Portraying an historic event or place can be very challenging. For a place it can be as simple as identifying an old building, pointing to it and declaring its name–The Old Gaol, for example. If only it were that simple for the major events in York history. As referred to as The Candlemas Massacre by Maine historian William D. Williamson and York historians, Charles Edward Banks and George Ernst, and numerous others, we have now come upon a time when the appropriateness of “massacre” is objectionable for some. For those of us who enjoy a dabble in history it is no surprise that history, at its best, is in flux. A history where imagination is paramount as it engages the community and causes excitement and much opinion is vital. So, please indulge me as I express my humble opinion on this subject.
There are numerous dictionaries with varying definitions of massacre. Here, I have chosen Merriam-Webster to help better understand why some denounce the word massacre in favor of “raid.” Massacre: the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty. It is noted by Champigny, History of York, Charles Edward Banks Volume I, page 290, “…that the attack was at noon and the morrow of the Feast of Purification. They [Natives] made themselves masters of the garrison and the houses without much resistance as they threw terror into the English inhabitants.” It is imperative to put this event in context and understand this was no isolated incident. That Indian wars were near constant and the settlers in York were vulnerable and deliberately in harm’s way. On the day of the massacre the English were negligent and had let down their guard and they endured the consequences.
The definition of raid by Merriam-Webster is: a: a hostile or predatory incursion, b: a surprise attack. Both of these definitions, a and b, can be applied to what took place but deliberately leave out the gruesome and violent details incurred on a community on the morrow of a feast, as told by historians and tradition.
To further indulge my curiosity I asked ChatGPT to clarify the difference between massacre and raid. The following was replied.
- Massacre:
- A massacre typically involves the indiscriminate killing of a large number of people, often civilians, and is characterized by extreme brutality. It usually implies that the victims are defenseless or unable to escape.
- Massacres are often seen as acts of violence motivated by hatred, revenge, or systemic oppression.
- Raid:
- A raid generally refers to a sudden attack or incursion into a place, often to steal, destroy, or gather intelligence. Raids can involve combatants and may not always lead to mass killings.
- The term is often used in military or law enforcement contexts, where a group conducts a targeted strike against a specific objective, which could involve capturing people, equipment, or resources.
After describing the scene of the 1692 attack in violent detail, Williamson adds, “The massacre in York and burning of the town were more deeply and extensively lamented, because of the pre-eminence of the place and especially the excellent character of the people.” History of the State of Maine; From Its First Discovery, A. D. 1602, to the Separation, A. D. 1820 Wm. D. Williamson, V.1 p.630. Willaimson describes the massacre as altogether unexpected and amazing, and consequently more fatal. The publication date of Williamson’s book is 1842, to my knowledge, the earliest use of the word massacre to describe the grim event in York in 1692.
When I began hearing people refer to the Candlemas Massacre as the Candlemas Raid I felt conflicted. The brutality incurred to many of my ancestors was suddenly diluted and with my further research into the interpretation of raid, denied. Of course I wished to fulfill the wishes of others as they would correct me on the proper and contemporary terminology when conveying their newly found unlike word to describe an event that was deeply embedded in my psyche and forever characterized as a massacre. It was impossible for me to erase a word that is synonymous with York history, especially as it has become immortalized in the numerous accounts of York history available to us. I don’t know if there is a right or wrong use of either word, massacre or raid. As I look back and don’t see the word raid synonymous with Candlemas, it becomes difficult for me to second guess those whose generations were much closer than mine to the victims and the experience of the victims that are now prone to political correctness. None-the-less, I shall keep an open mind as the renaming of a critical event in York history evolves.