a history of thanks

  Happy Thanksgiving. On this day of thanks for all the blessings received I can't help but think back on history. I'm remembering how my ancestors, migrants to a new land, struggled mightily against the elements and hostile natives, to find safe haven. There were some natives that helped, in exchange for whatever goods the migrants could supply them, mostly tools and trinkets. Grateful for the little help they did receive those ancestors of mine invited the natives to a feast. Well, the truth is they invited the Chief and a few tribal leaders. There was a misunderstanding however and the whole tribe showed up. They stayed for days, drinking, playing games, and eating everything in sight. There were quite the rowdy bunch, those guests sure were different. Still, they were tolerated and extended every courtesy. 

  Having an interest in history I have read a great deal about all of that. Now an interesting event took place although it occurred a bit later than the first migration of Europeans to this new world. This took place in 1678 in Lancaster, Mass. My 8th great granduncle, George Bennett, along his wife Lydia and their five children, got caught up in a war. This war is called Phillips War by historians. This Phillip was chief of the Wampanog tribe. Now the migrants, that would be my ancestors had converted some of the natives to Christianity. It was these Christian Indians that reported to the settlers that the Nipmuck tribe planned to attack the settlers. It has been said that Phillip himself ordered the killing of the Indian reporting that. You see Phillip was a friend and ally to Wampanog, cheif of the Nipmucks. Then the settlers took three other natives into custody, held a trial and convicted them. They executed them! And as a result, on August 22 in 1675, the natives attacked the settlement. They killed George Bennett and seven others. By the following year the settlement had been abandoned.

 I haven't found any historical proof but it is my belief that my ancestors, Samuel Bennett born at Squaw Cove in August of  1771, my fourth great granduncle, is descended from that George Bennett killed at Lancaster. I believe that George Bennett's' widow, along with her five children subsequently moved to Long Island. They settled at Squaw Cove. It is well known that the Long Island Indians were a peaceful bunch and seems likely a safer place to settle. Now old Samuael born at Squaw Cove less than a hundred years later had a middle name. That name was George. Just a coincidence? Perhaps, but his father was also named Samuel, not unusual. His father was Samuel George Bennett. 

 There is a letter written by George's widow Lydia, requesting help from the leaders of the colony. I couldn't find an answer to that letter. Perhaps she did receive help and was relocated to Long Island, a much safer area. It does seem likely. Lancaster isn't far from Boston. From Boston it would be an easy sail to Eastern Long Island. The area had been inhabited by colonists since 1640. In 1648 Long Island was officially recognized as a colony, independent of itself. Other than Lion Gardnier who had purchased his Island from the natives, the other settlers came from Massachusetts. Circumstantial perhaps, but seems reasonable enough to me. By 1675 Long Island was a thriving community. One reason for settling at Squaw Cove would have been all the town lots were spoken for, along with a good number of lots close to the village. Squaw cove would have been available for the "poor" families, those arriving later than the original families. One of the original families were Bennetts as well. That Bennett family sold their property in the village early on though. It's possible Samuel Bennett is descended from them, although I don't think that is the case. 

 Well, whatever the truth is I will most likely never know for certain. As far as I know none of my ancestors were Pilgrims. The Pilgrims being the puritans that first ventured to this land. It was a migration at first viewed with curiosity, followed by mutual trade. Then relationships became strained. It became a struggle for cultural control of the continent. The Europeans outnumbered the natives in the end. The English predominant in what is now America, the French to the north, and the Spanish to the south. 

 That is how I write my history in America. I figure I might as well write my version as everyone else seems to be doing that. It's a story of migration followed by settlement. That's what you do when you quit migrating. When you reach your destination, you settle down. Today we are talking about migrating into space. We will one day and settle down someplace. I'm thinking we better pack a Turkey because they may not have one wherever we go. There is some discussion among scholars about whether there was turkey served at that first thanksgiving. The wampanog tribe brought five deer, that much is known for certain. Yup, later that same tribe killed George Bennett! It had only been fifty years since the first Thanksgiving when that happened. Just a couple generations. The reason for the attack? It was recorded that the natives didn't want to make any more concessions on land or trade agreements. They decided to just kill the migrants and take everything back. It worked at Lancaster, for a time. 

Happy Thanksgiving.