70 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR 



May, 1842. 



Harviii d Collfge two yeaic liefbie, anil WH8 niiieli 

 liulovfd for liisniniiiliie qualities, and lor his pious 

 devotions for tlie company dining the huttle, and 

 «hile dyiii" of ljis own wonnds. The other 

 officers nnder Caplain Lovewell xiJere Lieutenant 

 Farwell, Lieiitiiiant Wyinaii, and Ensign Rob- 

 bins. But few of the names in this brave l)and 

 have iieen preserved to lis. The primitive muse 

 however, from whicli we luive ah-eady quoted at 

 the head of this article, has handed down one 

 other name to us in a marked and paiticular 

 manner, mainly, it would seem, on account of 

 his domestic relations. Tlic strain is as fol- 

 lows :— 



" With Lovewell br.ive John Harwood came ; 

 From wile and babes 'Iwas hard to part; 



Youna: Harwood took her by the hand, 

 And bound the wueper to his heart. 



" Repress that tear, my Mary, dear. 



Said Harwood to his loving wife ; 

 It tries me hard to leave thee here 



And seek in distant woods the strife. 



" When gone, my Mary, think of me, 



And pray to God that I may be, 

 Such as one ought that lives ior thee. 



And come at last in victory. 



" Thus left young Harwood babe and wife. 



With accents mild she bade adieu ; 

 It grieved those lovers much to part. 



So fond and fair, so bind and true." 

 The whole company numbered forty-six, in- 

 cluding surireon and ci.apl.iin, and all things 

 being in readiness, they inarched from Dmistahle 

 on the 16th of April into the deep wilderness. 

 After they had made some progress in their 

 inareli, two of the company became lame and 

 returned ; and when they liad reached within 

 about twenty-five or thirty miles of Pequawket, 

 another fell sick and was unable lo proceed. — 

 Here they stopped and went to work and built 

 a small stockade fort, both for the accommodation 

 of their sick companion, wlioin they must now 

 leave behind, and tor a place of retreat, of which 

 they might nvnil themselves should circumstances 

 require it. Here they deposited n good portion 

 of their provisions, and in a most noble, heroic 

 and benevolent spirit they left their surgeon to 

 accompany the sick man, although going right 

 into battle themselves. They also left eight of 

 their soldiers for a guard. Thus reduced to thir- 

 ty.four in number, this forlorn hope again set 

 forward in search of their ferocious and blood- 

 thirsty foe. When they approached near the 

 Saco river they came to a pond, and encamped 

 for the night. Early next morning, which was 

 the eighth of May, (or nineteenth, N. S.) and the 

 day which was to decide the fate of their daring 

 enterprise, while they wore at their morning de- 

 votions, they heard the report of a gun, and on 

 looking round beheld an Indian about n mile dis- 

 tant on a point of land running into the pond. 

 Suspecting that they had been discovererl, and 

 that the Indian had been placed there to decoy 

 them, they concluded the hour of conflict was at 

 liand, and prepared for action. Tliey divested 

 themselves of tlieir packs, which tliey piled to- 

 gether and left without a guard, and supposing a 

 body of the enemy to he in the woods between 

 them and the point of land w here the straggling 

 Indian stood, they marched forward with loaded 

 muskets towards the point. Their conjecture, 

 however, was erroneous, and was the means of 

 leading thein into a position of extreme peril, at- 

 tended with tlie most severe and melancholy 

 consequences. While on their march through 

 the woods they encountered a single Indian, who 

 proved to be tlie same one they had seen on the 

 jioint. Some of the party fired upon him with- 

 out effect. The Indian returned their fire, and 

 wounded Captain Lovewell and one of his men 

 with small shot, his cliarge having been prepared 

 for shooting ducks on the |)ond. A second fire 

 brought the Indian lifeless to the ground. His- 

 tory and song both agree in giving the honor of 

 this first victory to Lieut. Wyman. Our ancient 

 and unknown bard gives the record thus: — 

 " Seth Wyman, who in Wohurn lived. 



(A marksman he, of courage true.) 

 Shot the first Indian, whom they saw, 



Sheer through his heart the bullet flew. 



" The safiige had been seeking game, 



Two guns and eke a knife he bore, 

 And two black ducks were in his hand 



He shriek'd, and fell to rise no more!" 

 Having taken the scalp of tbie Iii(lian,nnd find- 



ing no more of the miemy in that direction, they 

 tinned back to the spot where they had left iheir 

 pack.s. In the nie.intiiMe a party of Pi (|iiawkpt 

 hunters and waniors, headed by "tlieir chief, Paii- 

 gns, retiiriiiii;; tVoin a scoiitiiil; tour down the 

 Saco, ha.l lall.Mi upon tlie iiail of Lovewell's 

 march, which tliey followed 'till they came to the 

 packs. The.se they counted, and iiiferring from 

 the number that the force of the enemy was much 

 inferior to their own, they placed ihemselves in 

 ambush and waited to attack them on their re- 

 turn. When Lovewell's party came up to the 

 spot where they had left their packs, they found 

 they had been removed. In the moment of con- 

 sternation, when Ihey were casting round to r<ee 

 if they had missed the spot, or if their packs 

 were any where in sight, the savages rose and 

 rushed towards them, rending the air with their 

 shrill and horrid war-whoop. Again the old bal- 

 lad helps us on with our description. 



Who 

 ^hoir kn 

 Thefj 



here eighty Indi; 

 lid themselves in 



ambush dread ; 

 ; they shook, their guns they aimed, 

 IS Paugus at their head. 



" Good heavens ! they dance the Powow dance ; 

 What horrid yells the forest fill ! 



The grim bear crouches in his den. 

 The eagle seeks the distant hill. 

 A severe and hot battle now commenced. This 

 was about ten o'clock in the morning. A well- 

 diri^cled fire was opened on both sides with great 

 spirit and deadly effect. Captain Lovewell and 

 eight of his men soon tell dead on the battle-field, 

 and Lieutenant Farwell and two others w 

 wounded. 



" John Lovewell, captain of the band, 

 His sword he waved, that Klittered brijlit. 



For the last time he cheered liis men, 

 And led them onward to the tight. 



" Fight on, fi^ht on, brave Lovewell said, 

 Fight on while heaven shall give you breath; 



An Indian ball then pierced him through. 

 And Lovewell closed his eyes in death. 

 The Indians also suffered severely from the 

 galling fire of Lovewell's gallant band, and many 

 of tlii:m fell to rise no more. But being much 

 siqierior in numbers they now endeavored to sur- 

 round tlio remnant that remained of their foe, 

 which the little hand perceiving they retreated to 

 a more favorable position by the side of the pond. 

 Here they had the pond on their rear, on their 

 right was a deep brook, on their left a rocky 

 point, while their front was partly covered l)y a 

 deep bog and partly exposed to the approach of 

 the enemy. Here the forlorn hope took tlieir 

 ground and renewed the battle. The enemy 

 pressed hotly njion them and galled them in front 

 and flank, and had the Indians understood well 

 how to use the advantages they possessed, not one 

 while man would have escaped to tell the melan- 

 choly story of their misfortunes. Captain Love- 

 well being dead and Lieutenant Farwell wounded, 

 the command devolved on Lieiilenant Wyman, 

 under whose direction the retreat had been ef- 

 fected, and whose jiidicoiis management helped 

 to keep his little hand in resolute countenance 

 through the remainder of the day. The firing 

 was kept up on both sides wilhont much cessa- 

 tion 'till near night. The Indians .several times 

 invited them to surrender, hut they preferred 

 death to captivity and resolved to fight to the 

 last. One of Lovewell's men by the name of 

 Chamberlain was personally acquainted with 

 Pangiis and some of his tribe, liaving in times of 

 peace been with them on hunting excursions.— 

 Chamberlain and Paugus hailed each other sev- 

 eral tiines during the battle and threatened each 

 other with death. At last Chamberiaiu, who car- 

 ried a long heavy fowling piece, was as good .is 

 his word and brought Paugus to the ground. 

 Our favorite bard has not forgotten to record this 

 passage of the action. 



'•'Twas Paugus led the Pequa't tribe ; 

 As runs tlie for, would Paugus run; 



.\3 howls the wild wolf would ho howl, 

 A large bear-skin had Paugus on. 



" But Chamberlain of Dunstable, 



One whom a savage ne'er shall slay, 

 Met Paugus by the water side. 

 And shot him dead upon that day." 

 The fate of the young and accomplished chap 

 lain seems to have e.xcited peculiar .sympathy. 

 He fought by the side of his companion.^ wilh 

 great determination and courage 'till about the 

 middle of the afternoon, when he received a 

 inortHJ womii! that disabled him from (iirlhor 



action. Still he t:xertcd himself to cheer and 

 encourage the little band, and several dines pray- 

 ed aloii.l with much lirvnr for ilieir preservation 

 and sucites.s. He had a tender conversation with 

 Lieutenant Farwell: told hini lie wa.s moiially 

 wounded, and ilesiied him, should he escape, to 

 convey his <Iyiiig blcssiiiir to his parents and 

 comfort Iheiii in iluir afliiction. The closing 

 scene of this inieiview is toiichingly described in 

 the fine old ballad fiom which we have ulreadv 

 so largely drawn. 



" Lieutenant Farwell took his hand. 

 His arm around his neck he threw. 



And said, brave Chaplain I could wish 

 That heaven had made me die for you. 



'■The Chaplain on kind Farwell's breast 



All languishing and bloody fell, 

 JS'or afterward said mure, but this, 

 I love thee, soldier, fjie thee well." 

 Harwood was not permitted to return to " wife 

 and babes," whose sad and tender parting has 

 already been described. 



"John Harwood died, all bathed in blood, 



When he had fimglit 'till set of day ; 

 And many more, we may not nam?. 

 Fell in'that bloody battle fr.ay." 



By the skilful and unceasing firing of Love- 

 well's men, the Indian forces were gradually 

 thinned off during the day; their war-cries be- 

 came fainter and fainter, and just before night 

 they yielded the field, carrying off their killed 

 and wounded, and as evidence of their weakness 

 and brokenness of t-pirit they left the dead bodies 

 of Lovewell and his men uii.^calped. It was af- 

 wards a.scertained that forty-five of the Indians 

 were killed during the engagement, and many 

 more wounded. The little heroic band came off 

 with victory at last; but what a victory I 



'■ Ah, many a wife shall rend her hair. 

 And many a child cry * woe is me,' 



When messengers the news shall be.ar 

 Of Lovewell's dear bought victory." 



The remnant of the company at the close of" 

 the day, collecting themselves together, f'ouii^ 

 there were nine only who had escaped unhurt. 

 Eleven of the wounded were able lo march, but 

 the Chaplain, and Lieutenant Farwell, Ensign 

 Robbins and one other had not strength to leave 

 the battle-ground. There was no allernative,aiid 

 painfiil 118 it was, the.se must be left to die alone 

 n the woodd. They thought it probable the In- 

 dians would return again in force the next day, 

 and Ensign Robbins desired them to lay his giin 

 by him charged, that in case he should live 'till 

 they returned he might be able to kill one more. 

 After the rising of the moon the little band, with 

 the consent of their dying companions, left the 

 battle field, and made the best of their way to- 

 wards the fin w here the surgeon and guard had 

 been left, ho|)iiig to recruit anil return with fresh 

 hands to look after the dead and dying. But 

 when they reached the fort, to their great sur- 

 prise, they found it deserted. It turned cut that 

 one of the company in the first onset of the bat- 

 tle, seeing Lovewell and eight of the men fiill, 

 supposed that all vv.is over, and fled to the fi)rt 

 with the news that the company was cut down, 

 and " he alone had escaped" lo bring the sad 

 tidings. Ujion which the inmates of the fort 

 speedily set out upon their homeward march. — 

 The returning company found some provisions at 

 the fort, which saved them fiom llimine, and af- 

 ter thus being recruited they pursued their slow 

 and painful march in separate detachments ac- 

 cording as they were able to move, and with the 

 exception of some of the wounded who died on 

 the way, re.iched at last the frontier settleineiUs 

 and their homes. 



This bold and severe battle had such an cfTect 

 upon the Indian tribes, that they did not renew 

 their hostilities in that quarter for many years 

 afterwards. The centennial return of this hard- 

 fought day was celebrated, M ly 19, 1825, on the 

 battle ground, by the inhahitaiitsof Fryeburg and 

 the adjacent country, and an elegant address was 

 delivered on the occasion by Charies S. Davies, 

 Esq. of Portland. 



It is one of those events in the earlier history 

 of our country fraught with too much interest to 



forgotten. The name of the lamented Frye 



!s in the name of the town which white men 

 have built up on the fair domain of I'angiis, and 

 the unfortunate Lovewell has bequeathed his 

 .- .!,_ i-..]f. i^i^g vvhosa waters were 

 d. We take leave of the 



lie 



