Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-09-16

was eight Of them stripped and without their
guns, in pursuit of Mr.. How. When he saw
they would catch him, he turned, and with
hands lifted up resigned himself into their
hands. The enemy were in the meadow
scarce an hour, including the attack on the
fort and killing the cattle" The fort was
not much damaged. The cattle were all
killed and their hides and the best parts of
the flesh carried away by the Indians. Rugg
and Thomas Baker were coming down the
river in a canoe and were met by the Indians
just below "Taylor's island" Rugg was shot
and scalped, but Baker escaped. As soon as
the assault on the fort was known at North
field, Ensign Stratton started with ten men
for Fort Dummer. They we're joined by
others, and under command of Col. Josiah
Willard started late at night for the Great
Meadow, which they reached at o'clock
next morning. This was on Sunday. After
gaining what information they could of the
soldiers at the fort, they followed the enc
my's track till near sunset, when they came
TO place where the Indians had scattered in
different directions. Next day they made
further pursuit, but the enemy had disap-
peared, and Col. Willard returned with his
company to Northfeld, having inflicted no
punishment upon the Indians.
The widow of William Phipps married
again in 17l6. She was Jemima Sawtelle
daughter of Josiah Sawtelle, who built in
1879 Fort Sawtelle. Her second husband was
Caleb How, one of the grantees of westmore-
land when that town was chartered in 1852,
and son of Nehemiah How, whose wife was
Margaret Willard, daughter of Benjamin
Willard. When Fort Bridgman was taken
June 27, 1855, Caleb How was mortally
wounded by the Indians and died next morn
ing at Hinsdale fort, and was buried a short
distance to the northeast of it, where his grave
stones are still to be seen. His wife was cap
tured when the fort was taken, and with her
seven children carried to Canada She was
redeemed and brought home with three of
her children by Col. Schuyler before 1860.
Afterwards she went again TO Canada and OBJ
tanned her second daughter Submit Phipps,
who married Nathan Willard Nov. %, 1875.
Nehemiah How, Calebs father, who was
taken prisoner on the Great Meadow, was car
ried to Canada by way of Lake George and
Grown Point, and died at Quebec May %, 1747,
published in l74S. The town of Pu,ney was
chartered by New Hampshire Dec. 26, 1853,
TO Col. Josiah Willard and others. and rechar-
tered by New York Nov. 6, 1866. South of
| the central part of the Great Meadow stands
a marble monument erected TO the memory
of Prentice Willard, who died March %,
| 1885, aged ~ years. He was probably de-
scendant of Col Josiah Willard, and at one
time was the owner of all the Great Meadow.
BY his own request he was buried on the.
| spot where his lone monument now stands,
which may be plainly seen by the travellerpass-
ing the meadow in the cars. In 1854 John Per-
ry, Philip Alexander and Michael ellison re-
moved from Massachusetts, and settled on
the Great Meadow as their predecessors had
done, and in the following year, 1855, in
company with others who had lately ar
rived, built fort in the southeast part of the
| meadow on the site of the house now standing
and once occupied by Col. Thomas White.
The fort was built of yellow pine timber hew-
ed six inches thick, and was about 16 feet high,
120 feet long and so wide. The houses were
built within the enclosure against the wall of
the fort with a roof slanting down from the
top OF this wall which formed the back Of the
houses, all of which fronted the hollow square
in the centre of the fort. Philip Alexander
did not move from Massachusetts directly to
Putney. He belonged TO a family of nine
children, five sons and four daughters, and
was born in Deerfield Sept. 20, 17l2. He
lived in Winchester, n. H., in 1743, and re-
moved thence to Putney. 1t is stated that
| b. -, -, =.
doubtless a mistake. He was one Of the
grantees of that town when it was chartered
Feb. -, 1852. Michael Gibson, Jonathan
Cole and John Rugg were among the num-
Der of grantees. Mr.. Alexander had family
of six children of whom Philip, the youngest,
was born Oct. 26 1855, and was probably
the first white child born in Putney. Joseph
Alexander, Gather of Philip, born 1712, was
born Oct 1G, 1851. He removed from Deer
field to Northfeld about 1716; resided few
ears in Winchester, N. H., 1737-43; again
in Northfeld 174S.5s soon after removed to
Hadley, where he died Sept. 80, 1761. He
was a soldier and captain at the sacking of
Deerheld, Feb. 30, 1904, but made his escape
the first night. His father had nine chill
dren, five sons and four daughters. John
Alexander, the grandfather of Philip, was
born July 20, 1915; was a settler in North
field in 1913; returned to Northampton,
where he died Dec. 81, 1873. His father,
George Alexander, who also had family of
nine children, making three families OF nine
children each in as many successive genera
tions, was born in Scotland, from which
country his father, John Alexander, emf
grated before 1914, and settled with his fam
lily in Windsor, Conn. George Alexander re-
moved from Windsor TO Northampton in
1885, was q settler in Horthfield in 1878, and
died May 3, 1903.
Probably Rev. Joseph Lord was the first
resident preacher in Putney and lived in the
east part of the town on the Great Meadow,
as the place where Putuey street now stands
was not settled tin 1764, when Joshua Parker
made settlement there ON Saeketts brook,
which passes through the village. Rev. JOS
eph Lord was born about 1904 graduated al
Harvard College, 1726 lived in Hatfield 1888
was one of the five original settlers os Athol,
"who sat down in the forest there" Sept.
1875. He was for many years the leading
man in the settlement being the first preach
er, first magistrate, first proprietors clerk
first treasurer, first surveyor, and first tax
gatherer. In 1855 Col. Ebenezer Hinsdale
paid him e9 6s. 1Od. ($l1.O7 par vAlue) foi
preaching four Sundays at Hinsdale. In
1853 he removed to Putney, and later tc
Westmoreland was judge of the Court Of
Common Pleas for Cumberland county (Which
included what is now Windham county, and
in high favor with the kings party before the
Revolution. He died Dec. 7, l77s. There
were seven children in his family. Sarah
Lord, the youngest, married July 21, 176S
Judge Thomas Chandler of Vermont, who
was elected to the bench of the Supreme Court
in October, 1873. Joseph Lord, (the father