Raid on Groton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raid on Groton
Part of King William's War
Date July 27, 1694 Location Groton, Massachusetts Result French and Indian victory
Belligerents
Province of Massachusetts Bay	New France and Wabanaki Confederacy (Abenaki, Maliseet)
Commanders and leaders
	Claude-Sébastien de Villieu; Louis-Pierre Thury
Strength
unknown	250 Abenaki Indians
Casualties and losses
killed 20 people and took 13 captive	unknown

The Raid on Groton was an attack that happened during King William's War. It took place on July 27, 1694, in a town called Groton, Massachusetts. This attack was one of many that happened in Groton during the late 1600s and early 1700s.

Groton had been attacked before, during King Philip's War. Many families even left the town for a while because of the danger. It was also raided again in June 1707, during Queen Anne's War.

During these wars, both the French and the English, along with their Native American allies, often captured people. Sometimes, they would exchange these prisoners. Other times, families or communities would pay money to get their loved ones back. Some captives were even adopted by Native American families, like the Mohawk or Abenaki.

Why the Raid Happened

In 1693, the English leaders in Boston tried to make peace with the Abenaki tribes in eastern Massachusetts. They also wanted to start trading with them.

However, the French governor in Quebec, named Frontenac, wanted to stop these peace talks. He sent a man named Claude-Sébastien de Villieu to an area that is now Maine. Villieu's orders were to lead the Native American allies against the English. At this time, England and France were fighting each other in Europe, a conflict known as King William's War.

Villieu spent the winter at a place called Fort Nashwaak. The Native American groups in the area were not all sure if they wanted to attack the English. But after Villieu talked with them, and with support from two priests, Father Louis-Pierre Thury and Father Vincent Bigot, they decided to go on the attack.

The Attack on Groton

Villieu first led about 250 Abenaki warriors to attack a settlement called Oyster River (which is now Durham, New Hampshire). These warriors were from the Penobscot and Norridgewock tribes. Their leader was a sagamore (chief) named Bomazeen. Some Maliseet warriors, led by Assacumbuit, also joined the attack.

After the attack on Oyster River, some of the warriors, led by Taxous and Madockawando, felt they hadn't gotten enough valuable items or captives. So, about 40 of them continued on to Groton, Massachusetts.

They raided Groton on the morning of July 27, 1694. During the attack, they killed about 20 people. Seven of these were from the Longley family. They also captured about 13 other people, including three children from the Longley family.

One of the captured children, Betty Longley, died on the journey to Montreal. Her brother, John Longley, was held by the Abenaki tribe.

The oldest Longley child captured was 21-year-old Lydia Longley. She was later taken to Montreal by the Pennacook tribe, who had traded for her. In Montreal, a wealthy Frenchman helped her. He paid to free her, taught her, and she became a Catholic. She was baptized as Lydia-Madeleine in 1696. That same year, she joined a group of nuns called the Congregation of Notre Dame. Sister Lydia-Madeleine spent most of her life working in Montreal. Later, she became the leader of a mission near Quebec City. In the mid-1900s, she became famous as the First American Nun after a children's book about her was published.

What Happened Next

After the successful attacks on Oyster River and Groton, Claude-Sébastien de Villieu became the commander of Fort Nashwaak. This fort was the capital of Acadia at the time, and he joined the Acadian Governor de Villebon there.