Connecticut Historical Collections

" Wlial J have formerly said, is according to my own knowledge, ti:eir being sull'i- cient living testimony to every particular. Hut in lelerence to Cayi. UiiderhiU and_ liis panic's acting in'ihis as.-<auit, I can only intimate as we are iiitoriried by some of themselves immediately alter the light, that they marched up in the eniianceiai the southwest siile ; there they made some pause ; a valiant, resolute gentleman, one Mr. Hedge, stepping towards the giUe, saying, ' If we may not enter, whereloie came we here'l' and immediately endeavored to enter; but was opposed by a sturdy Indian, which dill impede his eiiliauce ; but the Indian being slain by liimself ami yergeani Davis, Mr. Hedge entered the ibrt with some others ; but the fort being (Ui hre, the smoke and llames were so violent that they were constrained to desert the fort Thus were they now at tlieir wit's end, who not many hours before exalted themselves in their great pride, threatening and resulviug the utter ruin and desiiiiciioii of all the Knglish, exulting and rejoicing willi songs and dances : but God was above them, who laughed his enemies and the enemies ui his people to scorn, making them as a (iery oven. Thus were the stout-hearted spoiled, having slept their last sleep, and none of their men could find their hands. Thus did the Lmd judge among the lie.'ilhen, lin- ing the place with dead bodies! And here we may see the just ju.lgment of Gu.l, in sending even the very night before the assault one hundred and fifty men from tin; other fort, to join with them of that place, who were designed ns suine o( themselves reported to go Ibrih against the English, at that very instant when this heavy stroke came upon them, wheie they perished with their fellows. So that the mischief they intended to us, came upon their own pate. They wt^fe taken in their own snare, and we through mercy espaped. And thus in liltlc more than uve htvr's fjjccr, was their impregnable fort with themselves utterly destroyed, to the number of six or seven hundred as some of them.selves confessed. There were only seven taken captive, and about seven escapeil. Of the English there were two slain outright, and alxnit twenty wounded; some fainted by reason of the sharpness of the weather, it being a cool morning, and the want of such comforts and necessaries as are needful in such a ras.-; especially our C/iirui\^coH was much wanting, whom we left with our barks in JN'ai- raganseit Hay, who had orders to remain until the night belore our intended assault. And thereupon grew many dilliculties ; our provision and munition near spent ; Wi- in the enemy's country, who did far exceed us in number, being much enraged, all onr Indians except (JiiLns deserting ns; our pinnaces at a great distance liniii us, and when they would come we were uncertain. Hut as we w ere eonsultiiig u h;ii coin.- e to take, it pleased God to discover our vessels to us before a fair gale ol w ii.d, s.nliiig into Peqiiot Harbor, to our great rejoicing." " We had no sooner discovered our vessels but immediatelv came up il.t- .;kuiv fri^m the e//i<T /arf—iliice hundred or more as we conceived. Tlie C'api.iin hsl i/iii a lllc or two of men to skirmish with thcin, chielly to try what temper they ueie oI, wlio put them to a stand ; we being much encouraged thereat, presently prcpaud to iLUudi towards our vessels. Four or live of our men were .so wounded that they must Le carried with the arms of twenty more. We also being faint, were con.vtraiiied to put four to one man, with the arms of the rest that were wounded to others ; so that we had but forty men free. At length we hired several Indians, who e;ised us of that burthen, in carrying ofT our wounded men. And marching about one quaiterof a mile, the enemy coming U|» to the place where the fort was, and beholding what wa.s done, stamped and lore the hair from tlieir heads; and after a little space, came mounting down tin- hill upon us, in a full career, as if they would overrun lis: but when they came within shot, the rear faced about, giving lire upon ila-m : some c/f them being shot, made the rest more wary ; yet they held on running to and fro, and shooting their arrows at random. There was at the foot of the hill a small brook, where we rested and refreshed ourselves, having by that lime taught them a Huh- more manners than to disturb us. AVe then marched on towards PeciUwl Harbor, and falling upon several wigwams burnt them, the enemy still folluwing us in ihc rear, which was to the windward, though to little purpose ; yet some of tin in lay in ambush, behind rocks and trees, often shooting at us, yet through mercy touched not one of us; and as we catrie to any swamp or thicket, we made some shot to clear the passage. Some of them fell with our shot, and probably more might, but for want of rnnuitiun ; but when any of them fell, our Indians would give a great shout, and then they woiiKI take so much cuurage as to letch theii heads. And thus we continued until vse came within two miles of Pequot Flarbor ; where the enemy gathered togeihei and lelt us, we marching lo the top of an hill adjoining the harbor, with our colors living, having left our drum at the place of our rendezvous the night before ; we seeing our vessels there riding at anchor, to our great rejoicing, and came to the water side; we sat down in quiet." /■ 3 1(5 C R 0 T O N . Captain Mason and tlie Narragansett Indians, continued their march by land to Connecticut river, where tliey arrived on Saturday about sunset, " being nobly entertained by Lieutenant Gardner with many great guns." " And when we had taken order for the safe conduct of llic Narra^'aiisrlt Indi- ans, u'c repaired lo the place of oiir alwde ; where we were entertained with ^^nat triumph and rejoicing,', and praisinjc God for his goodness lo us, in succeedjn;,' uiir Weak endeav'ors, in crowning ns with success, and restoring of iis with so liiile loss. Thus was God seen in the Mount, crushing his pioud enemies, and the enemies of ]iis people : they who were erewhile a terror to all that were round about thern, who re- >;</lved todestroy all the Englisli and to root their very name out of this country, should hy such weak means, even scvenly-sevcn, there being no more at the fort, biing the mischief they plotted, and the violence they olfered and exercised, upon their own lieads in a moment ; buriung them up in the fiie of his wralli, and dunging the ground wilh their Ik'sii." In the addition given by Capt. Mason to his account, " bj' way of comment," lie says, " our commons vi'ere very short, there being a general scarcity througliout the Colony of all sons of provisions, it being upon our lirst arrival at the place. We had but one pint af stni/ii; lii/nurs among us in our whole march, but what the wilderness aiforded, (the bottle of liquor being in my hand,) and when it Aras empty the very Hmelling to the bottle would presently recover such as had fainted away, Avhich hap- pened by the extremity of the heat." " I still remember a >-prc(h. oj Mr. JLnikir, at our going abroad, that they 'should be bread for ns.' " " 1 shall mention two or three special piovidences that God was pleaded lo vouchsafe to particular men, viz. two men, being one man's servants, namely John Dicr and 'riunnus S/i/cs, were both of them sh(ji m ihe knots ol' their handkerchiel's, being about their neck^, and receiv- ed no huit, Lienieiiant Scelci/ was shot in the eyebrow with a flat headed ariow, the point turning downu ards ; I nulled it out myself Lieutenant Bull hiid an arrow shot into a hard piece ot cheese, having no oihe)- defense ; which may verily the old say- ing, ' A little armor would serve if u man knew whcie to place it.' Many such pro- vidences happened; some respecting myself, but since there is nt/ne that witness lo them, 1 shall forbear to mention them." Several circumstances (says Dr. Trumbull) attending this enterprise were much noticed by the soldiers themselves, -and esjiecially by all tlui |)ious people. It was considered very providential that the army shoidd march nearly forty miles, and a considerable part of it in the ene- my's country, and not lie discovered, until the moment they were ready to commence the attack. It was judged remarkable, that the vessels should come itito the harbor at the very hour they were most needed. Tlie life of Capt. Mason was very singularly preserved. As he enter- ed a wigwam lor (ire to burn the fort, an Indian was drawing an arrow to the very head and would have killed him immediately, but Davis, one of his sergeants, cut the bow-string with his cutlass, and prevented the fatal shot. " Few enterprises have been achieved with more personal bravery or good conduct. In few have so great a proportion of the eflective 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 inter- ested, as the whole colony of Connecticut was in this, in that uncommon crisis. In these respects even the great armaments and battles of Eu- rope are comparatively of little importance. In this, under the divine conduct, by seventy seven brave men, Connecticut was saved, and the most warlike and terrible nation in New England defeated and ruined. " There is a remnant of the Pequots still existing. They live in the town of Groton, and amount lo forty souls in all, or perhaps a few more or less; but do not vary much from that amount. They have about C R O T O N , 'M