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A58611
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The present state of New-England with respect to the Indian War wherein is an account of the true reason thereof (as far as can be judged by men) : together with most of the remarkable passages that have happened from the 20th of June till the 10th of November, 1675 / faithfully composed by a merchant of Boston and communicated to his friend in London.
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N. S.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing S120C; ESTC R33574
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17,340
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22
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THE PRESENT STATE OF New-England With Respect to the INDIAN WAR Wherein is an Account of the true Reason thereof as far as can be Judged by Men. Together with most of the Remarkable Passages that have happened from the 20th of June till the 10th of November 1675. Faithfully Composed by a Merchant of Boston and Communicated to his Friend in LONDON Licensed Decemb. 13. 1675. Roger L'Estrange C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Kings-Arms in the Poultry and at the Ship and Anchor at the Bridg-foot on Southwark side 1676. The Present State of New-England with respect to the Indian War THere being many and various Reports concerning the Causes of the present War amongst us it may not be amiss in the First place to give you a true Account of the Reasons thereof which probably may add something to the Satisfaction of our Christian Friends in Old England which is thus About five or six Years since there was brought up amongst others an Indian in the Colledg at Cambridg named Sosoman who after some time he had spent in Preaching the Gospel to Unkus a Sagamore Christian in his Territories was by the Authority of New-Plimouth sent to Preach in like manner to King Philip and his Indians But King Philip Heathen-like instead of receiving the Gospel would immediately have killed this Sosomon but by the perswasion of some about him did not do it but sent him by the hands of three of his Men to Prison who as he was going to Prison Exhorted and Taught them in the Christian Religion they not liking his Discourse immediately Murthered him after a most Barbarous manner They returning to King Philip acquainted him what they had done About two or three Months after this Murther being Discovered to the Authority of New-Plimouth Josiah Winslow being then Governour of that Colony care was taken to find out the Murtherers who upon search were found and apprehended and after a fair Trial were all Hanged This so Exasperated King Philip that from that day after he studied to be Revenged on the English judging that the English Authority have nothing to do to Hang any of his Indians for killing another In order thereunto his first Errand is to a Squaw Sachem i. e. a Woman Prince or Queen who is Widow of a Brother to King Philip deceased he promising her great rewards if she would joyn with him in this Conspiracy for she is as Potent a Prince as any round about her and hath as much Corn Land and Men at her Command she willingly consented and was much more forward in the Design and had greater Success than King Philip himself The place where this King Philip doth dwell is on a parcel of Land called in English Mount-Hope about twelve Miles long and judged to be the best Land in New England And it was about thirty five Miles off of this Place to the Northward that the first English that ever came there Landed and by degrees built Houses and called the name of the place New-Plimouth because Plimouth in Old England was the last place they were at there The English took not a Foot of Land from the Indians but Bought all and although they bought for an inconsiderable Value yet they did Buy it And it may be judged that now King Philip repents himself seeing what Product the English have made of a Wilderness through their Labour and the Blessing of God thereon All the Land of the Colony of New-Plimouth was at first Bought of this King Philip's Grand father Massasoit by Name except some few parcels he hath Sold to some of the Inhabitants of Swanzy not far from Mount Hope Thereupon about five Years since took an occasion to Quarrel with the Town partly because he was vexed he had Sold his Land and partly because his Brother died five or six Years before and he thought the English had Poysoned him and thereupon he troubled them but killed none but the Governour by timely preparation hindred them of doing any hurt Thus after King Philip had secured his Interest in Squaw Sachem whom he perswaded that the English had Poysoned her Husband and thereupon she was the more willing to joyn with him he privately sent Messengers to most of the Indian Sagamores and Sachems round about him telling them that the English had a Design to cut off all the Indians round about them and that if they did not Joyn together they should lose their Lives and Lands whereupon several Sachems became his Confederates And having now five Years time had opportunity enough to furnish themselves with Ammunition and Arms which they did plentifully at Canada amongst the French and it is judged that some English have also Sold them some Arms through Ignorance of their Design In the mean time King Philip Mustered up about Five Hundred of his Men and Arms them compleat and had gotten about Eight or Nine Hundred of his Neighbouring Indians and likewise Arms them compleat i. e. Guns Powder and Bullets but how many he hath engaged to be of his Party is unknown to any among us The last Spring several Indians were seen in small Parties about Rehoboth and Swansey which not a little affrighted the Inhabitants Who demanding the Reason of them wherefore it was so Answer was made That they were only on their own Defence for they understood that the English intended to Cut them off About the 20th of June last Seven or Eight of King Philip's Men came to Swansey on the Lords Day and would Grind a Hatchet at an Inhabitants House there the Master told them it was the Sabbath Day and their God would be very angry if he should let them do it They returned this answer They knew not who his God was and that they would do it for all him or his God either From thence they went to another House and took away some Victuals but hurt no Man Immediately they met a Man travelling on the Road kept him in Custody a short time then dismist him quietly giving him this Caution that he should not Work on his God's Day and that he should tell no Lies These things happening with many others of the like Nature gave the Rehoboth and Swansey Men great cause of Jealousies which occasioned them to send to Plimouth and to the Bay i. e. Boston for some Assistance in case they should need it But before any came to them they of both Towns were gathered together into three Houses Men Women and Children and there had all Provisions in common so that they who had nothing wanted not Immediately after notice came hereof to the Governour of the Messachusets Colony Boston being Metropolis and the Honourable John Leveret Governour thereof Drums beat up for Volunteers and in three Hours time were Mustered up about an Hundred and ten men Captain Samuel Mosely being then Commander This Captain Mosely hath been an old Privateer at Jamaica an
and scandalous Sins breaking forth among us for which we have cause to be greatly humbled before the Lord our great unsensibleness of the displeasure of the Lord in suffering these Abominations to be perpetrated together with our Carnal Security and unquietness under the Iudgments of God upon us our abiding very much unreformed notwithstanding all Warnings and Chastisements whereby the Lord hath been and is still debating with us we having greatly incensed Him to stir up many Adversaries against us not only Abroad but also at our own Doors causing the Heathen in this Wilderness to be as thorns in our sides who have formerly been and might still be a Wall unto us therein and others also to become a Scourge unto us the Lord himself also more immediately Afflicting us by Diseases whereof so many Children in some of our Towns have died this Summer His not going forth with our Armies as in former times but giving up many of our Brethren to the Mouth of the devouring Sword yea shewing himself Angry with the Prayers of his People Threatning us also with scarcity of Provision and other Calamities especially if this present War with the barbarous Heathen should continue And that the Lord of Hosts himself withdraw not the Commission He hath given to the Sword and other Iudgments to prevail against us The Governour and Council of this Iurisdiction therefore being under the Sense of these evils and also of the distressed State of the rest of the Colonies confederate with our selves and of the Churches of Christ in other parts of the Christian World in this day of Trouble Rebukes and Blasphemy and fearing the sad Issue thereof unless the Lord help us with our whole Heart and not feignedly to turn unto Himself Do Appoint and Order the seventh day of the next Month to be a Day of Publick Humiliation with Fasting and Prayer throughout this whole Colony that we may set our selves sincerely to seek the Lord rending our Hearts and not our Garments before Him and pursue the same with a through Reformation of what ever hath been or is an Image of Iealousie before the Lord to offend the Eyes of his Glory if so be the Lord may turn from his fierce Anger that we perish not We do therefore require all the Inhabitants of this Iurisdiction to forbear Servile Labour upon that Day and that they apply themselves respectively to observe the same as is Appointed By the Council Edward Rawson Secr. On the 1st of October News came to Boston that the Indians had Burnt the Farm-house of Major Pinchon scituate near Springfield and killed much Cattel and Burnt much Corn which occasioned his Son to abide still in Boston he being before provided to go for London with Capt. John Walley in the Johns Adventure Mr. Pinchon's one Ship It is judged that Major Pinchon's dammage may amount to eleven or twelve hundred Pound Sterling This day also came the News to Mr. Purchas that his House and Goods were Burnt his Wife and Children kill'd the latter proved false He was also bound in Capt. Walley for London but remained at Boston for some time in order to the settling his Family there His Loss likewise amounted to above a thousand Pound Sterling On the 12th of October a Body of Indians came to Springfield who immediately fired the Town and consumed thirty two Houses and almost as many Barns with their Corn and Hay The Indians that did this Mischief were a company of those sort called Praying Indians about forty in number that alwayes dwelt near to Springfield and at that time were confined to their Town and a mile about it but for their usual Civility sake were permitted daily to have Converse with the Town about what Business they had and at mid-night they did their Exploit The Neighbouring Towns hearing it and that it was done by them Rose without any Command or Leader and slew all of them they could find which was about thirty Likewise tidings came this day from the Eastward that they have killed twenty Men within this ten days wherefore here is this 20th of October marched forty Men out of Boston for their Relief The Narragansets we fear more and more every day will be perfidious to us the time being past that they should have delivered Squaw Sachem at Boston Our Feares are the more encreased as well in that we understand several of them appear up and down in Arms however here is a Levie now coming out for a thousand Englishmen to wait on them which we hope may reduce them to good order as well as recover Squaw Sachem out of their hands which if she be but taken by the English her Lands will pay more then all the Charge we have been at in this unhappy War October 28. This day by advice from Hatfield we have this particular Account of what happened there On Wednesday the 19th of October a party of Indians about seven Miles off Hatfield in the Woods made several great Fires to make the English think they were there but as soon as ever they had set fire to the Wood they came directly towards Hatfield and about two Miles from Hatfield they lay in Bushes by the way side undiscoverable thinking to cut off the English in their way to the Fires About Noon they of Hatfield sent ten Horsemen well armed to Scout out and see what is the matter in the Woods and in their way the Indians at once shot down nine of the ten and the other returned to Hatfield to carry the news Capt. Samuel Moseley being then not far from thence with sixty Men was immediately sent for who presently came By four a Clock there were come into the Town above seven hundred Indians armed and immediately set Fire in three places to the Town but by care was soon quenched Capt. Moseley presently engaged five hundred of these Indians whilst two hundred and more other Indians were at the other end of the Town endeavouring to Fire it There was also another Captain with about sixty Men not far off who hearing the Guns came immediately thither and set on the other Party of two hundred and odd but two English Captains soon joyned together and they had a Fight with those seven hundred and odd Indians for near two Hours time till they could see no longer in this Fight we lost only three Men and we judg we may have killed above an hundred Indians we forced the rest in great disorder to run away we forced them over a large River who in their Swiming over lost all their Arms and Ammunition and several were Drowned as was seen the next day This Fight doth much discourage them and encourage our English there were ten Men wounded of ours in the Fight but none Mortally we hope Care now is taken to satisfie the reasonable desires of the Commonalty concerning Mr. Elliots Indians and Capt. Guggins Indians They that wear the name of Praying Indians but rather as Mr Hezekiah Ushur termed Praying-Indians they have made Preys of much English Blood but now they are all reduced to their several Confinements which is much to a general Satisfaction in that respect Dated from Boston Novemb. 10. 1675. POSTSCRIPT SIR I Have here enclosed you as large an Account as I can at present of the State of this Wilderness in respect to the Heathens I must confess I was the willinger to take a little the more Pains in the Collecting thereof for the sakes of those with you who wish us well Which if it may answer its intended end therein the Labour in Writing will be well bestowed You may expect more from me as there is occasion mean vvhile I am Sir Your Friend and Servant Psal 80.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. FINIS