yells of the savages in the fort, and the shouting of the friendly Indians without, exhibited a grand and awful scene! In less than two hours from the commencement of the bloody action, the English completed their work. Eighty wigwams were burnt, and upwards of eight hundred Indians destroyed! Parents and children, the sanup and the squaw, the aged and the young perished in promiscuous ruin! The loss of the English was comparatively trifling, not exceeding 25 killed and wounded.

After the termination of this severe engagement, as the English were proceeding to embark on board their vessels, which fortunately for them, at this moment arrived in the harbor, they were attacked in the rear, by about 300 of the enemy, who had been despatched from a neighboring fort to assist their brethren. The English gave them so warm a reception, that they soon gave way, and fell back to the field of action, where viewing for a few moments, with apparent marks of surprize and horror, the shocking scene which it presented, they stamped, bellowed and with savage rage tore their hair from their heads! and then with a hideous yell, pursued the English, as if with the determination to avenge the deaths of their friends, even at the expense of their lives. They pursued the English nearly six miles, sometimes shooting at a distance, from behind rocks and trees, and sometimes pressing hard upon them, and hazarding themselves in open field. The English killed numbers of them, but sustained no loss on their part. When a Pequot fell, The Mohegans would cry out, 'run and fetch his head!' The enemy finding at length that they discharged arrows in vain, and that the English appeared to be well stocked with ammunition gave over the pursuit.

In less than three weeks from the time the English embarked at Saybrook, they returned, with the exception of the few killed and wounded, in safety to their respective habitations. Few enterprizes were ever perhaps achieved with more personal bravery ;

in few have so great a proportion of the effective men of a whole colony, state or nation, been put to so great and immediate danger; in few have a people been so deeply and immediately interested, as were the English inhabitants of Connecticut at this important crisis. In these respects, even the great armaments and battles of Europe are comparatively of little importance; and it ought never to be forgotten, that through the bravery and unconquerable resolution of less than one hundred men, Connecticut was once saved, and the most warlike tribe of Indians in New England completely exterminated.

The few Pequots who now remained alive conceiving it unsafe to inhabit longer a country so exposed to invasion, removed far to the westward; among whom was Sasacus, their principal sachem. On the 25th June the Connecticut troops, under command of Capt. Mason together with a company from Massachusetts, commanded by Capt. Stoughton, were sent in pursuit of them. They proceeded westward, and on the 27th fell in with and attacked and defeated a considerable body of them. They took about 50 of them prisoners, among whom were two sachems, whose lives were offered them on condition of their serving as guides to the English.

The English were on their march frequently fell in with small detached parties of the enemy, whom they captured or destroyed, but could not obtain any information telative to the main body commanded by Sasacus. Finding that the two sachem prisoners would not give them the information required, they on the 29th, beheaded them at a place called Menunkatuck, (now Guilford,) from which circumstance, the place still bears the name of 'Sachem's head.' The English, on the 30th arrived Quinnipaik, (now New-Haven) where they were informed by a friendly Pequot, that the enemy were encamped in a swamp, a few miles to the westward. The troops pushed forward, and on the succeeding day arrived at the border of said swamp, which they found a thicket so extremely boggy as to render it inacces

sible to any one but the natives. The English, there's fore thought it most advisable to surround the swamp and annoy the enemy as opportunity presented. The Indians after a few skirmishes, requested a par ley, which being granted them, Thomas Stanton, interpreter to the English, was sent to treat with them. He was authorised to offer life to such as had not shed the blood of the English. Upon which, the sachem of the place, together with about 300 of his tribe, came out, and producing satisfactory proof of their innocence, were permitted to retire; but the Pequots boldly declared that 'they had both shed and drank the blood of Englishmen, and would not upon such terms accept of life, but would fight it out!' The English, unwilling to brook the threats and insulting language of the Pequots, attempted now to devise means to attack the whole body of them without further delay. The officers were, however, divided in opinion as to the mode of attack. Some were for setting fire to the swamp, others for cutting their way through with hatchets, and others for surrounding it with a high fence or pallisado. Neither of which plans were, however, fully adopted. As night approached the English cut through a part of the swamp, by which means its circumference was considerably lessened, and they enabled so completely to surround the enemy as to prevent their escaping during the night. Early the ensuing morning, the Indians perceiving themselves completely hemmed in by the English, made a violent attempt to break through their lines; they were however driven back with great loss. They next attempted to force the line formed by the Connecticut troops, but here they met with a much warmer reception. The contest now became close and severe. The Indians, who were about 600 in number, appeared determined not to yield but at the expense of their lives. One of the most resolute of them, walked boldly up to Capt Mason, with an uplifted tomahawk,and when about to give the fatal stroke, received a blow from the latter,

who, with his cutlass, severed the head of the sav age from his body. The enemy soon after made another attempt to break through the lines of the English, and in which, after a violent struggle, they finally succeeded. About 60 of their bravest warriors escaped, the remainder were killed or taken prisoners. The loss of the English was 11 killed and 20 wounded.

The prisoners taken were divided among the troops, some of whom were retained by them as servants, and the remainder sent to the West India's and sold to planters. The prisoners reported that the whole tribe of Pequots was now nearly exterminated; that in different engagements there had been upwards of 2000 of them killed, and 1000 captured, among whom were 13 sachems; and that six yet survived of whom one was Sasacus, who had fled with the fragment of his tribe, to a country border ing on the Hudson river, inhabited by the Mohawks.

After the swamp fight the Pequots became so weak and scattered that the Mohegans and Narragansets daily destroyed them, and presented their scalps to the English. The few that fled with Sasacus to the westward were totally destroyed by the Mohawks. The scalp of Sasacus was in the fall of 1638 presented to the Governor and council of Mass.

Soon after the extermination of the Pequots, the Narragansets, the most numerous tribe in New-England, being displeased with the small power with which they were vested, and the respect which the English uniformly manifested for Uncas, appeared disposed to break their treaty of friendship. Miantinomi, without consulting the English according to agreement, without proclaiming war, or giving Uncas the least information, raised an army of 1000 men and marched against him. The spies of Uncas discovered the army at some distance and gave him intelligence. He was unprepared, but rallying about 500 of his bravest men, he told them they must by no means suffer Miantinomi to enter their town, but must go

and him battle on his way. The Mohegans having marched three or four miles, met the enemy upon an extensive plain. When the armies had advanced within fair bow-shot of each other. Uncas had recourse to stratagem, with which he had previously acquainted his warriors. He desired a parley, which being granted, both armies halted in the face of each other. Uncas gallantly advancing in front of his men, addressed Miantinomi to this effect: "You have a number of stout men with you, so have I with me. It is a great pity that so many brave warriors should be killed in consequence of a misunderstanding between us two. Come, like a brave man as you profess to be, and let us decide the dispute alone. If you kill me, my men shall be yours; but if I kill you, your men shall be mine." "No! (replied Miantinomi) my men came to fight and they shall fight." Upon which Uncas falling instantly to the ground, his men discharged a shower a moment's interval, rushing upon them in the most furious manner, with a hedious yell put them to flight. The Mohegans pursued the enemy with the same fury and eagerness with which they commenced the action. The Narragansets were driven down rocks and precipices, and chased like a doe by the huntsman. Many of them, to escape from their pursuers, plunged into a river from rocks of near sixty feet in height. Among others Miantinomi was hard pushed; some of the most forward of the Mohegans coming up with him, twirled him about and so impeded his flight, that Uncas, their sachem, might alone have the honor of taking him. Uncas, who was a man of great bodily strength, rushing forward like a lion greedy of his prey, seized Miantinomi by the shoulder, and giving the Indian whoop, called up his men who were behind, to his assistance. The victory was complete. About 50 of the Narragansets were killed, and a much greater number wounded and taken prisoners. Among the latter was a brother of Miantinomi, and two of