The expedition against Groton was planned in part by the Indians at a
fort called Amsaquonte above Norridgewock, in Maine.  It was arranged
also in the plan of operations that Oyster River - now Durham, New
Hampshire - should be attacked on the way; and the assault on that town
was made July 18, 1694, nine days before the one on Groton.  At Oyster
River more than 90 persons were either killed or captured; the 
prisoners from the two towns appear to have been taken to Maine, where 
they were brought frequently together during their captivity.

The story of William and Deliverance Longley's family is a sad one.
They were living, with their 8 children, on a small farm, perhaps a 
mile and a quarter from the village, on the east side of the Hollis 
Road.  Their house was built of hewn logs, and was standing at the 
beginning of the 19th century.  The old cellar, with its well-laid 
walls, was distinctly visable, and traces of it could be seen to modern 
times.  The site of this house has been marked by a monument bearing 
the following inscription:


Here Dwelt
WILLIAM AND DELIVERANCE LONGLEY
On the 27th of July 1694
The Indians Killed The Father and Mother
And Five of the Children
And Carried into Captivity
The Other Three.

The monument was erected in the autumn of 1879, at the expense of the
town, on land generously given for the purpose by Mr. Zachariah Fitch,
the present owner of the farm; and it was dedicated with appropriate
exercises on Feb. 20, 1880.


On the fatal morning of July 27, 1694, the massacre of this family took
place.  The Indians appeared suddenly, coming from the other side of 
the Merrimack River, and began the attack at Lieut. William Lakin's 
house, where they were repelled with the loss of one of their number.  
They followed it up by assaulting other houses in the same 
neighborhood.  They made quick work of it, and left the town as 
speedily as they came.

With the exception of John Shepley's house, it is not known that they
destroyed any of the buildings; but they pillaged them before they
departed.  They carried off 13 prisoners, mostly children, and perhaps
all, who must have retarded their march.  There is a tradition that,
early in the morning of the attack, the Indians turned Longley's  
cattle out of the barnyard into the cornfield and then lay in ambush.  
The stratagem worked.  Longley rushed out of the house unarmed, in 
order to drive the cattle back, when he was murdered and all his family 
either killed or captured.  The bodies of the slain were buried in one 
grave, a few rods northwest of the house.  A small apple tree growing 
over the spot and a stone lying even with the ground, for many years 
furnished the only clue to the final resting place of this unfortunate 
family, but these have now disappeared.....Lydia, John and Betty were 
the names of the 3 children carried off by the Indians, and taken to 
Canada.  Lydia was sold to the French and placed in the Congregation of 
Notre Dame, a convent in Montreal, where she embraced the Roman 
Catholic faith, and died July 20, 1758.  Betty died soon after her 
capture from hunger and exposure; and John remained with the Indians 
more than 4 years, when he was ransomed and brought away.  At one time 
during his captivity he was on the verge of starvation, when an Indian 
kindly gave him a dog's foot to gnaw, which for the time appeased his 
hunger.  He was known among his captors as John Augary.  After he came 
home his sister Lydia wrote from Canada urging him to give up the 
Protestant religion; but he remained true to the faith of his early 
instruction.

Their grandmother, the widow of Benjamin Crispe, made her will April 
13, 1698, (admitted to probate in Middlesex Co., Ma. the following 
Dec.) and in it she remembered these absent children:  "I give and 
bequeath unto my three Grand-Children that are in Captivity if they 
returne, these books one of them a bible, another a Sermon booke 
treating of faith and the other a psalms book".  John Longley returned 
about the time when the grandmother died; and subsequently he filled 
many important offices both in the church and the town.  Like his 
father and grandfather, he was the town clerk during several years.

After the attack of July 27th the town was left in poor circumstances,
and the inhabitants found it difficult to meet the demands made on 
them.  In this emergency they petitioned the General Court for relief, 
which was duly granted.  3 years later, the town of Groton was attacked 
again, and Stephen Holden and his two sons were taken captive for about 
2 years.

ref:  History of Middlesex Co., vol. 2, pp. 512, 513;
........Massachusetts Archives, v. VIII, pp. 39, 40.



TESTIMONY OF HEZEKIAH MILES, 
FRIENDLY INDIAN, ON PREPARATIONS OF 
ATTACK ON GROTON & OYSTER RIVER:


"Hezekiah Miles, a ____Hector Indian of full age sworn, saith that his
being employed in his Majesty's service against the Indian enemy, and
posted at Major Frost's garrison at Barwick in the year 1691, was
surprised and came away captive by the Eastern Indian enemy and became
servant to Sampson Hegin with whom he continued for the space of now
four years, having his chief residence at the new Fort called 
Amsaquonte above  Norridgewock and that in this month of July, 1694, 
there was a gathering of his Indians at the said new Fort and 
preparations to go forth to war, and two or three days before they 
intended to set out, they killed and boiled several dogs and held a 
Feast whereas was present Egesemet, Bomaseen, Warumbe__, and 
Ahasombaniet with divers others of the chief among them; they 
discoursed of falling upon Oyster River and Groton, and Bomaseen was to 
command one of this company the five days before they intended to set 
forth, myself with four Indians more were dispatched away to Canada 
with a letter from Fryar (?) , and were upon our voyage thither and 
back again about __ days and brought down about two barrels of powder, 
Shot proportionable and some firearms.  About the time of our return, 
the Indians came in after this mischief at Oyster River and Groton, and 
in particular I saw Bomaseen in his canoe which was well-laden.  There 
was four (?) English captives, some scalps and a large pack of plunder 
brought in that canoe, and Bomaseen two or three days after they 
returned home, went away to Canada.".......
signed,  Hezekiah Miles
Sworn 31st May, 1695, Bomaseen being present.

William Longley, Richard Blood and Capt. James Parker were the three
largest original proprietors of the extensive territory of Groton.  
Groton was destroyed by the Indians first in 1676.  After the
inhabitants left, many returned, later, and William Longley was one of
those who returned, only to die in the second attack.


Contributed by Yvonne McCord


___________________________________________________________________

Source:   An Historical Sketch of Groton, MA by Dr.
          Samuel A. Green printed at Groton, MA 1894

p.42 - p.43 DOCUMENT

"Tuesday, April 24, 1696 - ceremony of baptism performed
on English girl, Lydia Longley b. April l4, l674 at
Groton, MA a few miles from Boston in New England.
She was the daughter of William Longley and Deliverance
Crispe, protestants.  She (Lydia Longley) was captured
in the month of July 1694 by the Abenaqui Indians and
has lived for the past month in the house of the Sisters
of the Congregation of Notre Dame.  The godfather was
M. Jacques Leber, merchant; the godmother was Madame 
Marie Madeleine Dupont, wife of M. de Maricourt, Ecuyer, 
Capt. of a company of Marines; she named the English girl
Lydia Madeleine.
               Signed:   Lydia Madeleine Longley
                         Madeleine Dupont
                         Leber
                         M. Caille acting curate


Contributed by Janice Farnsworth