The Deerfield Massacre: The Infamous 1704 Indian Raid That Left Hundreds Dead and More Captured

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 11 April 2024

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In an obscure village in western Massachusetts, there lies what once was the most revered but now totally forgotten relic from the history of early New England—the massive, tomahawk-scarred door that came to symbolize the notorious Deerfield Massacre. This impregnable barricade—known to early Americans as “The Old Indian Door”—constructed from double-thick planks of Massachusetts oak and studded with hand-wrought iron nails to repel the flailing tomahawk blades of several attacking native tribes, is the sole surviving artifact from the most dramatic moment in colonial American history: Leap Year, February 29, 1704, a cold, snowy night when hundreds of native Americans and their French allies swept down upon an isolated frontier outpost and ruthlessly slaughtered its inhabitants.

The sacking of Deerfield led to one of the greatest sagas of adventure, survival, sacrifice, family, honor, and faith ever told in North America. 112 survivors, including their fearless minister, the Reverand John Williams, were captured and led on a 300-mile forced march north, into enemy territory in Canada. Any captive who faltered or became too weak to continue the journey—including Williams’s own wife and one of his children—fell under the knife or tomahawk.

Survivors of the march willed themselves to live and endured captivity. Ransomed by the King of England’s royal governor of Massachusetts, the captives later returned home to Deerfield, rebuilt their town and, for the rest of their lives, told the incredible tale. The memoir of Rev. Williams, The Redeemed Captive, became the first bestselling book in American history and published a few years after his liberation, it remains a literary classic.

To discuss this event is today’s guest, James Swanson, author of “The Deerfield Massacre: A Surprise Attack, a Forced March, and the Fight for Survival in Early America.”

Transcript

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0:00.0	Scott here with another episode of the History on Plug Podcast.
0:07.0	Life in Colonial America was incredibly dangerous in addition to all the typical
0:11.3	pre-modern causes of early death that could happen, accidents, disease, crop failures,
0:16.0	life on the front here exposed colonists to Indian raids, attacks from French Canadian settlements,
0:20.3	and even ringing the risk of having your entire town wiped out in one of these attacks.
0:24.0	Such a thing happened on February 29, 1704, where hundreds of Native Americans and their French allies
0:29.0	swept down on an isolated frontier outpost of Deerfield, Massachusetts and slaughtered its inhabitants.
0:34.8	Two-thirds of the 300 settlers died, including most of the small children, and 112 survivors
0:39.7	were captured and led on a 300-mile force march north into enemy territory in Canada.
0:44.6	Many captive who faltered or became too weak to continue their journey was killed.
0:48.4	Many were ransom by the King of England's Royal Governor of Massachusetts,
0:51.6	and these captives later returned to Deerfield
0:53.7	to rebuild their lives, but some state in Canada and others even joined Indian tribes.
0:58.7	We know about this because a memoir by the leader of the town, Reverend John Williams, was the first best-selling book in America,
1:04.3	and remains a literary classic. To discuss this largely forgotten event is today's guest James Swanson,
1:09.5	author of the Deerfield Massacre, a surprise attack, a force march, and a fight for survival in early America.
1:15.0	Hope you enjoy this discussion.
1:17.0	And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for word from our sponsors.
1:24.1	War has played a key role in the history of the United States from the nation's
1:28.3	founding right down to the present. Wars made the United States independent, kept it together, increased its size, and established
1:35.8	it as a global superpower.
1:37.5	Hi, I'm James Early, host of the Key Battles of American History podcast.
	...

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