| Notes |
- Probably born Dover, Kent, Or Devonshire, England
BERWICK.
From The Atlas of York County, Maine (1872), p. 121.
BY WILLIAM F. LORD.
...
September 24th, 1675, the dwelling-house of John Tozier was attacked. It was situated one hundred and fifty rods above the mills and garrison at Salmon Falls. Tozier and sixteen men in the neighborhood had gone with Wincoln, captain of the town company, to defend or relieve the distressed inhabitants of Saco, and left his household unguarded, consisting of fifteen persons, all women and children. The attack was led on by Andrew, of Saco, and Hopehood, of Kennebec, two of the bravest warriors in their tribes. Their approach was first discovered by a young girl of eighteen years, who shut the door and held it fast until it was cut in pieces with their hatchets, and the family had escaped. Madly disappointed by finding the house empty, they inflicted repeated blows upon the heroic maid until she was apparently expiring. They pursued the family, overtook two children; one three years old being too young to travel they at once dispatched, the other they kept six months. The young heroine revived after their departure, went to the garrison, and was healed of her wounds and lived many years. The next day a large party set fire to the dwelling-house and buildings of Captain Wincoln, which stood near the upper mills, and reduced them and their contents to ashes. They were followed closely by the men from the garrison until darkness put an end to their pursuit. The next morning they appeared upon the western side of the river, fired several shots across at the laborers who were working in the mill, calling them English dogs and cowards.
October 16th 1675, they assailed the house of Richard Tozier, killed him and carried his son into captivity. Lieut. Roger Plaisted, the commander of the garrison, who was an officer of true courage and a man of public spirit, having full view of the massacre, about one hundred and fifty rods distant, sent out nine of his best men to reconnoitre the movements of the enemy, and falling into ambush, three were shot down, the others escaped with difficulty.
A letter addressed to two gentlemen at Dover communicates the distresses of the place. "To Richard Waldron and Lieut. Coffin: These are to inform you that the Indians are just now engaging us with at least one hundred men, and have already slain four of our men, Richard Tozier, James Berry, Isaac Bottes, and Tozier's son, and burnt Benoni Hodsdon's house. Sirs, if ever you have any love for us, show yourselves with men to help us, or else we are in great danger of being slain, unless our God wonderfully appears for our deliverance. They that cannot fight, let them pray. Roger Plaisted, George Broughton."
To bring in for interment the bodies of his slain companions, Plaisted ordered a team, and led twenty of his best men in the field; placing first the body of Tozier, which was most remote, in the cart, they returned to take the others, when a party of one hundred and fifty savages, rising from behind a stone wall amidst logs and bushes, fired a well-directed volley upon the soldiers, and pursued the assault. The oxen took flight and ran to the garrison. The engagement instantly became fierce but unequal. Plaisted and his men withdrew a few paces to a more eligible spot of ground, and being greatly overmatched the most of his men returned, but he disdaining either to fly or yield, though urged again and again to surrender, fought with desperate courage until literally hewn down by the enemy's hatchets. A fellow-soldier and Plaisted's oldest son, unwilling to leave their intrepid leader, sought their retreat too late, and were slain. Another son a few weeks after died of his wounds. Such was the fate of this Spartan family, whose intrepidity deserves a monument more durable than marble. Roger Plaisted had four years represented Kittery in the General Court, was highly respected for his uncommon valor, worth, and piety. He and his son were buried on his own land near the battle ground, on the old road from Great Falls to South Berwick. The lettered tomb of this Christian patriot is now displaced and neglected, but as the place has recently fallen into the hands of Ex-Gov. Goodwin, of New Hampshire, a native of Berwick, his liberality and patriotism will not allow it longer to be neglected.
The Richard Tozier Garrison was on the place now occupied by John Spencer, Esq.
Not withstanding Berwick had suffered so much during the King Philip War, it had so revived that at the commencement of the King William and Mary War, 1690, it contained twenty-seven houses.
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Abt 1631 - 1675 (~ 44 years)
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