History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 26
ARTICLE. XXVI. Remarkable Salvations; and ſome Remarkable Diſaſters.
BEſides a man Taken at York, in May, and another man kill'd at Hatfield, in June, and a Third kill'd at Groton; and a Fourth with Two Children carried Captives: there fell out more Miſchief, with no ſmall Mercy, on Jun. 10. at Exeter. The Day before, ſome Women & Children, would needs ramble without any Guard, into the Woods, to gather Straw-berries; but ſome that were willing to Chaſtiſe them with a Fright, for their preſumption, made an Alarm in the Town; whereupon many came together in their Arms. The Indians it ſeems, were at this very Time, unknown to the Engliſh, lying on the other ſide of the Town ready to make a Deſtructive Aſſault upon it; but Suppoſing this Alarm to be made on their Account, they therefore ſuppoſed themſelves to be diſcovered. Wherefore they laid aſide their purpoſe of attempting the Deſtruction of the Town; and contented themſelves, with Killing one man, Taking another, and Wounding a Third. But on July. 4. Lords Day, Major Charles Froſt, who had been a Perſon of no little Conſequence to our Frontiers, Returning from the Publick Worſhip of God, in Berwick, (to repair unto which, about Five Miles from his own Houſe, he had that Morning expreſs'd ſuch an Earneſtneſs, that much Notice was taken of it,) paſs'd ſeveral more Dangerous places, without any Damage; but in a place, on a little plain by the Turn of a Path, where no Danger was Expected, the Adder in the path Surprized him; the Indians having Stuck up certain Boughs upon a Log, there mortally Shot him, with Two more, while his Two Sons, that were in the Front of the Company happily eſcaped: And the Two young men, that Rode Poſt unto Wells, with theſe Tidings, in their going back, had their own Death added for another Article of ſuch unhappy Tidings. About the latter End of this Month alſo, Three Men Mowing the Meadowes at Newichawannic, were themſelves Cut down by the Indians; tho' one of the Mowers bravely Slew one of the Murtherers. But the moſt Important Action of this Year, was a little further off. About the beginning of July, Major March was Employ'd, with about Five Hundred Souldiers, not only to Defend the Frontiers, but alſo to ſeek out, and Beat up, the Enemies Quarters. In the mean time, the Lieutenant Governour, apprehending an Invaſion from a Formidable French Fleet on the Coaſt of New-England, with his accuſtomed prudence and vigour, applied himſelf to put the whole Province into a poſture of Defence: And the Militia, with the ſeveral Forts, eſpecially that of Boſton, (very much through the Contrivance and Induſtry of Captain Fairweather,) were brought into ſo good a poſture, that ſome could hardly forbear too much Dependence on our Preparations. But, it being more particularly Apprehended, that in the Intend…d Invaſion, the Indians, aſſiſted by the French, would make a Deſcent upon our Frontiers by Land, Major March was adviſed therefore to Employ ſome of his Forces, in Scouting about the Woods. Before the Major arrived at York, a party of the Enemy kill'd a man that ſtood Centinel for ſome of his Neighbours at Work in the Marſh at Wells; and catching another Alive, they carried him a mile and half off, and Roaſted him to Death: But Captain Brackett, that followed him quite as far as Kennebunk, did but almoſt overtake them: For truly, Reader, our Souldiers cannot, as Antiquity Reports, the old Graecian, and Roman Souldiers could, march at a Running pace or tro…, heavily Loaded, five and twenty miles in four Hours; but rather ſuſpect whether thoſe Reports of Antiquity be not Romantick. Three Souldiers of Saco Fort, after this cutting ſome Fire-wood, on Cow-Iſland, for the uſe of the Fort, were by the Indians cut off; while that Lieutenant Fletcher with his Two Sons, that ſhould have Guarded them, went a Fowling; and by doing ſo, they likewiſe ſell into the Snare. The Indians carrying theſe Three Captives down the River in one of their Canoes, Lieutenant Larabe, that was abroad with a Scout, way-laid them; and Firing on the Foremoſt of the Canooes, that had Three men in it, they all Three fell and ſank in the River of Death. Several were kill'd aboard the other Canooes; and the reſt ran their Canooes aſhore, and Eſcaped on the other ſide of the River: and one of the F…etchers, when all the Indians with him were killed, was Delivered out of the Hands which had made a priſoner of him: tho his poor Father afterwards Dyed among them. Hereupon Major March, with his Army, took a Voyage farther Eaſtward; having ſeveral Tranſport Veſsels to accommodate them. Arriving at Caſco-Bay, they did, upon the Ninth of September, come as occult as they could, further Eaſt among the Iſlands, near a place called, Corbins Sounds; and Landed before Day, at a place called, Damaſcotta River: where, before Half of them were well got aſhore, and drawn up, the ſcarce-yet-expected Enemy, Entertained them with a Volley, and an Huzza! None of ours were Hurt; but Major March, Repaid 'em in their own Leaden Coin; and it was no ſooner Light, but a Conſiderable Battel Enſued. The Commanders of the Tranſport-Veſſels, were perſons of ſuch a mettle, that they could not with any patience, forbear going aſhore, to take a part of their Neighbours Fare; but the Enemy ſeeing things operate this way, fled into their Fleet of Canooes which hitherto Lay out of ſight, and got off as faſt, and as well, as they could, leaving ſome of their Dead behind them; which they never do, but when under extream Diſadvantages. Our Army thus beat 'em off, with the Loſs of about a Dozen men: whereof One was, the worthy Captain Dymmock of Barnſtable: and about as many Wounded, whereof one was Captain Phillips of, Charlſtown; and in this Action, Captain Whiting a young Gentleman of much Worth, and Hope, Courageouſly acting his part, as Commander of the Forces, the Helpers of the War, which the Colony of Connecticut had Charitably lent unto this Expedition, had his Life remarkably reſcued, from a Bullet grazing the Top of his Head. But there was a Singular Providence of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in the whole of this matter. For by the ſeaſonable Arrival and Encounter of our Army, an horrible Deſcent of Indians, which probably might have laid whole Plantations Deſolate, was moſt happily Defeated And at the ſame Time, the Signal Hand of Heaven, gave a Defeat unto the purpoſes of the French Squadrons at Sea, ſo that they had ſomething elſe to do, than to Viſit the Coaſt of New-England.