Soldiers in King Philip's war. Containing lists of the soldiers of ...

Court in 1647, '53 and '64, and when Beverly was set off in 1668
was chosen first selectman of the new town, and thereafter, till his
death, remained a leading actor in all its affairs, civil, ecclesiastical
and military. He married Bethia, daughter of Daniel Rea and sister
of Joshua, who after his death and before June, 1680, married
Joseph Grafton, of Salem, and again for her third husband, June
26, 1683, Dea. William Goodhue, of Ipswich. She died Dec. 6,
1686. Capt. Lathrop left no children, and his sister Ellen, who
came with him from England, and became the second wife of Ezekiel
Cheever, with her children inherited his estate. The age of
Capt. Lathrop is put at 65 years by Mr. Stone in his history of
Beverly.
In August, 1675, when the news of the disaster at Brookfield
came to the Council, Capt. Lathrop was placed in command of the
company raised in Essex County, with some men from Boston
and vicinity, and marched up to Brookfield, where he joined the
forces of Capt. Beers. Their companies acted mostly together
thereafter up to the time of the latter's march from Hadley on September
3d. 94
Elated by recent successes, the Indians pressed more closely about
those western towns, watching warily that no opportunity might pass
to strike a safe and telling blow. Their leaders constantly outgen-
eralled our officers, and in every engagement took care to have the
odds in numbers, position and method of attack on their side ; and
while we are horrified at their atrocities, we can but admire their
adroitness and persistence. In the mean time additional forces of
the English were gathering at Hadley and vicinity, and all were
under the general direction of Major John Pynchon, of Springfield,
commander-in-chief in the county of Hampshire. On the return of
Major Treat from Northfield with the garrison and people of that
place, a council of war was held, at which it was decided to strengthen
the various garrisons and hold the army for the present on the
defensive. The Commissioners of the United Colonies had agreed
to raise an army of five hundred men for this campaign on the Connecticut
River. Besides the forces of Lathrop and Beers, Capt.
Appleton had arrived from the East early in September, and Capt.
Mosely with a company of sixty on Tuesday, Sept. 14th, at evening,
and probably on the 15th crossed the river and marched up
to Deerfield. There, on the Sunday before, the Indians had made
an assault on twenty-two men passing from one garrison to
another to meeting : none of ours were killed, but one was taken
alive and probably afterwards killed, and Mr. Judd suggests that
94
It is doubtful which of the two were in chief command in the battle of Sugar-Loaf
Hill, on August 25, but from the fact that in all the early accounts, Viz., Hubbard, Stoddard's
letter, Capt. Mosely's endorsement of Dr. Lock's bill, wherein he says, " Having
joined myself with Capt. Lathrop having the seniority commanded the sd Chyrurgeon from
mee." From these references I think it probable that Capt. Lathrop was in chief command,
although in his " Lancaster " letter Mosely speaks of marching in company with " Capt.
Beeres and Captain Laytrop."