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[add comment] [edit] Death location [3 July 2010]Source:Eliot, Samuel A. Biographical History of Massachusetts, Volum 5, "Andrew Martin Pierce": On the banks of the Blackstone River in Rhode Island stands a monument dedicated September 21, 1907, to commemorate the celebrated 'Captain Michael Pierce fight'. It stands on the spot where Captain Michael Pierce was killed March 26, 1676..." The commemoration is documented in Source:Addresses and Poem in Commemoration of the Captain Michael Pierce Fight, March 26, 1676 and describes the battle involving a deep ravine where the initial ambush occurred followed by a rush to the river to have a defensible position. This would seem findable even if a reservoir is now there. "The History and Future of Narragansett Bay" by Capers Jones (2006): "In March 1676 Canonchet and perhaps 500 warriors ambushed Captain Michael Pierce and about 80 men near the Blackstone River just above Pawtucket Falls. Source:Tilton, George Henry. History of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, p. 75, "...Captain Michael Pierce, who commanded the English and perished with his men in an ambuscade on the West bank of the Blackstone, in what is now Central Falls, RI." And so on. As I understand it, Attleboro-Gore is near Cumberland, the latter being where nine survivors were probably tortured and killed, the Indians fleeingthis far since the English reinforcements were arriving. Is this the reason for the confusion. Since there were survivors, there wouldn't seem to be much reason to believe that the committee in 1907 got it wrong. Is 1907 before or after the reservoir you mentioned (which one is it?) was created? It would be nice if you could provide a source, possibly a brief summary of the reasoning behind doubting the location of the plaque. Possibly, even the coordinates of both locations, since neither seem to be known to maps.google.com. --Jrich 14:30, 3 July 2010 (EDT) Again I'm going from Frederick Pierce's account of Michael Pierce and the accompanying narratives cited by F. Pierce: A letter from Rev. Noah Newman of Rehoboth to Rev. John Cotton of Plymouth dated 26 Mar 1676, Bliss' History of Rehoboth, Daggett's History of Attleboro. And my own staring at a recent Atlas. If you have more recent conclusions as to the site of the battle where Michael was slain, go ahead and replace my comments. My goal was to be able to say whether he was killed on the Pawtucket RI side or MA side of the river mentioned. Pierce's narrative made it sound as if Attleborough-Gore was the east side of the river and Pawtucket (Falls area) was closely across the river.--Neal Gardner 15:09, 3 July 2010 (EDT)
Now that I've been able to print the entire Pierce section on Michael, I can see that "Central Falls" is the logical location. Controversy only refers to the half dozen death locations given on various websites, ie Pawtucket, Rehoboth, even Scituate. If you feel that "Central Falls" is a more accurate location, please feel free to change.--Neal Gardner 14:46, 5 July 2010 (EDT) |