Battle of Turner's Falls
| Battle of Turner's Falls |
| Part of King Philip's War |
Marker commemorating the battle |
|
|
| Belligerents |
| Algonquian tribes, principally Nipmuc |
Massachusetts Bay Colony |
| Commanders and leaders |
|
William Turner † |
| Strength |
| 60-70 warriors |
150 |
| Casualties and losses |
| 100-200, mainly women, children, and elderly |
39 killed or captured |
|
|
|
The Battle of Turner's Falls, also known as the Peskeompscut massacre, was fought on May 19, 1676, during King Philip's War, in present-day Gill, Massachusetts, near a falls on the Connecticut River. The site is across the river from the village of Turners Falls. A band of English colonists under the command of Captain William Turner fell upon the poorly guarded Indian village of Peskeompscut near the falls at dawn, slaughtering many of its inhabitants. Many of the warriors in the camp escaped, and they regrouped with those from other nearby camps to dispute the English retreat, during which Turner was killed.
References
- Schultz, Eric; Tougias, Michael (1999). King Philip's War. Woodstock, VT: The Countryman Press.