ers gave him a commission, to command the troops, 1654 with instructions to proceed with such of them, as should be found at the place of rendezvous, by the thirteenth of October, directly to Ninnigret's quarters, and demand of him the Pequots, who had been put under him, and the tribute, that was still due; also a cessation of hostilities with the Long Islanders. If Ninnigret should not comply with these demands, the instructions were, to subdue him. Wil Willard's lard marched with his men into the Narraganset to Narra expedition country; and, finding that Ninnigret with his men ganset. had fled into a swamp, fourteen or fifteen miles diss tant from the army, returned home, without attempt ing to injure the enemy. About one hundred Pe quots, who had been left with the Narragansets ever since the Pequot war, voluntarily came off with the army, and put themselves under the protection and government of the English."

at New

New Haven colony, from its first settlement, at College tended to the interests of learning, as well as to projected those of religion and civil polity. Beside establish Haven. ing a ministry in each town by law, to be supported by the inhabitants, it established schools in each town, for common education; and a colony grammar school, to prepare youth for college. This year the reverend Mr. Davenport brought forward the institution of a college, to which the town of New Haven made a donation of lands. *

1 Hutchinson, i. 185-187. Trumbull, i. 229–232. Trumbull (ibid.) says, Ninnigret had left his country, corn, and wigwams, without defence, and they might have been laid waste, without loss or danger. The commissioners were entirely dissatisfied with the conduct of the commander of the expedition; but historians ascribe the defeat of their design to the secret intrigue of Massachusetts. Hutchinson, the historian of that colony (ut supra), says, "this was the second time of their preventing a general war, contrary to the minds of six of the commissioners of the other colonies." 2 Pres. Stiles Hist. Judges of king Charles I. p. 40. On a donation to this college of perhaps £400 or £500 sterling by governor Hopkins, who died at London in 1656, the general assembly erected the colony school into a college for teaching "the three learned languages, Latin, Greek and Hebrew ;" and for "the education of youth in good literature, to fit them for public service in church and commonwealth ;" and settled £40 a year

1654. Progress of Connecti

cut.

May 23. Plymouth colony set

ernment at

Kennebec.

The whole number of ratable persons in the colony of Connecticut, this year, was seven hundred and seventy five; and the grand list was seventy nine thousand and seventy three pounds.'

Thomas Prince having been appointed by the general court of Plymouth colony, the preceding tle a gov- year, to settle a government at Kennebeck; he now issued a warrant, directed to the marshal of New Plymouth, requiring the inhabitants on the river Kennebeck to make their personal appearance at Merry Meeting on the twenty third of May. The people generally assembled; and sixteen took the oath of fidelity to the State of England and to the present government of Plymouth; and fifteen laws were established for their government."

Lands

the natives.

John Eliot, minister of Roxbury, having previgranted for ously received encouragement from the general court of Massachusetts to proceed in preaching the gospel to the natives, now obtained several parcels of land for those Indians, who should give any just hope of their embracing the Christian religion. 3

out of the colony treasury on the preceptor or rector, beside the salary from New Haven school, with 100 for a library. Mr. Davenport had the care of the colony school several years; but in 1660 the reverend Mr. Peck was established in it, according to the act of assembly, and taught the learned languages and the sciences. The convulsions of the times however in 1664, and the want of adequate support, caused this college to terminate in a public grammar school; which is still preserved, and holds the Hopkins' funds, and the other endowments of college estate, to this day. Yale College was not built on this foundation. Ibid.The general court of Connecticut in 1653 ordered, that £20 be paid to the support of a fellowship in Harvard college. Trumbull, i. 222.

i Trumbull, i. 232. The number and list of each town are subjoined

Towns.

Persons,

Estates. £19,609

165

15,833

113

12,602

94

8,634

53

4,437

72

7,958

46

5,519

Middletown

Norwalk

31 24

2,172

2,309

775

79,073

2 Hazard Coll. i. 583—586, from Plymouth Records.

3 Hubbard MS, N. Eng. chap. lviii. Hubbard (ib.) mentions lands at

Ohio and

Colonel Wood, living at the falls of James river Discovein Virginia, sent suitable persons on an enterprise of ries on the discovery. Having passed the Alleghany mountains, Missisippi they entered the country of the Ohio, and, in ten years, discovered several branches of that river, and of the Missisippi.'

tion of the

The Iroquois about this time so effectually exter- Destruc minated the Eries, that, without the great lake, on Eries. the borders of which they were situated, and which still bears their name, we should have no evidence of their existence.*

John Haynes, governor of Connecticut, died.3

1655.

Death

of gov.

Haynes

out against

Toward the close of the preceding year Cromwell English had fitted out a fleet of thirty sail, under vice admi- fleet fitted ral Penn, with land forces commanded by general Hispaniola Venables, for the conquest of Hispaniola. Arriving at that island on the thirteenth of April, they were repulsed by the Spaniards, with great loss. On the Is repulsed.

second of May they landed on Jamaica, and laid siege to St. Jago, which at length capitulated. The Reduction whole island was soon reduced; and has ever since of Jamaica. remained in the hands of the English.

Hasanameset," a place in the woods beyond Medfield and Mendon," and at Puncapoag, beyond Dorchester, beside Natick.

1 Brit. Emp. iii. 195. Adair, 308.

2 Charlevoix Nouv. France, i. 322. This historian calls them" la nation des Eriez, ou du Chat." See Wynné, i. 334.

3 Trumbull, i. 223, 224. He was distinguished for his abilities, prudence, and piety; and in his death the colony sustained a great loss. He was chosen governor of Massachusetts in 1635, before his removal to Connecticut; and was considered as " not inferior to governor Winthrop." On his removal (1636), he was chosen governor of Connecticut ; and he was continued in that office, when the constitution would permit, until his death. Ib. 4 Univ. Hist. xli. 349. Wynne, ii. 444, 445. Cromwell's commission to general Venables is in Hazard Coll. i. 592-594. Univ. Hist. (xli. 144, 349.] says, that the fleet, when it sailed from England, had at least 7000 land troops, a great part of which was composed of Cromwell's veterans ; and that Barbadoes afterward furnished 3500 soldiers. Salmon [Chron. Hist. i. 162.] says, the combined forces consisted of 9000 men. Venables was suspected of an attachment to the royal party; and was afterward instrumental in restoring Charles II. He and Penn, on their return from the W.Indies, were sent to the tower by the protector; but their conquest was

1655.

Code of laws com

piled for

colony, and printed.

required in

Governor Eaton had, by desire, compiled a code of laws for the colony of New Haven. These laws, having been examined and approved by the ministers of the jurisdiction, were presented to the gene. ral court, which ordered that five hundred copies should be printed.*

Spinning The general court of Massachusetts, in consideMassachu- ration of the straits of the colony in the article of setts. clothing, passed an act of assessment on spinning.* This year Mrs. Ann Hibbins of Boston was tried for witch- and condemned for witchcraft; and the next year was executed. 3

Execution

craft.

Epidemic disease.

Virginia

Swedes extirpated

from Dela

ware.

An epidemical distemper, similar to that of 1647, prevailed through New England.*

The Virginian legislature changed the Spanish piece of eight from six shillings, and established it at five shillings sterling, as the standard of its currency.s

The Swedes at the Delaware were extirpated by the Dutch, who became possessed of the west side of Delaware bay. The fortress of Casimir was now denominated Niewer Amstel by the Dutch; by the English, Newcastle; and a village naturally arose under its walls."

of greater importance than Cromwell then imagined. He gave orders however to support it; and Jamaica was the chief acquisition, which the English owe to his enterprising spirit. Allen Hist. Eng. 259

I Trumbull, i. 235. They were printed in England.

2 Massachusetts Laws. The law required, "that all hands, not necessa❤ rily employed on other occasions, as women, boys, and girls," should "spin according to their skill and ability;" and authorized the selectmen in every town, to" consider the condition and capacity of every family, and assess them" accordingly," at one or more spinners."

3 Hutchinson, i. 188. The second instance in N. England. See p. 3454 Hubbard MS. N. Eng. chap. Ixi. Hutchinson, i. 190. Of this disease died Nathaniel Rogers, a very respectable minister of Ipswich, a descendant of the celebrated John Rogers, who suffered martyrdom in queen Ma ry's reign. Ibid. Mather Magnal, book iii. 104-109.

5 Jefferson Virg. Query xxi. See p. 336 of this volume.

6 Now called the Three Lower Counties. Smith N. York, 6.

7 Smith N. York, ibid. Chalmers, i. 633- The Dutch W. India company, feeling the blow, struck by the Swedes, had applied for aid to the city of Amsterdam; and, with this alliance, sent an armament from Manhattan, under the command of Stuyvesant, the governor. Ibid. Stuy

missiona

367 The Onondagas sent deputies to Quebec, accom- French panied by a large number of their nation, to solicit ries to the missionaries of the French. Missionaries were ac- Onondagas cordingly sent to that tribe of natives; and several of the heads of it became their proselytes.'

Death of E

Edward Winslow, distinguished in the annals of May & Plymouth colony, died on board the English fleet winslow. in the West Indies, in the sixty first year of his age."

1656.

tion of the

The Quakers, at their first appearance in New PersecuEngland, were considered equally hostile to civil or- quakers der and to Christian truth. Massachusetts therefore passed sentence of banishThe legislature of ment on twelve of that sect, the whole number then in the colony, 3

vesant arrived at the Delaware 9 September, and soon after anchored be fore Fort Casimir, and landed his troops. This fort, commanded by Suen Scutz, surrendered 16 September, on articles of capitulation. The whole strength of the place consisted of 4 cannon (14 pounders), 5 swivels, and some small arms; all of which were delivered to the conquered. Fort Christiana, commanded by Risingh, surrendered to Stuyvesant 25 September. About 30 Swedes took the oath of fidelity to the States General; the rest, with a few exceptions, went to Sweden. Smith N. York, 6.

I Univ. Hist. xxxix. 457, 458. Charlevoix Nouv. France, i. 320.

2 Morton, 153. Hutchinson, i. 187. Cromwell appointed three commissioners to superintend and direct the operations of Penn and Venables in their expedition to the W. Indies, of whom Winslow, then in England, was chief. His reputation was so great, and he found so much employment, that he had never returned home after his departure as agent in 1646. The commanders disagreed in their tempers and views; and the commissioners could not controul them. Winslow participated the chagrin of the defeat; but not the pleasure of the subsequent victory. In the passage between Hispaniola and Jamaica, the heat of the climate threw him into a fever, which, aggravated by his dejection, terminated his life. Belknap Biog. ii. 281-309. His actions form his best eulogium. In New Eng land, his name will never be forgotten. His portrait, an excellent piece of painting, is in possession of Dr. Josiah Winslow, who inherits the old family estate, called Careswell farm, at Marshfield. The eye is black and expressive, and the whole countenance very interesting. The portrait is taken with whiskers. Josiah Winslow, son of Edward (also governor of Plymouth colony), is drawn without them. in New England, and about the same time they were in Old. Leveret is "Beards were left off early the first governor, who is painted without a beard. Cromwell's court." Hutchinson, i. 153. He laid it aside in

3 Hutchinson, i. 197. Neal N. Eng. i. 311. Hazard i.630-632, where the act is entire. An act was passed, laying a penalty of £100 on the mas ter of any vessel, who should bring a known quaker into any part of the