thinks the affair should not be delayed. He further suggests "whether it may not do well that Samuel Cross,1 and those dogs he hath, may not be advantageous to the present motion, to be sent up," probably with a view of employing them to track and hunt the Indians.

In the beginning of June, Maj. Talcott took the field with a large force of English and Indians, and spent that and the succeeding month in scouring the country, engaging the enemy wherever he came upon them, and gaining several very decided and important successes. In August, King Philip himself was killed near his old home at Mount Hope, where he had returned, as it were, in despair and desperation, to die. With him died also the hopes of the Indian tribes. His only son, "the last of the family of Massasoit," was sold as a slave and transported to the Bermudas. The once powerful Narragansetts were a "lost tribe." The sword, fire, famine and sickness had swept them from the earth.

And the war, while it had given safety, and opened a wide door for immigration and improvement, had still been most disastrous to the whites. "Twelve or thirteen towns were destroyed; the disbursements and losses equaled in value half a million of dollars; an enormous sum for the few of that day. More than six hundred men, chiefly young men, the flower of the country, of whom any mother might be proud, perished in the field. As many as six hundred houses were burned. Of the able bodied men in the colony, one in twenty had fallen; and one family in twenty had been burnt out. There was scarcely a family from which death had not selected a victim."

While this was true of Massachusetts and Plymouth, Connecticut had suffered comparatively little. Her towns had escaped the ravages of the enemy, and her slain were but few. The Indians within her borders were not only friendly, but aided her in the field. And she had the glorious privilege of repeatedly assisting her confederates, and of "rescuing whole towns and parties when in the most imminent danger." Yet all this was only accomplished at great risk and expense. Besides

1 Samuel Cross was of Windsor.

guarding her own towns and frontiers, she had sent into the field a larger force, in proportion to her population, than any other colony, and for three years after the commencement of the war, the inhabitants paid 11 pence on the pound, upon the grand list, exclusive of all town and parish taxes."

And when the Protestant Irish generously sent a contribution to relieve the necessities of the suffering New England colonies, Connecticut relinquished her share to the more distressed colonies of Massachusetts and Plymouth. Nor was this all, but they even sent a voluntary contribution out of their own little store to their "brethren in distress in our neighboring colonies." The Record of Windsor's share in this work of mercy, as preserved by Matthew Grant,1 forms an appropriate finale to this chapter.

"This is the account of what persons gave to the voluntary contribution made for the poor in want in other colonies upon motion sent to this colony of Connecticut. It was done June 11, '76.

This generous contribution of Windsor was, by the following special order of the court, appropriated to relieve the wants of the Simsbury people, and others whose property had been destroyed, and who were in circumstances of much destitution.

July 10th. "The council, being informed that through the good hand of God upon us, our people of this colony have bountifully, according to their ability, afforded some supply for our brethren in distress in our neighboring colonies, have thought meet to desire that our brethren of Windsor would improve what they have gathered of the good people there, to supply those in want that are removed by reason of the rage [of the] enemy into their town; and that the remainder of it be distributed among the people of Springfield in distress, and those upper towns, according to the good discretion of Deacon John Moore, John Loomis, Jonathan Gillet, Senr., and Jacob Drake."

As far as can be ascertained, only one person was killed by the Indians during the war, within the present limits of Wind

sor.

Henry Denslow had purchased, in 1662, a tract of land on both sides of Kettle Brook, including nearly the whole of the present town of Windsor Locks. He settled on this purchase about one-half or three-quarters of a mile south of the brook, and his was probably the only family in that part of the town until after Philip's war. Daniel Hayden was his nearest neighbor, at the distance of nearly two miles. When the war broke out he removed his family into the centre of the town, but being a courageous man he ventured alone, as tradition informs us, to cultivate his lands. He was killed, however, in the summer of 1676, by the same wandering party of Indians who burnt Simsbury, and who afterwards confessed their crime at Hart

ford.

A Mr. Elmor was also killed about the same time, near Podunk, in the present town of South Windsor.

Edward Bartlett of Windsor, was killed at Westfield, Mass.1

1 His will in the probate office at Hartford, is dated February 24, 1676.

CHAPTER XI.

ECCLESIASTICAL AND CIVIL HISTORY.

EXTRACTS FROM TOWN ACTS.

1685-1729.

1685. "At a town meeting, June 23, 1685. It was voted that the town would have a Patent according to charter taken out from the Governor and Company, of the township of Windsor.

Also Captain Newberry, Capt. Clarke, Henry Wolcott, Thomas Bissell and George Griswold were chosen to take out the aforesaid Patent in their names from the Goverror and Company in behalf of the town:"

This Patent will be found in the Appendix.

1686. At a town meeting, "also the Town voted that Mr. John Wolcott shall be paid for the horse block he set up, at the ferry; also that the townsmen shall set up a good horse block at the meeting house on town account."

1690, Feb'y 2. "It was voted that Sargt George Griswold and Ens" Joseph Griswold shall have liberty to make a mill dam across the river at the upper end of the meadow at Poquonnuck-provided they build a good grist-mill for the use of the town within 3 years time, and keep the same in good repairs; and that they shall have liberty to build a sawmill at the same place as long as they keep the gristmill in good repair. Always provided that in case said Griswolds fail to build the gristmill within 3 years as before said, then this grant is to return to the town."

"14 Sept., 1693, the townsmen met and took some of the town's lead in view, and found and left at Lft. Return Strong's old house, under the stairs, 359 pounds; and at Mr. John Tyler's 138 pounds, and it is judged under the meeting house north gallery [there is] 500 weight, besides a body of bullets at Mr. John Tylers."