Indians of Woodstock, Connecticut
Apart from this incident nothing is known of the aboriginal inhabitants
of Woodstock, until the Indian converts of John Eliot found their way
there. Two of these youths, trained at Natic in a school of virtue and
piety, inspired by the teachings and example of the reverend apostle,
sought to carry " good tidings " to their benighted countrymen at
Wabbaquasset. They were sons of Petavit, sachem at Hamannesset (now
Grafton), and are described as hopeful, pious and active young men. The
younger, Sampson, "an active and ingenius person," had been before
conversion dissolute in conduct, " lived very uncomfortably with his
wife," but the transforming power of divine grace had been made more
manifest thereby, and his mission work at Wabbaquasset was remarkably
successful. Laboring alone among these untutored savages, within four
years he had gathered thirty families into an orderly community, had
instructed them in the principles of religion, established divine worship
and persuaded them to assume in some degree the habits of civilized life.
They cultivated the land, raised great crops of corn and beans, and built
wigwams, the like of which were not to be seen in New England. The precise
locality of this Indian settlement has not been ascertained, but it was in
the south part of the tract, near the present " Quasset," or in the
vicinity of South Woodstock. A fort was maintained westward on what is now
Fort hill, which was called the " second fort in the Nipmuck country."
The report of Major Daniel Gookin, "magistrate over the Praying Indians,"
of Mr. Eliot's tour among these Indians in 1674, enables us to see them as
with our own eyes. With five or six godly persons and a number of Indian
guides and followers, they visited the new " Praying Towns" planted by
Eliot's missionaries. After spending the night at Chaubunakongkomuk (near
Dudley), where Sampson's brother Joseph was teacher, they proceeded in the
morning to Myanexet, " west of a fresh river called Mohegan " (now New
Boston) where a village had been gathered. To these twenty families with
others Mr. Eliot preached in the Indian tongue from the words, " Lift up
your heads, 0 ye gates, . . . . and the King of Glory shall come in,"
words which a swift messenger bore with all speed to the king of darkness
at Mohegan. John Moqua, a pious and sober person, was presented to the
people to be their minister, and a suitable psalm read by him was sung by
the assembly. After a closing prayer the missionary band proceeded on
their way, following the Connecticut Path, the main thoroughfare of travel
between the colonies, for a part of the journey, diverging thence by
Indian trail to the Wabbaquasset settlement. " Late in the evening,"
September 15th, they reached the sagamore's famous wigwam, sixty feet in
length and twenty feet in width. The chief was absent, but his squaw
received them courteously, and provided liberally in Indian fashion for
their followers. The "active and ingenius" Sampson, rejoicing in the fruit
of his labors, must have given them a hearty welcome, and " divers of the
principal people that were at home " came to the wigwam, with whom they "
spent a good part of the night in prayer, singing psalms and
exhortations."
" It was a scene that has been many times repeated in missionary
experience, the grave and earnest men of God with the wild natives
wondering and questioning at their feet, but one incident on this occasion
was of unique occurrence. A grim Indian among them, " sitting mute a great
space, at last spake to this effect-that he was agent for Uncas, sachem of
Mohegan, who challenged right to and dominion over this people of
Wabbaquasset. And said he, 'Uncas is not well pleased that the English
should pass over Mohegan River to call his Indians to pray to God."' The
timid Wabbaquassets might well have quailed at this lofty message from
their sovereign lord, but Mr. Eliot replied calmly, "That it was his work
to call upon all men everywhere, as he had opportunity, especially the
Indians, to repent and embrace the Gospel, but he did not meddle with
civil right or jurisdiction." Gookin, as magistrate, further explained and
desired the messenger to inform Uncas, that Wabbaquasset was within the
jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and that the government of that people did
belong to them, yet it was not intended to abridge the Indian sachems of
their just and ancient right over the Indians in respect of paying tribute
or any other dues, but the main desire of the English was to bring them to
the good knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, and to suppress among them
their sins.
The morning following, September 16th, 1674, is one of the most notable in
Woodstock history. The tidings of the progress of the missionary band had
been borne far and wide, Indians from Myanexet, Quinnatisset and all the
surrounding country, had come together to see and hear them, and at an
early hour a public service was held. Tradition still points out the rock
at the north extremity of Plaine hill that served as pulpit for John
Eliot. Gookin and other godly persons stood beside him, and the throng of
swarthy Indians pressed around their feet. et. Sampson began the service,
"reading and setting the CXIX P's. first part, which was sung." Mr. Eliot
offered prayer, and then preached to them in Indian out of Matthew, vi.
33, " First seek the kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof, and
all these things shall be added unto you."
Prayer closed the religious exercises, and then a civil service was
enacted. Law following the Gospel presentation on this occasion, Gookin as
magistrate, representing the authority of Massachusetts Bay, laid down the
rules of civil government, confirming Sampson as public teacher, and Black
James of Chaubunakongkomuck as constable, charging each to be diligent and
faithful in his place, and exhorting the people to yield obedience to the
Gospel of Christ and to those set in order there. He then published a
warrant or order, empowering the constable to suppress drunkenness,
Sabbath breaking, especially powwowing and idolatry, and to apprehend all
delinquents and bring them before authority to answer for their misdeeds.
Having thus established religious and civil ordinances, the visitors took
leave of the people of Wabbaquasset and turned their footsteps homeward
with thankfulness and joy at what had been accomplished.
The dreams and hopes of the good apostle, of Christianizing and civilizing
the tribes that had long sat in darkness, seemed likely to be quickly
realized. Churches and villages had been gathered and religious and civil
institutions established. Ministers and constables had been formally
established in office, and all was peace and order. A few short months and
all was desolate. A ferocious war between whites and Indians obliterated
the results of years of fruitful labor. The villages were destroyed, the
churches vanished, the praying Indians relapsed into barbarous savages.
Black James, Sampson, and other converts took sides with King Philip. The
Wabbaquassets left their homes and planting fields and took up their abode
at Mohegan. Captain Thomas of Providence, passing through Wapososhequash
in pursuit of Philip, in August, 1675, reports " a very good inland
country, well watered with rivers and brooks, special good land, great
quantities of special good corn and beans, and stately wigwams as I never
saw the like, but not one Indian to be seen." In the following summer
Major Talcott, of Norwich, passed through Wabbaquasset, where he found a
fort and some forty acres of growing corn, but no enemy. Demolishing fort
and destroying the corn, they proceeded on their way. The Wabbaquassets
during the war performed some slight services for Uncas, and were rewarded
by the Connecticut government, and continued for some years afterward
under his protection.
Back to: Woodstock, Windham
County, Connecticut History
Source: History of Windham County, Connecticut,
Bayles, Richard M.; New York: W.W. Preston, 1889 Back to: Windham County, Connecticut
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