Old Fort Saybrook
The fourth year of the 'Battlefield Archaeology Pequot War Project has started up and while there is still work to do in Mystic Ct. where Captain Mason and the English soldiers retreat route , another phase of the project has shifted to Old SaybrookFort, Saybrook Ct. The events that happened here are just prior to the Pequot war Battle itself and help lead to the war and its outcome. This fort played a pivotal role in the 1636 -1637 Pequot War , it was a very strategic place just at the mouth of the Connecticut River and the ocean (Long Island Sound ) . This is where the English constructed a wooden palisade fort to start another colony like the one at Plymouth , this would also halt the Dutch from continuing their exploration and influence into Connecticut and up into the Massachusett's frontier . Between Old Saybrook fort and a fort at Windsor Ct. (1633) the Dutch exploration and fur trade was virtually at a stand still in southern New England for a time. The Pequot tribe was the main native force in the area that aggressively controlled this lucrative fur trade at this time and tensions with the English presence and this stronghold quickley unfolded. During the years 1636-37 Fort Saybrook was under constant attack by about 300 Pequot warriors and many skirmishes all around Saybrook point occured and at one point Gardiner himself was wounded and the inhabitants of the fort were down to a mere dozen men ,women and childeren. Renforcements did arrive to strengthen the fort in time , it was Captain Mason and Capt. Underhill who under the orders of the Connecticut colony brought new supplies and soldiers and used this area as a staging point before their excursion into Pequot territory , taking the fight to them. Here at the fort he gathered men , supplies and a couple of ships to take him onto Narragansett's Indian territory (now Rhode Island) to gain allies ,help and guides from the sworn enemy of the Pequots.
Now some brief history about Old Saybrook ..
Old Saybrook, located at the mouth of the Connecticut River, was home of the Algonquin Nehantic Indians for years before Europeans arrived. These were peace loving Indians who farmed in the area and had a village at Saybrook Point. Around 1590, the peaceful Nehantic and other gentle Algonquin tribes living in the Connecticut River Valley were conquered by the Pequots, a warlike tribe from the north.
The first European to sail up the Connecticut River was Adrian Block who, in 1614, was sent by the Dutch West India Co. in New Amsterdam on an expedition to explore, map and claim the eastern coast of “New Netherlands” for the Dutch.
At about the same time the Dutch were exploring this area, the English decided to do the same. In 1620, King James I created the Plymouth Colony (also known as the Council for New England) and thereafter, no English settlement in New England was allowed without the Council’s permission.
The Dutch were primarily interested in the fur trade with the Indians along the Connecticut River Valley, and initially only established trading posts for that purpose at several spots along the river, including what is now Hartford, Middletown and Old Saybrook. In 1623, fearing English competition, the Dutch deposited a small group of Dutch men and women at Saybrook Point to establish a permanent colony.
In 1631, the Earl of Warwick, president for the Council for New England, signed a unique deed of conveyance, called the Warwick Patent, to eleven of his closest friends and/or relatives, including the Viscount Saye & Sele and Lord Brooke. A year or so later, four more gentlemen became patentees, including Colonel George Fenwick. Saybrook Point was included in this patent that gave the 15 lords and gentlemen a vast segment of New England stretching from the Narragansett River along the coastline south to about Greenwich, and west from these two points to the Pacific Ocean.
In 1632, the Dutch Governor Van Twiller of New Amsterdam, sent Captain Hans Eechuys to Saybrook Point to formally purchase the point from the local Indians. He then constructed a small fur trading post at the Point and named it Kievets Hook. The following year, the Company established a very successful trading post up-river called the House of Hope at the present site of Hartford.
In 1635 the Warwick Patentees commissioned John Winthrop, Jr. as the first Governor of the river Connecticut territory. In 1635 Winthrop, learning that the Dutch were planning to permanently occupy Saybrook Point, sent a small vessel with 20 men with orders to seize control of the Point. Arriving on November 24, 1635, the Englishmen quickly put ashore two cannon to ward off any attack by the Dutch or the Indians.
Earlier in 1635, Governor Winthrop, Jr. had engaged Lieutenant Lion Gardiner to build a fort and lay out a town, with suitable homes for the gentlemen patentees. In March 1636, he sailed to Saybrook Point along with supplies and 12 men to build the fort. A month later, Governor Winthrop arrived in Saybrook and shortly thereafter named the settlement Saye-Brooke in honor of Viscount Saye & Sele and Lord Brooke. While not the oldest town in Connecticut, it has the oldest English town name and is the oldest on the shoreline.
While the local Indians welcomed the settlers, their Pequot conquerors strongly resented them and were intent on driving them away. As a result, Fort Saybrook was in a constant state of siege and when the settlers needed to tend their crops, armed soldiers had to accompany them.
On April 26, 1636 the Gardiner’s son, David, was born at Fort Saybrook, the first child of European parents born in Connecticut.
In 1639, Warwick patentee George Fenwick arrived at Saye-Brooke with his wife, two sisters and their servants to become its second governor. In 1643, a council for mutual military defense, “the United Colonies of New England” was created between Saye-Brooke, New Haven, Connecticut, Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay and also resulted in the Articles of Confederation being drawn up which was the first constitution of the American people. In 1644, Fenwick, acting as agent of the 14 other patentees, sold the Saye-Brooke Colony to the Connecticut Colony and also turned over to Connecticut the Saybrook Seal.
As Saybrook grew, settlers moved further and further away from the original settlement and, eventually they received permission to form their own parishes so that they would not have to travel so far on Sundays to attend church services. As these outlying parishes grew, they separated from Saybrook and became the present day towns of Lyme, Old Lyme, Westbrook, Chester, Essex, and Deep River.
Because of its location at the mouth of the river, Saybrook became an important center for coastal trade and for trans-shipment from river boats to ocean ships. In the 1700’s and 1800’s along the shore of North Cove, and even extending out onto the river shore near the cove’s mouth, were built many warehouses and wharf’s to handle the ships and their cargoes. Many of the houses in the North Cove area today were built by sea captains or ship owners, The ships sailing to and from Saybrook visited Europe, Africa, and South America, but their primary trade was with the West Indies and along the eastern seaboard.
First Settlers of Saybrook Colony (1635 – 1636)
John Winthrop, Jr.
Lion & Mary Gardiner
Elizabeth Collett
Rev. John Higginson
Thomas Pell
Thomas Stanton
Steven Winthrop
John Plum
Robert Chapman
Thomas Hurlbut
John Bagley
Thomas Ramble
John Greene
Arthur Branche
John Spencer
Matthew Mitchell & son
Sgt. Edward Tilley
Sgt. Simon Willard
Lieut. Edward Gibbons
Rev. Hugh Peters
Samuel Butterfield
John Oldham
John Frend
William Jope
In Search of Old Fort Saybrook
This is where the Y.T.C. detectorists story starts up this year , over the centuries there is much controversy as to where the actual location of the first fort is . We were asked to find anykind of evidence to point the archaeologist to its location and define some of the battle lines of the major skirmishes that took place more than 375 years ago. Saybrook point has been a busiling area from the days of the old fort with trading houses and has remained so into the post colonial era and even today . The original old fort had fallen in disrepair and neglect not long after the Pequot war and burnt down in 1647 . there was another fort built right on the edge of the point that that had a cannon battery and it stood there during the Revolutionary war and into the War of 1812 but even the evidence of this fort is all but gone now. As George and I drove down Main st. out to the point we spotted many many historical colonial homes and could read the plaques that stated when they were built. Many old beautiful homes that were well into the 1750's , 1730's and 20's , we pointed out to each other and a couple with a 1671 and 1645 built date on its wall. The area just screams with old history as we arrived at a very small park that displays a bronze plaques and statue that tells of the old fort info and makes the spot of its where abouts.
Also in the park is remanents of where a late 1800's Railroad roundhouse was at , apparently the Railroad came through and in their building took out some of the earthen-works from one of the two old forts that were here before.
We met Kevin McBride (our fearless leader in this continuing project) also was Heather , a student and associate with the musem who has earned our respect as a pretty good detectorist with a few machines in such a short time. Next to show up was Joe ,Tom , Ken and Mike from our local detecting club all are very seasoned hobbyists.We chit chatted for a bit Kevin explaining his thoughts about the actual spot of the fort and through their research have a few locations that would be better suited for one.
We quickley drove up to the highest elevation (just a thousand or so yards away) into a housing neighboorhood and parked the vehicles and proceeded to get our equipment together. Four of the guys were asked to work this area by the cars , it was a very nice piece of grassed property that sloped gently down to the edge of the Connecticut river . It was the backyards of a couple of nice houses one was built in the 1840's the other more modern but it looked like a great place to find some old items.Kevin asked George and I to follow him across the street to another location , I at first was a bit dissapointed at the look of the houses . All were more modern but i quickley reminded myself that this was all old property from the 17th and 18th centuries and anything could be found here.
There was an old mansion built in the late 1800's that later burnt down in the 1920's and evidence of this is still around by all the metal scraps an iron , nails and other metallic junk in the ground and also around the edge of the old property theres these stone built pylons.they now go through several of the front and side yards of the newer neighborhood .
It seems at though none of these areas the museum picks out to detect are ever easy lol lol and theres always a never ending supply of modern metal in the forms of small diecast cars , tent spkes , lead sinkers , junk jewelry and clad coins to give back to the homeowners. We have even heard stories from some of the older homeowner's that when they bought their homes there was very little to no topsoil in their yards and had to have it brought in , which would explain why so few really older finds. So far i've only been to about five of these hunts here in saybrook due to my limited shedule and the weather delays but we have been moving slowly into other yards to try to gather the most information for the museum as possible and the neighbors have been very excited and many have come up to ask questions about the project and metal detecting. The last hunt George and I worked a yard for the whole day and you could tell from the iron targets and items it must of been where the old mansion was .George had a target that was two feet down that turned out to be a either a large cast iron pipe or stove piece but we were hoping for a canon ball .He did get some interesting pieces , a broken ornate buckle and an old pewter button that was in decent shape .
Yesterdays Hunt was very exciting as it was at The Neck a thinly stretch of land of Saybrook point and a strategic location . Rumor has it that a large wooden palisade wall was placed here with a gate and sentries to defend the point from land raiding attacks. The area is now a residence a 1737 home that George an I drooled at on our first couple of drives down , its located on main st. and there is a sign over the carriage house that says Neck Gate and is on the national historical registery.
This was a fantasy full filled to detect here but quickly turned into a nightmare *-because as it turned out the yard has been severely filled with topsoil over the years . I had such high hopes for large coppers and relics from colonial to even the mid 1600's and every large cent signal i got and at decent depths (4 ,5 and 6) thay all turned out to be more modern junk or clad quarters and diecast toys. >:{ >:{ . I think the oldest coin i recovered was a 37 wheatie and a silver 48 rosie which i returned to the property owner . Despite all this is was still a treat doing this old property and we did make some good recoveries .
I recovered a .64 caliber musket roundball and a frizzen spring from a musket lockplate. George had recovered a .69 caliber one the day before , we also got to see a cannon fragment that fellow Y.T.C.'ER that Mike the cannon found a day or two earlier and also a King Philip V 1 reale (1700 to 1724) that one of the students recovered .
06-26-13 hunt is on Started slowwwwwww. Not much but finally got a stamped brass item...not our time frame then a colonial shoe buckle...tooo modern then a class ring Not the right era but who cares That one is going to be returned. Then another colonial buckle but better.... still too new Then...it happenes..... across the street from Dan and my musket balls I got a deep signal near a huge tree. Roots everywhere. 15 minutes later a .68 musket ball I almost didn't get my quota Les Sometimes it only takes one find to make your day
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06-27-13 hunt and the weather was great I found a small colonial shoe buckle right off, but it was the only target in the yard other than modern junk. Lots of fill dirt in all these yards...sometimes 12 + inches. Went back to the place I got the musket ball yesterday and found a huge skeleton key. It was at the 9 mark. Lots of can slaw and trash, but finally found a .54-.55 round ball. Kevin and Dave laughed because it is the 3rd round ball I found that was located at 2:00 PM. I'm starting to like 2 PM, cause 2 PM is musket ball time If the rain holds out, Dan and I will be at it again tomorrow.
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(6-28-13)
This day George and I were detecting at the house next door to the red 1737 house the friday before . Again this yard was heavily covered with more fill soil and not much in the way of older finds surfaced crying01 . Coins like clad dimes , zincolns quarters were found at all depths to about 8 or 9 inches >:{ . more modern metal junk of all kinds was also present large chunks of aluminum at 14 to 16 inches verreaction: . There were some odd older bits that have been takeb back to the labs as well as some interestng lead chunks and flat leads pieces. The deer flies near the reeded salt marsh cove were relentless and that with the heat made for an unpleasant long day.My highlight of the day was an almost complete and decorated trigger guard definately colonial maybe late 1600's or early 1700's but Dave N. our military historian didn't think it was 1630's period .
He did say it was a very cool piece and they would take it back to the lab and do some searching on it to confirm his suspicions. So not a very good day this go around but we'll find something good soon , I can feel it.
My hunt was just like Dan's...lots of junk and can slaw. Did find a lot of relic keepers for the property owner, but not much from the period we were looking for. One exception may be what I think is a die maybe formed from a musket ball
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more to come ..
07-03-13 Had a great day at today's hunt. Got an unexpected surprise find too. No musket balls today but here are just a couple of the keepers I found. Got a nice mid 1700's shoe buckle, a lead gaming chip and a fragmented cannonball A spoon, 3 colonial buttons, a good amount of melted lead and some odds and ends round out the hunt. Weather was very humid and hot. my farmer's tan is just about done lol
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07-10-13 Hunt started out slow in an area that was hit on and off. Finally I found a big smashed piece of lead that they say may be a large cal musket ball OK, I'll take that answer lol But I did end up finding a fired .54 cal ball, so the hunt was a good one.
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07-11-13. This day was really slow in the finds department and for the first 5 hours I got...not much lol But finally got an unusual button that for some reason I feel is military The silver strip may be an edge to a book (like a Bible). Those two finds saved me.
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07-12-13. Once the EMI got better, my 3030 started to light up Found a part of a very old style buckle (1600's to early 1700's), then a crotal bell, and then it hit me A huge .75+ cal round ball. I have never found one this big. It's about the size of a nickle. Like a good size ball bearing. |) |) |) lol Ended the day with a nice wrought iron hook. A very good day today.
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I've combined the 3 days hunting from 07-17 thru 07-19 since the finds were minimal. The last three days were brutal with very hot and humid conditions, and temps satrting at 90+ and almost reaching 100. The ground is powder dry and depth suffers as a result. The first day was the best by far. I started out hunting a small patch of land that I had my eye on for a long time. It may have been in a key spot during the conflict but unfortunately, like a lot of areas here, was filled in quite deep. So I spent two hours there and didn't find much. I will revisit this place when we get a good soaking rain. So I moved into a new house lot that had a huge back yard. I made my way to the very back of the lot where the swamp starts to meet the better lawn. First hit was a large caliber (probably a .69) impacted ball. |) Pressure is off now lol Soon after I got another ball that was close to the same size as the first. It was fired but not heavily impacted. The first one was deep at around 8 or 9 inches. The second one was a shocking 1-2 inches. Some ground was definitely moved around there. After that, not much except a couple of colonial buttons surfaced. Day two and three, resulted in a lot of junk and 2 nice targets for the landowners. The first was a general service button, the second was an 1883 Indian Head penny. I must admit three days in those conditions doesn't allow you to do much when you get home lol But it all adds up, and hopefully we can help shed some light on this historic event.
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07-31-13. We are at a different part of Saybrook point looking for a shot from the cannons aimed at the Peqouts. It was a hill that is no longer there and we were mildly sucessful. One musket ball is all I could find.
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08-02-13 / 08-07-13 Not much during these days but a couple of stray musket balls. I believe we are going to shift to over to another project in Essex. It's a war of 1812 project, so wish us luck. We'll be back at it again soon. We still have a ton of work left here