Part 5   p. 9 to 10

Lieut Thomas and his party overtook the others at sunset
and after a brief council-of-war, sent out their scouts,
Indian and English, to discover the movements of the
fugitives.  Having found that they had encamped for the
night, and apparently not suspecting pursuit, the English
left their horses with a guard, and, with the Mohegans
in the van, marched silently forward to a field, at a
place called "Nipsachick" (said to be within the present
town of Burriville, R.I).  The night being very dark,
they were forced to wait for light.  At dawn they made
their attack upon what proved to be Weetamoo's camp.
The Indians were taken by surprise and fled, leaving every-
thing behind them.  But the Mohegans and English rush-
ing forward found themselves confronted with Philip's
fighting men entrenched behind trees and rocks ready for
battle.  Adopting the tactics of the enemy, the English
and their allies engaged them fiercely until 9 o'clock,
when still fighting desperately, but with powder nearly
spent, the hostiles sullenly retired leaving many of
their dead upon the field.  Some twenty-three of the
enemy were killed, it is said, including a prominent
chief, Woonashum, called by the English, Nimrod.  Of the
English, two were killed and one wounded.

Near the close of the fight, Rev. Mr. Newman and a party
came up, bringing supplies.  Capt. Henchman arrived after
the fight, having sailed to Providence and marched up
thence, with sixty-eight soldiers and sixteen friendly
Indians.  He immediately took command, but concluded
not to push the pursuit until next day.  The Rehoboth
and Providence men returned home, to bring up supplies
for the further pursuit.  They hastened back next day
with all speed, but found to their great disappointment
that Capt. Henchman had not moved until that same day,
giving the enemy a full day's start; Lieut. Thomas and
his party overtook him on the evening of August 3rd
at a place called by them in the report, "Wapososhequash".
The enemy were beyond pursuit, a part (Weetamoo's people
except the fighting-men) having turned off into the
Narraganset country, while Philip and the rest passed
into the great forests beyond Quabaug.  The Mohegans
went to their own country on August 4th, accompanied by
Lieut. Brown and a small party, to Norwich, to secure
provisions and news of the enemy. After awaiting the re-
turn of this party three days, Capt. Henchman on August
7th marched back to Mendon, meeting Capt. Mosely with a
company of dragoons coming up from Providence with
supplies.  Next day, Capt. Henchman went up to Boston and
the Rehoboth men returned home.  Capt. Mosely was left
in command at Mendon.  Capt. Henchman was relieved of
command in the field and was sent to bring off his men
remaining at Pocasset.  Mendon had been attacked July
14th, by a party of Nipmucks, led by Matoonas, and six
or more of the settlers were killed while at work in
their fields.

When the Indians returned from their seige of Brookfield,
they met Philip and his people in the woods and told him
of their exploit.  He was greatly pleased, and gave some
of the chiefs presents of wampum, and promised them fresh
supplies of ammunition and arms.

p.10
The Brookfield affair had the effect of bringing in the
faltering tribes and Philip's coming confirmed the plan
to clear the Connecticut Valley of English settlers.
Massachusetts Colony raised several companies to protect
the frontiers.  Capt. Mosely with his own and Capt. Hench-
man's men marched from Mendon, and Captains Thomas
Lathrop of Essex County with a fine company, and Richard
Beers of Watertown with another, marched to Brookfield
where their forces were joined by Capt. Watts of Connecti-
cut with two companies of English and Indians.  Major
Willard took command of this force, and broke it into
several parties in order to better protect the several
settlements.  These companies were engaged in scouting
the frontiers and guarding supplies sent up to the
various garrisons.  The Springfield Indians, hitherto
pretending friendship, fled and joined the hostiles on
the night of August 24th; and the English, pursuing, had
a sharp fight with them at a swamp near Mt. Wequomps
losing nine of their own men.  The English troops were
concentrated at Hadley under the general command of Major
Pynchon.  On Sept 1st the Indians attacked Deerfield
burning most of the houses and killing one of the garri-
son soldiers and then withdrew.  On the 2nd they fell
upon Northfield, where many of the people were abroad
at work in the fields, and the women and children at the
houses in the town.  The assault was from all quarters
at once and many were killed in the fields as they
escaped from their houses to the garrison.  The Indians
burned most of their houses and drove away their cattle.

On the 3rd Capt. Beers, with thirty mounted men and an
ox-team, was sent to bring off the garrison of Northfield
not knowing of this attack.  This force on the next day
was ambushed at Saw-Mill Brook, near Northfield, and
Capt. Beers and some twenty of his men were killed.  Next
day Major Treat with a hundred men marched up to North-
field, finding and burying the dead of Capt. Beer's
company and then bringing off the garrison.  It was now
decided to strengthen the garrisons and act upon the
defensive.  Upon Sept. 18th Capt. Lathrop with his comp-
any was sent to convoy teams bring loads of grain from
Deerfield to Hadley.  A strong ambuscade was made at a
place known since as "Bloody Brook," and there the
Indians encompassed and massacred nearly the whole comp-
any, some eighty, including the teamsters.  Only eight
or ten escaped.  The number killed was between sixty and
seventy.  Capt. Mosely came hastily from Deerfield upon
hearing the shots and engaged the great company of sever-
al hundreds of Indians, charging in amongst them with in-
trepid fury which drove them headlong before him into the
woods and swamps; but finding them gathering in immense
numbers and seeking to surround him, he threw out his
lines to prevent being flanked and began a cautious re-
treat; when Major Treat coming upon the field, the Indians
seeing the reinforcements, fled.

To be continued  Part 6  p. 11 to 12 

Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth      Farns10th@aol.com

bigelow@slic.com Rod Bigelow at SLIC