Grey Lock's War
| Grey Lock's War | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Dummer's War | |||||
 Monument of Chief Grey Lock in Battery Park (Burlington, Vermont) | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 New England Colonies | Abenaki | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Massachusetts Governor William Dummer | Gray Lock | ||||
The western theatre of
Grey Lock's War was not part of the conflicts between France and England. Unlike the continuing wars between France and England that involved local natives, often to their detriment, Grey Lock's War was fought by Native Americans for their own reasons.
Grey Lock, like the majority of his people, did eventually ally himself with the French. Ancient Jesuit records from
Conflicts
Massachusetts Governor Samuel Shute officially declared war on the Abenaki on July 25, 1722.[3] Shute, who had ongoing political disputes with the Massachusetts assembly, abruptly sailed for England on January 1, 1723, leaving Lieutenant Governor William Dummer to manage Massachusetts involvement in the war.
On August 13, 1723, Gray Lock first entered the war by raiding Northfield, Massachusetts, and four warriors killed two citizens near Northfield. The next day they attacked Joseph Stevens and his four sons in Rutland. Stevens escaped, two boys were killed, and the other two sons were captured.[4]
On October 9, 1723, Gray Lock struck two small forts near Northfield, inflicting casualties and carrying off one captive.[5] In response, Governor Dummer ordered the construction of Fort Dummer where Brattleboro, Vermont is now. The fort became a major base of operations for scouting and punitive expeditions into Abenaki country.[5] Fort Dummer was present-day Vermont's first permanent European settlement, made under the command of Lieutenant Timothy Dwight.[6]
On June 18, 1724, Grey Lock attacked a group of men working in a meadow near Hatfield, Massachusetts. Grey Lock retired from the area and killed men at Deerfield, and Northfield over the summer. In response to the raids, Dummer ordered more soldiers for Northfield, Brookfield, Deerfield and Sunderland.[7] Grey Lock's home village of Woronoke (now Westfield and part of Russell) has no written record of attacks and appears to have gone untouched.[8]
On October 11, 1724, seventy Abenakis attacked Fort Dummer and killed 3 or 4 soldiers.[9]
In September 1725, a scouting party of six men was sent out from Fort Dummer. Grey Lock and 14 others ambushed them just west of the Connecticut River, killing two and wounding and capturing three others. One man escaped, while two Indians were killed.[10]
External links
- Traditional Abenakis of Mazipskwik & Related Bands: P.O. Box 309, Highgate Center, VT 05459
- Abenaki Nation of Mississquoi: 100 Grand Avenue, Swanton, VT 05488
References
- ^ See Colin G. Calloway, 1990
- ^ Gordon M. Day, "In Search of New England's Native Past – Selected Essays by Gordon M. Day" Edited by Michael K. Foster and William Cowen, University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1998) pp. 144, 147
- ISBN 978-0-8027-1512-8. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ The Western Abenakis of Vermont, 1600–1800: War, Migration, and the Survival... p. 117
- ^ a b The Western Abenakis of Vermont, 1600–1800: War, Migration, and the Survival... p. 119
- ^ "Facts about the History of VERMONT **". Archived from the original on 2012-05-13. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- ^ William Williamson, p. 121? Which book?
- ^ "Westfield, Mass. 250th Anniversary -- Chronology of Westfield". www.hampdencountyhistory.com. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
- ^ Brattleboro History – WordPress & Atahualpa 2012
- ^ William Williamson, p. 126