Person:Thomas Bodurtha (2)

Thomas Bodurtha's Death

"We are indebted to … (Sheldon's [History]) for the following: 'Sept. 13, 1725, Lieut. Childs wrote from Deerfield to Col. Partridge:—This morning there came a man from a scout sent out by Captain Dwight from Fort Dummer, who informs that there were six men in the scout, and last Saturday about 2 o'clock, about six or eight miles west of North River, they sat down to eat, and in a few moments after they sat down they discovered some Indians on their track within about eight rods of them, and they jumped up and ran about seven or eight rods, and then the Indians made a shot upon them, and they turned and shot again upon the Indians, and he says he saw two of them fall and they were forced to scatter. Thomas Bodurtha of Springfield, and John Pease of Enfield were killed. Three were taken prisoners, and Anthony Weirsbury only escaped and returned to the fort. Of this tragedy in the wilderness thus briefly told, absolutely nothing more has been found.'

A letter bearing the intelligence of his death to his father, is preserved in the family, a copy of which is given.

Deerfield, Sept. 22, 1725

Hon'd Father,

After my Humble Duty presented, these come to give you the Heavy tidings of my loving brother Thomas' Death & that I & my brother Benj' have been out to ye Place where he was slain & found his body & buried it, he was not stripped of his Clothing but was scalped he was shot with two bullets & the Indians had taken his gun & his pack, we do conclude that ye number of ye Indians was more than double ye number of ye English. Ye English all fired once on ye Indians & some ye second time. I should have come down now to see you but I am something lame & ye danger of traveling hath put me by at present. I pray God to support you to bear up under his heavy hand & grant that we might all be spiritual gainers by this grievous providence.

I take leave to subscribe myself your Dutiful Son.

John Bedortha."^[2]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Book 1, Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1638-1728, in Stott, Clifford L. Vital Records of Springfield, Massachusetts to 1850. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002)
   1:47.

   "Thomas Bedortha the son of Samll Bedortha and Mary Bedortha was born Jan 22 1695."

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Bodurtha, H. Maria (Hannah Maria). A Record of the Bodurtha Family, 1645-1896. (Agawam, Mass.: Privately Printed, 1896)
   23-25.

   "(23.) Thomas (Bodortha), b. June 22, 1695, unmarried. He was killed near Deerfield by the Indians in 1725."