The first attack upon any of our townsmen by the Indians was in Sept. 1675, at the house of Robert Nichols, who lived on the upper part of Blue Point near Dunstan. They had just made an attempt to take the garrison of Maj. Phillips of Saco, which proved altogether unsuccessful. It was noticed that when the Indians retired from Phillips's they went in the direction of Blue Point, where they expected to find weaker garrisons, which unfortunately they found. When they arrived at Blue Point they found Nichols and his wife alone in their house; and both being too old to offer much resistance, the savages murdered them and burned the house. Their only child Robert, a full-grown man, was away from home at the time of the attack, and so was saved. He removed to Marblehead soon after this calamity, and there remained until his death. Their next visit was in October of the same year, when they attempted to destroy the Algers' garrison-house. This house was near the Landing, distant from the two principal settlements at Black and Blue Point. At the time of the attack these brothers with two of their relatives, were in the house collecting their goods to carry to Black Point. The Indians soon gave up the attempt to capture the garrison, and after venting their spite by burning the empty houses of Alger's sons-inlaw, they went back into the woods. But they effected more by their attack than they themselves were aware of, brief as it was. One of their shots proved fatal to Andrew, and another wounded Arthur so that he died soon afterwards.* The following narrative of the circumstances, by one who was on the ground immediately after the attack, has fortunately been preserved amongst the invaluable treasures of the old Records. * Hubbard's account is that Andrew died of wounds received at the time of this attack, and that Arthur was killed some days after while crossing the marsh to Black Point. The Deposition here given is a little different account. "The deposition of Peter Withum aged 72 years, testifys that I about 52 or 3 years ago, then being in the Country's service under the command of Capt. John Wincoll, and being posted with other soldiers at Blue Poynt at Mr. Foxwell's garrison, went up to Dunston to guard Andrew and Arthur Alger, and we assisted them to carry off their grain. Some days after which the said Andrew and Arthur with some of their relations went from Shelton's garrison (Shelden's at Black Point) to Dunston to bring off some of their goods, and were beset by the Indians, and said Andrew was killed, and said Arthur Alger was mortally wounded. And I did help to carry one off, and also to bury them both." Nearly thirty years ago the ground on which these houses stood was plowed up by Judge Southgate, and many kernels. of half-burnt corn were found which had remained in the ground ever since the burning of the houses Oct. 12, 1675. Besides his large estate in the upper part of the town Andrew Alger owned six acres near the Neck, on which there was a large double house where his family lived during the fishing season, when the brothers were engaged in their shallop. The widow of Arthur Alger, having no children, removed to Mar blehead, Massachusetts. Andrew left two daughters and three sons. Of the sons, John was married to Mary Wilmot, daughter of Nicholas Wilmot of Boston, and at his death left two children by her, John and Elizabeth the wife of John Milliken of Boston, who removed here and took possession of the Alger Estate, in 1727. The other sons of Andrew Alger were Andrew and Matthew. Andrew was killed by the Indians September 21st, 1689, while fighting under Col. Church at Falmouth. His only child was married to Matthew Collins of Boston. Matthew Alger sailed for Canada as master of one of the transports in Sir William Phipp's expedition. During his absence he was taken sick with ship fever, and died soon after his return. Some time before the death of the Algers the Massachusetts Government sent forty men for the protection of the Scarborough settlements. These were stationed at Scottow's garrison on the Neck, and put under his command. Of Capt. Scottow's management while in that position we shall give a full account hereafter; at present we will only notice his conduct in the case of the Dunstan planters. As soon as it was known that the Indians had attacked the house of Rob't. Nichols, the neighboring townsmen sent to Scottow for soldiers for their defence. Joseph Oliver, a resident of Black Point, went to Scottow with a request for assistance, "if it were but ten or eight" men, offering to go with them himself. Scottow's answer to the application was, in substance, "that it would be dangerous to take away any of the men from the garrison, for if they should be killed there would be none to look after their wives and children ;" and he also added "that Andrew Alger and the rest (at Dunstan) might have come as well as you (Oliver,) and if they will not they must take what follows.†" We cannot believe that Scottow anticipated such a consequence as the death of four of those whom he was commissioned to protect. On the 30th of October, Capt. John Wincoll, with about sixty men, went up from Black Point to guard the house of Andrew Brown at Dunstan, but had no engagement with the Indians. Two days afterwards Sergt. Oliver went to Dunstan with eighteen men to get some corn from there; while busy collecting the grain a party of sixty Indians rushed upon them, and after saluting them with a volley of shot retreated into the bushes to prepare themselves for another. Just then Sergeant Tippen came up with an additional force of fifteen men, and *Tobias Oakman's Dep 1730. + Allison and Oliver's Deps. 1676. the Indians deferred their attack. While these parties remain ed in the neighborhood of each other without any movement on either side towards a battle, one of the soldiers called "Nick Frost" proposed a parley with the Indians. Sergeants Tippen and Oliver told him that as there was no Captain there, they could not give him orders to make any agreement with the foe. Frost and another soldier set out however, and soon brought back the answer, that the Indians would have "their Captain which was Squando," and the English Captain confer together, and that they should agree whether to make peace or fight. The soldiers immediately sent for Capt. Wincoll, who had gone to Blue Point, who delayed coming until several hours after the time set by the Indians for the conference. The result of the parley is not known. As there is no record of a contest at that time, we suppose Squando yielded the ground. At Black Point, the house of Henry Jocelyn, which is supposed to have stood over the old cellar near Garrison Cove on the Neck, was converted into a garrison, to which many of the inhabitants resorted with their families. The situation of this garrison rendered it one of the strongest in the Province. Hubbard says that it might easily have been defended against all the Indians in this part of the country. In and about this stronghold the inhabitants were collected in the Fall of 1676, when the Indians renewed their hostilities. In August, just before the ending of the war in the western colonies, the settlements on the Kennebec were destroyed; and an attack was made on the settlement at Casco, where the savages succeeded in killing and capturing in all thirty-fourpersons. Upon learning of the state of affairs in this Province; the Massachusetts authorities sent to its relief a force of 130 English and 40 friendly Indians. After taking a large number of Indians at Kittery, the party continued its march eastward as far as Casco, stopping at Black Point on their way. They effected nothing of importance as the Indians scattered themselves in such a manner, that they could not bring them to an engagement. The force soon returned to Massachusetts; but had not been gone long before the Indians collected a party of about one hundred, and made a sudden descent upon the Black Point garrison. They remained in the vicinity of the garrison some time, without attempting to force their way into it; for this they knew to be almost impossible. The Indian leader was a famous chief called Mugg, who had been much in the society of the English, and was well acquainted with many of our settlers. He had been on familiar terms with Jocelyn, and was now ready, like the true savage that he was, to make use of his former friendship against the stronghold and its occupants. He appeared before the garrison alone, and proposed a parley with Jocelyn, who was then commanding in the absence of Capt. Scottow. Jocelyn assented to a proposal, apparently offered with much good will on the part of the Indians, and went out of the garrison, and remained a long while in conversation with Mugg. The chief proposed that he should surrender the garrison, offering the condition that the English should be allowed to depart in safety, and carry with them all their goods. Jocelyn did not immediately agree to this, but went back to garrison for the purpose of consulting with the inhabitants as to the answer he should give Mugg. When he reached the garrison he found, to his utter astonishment, that all the occupants, excepting his own family and servants, had put off in boats, leaving him to exercise his own choice in the matter of defending or surrendering the garrison. Goodman Jocelyn was too old, and too little fond of fighting, to think of resisting the enemy under such circumstances. He at once put himself and family into the hands of the Indians, who treated them very kindly during their brief captivity. Jocelyn was probably amongst the captives returned to Massachusetts the following |