PETERS, William Wry

1672 - 1696  (24 years)  Submit Photo / Document

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• Name	PETERS, William Wry
  Nickname	Wry
  Birth	7 Feb 1672	Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
  Gender	Male
  Burial	Aug 1696	Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
  Death	13 Aug 1696	Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
  WAC	2 Jan 1941	LOGAN
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I22222	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Family ID

  F12350

  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	RUSS, Margaret ,   b. 10 Apr 1673, Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, United Statesd. Abt 1754, Killingly, Windham, Massachusetts, United States (Age 80 years)
  Marriage	1694	Andover, Essex, Massachusetts
  Family ID	F11843	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

• Notes

  William, sixth child of Andrew Peters and Mercy Beamsley his wife, born in Ipswich, February 7, 1672, killed by the Indians in Andover August 13, 1696. (No record of marriage, but is said to have married Margaret Russe in 1694, perhaps daughter of John Russ and Deborah Osgood, born in Andover, April 10, 1673?). In the History of Billerica, Massachusetts, by Hazen, there is a letter from Andover relating that William Peters belonging to Samuel Blanchard's garrison, went to his house with one Hoyt to fetch his horse, and not returning, search was made and both men were found killed and scalped. The house was about half a mile from the garrison on the Billerica road in an open plain. The Revd. John Pike records in his Journal, 1696, that "old John Hoyt of Amesbury and young Peters of Andover were slain upon the road between Andover and Haverhill." It is evident that the Wilson manuscript is nearly or quite correct in its account of the death of William Peters, the father of John, who was the parent of all the Connecticut Peters. EXTRACT FROM THE WILSON MANUSCRIPT: " William Peters and Margaret Russe had been married but two years when William shared the fate of his brothers. It was in the month of August, 1696 and they were living at the garrison (Blanchard's) according to Hazen the historian of Billerica. Mrs Peters had that morning ventured to go back to the house to gather some vegetables from the garden for dinner. It appears that after her return to the garrison, the Indians came to the house and hid themselves in a neighboring corn-field. After dinner, Mr Peters concluded to go and take care of a lame horse that was in the pasture near the house. Mrs Peters wished to accompany him, but as it began to rain, he thought it would not be prudent for her to do so. (Their young son John was a babe ten months old.) She felt an uncommon anxiety to go with him, and following him out, said she could go, the rain would not hurt her. Noticing her extreme agitation he turned and in a tender manner replied, ' No, my dear, it will make you sick ; the grass will be very wet, you will wet your feet and take cold.' He told her he would go to his father's who lived at the distance of about a mile from there and bring a fat lamb. He would also lead the horse to the fort that she might see it. He then left her and she watched him as long as he remained in sight. " He went to the pasture, led the horse up to the house, and stood examining his foot, when some Indians rushed upon him, seized and carried him into the house where a man by the name of Hoyt was making ropes. They instantly knocked Hoyt down and scalped him. They then gave Peters a pair of moccasins, told him he must put them on and accompany them. He sat down and began to tie the moccasins, carefully watching an opportunity to make his escape. The Indians were very busy plundering the house, and when Peters saw the doorway clear, he sprang forward, knowing if he could get out, he could out run the Indians, as he had previously had several races with them. Unfortunately the pole on which Hoyt had hung his hemp was so low that he hit his head against it and fell back. The Indians sprang upon him with their hatchets. He made a gallant defense, throwing down three of them, when the fourth struck him over the eye, with the head of his hatchet and broke his skull. They scalped him, gathered their booty and fled. The Indians, from whom an account of this affair was afterwards obtained, said that they washed the scalps in rain water which had caught on the heads of some cider barrels that stood near the door. " Mrs Peters became uneasy at the length of time that had elapsed since the departure of her husband. As hour after hour passed away, her fears for his safety increased. Unable to control her feelings of apprehension, she spoke to the other women of the fort of her anxiety about him. They only laughed at her fears. About sunset one of the young men at the fort started to bring the cows from pasture. Mrs. Peters could bear the suspense no longer. As the path the young man would have to follow, led him near her house, she said she would go with him. They walked along in silence until they came to the path which would separate them. She told him he must go with her, she durst not go alone. Without saying a word, he stepped into the path before her and walked towards the house. When they came within sight of it, they were surprised to see the hogs (which usually ran in the woods and were very wild) around the house, and one of them appeared to be feeding upon something that lay in the doorway. As they came nearer, the path led them in such a direction that they could not see the front part of the house. "When the young man, who was a few steps in advance came round the corner of the house, he turned suddenly with an exclamation of terror and fled. Mrs Peters ran with him several rods and then stopped and asked him what he saw, 'I saw,' said he, 'blood on heads of the barrels and the hogs were eating Mr. Hoyt's head.' Terrible as this description was, it afforded a gleam of hope. ' Did you see anything else ? ' 'I thought I saw a heap of cloth within.' The hope that had sustained her fled, and she sank helpless upon the ground. The young man caught her up and carried her toward the fort. His approach was observed by the inmates of the garrison, who came out to meet him and assist in conveying Mrs Peters into their little fortress. Happily for her, she was not restored to consciousness for any considerable length of time, during that night and for several succeeding days. " Three men armed themselves and went to the house. They found Mr. Hoyt lying partly out of the door with his head nearly gone. The body of Peters was lying on the floor where he fell. One of the men raised him in his arms and thought he felt the heart beat, but it soon ceased. They laid him down again and, being too few in number to carry the bodies to the fort, placed the remains of Mr Hoyt within the house, closed the door and left them until morning, when they were brought in and buried. Margaret Peters thus early left a widow with one child, had several offers of marriage, but remained single until James Wilson, after the death of his wife, hired Mrs Peters to take care of his family. Her kindness and agreeable manners secured the attachment of father and children. Her second marriage was a happy union for fifty years."* **Margaret Wilson, the eldest child of Thomas, the second son of James Wilson and Margaret Peters, lived with her grandparents till she was eighteen. In 1819 at the age of ninety, she related the story of her ancestors in detail to her own granddaughter, who wrote it down, and from her manuscript this copy was made. It is referred to as the Wilson manuscript.