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

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1 88 6. 41
and fallen timber here and there obstructed the one main street, and,
what was more discouraging, the plantation was largely made up of
men not destined to remain long. Fully one-half of the inhabitants
of 1638 only stayed a few j^ears.
It will have been noticed that Agawam, unlike most of the towns
of that day, was founded by a layman, — a devout and well-read
Christian, who could preach a sermon or debate theology with the
ablest divines, to be sure, but a layman for all that ; and we can
quite understand that this fact may have prejudiced the minds of
towns dominated by ministers. Possibly here lies the real explana-
tion of the falling out of Agawam and Hartford.
After a thorough survey of the field it was resolved to cut loose
from Connecticut, and to trust in the future. No formal declaration
was issued for a time, but in Jul}^ the news of Agawam's revolt
spread through New England. Shortly after the adjournment of the
Connecticut General Court Roger Ludlow Avrote to the governor and
assistants of Massachusetts Bay that John Haynes and others had
been appointed to confer with the Bay authorities on certain subjects
involving the mutual interests of the colonies.
The New England colonies were then agitating a scheme for a
confederation as a means of defence against the Dutch and other
enemies ; the threatened withdrawal of Agawam also had something
to do with the appointment of this commission, which reached the
Bay in June ; a long private conference took place between friends
of the two colonies, but no agreement was reached. The matter
came up at the session of the General Court held in Cambridge, and
it was voted '
' that so much of the ryver of Conectecot as should fall
within the line of o'' patent should continew under o'' jurisdiction."
The smothered feeling of mutual suspicion between Connecticut
and Massaclmsetts now broke forth. Perhaps the correspondence
between Governor Winthrop, of Massachusetts, and Rev. Thomas
Hooker will best show forth the extent of this colonial unpleasant-
ness.