Expedition to Oyster River - Final Movements
A few days after the feast, Bomazeen and forty warriors set out from Amasaquonte to rendezvous with the main body of the war-party. The remaining Kennebec warriors were to travel by different routes and join them farther on.[105] On July 1, the Kennebecs connected with the war-party at a village near the Amir Kangan Rapids, on the Presumpscot River. Villieu and his three companions, fresh from their scouting trip to
Pemaquid, arrived at the same time as the Kennebecs.[106] The following morning, they were joined by thirty more warriors from Narakomigo, a village on the Androscoggin River. By early afternoon they were ready to set out. Over the next five days, the war-party traveled in a general westerly direction, skirting the English fort on the Saco and avoiding Major Converse's militia force.
On July 7, the war-party met the remaining forty Kennebecs while crossing a lake. That night, the chiefs held the first in a series of councils. Villieu misrepresents the content of these councils by repeatedly saying that nothing was decided. Actually, a struggle over the leadership of the war-party was underway. A faction of young warriors, Kennebecs under Bomazeen for the most part, were in favor of keeping with targets established two months before. This younger faction had become frustrated with the older leaders. The young chiefs and warriors saw this attack as a means to garner war honors and take revenge upon the English. The older chiefs, Madockawando in particular, had lost much prestige in the eyes of this younger group. The young warriors had little or no use for Villieu, who was under the care of Taxous. In spite of the wishes of the elders, the march resumed. Three days later, a second council was convened with the same result. Villieu reported that, "some wanted to strike above Boston, others below it."[107] The matter was decided the following morning. Villieu wrote that, "the following day the elders gave way to the young men, and, their idea having prevailed, they took command of the expedition."[108] There would be no further debate, the fate of Oyster River was sealed.
On July 13, the war-party crossed over into New Hampshire, soon coming to Lake Winnipesaukee.[109] Some within the band began to complain of a lack of food, threatening to turn back if the plans were not changed. These threats seem to have come primarily from the older members of the party, Villieu chief among them. Villieu blamed the lack of supplies on Villebon, saying, "he had no supplies, the Sr. de Villebon refusing to give him any."[110] Villebon had, in fact, given Villieu "a canoe and such supplies as he required."[111] Villieu failed to procure his own supplies, as was the custom, preferring to take from supplies allotted to the garrison. Villebon, calling attention to a "special budget," showed where Villieu had been "granted extras."[112] Apparently, Villieu had used most of his supplies while conducting his illegal fur trading. To cover that fact, Villieu attempted to shift the blame to Villebon. That evening, another council was held, during which, in spite of the complaints, "it was resolved to advance."[113]
The following day, the war-party made its way down the Winnipesaukee River, and into the Merrimack. Leaving their canoes at Pennacook,[114] the warriors were soon joined by others from the tribes around Boston.[115] Now numbering between 230 and 250 warriors, they struck out on the trail heading east. On the morning of the fifteenth, a scouting party of ten men was dispatched in the direction of Oyster River. The war-party followed along in their wake, covering a distance of twelve miles. They were now no more than fifteen miles from the outskirts of Oyster River Plantation.
After a nine-mile march during the morning of the sixteenth, the war-party was met by two of the scouts. The scouts reported that the way to the settlement was open. The inhabitants suspected nothing and had set no patrols or watches. The remaining scouts had pushed on, trying to infiltrate the settlement itself. These spies were ultimately successful, bringing back a very detailed layout of the town. Survivors later reported that on the night before the attack, "knocks were heard by night at certain doors, and stones were thrown at garrisons, to find out whether the houses and garrisons were defended and whether any watch were kept."[1l6]
On the seventeenth, the war-party reached the upper portion of Oyster River. Moving downstream, they approached the outskirts of Oyster River Plantation from the west. When the party was within three miles of the falls, they halted to await the remaining scouts. By three o'clock in the afternoon, all the scouts had returned and a plan of attack was formed. As soon as it was nightfall, they would begin moving into position. Once they had reached the falls, the war-party was to divide into two divisions. The first division, under Bomazeen, would cross the river to the south shore. Once there, they would separate into bands of eight to ten warriors and position themselves around each garrison. Paquaharet, another minor chief of the Kennebecs, was to take the second division and do the same on the north bank. Madockawando and Taxous, along with Villieu and their people, were to attack the outlying farms to the north of the main settlement (now in Madbury). At dawn, a single musket shot was to be the signal to begin the simultaneous attack. No one was to be spared; they were all to be killed, without regard to age or sex. Every building was to be burned. No crops or livestock were to be left standing. After they finished, the war-party would reunite at the falls and move together on the final garrison (Woodman). From there, they would head west back to their canoes.[117]
It was a solid plan, designed to achieve massive destruction by preventing a unified defense. The Indians knew from experience that, at the first shot, those in the unfortified homes would try to escape to the garrisons. Having already surrounded the garrisons, the Indians would be waiting there to intercept the fleeing villagers. It would then be a simple matter to sweep through the settlement, burning the homes and destroying whatever was left.
As soon as the sun had set and the moon was up, the warriors began moving into position. Reaching the falls, they broke up, using rocks and outbuildings to conceal their movements. The English settlers went to bed, never suspecting that the enemy was in their midst.
A little after two o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, July 18, 1694, John Dean, a miller in the employ of Nathaniel Hill, was preparing to leave his home near the falls. He was on his way to Portsmouth on an errand and wanted to get an early start. Dean kissed his wife and daughter goodbye and quietly slipped out the front door. As he walked down the path, thinking of the day's work, he failed to notice the dark forms huddled in the bushes. John Dean probably never heard the shot that killed him.[118]
