Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1823-09-10
@(SceIIat.D.
FROM HE FRANKLIN HERALD, PUBLISHED
AT GREENFIELD.

|
at te Falls.
II TIE first attack on the English by Philips
force, was At Swanzey, in Plymouth Colony,
Juna 1875, sNOn this the government of PIym-
| outh and Massachusetts, ordered several com.
| paues of men to that quarter to act offensive
| ly against the Indians. After several Skin
mIhes with various success, Philip was hem
med in upon point of land called PocGSSet
mex, about eighteen miles below Taunton,
! Whence, by an artful maneuvre, he eluded the
| English, and made his escape with a consid-
rable body Of his Indians to the Nipmuck
| country, now the southern point of the coun-
| ~ of Worcester. Finding that the Indians
! towards Connecticut river were disposed. to
| Join Philip, troops were Immediately forward
ed towards that quarter. Quabdog, now
Brook6eld, had been settled by the English,
| and house fortified at that place this Was
ATTACHED by a large body of Philips forces,
and Efavely defended, and at length relieved
| by aoodygof troops under Maj. Willard. All
the other houses in the place were burned by
the enemy. Soon after this disaster, several
companies arrived at Brookfeld and the
woods were so efectually secured, that Philip
retired further up the country, and joined the
Rcomtuck and Squakeag Indians, on Con-
necticut river.
Previous to this time, Deerfeld or Pocom-
tuck, had been granted to a company OF asso-
eiates in Dedham, and considerable settle
! ilents had been made as earl as 1911 a
| bWnship had also been granted at Squakeag,
| bJohn Pynchon of Springfield and his asso-
| dates, by the name OF Northheid. The town
| ship was laid out on each side OF the river ;
Ind in. 1878 several families from NoTthamp
| on. Hadley, and Hatfield, seated themselves
| It that place, and built temporary work for
| TIER protection.
| Not long after the destruction of Brookfeid,
the government of Massachusetts, and Con-
pectjeut sent troops 20 the upper towns on Con-
| necticut river, and garr!sons were posted al
Northampton, Hatfield, Deerleld, and North
| feld bat the main force was encamped at
| IIadley, where peninsula, formed by short
turn of the river, afforded deiensible position
against the, attacks OF the enemy.
Atsthis time the Hadey Indians, who had
not joined Philip, occupied a small rude fort
about a milesaboVe Hatfield, and as they in
| dicated disposition to abandon it and JOIN
| the enemy, the English determined to obtain
possession of their arms. Apprised of the de-
| sign, the indians fed up the river i'll the night
| towards Deeriield; captain Lathrop and Beers,
| with their companies commenced a pursuit
| early the next morning, and came up with
! them in a swamp. little south of Sugar soGt
| HILL opposite to The present town OF sunder-
land, and a severe skirmi>h ensued ten o:
the English and twenty-six OF the Indians fell
| in the affair. The remainder OF the fugitives
fled and joined Philip, md Lathrop and Beers
returned to Hadley.
| Decrfeld and North1eld were now much
exposed TO the fury of the enemy, who IN
considerable numbers lay in the ne'ghborlns
woods. On the first Of September, 1878, they
| fell upon the former place, killed one mat
/ and reduced several houses to ashes. Two
or three days after, nine or ten people were
! killed in the woods at Mortified others esca
| ped to the garrisoned house. The day sub
| sequent to this disaster, and before it was
known at Hadley, capt. Beers with 36 noun
ted infantry, was detached by Maj. Treat
commanding at that post, to convey provisions
to the garrison and people at North6eld
Beers route led through the present towns o
Sunderland, Montague, and the track called
| Eryin's Grant, then continued forest, through
which was an imperfect road, the distance
nearly thirty miles; and though continual,
exposed to attacks, he passed several Difficult
places, and among others, Miler's river, with
out seeing an Indian. DismGunting and leav
ing the horses, the march was continued oil
foot, and was necessarily retarded by an &C
comPanying baggage-wagon. At the dis
| lance of about two miles from the garrison a
| Norhfeld, the route lay over a deep swampy
ravine, through which ran considerable
brook, emptying into Connecticut river. Fo
some distance the ravine extended along th
right of the route, and at the place where it wa
| to be passed it made short turn to the left
continuing directly to the river. Discovering
Beers approach, a large body of Indians, for
med an ambuscade at this place, and la
ready to attack his front and right. Withou
discovering the snare, Beers arrived at tn
point, and received the fire of the Indian
from the margin of the rayine on his right
considerable proportion Of the party fell Oh
the spot; the remainder instantly broke, ant
in scattered order, retreated over piece o
eve. ground, closely followed by the Indians
Beers with few ofhis men gained an alb
rupt bill, about three fourths of mile in tn
rear, where they bravely maintained thei
ground sometime, against an overwhelmin:
force but at length, Beers received fata
|
retire from the ground. Out of the thirty-six
only sixteen escaped back to Hadley, leav
ing the baggage and wounded in the hands 0
the enemy.
Two days after this disaster, Major Trea
with one hundred melt arrived on the ground
| where Beers was defeated, and witnessed thu
horrid barbarity OF the Indians. Several of thu
slain were decapitated and their heads elevated
on poles near the road one man was foun'
suspended to the limb of tree, by chain
hooked to his underjaw, probably while alive
and the whole scene was appalling. Pursuin;
his march to the town, the Major found tn
garrison safe, and brought them OF with tn
inhabitants. On his return, he met Capt
Appleton with an additional force from Had
ley, WHO was urgent to advance up the rive