I’m doing some research on the Gloucester Spectre Leaguers and have wasted SO MUCH TIME because just about every website says Cotton Mather wrote about them in Magnalia Christi Americana (1702) whereas his account is actually in the much more obscure Decennium Luctuosum (1699).
I suspect this is down to Samuel Adams Drake who put a lengthy paraphrase of Mather’s report with an erroneous reference to Magnalia Christi in his New England Legends and Folk Lore (1884). His 19th century English is much easier to read than Mather’s 17th century version, which could be responsible for people going with his account rather than the original, and perpetuating his mistake.
Always check the original sources, people!
In any case, here is what Mather had to say on the subject…
Now in the Time of that matchleſs War, there fell out a Thing at Gloſester, which falls in here moſt properly to be related: a Town ſo Scituated, Surrounded, and Neighboured, in the County of Eſſex, that no man in his Wicts, will imagine, that a Dozen French men and Indians, would come, and alarm the Inhabitants for Three weeks together, and Engage ’em in ſeveral Skirmiſhes, while there were two Regiments Raiſed, and a Detachment of Threeſcore men ſent unto their Succour, and not one man Hurt in all the Actions, & all End unaccountably. And becauſe the Relation will be Extraordinary, I will not be my ſelf the Author of any one clauſe in it; but I will Tranſcribe the words of a Miniſter of the Goſpel, who did me the Favour, with much critical Caution to Examine Witneſſes, not long after the Thing happened, and then ſent me the Following Account.
A Faithful Account of many Wonderful and Surpriſing Things, which happened in the Town of Gloceſter, in the Year, 1692.
Ebenezer Bapſon, about midſummer, in the Year, 1692. with the reſt of his Family, almoſt every Night heard a Noiſe, as if perſons were going and runing about his Houſe. But one Night being abroad late, at his Return home, he ſaw Two men come out of his Door, and run from the end of the Houſe into the Corn. But thoſe of the Family told him, there had been no perſon at all there; where upon he got his Gun, and went out in purſuit after them, and coming a little Diſtance from the Houſe, he ſaw the Two men ſtart up from behind a Log, and run into a little Swamp, ſaying to each other, The man of the Houſe is Come, now Elſe we might have taken the Houſe. So, he heard, nor ſaw, no more of them.
Upon this, the whole Family got up, and went with all ſpeed, to a Garriſon near by; and being juſt got into the Garriſon, they heard men Stamping round the Garriſon. Whereupon Bapſon took his Gun, and ran out, and saw Two men again Runing down an Hill into a Swamp. The next Night but one, the ſaid Bapſon going toward a freſh Meadow, ſaw Two men, which looked like French men, one of them having a Bright Gun upon his Back, and both runing a great pace towards him, which cauſed him to make the beſt of his way to the Garriſon, where being come ſeveral heard a Noiſe, as if men were Stamping and Running, not far from the Garriſon. Within a Night or two after this, the perſons in the Garriſon, heard a Noiſe, as if men were throwing Stones againſt the Barn. Not long after this, Bapſon, with John Brown, ſaw Three men, about a Gunſhot off the Garriſon, which they endeavoured to Shoot at, but were diſappointed by their Running to and fro, from the Corn into the Buſhes. They were feen Two or Three Nights together; but though the aboveſaid ſtrove to ſhoot at them, they could never attain it.
On July. 14. Bapſon, and Brown, with the reſt of the men in the Garriſon, ſaw within Gun-ſhot, half a dozen men whereupon all the men, but one, made Haſt out of the Garriſon, marching towards them. Bapſon preſently overtook two of them, which run our of the Buſhes, and coming cloſ to them, he preſented his Gun at them, and his Gun miſſing Fire, the Two men Returned into the Buſhes. Bapſon then called unto the other perſons, which were on the other ſide of the Swamp, and upon his call, they made Anſwer, Here they are! Here they are! Bapſon then running to meet them, Saw Three men walk ſoftly out of the Swamp by each others Side; the middlemoſt having on a white Waſt coat. So, being within Two or Three Rod of them, he Shot, and as ſoon as his Gun was off, they all fell down. Bapſon then running to his ſupposed prey, cryed out unto his Companions, whom he heard on the other ſide of the Swamp, and ſaid, He had kill’d Three! He had kill’d Three! But coming almoſt unto them, they all roſe up, and one of them Shot at him, and hearing the Bullet whyſs by him, he ran behind a Tree, and Loaded his Gun; and ſeeing them lye behind a Log, he crept toward them again, telling his Companions, they were here! So, his Companions came up to him, and they all Ran directly to the Log, with all ſpeed; but before they got thither, they ſaw them ſtart up, and run every man his way; One of them run into the Corn, whom they purſued, and hemm’d in; and Bapſon seeing him coming toward himſelf, Shot at him, as he was getting over the Fence, and saw him fall off the Fence on the Ground, but when he came to the Spot, he could not find him. So they all ſearched the Corn; and as they were ſearching; they heard a great Diſcourſing in the Swamp, but could not underſtand what they ſaid; for they ſpoke in an unknown Tongue. Afterwards, looking out from the Garriſon, they ſaw ſeveral men Skulking among the Corn, and Buſhes, but could not have a Shot at them.
The next morning, juſt at Day break, they ſaw one man come out of the Swamp, not far from the Garriſon, and ſtand cloſe up against the Fence, within Gun ſhot. Whereupon Iſsaac Prince, with a long Gun, ſhot at him with Swan-ſhot, and in a moment he was gone out of ſight, they saw him no more. Upon this, Bapſon went, to carry News to the Harbour; and being about Half a mile in his way thither, he heard a Gun go off, and heard a Bullet whyſs cloſe by his Ear, which Cut off a Pine buſh juſt by him, and the Bullet lodg’d in an Hemlock Tree. Then looking about, he ſaw Four men Running towards him, one with a Gun in his Hand, and the other with Guns on their Shoulders. So he ran into the Buſhes, and turning about, ſhot at them, and then ran away, & ſaw them no more. About Six men returned from the Harbour with him, ſearching the woods as they went; and they ſaw, where the Bullet had cut off the Pinebuſh, and where it was lodg’d in the Hemlock Tree, and they took the Bullet out, which is ſtill to be ſeen.
When they were come to the Garriſon, they went to look for the Tracks of the Strange men, that had been ſeen, and ſaw ſeveral Tracks; and whilſt they were looking on them, they ſaw one, which look’d like an Indian, having on a Blue coat, and his Hair Ty’d up behind, Standing by a Tree, and looking on them. But as ſoon as they ſpake to each other, he ran into a Swamp, and they after him, and one of them ſhot at him; but to no purpoſe. One of them alſo ſaw another, which look’d like a French man, but they quickly loſt the ſight of him.
July 15. Ezekiel Day, being in Company with ſeveral others, who were ordered to Scout the woods, when they came to a certain Freſh Meadow, two miles from any Houſe, at ſome Diſtance from the ſaid Meadow, he ſaw a man, which he apprehended to be an Indian, cloathed in Blue; and as ſoon as he ſaw him ſtart up and run away, he ſhot at him; whereupon he ſaw another riſe up a little way off, who alſo run with ſpeed; which together with the former, were quickly out of ſight; and though himſelf, together with his Companions, diligently ſought after them, they could not find them. The ſame Day, John Hammond, with ſeveral other perſons, Scouting in the woods, ſaw another of theſe Strange men, having on a blue Shirt, and white Breeches, and ſomething about his Head; but could not overtake him.
July 17. Three or Four of theſe Unaccountable Troublers, came near the Garriſon; but they could not get a ſhot at them. Richard Dolliver, alſo, & Benjamin Ellary, creeping down an Hill, upon Diſcovery, ſaw ſeveral men come out of an Orchard, walking backward and forward, and ſtricking with a flick upon John Row’s Deſerted Houſe, (the Noiſe of which, was heard by others at a Conſiderable Diſtance;) Ellary counting them, to be Eleven in all; Dolliver Shot at the midſt of them, where they stood Thickeſt, and immediately they diſpersed themſelves, and were quickly gone out of ſight.
July 18. Which was the Time, that Major Appleton ſent about Sixty men, from Ipſwich, for the Towns Aſſiſtance, under theſe inexplicable Alarms, which they had ſuffered Night & Day, for about a Fortnight together; John Day teſtifies, that he went in Company with Ipſwich and Gloceſter Forces, to a Garriſon, about Two miles and an Half, from the Town; and News being brought in, that Guns went off, in a Swamp not far from the Garriſon, ſome of the men, with himſelf, ran to diſcover what they could; and when he came to the Head of the Swamp, he ſaw a man with a Blue Shirt, and buſhy black Hair, run out of the Swamp, and into the Woods; he ran after him, with all ſpeed, and came ſeveral Times within ſhot of him; but the woods being Thick, he could not obtain his Deſign of Shooting him; at length, he was at once gone out of ſight, and when afterwards, he went to look for his Track, he could find none, though it were a low miry place, that he ran over.
About July 25. Bapſon went into the Woods, after his Cattel, and ſaw Three men ſtand upon a point of Rocks, which look’d toward the Sea. So he crept among the Buſhes, till he came within Forty yards of them; and then preſented his Gun at them, and Snap’t, but his Gun miſs’d Fire; and ſo it did above a Dozen Times, till they all Three came up towards him, walking a ſlow pace, one of them having a Gun upon his Back. Nor did they take any more Notice of him, than juſt to give him a Look; though he ſnap’d his Gun at them, all the while they walked toward him, and by him; neither did they quicken their pace at all, but went into a parcel of Buſhes. and he ſaw them no more. When he came home, he ſnap’d his Gun ſeveral Times, ſometimes with but a few Corns of Powder and yet it did not once miſs Fire. After this, there occurred several Strange Things; but now concluding they were but Spectres, they took little further Notice of them.
[Several other Teſtimonies, all to the ſame Effect, with the Foregoing, my Friend has added, which for brevity I omit; and only add, The moſt conſiderable of theſe paſſages, were afterward Sworn, before one of Their Majeſties Council.]
Reverend and truly Honoured Sir, According to your Requeſt, I have Collected a brief Account of the Occurrences, remark’d in our Town, the laſt year. Some of them are very Admirable Things, and yet no leſs True than Strange, if we may Believe the Aſſertions of Credible perſons. Tho’ becauſe of Great Haſt, it is a rough Draught, yet there is nothing written, but what the perſons mentioned, would, if duely called, confirm the Truth of, by Oath.
I might have given you a larger Account; only ſeveral who Saw and Heard ſome of the moſt Remarkable things, are now beyond Sea. However, I hope, the Subſtance of what is written, will be enough to Satisfy all Rational Perſons, that Gloceſter was not Alarumed laſt Summer, for above a Fortnight together, by real French and Indians, but that the Devil and his Agents, were the cauſe of all the Moleſtation, which at this Time befel the Town; in the Name of whoſe Inhabitants, I would take upon me, to Entreat your Earneſt Prayers to the Father of Mercies, that thoſe Apparitions may not prove, the ſad Omens of some future, and more horrible Moleſtations to them.
May 19. 1693.
SIR,
Your very Humble Servant, J. E.
NOW, Reader, albeit that paſſage of the Sacred Story, 2 Chron. 20.22. The Lord ſet Ambuſhments againſt the Children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, and they were Smitten: is by the beſt Expoſitors thus understood; That there was the Miniſtry of the Holy Angels wondrouſly Employ’d in this matter; the Angels in the Shape of Moabites and Ammonites, fell upon them of Mount Seir, and upon this apprehended provocation they then all fell upon one another, until the whole Army was deſtroyed: Nevertheless, I entirely refer it unto thy Judgment (without the leaſt offer of my own,) whether, Satan did not now Set Ambuſhments againſ the Good People of Gloceſter, with Daemons, in the Shape of Armed Indians and French-men appearing to conſiderable Numbers of the Inhabitants, and mutually Firing upon them, for the beſt part of a Month together. I know, the moſt Conſiderate Gentlemen in the Neighbourhood, unto this Day, Believe this whole matter to have been a Prodigious piece of the Strange Deſcent from the Inviſible World, then made upon other parts of the Country. And the publication of this Prodigy among other Wonders of the Inviſible World among us, ha’s been Delay’d until Now, that ſo the Opinion of our moſt conſiderate Gentlemen about it, might have Time for a thorough Concoſtion: and that the Gentlemen of the Order of St. Thomas, may have no Objection to make against it. But, be it what it will, they are not a few profane Squibs from the Sons of the Extravagant Bekker, that will be a fit Explication, for Things thus Atteſted, and ſo very Marvellous.
So – I ask – what is to be done about that?
