Mary Wheeler

Mary Powers

• Birth: 1663 - Littleton, Middlesex, Massachusetts
• Death: Apr 5 1740 - Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
• Parents: Walter Powers, Trial Shepard
• Husband: Joseph Wheeler
• Children: Joseph Wheeler, Ruth Robbins (born Wheeler), Mary Wheeler, Rebecca Wheeler, Esther Wheeler, Elizabeth Wheeler, Jane Wheeler, Joseph Wheeler, Ephraim Wheeler
• not the same as Mary Harris

notes

Unfortunately, in 1920 those who erected the marker in Littleton were misinformed about the original families in the area. Ralph and Thankslord Shepard did not have a daughter, Mary. They did have two sons, Isaac and Jacob Shepard, who were killed by attacking Natives in February, 1676. They had placed a young girl on a rock nearby, to keep watch, but the Natives were able to surprise her before she was able to give an alarm, taking her back to the Lancaster area after killing the Shepard men.

The teenaged girl is now thought to have been Mary Power, daughter of Ralph and Thankslord Shepard's daughter, Triall, who married Walter Power in 1661. The Power farmstead was next to the Shepard farm in Littleton (then called Concord Village). The age of the girl on the marker is probably close to correct – Mary Power was born in 1663, and would have been about 12-13 at the time of the attack on her uncles, Isaac and Jacob Shepard.

Thankslord Perkins Shepard was born about 1612 and would have been too old to have had a daughter Mary about 1663-64. Her last child was born in 1653. Mary Power was the second child born to Walter and Triall Shepard Power, born about two years after their marriage.

Mary Power's adventure was surely traumatic to her. When she escaped and returned home, she tended to 'run wild' by Puritan standards. Her parents were tried for at least one of her misdeeds while she was young, but she did eventually marry and settled down to lead a responsible life.

Mary Power married Joseph Wheeler in 1681, but she was dead by the time their daughter, Ruth, administered her father's estate in 1705. However, another family source said she died in 1740. Either way, no burial places were noted. As both of them were from Concord Village, which became Littleton, they may well have been buried in the Power Family Cemetery on the Walter Power farm. Several generations were buried here before the farm went out of family hands and was purchased by the Reed brothers. To the horror of the community, the Reeds plowed over the old burying ground in 1850, using the surviving tombstones to build a fence and leaving no trace of the graves. There was no law at that time about descecrating graves – there is now.

Mary in King Philip's War

From 39 AN INCIDENT OF KING PHILIP'S WAR CONNECTED WITH THIS PLACE Source: FHL film #1321409, item 13, "Proceedings of the Littleton Historical Society" Read at a Meeting of the Society, November 2, 1894, by Herbert Joseph Harwood.

At the time of the attack by Indians, February 12, 1675 6, the ground was covered with snow; it had been so deep that snow shoes had been worn by Indian spy, Job Kattenanit, who arrived in Cambridge February 9, from New Braintree,to warn Major Gookin of the attempt on Lancaster, and on February 11 more snow fell, as related by Mrs. Rowlandson.

February 12, came on Saturday. Isaac and Jacob Shepard were threshing in their barn, which tradition places on tbe south side of the lane to Mr. Pickard's house and near the road. Mary, their sister, had been stationed on Quagana hill nearby to watch for Indians, and a tradition told me by Charles W. Reed, places her on a boulder on the southerly side of the hill near the top. While putting very little value on tradition as compared with records and contemporary writings, yet, I will say for this spot that it seems to me a very probable place for a person on the watch as it would be sightly and at the same time easy to be brushed clear of snow, in order to sit or stand on its flattened top. It is probable the Indians approached from the northerly side of the hill and while Mary, who was a girl of about fifteen years, looked perhaps with longing eyes toward the house, or found it pleasanter to face the south, rushed up and caught her unwares. Amos Leighton, now seventy-nine years of age, gives a tradition to the effect that the chief of-the band held Mary while the others made the attack.

Isaac and Jacob were killed, the house burned and Mary Carried away, captive. That only one house was burned as related in the "Old Indian Chronicle," compiled from tracts of the time, leads me to think that perhaps it and the garrison house were the only ones Then standing, and that the garrison was strong enough to resist the attack. It also occurs to me, that perhaps this fire accounts for the construction, at or near the garrison, of the underground shelter. It was nothing unusual in those days for several families to huddle together for safety in one house, and the two dwellings may easily be imagined to have held all the persons I have mentioned and perhaps others.

Just where the Indians took Mary Shepard, or how long she was absent, I am unable to state. Traditions say that she escaped during the night of the same day, and reached home by early morning; also there is a tradition related by a lady who believes herself descended from Mary Shepard, Mrs. Adolphus Merriam, of South Framingham, to the effect that the horse on which she escaped was a mare belonging to the Shepards which was taken by the Indians leaving her colt behind, and that she came home rapidly to find her foal, and announced her arrival by a whinny. Mr. Joel Proctor adds the tradition that the horse was a pacer.

In this connection it may be interesting to mention a record of horseflesh, in the possession of the Shepards, which I found at the Registry of Deeds in East Cambridge, Vol. II, page 387. It is as follows:

July 2, 1674 Abram Shepard of Concord hath in his custody a stray mare abt. 7: years old, sorriel, Branded A on the ner (near) Buttock, a starr in her forehead.

Was this the animal on tthich Mary Shepard made her escape? Unfortunately for this interesting story of the family mare, we have contemporary history of a trustworthy kind to disprove it. Hubbard in is Narrative of the Indian Wars, written about a year after, says of Mary Shepard that she ‘strangely escaped away upon a horse that the Indians had taken from Lancaster a little before' This would indicate That her captors were among - those who attacked and burned Lancaster February 10. Hubbard also says that it was probably Netus and his band who attacked the Shepard family, and there is nothing inconsistent in the two suppositions, but I will speak of Netus later.

Mr. Foster says: Tradition says that this girl was carried by the savages to Nashaws, now called Lancaster, or to some place in the neighborhood of it. To me It seems certain that she was carried beyond Lancaster, because the notes of Samuel Gardner Drake to the Old Indian Chronicle say that Mary Shepard was the girl who escaped and gave intelligence to Capt Mosley that the Indians were in three towns beyond, Quoboge, (also spelled Quabaug,) that is Brookfield.

Upon this the Governor of Massachusetts sent out about Five hundred or Six hundred Men under the Conduct of Major Thomas Savadge and Captain Mosely as next in Command to him, who having Intelligence by a girl that had made her Escape that the Indians were in three Towns beyond Quoboge, marched thither, whence they joined Major Treat with the -Connecticut Forces; but the Enemy were fled: only skulkingly out of the Woods, they shot one of Capt. Moselys Men and wounded one or two more. But their main body being closely pursued despersed and ran into Woods and Swamps, so that it was impossible for our Men to come up with them and therefore marched away for Hadley and Northampton, etc.

This agrees with Mrs. Rowlandson's account of the consternation of the Indians and their hurrying her away in an unexpected direction, soon after which she learned that the troops nearly overtook them. As Mary Shepard was no doubt carried beyond Lancaster, it is possible that the tradition of the mare and foal is true to the extent that the colt was left in Lancaster add the mare hurried back there to it, or possibly the colt followed to the Shepard's and was left there.

Mr. Foster continues in relating the tradition, That in the dead of night She took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper when sunk in Sleep increased by the fumes of ardent Spirit, put the Saddle on a horse, mounted on him, swam him across Nashawa river, and so escaped the hands of her captors and arrived safe to her relatives and friends. Mrs. Rowlandson says, however, that the only time during her captivity when she saw any intoxication was just before her release, when John Hoar had given her master some liquor as part of the ransom and he got drunk on it.

Amos Leighton has the tradition that the saddle was under Mary Shepard's own head, the chief having given it to he for a pillow, and a blanket to cover her. However the saddle may bave been placèd, she escaped, and Netus, if he were her captor, must be credited with killing one less person than he might His career of butchery was soon brought to an end by a death similar to those he had caused, for in the very next month, on March 27, at Marlborough he was killed by a party Of English under command of Lieut. Jacobs and his wife was sold. Another of his band, Annecoeken, was dead before the close of summer. Others are mentioned in a warrant for their arrest issued by Thomas Danforth, Magistrate, August 11 as follows: Joshua Assatt, John Dublet Son-in-law to Jacob, William Jackstraw and two of his sons, the name of the one Joseph, also Jackstraw'S wife, all of them late of Moguncog Indians.

Three of them, William Wanuckhow, alias Jackstraw, and his two sons, Joseph and John, were examined by Mr. Danforth August 14, and confessed the Eamnes murders also accusing two others, Joshua Assatt, alias Pakananunquis, then serving under Capt. Hunting of the English force at Marlborough, and Awassaquah, who was sick at the Ponds. the three were committed prison and Joseph was indicted, with probably the others who were tried September 18.

Barry's History of Framingham, from which I have taken these facts about Netus' band, says further: How many of their accomplices, if any? were afterward brought to justice does not appear. Gookin states that ‘three were executed about Thomas Eames his burning' The execution took place September 21. ‘Two of the murderers' according to the petition of the Eames Sons, ‘Old Jacob a chief man sometime at Natick, and Josh~ Assunt returned and were pardoned and lived at Natick many years after.' Danforth's notes of the Examination mention also Accompanatt alias James Philip,

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"On Saturday, Feb. 12, 1675, the sons Isaac and Jacob were killed bythe Indians on the south side of Quagana hill. They, at the time,were threshing grain in the barn on the Shepard homestead. Beingaware of the perilous times,—this was during King Philip’s War—thesons had set their sister (niece?) Mary on the summit of the hill towatch for Indians. The ground was covered with deep snow and theIndians traveled with snowshoes. Eluding the vigilance of Mary whowas only about thirteen years old, they swooped down up on the Shepardbarn before she was aware of their presence and slew Isaac and Jacob.She was taken captive and carried to Nashawa,—now called Lancaster, orsome place in that vicinity. During the first night after her captureshe escaped and reached home the next morning. In the dead of night,Mary took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper who wassunk in sleep increased by ardent spirits, put the saddle on a horsewhich the Indians had stolen at Lancaster, mounted it, swam it acrossthe Nashawa river, rode through the forest to her home. The leader ofthe Indian band is supposed to have been Netus, sometimes called Nipmuck Captain.". (Ancestors and Descendants of Albro Dexter, p, 27-28)

Links

• http://www.reocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/2806/b44.htm

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Unfortunately, in 1920 those who erected the marker in Littleton were misinformed about the original families in the area. Ralph and Thankslord Shepard did not have a daughter, Mary. They did have two sons, Isaac and Jacob Shepard, who were killed by attacking Natives in February, 1676. They had placed a young girl on a rock nearby, to keep watch, but the Natives were able to surprise her before she was able to give an alarm, taking her back to the Lancaster area after killing the Shepard men.

The teenaged girl is now thought to have been Mary Power, daughter of Ralph and Thankslord Shepard's daughter, Triall, who married Walter Power in 1661. The Power farmstead was next to the Shepard farm in Littleton (then called Concord Village). The age of the girl on the marker is probably close to correct – Mary Power was born in 1663, and would have been about 12-13 at the time of the attack on her uncles, Isaac and Jacob Shepard.

Isaac Shepherd and his brother Jacob were killed on the south side of Quagana Hill, where they were threshing in the barn. They had set their youngest sister Mary, about 15 years old, on the summit of the hill to watch for Inidans. But the Indians eluded her vigilance and before she was aware of their presence, she was captured and her brothers were killed. Tradtion has it that the Inidans took Mary to Nashawa, now called Lancaster. That night, while her captors were fast asleep (really in drunken stupors), Mary took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper, saddled a horse, mounted him, swan across the Nashawa River, and got back to her home.

From https://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/Shepard%20Family/ShepherdRa...

The History of Concord also told the story:

The place of the tragedy was on the south side of Quagana Hill, and the persons slain and captured were children of Ralfe and Thanklord Shepard who went from Malden near a place since called Bell Rock to Concord village, where he bought of Lieut Joseph Wheeler of Concord 610 acres lying in the form of a triangle between the Indian plantation of Nashoba and that part of Chelmsford which is now Westford; Nagog pond forming the base of the triangle, the apex being two miles one-quarter and sixty rods north from the southwest end of Nagog pond.

The names of the persons slain and captured were Isaac, Jacob, and Mary.Isaac was born June 20, 1639, and married Mary Smedley, 1667. Jacob was born in 1653, and Mary the youngest of the family was born in 1660 or 1662.

When the Indians swooped down upon the Shepard homestead the ground was covered with snow to such a depth that snow shoes were used. The event happened on Saturday, and Isaac and Jacob were threshing in the barn. Being aware of the perilous times, they had set their sister on the summit of a hill to watch for Indians; but the savages eluded her vigilance and before she was aware of their presence she was captured and her brothers were slain.

Tradition does not inform us just where the girl was taken to; some think it was in the neighborhood of Lancaster, others that it was as far off as Brookfield, but wherever it was she soon escaped and returned home. Hubbard in his narrative of the Indian wars says of Mary Shepard that she strangely escaped away upon a horse that the Indians had taken from Lancaster a little while before. Tradition asserts that she escaped during the night following the day of her capture and arrived home the next morning.

Rev. Edmund Foster a former minister of Littleton in a "Century Sermon" preached in the year 1815, stated concerning the event that tradition says the girl was carried by the savages to Nashawa, now called Lancaster, or to some place in the neighborhood of it.

Samuel Gardner Drake in his notes on the "Old Indian Chronicle" says that the leader of the band who slew the Shepard brothers is supposed to have been Netus, the same who attacked the Eames family, and who was sometimes called the Nipmuck Captain. Netus was slain the 22nd of March following, by a company of men from Sudbury, who with some soldiers from Marlboro found him asleep with a company of Indians around their campfire. Foster says that in the dead of night as related by tradition, Mary Shepard took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper when sunk in sleep increased by the fumes of ardent spirit, put the saddle on a horse, mounted him, swam him across Nashawa river, and so escaped the hands of her captors and arrived safe to her relatives and friends.

References

• https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=leahyafa3&id=I19787
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106719047/mary-wheeler