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his face with wet gunpowder, by which the enemy mistook him for one of their own party, who were painted black.

Wandering parties of the enemy still continued their depredations. The 28th of March, they burned forty houses in Rehoboth, and the next day thirty in the town of Providence. In April, they did mischief in Sudbury and Andover. At Sudbury about a dozen persons were killed; and captain Wadsworth, going to their assistance, was suddenly assaulted by 500 of the enenry, when he, captain Bruklebank, and more than fifty of their men were slain. Five or six of this company were made prisoners, who were scourged, tortured, and killed in the most cruel manner.

This was a most distressing tirae in New England. The war had been. raging almost a year ; the towns all over the country had been in a constant state of alarm and terror; the enemy appearing in different and distant places at the same moment. The season of planting was at hand; to neglect this service would produce a famine; to call home their troops would be only an invitation to the enemy to destroy them. Parties must be sent out, garrisons must be manned; the labours of the field must be performed. In this crisis a spirit of prayer was remarkably conspicuous through the country. Fervent supplications were offered by the churches of New England.

260

Discouragements of the Indians.

About this time, their Powah told the Indians nothing more could be done; a spirit of dissension and discouragement seized them; they had been driven from their best planting ground the year before, and from their most considerable fishing places; hunger and sickness followed, which was very mortal. In consternation they acted without system or energy. To complete their miseries, the Maquas fell upon them with irresistable fury. They were now routed in every part of the country. Troops from Connecticut, which colony had been preserved from their cruelties, took and killed above sixty at one time, and forty four at: another. Capt. Denison, commanded one of theseparties. Among his captives was the terrible Nanunttenoo, son of Miantonimoh. A Pequot : Årst arrested him; a young Englishman soon. came up and asked him some questions, his reply · You too much child; no understand mat.. ters of war. Let your captain come, him I will answer." When he was told that he was to be put to death, he said," he liked it well, that he should die before his heart was soft, or he had said any thing unworthy of himself." They were repulsed from Bridgewater, a town which lost not a man in this war. Near Medfield and Plymouth their parties were put to flight; another party above Northampton on Connecticut river, was vanquished, and one hundred of them killed. Im.

was,

Artifice of Phillip fails.

261

mediately after, captain Turner, with a party killed 300 of them, himself and thirty of his men falling on the field of battle. They were driven from Hadley, Hatfield, and Rehoboth. On June 29th, 1675, was a day of public thanksgiving through the colony, to bless God for the comfortable prospect, that their troubles were drawing to a close.

About this time, the Maquas fell upon Phillip, and killed fifty of his men. The occasion of their hostilities was singular, and tends to develope the character of Phillip, a deep politician, with a heart glowing with love of his country, and burning with indignation against the prosperous strangers, who. were extending themselves over the inheritance of his fathers.

Phillip, after his flight from Mount Hope, had visited the Maquas, and to rouse their vengeance against the English to make a common cause of the war, had murdered several of their people from time to time, and persuaded them it was the cruel English. But in one instance, not effectually executing his business, the bruised Indian revived, returned home, and accused Phillip as the murderer. Thus Phillip himself was the means of turning the fury of the Maquas from the English against himself and his people. The despair. ing monarch fled to his former dwelling, a most unfortunate, unhappy man, deserted by his allies, assaulted by a powerful neighbour, on whose help

262

Captain Church's Exploits.

he had depended, his own people discouraged and scattered, suffering and dying, strangers triumphing in his distresses, and seizing his possessions. Had his father possessed his foresight and courage, perhaps his posterity might long have enlivened the palace at Mount Hope.

About this time the churches in Plymouth colony set a part a day, to renew their covenant with God and one another. The next day, major Bradford, with the Plymouth forces, after escaping an ambush, obtained a victory without losing a man. The tribe at Saconet submitted themselves to his mercy. July 2d, the Connecticut troops, in Narraganset, took and killed 180 of the enemy, without the loss of a man. In Plymouth colony, 200 submitted to the English, and a party, assaulting Taunton, was repulsed without any loss.

At this time captain Church distinguished himself; in one week, with a small party of eighteen English and twenty two Indians, he had four bat-tles, killed and took seventy nine of the enemy,. without losing one of his own men. July 25, from. Dedham and Medfield thirty six Englishmen, and. ninety christian Indians took fifty prisoners without any loss of their own party. Two days after, Sagamore John, with 180 Nipmucks, submitted to the English. Four days after this, a company. from Bridgewater fell upon a company of Indians, who snapped their guns, but all missed fire; they

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fled, excepting ten, who were killed, and five made prisoners. The first of August, captain Church took twenty three more; the next day he arrived at Phillip's head quarters, where he took and killed 130 more; Phillip fled, leaving his family. Captain Church pursued, and found him in a swamp ; attempting to fly, an Indian shot him through the heart. His head was sent to Plymouth, where it arrived on the day they had devoted to solemn thanksgiving. So fell one of the most valiant captains of the New World; and so will the arts of civilized men always triumph over the simple savage. In a few weeks captain Church subdued several hundred more.

The same success attended the colony at the eastward. In September, 400 Indians were made prisoners at Quochecho; one half being found accessories in the war were sold; the other half were set at liberty. Peace soon followed. One of their warriors taken prisoner observed: "You could never have subdued us, but, (striking his breast) the Englishman's God makes us afraid here."

Never has New England seen so dismal a period as the war with Phillip. About 600 men, the flower of her strength had fallen in battle, or been murdered by the natives. A great part of the inhabitants were in mourning. There were few families, who had not lost some near relative. In Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Rhode Island,