Plymouth, New Hampshire: Indian Village Attack Site

Indian plaque just off Route 3 heading into downtown Plymouth it reads:

ASQUAMCHUMAUKE WAS THE NAME OF THE BAKER RIVER IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEMIGEWASSET INDIANS MEANING "CROOKED WATER FROM HIGH PLACES"

HERE WAS THE SITE OF THEIR INDIAN VILLAGE ON THESE MEADOWS THEY CULTIVATED CORN IN THE SANDY BANKS OF THE RIVER THEY STORED THEIR FURS.

IN MARCH, 1712, LIEUTENANT THOMAS BAKER AND THIRTY SCOUTS DESTROYED THE VILLAGE AND KILLED MANY INDIANS INCLUDING THE CHIEF WATERNUMMUS

ERECTED BY THE ASQUAMCHUMAUKE CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN 1940

The story I've read was that Baker and his scouts attacked the village while most of the men of the tribe were off on a hunting party. The invaders slaughtered the entire village, sparing no one. When the Pemigewasset tribe came back to find their tribe slaughtered, they were so disheartened that they were easy to drive off and sent to northern New Hampshire and Maine, to await more eventual conquest from the white settlers.

As I write this in December 2011, there is a dirt lot just before the rock, where you can park and take a very short walk to the rock. The rock is marked with a post with the #3 on it, as it is part of the NH Historical Trail in Plymouth. Self guided tours of the trail can be obtained at the town building or the chamber of commerce in Plymouth.