History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

26 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1724.
and Kiiigsley received £4 in payment for its hire. He
claimed tliat the horse was left for some days in the woods
and thereby injured.
The Indians Ret iu Meanwhile the war continued. Parties of
More Work. marauders lurked in the woods, j^lunder-
ing at every opportunity, killing, scalping,
or making prisoners of any white men upon whom they
came unawares. In July, a party of savages plundered
several unoccupied houses at the " Bars" in Deerfield, the
settlers having retired within the stockade for safety during
the night. A day or two afterwards a party of farmers
at work in Deerfield north meadow, were attacked while on
their way home, near nightfall, and two of them wounded.
The whole country was alarmed, and in the upper towns
guards of thirty or forty men were sent out daily, while
the work of harvesting was in progress. Indian signs
were discovered in Springfield, and the inhabitants petitioned
for a guard while gathering their harvest. They
were referred to Connecticut, and about thirty Pequots
came to their aid.
A Northampton Notwithstanding the general alarm and
Party Attacked, coustaut danger from roving bands of In-
dians, much carelessness or foolhardy courage
was manifested on every hand, else such incidents as
the following had not occurred. On the 26^'' of August,
Nathaniel Edwards 2'\ Abram Miller, Reuben Corse, and
one other, whose name has not been preserved, all from
Northampton, went with teams to the vicinity of Bartlett's
Mill (Easthampton) to gather flax in Pomeroy's Meadow,
on Manlian River. They were without a guard, and evidently
took no precautions for safetj^ The Indians, con-
cealed by the roadside, were watching the party, and as
they started to return, fired upon them, killing Nathaniel
Edwards, and wounding Abram Miller. Edwards was
with the last team, and having been detained at the ford,
fell behind his companions. The tragedy occurred "on
the Northampton side of the brook, this side of Ocran
Clapps house "^ "nere unto Joseph Bartlett's house, about
1 Judd MSS.