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

580 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
him in a raid upon some of tlu^ towns of Worcester county and tlie upper towns
on the Coimecticut river.
They burned Broolifield. Next they appeared at Deerfield and Northfield.
A few days hxter occurred the massacre at Bloody Brook, where Captain Lathrop,
with eighty-eigrlit young men, tlie flower of Essex county, were attacked by a
superior force of Indians, and seventy of their number slain. These assaults
upon the upper towns on the river were attended with tlie barbarities usual in
Indian warfare, and excited general attention and sympathy. Massachusetts and
Connecticut sent tlieir forces to protect the endangered towns. Maj. John Pyn-
chon was commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts forces. Major Treat com-
manded those of Connecticut. Among the subordinate Massachusetts officers were
Captain Appleton and Captain Mosely.
The advice of Major Pynchon to the colonial authorities had been that garri-
sons should be maintained in the frontier towns for their protection. But this
advice had been overruled, and orders had been issued that whenever an enemy
appeared, soldiers should be despatched in pursuit of tliem. In tliis kind of
strategy the Indians wore much superior to the English. They were familiar
with all tlie paths by which the forests could be traversed. Tlieir movements
were stealth}'^ and rapid. They fell upon the amazed and bewildered settlers
when least expected, executed tlieir savage and bloody work with fearful rapidity,
and then disappeared as suddenly as they had come, leaving little or no trace of
their course. It was to little purpose that, when tidings reached the nearest
military force, detachments were sent in pursuit. Generally tliey reached the
scene only to find the smoking ruins of houses tliat the savages had burned, and
the mutilated and ghastly remains of their occupants.
In pursuance of the orders which he received from the commissioners, who
had charge of the conduct of the war. Major Pynclion, with all the force under
his command at Springfield, numliering about forty-five men, was requiretl to
march northward on the -Itli of C)ctober, l(i75, O.S. (October 15 of the present cal-
endar), by tidings that a considerable body of Indians liad been seen near Had-
ley. To repel this enemy the English forces were ordered to concentrate in that
town. So that when tlie night of October -i closed upon the inhabitants of
Springfield they were entirely witliout militar}' defence. Their own militia were
witli Major Pynchon at Hadley, or on their march toward that place. Major
Treat with his Connecticut troops was on the west side of the river at a consid-
erable distance from this town.
Notwithstanding their defenceless condition, the people of Springfield did not
appear to feel, at first, any serious apprehension of danger threatening the
town. Philip and his warriors were supposed to be engaged in distant ojjerations