This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: MichaelWright12 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.wright/6959.2703.2.1.2.2.2.1.1.3.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: No, Ron, I don't believe that your Battle of Bloody Brook location is correct and I simply disagree with the death of Sgt. Samuel Wright of Northfield. Actually, Bloody Brook is in the present day town of South Deerfield and the site of the Battle of Bloody Brook is marked by a monument on Main Street just south east of the Main Street culvert for Bloody Brook in that town (not much more than a drainage ditch nowadays). Granted, South Deerfield is only about 5 miles south of Deerfield, so they hadn't made it very far with the wagon train when they had to cross the creek and were jumped by the warrior band. Although it is true that there were other battles in Deerfield during King Philip's War that did cause serious loss of life and abduction of many settlers, still, the Battle of Bloody Brook was not fought in the town of Deerfield and South Deerfield did not exist in 1675 so there can be no confusion over which Deerfield we mean. The battle site in 1675 was nothing more than a muddy creek crossing just beyond the thick woods laying south of Deerfield. Settlers of that day did not consider it "in Deerfield". As to whether Sgt. Samuel Wright (b. ca. 1630 in England) died 2 Sept 1675 in the Northfield raid, or 18 Sept 1675 at the Bloody Brook encounter, there are conflicting claims made by authors and available records. I have opted to believe that he was killed on the battlefield of Bloody Brook. It is certainly true that Samuel and his family lived in Northfield at the time of his death and that he was a Sargent in Captian Lathrop's troup which was involved in both the battle for Northfield on the 2nd of Sept. and as an escourt for the wheat wagon train on the 18th of the same month whose company was nearly completely wiped out on the 18th. I am pursuaded for 18 Sept at Bloody Brook by the probate records for his son, Samuel (1654-1734) which states that he recieved his troublesome leg wound at the Battle of Bloody Brook, where his father met his fate. From this more or less contemporaneous account, son, Samuel (b. 1654 in Springfield), was wounded in the leg during the Battle of Bloody Brook and the wound never healed properly so that he suffered the rest of his life with it. He died in Northampton in 1734 a deranged invalid in the custody of his family. His custody papers and probate records are transcribed in the First Record Book of Northampton. Having reviewed this record book in person, I was forced to believe one or the other report and chose the Record Book. I know G. M. Bodge ("Soldiers in King Philip's War...." p, 130, 1896) claims to have determined Sgt Samuel Write died 2 Sept 1675 in Northfield. I just don't believe it is an accurate determination. Unfortunately, his death was not recorded in any vital records at Northampton or Deerfield and Northfield records do not start until 1717 so we don't have any official determination to go by at all. That is consistent with burial in a mass grave, which is what happened at Bloody Brook but not at Northfield. I just think Bodge is mistaken. Sorry we disagree on this one. Best Regards, Mike Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.