN....AND THEN HE DIDN'T.

 ((I've planned several times in the past to post a transcription of 
my 5x great grandfather Elisha Houghton's Revolutionary War 
Pension file. I'm going to give it another shot(really) but in the 
meantime here's a prelude first published in 2009. Bad enough
Elisha had to deal with the British, but he had to deal with
having a gun taken by his fellow patriots as well!))



I mentioned my ancestor Elisha Houghton the other day and
that he was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. I found this
story about him in History of the Town of Harvard, Massachusetts
1732-1893 by Henry Steadman Nourse (p323):

"Coliney of the Massachusetts Bay.

To the Honnorabel General Coart seting at Watertown the Petion
of Elisha Houghton a Solder under Comand of Captan Hastings in Conl
Whitcomb's Rigement in the year 1775 and I was in the fight on Bunkers
hill So Called in Charlston on the 17 of June in the year 1775 as above
sd and on my Return I and others Lited on one Jacob Davis who was
wounded who requested our help and in tacking Care of the sd Davis
Caused me your Petinor to take Mistick Road to convey the sd Davis to
where he thought he could be tacken Care of and in so Doing 1 came
acros by Winter hill to go to head Quater at Cambridge and in Coming
by the Gard of Connal Starks which was set on sd hill they took away
my Gun which I and others that Knew sd Gun Judged to be worth teen
Dolers. I Endevuered to Recover my Gun again but was Denied the
Same which may be made Evident to this Coart by Reading the Paper
acompining this Petition. 1 also Sertify this Coart that I have Never
Reseved my Gun since Nor any Consideration for the same. I therefore
your Poor Petitioner Humbly Pray that this Coart would be Pleased to
take my Case into your Consideration and alow me Pay for my Gun
and your Petitioner as in Duty bound Shall Ever Pray. Bolton Jan. the —
1776 Elisha Houghton

This may Certify that Elisha Houghton of Col Whitcomb's Regiment
in Capt. Hasting's Company was in the Action on Bunker's hill and
helping bringing the wounded men off to Cambridge went mistick Road over
Winter hill and the Guard that was set on winter hill took away the Guns,
and this sd Houghton's Gun was among the Rest, the next Day with [a]
number of others sd Houghton went in order to Get his Gun with an officer
with him, but could not find it and have Never heard of it since—as I know of.

Josiah Whitney, Lt. Col. of sd Rgmt.
Dorchester Camp Febury 29th. 1776"

I don't know if Elisha ever got recompensed for his lost gun, but I suspect he
waa the one of the earliest victims of "requisitioning" in the American
military tradition.

THE FLIGHT OF JOSIAH SAWYER

((Another post from 2009. I've since determined that Josiah is
my 7x great granduncle))


Before continuing on with some of the more serious stories concerning my
Willard family relations and the Indian wars in New England, there's one
story about how a Sawyer cousin escaped death.

Deacon Josiah Sawyer was the son of William Sawyer and Hannah Houghton
(also related to me from my Houghton line) and grandson of Thomas Sawyer.
He was born in Lancaster, Ma. in 1714 but at the time of this story in 1735
he was living in Bolton, Ma. with his father. He would later go on to be a
Deacon of the church in Berlin, Ma.

I'll let author William Richard Cutter describe the incident:

"While returning home one evening afoot, as was his custom, an Indian
waylaid him, just as he was descending the hill north of the Quaker
meeting-house. Sawyer dodged the upraised tomahawk and took to his
heels. Fortunately for him, he was a good runner, for he was unarmed.
The savage soon saw that he was outclassed, and gave up the pursuit.
By measurement the next day it was found that one of the leaps, as the
footprints showed, was sixteen feet. That leap is famous in Berlin history."

(William Richard Cutter, Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and
Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts
N.Y., N.Y., Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1908 p 1379)



Now two things about this tale makes me smile. One is the wording of the first
sentence. On a first casual reading, it might make you think it was poor Josiah's
habit to be waylaid by Indians while walking home.

The second is the image of the leap measuring. It must have occurred while a
party of Josiah's neighbors were looking for the Indian and following the
tracks of the chase. I wonder how they measured the jump, did they actually
measure it? And was it actually 16 feet, or did it grow in the retelling?

Finally, did his escape from his Indian pursuer and his miraculous leap perhaps
inspire Josiah Sawyer's calling to the clergy?

For if it did, then I suppose we could call it a leap of faith!

THE INDIAN ATTACK ON RUTLAND,MA., 14 AUGUST,1723

((Today marks the 289th anniversary of an Indian attack on the town
of Rutland, Ma. of which several of my cousins were victims. This was
first posted in February, 2009)) 


It seems as though my Willard and Sawyer relations had more than their share of
adventurous and sometimes fatal encounters with Indians well into the 18th century.

As I mentioned previously, Cyprian Stevens had married Mary Willard, one of
Simon Willard's daughters, and their family was prominent in the continuing
settling of the New England wilderness. Their son Joseph Stevens and his
family were living in Rutland, Ma. on the morning of 14 Aug, 1723
when tragedy struck:

"... after family devotions and breakfast, he and his four sons went to Meeting
and were surprised by five hostile Indians. While Captain Stevens made his
escape in the bushes, two sons, Samuel and Joseph, were slain and scalped,
and the other two Phineas and Isaac, carried away prisoners to Canada. The
pluck of Phineas, who carried his younger brother on his back when he was
exhausted, saved him from being slaughtered to get him out of the way or left
to die alone in the forest. It was more than a year before the boys were
redeemed. A subscription was taken in the Framingham church, where the
Stevens family had been members, April 19, 1724. The father made two trips
to Canada and returned finally with Isaac August 19, 1725. Isaac was much
attached to his Indian foster mother and would have preferred to stay with
her, it is said. The cost of this ransom and other misfortunes impoverished
Captain Stevens and he died in want, Nov. 15, 1769."

((Ellery Bicknell Crane, Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical
and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts N.Y. N.Y,
Lewis Publishing Company,1907 p 277 ))

Meanwhile their cousin, Reverend Joseph Willard, the minister of Rutland,
was out hunting when he was attacked by other members of the
Indian war party:

"Being out with his gun on August 14th, hunting, or to collect fodder for
the coming winter, he was surprised by two Indians, — one of the Indians'
guns missed fire, the other did no execution. Mr. Willard returned the fire and
wounded one of them, it is said, mortally ; the other closed in with Mr. Willard ;
but he would have been more than a match for him, had not other three come
to his assistance. And it was some considerable time before they killed Mr.
Willard. "

((Jonas Reed and Daniel Bartlett, A History of Rutland: Worcester County,
Massachusetts, from Its Earliest Settlement, with a Biography of Its First Settlers
Worcester, Ma, Mirrick & Bartlett, Printers, 1836))

Another account says the young Stevens boys witnessed his cousin's death before
being taken to Canada. Phineas was 16 years old and during his captivity learned
much about the Indian's methods of war and hunting, and in his adulthood would
become, as we'll see, one of the leading Indian fighters of the colony.

JEREMIAH SWAIN

((Today is the 302nd anniversary of the death of my 9x great grandfather,
Jeremiah Swain, who was prominent in early Massachusetts Bay Colony
history. My discovery of this poem led to a 14 part series of posts on his 
life. First posted in Apr 2009))

On May 29,1844, at the Bi-Centennial Celebration of the Founding of
Old Reading, Massachusetts (now three towns: Reading, North Reading,
and Wakefield), the Honorable Lilley Eaton stepped forward and read a
poem he'd written about the history of the town and some of it's important
citizens. Among these was my ancestor Jeremiah Swain(also spelled
Swayne or Sweyn)

"At my old map I looked again,
And found the house of Major Swayne ;
'Twas situated near the ground
Where Stowell, Issacher, is found.
This Major Swayne, the records say,
Was a great warrior in his day,
And in our ancient Indian wars,
A victor chief, beloved of Mars ;
And when King Philip with his troop,
With tomahawk and dread war-whoop,
With poisoned arrows and firebrand,
Bore down upon the pilgrim land,
Old Major Swayne, with courage true,
Forth to the post of danger flew,
Was made commander of the free,
And led them on victory.
And once, 'tis said, it so fell out,
While Major Swayne was on a scout,
Exploring swamps and other by-land,
Within the State of old Rhode Island,
He found the Indians, whom he sought,
Gathered in force, within a fort.
Our hero's numbers being few,
He wished to hide them from their view,
So lurking near their palisade,
Concealed them there in ambuscade ;
Then bold as e'er a lion was,
His glitt'ring steel the Major draws,
And, mounting on a rising stone,
He cries in loud, undaunted tone,
"We've found the foe, let's storm the fort,
To drive them thence will be but sport;
Come, Captain Poole and Sergeant Brown,
Wheel up your squadrons into line."
The Indians heard this fearless boast,
And thought there came a mighty host ;
With terror struck, and wild dismay,
They quit the fort and ran away ;
Our little band, with triumph then,
Into the empty fortress ran,
Unfurled the flag of liberty,
And gain'd a bloodless victory."

Lilley Eaton & James Flint, Historical Address and Poem: Delivered at 
the Bi-centennialCelebration of the Incorporation of the Old Town of 
Reading May 29, 1844,  (Boston, Ma. S.N. Dickinson, 1844) pp.73-74

Now I'm well aware of poetic license but as I'll show in future posts Lilley Eaton took
quite a bit of it in his description of my ancestor's part in what is also known as the
Great Swamp Battle. Suffice it to say at this point that while Jeremiah Swain would
rise in rank in the Massachusetts militia, he was only a lieutenant at the time of the
battle, and the victory was hardly as bloodless as Mr. Eaton portrays it. But two
hundred years had passed and there was no internet around to consult about the
actual event so Lilley Eaton no doubt relied on tradition in composing his poem.

As I said, there'll be more to come, but for the moment, this is my descent from
Jeremiah Swain and his wife Mary Smith:

Jeremiah Swain m. Mary Smith
Sarah Swain m. John Laughton
John Laughton Jr. m Hepzibah(Hepzibath) Stimson (Stimpson)
John Laughton 3rd m. Jane Adams
John Laughton 4th m. Lydia Ann McGraugh
John Laughton 5th m. Amata Greenleaf
Esther Laughton m. Philip Richardson
Louisa Almata Richardson m. Jonathan Phelps West (my great great grandparents)

WILLIAM GERRISH VERSUS THOMAS WOODBRIDGE REVISITED

((Today marks the 325 anniversary of the death of my 9x great grandfather
William Gerrish. He seems to have had one of those abrasive personalities
and was involved in some interesting court cases, including this one.
First posted June 22, 2009. ))

Both Stephen Greenleaf and Stephen Greenleaf Jr. had made good marriages with
women from prominent colonial families. Stephen the elder had married Elizabeth
Coffin, daughter of Tristram Coffin; Stephen Junior married Elizabeth Gerrish,
whose father was Captain William Gerrish.

The Greenleaf, Coffin and Gerrish families ran profitable mercantile and ship
construction businesses in the towns of Newbury and Amesbury as well in Boston.
And despite the religious beliefs of the founding Puritan fathers, the business
world back then was just as competitive as it is today. Take the case of William
Gerrish and Thomas Woodbridge.

Actually, make that cases. They faced each other in court in Essex County at least
three times, twice over debts, and the third time my ancestor William Gerrish took
Thomas Woodbridge to court for slander:

"Capt. Wm. Gerrish v. Thomas Woodbridge. Slander. Withdrawn.:

Caleb Moody testified that he heard Woodbridge say that Captain Gerish 
was a cheating knave, that he had cheated him out of 180li., and that he
had told a damnable or devilish lie. Sworn in court.

Jno. Joanes and Steven Swet testified. Sworn in court.

Joseph Hills, aged about seventy years, deposed that in the presence of 
Mr. Henry Sewall he heard Woodbridge say that there were fifty men in 
Newbury who would say that Capt. Gerrish had cheated them and that
he would be cast out of the church. Deponent asked Rev. Mr. Jno.  
Woodbridg to give him a meeting at his son's house, which he did,
and said Hills then declared that the meeting was to prevent contention 
between Capt. Gerrish and Woodbridge. Mr. Jno. Woodbridg said he 
was very much troubled at his son's speeches many times and he had 
counselled him to moderation, and asked deponent to advise him how 
to act. "I answered yt he was more able to advise himselfe also ye sd 
Tho. Woodbridg then said yt what he had spoken to mee about Cheating 
he had spoken to som others and bid them goe tell Capt Gerrish."  
Sworn in court.

Anthony Somerby, aged sixty-six years, deposed that Woodbridge said
Gerrish had without question cheated the town of Newbury of many a
pound, and that he doubted not that he had taken away the boards 
from Mr. Richardsun's house. Sworn in court.

Tristram Coffin, aged forty-four years, deposed that Woodbridge called 
Capt. Gerrish a cheating knave and that he made a profession of religion
to cover his knavery, whereupon deponent advised Woodbridge to be more 
moderate in his words, for Capt.Gerrish was a rational man and would do
what was right. Also at said Woodbridge's house, the latter asked deponent 
why he told Gerrish he was drunk. Deponent said he did not tell him so but 
he did say that he believed "that he wass six and twenty." Woodbridge said 
that he was as well then as at this present time, and also that there were 
only five men in town who would not say that Gerrish had cheated them, to
which deponent replied that he had traded with Capt. Gerrish for many 
score pounds and he had never cheated him. Daniell Lunt said the same. 
Woodbridge replied that Lunt, deponent and Rich. Doell were three of the 
five, that he would make Capt. Gerish's house a dung hill and would make 
Capt. Gerish "fly the town" or else he should make him fly the town, and 
within eight months he would make it appear what Capt. Gerish was, etc.
Sworn in court."

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts 
Vol.VI 1675- 1678 Essex Institute, Salem, Ma. 1917 pp125-126

I think "180li" must be 180 pounds. I'm also not sure what the reference about
being "six and twenty" means in reference to drunkeness unless it was the 17th
century equivalent of "three flags to the wind" or something? I feel some
sympathy for poor John Woodbridge asking for advice in how to deal with his
verbose son Thomas!

You can read the particulars of the other two cases in the same book on
Googlebooks which includes very long lists of trade goods with fascinating
names!

AN AFFLICTED FAMILY

Google "Groton+Indians" and you're more than likely to come up
with entries for several books on the subject by Samuel Abbott Green.
(He's probably my cousin but I've not found out how, yet.) Here from
one of those books is a summary of one branch of my family's bad
period of luck on the Massachusetts Bay Colony frontier. I've written
about some of these incidents before. Following the excerpt, I've listed
how the people mentioned are my relatives:


 AN AFFLICTED FAMILY.

JOHN Shattuck and his eldest son John, a young man nineteen years of age,
were killed by the Indians at Groton, on May 8, 1709. They were returning
from the west side of the Nashua River and were attacked just as they were
crossing Stony Fordway, near the present site of the paper mills, where they
were killed. John Shattuck was the eldest child of John and Ruth (Whitney)
Shattuck, of Watertown, where he was born on June 4, 1666. He married Mary,
eldest daughter of James and Elizabeth (Longley) Blood, who was born at
Groton on September 1, 1672. Mr. Shattuck was a farmer, as everybody else
was at that time. He owned land on the Nod Road which leads to the Four
Corners below the soap-stone quarry. During the autumn of 1882 Messrs.
Tileston and Hollingworth, of Boston, at that time the owners of the mill,
caused a suitable stone to be placed by the wayside, bearing the following
inscription:

NEAR THIS SPOT
JOHN SHATTUCK,
A SELECTMAN OF GROTON,
AND
HIS SON JOHN
WERE KILLED BY THE INDIANS,
MAY 8, 1709,
WHILE CROSSING STONY FORDWAY,
JUST BELOW THE PRESENT DAM.

1881.

By an oversight this inscription was not given in connection with the " Historical
Inscriptions " on pages 157, 158.

A remarkable fatality seems to have followed Mrs. Shattuck's kindred. Her husband
and eldest son were killed by the Indians, as has just been mentioned. Her father,
James Blood, was likewise killed, September 13, 1692. So also were her uncle, 
William Longley, his wife and five children, July 27, 1694; and three others of 
their children were carried away into captivity at the same time. A relative, 
James Parker, Jr., and his wife were killed in this assault, and their children 
taken prisoners. Her step-father, Enosh Lawrence, received a wound in an 
engagement with the Indians, probably in the same attack of July 27, 1694, 
which almost wholly prevented him from earning a livelihood for himself 
and family. The name Enosh is a variation from Enos, and not from Enoch, 
with which it is frequently confounded. This will be seen by consulting the 
Geneva version of the Bible, long used in preference to King James's
version, by the New England men, and out of which Enos Lawrence was
undoubtedly named. In this "Enosh" will be found where the authorized 
version has "Enos," in Genesis v. 6,7, 9-11. The three Tarbell children, 
who were carried off to Canada by the Indians, June 20, 1707, were cousins
of Mrs. Shattuck. John Ames, who was shot by the savages at the gate of 
his own garrison, July 9, 1724, was the father of Jacob, who married her 
niece, Ruth Shattuck. And lastly, her son-in-law, Isaac Lakin, the husband 
of her daughter Elizabeth, was wounded in Lovewell's Fight at Pequawket,
May 8, 1725. These calamities covered a period of only one generation,
extending from the year 1692 to 1725.
-"The natural history and the topography of Groton, Massachusetts:
together with other matter relating to the history of the town, Volume 1"
(pp185-186)

 Samuel Abbott Green (University Press, John Wilson and Sons, Cambridge,
Ma,. 1912)



This is how I'm related to the people in this :
Mary Shattuck is my 8x great grandaunt.
Her father James Blood is my 9x great grandfather.
Her uncle William Longley is my 9x great granduncle.
The three Tarbell children are the siblings of my 8x great grandmother.
John Ames is my 8x great grandfather.
Isaac Lakin is my 1st cousin 10x removed.


I haven't determine yet if I have any relationship with James Parker Jr.
and Enosh Lawrence.

SIMON WILLARD'S RIDE

((Originally posted in Jan 2009 as "SIMON WILLARD PT2". I'm 
reposting it under a new title because today is the 337th anniversary
of Simon's ride. Simon willard is my9x great grandfather)).

In 1661 Massasoit,Sachem of the Pokanoket and the Wampanoag Confederacy
died. He'd had good relations for the most part with the settlers of Plymouth
Colony and a good case can be made that without his help, the settlement might
not have survived. But forty years of peace ended with his death. He was succeeded
first by his son Wamsutta, who felt his father had given the settlers too much
land and was seeking an alliance with the rival Connecticut colony when he died
under questionable circumstances in 1662. Massasoit's other son Metacom, now
became the grand sachem of the Wampanoags. He was better known to the
English as "King Philip."

Tensions mounted between the colony and the Indians as Philip sought to make
alliances with other tribes against the colonists and finally came to a head in1675.
John Sassamon, an Indian convert who'd gone to Harvard, warned the leaders
at Plymouth about Metacom's latest attempts to persuade the other tribes to
join in attacks on the settlers. A short while later Sassamon was murdered and
three Wampanoag Indians were arrested, tried, and convicted for the crime.
They were hung on 8 Jun 1675 . Two weeks later on 20 June, the town of Swansea
was attacked by Indians and destroyed five days later. The conflict that historians
call "King Philip's War" had begun.

Even though Simon Willard was now seventy years old, he was still in charge of
the defense of Middlesex County and despite his age went about it vigorously.
He led a small force of militiamen and friendly Indians and went from town to
town checking their fortifications and preparedness for attacks. At first these
were limited to the southern part of the colony but on 2 August a band of Nipmuc
Indians attacked the small town of Brookfield. The settlers took shelter in the
strongest building in town and held off the Indians for three days and made
attempts to send out messengers to find help.

Around noon on 5 August one found Simon Willard who was leading a mounted
force of 47 men from Lancaster to Groton. He immediately started out for
Brookfield which was about thirty miles from where the message had found him
and arrived at the besieged town shortly after dark. The Indians retreated at the
sudden arrival of Willard and his men and the Brookfield settlers were saved.

Four days later, the Indians attacked Lancaster, Simon Willard's previous place of
residence. Could it have been because of his rescue of Brookfield and his
prominence in the defence of the colony? Whether coincidental or deliberate,
the attack was one of many more to come.

It would be a busy fall and winter for Simon Willard.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF GEDCOMS

There's been a lot of talk about that trendy computer topic, "The Cloud".
Sometimes I feel like the developers of these concepts are like Madison
Ave. advertising companies that used to tell us how we NEEDED the latest
gadget, should drink the "cool" beers or wear the trendiest clothes. Instead,
we now NEED to put all our stuff online in "The Cloud". (Can't you just
imagine George Carlin doing a routine on "a cloud for our stuff'.?)

Well, grumpy old reprobate that I am, I haven't put any of my genealogy "stuff"
into "The Cloud" via Evernote or Dropbox. I don't have a smartphone so I don't
have a need for their apps on my phone, and while I suppose I could make use of
the two sites with my laptop I haven't. On the other hand, I do make use "The
Cloud" in another way. I have my family tree on five different genealogy
websites:

Ancestry.com
Rootsweb
WikiTree
MyHeritage.com
Geni.com

I know that seems a bit of overkill but chalk it up to a bit of paranoia. I figure
if one of my trees disappears, then I have a backup. And a backup to a backup,
and a backup to the backup to the first backup, and so on. These are in various
stages, with the Ancestry.com being the most complete gedcom. The plan is to
eventually upload the gedcom from Ancestry to the other sites. Meanwhile,
all five sites act as cousin bait. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I just remembered I need to back up this blog to my
mirror site on Wordpress.

THE CAPTIVITY OF SAMUEL BUTTERFIELD

As I've said before, I sometimes wonder I'm here at all given the
number of ancestors and relatives involved in the Indian wars in
Colonial New England. Some were killed, some were captives, and
some survived because of the mercy shown by their captors. The
following is from Samuel Abbott Green's Groton During the Indian Wars
pages 94-95. The Penhallow book mentioned is Samuel Penhallow's
Indian Wars. Samuel Butterfield was the son of my 8x great granduncle
Nathaniel Butterfield:


"Penhallow, in his History, gives several instances of extreme cruelty to
the prisoners on the part of the savages, and mentions the following case
of a man who was captured in this town: —

`A third was of Samuel Butterfield, who being sent to Groton as a Soldier,
was with others attackt, as they were gathering in the Harvest; his bravery
was such, that he kill'd one and wounded another, but being overpower'd
by strength, was forc'd to submit; and it hapned that the slain Indian was a
Sagamore, and of great dexterity in War, which caused matter of Lamentation,
and enrag'd them to such degree that they vow'd the utmost revenge; Some
were for whipping him to Death; others for burning him alive; but differing
in their Sentiments, they submitted the Issue to the Squaw Widow,
concluding she would determine something very dreadful, but when the
matter was opened, and the Fact considered, her Spirits were so moderate
as to make no other reply, than, " Fortune L'guare. Upon which some were
uneasy; to whom she answered, If by killing him, you can bring my Husband
to life again, I beg you to study what Death you please; but if not let him be
my Servant; which he accordingly was, during his Captivity, and had favour
shewn him." (Pages 38, 39.) '

The account of Butterfield's case was in substance originally printed in a
pamphlet entitled "A MEMORIAL of the Present Deplorable STATE of New
England" (1707),— now of great rarity, — which appeared twenty years
before Judge Penhallow's History was published. This pamphlet has since
been reprinted in the introduction to the sixth volume, fifth series, of the
" Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society." The account is as
follows: —

`A Man had Valiantly Killed an Indian or two before the Salvages took him.
He was next Morning to undergo an horrible Death, whereof the Manner
and the Torture was to be assigned by the Widow Squa of the Dead Indian.
The French Priests told him, they had indeavoured to divert the Tygres
from ther bloody Intention, but could not prevail with them; he must prepare
for the terrible Execution. His cries to God were hard, and heard; when
the Sentence of the Squa, was demanded, quite contrary to every ones
Expectation, and the Revengeful Inclination so usual and well-known among
these Creatures, she only said, His Death won't fetch my Husband to Life; Do
nothing to him! So nothing was done to him. (Page 58.*)' "

The Butterfields are my ancestors through the family of my Dad's Mom, Cora
Barker.

EXTENSION FOR THE SECOND AMERICAN CIVIL WAR BLOG CHALLENGE DEADLINE

Back in May I announced the Second American Civil War Blog Challenge
and set the deadline for August 1st to submit links to your posts. Then like
many of us I got wound up in indexing the 1940 US Census and pushed the
Challenge to the back burner. Frankly, I dropped the ball. I didn't post the
occasional reminders of the Challenge here and on Facebook. As a result,
Ive only received a few submissions at this point.


So I'm extending the deadline for another month and a half to Sept.15th. I'll
be attending a family wedding over Labor Day weekend so I added the extra
two weeks after my return.

Once again, here's the rules:

Did you have ancestors in America during the Civil War? If so, where were
they and what were their circumstances? How did the Civil War affect them
and their family? Did the men enlist and did they perish in battle or die of
illness? On which side did they fight, or did you have relatives fighting on
BOTH sides? How did the women left at home cope, or did any of them find
ways to help the war effort? Were your ancestors living as slaves on Southern
plantations and if so when were they freed, or were they freemen who
enlisted to fight? Did any ancestor take part in a battle that took place in
1862? 


Write a blogpost on these questions, or, if you think of another topic to do
with your family history and the Civil War, write about that. Send me the link
after you publish it on your blog by August, and on August 8th I'll publish all
the links here.


That gives everyone most of the summer to research and write(or maybe visit
a Civil War location connected somehow to the family). Have fun with it and
I look forward to reading what everyone writes!

"DEAR PAPA AND MAMMA..."

Here's another of the letters recently found in the Fred Blanchard house in
Berlin NH. Helen Blanchard was the daughter of Fred Blanchard and  Eliza Ann
"Lizzie" (Ellingwood) and is my 2nd cousin 2x removed. Helen's granduncle
was my 2x great grandfather Asa F Ellingwood.

Helen was 19 years old at the time this was written and apparently had been
ill. I don't know what the nature of her illness was but it must have been
something that required a personal nurse for some time. Also, the letter
is postmarked from Providence RI. I do know that she recovered from
whatever had ailed her and married Lewis Whipple om 1907.  They
ended up living in Rhode Island where Helen died on 29sep 1939. I've
wondered how the Blanchards all eventually ended up in Rhode Island;
perhaps it began with Helen's stay there.

Mentioned in  the letter are several Ellingwood relatives:  William
Ellingwood ("Uncle Willie"), Rosella Ellingwood ("Aunt Rose") and
Lettice Ellingwood ("Aunt Lettie"). "Mamma" was Fred Blanchard's
second wife, Anna Hutchinson.

Thanks again to K. who found these letters and  allowed me to share them.

Dear Papa and Mamma
I thought just a few words written by myself would be welcome even
though you had heard from me other ways.

I am feeling well for me; have been down stairs to dinner every day this
week, and was down for a little while Sun. I had a call from Uncle Willie
that day too. I haven't such a ferocious appetite now but eat enough
nevertheless.

Dr Lakes(?) says I cannot come home this week I am only waiting for

(page 2)
a pleasant day to go out on the lawn for a few minutes.
Aunt Lettie and Aunt Rose were down to see me yesterday.
My nurse is still here but she has very little to do for me. Dr says I
don't need a trained nurse any longer, that there is little but what I
could do for myself. But I guess he thinks it is not his place to send
her away now that he has said that. I like to have her stay but dont
want to or feel as if I ought to after I don't need a nurse.
All are well as usual.
Love to you all
Apr.20/98    Helen.

"A MARCH IN THE RANKS, HARD-PREST" BY WALT WHITMAN

Last year I posted a series about my  2xgreat grandfather Asa Freeman

Ellingwood who was a Union soldier at the First Battle of Bull Run. when

I read this poem by Walt Whitman, it made me think of the Union retreat

that Asa was part of after the defeat:

A March in the Ranks, Hard-prest

 by Walt Whitman

 
A MARCH in the ranks hard-prest, and the road unknown;
A route through a heavy wood, with muffled steps in the darkness; 
Our army foil’d with loss severe, and the sullen remnant retreating; 
Till after midnight glimmer upon us, the lights of a dim-lighted building; 
We come to an open space in the woods, and halt by the dim-lighted building;
’Tis a large old church at the crossing roads—’tis now an impromptu hospital; 
—Entering but for a minute, I see a sight beyond all the pictures and poems ever made: 
Shadows of deepest, deepest black, just lit by moving candles and lamps, 
And by one great pitchy torch, stationary, with wild red flame, and clouds of smoke; 
By these, crowds, groups of forms, vaguely I see, on the floor, some in the pews laid down;
At my feet more distinctly, a soldier, a mere lad, in danger of bleeding to death, (he is shot in the abdomen;) 
I staunch the blood temporarily, (the youngster’s face is white as a lily;) 
Then before I depart I sweep my eyes o’er the scene, fain to absorb it all; 
Faces, varieties, postures beyond description, most in obscurity, some of them dead; 
Surgeons operating, attendants holding lights, the smell of ether, the odor of blood;
The crowd, O the crowd of the bloody forms of soldiers—the yard outside also fill’d; 
Some on the bare ground, some on planks or stretchers, some in the death-spasm sweating; 
An occasional scream or cry, the doctor’s shouted orders or calls; 
The glisten of the little steel instruments catching the glint of the torches; 
These I resume as I chant—I see again the forms, I smell the odor;
Then hear outside the orders given, Fall in, my men, Fall in; 
But first I bend to the dying lad—his eyes open—a half-smile gives he me; 
Then the eyes close, calmly close, and I speed forth to the darkness, 
Resuming, marching, ever in darkness marching, on in the ranks, 
The unknown road still marching.

THE "SYMON INDIAN" LETTER OF LT. PHILIP CHALLIS

In my previous post I mentioned that the Indian Symon had figured in
another bit of family history. The ancestor in question was Philip Challis,
my 8x greatgrandfather, and while he and Symon may or may not have met,
Philip Challis was one of three officers who sent the following letter to the
Royal Governor in Boston to report on an attack Symon made on the town
of Amesbury. Ma. This is from Genealogical History of the Quinby (Quimby)
Family in England and America by Henry Cole Quinby (Tuttle Company,
Rutland, Vt., 1915) pp 68-69
  

"THE "SYMON INDIAN" LETTER

The following is the letter mentioned a few pages back. The heroine referred
to is Elizabeth (Osgood) Quinby, the daughter of William1 Osgood and wife of
Robert* Quinby of Amesbury. The original letter is preserved in the Massachusetts
Archives, vol. 69, pp. 141-2. The words italicized (in parenthesis) are crossed out
in the original.

Amesbury: 9: 5 mo: 1677

Sr: Be pleased by these to undrstand yt yesterday being ye Sabbath. There was 5
Indians seen by Jno: Hoyt Junr follow one another in a strait file upon Thomas
Haynes's hill & goe into ye bushes & a sixth to follow ye five (sixth): seen by
anothr: & in ye Aftrnoone one Indian was seen by two off Sergt: Belchers men:
& ye last night ye Indians weere about ye garison wher Sergt Belchers men keep:
& Just now there was an Indian seen undr the fence creeping towrd Thomas Hayn's
towrds ye place where ye: men were slain on fryday last: Soe yt wee doe assuredly
conclude yt Symon & his party are nott Drawne off fro ye town but evr & anon
shew yms: by one two or some few of ym to draw out or weake strength into ym &
to cuts us off And ye grounds off this or opinion is further confirmed unto us by ye
relacn off ye wounded woman: wch according to yr desire wee whose names are
undrwritten tooke fro her mouth: viz: That there were about ten yt killed or men,
& about twenty yt shee saw in all & yt she knew ye most off those yt shee saw iff
nott all off them to be Indians yt Dwelt formerly here-abouts & att Newbury ffalls:
although she (m) did nott know all yr names butt some shee knew by name: &
named Symon: & Pooky John formerly soe called now Andrew: & one Jeoffry now
called Samuel & one named Joseph as she thinks.(wee asked her how long it was.)
And yt It was Symon yt knockt her on ye head, whome when he came to her she
desired him nott To kill her: why sd he good wife Quinby:(wch was her name) doe
you think yt I will kill you? Sd shee because you kill all english: sd he I will give Qurtr
to never an english dogg off you all, & gave her a blow on ye head whereupon she
called him Rogue & threw a stone att him, & then he gave her twoe more & settled
her for Dead: Wee Asked whither she was sure yt It was Symon & how long It was
ere yt she saw him before she Answrd yt about 3 years since he was att their house
with an otter: wch time pson & Token Sargt: Samll ffoot being then att ye house doth
very well remember & Affirms ye same This Con sidred in Conjunction with Symon's
being & living an apprentisce servant with Goodwife Quinbies father att (during) ye
same time yt her selfe also lived with her father whose name was Will Osgood 
seems to confirme unto us her perfect knowledg of Simon Which things Considred 
wee Doubt Nott but yt Itt is Symon & his party yt layes siege unto or towne Neither 
Do wee scruple ye womans certaine knowledg off Symon Indian.

further more shee relates yt when Symon was about to kill her, & she called 
to ye garrison: He says why doe you call to ye Garrison. I will have that too 
by and by

This is a faithfull & true relac & acct off or
present Concernmts fro Sr yr humble servts

Philip Challis Leift:
Jeremiah Belcher
Samell foot "

"THE MURDEROUS TOMAHAWK": THE PETITION OF MARY KIMBALL 1676

In my previous post about the death of John Ames, I mentioned that his wife
Priscilla Kimball's father, Thomas Kimball, had been killed by Indians and that
she, her mother, and four sibings had been taken captive. The incident had
occurred during King Philip's War on 3May 1676 and is recounted in George
Wingate Chase's History of Haverhill Massachusetts:

"Haverhill was not long permitted to escape the murderous tomahawk. On the
2d of May , one of its own people, Ephraim Kingsbury, was killed by the Indians.
He is believed to have been the first person slain in this town by the savages,
but the incidents connected with his death have been lost . The next day,
(May 3d,) the house of Thomas Kimball, of Bradford, was attacked, and he was
killed ; and his wife and five children,— Joanna, Thomas, Joseph, Priscilla, and
John,—taken captive. Phillip Eastman. of Haverhill, was captured at the
same time

This outrage was committed by three well known "converted Indians," named
Symon, Andrew, and Peter. There is a tradition, that they set out with the intention
of killing some one in Rowley, whom they supposed had injured them, but finding
the night too far spent, they did not dare proceed further, and so avenged
themeelves on Mr. Kimball. It is quite probable that Symon intended to wreak his
vengeance on some one who was concerned in securing his punishment for the
theft before mentioned. He was a cruel and blood-thirsty villain, as the following
facts will abundantly show.

Soon after her return from captivity, Mrs. Kimball addressed the following
petition to the Governor and Council:

"To the Hon. Governor and Councell.
The humble petition of Mary Kimball sheweth that Simon, the Indian who
killed my husband, Thomas Kimball, hath threatened to kill me and my children
if ever I goe to my own house, so that I dare not goe to looke after what little I
have there left, for fear of my life being taken away by him; and therefore, doe
humbly entreate the Hon. Governor and Councell that some course may be taken,
as God shall direct, and your wisdom, shall think best, to secure him; for I am in
continual fear of my life by him; and if any course may be taken for the recovery
of what is yet left in their hands of my goods that they have not destroyed, (as
there was two kittens and two or three bags of linnen when I came from them)
that I might have it restored, leaving myself and my concernes under God, to
your wisdoms. Remaine your humble suppliant. 'Mary Kimball." (pp124-125)"
Mary Kimball was born Mary Smith in 1637 9n Ipswich, Ma, the daughter of
John Smith and Isabella Drake. She was my 9x great grandmother.

Symon the Indian was involved in an attack on another town where one of
my ancestors lived, and I'll tell that story next.

"AN ILL DESIGN":THE DEATH OFJOHN AMES, 9JUL 1724

During the period of the colonial New England Indian Wars, summer was the
season when raids and casualties increased on both sides. As a consequence,
I've several ancestors who died violently in the summer months. One such was
my 8x great grandfather John Ames of Groton, Ma. John was no stranger to
deaths caused by the wars: his wife was Priscilla Kimball whose father
been killed when she was a child and who had been taken captive . So John
probably took precautions but it didn't save him. The incident was described by
the historian Samuel Abbott Green in his book "Groton in the Indian Wars".(He
quotes several sources which excerpts I've boldfaced since Green omits
the quotations marks for some of them):.
  

"It was on Thursday, July 9, 1724, that John Ames was shot by an Indian, one of
a small party that attacked his garrison in the northwesterly part of the town.
Ames lived on the north side of the Nashua River, a short distance below the
Hollingsworth paper-mills. He is said to be the last person killed by an Indian
within the township. The Indian himself was immediately afterward shot by
Jacob Ames, one of John's sons. "The Boston Gazette," July 13, 1724, thus refers
to the event: —

A Man was kill'd last Week at Groton, by the Indians, and 't is suppos'd one 
Indian was kill'd by one of our Men in the Garrison; the Indians left their 
Packs, 5 in number, which were taken and secur'd by the English.

In the Gazette of July 27, it is said that " An Indian Scalp was brought to Town 
last Week from Groton."

"The New England Courant," July 13, 1724, reports that "Last week the Indians
kill'd a Man at Groton, and had one of their own Men very much wounded."
The same newspaper, in its issue of July 27, says that "The Scalp of an Indian
lately kill'd at Groton is brought to Town."

"The Boston News Letter," July 16, 1724, gives the following version: —

From Groton we are inform'd, That 5 Indians came into that Place, and kill'd
one Man, upon which one of our Men shot out of the Garrison and kill'd an
Indian and got his Scalp in order to bring to Town, and have likewise taken
the Indian Packs.

The same paper, of July 30, says that "An Indian Scalp from Groton was brought
in here last Week."

These accounts, taken in connection with Jacob Ames's petition, found in the
printed Journal of the' House of Representatives for November 20, 1724, and
herewith given, show conclusively that they relate to the assault in which
John Ames was killed. It is equally certain that Penhallow, in his History, refers
to the same attack when he speaks of the damage done at Groton in the
summer of 1724.

A Petition of Jacob Ames, shewing that he was one of the Weekly Scouts near
the Garrisons on the Westerly part of the Town of Groton; and on the Ninth Day
of July last, when it was the Petitioners Week to be on Duty, a Number of 
Indians appeared at the Garrison of the Petitioners Father John Ames, and 
killed him at the Gate, and then rush'd violently into the Garrison to surprise 
the People there. And the Petitioner did with Courage and Resolution by 
himself defend the Garrison,  and beat off the Indians, Slew one of them and 
Scalp'd him; praying, That altho' it happened to be his Week to be on Duty, 
that this Court would take the Premises  into their wise and serious 
Consideration, and grant what other Allowance more than the Establishment 
by Law, shall to them seem meet, for his aforesaid Service.  Read, and in 
Answer to this Petition. Resolved, That over and above the Fifteen rounds 
due to the Petitioner by Law, for recovering the said Scalp, and the good
Services done this Province thereby, the Sum of Fifteen Pounds be allowed 
and Paid out of the Publick Treasury to the said Jacob Ames for his good 
Service as aforesaid.

Sent up for Concurrence.

Mr. Butler, in his History, gives the following version of this affair, which was
gathered largely from grandchildren of the Ezra Farnsworth mentioned in it. 
The account was taken down in writing more than a hundred years after the
occurrence of the event, which will explain any inaccuracies due to tradition.
Mr. Butler refers the assault to a period much later than the actual fact: —

`An Indian had been seen, for several days, lurking about the town, it was
conjectured, upon some ill design. Mr. Ames, who lived on the intervale, on 
the west side of Nashua river, now owned by John Boynton, Esq., went into
his pasture to catch his horse. Discovering the Indian, he ran for his house; 
the Indian pursued and shot him as he entered his gate. The dead body 
prevented the gate's closing, as it would otherwise have done of itself, and 
the Indian pressed in to enter the house, where Ames had a son and daughter. 
The son seized his gun, and shot at him, as he entered the gate. The ball, 
striking the latch of the door, split, and one part of it wounded the Indian, 
but not severely. As the son attempted to close the door against the enemy, 
after the shot, the Indian thrust his foot in, and prevented. The son called 
to his sister to bring his father's gun from the bedside, and at the same 
time striking the Indian's foot with the breach of his gun, compelled him 
to withdraw it, and closed the door. While the Indian was in the act of 
reloading his gun, the young man found means to shoot through a 
crevice and killed him. Two men, at work about a mile distant in a 
mill, Ezra and Benjamin Farnsworth, hearing the reports of the guns,
and suspecting the cause thereof, were soon at the place, and found 
the bodies of Ames and the Indian both weltering in their blood. This 
is the last man killed by an Indian within the bounds of Groton. 
(Pages no, 111.)'

Mr. Butler says, in his History (page 100), that "in the summer of 1723,
one man was killed at Groton." I am inclined to think that this allusion 
is to John Ames,as I can find no other authority for the statement.

(Groton During the Indian Wars Samuel Abbott Green pp131-133).




Nearly 20 years later, on 30Jul 1743, John Ames' son, likewise named John
(who was my 7x great grandfather) was, like his father, also killed by Indians.  

There are some who say it was he, not his father, who was the last man killed
by Indians in Groton.

GERSHOM FLAGG AT WHEELWRIGHT POND, 6JUL1690

((First posted on 21Jul 2009. I'm reposting it since today is the 322 anniversary
of the Battle of Wheelwright Pond)) 

My 9x great grandfather Gershom Flagg was born in Watertown, Ma. in 1641 but
by 1689 he was residing in Woburn, Middlesex, Ma. That year he was appointed
Lieutenant in a company commanded by Captain Noah Wiswall(Wiswell) which
was sent off to Maine as part of the expedition under the joint command of Benjamin
Church and my ancestor Jeremiah Swain.

There are two different accounts of what sort of company made up Captain Wiswall's
command. One says it was comprised of militiamen infantry, but the other version
says it was made up of friendly Indians hostile to the Maine tribes. Apparently, there
were some who were not all that hostile, as this story from Daniel Neal's "History 
ofNew-England Vol 2" (p80) relates:

"Befides, their Motions were difcovered to the Enemy by fome Indian Auxiliaries, 
whobeing fent out with Lieutenant Flag to get Intelligence of the Enemy, confulted
togetherin their wn Language at Winnopiffeag, and obliging the Lieutenant to 
return with buttwo Indians, nineteen of them ftaid in thofe Parts eleven Days 
without an Englifhman in their Company ; in which Time they found out the Enemy, 
lay with them two Nights,and told them every thing they knew of the Numbers, 
Motions and Defigns of the Englifh: Upon which they retired into their inacceffible 
Woods and Swamps, and appeared no more in a Body while the Army was in thofe 
Parts... "


It was perhaps then inevitable that matters turned out as they did on 6Jul 1690 at
Wheelwright Pond near Lee, New Hampshire (pp95-96) :

"All the open Country was fo infefted with Parties of the Enemy at this Time, that 
it was hardly fafe for a Man to ftir out of his Houfe, or follow his Bufinels in the 
Field. A Council of War was therefore called at Portfmoutb, which ordered Captain 
Wifwel and CaptainFloyd with a large Body of Men to fcour the Woods as far as 
Cafco. They marched out of Quochecho on the 4th of July, withe above 100 Men, 
and on the 6th came up with a large Party of the Enemy at Wheelwright-Pond.
It was obferved, that there were feveral French Soldiers mix'd with thefe Indians, 
to difcipline and inftruct them in a regular Way of Fighting .The Engagement
lafted feveral Hours, but Victory declared at laft for the Enemy, Captain Wifwel, 
Lieutenant Flag, Serjeant Walker, with fifteen of their Men, being killed, and a 
great many more wounded. When Wifwel fell, Captain Floyd retreated with the 
Remainder of the Army, in the beft Manner he could, leaving his wounded Men
behind him-, but next Morning Captain Convers, with twenty Men, being fent 
out towardsthe Place of Battle, found feven of the wounded Englifh yet alive, 
and brought them back to the Camp. The Indians flufhed with this Victory, 
made a Defcent upon Amefbury, furprized Captain Foot, and tortured him to 
death ; but the Townfmen taking the Alarm, fecured themfelves in their Fort: 
However, the Enemy killed three Perfons, burnt three or four Houies, deftroyed 
their Cattle, and then retired..."

July seems not to have been the best month for many of my ancestors..

SIMON STONE'S HAPPY JULY 4TH IN 1690

((Originally posted on 6Jul 2009))

On 4Jul 1690 my 8x great grandfather Simon Stone wasn't having a very good day
but displayed amazing tenacity which Cotton Mather pointed to as an example of
why one should never despair. Author Samuel Green quoted Mather in a book
published in 1883:

"Cotton Mather mentions, in his Magnalia, a few instances of "mortal wounds
upon the English not proving mortal," and gives the case of an inhabitant of this
town who was in a garrison at Exeter, New Hampshire, when that place was
assaulted, July 4, 1690. He says : —

`It is true, that one Simon Stone being here Wounded with Shot in Nine several 
places,lay for Dead (as it was time!) among the Dead. The Indians coming to 
Strip him,attempted with Two several Blows of an Hatchet at his Neck to cut 
off his Head, which Blows added you may be sure, more Enormous Wounds
unto those Port-holes of Death,at which the Life of the poor Man was already
running out as fast as it could. Being charged hard by Lieutenant Bancroft 
they left the Man without Scalping him; and the English now coming to Bury 
the Dead, one of the Soldiers perceived this poor Man to fetch a Gasp ; 
whereupon an Irish Fellow then present, advised 'em to give him another
Dab with an Hatchet, and so Bury him with the rest. The English detesting
this Barbarous Advice, lifted up the Wounded  Man, and poured a little Fair 
Water into his Mouth at which he Coughed ; then they poured a little Strong 
Water after it, at which he opened his Eyes. The Irish Fellow was ordered now
 to hale a Canoo ashore to carry the Wounded Men up the River unto a 
Chirurgeon; and as Teague was foolishly pulling the Canoo ashore with the
Cock of his Gun, while he held the Muzzle in his Hand, his Gun went off
and broke his Arm, whereof he remains a Cripple to this Day: But Simon 
Stone was thoroughly Cured, and is at this Day a very Lusty Man; and as 
he was Born with Two Thumbs on one Hand, his Neighbours have thought 
him to have at least as many Hearts as Thumbs.' (Book VII. page 74.)

Many families who have lived in Groton trace back their line of descent to 
this same Simon Stone, who was so hard to kill, and to whom, fortunately, 
the finishing " Dab with an Hatchet" was not given."-

Green, Samuel A., Groton During the Indian Wars, Groton, Ma. 1883 pp56-57

The astonishing thing to me reading this today is how Simon Stone wasn't accused
of being a witch, given the two thumbs and his amazing recovery!

2012 Notes
I forgot in my original posting to mention that the Irishman's advice made me
chuckle. Being Irish on my Mother's side of the family I could appreciate the
man's apparent philosophy that one less Englishman in the world was a good
thing. Luckily his son had already been born so I'd still be here today if they
had given him a "Dab".

"Strong Water" most likely was "Aqua Vitae"  aka whiskey.

It's probable the Bancroft mentioned in the story was one of my Bancroft
relatives.

And it was a happy 4th of July for Simon Stone because he survived it!

HOW CAPTAIN ELEAZER GILES LOST HIS LEG.

My branch of the Ellinwood/Ellenwood/Ellingwood family were farmers, but many  
of my ancestors had siblings who made their living upon the ocean, or married men
who did. One of my collateral relatives, Sarah Ellenwood, married Eleazer Giles
of Salem, Ma. Since tomorrow is July 4th, I thought I'd share what I recently found
about him  in William Richard Cutter's  Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical
and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Volume 3, p.932:

"Captain Eleazer Giles, son of Eleazer Giles (4), was born in Salem, now 
South Danvers, October, 1744. Married, March 9, 1768, Sarah Ellen Wood, 
of Beverly. He was a seafaring man, shipmaster, of great personal courage, 
energy and determination. At the age of twenty-four he commanded a schooner 
owned by John Prince and Miles Ward, Jr., of Salem. In the Revolution he 
commanded the armed brig "Saratoga," of Beverly, belonging to John and 
Andrew Cabot, and his brother was a lad in the crew. In 1776 Captain Giles
sailed from Beverly in a brig of ten guns and soon afterward fell in with a 
fleet of  merchantmen laden with stores, bound from Jamaica to London, four 
of which he captured: the ship  ''Lucia," four hundred tons: brigs "Alfred," 
"Success" and another, name unknown, of three hundred tons each. In another 
cruise he was less successful. Falling in with a British vessel of equal or 
superior force and relying on the boasted bravery of a newly shipped crew, 
he gave battle. Immediately upon the attack, a portion of his men proved by 
their conduct that his confidence in their bravery had been misplaced; and 
after a short but sharp engagement, in which he was wounded, he was 
compelled to surrender, and was carried to Halifax. His brothers Thomas and 
Benjamin who were in the crew were killed, and his brother-in-law, Benjamin 
Ives, was wounded. Captain Giles had to have his leg amputated twice in one 
day, after reaching Halifax, once below, then above the knee. The operation 
was performed by Dr. Jeffries, of Halifax, later of Boston, and the surgeon of 
the privateer, Dr. Elisha Whitney, of Beverly. He lived thirty years afterward, 
and continued to follow the sea, having a wooden leg. He was master and 
owner of a brig which he had built and later altered into a ship called the 
"Harriet," the name of his daughter mentioned below, and it was employed 
in the Liverpool trade. He had a large property, but died abroad and in some 
way his heirs were defrauded of the greater part of it. He resided in Beverly 
and was actively interested in politics."

One of the things this excerpt proves that no name is so simple that it can't be
made more complicated: notice how Sarah Ellenwood was transformed into
"Sarah Ellen Wood". If I hadn't Googled her name along with "Eleazer Giles"
I might not have found this.

The other thing is that researching the collateral lines of your ancestry is
just as fascinating as your direct lines!

ISAAC & THE FOUR BEARS

In light of the recent rash of bear sightings in unexpected places here in
Massachusetts (such as on Cape Cod), I thought I'd share this story cousin
Florence O'Connor included in her book The Ancestors and Descendants
of Asa Freeman Ellingwood and Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood. It's told
by my 2x great granduncle Isaac Harris Ellingwood, the brother of my
2x great grandfather Asa Freeman Ellingwood:

"                              FOUR LARGE BEARS
I can remember a bear experience that I had. Bears had been troubling our
sheep so we were on the lookout for them.We were on a hunt one day in
the pasture. I sent the hired man and boy into the back field to see if they
had bothered the sheep during the night. When Willie and I came into the
field we crept along and there not 20 feet from us were four large bears.
There was no time to do anything but to face them. I sent Willie back for
the other men while I stood there and watched to see what they would do,
so I loaded the gun with buckshot and fired. The bears disappeared, one
went up a tree and the others I could not see I suppose they were all up
the tree and rushed up. But they were not. I looked off a litte way and
there were two eating the carcass of a sheep that they had killed. I
decided it was time to fire again, and cocking my gun, I fired. One of the
bears jumped about ten feet. I expected her to come for me then, and I
had the other barrel of my gun in readiness. all would have gone well had
it not accidentally gone off. The bear came within ten feet of me and
stood there glaring. I dared not run and there was no time to reload. I was
certainly in somewhat of a serious predicament. The two bears in the tree
wanted to come down again and I had more than my hands full.

I had no desire to have four bear safter me at once. The two in the tree would
drop down a little and then go back up. It was a funny experience, but there was
no laugh in it for me.I hardly know what would have happened if help had not
come just then" (pp47-48).

And.....that's where it ends. But since I do know great great granduncle Isaac
wasn't eaten by bears, I'm pretty sure the encounter turned out alright for him.

But I can say with some forebearance, probably not for the bears.