- From The Felt Genealogy, " In the beginning of the year 1675 the prosperity of Falmouth stood at a hight point, the town was occupied by energetic and enterprising people and mills had been established upon various streams in the vicinity. When, in June of this year, King Philip's War broke out in the Plymouth Colony, George Felt, Jr. was peacefully enjoying his home at Mussel Cove, about two miles eastward from the "Neck" or the "Machigone" of the natives, the present city of Portland.
Although the Falmouth Indians evinced to other than a peaceable disposition towards the English, it was thought best on the part of the authorities to deprive them of their weapons; but upon attempting to carry this measure into effect, collisions naturally occurred and the fear and jealousy of the Indians were aroused. They forgot all the former kindnesses they had received, and open hostilities between them and the settlers became the signal for mutual extermination.
The Indians began by gratifying their revenge upon those whom they deemed unfriendly, but, through the influence of the dis-affected Narrangansett Indians, the war ended in the indiscriminate slaughter of the settlers. An early and severe winter put a stop to hostilities, but not until some 50 settlers and over 90 Indians had been slain. In the summer of 1676 the war again broke out with renewed fury and with greater loss of life and property than on the previous year, and George Felt was numbered among its victims. So furious and persistent were the Indian attacks upon the people of Falmouth, that they fled for safety to a garrison upon James Andrew's Island, now known as Cushing's Island.
The Rev. William Hubbard, Minister of Ipswich, published in 1677, a History of the Indian Wars in New England and in the quaint and interesting language of this narrative we give the closing scenes in the life of George Felt, Jr.
"The day after, one George Felt suspecting the worse by reason of a smoak he saw on the opposite side of the Town, took his wife and Children into a Canoo to see what the matter was but when he came near a point of Land not far off, he found several of his Neighbors goods, which made him conclude their Owners were killed, which was sufficient warning to hime likewise to fly for his Life which he did to the same Island....Within a while after, or much about the same time, another sad Accident befel six or seven of them that belonged to Casco. For upon the twenty third of September some Persons that belonged to a Sloop and a Shallop that were pressed into service....were over desirous to save some of their Provision, to which end they first made their Address to Captain Hathorne (Under whom they were ordered to serve) desiring they might be released: the Captain told them he could not do it, but desired them to have patience for a while, they told him, that they must and would go, else their Families must starve at Home: the Captain told them further of the danger, and bid them not stir at their peril; However they would go, and soon after went to Mount-joyes Island to fetch Sheep, where they landed seven men; but the Indians presently set upon them, they presently betook themselves to the Ruines of a Stone House where they defended themselves as long as they could; but at last they were all destroyed either with Stones cast in upon them, or else with the Enemies shot, except one, who, thought at first it was hoped that his wounds were not mortal, yet soon after dyed thereof; Amongst them was one George Felt, much lamented, who had been more active than any man inthose parts against the Indians, but at last he lost his own life amongst them, in this too desperate an Adventure."
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Abt 1635 - 1676 (41 years)
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