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

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-18S6. 325
Shepaid's relief. Lieut. Aaron Graves, of Palmer, hastened to
inform Lincoln of these facts. Adam Wheeler did what he could to
detain Lincoln, by asking for a "Conference" in order to "bring
about a Settlement with the Government."
Deputy Sheriff King rode through the crusted snow across fields from
Wilbraham to the Stony Hill road on the 25th, drawing blood from the
legs of his horse, and warned General Shepard in less than an hour ;
but Shays did not appear on the Boston road, in view of the armory,
until late in the afternoon. Shepard sent several messages of warning
to Shays not to advance, but received only insolence and defiance for
his pains. At a hundred yards a howitzer was discharged each side
of the advancing forces ; and, a few minutes later, a shot, at short
range, was levelled directly at the column. Elzekiel Root and Ariel
Webster, of Gill, and John Spicer, of Leyden, were killed, and John
Hunter, of Shelburne, mortally wounded. A scene of ridiculous con-
fusion followed. Not a return shot was fired at the militia, and
about twelve hundred very-much-affrighted men raced for their dear
lives toward Ludlow. The killed and wounded were taken to a
house opposite the site of Olivet Church. The well near this house is
still to be seen in the cellar of the arsenal.
General Lincoln reached Springfield on the 27tli with the main
body of his troops. At nine o'clock of the 25th the news of Shays's
defeat had reached Palmer, and Colonel Baldwin had sent word to
Lincoln that Captain Shaw reported that the insurgents made the
attack about four o'clock, " on the plain, near the magazine."
General Lincoln gives the following account of the movements of
his troops upon reaching Springfield —
:
Part of them witli the hght horse I moved ujj the river on tlie ice, with the in-
tention to prevent the junction of Shays & Day, & if that was not attempted, to
cut off Day's retreat. With the other part of the troops I moved across the river,
in front of his guard. They soon turned out, & retreated to his main body.
They retreated before us about half a mile, then made some disposition to attack,
but soon left that post & retreated to a high piece of ground in their rear, where