Caleb Howe

1723 - 1755  (31 years)

• Name	Caleb Howe
  Birth	3 Dec 1723	Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
  Gender	Male
  Death	27 Jun 1755	Hinsdale, Great Meadow, Vermont, USA
  Person ID	I18446	Master
  Last Modified	14 Jul 2012

  
  

  Father	Nehemiah Howe,   b. 1693, Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA d. 25 May 1747, Québec, Québec, Canada (Age 54 years)
  Mother	Margaret Willard,   b. 1696, Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA d. 25 Jan 1758, Westborough, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA (Age 62 years)
  Marriage	1715	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
  Family ID	F1742	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 3 Dec 1723 - Framingham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA Death - 27 Jun 1755 - Hinsdale, Great Meadow, Vermont, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  On the 27th of June, the most disastrous affair that occurred during the season on Connecticut river, took place at Bridgman's Fort, on Vernon meadow, a short distance below Fort Dummer. On the spot where the original fort stood, which was burned by the Indians in 1747, another of the same name had been erected soon after, and being strongly picketed, was considered as secure as any garrison in the vicinity. It was situated on low ground, near elevated land, from which an easy view of its construction and arrangements might be had. From the manner in which the attack was planned, and from the stra tegy therein displayed, it is supposed that the Indians, availing themselves of the opportunity afforded by the high ground, had previously viewed the place, and by listening at the gate, had discovered the signal by which admittance was gained to * Hoyt's Indian Wars, pp. 266-269. A full account of this fight is given in Appendix E. † Some writers have named July 27th, as the day on which this event occurred. Contemporaneous MSS. corroborate the date given in the text CAPTURE OF BRIDGMAN'S FORT fort. On the morning of the day in which the attack was made. Caleb How, Hilkiah Grout, Benjamin Gaffield, and two lads, the sons of How, left the fort and went to work in a cornfield, lying near the bank of the river. Returning a little before sunset, they were fired upon by a party of about a dozen Indians, from an ambush near the path. How, who was on horseback with his two sons, received a shot in the thigh, which brought him to the ground. The Indians, on seeing him fall, rushed up, and after piercing him with their spears, scalped him, and leaving him for dead, took his two sons prisoners. Gaffield was drowned in attempting to cross the river, but Grout fortunately escaped. The families of the sufferers who were in the fort, had heard the firing but were ignorant of its cause. Anxiously awaiting the return of their companions, they heard in the dusk of evening a rapping at the gate, and the tread of feet without. Supposing by the signal which was given that they were to receive friends, they too hastily opened the gate, and to their surprise and anguish, admitted enemies. The three families, consisting of Mrs. Jemima How and her children, Mary and Submit Phips, William, Moses, Squire and Caleb How, and a babe six months old; Mrs. Submit Grout and her children, Hilkiah, Asa, and Martha, and Mrs. Gaffield with her daughter Eunice, fourteen in all, were made prisoners. After plundering and firing the place, the Indians proceeded about a mile and a half and encamped for the night in the woods. The next day they set out, with their prisoners for Crown Point, and after nine days travel reached Lake Champlain. Here the Indians took their canoes, and soon after, the whole party arrived at the place of destination. After remaining at Crown Point about a week, they proceeded down the lake to St. Johns, and ended their march at St. Francis on the river St. Lawrence. Mrs. How, after a series of adventures, was finally redeemed with three of her children, through the intervention of Col. Peter Schuyler, Major, afterwards Gen. Israel Putnam and other gentlemen, who had become interested for her welfare on account of the peculiarity of her sufferings and the patience with which she had borne them. Of the other children, the youngest died, another was given to Governor de Vaudreuil of Canada, and the two remaining ones, who were daughters, were placed in a convent in that province. One of these was afterwards carried to France, where she married a Frenchman named Cron Lewis, and the other was subsequently redeemed. HISTORY OF EASTERN VERMONT Mrs. How, who made a journey to Canada for the express purpose of procuring her release. Mrs. How afterwards be came the wife of Amos Tute, who was for several years one of the coroners of Cumberland county. She was buried in Vernon, and her tombstone epitomizes her varied life and exploits, in these words: Mrs Jemima Tute Successively Relict of Messrs William Phipps, Caleb Howe & Amos Tute The two first were killed by the Indians Phipps July 5th 1743 Howe June 29th 1755 When Howe was killed, she & her Children Then seven in number Were carried into Captivity The oldest a Daughter went to France And was married to a French Gentleman The youngest was torn from her Breast And perished with Hunger By the aid of some benevolent Gentn And her own personal Heroism She recovered the rest She had two by her last Husband Outlived both him & them And died March 7th 1805 aged 82 Having passed thro more vicissitudes And endured more hardships Than any of her cotemporaries *No more can Savage Foes annoy Nor aught her wide spread Fame Destroy* ATTACK AT HINSDALE'S FORT On the morning after the attack on Bridgman's Fort, a party of men found Caleb How still alive, but mortally wounded. He was conveyed to Hinsdale's Fort, on the opposite side of the river, where he soon after expired. He was buried about half a mile from the fort, in the middle of a large field, and a stone erected to his memory is still standing, inscribed with this record. At the close of three years' captivity, Mrs. Gaffield was ran somed and went to England. The fate of her daughter, Eunice, is uncertain. On the 9th of October, 1758, a petition, signed Zadok Hawks, was presented to the General Court of Massa chusetts, praying them to use their influence to obtain the release of Mrs. Grout, the petitioner's sister. At that time, she and her daughter were residing with the French near Montreal, and her two sons were with the Indians at St. Francis. It is probable that their release was not long delayed, as one of the sons a few years later was a resident of Cumberland county. But this was not the last of the incursions of the enemy. On the 22d of July, at about nine o'clock in the morning, a party of Indians attacked four of the soldiers of Hinsdale's Fort, and three of the settlers residing there, as they were cutting poles for the purpose of picketing the garrison. At the time of the attack they were not more than a hundred rods distant from the fort. Four men were on guard, and three were on the team. They had drawn only one stick when the enemy fired upon them, and having got between them and the fort endeavored to keep them from reaching it. Of the soldiers, John Hardiclay* was killed and scalped on the spot. His body was terribly mangled, both breasts being cut off and the heart laid open. Jonathan Colby was captured, and the two others, Heath *In the letter of Col. Ebenezer Hinsdell, this name is written Hardway. — N. H. Hist. Coll., v. 254 INSCRIPTION READS In Memory of Mr Caleb How a very Kind Companion who Was Killed by the Indeans June the 27th 1755. in the 32 year Of his age. Burial: Middle of a field half mile from Fort Hinsdale Windham County Vermont, USA