CHAPTER XIV.

Conduct of the king's commissioners. Counties and county courts regulated. Governor Winthrop's estate freed from taxation. Towns settled. Controversy with Rhode-Island. The grounds of it. Courts appointed in the Narraganset country. Laws revised and printed. War with the Dutch. Claims and conduct of major Edmund Andross, governor of New-York. Protest against him. Conduct of captain Thomas Bull. Proclamation respecting the insult received from major Andross. Philip's war. Captains Hutchinson and Lothrop surprised and slain. Treachery of the Springfield Indians. Hadley attacked by the enemy. The assembly make provision for the defence of Connecticut. Expedition against the Narraganset Indians. The reasons of it. The great swamp fight. Loss of men. Courage exhibited, and hardships endured. Captain Pierce and his party cut off. Nanunttenoo tak

en.

Success of captains Denison and Avery. Captain Wadsworth and his party slain. Death and character of governor Winthrop. Success of major Talcott. Attack upon Hadley. The enemy beaten and begin to scatter. They are pursued to Housatonick. Sachem of Quabaug and Philip killed. Number of the enemy before the war. Their destruction. Loss of the colonies. Connecticut happy in preserving its own towns and assisting its neighbors.

A

FTER the reduction of the Dutch settlements, colonel Nichols fixed his residence at New-York, to manage the affairs of government. Sir Robert Carr, Cartwrith, Conduct of and Maverick, the other commissioners, soon went to Bosthe king's commiston, and proceeded upon the business of their commission. sioners. After they had communicated their instructions to the general court, and made a number of requisitions inconsistent with the chartered rights of the colony, and some inconsistent with the rights of conscience and of the churches, they went from Boston to Narraganset. They held courts at Warwick and Southerton, and spent a considerable time in hearing the complaints of the Indians, in determining the titles of the English to their lands; and, without any color of authority from their commission, undertook to make a new province. They determined, that the deed of the Rhode-Islanders, from the Indians, was of no force. Captain Atherton, and others, had made a large purchase of

the Indians, in Narraganset, east of Pawcatuck river, and Book I. the planters had put themselves under the government of Connecticut. The commissioners determined, that cap- 1665. tain Atherton's deed was not legal, because there was no mention of the sum which he had paid. However, as it appeared that considerable had been paid the Indians for the lands, the commissioners ordered the natives to pay to the purchasers a certain quantity of wampum, and ordered the planters to move off from the lands. As the Narraganset sachems had, in 1644, made their subjection to the king of England, acknowledging themselves to be his subjects, they declared that the country belonged to his majesty, and that, in future, it should be called THE KING'S PROVINCE. They determined, that no person, of what colony soever, should presume to exercise any authority within that tract, except those who should be authorised by them, until his majesty's pleasure should be known. They further decreed, that the king's province should extend westward to the middle of Pawcatuck river, and northward as far as the south line of Massachusetts. In the plenitude of their power, they also ordered, that the Pequots, to whom the General Assembly of Connecticut had, agreeable to a resolution of the commissioners of the united colonies, assigned a tract of land on the east of Pawcatuck, should be removed and settled in some other place, which the assembly should appoint, west of that river.* It appears that they came to these important decisions, without giving Connecticut notice, or ever hearing what reasons the colony had to offer against them.

When they had finished their business in Narraganset, they returned to Boston. There they proceeded in the most arbitrary manner, giving the general court of Massachusetts and the whole colony unspeakable trouble. They undertook the protection of criminals against the commonwealth; and summoned the members of the general court before them to answer for judgments which they had given in their legislative and executive capacity. They received complaints against the colony, from Indians and other disaffected persons; and undertook to judge in cases which had been previously prosecuted to a final adjudication, according to law. Indeed, they did not content themselves with determining civil matters only, they made requisitions respecting the church. They demanded, that all persons of orthodox opinions, competent knowledge, and

* Records of Connecticut, in their book of patents, letters, determinations, &c.

BOOK I. civil lives, should be admitted to the Lord's supper, and their children to baptism.t

1665.

Election May 11th, 1666.

Counties

While the general court of Massachusetts expressed entire loyalty to his majesty, they firmly maintained their charter rights, and remonstrated against the proceedings of the commissioners. At this firm conduct, they were highly disgusted, and made a very unfavorable representation of the colony to his majesty, much to its disadvantage.

They came to no determination with respect to the claim of duke Hamilton, but returned the answer of Connecticut to the king, and made a very friendly report to him of the manner in which they had been received by the colony of Connecticut, and of the loyalty and attachment of the people to his royal person. In consequence of it, the king sent a most gracious letter to the colony. In this, he says, "We cannot. but let you know how much we are pleased. Although your carriage doth of itself most justly deserve our praise and approbation, yet it seems to be set off with more lustre, by the contrary deportment of the colony of Massachusetts. We shall never be unmindful of this your loyal and dutiful behaviour."

At the general election, May 11th, 1666, the former governor and council were re-elected.

The general assembly, at this session, proceeded to asmade and certain the limits of the counties and the business of the the county courts county courts. It was enacted, that the towns upon the regulated. river, from the north bounds of Windsor, with Farmington, to thirty miles island, should be one county, to be called the county of Hartford. That from Pawcatuck river, with Norwich, to the west bounds of Hammonasset, should be one county, by the name of the county of New-London; and that from the east bounds of Stratford to the western boundary of the colony, be another county, to be known by the name of the county of Fairfield. The county courts were to consist of one magistrate, at least, and of two justices of the quorum. If three magistrates were present they were authorised to proceed to business, though the justices were absent. The probation of wills and all testamentary matters, which before had been transacted in the court of magistrates, were referred to the county courts, with the liberty of appeal to the superior court.

May 1667.

In 1667, no alteration was made with respect to the governor and council, but governor Winthrop, at first, declined his office. The assembly appointed a committee, and Hutchinson's Hist. vol. i. p. 230-256.

‡ No. XXI.

desired to know the reasons of his desire to leave the chair. Book I. They reported the reasons to the assembly. It seems that the expense of his office was such, in his opinion, that he 1667, could not, consistently with his duty to himself and family, continue in it, without some further allowance from the colony. The assembly continued their earnest desire, that he would accept the trust to which he had been chosen. To enable him to support his office with dignity, the legislature freed all his estate, in the colony, from taxation, and granted him a hundred and ten pounds out of the public. treasury. Upon these encouragements, in connection with the desire and unanimity of the freemen, he consented to accept his appointment.

town,

About the year 1664, settlements commenced on the east Lyme side of Connecticut river, upon the tract, on that side, which made a originally belonged to the town of Saybrook. In May, May, 1667. 1667, the inhabitants were so increased, that the assembly made them a distinct town by the name of Lyme. The Indian name for the eastern part of the town was Nehantick.

At the election in 1668, the freemen elected Mr. Alex- May 14th, ander Bryan, Mr. James Bishop, Mr. Anthony Hawkins, 1668. and Mr. Thomas Wells, magistrates, instead of Mr. Matthew Allen, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Crane, and Mr. Clark.

In this and the next year, several new settlements were made and new towns incorporated.

On the 20th of May, 1662, a purchase was made of the Indians, of a township of land termed, thirty miles island. The Indian name of the tract, east of the river, since called East-Haddam, was Machemoodus. The original proprietors were twenty eight. They began their settlements on the west side of the river, and the inhabitants were so Haddam increased that, in the session in October, 1668, the planta- made a tion was vested with town privileges, and named Haddam. Oct. 1668. The extent of the town was six miles east and west of the river.

town,

and made

About the same time a settlement was made at Massa- Massacoe coe. In April, 1644, the general court of Connecticut purchased, gave liberty to governors Hopkins and Haynes to dispose a town, by of the lands upon Tunxis river, called Massacoe, to such of the name' the inhabitants of Windsor as they should judge expedient. of Symsbury. In 1647, the court resolved, that Massacoe should be purchased by the country, and a committee was appointed to dispose of it to such of the inhabitants of Windsor as they should choose. A purchase of the lands was made of the Indians, and settlements began under the town of Windşor. The plantation, at first, was considered as an ap

BOOK I. pendix, or part of that town. In the session in May, 1670, it was enacted, that Massacoe should be a distinct town, 1670. by the name of Symsbury. The limits granted were ten miles northward from the north bounds of Farmington, and ten miles westward from the western bounds of Windsor.

WallingAt the same time, New-Haven Village was incorporated ford incor- and made a town, by the name of Wallingford. The purporated. chase of the town was made by governor Eaton, Mr. Da

May 12th, 1670.

Alteration of the mode of election.

Dispute

with

Rhode

venport, and other planters of New-Haven, in December, 1638. The settlement was projected in 1669. A committee was appointed, by the town of New-Haven, vested with powers to manage the whole affair of the settlement. This committee held the lands in trust, and acted in all the affairs of the town, as trustees, until May, 1672, when they resigned their trust to the town.

At the general election, May, 1670, William Leet, Esq. was chosen deputy governor, and major Mason, who for many years had been deputy governor, was chosen the first magistrate.

Until this time, the great body of the freemen had annually convened at Hartford, upon the day of election, to make choice of the governor, magistrates, and civil officers, appointed by charter, to be elected on that day. But the freemen were now become so numerous, and it had been found to be so expensive and inconvenient, that it was judged necessary to alter the mode of election. The assembly resolved, "That henceforth all the freemen of this jurisdiction, without any further summons, from year to year, shall or may upon the second Thursday in May yearly, in person or in proxy, at Hartford, attend and consummate the election of governor, deputy governor, and assistants, and such other public officers as his majesty hath appointed, by our charter, then yearly to be chosen." A law was then made regulating the freemen's meetings and the mode of election, for substance nearly the same with the law respecting the election at the present time.

While the colony was thus extending its settlements, and regulating its internal police, great troubles arose respecting the boundaries between Connecticut and RhodeIsland. From year to year Connecticut had appointed committees to settle the boundary line between the colonies, but all their attempts had been unsuccessful.

In 1668, the assembly appointed Mr. Wyllys, and Mr. Robert Thompson, of London, by petition or otherwise, to Island res- represent the affair to his majesty, and obtain a resolution pecting respecting the boundary line. Nothing decisive, however, was effected. Meanwhile, the conduct of Rhode-Island

bounda

ries.