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language; he remained attached to their interest until the commencement of hostilities with the Pequots, when he deserted the garrison and joined the enemy, whom he served as guide, and through whose instigation many of the English had been captured and put to death.-UNCUS and his men insisted upon executing him according to the custom of their ancestors, and the English, in the circumstances in which they then were, did not judge it prudent to interfere-the Indians enkindled a fire, near which they confined the prisoner to a stake, in which si tuation he remained until his skin became parched with the heat; the Mohegans then violently tore him limb from limb, barbarously cutting his flesh in pieces, they handed it round from one to another, eating it, while they sung and danced round the fire in a manner peculiar to savages! the bones and such parts of the unfortunate captive as were not consumed in this dreadful repast, were committed to the flames and consumed to ashes.

On the 19th, Capt. MASON and his men proceeded for Narraganset bay, at which place they safely arrived on the 21st.-Cap:. MASON marched immediately to the plantation of CANONICUS (a Narraganset sachem) and acquainted him with his designs, and immediately after dispatched a messenger to MIANTINOMI, to inform him. likewise of the expedition. The next day MIANTINOMI with his chief councellors and warriors met the English -Capt. MASON informed him that the cause of his entering his country with an armed force was to avenge the injuries which the Pequots had done the English, and desired a free passage to their forts, which they intended to attack;-after a solemn consultation, in the Indian manner, MIANTINOMI observed that" he highly approv ed of the expedition, and would send men to assist the English, but that they were too few in number to fight

the enemy that the Pequots were great warriors and rather slighted the English."

Capt. Masox landed his men and marched to the plan. tation of MIANTINOMI, which, by previous agreement, was to be the place of general rendezvous-in the evening an Indian runner arrived with information that Capt. PATRICK, with the men under his command, had arrived at the plantation of ROGER WILLIAMS, in Providence, and was desirous that Capt. Mason should postpone his march until such time as he could join him; Capt. MaSON after mature deliberation determined however not to wait his arrival, although a junction was considered impor. tant; his men had already been detained much longer than was agreeable to their wishes, and the Mohegans apparently were impatient for battle. The little army therefore (consisting of 90 Englishmen, 60 Mohegan and river Indians and about 200 Narragansets) commenced their march on the 24th, and in the evening of that day reached Nibantick, which bounded on the country of the Pequots Nihantick, was the seat of a Narraganset Sachem, who seemed displeased with the expedition, and would not suffer the English to enter his fort-Capt. MASON, Suspecting the treachery of this fellow, placed a sentinel at night at the entrance of the fort, determined that as he could not be permitted to enter, no one should come out to advise the enemy of his approach.

On the morning of the 25th, Capt. MASON was joined by an additional number of the Narragansets and a few of the Nihanticks-they formed a circle, and brandishing their scalping knives, made protestations how gallantly* they would fight, and what numbers they would kill! &c. -Capt. MASON had now under his command near 5001 Indians, in addition to his former force, with whom he early reassummed his march for the head quarters of the enemy-the day proved uncommonly warm, and the men

through extensive heat and want of provision, were only enabled by night to reach Paucatuck river ; where the Narragansets began to manifest great fear and to enquire of Capt. MASON his real designs-he assured them that "it was to attack the Pequots in their fort!" at which they appeared greatly surprized, and exhibited a disposition to quit the English and return home.

WEQUASH, a Pequot Sachem, who had revolted from SASAGUS, was the principal guide of the English, and he proved faithful; he gave such information respecting the distance of the forts of the enemy from each other, and the distance they were then from that of the chief Sachem's, as induced Capt. MASON to determine to attack the latter, which his guide represented as situated at the head of Mistic river-he found his men so much fatigued in marching through a pathless wilderness, with their provision, arms and ammunition, that this resolution. appeared to be absolutely necessary. The little army accordingly on the morning of the 26th, proceeded directly for Mistic, and at about sundown penetrated a thick 'swamp, where (imagining that they could not be far distant from the fort) they pitched their little camp, between two large rocks, now known by the name of "Porter's rocks," situated in Groton-the sentinels, who were considerably advanced in front of the main body of the English, distinctly heard the enemy singing and dancing through the night at their fort.

The important day was now approaching when the very existence of CONNECTICUT, was to be determined by the sword in a single action! and to be decided by the valour of less than 100 brave men!-About two hours before day the men were aroused from their slumbers by their officers, and after commending themselves and their cause to the ALMIGHTY, proceeded with all possible dispatch for the enemy's fort;—when within a few

rods of the fort, Capt. MASON sent for Uncus and Wa QUASH, and desired them in their Indian manner to harrangue and prepare their men for combat; they replied that "their men were much afraid, and could not be prevailed upon to advance any farther!"—"Go then (said Capt. MASON) and request them not to retire, but to surround the fort at any distance they please, and see what courage Englishmen can display!"-The day was now dawning, and no time to be lost, the fort was soon in view the soldiers pressed forward, animated with the reflection that it was not for themselves alone they were about to fight, but for their parents, wives, children and countrymen as they approached the fort within a short distance, they were discovered by a Pequot sentinel, who roared out "Owanux !" "Owanux!" (Englishmen ! Englishmen !)-the troops pressed on and as the Indians were rallying poured in upon them the contents of their Inuskets, and instantly hastening to the principal entrance of the fort, rushed in sword in hand !—an important moment this! for notwithstanding the blaze and thunder of the arms of the English, the Pequots made a manly and desperate resistance; sheltered by their wigwarms, and rallied by their sachems and squaws, they defended themselves and in some instances attacked the English with a resolution that would have done honor to Romans ! after a bloody and desperate conflict of near two hours continuance, in which hundreds of the Indians were slain, and many of the English killed and wounded, victory still hung in suspense !-in this critical state of the action, Capt. MASON had recourse to a successful expedi ent-rushing into a wigwarm within the fort, he seized a brand of fire, and in the mean time crying out to his men we must burn them "" communicated it to the mats with which the wigwarms were covered, by which means the whole fort was very soon enwrapt in flames!

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as the fire increased the English retired and formed a circle around the fort; the Mohegans and Narragansets. who had remained idle spectators to the bloody conflict, now mustered courage sufficient to form another circle in the rear of them ;-the enemy were now in a deplorable situation-death inevitably was their portion !—sallying forth from their burning cells, they were shot or cut in pieces by the English-many of them (perceiving "it impossible to escape the vigilance of the troops) threw themselves voluntarily into the flames!

The violence of the flames-the reflection of the light the clashing and roar of arms-the shrieks and yells of the savages in the fort, and the shoutings 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 wigwarms were burnt and upwards of eight hundred Indians destroyed!-parents and children, the sannup and squaw, the aged and the young, perished in permiscuous ruin the loss of the English was comparitively trifling, not exceeding 25 in 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 dispatched 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 horror and surprize, 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 a determination to avenge the deaths of their friends even at the expence of their lives;-they

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