The GOFA (1912) describes briefly the “scout” which contains the first mention we have of Jabez. Following is the first part of this narrative, taken from Sheldon, George, "A History of Deerfield, Massachusetts: The Times When and the People by Whom it was Settled, Unsettled and Resettled; with a Special Study of the Indian Wars in the Connecticut Valley, with Genealogies", Deerfield, MA, 1895. pp 386-372. We will continue with this story in the next issue.
The
following intensely interesting narrative, taken twenty years after the event
from the lips of the survivors, by Ebenezer Grant, I (Sheldon) printed from the
original in an appendix to the " Narrative of the Captivity of Stephen
Williams," in 1889. The date given is an error. The scout left Deerfield
about April 26th, 1709. Here we find a realistic, matter-of-fact description of
one of those tragedies constantly occurring, when scouts from the opposing
nations met under the primeval trees, or on the lone waters of the great northern
wilderness. Nowhere have I met with a more enlightening account of the nature
of this dangerous service. The reports of these desperate encounters are
usually of the briefest; sometimes, it may be, none return to tell the bloody
tale.
"CAPT. BENJAMIN WRIGHT'S SCOUT.
Reverd Sir—After Due
Regards these May Inform you what Lieut. Childs and Mr. Hoit related to me
concerning the travails of Capt. Write & his Company towards Canada & wh happened to them about
that time it is as follows—
Capt
Write & a Small Company of men designing for Canada to destroy ye
enemy, in ye Beginning of April 1710 [1709], we then set out from
Deerfield in Number Containing 16, and travailed up Connecticut River which is
usually Called 120 Miles. There we discovered two Bark Canos, by reason of that
our Capt was pleased to Leave 6 of his men to Ly in wait of ye Canos
Supposing Some Indians would Come there. And then the Capt, with ye Levt & ye rest of ye
men set forward up ye White River taking ye Nor west
Branch, following it up to the Head then we Steared to French river &
travailing down sd River till we Came to ye 3d
Falls & yrr we built two Canoes & then set out for the Lake
& when we came there the wind was so high yt we were forced to lye by a Day or two.
After that one Evening we espied a fire ye opposite Side. Supposing
it to be indian we then forthwith Im bark & Steared our Course towards the
fire and while we was upon ye water, there arose a terrible Storm of
thunder & Lightning which put out the fire yt we before espied
& thro' Gods Goodness we all got safe to land & Drawing up our Canos
upon ye Land turned them up for Shelter till next morning & then
we making search for the fire that we afore espied & found it had only been
ye woods on fire. After that we set out for Canada in our Canoes on
ye west side of the lake till two hours by sun at night & then
the wind arose again which forced us to Lye by till next day in ye
afternoon & then we set out for Shamble & coming to a point of land
near Fortlemote, we espied 2 Canos of Indians in number 8 coming towards us
then we paddled to Land & running up ye Bank, by this time those
indian Canos was got against us, & then we gave them a Salutation out of
the mussel of our guns turned one over-board & we still continued firing
caused ye to Paddle away wth all Speed & left ye
fellow Swimming about & when they had get out of ye reach of our guns both Canos got together,
and all got into one, & left ye
other wth Considerable plunder in it, & when they was moved off
we maned out one of our Canoes and fetched in theirs. And he that was Swimming
about we Called to Shore to us, And Levt Childs killed him & some of ye
men scalped him. And by information that we had afterward by the Captives, yt
were then in Canada three were killed at the Same Time. And after that
Skirmish, we made the best of our way homeward, & Came to ye French River after Dark, and so proceeded
all that night up ye French River till we Come to the Falls, and
there we left our Canos and took our Packs upon our Backs and travailed
homewards up ye River, and comeing to a Crook that was in the river;
we Left ye river & took ye nearest Cutt acrost ye
Elbow and so come to ye river again, which was about nine of ye clock that
morning, & there we espied a Canoa coming down ye river with
four Indians in it and a Captive-man, which was taken at Exeter, named William
Moody. We Immediately fired on them and killed 2 the first shoot & wounded
ye 3d & ye 4th Jumped out &
Swam to ye Contrary Shore, then our Capt ordered some of his men to
tarry there & fire at him when he got to Shore, and they did So, &
afterwards we was Informed yt he was so wounded, that in a few days
after he got to Canada, died. Now the rest of the men followed ye
Canoa as it fell Down Stream, and the Capt Called to the Captive to paddle ye
Canoe to Land, but he replied he could not because the wounded Indian would not
Let him, with that the Capt hollowed to him & bid him knock in him in ye
head, with that he took up a hatchet to Do it but ye Indian rising
up took hold of ye hatchet & got it away from him and then
catched up the Paddle & Laid it on his head & they skuffling together
turned over the Canoe and parted in the water, & the Indian Swam to the
Contrary Shore. As he got out of the water we pined him to the Bank with seven
Bullets. The Captive also Swimming towards us, but being very weak fell down a
great pace & Cried out he should Drown before he Could get to Shore, with
that Lieut Wells flung down his gun upon ye Bank & run Down & Catched up a pool & held
out to him & he catched hold of it & ye Lieut. drew him to
Land. And John Strong being upon the Bank heard ye sticks Crack
behind him & Looked round & cried out Indians & was Immediately
fired upon by them & was wounded in the face & breast with a Charge of
Cutt Shoot, but not mortal. With that Lieut Wells sprung up the Bank to get his
gun & was mortally shot. Now the men being scattered along upon the Bank
but the Capt being with ye captive yt came to ye
shore Immediately examined him how many Indians there was, he made answer 19
being in 5 Canos 2 being down stream from that which we shot upon, And 2 above,
having been at Exeter took 4 captives (men), which they there had with them and
those 2 canos yt was passed by was yt Indians yt
made ye first shoot upon us.
(Continued next issue.)