Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-08-07
"Capt Salisbury.

vicinity two hundred and more years ago:
"SpRiNGFIELD Octobr }. 1877.
just at Night.
"Capt Salisbury,
"Worthy s., yesterday morning | Reed
yor kind lines by Benia Waite, whereby
understand yor Sympathy with us i'm o. sad
disazter by yc Indians; Il yor readyncss in
making strict inquiry ~ create forwardness
to doe what Possible lys in you for us which
| have abundant Cause to acknowledge IL
doe most thankfully accept from yOr hands
and as to yOr opinion of the Maquas being
free Il assureing me of their lnnocency
doe fully Concur with you having Satisfac-
ton from what you writ IL from Ben
Wate's Relation. But to put it out of all
doubt God in his Providence hath sent in
one of Or Captivated men Bpnoni Stebbings
by name wch is We occasion of these lines
to yorselfe by Post. 70 give you an accot
there off ~ to desire you to Put y" Maquas
upon prsucing their own Enemys there he
ing great LIKELIHOOD of y' Maquas overtak-
ingym Benoni Stebbngs came in to Had
ly last night in yc night, whose relation was
Sent to me web being but an houre since
had it, | prsently resolved upon sending
Post to you.
Take his relation as followeth The
Company of Indians was about 20 only
about siXe or : Squas made ~ in all. they
were this Country Indians belonging to
Nalvotogy all of YIN but one Narrigansett.
They came from Canada Months agoe n
had bin Hunting Il were doubtful whether
to fall on NorthamtOn or Hatfield. at last
resolved on Hatfield n Caryed away from
Hatfield II prsons n , from Deerptield / e.
sides this man Vt is come in so VI they now
have 20 Captives with YIN , of YIN being
men ~ all well as he says. when they took
YIN at Deerefed. after the noise ~ Cohoops
were over at Deerciirld their first Inquiry
was whether there were any MaquaS there
abouts IL upon Information Vt some had
heene there a. were supposed not To he
far of they were all huSht ~ Startled ~
greatly afraid ~ goeing silently away forth
with. they tooke up their lodging at Deere
field River Mouth ~ next day crossed v"
River viz C0nectcot to W east side of il.
the next day crossed the River againe n
agane afterward they Passed " River
many times having Canoes where in they
carved W woamen ~ children, being about
, days iOurny above Squakheag. they sent
a company of YIN about half of YIN To Nash
away to call of some Indians VI have bin
there all this TYNE of V war ~ tooke this
Benoni Stebbings along WITH YIN: having
] .
to Squakheag u then from Squakhcag
somewhat more than thirty Miles to ym In
dams necrc NaShawaV: who pluck mp their
Stakes having Plenty of fish especially Flies
~ many dryed hurtlcherrys but noe Corne:
this Benoni being sent with women to car
ry llurtlcbcrrys; Ran away from them "
was prSently prsued by some men Il al one
time was hut swamp between ym. but
night Comcing on he escaped from his
prSuers. He saws Vt one of v Indians v
| they Had from about \ashaway Ponds
Scenes to be- Counselor ~ with him they
| Consulted much ~ Spake of sending to v
English, hut at last resolved for Canada yet
talk of making fort a create way up the
/ River and abiding there this winter talked
also of Carrying the CaptiveS to W french
Il selling YIN to V french which he con-
cudes they resolved on but make but slow
Passage having SO many women and chill
dren. He Concludes il would he il NAV be
20 days Err they get to ye lake hunting 10y
| y' way. 1t was Tuesday Morning last that
he escaped from y' pry web caryed him with
them mere Nashaway and they had above
| 20 Miles to zoe back to Squakheag ~ then
We're Il. iourny more to v Rest above
/ Squakheag. We way he says up this River
| is impossible for English men ~ their goc-
! n then to v" left side of y" River vo men
foote it, leaving W worst way the mPass-
| ableneSS of We way this way render it i'm
/ possible for us to prsue or doe any good.
But We Conveying Speedy word to " Ma
| quas gives not only a Possibility but
| probability of their overtaking YIN wch deare
- is W end of these lines to you: To re-
quest you Of none of We Maquas Sachems
be at Albany to send at % charge TO We
Chiefs of y' Maquas a give YIN an acco of
matters ~ forthwith ~ without any delay by
which meanes hope the Barbarous Crew
| (who are EnemyS to Religion Civility a. all
humanity IL have so deeply Imhreued their
| hands in most Innocent Chtian Blood may
be met with on their returne before they
come to We lake or at We Lake II so OF Cap
| tives Recovered for weh we shall give We
Maquas Suitable rewards Good 81 But
forward ye Maquas to Surprise n cut off
! these villaines. Let Vim know Vt il will be
great demonstration of their fidelity n
friendship to us n it is very Likely oppor-
tunity for YIN to kill ~ Catch Indians whom
they so much Hunt after. And this man
| Vt is Come HON says they dred the Maquas
X all their fears was least some Maquas
should prsue YIN, they did not expect or
| think y' English could d desired to get ont
vi hdludS way dl HISl SOclnS OH from
Deereiield ~ thinking they got high Enough
up from YIN y' more secure n at rest: so Vt
now | believe they are at ease ~ will make
so slow progress having beside or women IL
children a prsell of their owne women ~
children to clogg YIN Vt they may safely be
taken. And the lighting upon N destroy
/ ing this Company of We Enemy (being as it
is 81 by him Vt is come in Y" remaining
strength of this River lndian) will be a
breaking Blow to YIN II a create means of
or Security. | pray s. doe what you Can
to lngage y' Maquas to 20 out forthwth n
to deale Etfectually in it. We desire to doe
OF duty II to waite for We salvation of God.
ST Excuse my scribbling. | am i'm create
haste to send away y" Messenger to West
field this Night, bee. The need in getting
the Maquas to goe out upon We Enymy be-
fore they get on y' Lake is all in all. If
they can but come up with YIN 1t will be
easy to take YIN for | tell you their strength
as y' man relates n how they are clogged
with women and children. | doubt not of
yor helpfullness in this EXigence wch will
abundantly lngage us IL with create ready
ness shall Statistic what you disburse. with
my endeared Love e respects to you Com
mending you to y' prtection of yc Almighty
God, rename ST
"Yor very Loving friend d Servant
"JOHN PYNCHoN.
"Ben Waite is gon HON before this Intel
ligence came to me. He talk of goeing to
Canada before IL | suppose will be rather
forward to it now than Backward. Possible