Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

158 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
family, that an attack upou Hadley took place during meeting-time,
when the outlawed regicide, Colonel Goffe, emerged from his hiding-
place, gave the alarm, and led the men to battle and victory. The
incident was used by Sir Walter Scott, but is now discredited, owing
to the investigations of George Sheldon, of Deerfield.
Northampton, Hatfield, Deerfield, and Northfield were hastily garri-
soned. September had opened in blood, as has been noted, with attacks
upon Hadley and Deerfield. Captain Beers fell dead, with twenty-one
of his men, near Northfield, September 4, while attempting to relieve
that place. The Indians lost twenty-five, but the survivors became
drunk from the rum found in one of the English casks. Major
Treat, at Hadley, who had sent Beers to the north with an in-
adequate force, burdened with an ox-team, to carry away the effects
at Northfield, hastened forward with one hundred men, September 5.
As they approached Squakheag (Northfield) they discovered a
range of tAventy high poles, on which were stuck the ghastly
heads of the Beers party. After the Indians had drunk liberally
of the ruiu found in the ox-cart they phmged into a perfect death
revel, even to burning two or three at the stake and hanging a man
alive to a tree, with a chain hook caught in his jaw. We have it on
good authority tliat this disaster provoked in the minds of the strug-
gling yeomen of that time not so much the instant vows of revenge
common to poor human nature, as a fear that the hand of God had
set up these bloody impalements as a warning to the people to turn
away from pride of rich dress and long hair and the frivolities of a
sinful world.
Treat pushed on and brought away the terrified families from
Northfield, and upon the return was met by Captain Appleton. There
was a small force at this time, at Deerfield, under the command of
Captain Mosely, and Lathrop, wdth ninety of the best fighters, was sent
up there to thi-esh and bring away the grain. The savages, fully
aware of the importance of this supply of grain, gathered their forces
in the vicinity, and upon the morning of September 18 the supply