Court, the first Superior Court, called the "Court of Assizes and General Goal Delivery" was convened at Salem. The Grand Jury included Mr. Robert Paine, Mr. Richard Smith and Mr. Thomas Boarman of Ipswich, and on the "Jury for Tryalls", were Ensign Thos. Jacob, Sargt Nathaniel Emerson, Sen., Mr. Jacob Perkins, Jr.. Mr. Matthew Whipple Sen., John Pengery, Seth Story, Thos. Edwards and John Lamson.

The Grand Jury, of which Mr. Paine was foreman, found nothing against thirty who were indicted for witchcraft, and true bills against twenty six. Of those on trial, three only were found guilty, and sentenced to death. These were the

last to suffer. Nineteen were hanged and Giles Corey had been pressed to death. John Proctor and Elizabeth How had perished, but other Ipswich folk, Elizabeth Proctor, Rachel Clenton and Sarah Buckley had escaped.

Attempts to make amends for the irreparable harm soon began to be made. Twelve ministers of the County of Essex, including William Hubbard, John Rogers, Jabez Fitch, and John Wise, petitioned the General Court in July 1703, to clear the names of the accused and relieve those who had suffered. In 1711, the legal disabilities resulting from the witchcraft executions and imprisonments were removed and damages awarded to the survivors and the families of the dead. John Appleton, Esquire, of Andros fame, and Nehemiah Jewett, Esquire, who had been a member of the House sixteen times and thrice its speaker, were members of this committee.

Ipswich had suffered grievously in the grim ordeal, but as compared with every other important town in the County, she had been favored indeed. None of her citizens, except Elizabeth How from the Linebrook Parish, near to Topsfield, were executed, and those that were accused were not condemned. No such delirium as afflicted Salem, Beverly, Wenham, Andover, Salisbury, Gloucester, and Newbury was ever manifest here. And the reason of this fine composure and steadiness of mind is not hard to find. All the ministers put themselves on record as out of sympathy with the popular delusion, and Mr. Hubbard and Mr. Wise made formal appeals for the accused. Major Appleton, though an Assistant, and a Magistrate at the first trial, had no further connection with the matter, and his dis

appearance from the scene may be interpreted as indicating that his broad and well balanced mind condemned this travesty of Justice. The same judicious and far seeing temper that made Ipswich the leader of the Colony in the Ursupation period, preserved her balance in the wild excitement of the Witchcraft time.

CHAPTER XVII.

WAR OF WILLIAM AND MARY AND OTHER INDIAN TROUBLES.

The trouble with the Eastern Indians, which had been renewed in the last year of the Andros government, broke out afresh in 1689. In that year, on June 27th, an attack was made upon Cocheco, now Dover by night. Twenty-three of the settlers were killed and twenty-nine taken captive. The house of Major Walden, who had been prominent in the war with the Indians at the Eastward, was attacked. The old soldier defended himself bravely but was cruelly tortured and finally killed with his own sword.1

Word was speedily brought of this massacre, and hasty preparations were made to defend the Towns, and send relief to those that had been already assailed. Major Appleton came again to the front, and his letter of July first discloses the great anxiety and forebodings of disaster which prevailed.

May it please yr honrs2

We are continualy receiving information of the increase of ye enemys Numbers We hear Capt. Broughton was last Saturday Shott down going to Nichewanick (now Berwick).

As for ourselves I find great heaviness in our peoples motion we have not one man come fro Lynn & are informed from Capt. Marshall that none will come: From Salem we have but 6 men wherefore I am necessitated to crave further Assiste & Direction from yr honrs & shall remain

Ips. July 1: 1689.

yr Honors humble servant SAM APPLETON.

Major Appleton took the field at once and marched to Cocheco (now Dover), though the distressing condition of his

1 Bodge: Soldiers in King Philip's War, pp. 315–317. Parkman: France and England in North America, vol. 5, pp. 32-34.

2 Mass. Archives, book 107, leaf 157.

family affairs rendered any long absence impossible. His letter, dated Cocheco, 14th July, 1689, is full of interest.

Much Hond.

I have yrs of 11th Inst. wherein you are pleased to Advise (upon my removall) to leave the imprest men here under ye Conduct of Lift Greenleaf now you may please to know yt of Imprest men here are only 10 from Salem & 6 from Rowley wch with the 20 that came last make but 36 and Mr Greenleaf not being here knew not his inclination to this affair & should I leave those 36 they are soe unable would doe but little service, for Newbury men here are none those that came were Volenteers and forthwth more will return home so that I humbly propose in order to serving the people that are here left & p'serving the place that an addition of 14 men to these 36 wth Discreet Conduct may suffice at prsent for this place wch I beg yor Honrs to Considr and favour me with an answer forthwith for besides the Afflicting providence of God upon my family before I came from home in bereaving me of 2 children I have just now advize of the Death of a third together with the indisposition of my wife & the Extraordinary illness of another of my children all which necessitates my hasting home however I am so desposed to the Defence of the Country and the preservation of this place in order to it yt am very unwilling to give ye people of this place any Discouragement by my removall till I have yor Honrs Answare here to wch I humbly pray you to hasten wth all Expedition and if you see cause to send yor possetive order for the stay of these men of Salem & Rowley that were imprest men who are full of Expectation of returning home wth me as to the enemy we have had no appearance of any Considerable number but Sundery Skulking rougues are Daily Seen both here at Kittery & Oyster River or Employment here hath been to rang the Woods and to guard & assist the people in getting in there corn wch we are still Daily psueing this wth my Humble Service is all at present from your

Humble servt

SAM APPLETON.

He had returned, and the Ipswich and Newbury men with him, before the 22nd of July, as appears from the request made by the people of Rowley on that date, that the soldiers from

Rowley, "left by Capt. Appleton at Cocheco" might be sent home.1

On the 8th of August, Capt. Simon Willard with a company of soldiers arrived, and remained here until the 2nd of September. They were quartered upon the inns of Abraham Perkins and John Sparks, and in the following February, the worthy tavern keepers petitioned the General Court, that as they were "entertained with good wholsom diet as beefe, pork and mutton, well dressed to ye satisfaction of both officers and souldiers who gave us many thanks for theire kind entertainment when they went from us"-"having sett as low a prise as we could possibly doe to witt six pence a meale for dinners and suppers beside the greate Expense of fyerwood candle and other smaller matters we mention not," they were entitled to more than three pence a meal which was proposed.2

As the month of August drew to its close, the Eastern Indians assailed the settlements, and Major Swayne with seven or eight Massachusetts companies marched,3 passing through Ipswich we may suppose. On the 19th of August, an alarm. from Haverhill caused the quick departure of the Ipswich troop of horse. A certificates of the election of Mr. Symond Stace, Lieutenant, and Mr. Nehemiah Jewet, Insigne, of the "foote Companie on the North Side of ye River in Ipswich" on the 30th of September, 1689, shows that there was a separate Company for the men of the South side.

The troops were disbanded in November, but in the following February, 1689-90, hostilities were resumed with great vigor. War had been declared by England against France. A company of French and Indians made a descent upon Schenectady and killed about sixty of the inhabitants, and on the 18th of March, a similar band suddenly assaulted Salmon Falls. Thirty were slain and fifty were carried away captives.6

A letter of Governor Bradstreet to the Earl of Shrewsbury reveals the double danger that threatened these seaboard towns.

1 Mass. Archives, book 107, leaf 223.

2 Mass. Archives, book 35 leaf 233.

3 Magnalia, book VII, article v.

4 Felt, Hist. of Ipswich, p. 147, Robert Pike's Diary.

Mass. Archives, book 35, leaf 35.

• Magnalia, book VII, article VI.