Pound Ridge massacre facts for kids

The Pound Ridge massacre was a major battle during Kieft's War in March 1644. It happened between soldiers from New Netherland (an old Dutch colony) and members of the Wappinger Confederacy, a group of Native American tribes. The fight took place in a village in what is now Pound Ridge, New York.

A group of 130 New Netherland soldiers, led by Captain John Underhill, attacked the village at night. They destroyed it by setting it on fire. Between 500 and 700 members of the Wappinger Confederacy were killed. The New Netherland force lost only one soldier and had fifteen wounded. This attack caused more deaths than any other single event in the war. Soon after the battle, several local Wappinger Confederacy leaders, called sachems, asked for peace.

Why the War Started: Kieft's War Background

Kieft's War began in 1640. Tensions grew between the Dutch West India Company colony of New Netherland and nearby Native peoples. These tensions were about land use, controlling farm animals, trade, and taxes. In September 1639, the Dutch leader, Director Willem Kieft, decided to collect a tax. Native American groups around New Amsterdam had to pay this tax in animal furs, corn, or wampum (shell beads). In May 1640, Kieft told all Dutch settlers to get a gun and organized them into groups.

The conflict started when members of the Raritan tribe attacked a Dutch boat in 1640. This boat was sent to trade with them. Over the next year, several Raritan, Dutch colonists, and Dutch farm animals were killed on Staten Island. Kieft offered rewards of wampum to anyone who killed Raritan people. This helped him get help from other Native American groups. These included groups from western Long Island and the Tankiteke tribe. The Tankiteke were part of the Wappinger Confederacy and led by their sachem, Pachum. They lived in what is now eastern Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Later, the Dutch fought with the Wecquaesgeek tribe. They were also part of the Wappinger Confederacy and lived in Westchester County. This fight was over the murder of a Dutch settler on Manhattan. The Dutch tried to attack the Wecquaesgeek in 1642 but failed. That year, fighting also began with the Hackensack tribe in New Jersey. Two Dutch colonists were killed.

Escalation of Conflict

In February 1643, the Wecquaesgeek were attacked by Mohawk warriors using muskets. The Mohawk came from near Fort Orange. The Wecquaesgeek sought safety on Manhattan and in Hackensack lands. On February 25, the Dutch launched surprise attacks. They killed between 80 and 120 Wecquaesgeek people. These attacks happened at Corlaer's Hook in Manhattan and during the Pavonia Massacre in Hackensack territory.

After this, there was fighting between the Dutch and Native Americans on Long Island. Some peace agreements were made with the Hackensack, Wecquaesgeek, and Long Island groups. However, Pachum, the Tankiteke leader who had been an ally, brought the Wappinger Confederacy into the war against the Dutch in August 1643. The Wappinger tribe attacked Dutch ships along the Hudson River. This started with an event in their territory near Poughkeepsie, New York. Soon, other Native American groups joined the war. All Dutch settlements in Westchester and New Jersey were destroyed or abandoned. The Siwanoy tribe, who lived along the Long Island Sound, killed 18 settlers. This included a famous religious dissenter named Anne Hutchinson. This attack happened near New Rochelle.

Dutch Response and Captain Underhill

The Dutch colonial government reacted to these attacks. They trained and armed local settlers. Captain John Underhill was hired to lead this force. He was a famous soldier who had fought in the Pequot War of 1637. Underhill had helped lead an attack known as the Mystic massacre. In that battle, New England colonists surrounded a Pequot village and set it on fire. Between 400 and 700 people were killed.

The Dutch government also asked the Dutch government and the New Haven colony for soldiers and supplies. The only help they received was food and animal feed from the New Haven colony.

At the start of the new year, John Underhill was sent with 120 men to Greenwich. This was because the Wappinger Confederacy was attacking the area. Greenwich was settled by New England colonists. But they had agreed to be under Dutch rule in exchange for protection. After much searching, people from the nearby town of Stamford helped Underhill's force find a group of Native Americans. Underhill's men managed to kill or capture twenty Native Americans in a surprise attack.

Soon, another raid was launched against the Wecquaesgeek. This raid destroyed two villages and much of the Native Americans' stored winter food. Underhill then took part in an attack on the Native Americans of western Long Island in February 1644. The colonial force killed 120 Native Americans in attacks on two villages. Only one colonial soldier was killed, and three were wounded.

The Pound Ridge Massacre

John Underhill returned to Stamford to gather information about where the Native Americans were located. He met the guide who had helped them before. The guide wanted to show he was helpful. He offered to lead Underhill to a large group of Native Americans nearby.

Because of this, three boats carried 130 colonial soldiers to Greenwich. They were led by General John Underhill and Ensign Hendrick van Dyck. The army had to spend a night in Greenwich because of a winter storm. The next day, the army marched into the hilly countryside. The traveling conditions were very bad, and some men had to crawl at times. The army got within a mile of the Native American village by eight in the evening. After resting for a few hours, the army crossed two rivers. They then surrounded the village, which was in a hollow of a large hill.

The Village and the Attack

The village was called "Nanichiestawack," which means "Place of Safety." The Lenape people were gathered there for a "pow wow" (a gathering) during a winter celebration. They were in a safe place on their ancestors' sacred lands. Special guests from other local tribes were also there. The Siwanoy and Tankiteke tribes were trying to join their groups with five others from the Wappinger Confederacy. These included the Raritan and Wecquaesgeek tribes. Some accounts also mention members of the Ramapo tribe. They were holding blessings for the land and people.

Historians do not fully agree on the exact location of the massacre. Some believe it was on the border of modern Bedford and Pound Ridge Townships. This is near the Pound Ridge Reservation, where two rivers meet. Others think it was between Routes 104 and 172. The village had three neat rows of houses, each 80 paces long. Dutch reports confirm that the Native Americans had gathered there for a winter festival.

The night attack on the village happened under the light of a full moon. The Native Americans were awake when the colonial force attacked. In the first part of the attack, Dutch reports say 180 Native Americans were killed outside the houses. One colonial soldier was killed, and twelve were wounded. The attacking force had completely surrounded the village, so the Native Americans could not escape. The survivors hid in the houses and fired arrows at the attacking army.

Just like in the Mystic massacre, John Underhill and his co-commander ordered the village to be set on fire.

Only eight Native Americans survived the battle, and three of them were badly wounded. According to the surviving tribes, more than 600 Native Americans from seven tribes were killed in the massacre. Reports from the colonists claim between 500 and 600 were killed by Underhill's troops.

The survivors included a medicine man and his grandson, who arrived the next day. Overall, the colonial force lost only one man and had fifteen wounded. The Native Americans were not ready for war. They had a good relationship with local officials and had agreements based on mutual respect for the land. John Underhill broke these agreements. He was wounded in the attack. The army stayed at the battle site for the night and left the next morning. They arrived in Stamford by the afternoon and were welcomed by the people there. The army left Stamford and reached New Amsterdam two days later. A Thanksgiving celebration was held when they returned.

Aftermath of the Massacre

The huge destruction caused to the Native Americans at the Pound Ridge Massacre and in earlier battles made several sachems seek peace with the colonial government. S.F. Cook estimates that the combined Siwanoy and Tankiteke population was only about 1800 in 1620. Four sachems came to Stamford and made a truce with Kieft on April 6, 1644. None of these were from the Siwanoy and Tankiteke tribes, as many had died in the massacre.

Soon after, representatives of the Matinecoc tribe on Long Island agreed to a truce. However, several nearby tribes continued fighting. The war continued for another year, with neither side making a final move.

Sachems from the Sintsink, Wecquaesgeek, Nochpeem, and Wappinger tribes came to Fort Amsterdam in April 1645. They asked for peace. But a final agreement with all the fighting groups was not reached until August 31, 1645. Peter Stuyvesant was chosen to replace Willem Kieft as the Director of New Netherland in early 1645. This was because people were very unhappy with Kieft's leadership. However, Kieft stayed in his job for two more years. He drowned in late September 1647 while traveling to the Netherlands. He had been called back by the company to explain his actions as governor.