596327

[phelps.FTW]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #4246, Date of Import: Oct 24, 1998]

Sampson and Mary Daniel Frary

Deerfield Massachusetts is located on U. S. Highway 5 north of Springfield, not far from the Vermont border. It is a small peaceful village, a beautiful New England community.

It was in this town that Sampson and Mary Frary lived in the late 1600's. They had two daughters, Mary, was born July 24, 1662; and Mehitable, was born January 1664.

At that time Deerfield was the northernmost settlement of the string of villages along the Connecticut River, the frontier of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The first settlers moved into Pocumtuk, as Deerfield was then called, in 1672. They were forced to abandon the town when Philip, son of Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags, led the Indian tribes of Massachusetts Bay in war against the colonists in 1676, attacking the town and burning the houses. This was called "King Philip's War." The town was resettled in 1682, and by the winter of 1704 the community had recovered and become a prosperous village of 41 houses and some 270 people.

A school began and a meeting house was erected. Mills were raised and fences built along the grazing land beside the Connecticut River. Many houses were fortified, as they had been during Philip's War, with small stockades around them and loopholes through the walls.

There had been relative quiet along the river for a few years in the 1680's, until problems began in Europe again between France and England. When the parent countries declared war, hostilities began also between the French and the English colonists. Canadian Indians commanded by French officers were soon raiding the frontier. During the 1690's Deerfield decided that a palisade around its settlement was necessary for safety. The stockade was built in ten days, and helped repulse an attack in 1694.

In the early 1700's conditions became worse in Europe, with many problems developing between England, France, Austria, and Spain. When Queen Anne took over the crown in 1702, she declared war on France. This was called "Queen Anne's War" in Europe, and again developed into one of the French and Indian Wars in the Colonies.

At Deerfield preparations for renewed warfare began. The stockade surrounding the village had rotted in several places, and at a town meeting the citizens voted to repair it. Some of the settlers had built houses a mile or so from town; these families now moved back within the stockade. In the spring of 1703 Mohawk spies had learned of an expedition for which plans were then being made in Canada, to be sent against Deerfield. The governor of Massachusetts sent a garrison of twenty soldiers to Deerfield. In the fall, when still no attack came, the village began to relax.

In February of the following year heavy snows fell. On the northwest side of the stockade the snow reached nearly to the top of the stockade, so that the wall no longer provided an effective means of defense.

Before dawn on Leap Day of February 1704, a party of fifty French Canadians and two hundred Abnakis, Caughnawagas, and Mohawk Indians trudged toward the village through deep snow. The townspeople had posted a sentry, but he was either asleep or absent.

Not long before break of day, the enemies came in like a flood; they broke open doors and windows with axes and hatchets, awakening the people from their sleep.

Imagine Grandpa and Grandma Frary's fright as they woke to screams and shouting. The Indians probably broke into their house, overtaking Grandpa before he could get his gun to defend himself. By dawn the fighting had ended, leaving Grandpa dead along with about fifty other settlers.

Grandma Frary and over one hundred other friends and neighbors were captured by the Indians and were forced to walk three hundred miles to Canada through cold, snow, and ice.

Unfortunately, Grandma Frary did not survive the brutal trek. As the French and Indians bullied their captives north along the forest trails toward Canada, she probably became weak and could not keep up with the group. Although the Indians killed babies along the way they were kind to some of the children and carried them the whole trip; they did not have any patience with the adults that fell behind however. If the women became tired during the long and tedious travel they were slain with one stroke of their hatchet.

The captives were forced to walk though deep snow, sometimes wading though icy mountain streams. The Indians had taken their shoes and given them moccasins to wear. One would expect this type of footwear to be ineffectual for traveling over rough ground and snow; however, one of the surviving captives, in writing about the march, thought moccasins were superior to the English shoes, even though he had the big toe of his left foot frozen during the journey northward. There were times when they had to wring the blood out of their socks at the end of the day.

There were 111 prisoners taken, and sixteen were murdered on the journey to Canada. One of the sixteen was Mary Daniel Frary.


Information taken from The American Heritage "History of The Indian Wars" by Robert M. Utley & Wilcomb Washburn
and "Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion", by Reverend John Williams, one of the captives on the march to Canada.
[phelps.FTW]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #4246, Date of Import: Oct 25, 1998]

Sampson and Mary Daniel Frary

Deerfield Massachusetts is located on U. S. Highway 5 north of Springfield, not far from the Vermont border. It is a small peaceful village, a beautiful New England community.

It was in this town that Sampson and Mary Frary lived in the late 1600's. They had two daughters, Mary, was born July 24, 1662; and Mehitable, was born January 1664.

At that time Deerfield was the northernmost settlement of the string of villages along the Connecticut River, the frontier of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The first settlers moved into Pocumtuk, as Deerfield was then called, in 1672. They were forced to abandon the town when Philip, son of Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags, led the Indian tribes of Massachusetts Bay in war against the colonists in 1676, attacking the town and burning the houses. This was called "King Philip's War." The town was resettled in 1682, and by the winter of 1704 the community had recovered and become a prosperous village of 41 houses and some 270 people.

A school began and a meeting house was erected. Mills were raised and fences built along the grazing land beside the Connecticut River. Many houses were fortified, as they had been during Philip's War, with small stockades around them and loopholes through the walls.

There had been relative quiet along the river for a few years in the 1680's, until problems began in Europe again between France and England. When the parent countries declared war, hostilities began also between the French and the English colonists. Canadian Indians commanded by French officers were soon raiding the frontier. During the 1690's Deerfield decided that a palisade around its settlement was necessary for safety. The stockade was built in ten days, and helped repulse an attack in 1694.

In the early 1700's conditions became worse in Europe, with many problems developing between England, France, Austria, and Spain. When Queen Anne took over the crown in 1702, she declared war on France. This was called "Queen Anne's War" in Europe, and again developed into one of the French and Indian Wars in the Colonies.

At Deerfield preparations for renewed warfare began. The stockade surrounding the village had rotted in several places, and at a town meeting the citizens voted to repair it. Some of the settlers had built houses a mile or so from town; these families now moved back within the stockade. In the spring of 1703 Mohawk spies had learned of an expedition for which plans were then being made in Canada, to be sent against Deerfield. The governor of Massachusetts sent a garrison of twenty soldiers to Deerfield. In the fall, when still no attack came, the village began to relax.

In February of the following year heavy snows fell. On the northwest side of the stockade the snow reached nearly to the top of the stockade, so that the wall no longer provided an effective means of defense.

Before dawn on Leap Day of February 1704, a party of fifty French Canadians and two hundred Abnakis, Caughnawagas, and Mohawk Indians trudged toward the village through deep snow. The townspeople had posted a sentry, but he was either asleep or absent.

Not long before break of day, the enemies came in like a flood; they broke open doors and windows with axes and hatchets, awakening the people from their sleep.

Imagine Grandpa and Grandma Frary's fright as they woke to screams and shouting. The Indians probably broke into their house, overtaking Grandpa before he could get his gun to defend himself. By dawn the fighting had ended, leaving Grandpa dead along with about fifty other settlers.

Grandma Frary and over one hundred other friends and neighbors were captured by the Indians and were forced to walk three hundred miles to Canada through cold, snow, and ice.

Unfortunately, Grandma Frary did not survive the brutal trek. As the French and Indians bullied their captives north along the forest trails toward Canada, she probably became weak and could not keep up with the group. Although the Indians killed babies along the way they were kind to some of the children and carried them the whole trip; they did not have any patience with the adults that fell behind however. If the women became tired during the long and tedious travel they were slain with one stroke of their hatchet.

The captives were forced to walk though deep snow, sometimes wading though icy mountain streams. The Indians had taken their shoes and given them moccasins to wear. One would expect this type of footwear to be ineffectual for traveling over rough ground and snow; however, one of the surviving captives, in writing about the march, thought moccasins were superior to the English shoes, even though he had the big toe of his left foot frozen during the journey northward. There were times when they had to wring the blood out of their socks at the end of the day.

There were 111 prisoners taken, and sixteen were murdered on the journey to Canada. One of the sixteen was Mary Daniel Frary.


Information taken from The American Heritage "History of The Indian Wars" by Robert M. Utley & Wilcomb Washburn
and "Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion", by Reverend John Williams, one of the captives on the march to Canada.
[4246.ftw]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #4246, Date of Import: Dec 4, 1998]

Sampson and Mary Daniel Frary

Deerfield Massachusetts is located on U. S. Highway 5 north of Springfield, not far from the Vermont border. It is a small peaceful village, a beautiful New England community.

It was in this town that Sampson and Mary Frary lived in the late 1600's. They had two daughters, Mary, was born July 24, 1662; and Mehitable, was born January 1664.

At that time Deerfield was the northernmost settlement of the string of villages along the Connecticut River, the frontier of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The first settlers moved into Pocumtuk, as Deerfield was then called, in 1672. They were forced to abandon the town when Philip, son of Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags, led the Indian tribes of Massachusetts Bay in war against the colonists in 1676, attacking the town and burning the houses. This was called "King Philip's War." The town was resettled in 1682, and by the winter of 1704 the community had recovered and become a prosperous village of 41 houses and some 270 people.

A school began and a meeting house was erected. Mills were raised and fences built along the grazing land beside the Connecticut River. Many houses were fortified, as they had been during Philip's War, with small stockades around them and loopholes through the walls.

There had been relative quiet along the river for a few years in the 1680's, until problems began in Europe again between France and England. When the parent countries declared war, hostilities began also between the French and the English colonists. Canadian Indians commanded by French officers were soon raiding the frontier. During the 1690's Deerfield decided that a palisade around its settlement was necessary for safety. The stockade was built in ten days, and helped repulse an attack in 1694.

In the early 1700's conditions became worse in Europe, with many problems developing between England, France, Austria, and Spain. When Queen Anne took over the crown in 1702, she declared war on France. This was called "Queen Anne's War" in Europe, and again developed into one of the French and Indian Wars in the Colonies.

At Deerfield preparations for renewed warfare began. The stockade surrounding the village had rotted in several places, and at a town meeting the citizens voted to repair it. Some of the settlers had built houses a mile or so from town; these families now moved back within the stockade. In the spring of 1703 Mohawk spies had learned of an expedition for which plans were then being made in Canada, to be sent against Deerfield. The governor of Massachusetts sent a garrison of twenty soldiers to Deerfield. In the fall, when still no attack came, the village began to relax.

In February of the following year heavy snows fell. On the northwest side of the stockade the snow reached nearly to the top of the stockade, so that the wall no longer provided an effective means of defense.

Before dawn on Leap Day of February 1704, a party of fifty French Canadians and two hundred Abnakis, Caughnawagas, and Mohawk Indians trudged toward the village through deep snow. The townspeople had posted a sentry, but he was either asleep or absent.

Not long before break of day, the enemies came in like a flood; they broke open doors and windows with axes and hatchets, awakening the people from their sleep.

Imagine Grandpa and Grandma Frary's fright as they woke to screams and shouting. The Indians probably broke into their house, overtaking Grandpa before he could get his gun to defend himself. By dawn the fighting had ended, leaving Grandpa dead along with about fifty other settlers.

Grandma Frary and over one hundred other friends and neighbors were captured by the Indians and were forced to walk three hundred miles to Canada through cold, snow, and ice.

Unfortunately, Grandma Frary did not survive the brutal trek. As the French and Indians bullied their captives north along the forest trails toward Canada, she probably became weak and could not keep up with the group. Although the Indians killed babies along the way they were kind to some of the children and carried them the whole trip; they did not have any patience with the adults that fell behind however. If the women became tired during the long and tedious travel they were slain with one stroke of their hatchet.

The captives were forced to walk though deep snow, sometimes wading though icy mountain streams. The Indians had taken their shoes and given them moccasins to wear. One would expect this type of footwear to be ineffectual for traveling over rough ground and snow; however, one of the surviving captives, in writing about the march, thought moccasins were superior to the English shoes, even though he had the big toe of his left foot frozen during the journey northward. There were times when they had to wring the blood out of their socks at the end of the day.

There were 111 prisoners taken, and sixteen were murdered on the journey to Canada. One of the sixteen was Mary Daniel Frary.


Information taken from The American Heritage "History of The Indian Wars" by Robert M. Utley & Wilcomb Washburn
and "Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion", by Reverend John Williams, one of the captives on the march to Canada.