lish found they had been loaded with bullets. They now considered their treachery certain, and marvelled at their escape. However, it can only be presumed, that, according to the maxim of the whites, the Indians had come prepared to treat or fight, as the case might require; for no doubt their guns were charged when they came to the treaty, otherwise why did they not fire upon the English when they saluted them? What became of Capt. Simmo we have as yet no account. Several of the other chiefs who attended this council were, perhaps, equally conspicuous. Wattanummon being absent when the council first met on the 20 June, no business was entered upon for several days. However, the English afterwards said it was confirmed that it was not on that account that they delayed the conference, but that they expected daily a reinforcement of 200 French and Indians, and then they were to seize upon the English, and ravage the country. Whether this were merely a rumor, or the real state of the case, we have no means of knowing. Wattanummon was supposed to have been once a Pennakook, as an eminence still bears his name about a mile from the state-house in N. Hampshire.* Capt. Samuel was an Indian of great bravery, and one of the most forward in endeavoring to lull the fears of the English at the great council just mentioned. What gave his pretensions the air of sincerity was his coming with Bomazeen, and giving some information about the designs of the French. They said, "Although several missionaries have come among us, sent by the French friars to break the peace between the English and us, yet their words have made no impression upon us. WE ARE AS FIRM AS THE MOUNTAINS, AND WILL SO CONTINUE, AS LONG AS THE SUN AND MOON ENDURES.' Notwithstanding these strong expressions of friendship, "within six weeks after," says Penhallow, "the whole eastern country was in a conflagration, no house standing nor garrison unattacked." The Indians were no doubt induced to commit this depredation from the influence of the French, many of whom assisted them in the work. And it is not probable that those Indians who had just entered into the treaty were idle spectators of the scene; but who of them, or whether all were engaged in the affair, we know not. A hundred and thirty people were said to have been killed and taken. Capt. Samuel was either alive 20 years after these transactions, or another of the name made himself conspicuous. In June, 1722, this warrior chief, at the head of five others, boarded Lieut. Tilton, as he lay at anchor a fishing, near Damaris Cove. They pinioned him and his brother, and beat them very sorely; but, at last, one got clear and released the other, who then fell with great fury upon the Indians, threw one overboard, and mortally wounded two more. Whether Capt. Samuel were among those killed is not mentioned. There was a Captain Sam in the wars of 1745. In the vicinity of St. George's, Lieut. Proctor, at the head of 19 militia, had a skirmish with the Indians, 5 Sept. in which two of their leaders were killed, viz. Colonel Morris and Capt. Sam, and one Colonel Job was taken captive; the latter being sent to Boston, he died in prison. To quiet the resentment of his relatives, the government made his widow a valuable present after the peace.‡ We should not, perhaps, omit to speak separately of another chief, who was present at the famous treaty mentioned above; we refer to Hegan. His name is also spelt Hegon and Heigon. There were seve * MS. communication of J. Farmer, Esq. + Penhallow's Ind. Wars, 86. Williamson, Hist. Me. ii. 241. ral of the name. One, called Moggheigon, son of Walter, was a sachem at Saco, in 1664. This chief, in that year, sold to Wm. Phillips, “a tract of land, being bounded with Saco River on the N. E. side, and Kennebunk River on the S. W. side." To extend from the sea up Saco River to Salmon Falls, and up the Kennebunk to a point opposite the former. No amount is mentioned for which the land was sold, but merely "a certain sum in goods." One Sampson Hegon attended the treaty of Pemmaquid, in 1698; John, that at Casco, in 1727; Ned was a Pennakook; Walter, brother of Mogg ; which, or whether either of these were the one so barbarously destroyed at Casco, as appears in the following account, we are not informed. The fate of this Hegon is remembered among the inhabitants of some parts of Maine to this day. He was tied upon a horse with spurs on his heels, in such a manner that the spurs continually goaded the animal. When the horse was set at liberty, he ran furiously through an orchard, and the craggy limbs of the trees tore him to pieces. Mather, in his DECENNIUM LUCTUOSUM, seems to confirm something of the kind, which took place at Casco, in 1694, where the Indians, having taken some horses, made a bridle of the mane and tail of one, on which "a son of the famous Hegon was ambitious to mount." "But being a pitiful horseman, he ordered them, for fear of his falling, to tie his legs fast under the horse's belly. No sooner was this beggar set on horseback, and the spark, in his own opinion, thoroughly equipped, but the nettlesome horse furiously and presently ran with him out of sight. Neither horse nor man was ever seen any more. The astonished tawnies howled after one of their nobility, disappearing by such an unexpected accident. A few days after, they found one of his legs, (and that was all,) which they buried in Capt. Bracket's cellar, with abundance of lamentation." Here we cannot but too plainly discover the same spirit in the narrator, which must have actuated the authors of the deed. He who laughs at crime is a participator in it. From these, we pass to affairs of far greater notoriety in our eastern history; and shall close this chapter with two of the most memorable events in its Indian warfare. Mogg, the chief sachem of Norridgewok in 1724, may very appropriately stand at the head of the history of the first event. How long he had been sachem at that period, we have not discovered, but he is mentioned by the English historians, as the old chief of Norridgewok at that time. Notwithstanding Mogg was the chief Indian of the village of Nerigwok, or, as Father Charlevoix writes it, Narantsoak, there was a French priest settled here, to whom the Indians were all devotedness; and it is believed that they undertook no enterprise without his knowledge and consent. The name of this man, according to our English authors, was Rallé, but according to his own historian, Charlevoix, it was Rasle.§ The depredations of the Abénaquis, as these Indians were called by those who lived among them, were, therefore, directly charged by the English upon Father Rasle; hence their first step was to offer a reward for his head.]] The object of the expedition of Col. Westbrook, in 1722, was ostensibly to seize upon him, but he found the village deserted, and nothing was effected *MS. among the files in our state-house. MS. letter of John Farmer, Esq. Hist. Gen. de la Nouv. Fr. ü. 380, et suiv. Magnalia, ii. 546. "Après plusieurs tentatives, d'abord pour engager ces sauvages par les offres et les promesses les plus séduisantes à le livrer aux Anglois, ou du moins à le renvoyer à Quebec, et à prendre en sa place un de leurs ministres; ensuite pour le surpendre et pour l'enlever, les Anglois résolus de s'en défaire, quoiqu'il leur en dût coûter, mirent sa tête à prix, et promirent mille livres sterling à celui, qui la leur porteroit." Charlevoix, ut supra. by the expedition but the burning of the place. Father Rasle was the last that left it, which he did at the same time it was entered by the enemy; having first secured the sacred vases of his temple and the ornaments of its altar. The English made search for the fugitives, but without success, although, at one time, they were within about eight feet of the very tree that screened the object for which they sought. Thus the French considered that it was by a remarkable interposition of Providence, or, as Charlevoix expresses it, par une main invisible, that Father Rasle did not fall into their hands. Determined on destroying this assemblage of Indians, which was the head quarters of the whole eastern country, at this time, the English, two years after, 1724, sent out a force, consisting of 208 men and three Mohawk Indians, under Captains Moulton, Harman and Bourne, to humble them. They came upon the village, the 23 August, while there was not a man in arms to oppose them. They had left 40 of their men at Teconet Falls, which is now within the town of Winslow, upon the Kennebeck, and about two miles below Waterville college, upon the opposite side of the river. The English had divided themselves into three squadrons: 80, under Harman, proceeded by a circuitous route, thinking to surprise some in their corn-fields, while Moulton, with 80 more, proceeded directly for the village, which, being surrounded by trees, could not be seen until they were close upon it. All were in their wigwams, and the English advanced slowly and in perfect silence. When pretty near, an Indian came out of his wigwam, and, accidently discovering the English, ran in and seized his gun, and giving the war-whoop, in a few minutes the warriors were all in arms, and advancing to meet them. Moulton ordered his men not to fire until the Indians had made the first discharge. This order was obeyed, and, as he expected, they overshot the English, who then fired upon them, in their turn, and did great execution. When the Indians had given another volley, they fled with great precipitation to the river, whither the chief of their women and children had also fled during the fight. Some of the English pursued and killed many of them in the river, and others fell to pillaging and burning the village. Mogg disdained to fly with the rest, but kept possession of a wigwam, from which he fired upon the pillagers. In one of his discharges he killed a Mohawk, whose brother observing it, rushed upon Mogg and killed him; and thus ended the strife. There were about 60 warriors in the place, about one half of whom were killed. The famous Rasle shut himself up in his house, from which he fired upon the English; and, having wounded one, Lieut. Jaques,* of Newbury, burst open the door and shot him through the head; although Moul ton had given orders that none should kill him. He had an English boy with him, about 14 years old, who had been taken some time before from the frontiers, and whom the English reported Rasle was about to kill. Great brutality and ferocity are chargeable to the English in this affair, according to their own account; such as killing women and children, and scalping and mangling the body of Father Rasle.‡ * Who I conclude was a volunteer, as I do not find his name upon the return made by Moulton, which is upon file in the garret, west wing of our state-house. +Manuscript History of Newbury, by Joshua Coffin, S. H. S. which, should the world ever be so fortunate as to see in print, we will ensure them not only great gratification, but a fund of amusement. As we have confined ourselves chiefly to the English accounts in the relation of this affair, it will, perhaps, be gratifying to many to hear something upon the other side. This we cannot do better than by offering the following extract from Charlevoix. He says,-" Il n'y avoit alors que cinquante guerriers dans le bourg. Ils prirent les armes, et coururent tumultuairement, non pas pour défendre la place contre un ennemi, qui étoit déja dedans, mais pour favoriser la fuite des femmes, des veillards et des enfans, et leur There was here a handsome church, with a bell, on which the English committed a double sacrilege, first robbing it, then setting it on fire; herein surpassing the act of the first English circumnavigator, in his depredations upon the Spaniards in South America; for he only took away the gold and silver vessels of a church, and its crucifix, because it was of massy gold, set about with diamonds, and that, too, upon the advice of his chaplain. "This might pass," says a reverend author, "for sea divinity, but justice is quite another thing." Perhaps it will be as well not to inquire here what kind of divinity would authorize the acts recorded in these wars, or indeed any wars. Harman was the general in the expedition, and, for a time, had the honor of it; but Moulton, according to Gov. Hutchinson, achieved the victory, and it was afterward acknowledged by the country. He was a prisoner, when a small boy, among the eastern Indians, being among those taken at the destruction of York, in 1692. He died about 1759. The township of Moultonborough, in New Hampshire, was named from him, and many of his posterity reside there at the present day. Under the head Paugus, we shall proceed to narrate our last event in the present chapter, than which, may be, few, if any, are oftener mentioned in New England story. Paugus, slain in the memorable battle with the English under Captain Lovewell, in 1725, was chief of the Pequawkets. Fryeburg, in Maine, now includes the principal place of their former residence, and the place where the battle was fought. It was near a considerable body of water, called Saco Pond, which is the source of the river of the same_name. The cruel and barbarous murders almost daily committed by the Indians. upon the defenceless frontier inhabitants, caused the general court of Massachusetts to offer a bounty of £100 for every Indian's scalp. Among the various excursions performed by Lovewell, previous to that in which he was killed, the most important was that to the head of Salmon-fall River, now Wakefield, in New Hampshire. With 40 men, he came upon a small company of ten Indians, who were asleep by their fires, and, by stationing his men advantageously, killed all of them. This bloody deed was performed near the shore of a pond, which has ever since borne the name of Lovewell's Pond. After taking off their scalps, these 40 warriors marched to Boston in great triumph, with the ten scalps extended upon hoops, displayed in a formal manner, and for which they received £1000. This exploit was the more lauded, as it was supposed that these ten Indians were upon an expedition against the English upon the frontiers; having new guns, much ammunition, and spare blankets and moc donner le tems de gagner le côté de la riviere, qui n'étoit pas encore occupé par les Anglois. Le P. RASLE averti par les clameurs et le tumulte du danger, où se trouvoient ses néophytes, alla sans crainte se présenter aux assaillans, dans l'esperance d'attirer sur lui seul toute leur attention, et par-là de procurer le salut de son troupeau au peril de sa vie. Son esperance ne fut pas vaine, à peine eut-il paru, que les Anglois jetterent un grand cri, qui fut suivi d'un grêle de mousquetades, dont il tomba mort aupres d'une croix, qu'il avoit plantée au milieu du village: sept sauvages, qui l'accompagnoient, et qui avoient voulu lui faire un rempart de leurs corps, furent tués à ses côtés. Ainsi mourut ce charitable pasteur, endonant sa vie pour ses ouailles, après trente-sept ans d'un pénible apostolat."—" Quoiqu'on eût tire sur eux plus de deux mille coups de fusils, il n'y en eut que trente de tués, et quatorze de blesses :"-" ils n'épargnerent pas l'eglise, mais ils n'y mirent le feu, qu'après avoir indignement profané les vases sacrés, et le corps adorable de JESUS-CHRIST. Ils, [les Anglois,] retirerent ensuite avec une précipitation," ‚”—“ avoient été frappés d'une terreur panique. Les sauvages rentrerent aussi-tôt dans leurs villages; et leur premier soin, tandis que les femmes cherchoient des herbes et des plantes propres à guerir les blessés, fut de pleurer sur le corps de lur S. missionnaire. Ils le trouverent percé de mille coups, la chevelure enlevée, le crâne brisé à coups de haches, la bouche et les yeux remplis de boue, les os des jambes fracassés, et tous les membres mutilés de cent manieres differentes." Hist. Gen. ii. 382–4. casons, to accommodate captives. This, however, was mere conjecture, and whether they had killed friends or enemies was not quite so certain as that they had killed Indians. It is said that Paugus was well known to many of the English, and personally to many of Lovewell's men ; and that his name was a terror to the frontiers. In a song, composed after the Pequawket fight, he is thus mentioned, as appearing in that battle : ""Twas Paugus led the Pequ'k't tribe; There was another chief, who was second to Paugus in this fight, by the name of Wahwa. What became of him does not appear. Capt. Lovewell marched upon this expedition against Paugus, with 46 men, from Dunstable, about the middle of April, 1725. Their setting out is thus poetically set forth in metre :— "What time the noble Lovewell came, With fifty men from Dunstable, They arrived near the place where they expected to find Indians, on the 7 May; and, early the next morning, while at prayers, heard a gun, which they rightly suspected to be fired by some of Paugus's men, and immediately prepared for an encounter. Divesting themselves of their packs, they marched forward to discover the enemy. But not knowing in what direction to proceed, they marched in an opposite direction from the Indians. This gave Paugus great advantage; who, following their tracks, soon fell in with their packs, from which he learned their strength. Being encouraged by his superior numbers, Paugus courted the conflict, and pursued the English with ardor. His number of men was said to have been 80, while that of the English consisted of no more than 34, having left ten in a fort at Ossipee; and one, an Indian, had before returned home, on account of sickness. The fort at Ossipee was for a retreat in case of emergency, and to serve as a deposit of part of their provisions, of which they disencumbered themselves before leaving it. After marching a considerable distance from the place of their encampment, on the morning of the 8 May, Ensign Wyman discovered an Indian, who was out hunting, having in one hand some fowls he had just killed, and in the other, two guns. There can be no probability that he thought of meeting an enemy, but no sooner was he discovered by the English, than several guns were fired at him, but missed him. Seeing that sure death was his lot, this valiant Indian resolved to defend himself to his last breath; and the action was as speedy as the thought: his gun was levelled at the English, and Lovewell was mortally wounded by the fire. Ensign Wyman, taking deliberate aim, killed the poor hunter; which action our poet describes in glowing terms : "Seth Wyman, who in Woburn lived, A marksman he of courage true, The savage had been seeking game; |
