The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-10
AN OLD INDIAN FAMILY.
Interesting Visit to the Descendants
of IiiUstrious Chiefs.

lLS'tci W DOSlou lIAFeilcT.J
have lately visited three of the sur
viving descendants of Massasoit, Mrs.
Mitchell and her two daughters, who are
spending the summer in camp at Betty's
Neck, tract of land on the shores of
Assawampsett Pond, as the largest lake
in this State is called.
These ladies are also descended from
John Sassamon, the Christian Indian,
whose murder at the instigation of King
Philip brought On the great Indian war.
Sassamon was educated at Harvard Col
lege and became preacher The Indi-
ans suspected that he was about to in
form the whites of the coming war, and
therefore killed him, hiding the body
under the ice of Assawampsett. For this
three Indians, having been convicted of
murder by mixed jury, were hanged at
Plymouth; and this precipitated King
Philips war. The intermarriage of de-
scendant of Massasoit with the grand
daughter of Sassamon naturally created
dissension, of which the effects are still
felt.
Among the ancestors of Mrs. Mitchell
was Tuscapin, known as the Black
Sachem, who ravaged many towns in the
Old Colony, and who was put to death
at Plymouth in 1916. His son, Benia.
min Tuspaquin, was brave soldier. and
served the English under command Of
Captain James Church. Through him
Mrs. Mitchell inherited share of the
lands at Indiantown, which were granted
to James Church and his company fol
their services in the field. This land she
still holds.
Her Lakevilie lands came to her from
Sassamons daughter, whom the English
called Betty" Her chief possessions
were in East Taunton and Raynham,
where foulishing village is still known
as "Squawbetty," because the land was
bought of her. No richer meadows can
be found in Eastern Massachusetts,
The Mitchell family are of pure blood,
as their features plainly show. They
take great pride in their descent, and
one of the daughters wears perfect In
dian costume. 1t was startling to hear
her say that if she had been in Massa-
soits place she would not have allowed
one of the Pilgrims to live through the
first winter. This is more conservative"
than our worthy alderman, whose wrath
is aroused by the Emancipation Procla-
nation; but the Indians feeling seems
better founded than that of the gentle
man from East Boston.
Mrs. Mitchell and her daughters took
our party to the old burial ground of the
chiefs. 1t is situated on a high and we'll
wooded bank of Quitacus Lake, and has
been used for centuries. Only the mod
ern stones have inscriptions. Mrs. Mitch
ell informed us that her great-great-
grandfather was indignant that the BODY
of a slave was buried here by the town
authorities of Middleboro', and that she
compelled the selectmen to have it disin-
TERED. 1t would be hard to find a more
beautiful spot than this ancient burving
ground. Two other Indian cemeteries in
the neighborhood, as Mrs. NJ. informed
us, have been ploughed ana sowed with
corn, but, as she says with great satisfac-
tion, they produce nothing but nubbins.
1t is a tradition in the family that
Taspaquin married a young daughter of
Sassacus, Chief of the Pequots, the
young girl having been taken prisoner in
war, 50 that the hostile blood of the
Pequots, the Wampanoags of the Chris
tian Indians, is united in the veins of
Mrs. Mitchell. She is well educated; !;
has herself taught school, and has had
all her family well educated, sending
her daughters to high schools and acad-
emies. With the help of General L. w.
Pierce, the learned antiquarian and
genealogist, Mrs. Mitchell has recently
published book giving some account of
her family She has been much troubled
by intruders on her nd,and, considering
the State of Massachusetts as one of
these intruders, she has engaged legal
aid in enforcing her rights. If a de-
scendant of Massasoit has any rights
against the State, she will have universal
sympathy in support of her claim.