180 A FAST OBSERVED. [1675. CHAPTER XXII. Expedition of the United Colonies against the Narragansets.Situation of the Fort.-They destroy it, with a great Slaughter of the Indians.-Continuance of Hostilities.-Measures for Defence and Resistance.-Settlements destroyed.-Expeditions cut off.-Capture and Death of Canonchet. ON the 12th of September, the commissioners gave orders for the raising of 1000 men to attack the Narragansets. Massachusetts furnished six companies and a troop of horsemen, all amounting to 527 men, under Major Appleton; Plymouth 158, under Major Bradford and Captain Gorham; and Connecticut, although her proportion was only 315 men, sent 300 Englishmen, and 150 Pequods and friendly Indians, under Major Treat, in five companies, under Captains Seely, Gallup, Mason, Watts, and Marshall. The whole of these forces were placed under the command of Josiah Wins. low, Esq., as commander-in-chief. The Connecti. cut troops were ordered to rendezvous at New. London by the 10th of December, and there to await the commands of Mr. Winslow. The commissioners appointed a fast for the 2d of December, saying that "it was an humbling providence of God that put his poor people to be meditating a matter of war at such a season:" for they knew the great hazards of sending troops on such an enterprise, as a single night without shelter, or one of the frequent heavy snowstorms would probably destroy the army. On the 17th of December the Connecticut troops left New-London, and reached Pettyquamscot, but found that the Indians had burned the houses and barns, and killed ten men, and five women and children. On the 18th they joined the rest of the army; and that night also, though cold and stormy, was spent without shelter. They were now within fifteen miles of a swamp in which the Narragansets were assembled; and in the morning, which was the Sabbath, they marched to attack them. The Massachusetts troops took the van, those of Ply. mouth had the centre, and the Connecticut companies the rear. They met a party of the enemy a little distance from the fort, who retreated into it after returning their fire. Although the soldiers had marched without stopping till one o'clock through the snow, they hastened on to attack the enemy in their strong position. The fort was on a small hill rising from the swamp, surrounded by a palisade and a hedge about a rod in thickness, so that it seemed vain to attempt to enter it at any place except that by which the fugitives had entered it. This was a narrow opening, the only passage to which was by a log laid five or six feet above the ground, over which two persons could not go abreast. A blockhouse was placed in front, and a kind of flanker was advantageously situated for the enemy to fire from. The difficulties of the case, however, did not deter the assailants. They had reason to presume that they must be either victorious or destroyed; and the first of the Massachusetts soldiers mounted the log and entered the fort as fast as possible. It proved, however, that the Indians were not unQ 182 THE NARRAGANSET FORT TAKEN. [1675. : The prepared nor afraid for the defences were well manned and furnished with muskets and ammuni. tion. A destructive fire opened upon the soldiers, and was kept up with such energy that they could not endure it, and most of them retreated, leaving Captains Johnson and Davenport, with some of their men, who were cut off. A pause occurred while the main body was coming up, being much retarded by the difficult ground and the snow. Connecticut troops were led by spirited officers, who brought them up with all possible speed, and led them across the log bridge into the fort in considerable numbers. Captain Marshall, however, was killed while upon the log. There they main. tained a resolute contest with the whole force of the savages for three hours, although Captains Gallup and Seely were among the killed, until a small party of them, who had their muskets loaded with pistol bullets, having gone round to the opposite side of the fort, found a spot where the palisade had not been placed; and, forcing their way through the thick hedge, fired on the backs of the Indians. This soon threw them into confusion, so that they left the blockhouse and flanker, were driven from one part of the fort to another, and then fled into the forest. Fire was set to the wigwams, which soon destroyed them all, and (painful to relate!) a considerable number of old men, women, and children in them. It was supposed that the whole number found in the fort was nearly 4000; that 300 men were killed in the fight, and many others wounded mortally; and nearly an equal number were taken prisoners, besides 300 more women and children. The fugitives had to spend the following night in a cedar swamp, without shelter, food, or fire. The loss of the colonists was very great: six captains were killed, and eighty soldiers killed or mortally wounded. They had now undergone severe fatigue: but no shelter was offered them nearer than the quarters they had occupied the night before; and they were compelled to set off immediately on their return. Just as the sun was setting they had taken up their wounded and dead companions, who amounted to about 200, and begun their march, Major Treat, it is said, being the last in the fort. The air was very cold, and the snow fell fast, so that, before they reached their quarters, about midnight, many had their limbs frozen. Four hundred were now disabled. The Connecticut troops suffered most in proportion to their numbers, bearing nearly half of the entire loss. Of their five captains, three were dead, and Mason so wounded that he died nine months after. ward. Eighty of the three hundred Connecticut troops were among the killed and wounded: viz., twenty in Seely's company, twenty in Gallup's, four. teen in Marshall's, and nine in Mason's. About forty of the wounded recovered. The destruction of so many women and children made the most sad impression even on some of the soldiers, who were loud in their remonstrances. Major Treat took his troops immediately away, sending the wounded by water to Rhode Island. The Massachusetts and Plymouth troops remained in the field most of the winter, pursuing Indians, and endeavouring to make peace with them. The destruction of the fort was the principal cause of 184 VOLUNTEER COMPANIES. [1676. their overthrow. The Indians would listen to no proposals for peace: but set off for the Nipmuck country, which was in the present county of Worcester, Massachusetts, to join with that powerful tribe in new depredations. On the way they rob. bed some of the settlers; and, in company with the Nipmucks, they plundered and burned the chief part of Lancaster on the 10th of February, killing and taking 40 persons. A few days after, they attack. ed Medfield, Massachusetts, burned half the houses, and killed 20 men. They continued their course of destruction in March, with ruinous effect in Massachusetts and Rhode Island: but, happily, did not invade Connecticut. The following towns were partly or wholly destroyed, and lost many of their inhabitants by death or captivity: Northampton, Springfield, Chelmsford, Groton, Sudbury, and Marlborough, Massachusetts; Warwick and Providence, Rhode Island; and Reboboth and Swanzey, in Plymouth colony. The particulars of this destructive campaign will be found in Church's History of Philip's War. Captain Pierce, of Plymouth, with fifty English and twenty Indians, was cut off by an ambush; and Captain Wadsworth, while marching to relieve Sudbury with fifty men, met the same fate. The condition and prospects of the colonies were now most gloomy: but the spirit of some of the people was not depressed. Indeed, the sufferings and dangers of their neighbours were such as to excite the sympathy of the people of Connecticut; and in Febru. ary, 1676, four companies of volunteers were formed in Stonington, Norwich, and New-London, who were very active for several months, and did great |