It must also be remembered that the Iroquois of New York or the Five Nations, were unfriendly toward the French, and friends of the English. Their enmity toward the French dated from that eventful day in 1609 when Champlain met them near Ticonderoga, and with his small force, routed them with the hither-to unheard-of fire arms. But for this enmity the results of the intercolonial warfare, and the horrors of Indian attack, might have been vastly different from what they actually were.
When not in active support of the English and Dutch, these tribes were at least neutral. These struggles were intensified by the religious and racial differences of the people engaged. It was not until 1763 that French control of this continent became an idea which had to be abandoned and the vast western country became an English possession.
After 1763 the colonies had become so united through common defense against the Indians, that it was but a few years more when the Trail became again the scene of hurrying bands of men armed this time, to secure their independence. The peaceful days of the Trail's history do not begin until after the Revolution
.
The first ninety years of its known history relate entirely to warfare of Indians with their own race. From 1690 the warfare changes into one between the French and Indians and the English. The campaign in 1755, in which Col. Ephraim Williams was killed, and also the defeat of Braddock, occurred in time of so called peace.
We may now take up the study of the Trail in its historical relations with both Indians and whites, remembering that this known record is but the last few pages of a great volume, the remaining pages of which are forever sealed from our knowledge. Until the advent of the white man the Trail had been presumably used for hunting purposes, for messengers and scouts and migrations-and incidentally for war.
At the time of the settlement of the Dutch at Albany, we find this region owned by the Mahicans, (See Note B) who owned all the lands extending northward east of the Hudson. West of them lay the Mohawks whose lands lay along the river of that name.
These two tribes were usually in a state of war in the early days, and upon their dispersal and consequent lessening of power about 1750, seem to have been about equal in strength.
In Beauchamp's "History of the New York Iroquois," it is stated that the residence of the Mohawks at the place where they lived when discovered, had been brief. He gives a detailed account of the many ways in which this may be proved, and shows that they had previously lived in Canada. He also says that the great reputation which they gained as warriors, and which made them a terror to all who knew their name, was due to the fact that they were the first of the Indian tribes to receive firearms, which gave them the advantage over their foes. (See Note C).
There is evidence that the Mohawks were enemies of the eastern tribes, known as the Penobscots. In 1650 they asked permission of the, Dutch to cross their lands to attack the New England Indians.
In 1662 the English complained that the Mohawks had attacked the Penobscots. In 1664 Mohawk ambassadors were killed by the Kennebeeks and in 1669 three hundred New England Indians attacked them but were repulsed and their leader killed. In return the Mohawks made a raid into New England. In all this warfare the attacking parties crossed the mountains over the Hoosac Trail. Dr. Beauchamp claims that the Mohawks of the Five Nations did not arrive in New York until about 1590-from which we may understand that their raids over this trail were not "from time immemorial." What occurred before 1590 we shall never know.
The Indian attacks on the whites of New England after King Philip's War, were always under French direction. It seems strange in these days that in the disagreements of despots in Europe, savages should be employed by Christian neighbors to slay each other in a wilderness three thousand miles away. It so happened that the Pennacook Indians who inhabited southern Maine, New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts had before 1700 been driven from their lands, slowly withdrawing to Canada before the advent of the whites.
Having been treacherously dealt with by the whites and dispossessed, they reached Canada, inflamed with a bitter hatred toward the New England people. About 1700 these exiles settled at St. Francis, where they joined the Abnaki, also exiles from New England and animated by similar feelings of revenge. They became famous as the most bitter enemies of the whites of New England, and with the French, were involved in all the raids into that region including that against Fort Massachusetts.
There was also at Caughnawaga on the St. Lawrence, a settlement of emigrants who had come from the Oneidas and Mohawks in New York about the year 1668. They were nominally Christianized, and known as the Praying Indians. Since they spoke the Mohawk tongue, they became known as the French Mohawks. Altho often invited to return to their brethren, they refused to go, and became of great assistance to the French in their warfare into New England.
The two branches of the Mohawks remained friendly with each other, and altho the New York Mohawks were friends of the whites, could rarely be induced to take up arms against their brethren of the North.
Thus our Trail may claim its name as derived from both branches of the Mohawk race, one branch using it in its raids against other Indians and the other for attacks with the French upon the English.
Many times the Dutch rendered valuable assistance to the New England people by sending them couriers, bearing information which came to them through the communication of these two branches of the Mohawks.
The path of the invaders was usually up the Richelieu River to Lake Champlain, up the lake to its southern extremity near present Whitehall, N. Y. and then either across to the Hudson and onwards, or else (as was the case in the attack on Fort Massachusetts) overland through Cambridge to Eagle Bridge where they joined the Hoosac Trail.
So as a Mohawk Trail, our Indian path really ran to Canada and was a part of a line of communication of perhaps greater antiquity than any known trail, a trail followed in after years during all the wars by thousands of soldiers and resulting in the great forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, a trail that has seen the turning point of much history the decisive battle of our American Revolution having been won on its reaches at Schuylerville, and Bennington battlefield being within sight of its course.
According to French records, twenty raids were made by French and Indians into New England, by the Lake Champlain route. Many of these reached the Connecticut River by cross trails, down the river valleys of the Black, Williams or West Rivers according to their destination, the invaders having reached the watershed of these streams by ascending Otter Creek from Lake Champlain.
A branch of the Pennecooks had not gone to Canada, but had settled about 1675 at Scaticoke, on the Hoosic River near its mouth.
Many attempts were made to reunite these tribes, but the union did not occur as a whole, altho there was frequent exchange of warriors between them, and the two branches were in constant communication with each other.
In the winter of 1675-6, King Philip remained with the tribe at Scaticoke trying to embroil the Mohawks and others in his support. While here, it is safe to say that King Philip made, in this endeavor, more than one trip over our Trail. The gathering of his forces was at a rendezvous in what is now Manchester, Vt. and numbered over 2000 men, among them many of the Indians of the north. This great force was expected to clear the Connecticut Valley of all its white people, and would undoubtedly have succeeded had not Philip, in his zeal to arouse the Mohawks, treacherously slain several of them in a manner to cause it to appear a deed of the whites.
(Note D)
The treachery was exposed and Philip had to flee for his life across the mountains to Northfield. After another season of plundering he met his death at Mount Hope.
The history of the Trail as connected with the attack on Fort Massachusetts will be told in the story of that fort. The following is a brief account of historical facts connected with the Trail.
First it was followed by couriers sent to the English by the friendly Dutch, giving warning of anticipated attacks. Later came the visit of King Philip, and his known residence on the Trail, his probable use of it, and supposed flight over it.
In December 1704 two heavy hearted men, John Sheldon and John Wells, passed from Deerfield over the Trail on their way to Canada to rescue their families in captivity. Sheldon had lost his wife and baby in the attack on Deerfield and four of his children were captives, as was also Wells' mother. These men had received permission from the General Court to make this trip and to try and arrange for an exchange of prisoners. They seem to have recognized our Trail as part of the great trail to Canada, and probably made the trip in winter to take advantage of the long level, snow covered surfaces of the frozen lakes as aids for quick travel on snow shoes. Miss Alice Baker, in her paper before the Pocumtuck Memorial Association in 1878 says, "Three hundred miles of painful and unaccustomed tramping on snow shoes in mid winter, over mountain and morass -where the cruel savage lurked-with gun in hand and pack on back, now wading knee deep in some rapid stream, now in the teeth of the fierce north wind, toiling over the slippery surface of the frozen lake,-wet, lame, half famished and chilled to the bone, hardly daring to kindle a fire, spruce boughs for his bed, -eye and ear alert- up at day break and on again through storm and sleet, pelted by rains and blinded by whirling snow-what iron will and nerves of steel, sound mind in sound body, to dare and do what this man did."
After all this suffering Sheldon's trip was only partially successful and twice more he was compelled to make the fearful journey.
January 25, 1706 he left Deerfield accompanied by John Wells and Joseph Bradley. On April 17, 1707 he left Deerfield for the third and successful trip.
The reader is referred to Miss Baker's address for a full account of his thrilling adventures.
Until 1740 we do not seem to have any definite account of particular events along the Trail. We know that the Dutch pushed their settlements on up the Hoosic River, settling at Hoosick in 1688 and soon afterward reached Petersburg appropriating the best lands on the intervals, and that in consequence a fairly good road had now taken the place of the Indian path. The approach of the Dutch to the supposed boundary line of Massachusetts had become to be considered with uneasiness by the people of Massachusetts.
Intercourse with the Connecticut Valley must have grown rapidly, and it is probable that there were few weeks which did not see parties crossing the crest of Hoosac mountain.
When Pownal valley was surveyed by the proprietors in 1760 it was found that the Dutch had taken up most of the best farms on the intervals, and there was considerable difficulty in dislodging them or making them pay for their land. Their residence there is perpetuated in the name of the cliffs at North Pownal, called Kriggers Rocks.
The Krigger family also appeared in Williamstown later.
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