MAJOR SAMUEL APPLETON AND THE FORCES UNDER HIM.

A FULL account of the Appleton family has been published in the "Appleton Memorial " and various other works, and renders a brief sketch sufficient for our purpose here. Samuel Appleton, the ancestor of nearly all of the name in this country, and the first to appear here, was descended from the ancient family of Appulton of Waldingfield, Suffolk, England. He was the son of Thomas, and was bom at Little Waldingfield in 1586; married Judith Everard, by whom he had six children born in England. John, bom 1622; Samuel, born 1624; Sarah, born 1629; Mary, Judith and Martha. With his family he came to New England in 1635 and settled at Ipswich, where he was admitted freeman, May 25, 1636. He was chosen deputy to the General Court, May 17th, 1637, and was prominent in the affairs of his town thereafter, and died at Rowley in June, 1670. The eldest son John became an influential man in the colony. Was successively lieutenant, captain and major, and deputy to the General Court for fifteen years between 1656 and 1678, and was honorably prominent in opposition to the Andros government. He married Priscilla Glover, by whom he had a large family, and died in 1699. Of the daughters above mentioned, Sarah married Rev. Samuel Phillips, of Rowley, 1651. Judith married Samuel Rogers, son of Rev. Nathaniel, of Ipswich. Martha married Richard Jacob, of Ipswich.

Major Samuel Appleton, second son of Samuel first, and the subject of this article, was born as noted above, at Waldingfield, and came with his father to Ipswich at the age of eleven years. His first wife was Hannah Paine, of Ipswich, by whom he had Hannah, Judith and Samuel. By his second wife, Mary Oliver (at marriage, Dec. 8, 1656, aged sixteen), he had John, Major Isaac, Oliver and Joanna. He was chosen deputy to the General Court in 1668, under the title Lieut. ; also in 1669 to 1671, in company with his brother Capt. John, and again by himself in 1673 and 1675.

I have not been able to find the exact date on which Capt. Appleton marched from the Bay up towards Hadley, but infer that it was about the first of September, and Mr. Hubbard relates that when Major Treat (on Sept. 6th) marched clown from the rescue of Northfield, bringing the garrison, he met Capt. Appleton going up, who strongly urged him to turn back and pursue the Indians ; but the Major overruled his wishes, and all marched back to the headquarters at Hadley. The course of events from this time to September 18th has been previously related. In the assignment of troops for the defence of the various towns, Capt. Appleton seems to have remained at Hadley, and to have been in close relation with Major Pynchon in the conduct of affairs. His Lieutenant, John Pickering, and doubtless a part of his company, were with Capt. Mosely in the fight succeeding Lathrop's defeat, and when a few days after it was decided to abandon Deerfield, and the garrison and inhabitants were removed to Hatfield, Capt. Mosely was stationed there with his force, Major Treat and his men quartered at Northampton and Northfield, and Capt. Appleton remained at Hadley busily employed in reorganizing the Massachusetts forces, caring for the wounded, and preparing for the next attack of the enemy.

Although Capt. Appleton had been in this service several weeks, his commission as "Capt. of a company of 100 men " was not issued by the Council until September 24th. (He already held the rank of Captain of the local company in Ipswich; this was a special commission for active service.) By the heavy losses under Capts. Lathrop and Beers, the Massachusetts forces were greatly reduced, and the survivors of their companies were much demoralized by the loss of the captains, and gloom and discouragement prevailed throughout the colony. It was therefore with great difficulty that the Council filled the quota of three hundred assigned by the commissioners. Secretary Rawson wrote to Major Pynchon, September 30th, "The slaughter in your parts has much damped many spirits for the war. Some men escape away from the press, and others hide away after they are impressed."

It will be seen by the following orders that the Council was Using every endeavor to push forward troops to repair their losses. Mass. Archives, vol. 67, p. 265.

E. R. S. 24 Sept. 1675

On the same paper is the following:

The Indians were gathered in great numbers on the west side of the river. Small parties were constantly lurking near the frontier towns, Hatfield, Northampton, and as far as Springfield, where, on September 26th, they burned the farm-house and barns of Major Pynchon on the west side of the river. Major Pynchon says, in a letter to the Council, Sept. 30th:

According to Russell's list of killed, these men were Praisever Turner and Uzacaby Shakspeer. Up to this time the Springfield Indians had been friendly and remained quietly in their fort on the east side of the river towards Longmeadow. Some uneasiness had been felt of late in regard to them, and Major Pynchon had consulted the commissioners about disarming them. The Connecticut Council advised against the measure, and recornmended rather to receive hostages from them, to be sent to Hartford for security. This plan was adopted and the hostages sent; but the Indians, excited by the successes of the hostiles and probably urged by secret agents of Philip, resolved to join the war against the English. They managed the escape of their hostages, and waited the opportunity to strike their blow. On Monday, Oct. 4th, a large body of the enemy had been reported some five or six miles from Hadley, and immediately all the soldiers were withdrawn from Springfield to Hadley, and were preparing to go out against the Indians the next morning; but 21uring the night a messenger arrived from Hartford or Windsor, reporting that Toto, a friendly Windsor Indian, had disclosed a plot of the Springfield Indians to destroy that town next day, and that five hundred of Philip's Indians were in the Springfield fort, ready to fall upon the town. Thereupon, early on the morning of Tuesday, October 5th, Major Pynchon, with Capts. Appleton and Sill, and a force of one hundred and ninety men, marched for Springfield, arriving there to find the town in flames and the Indians just fled. Major Treat had also received news of the intended attack, and hastened from Westfield with his company, arriving on the west side of the river some hours before the Massachusetts forces came, but was unable to cross, though five Springfield men escaped through the enemy's lines, hotly pursued, and carried over a boat in which a party attempted to cross, but the Indians gathered upon the east shore and fired upon them so fiercely that the attempt was abandoned until Major Pynchon came. The Indians burned some thirty dwelling-houses and twenty-five barns with their contents, Major Pynchon's mills, and several of his houses and barns, occupied by tenants. Fifteen houses in the "town-plat," and some sixty more in the outskirts and on the west side were left unharmed. The people had taken refuge in the garrison-houses, which were not attacked. Two men and women were killed, viz., Lieut. Thomas Cooper, who before the assault rode out towards the fort to treat with the Indians, having two or three men with him, and was shot by the enemy concealed in the bushes a short distance from the town, bur managed to ride to the nearest garrison-house, where he died. His companion, Thomas Miller, was killed on the spot. During the assault, Pentecost, wife of John Matthews, was killed, and Nathaniel Browne and Edmund Pringridays were mortally wounded.

The above account is the substance of letters written by Major Pynchon and Rev. John Russell, October 5th and 6th. The number of Indians engaged has probably been much over-estimated. The Springfield squaw captured at the time reported the whole number at two hundred and seventy. Mr. Russell said the Springfield people thought there were not 11 above 100 Indians, of whom their own were the chief." Rev. Pelatiah Glover, the minister of Springfield, lost his house, goods and provisions, together with a valuable library which he had lately removed to his house from the garrison-house where it had been stored for some time.

On October 8th Major Pynchon writes to the council an official account of the situation, telling of the great discouragement of the people and their sad state; the loss of their mills makes a scarcity of bread, and the many houseless families throng the houses that remain. The Major advises to garrison all the towns, and abandon the useless and hazardous method of hunting the Indians in their swamps and thickets. The commissioners were opposed to this course, especially those of Connecticut, who insisted that the purpose of the army in the field was to pursue and destroy the enemy instead of simply protecting the towns. In this letter of the 8th, Major Pynchon says they are scouting to find which way the Indians have gone, am also that on that day Major Treat is summoned away to Connect cut by the news of a large body of the enemy near Wethersfield He then earnestly reiterates his unfitness for the chief command and declares that he must devolve the authority upon Capt Appleton, with the permission of the Council, unless Major Treat return, when he will await their orders. The Council had, however, already granted his former request, and on Oct. 4th had appointed Capt. Appleton to the chief command in his place. His commission, together with letters and orders to Major Pynchon, were sent up by Lieut. Phinehas Upham and his company of recruits and did not reach them until October 12th, when he immediately took command. The commission is as follows:

The letter of October 4th, from the Massachusetts Council to Major Pynchon, in which the orders above referred to were inclosed, is in the Massachusetts Archives, vol. 67, p. 280, as follows:

On assuming command on October 12th, Capt. Appleton writes a long letter, expressing his sense of the honor conferred and the great responsibility imposed by the appointment, and declaring that he is led to accept by the urgency of the occasion and his regard for the earnest wishes of Major Pynchon; and while deprecating his own incapacity, promises to do his best until they may find some abler officer for the position. He agrees with Major Pynchon in regard to present methods, and asks that the commissioners revise that part of their instructions which strictly prohibits fixing soldiers in garrisons. He adds his account of the condition of Springfield, and asks the Council to support him in the step he has taken in stationing Capt. Sill and his company there for the town's security. He complains of the prolonged absence of Major Treat and his company at Hartford. He says that "There being now come in sixty men under Capt. Poole and Lieft. Upham, and we needing commanders, especially part of our men being now at Springfield, & we not daring to send all thither, we have retained Capt. Poole to comand these sixty men untill further orders be given."

October 17th he writes an account of their movements up to that date

Capt. Mosely came promptly, but Seely tardily and then without his company, pleading his want of commission from Connecticut authorities, but finally agreeing to return and bring his men. Before he started from Northampton, however, he received orders from Major Treat not to leave that town, and sends that word to Capt. Appleton. The Captain much exercised by this seeming insubordination, posts away letters of complaint to the Connecticut Council, and urges the return of Major Treat, whom he highly commends as "a worthy Gentleman and discreete and incouraging Comander." After this he drew out his own men and marched towards Northfield, but before proceeding two miles intelligence came that the Indians were discovered in great numbers on the west side of the river. Thereupon he crossed to Hatfield with the purpose of marching to Deerfield. Night came on as they left Hatfield, and after marching some miles his officers urged the exposed condition of the towns left without garrisons and the uncertainty of the enemy's movements, and the night promising to be tempestuous, he yielded his purpose and returned, against his inclination, to headquarters. On the evening of the 16th an urgent request for reinforcement comes from Northampton, which is threatened, and later, word from Capt. Mosely that the Indans are discovered within a mile of Hatfield; and so at midnight he crosses the river to Hatfield, leaving only about twenty men to guard Hadley and their wounded men. In a postscript to this letter, added on the afternoon of the 17th, he says that after "a tedious night and morning's march " they had not succeeded in finding the enemy.

It is supposed that Philip had an active part in the planning of the various operations of this time, though there is no evidence that he was personally present at any of the attacks.

Several letters in this time passed between Capt. Appleton and the Council of Connecticut, which are full of interest as showing the varying aspects of affairs at the time. Connecticut urges that their own towns are threatened, and further that Plymouth Colony has not sent its quota, and that there is no certain movement on foot that demands the presence of their troops at Hadley, etc. These letters are preserved in the Mass. Archives, vols. 67 and 6& and have been published in the "Appleton MemoriaL" and certain of them elsewhere.

It is unfortunate that no letters of Capt. Appleton relating to the attack upon Hatfield on October 19th are preserved. There can be no doubt that he wrote an official account of it ; but the Massachusetts Council had not received the news on October 23d, for on that day they wrote Capt. Appleton in answer to his of the 17th, and make no reference to any attack. The next letter to him from the Council, so far as known, is dated November 1st, and refers to one from him of the 29th October, which would seem to have been mainly taken up with a relation of the insubordination of the Connecticut officers. Doubtless several letters passed that are lost. The letters from a merchant of Boston to his friend in London, published in Drake's 11 Old Indian Chronicle," give information of the beginning of the attack. The Indians built large fires north of Hatfield, and then lay in ambush by the way leading thither. Ten horsemen were sent out as scouts about noon, of whom nine were shot down or captured by the Indians in ambush, and one escaped back to Hatfield, and immediately the enemy came with fury about the town. But, says Mr. Hubbard-.

Night came on, and in the darkness it was impossible to tell the losses of the enemy; numbers were seen to fall, some ran through a small river, others cast away their guns, and as usual they carried away their dead. Of the English slain at Hatfield, Mr. Russell's list has the names of ten, viz.: Freegrace Norton (Appleton's sergeant), of Ipswich, mortally wounded, and died at Hadley soon after; and of the scouts, Thomas Meekins, Jr., of Hatfield; Nathaniel Collins, his servant, Richard Stone, Samuel Clarke of Mosely's company, John Pocock of Captain Poole's, Thomas Warner, Abram Quiddington, perhaps of Boston, William Olverton (possibly Overton), John Petts. Three of these are said to have been taken alive, of whom two were redeemed by some gentlemen at Albany, and arrived at New York the next February; one of these belonged in Boston. The third man was barbarously killed by the Indians. The Indians evinced a stubborn determination to destroy these river towns, and a few clays after the attack upon Hatfield prepared to assault Northampton; Major Treat's opportune arrival foiled them again. They waylaid every road between the towns. On the 27th a party with Major Pynchon were thus ambushed, and John Dumbleton and John and William Brooks were killed. About this time also a Mr. Granger was wounded.

In their letter of November 1st the Massachusetts Council assure Capt. Appleton of speedy action in regard to his affairs at the seat of war. They sustain him in his authority and position towards Connecticut troops, and advise him that in case Major Treat again withdraws, to improve his own troops as best he may, and await their further advice. They rebuke him for assuming to appoint Cornet Poole captain without their authority, and instruct him that it is his place to recommend any officer for promotion to the Council to receive his commission at their behest. On November I Oth Capt. Appleton had not received any further advices from the Council and writes them for orders, and gives explanation of his action in regard to appointing Poole, that he acted from necessity, and as is evident very wisely. He then details his motions since October 29th, when two men and a boy at Northampton were attacked. (These were Joseph Baker, Joseph Baker, Jr., and Thomas Salmon, and Mr. Russell puts with them John Roberts, a wounded soldier, who died there soon after.) On the 30th, at night, upon an alarm from Hatfield, Capt. Appleton was called out of his bed and pushed his troops across the river, where he remained over the next day, Sunday. On Monday he marched ten or twelve miles out through the "Chestnutt Mountains," scouting, without avail. Tuesday he consulted with Major Treat, and agreed to march on Wednesday night with their whole force towards Deerfield, which they did without finding, the enemy, and returned late at night. On the 5th an alarm at, Northampton, and another fruitless search. Upon a request of Major Treat on the 6th for permission to withdraw his soldiers from Westfield to seek the enemy down the river, a council-of-war was appointed for Monday the 8th, at which meeting Capt. Appleton took the ground that he had no authority from the commissioners to grant them leave to withdraw. Major Treat took a very frank and manly position, by no means hostile to Capt. Appleton. The trouble seems to have been the unwillingness of the Connecticut soldiers to remain in garrison at Westfield. The report of the council-of-war is submitted to the Massachusetts Council for the orders of the commissioners. He says they are at loss to find out the present location or intention of the enemy, but fear they may be upon them in force at any moment. He suggests that if the army be drawn off for the winter and the towns garrisoned, Connecticut troops might more conveniently be placed and supplied at Westfield and Northampton, and the other three towns garrisoned with Massachusetts men. He reports a council-at-war, at which David Bennet, chirurgion, was expelled from the army for "quarrelsome and rebellious Carriage, " and submits the action for ratification to the Council. sends down as posts, Serg. James Johnson, Serg. John Throp, and Nathaniel Warner of Hadley, and with them Capt. Poole, to whom he refers them for a more detailed account of matters.

While awaiting the long delayed instructions of the Council, Capt. Appleton stood in a very difficult position, the Connecticut officers and soldiers in great impatience and almost open mutiny at being kept in garrison; and the people, crowded into the garrison-houses in fear that Philip's whole force might at any hour fall upon them, were threatening to abandon their towns. The Council of Connecticut, too, were apparently interfering with his command of their troops. On the other hand were the authority and orders of the United Commissioners, to which he adhered with inflexible energy. On November 12th he issued a proclamation (Archives, vol. 68, p. 54) to the inhabitants and soldiers of all those towns under his charge, forbidding any one to withdraw from his appointed place without special permission "given under his hand; " giving his reasons for the step, and asserting the authority of the commissioners. The Connecticut people were very loud in their complaints against this measure, but he rigidly held to it, daily expecting the further directions promised by the Council of Massachusetts, till finally despairing of such relief he reluctantly yielded to the importunities of Connecticut, and on November 19th dismissed Major Treat and his forces at Westfield to march downward to the Connecticut towns, accompanying the order of permission with an urgent request to the Council there that Westfield and Springfield maybe regarrisoned by their forces. On the same day he writes to Governor Leverett, complaining of the long neglect of the Council at home, and saying that it has kept him in constant and tedious expectation until obliged to yield to Connecticut's demands, and now necessity forces him to dispose of his forces as best he may. He complains Of the condition of the horses; many will soon be unfit for service, and if put upon "dry meate " (i.e. hay), the cattle of the people must perish during the winter, as hay is very scarce. They have no certain intelligence of the enemy but have received word from Owenequo, son of Uncas, that Philip boasts himself to be a thousand strong. He speaks of his proclamation and its results, and encloses a copy of the same and his correspondence with Connecticut Council also, and urges the Governor to send him further directions speedily. He then proceeds, to garrison the several towns with the forces at his disposal, the details of which will be given in a special chapter. The following orders of disposal are dated November 19 and 20, and are preserved in full in the Mass. Archives, Vol. 58, pp. 65 and 66.

Twenty~nine soldiers taken out of the companies of Capts. Mosely and Poole and Lieut. Upham are left at Westfield in charge of Sergt. Lamb, and all under the command of Capt. Aaron Cooke. John Roote is appointed commissary of this garrison, and orders are drawn upon James Richards, of Hartford, or Mr. Blackleach, for whatever of clothing is necessary. Thirt nine men from Capt. Sill's company are left at Springfield with tieut. Niles, all to be under command of Major Pynchon. Twenty-six men are left with Sergt. - at Northampton, to be under command of Lieut. Clark; and thirty men under command of Capt. Poole are stationed at Hadley. Thirty-six axe left at Hatfield with Sergt. Graves, under command of Lieut. Allice.

Capt. Appleton appointed a council-of-war for the ordering of military matters in the towns, consisting of the commissioned officers of the various garrisons, together with Dea. Peter Tilton, of Hadley, and Sergt. Isaac Graves, of Hatfield, and Capt. Poole was made president. These arrangements seem to have been made in anticipation of the order of withdrawal of the army, which was authorized by the Council on November 16th. - Mass. Archives, vol. 68, p. 58. Their letter had not reached him on November 19th. This letter gives a long account of the operations of Capts. Henchman and Syll now in the Nipmuck country. Then "touching the disposal of the Army," the direction is left at his discretion, and as to the wounded men, those fit for garrison duty are to be left as part of the garrison soldiery and the rest to be comfortably provided for. The special instructions seem to have been in accordance with the Major's own suggestions in his last letter to the Council. On the march home it is suggested that he come by way of "Wabquisit " now in Woodstock, Conn.), and, if convenient, to form a junction with Henchman and Syll and "distress the enemies gathered near there. This little plan, so easy to conceive in the Council Chamber, for excellent reasons was never realized. Capt. Appleton, with his forces, marched homeward probablv about November 24th. Very little is known of the march homeward. This campaign cost the colony very dearly in men and means, but saved from destruction five of the seven western towns. For the first time since the war began, a competent commander is at the head of the Massachusetts troops.

Upon the organization of the army for the expedition against the Narraganset Fort, Major Appleton was appointed to the command of the Massachusetts forces. A partial account of that expedition and its results has been given in a previous chapter relating to Capt. Mosely. On December 9th the Massachusetts force, consisting of six companies of foot under Capts. Mosely, Gardiner, Davenport, Oliver and Johnson, and a troop of horse under Capt. Prentice, mustered on Dedham Plain under command of Major Appleton, who himself led the first company. They were joined by the Plymouth forces, two companies under Major William Bradford and Capt. John Gorham. The quota of Plymouth Colony was one hundred and fifty-eight men. That of Massachusetts five hundred and twenty -seven.

In the Mass. Archives, vol. 68, p. 91, I find this fragment relative to Major Appleton's division:

These seem to be fragments of memoranda, the latter list being on the back of the paper. This refers to the number in the six companies, and gives an excess of 99 over the estimated quota of 465 foot. I doubt that this excess includes Capt. Prentice's troopers as might at first appear, his company not being set down; but his lists and credits published hereinbefore give few if any of the names included in Appleton's, Mosely's or Johnson's lists, which were taken at Dedham, December 9th, and contain exactly the numbers above. It is probable that the excess consisted of volunteers, the regular quota being impressed men. In this expedition Capt. Mosely took Capt. Hubbard's place, and then his company was not made up wholly of volunteers.

Troopers - Boston 15 foote Major Appleton 136 Prentice 20 Capt. Johnson 75 Hasey 20 Capt. Olivers 83 Corwine 10 Capt. Davenport 75 Appleton 1 Capt. Gardiner 95 Capt. Mosely 92

Mr. Hubbard says that the force from the latter colony mustered there four hundred and sixty-five " fighting men besides a Troop of Horse " under Capt. Prentice. Gov. Josiah Winslow, Of Plymouth, was commander-in-chief of the army in this expedition, and with this force marched to Woodcock's Garrison (Attleboro'), that day, thence to Seaconck, where they arrived on the night of the 11th, and on the 12th passed over Patuxet River, and by way of Providence arrived at Wickford, at Smith's Garrison, at night. After several days spent in scouting and skirmishing, as previously related, on the 18th they all marched out to Pettisquamscott and met the Connecticut forces, consisting of five companies, three hundred and twenty-five men, under Major Treat, and the whole army were forced to bivouac in the open air in a driving snow-storm during the night, Bull's Garrison house at that place having been burned by the Indians but a few days before. At daybreak next morning they took up their march over the rough country through the deepening snow, each man carrying his own arms, rations, etc. In this march the Massachusetts division led; Plymouth held the centre and Connecticut the rear. This army, the largest and best organized that had ever been in the field in the American colonies, arrived about 1 o'clock, P.M., at the borders of the great swamp where the Indians had gathered in great numbers and had built a strong fortification and now awaited the attack. The full account of the battle must be completed in several chapters, wherein the names of those in the remaining companies of Major Appleton's division are given. The conduct of the Major and his men here, as elsewhere, was creditable. In May, 1676, the Court voted to repay the losses of divers persons who were "damnified "

Credited under Capt. Samuel Appleton

December 10, 1675

January 25, 1676

March 24, 1676

April 24 1676

June 24, 1676

July 24^th 1676

August 24^th 1676

The roll of Major Appleton's company in the Naragansett campaign. Jeremiah Swain of Reading was Lieutenant

Those yt are wanting

The men yt now listed

A List of Major Saml Apleton Souldjers yt slayne & wounded The 19^th Decemb '75 at the Indian fort at Narragansett

Samuell Taylor of Ipswich, Isaac Illery of Glocester, Daniel Rolfe on Newberry, Samuel Taylor of Rowley*- 4 men slayne

Lieft. Jerrimyah Swayne of Redding, Roger Markes of Andiver, Isaac Ilsley of Newberry, Wm Standley of Newberry, Dani. Somersby of Newberry, Jonathan Emery of Newberry, Jn Dennison of Ipswich, Jn Harvey of Newberry, George Timson of Ipswich, Tho: Dowe of Ipswich, Symon Gowen of Rowley, Benj. Webster of Salem, Ellja Thathan of Oborne, Tho: Abey of Wenham, Benj. Langdon of Boston, Solomon Watts of Roxbury, Jn Warner of Charlestowne, Samuell Boutericke of Cambridge- eighteen men wounded who are at Road Island except ye Left. & Roger Marks - January 6 '75

• In the list of killed appear two Samuel Taylors. In the credits is found Samuel Tiler. In a list of men impressed at Rowley, Nov. 29, 1675, I find Samuel Tiler. Among the wounded, Timson undoubtedly meant Stimpson, and Illja Thathan of Oborne was what the clerk made out of Ellijah Tattingham of Woburn.

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