THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR VOL. XII. MANCHESTER, N. H. FEB. 1852. od ROWELL, PRESCOTT & CO., PROPRIETORS.... C. E. POTTER, EDITOR, adr BIOGRAPHY OF PASSACONNAWAY. him enter in and come out; but no part of the way hce has bin seene: likewise by our PASSACONNAWAY, one of the most noted In- English in the heat of all summer, to make Ice dian Chiefs in New England, was at the head appeare in a bowle of faire water, first having of a powerful Indian confederacy, when the the water set before him hee hath begunne whites first settled in this country. His name his incantation according to their usual acis indicative of his war-like character-Pap-custom, and before the same hath bin ended isseconewa, as written by himself, meaning a thicke cloude has darkened the aire and on The Child of the Bear," being derived from a sudane a thunder clap hath bin heard that Papoeis (a child), and Kunnaway (a bear.) has amazed the natives, in an instant hee hath This name he doubtless received at mature shoucd a firme peace of Ice to floate in the age, according to the custom of the Indians, midst of the bowle in the presence of the vulfrom his supposed resemblance in courage and gar people, which doubtless was done by the bravery in war, to that ferocious and powerful agility of Satan his consort." animal. From which marvelous story we are to infer We first hear of Passaconnaway in 1627 that Passaconnaway, to the character of a or 8. Thomas Morton, "mine host of Mare-brave warrior, added that of a clever juggler. mount," as he writes himself in his "New In fact, he held his people in great awe of English Canaan," thus speaks of him, being in this country at that time. "Papasiquineo, the Sachem or Sagamore of the territories neare Merrimack River, a man of the best note and estimation in all those parts (and as my countryman, Mr. Wood, declares in his prospect), a great nigromancer" him, the Indians supposing him to have supernatural powers; to have control over their destinies; that he could make a dry leaf turn green; water burn and then turn to ice, and could take the rattlesnake in his hand with impunity. With such reputed powers, his acknowledged ability as a warrior, and wisdom as a Sagamon, Passaconnaway was the acknowledged head of the most powerful Indian confederacy east of the Mohawks, and as such received the title of Bashaba, a title much of the same import as that of Emperor. "That Sachem or Sagamore is a Powah of greate estimation amongst all kinde of Salvages, then hee is at their Revels, (which is the time when a greate company of Salvages meete from severall partes of the Countre, in amity with their neighbours), hath advanced his honour in his feats or jugling tricks, (as I may Prior to 1629 the tract of land extending right terme them), to the admiration of the from the Piscataqua to the Merrimack westspectators, whome hee endeavoured to persuade ward, and from the line of Massachusetts, that hee would goe under water to the further thirty miles into the country, northward, had side of a river to broade for any man to under-been explored, and Mr. Edward Colcord, at the take with a breath, which thing hee performed request of certain gentlemen of Massachusetts, by swimming over and deluding the company had stipulated with Passaconnaway the Sagawith casting a mist before their eics that soc mon of the Pennacooks and certain tributary ments upon which Dr. Belknap based those parts of his history, or had examined the original papers on file with in their reach, they would have been slow to come to the conclusion that the "Wheelwright Deed" was a forgery, or that Dr. Belknap used spurious papers in the writing of his history of New Hampshire. Chiefs, for its purchase. And on the 17th day of May, 1629, a deed, conveying the above tract, was executed at Squamscut, (now Exeter) with due form and ceremony, conveying the same to John Wheelwright and his associates, for certain stipulated and valuable considerations. This deed was signed by Passaconnaway the Sagamon of Pennacook, Runnawit the chief of Pawtuckett, Wahongnonawit the chief of Squamscut, and Rowls the chief of Newichawanuck, and was witnessed by two Indians and some of the most respectable men of the Plantations at Piscataqua and Saco. This transaction was one of importance. It shows that Passaconnaway, as early as 1629, was not only the chief of the Pennacooks, but that he was a Sagamon at the head of a powerful confederacy, and that thus early he had the sagacity to see the superiorty of the Eng-keag means "the fishing place," being derived lish, and to wish them as a barrier betwixt his people and their eastern enemies. The Pennacooks had their residence at Pennacook (now Concord), at Namaooskeag (now Manchester), at Natticook and Souhegan (now Litchfield and Merrimack), and at Wicassee (now Tyngsburgh.) They took the name from one of their places of summer residence, Pennacook being derived from Pennaqui, (crooked,) and Auke, (a place.) The crooked place-a name strikingly appropriate to their fertile planting grounds embraced within the folds of the Merrimack in Concord. Namaoos from Namaoos, (a fish,) and Auke, (place.) Natticook means the Deer place, derived from Attuck, (deer,) Auke, (place.) Souaheganash means the plains or worn-out lands, derived from Sowehage, (worn-out,) and Ash, (the adjunct denoting the plural of inanimate nouns.) The deed expressly acknowledges on the part of the chiefs of the Pawtucket, Squamscut and Newichawanuck, their being tributary to the Sagamon of Pennacook; the 7th and last article stipulating that "every township within the aforesaid limits or tract of land As a tribe they may have been distinct, and that hereafter shall be settled, shall pay to driven from the westward-or they may have Passaconnaway our chief sagamore that now is been an off-shoot from some one of the southand to his successors forever, if lawfully demand-ern New England Tribes. This latter suggesed, one coat of trucking cloth a year. This deed was signed and witnessed as follows: John Oldham (&) (sele) tion is doubtless the true one, as the Pennacooks spoke the same dialect with the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Indians. Some feud may have driven the ancestors of Passaconnaway to seek an asylum upon these meadows of the Merrimack, where he could (&) find for himself and his companions ready (sele) subsistence, by taking game in the forests, fish at the falls, and raising corn and other vegetables upon the intervales. And here we see the striking effect that the cultivation of Indian corn has upon the Indians. (&) (sele) (&) (sele) At the present time, the Indians of the west who plant corn, are more civilized than their neighbors who live by hunting. They are less inclined to rove, are more robust and more intellectual. Planting, maturing and gathering corn, detains them longer in the same locality, than any other occupation, and this detention makes them more social, more friendly and hospitable among themselves, and less inclined to a roving life. The result of this is, that they become more civilized, more populous and more powerful. This position is true of the Pennacooks. They were an agricultural people, and this fact, coupled with another, that they were for near a hundred years under the control of a wise and politic Sagamon, accounts for their acknowledged superiority and power. It may be that their power had been increasing with the increase of the tribe for centuries; We are aware that the "Wheelwright but as nothing is learned from tradition or othDeed" has been pronounced a forgery by cer-erwise, of any Sagamon of the Pennacooks tain gentlemen, and that certain papers upon prior to Passaconnaway, it is fair to presume which Dr. Belknap based important parts of that the Pennacooks, as a tribe or nation, rose his history, have also been pronounced forger- and fell with this sagacious politic and warlike ies; but had these gentlemen seen the docu-prince. Tradition, well preserved, has ever located this fort upon one of the headlands, either next north or next south of the intervale known as "Sugar Ball," in Concord. From a personal examination of the headlands in that neighborhood, made within a short time, we have no doubt that the Pennacook Fort, occupied the headland next south of "Sugar Ball," and in fact there are unmistakable signs of this being the locality, now plainly to be seen. Nor is this a strange presumption. When In time of peace Passaconnaway had his we first hear of Passaconnaway, in 1629, he principal summer residence upon the large had doubtless been at the head of his tribe for island in the Merrimack in Concord, known as more than sixty years, a sufficient length of Sewall's Island. This island contained some time for a Sagamon like him, to have increased forty acres of excellent intervale, and being the number and power of his tribe, and the situated at the foot of the falls, where was number and power of his confederacy, to the most excellent fishing, it was doubtless the faheight at which our fathers found it at that vorite retreat of this powerful chief. In time time. In 1629 Passaconnaway was one hundred of war he retired to his fort, which was at years old, as Gen. Gookin, who spoke their Pennacook, as Major Waldron states in a deplanguage, and was acquainted with their man-osition made for the information of the General ners and customs, says of Passaconnaway-Court of Massachusetts in 1665, that six years "He lived to a very great age, as I saw him previous he visited the fort of the Indians at alive at Pawtucket, when he was about one Pennacook at the invitation of Passaconnaway, hundred and twenty years old." He wrote this and found there a large gathering of Indians. in 1675, when from his language we should infer that the old Chief was at that time dead. Gen. Gookin probably saw him in 1648. Eliot visited Pawtucket in 1647, at which time Passaconnaway left, and would not hear Eliot or suffer his children to hear him; but in the spring of 1648 Eliot visited Pawtucket and found Passaconnaway there, who showed no repugnance to Eliot's preaching, but on the contrary listened with attention. As Gookin assisted Eliot in his labors and visited with him often, it is probable that he saw Passaconnaway at one of these visits. This would make him an hundred years old at the time of making "The Wheelwright Deed" | in 1629. Still it is possible that Gookin is the man whom Hubbard refers to, when he says that in 1660, "one much conversant with the Indians about Merrimack River" was invited to a dance, when Passaconnaway made "his last and farewell speech to his children and people." If this be so, it would make Passaconnaway twelve years younger in 1829, the time of his executing "The Wheelwright Deed." Be this as it may, in 1829 he was an "ancient Indian,” and had doubtless been at the head of his tribe more than sixty years. In this situation, secured by nature and art, the Bashaba could bid defiance to the Mohawks and others of his enemies. Directly west of, and overlooked by the fort, were extensive planting grounds, easy of access and under cultivation. In fact, within the knowledge of the writer, the old "Indian corn-hills" have been plain to be seen at this place; never having been disturbed by the settlers, this part of the intervales, having been found cleared by the whites, and having been used for pasturage, until a few years last past. It is probable, that soon after the occupation of Pennacook by the traders, in 1665, and the building of truck and block houses there, that Passaconnaway took up his residence mainly at the islands of Natticock. These romantio The Pennacooks must have numbered at and lovely spots upon the bosom of the Merthis time from twelve hundred to fifteen hun-rimack, chosen as Royal residences, even now, dred souls, as Dudley mentions, in 1631, that Passaconnaway had under his command four hundred or five hundred men; plainly meaning warriors, and to allow the tribe to consist of three times the number of fighting men is not an exaggerated estimate, when this estimate includes women and children, and old men and others unfit for duty. Two thousand, as the number of the tribe, would doubtless come as near the truth. shorn of their beauty and deprived of the grandeur that surrounded them then, bespeak the taste of the Pennacook Bashaba. Passaconnaway saw the superiority of the English, and with his usual sagacity, he saw the entire hopelessness of the attempts of his people to subdue them. His policy was to make terms of peace with them, and it was in pursuance of this policy that he disposed of his lands to Wheelwright, reserving alone his right to fishing and hunting. It was that he might have the English as a protection against his enemies, who, since the plague had thinened his people, were becoming a source of terror to them. These were scattered up and down the Merrimack, occupying the intervales from the town of Tyngsborough in Massachusetts to Lake Winnipisseogee. Passaconnaway and the chief men of the tribe resided at Pennacook, Amoskeag and Naticook. Amoskeag was the place of their abode during the fishing season, when the banks of the river were thronged, as is evident from the vast quantities of arrow heads, pestles, pieces of pottery, and the large number of graves that have been discov-colonists. ered up and down the river; while in the planting season, the royal residence was at Pennacook and Naticook. The Tarratines of the east and the Maquas of the west, were making continual inroads upon the New England Indians, and the Pennacooks, like the Mohegans, were quite willing to secure the friendship and protection of the Yet in 1631 the prejudice of Dudley led him to denounce Passaconnaway as a "witch," when the old Sagamon was exerting himself to keep on terms of friendship with the colonists. And in September of the following year, when Jenkins of Cape Porpoise had been murdered upon the territory of the old Chief, while at sleep in the weekwam of one of his tribe, Passaconnaway anticipated the English in the arrest, and though the murder was committed upon his extreme limits, he sent with prompt despatch, had him arrested and delivered to the English. Malachi, I: xi. This verse he paraphrased thus-"From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Thy name shall be great among the Indians; and in every place prayers shall be made to Thy name, pure prayers, for Thy name shall be great among the Indians." The Indians paid the most respectful attention, and after the discourse was closed, proposed many appropriate and amusing questions. AfIn 1642, upon suspicion that a conspiracy ter others had proposed questions and made rewas forming among the Indians to crush the marks, Passaconnaway arose, we need not add, English, men were sent out to arrest some of amid the most profound attention, and announthe principal Indian Chiefs. Forty men were ced his belief in the God of the English. He sent out at this time to arrest Passaconnaway, remarked, says Mr. Eliot in a letter of date 12 but he escaped them by reason of a storm. Nov., 1648, "That indeed he had never prayWonnalancet, his son, was not so fortunate. ed unto God as yet, for he had never heard of He was taken by the party, while his squaw God before as now he doth. And he said furescaped into the woods. But while they bar-ther, that he did believe what I taught them barously and most insultingly lead Wonnalan- to be true. And for his own part, he was pureet with a rope, he loosened the rope and at-posed in his heart from thenceforth to pray tempted to make his escape, his captors firing unto God, and that hee would persuade all at him, and coming near hitting him with their his sonnes to doe the same, pointing to two of shot. He did not effect his escape, but was them who were there present, and naming retaken. such as were absent." For this outrage, the government of Massa- The Old Sagamon was doubtless sincere in chusetts feared the just resentment of Passa-his change of religion, and continued in the connaway, and they sent Cutshamekin, whom they had arrested upon the same occasion and had discharged, to excuse the matter to the old Chief, and invite him to go to Boston and hold a conference with them. The answer of the Old Sagamon savors a good deal of an independent spirit, and had he been younger by a half century, his answer might have been still more proud and haughty. Tell the English," was his reply, "when they restore my son and his squaw, then will I talk with them." The answer was that of a man who felt he had been most deeply wronged. His haughty spirit must have chafed under such wrongs, and it is possible under the sting such outrages could not fail to inflict, he might have regretted the policy he had marked out for himself. It is probable that this outrage upon the family of Passaconnaway made a deep impression upon his mind, and led him to doubt the sincerity of the professions of the English toward him. And in 1647 he exhibited this distrust in a most summary manner. At this time, the Rev. Mr. Eliot visited Pawtucket for the purpose of preaching to the natives. It was the fishing season, and a vast multitude of Indians were present. Among them was Passaconnaway with two of his sons. The Old Chief, doubtless smarting under his wrongs, and thinking that a religion that tolerated such wrongs, was not worthy his attention, refused to see Mr. Eliot and retired immediately from the neighborhood, taking with him his sons, saying, "he was afraid the English would kill them." christian belief till his death. For "long after," says Eliot, he said to Capt. Willard, "that he would be glad if I would come and live in some place thereabouts, to teach them **** **. And that if any good ground or place that hee had would be acceptable to me, he would willingly let me have it." In this same letter, Mr. Eliot intimates his intention of visiting Amoskeag the following spring, as thus: "There is another great fishing place about three score miles from us, whither I intend (God willing) to go next spring, which belongeth to the beforenamed Papassaconnaway-which journey, though it be like to be both difficult and chargable for horse and men, in fitting provisions, yet I have sundry reasons which bow and draw my heart thereto." Mr. Eliot, in a letter bearing date Oct. 29, 1649, thus speaks: "I had and still have a great desire to go to a great fishing place, Namaske, upon the Merrimack river, and because the Indian's way lieth beyond the great river, which we cannot pass with our horses, nor can we well go to it on this side of the river unless we go by Nashaway, which is about and a bad way unbeaten, the Indians not using the way; I therefore hired a hardy man of Nashaway to beat out a way, and to mark trees so that he may pilot me thither in the spring. And he hired Indians with him and did it, and in the way he passed through a great people called Sowahagen Indians, some of which had heard me at Pawtucket and Nashua, and had carried home such tidings that they were generally stirred with a desire that I would come and teach them; and when In 1648, however, Mr. Eliot visited Paw- they saw a man come to cut out the way for tucket with better success, for it being the me, they were very glad; and when he told fishing season, he found Passaconnaway there that I intended to come that way next spring. and in a mood to hear his preaching. Mr. they seemed to him to be full of joy, and made Eliot preached to the assembled Indians from him very welcome, |