Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Gravesites: Victims of The Barrs Fight: Deerfield, MA

Victims of The Barrs Fight
Graves of the Victims
Deerfield, MA


N 42° 32.715 W 072° 36.601

Short Description: 

The last attack on Deerfield occurred August 25, 1746 in the southwest part of Deerfield  meadow called the Barrs.

Long Description:

On August 25, 1746, Samuel Allen and his family, along with several neighbors, were in the meadows southwest of the settlement at Deerfield, preparing to gather hay they had cut the day before when they were surprised by an Indian attack.

The members of the haymaking group were:

Samuel Allen - age 44
Eunice Allen -  age 13
Caleb Allen - age 9
Samuel Allen - age 8
Oliver Amsden - age 18
Simeon Amsden - age 9
Eleazer Hawks - age 29
And 2 soldiers, Gillett and Saddler, to protect them.

Eleazer Hawks was hunting nearby and was first attacked by a group of Indians and killed. Samuel Allen was killed while holding off the attack to give some of the children time to escape. His son Samuel Allen Jr. was captured and taken to Canada and ransomed nine months later. Eunice, the only girl in the group was severely wounded by a tomahawk and left for dead. She was found barely alive, taken into the town, treated,  and managed to recover from her wounds. Both Oliver Amsden and Simeon Amsden were killed in the fight.

Samuel Allen, Oliver Amsden and Simeon Amsden are buried in the Old Deerfield Burying Ground.




The slate gravestone of Samuel Allen has a cherub in the lunette and the following inscription.

In memory of 
Mr Samuel Allen who 
Fell by the Indian Savages 
August ye 25th 1746 
Valiantly Defending his 
Own Life & Childrens in 
ye 45th Year of his age.

Listen to me ye Mortal men Beware, 
That you engage no more in direfull 
War, By means of War my Soul from 
Earth is fled, My Body Log'd in 
Mansions of the Dead.



Oliver Amsden and Simeon Amsden lie together in single grave. Their partially buried brownstone gravestone is inscribed:

In Memory of 
Oliver & Simeon 
Amsden who Died
Augst 25 1746  

1 comment:

  1. I'd like to get your permission to use one of these photos for educational purposes in a guide from the Smithsonian Institution. dcmarcatgmail.com

    ReplyDelete