A Narrative History of Sgt. John Plimpton - first generation in America.

In 1620, just before the Mayflower arrived near Cape Cod, John Plympton was born in England, likely in the area of Cambridge or Lincoln. He was born into a strict Catholic family, but in his teens was attracted to the teachings of a religious reform group known as Puritans.
The Puritans felt that the dogma and ritual of the Catholic Church, as well as the Anglican Church of England, had strayed from the actual message of the Bible and sought to practice a more “pure” form of Christianity. One group of Puritans, led by John Bradford and William Brewster, moved to Holland in 1607 and later crossed the Atlantic to found the Plymouth Colony in America in 1620. By 1640, the Colony was some 9,000 strong. It was into this young but established society that young John Plympton would arrive. It should also be noted that about the same time, three other Plymptons arrived in the new world – Thomas, Henry and Elizabeth. Only Thomas left descendants – all with the PLYMPTON name.
At that time, many settlers who were single or with young children needed help to farm their land. They offered to pay passage in exchange for 3 years of service, a practice called indentured servitude. At age 17, wanting to escape the persecution of his family and community, John accepted such an offer from Dr George Alcocke of Roxbury, MA, part of the Colony near and around Boston. He finished his servitude in 1640 and moved to Dedham, about 8 miles SW, where he was accepted into the church there as a freeman. At that same time, he changed the spelling of his name to "Plimpton" and joined the Incorporated Artillery Company, a militia which was formed to provide mutual assistance against Indian attacks, which were common as the settlers pushed the native Americans from their tribal lands.
The next year, he married Jane Dammin (age 19), who had arrived in America about the same time as John, and also lived in Dedham, near the Charles River. At that time, Dedham was a remote village on the frontier, with vast forests and frequent skirmishes with the native Indians, who were pushed off their lands by the new Europeans and ravaged by the diseases they brought. The young town was connected to the other colonies only by a rough cart trail. It had a meeting house and small houses made of local wood and thatched roofs. In Dedham “society is harmonious and religious interest in a thriving condition”. Indeed, the original name of the settlement was Contentment. John and Jane helped build a schoolhouse, with a watch tower on top. Life was undoubtedly hard for the young couple, but freedom and opportunity were prized.
The young couple probably lived in a small thatched hut and farmed some of the “common land” for 2 years, until they bought their first 2 acres of land on the edges of the settlement and built a home there. They paid 5 shillings, which is about $130 in today’s US dollars. By that time, the family welcomed daughter Hannah (1645) and had lost a son (John) in infancy, which was not uncommon in that time and place, given the hard work that women did, disease and lack of medical facilities. Hannah was joined by Mary in 1648 and John Jr in 1650, by which time father John had earned the rank of Sargent, which made him a respected community member.
But, the land proved to be poor and combined with the many animals, rodents and Indian attacks, the family decided to move to a new settlement at Medfield in 1652, just as their 2nd son Peter was born. The Medfield settlement was about 10 miles further SW from Dedham and offered fresh land that was flatter and more tillable. It was also in the territory of the Nipmonk tribe, who were initially more welcoming to the settlers than the war-like Massachusetts. And there, the family seemed to thrive. A year after they arrived, Joseph was born, followed by Mehitable and Jonathon, their last, though Jane would suffer 5 infant deaths in her 40’s (1659 to 1666).
Medfield was mostly populated by folks from Dedham, so the family was among friends and John’s place as an active community member and leader grew. In addition to his duties as a sergeant in the militia, he was called upon to help survey and map the village streets and surrounding roads and clear forest beyond the common planting area for livestock grazing. He was elected as one of two village constables and was responsible for laying a new road through a swamp to the Stop River. All this he did in addition to farming food for his family on their 13 acres of land. The family lived in relative safety on the main street of town, which was also the road from Boston to the frontier settlement of Mendon, some 15 miles further west. The road gave good access to supplies from Boston, some 30 miles to the NE.
Sgt. John, Jane and their 5 children seemed to do well over the next 20 years in Medfield. But as years passed, there were inevitable changes. Hannah married a local man (Nathanial Sutcliffe) in 1665 and moved to her own home. Mary followed in 1671 and moved with Nathanial Johnson to Marlborough, MA. John moved to Boston to become a tailor, leaving just Peter, Joseph, Mehitable and young Jonathon at home. Thus, it seems somewhat surprising that the family moved from their comfortable home in Medfield to Deerfield, near the current Vermont border.
At the time, Deerfield was a small disorganized outpost, some 70 miles NW of Medfield and over 100 miles along rough trails from Boston. Moreover, Sgt John was white-haired and 53 years old, in a time when life expectancy was just 35 and a man of 45 was considered “very old”. Jane was 52 and had just lost 5 children to infant mortality. In addition, the Massachusetts Indians had been increasing their raids and King Philip’s War was about to begin. But, because the family still owned land in Dedham, they were offered some very productive farm land right along the Connecticut River at Deerfield.
In the 50 years since the first colonists arrived in Plymouth, their numbers in the Massachusetts Colony had swollen to over 80,000, while the native population, decimated by disease and slaughter by the settlers had decreased from an estimated 100,000 to just 6,000. For the most part, they had little choice but to retreat. But they continued to raid colonial villages for food, materials and retribution. “King Philip”, the chief of the Narragansetts, organized an alliance between all the tribes of New England in 1674 and began increasing organized attacks on outlying villages. He was arrested and released in 1775, which led to an all-out war.
It was in this climate that Sgt John, Jane and the four children left their Medfield home and moved to “the wilderness” of Deerfield. Their route would probably been along the “Bay Path”, a well travelled route from Boston the settlements along the Connecticut River. The route went through Worcester, Brookfield, just north of Sturbridge, across the Connecticut at Hadley and following the river north to Deerfield. The main attraction of Deerfield was that it was in the flood plain of the great Connecticut River and as such had broad meadows with rich soil, which produced enormous crops of flax, corn and wheat. The town consisted of just one main street (now Old Main Street), where Sgt John bought an existing home from John Bakan, as well as his acreage along the river. Son Joseph was married in Deerfield.
Soon after the family settled in and began farming their new land, the Indian War began. All colonies and settlements were put on alert. Sgt John was recalled to active duty as the ranking and most experience military officer in the settlement. He began training all the men, including his young sons, who were 20, 21 and 17 at the time. He oversaw the fortification of the village and organized the scouting parties and watchmen. Many groups of Indians were spotted, but none attacked the well fortified village, until in September 1675, a man was shot while away from the fort searching for his horse. The Indians burned some sheds and crops, but no further injuries. The next week another attack damaged the fort and killed one guard. A company of soldiers was sent from Boston to help protect the fort and the workers as they harvested a bumper crop of wheat and corn, with every man, woman and child contributing. Soon, another company of soldiers arrived to escort the precious harvest to the river port at Hadley. Sgt John had to arrange for all the soldiers to be housed and fed. Their good cheer belied the calamity that was to come.
The wagon train of 18 large ox-drawn carts was loaded high with bags of corn and wheat, as well as other produce from Deerfield and headed south to Hadley, with young Jonathon Plimpton (17) driving one of the wagons. The wagons got only about 5 miles south of town when they were attacked at a brook (now called Bloody Brook). It is said that the screams of the men could be heard all the way back in Deerfield. The train was attacked by an estimated 700 warriors, who so surprised the soldiers that they were killed before they could reach their muskets. Sgt John led the rescue party, but arrived after the Indians had fled. Only 8 men survived the ambush and young Jonathon lay among the dead. It was one of the worst massacres of King Philip’s War. John Jr was serving in the Army with Capt Mosely at the time and was billeted at the Hatfield Fort. They were dispatched to pursue and kill the band of Indians after the massacre. Unknown whether father and son met at that time.
The grieving family and all other remaining residents of Deerfield moved what they could to the fort at Hatfield, about 15 miles south, near the Hadley river crossing. Hannah’s husband Nathaniel died in other fighting during that time and she joined them at Hatfield, with her 3 children.
The family stayed in Hatfield for almost 2 years when they returned to Deerfield, which had been completely destroyed by the Indians. Many of the original Deerfield settlers felt it too soon to return. Although the war was just about over, they carried guns at all times to defend against the stray Indians fleeing west and north. The Plimptons were the first family to resettle in Deerfield and in that first year, harvested the only crop of corn and built the only house – a small 18 foot shelter. By the fall, at least 5 other families had returned and fashioned lean-to shelters.
Just as calm seemed to return to their lives, it was shattered by a band of Nashaway Indians from Canada, who broke into the house where Sgt John was resting alone. They knocked him unconscious, bound him and dragged him away. He soon found himself in the company of other English captives, most from the Hatfield settlement, many of whom he knew. They were marched north along the river, where they met another band with more captives from Deerfield, but none were Plimptons. Soon another band arrived with stolen horses, corn and clothing from the Deerfield settlement and other area towns.
After a few days forced march, the group arrived at a camp ground near current day Walpole, NH. There, the Indians built a large bark-covered wigwam, set a bonfire and danced furiously into the night – all the while the captives feared for their lives. The next day another group of captives arrived and all were sent out to gather fire wood and foods. This continued for several weeks. Though the settlers were not bound, no escape attempts were made for fear the remaining prisoners would be punished. At some point, a small group of Indians ran into camp with news that many Indians had been captured at Hadley and an exchange had been brokered. A meeting was called and Sgt John, the elder “White Haired Chief” spoke for the settlers.
The meeting did not go well. The Indians did not trust an exchange, fearing they would be captured by the large force of soldiers who had recently arrived to Hadley. Instead, they decided to move the entire band of captives north to Canada. By this time, it was winter and snow was falling. Many of the settlers had no shoes and wrapped their feet in scrap cloth to keep them from bleeding. There was little food and soon even the captured horses had to be consumed.
At a place possibly near Burlington, VT, the party split into two groups. They travelled over a great mountain and across a large lake (Lake Champlain?) in canoes. They were cold and starving the entire journey as they had been abducted in warm October weather and it was now late December near the Canadian border. The group survived on racoon and a rare moose or bear. They were met by a party of Frenchmen, who provided some comfort and warm furs. They were taken to the current town of Chambly, Canada, which was then a small French outpost of ten huts. Two children and one adult died on the 300 mile march.
The Indians were apparently anxious to impress the French and demonstrate their power over the English by burning one of their captives. As the eldest, this dubious honor fell to old Sgt John. He was led to his death around New Years Day of 1678. He is reported to have faced his fate with great dignity. He was 58, hundreds of miles from his home and never learned the fate of his family.
Just 5 days after Sgt John met his tragic death, a rescue party arrived and ransomed the surviving settlers for 200 Pounds Sterling (about $3000 today). The captives were safely returned to Albany, NY in May of 1778.
Widow Jane and the rest of the family continued to rebuild in Deerfield. Hannah, who lost her first husband to the Indians at Medfield, remarried to Samuel Harrington of Deerfield. Peter and his new wife stayed in Deerfield. Mehitable married and moved to nearby Hatfield. Joseph married Mary Morse, had one son in Deerfield and returned to Medfield, with his mother to become a weaver.
Mary stayed in Marlborough with her husband and raised 5 children.

King Philip’s War has been described as “the most brutal in American history”. For the people of Colonial New England, that is certainly true. The war left no family untouched by violence and devastation. Even those in the city security of Boston lost relatives in the rural areas. Virtually every town of consequence was either totally or partially destroyed.
In particular, the savagery and unspeakable acts committed by both sides was appalling, even by the standards of war. Villages on both sides were burned while inhabitants slept. Captives were mercilessly tortured and mutilated. Severed heads were displayed like trophies in Indian and colonist camps alike.
One writer posits that the Puritan dream of a religious society was given up in the war. Indeed, universal church membership ended after the war and church attendance declined.
For the Indians, the loss was near total. For the colonists, the loss of life, homes and property would take years to recover.