CHAP. II.

COMMENCMENT OF HOSTILITIES WITH

THE NATIVES.

THERE was a tribe of Indians which inhabited the borders of Connecticut river from its mouth to within a few miles of Hartford, called Pequots, a fierce, cruel and warlike tribe, and the inveterate enemies of the whites; never failing to improve every opportunity to exercise toward them, the most wanton acts of barbarity. In June, 1634, they treacherously murdered a Capt Stone, and Capt Norton, who had been long in the habit of visiting them occasionally to trade. In August, 1635, they inhumanly murdered a Mr, Weeks and his whole family, consisting of a wife and six children, and soon after murdered the wife and children of a Mr. Williams, residing near Hartford. Finding however, that by their unpro voked acts of barbarity, they had enkindled the resentment of the English; who aroused to a sense of their danger, were making preparations to exterminate this cruel tribe, the Pequots despatched messengers with gifts to the governor of the colonies, the Hon. Josiah Winslow. He being, however, inflexible in his determination to revenge the death of his friends; dismissed these messengers without any answer. The Pequots finding the English resolute and determined, and fearing the consequences of their resentment, the second time despatched messengers with a large quantity of wampum (Indian money) as a present to the governor and council; with whom the latter had a considerable conference and at length concluded a peace on the following terms:

ARTICLES.

1. The Pequots shall deliver up to the English those of their tribe that are guilty of the deaths of their countrymen.

II. The Pequots shall relinquish to the English all their right and title to the lands lying within the colony of Connecticut.

III. The English if disposed to trade with the Péquots, shall be treated as friends.

To these articles the Pequots readily agreed, and promised faithfully to adhere, and at the same time expressed a desire to make peace with the Narragansett Indians, with whom they were then at war.

Soon after the conclusion of peace with the Pequots, the English, to put their fair promises to the test, sent a amall boat into the river, on the borders of which they resided, with the pretence of trade; but so great was the treachery of the natives, that after succeeding by fair promises in enticing the crew of the boat on shore, they were by them inhumanly

murdered

The Pequots despairing of again deceiving the English in the manner they had lately done, now threw off the mask of friendship, and avowing themselves the natural enemies of the English, commenced open hostilities against them, and barbarously murdering all that were so unfortunate as to fall into their hands. A few families were at this time settled at or near Weathersfield, Conn. the whole of whom were carried away captives by them. Two, girls, the daughters of Mr. Gibbons, of Hartford, were in the most brutal manner put to death. After gashing their flesh with their knives, the Indians, filled their wounds with hot embers, in the meantime. mimicking their dying groans.

The Pequots, encouraged by the trifling resistance made by the English to their wanton acts of barbarity, on the 20th June, 1636, besieged fort Saybrook, in which there were about twenty men stationed.

The Indians were to the number of about one hundred and fifty. They surrounded and furiously attacked the fort at midnight, and horribly yelling and mimicking the dying groans of such as had fallen vietims to their barbarity; but the English being fortunately provided with a piece or two of cannon, caused their savage enemies to groan in reality, who, after receiving two or three deadly fires from the besieged, retreated, leaving behind them, dead, or mortally wounded, about twenty of their number. The English sustained no loss in the attack.

The Governor and council of Massachusetts colony alarmed at the bold and daring conduct of the Pequots, and on the 20th of August despatched Capt Endicot, of Salem with ninety men to avenge the murders committed by them unless they should consent to deliver up the murderers, and make reparation for the injuries the English had sustained. Capt Endicott was directed to proceed first to Block Island, then inhabited by the Pequots, put the men to the sword and take possession of the island. The women and children were spared. Thence he was to proceed to the Pequot country, demand the murderers of the English, a thousand fathom of wampum and a number of their children as hostages.

Capt Endicot sailed from Boston on the morning of the 20th. When he arrived at Block Island, about sixty Indians appeared on the shore and opposed his landing. His men soon however effected a landing, and after a little skirmishing drove the Indians into the wood where they could not be found.

The English continued two or three days on the island in which time they destroyed 100 wigwams, and about 50 canoes, when they proceeded for the Pequot country. When they arrived in Pequot harbor, Capt Endicot acquainted the enemy with his designs and determination to avenge the cruelties practised upon his countrymen. In a few moments nearly 500 of the enemy collected on the shores; but as soon as they were made acquainted with the

hostile views of the English, they hastily withdrew, and secreted themselves in swamps and ledges inaccessible to the troops. Capt Endicot landed his men on both sides the harbor. burnt their wigwams and destroyed their canoes, and killed an Indian or two, and then returned to Boston! Enough indeed had been done to exasperate but nothing to subdue a warlike enemy. Sasacus, chief of the Pequots and his captains, were men of great and independent spirits; they had conquered and governed the nations around them without control; they viewed the English as strangers and mere intruders, who had no right to the country nor to control its original proprietors. Independent princes and sovereigns, they had made settlements at Connecticut without their consent, and brought home the Indian kings whom they had conquered, and restored them their authority and lands. They had built a fort, and were making a settlement without their approbation in their very neighborhood. Indeed they had now proceeded to attack and ravage the country. The Pequots in consequence breathed nothing but war and revenge they were determined to extirpate or drive all the English from New England. For this purpose they conceived the plan of uniting the indians generally against them; they spared no art nor pains to make peace with the Narragansetts, and to engage them in the war against the English, to whom they represented that they were bad men, and the natural enemies of the natives, and who also were foreigners, overspreading the country, and depriving the original inhabitants of their ancient rights and possessions; that unless effectual means were immediately provided to prevent it, they would soon dispossess the original proprietors, and become the lords of the continent. They insisted that by a general combination they could either destroy or drive them from the country; that there would be no necessity of coming to open battles; that by killing their cattle, firing their houses, laying ambushes on their roads, in their fields, and wherever they

could surprise and destroy them, they might accomplish their object; they represented that if the English should effect the destruction of the Pequots, they would also soon destroy the Narragansetts. So just and politic were these representations, that nothing but that thirst for revenge, which inflames the savage heart, could have resisted their influence. Indeed it is said that for some time the Narragansetts hesitated.

The governor of the colonies, to prevent an union between these savage nations, and to strengthen the peace between the Narragansett Indians and the colonies, despatched a messenger to invite Miantinomi, their chief Sachem to Boston. The invitation was accepted by Miantinomi, and while at Boston, with the governor and council, entered into a treaty, the substance of which was as follows, viz: That there should be a firm peace maintained between the English and Narragansetts, should not harbor the enemies of the English, but deliver up to them such fugitives as should resort to them for safety. The English were to give them notice when they went out against the Pequots, and the Narragansetts were to furnish them with guides.

In February, 1637, the English in Connecticut colony, represented to the governor their desire to prosecute more effectually the war with the Pequots, who yet continued to exercise toward them the most wanton acts of barbarity. They represented that on the 10th January a boat containing three of their countrymen was attacked by the enemy was proceeding down the river. That the English for some time bravely defended themselves, but were overpowered by numbers. That the Indians, when they had succeeded in capturing the boats crew, ripped them up from the bottom of their bellies to their throats and in like manner split them down their backs and thus mangled; hung them upon the trees by the river side! They represented that the affairs of Connecticut colony at this moment wore a most gloomy