Part 6  p. 11 to 12

The English troops, hithto despising the Indians in war,
now seemed helpless before them.  On Sept. 26th the
Indians assaulted Springfield, west of the river, burn-
ing the houses and barns.  On October 5th, having made
some demonstrations against Hadley, soldiers were drawn
from Springfield to strengthen the garrison; the Indians
fell upon the latter village and destroyed it, before the
companies could return to save it.  After this blow,
Major Pynchon begged the Court to appoint a commander
of the forces on the river in his place, and Major Samuel
Appleton was appointed and by the advice of the Council
garrisoned the various towns not abandoned and then with-
drew the other troops to Boston.  The Connecticut troops
helped to garrison Northampton and Westfield, and the
Indians withdrew to their winter camps.  Philip had long
since gone into winter quarters above Albany.

But now the colonies determined to strike the Narragansetts
in their own country before they should be able to join
the hostiles.  A great muster was made in three colonies
and an army of one thousand men was raised and equipped,
half of which was sent from Massachusetts.  The Narra-
gansets were entrenched in a very strong position in a
great swamp in what is now South Kingstown, R.I.
It was claimed that great numbers of Wampanoags and
other hostiles were among them finding refuge, and they
were defiant and threatening.  The English forces under
command of General Winslow of Plymouth gathered at Wick-
ford and on Dec. 19th 1675, marched some twenty miles
through intense cold and a heavy snow storm, to the
swamp; the waters being frozen by the severe cold, and
this fact made it possible for the English to reach the
rude fortifications.  Without waiting for any organized
attack, the Massachusetts troops, being at the front in
the march, rushed forward across the ice in an impetuous
charge, and into the entrance, where the Indians had
constructed rude flankers, and place a strong block-house
in front, so that the first to enter were met with a
terrible enfilading fire from front and flanks, and were
forced back for a time; but others coming on pressed into
the breach, and though suffering severe losses, at last
stormed all the fortifications, drove the enemy from
every line of entrenchments within the fort, and out into
the woods and swamps beyond.  They set fire to the wig-
wams and store-houses of the savages, in which were
burned many of the aged, and women and children.  Then
taking their wounded, the English took up their march
back through the deep snow to Wickford, where they
arrived the next morning.

The details of this fight as well as the subsequent
movements of this campaign, are given at length in the
articles of which this pamphlet is the compendium, and
are briefly passed here.  The Narragansetts kept well
out of the way of the English army, and made many pre-
tences of negotiating peace, but at last, about January
26th having made several raids into the settlements, and
capturing numbers of cattle and horses, Canonchet with
his strong rear-guard took up his line of retreat for the
north, and two days afterwards the army, some twelve
hundred strong, marched in pursuit.

p.12
The Mohegans and Pequots, among the Connecticut forces,
led the pursuit and had several sharp skirmishes with the
enemy, always retreating northward.  This running fight
was kept up for several days, until provisions having
failed and no base of supplies possible, the General
abandoned the pursuit and marched his troops to Marlbor-
ough and thence to Boston.  The men suffered severely
in this march, from hunger, and it was known for several
generations as the "hungry march."

The Connecticut forces separated from the others on Feb.
3rd, and the main body of the army arrived in Boston on
the 8th.  Wadsworth was left at Marlborough to guard the
frontiers and neighboring towns.  Canonchet and his great
and warlike Narraganset tribe, maddened by what they
believed their wrongs, and thirsting for vengeance, were
now joined with Philip and the other hostile tribes and
all within an easy day's call, except Philip and his
band who still remained in their retreat beyond Albany.

The time was critical for the settlements; prompt action
was necessary on the part of the Indian leaders to keep
their young men in courage and training.  Upon Feb. 10th
the Indians in great force fell upon Lancaster and nearly
destroyed the town.  They killed or took captive fifty
of the people.  Among the captives was Mrs. Rowlandson
wife of the minister.  One garrison-house was saved by
the arrival of Capt. Wadsworth, and his company from
Marlborough.  On Feb. 21st a strong body of the enemy
surprised Medfield, although a large force of soldiers
was then in the town.  There were no guards set, nor
other precautions taken.  The soldiers were scattered
about in the houses and the Indians placed ambuscades
in front of each house, and shot them down as they rush-
ed out upon the alarm.  The enemy were frightened away
by the firing of a cannon and crossed the river, burning
the bridge behind them.

Another army was now raised and sent out to the Connecti-
cut River towns to protect them and try to bring the
enemy to battle.  There were said to be two great forti-
fied camps; one near the "Wachusett Hill," and the other
at Menameset, beyond Brookfield.  The army was under
command of Major Thomas Savage and consisted of three
foot companies and a troop of horse from Massachusetts.
Connecticut sent several companies of English and friendly
Indians.  A number of Christian Indians from the Naticks
went with Major Savage.  The army marched to Menameset
on March 2nd to March 4th to find the enemy gone.  They
pursued them to Miller's River, across which they escap-
ed.  It was thought that this great body of the enemy
would now fall upon the western towns, so that the army
marched thither, abandoning the design upon "Wachusett
Hill.

To be continued  Part 7  p. 13 to p. 14

Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth      Farns10th@aol.com 

bigelow@slic.com Rod Bigelow at SLIC