The Fatal Indian Sickness on Nantucket

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The Fatal Indian Sickness of Nantucket That Decimated the Island Aborigines

BY EDOUARD A. STACKPOLE WHILE IT IS generally known that the Nantucket Indian population was virtually swept away by a mysterious epidemic which caused the death of 222 of them, in the year 1763-1764, it is usually written that the disease which caused this calamity was never identified. But in recent months a number of important historical documents have been found which bring a much clearer picture and thus help to dispel the mists which have surrounded this chapter in Nantucket history.

During a visit to London two years ago, I was examining some historical material at the Royal Society and came upon the following letter, written in October, 1764, in Boston, by Governor Andrew Oliver, of Massachusetts Bay Colony, to Israel Mauduit, a Fellow of the Royal Society, who was then in London as the Agent for the Colony. It reads: Considering your connexions, both as a member of the Royal Society, and of the Society for propagating the gofpel among the Indians, I tranfmit you an account of an uncommon ficknefs, which prevailed the laft year at the iflands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard which lie about fix or feven leagues from each other, and the latter about four or five leagues diftant from the

Indian plantation at Mafhpee on the Continent, where it did not make its appearance at all. I had my account from the Englifh minifter, and from the phyfician at Nantucket, and from the fociety's miffionary at the Vineyard, of each of whom I made the moft fcrupulous inquiry, you may depend on the truth of it. About the beginning of Auguft, 1763, when the ficknefs began at Nantucket, the whole number of Indians belonging to that ifland was 358: of thefe, 258 had the diftemper betwixt that time and the 20th of February following, 36 only of whom recovered: of the 100, who efcaped the diftemper, 34 were converfent with with the fick, eight dwelt separate, 18 were at fea, and and 40 lived in Englifh families. The phyfician informs me, that the blood and juices appeared to be highly putrid, and that the difeafe was attended with a violent inflammatory fever, which carried them off in about five days. The feafon was uncommonly moift and cold, and the diftemper began originally among them; but having once made its appearance feems to have been propagated by contagion; although fome efcaped it, who were expofed to the infection.

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The diftemper made its appearance at Martha's

Vineyard the beginning of December, 1763. It went through every family, into which it came, not one efcaping it: fifty-two Indians had it, 39 of whom died; thofe, who recovered, were chiefly of the younger fort. The appearance of the diftemper was much the fame in both thefe iflands; it carried them off in each, in five or fix days. What is ftill more remarkable than even the great mortality of the diftemper is, that not one

Englifh perfon had it in either of the iflands, although the Englifh greatly exceed in numbers; and that fome perfons in one family, who were of a mixt breed, half

Dutch and half Indian, and one in another family, half

Indian and half Negro, had the diftemper, and all recovered; and that no perfon at all died of it, but fuch as were intirely of Indian blood. From hence it was called the Indian Sicknefs. There had been a great fcarcity of corn among the Indians the preceding winter: This, together with the cold moift feafon, have been affigned by fome as the caufes of the diftemper among them. Thefe circumftances, it is true, may have difpofed them to a morbid habit, but do not account for its peculiarity to the

Indians: The Englifh breathed the fame air, and fuffered in fome meafure in the fcarcity, with the Indians; they yet efcaped the ficknefs. I do not fee therefore, but that the Sudor Anglicus, which heretofore affected the Englifh only, and this late Indian ficknefs, muft be claffed together among the Arcana of Providence.

I am, SIR, your moft obedient Humble fervent, Andrew Oliver

The manuscripts at the Peter Foulger Museum have two letters written by Christopher Starbuck, of Nantucket, to Moses Brown, the highly successful Quaker merchant in Providence, R. I. These letters reveal considerable information about the strange "Indian Sickness," and provide important details not otherwise found. The first letter was written to Moses Brown on November 23, 1797, more than thirty years after the incidents it described, but having the advantage of review afforded through the intervening years, Christopher Starbuck wrote:

Esteemed Friend

Thine of the 10th Instant I rec'd two or three days past.

I should have been glad if I could have procured a little more knowledge respecting what thou mentions concerning the former mortality here among the Indians, as

Zaccheus Macy (the person who I conclude knew the most about their affairs), died the 27th last mo. (aged

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near 84) & my being one of the Executors to his will, & being now engaged in the settlement (of his estate), I have not had time yet to make so much enquiry as I could wish. However, I will give thee all the information I can.

In the 8th or beginning of 9 mo., 1763, this uncommon mortality here among the Indians began, (as near as I can find by enquiry of Richard Mitchell & some other), a brig from Ireland, having a number of passengers on board, was cast away near Long Hill upon the North side of this Island. Some few days afterward two women were found in the surf who died on board the vessel & were throwgi into the Sea & so drove on shore. Soon after it was discovered many were sick on board with what is called the Yellow Fever and some of the crew, having their cloaths washed at a home here by an Indian woman, it was thought occasioned the spreading of ye disease, as this Indian woman was, soon after washing their cloaths, taken sick with the same yellow fever (which was prevalent on board this Brig or snow) & died in a few days among the Indians, which as said before was in the 8th or 9th mo. 1763.

From this the sickness spread and continued 'till near the middle of the winter or beginning of the 2d month, notwithstanding the time and the inclemency of the weather. As near as I can remember, out of 340 or 350 the number of Indians then upon the Island, about 80 survived or lived through it and some small part of this 80 were not with the rest but lived as servants or apprentices in town among the white people. What seems most observable in this sickness, then among the Indians, no Negro or white person took the distemper, although some white people frequently assisted them, and came among them. In particular Richard Mitchell tells me he went several times into their homes to help them to some necessaries; also, there was 2 or 3 of the surviving Indians continually among them in helping bury the dead & yet they escaped the sickness.

The manner in which they were taken or seized with this disorder was by complaining of much pain and a high fever & then soon appear yellow, some dying in two, some in three or four days, seldom any living more than four or five days. After they were taken sick, there wiere some instances when the whole number in the house were sick at one time, and all found dead in the house at one time. As they had scarcely any well persons sufficient to bury the dead among them — they would some-

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times dig a hole near the house or wigwam door, and so pull the dead ones out and cover them up without putting the corpse into any coffin. Then they would set fire to the wigwam to burn up all that was left in the house.

I believe there are only 5 or 6 Indians now among us on the Island — and I believe not one Negro slave but many free Negroes.

As to the sickness, that was among us here lately called the Dysentery although I find by enquiry that one half, if not two thirds (perhaps to the amount of 2000 or more) of the inhabitants have been sick with it. Yet I don't find but between 70 and ,80 old and young that died with it, and these were mostly children from 3 or 2!/2 years old and under. Some few aged and middle aged, as well as youth of both sexes died, but mostly as said before were children.

As to the symptoms, by what I have understood, in some instances some would be taken with much griping pain in the bowels & a thin whitish or light colored stool with a mixture of blood, and some would have a stool with mostly darkish bloody matter. There were various sorts or degrees in the disorders & some, as said before, have much pain with a fever and some a fever with but little pain — as to the weather it was mostly dry and warm being in the 8th and 9th month.

I don't remember of any other disease being much prevalent here when the dysentery prevailed. Doc Easton I remember called the disorder an Epidemic Dysentery.

I should have wrote thee something more in some other matters but not having time now must defray for the present & conclude with love to thy wife and family. Thy Friend Christopher Starbuck

Since I finished & partly had sealed my letter I find in another memorandum book left by Zaccheus Macy a more particular account about the mortality here among the Indians in 1763, Z. M. says the sickness began 16 of 8th mo., 1763, & continued until the beginning of 2 mo., 1764, in which time 222 died with the yellow fever, as it was called. 34 that were sick recovered ; 36 lived among them & did not have the sickness; 18 were at sea, a whaling, in Canada River, etc.; 40 lived in town among the English & none had the disease ; 8 lived at the west end of the Island & none had disease. This makes 358 in all, out of which, as I mentioned before, there is now 5 or 6 on the Island. What

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number there might be when our forefathers first settled the Island I don't know, but I think I have heard Z.

Macy say from the best knowledge here there were as many as 2000. This mortality among them in 1763 was very great, indeed; out of 258 that had ye sickness 222 died. (I was not aware that so many lived among them & did not have the sickness but so Z. M. has it.) 0

On January 1, 1798, Christopher Starbuck wrote again to Moses Brown, in answer to further queries which the Providence merchant had in regard to the malady that had so swiftly brought death to the native Indians. The letter reads: I am not able to procure any knowledge of what part of Ireland the vessel was from which we suppose brought the sickness, or whether the sickness was brought over in her, or whether took its rise on board after she left Ireland. The vessel, I believe, made no tarry here, & did not come into the Harbor, but soon got off again after being on shore (and sailed for New

York, the port to which she was bound). All the knowledge I can procure about it, partly by memory & by enquiry of Richard Mitchell (who seems to know the most of anybody about it) is, as I mentioned in my last to thee that is, it was thought the sickness spread from the washing of some of people's clothes here. The cloaths were washed by an Indian woman, at the House of Joseph Quin, about % of a mile or less to the south and eastward of the eastermost windmill.

The wife of this Joseph Quin, named Molly Quin, also had the sickness very severe & was very yellow with it, but recovered, and I believe is yet living. The Indian woman, as before-mentioned, when first taken sick or soon after, was removed among the Indians further south to a place called by the Indians Miacomet, where she died. Most, if not all, in that Indian town where she died were soon taken sick & died also. From there it spread among all the Indians upon the Island, except a few who lived to the west end of the Island and some as servants in town, who avoided going among them. The two or three dead bodies that were found on shore I believe were taken up & buried by the people of the Vessel but am not certain. Zaccheus Macy could have told, but I do not meet with anyone now that knows. No white persons were exposed in washing their clothes except this Molly Quin,

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as said before; and she had the sickness & recovered.

There is no doubt with me but this mortal distemper here among the Indians was the yellow fever & was brought here as said before in this Vessel from Ireland, and spread from this Indian woman who washed cloaths of some of the ship's crew. The bodys that were taken up I suppose could not be infectious, or not much, by reason of laying in the water which was cold at that time, and especially, as I before observed, if they were taken up and buried by the ship's crew, then it is most likely it spread as said before from this washer woman.

There appears something very observable in this Indian sickness formerly and seems to be differing from the yellow fever lately in these parts. That is, it seems, the yellow fever in Philadelphia decreased as the winter or the cold weather came on, and this yellow fever among the Indians did not, but continued almost through the winter. What is further very wonderful is that it should not spread among the white people, except with this Irish woman Molly Quin. Richard Mitchell tells me he went several times among the sick Indians, into their houses to carry some necessaries and victuals, and some other white people among us did the same, but none of them had the sickness.

Doctor Tupper seemed unwilling to go among the Indians in this sickness. I remember being of opinion he said that it was infectious like the plague in Europe, but upon the whole it was very wionderfull and remarkable. Whether any Negro went among them I am not certain but I think I have heard some Negroes went among the sick Indians and did not have the sickness.

That it did not spread among the white people here may at least serve to show us that the works of the Almighty are beyond our Comprehension & what human knowledge cannot foresee or prevent.

Whaling Museum sperm whale's jaw.