Scenes from South Deerfield, part 2: Who was Capt. Lathrop?

Perhaps this monument to Captain Lathrop and his men will enlighten us?





Text reads:

On this Ground Capt. THOMAS LATHROP and eight four men under his command, including eighteen teamsters from Deerfield, conveying stores from that town to Hadley, were ambuscaded by about 700 indians, and the Captain and seventy six men slain, Sept 18th 1675 (old style). [Eds. note: Whoa! No one likes to be ambuscaded! Bad luck, that.]

The soldiers who fell were described by a contemporary Historian as "a choice Company of young men, the very flower of the County of Essex none of whom were ashamed to speak with the enemy in the gate." [Eds note: So you're saying they were nice fellows, then?]

And SANGUINETTO tells you where the dead
Made the earth wet and turned the unwilling waters red
[Eds note: Wow -- check out the fancy pants literary reference to Lord Byron's Child Harold's Pilgrimmage.]

The Same of the slain is marked by a Stone slab, 21 rods southerly of this monument.
[Eds note: why southerly and not just south? Geez, get an editor next time...]

Anyways, the whole event became known as the Battle of Bloody Brook, which you can read more about here. The brook itself runs right through our backyard -- we are very pleased to report that the water has long since shed its reddish hue; these days it maintains a murky, slimy earth-tone brown.

So there you have it: this week's edition "The Happy History of South Deerfield."

- jbc