4. "The Indians lie in ambush, in some place nigh at hand,
In order to surround us upon this neck of land;
Therefore we'li march in order, and each man leave his раск,
That we may briskly fight them when they shall us attack.”

5. They came unto this Indian, who did them thus defy;

As soon as they came nigh him, two guns he did let fly,
Which wounded Captain Lovewell, and likewise one man more;
But when this rogue was running, they laid him in his gore.

6. Then having scalped the Indian, they went back to the spot,

Where they had laid their packs down, but there they found them not;
For the Indians having spied them, when they them down did lay,
Did seize them for their plunder, and carry them away.

7. These rebels lay in ambush, this very place hard by,
So that an English soldier did one of them espy,

And cried out, "Here's an Indian!" with that they started out,
As fiercely as old lions, and hideously did shout.

8. With that our valiant English all gave a loud huzza,
To shew the rebel Indians they feared them not a straw;
So now the fight began, as fiercely as could be,

The Indians ran up to them, but soon were forced to flee.

9. Then spake up Captain Lovewell, when first the fight began,
"Fight on, my valiant heroes! you see they fall like rain."
For, as we are informed, the Indians were so thick,
A man could scarcely fire a gun and not some of them hit.
10. Then did the rebels try their best our soldiers to surround
But they could not accomplish it, because there was a pond,
To which our men retreated, and covered all the rear;
The rogues were forced to flee them, although they skulked for fear
11. Two logs there were behind them that close together lay,
Without being discovered, they could not get away;
Therefore our valiant English they travelled in a row,
And at a handsome distance as they were wont to go.
12. 'Twas ten o'olock in the morning when first the fight begun,
And fiercely did continue till the setting of the sun,
Excepting that the Indians, some hours before, twas night.
Drew off into the bushes and ceased a while to fight.

13. But soon again returned in fierce and furious mood,
Shouting as in the morning, but yet not half so loud,
For, as we are informed, so thick and fast they fell,
Scarce twenty of their number, at night did get home well.
14. And that our valiant English, till midnight there did stay,
To see whether the rebels would have another tray;
But they no more returning, they made off towards their home,
And brought away their wounded as far as they could come.

15. Of all our valiant English, there were but thirty-four,
And of the rebel Indians, there were about four score,
And sixteen of our English did safely home return;

The rest were killed and wounded, for which we all must mourn.

16. Our worthy Captain Lorewell among them there did die ;
They killed Lieutenant Robbins, and wounded good young Frye,
Who was our English chaplain; he many Indians slew,
And some of them he scalped when bullets round him flew.

17 Young Fullam too I'll mention, because he fought so well;
Endeavoring to save a man, a sacrifice he fell,

And yet our valiant Englishmen in fight were ne'er dismayed,
But still they kept their motion, and Wyman captain made;

18. Who shot the old chief PAUGUS, which did the foe defeat,
Then set his men in order, and brought off the retreat;
And braving many dangers and hardships in the way,
They safe arrived at Dunstable, the thirteenth day of May.
27*

318

ST. FRANCIS DESTROYED.

[BOOK III

CHAPTER X.

The St. Francis Indians-Rogers' expedition against them-PHILIP-SABATISArnold's expedition-NATANIS―The modern Penobscots-AITTEON-NEPTUNECAPTAIN FRANCIS-SUSUP murders an Englishman-Specimen of the Penobsco language.-RowLES-his prophecy-BLIND WILL-Killed by the Mohawks-AsSACAMBUIT-Visits France and is knighted by the king-Attacks and burns Haverhill-His death.

TOWARDS the close of the last chapter, mention was made of the St. Francis Indians, and, as they were, a part of them, the remnant of the once respectable Androscoggins, their history will here be resumed. We have already related some of their hardships and sufferings, both in Philip's war and the French wars afterwards, when they had to contend with the old experienced chief, Colonel Church; and also their severe disaster in opposing Lovewell.

After their arrival upon the Lake St. Francis, from which their village took its name, they were under the influence and guidance of French ecclesiastics. Their village, in 1755, consisted of about 40 wigwams and a church, and a friar resided among them. What time the Androscoggins joined the St. Francis tribe has not been discovered; but whenever war existed between France and England, they generally had some participation in it, the frequent occurrence of which at length ended in their almost total destruction,

in 1759.

Before the capture of Quebec, in that year, and while the English army under General Amherst lay at Crown Point, an expedition against St. Franc was ordered by him; being so "exasperated," says Colonel Rogers, "at the treatment Capt. Kennedy had received from those Indians, to whom he had been sent with a flag of truce, and proposals of peace, who had been by them made prisoner with his party, that he determined to bestow upon them a signal chastisement." This does not appear, however, to be all that was charged against them, for Major Rogers continues, "They had, within my own knowledge, during the six years past, killed and carried away more than 600 persons." Accordingly Major Rogers was despatched upon this enterprise with 142 effective men, including officers, and a few Indians of the Pequawket tribe, under Philip, their chief. It was a most perilous undertaking; near 300 miles of wild country to be passed, late in October, 1759. When they came in sight of the town, towards evening, on the 5 October, the inhabitants were dancing about in great glee, celebrating a wedding. Half an hour before sunrise the next morning, the English fell suddenly upon them, in three divisions, and completely surprised them, killing 200 Indians, and capturing a few women and children. With such secrecy and promptitude did the English act on this occasion, says our author, "that the enemy had no time to recover themselves, or take arms in their own defence, until they were mostly destroyed." Some few ran down to the river to escape by swimming or in their canoes, but were pursued and destroyed Their village, except three houses, was burnt, and many persons in it. By seven o'clock the butchery was ended, and a retreat was immediately commenced. Two Indian boys were brought away prisoners, one of whom was

"At St. Français, from some of Zanghe'darankiac, or people from the mouth of this river, I learned, that they call it, or rather its banks, Amicungantiquoke, or banks of the river abounding in dried meat." Kendal's Travels, iii. 143.

I lately received a letter from a gentleman who subscribed himself "Joseph Alex. Masta, an Indian of the St. Francis tribe," complaining of the inaccurate account given by Major Rogers of the destruction of that tribe; but as the author of the letter does not give an account himself, nor direct me where I can obtain one, better than I have used, I am constrained to reprint my account without much emendation. The only facts which I can gather from his letter, are, that, "before this event [Rogers's Expedition] took place, the St. Francis tribe numbered from 1800 to 2000 inhabitants; but since, this number has made rapid decline, and at present on the point of total dissolution." Letter, dated Vincennes, Vt. 25 April, 1836.

named Sebatis. The English commander says, "We found 600 scalps hanging upon poles over the doors of their wigwains."

Although the English had made such havoc among the Indians, yet a wretched calamity awaited them in their homeward march. They had but one of their number killed, who was an Indian, and six wounded, during the massacre, but on their return many were lost in the wilderness, starved and frozen to death. The scenes of individual suffering, could they be known, would probably exceed those which followed Lovewell's fight. Having mistaken the Upper for the Lower Coos, some set off by point of compass, ar d were never heard of after, and the enemy followed and cut off others. But Philip, at the head of his company, made good his retreat without losing a man in the way.

Besides this expedition, in which Philip was one of "Rogers' rangers," he was at the capture of Louisburgh, under General Amherst, and was the first man that took possession of the fortress.*

In the winter of 1757, when the English and French armies had gone into winter quarters, Colonel Rogers was left in command of Fort Edward, and had several severe battles with the French and Indians in scouting expeditions. In one of these, he fell in with a superior force to his own, near Ticonderoga, and lost many of his men, in killed and prisoners. This was on 21 January. The chief, Philip, was in that affair, and acted as sergeant. Concerning this chief, it is further said that he was but "half Indian,” and that in the revolution, he joined the Americans, saying "he was a whig Indian."

Mention has been made of an Indian of the name of SEBATIS or SABATIS. There were several of the name, and doubtless it was peculiar to the Abenaquies; and hence that Sabatis, captured at St. Francis, was descended om an Abenaquis family, who had settled there. It is possible also, that e may be the same who afterwards resided, near the head waters of the Kennebeck, with a brother named Natanis, who is brought to our notice in the accounts † of General Arnold's expedition through that region in the fall of 1775; but this is conjecture. However, what is known of these two brothers follows.

General Arnold having, on his arrival in the Kennebeck River, ordered a small band to proceed in advance of the army, to discover and mark out a route for it, gave strict orders that Natanis should be captured or killed. This order had been given, because the general had been informed that he had been fixed there by the English of Canada, as a spy, to give information if an enemy should approach in that direction. But this, as it proved, was false information, and Natanis was the friend of the Americans, as also was his brother Sabatis, who lived about seven miles higher up the river, above him.

The residence of Natanis was a lonesome place, upon the bank of the river; his cabin, situated in the centre of a green, the border of which was beyond musket shot from it, was a discovery which added to the suspicions of the party, who, having arrived in the neighborhood, 4 October, surrounded it at every point, and run in upon it with great eagerness; expecting, without doubt, to have taken him prisoner. In this they were disappointed, for it appeared that the place had been deserted a week. Near by, at the shore of the river, a map drawn upon birch bark, was found in the top of a stake, very accurately delineating the courses of the rivers towards Canada, and lines denoting places of crossing from one to another. This greatly surprised them, but they profited much by it. Nothing was seen of any Indians during the excursion of the exploring party, who, after about 22 days, in which they suffered every thing but death, rejoined the army.

When the army had arrived within the bounds of Canada, which was on the 4 November, "we for the first time," says Mr. Henry, "had the pleasure of seeing the worthy and respectable Indian, Natanis, and his brother, Saba

*Rogers' Reminiscences, Appendix to new edition.

See that of Judge John J. Henry, 32, to 36, and 74, &c. See also Shallu's Tables, i. 509, and Col. Maine Hist. Soc. i. 394.

320

NATANIS.-SABATIS-PENOBSCOT INDIANS.

[BOOK III. tis, with some others of their tribe." Natanis went to each of the companies of spies, and shook them by the hand, as though he had been formerly acquainted with them. He explained himself by telling them, that he had kept close to them all the time they were making their discovery beyond his residence, and until they returned, but did not dare to make himself known, for fear they would kill him-a wise resolution.

NATANIS and SABATIS, with 17 others of their tribe, joined the army on the River Chaudiere, and marched with it to Canada. When the attack on Quebec was made, 31 December, 1775, Natanis was wounded by a shot through the wrist, and fell into the hands of the British general, Carleton, who immediately set him at liberty. These were the first Indians employed in the revolutionary contest by the Americans.*

We cannot pass over the momentous undertaking of Arnold, without requesting the reader to notice how many men of note and eminence survived its ruins-General Daniel Morgan of Virginia, then a captain-General Henry Dearborn of Massachusetts, of like rank-Timothy Bigelow of Massachusetts, a major-Return J. Meigs, father of the late postmaster-general, of the same rank-Samuel Spring, D. D. of Newburyport, a chaplain-Aaron Burr of New Jersey, and General Benedict Arnold of Connecticut. Numerous others deserve equal notice; but it is not our province to enumerate them here. And from this digression we return to notice another chief nearly similar in name to the last.

At the treaty of Georgetown, on Arrowsik Island, held by the eastern tribes with the English, 9 August, 1717, Sabbadis, as his name was then written, appeared for the Androscoggins. Also at the treaty of Casco, dated 25 July, 1727, we find among the signers Sabatists of Arresagontacook. What part Sabatis acted in the tragedies from 1722 to 1725, does not appear. In the HISTORY OF MAINE§ we find the following passage concerning Sabbatist, as he is there called. "In 1730, a chaplain was allowed at Fort George; and it was in this place, where Sabbatist, the Anasagunticook sagamore, requested government to keep some supplies: for, said he, in 'cold winters and deep snows, my Indians, unable to go to Fort Richmond, sometimes suffer.?"

We now pass to our own times to notice some modern Indians in the state of Maine. In 1816, the Penobscot tribe at Old Town,|| having lost its sachem, entered upon the election of another. It was some months before they could agree upon a successor, although it is their custom to elect a near relation of the deceased. At length party spirit having run unreasonably high, their priest, who is a Roman Catholic, interfered, and they forsook the rival candidates, and elected John Aitteon. This man, it is said, was a descendant of Baron de Saint Castiens. The induction into office took place 19 September, 1816. At the same time John Neptune was constituted his lieutenant, and Captain Francis and another were confirmed as chief captains.

A specimen of modern oratory among these Indians is given by Mr. WILLIAMSON, who heard it, in his HISTORY OF MAINE. It was made in a court, by John Neptune, in extenuation of the murder of one Knight, by Peol Susup. The case was nearly as follows: In the evening of 28 June, 1816, this Indian was intoxicated, and at the tavern of said Knight at Bangor, (whether he had procured liquor there with which to intoxicate himself, we are not informed,) and being noisy and turbulent, Knight endeavored to expel him from his house. Having thrust him out of door, he endeavored to drive him away, and in the attempt was stabbed, and immediately died. On his arrest, Susup acknowledged his guilt, but said he was in liquor, and that Knight abused

*Judge Henry, 75.

Henry, our authority before mentioned, was a private, aged but 16, who ran away from his father, and joined the army clandestinely; he died in 1810, aged 52. Morgan died in 1802, æt. 65; Dearborn in 1829, æt. 78; Meigs in 1823; Spring in 1819, æt. 73; Arnold in 1801, at London, æt. 61; Burr died in New York, in 1836.

Coll. N. H. Hist. Soc. ii. 242. 260.

Williamson, ii. 159.

In 1811, this tribe consisted of but 57 families, and 241 persons. In 1820 there were 277 souls. Their increase, says Dr. Morse, Appendix to INDIAN REPORT 65, is owing to an obligation of the chiefs imposed upon their young men to marry early.

him, or he had not done it. Being brought to trial in June the next year at Castine, by advice of counsel, he pleaded not guilty; and after a day spent in his trial, a verdict was rendered, according to the defence set up, manslaughter. Susup had a wife and several children; four of whom, with their mother, were present, as were many other Indians from St. Johns and Passamaquoddy, besides a great crowd of whites.

After sentence was declared, Susup was asked by the court if he had any thing to say for himself; to which he replied, "JOHN NEPTUNE will speak for NEPTUNE rose up, and, having advanced towards the judges, deliberately said, in English,

me.

"You know your people do my Indians great deal wrong. They abuse them very much-yes they murder them; then they walk right off-nobody touches them. This makes my heart burn. Well, then my Indians say, we will kill go your very

had and wicked men. No, I tell'em never do that thing, we are brothers. Some time ago a very bad man* about Boston, shot an Indian dead. Your people said, surely he should die, but it was not so. In the great prison house he eats and lives to this day. Certainly he never dies for killing Indian. My brothers say let that bloody man go free-Peol Susup too. So we wish. Hope fills the hearts of us all-Peace is good. These, my Indians, love it well. They smile under its shade. The white men and red men must be always friends. The Great Spirit is our father. I speak what I feel.”

"Susup was sentenced to another year's imprisonment, and required to find sureties for keeping the peace two years, in the penal sum of 500 dollars; when John Neptune, Squire Jo Merry Neptune, of his own tribe, Capt. Solmond, from Passamaquoddy, and Capt. Jo Tomer, from the River St. Johns, became his sureties in the cognizance."†

Captain Francis, the first captain of the tribe, has been mentioned, and who, according to the historian of Maine, is a man of good understanding. If the information he has given concerning the eastern Indians be correct, and we see no cause to doubt it,—it is of much value, and no less interest. He assured Mr. Williamson, "that all the tribes between the Saco and the St. Johns, both inclusive, are brothers; that the eldest lived on the Saco; that each tribe is younger as we pass eastward, like the sons of the same father, though the one at Passamaquoddy is the youngest of all, proceeding from those upon the River St. Johns and Penobscot.§Always,' he affirms, 'I could understand all these brothers very well when they speak; but when the Mickmaks or the Algonquins, or Canada Indians talk, I cannot tell all what they say.”

Before dismissing the interesting Tarratines, it may be proper to present a specimen of their language.

Metunk senah, ouwa'ne, spum'keag-aio, kee'nuck tle-we-seh, keah'-dabel-dock, now-do-seh, keah'-olet-haut ta-mon-a, numah-zee, m'se-tah-mah, t'hah-lah-wee`keunah, spum-keag-aio, me-lea'neh, neo'nah, ne-quem-pe-bem-gees'o'coque, maje' me, gees-cool, arbon, mus-see-a'tos'see, neo'nah, commont'en-esk-sock, 't-hah-lahwee-keunah, num-e-se-comele'ent, tah-hah-la-we-u-keah-ma-che-ke`-cheek, a-que-he', a-que-ah-lah-ke-me-sah`coque, n'gah'ne, numa-zee', nea-nah, neo je, saw`-got,

"He alluded to one Livermore, who had received sentence of death for killing an lodian, which was commuted to hard labor for life in the state's prison." Williamson.

An Indian named CREVAY, a Penobscot of the tribe of St. Francis, to avoid being distressed by the war on the frontiers of Canada, with his wife wandered down into Massachusetts, and erected a wigwam on the shore of Spot Pond, in the town of Stoneham, where they lived. At length some abominable white ruffians, on the night of the 23 November, 1813, shot him while he was asleep, and badly wounded his squaw. Not being killed outright, this Indian crawled from his wigwam, and was found the next day almost lifeless and in great agony, and he expired in a few days after. The names of the murderers I will not give, for I abhor to sully my page with them. Four were guilty. One fled from justice, two were tried and condemned to be hanged, December 25th, following. Report of the Trial. ↑ Ibid.

The Indians said, Pascodum-oquon-keag. Pascodum meant pollock; oquon, catch 'em great many; eag, land or place.

Penops, rocks; keag, a place of.