By an Act, passed February 6, 1798, Moody Chase, Samuel Chase, and Simon Daby, (or Darby,) with their estates, lying at the south-west corner of Groton, on the easterly side of Nashua river, were taken from Groton and annexed to Shirley.

Lastly, by an Act passed February 3, 1803, four acres and twenty rods of land on the west side of Nashua river near Fitch's bridge, were taken from Pepperell and annexed to Groton.

From Groton, therefore, as originally granted and surveyed by Jonathan Danforth, have been taken nearly the whole of Pepperell and Shirley, large portions of Littleton and Dunstable, and less portions of Harvard and Westford, leaving it in no place bounded as at first, except on Townsend and Tyngsborough. And instead of sixty-four, it now contains about thirty-six square miles.

CHAPTER VI.

Indian Wars-Philip, chief of the Wampanoags-His foresight and wars-Attack upon Groton, March 2d, 9th and 13th-The town burnt and deserted-Daniel Adams's petition-Town meeting at Concord-Petition for relief-Squaws taken up by Sargeant Lakin-King William's war-Officers-Garrisons-William Longley's family killed, with others-Petition for relief-Queen Anne's war-Tarbell boys taken-Sheple's house burnt-John Shattuck and son killed-Jacob Ames killed-Expedition to Norridgewock, and death of Ralle-Lovell's war-1 r-His first, second and last expedition-Lovell's fight and consequences-Story of Chamberlain and young Paugus-Reflections.

Or all the embarrassments, difficulties and discouragements, which the early settlers of Groton had to encounter, those arising from the hostility of the aborigines, natives, or Indians, as they are more commonly called, were by far the most appalling and distressing. For the term of about fifteen years, however, after the settlement commenced, it being a time of peace between the Massachusetts colony and the Indians, nothing appears on record, that the settlers suffered or felt any alarm from their savage neighbors. But during this very period, Metacom, by the English named Philip, a sachem of the Wampanoags, a tribe inhabiting some part of the State of Rhode Island, a courageous warrior, possessing a sagacity and foresight not common in a savage, had conceived, and was cautiously maturing a plan to extirpate the European population of New England. He rightly judged, that if the settlements by foreigners progressed as they had done, and were then doing, the rightful proprietors of the soil

must rapidly fly before the usurpers, or suffer extermination. He, therefore, in order to prevent what has long since happened, endeavored to unite the various tribes in and about New England in a plan to make a general and simultaneous attack upon the new settlers, and if possible, destroy them at once. He concealed his designs as well as he could from his intended victims. But one Sausaman, an Indian, who was friendly to the whites, knowing the intentions of Philip, disclosed them; and for that kind act was soon after killed by the Wampanoags. Whereupon three of his murderers were seized by the English of Plymouth colony, tried, convicted, condemned and executed. Philip himself was charged with being an accomplice, and not attempting to disprove the charge, it was thought he was guilty. Finding now that his plans were known to those upon whom they were intended to be executed, he no longer practised deception, but though unprepared for the contest, commenced open war. But for the disclosures of the unfortunate Sausaman, and for his commencing hostilities before his allies were fully prepared to join in the attack, he might probably have succeeded in his enterprise.

Though the laws of the Colonies forbade selling fire arms and ammunition to the Indians, they had not been strictly obeyed, and the French at Canada, and the Dutch at New York, had trafficked with them in these articles; a French baron in particular residing in Penobscot had supplied them, so that at this time they had a considerable supply of guns, and had learned to use them expertly. The numbers of those combined in Philip's plot for extermination, cannot be estimated with any great degree of certainty. The whole number of white inhabitants at that time in New England has been estimated at one hundred and twenty thousand; about the same number that our county of Middlesex alone now contains. Had they all dwelt on a territory not larger than Middlesex,

they could have defended themselves with less expense, and have suffered less than they did, being scattered over a country now comprising five States of the Union.

This calamitous war commenced June 24, 1675, at Swanzey, now in the county of Norfolk. The Indians began by rifling some houses, killing some cattle, and menacing the inhabitants; whereupon one of them was shot, and immediately eight or nine of the whites were killed. Brookfield, Mendon, Lancaster, Sudbury, Marlborough, Groton, and other towns of Massachusetts, were soon after the scenes of fire, slaughter, captivity, torture and sufferings, of which we at this time can give no adequate description. The events of this savage war will be narrated no farther than they have some connection with the settlement at Groton.

The first mention of any thing in relation to the Indians, or the war, in the records of Groton, is the following.

"At a meeting of the Selectmen, July 22, 1675, a rate made for defraying the charge of the war, the sum of £23 14s. 4d."

"At a general town meeting held November 8, 1675, It was this day agreed upon and by vote declared, that there should be a committee chosen to treat with Mr. Willard about sending down to the General Court to inform and supplicate them, that we may have paid to us what is our due from the country, and also that the billet of the soldiers may be upon the country's account; and also if this would not do, for to stand it out at law with them."

"At a general town meeting, held December 9, 1675, It was this day agreed upon and by vote declared, that the soldiers that are still remaining in the town, shall be continued in the town at the town charge, till such time as we hear a return from the army gone against the Narraganset, and then *** to meet again to consider what is to be done."

It is easily perceived by these votes, that the inhabitants at the time of the first, did not feel greatly alarmed, but at the time of the second they had become apprehensive of danger.

The annual town meeting for the choice of town officers was held December 10, 1675, after which there are no records for the two next succeeding years.

The following copies of original papers, written in the time of Philip's war, will aid us in estimating the alarming, perilous and distressing condition of the inhabitants of the frontier towns in this eventful crisis.

"To the Honoured Council of the Massachusetts sitting in Boston, the humble petition of us, whose names are subscribed, humbly shows,

"That whereas it seemeth meet to your worships to commend unto our honored Major Willard, and impose upon him the maintaining a continued scout of forty troopers and dragoons to range between Groton, Lancaster and Marlborough, and those parts, we make bold humbly to present our conceptions upon that account. For Marlborough, we do conceive the present supply left there in garrison do answer the end more fully, and will also render our scout an unnecessary burden; for Lancaster and Groton, we find by experience that the safety is little advanced in this way, by reason of so long absence and so great distance of this scout, necessary in this method. Besides the incumbrance lying upon us for quarters for horse and men, besides the drawing up of our men from several towns to such a limit seems to carry inconvenience with it; the towns from whence our forces are raised, especially Chelmsford and Billerica, being weak and in want of more strength at home, and danger occuring to them, by the sudden and suspicious removal of the Weymessit Indians, whose troopers do hereupon desire a release. Moreover, the conceptions of the towns related