November 2009

        "Come on, Grandpa.  Let's go back in the parlor so we can do the rest of the story.  I really want to know what the words "Barbarities knew no limits" means."

        " Ben, its bedtime.  You and Grandpa can get together tomorrow after school when Grandpa gets back from helping Mr. Hewitt repair his fence."

        "All right MaMa.  I can hardly wait to find out what "barbarities" are.  Don't forget, Grandpa.  Tomorrow, right after school."

        "Don't worry , Ben.  I promise.  I'll be right here just as soon as you get home."

        For Ben, his time in school moved at the pace of the turtle he picked up yesterday in front of the milk house.  Finally, Mr. Steele picked up the bell and rang for dismissal.  Ben took the short cut through the corn field.  Grandpa wasn't home yet.  Ben sat on the porch, watching every wagon pass by.  Finally Grandpa's team and wagon bumped along around the bend in the road and he steered Nellie and Buster up the incline and right into the open barn door.

        Knowing Ben's eagerness to hear more about the events which took place along the Kayaderosseras, Grandpa moved right along to feed Minnie and Buster, get fresh water for them and then tightly close the barn door.

        "What happened, Grandpa?  You weren't here when I got home."

        "I know Ben, but John Hewitt gave his hand a pretty bad cut when we were putting up his fence, so I had to take him in the house and help his wife, Caroline, bandage him up.  I'm sorry I was a bit late."

        "Oh, that's too bad, Grandpa.  Did it hurt a lot?"

        "Yes, he was groaning in pain.  But let's make a bee-line for the parlor and start thinking and talking about the Creek and the events which happened right here.

        Grandpa began to run up toward the porch.  "I'll beat you", he shouted.

        They both jumped up on the porch at the same time, laughed uproariously and headed for the parlor.  When Grandpa was comfortably settled in his chair and Ben was seated on the braided rug, he spoke right out in a pretty loud voice,  "All right, Grandpa.  Tell me what the word "barbarities" means."

        Grandpa sat quietly for a minute with his right hand on his chin, as if he were deep in thought.  His eyes were partially closed.  Then he took his hand off his chin and completely opened his eyes.

        "Ben, I will answer your question but first, let's back up a bit so we can get a broad view of this time in history.  Remember, we are talking about events which took place many centuries ago.  At that time, the Indian tribes who spoke the Algonquin language had reached a point in which they had achieved enough power so they could control all of the land through which the Kayaderosseras Creek flowed.  But they had to remain powerful, because there were other tribes just waiting to drive the Algonquins out of this area and take control themselves.  These other tribes, in order to become the masters, had to join together to gain power.  And one group, after joining several others, did just that."

        "Did they become the bosses of the Kayaderosseras land, Grandpa?"

        "Yes, they did and how do you think they were able to become so powerful?"

        "I don't know.  What did they do?"

        "This powerful group, known as the Iroquois Confederacy, drove the Algonquins all the way up toward the St. Lawrence River, just south of Canada."

        "But Grandpa, how could one group of people make other people move away?  I don't see how they could do this.  What did they use?  How did they do it?"

        "The Iroquois Confederation, the ones who wanted to rule this whole area, were able to push the Algonquins out by scalping, (this means cutting off the entire top of their heads), by butchering the Algonquines and by burning Algonquin homes, sometimes whole villages at night, so they could kill the people and destroy the homes at the same time."

        "Oh, that's terrible, Grandpa.  How horrible!  I'm glad we didn't live here then."

        "Yes, this was one of the most vicious, ruthful, depraved and malicious periods in the history of this whole area.  In fact, one of the most significant, destructive, confrontations took place right here, just several miles away, when the Battle of Wilton occurred.  The French and Algonquins had murdered several Mohawk Indians and others.  About 300 prisoners, mostly women and children, were captured by the French and Algonquins who were then chased right across Greenfield, where a most violent slaughter took place between the French and Algonquins against the Mohawks and their Colonial allies.  This occurred when the Algonquins were returning from Schenectady where they had carried out a savage attack called the Schenectady Massacre."

        "Oh, Grandpa.  I don't want to hear about any more awful attacks. Now I know what the word "barbarities" means.  It makes me feel sick to hear about all the bad things some people have done to other people."

        "Yes, I feel the same way.  This was a very low point in the history of Greenfield and the area of "the lakes and the crooked stream."

        "Does your history get any better than what we just learned, Grandpa?"

        "Well, let's get together again soon for another 'talk' and we'll see.