The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 491
Soon after the death of Mr. Atherton, probably in
1679, his widow married Timothy Baker, of Northampton, a man of distinction in that town. She
was his second wife. By this connection Mr. Baker
had five children (the first child being born in February, 1680-81), one of whom was the celebrated
Capt. Thomas Baker, who married Christine Otis,
of Dover, N. H. (See Genealogical Register, vol.
5, p. 189-196.)
Mr. Atherton accompanied Capt. Turner, in 1676,
as chaplain, in the expedition against the Indians,
in the neighborhood of Greenfield, which resulted
in the celebrated " Falls Fight."
Rev. John Taylor, of Deerfield, in an edition of
" Williams's Redeemed Captive" (1793), closes his
account of the " Fight"- with a brief narrative of
Mr. A. "In this action," he says, "' was the Rev.
Mr. Atherton, minister of Hatfield. The following
is the substance of a paragraph which he delivered
to his people the sabbath after his return:- In the
hurry and confusion of the retreat,' says Mr. Atherton,' I was separated from the army. The night
following, I wandered up and down among the
dwelling places of the enemy, but none of them discovered me. The next day I tendered myself to
them a prisoner, for no way of escape appeared, and
I had been a long time without food; but, notwithstanding I offered myself to them, yet they accepted
not the offer. When I spake to them they answered not, and when I moved towards them they fled.
Finding they would not accept of me as a prisoner,
I determined to take the course of the river, and, if