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SOLDIERS IN KING PHILIP'S WAR Chapter 10, Part I |
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X CAPT. JOSEPH GARDINER AND HIS MEN JOSEPH GARDINER (or Gardner) was the son of Thomas and Margaret Gardner of Salem. He married, before August, 1656, Anne Downing, daughter of Emanuel Downing and niece of the first Gov. Winthrop. He was a man of energy and ability, and held many positions of honor and importance in Salem. In May, 1672, he was appointed by the General Court of Massachusetts lieutenant of the foot company under Capt. William Price of Salem. On May 12, 1675, the militia of Salem was divided into two companies by order of the Court, and by the same order the election of Joseph Gardiner as captain of the First Company in Salem was confirmed. When the expedition against Narraganset was organized, Capt. Gardiner was appointed, November 3, 1675, to command the company raised at Salem and the adjoining towns, and mustered his men, ninety-five strong, at Dedham Plain December 10th, and marched with the army towards the rendezvous at Wickford. During the march several skirmishes took place, and Mr. Hubbard relates that some of Stone-wall-John's crew "met with some of Capt. Gardiner's men that were stragling about their own business contrary to order, and slew his Sergeant with one or two more." In "Capt. Oliver's Narrative" it is related that on this occasion the Indians "killed two Salem men within a mile of our quarters and wounded a third so that he is dead." The names of these are given in the list below. The fall of Capt. Gardner is thus related in Church's "Entertaining History:" Mr. Church spying Capt. Gardner of Salem amidst the Wigwams in the East end of the Fort, made towards him; but on a sudden while they were looking each other in the face, Capt. Gardner settled down, Mr. Church stepped to him, and seeing the blood run down his cheek lifted up his cap and calling him by name, he looked up in his face but spake not a word, being mortally Shot through the head. After the death of Capt. Gardiner, the command of his company fell upon his lieutenant, William Hathorn, under whom the men served during the campaign, until disbanded in February. It is thus that the men were credited sometimes under Gardiner, sometimes Hathorn, occasionally both; the latter's name, signed to the voucher or "debenter" which each soldier presented to the paymaster, doubtless confused the clerk and caused this appearance of double command. Capt. Hathorn's subsequent career at the eastward will be given in its proper place.Capt. Gardiner's widow, then aged about thirty-four, married June 6, 1676, Gov. Simon Bradstreet, whose age was about seventy-three. She died April 19, 1713, aged 79. Leaving no children, Capt. Gardiner's Narraganset claim fell to the oldest male heir of his eldest brother Thomas. This heir was Habakkuk Gardiner, son of the Captain's nephew Thomas, who in the list of claimants claims in the "right of his uncle, Capt. Joseph Gardiner."
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