Frenchmen in the Woods and Ann Foster’s Devil-Bird Confession (July 15, 1692)We follow Cotton Mather’s account of a tense July 15, 1692 day as Gloucester men, including Ezekiel Day, scout the woods after reports of Frenchmen and other strangers near a garrison house; Day fires at a distant figure in blue, another man appears and flees, and John Hammond later spots a similarly dressed stranger, but no one is found. Our focus then shifts to Salem Village, where magistrates examine Ann Foster and record her confession of seeing the devil as a white bird that turns black, promises prosperity and witchcraft, and returns repeatedly, with Foster also implicating Martha Carrier. We also touch on Andover, where Mary Lacy Jr. is later indicted for allegedly attacking Timothy Swan but is tried and found not guilty in 1693.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:06 Gloucester Woods Scouting00:46 Strangers Near Garrison01:17 Ann Foster Examined01:20 Devil Bird Confession01:51 Martha Carrier Implicated02:06 Andover Indictment Wrap Up

July 14, 1692: Thanksgiving in Massachusetts and Elizabeth Ballard’s Affliction in AndoverWe recount events on July 14, 1692, when Massachusetts held a day of Thanksgiving for Governor Phips’ safe return from London and for the defense of Wells, Maine, as Phips hosted ship carpenters to celebrate his blessings. In Gloucester, men left the garrison house to confront strangers seen nearby, chased them into the woods, and fired, but no one was reportedly killed and the strangers escaped. In Andover, Elizabeth Ballard suffered pinching, choking, and pressure on her stomach, leading her husband Joseph to summon Salem Village’s afflicted girls Ann Putnam Jr. and Mary Walcott to identify the witch attacking her; later testimony named Richard Carrier, Martha Carrier, Ann Foster, Mary Lacy Sr., and Mary Lacy Jr. as afflicting Ballard and drinking their cider.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:05 Thanksgiving Day 169200:21 Gloucester Garrison Alarm00:34 Andover Affliction Begins00:57 Accused at the Cider01:13 Cider Joke Wrap-Up

July 13, 1692: Boston Common Militia Drills and Andover’s Town Payments Amid the Salem Witch TrialsWe take you to Wednesday, July 13, 1692, where the militia trained on Boston Common and some participants were called into King William’s War. Back in Andover, Dudley Bradstreet returned from his service as the town’s representative to the General Court in Boston and was paid by the selectmen, who also issued Rebecca Johnson six shillings and nine pence from her annual 40-shilling wage for sweeping the meetinghouse and ringing the bell. Johnson, a widow, was accused of witchcraft in 1692 and confessed on September 7, but on January 7, 1693 her indictment for afflicting Alice Booth was returned ignoramus when the grand jury found insufficient evidence. We also share End Witch Hunts nonprofit plans to visit New England August 7–9 for History Camp Boston and the Connecticut Witch and Culture Fest, plus ways to volunteer, donate, and support the Connecticut Witch Trial Memorial fundraising campaign.00:00 Daily Introduction00:08 Boston Common Militia00:17 Andover Town Payments00:37 Rebecca Johnson Case00:55 New England Trip Announcement01:03 Events and Itinerary01:16 How to Get Involved01:46 Donate and Follow Along02:09 Visit and Register02:26 Closing Farewell