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

168 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
ou tlie street, and in all, with those in the ontskirts ami over the
river, abont fort^'-hve survived tlie attack. That is, forty-five occu-
pied houses had to accommodate forty families more, as well as ;i garri-
son of two hundred soldiers. They were in great need of medicine
for the wounded, and provisions were scarce. Several whose houses
were saved lost their goods in other houses, whither they had carried
them on the night of the 4th. The soldiers, many of them from the
east, complained that there was no bread to be had, but meat seemed
to be plenty. Major Treat was called upon by the Connecticut
authorities to liasten south for the defence of the towns below. The
"Worshipful ^Nlajor " was alive to the unmilitary move in leaving
Springfield undefended, and in liis report of October 8 to the Kay
authorities he takes occasion to refer to his calling oft' the soldiers to
Hadley, " leaving none to secure y Towne bee y*" commissioners
order was so strict." He was not aware at this time that lie had been
superseded in command, and he says : " To speake my thoughts, all
these Townes ought to be Garrisoned, as I have formerly hinted &
had I bin left to my selfe I should I think have done y' w''^ possibly
might have prvented this damage."
The loss of Lieutenant Cooper was severely felt. For many years
he had been a wheel-horse in the town aft'airs. He was auditor of the
selectmen's accounts at the time of his death. His various accom-
plishments showed how wide were the demands upon the early
dwellers. He was a practising attorney before tlie County Court ; he
was a practical carpenter and farmer ; he was a bone-setter and a
surveyor ;
he had been a deputy at the General Court, and townsman,
and had been an invaluable agent in dealing with the Indians. His
descendants may well place him beside the good and noble Deacon
Samuel Chapiu as a pillar of the town. His deeds fully warrant it.
Thomas ^liller was constable of the town Avhen shot.
It is one of the admirable traits in the men of these times that
they did not for a moment lose an abiding faith in the religion the}'
had come here to spread. The}' migiit think of abandoning the