Peskeompskut (Turners Falls) Virtual Cache

Peskeompsku – For thousands of years a place to gather, plant, and fish.
PESK- Fire and/or Thunder as in bursting out
OMPSK- relating to Rock or Stone
UT or sometimes ET- denotes a specific place

Translation: The place where the fire bursts from the rocks

A Little History

In the late 16^th century the English and Natives had a lucrative business in the fur trade with Europe. The  Narragansett (southern New England tribes) manufactured wampum (currency of trade among the tribes) and traded beaver pelts to Europeans for manufactured goods in return.  All grew prosperous and powerful, and it even spurred a baby boom in the colonies! But, by the middle of the 17^th century, beaver pelts fell out of fashion. Both trade and the value of wampum declined.  The colonists found Native land more valuable for farming than for beaver.  Taking land, clearing it of trees and wildlife for farms led to friction and, eventually, war.

King Philip’s War(1675-1678)

Metacomet (called King Philip, an adopted English name, was chief of the Pokanoket and sachem of the Wampanoag).  The war began on June 25, 1675 when a group of Metacom‘s men attacked and killed several English at Swansea, Massachusetts. War quickly spread westward to the Connecticut River Valley.  Soon Nipmuck warriors began harassing Deerfield (Pocumtuck), Hadley, and stealing horses and cattle from Hatfield farms.  On September 28, 1675, Nipmuc warriors ambushed and killed forty soldiers and seventeen teamsters in South Deerfield (see Geocache, Monumental Massacre, GC9DDXZ). Soon after there were rumors of native warriors boasting of future attacks.  Captain William Turner was assigned to lead a pre-emptive attack.

Attack - Virtual Stage 1 (see Attack_Map)

If you are at the published coordinates take a moment to look around and imagine you are surrounded by a thick forest. It is early morning, May 18, 1676. The "1990-1894 Map" may help to visualize the scene. You are at the head of the falls. Looking downstream there is a large island called Peskeompskut Island (now mostly leveled for the dam and bridge).  Upstream, there was no wide reservoir of water, only the Connecticut River (a prime fishing location for spawning alewife, salmon, eels and shad).  On both sides of the river were encampments of Nipmucs, Abenaki, Narragansett,and Wampanoag natives still asleep in their bark covered huts (wetus).  Captain Turner, with 150 poorly trained troops (dragoons) arrived at night on horse back from Hadley undetected due to the dense forest and roar of the falls.  They dismounted, crossed the Fall River, and waited close to where you are now standing.  At dawn, while the tribes were asleep, Captain Turner ordered the attack. His men stormed down the hillside (now Riverview Drive) and into the camp (now Riverside Park). They formed a semi-circle around the wetus and began the slaughtering of 100 to 300 men, women and children as they slept.  The natives first cried “Mohawks” (their mortal enemy) but soon found out the attackers were English.  They were killed by shot and sword, or drowned in the rapids trying to escape.  Captain Turner lost one man by friendly fire. 

Retreat - Virtual Stage 2 (see Retreat_Map)

The sound of the attack alerted the fishing camps across the river, also some downstream island camps.  While the English were busy burning the camp and destroying all the hard earned harvest and supplies, including two metal working forges, the warriors quickly organized.  They soon found the troop’s horses and captured most of them thus cutting off Captain Turner means of an easy retreat.  Captain Turner ordered an “orderly retreat”, but a freed English captive began a rumor that King Philip, with 1,000 warriors, was nearby. Panic set-in as the warriors began their counter-attack using skulking techniques and picking off the English in ambushes.  Soon,it was every man for himself.  At the crossing of the Green River (Pukcommeacon), Captain Turner was mortally wounded and left to die.  Captain Samuel Holyoke took command, but the harassment continued all the way down to Deerfield, though some retreated to Northfield (Squakeag). When they finally reached Hatfield forty five men were missing and a handful of others staggering in days later.  Captain Turner’s body was eventually recovered and buried.  The soldiers who were captured were found tortured to death.

Despite the loss of the soldiers, the attack at Turner’s Falls “broke the back of native resistance in the Connecticut River Valley” and though future encounters continued they were one-sided in the English favor. King Philip was hung, beheaded, drawn and quartered. His head was placed on a spike and displayed at Plymouth colony for two decades.

Your Challenges

Please send me the answers to these following questions and/or post a picture of yourself at the two memorial sites:

At Virtual Stage 1 there is a Memorial to "Captain William Turner of Boston". What direction is the dedication facing (N,S,E,W)? And how high is the memorial(3', 4', 5', 6')?

At Virtual Stage 2 "Captain William Turner Memorial" there is a brass plaque on a stone. What is the dedication date?