USA > Connecticut > New London County > Montville > History of Montville, Connecticut, formerly the North parish of New London from 1640 to 1896 > Part 2
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coast which they had seized, but the remainder he claimed as justly belonging to him. He thereby came into possession of all the northern part of what is now New London county, together with the southern portion of the counties of Wind- ham and Tolland. At this time many of the conquered tribe had attached themselves to Uneas and had become his subjects. Fragments of other tribes too collected around him, and in- creased the numbers and strength of the Mohegans. Another source of influence was conferred upon Uneas in consideration of his late service in the Pequot war. His faithfulness during that war was repaid by the colonists with their favor, when it could be conferred with justice, and sometimes perhaps only with injustice. As Uneas had made a claim to all that tract of land lying on both sides of the Thames river, and extending several miles north, so he also claimed the right to dispose of the same in whatever manner he should deem best for his interest, and thereupon the agreement of the date of Septem- ber 28, 1640, was entered into, between himself and the colony of Connecticut. That agreement was as follows: " Sep- tember 28th, 1640. This Writing Witnesseth: That I, Uncas, alias Poquaiom, Sachem of the Mohegans, have given and freely granted unto the governor and magistrates of the English upon the Connecticut river, all the land that doth belong, or ought of right to belong, to me by whatever name soever it be called, whether Mohegan, Yomtoke, Aquapank- suks, Porkstannocks, Wippawocks, Massapeake or any other, which they may hereafter dispose of as their own, either by settling plantations of the English there or otherwise as shall seem good to them, reserving only for my own use that ground which at present is planted and in that kind improved by us; and I do hereby promise and engage myself not to suffer, so far as I have power, any English or any other to set down or plant within any of those limits which before this grant did belong to me, without the consent or approbation of the said magistrates or governor at Connecticut aforesaid. And this I do upon mature consideration and good advice, freely and
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without any constraint. In Witness Whereof, I hereunto put my hand.
The mark of Poquaiom, alias Uncas.
In presence of Thomas Stanton.
The mark of Poxen, alias Foxon.
" The said English did also freely give to the said Uncas five and a half yards Trucking Cloth, with stockings and other things, as a gratuity."
The colonial authorities and all who were interested in the success of the government, claimed that it was a clear deed of purchase and sale. The Indians, however, declared that it was a mere right of pre-emption, by which Uncas pro- hibited himself from selling his land to any but the colony or the settlers of Connecticut, without the approbation of the authorities. Thus from the two interpretations arose the great controversy which followed and continued many years. Uneas soon became a formidable rival with the Narragansetts, whose hatred toward Uneas now increased. This hatred and jealousy on the part of the other tribes led them to form a conspiracy to overthrow and destroy Uncas. He, on the other hand, strove to defend himself and to injure the enemies by spreading unfavorable reports of their feelings and designs with regard to the English. " Miantinomoh," says the Mo- hegans, " wants to make himself sachem of all the Indians in New England. Miantinomoh is trying to bring all the Indians into a conspiracy against the white settlers."
These reports caused a suspicion on the part of the mag- istrates of the colony, and in November, 1640, they sum- moned the Narragansett chief to Boston. He at once obeyed, thus producing a strong impression in his favor. When questioned, he was deliberate in his answers, and showed much cunning in his observations. He offered to prove that Uncas and the Mohegans alone had raised the reports against him, and asked that his accusers might be brought face to face before him, and demanded that if unable to prove their charges they should be put to death. His demeanor and the
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apparent justness of his remarks silenced the complainants, and the magistrates acquitted him of all suspicion of conspiracy, and he was set free and returned to his home in peace. This affair doubtless tended to increase his hatred of Uncas, and not long after an incident occurred which was said to be an effect of that revived hatred. One evening, as Uncas was passing from one wigwam to another in Mohegan, an arrow, discharged by some unseen marksman, pierced his arm. On reaching the cabin to which he was going, the wound was dressed, but being slight was soon healed. The perpetrator of this attempted as- sassination was never known, but suspicion rested on a young Pequot who was known to have a large quantity of wam- pum. He was questioned in relation to the wampum he had in his possession, but would give no reasonable explanation of how he came by so much, which increased suspicion against him. Observing that he was suspected of committing the act, he stole away out of the Mohegan territory and fled over to the Narragansett country, and took refuge with Mianti- nomoh. Uncas took the matter before the magistrates of Massachusetts, charging Miantinomoh with being the instiga- tor of the cowardly attack on him, and Miantinomoh once more felt himself compelled to go to Boston. He took along with him the Pequot, who was examined by the magistrates in the presence of the chief. He told a most extraordinary story, how he had been staying in Uncas' fort and how Uncas had engaged him to tell the English that he had been hired by Miantinomoh to kill Uncas, and how at the time Uncas said that an arrow pierced his arm, he took the flint of his gun and cut his arm on two sides so as to make it appear as if an arrow had pierced it. This story seemed improbable to the magistrates, and was very unsatisfactory to the colonists, who had long distrusted the Narragansetts and favored the Mo- hegans. This improbable tale served to bring Miantinomoh under strong suspicion. It seemed that the sachem had used the young Pequot as a tool for throwing off the guilt of a conspiracy from his own shoulders, and laying it on the in-
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tended victim of that conspiracy. The magistrates expressed themselves convinced that the young Pequot was guilty, and declared that he ought to be given over to Uncas to be dealt with as his crime demanded.
The Narragansett sachem objected, claiming that the young man was under his protection, but finally promised that if he might only carry him back to his own country he would then surrender him to Uneas. His earnest pleadings were listened to, and he was allowed to go with the criminal, but on the way to the sachem's home, he had him murdered by his own men. This act with good reason deepened the suspicion already excited against him, as it was immediately con- cluded that he had put his accomplice to death to prevent his own guilt from being thoroughly exposed. He was doubt- less unwilling to gratify a hated rival by surrendering the man to him for vengeance, and he may have feared that Uncas might make use of him by torture or intimidation for the purpose of bringing still more dangerous accusations against himself and his tribe. Sequassen, the sachem of the Connecticut river tribes, now began to play his part against the Mohegans and their sachem. Some of his men had killed a leading Mohegan, and others waylaid Uncas him- self as he was sailing down the Connecticut in a canoe, and shot arrows at him. Uncas at once complained of their at- tempts at his life and those of his men to the magistrates at Hartford, and the governor, having summoned the two sachems before him, attempted a reconciliation between them. Uneas said that the man who had been murdered was one of considerable importance in the tribe, and that he must have six of Sequassen's men to put to death in retaliation for the one of so much consequence in his tribe. The governor labored hard to reduce this extravagant de- mand as it did not accord with the English idea of justice, and after great persuasions, Uncas was prevailed upon to accept a single individual and the acknowledged murderer. But the murderer being also a man of importance, and he
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was moreover a relative and a great favorite of Miantinomoh, Sequassen consequently would not consent to his surrender, and said that he would defend him by force, and probably relied upon Miantinomoh for aid. The governor, finding that it was impossible to effect a reconciliation between the two sachems, dismissed them, and gave Uncas liberty to revenge his own wrongs. He did so. Entering Sequassen's territory he made war upon him, killing several of his war- riors and wounding others. He also burned their wigwams and carried away a quantity of booty.
This successful act of Uncas kindled anew the old hatred of Miantinomol, who again began to plan for revenge. Ac- cording to the treaty of 1638, he first submitted his com- 1 plaints to the magistrates before taking up arms. He sent a message to Governor Havnes of Connecticut complaining that Uncas had injured his friend and relative Sequassen, and his allies. The governor replied that the English had no hand in the affair, and did not mean to uphold Uncas in any unjustifiable conduct. He also sent a notice to Gov- ernor Winthrop of Massachusetts, complaining of the injury Uncas had done him, and asked in particular whether the people of Massachusetts would be offended with him in case he should make war upon Uneas. Governor Winthrop's reply was still more satisfactory than that of Governor Haynes, for he informed him that if Uneas had done him or his friends any wrong and refused to give satisfaction the English would leave him to choose his own course in retaliation, and so left the matter as on a previous occasion, to be settled between the sachems. Miantinomoh immediately therefore begun prepara- tions for avenging his own and his kinsman's quarrel with more than usual energy. He collected a large band of war- riors and advanced rapidly and unexpectedly into the country of the Mohegans. The Mohegan sentinels on the hills of Norwich suddenly beheld the Narragansetts emerge from the woods and cross the Shetucket river at a place a short distance above its junction with the Quinebaug. The run-
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ners immediately dashed off, some to carry the startling in- telligence to their chief, some to collect their scattered war- riors. Very soon the Mohegan warriors came pouring into their fort on all sides. (This fort is supposed to have been the one situated on an eminence a short distance west of the present Mohegan station and in full view of the sur- rounding hills about Norwich. Uncas may have been at this fort or at his cabin which stood on another eminence abont a mile south of the fort and in sight of it. The site of this fort is easily discovered by the hollow circle around it clearly seen at the present time.) The warriors were soon able to advance toward the enemy. Uncas at the head of his band of noble men, moved forward toward the enemy until he came to a spot situated in the present township of Norwich and now known as the East Great Plain.
Here he halted his men on a rising spot of ground and explained to them a strategem by which he hoped to make up for his inferiority in numbers. It is probable that the Mohegans minbered about three hundred warriors, and that of their enemy twice that number. The Narra- gansetts, having already crossed the fords of the Yan- tie, soon appeared descending the declivity opposite to the Mohegans. Uncas now sent forward a messenger to ask an interview with Miantinomoh. It was granted, and the two sachems shortly met each other in a narrow space between the contending armies. The Narra- gansetts were waiting unsuspicionsly the result of the con- ference; the Mohegans were watching anxiously for the pre- concerted signal from their sachem. Uncas addressed Mian-
tinomoh on the folly of mutally wasting the lives of the brave warriors in a contest which could as well be decided by themselves alone. "Let us fight it out," said Uncas; if you kill me my men shall be yours, and if I kill you, your men shall be mine." Miantinomoh is said to have been a tall and strong man, and it is not likely that he was so deficient in courage as to reject the proposition of Uncas through fear.
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But he was certain of his superiority in numbers and was therefore resolved not to throw away what seemed to be a certainty for an uncertainty. " My men came to fight," said he, " and they shall fight." Uncas had probably expected such an answer and now the time had come for his stratagem. He threw himself suddenly upon the ground. His men, rec- ognizing the signal, and drawing their ready-bent bows, they poured a shower of arrows among the astonished Narragan- setts. Uneas sprang up, and his warriors, pealing forth the vell of battle, and brandishing their tomahawks, rushed for- ward with their chief upon the paralyzed enemy. The Nar- ragansetts, panic struck at this bold and sudden assault, made hardly an attempt at resistance, and speedily took to flight. The Mohegans pursued them with impetuous fury, drove them through the shallows of the Yantie, and continued the chase into the forests beyond. All over that hilly country the pursuers and pursued might have been seen leaping over rocks and dashing through tangled thickets like wolves in chase of timid deer.
Miantinomoh fled with his followers, but his flight was probably impeded by an English corselet which he wore around him as a protection in battle. Two of the Mohegan captains followed him closely and could easily have taken or killed him with their own hands, but this honor they were willing to reserve for their chief. The first of these men who reached the flying chieftain was a sagamore named Tantaqui- gion, whose descendants were for a long time afterward held in high esteem among the Mohegans. (But one person at this writing lives that bears the name.) Uneas finally came up and seized Miantinomoh by the shoulder. The fated chieftain, as soon as he felt the hand of his enemy upon him ceased his flight and sat down upon the ground, but not a word escaped his closed lips, made so by the raging anger within. Thirty or more of his warriors had been slain in their flight and many more wounded; the remainder sought their own safety, and left their chief to the mercy of his cap- 2
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tors. Some of Miantinomoh's warriors were brought up and slain before his eyes, but he was silent, showing neither weak- ness or fear. "Why do you not speak ?" said Uncas. "If you had taken me, I should have besought you for my life."
Miantinomoh was carried in triumph to the Mohegan fort, his life was spared and lie was even treated with some degree of kindness and respect. It is said that during the captivity of Miantinomoh his people sent him several packages bof wampum which he gave away, some to Uncas, some to Uncas' wife, and some of his counselors. These presents were made, as the Mohegans said, partly by way of thanks for his kindly treatment while in their hands and partly to persuade Uneas to deliver him over to the English and refer his fate to their decision. The Narragansetts, however, as- serted that the wampum was given as a ransom, and subse- quently made it a strong ground of accusation against the Mohegan sachem. The capture of Miantinomoh excited a deep interest among the English of Rhode Island. One of them is said to have written Uncas a letter commanding him to set Miantinomoh at liberty, and threatening him with the English power if he refused.
Uneas was by no means willing to set his captive free, but he did not dare now, on his own authority, to put him to death. In this dilemma he concluded to refer the case to his old friends, the English of Connecticut. He therefore took his captive to Hartford and surrendered him to the cus- tody of the magistrates, and begged them to show him his duty. The magistrates replied that there was no open war between their government and the Narragansetts; he had better wait until the meeting of the commissioners of the United Colonies, as they did not wish to interfere in such matters. Accordingly the matter was laid before the com- missioners at their next meeting at Boston, which took place the following September. The question was there debated, whether it would be just and lawful to have the captive chief put to death. The commissioners hesitated in their judgment,
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and at first decided that while it would not be safe to liberate the captive, there was still no sufficient cause to put him to death. In this uncertainty it was determined to refer the case to the clergy, a general convocation of whom was held in Boston, as many as fifty being assembled from all parts of New England. From this number five only were selected to consider and give their opinion on this important question. These were called in, and the case laid before them. After due consideration they gave it as their opinion that Mianti- nomoh ought to die.
The commissioners being thereby relieved of the grave responsibility of the decision by the verdict of the clergy, de- clared that the sachem was worthy of death, and that Uncas might reasonably kill him, since his own life would be in constant danger as long as such a false and bloodthirsty enemy lived. The commissioners decided that Uncas and some of his best men should be summoned to Hartford; that the captive chief should there be surrendered into his hand, and by him put to death without the limits of the English set- tlement, and that some of the colonists should witness the execution for the more full satisfaction of the commissioners. It was agreed that if Uneas refused to kill the prisoner he was not to be surrendered to him, but if he should carry the sentence into effect, he was to be taken under the English protection, and it was to be the special duty of Connecticut, to defend Uncas against all enemies whom he might thus create.
This decision was to be kept secret until it was known that the commissioners had reached their homes. As soon as it was ascertained that the commissioners were in safety. Uncas was ordered to Hartford with a sufficient number of his warriors. He went, attended by his brother Wawequa, and a select band. The decision of the commissioners was made known to Uncas, which decision was doubtless after his own heart. He offered not the least objection to carrying it into execution. The prisoner was delivered into his hands,
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and two Englishmen were designated to go with him and wit- ness the execution. They left Hartford and traveled on through the forests by the paths often traveled by the Mo- hegans until they came to the spot where Miantinomoh was captured, and where he sat down upon the ground with silent contempt. Wawequa, the brother of Uncas, was walk- ing close behind the captive chief, who was still uncertain what his fate would be. Uncas gave the signal, and Wawe- qua silently raising his tomahawk, sank it with a heavy blow into the head of the unsuspecting prisoner. It is said that Uncas, then and there, cut a piece of flesh from the shoul- der of his now dead enemy and ate it, saying, " It is the sweetest meat I ever ate; it makes my heart strong."
Such was the tragical end of Miantinomoh, the chief of the Narragansetts. He was buried on the site, both of his defeat and his death, and the spot afterwards received from the English settlers the name which it still retains, " Sachem's Plain," and is situated in the present township of Norwich near the Shetucket river, a little south of its junction with the Quinebang. On the 4th day of July, 1841, was erected, principally through the efforts of William C. Gilman, Esq., a monumental stone to the memory of the Narragansett chief. It is a block of granite, eight feet high and about five feet square at its base, and bears this inscription, " Miantinomoh, 1643." After the loss of their sachem the Narragansetts by no means remained quiet, but were continually harassing the Mohegans. Within a month after the death of Miantinomoh, Pessicus, a brother of the sachem, sent presents to Boston with messages that he wished peace with the English, but at the same time had determined upon making war with Uncas. His presents were rejected, and he was told that the English would stand by Uncas whenever he should be attacked. The re- jection of the presents, and the assurance that Uncas should be protected produced little effect for the hatred and burning desire for vengeance that was concealed in the bosoms of the Narragansetts, and could not be easily overcome either by
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threats or persuasion. Hostilities were at once commenced, and the warriors of the Narragansetts in squads again invaded the territories of Uncas.
In the spring of 1645, about two years after the defeat of Miantinomoh, a large force of his warriors poured into the country of the Mohegans under the command of Pessicus. They destroyed every wigwam and plantation in their pro- gress, drove the Mohegans before them, and forced Uncas to take refuge in one of his forts called the " Shantock Fort." A short distance east of this fort, partly down the hill, is a living spring of water which was of easy access by the be- sieged. When once in this fort, the Mohegans could easily defend themselves against a foe no more skilled in warfare and as poorly armed as themselves. The Narragansetts had no expectation of driving the Mohegans from their stronghold by any force they could bring against them, so they attempted to annoy them by seizing their canoes that lay along the banks of the river, and spread themselves over the surrounding country, hoping to reduce the besieged by cutting off their
supplies. Uncas, however, succeeded in sending news of his condition to the English fort at Saybrook. A Mohegan creeping cautiously out by night made his way undiscovered along the river and over the country to the mouth of the Connecticut river, and crossing over, communicated to the English the perilous condition of Uncas and his men. Say- brook Fort was at this time commanded by John Mason, who, from a grateful remembrance of services rendered by Uncas in the Pequot war, was quite willing to assist him in his present extremity. On the information obtained, Mason allowed one of his garrison, a young man named Thomas Leffingwell, to undertake the enterprise of taking a supply of food to Uncas. It is presumed that Leffingwell was assisted on his expedition by two other men named Thomas Tracy and Thomas Miner. The canoe in which they embarked was ca- pable of bearing twenty hundredweight of provisions. They succeeded in bringing it around to the mouth of the Pequot
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or Thames river, and, taking advantage of a dark night, cau- tiously paddled up the river to Shantock Point, and, running up a small cove into which the Shantock brook empties, landed their cargo without being discovered by the besiegers. The starving Mohegans shouted their delight when they saw the beef, corn, and peas which had been sent to them, and at onee gave notice to their enemy of their relief, by elevating a large piece of meat on a pole. When daylight came the Narragansetts saw that they had been provisioned, and seeing one or more Englishmen among the Mohegans, they gave up the siege in despair and returned to their own territory. And again Uneas was left free for a time. The Narragansetts would often afterwards repeat their invasions into the Mole- gan territory. The old hatred towards Uneas would not allow them to live long without attempting revenge. During the year 1657 the Mohegans were again obliged to defend them- selves against the attacks of the Narragansetts, assisted by the Nehanties. On one occasion Pessieus, the Narragansett chief, with a large force invaded the Mohegan country, and once more held Uneas besieged in his fortress. A small body of English was sent by the colony of Connecticut to relieve him. Its very appearance caused the Narragansetts to re- treat, and the Mohegans, rushing out of their fort, pursued them and changed their retreat into a rout. The invaders fled in a tumult towards their own country, and were furiously pursued by the Mohegans, who overtook them, killing many while struggling through the thiekets of brush or floundering across the streams. It is said that some old Mohegans used to relate incidents of this battle a long time afterwards, how they found a poor Narragansett among the brushes which bordered the river, and so crazed with fear that he imagined himself in the water.and was actually trying to swim. Tradi- tion says that one body of the pursued was driven out of the direct course to the fords of the Yantic river, and came upon the stream where it flowed between high banks with a deep and rapid current: many of them plunged in recklessly into
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