History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

CHAPTER XXXV.
SHAYS REBELLION.
Pursuit of capt. A compaiiy of the insurgent forces was
Luddington. commanded by Capt. Luddington of South-
ampton. On Sunday the 28"', he went to
Southampton with about one hundred men. It was at first
believed that he came for provisions or plunder, but the
men were well behaved, and apparently homeward bound
in the shortest possible space of time. A small detachment
of government troops commanded by Capt. Banister, was
ordered to follow this party and capture Luddington if
possible. They set out from Springfield in sleighs, and
reached Southampton on the night of the 29"'. Not finding
Luddington at his home, they pushed on to one Egleston's,
where he was supposed to have gone. When near his
house they were attacked by about fifty men with Luddington
at their head, and the entire party was captured. Messengers
were hurried off to Northampton and to Gen.
Lincoln for assistance. Col. Baldwin with fifty men in
sleighs, and Col. Crafts with one hundred horsemen were
ordered to pursue the fugitives. A few men from Southampton
joined them. The insurgents fled first to Norwich,
and thence to Middlefield, where Luddington and fifty men,
together with nine sleigh loads of provisions, were captured
without firing a gun. The prisoners taken the
week before by the rebels belonging in Southampton,
returned on parole the same day. The sleighs and horses,
captured with Banister's party, were found here and
brought back. Sleighs and horses were impressed by both
parties wherever found. Mr. Judd writes on Feb. 1"' that
*' he could get no sleigh in lieu of that taken from Father,"
even at Gen. Lincoln's headquarters in Hadley. ^
1 Judd's Diary.