USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > Early Rehoboth, documented historical studies of families and events in this Plymouth colony township, Volume III > Part 15
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The fourth and last contemporary historian is the Boston Mer- chant. In his letter of 10 Nov. 1675, written to his friend in Lon- don, he gave a rather confused account of the Pocasset Swamp fight and the fight with Philip in Rhode Island ten days later, mistakenly reporting them as one single action. In his letter he made the im- portant statement that in the [Rhode Island] fight King Philip's "Brother", his "Privy Councellor (being one formerly Educated at Cambridg)", and one of his "Chief Captains" [probably Nimrod] were killed and that their heads were carried to Boston. The Boston Merchant said:
[6] "Some part of our Forces afterwards set on about Five hundred Indians, not far from Pocassit, pursuing them into a large Swamp, not far from thence; how many they killed is not known, in regard the Indians adventured back and took their dead Men away with them: (as they commonly do if they can possibly.) But in this Fight were killed King Philip's Brother, t his Privy
* At the time of the pursuit of Philip, and fight on 1 August, Captain Edmunds was a single man. About two and one-half months later, 14 Oct. 1675, he married Mary Hearnden of Providence. This marriage and the births of six children are recorded in the original Providence Town Records, vol. V, p. 259. On 3 Mar. 1679, "on account of his service done in the war" he was granted four acres of land "at the place called the narrow passage [where Red Bridge now stands] he there intending the keeping of a ferry".
The Providence Town Council, on 6 June 1687, granted Andrew Edmunds nine acres of land in lieu of the four acres on "Pawtucket River at the narrow passage" granted him 3 Mar. 1679, the first grant being "very poore & uneven & barren land". This nine acre grant was all that parcel of land "adjoining to ye now dwelling house of ye said Andrew Edmunds which hee hath already in- closed". It was laid out by the "18 foote pole" by Arthur Fenner and Thomas Olney, surveyors, 2 June 1687, and was bounded on the north with land of Henry Browne; on the east and southeast by the river; on the west partly with said Edmunds fence and partly with the Round Cove. A map of the grant of land is shown in the record [Providence Town Records, vol. XIV, p. 237].
Captains Church and Edmunds were close friends; each about thirty-six years of age at the time of King Philip's War, after which both served in King William's War. Captain Church's services are well known, and Captain Edmunds' service is proved by the two following records:
At a General Assembly held at Providence 3 Mar. 1689/90 a letter was presented by Capt. Arthur Fenner subscribed to by Capt. Benjamin Church stating that Capt. Andrew Edmunds had done good service in the late Eastern Wars and received £12 being but two-thirds of a captain's pay. The Assembly ordered "that insomuch he belonged to this colony, for his encouragement for future service, the General Treasurer pay him £6" [Bartlett's Rhode Island Colony Records, vol. III, p. 263].
At a General Assembly held at Providence 3 Oct. 1690, Mary Edmunds, wife of Andrew, was allowed £6, her husband "being now gone out in the wars in their Majesties interest" [Ibid., vol. III, p. 280].
On 11 Oct. 1707 Andrew Edmunds of Providence, for £29 silver money, £20 in hand and good security for the other £9, leased to John Mason of Rehoboth, his dwelling house and lands adjoining with all fruit trees thereon, "together with the Whole Use of the fferry there being the Which is Situate and lieing and being within ye Town Ship of Providence on ye Northerne Side of ye Salt Water River Called Seconck River, Alias Pawtucket River at ye place Com- monly Called & knowne by ye NaMe of ye NArroW Passage". Edmunds reserved the use of his dwelling house for himself and family until the last day of March 1707/8 [Providence Town Records, vol. XX, pp. 248-9]. John Mason already held the ferry right on the Rehoboth side; so that by this lease he controlled the ferry on both sides of the river.
t We know that Philip had a brother Sunconewhew who signed Philip's Quitclaim Deed to Re- hoboth on 13 Mar. 1667/8. There is no further record of him. Lieutenant Thomas mentioned that the Black Sachem was at Nipsachuck. Philip had a sister, perhaps named Amie, who may have married the Black Sachem.
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Councellor, (being one formerly Educated at Cambridg) * and one of his chief Captains; t the Heads of which three were afterwards brought to Boston.} There were killed in this pursuit six Englishmen, and nine or ten wounded.
"This Pocassit Swamp, is judged about seven or eight Miles long, and so full of Bushes and Trees, that a parcel of Indians may be within the length of a Pike of a Man, and he cannot discover them; and besides, this as well as all other Swamps, is so soft Ground, that an Englishman can neither go nor stand thereon, and yet these bloody Savages will run along over it, holding their Guns cross their arms (and if occasion be) discharge in that posture.
"August coming on, we have now from all Parts raised more Men, so that there are now in the Field in several places, six hundred Horse and Foot : Most of the Army were not far from the Swamp where King Philip with all his Peo- ple were; they resolved to compass it, which they did once: & in their second En- counter, forced King Philip with all his Retinue out of [12] the Swamp, and pursued them; in their pursuit they killed his Lievetenant General, with about twenty (that they saw) on his Men, and the English had not the loss of one man, but two wounded.§ We having all this while a Party of Unkus's Indians in the Field on our side.
[11] "On Thursday the 5th of August, being Lecture-day at Boston, was ordered by the Old Church (of which the Governour is a Member) to be ob- served as a Fast by that Church, which accordingly was done: And at the Contribution was then Collected Sixty Nine Pound, which was for the dis- tressed Families Relief. And on that very day was Captain Hutchison's Company so defeated [2 August]: Which thing was taken especial Notice of, by all those who desire to see the Hand of God in such sad Providences, which did occasion another Fast to be kept, by Mr. Mathers Church, at the North Meeting-house the Wednesday following.
"Mr. Mather in his Sermon, took occasion too in speaking of the Benefit of the Communion with God, to tell us that there are in this Colony seventy nine gathered Churches, and that to this day the Indians had not done any Dam- mage to anything that belonged to any of the Places where these Churches were" [Drake's Old Indian Chronicle (1836), pp. 13, 14, 23, 24].
In the preceding pages we have the records of Philip's escape from Pocasset Swamp, his flight across the Seekonk Plains, pursuit
* The name of Philip's "Privy Counciller educated at Cambridg" is not known to the writer. + Lieutenant Thomas, in his letter to Governor Winslow dated 10 Aug. 1675, said that this was Nimrod [Woonashum]. He was one of Philip's four Councillors who signed the treaty at Taunton on 10 Apr. 1671.
¿ This is the first knowledge we have that the heads of Philip's three chieftains killed at Provi- dence, in what is now Smithfield, R. I., were taken to Boston. The names of the dead savages must have been pretty well known.
§ Lieutenant Thomas in his letter printed on a following page, said that three men were wounded. These were Eleazer Whipple of Providence, Sergt. John Barker, and William Pery, two of Lieuten- ant Thomas' Mount Hope soldiers.
Field, in his History of Rhode Island, without stating his authority, said that before daylight, on 31 July, the pursuing English soldiers reached the home of Eleazer Whipple who joined the forces in pursuit of Philip accompanied by his neighbors Valentine Whitman, John Wilkinson, John Ballou, John Mann, and several Providence men. Field also said that the Eleazer Whipple house was located near Limerock, Lincoln, on the highway from Providence to Woonsocket, near the Loas- quiset Brook, and that from the doorstep you could look (1902) right off upon Nipsachuck; that this house was built by Eleazer Whipple between 1677 and 1684; and that after the death of James Whipple, son of Eleazer, the heirs sold the house to Jeremiah Mowry. In 1825 an addition was built on to the east part of the house which became known as the Mowry Tavern. Field shows a picture of the house. [Field's History of State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (1902), vol. I, p. 402; vol. II, pp. 606-609.]
On 6 Dec. 1710, Thomas Man of the Town of Providence, for £3 silver money, sold to John Mawrey of the said town of Providence " (who for distinction is sometimes termed Nipsachuck John Mawrey)" ten acres of land lying within the east side of the line within the township of Providence called the Seven Mile Line [Early Prov. Town Records, vol. XX, p. 406].
Thomas Olney, Jr., Surveyor, on 21 Mar. 1711/12 laid out land for Joseph Mawrey at the south end of "Nipsachuck Cedar Swampe" near the land of John Mawrey [Ibid., vol. XXI, p. 24].
On 31 Dec. 1712 Stephen Hardin of the town of Providence, for £20 silver money, sold to his brother John Hardin a tract of land "within the township of Providence on the west side of that line in said Providence township called the Seven Mile Line lying neere unto the place called Nipsha- chuck" [Ibid., vol. XXI, p. 61].
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by the English, and subsequent fight as recorded by our contem- porary historians. Even to the casual reader who has only a gen- eral knowledge of King Philip's War, these records of Philip's suc- cessful escape appear to be quite inadequate. Nevertheless, these are the records that have been copied over and over again by suc- ceeding historians and are found to be standard in all history books.
Much has been said in this present book about the importance of unknown original source records and how their discovery and as- semblage can amplify and change some of our early history as now written. This escape of Philip is an excellent example of what is meant, for in the following pages, by means of original records, will be presented a day by day, and in some cases, almost an hour by hour record of the pursuit of Philip and the fight, probably the most completely documented record of any similar engagement in Philip's War.
The participants themselves tell the story in the original letters of Lieut. Peter Hunt and Rev. Noah Newman to Capt. Daniel Hench- man; Rev. Noah Newman to Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas; Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas to Capt. Daniel Henchman; Capt. Daniel Hench- man to John Leverett, Governor of Massachusetts (with which he enclosed the four letters mentioned above); an official report of the pursuit and battle with Philip made by Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas to Josiah Winslow, Governor of Plymouth Colony; another letter by Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas to Gov. Josiah Winslow; Maj. John Pynchon's letter to Gov. John Winthrop of Connecticut; and other documents and records.
The following letter was written to Governor Leverett of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Capt. Daniel Henchman while in transit by water from Pocasset to Rehoboth to join in the pursuit of Philip, Squaw Sachem Weetamoe, and their Indians.
Honrd Sr
Since my last (of th' 28th instant) the Gen.all [Cudworth] the 29th day landed here one hundred men, his designe to releeve Dartmoth being as re- ported in som distress. Past nine of the Clock last night Lt. [Nathaniel] Thomas brought me the two * first inclosed letters from Rehobath and Mr James Brown came with him to press my going theather; which with what strength I could was yeelded to; (I having just finished the South East flanker of the fort so farr as to be a good defence t for my men) drew my Company together by a false'allarme in the night some being at a distance to gett Stock- adoes; and provided for our March before day taking six files with me and the 17 Indians (all now left) and leaving five files behind to be going on with the work and the Brigandine. About 11 of the clock a second post came in to acquaint me with the third inclosed letter. Mr Brown and the Lt. [Thomas] being gon to endeavor the giving of notice to the Genrall To Warwick,¿ and
* These were the letters of Lieut. Peter Hunt and Rev. Noah Newman written from Rehoboth 30 July 1675.
t Captain Henchman was still obsessed with the idea of the necessity of the fort to protect his soldiers from the Indians, in spite of the word of two messengers and three letters stating that Philip and Weetamoe had escaped from the swamp. Apparently it had not yet dawned on him that there were no Indians left for his men to be protected against.
# The meaning of the "General to Warwick" is not clear. Captain Cudworth had left the day before for Dartmouth. Probably two messages were sent; one to Captain Cudworth at Dartmouth and the other to the Narragansett's via Warwick.
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the Narraganset Indians to head * Philip; At break of day t I shippd my men in a sloope for Sea conk; and while under sail Mr Almie brought word that one Dan. Stanton of the Island at his return yesterday from Dartmouth affirmes that severall pties of the Indians with theire arme[s] to the number of about 80 have surrendred them selves to that garison for mercie; who have secured them in an Island by them, After my Company was landed within two miles of Sea-conk before all were on shore an other letter came [to] me from Lt. Thomas Advising to land at Providence # bei[ng] narer to the Enemie, I strait remanded my men on bord gave each one 3 biscakes a fish & a few raisons with am-munision which may last us two or three dayes; I make bould to inclose coppies of the letters sent; least any thing in my whurry might be omitted; The Lord preserve & spirite you still for this his worke; My humble service to all those Worthies with you; I would gladly heare of your Hors wellfare; and begg the Prayers of all to God to qallifie me for my present im- ploy; being the unfittest of many yet Pardon my confused lines being begun at my Qarterers and patched up in severall places
Honrd Sr: Yor Honra Humble servant D. Henchman, [Original Letter, Mass. Archives, vol. XLVII, paper No. 232.]
The following four§ letters, written from Rehoboth, here first pub- lished, were received by Captain Henchman and by him forwarded to Governor Leverett at Boston. Three of these are especially mentioned in the foregoing letter :
By Mr. Newmans lett": to you Captn: Daniel1 Henchman you will understand the motion of the Indians which moveth us to desire you Come with your Soldiers to our Towne with all spead and we will Assist you with whatt men wee Can to persue them in their March: for if you Could Come by night Water to our Towne to Night wee hope wee shall overtake them, to Morrow with theire Bagage Nott further to trouble you I rest
Yors to Serve Peter Huntt. [Original Letter, Mass. Archives, vol. LXVII, paper No. 230.]
Rehoboth July ye 30th [16]75.
Sr I Red yors Corrageing ye Dr. and his petients wherein I shall doe after yr desire I hope by whtt [ ] I have Already had; theire is nott nead of Com- plaints This morning I am Enformed by a post from Tauthon that there is a
* An attempt was probably made to enlist the Narragansett Indians to head off Philip. Richard Smith, in his letter of 5 Aug. 1675, told of 300 Narragansett Indians being on an expedition at about this time and of their bringing him seven heads of enemy Indians on their return when they were also accompanied by Weetamoe and her party.
t Captain Henchman received word of Philip's escape after 9 o'clock the night of 30 July. Know- ing that Philip was escaping and that every minute counted, it would seem that he should have been on his march before daylight the next morning, a delay of some eight or nine hours.
¿ By landing at Providence the march was direct to Nipsachuck, a distance of some ten miles, a much shorter route than through Rehoboth.
§ Of these four letters written from Rehoboth, three are dated 30 July 1675; one each by Lieut. Peter Hunt and Rev. Noah Newman to Capt. Daniel Henchman, and one by Mr. Newman to Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas. The fourth letter was written to Captain Henchman from Rehoboth on the following day, 31 July, by Lieutenant Thomas. These letters were written on both sides of two sheets of paper 672 inches wide by 872 inches long. The first three letters cover both sides of one sheet of paper and half of one side of the second sheet. A line is drawn across the page after the third letter, and Lieutenant Thomas' letter of 31 July follows and is completed on the final page. We know that two and one half of these letters were delivered to Captain Henchman on 30 July and the last on 31 July. What probably happened was that in the haste of getting these letters away the second sheet containing the last ten lines of Mr. Newman's letter to Lieutenant Thomas was either overlooked or not waited for, and the following morning Lieutenant Thomas wrote his letter on this second sheet below the end of the Newman letter. Both sheets of paper containing the four letters, together with Captain Henchman's, were delivered to Governor Leverett, and are now pre- served in the Massachusetts Archives.
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" Cham soluos And while theuse an surow of is upon them, The Indian liboriga Informes theiro powder is almay sport Dy Indians withart & though "hay Loft notor a Move in y Swamp when soo porfed by the English Butt greatly) Affritura and Triton from your handstous; you are dogeral to bos how way out fache by tomorrow Morning mott Elov att pyouth but with Two rapports, gross you to sarun in what I may ! Noah Nowman
To lift: Thomas att les Garion in mount Hoppe. shojo holt hoje. Deholder July 1/ 31: 1695
Sound after A month from you Page night als Les down of M2: Brown stormmos to labo of twohus of our garrison Fotowas @Mr. Browne WU: 8:0210; more hans of swanty Joyner with us who are margar in full of war Enomy), Shows how from DoRollos this how is fast to you to pilato you lo wel way to Lo Promy whole was Rapor to monto you Repilares alwady, married to Les Sworry about 30 from provider 40 from Phobos, 10: from cantons e) 50: of Un Boys Indians forth with a Commission from to Gowon't of Isofrom @ plim monts) Isto soma you
yo to som Nathaniel Thomas
Danwel Ifons hman
DA half-size photostatic reproduction of a part of Rev. Noah Newman's letter written from Rehoboth on 30 July 1675 to Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas, and a letter written on the same page by Lieutenant Thomas to Capt. Daniel Henchman, under date of 31 July 1675, and delivered to the latter that same day on his arrival at Seekonk from Pocasset.
Lieutenant Thomas' letter enumerated the number of men who started the pur- suit of Philip as about 30 from Providence, 40 from Rehoboth, 10 from Taunton, and 50 Mohegan Indians. In his report of 10 Aug. 1675, he mentioned 30 Ston- ington men who were undoubtedly those under Quartermaster Swift who had charge of the Mohegans.
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Considerable party of Indians greatt & small Thatt by a raft of Boards raffed themselves over Tanton River & there is found about 100: staves that they have made use of in Wadeing att a place 3 fortt Water, likewise have forty fire places hard by ye side of ye rivar And from hence have beaten 14: or 15 Trailes into ye Woods; betrixt Tanton & us and soe Crose our Road to Tonton beating there way Northward [2] Mendon & those parts; This discovering att ye Rivers was mad by Tanton Men 18 men thatt were sentt outt whoe also saw 2 Indians nott Come over as if there were more Intending that passage Itt is nott unlikely thatt they have Conveyed a way their woemen and Chil- dren that those yt remain may bee att more liberty to play their parts honarde, you, I rest
[To] Hon' Captn Daniel Henchman
Yor assured frend Noah Newman
[Original Letter, Mass. Archives, vol. LXVII, papers Nos. 230, 230a.] Rehoboth July the 30th 1675
Left" Tho:
Sr since you were wth us, there is this Intelligence that phillip ye Squaw Sachem * & theire Routt are past by upon ye Borders of our greatt plaine & are gone over at pawtuckett River at the wading Place & theire fore sean upon the other side of the river, theire was an Indian sean and Taken by our plaine who teles us philip is in this Company and the squaw, Many Women and Children and but poore strenth of men soe kowed outt yt he Thinkes the men would Sonne kife him if Srprised our scouts sent out Kild an Indian & fonde a very ovvius path made by them to ye River as above sd. You are Requested to carry this intelligence to Capt" Henchman [3] and soe on that no time be lost If possible to Apprehend ym before they swamp themselves and while theire Wearines is upon them. The Indian likewise Enforms theire powder is almost spent & ye Indians much dishartned though they lost neter a Man in ye Swamp when soe persued by the English Butt greatly Affrighted and driven from their Randivous; you are desired to bee here wth out faile by to Morrow Morning Nott Else att present butt with due respecte,
I rest
Yors to Serve in what I may Noah Newman
To Leiftn Thomas at the Garrison in Mount Hope these hath hast. [Original Letter, Mass. Archives, vol. LXVII, papers Nos. 230a, 231.]
Rehoboth July ye 31: 1675
Worthy Sr:
Soune after I went from you last night with the advice of Mr. Browne, I determined to take of twelve of our garrison Soldiers & Mr. Browne wtb: 8: or 10; more hath of Swanzey Joyned with us & wee are Marching in psuit of our Enemy, and here from Rehoboth this bear" is sentt to you to pilate you the best way to the Enemy where wee hope to meate you there is already Marched to the Enemy about 30 from providence 40 from Rehoboth 10: from Tanton & 50 of Unskesys t Indians sent with a Commission from ye Govermts [4] of Boston & Plimouth.
Yrs to serve you, Nathaniel Thomas #
These for Captn Daniel Henchman
[Original Letter, Mass. Archives, vol. LXVII, papers Nos. 231, 231a.]
* Weetamoe, the Squaw Sachem, "Queen of Pocasset". See ante, page 79.
t About 26 July 1675, 50 Mohegins belonging to Uncas, with three of his sons, arrived in Boston. They were under Oneko, the eldest son, and were all armed with guns. They came by way of Natick and were accompanied by Englishmen and several of the praying Indians of that place. They marched to Rehoboth under the conduct of Quartermaster Thomas Swift. See post, foot-note, page 95.
# Nathaniel Thomas, Marshfield, son of Captain Nathaniel, b. about 1642; d. 2 Oct. 1718, in 76th year; m. (1) 19 Jan. 1664, Deborah, d. 17 June 1696, youngest dau. of Nicholas Jacobs of Hingham. Children: Nathaniel, Joseph, Deborah (m. 1 Dec. 1692 John Croad), Dorothy, William, Elisha,
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Early Rehoboth
On 11 Aug. 1675, Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas, commandant of the Mount Hope garrison, wrote the following letter, here first published, to Gov. Josiah Winslow at Marshfield, in which he especially men- tioned sending him an "account of the late skirmish" (at Nipsa- chuck) :
Mounthope August 11th 1675
Much Honnared Sir
Last night at 12 or 1 of the Clock I Received Mr Smiths Letter directed to our Generall & according to his order opened the same & seing the Contents there of sent a Copy thereof to him by water & incase it missed him who we supose is at Tanton then to be sent by post to your Honnor from Tanton & fearing that shold mis of Comeing to his or your hand I have sent the original by post; together wt an account of the late skirmish
& I beseach you take into your serious Consideration what unnesesary charg Capt Hinchman is draining on our Colony by his Rassing on still by his Lef- tenant A fort of 70 foot squar Larg flankers wt two Long houses in it beside a magasone house & a Smiths forge & going the most chargable way to work about the same beside what Pittiful men he hath under pay that I Judge one of our men to be betor then 5 of his who are actiue to swar & quarrell & dom- inier & at Litle else that good is
One thing further I would make bold to offer my advise in & that is; that although the seat of warr is at Present removed yet the warr is Likly to con- tinue wth the Neepmuge & Narrogansets as the rest who are fled to them as I supose you have the ground of [ ] why it is Likly to be so Now if it should
Prove so I [ ] it nesesary that we maintain a fling army too & fro [ ] the Collony to prevent any enemy for coming againe into our bowells
We are in doubt of Left browne Lest he & his men bee cut off by the Indians as he went from us at the Nepmug country to norwich
Thus wt my Humble servis to your Hont wt due respects to all my friends & Neighbors I remain your Honrs
Most Humble Servant N. Thomas
I pray remember me to my wife I have not time to write to her now but I desire her to write to me by the
first
[Original Letter, Mass. Historical Society, Davis Papers, MSS. 161, E. 99.]
From Mount Hope, on 10 Aug. 1675, Lieut. Nathaniel Thomas, commandant of the Mount Hope garrison, made an official report to Gov. Josiah Winslow on the pursuit of Philip and the fight at Nipsa- chuck. A copy of this letter * was first printed by Samuel G. Drake in 1862, but it was not known to whom the letter was addressed, al-
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