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CAPTAIN SAMUEL WADSWORTH, OF MILTON. The Sudbury fight was a great event in the early annals of New England; and it was in this fight that the subject of this sketch lost his life, while in command of the colonial troops during the last year of King Philip's war. Of the early life of this valiant soldier we know but little. He was the son of Christopher and Grace Wadsworth, of Duxbury, and was probably their eldest child. At the time of his death, in 1676, he is said to have been forty-six years of age. This would make the date of his birth 1630-31, and about two years before Christopher arrived in Duxbury. About his age at death, however, there is an uncertainty; and he might not have been as old by several years. There are no public records of Duxbury that show he ever lived there, for unfortunately the early records of that town were destroyed by fire. The first record we have of him is in Bridgewater, then called Duxbury plantation, he being enrolled as a tax payer from 1655-65. It was at about the first named date that he married Abigail Lindall, of Duxbury. The lands that he owned in Bridgewater were a portion of the grant of his father, Christopher, who was a large proprietor there. Bridgewater then included most of Abington and Hanson, and he owned one sixty-fourth part of this whole tract of country. He came in possession of it in 1644; and the inference is, that Samuel went upon these lands soon afterwards. In 1685 Capt. Samuel's share is entered upon the Bridgewater rec-[p. 58]ords under the name of Widow Wadsworth; and in 1686 the name of Timothy Wadsworth appears, who was Capt. Samuel's son, then a gunsmith in Boston. In "Mitchell's History of Ancient Bridgewater" appears the following: "Christopher Wadsworth, of Duxbury, was a representative of that town, and one of the original proprietors of Bridgewater; and Capt. Samuel and Joseph, and their representatives, retained an interest and shares in Bridgewater longer than any of the non-residents." But the slow-going town of Bridgewater was not a place for a man of Capt. Samuel's energy and nerve to spend his days. About this time, 1660, he purchased a beautiful tract of land of several hundred acres in Milton, then a part of Dorchester, within five or six miles of Boston. This land lies on an elevation about midway between the Blue Hills of Milton and Boston, in a direct line. A portion of these paternal acres are still in possession of his descendants, handed down to the eighth generation. He was a man of means and influence, and took an active part in affairs of both church and state. His children were six boys and one girl; and his living descendants by the name of Wadsworth are more numerous than those of any other member of the second generation. Their names were Ebenezer, 1660, Christopher, 1661, Timothy, 1662, Joseph, 1667, Benjamin, 1670, Abigail, 1672, and John, 1674. His widow survived him many years, retaining the homestead and educating and caring for the welfare of her children. We now come to the crowning event of his life; that of a soldier in the Indian war against King Philip, the famous Narragansett chief. It commenced in Jun, 1775. He was at this time captain of the militia of Milton; and a militia company of those days meant more than to merely play soldier. The Indians in all the surrounding country had held a council of war, and had resolved upon the extirpation of the pale faces from the land. It is not easy for us to conceive of the excitement and alarm that prevailed throughout New England, every one being in dread of the "terror by night and of the arrow that flieth by day." The babe was not safe in the cradle nor the mother in her home. The blowing of the wind seemed like the whistling of bullets; and the war was carried on by stratagem on the part of a relentless foe, who, with the fire-brand, the tomahawk and the scalping-knife, spread desolation and terror in every quarter. An Indian named Netus, together with others, who pretended to be friendly, set fire to the dwelling and other buildings of Mr. Thomas Eames, which were just within the limits of Framingham, within twenty miles of Milton, killed his wife, threw her body into the flames, and carried his nine children into captivity. This barbarous warfare was carried on simultaneously in all parts of the settlement. One town after another was laid in ashes. Brookfield, Springfield, Hadley, Deerfield, Northfield, were attached, and then Lancaster, Medfield, Weymouth, Groton, Warwick and Marlborough were assaulted. At Lan-[p. 59]caster Mrs. Rowlandson and her children were captured and carried into captivity, and the town would have been consumed if Captain Wadsworth had not come in great haste to its relief. Captain Wadsworth had been ordered to repair to Marlborough with fifty soldiers to strengthen the garrison at that place. On his way he marched through Sudbury, and passed the Indians, who were lying concealed in large numbers, but who kept themselves undiscovered. On the next morning, however, they assaulted and burned most of the houses that were on the east side of the river. The people, though greatly distressed, made a vigorous resistance, and being joined by some soldiers from Watertown, under command of Capt. Hugh Mason, a check was given to the enemy, so that "those that were gotten over the river to the east side of the town were forced to retreat unto the west side of the river, where also several English inhabited." When Capt. Wadsworth reached Marlborough he learned what had befallen Sudbury; and although he had marched all the day and night before, and his men were much exhausted, he hastened back with all speed he could being accompanied by Captain Brocklebank, together with those that could be taken from the garrison at Marlborough. The latter, indeed, had petitioned the Council that they might be dismissed; alleging their necessities and wants, inasmuch as they had been in the country's service since the 1st of Jan at Narragansett, and within one week after their return had been sent out again, without having had either time or money (save a fortnight's pay upon their Mar) to recruit themselves. But their request had not been granted; for the reason, probably, that they could not be spared. The force arrived in the afternoon within a mile and a half of the town, and the Indians, who had hidden themselves behind the hills, sent out some of their number to cross the Mar of the whites and decoy them into an ambush. The plot succeeded; for the savages appearing to fly and to be frightened, drew on the English, who followed them for some distance into the woods. Here they found themselves suddenly surrounded by more than five hundred of the enemy, who, raising the war-hoop, sprang forth with hideous yells and began to fire upon them. Our soldiers, says Mather, "fought likemen, and more than so," and after a desperate struggle they retreated, and succeeded in gaining the western side of Green hill. Though outnumbered and fatigued they here gallantly defended themselves for four hours, losing only five men, while the Indians lost more than one hundred. Night was now coming on, and their situation became perilous. The savages then set fire to the woods, which, as the grass was dry and the wind blew hrd, burned with great fierceness, so that our fathers were almost blinded and suffocated by the heat and smoke. They were forced to abandon their position in disorder, whereupon the Indians fell upon them like tigers, and the little band was almost literally cut to pieces. Captain Wadsworth, covered [p. 60] with wounds, was, it is said, among the last that fell, endeavoring to keep his company together and encouraging them to the end; while, during the terrible encounter, the blasts of Brocklebank's trumpet rang out clear and strong, urging on his men, though the blood was streaming from his many wounds. Thirty, including these and the two other officers, were slain on the field, and were buried in a common grave. Only twenty escaped. A few of them fled to a mill which was fortified but had been deserted. The enemy, supposing that it was strong, did not venture to attack it; and the soldiers were afterwards rescued by Captain Prentice and Captain Crowell, who came thither, but not in season to save Captain Wadsworth. Five or six were taken prisoners; and, says Cotton Mather, "that the reader may understand what it is to be taken by such devils incarnate, I shall here inform him: they stripped these unhappy prisoners and caused them to run the gauntlet, and whipped them after a cruel and bloody manner; then they threw hot ashes upon them, and cuttong off collops of their flesh, they put fire into their wounds, and so, with exquisite, leisurely, horrible torments, roasted them out of the world." [Mather's Magnalia, i., 494.] [p. 228] SAMUEL 2, Christopher 1; Milton, Mass.; killed while fighting Indians, at Sudbury, in 1676, (see sketch); married Abigail Lindall, of Marshfield, who died 1687. CHILDREN. Christopher, 1661; - 1687. oldest tombstone in Milton cemetery. Ebenezer, 1660; - 1717, tombstone in Milton cemetery. Joseph, 1667. John, 1674; - 1734, tombstone in Milton cemetery. Timothy, 1662. Benjamin, 1670. Abigail, 1672; married Andrew Boardman. __________________________________________________________________________________ From 'A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Showing Three Generations of those who came before May 1692 ... ,' vol. 4, p. 380 WADSWORTH, SAMUEL, Milton, s. of Christopher, freem. 1668, m. Abigail d. of James Lindall of Marshfield, ahd perhaps Recompense, wh. d. 12 Jul 1679, only a few days bef he would have been gr. at Harv. in 21st yr.; Ebenezer, b. a. 1661; Christopher, a. 1663; prob. others, and certain. Benjamin 1669, H. C. 1690, min. of the first ch. in Boston, ord. 8 Sep. 1696, and Presid. of Harv. Coll. He was disting. as a capt. in Philip's war, and in Apr. 1676, going to relief of Sudbury on a sudden assault by the enemy, was overpower. by numbers, and with the lieut. Sharpe of Brookline, and half his comp. cut off 21 Apr. Yet many authorities gave the date 18. The matter seems stated with much plausibility and with suffic. caution as to weight of evid. in Geneal. Reg. VII. 221.
Michael
Grimes
