Connecticut Historical Collections

The murder of ('apt. Oldham induced .M a-acliused- to send ninety men, under Capt. Mudicott, to reduce the Indians on Block Island, and then to demand of the l^njuols the murderers of Capt. Stone and his crew, and a tl)ousand fathoms of wampnm for damages, and a number . of their children as hostages. Capt. Endicott sailed from Boston Aug. ■*25th, and landed on the island, but the Indians secreted themselves in swatnps and other places, where they could not he found. He however destroyed about sixty wigwams, and about 200 acres of corn. Tlie party then sailed to Pequot, now New London harlior, and demanded satisfaction for the murders they had committed. In a few hours, nearly three hundred Pequots collocled upon the shore, but nfiyr having fully learned the object of the visit they withdiew, and instead of treating with the English, they shot their arrows at them. He landed his men on both sides of the harbor, burnt their wigwams, and killed one or two Indians. This expedition gave great dissatisfaction to the ConncH-ticut settlers, as nothing had been done to sidjckic, but enough to exasperate, a hangiity and warlike enemy. Dr, TfambuII. OUTLINE H I S T O 11 y . 11 The Pequot piince Sassacus and liis captains were men of hau(,flity and independent spirits ; they had conqnered and governed the Indian tribes arountl theni witliont control. They viewed the English as in- truders, and they were determined lo extirpate, or drive them from the country. For this purpose they endeavored to unite the Indians against ihem : they spaied no pains to make peace with the Narraganseits, and to engage them against the Elngiish. The governor of AJassachusetts, to prevent a union between these tribes, sent for Miantonimoh, their child* sachem, with some other chief men of the nation, who came to Hoston, and niade a treaty of peace willi the Engiisli. Tlie l\'(juots continued l)Obtile duiing the year 1636, and killed a numlier of pcriona in various places, and during a greater part of the win- ter following k(,'j)t the furt at Sayhrook in a state of siege. When the spring catne on, ihey became still more troublesotne. They waylaid llie roads and fields, and kept the whole colony in a state of alarm. Tlie settlers could neither hunt, fish or cultivate their fields, but at the peril of llieir lives, and their prospects were dark and gloomy in the extreme. In this important crisis, a court was summoned at Hartford, on Monday the Jst of IMay. As they were to deliberate on matters ^vliich concerned the very existence of the colony, the towns for the first time sent committees. The mngisirates were Roger I^udlow, Esq. Messrs. Wells, Swaim, Steel, l-*liulps, and W^nrd. The committees were Messrs, Whiting, Webbter, Williams, Hull, Chaplin, Talcott, GeOords, .Mitchell, and .Sherman. The court, considering that tlie Pequots had killed nearly thirty of the English, determined that olfensive war should l)C immediately carried on against them. For this [)urpose they voted that 1)0 men should be raised forthwith ; 42 from Hartford, 30 from Windsor, and JH liom Wethersfield. Tlio rcpDilof the imirdeis committed by the Petjuots, roused the otfjer colonics in spirited exertions against the common enemy. IVTas- gachiJiCtts determined to send 200, and Plymouth 40 men, to aid Con- necticut in prosecuting the war. Capl. Patrick', with 40 men, was sent forward before tlie other troops from jNTassachusetts and Plymouth could be ready to march, in order to make a junction with the soldiers from Connecticut. On Wednesday the 10th of May, 1637, the troops of Connecticut fell down the river to Sayhrook, on board a pink, a pinnace, and a shal- lop. Their force consisted of 90 Englishmen, commanded by Capt. •lolin IMason, and accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Stone as chaplain. They were also accompanied by Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans with about 70 frieniily Indians. The troops arrived at Sayhrook fort on Monday the 15th. As there was some delay in passing down the river, the Indians desired to be set on shore, promising to join the English at Sayhrook. On their way they fell in with about 40 of the enemy, near the fort, killed seven and took one prisoner, whom they put to death in tlie most barbarous manner. On the lOtli of IMay, Capt. Mason sailed for the Narragansett country, where he arrived the next day. Being joined by 2i)i) iXarragansetts, he proceeded to the Pequot country, and on the '.26th of May attacked the Pequot fort by surprise. This fort 12 O U T L I N i: 11 I ST (M( Y. was situated in the present town of Groion. 'J^'he reader is referred to the history of that town, for an account of the destruction ul' the lijrt and the events which followed. The following address to the soldiers who were engaged in the ex- pedition against the Pequots, is generally ascribed to the Rev. INlr. Hooker. Be this as it may, it is a valuable specimen of the eloquence of the times, and worthy of preservation. It is found in the " Wonder- working Providence of Zion's Saviour in New JMigland," printed in London, in 1658: the following is copied from that work, the orthog- raphy being retained. The narrator says — " the souldiers arriving in salety at the towne of Hartford, were encouraged by the reverend min- isters there with some such speech as Ibllowes." "Felluvv-souldiers, Conntry-mon, ami Companions in this wiklcinfs.M' woike, uiio are ^ailiereii logether this day by the inevitable providence of the ;,'iLat Jehuvah, nut in a tumultuous manner, liunied on tiy the tjoalinir lancy ofevciy hi^'h liol-headcil braiae, whu!?e actions prove abortive, or il'any truit brou'^'lit Ibrih, it liaili beene rape, theft, and inujther, tlungs iiiconsislinf,' with nature's light, then much h'S'-e with a Souhiier's valour; but you, my deare hearts, puiposely pickt out by the godly giave Fathers of this government, that your provvesse may carry on the woi I:, where liiure justice in her righteous course is ob^liaietcd, you need not question your amhoniy lo execute those whom God, the righteous judge of all the world, liath eotideiiincd l^.r blaspiieming hissaered Majesty, and rnurthering liis Servants: every common Soul- dier amtmg you is now installed a Magistrate; then shew yourselves men of cour- age: I would not draw low the height of your enemies' hatred against V"ii, and so debase your valour. This you may expecl, thcii' swelling pride huth hi id the foui.d- alion of large conceplioni against you and all the people ol (Jhrisl m lliis wihlerncsse, even as wide as Habel s bottome. liut, my brave rfouldiers, it linth mounted alreatly to the clouds, and therel'ore it is ripe for confusion; alsu their cruellie is tamously linowne, yet all true bred Souldiers reserve this as a comnu)n maxime, cruelly and cowardice are unseparai)le com|i;inioiis; and in briefe, theie is nothing wanting on your enemies' part, that mny tieprive you of a compleat victoiy, oiicly their iiimble- ness of foot, and the unaecessible swamps and nut tree woods, forth of which your small numbers may intice, and industry compell them. And now to you I put the question, who would not fight in such a cause with au agile spirii, aiid uiid aunted boldnesse ? Yet if you look for further encouragement, I iiave it loi- you ; rii;lits ami honor are the next to a Li-ood cau-^e eved li\- e\eiy SuhMi'm-, Io niuiii!;iin yuur cjwne, andsp.nle vom eiicmu's of iheiis; :ililuMi-h -uUi ami s,U rr be w:niiing I,, eiiher of and new purchased freeiiumcs, priviledges, and inn ilies ol the mdcuied servants of oiu' Lord Christ Jesus, ami of your second selves, even your allectioiialed bosume mates, together with the chicle pledges of your love, the comfoiting contents of harm- lesse pratling and smiling babes; and in a word, all the riches of that goodncsse and mercy that attends the people of God in the mjoyment of Christ, in his ordiiuinees, even in this life; anil as for Injiiour, David was not to be blamed for eiKpiiing after it, as a due recompence of that true valour the Lord had bestowed on him : iiiul now the Lord hath prepared this honour for you, oh you couragiou,-, Souldiers of his, to execute vengeance upon the he;iihen, and correciinn amon.i,' ihe people, in binde Ihcir Kings in chaines antl Nobles in tetters o( Iron, that ihev may execuie upon ihem the judgments that are written ! this honour shall be to all his Saints, but some ol you may suppose death's stroke may cut you short of this: let every failhlul Souldier of Christ Jesus know, that the cause why some of his endeared Servants are lalcen aw ay by death in a just warre (as this assuredly is) it is not because ihey should fall sluirL of the honoin's accompanying such noble designes, but rather because eaiih's hoiinurs are two scant for them, and therel'ore the eveila>iiiig Croun must be set upon iheir heads forthwith, then march on wilh a cheerliill Chu.-'iian coningc in the slrennih of the Lord, and the |)(iwer of his might, who will foi iliwiih inclose your enemies m your hands, make their muliiiiide lall under youi uailike weapons, and your leei sliall soon be set on iheir pidiid necks." The Pef|uot war, though so signally sufccssdil, was sevciely fuk Iiy the ialiabitciut.s ; the consequence was a scarcity itnd debt, which it was O i; T L I N K II I S 'i' O R V . 13 extremely diincult to pay. The Court were (jbli;i,e(l to impose a ta>i of £550, to be immediately collected, to defray tlie expenses of the war. This appears to have been the tirst public tax in Connecticut. As the inhabitants were much distressed by the want of corn, a com- mittee was sent to an Indian settlement called Potomcock, since Deer- field, where they purchased such quantities, tliat the Indianscame down to Windsor and Hartford with fifty canoes at one time.'^^ This \\as con- sidered as a ^MX'at deliverance by pious people at lh;.t period.