Letter* from Rev. Solomon Stoddard to Gov. Dudley (1703).
This 1703 letter from Northampton’s Reverend Solomon Stoddard to Massachusetts Bay Governor Joseph Dudley reveals just how much English attitudes towards Native peoples had declined by the beginning of the 18th century. Stoddard advises hunting Native Americans with dogs.
Excellent Sr
The Town of Deerfield has suffered much formerly from the Indians, of late two of their young men are carried into Captivity, this makes a great impression on the Spirits of the people, & they are much discouraged. This puts me upon it to make two proposals to your excellency.
The first is that they may be put into a way to Hunt the Indians with dogs. Other methods that have been taken, are found by experience to be chargeable, hazardous & insufficient. But if dogs were trained up to hunt Indians as they doe Bears: we should quickly be sensible of a great advantage thereby. The dogs would be an extream terrour to the Indians: they are not much afraid of us, they know they can take us & leave us. if they can but get out of gun-shot they count themselves in no great danger how many soever pursue them. they are neither afraid of being discovered or pursued: But these dogs would be such a terrour to them, that after a little experience, it would prevent their comming, & men would live more safely in their houses, & worke more safely in the feilds and woods: In Case the Indians should come near the Towne the dogs would readily take their track & lead us to them: Sometimes we see the track of one or two Indians but can't follow it. the dogs would discover it & lead our men directly to their enemies: for the want of which help we many times take a great deal of pains to little purpose. Besides if we had dogs fitted for that purpose our men might follow Indians with more safety, there would be no hazzard of their being shot at out of the bushes, they would follow their dogs with an undaunted spirit, not fearing a surprisal: and indeed the presence of the dogs would much facilitate their victory: the dogs would doe a great deal of execution upon the enemy, & catch many an Indian that would be too light of foot for us.
If it should be thought by any that this way is unpracticable, & that the dogs will not learn to do what we doe expect from them. these two things may satisfy them, one is that in a time of war with the Indians in Virginia, they did in this way prevaile over them, though all attempts, before they betooke themselves to this method proved in vain, the other is that our Hunters give an Account that the dogs that are used to hunt Bears mind no other track but the track of a Beare: from whence we may conclude, that if the dogs were used to pursue Indians they would mind nothing else.
If the Indians were as other people are, & did manage their warr fairly after the manner of other nations, it might be looked upon as inhumane to pursue them in such, a manner. But they are to be looked upon as theives and murderers, they doe acts of hostility, without proclaiming war. they don't appeare openly in the field to bid us battle, they use those cruelly that fall into their hands. they act like wolves & are to be dealt withall as wolves.
There must be some charge in prosecuting this designe, something must be expended for the purchasing sutable dogs & for their maintenance, the men also who spend their time in this service, must be paid, but this will not rise in any proportion to the charge of maintaining a sutable number of Garrison souldiers.
I have taken Advice with several of the principal persons amongst us, & they look upon this way as the most probable expedient in this case.
The other proposal is that the Town of Deerfield may be freed from Countey Rates during the time of the war. their circumstances doe call for commiseration: sometimes they are allarmed & called off from their businesse, sometimes they dare not goe into the feild, & when they doe goe, they are fain to wait till they have a gard, they can't make improvement of their outlands as other Towns doe: the houses are so crowded sometimes with souldiers that men & women can do little businesse with in doors, & their spirits are so taken up about their dangers, that they have little heart to undertake what is needfull for advancing their estates: it seems to me to be a thing acceptable to God, that they should be considered & freed from Rates.
your Excellency will not take it amisse that I take my accustomed freedome, & am so officious as to tender my advice before it be asked. The good Lord guide your Excellency & the Genr. Assembly: to doe that which shall be serviceable to this afflicted Country, which is the hearty prayer of your humble servant.
SOL: STODDARD.
Northampton
Oct. 22d. 1703
Since I wrote: the father of, the two captives belonging to Deerfeild has importunately desired me to write to your Excellency, that you would endeavour the Redemption of his children. I Request that if you have any opportunity, you would not be backward to such worke of mercy.
* Printed from the MS. of the author, minister of Northampton, Mass., 1643-1720., Twenty years later, 1723, he published an inquiry whether God is not angry with the country for doing so little towards the conversion of the indians. In Western Massachusetts, before and after 1700, the Indian question was too practical and immediate to admit of any, excess of sentiment. It was a question of life or death. J.W.T.