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Life in York, in the 1600’s, had many challenges and began peacefully in the decades following the first settler. Settlers traded European goods with the Native Americans for furs and food, which had been going on for decades prior with European fisherman. However, conflicts began to grow with the continuous arrival of new settlers to New England. Adding to the situation was the conflict between England and France for control of North America. The English were settling the East Coast of America while the French were settling Eastern Canada, the Great Lakes and the area down the Mississippi River. Each country had allied with different Native American tribes. The English with the Iroquois tribes in New York and the French with the Wabanaki tribes of northern New England.
The arrival of more English settlers meant more land was required. Sometimes land was obtained through negotiation or agreements with Native Americans but the English frequently broke those agreements. Other times, land was just taken. Native Americans viewed that the land was shared but the English view was that it was owned. This increasingly led to conflicts as the English impacted Native American hunting grounds, farmland and access to fishing areas.
The first major conflict began in June 1675 with the start of King Phillip’s War (1675-1676). This war began in southern New England with the chief Metacom (given the name of Phillip by the English) and he was the son of Massasoit, who had greeted the Pilgrims. The war was the result of the growing conflict between the English and the Native American over land. It involved numerous tribes including the Abenaki in Maine but most of the major fighting took place in southern New England. However, an attack occurred by the Abenaki at Cape Neddick on September 25, 1675, with an attack on Wells and South Berwick at the same time. Seven people were killed and most of the houses burned. A colonial militia of about 1000 with 150 Native American allies fought battles in southern New England and 3,000 Native Americans and 600 colonists were killed. Metacom was killed on August 12, 1676 and his head displayed on a pole in Plymouth for 25 years. However, the Abenaki resentment continued and attacks continued.
On April 7, 1677, seven men were killed in the outer fields of York while preparing them for planting. Then on April 12, 1677, two men, a woman and four children were killed and two houses burned. A treaty of peace was established on April 12, 1678 where the settlers agreed to Native American rights by paying a peck of corn (about 2 gallons) for each English family each year.
The following years had many stories of horrible things done by the English and by the Native Americans. For religious reasons, France declared war on England in 1688, which spread to New France (Canada) and New England. This was known as the King William’s War of 1688 to 1697. French missionaries were encouraging the Abenaki to attack the ‘English heretics”. A number of small attacks occurred in York during the first few years of the war and York lost about 20 people.
For York, these conflicts culminated in a catastrophic event in 1692. In 1692, the population of York was about 500. It is unknown why York was selected for this event. On Sunday, January, 24, 1692, known to the English as Candlemas Day, it was snowing and unknown to the settlers, Madockawando (a chief of the Penobscot tribe), led a group of 150 Abenakis to York and camped near Mount Agamenticus. Several York hunters/woodsmen came upon their snowshoes piled at a rock or were found by Abenaki scouts. Two were killed and one was bound. In the morning, the Abenakis raided York by splitting into two groups, one heading along the northern shore of the York river and the other towards Cape Neddick. They killed men, women, children, the livestock and burned the buildings. About seventeen houses were burned. One of those killed was Reverend Shubael Dummer who was shot on his horse trying to escape and his body was stripped and mutilated. His wife and son were taken captive. Actual numbers vary but it is estimated about 50 people were killed and 80 taken captive. There is a mass grave in the Old Burying Ground for the victims. When the Abenaki burst into the Moulton house at the northwest corner of Scituate Row, four year old Jeremiah hid under the bed and witnessed the killing of his parents. When the house was set on fire, he ran out and was captured by the Abenaki. The frightened boy resented and fought his captors, thereby amusing them. They teased and encouraged him until Jeremiah broke away and ran through the snow towards the burning house. For Jeremiahs determined resistance, the Abenaki let him escape amongst shouts and laughter. Little did the Abenaki know that little Jeremiah would grow up to become important in the Norridgewock attack in 1724.
The night after the attack, the Abenaki camped near Chases Pond before marching back to Canada. During the York raid, the Abenaki looted several hundred pounds of gun powder, smashing all of the house windows before burning the house to get the lead from them, and took any pewter or lead items from the houses to make musket balls. They also destroyed all food supplies to inflict hunger on the town. The news of the tragedy in York shook the New England colonists. The 80 captives were marched off and when they reached the Kennebec River, Madockawando offered to ransom the captives. Towns and churches across New England were asked to donate. It is unknown how many died on the march but at least 5 or 6 (mostly children were killed because they could not survive the march) and thirty six were released for ransom. Efforts to retrieve the captives went on for a dozen years and some returned to York - nine in 1695 and three in 1698. Eventually, it is known that ten had been incorporated into life in Quebec and four were incorporated into the Penacook tribe.
Kevin Freeman