Truce at Wells (Oct 1690)

Date: Oct 1690 to May 1691
Location: Wells, York, Maine

Historical event: October 1690 at Wells, Maine.

Epoch: King William's War (1688-1697)

In October 1690, under a white flag of truce, the Abenaki met with the English at Wells, Maine, to discuss terms of an exchange of prisoners. The Abenaki appealed for the return of their wives and children who had been captured and taken away during Col. Benjamin Church's Second Expedition. With a promise of peaceful relations, the parties agreed to organize the exchange in November. The scheduled meeting occurred but the Abenaki brought fewer prisoners than expected. A long parlay led to temporary truce and cessation of hostilities until the following May, when more prisoners would be exchanged.

This meeting was mentioned in a letter received by Frontenac on 10 Oct 1690, warning him of an impending attack. In that letter, the Abenaki chiefs tell Frontenac that they are occupied with trying to regain their lost relatives.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Ernest Myrand. "Sir William Phipps Devant Quebec: Histoire D'Un Siege" Demers et Frere. 1893. (Accessed 15 Jan 2023) http://collections.banq.qc.ca/bitstream/52327/2022077/1/94664.pdf

• "Promises of a Prisoner Exchange", a section in The Nine Years’ War in Canada- 1690: The Acadian Theatre. COLONIAL HISTORY, MILITARY HISTORY, NEW BRUNSWICK, NOVA SCOTIA / JUNE 24, 2019 by HAMMERSON PETERS. (Accessed 5 Jan 2023) https://mysteriesofcanada.com/military/the-nine-years-war-in-canada-1690-the-acadian-theatre/

• Church's Second Expedition (Sep 1690)