Casco Bay Massacre
The raids of August 1676 were a significant part of the Northeast Coast campaign during King Philip's War, a conflict that pitted Native American tribes against English settlers in New England. These raids were orchestrated by the Wabanaki Confederacy, a coalition of Native American tribes, targeting colonial American settlements along the border of the New England Colonies and Acadia in what is now Maine. During the initial month of this campaign, the Wabanaki Confederacy wreaked havoc along approximately 45 miles of the coast east of Casco Bay. They were responsible for the deaths and capture of numerous colonists, as well as the burning of many farms. This aggressive campaign effectively halted the expansion of colonial American settlements in the region, compelling the colonists to abandon their homes and retreat to the relative safety of Salem, Massachusetts. A poignant account came from Thaddeus Clark of Casco Bay, who wrote to his mother-in-law in 1676. He described the tragic fate of family members and friends who had been killed or captured in the area of Falmouth, later known as Portland. His letter mentioned the Brackett family, our ancestors, who were living on land deeded by Warrabitta in 1670. The attack on the Brackett family and others, who had allegedly violated the terms of their agreements with Warrabitta, suggests that the raid was a form of retribution for perceived fraud. These raids were part of the larger context of King Philip's War, which spanned from 1675 to 1676, and marked a tumultuous and violent chapter in the history of the New England region. In this collection, I present my research on our ancestors who were impacted by this event.Matches 1 to 6 of 6 » See Gallery
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1 | ![]() | 19th-century colored wood-cut depicting a Native American attack A group of Indians armed with bow-and-arrow, along with a fire in a carriage ablaze, burn a log-cabin in the woods during King Philip's War, 1675-1676, hand-colored woodcut from the 19th century. | |
2 | ![]() | Ann Mitton Brackett_ Needlewoman _ The Maine Story _ Pat Higgins | |
3 | ![]() | The Brackett's of Peaks Island | |
4 | ![]() | Wabanaki on Peak's Island | |
5 | ![]() | A History of Peak's Island | |
6 | ![]() | Wikipedia: 1676 Northeast Coast Campaign |