From The Gazetteer of the State of New Hampshire (in three parts), compiled from the best authorities, by Eliphalet Merrill and the Late Phinehas Merrill, Esq., Printed by C. Norris & Co., Exeter, NH, �1817, pg 118-121
Part Two of Gazetteer:
DUNSTABLE - a township lying in the southeasterly extremity of Hillsborough county. It was incorporated in 1746, and in 1810 it contained 1,049 inhabitants. It is bounded N. by Merrimack, E. by Merrimack river, which separates it from Nottingham West, S. by the state line, which divides it from Dunstable in Massachusetts, and W. by Hollis, and comprises 18,878 acres. At his place Nashua river empties itself into the Merrimack, forming an island and the place called Nashua mouths. Pennychuck brook constitutes the northern boundary of the town. The former ministers in this place have been the Rev. Messrs. Swan and Kidder. At present the Rev. Mr. Sperry is settled here. The principal village consist of 8 or 10 dwelling houses and 2 stores. About a mile below at the place called the harbor there are nearly as many more buildings.
In former years this town among others suffered from the Indian parties, who were prowling upon our frontiers. Two men having been missed from this town, a scouting party consisting of 11 were dispatched in search of them. They were attacked by the Indians and 9 of them were killed, and the surviving 2 escaped badly wounded. At a subsequent period another party from this town fell into an ambush, but the enemy not having an equal force retreated leaving 1 killed and 4 wounded. In 1724, a volunteer company under the command of Capt. Lovell was raised from this town and became alike remarkable for its success and its misfortunes. It first expedition was to the northward of lake Winnipiseogee where they killed 1 of the enemy and made 1 prisoner. In 1725, Capt. Lovell marched from Dunstable with the design of attacking the villages of pigwacket on the upper part of the river Saco, where a formidable tribe had once inhabited and now occasionally resided. Lovell had with him 46 men including a chaplain and a surgeon. Two of them having lamed themselves, returned home, and another falling sick, his companions built a stockade fort on the west side of the great Ossipee pond and left him at this place with the surgeon and 8 others for a guard. The remaining 34 now pursued their march northward about 22 miles from the fort to a pond, on the east side of which they encamped. Early the next day, while at their morning devotions, they heard the report of a gun and discovered a single Indian more than a mile distant stand on a point of land which projected into the pond. They had been alarmed the preceding night by noises, which they supposed came from the enemy, and their suspicions were now confirmed. They believed that the Indian they saw was stationed to decoy them, and that the body of his companions was in their front. A consultation was held and they resolved to march forward, and by surrounding the pond to command the point where they observed the Indian. In preparation for action they threw off their packs and were obliged to leave them without a guard. In their march they crossed a carrying place through with two parties containing 41 Indians, commanded by Pagus and Waha, who had been scouting down Saco river and were now returning to their lower village. Having discovered Lovell�s track, they followed it till they came to the packs, which they seized, and upon counting them found the force of their enemies to be smaller than their own. they accordingly stationed themselves in ambush in preparation to attack. The Indian who had been seen on the point and was now returning to the village by another path met Lovell�s party and was fired upon. He returned the fire and wounded Lovell and one of his companions with small shot. Lieut Wyman then leveled at him and killed a him and took his scalp. Discovering no other signs of the enemy, Lovell�s party then returned to the spot where they had left their packs. While they were searching for them, the Indians rose from their ambush and rushed upon them with a frightful yelling. A brisk firing then ensued on both side. Capt. Lovell with eight others were killed, and Lieut. Farwell was wounded. Several of the Indians fell also; but as they were superior in number to Lovell�s party and their intention being discovered, the latter retreated with the hope of sheltering themselves behind a rocky point and a few large trees on the shore. In this forlorn condition they took their station. On their right was a brook at the time unfordable; on their left was the point of rocks; their front was partly covered by a deep bog and the pond was in their rear. the enemy immediately opened a galling fire upon their front and flanks, and could they have used this advantage skillfully they might have killed or captured the whole of our party, who were destitute of provisions and cut off from retreat. Under the command of Lieut. Wyman they continued their fire and retained their courage the whole day, in the course of which their chaplain Jonathan Erie, ensign Robbins, with one other person were mortally wounded. The Indians made signs to them to surrender by holding up ropes, endeavoring at the same time to intimidate them by horrid yells. Our people were resolved to die rather than surrender, and by a well directed fire the ranks of the enemy were thinned and their yells became fainter. At the close of the day the Indians abandoned their advantageous ground carrying with them their killed and wounded and leaving the bodies of Lovell and his companions unscalped. The surviving remnant of our brave country men found three of their number unable to move from the spot and eleven others of the wounded, who had still strength enough to march and nine only who were uninjured. it was an agonizing necessity to abandon their dying companions, but there was no alternative. Ensign Robbins desired that his gun might be left charged by his side, so that if the enemy should return, he might sacrifice at least one more of them to his revenge. On the rising of the moon they departed from this fatal spot and directed their march toward the fort where the surgeon and the guard had been left. To their astonishment they found the place deserted. On the commencement of the action, one man, (whose name has not been suffered to disgrace the history of this affair)fled to the fort, where in the language of Job�s messenger he informed the guard of Lovell�s death and the defeat of his party, upon which they made the best of their way home, leaving behind them a quantity of provisions which was a seasonable relief to the retreating survivors. Lieutenant Farwell and the chaplain who kept the journal of the march, perished in the woods from an unavoidable want of attention to their wounds. The remaining few after a long series of hardships, arrived at their homes at different times. They were received with joy and recompensed for their sufferings and their valor by public gratitude and affection. A generous provision was made for the widows and children of the slain. Capt. Tyng of Dunstable, immediately collected a company, marched to the place of the engagement, and having found the bodies of the killed, buried them and carved their names on the surrounding trees. The Indians, among many others, lost Pagus their chief. the place where the action was fought was Pigwacket, now the south part of the town of Fryburgh.
Submitted by T.C. Parziale 5/30/00
Dunstable