Читать книгу History of Bridgeport and Vicinity, Volume 1 - George Curtis Waldo jr. - Страница 4

THE ALGONQUIN TRIBE

Closely connected with, and influencing, the early history of Bridgeport and vicinity were the Indians, some description of whom is necessary as a foreword to the story of Bridgeport, Stratford, Fairfield and Southport.

At the time of the first white settlement of the east coast this territory was occupied by a branch of the Algonquin tribe, known generally by the name of Mohicans, and particularly in the southeastern part of Connecticut as Mohegans. The shores of Long Island Sound were their habitat; here they had lived for countless generations, hunted, fought and loved in their own way until the white man came and dispossessed them of their native soil.

The Algonquins were a tribe of North American Indians dwelling principally in the valley of the Ottawa River and around the tributaries of the St. Lawrence. The chief tribes composing this nation of Indians were the Algonquin, Malecite, Micmac, Nascapi, Pennacook, Fox, Kickapoo, Delaware, Cheyenne, Conoy, Cree, Mohican, Massachusetts, Menominee, Miami, Misisaga, Mohegan. Nanticoke, Narragansett, Nipmuc, Ojibway, Ottawa, Pequot, Potawatomi, Sac, Shawnee and Wampanoag. The Algonquin was one of the strongest of the Indian nations and it was with members of this tribe that the early settlers of Connecticut had most to do.

POOTATUCKS

There are evidences which have been found which seem to prove that the Indians first came to the Valley of the Housatonic from the Hudson River and first settled in the vicinity of the Town of Kent.

There they found numerous small falls in the river and accordingly christened the stream Pootatuck, meaning, in their language, "river of the falls." The first white settlers in turn gave these Indians the name of Pootatucks. The second settlement was undoubtedly made at New Milford. In this latter place the great council fire was held for the entire tribe; here their government was centralized and so remained until the territory was sold to the New Milford Company in 1703. In this way the Indians were slowly pushed toward the Sound, where they lived during the summer months, fishing and gathering oysters and clams; in the winter months they traveled inland and hunted game. The first meeting between these Indians and the white men occurred during the summer of 1637, when Captain Mason and Lieutenant Davenport surrounded the Saseo Swamp in Fairfield and killed or captured a portion of the Pequot tribe which had sought refuge there. Aso, it is said that the Indians then living in the vicinity were fined for harboring the Pequots.

PEQUONNOCKS

The Pequonnock Indians, of the Paugussets, were in the greater numbers on the shore of the Sound from New London westward. There were three villages of this tribe on the Pequonnock River and the lower coast line; one of these communities was located at the foot of Golden Hill south, one at the head of the cove near the junction of State Street and Fairfield Avenue, and the other one west of the Uncoway River, or Ash Creek as it is now called. The name Pequonnock means "cleared field" or "opened ground" and was used by the Indians to designate the land on the east side of the Uncoway River extending northward to the old King's Highway and southward to the Sound, including two or three hundred acres of land. This name was not then applied to the Pequonnock River, but only to the ground above described, now a part of the City of Bridgeport. Also, on this plain, "at the north end of the cove in the Black Rock harbor," was the old Indian planting field, covering about one hundred acres; here, loo, was the old Indian fort, standing near the end of the cove.

COMING OF THE FIRST WHITE MEN

In 1639 settlements were made at Stratford and Fairfield by the English. At Stratford the white men found numbers of Indian known as the Cupheags. Their village was very small and was governed by Chief Okenuck, an Indian descended from a long line of chieftains. Shortly afterward he removed to Pootatuck with his people, which place later became Shelton. A short time prior to the coming of the English the Indians on the Uncoway River and on the Housatonic had given to the General Court at Hartford territory at both Stratford and Fairfield and it was upon this ceded land that the settlers located the next year. It is probable that there were no reservations of land for the Indians at Stratford for the Cupheags and not until 1659, when Golden Hill was set aside, were there any reservations in the town. The planting ground at the old fort was held by the Indians until 1681, then sold. Subsequently, this ground was known as the Old Indian Field and was so called in the early Fairfield records.

OCCUPATION OF LAND

Many writers have claimed that in almost every case the land around Stratford and Fairfield was purchased from the Indians by the white men, but there is little to substantiate this belief. On the other hand, valuable authorities and records give the information that this land was not at first purchased, but for twenty years or more was considered conquered and ceded territory, and so declared by the General Court. Afterwards, through friendliness, the land was acquired from the Indians by agreements and deeds, with the ultimate object of ousting the red man.

The settlements at Stratford and Fairfield were under the supervision of Connecticut and were separate from the New Haven Colony. The land was granted to the settlers by the General Court, to which body the Indians had given it in 1638. As to the purchase of the land by the whites every record shows that no deeds were made until 1656. There is nothing said upon either of the town records and in 1681 when the final sale was made no deeds prior to 1656 are mentioned.

In 1656 the General Court at Hartford made the following record: "This Court, at the request of Stratford, do grant that their bounds shall be twelve miles northward, by Paugusett River, if it be at the disposal, by right, of this jurisdiction." The Pequonnock Indians opposed the right of Stratford to this land. The Stratford settlers were anxious at this time to have their boundaries fixed by the court, as a tract of land had been sold by the Indians in the western part of Fairfield and trouble had arisen between them and the white men, due to the fact that the settlers' cattle and hogs destroyed the Indians' corn. Another factor which contributed to the Stratford settlers' desire to have a definite understanding was the number of Indians in Fairfield, who were constantly being crowded into Stratford territory by the Fairfield residents. Prior to this time the General Court had attempted to settle the boundary question between Fairfield, Stratford and the Pequonnocks, also to compel the Indians to pay tribute to the Connecticut Court as conquered and protected subjects, which duty they had shirked at every opportunity.

In addition to this failure to pay proper tribute, the Indians exhibited signs of hostility in many ways and committed depredations many times. From 1643 to 1655 their warlike attitude became so threatening that the settlers kept troopers on guard at night and on Sundays, also called out the militia several times. The Indians demanded money in return for their lands and the Indians at Milford claimed a portion of the Stratford land. However, the claim of Ansantaway, the chief then at Milford, proved to be of little strength, for he gave a deed for all the land his people claimed on the west side of the Housatonic and agreed to accept in return whatever the English desired to give. The following order will show the effort made by the Connecticut Colony to settle the differences between the whites and reds:

"Hartford, March 7, 1658-59. By the Court of Magistrates. This Court having taken into consideration the business respecting the Indians, pertaining to the plantations of Stratford and Fairfield, and finding in the last agreement made with the Indians while Mr. Willis and Mr. Allin were down there, that those two plantations aforementioned are engaged to assure and allow unto those respective Indians pertaining to each town sufficient land to plant on for their subsistence and so to their heirs and successors:

"It is therefore ordered by this Court, and required that each plantation forementioned exercise due care that the agreement made by the magistrates be fully attended without unnecessary delay, so that the Indians may have no just cause to complain against the English, but rather may be encouraged to attend and observe the agreement on their parts, that peace may be continued on both sides; and further it is desired that the Indians may be allowed to improve their ancient fishing place which they desire.

"To the constables of Stratford to be forthwith published and sent to Fairfield to be published and recorded by the register."

Three days later the Court took further action in substantiating the claims of the Indians in Fairfield and allowing them planting land for the future. The settlers of Fairfield were also ordered to consider them as legal residents of the "plantation."

Not immediately did the three-sided problem come to solution. A cleared space of ground to the east of the Uncoway River (Ash Creek) became a much disputed point. The land in this space had been cleared by the Indians for planting and in all was a very desirable piece of ground. The possession of this land was one of the principal reasons the Fairfield settlers wished the Indians crowded over into the Stratford territory. The old line was retained, however, while a reservation was set aside on Golden Hill for the Indians. The latter retained their old planting field at the head of Black Rock Cove until 1681, when they sold it to Fairfield.

In the spring of the year 1659 the land question before Stratford and Fairfield was brought to the General Court at Hartford and decided. The Indians agreed to the following: That if the English settlers could prove that they had received the land by purchase, gift or conquest, it should be theirs. A number of witnesses gave testimony and the Court decided in favor of the plantations. The affidavits given by the witnesses are recorded in the town book under the caption, "a record of several letters presented to the Court at Hartford, whereby together with other evidences the Town of Stratford proved, and the Court granted a clear right to their land in reference to Pequonnock Indians with whom they had to do."

GOLDEN HILL RESERVATION

By the year 1659 affairs had reached such a point that some decided move had to be made in order to arrange a definite status. The result was the establishment of the Golden Hill Reservation. The Court record upon this proceeding is as follows:

"General Court, May, 1659. This Court having considered the business respecting the Indians at Pequonnock, and the difference between Stratford and Fairfield about the said Indians: do see cause to order that according unto the desire of the Indians they may quickly possess and enjoy from henceforth and for the future, that parcel of land called Gold Hill; and there shall be forthwith so much land laid out within the liberties of Fairfield as the committee appointed by the Court shall judge fit, and in as convenient a place as may best answer the desire and benefit of the Indians forementioned, for the future. And the said committee is to see so much land laid out within the bounds of Fairfield, for the use and accommodation of Stratford as that Golden Hill forementioned is, for quantity and quality, and as may he most convenient for the neighbors of Stratford. And in case Stratford men are unwilling to accept of land, then the committee shall appoint how much and in what kind the inhabitants of Fairfield shall pay unto Stratford, in way of satisfaction. And it is ordered that this parcel of land called Gold Hill, surrendered by Stratford unto Pequonnock Indians, according to the premises, shall be full satisfaction from them unto the Indians forenamed, and that neither they nor their successors shall make any further claims or demands of laud from Stratford, but shall henceforth be accounted as Fairfield Indians, or belonging to Fairfield, to be provided for by them for future as is aforementioned in the order. And it is ordered that in case these Indians shall wholly at any time relinquish and desert Golden Hill, that then it shall remain to Stratford plantation, they repaying to Fairfield the one half of that which they received in consideration of the said land.

"The committee appointed by the Court to see this order put into execution are, of Norwalk, Mr. Camfield, Mr. Fitch. Richard Olmstead. Nathaniel Elye, who are to In mini out the lands at Gold Hill, about 80 acres, beginning at the foot of the hill where the wigwams stood, and to run upwards on the hill and within Fairfield bounds, as is above mentioned. And the said committee is to make return to the Court in October, what they do in reference to this order."

The committee appointed accomplished its work in due season and then made the following report of the matter:

"Loving neighbors of Stratford we whose names are underwritten have according to the order we had from the General Court, without any respect to persons considered considered of the value that Fairfield men shall pay to Stratford for the eighty acres of land that the Indians do possess at Pequonnock with a due consideration of the land and the place where it lies, wherein we are agreed and do appoint that the Fairfield men shall pay to the Stratford men for the eighty acres of land that the Indians do possess at Pequonnock, twenty pound; this to be paid in beefe, porke. wheat and pease. Of beefe 2 barrels (and) of porke, good and merchantable, which we value at twelve pound, and eight pounds to be paid in wheat and pease; wheat at four shillings six pense the bushill. pease three shillings six pense the bushell. good and merchantable, and this to be payed of Fairfield to Stratford men betwixt this and the first day of March next ensuing. This being our agreement we have set to our hands

"Narwoke, May 2, 1660.

"Matthew Camfeyld,

"Thomas Fitch."

This settlement was accordingly made with the Indians and settlers of Fairfield and Stratford. Shortly afterward a formal agreement was drawn up with the Indians, a verbatim copy of which follows:

"AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE INDIANS OF PEQUONNOCK AND THE INHABITANTS OF STRATFORD

"Whereas there hath been a difference between the Indians of Pequonnock and the inhabitants of Stratford, for the issuing of which it is agreed that the Indians aforesayd acknowledging their former irregular carriage and misdemeanor and promising reformation in the particulars hereafter mentioned, it is then agreed that the aforesaid Indians shall have liberty to plant and improve the land between the fence that the Indians made and the bounds which the committee laid for the aforesaid Indians, till they shall forfeit the same in the apprehension of the inhabitants of Stratford by breaking their engagement in the particulars following:

"The Indians do hereby ingage not to kill or any way molest our cattle and swine.

"They ingadge to medle with none of our corn or pease to steale from us.

"They do ingadge so to mayntayne their fence which joynes to the fence of the Inhabitants of Stratford that the corn may be secured and if any damage comes through any defect in their fence they are to make satisfaction.

"They are further, to keep up their fence winter and summer to prevent damaging either them or us.

"They do further engadge to suffer none of the inhabitants of Fayrefeyld and those of the farmers to get in or drive any cattle through the aforesaid ground which the Indians improve, that is to say the whole bounds layed out by the committee upon and about Golden Hill.

" The Indians aforesaid are well satisfied with what the committee had done, every particular, and concerning the two highways likewise.

"These Indians have subscribed in the name of all the rest, this 24th April, 1660.

"Musquattat's Mark.

"Nesuposu's Mark.

"Pechekin's Mark.

"Nimrod's Mark.

"Nomledge's Mark."

Thus was the Golden Hill Reservation established inside of the present city limits of Bridgeport and where, for over a century, the dwindling tribe of Indians lived, slowly giving up their land to the whites. By 1765 only four Indians remained. These four were removed and the white men came into possession of the ground.

DEEDS AND OTHER RESERVATIONS

The Indians continued, even after the proceedings of the General Court, to ask pay for the land which they had occupied long years before the coming of the English. To these claims the townspeople were inclined to be charitable, for they hoped thereby to obtain a peaceful and amicable understanding with the Indians and forever end the strife.

The first deed of purchase known was recorded in the first book of land records for the Colony at Hartford and was received by one Moses Wheeler, dated April 12, 1659. This deed was probably executed while the question of title was being debated before the General Court at Hartford. The deed concerned "a parcel of ground lying along the side of Potatuck River, the east end of it being on a small river, which they say is Nayump, the west end bounding to a great rock which reacheth the full length of all that plain piece of ground, and also to have two miles and a half of ground on the upland and all the meadow within that bounds." Wheeler claimed that the inhabitants of Stratford had persuaded him to make the purchase for "upwards of forty pounds," in order prevent the land from falling into other hands.

The Court ruled in 1659, as stated before, that the territory belonged to Stratford without paying for it. Wheeler was permitted to retain possession of this land for a quarter century, then the town confiscated it and laid it out into lots to be divided among its citizens, among whom was Wheeler. However, the General Court came to Wheeler's aid in October, 1684, and recommended that the town settle in some way with Wheeler for the land. This they did by giving him one half of the ground.

On June 5, 1660, Bray Rossiter received a deed from the Indians for Stratford land amounting to about one hundred acres, located on the west side of the Housatonic about a mile above the Two Mile Island in that stream. This transfer of real estate established a precedent, for then all the Indians clamored to sell the land, their possession of which had been previously denied by the Court.

Another deed was shortly given to the English involving the Mohegan Hills. Joseph Judson was the receiver of this land which included "a hop garden hard by ye river though on ye other side." A second deed was given in 1661 of land lying west from the Farmill River, extending west to the west branch of the Pequonnock River. The third deed in 1661 was by Towtanimow and his mother the wife of Ansantaway, the old chief of Milford, who also signed the deed. The deed was made to Samuel Sherman, John Hurd and Caleb Nichols, of Stratford. Towtanimow was the chief sachem at Paugassett at that time.

In April of the year 1662 a deed was given by Okenuck, who succeeded Towtanimow, of land at the western boundary of the Paugassett lands. This deed covered some of the most desirable land along the Housatonic River. The land was deeded to Joseph Judson, Joseph Hawley and John Minor, of Stratford.

In 1671 the people of Stratford decided to purchase all the land claimed by the Indians in one piece and so escape the task of buying it in small quantities. An agreement was made with the Indians to purchase all of their claims except those embodied in the reservation made by the Court. The matter w r as brought before the General Court and the latter body ordered a complete settlement, also appointed deputies to attend to the details. The consideration was ten coats and five pounds of powder and twenty pounds of lead. This purchase included a large portion of the northern half of Huntington Township. The purchase cost Stratford about forty pounds and was effective in that it kept the Indians quieted for about thirteen years, when another band of claimants reaffirmed the sale of previous years, for which it is understood the white settlers gave them remuneration in very small extent. This apparently ended the matter of Indian claims to the territory.

In this connection the following paragraphs from Rev. Samuel Orcutt's History of Stratford and Bridgeport will be found interesting: "The local name Pootatuck, where the southern part of the Village of Shelton now stands in the Town of Huntington, was within the original limits of the Town of Stratford and was occupied by Indians, apparently, until 1684, some forty years after the town began to be settled, although it was not a reservation. It was probably the most ancient settlement on that river below Weantinock and retained the original name of the river, which was Pootatuck, meaning 'falls river' or the river with many falls. From the distribution of relics as well as the name of the river it is suggested that the Mohican, or Hudson River Indians, came through the opening of the mountains a little below the present Town of Kent, Connecticut, and finding the magnificent cascade or falls at the place now called Bull's Bridge, and on ascertaining the falls at New Milford and Canaan, they named the river Pootatuck, 'falls river.' So far as ascertained, this was the only name applied by the Indians to this river when the whites first came here and from it came the general classification of Pootatuck Indians to all who resided upon it; except that they always retained — even to this day — the ancestral origin of Mohegans (usually pronounced by the Indians, Mohegans). The first settlement they made on the river of any considerable account was at New Milford, which was retained as the Council fireplace, or the capital, until the locality was sold in 1705. A small settlement was perhaps first made at Kent called Scatacook ( Pish-gach-tigok ) signifying 'the confluence of two streams,' for here were found by the first settlers such implements as were not made in this part of the country, as described by Dr. Trumbull. * * * The only locality that retained the original name was at Shelton, and the extensiveness of the burials made there indicates greater antiquity than elsewhere except at New Milford. There was here also at the old Pootatuck Village, an old fort, when the English first came, and a new one had been built, just before, or was built soon after, at what is still called Fort Hill on the west side a little farther up the river."

In 1681 the Pequonnock Indians sold their old planting field in Fairfield and in 1685, 1680 and 1687 disposed of all their claims in that town. Golden Hill and Coram in Stratford were alone left to them, but Coram was not popular as a home with them. Most of the Indians moved on west, Newtown and New Milford becoming important villages from 1080 until 1705. About the same time these latter two places were abandoned by the Indians and sold for small sums to the white men. This left the eighty acres at Golden Hill and even this the whites endeavored to take from the Indians, but in May, 1678, the General Court issued an order for the protection of the Indians at Golden Hill and confirming their right to the land until they should "relinquish their right publicly."

In May, 1680, the Indians at Paugassett, through their sachem, asked for additional land, which request resulted in the appointment by the General Court of two committees, one to lay out one hundred acres at Turkey Hill for the Milford Indians and the other to lay out a similar tract at Corum Hill. The latter location never became popular and but few Indians ever lived there.

Until October, 1763, the eighty acre reservation at Golden Hill was held by the Indians without trouble, but upon that date three Indians— Tom Sherman, Eunice Shoran, his wife and Sarah Shoran — presented a petition to the General Court, claiming that they "had quietly enjoyed said lands till within a few years last past, Gamaliel French, widow Sarah Booth, Elihu Burret, Joseph Booth, Mary Burret, the Rev. Robert Ross, Ezra Kirtland, Aaron Hawley and Samuel Porter, all of said Stratford, and Daniel Morriss, John Burr, Jr., and Richard Hall, all of Fairfield, have entirely ejected and put the memorialists out of the whole of said lands and pulled down their wigwam without right." The Court acted upon this complaint by appointing a committee, consisting of Jabez Hamlin, Benjamin Hall and Robert Treat, to investigate, but their work being unsatisfactory, a second committee was named. These men, who were Jabez Hamlin. Elisha Sheldon and Robert Treat, reported in October, 1765, that an agreement had been made with the Indians to sell all of the eighty acres except "a certain piece or parcel of land called Nimrod lot, containing about twelve acres, with the spring at the point of Golden Hill aforesaid, bounded westerly by an highway, eastwardly by Pequonnock River, northerly by Jabez Summer's land, and southerly by the Cove and common land, also about eight acres of wood-land at Rocky Hill, to be purchased for them by the petitioners, they also paying to them the said Indians, thirty bushels of Indian corn and three pounds worth of blankets."

The last owner of the Golden Hill Reservation was Tom Sherman; he married Eunice Shoran and to them were born three children, Tom, Eunice and Sarah.

To sum up the relations between the white men and the Indians in this territory it may be said that both Stratford and Fairfield were considered by the Connecticut Colony as conquered and ceded territory and for a period of a decade were treated as one plantation. The same system of taxation applied to both, magistrates officiated over them as one and together they provided for the Pequonnock Indians from 1659 until 1680. Stratford gave the land for the Golden Hill Reservation and Fairfield contributed to its support and from its inhabitants were chosen the agents for overseeing the Indians.

INDIAN WARS

The early English settlers in Connecticut experienced much trouble with the Indian inhabitants. There were two distinct wars between the two races, one in 1637 and the other in 1675-6. The former was the Pequot war, which began in May, 1637, and closed one month later in the swamp which was located near what is now the Village of Southport. Ninety men under Capt. John Mason attacked the Indians on the morning of the 5th of June and completely defeated them, killing many and driving the remainder westward. The soldiers took up the pursuit, crossing the Connecticut River and proceeding along the shores of the Sound. At New Haven a number of Indians were killed, also at Stratford where the Pequots were joined by the Pequonnocks. Hostages were taken from the Pequonnocks for harboring the enemy Indians and many of their women were sold into servitude in this state and Massachusetts. This and other cruel measures instilled into the mind of the Indian a terrible desire for revenge and it is said by authorities upon Indian histories that the struggle of later years known as King Phillip's war was the direct outcome of the punishment inflicted upon the Indians in 1637. The colonists lived in constant fear of attack and many times, even as late as 1724, the General Court dispatched troops to Fairfield County for protection against possible outbreaks. In the plantations of Fairfield and Stratford, also in Norwalk, Stamford and Greenwich, the white settlers were outnumbered fully five to one by the Indians. Not only this, but the English were poorly prepared to resist a combined attack. Their lives were undoubtedly in severe danger, augmented by the trouble between the Dutch and Indians at New York. Doctor Trumbull wrote of an incident occurring near Fairfield as follows:

"In the year of 1644 the Indians were no more peaceable than they were the year before. Those in the western part of Connecticut still conducted themselves in a hostile manner. In the spring they murdered a man, belonging to Massachusetts, between Fairfield and Stamford. About six or eight weeks after the murder was discovered, the Indians promised to deliver the murderer at Uncoway (Fairfield), if Mr. Ludlow would appoint men to receive him. Mr. Ludlow sent ten men for that purpose; but as soon as the Indians came within sight of the town, they, by general consent, unbound the prisoner and suffered him to escape. The English were so exasperated at this insult that they immediately seized on eight or ten of the Indians, and committed them to prison. There was among them not less than one or two sachems. Upon this, the Indians arose in great numbers about the town, and exceedingly alarmed the people, both at Fairfield and Stamford. * * * The Indians were held in custody until four sachems, in those parts, appeared and interceded for them, promising that if the English would release them, they would, within a month, deliver the murderer to justice."

It is not strange, considering the circumstances briefly described in the foregoing paragraphs, that the settlements at Stratford and Fairfield had trouble making progress during these troublesome times. The people were handicapped by their constant fear of attack from the savages and every means within their power was used to prepare for the worst. Outnumbered, surrounded and with inefficient militia service every day was one of watchfulness for the settlers; they worked in the fields with their flintlocks at hand, they carried firearms to church, to town meetings, everywhere they went. In more exciting periods constant guard, day and night, was maintained at every house.

Many Indian relics such as arrow heads, mortars and pestles, axes and tomahawks, small implements, pipes and vessels, have been unearthed in Bridgeport, Stratford and Fairfield. Also, within the City of Bridgeport there are traces known of three distinct burying grounds. One of these was near the old gas works, one near the Prospect Street school building and the other upon a hill south of State Street and east of Main Street.