about them, others were in as much hazard of being swallowed by the miry boggs of the swamp, wherein they stuck so fast, that if Sargeant Riggs, of Roxbury, had not rescued two or three of them, they had fallen into the hands of the enemy; but such was the strength and courage of those that came to their rescue, that some of the Indians being slain with their swords, their friends were quickly relieved and drawn out of the mire and danger. But the Indians of the place, who had for company sake run with their guests the Pequods into the swamp, did not love their friendship so well as to be killed with them also for company sake, wherefore they began to bethink themselves that they had done no wrong to the English, and desired a parly, which was granted, and they presently understood one another by the means of Thomas Stanton, an exact interpreter then at hand. Upon which the Sachem of the place with several others and their wives and children, that liked better to live quietly in their wigwams than to be buried in the swamp, came forth and had their lives granted them. After some time of further parley with these, the interpreter was sent in to offer the like terms to the rest, but they were possessed with such a spirit of stupidity and sullenness that they resolved rather to sell their lives for what they could get there; and to that end began to let fly their arrows thick against him as intending to make his blood some part of the price of their own; but through the goodness of God toward him, his life was not to be sold on that account, he being presently fetched off. By this time night drawing on, our commanders perceiving on which side of the swamp the enemies were lodged, gave orders to cut through the swamp with their swords, that they might the better hem them round in one corner which was presently done, and so they were begirt in all night, the English in the circumference plying them with shot all the time, by which means many of them were killed and buried in the mire, as they found the next day. The swamp by the forementioned device being reduced to so narrow a compass, that our soldiers standing at twelve fect distance could surround it, the enemy kept in all the night; but a little before day break (by reason of the fog that useth to arise about that time, observed to be the darkest time of the night) twenty or thirty of the lustiest of the enemy broke through the besiegers, and escaped away into the woods, some by violence and some by stealth cropping away, some of whom notwithstanding were killed in the pursuit; the rest were left to the mercy the conquerors, of which many were killed in the swamp like sullen dogs, that would rather in their self-willedness and madness sit still to be shot or cut in pieces, than receive their lives for asking at the hand of those into whose power they were now fallen Some that are yet living and worthy of credit do affirm, that in the of morning entering into the swamp, they saw several heaps of them sitting close together, upon whom they discharged their piece, laden with ten or twelve pistol bullets at a time, putting the muzzles of their pieces under the boughs within a few yards of them; so as besides those that were found dead (near twenty it was judged) many more were killed and sunk into the mire and never were minded more by friend or foe; of those who were not so desperate or sullen as to sell their lives for nothing, but yielded in time, the male children were sent to the Bermudas, of the females some were distributed to the English towns, some were disposed of among the other Indians, to whom they were deadly enemies as well as to ourselves." War between Uncas and Miantonimoh.-After the conquest of the Pequots, the Narragansetts, the most numerous of the other Indians, either out of discontent that the whole sovereignty of the rest of the Indians was not adjudged to them, or out of envy that Uncas, the sachem of the Mohegans, had insinuated himself farther into the favor of the English than themselves, began a series of hostile acts which ended in war. The following traditionary account is from Dr. Trumbull's History of Connecticut. "Miantonimoh, without consulting the English, according to agreement, without proclaiming war, or giving Uncas the least information, raised an army of nine hundred or a thousand men, and marched against him. Uncas's spies discovered the army at some distance and gave him intelligence. He was unprepared, but rallying between four and five hundred of his bravest men, he told them they must by no means suffer Minantonimoh to come into their town; but must go and fight him on his way. Having marched three or four miles, the armies met upon a large plain. When they had advanced within fair bow shot of each other, Uncas had recourse to a stratagem, with which he had previously acquainted his warriors. He desired a parley, and both armies halted in the face of each other. Uncas, gallantly advancing in the front of his men, addressed Miantonimoh to this effect, 'You have a number of stout men with you, and so have I with me. It is a great pity that such brave warriors should be killed in a private quarrel between us only. Come like a man, as you profess to be, and let us fight it out. If you kill me, my men shall be yours; but if I kill you, your men shall be mine.' Miantonimoh replied, My men came to fight, and they shall fight.' Uncas falling instantly upon the ground, his men discharged a shower of arrows upon the Narragan setts; and, without a moment's interval, rushing upon them in a furious manner, with their hideous Indian yell, put them immediately to flight. The Mohegans pursued the enemy with the same fury and eagerness with which they commenced the action. The Narragansetts were driven down rocks and precipices, and chased like a doe by the huntsman. Among others Miantonimoh was exceedingly pressed. Some of Uncas's bravest men, who were most light of foot, coming up with him, twitched him back, impeding his flight, and passed him, that Uncas might take him. Uncas was a stout man, and rushing forward like a lion greedy of his prey, seized him by his shoulder. He knew Uncas, and saw that he was now in the power of the man whom he had hated, and by all means attempted to destroy; but he sat down sullen and spake not a word. Úncas gave the Indian whoop, and called up his men, who were behind, to his assistance. The victory was complete. About thirty of the Narragansetts were slain, and a much greater number wounded. Among the latter was a brother of Miantonimoh and two sons of Canonicus, a chief sachem of the Narragansett Indians. The brother of Miantonimoh was not only wounded, but armed with a coat of mail, both of which retarded his flight. Two of Miantonimoh's captains, who formerly were Uncas's men, but had treacherously deserted him, discovering his situation, took him and carried him to Uncas, expecting in this way to reconcile themselves to their sachem. But Uncas and his men slew them. Miantonimoh made no request either for himself or his men; but continued in the same sullen, speechless mood. Uncas therefore demanded of him why he would not speak. Said he, Had you taken me, I should have besought you for my life.' Uncas for the present, spared his life, though he would not ask it, and returned with great triumph to Moheagan, carrying the Narragansett sachem as an illustrious trophy of his victory. 6 Here his mouth was Uncas conducted Miantonimoh to Hartford. opened, and he plead most earnestly to be left in the custody of the English, probably expecting better treatment from them than from Uncas. He was accordingly kept under guard at Hartford, till the meeting of the commissioners at Boston. After an examination of the case, the commissioners resolved, that as it was evident that Uncas could not be safe while Miantonimoh lived; but that either by secret treachery or open force, his life would be continually in danger, he might justly put such a false and bloodthirsty enemy to death.' They determined it should be done out of the English jurisdiction. They advised Uncas that no torture or cruelty, but all mercy and moderation be exercised in the manner of his execution.' Immediately upon the return of the commissioners of Connecticut and New Haven, Uncas, with a competent number of his most trusty men, was ordered to repair forthwith to Hartford. He was made acquainted with the determination of the commissioners, and receiving his prisoner, marched with him to the spot where he had been taken. At the instant they arrived on the ground, one of Uncas's men, who marched behind Miantonimoh, split his head with a hatchet, killing him at a single stroke. He was probably unacquainted with his fate, and knew not by what means he fell. Uncas cut out a large piece of his shoulder and ate it in savage triumph. He said, 'It was the sweetest meat he ever eat, it made his heart strong.' The Mohegans, by the order of Uncas, buried him at the place of his execution, and erected a great heap or pillar upon his grave. This memorable event gave the place the name of Sachem's Plain. PHILIP'S WAR. Murder of Sassaman, and beginning of the war.-After the death of Miantonimoh, the Narragansetts never appeared to be on friendly terms with the English; and probably by their influence, most of the Indian tribes were brought into hostility against them. Philip, the chief of the Wampanoags, the second son of Massasoit, was the most formidable Indian enemy of the English in New England. He succeeded his brother Alexander as sachem, about the year 1662; and being jealous of the growing power of the English, sided with the Narragansetts. In 1671, the English suspecting that he was plotting their destruction, sent for him to make known his causes for so doing. Philip at first denied his plotting against the English, but the proofs appearing so strong, he was so confounded, that he made a confession. He moreover with four of his counsellors, signed a submission, and an engagement of friendship, which also stipulated that he should give up all his arms among his people, into the hands of the governor of Plymouth, to be kept as long as the government should "see reason." "Yet did this treacherous and perfidious caitiff still harbour the same or more mischievous thoughts against the English than ever before, and hath been since that time plotting with all the Indians round about, to make a general insurrection against the English in all the colonies which, as some prisoners lately brought in have confessed, should have been put in execution at once, by all the Indians rising as one man, against all those plantations of English, which were next to them. The Narragansetts having promised, as was confessed, to rise with four thousand fighting men in the spring of this present year, 1676. But by the occasion hereafter to be mentioned about Sausaman, Philip was necessitated for the safety of his own life to begin his rebellion the year before, when the design was not fully ripe. Yet some are ready to think, that if his own life had not now been in jeopardy by the guilt of the murder of the aforesaid Sausaman, his heart might have failed him; when it should have come to be put in execution, as it did before in the year 1671, which made one of his Captains, of far better courage and resolution than himself, when he saw his cowardly temper and disposition, fling down his arms calling him a white-livered cur, or to that purpose, and saying that he would never own him again, or fight under him; and from that time hath turned to the English, and hath continued to this day a faithful and resolute soldier in their quarrels. That the Indians had a conspiracy amongst themselves to rise |