Killed by Indians

Our aunt, Hepzibah Buell, survived an attack on Deerfield in 1693 only to lose her life in a subsequent attack in 1704. Three daughters, and possibly Hepzibah herself, had been tomahawked and scalped in 1693 and, while daughter Sarah died of her injuries, the others survived. One, like her mother, would also not survive the 1704 attack. Many of our aunts, uncles, and cousins would lose their lives in these dangerous times. 

The first outbreak of war in New England occurred in 1637 when about 800 colonists resided in what is now known as Connecticut. In that year about 100 English settlers and about twice that number of Indians comprised of Mohegans led by Uncas, and a band of Narragansetts, attacked the Pequot Indians in the battle of Mystic. At least four of our ancestors are known to have served in the Pequot war which ended with near total destruction of the Pequot tribe.

In 1675 Metacom, leader of the Pokanokets  and known to the English as “King Philip”, waged war on all of New England in what would be, per capita, the bloodiest war in American history. While King Philip’s demise brought some lessening to the threat of local Indians to the colonists, outbreak of hostilities with the French in Canada brought continued fear as raids from the north threatened outlying settlements.

From the time of the first settlements in New England and continuing for another 150 years, the threat between and among the local Indian tribes and the English settlers would take an enormous toll on both sides.