Subj: Fort 4, Indian Wars 1746 and 1750 Muster Roll Date: 5/11/98 11:09:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: Farns10th Fort No. 4 Indian Wars The History of Fort No. 4, Charlestown, NH p.24 Up until April l746 No. 4 had been unmolested by Indian attack, but on the l9th of April it was visited by a party of some 40 Indians led under the command of (French) Ensign de Neverville. They took Capt John Spafford, Lieut Isaac Parker and Stephen Farnsworth prisoners and burnt the sawmill and grist mill which had taken Capt Spafford two yrs to build. The follow- ing letter from the fort at Upper Ashuelot (now Keene) dated April 23d l746 relates this affair: "We hear from No 4, a new township to the westward, that three men with a team of oxen having been at a sawmill to fetch boards, were surprised by a party of Indians and the men, being missing are supposed to be killed or made prisoners - the oxen being found dead with their tongues cut out". They were taken captive and conducted to Canada. After a considerable time were permitted to return to Boston under a flag of truce. The long suspense in which the settlers were kept in regard to the fate of those who dissappeared was one of the most trying things of this war. To many a wife, son and daughter, the period was a season of anguish scarcely to be borne. On May 2nd the fort at Upper Ashuelot the Indians again appeared and Seth Putnam was the lst victim killed by Indians there. On May 20th - 20 settlers unarmed went to view the spot where Seth Putnam had been killed and they paid dearly! For savages lay in ambush. Ensign Obediah Sawtell was taken prisoner while Samuel Farnsworth (one of the founders) Elijah Allen, Peter Perin, Aaron Lyon and Joseph Marin were killed. More would have died except Capt Stevens with men from the fort rushed to their defense. The number of Indians killed could not be ascertained because they took (as was their custom) in their flight, their dead with them. Of those killed, Ensign Obediah Sawtell and Samuel Farnsworth belonged to the settlement of Fort No. 4. The others were members of Capt Paine's company. On June l9th another attack in which Jedediah Winch- ell was mortally wounded and died, Jonathan Stanhope David Parker and Noah Heaton were wounded but recovered. The spot of this conflict has since been named Ambush Hill or Ambuscade. After the Peace of Aix La Chapelle, Spring l757 Fort No. 4 became a military station under the command- er in chief of his Majesty's forces. Governor Shirley ordered 25 men under Col Willard to remain at Fort No.4 for its defence. Officers were Capt. Phineas Stevens, Lieut Isaac Parker, Andrew Gardner and William Hey- wood. On June 2l, l750 the following men, all settlers of Fort No. 4 - the MUSTER ROLL: Isaac PARKER Lieut Andrew GARDNER Sent. Phineas STEVENS Capt. Moses WILLARD John HASTINGS John HASTINGS,Jr. Moses WHEELER John SPAFFORD James PORTER William PORTER Ebenezer PUTNAM Thomas PUTNAM John SAWYER John SAWYER Jr. David FARNSWORTH Nathaniel SAWTELL Joseph WOOD Stephen FARNSWORTH Benjamin ALLEN Seth WALKER Bradstreet SPAFFORD Nathaniel PARKER William HEYWOOD Isaac PARKER, Jr. James JOHNSON Samuel STEPHENS Joseph WILLARD James FARNSWORTH James WILLARD Submitted by Janice Farnsworth 5/ll/98 email farns10th @aol.com ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.