Part 3- Early Mendon & King Philip's War By Rev. Carlton Staples:-1901: Unp. Manuscripts: ( within ( ) is an Abridged copy of or updated by APP) >From this hasty glance at the conditions of Mendon , two and one half centuries ago , let us look at the tribes of Indians around them inhabiting South Eastern , Central and Western Mass. or what are now the counties of Plymouth, Bristol, Worcester and a portion of R.I. There were the Wampanoag and the Nipmucks. The former occupied the country along the Taunton River and northern shores of Narragansett Bay and about the Pawtucket River. The home of the Chief was at Mount Hope, a high ridge of land opposite Fall River, on the bay of the same name. Up to the time early in July of 1675, Philip and his Wampanoags were the only Indians engaged in atrocities or that had shown any disaffection towards the English or disposition to break the peaceful relations. But let us turn to the Nipmucks who inhabited very sparsely indeed. southern and Central Mass. They had always been friendly and peaceful with the settlers. There is no record of any instance, I believe. of any atrocity committed by these Indians and the English. There was a much kindly intercourse between the natives and the settlers in mutual trade and helpfulness. The second minister here, Grindal Rawson, learned their language and use to preach to them on Sunday afternoons. Some were known as praying or Christian Indians.. At least one of these Christian Indians was living in Mendon in 1667 , known as Caleb. Therefore we can hardly conceive, of the consternation caused by the sudden outbreak of a war among the Nipmucks in the awful tragedy that occurred here 14th July 1675; It is surprising that scarcely anything should be found regarding an event which made as indelible impression on the history of Mendon, the beginning of a war that caused the entire destruction of the town . NOT A WORD, I believe , exist in the town records even mentioning, the massacre or the war, among the contemporaneous writings. President Increase Mather of Harvard in his brief History barely speaks of the five or seven slain in Mendon on that day. Fortunately we are able to identify three of the victims. and point to where they lived. We have even have a suggestion of what a few were doing when dispatched by the Indian tomahawk. (Mrs. Rachael ( Farnsworth) Puffer and her son , a lad of 11 or 12 yrs. John Rockwood Jr. another lad of abt. 12 yrs. whom were probably out picking berries in the swamp along Muddy Brook when the Indians fell upon them and put them to their death.) (These three were the only ones positively identified , through petitions sent to the General Court.( a Monument now stands near this site for those slain that fatal day ) ( History of the area . tells us, that John Albee, Richard Post (husband of Mary Tyler) John Garnsey, Joseph Stevens the Blacksmith, were some of the other settlers killed that day.(APP) A woeful scene it must have been, when their mangled bodies were found and brought to the homes from which they went out of, full of hope and happiness. No word of consolation or prayer , no hymn of faith and hope was heard as they were carried to their last resting place, we know not where ,,,,Funeral services were not tolerated by the Puritans at this time and unknown here until years afterwards. They regarded them as savoring of popery and prelacy. The English of the Catholic church, the prayer book and the cross, objects well- nigh as offensive to the Puritans as Satan himself. They embodied in his mind about everything ungodly and Satanic. He had crossed the sea and made his home in the wilderness with the wild beast and savages, to escape their power and influence. He would neither listen to or permit such popish or prelatic ceremonies where he was able to prevent them. End of Part 3: Part 4; Think of what it meant for the families in Mendon, exposed to more attack, far from immediate assistance, not very capable of defense. . It was a time of awful darkness. The hearty men quailed at the prospects when they thought of their wives and children , and what they had provided for sickness , for old age and helplessness, laying at the mercy of the savages. Think of the terrors and consternation, when news of the awful tragedy ran like wild fire from house to house, through the town. We may very well believe there was little sleep for many nights following that bloody day. Horrid dreams alarmed "the curtained sleeper" the fancied sounds of warhoopp, or the light of blazing homes. The shrieks of the their fleeing neighbors. A pall of anxiety and fear hung over the town in the expectation of a renewal of attack. An express was sent to Medfield giving alarm, and Rev. Emerson went to Boston to ask for military protection . It was readily granted and Capt, Henchman was dispatched with a military company to secor and save the place. The court has issued a decree forbidding the inhabitants to leave the settlement on pain of forfeiting all their rights in the lands they had subdued from the wilderness. But many soon gave up their homes and went to towns below. The remainder of the people finally gathered in two of the largest houses . A considerable force was kept here to maintain this frontier town. The deprivation and suffering became so severe that people could not endure it, and they gradually stole away. The troops were withdrawn six months after the first attack, the place was abandoned, words of Cotton Mather "Another candle of the Lord extinguished" Early the following year , 1676, the Indians burned the remaining buildings and for the tolls and sacrifices of twelve (12) Years little was left but charred logs and ashes. The attack on Mendon was led , it supposed by the Nipmuck chief Matoonas. The deed of the original Mendon, eight square miles , embraces what are now Mendon, Uxbridge, Milford, Blackstone, Hopedale, Bellingham, Northbridge and Upton. (Millville, & Whitinville) (Mendon is now called MOTHER MENDON because of her many children and grandchildren ) The Memorial Stone made of rough unhewned slate fittingly symbolizes the massive enduring character of the men and women who subdued the wilderness, conquered the savage and laid the foundation of the town in love of liberty and the service of God: Inscription reads: Near this spot The wife and son od Matthias Puffer. the son of John Rockwood and other inhabitants of Mendon were killed by Nipmuck Indians 14 July 1675 The beginning of King Phillip's War in the colony of Mass. THE END: This manuscript was shortened , but nothing was left out concerning Mendon, or any of it's settlers. .. A few paragraphs were changed or omitted for brevity, but I believe without taking away from the original text..written by Rev. Carlton Staples. 1901: Hope you all enjoyed this little look into the life and times of the Founding Father's of Mendon, Ma. 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