<\/p>\n
On several occasions this program has referred to the colonial engagements against Maine Indians that occurred in 1724 to end the Indian wars. One was the Battle of Lovewell’s Pond near Fryeburg; the other was the destruction of the Indian village at Norridgewock that caused the death of Father Rasle. Those two engagements ended all trouble with the tribes on the Saco and the Kennebec.<\/p>\n
Before 1700 Jesuit missions had done more than convert the tribes to Christianity; they had firmly cemented them to support of French control in the New World. Father Rasle and other Jesuits were loyal Frenchmen as well as Christian priests. Their influence alienated the Indians from the English and turned them toward the French in the long conflict between the two nations on both sides of the Atlantic. Added to the Jesuit influence was control by the French Baron Castine of a large area of the eastern Maine coast, centering at Castine itself.<\/p>\n
Governor Villeon of French Acadia was urged by the government in Paris to wage unceasing war against English colonists in America. To do so he made Maine Indians feel it was more profitable to collect English scalps than to spend their time hunting animals. He supplied the Indians with muskets and ammunition, and instigated raids against the English settlements. His first move was to send 150 Indians from the Kennebec as far west as York, devastating settlements along the way. In York itself the town minister was killed and his wife taken captive to Canada.<\/p>\n
In Quebec the Indians were feasted and feted by the French authorities and were urged to continue their warfare. Further to impress the natives with the pm17er and grandeur of France, a number of Indians were sent to Paris, where they were entertained at court.<\/p>\n
In 1703 Governor Dudley of Massachusetts learned of the disastrous raids around Casco Bay, and he assembled the Indian chiefs to arrange a treaty. The French thereupon devised a plot to get rid forever of the English in the region. Just before the meeting was to begin, a large party of Indians would show up and open fire on the party. But when they arrived they found that earlier arriving natives were so mixed with the whites that any shots were likely to kill Indians as well as English, so the Indian leader withdrew his forces without firing a shot. Dudley and his associates returned safely to Boston, but without any treaty, and the Indians at once renewed attacks on the settlements.<\/p>\n
There followed ten years of constant trouble for the settlers. Even with a strong garrison house in every settlement, no one felt safe. Numerous raids caused many deaths and sent many captives to Canada. Then in 1713 one of the numerous, but unlasting treaties between England and France caused a temporary respite. Settlers resumed erection of cabins and tilling of fields.<\/p>\n
But the American French would not give up, regardless of treaties in Europe. In 1721 a large band of Indian warriors, under French leaders, appeared at Arrowsic, bearing a communication directed to Governor Shute, giving the English three weeks to get out, or their houses would be destroyed and they would be killed.<\/p>\n
What was going on is shown by a letter from the King of France to his representative in Quebec, which said: “It is his Majesty’s desire that Father Rasle continue to excite the savages at his mission on the Kennebec to drive the English
\nout of their lands.”<\/p>\n
Shortly thereafter Governor Shute, having documentary evidence of the intent of the French government to incite the Indians against the English, wrote to his counterpart, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, Governor General of Canada: “Father Rasle has been the great incendiary in all this affair. He will do well to return to his own country, or at least to Canada, and no longer abuse his profession.” Shute tried to appease the tribes with a new treaty, but in vain. He offered Indians protection within the English lines and gave them lavish gifts. But he got only a few Red Men of lower status. All the chiefs and tribal leaders remained loyal to the French.<\/p>\n
The question has often been asked why, in their raids, the Indians did not kill all the settlers, but took many, including men as well as women and children, captives to Canada that demanded an arduous trek on foot to Quebec. The answer is that captives were valuable property. By 1720 Quebec had become a prosperous city with many affluent residents. The rich people were glad to pay high prices for servants who were actually slaves. A trader would buy captives from the Indians, then sell them to Quebec homes.<\/p>\n
With the small English population at the mouth of the Kennebec, Gov. Shute was in no condition to carry on prolonged war against the French supported Indians. Help had to come from the central government in Boston.<\/p>\n
Finally in 1724 the Massachusetts government engaged two noted Indian fighters, captains Harmon and Moulton of Falmouth, to strike a decisive blow at Father Rasle’s Indians at Norridgewock. With 211 men they went by ship to Arowsic, then in a fleet of 17 whaleboats up the Kennebec to Fort Richmond, located just above the present Richmond village. Rendezvousing there,they went on to Ticonic Falls, where they left the boats and marched overland to Norridgewock. They feared if they continued farther by river, they would be discovered and fail to take the Indian village by surprise.<\/p>\n
Reaching Old Point, Harmon deployed his men in Indian fashion, holding part in ambush, while the rest attacked the village. Completely surprised, the Indians put up a poor defense. Some took to the river, and while a few escaped, more were shot by the attackers. The village was completely destroyed.<\/p>\n
The episode would have caused little mention in the pages of history if it had not included the killing of Father Rasle. Even to this day, the debate about that missionary goes on. Was he a martyr or the justly executed enemy of the prevailing power in North America? Probably he was both. Anyhow, his death in that raid was one of the factors that assured the waging of the bitter French and Indian war that came later.<\/p>\n
In November of that same year, 1724, the Massachusetts government directed John Lovewell of Barnstable to gather a force to attack the Saco Indians, whose raids had been quite as destructive as those committed on the Kennebec. Their principal village was on the Saco River near the present site of Fryeburg. To prevent their further raids on the Casco Bay settlements, Lovewell planned his attack. It was a difficult task. Hard as it was to take the Indians by surprise at any time, it was hardest in the dead of winter, with its deep snow and bitter cold. With 87 men recruited for the venture, Lovewell marched them across New Hampshire and part of Maine. Reaching Lake Winnepesaukee on February 7, he had to send
\nsix invalids back under escort, reducing his force to 75. Before he reached the Indian encampment, 25 more had been sent back. So, with a meager band of 50, he decided upon attack. His little group was discovered and could not take the Indians by surprise. They did, however, wipe out a small band of braves, before Lovewell decided the job was too difficult for his reduced numbers, and he started back for Massachusetts.<\/p>\n
In Boston his men were paraded through the streets, and the captain at once enlisted 50 more men to renew the attack. It was now Spring and travel was easier. On May 6 he reached the shores of the Maine pond that now bears his name. Discovering Indians nearby, Lovewell decided upon immediate attack. At once he made a serious error in judgment. Instead of being in front of his force, the Indians were in his rear. But a smaller band of savages were indeed ahead. Suddenly fire was opened on the whites from both front and rear. At first the Indian fire was wild and did little
\ndamage, but the Indians were so numerous that soon a large number of Lovewell’s men were killed or wounded. The rest retreated so as to bring the pond itself in their rear and prevent another encirclement.<\/p>\n
All day the fight continued. When Lovewell himself was killed, the Indians called upon the whites to surrender, but the Massachusetts men gave scoffing reply and fought on. After sunset the Indians withdrew and the Lovewell party divided into three separate groups to make their way back to the Ossipee fort. On the way many died of their wounds and only a handful reached the fort. Only 19 finally made their way back to Boston.<\/p>\n
Was Lovewell’s battle a white defeat? While so it appeared at the time, it convinced the Saco Indians that the English were too strong for them, and like the Norridgewocks on the Kennebec, most of them fled to Canada. Judged by that final result, the battle was a white victory. The fighting at Norridgewock and Fryeburg in 1724 and 1725 ended the Indian menace in Maine.<\/p>\n
And with that we say goodbye until next week.<\/p>\n
Year: 1981<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Read the script for “Little Talks” program #1288, Broadcast on November 8, 1981<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35323,35296],"tags":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10091"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10091\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}