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Groton MA - Indian Affairs
Source: An Historical Sketch of Groton by Dr. Samuel A. Green,
Submitted by: Janice Farnsworth

There was an Indian village just above the Red Bridge on the west side of the Nashua River. It prob. consisted of a few families only, belonging to the Nashua tribe, as they were called by the English. 

They bartered skins and furs with the planters of Groton. In l657 John Tinker an orig. selectman apptd by the Gen. Court, paid 8 pounds for the privilege of trafficking with these Indians at Groton and Lancaster MA  Historian Gookin refers to them in his "History of the Christian Indians" (Indians at Groton)  He mentions the Indian, Nathaniel who with his party of Indians burned several houses in Chelmsford.  Nathaniel was taken at Cocheco (now Dover) New Hampshire and hanged in Boston. 

Some of these Indians at Groton took an active part in the burning of Groton during Philip's War.  The leader of these was John Monaco or Monoco nicknamed "One Eyed John" After One Eyed John had taken by stratagem, a garrison house at Groton, he entered into a long conversation with Captain Parker who was stationed in another house nearby and called him his old neighbor.  From this fact I (Green) infer that one eyed John knew Capt Parker and had prev. lived in the vicinity.  During the ensuing autumn this leader (One Eyed John) was brought to the gallows in Boston where he suffered the extreme penalty of the law.

In the spring of l668 Capt. Richard Waldron built a trading house at Penacock (now Concord) New Hampshire where a few weeks later one Thomas Dickinson was murdered by an Indian under the influence of liquor A warrant was issued to the constable of Groton to summon John Page, Thomas Tarball Jr., Joseph Blood and Robert Parish all of Groton, before the General Court to give testimony and it appeared that there had been a drunken row and that Dickinson was killed by an Indian who acknowledged the crime.   He was tried by a council of the Indians who sentenced him to be shot the next day.   Chief Tohaunto more than 200 yrs ago (abt l694) took the high temperance stand . (author speaking late l800s)     

The Indians had been supplied (in the years just before the Philips Wars) with arms and ammunition contrary to the laws of the Colony.  The Canadian French and the New York Dutch carried on a large traffic in these commodities with the natives.   Thus, the General Court in l673:  "James Parker of Groton, having had the care of the military Company there for several yeares is apptd and ordered to be their leiftenant and William Larkin (Lakin)to be ensigne to the said company there (in anticipation of problems with the Indians) Both were promoted that year. 

In Oct l673 the General Court record reads: "The military company of Groton being destitut of military officers, the court judgeth it meet to choos and appt James Parker to be their captane, Wm Lakin to be leiftennant and Nathaniel Lawrnce to be ensigne. By this time in Middlesex County, a company of troopers or cavalry made up of men living in the frontier towns of which Groton was one, mentioned in General Court Records Oct l669  -  one of the prom. men in the hist. of the colony was Major Simon Willard, native of ENG he had lived at Concord, Lancaster and Groton - and his farm was situated at Nonacoicus, (now Ayer) and his house was the lst burned at the attack on Groton Mar. l3, l676.