Indian's Attack on Marlborough July 16th 1707
Killed - Jonathan White, Jonathan Wilder, Richard Singleterry and John Farrar
Source:
The Early Records of Lancaster by Henry S. Nourse 1884 p.165
Lancaster
August ye 19 1707 About four of the Clock afternoon. May it Pleas your
excell'y. Wee are sorry that we have Such News to acquaint you with in
yt (that) in our Persuit & Engagement with ye enemy we lost 2 men of
marlborough besides Wilder which was taken which is Killed; one of Lancaster
and one of marlborough is wounded; we overtook them about 8 or 9 mile wide
of Lancaster this day - about 9 a clock this day where we fought them about
2 hours the enemy haveing a great advantage of us when we come up with
them; there being about thirty of them as we suppose, at Length we wholly
routed them and took all their packs and provision & have Slain Severall
of them without any doubt, but we had not Time to find them. we have sent
about thirty men to waylay them or head them if they can, being in great
hast we subscribe
Your excell'y Most Humble Serv'ts Thom Howe
Josiah Converse
Praying
your further direct's
[Massachusetts
Arvhives LI, 174]
"On
Monday last the 16th currant [July, 1707]. Thirteen Indians on the Frontiers
surprised two men at their labour in the Meadows at Marlborough about four
miles distant from the body of the Town - took them both alive; and as
they parted out of the Town took a woman also in their marching off, whom
they killed. HOW, one of the Prisoners broke away in a scuffle and
brought home the Indian's gun and hatchet, and acquainted the Garrison
and Inhabitants who speedily followed them, and were joyned by 20 from
Lancaster, being in all 40 odd, came up with the Enemy who were also increased
to 36 and on Tuesday at ten of the Clock found them, and in two hours exchanged
ten shot a man in which skirmish we lost two men and had two slighlty wounded,
and no doubt we killed several of the Enemy, whose Tracts of being dragged
away we saw, but recovered but one of them, tho tis probably conjectured,
that we killed 10 or 12 at least; we took 24 of their Packs and drove them
off their ground, and are yet pursued by two Parties of the Forces from
Lancaster and Groton; at our Forces being overtaking and attacking the
Enemy they barbarously murdered the captive.
"Boston
News Letter" August 25, 1707
Parties
of hostile Indians had been continually hovering about the settlement and
on the 16th of July, 1707, had killed Jonathan White, a son of Josiah,
and brother of Captain John White.
The
captive mentioned above as "barbarously murdered," was also a Lancaster
man recently removed to Marlborough by name Jonathan Wilder, whose father,
Lieutenant Nathaniel Wilder, had been slain in 1704. He was twenty
years of age. The other victims were: Richard Singleterry and
John Farrar killed, Ephraim Wilder and Samuel Stevens wounded severely.
Ensign
John Farrar was of Lancaster birth, being son of Jacob Farrar Jr., who
was killed in the massacre of Aug 22, 1675. Ephraim Wilder was brother
to the captive, and it is probable that the detailed account of the affair
given by Rev. Timothy Harrington in the Century Sermon, was derived from
him. He lived until 1769, dying Dec. 13th of that year, aged 94.
The place where the skirmish was fought is in the northwest corner of Sterling,
and to this day is called the "Indian Fight."
Also, in Massachusetts Archives, LXXI, 421-3, is a petition from Samuel Stevens dated Nov. 10, 1707, asking aid, "his hands being both shott by ye enemy & lost many joynts which has Greatly disinabl'd him as to his caling, being a Joyner." Twenty pounds was voted him and a pension, at pleasure of the government, of forty shillings per annum.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
My note: this is difficult to follow (obviously reports written in haste) but the last report explains the difficult tracts. Also, this book recently purchased is so old, pages yellow with age and crumbling as I transcribe the material - that is is good I am downloading it all to disk, print outs and hardrive.
Thank You Janice and for all of the information supplied by you to many of us.
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