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