by Kevin Freeman

Nearly 300 years have passed since the Norridgewock Massacre, it is relevant to revisit this tragedy with an eye towards the current effect for individuals of both Native and European descent alike. Many persons may not be familiar with the massacre, at all. For those of us who live in York, Maine, from where the attack was inspired and carried out, there is no visual clue that this atrocity took place. In fact, York has been white washed of all indigenous presence, except for a few place names such as Agamenticus and Tonnemy Pond, the latter difficult to find on maps. The following is my opinion only and not reflective of others or groups.

As a lifelong resident of York, it was natural for me to have no knowledge of the massacre. York is a small Seacoast town with a population of about 13,500 residents and many more in the summer months. I have experienced very little racial diversity. In fact, had I not travelled to cities on family trips with my parents and watched 70’s sitcoms and westerns, as a child I would have thought everyone looked like me; white. It was a revelation when as a child, I realized Native persons had previously inhabited the place where I was growing up. Like many of my friends, my imagination was completely captivated with this information but I couldn’t understand where they had gone. My family never told me that my ancestors had killed as many Native people as they could, forcing the others to flee a large geographic area. On family camping trips to New Hampshire and Maine, I couldn’t wait to visit gift shops that might sell tomahawks, drums, bows and arrows or anything that I could own that would enable me to feel like I had thought the Natives I had seen on TV did. I was too young to understand the suffering the people I tried to emulate endured and perceived being a Native as being free in spirit, existing in nature without bounds. I grew up in a modern home, sheltered from what was uncomfortable in the outside world but so curious about the Native culture. When my childhood friends and I played cowboys and Indians, we all wanted to be the Indians, as we all knew there was a natural advantage. This was a romanticized view, that I still try to adopt.

Living in York, I didn’t have the opportunity to practice racism and I never developed the need. As seen in the above photo, my Cub Scout pack dressed up in costumes created by our moms. Natives were invited to this meeting and demonstrated song and dance for us to participate in. Today, this could be called appropriation by many and frowned upon as racist. As kids, we were honored to be among Natives. My parents told me everyone was the same and I accepted their opinion. As things are never perfect, eventually I realized I was practicing Colonialism, a form of racism. The more I understood, the more I wanted to know. I recall watching the news as a teenager in the 1970’s and seeing the reports of Maine Natives taking up arms and blocking roads in some distant place in Maine. During this time there was much on the news about the Maine Indian Land Claims Act. Back then, it was difficult for me to find sources sympathetic to Natives but I had a suspicion that they had been wronged and that suspicion developed into a lifelong interest in Native studies. As I have become older, I have taken more time to explore the vast plethora of York History. The more I discovered the more enthralled I became. But like any path there were bumps and I found one especially rough one. I discovered that Jeremiah Moulton, the Indian Killer, was my 6th great grandfather. I had known about his favored place in York History for his many civic contributions but hadn’t been aware of the Norridgewock Massacre or Jeremiah Moulton’s role.

Jeremiah Moulton lived from 1688-1765. Life in York was turbulent during the 17th and early 18th centuries for many reasons. During Jeremiah’s lifetime, York was particularly prone to Native raids, as were neighboring frontier towns—for York, these raids culminated into a massacre. In 1692 there was a Native attack in York that nearly destroyed the town. Many inhabitants were dead, taken captive and many unaccounted for, nearly all buildings were burned and the beloved minister and founder of the First Parish Church in York, Shubael Dummer was murdered. My ancestor, Jeremiah Moulton, survived but his parents were killed and the story goes—as his family was murdered he was spared by the Natives who admired his tenacity and courage as a four year old. Released by Natives and alone, he ran for his life from his home in the coldest month of January. He likely ran to his uncle’s home where he found refuge. It is easy to imagine this traumatic event would have had a profound impact on the rest of his life.

Looking at history in a bigger context, the Europeans who settled in New England came for opportunity. Religious or material, they gave up their lives in their country of origin and sailed across the Atlantic at risk of life. Many men brought wife and children. Only their imaginations could have created a picture of what would become of them. They not only brought their dreams but they brought their entitlement. For those connected too royalty, this meant a land grant. For others, they simply needed to show up and apply for land. Each town had an abundance and granting personal ownership of land was the biggest enticement to achieving a safer settlement. As cities became overflowing and resources channeled to the wealthy, frontier towns offered independence and an abundance of untapped resources. This expansion required the expulsion of any obstructions, including Natives. Along with wolves, bears, and various other nuisance animals, bounties were placed on the scalps of Indigenous people who threatened European entitlement.

During the Age of Discovery, the Europeans believed they were entitled to full conquest and ownership of newly discovered lands because the Catholic Church created a papal bull in favor of taking lands occupied by non Christians. The Doctrine of Discovery declared that anyone planting a flag on foreign soil and claiming it for a Christian monarch was entitled to the land, people and resources. For English Colonists dehumanization of Indigenous People was required to fulfill this dictum. As seen by the evidence—early colonist settlers embraced genocide with a clear conscience.

It is impossible to reconcile, being the sixth great grandson of a person who, with others, so egregiously massacred a large community of people including women and children by shooting and drowning in the Kennebec River. It may be an over simplification to consider Moulton’s role at Norridgewock retribution for the 1692 massacre in York. No doubt, the loss of his family and being witness to their bludgeoning would have inspired a deep contempt for the perpetrators. This would seem reasonable, an eye for an eye, but it is important to keep in mind that the English settlers took lands from those who were here thousands of years previous and did so at any cost. The English pushed the Natives back to a breaking point and Norridgewock was the end for the Norridgewock tribe. Under Moulton’s leadership, soldiers from York killed approximately 80 Native people (accounts vary). The survivors moved east to the Penobscot region or north towards Quebec. For those English living in York, this massacre was a solution towards a safer town.

As I began to digest this information, I began to reach out to Maine Natives to understand if I had more than a superficial connection. I felt a responsibility through connection but not through action, similar to the bigger Native American diaspora or the effects of Slavery to those who suffered from it. It seems impossible to disassociate with something we are a beneficiary of. With some soul searching It became apparent to me that I was the beneficiary of white supremacy. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how I didn’t want to participate. The more I read, the more I realized I was and am living through a cultural genocide.

The solution seemed easy—advocate for Native Sovereignty. As I casually began using the word sovereignty to persuade others, I quickly realized most people had no clue of what sovereignty meant. In this context, for those I spoke with, it means a concession from the Maine Legislature. This causes a great deal of difficulty. Because many non-Native’s perception of what it means to be a Native in Maine is without any basis. But I persisted, trying to educate others on what seemed to be, for me, fair and equitable. As I approached what few Natives I had association with, they became highly suspect, assuring me I had no understanding of the trauma they endured. I conceded this to be true but I have almost no audience to vent my frustration to in regards to the cultural genocide that I co-exist in.

The definition of sovereignty, as I understand it in the context of natural law, is as follows; a group of people are entitled to govern themselves as they choose. There is no more to it. According to me, it is cut and dry and if the Native people of Maine choose sovereignty over subjugation then so be it. It is simply a matter of the State of Maine recognizing and respecting the natural rights of another culture and honoring those rights. For me, this is a solution. For others, including many Natives, this is where things stray from my definition of sovereignty. The Maine Legislature and Natives work toward concessions for the Natives with no conversation about full sovereignty, to my knowledge. For the State of Maine to be giving land back to those who it was stolen from is apparently not an option. My solution is to give the land back. I would begin by returning public, State and Federal parks to Indigenous people, all public places in the State of Maine. These parks would be held by Natives with all rights of a sovereign nation, as my government holds public lands and interprets its own sovereignty. Secondly, I would begin a process of returning the remaining State of Maine to the tribes of the Wabanaki. I would do this over a seven generation timeframe. Each time a land transaction took place in Maine, the seller would be required to return 1/7th of the land, if not physical then as a share of the property. I recognize this as a concession and although I previously expressed frustration with concessions, I believe that over successive generations, all land should be returned to the Native peoples of Maine. Alternately, I would be satisfied if all land were returned sooner though I expect the administrative challenges would be unsurmountable but what could be more appropriate than Natives repatriated with their homelands and sovereignty? How Maine would be different remains to be seen.

It is important to reflect on the circumstances that contributed to this key event at Old Point, Norridgewock, now Maddison, Maine. We need to evaluate our actions if we expect to become accountable for past transgressions. Otherwise, what are we aspiring to become? I believe the consensual ideology is, among non-Natives, as Maine is secure in its sovereignty, it would be counterintuitive to grant others equal share or their rightful portion as it would relinquish the rights and resources of what was stolen, although many realize it would be just. It is far easier to subjugate a race of people and that is where we have arrived. Maine Natives have been deprived of equality because the prospect of true sovereignty threatens our economic systems and entitlements. And this hasn’t changed, fundamentally, for more than 300 years.

The following is from a speech by President Biden at Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day of 2024. As we can see, it promotes the ideology of our founding days—reenforcing white entitlement that we can trace back to the Doctrine of Discovery. “My fellow Americans, Jill, Vice President Harris, the Second Gentleman Emhoff, Secretary Austin, General Brown; most importantly, the veterans and service members, families, and survivors — we gather at this sacred place at this solemn moment to remember, to honor — honor the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who’ve given their lives for this nation.

“Each one, literally, a chain in the link — a link in the chain of honor stretching back to our founding days. Each one bound by common commitment — not to a place, not to a person, not to a President, but to an idea unlike any idea in human history: the idea of the United States of America.

“Today, we bear witness to the price they paid. Every white stone across these hills, in every military cemetery and churchyard across America: a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a spouse, a neighbor — an American.”

As patriotic as this sounds and as lustrous sacrifice is, it lacks in accountability and acknowledgement of those whose lives and freedom were taken and whose lands were and are being pillaged, today, for an idea called the United States of America. As 300 years have passed since the Norridgewock Massacre we have made few rectifications to our transgressions toward Natives in Maine.  

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 Below is an Excerpt From Charles Banks, A History of York, Volume I, page 326

“From this point the story of this famous attack, the results of which thrilled all New England, will be turned over to the gentlemen of the Fourth Estate whose account of the battle is probably the first newspaper report of its kind and appears in the Boston News Letter of the week August 20-28, 1724:

A Particular Account of Capt. Johnson Harman of his March and Action at Norridgewock.

On the 8th day of Aug. 1724 he march’d from Richmond Fort, having under his Command 205 Men, which was divided into Four Companies; He Commanded the First, Capt. Moulton the Second, Capt. Bourn the Third, and Capt. Lieut. Bean the Fourth, the other officers were Lieut. Jaques, Lieut. Dimmuck, Lieut. Banks, and Lieut. Wright; having also with us Three Mohawks, viz, Christian, his Brother & Son. We had 17 whale-boats; Being well Arm’d and Stor’d with Provisions, &c. we arrived at Teuconick the 9th day, where we left Lieut. Wright with 40 Men, to Guard the whale-boats; and with the rest, the next day march’d for Norridgewock; this Eve¬ ning we kill’d Colonel Bomarzeen’s Daughter and took his Wife Cap¬ tive. We arriv’d at Norridgewock the 12th day, about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, where we found about Sixty fighting Men and about a Hundred Women & Children. Upon our Approach within Pistol-shot of them, they fired upon us a full Volley, but wounded none of our Men; then we Attack’d them very briskly; they Stood their ground 4 or 5 Alinutes, in which time they fired another Volley, and then fled before us; we pursuing them very hard, they made the best of their way to the River, where they had about 40 canoes; we follow’d them so close that they put off without their Paddles, not having time to take them; we presently beat them out of their Canoes, Killing the greatest part of them; the River being about 60 Yards over and Shallow; our Men followed them over, some in their Canoes, and others wading up to their Necks with such fury that but one of their Canoes arriv’d upon the other side, but others Waded and Swam over, so that we judge ibout 50 Men, Women and Children got over, some of them were Kill’d upon the other side by our Men, (who got over as soon as they did) and a great many others Wounded, we having not so much as a Man Kill’d or Wounded. We then returned to the Town, where Monsieur Ralle the Jesuit, their chief Commander, in one of the Indians houses, who had been continually firing upon a Party of our Men, that were still in the Town; the said Ralle having Wounded one of our People. Lieut. Jaques soon Stove open the door of the said House and found him loading his Gun, who upon Jaques’s coming in, Declared Voluntarily, That he would give no quarter nor take any; Jaques hearing that, and seeing him loading, shot him thro’ the head; the said Jesuit had with him an English boy about 14 Years of Age, whom he had about Six Months in his Possession, which Boy, in the time of the Engagement, he spitefully shot thro’ the Thigh, and stab’d him in the Body with a Sword, and so left him; but the Boy not being Dead, we took him with us, and thro’ the Care and Skill of the Surgeon is like to Recover. Capt. Mogg, one of the Chiefs of the Indians kept his house, and firing all the time he Wounded Lieut. Dimmuck, and kill’d Jeremy Queach, one of our Indian Souldiers; we presently broke down the door and rush’d in upon him, and the Brother of our dead Indian immediately shot him thro’ the head; he had his Wife and two Children, whom our Men slew immediately. After which we destroy’d all their Corn and about 40 Canoes and took about Three Barrels of Gun powder, and about 25 Small Arms together with other Plunder, as Blankets, Kittles &c. It being dark by that time the Action was over, we set a Guard of 40 Men, and Lodged that Night in the Indian houses. In the Morning being the 13th day we found 26 of the Enemies Bodies, whom our Men had Scalp’d together with the Jesuit. The Chiefs that we knew among the Dead were the said Jesuit, Col. Bomarzeen, Capt. Mogg, Capt. Job Carabassett, Capt. Wissememet, Bomarzeen’s son-in-law and some others whose Names I cannot remember. We took alive, 4 Indians, viz one Woman and Three Children, which are brought with us. After we mov’d Christian turn’d back and Burnt all to Ashes, and coming up with us again, we March’d to Teuconick and found our Men and Whale-boats safe, with whom we arrived at Richmond the 16th day, and so to Falmouth, acquainting Col. Westbrook with the Action who immediately sent me Express to the Lieut. Governour, to give Him an Account thereof; where we arrived the 22d of said Month.

N. B. The abovesaid Ralle the Jesuit, has generally appeared at the Head of the Indians in their Rebellions and was the Chief Fondater of this War.

The News Letter added that “His Honour our Lieut. Governour for the aforesaid Extraordinary Service has thought fit to Present the said Capt. Harman with a Commission for Lieut. Colonel as a Token of his Favor, and further Encouragement.”

This “official” story has another side. Previous orders had been given by Captain Moulton to spare the life of the Jesuit, as his capture was more to be desired than the resulting ignominy of killing a clergyman, although the manner of Dummer’s death had not been forgotten by the men from York. Lieut. Richard Jaques, either disregarding orders or acting impulsively, ended the scene as described. Captain Moulton strongly disapproved of this act of his subordinate, and entertained a doubt as to the necessity for this extreme reprisal. Scalping was added to the discredit of the affair.

Charlevoix gives another and more dramatic account of the death of this famous Jesuit. He stated that Rasle “showed himself to the enemy in hopes to draw all their attention to himself and secure his flock at the peril of his own life. He was not disappointed. As soon as he appeared the English set up a great shout which was followed by a shower of shot when he fell down dead near to a cross which he had erected in the midst of the village; seven Indians, who sheltered his body with their own, falling around him.” ( Histoire de la Nouvelle France iv, 120.) The further account of the affair by Charlevoix, reciting indignities practiced upon the fallen body of. the missionary, may be omitted as exaggerations of a partisan religionist; although with the memory of the savage butcheries and mutilations performed by the Indians on their white victims, it is not improbable that human nature could not be restrained when an opportunity like this was presented.

As darkness was falling on this scene of carnage and destruction Captain Harmon and his detachment arrived from their fruitless detour of the planting fields. A part of the plunder consisted of the plate and furnishings of the altar of the chapel before it was put to the torch. After this decisive blow the provincial officials thought it would put the Indians in a frame of mind to cease hostilities, and in order to accomplish this commissioners were sent to Canada to protest to the Governor-General his action in encouraging the Indians and demanding of him to use his influence in withdrawing them from further hostilities. The only result of this was that the Indians demanded the removal of all English settlements west of the Saco River, rebuilding their church at Norridgewock and restoring their dead priest; and so the war continued. The exploit was considered the most brilliant and daring of any hitherto undertaken since the one which resulted in the death of King Philip fifty years previous in the Narragansett swamps. All New England rang with applause for Captain Moulton who had accomplished an act which answered the hopes and prayers of Puritan New England.”

Banks, A History or York, Maine, VII

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Other sources

The History of Norridgewock, William Allen

Sebastien Rale vs. New England: A Case Study of Frontier Conflict, Kenneth M. Morrison

The Attack on Norridgewock 1724 – Fannie Hardy Eckstorm

Sebastien Racle and Norridgewock, 1724: The Eckstorm Conspiracy Thesis Reconsidered by Kenneth M. Morrison