John Stebbins II (1647 - 1724)

Born 28 Jan 1647 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Alexander) Stebbins — married 4 Jan 1680 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 19 Dec 1724 at age 77 in Deerfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

Birth: 1660 Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts Alt birth: 28 Jan 1647 Springfield, Hampshire (now Hampden), Massachusetts

The Ambush of “Bloody Brook”

John Stebbins was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1647, had seen much conflict with the Indians of the area. By 1675, there had been an increase in the hostilities of the tribes. Chief Metacom or “King Philip” as he was called by the settlers because of his pompous ways, had started a war against the colonists who were encroaching on his lands in the New England area. John had heard of King Philip and his band of warriors, which had joined forces with other Indians in the area. One of the first towns they attacked was Brookfield, a frontier settlement deep in the land of the Nipmuck Indians. The Indians laid an ambush for colonist soldiers who were stationed near Brookfield to protect the settlers. Eight soldiers were killed before the others succeeded in reaching Brookfield to warn the inhabitants. The Indian warriors pursued them and burned every building in the town. They surrounded the wooden garrison where surviving soldiers and settlers huddled and pushed a flaming cart to the side of the building, they watched as the flames began to creep up the side of the wall before they were satisfied with their work and departed. The settlers rushed to save the building and using the last of their drinking water succeeded in slowing the blaze. Things looked bad for the settlers, until, by the help of God, the clouds opened and a seemingly miraculous heavy rain shower fell and doused the flames. Other soldiers soon arrived from the eastern settlements and rescued the survivors. Brookfield was abandoned and lay in ashes for years to come. After the Brookfield disaster, the Colonists called for recruits as they gathered an army to defend their settlements all along the Connecticut River. John rallied with the other Colonists and joined with Captain Lathrop’s command. At 28 years old, he was able to be a great help to the forces. John was stationed in Deerfield, where his grandfather, Rowland Stebbins, owned lot 13 in the new settlement. On September 1st of 1675 the Indians attacked Deerfield, burning most of the houses and killing one of the garrison soldiers before they withdrew. There were so many of the Indians that there was not much that could be done by the small garrison which was stationed there, and this town, too, was abandoned by the English. The Indians went southward and fell upon the settlement of Northfield where many of the people were at work in the fields, and the women and children were at home in their houses. The assault was from all directions at once, and many were killed in the fields or between their homes and the garrison. The Indians burned most of their houses and drove away their cattle. The very next day, with thirty mounted men and an ox-team, Captain Beers had been sent to the garrison at Northfield. He was not aware of the attack on that settlement and thus was unprepared when he was ambushed at Saw-Mill Brook, near Northfield. This strike killed some twenty men including Captain Beers. It was obvious that the Indians were in full-scale war. Settlers were encouraged to gather together for protection. John’s company, under the command of Captain Lathrop, was sent to Deerfield to bring the loads of grain that had been grown in that region, for the settlers would need it for the winter. John marched north with the garrison, which was close to eighty soldiers strong, back to Deerfield. A large quantity of corn was gathered in the Deerfield area and loaded upon carts. John helped as teams and drivers were readied and the large contingency began to plod southward again. Another company lead by Captain Mosely also marched to Deerfield to scout the area. After the raid on Captain Beers and his company, the Indians had retreated to a hill in the Deerfield meadow, but by the time Captain Mosely and his men got to the area, the Indians were gone. . Since John and his fellow soldiers knew that the Indians had fled Deerfield hill, they were not worried about an uprising now. Besides they had a group of eighty soldiers and felt that such a large of a group of armed men would be more than enough to ward off any attacks. With these thoughts in mind, the soldiers let their guard down; some of them even laid their guns on the wagons of corn and were gathering wild grapes in the warm afternoon sun. Without the soldiers knowing, a large body of Indians had crossed the river secretly, and undiscovered, were watching every motion of the English. Up ahead, the Indians had erected a barrier of logs and such in the road to impede the movement of the soldiers. This place was south of Deerfield about five miles and next to a small stream known as Muddy Brook that crossed the road The main bodies of the troops had passed over the brook and were waiting upon the slow movements of the lumbering teams over the rough roads. The Indians crept stealthily about and encompassed the whole company. Suddenly, without warning, they fell upon the unsuspecting and unprepared troops with a terrible fury. Many of the troops were shot down with the first volley, including Captain Lathrop. John jumped right in and was able to fight off several of the Indians amid the rain of bullets coming in all direction. A brave resistance was made by the troops but with little avail. John fought amid the bodies of his friends surrounding him on the battlefield. Finally the sound of horses and Englishmen was heard approaching, and all looked up to see Captain Mosely and his men charge into action. While they had been scouting the Deerfield area, they had heard the sounds of the guns and immediately came to the bloody scene to join the fight. Although they were too late to prevent the terrible ambush, he and his men attacked the great body of several hundred Indians. They charged them through and through several times, forcing them headlong before him into the woods and swamps. Finally after a long and severe battle, the Indians who began to take the upper hand because of their numbers, started to surround Captain Mosely and what was left of the troops. Realizing the position he was in, extended his lines to prevent being surrounded and began a cautious retreat. The Englishmen were breaking, but just at that moment, as if by the hand of God, Major Treat and his force of Connecticut troops bounded up to the battle. When the Indians saw the reinforcements, they fled into the woods, and the battle was over. As the Indians fled, John Stebbins fell to the earth exhausted. It had been a day never to be forgotten. Looking back toward the brook where the ambush had begun, the water flowed red with the blood from so many of his comrades. When the count was finally taken, out of the close to 80 soldiers under the command of Captain Lathrop, over 75 soldiers were killed in the ambush. To his shock, John would realize that he alone remained unhurt from the massacre. From that day on, the name of “Muddy Brook” was changed, and the ambush would go down in the records as the Bloody Brook Massacre.

John Stebbins is the son of John Stebbins, brother of Thomas Stebbins who is the father of Samuel Wright Stebbins, who is the father of Thomas Stebbins, who is the father of Abner Stebbins, who is the father of Hesadiah Stebbins who is the father of Betsie Stebbins, who is the mother of Emery Barrus who is the father of Owen Henry Barrus, who is the father of Edith Marion Barrus, who is the mother of Deloris, Milo LeRoy, LaMar Owen, and Maxine Dew

This story is adapted from the following accounts: “Soldiers in King Philip’s War,” September 2005 http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/philip/1-10/ch5pt2.html (DFH/B106-110). “King Philip’s War in New England,” by Michael Tougias, http://www.historyplace.com/specials/kingphilip.htm, (DFH/B116-120). The Stebbins Genealogy, Vol. 1, by Ralph Stebbins Greenlee and Robert Lemuel Greenlee, Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Film #929,273.

Dew Book This story comes from a book I (Jolene Christensen Dew) wrote which is in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City call # 929.273D51dj There are 102 stories in the book. The book is titled for each of the families in the book as follows: " Dew, Gillette, Kirk, Barrus, Hunter, Nickerson, Hyde family stories : Samuel Phillip Dew, Edith Marion Barrus, Heber Dew, Elizabeth Kirk, Thomas Dew, Jane Gillette, Phillip Kirk, Mary Ann Taylor, Owen Henry Barrus, Mary Ann Hunter, Emery Barrus, Huldah Abigail Nickerson, Freeman Nickerson, Huldah Chapman, Edward Hunter, Martha Ann Hyde, Edward Hunter, Ann Standly, Rosel Hyde, Mary Annn Cowles, Heman Hyde, Polly Wyman Tilton" Author Jolene Christensen Dew Role in the Ambush at Bloody Brook: [1]

Death: 1733, Deerfield, Massachusetts Alternate Death: 1734, Newton, Massachusetts

Marriage: 4 Jan 1679/1680 Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts or Deerfield, Massachusetts, to Dorothy Alexander

Wife: Dorothy Alexander

Children of John and Dorothy Stebbins:

1. Abigail Stebbins
2. John Stebbins
3. Samuel Stebbins
4. Thankful Stebbins, later Therese Louise Stebenne
5. Ebenezer Stebbins, later Jacques Charles Stebenne
6. Joseph Stebbins, later Joseph Stebenne

Death

19 Dec 1724, at Deerfield, Hampshire (now Franklin), Massachusetts

John was mentioned on a memorial in Old Deerfield Burying Ground, Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States with a death date of 19 Dec 1724.^[1]

Notes

• Deerfield: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=7784922b-6e0c-448d-8bc6-7714d18b79a2&tid=4478194&pid=-838725326
• Stebbins house: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=dd53e2c2-be23-4ce3-9021-d2b9b33f024d&tid=4478194&pid=-838725326
• Fate of 1704 Deerfield Massacre: [2]

Sources

1. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #119331078 (accessed 10 October 2022)
   Memorial page for John Stebbins (28 Jan 1646-19 Dec 1724), citing Old Deerfield Burying Ground, Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by James Bianco (contributor 47745493).

See also:

• Sheldon, George. A History of Deerfield, Massachusetts (Greenfield, Mass., Press of E.A. Hall & co., 1895) Page 47
• S155: Ancestry Family Trees: Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=4478194&pid=-838725326
• The History of the Descendants of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Volume 2, by Benjamin Woodbridge Dwight, page 771.