79Major Ephraim Heald was one of the first settlers of Temple, New Hampshire. His deed was dated July 24, 1756 and he settled in the area in 1758. He "was a perfect Nimrod in those days, and is said to have amassed quite a property by chaffer in the hides of foxes, bears, wolves, and other animals which he killed in his constant pursuit of forest game. His favorite hunting-grounds were the wildest he could find, and we hear of his peregrinations in distant Maine, (then considered by most people as the Ultima Thule of known Eastern territory) still fresh and elastic, Daniel Boone-like, honest, fearless, and high in native nobility." Major Heald was chosen by the governor of the province to call the first town meeting, was chosen first selectman of the original board, and was one of the selectmen and town-treasurer for several years thereafter. Major Heald was said to be a man of strict integrity and respected by all who knew him. ******** "Life of Major Ephriam Heald, the great hunter and trapper of the Monadnocks; the indian scout, trader and leader in the wilds of Maine; the first settler of Temple, N.H.; the honored and beloved friend and citizen, whose work was well done, including sketches of his Ancestry and Posterity" by Ephriam Brown of Lowell, Mass., Morning Mail Print: No 18 Jackson Street, 1885.
r247 In 1775 the town of Temple, NH sent relief to the poor of Boston. This was about the time of the Boston Tea Party. "New Mampshire, Jan. 12, 1775 Gentlemen, -- You will receive, we suppose, the the bearer, Mr. John Cragin of Temple, a small quantity of rye, about 40 bushels, for an infant settlement; collected by a free and cheerful contribution from most of the inhabitants, in consequence of previous recommendation by the town. Agreeable to the proposal of the town, we shall send it to you to be disposed of by you for the benefit of the poor of the town of Boston that have been reduced to straits by the unjust and cruel Port-Bill. We assure you that we heartily sympathize with you, and earnestly pray that as your day is, your strength may be. That you may be undaunted, faithful and wise, and by your steady, undisguised conduct, put to silence those that wait for your halting. That your enemies may be ashamed; that your friends, at present as we suppose the firends of America and of justice, may be united both in good wishes for you and in just and kind conduct towards you; and that God in his own wise and holy time and way may subdue the hearts, divert the designs, and effectually counteract the violence of your enemies, and soon restore you and us, America and Britain, to that security and peace which we cannot but hope will, in issue, be more firmly established even by those very means which vain ambition uses to attain its own purposes. The little we do or can do for the mitigation of the evils you suffer, we consider rather as an act of justice than kindness, to those that are called by Providence to stand in the post of danger and suffer for their adherence to the common cause from the enemies of America, and being shut out from the usual channels from which they had been wont to derive a decent competence or increasing fortune. We are sensible that the same injustice which deprives you of your usual method of support by trade, because some tea was destroyed by somebody in your town, would as readily and on the same principles, deprive us in whose country the tea was destroyed, of the cheerful warmth of the sun and refreshing rain, til the tea was paid for, if this were equally in its power. It attacks you rather than us, because this they can do, in which for our caution and sympathy they express their ill-will and for our satisfaction their impotence. We rejoice in your general firmness hitherto, and would not forget to give thanks to a kind Providence, that, as we trust, you have been enabled to conduct with so much prudence. We are particularly pleased as you declare you are determined to be very open and exact in your accounts of what you receive, and how you employ it, as, with all your care, amazing pains is taken to propagate stories to the disadvantage of the committee and the town, the extensive and very fatal consequences of which nothing but the plainest facts can prevent. With heartyt good wishes for your welfare and humbly commending you and ourselves, and the cause of America to Him that has hitherto so wonderfully defeated the secret plots and open violence of our common enemies. We subscribe your friends, Ephraim Heald, Francis Blood, David Spafford, Sam'l Webster, Jno. Cragin, Committee of Correspondence and Inspection for Temple."
r247 "Major Heald owned two bear traps. They are described as having been of steel, very large, closing a foot high, and not easily "set" without levers. The teath were those of a fox-trap, only larger, and "closing under instead of over."" In September, 1808, Majore Heald caught a large bear in a trap in Theodore Barker's cornfield, which weighed 300 lbs. dressed, and another in Joseph Searle's field.
r247 Just before the city of Quebec was taken by the English, Ephraim Heald, being then about 22 years of age, in company with two other young men, one named Whitney, the other Reed, went from Dunstable to Saco River, and thence to the Androscoggin, for the purpose of obtaining Indian scalps, for every one of which a prize or bounty of $1000 had been offered by the government. Just at nightfall they discovered a birch-bark canoe and a fire on the bank of the river. There were no Indians to be seen, but on the supposition they would return in the morning, they thought best to withdraw to the other side of the hill, and there remain until early the next day, when they might be able to take them by surprise. Before day broke they made for the river, but by wrong calculations on their point of compass, they chanced to stumble on the river much sooner than they expected to, and instead of their discovering the Indians, the Indians discovered them, and fired. Whitney dropped dead, and Reed was wounded in the thigh. Heald fired and killed one Indian, when the other two took after him with their tomahawks. He ran down the river, and was gaining on them, when his farther progress was arrested by a deep rivulet which flowed into the river. Not being able to swim, he was obliged to turn back, and run the gauntlet of tyhem both, so to speak. When he cam in range between them, he struck his toe against a snag and fell, the Indians throwing their tomahawks just over his head. The Major sprang to his feet and ran around a hill while the Indians were picking up their tomahawks. He had time to load his piece and get behind a tree for protection. The Red-skins, on perceiving that he was sure to kill one of them if they followed up any closer, gave over the chase. Heald then started for Saco, which was two days' travel. The Amonoosac, a small stream, about forty rods in width, intervened. Here, again, not being able to swim and there being no ford-way for several miles in either direction, he cut poles and withes and constructed a raft. But he had gotten only half way across when a sudden gale drover him back to land, his raft having come to pieces meantime, so that he was obliged to hold it together by dint of lying flat down upon it, thus making his hands and feet server for withes. So he had to travel round after all; for he dared not trust himself again to the treachery of withes and poles. He then returned to Dunstable, in order to get assistance in his search for Reed. Fifteen men volunteered, and started off immediately. In a few days they came across his wigwam; the noise of their footsteps in the leaves awoke him from the sleep he was in, and starting up, under the impression that Indians were upon him, he seized his gun. One of the company, also under a false impression as to the character of Reed, supposing him, indeed, to be an Indian, fired at first sight, and mortally wounded him. He lived about two hours. The party also found the body of Whitney, and were thus afforded the melancholy satisfaction of being enabled to bury them both in one grave. Several years afterward, in 1791, Major Heald left Templeon a merchant's and trapper's expedition to a place (now Concord,) on the Kennebec. He carried with him, ;rum, molasses, calico, etc. etc., to sell to the Indians. We have heretofore written of the Penobscots, a comparatively good and well-meaning tribe, -- but we have now to relate what befell the Major from one Susup, who, with his brother John Hart and his father Sabbie, was a cold-country Indian, from far north, and very savage. This Susup came to the Major, one day, for some rum; Mr. Heald refused him, as he had had some not long before. A gill was the Indian's dram, but Susup would have more. Becoming more and more angered, he at last seized his drinking-cup and threw it across the camp. He then caught the Major by the hair of his head and twisting it one way and the other, hoarsely whispered, 'Me machiney you, good time;' (i.e., I will kill you when I have an opportunity.) By help of the other Indians, Mr. Heald released himself, and Susup went sulky away. Not long after, Susup's good squaw came to the Major, and whispered, confidentially, 'Susup machiney you to-night; don't you let Susup know me tell you!' The Indians being advised of his intention, hid all the guns, tomahawks, etc., in order that he might not be enabled to carry out his threat against the Major. But Susup was not to be diverted from his object. Betaking himself to the brook, he chose out a smoth round pebble, about the size of a man's fist, and then returned to the camp. The camp was built of logs; trhe door of 2-inch plank. Part was up the door, and on each side, was a hollow log; in the hollows of the two logs, a stake was made to run and serve for a fastener. Through this door Susup endeavored to force himself. The Major went to the door and told him, calmly, that if he persisted in his attempts to break in, he would shoot him dead upon the threshold. But Susup kept at work, having more 'occupy,' or rum, on board, probably than he had caution. He was very strong, and finally succeeded in loosening one end of the stake so it came out of the hollow log, and allowed him just room enough to squeeze in sidewise. The Major now fired. The charge took effect in his shoulder, but the wound was not very serious, and accordingly Susup pressed on. The Major then attacked him with the breech of his gun. This he soon shivered in pieces, and now having only the barrel left,he so pounded and pommeled poor Susup that he cried out, 'You have killed me, Major!' and Mr. Heald believing that he really had killed him, or at any rate disenabled him to carry out any of his 'machiney-ing' propensities, dragged him out and replaced the fastener in the hollow logs. Susup crawled off to his companions, and the Major retired to his bear-skin couch, to dream of Temple and his happy home. Next day Mr. Heald and others visited the Indian camp, where they found Susup alive, though hardly able to speak for the pommeling he had received. Sabbie said to the Major 'John Hart and I will drink your heart's blood within six months!' Mr. Heald leveled his piece at him, on the instant, but concluded, almost as soon, that he would not fire upon him, and so lowered his gun. Sabbie laughing in his face, said, 'Me got very great heart, Major!' but, no doubt, secretly felt great respect for him. Susup survived, but never recovered his former health and elasticity. He was resolved to have revenge upon Mr. Heald. At one time he followed Ephraim, a son of the Major's for three consecutive days, on a line of sable traps which he was tending for his father; but in consequence of snow coming on, Ephraim went directly in, so that Susup could not execute his design of killing him. Three or four years subsequent, Susup set out for Oldtown, the Indian settlement on Penobscot river. On arriving at Bangor, he went on board a vessel and entreated them to give him some 'occupy.' They turned out a common dram, and one asked him if he wouldn't have some good stuff in it. 'Yes, me take some,' he said and drank it hurriedly. He also took another dram which was poured out for his companion, on the latter's refusal to drink it. In a few hours he fell sick and died. Most of the Indians appeared to be very angry about it, and called on the captain to give up the man who had poisoned Susup, to be tried by their laws. The captain said to them, "Has he not been a bad Indian?' 'Yes,' they replied, 'he been very bad Indian; he kill good many Indians, and good many white men; he be very bad Indian, but we must take some notice of it.' 'Well,' said the captain, 'how much occupy shall I give you to say nothing about it?' 'Four gallons,' was the answer, 'and we will bury him, have a good pow-wow, and say nothing about it." |