USA > New York > New York City > History of the New Netherlands, province of New York, and state of New York : to the adoption of the federal Constitution. Vol. I > Part 9
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But the captain seems to apologize for his former frailty at Bos- ton, and says, that " what with Delilah's flattery, and with her mournful tears, they," women, " will have their desire." After much apologetic matter he proceeds to tell that the party he led, with difficulty landed, the surf preventing them from firing upon the Indians, or bringing their boat to the beach ; they, however,
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sprung into the waves, middle deep, and waded ashore. The savages, finding the bullets " overreach their arrows," fled, while Endicot, with the main body, gained the land unhurt. They found provision and shelter in the Indian wigwams, and with all due military precaution of pickets and sentinels, refreshed them- selves with the goods of the native proprietors.
The next day they " burnt and spoyled both houses and corne in great abundance." The Indians were hid in their swamps, and the conquerors received no harm, but that one of the captains, going too near a swamp, was hit by an arrow upon his corslet, which blow would have killed him, if he had not been thus defended by armour. Having passed this day " in spoyling the island," they passed another night in ease, only that Underhill with ten men went out and discovered a place where there were many wig- wams and much corn, all which, taking forty men with him the next day, he destroyed, " burnt their houses, cut downe their corne," and killed some dogs, " instead of men," which he found in the houses. As they passed to their embarkation they " met with several famous wigwams, with great heaps of pleasant corne ready shaled," which, not being able to bring away, they burnt. But the soldier speaks with pleasure and triumph of the wrought mattes " and delightful baskets" which were brought off as plun- der ; and after " having slain some fourteen, and maimed others," they embarked and sailed for Saybrook fort. This was the punishment inflicted upon a nation, women, and children, be-' cause a man had been robbed and murdered by savages, most of whom were killed at the time.
Underhill, continuing his narrative, says, " The Pequeats having slaine one Captain Norton and Captain Stone, with seven more of their company, order was given us to visit them. Sayling along the Nahanticat shore with five vessels, the Indians spying us, came running along the water side crying, ' what cheere, Ling- lishmen, what cheer? What do you come for?' They not thinking we intended warre, went on cheerfully till they came to Pequeat river." They received no answer, the Englishmen thinking, as Underhill says, the better to " runne through the worke," and, by rendering them secure, " have the more advantage of them." At length the natives, suspecting hostility, asked " Are you angry ? Will you kill us? Doe you come to fight ?" And at night they raised alarm fires, and uttered cries, to gather the people for re- sistance.
* Pequot, the seat of Sasacus, was on the site of New London, and, I presume. the Pequeat river of Underhill is the Thames. The Pallisade, first stormed by Ma- son and Underhill, was near the Mystic river.
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The next morning the natives sent an ambassador on board the vessels, " a grave senior, a man of understanding," " grave and majestical in his expressions." We are before told that the troops had an interpreter with them. This " grave senior" demanded for what purpose they came? and was told, to require the heads of those who had killed Norton and Stone. The ambassador did not deny that the Pequots had killed some men, whether English or not they could not tell ; and his story was, that before Norton and Stone came into the Pequod river, a vessel had come to them for traffic, and they had used them well and traded with them ; but the sachem going on board the vessel of the strangers was detained, and a bushel of wampum demanded for his ransom. To save their sachem they paid the price, and the traitors set him' free, but how ? By killing him, and sending the corpse ashore in mockery. The Indians stifled their feeelings, but vowed re- venge. Shortly after came another vessel into their river to trade. This was the vessel of Captain Stone. The Pequots pretended friendly intercourse, and the son of the murdered sachem went on board and was received by the captain in his cabin, where, Stone " having drank more than did him good," fell on his bed and slept. On which the young man, " having a little hatchet under his garment, therewith knockt him in the head." The crew of the vessel finding, too late, that the Indians, in great numbers, had boarded them with a hostile design, determined upon blowing up the vessel and destroying all on board ; but, before the torch was put to the magazine, the natives jumped overboard, and the ex- plosion destroyed only the English.
Such was the Indian's story, which, Underhill says, was false. It is the European who writes the book. " We have seen our sachem cruelly murdered-we have been cheated and mocked !- could you blame us for revenging so perfidious a deed ? We knew not whether Dutch or English did it. All white men are the same to us. We revenge upon the white the injury received from the white !" Such was the justification of the free native of the soil.
The answer was, that having slain the king of England's sub- jects they, the armed men, " came to demand an account of their blood."
" We have not wilfully wronged the English," is the Indians reply. " We crave pardon." The heads of those who caused the death of the English is the demand persisted in, and the mes- . senger asks permission to go ashore and inform his people that these armed men had come for the head of their young sachem, and the heads of all engaged in the affair of Stone and Norton, or that they threatened vengeance on the nation.
" We did grant him liberty to go ashore, and ourselves followed
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suddenly after, before the warre was proclaimed." The ambas- sador seeing this, returned to them, and begged them to come no further until he had delivered his message. They, however, march to a commanding ground, and are drawn up in battle array. On the messenger's announcing that both the sachems had gone to Long Island, he was told that the sachem must appear, or they would " march through the country and spoyle the corne." After an hour's delay, Underhill says, that an Indian was sent to an- nounce that Momnenoteck was found, and would come to them. The soldiers waited another hour, when another Indian came to inform them that the sachem, begging their patience, had called together the body of the Pequots, that he might find the men who had killed the English. In the mean time it was perceived that the Indians were hiding their " chiefest goods," and removing their wives and children ; " but we were patient," says Underhill, " and bore with thern, in expectation to have the greater blow upon them." At length the English were requested, from the sachem, to lay down their arms, and move thirty paces from them, when he would cause his men to do the like, and then advance to a parley.
This proposition was answered by beating a drum, displaying the English colours, and marching upon the defenceless wigwams and corn fields, firing on the natives as they fled before them, shooting " as many as we could come near." The rest of the day was passed in gathering " bootie," and " burning and spoyling the country." No Indians came near them and they embarked, setting sail for " the Bay," (Massachusetts) : " having ended this exploit," says Captain John, "one man wounded in the legge ; but certaine numbers of theirs slaine, and many wounded. This was the substance of the first year's service."
. Underhill begins liis narration of the second year's service, by remarking that, " this insolent nation secing we hud used so much lenity towards them," were even more bold, "slew all they found," and advancing to Saybrook fort, dared the garrison to come out and fight. A lieutenant and ten men were silly enough to leave their defences. Three Indians appeared and fled. The English pursued and of course fell into an ambush, and in spite of their guns and defensive armour, some were slain, and others glad to fly for refuge to the fort. When next time the Indians appeared some were armed like Europeans, with the spoils taken the previous day, others were dressed in English clothes. They defied the garrison to come out " and fetch your Englishmen's clothes again !" with every taunt they could devise.
"Connecticut plantation" sent a body of soldiers under Cap- tain John Mason, to strengthen the fort at Saybrook. `Still it feared that force was necessary to defend it, and application was
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made for more men, to " Master Henry Vane," at " the bay." Massachusetts sent Captain Underhill with twenty men, and he took command of the place for three months, Mason returning "to the plantation." Underhill made several sallies from the fort, himself and men being " completely armed with corslets, muskets bandilliers, rests and swords." They saw no enemy ; though as they were afterwards told, the Indians were near, but seeing them so completely armed and covered, did not choose to appear and oppose their naked bodies to the steel-clad Englishmen, or their bows and arrows to swords and bullets.
All was quiet about the fort, when suddenly as Underhill and his companions walked upon the rampart, they saw a fleet of canoes " come along in sight of us, as we stood upon Saybrook fort," bringing with them two English maidens captives, and poles hoist- ed in their boats in imitation of masts, on which were displayed instead of sails the clothing of English men and women. By this triumphal procession the garrison had intimation of some success- ful enterprise, which the Pequots had achieved against an English town or plantation.
They soon learned that with two hundred men the Indians had fallen upon Watertown, since called Weathersfield, slew nine men, women and children, and in this manner bore off their cap- tives in sight of the fort at Saybrook. Captain John fired a piece of ordnance at the canoes, and very nearly hit the boat in which the two captive maids were borne.
The Indians encouraged by their successes continued their ef- forts to free their country from the English, which is attributed by Underhill to the instigation of " the old serpent." One Trille, a trader, anchored in Connecticut river for trade, not knowing the state of the hostilities existing; he and one of his men landed, and
were murdered. Meanwhile the attack upon Weathersfield roused the colonists to action. Massachusetts ordered succours, and Connecticut sent 100 soldiers under command of Captain John Mason, with orders to "rendevoos" at fort Saybrook, and consult with Underhill for the plan of operations against the In- dians. With the Connecticut troops came sixty Mohicans, who having been injured by the Pequots, as Underhill says, thirsted for revenge ; but although the English suffered them to accom- pany the troops, they feared treachery, until the Mohicans un- aided by the English, defeated a party of the Pequots, and brought five heads in triumph to the fort. This they did while the Con- necticut troops were on board their vessels, and coming on slowly with contrary winds.
The two young girls that had been carried away captives from Weathersfield, (the eldest of whom was but sixteen,) were restored to their friends by means of a Dutch vessel from New Amster-
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dam. The master was on a trading voyage, and stopped at Say- brook fort, where Underhill detained the vessel, declaring she should not supply the Pequots with necessaries or arms. The Netherlander agreed under a written contract, that if his vessel should be suffered to go free, he would make use of the oppor- tunity to procure the liberation of the two Weathersfield maidens, whose captivity was a subject of conversation and lament. Ac- cordingly the Netherlander sailed for Pequot, (now New London) and offered goods for the captives, but in vain. He then found means to induce seven of the Pequot warriors to come on board, and seizing them, made sail for the Sound. No offer of ransom would he accept, but an exchange was proposed of the seven men for the two girls. This being made known on shore, was agreed too, and faithfully performed ; the Dutch skipper most honoura- bly fulfilled his contract, and the maidens after many fears were restored uninjured to their friends. In the meantime, Underhill tells us, that the Dutch governor, who must from the time (1635) have been Wouter Van Twiller, having "heard that there . were two English maids taken captive of the Pequots," manned out his own pinnace purposely to get these captives, what charge soever they were at, nay even at the hazard of war with the Pequots. Thus incidentally we have the testimony of an English writer to the gallant and honourable conduct of the Dutch of Manhattoes.
The reflections with which Captain John accompanies the tale of the captive maids, are in a strain of piety, little comporting with the story of his Boston penance of a few years after. He, accord- ing to his book, was filled with christian feelings at this time towards all men-provided they were white-or not arrayed in opposition to his party, or employer. But he tells us that the apostle says, " contend for the truth," and that the Saviour told his disciples, " I came not to bring peace, but a sword."
But as he says, " to go on." The forces designed for the des- truction of the Pequots, instead of sailing directly from Saybrook fort, to " Pequeat river," stood for Narraganset bay, thereby de- ceiving the Indians into a false security. They landed and march- ed undiscovered, two days before they came to the Thames, or " to Pequeat." They passed the night within two miles of the royal fort, and had ample knowledge of the situation of the Indians, who being there in a state of security, knew nothing of the approach of the English and their Mohican allies.
Doctor Dwight* says, the Pequot fortress was near the river Mystic. Underhill thus describes it. "This fort or palizado was well-nie an aker of ground, which was surrounded by trees, and half trees set into the ground, three feet deep, and fastened close
+ Dwight's Travels.
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to one another." The author for a clearer notion of the fort, refers his reader to " the figure of it before the booke," which is the most unintelligible of the two, and evidently as untrue as it is unskilful.
Captain Mason allotted the western entrance for himself, and ordered Underhill to attempt the southern. The soldiers sur- rounded the palisado, having their Indian friends encircling them again, and all were ordered to fire their muskets and arrows toge- ther, which was the first notice the sleeping Pequots had of an enemy. The English force had arrived, an hour after midnight, and made this simultaneous attack about daybreak. The crowd of men, women and children, thus started from their sleep, sent forth " a most doleful cry ; so as if God had not fitted the hearts of men for the service," says the gallant captain, " it would have bred in them a commiseration," towards this mass of beings devot- ed to death by fire and sword. " But every man being bereaved of pity, fell upon the work without compassion." Thus it is that man blasphemes the Most High and Most Merciful! Underhill states that the nation had "slaine first and last about thirty persons."
After this volley of balls and arrows, the assailants approached the palisades, and Underhill found the entrance, he was destined to force, so "stopped full with arms of trees and breaks," that the work was too much for him, and he ordered one master Hodge to the post of honour, with some other soldiers, to pull out those brakes, and lay them between him and the entrance. Master Hodge received an arrow through both arms.
Underhill now paused to defend himself from a charge made against him in a book, to which this " voice from America" may be considered an answer ; it was said that he questioned a soldier when they came to the entrance, saying " shall we enter !" and was an- swered " what came we hither for else !" This he stoutly denies, and says, it was never his " practice to consult with a private sol- dier, as to ask his advice in a point of warre."*
He says, " Captain Mason and myself entered into the wig- wams, he was shot and received many arrows upon his head-
* It is in the account of the Pequot war, or " the late battle fought in New Eng- land &c. that P. Vincent says, that Underhill when at the door of the Pequot fort, asked " What ! Shall we enter ?" and " one Hodge, a young Northamptonshire gen- tleman," answered. " what come we for else ?" The Rev. Samuel Niles in his His- tory of Indian and French wars, says respecting the hesitation of Underhill, that he entered the Indian castle on the opposite side to Mason, but after him. Meeting with some obstructions at the south-east entrance which occasioned some delay, at length a valiant and resolute gentleman, one Mr. Hodge, stepping towards the gate saying, "if we may not enter, wherefore came we here ?" and entered after slaying his opponent, "a sturdy Indian fellow." Niles died 1762, aged eight-eight years. Vincent printed his " True relation 1638."
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In 1637, the name of Newtown was changed to Hartford, and Watertown was called Wethersfield. The place now called Sachem's-head is so named because there the English beheaded several Sachems who refused to betray their countrymen by giving information. Trumbull, Vol. 1, Chap. 5th.
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piece," but received no wounds. " Myself," says Underhill, "received a shotte in the left hippe, through a sufficient buffe coat, that if I had not been supplied with such a garment, the arrowe would have pierced through me." But the " Buffe coat," a thick leather defence, was sufficient to stop the weapon of the native, who was exposed naked to the bullet or sword of his as- sailant. The captain says, he " received another between neck and shoulders, hanging in the linnen of my head-piece." Not- withstanding the two captains were unhurt, two of their men were killed, and twenty wounded. The Pequots fought bravely in defence of their homes, their wives and their little ones ; and finding the place " too hot for us," Mason seized a " fire-brand," and he set fire to the west side, while Underhill did the same on the south end " with a train of powder ; the fires of both meeting in the centre of the fort, blazed most terribly, and burned all in the space of half an hour ; many courageous fellows were unwilling to come out, and fought most desperately through the palisadoes :" from which it would appear that the English finding the place too hot, had set fire to the wigwams and retreated out of the fort. In vain the gallant Pequots fought-they were shot with bullets, by men covered with defensive armour, from without-the flames even rendered their bows useless by burning the bow-strings-" many were burned in the fort," says the narrator, " both men, women, and children;" others escaping from the Europeans, were cut down by the circle of Narragansetts and Mohicans who formed an outer enclosure; but first they encountered the English, who " re- ceived and entertained" men, women, and children, in troops of twenty and thirty at a time " with the point of the sword." Not above five out of 400 escaped the massacre.
"Great and doleful was the bloody sight to the view of young sol- diers that never had beene in warre ;" but Captain John was inured to such carnage, and besides, he could justify putting the weak and defenceless to death, for says he, " the Scripture declareth women and children must perish with their parents"-" We had sufficient light from the word of God for our proceedings."
Before Mason's troops were received by their vessels which had been ordered to meet them at a given point, they had several skirmishe's with the natives, which were principally managed by his Indian allies. Underhill and his command returned to Say- brook fort, and Mason having been joined by Captain Patrick with forty men, burned and spoiled the country between "the Pe- queat and Connecticutt river."
Sassacus in vain urged war to the destruction of the invaders; but the Indians were generally discouraged, thinking it vain to contend with men so superior in offensive and defensive arms. They prevailed, and destroying what they could not take with VOL. I.
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them, abandoned the country. Underhill's time of service being expired, he returned "to the Bay." Stoughton with one hundred well appointed soldiers, joined in the destruction of " the distressed Indians ; some they slew, others they tooke prisoners." Such are the last words of the book of Captain John Underhill.
But Captain John had not served in the Netherlands without bringing away some of the frailties of the camp, and we are told by Bancroft, upon the authority of Hubbard, that although his Dutch lady was with him, the Captain had been compelled, for the purpose of regaining his good name, to appear before a great assembly at Boston, in the year 1640, and confess liis fault on lecture day, during a session of the general court, dressed in the rueful habit of a penitent, to stand upon a platform, and with sighs and tears, and brokenness of heart, and all the marks of contrition and aspect of sorrow, to beseech the compassion of the congrega- tion. This, the above authorities say, was in consequence of certain gallantries which would probably only have served as tro- phies in the course of a warrior's career in the Netherlands.
Whether this was the cause of removal or not, certain it is that Captain Jolin, in the year 1641, removed to Long Island, where his Dutch wife and Dutch language, as well as reputation for va- lour, recommended him to the inhabitants and to Governor Kieft.
Before his fall and repentance, as we have seen, Captain John had gained reputation in the war with the Pequots. His religious zeal had attached him to Mrs. Hutchinson, and the banishment of that lady from New England, may have been one cause of the Captain's removing to the New Netherland, as her death by the. bands of the savages may have embittered him against the natives.
It appears that this war between the Indians and New Nether- land continued for two years, and Underhill did good service. His military reputation enabled him to raise a considerable num- ber of men under Kieft's authority, and his skill gave them dis- cipline. They were composed of Dutch and English. With this corps he is said to have terminated the opposition of the In- dians on Long Island, by the destruction of 400, at a place still called Fort-neck, in the township of Oysterbay, but on the south side of the island, being a neck of land projecting into the sea, and on the estate at present of David S. Jones, Esq.
At this place, it is said that the Indians threw up works for de- fence, and sent their women and children to some Islands in the bay adjacent, which to this day are called Squaw Islands from this circumstance. Underhill, with his corps of disciplined Euro- peans, attacked the Indian fort, carried it and put to death the champions of their country's independence. Here, for a time, he established a garrison to prevent a reunion of the tribes.
Tradition likewise says, that Kieft and his friend Underhill de-
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feated the Indians upon the main land, after a hard fought battle at Strickland's plain, Throgs-neck .* After the battle of Strick- land's plain, the war was terminated by the interference of the Iro- quois, whose mediation Kieft contrived to engage. These con- querors among savages, negociated a peace between the Dutch and the New Jersey and river Indians. As sovereigns, they as- sembled the tribes of the Delawares at New Amsterdam, and the sachems of the Raritans, Manhattoes, Mohicans, and others ac- knowledging the superiority of the Iroquois and submitting to their arbitration, appeared upon the space between the Dutch fort of Amsterdam and the bay, and attested the sun to witness another treaty of peace between them and the Director-general.
'This is the last account I have of the battles of Captain John Underhill, whose Indian warfare has stamped him the hero of Long Island, as far as heroism depends upon the power or incli- nation to destroy. It will be seen that although a friend of Kieft's, he was not so of his successor, Stuyvesant, during whose admin- istration Underhill endeavoured to get up another Indian war, in which he would willingly have involved the English, on the one part, against the Dutch and natives, on the other. After the En- glish conquests, he held the civil office of high-constable. The Hon. Silas Woodt tells us that under the government of Nicolls, he attained to the office of sheriff of Queens county, and received from the friendly Indians a gift of 150 acres of land, which re- mains with his descendants of the same name, to the present time ; and having shown his prudence and judgment, by securing to his posterity some of the best land on Long Island, he died on his own territories in the year 1672, and lies buried in the ceme- tery of the very pleasant village of Oysterbay.
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