RESEARCH
FINDINGS
In last
month’s newsletter, I discussed James Quanapaug, also known as James
Quannupokkis, Quannaphohit, Rumneymarsh or Wiser, who may be our
ancestor.
From the
“History of Hadley”, by Sylvester Judd, H.R. Huntting & Company, 1905, page
153; “James Quannaphoit, a Christian Natick Indian, who was sent forth as a spy,
with another named Job, arrived at Wenimesset or Menimesset, north of
Brookfield, January 4, 1676, where he found, as he judged, about 300 Nipmuck
fighting-men, and twice as many women and children. He was there informed that Philip was
within a half day’s journey of Albany.
I requested
a copy of James Quanapuag’s journey among the Nipmucks. A copy of his testimony was found in the
Massachusetts Historical Society Collection, 1st Series, Vol. 6
(1799), pages 205-208. It is
reproduced below exactly how it appears in the record.
If James is
our ancestor, this would be the earliest record that we have of the actual
experiences of one of our family members.
It was at the height of King Philip’s War and James was lucky not to be
killed when he infiltrated the ranks of King Philip’s men. There is more detail of the war in the
last newsletter.
James
Quanapaug’s Information, 24th 11 mo. 1675. James Quanapuag, an Indian, sent out
with Job, as spies, to make discovery of the enemy; returneth as
followeth-“Saith, the first night after his departure from Natick, he came to
Hessamesit, and from thence went to Manexit, where he met seven Indians of the
enemy, who took Job and him. They
were Quahmsit and Segunesit Indians.
The next day we went to Quabaug pond, and met other Indians at Quabuag
old fort, four men and two squaws.
There we lay all night. Next
day one Indian said he would carry us to the Indians; and we crossed over on
this side Quabuag, and traveled one day; and in the night came to three Indian
towns, the furthest not above three miles distant from the other, in which there
was about 300 soldiers, besides women and children, and lie about thirty miles
from Lancaster. The place is called
Menemesseg, about twenty miles to the northward of Connecticut path. They have bark wigwams for shelter, and
some mats; have pork, beef, and venison plenty. Their corn, he thinks, will fall
short. The first night they asked
us how we came from the island. We
told them we lived badly, had no firing, and run away. They said we were the
English’s brothers, and came as spies, and said they would kill us; but some of
the chief would not yield to it.
They were two Narragansets, would have had us killed. They inquired, what army was at
Narraganset. We told them, we knew
not; we dare not go to Boston. One
Indian would have borrowed my knife, another my hatchet. Then I spake to Job, saying, come let us
go to their council. The first
night we came, they took our snow-shoes from us; and one-eyed John told us, it
was a great way, we could not come there by night; but we went, and found it but
three miles. We came to the chief
wigwam, where was about fifty men.
They did not ask us many questions.
Tuckup William told us, they had appointed to kill James Speen, Andrew
Pitimy, captain Hunter, Thomas Quanupu, and Peter Ephraim, if they fell into
their hands, and that Philip had hired them to do it; and said, I was one of the
worst, and they would kill me, because I went up with the army to Swanzey, where
Pebe and one of Philip’s counselors were killed, and that I helped to cut off
their heads, and bade me look to myself.
Next morning I went to one-eyed John’s wigwam. He said he was glad to see me; I had
been his friend many years, and had helped him kill Mohaugs; and said, noboby
should meddle with me. I told him
what was said to me. He said, if
any body hurt me they should die.
Then came Matoonus his company and others, and went to dancing; we
painted our faces and went to dancing with them, and were very good
friends. The dance continued two or
three nights, after which they looked badly upon me again. I lay in the sagamore’s wigwam; and he
charged his gun, and threatened any man that should offer me hurt; and all those
of his wigwam that should offer me hurt; and all those of his wigwam were of
that mind, and sent a guard with me to the place whence I came. I went to another sachem, who told me,
nobody should hurt me. I asked
one-eyed John, how many men he lost: he said, but two. I asked him how many he lost up about
Hatfield; he said, he lost one in the fight with captain Beers; another in fight
with captain Lathrop. He hath about
forty men under him. I asked him
how many Philip and Northampton Indians lost; he said, but two. I asked him how much ammunition he had:
he said, half a peck of powder, and shewed me it. He said, he had it from the soldiers
that were slain, some, and some from the fort of Orania. They have in these towns about twice so
many women and children as are persons upon Deer island. He said, he expected help from the
Wampaugs and Mohaugs, between this and planting time. The Mohaugs say, they will not kill the
English, but they will kill the Mohegins.
The Frenchmen, that went up from Boston to Norwuthick, were with the
Indians, and shewed them some letters, and burnt some papers there, and bid them
they should not burn mills nor meeting-houses, for there God was worshipped; and
told them that they would come by land, and assist them, and would have
Connecticut river, and that ships would come from France and stop up the bay, to
hinder English ships and soldiers coming.
And this Indian told me, they would fall upon Lancaster, Groton,
Marlborough, Sudbury, and Medfield; and that the first thing they would do
should be to cut down Lancaster bridge, so to hinder their flight, and
assistance coming to them; and that they intended to fall upon them in about
twenty days time from Wednesday last. (They attacked Lancaster on the
10th of February, 1676.)
The Narragansets sent up one English head to them by two of their men;
and they shot at the Narragansets, told them they had been friends to the
English, and that head was nothing.
Afterwards they sent up two men more, with twelve scalps; then they
received them, and hung the scalps on trees. Whilst I was there, another messenger
came, brought nothing, but desired assistance, and said, they lost but forty
fighting men, and three hundred old men, women, and children; and said, they had
a great English captain among them, who had killed five Englishmen; that captain
Mosely was killed, and that the Narragansets were drawing to Quantisick; two
hundred men were come then; that they are in three companies; Pomham is by
himself, and Quananshet by himself; Ninegret is parted from them. They said, Ninegret’s men pretended to
help the English, but were false, and did not shoot against the Indians; but
that the Mohegins killed more than the English. They said, there is an Englishman called
Williams about Mr. Stanton’s who, after the fight, came to the fort to the
sachems to beg for his life, and the life of his wife and children, tendered
them his cattle, corn, and goods, and to bring them what powder he could. Robert Pepper is a prisoner among the
Indians where I was; was wounded in the fight in the leg, and got into a tree
and lay there, and Sam of Mashaway took him, and dragged him away, and abused
him. After two days, Sam took him
into his wigwam, and told him, if he did not die of his wound he should not be
killed, and doth now use him kindly.
Pepper told me, his master Sam said he should go home in the spring. Philip hath two prisoners of the
English, one Greenleaf’s man, a ship carpenter, and a Barbadoes boy. Philip is well, and within half a day’s
journey of the fort Orania on that side; Hadley Indians are on this side, a
little distant one from the other.
Sancumucha, Hadley sachem, was ready to kill Philip; told him, he had
brought all this trouble on them.
They lived very well by the English; two Mohaugs have been with them the
last summer, and buy powder for them at Orania. Two Wampaugs are with them. The old men are weary of the war, but
the young men are for the continuance of it. They say, they have good store of
arms. Marlborough Indians are with
them; they say, they were fetched away by the other Indians; some of them are
very willing to come back. They had
appointed a time to carry me with them to Philip, and Job to Narraganset, to
tell what news we had brought; but I put them off, that I would go out first
with some Indians, and kill some English, and carry their heads to Philip; but
Job and I consulted to go a hunting, and borrowed Sampson’s gun, and we found
four deers, and killed them, and got into a swamp, and lay there all night. Next morning dressed our venison; then I
came away, and left Job; he said, he would go to Narraganset; and if he lived,
would return in three weeks. We
parted on Thursday last, about three o’clock in the morning. It is reported, there is seven hundred
fighting men, well armed, left of the Narragansets.
OBITUARY
Kaysville-Wendell Haslam Wiser, 76,
beloved husband, father and grandfather, died at his home in Kaysville, Utah,
Sunday, August 8, 1999, after a courageous 13-year battle against cancer. Born December 16, 1922 to William Harvey
Wiser and Emma Haslam Wiser in Fairview, Franklin, Idaho, the fifth of eight
children. Married Yvonne Helen
Wendrich, 1947. She died in
1968. Married Barbara Carr,
1969. Five children: Jerald W.
(Susan) Wiser, Kaysville; David W. Wiser, Phoenix; Gregory W. Wiser, Australia;
Diane Wiser, Kaysville; Sharon W. (Spencer) Meikle, Tucson, and 13
grandchildren. Raised on a farm in
Idaho. Attended Brigham Young
University. Pilot of World War
II. Received BS and PhD degrees
from University of Utah. Served a
mission to New Zealand and Samoa with Yvonne in 1953-1958. Taught at and was president of the LDS
Church College of New Zealand 1958-1965.
Was professor of Fuels Engineering at U of U 1965-1998. Involved in several professional
organizations. Authored many
scientific papers and a textbook, and held several patents. Enjoyed horses and cattle ranching. Loved sports. Played on several community, school and
church baseball and basketball teams.
Played basketball with U of U colleagues until age 73. Always active in The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President of Stadium Village Branch bishop twice, stake president and
stake patriarch. Loved teaching
Gospel Doctrine class. Survived by
wife and children. Preceded in
death by his first wife, parents, all brothers and sisters, and one
grandson. Funeral Wednesday, Aug.
11th at 11 a.m. at Kaysville East Stake Center, 201 So. 600
East. Interment at Salt Lake City
Cemetery at 2:30 p.m.8
POSTSCRIPT
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Ron Wiser 6 Baton Rouge Roswell, NM 88201
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