Part 36

After these things, and, as I take, this year, John Oldom, (of whom much is spoken before,) being now an inhabitant of y^e Massachusetts, went w^th a small vessell, & slenderly mand, a trading into these south parts, and upon a quarell betweene him & y^e Indeans was cutt of by them (as hath been before noted) at an iland called by y^e Indeans Munisses, but since by y^e English Block Iland. This, with y^e former about the death of Stone, and the baffoyling of y^e Pequents with y^e English of y^e Massachusetts, moved them to set out some to take revenge, and require satisfaction for these wrongs; but it was done so superfitially, and without their acquainting of those of Conightecute & other neighbours with y^e same, as they did litle good. But their neigbours had more hurt done, for some of y^e murderers of Oldome fled to y^e Pequents, and though the English went to y^e Pequents, and had some parley with them, yet they did but delude them, & y^e English returned without doing any thing to purpose, being frustrate of their oppertunitie by y^e others deceite. After y^e English were returned, the Pequents tooke their time and oppertunitie to cut of some of y^e English as they passed in boats, and went on fouling, and assaulted them y^e next spring at their habytations, as will appear in its place. I doe but touch these things, because I make no question they wall be more fully & distinctly handled by them selves, who had more exacte knowledg of them, and whom they did more properly concerne.

This year M^r. Smith layed downe his place of ministrie, partly by his owne willingnes, as thinking it too heavie a burthen, and partly at the desire, and by y^e perswasion, of others; and the church sought out for some other, having often been disappointed in their hops and desires heretofore. And it pleased the Lord to send them an able and a godly man, and of a meeke and humble spirite, sound in y^e truth, and every way unreproveable in his life & conversation; whom, after some time of triall, they chose for their teacher, the fruits of whose labours they injoyed many years with much comforte, in peace, & good agreemente.

Anno Dom: 1637.

In y^e fore parte of this year, the Pequents fell openly upon y^e English at Conightecute, in y^e lower parts of y^e river, and slew sundry of them, (as they were at work in y^e feilds,) both men & women, to y^e great terrour of y^e rest; and wente away in great prid & triumph, with many high threats. They allso assalted a fort at y^e rivers mouth, though strong and well defended; and though they did not their prevaile, yet it struk them with much fear & astonishmente to see their bould attempts in the face of danger; which made them in all places to stand upon their gard, and to prepare for resistance, and ernestly to solissite their freinds and confederats in y^e Bay of Massachusets to send them speedy aide, for they looked for more forcible assaults. M^r. Vane, being then Gov^r, write from their Generall Courte to them hear, to joyne with them in this warr; to which they were cordially willing, but tooke opportunitie to write to them aboute some former things, as well as presente, considerable hereaboute. The which will best appear in y^e Gov^r answer which he returned to y^e same, which I shall here inserte.

S^r: The Lord having so disposed, as that your letters to our late Gov^r is fallen to my lott to make answer unto, I could have wished I might have been at more freedome of time & thoughts also, that I might have done it more to your & my owne satisfaction. But what shall be wanting now may be supplyed hereafter. For y^e matters which from your selfe & counsell were propounded & objected to us, we thought not fitte to make them so publicke as y^e cognizance of our Generall Courte. But as they have been considered by those of our counsell, this answer we thinke fitt to returne unto you. (1.) Wereas you signifie your willingnes to joyne with us in this warr against y^e Pequents, though you cannot ingage your selves without y^e consente of your Generall Courte, we acknowledg your good affection towards us, (which we never had cause to doubt of,) and are willing to attend your full resolution, when it may most seasonably be ripened. (2^ly.) Wheras you make this warr to be our peopls, and not to conceirne your selves, otherwise then by consequence, we do in parte consente to you therin; yet we suppose, that, in case of perill, you will not stand upon such terms, as we hope we should not doe towards you; and withall we conceive that you looke at y^e Pequents, and all other Indeans, as a co[=m]one enimie, who, though he may take occasion of y^e begining of his rage, from some one parte of y^e English, yet if he prevaile, will surly pursue his advantage, to y^e rooting out of y^e whole nation. Therfore when we desired your help, we did it not without respecte to your owne saftie, as ours. (3^ly.) Wheras you desire we should be ingaged to aide you, upon all like occasions; we are perswaded you doe not doubte of it; yet as we now deale with you as a free people, and at libertie, so as we cannot draw you into this warr with us, otherwise then as reason may guid & provock you; so we desire we may be at y^e like freedome, when any occasion may call for help from us. And wheras it is objected to us, that we refused to aide you against y^e French; we conceive y^e case was not alicke; yet we cannot wholy excuse our failing in that matter. (4^ly.) Weras you objecte that we began y^e warr without your privitie, & managed it contrary to your advise; the truth is, that our first intentions being only against Block Iland, and y^e interprice seeming of small difficultie, we did not so much as consider of taking advice, or looking out for aide abroad. And when we had resolved upon y^e Pequents, we sent presently, or not long after, to you aboute it; but y^e answer received, it was not seasonable for us to chaing our counsells, excepte we had seen and waighed your grounds, which might have out wayed our owne.

(5^ly.) For our peoples trading at Kenebeck, we assure you (to our knowledge) it hath not been by any allowance from us; and what we have provided in this and like cases, at our last Courte, M^r. E. W. can certifie you.

And (6^ly); wheras you objecte to us y^t we should hold trade & correspondancie with y^e French, your enemise; we answer, you are misinformed, for, besids some letters which hath passed betweene our late Gov^r and them, to which we were privie, we have neither sente nor incouraged ours to trade with them; only one vessell or tow, for y^e better conve[=a]ce of our letters, had licens from our Gov^r to sayle thither.

Diverce other things have been privatly objected to us, by our worthy freind, wherunto he received some answer; but most of them concerning y^e apprehention of perticuler discurteseis, or injueries from some perticuler persons amongst us. It concernes us not to give any other answer to them then this; that, if y^e offenders shall be brought forth in a right way, we shall be ready to doe justice as y^e case shall require. In the meane time, we desire you to rest assured, that such things are without our privity, and not a litle greeveous to us.

Now for y^e joyning with us in this warr, which indeed concerns us no other wise then it may your selves, viz.: the releeving of our freinds & Christian breethren, who are now first in y^e danger; though you may thinke us able to make it good without you, (as, if y^e Lord please to be with us, we may,) yet 3. things we offer to your consideration, which (we conceive) may have some waight with you. (First) y^t if we should sinck under this burden, your opportunitie of seasonable help would be lost in 3. respects. 1. You cannot recover us, or secure your selves ther, with 3. times y^e charge & hazard which now y^e may. 2^ly. The sorrowes which we should lye under (if through your neglect) would much abate of y^e acceptablenes of your help afterwards. 3^ly. Those of yours who are now full of courage and forwardnes, would be much damped, and so less able to undergoe so great a burden. The (2.) thing is this, that it concernes us much to hasten this warr to an end before y^e end of this somer, otherwise y^e newes of it will discourage both your & our freinds from coming to us next year; with what further hazard & losse it may expose us unto, your selves may judge.

The (3.) thing is this, that if y^e Lord shall please to blesse our endeaours, so as we end y^e warr, or put it in a hopefull way without you, it may breed such ill thoughts in our people towards yours, as will be hard to entertaine such opinione of your good will towards us, as were fitt to be nurished among such neigbours & brethren as we are. And what ill consequences may follow, on both sids, wise men may fear, & would rather prevente then hope to redress. So with my harty salutations to you selfe, and all your counsell, and other our good freinds with you, I rest

Yours most assured in y^e Lord, JO: WINTHROP.

Boston, y^e 20. of y^e 3. month, 1637.

In y^e mean time, the Pequents, espetially in y^e winter before, sought to make peace with y^e Narigansets, and used very pernicious arguments to move them therunto: as that y^e English were stranegers and begane to overspred their countrie, and would deprive them therof in time, if they were suffered to grow & increse; and if y^e Narigansets did assist y^e English to subdue them, they did but make way for their owne overthrow, for if they were rooted out, the English would soone take occasion to subjugate them; and if they would harken to them, they should not neede to fear y^e strength of y^e English; for they would not come to open battle with them, but fire their houses, kill their katle, and lye in ambush for them as they went abroad upon their occasions; and all this they might easily doe without any or litle danger to them selves. The which course being held, they well saw the English could not long subsiste, but they would either be starved with hunger, or be forced to forsake the countrie; with many y^e like things; insomuch that y^e Narigansets were once wavering, and were halfe minded to have made peace with them, and jo[=y]ed against y^e English. But againe when they considered, how much wrong they had received from the Pequents, and what an oppertunitie they now had by y^e help of y^e English to right them selves, revenge was so sweete unto them, as it prevailed above all y^e rest; so as they resolved to joyne with y^e English against them, & did. The Court here agreed forwith to send 50. men at their owne charg; and w^th as much speed as posiblie they could, gott them armed, and had made them ready under sufficiente leaders, and provided a barke to carrie them provisions & tend upon them for all occasions; but when they were ready to march (with a supply from y^e Bay) they had word to stay, for y^e enimy was as good as vanquished, and their would be no neede.

I shall not take upon me exactly to describe their proceedings in these things, because I expecte it will be fully done by them selves, who best know the carrage & circumstances of things; I shall therfore but touch them in generall. From Connightecute (who were most sencible of y^e hurt sustained, & y^e present danger), they sett out a partie of men, and an other partie mett them from y^e Bay, at y^e Narigansets, who were to joyne with them. Y^e Narigansets were ernest to be gone before y^e English were well rested and refreshte, espetially some of them which came last. It should seeme their desire was to come upon y^e enemie sudenly, & undiscovered. Ther was a barke of this place, newly put in ther, which was come from Conightecutte, who did incourage them to lay hold of y^e Indeans forwardnes, and to shew as great forwardnes as they, for it would incorage them, and expedition might prove to their great advantage. So they went on, and so ordered their march, as the Indeans brought them to a forte of y^e enimies (in which most of their cheefe men were) before day. They approached y^e same with great silence, and surrounded it both with English & Indeans, that they might not breake out; and so assualted them with great courage, shooting amongst them, and entered y^e forte with all speed; and those y^t first entered found sharp resistance from the enimie, who both shott at & grapled with them; others rane into their howses, & brought out fire, and sett them on fire, which soone tooke in their matts, &, standing close togeather, with y^e wind, all was quickly on a flame, and therby more were burnte to death then was otherwise slain; it burnte their bowstrings, and made them unservisable. Those y^t scaped y^e fire were slaine with y^e sword; some hewed to peeces, others rune throw with their rapiers, so as they were quickly dispatchte, and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400. at this time. It was a fearfull sight to see them thus frying in y^e fyer, and y^e streams of blood quenching y^e same, and horrible was y^e stinck & sente ther of; but y^e victory seemed a sweete sacrifice, and they gave the prays therof to God, who had wrought so wonderfuly for them, thus to inclose their enimise in their hands, and give them so speedy a victory over so proud & insulting an enimie. The Narigansett Indeans, all this while, stood round aboute, but aloofe from all danger, and left y^e whole execution to y^e English, exept it were y^e stoping of any y^t broke away, insulting over their enimies in this their ruine & miserie, when they saw them dancing in y^e flames, calling them by a word in their owne language, signifing, O brave Pequents! which they used familierly among them selves in their own prayes, in songs of triumph after their victories. After this servis was thus happily accomplished, they marcht to the water side, wher they mett with some of their vesells, by which they had refreishing with victualls & other necessaries. But in their march y^e rest of y^e Pequents drew into a body, and acoasted them, thinking to have some advantage against them by reason of a neck of land; but when they saw the English prepare for them, they kept a loofe, so as they neither did hurt, nor could receive any. After their refreishing & repair to geather for further counsell & directions, they resolved to pursue their victory, and follow y^e warr against y^e rest, but y^e Narigansett Indeans most of them forsooke them, and such of them as they had with them for guids, or otherwise, they found them very could and backward in y^e bussines, ether out of envie, or y^t they saw y^e English would make more profite of y^e victorie then they were willing they should, or els deprive them of such advantage as them selves desired by having them become tributaries unto them, or y^e like.

For y^e rest of this bussines, I shall only relate y^e same as it is in a leter which came from M^r. Winthrop to y^e Gov^r hear, as followeth.

Worthy S^r: I received your loving letter, and am much provocked to express my affections towards you, but straitnes of time forbids me; for my desire is to acquainte you with y^e Lords greate mercies towards us, in our prevailing against his & our enimies; that you may rejoyce and praise his name with us. About 80. of our men, haveing costed along towards y^e Dutch plantation, (some times by water, but most by land,) mett hear & ther with some Pequents, whom they slew or tooke prisoners. 2. sachems they tooke, & beheaded; and not hearing of Sassacous, (the cheefe sachem,) they gave a prisoner his life, to goe and find him out. He wente and brought them word where he was, but Sassacouse, suspecting him to be a spie, after he was gone, fled away with some 20. more to y^e Mowakes, so our men missed of him. Yet, deviding them selves, and ranging up & downe, as y^e providence of God guided them (for y^e Indeans were all gone, save 3. or 4. and they knew not whither to guid them, or els would not), upon y^e 13. of this month, they light upon a great company of them, viz. 80. strong men, & 200. women & children, in a small Indean towne, fast by a hideous swamp, which they all slipped into before our men could gett to them. Our captains were not then come togeither, but ther was M^r. Ludlow and Captaine Masson, with some 10. of their men, & Captaine Patrick with some 20. or more of his, who, shooting at y^e Indeans, Captaine Trask with 50. more came soone in at y^e noyse. Then they gave order to surround y^e swampe, it being aboute a mile aboute; but Levetenante Davenporte & some 12. more, not hearing that co[=m]and, fell into y^e swampe among y^e Indeans. The swampe was so thicke with shrub-woode, & so boggie with all, that some of them stuck fast, and received many shott. Levetenant Davenport was dangerously wounded aboute his armehole, and another shott in y^e head, so as, fainting, they were in great danger to have been taken by y^e Indeans. But Sargante Rigges, & Jeffery, and 2. or 3. more, rescued them, and slew diverse of y^e Indeans with their swords. After they were drawne out, the Indeans desired parley, & were offered (by Thomas Stanton, our interpretour) that, if they would come out, and yeeld them selves, they should have their lives, all that had not their hands in y^e English blood. Wherupon y^e sachem of y^e place came forth, and an old man or 2. & their wives and children, and after that some other women & children, and so they spake 2. howers, till it was night. Then Thomas Stanton was sente into them againe, to call them forth; but they said they would selle their lives their, and so shott at him so thicke as, if he had not cried out, and been presently rescued, they had slaine him. Then our men cutt of a place of y^e swampe with their swords, and cooped the Indeans into so narrow a compass, as they could easier kill them throw y^e thickets. So they continued all y^e night, standing aboute 12. foote one from an other, and y^e Indeans, coming close up to our men, shot their arrows so thicke, as they pierced their hatte brimes, & their sleeves, & stockins, & other parts of their cloaths, yet so miraculously did the Lord preserve them as not one of them was wounded, save those 3. who rashly went into y^e swampe. When it was nere day, it grue very darke, so as those of them which were left dropt away betweene our men, though they stood but 12. or 14. foote assunder; but were presenly discovered, & some killed in y^e pursute. Upon searching of y^e swampe, y^e next morning, they found 9. slaine, & some they pulled up, whom y^e Indeans had buried in y^e mire, so as they doe thinke that, of all this company, not 20. did escape, for they after found some who dyed in their flight of their wounds received. The prisoners were devided, some to those of y^e river, and the rest to us. Of these we send y^e male children to Bermuda, by M^r. William Peirce, & y^e women & maid children are disposed aboute in the townes. Ther have been now slaine & taken, in all, aboute 700. The rest are dispersed, and the Indeans in all quarters so terrified as all their friends are affraid to receive them. 2. of y^e sachems of Long Iland came to M^r. Stoughton and tendered them selves to be tributaries under our protection. And 2. of y^e Neepnett sachems have been with me to seeke our frendship. Amonge the prisoners we have y^e wife & children of Mononotto, a womon of a very modest countenance and behaviour. It was by her mediation that the 2. English maids were spared from death, and were kindly used by her; so that I have taken charge of her. One of her first requests was, that the English would not abuse her body, and that her children might not be taken from her. Those which were wounded were fetched of soone by John Galopp, who came with his shalop in a happie houre, to bring them victuals, and to carrie their wounded men to y^e pinass, wher our cheefe surgeon was, w^th M^r. Willson, being aboute 8. leagues off. Our people are all in health, (y^e Lord be praised,) and allthough they had marched in their armes all y^e day, and had been in fight all y^e night, yet they professed they found them selves so fresh as they could willingly have gone to such another bussines.

This is y^e substance of that which I received, though I am forced to omite many considerable circomstances. So, being in much straitnes of time, (the ships being to departe within this 4. days, and in them the Lord Lee and M^r. Vane,) I hear breake of, and with harty saluts to, &c., I rest

Yours assured, JO: WINTHROP.

The 28. of y^e 5. month, 1637.

The captains reporte we have slaine 13. sachems; but Sassacouse & Monotto are yet living.

That I may make an end of this matter: this Sassacouse (y^e Pequents cheefe sachem) being fled to y^e Mowhakes, they cutt of his head, with some other of y^e cheefe of them, whether to satisfie y^e English, or rather y^e Narigansets, (who, as I have since heard, hired them to doe it,) or for their owne advantage, I well know not; but thus this warr tooke end. The rest of y^e Pequents were wholy driven from their place, and some of them submitted them selves to y^e Narigansets, & lived under them; others of them betooke them selves to y^e Monhiggs, under Uncass, their sachem, w^th the approbation of y^e English of Conightecutt, under whose protection Uncass lived, and he and his men had been faithful to them in this warr, & done them very good service. But this did so vexe the Narrigansetts, that they had not y^e whole sweay over them, as they have never ceased plotting and contriving how to bring them under, and because they cannot attaine their ends, because of y^e English who have protected them, they have sought to raise a generall conspiracie against y^e English, as will appear in an other place.

They had now letters againe out of England from M^r. Andrews & M^r. Beachamp, that M^r. Sherley neither had nor would pay them any money, or give them any accounte, and so with much discontent desired them hear to send them some, much blaming them still, that they had sent all to M^r. Sherley, & none to them selves. Now, though they might have justly referred them to their former answer, and insisted ther upon, & some wise men counselled them so to doe, yet because they beleeved that they were realy out round sumes of money, (espetialy M^r. Andrews,) and they had some in their hands, they resolved to send them what bever they had. M^r. Sherleys letters were to this purpose: that, as they had left him in y^e paiment of y^e former bills, so he had tould them he would leave them in this, and beleeve it, they should find it true. And he was as good as his word, for they could never gett peney from him, nor bring him to any accounte, though Mr. Beachamp sued him in y^e Chancerie. But they all of them turned their complaints against them here, wher ther was least cause, and who had suffered most unjustly; first from M^r. Allerton & them, in being charged with so much of y^t which they never had, nor drunke for; and now in paying all, & more then all (as they conceived), and yet still thus more demanded, and that with many heavie charges. They now discharged M^r. Sherley from his agencie, and forbad him to buy or send over any more goods for them, and prest him to come to some end about these things.

Anno Dom: 1638.

This year M^r. Thomas Prence was chosen Gov^r.

Amongst other enormities that fell out amongst them, this year 3. men were (after due triall) executed for robery & murder which they had committed; their names were these, Arthur Peach, Thomas Jackson, and Richard Stinnings; ther was a 4., Daniel Crose, who was also guilty, but he escaped away, and could not be found. This Arthur Peach was y^e cheefe of them, and y^e ring leader of all y^e rest. He was a lustie and a desperate yonge man, and had been one of y^e souldiers in y^e Pequente warr, and had done as good servise as y^e most ther, and one of y^e forwardest in any attempte. And being now out of means, and loath to worke, and falling to idle courses & company, he intended to goe to y^e Dutch plantation; and had alured these 3., being other mens servants and apprentices, to goe with him. But another cause ther was allso of his secret going away in this maner; he was not only rune into debte, but he had gott a maid with child, (which was not known till after his death,) a mans servante in y^e towne, and fear of punishmente made him gett away. The other 3. complotting with him, ranne away from their maisters in the night, and could not be heard of, for they went not y^e ordinarie way, but shaped such a course as they thought to avoyd y^e pursute of any . But falling into y^e way that lyeth betweene y^e Bay of Massachusetts and the Narrigansets, and being disposed to rest them selves, struck fire, and took tobaco, a litle out of y^e way, by y^e way side. At length ther came a Narigansett Indean by, who had been in y^e Bay a trading, and had both cloth & beads aboute him. (They had meett him y^e day before, & he was now returning.) Peach called him to drinke tobaco with them, and he came & sate downe with them. Peach tould y^e other he would kill him, and take what he had from him. But they were some thing afraid; but he said, Hang him, rogue, he had killed many of them. So they let him alone to doe as he would; and when he saw his time, he tooke a rapier and rane him through the body once or twise, and tooke from him 5. fathume of wampam, and 3. coats of cloath, and wente their way, leaving him for dead. But he scrabled away, when they were gone, and made shift to gett home, (but dyed within a few days after,) by which means they were discovered; and by subtilty the Indeans tooke them. For they desiring a canow to sett them over a water, (not thinking their facte had been known,) by y^e sachems command they were carried to Aquidnett Iland, & ther accused of y^e murder, and were examend & comitted upon it by y^e English ther. The Indeans sent for M^r. Williams, & made a greeveous complainte; his freinds and kinred were ready to rise in armes, and provock the rest therunto, some conceiving they should now find y^e Pequents words trew: that y^e English would fall upon them. But M^r. Williams pacified them, & tould them, they should see justice done upon y^e offenders; & wente to y^e man, & tooke M^r. James, a phisition, with him. The man tould him who did it, & in what maner it was done; but the phisition found his wounds mortall, and that he could not live, (as he after testified upon othe, before the jurie in oppen courte,) and so he dyed shortly after, as both Mr. Williams, M^r. James, & some Indeans testified in courte. The Gov^rt in the Bay were aquented with it, but refferrd it hither, because it was done in this jurisdiction; but pressed by all means y^t justice might be done in it; or els y^e countrie must rise & see justice done, otherwise it would raise a warr. Yet some of y^e rude & ignorante sorte murmured that any English should be put to death for y^e Indeans. So at last they of y^e iland brought them hither, and being often examened, and y^e evidence prodused, they all in the end freely confessed in effect all y^t the Indean accused them of, & that they had done it, in y^e maner afforesaid; and so, upon y^e forementioned evidence, were cast by y^e jurie, & condemned, & executed for the same. And some of y^e Narigansett Indeans, & of y^e parties freinds, were presente when it was done, which gave them & all y^e countrie good satisfaction. But it was a matter of much sadnes to them hear, and was y^e 2. execution which they had since they came; being both for wilfull murder, as hath bene before related. Thus much of this mater.

They received this year more letters from England full of reneued complaints, on y^e one side, that they could gett no money nor accounte from M^r. Sherley; & he againe, y^t he was pressed therto, saying he was to accounte with those hear, and not with them, &c. So, as was before resolved, if nothing came of their last letters, they would now send them what they could, as supposing, when some good parte was payed them, that M^r. Sherley & they would more easily agree aboute y^e remainder.

So they sent to M^r. Andrews and M^r. Beachamp, by M^r. Joseph Yonge, in y^e Mary & Anne, 1325^li. waight of beaver, devided betweene them. M^r. Beachamp returned an accounte of his moyety, that he made 400^li. starling of it, fraight and all charges paid. But M^r. Andrews, though he had y^e more and beter parte, yet he made not so much of his, through his owne indiscretion; and yet turned y^e loss upon them hear, but without cause.

They sent them more by bills & other paimente, which was received & acknowledged by them, in money & y^e like; which was for katle sould of M^r. Allertons, and y^e price of a bark sold, which belonged to y^e stock, and made over to them in money, 434^li. sterling. The whole sume was 1234^li. sterling, save what M^r. Andrews lost in y^e beaver, which was otherwise made good. But yet this did not stay their clamors, as will apeare here after more at large.