Cummings, John Jr

Goody Cummings Killed in Indian Attack

Early in the summer of 1706, Col. Schuyler of Albany gave notice to Governor Dudley of New Hampshire, that a party of Mohawks, 270 in number, were marching to attack Piscataqua.—''Their first descent was at Dunstable, July 3, 1706, where they fell on a house that had twenty troopers posted in it, who by their negligence and folly, keeping no watch, suffered them to enter, which tended to the destruction of one half their number.” This was, it is said, at "the Weld garrison.”

A more particular account of this attack has been preserved, which is as follows. These troopers, who were mounted scouts, " had been ranging the woods in the vicinity, and came towards night to this garrison. Apprehending no danger, they turned their horses loose upon the interval, piled their arms and harness in the house, and began a carousal to exhilarate their spirits after the fatigues of the day. A party of Indians had lately arrived in the vicinity, and on that day had designed to attack both Weld's and Galusha's garrisons. One of their number had been stationed to watch each of these garrisons, to see that no assistance approached and no alarm was given. A short time previous to the approach of the cavalry the Indian stationed at Weld's had retired to his party, and reported that all was safe.

"At sunset a Mr. Cummings and his wife went out to milk their cows, and left the gate open.—The Indians who had advanced undiscovered, started up, shot Mrs. Cummings dead upon the spot, and wounded her husband. They then rushed through the open gate into the house with all the horrible yells of conquering savages, but started with amazement on finding the room filled with soldiers merrily feasting. Both parties were completely amazed, and neither acted with much propriety. The soldiers, so suddenly interrupted in their jovial entertainment, found themselves called to fight when entirely destitute of arms, and incapable of obtaining them.

"The greater part were panic struck and unable to fight or fly. Fortunately all were not in this sad condition. Some six or seven courageous souls, with chairs, clubs, or whatever they could seize upon, furiously attacked the advancing foe. The Indians, who were as much surprised as the soldiers, had but little more courage than they, and immediately took to their heels for safety; thus quitting the house defeated by one quarter their number of unarmed men. The trumpeter, who was in the upper part of the house when the attack commenced, seized his trumpet and began sounding an alarm, when he was shot dead by an Indian upon the stairway. He was the only one of the party killed.

“Cummings who was wounded had his arm broken, but was so fortunate as to reach the woods while the Indians were engaged in the house. That night he lay in a swamp in the northerly part of Tyngsborough, about a quarter of a mile west of the great road, and a few rods south of the state line. The next day he arrived at the garrison near Tyngsborough village."

[CG, pp. 80-2]

Attack at Cummings Garrison

It is usually stated that it was the garrison at his [John Cummings] own house which was assaulted, July 3, 1706, by a party of two hundred Mohawk Indians. His house stood on the right hand of the road from Dunstable to the present town of Tyngsborough, about a half mile from the former place. The stories of the attack are not harmonious in all particulars. It seems to be agreed that there was a company of soldiers in the garrison at the time and that they were surprised. “At sunset a Mr. Cummings and his wife went out to milk their cows and left the gate open. The Indians who had advanced undiscovered, started up, shot Mrs. Cummings dead (‘Goody Cummings died July 3, 1706, at night.') upon the spot, and wounded her husband who had his arm broken, but was so fortunate as to reach the woods while the Indians were engaged in the house. That night he lay in a swamp in the northerly part of Tyngsborough, about a quarter of a mile west of the great road, and a few rods south of the state line. The next day he arrived at the garrison near Tyngsborough Village.” He is spoken of as selectman in 1711 and in the same year the house of Mr. John Cummings was reported as one of seven fortified houses in Dunstable, having two families, two males, two soldiers, and twenty-one persons in all. [CM, p. 10]

Two attacks on the same night

This last account of the attack contradicts that of Penhallow in some particulars, but as Penhallow, who wrote the history of the Indian wars of that period, was an officer, and a cotemporary, his statement that half the number of troopers were destroyed is most probably correct. The circumstances of the surprise corroborate it. In a cotemporary Journal of Rev. John Pike of Dover, the attack is thus mentioned: July 3rd, 1706, Capt. Pearson of Rowley marching with his troops to Dunstable, and being posted with part of his troops at one Blanchard's house, while they were at supper in the chamber, the enemy had slyly turned Blanchard's sheep into his corn, which he and his wife going out to restore, were both slain. The doors and gates being open, the enemy entered the house, killed Pearson's trumpeter with three other troopers, and wounded five more. At last they were driven out of the house with the loss of one Indian. Pearson was much blamed for not setting his sentinels out."

There is discrepancy and confusion in these accounts, probably arising from the fact that two attacks are blended together. Penhallow is probably correct in his statement that the conflict with the troopers, and the death of Mrs. Cummings occurred at Cummings's house. Blanchard's garrison was at some distance from this scene, and he with most of his family, and others not mentioned by Penhallow or Pike, were killed at the same time, as appears by the following extracts from the ancient records of the town. From these it would seem that the garrisons were attacked “at night.”

"Nathaniel Blanchard dyed on July the 3rd at night 1706. Lydia Blanchard, wife of Nathaniel Blanchard, and Susannah Blanchard, daughter Nath'l Blanchard, dyed on July 3rd at night in the year 1706.

"Mrs. Hannah Blanchard dyed on July the 3rd at night in the year 1706.

"Goody Giiramings, the wife of John Cummings died on July the third at night, 1706.

"Rachel Galusha died on July the 3rd, 1706."

''After that,” on the same day, says Penhallow, '° a small party attacked Daniel Galusha's house, who held them in play for some lime till the old man's courage failed, when on surrendering himself he informed them of the state of the garrison; how that one man was killed and only two men and a boy left, which caused them to rally anew and with greater courage than before. Upon which one man and the boy got on the outside, leaving only Jacob [Galusha] to fight the battle, who for some time defended himself with much bravery, but overpowered with force and finding none to assist him, was obliged to quit and make the best escape he could. But before he got far the enemy laid hold of him once and again, and yet by much struggling he rescued himself. Upon this they burned the house, and next day fell on Amesbury.”

Galusha's garrison was about two miles west of Weld's garrison, on Salmon brook, at a place formerly called Glasgow, where Henry Turrell now lives. Pike mentions the attack, but in a manner to show that our accounts are very imperfect. “Near about the same time, or soon after, they assaulted another house belonging to Jacob Galusha, a Dutchman. The house was burned, some persons were killed and some escaped. The whole number said to have been slain in Dunstable at this time was nine persons."

In a note to “Penballow's Indian Wars," by John Farmer, Esq., the following more particular account of this attack is given: “The savages disappointed in this part of their plan, (the attack on Weld's garrison) immediately proceeded to Galusha's, two miles distant, took possession of and burned it. One woman only escaped. Had the company at Weld's armed and immediately pursued, they might probably have prevented this disaster; but they spent so much time in arming and getting their horses, that the enemy had an opportunity to perpetrate the mischief, and escaped uninjured.

"The woman above mentioned, when the Indians attacked the house, sought refuge in the cellar, and concealed herself under a dry cask. After hastily plundering the house, and murdering, as they supposed, all who were within it, the Indians set it on fire, and immediately retired. The woman, in this critical situation, attempted to escape by the window, but found it too small. She however succeeded in loosening the stones, till she had opened a hole sufficient to admit of her passage, and with the house in flames over her head, she forced herself out and crawled into the bushes, not daring to rise for fear she should be discovered. In the bushes she lay concealed until the next day, when she reached one of the neighboring garrisons.”

In the Records of the General Court of Massachusetts, mention is made several times of these conflicts. The sum of £4 was granted to "Robert Rogers, of Rowley," who was "one of Capt. Peirson's company when attacked by the Indians at Dunstable, and was wounded by a spear run into his breast." The sum of £10 was also allowed to Capt. Peirson, "for the scalp of an Indian enemy slain the last summer by him and his company at Dunstable, to be by him distributed and paid to such of his troops, and the inhabitants of said town, that were at the garrison when and where the Indian was slain."

In 1712 we find the following petition of Daniel Gallusha, in which he states, "that about six years past, when the Indians attacked and took the house of Daniel Gallusha, his father in Dunstable, he being posted there under her Majesty's pay, and serving there with his own arms while running hastily to take his own gun, by mistake took one of the public arms, and the enemy pressing sure upon him, he was forced to make his escape, the house being burned by the enemy, with his gun and others therein. Upon which Col. (Jonathan) Tyng stops forty shillings of his wages for the said gun." This is perhaps the person called by Penhallow, Jacob Galusha.

[CJF, pp. 83-6]