he sent six men to Awashonks, squaw sachem of the Sogkonate Indians, to engage her in his interest;* Awashonks so far listened unto them, as to call her subjects together, to make a great dance, which is the custom of that nation+ when they advise about momentous affairs. But what does Awashonks do, but sends away two of her men that well understood the English language, (Sassamon‡ and Georges by In 1673, the inhabitants of Newengland amounted to about 120,000 souls, of whom, perhaps, 16,000 were able to bear arms. Holmes' American Annals, I, 416. * Dr. Belknap, in his Hist. N. Hampshire, I, 108, says, on the authority of Callender, that "The inhabitants of Bristol shew a particular spot where Philip received the news of the first Englishmen that were killed, with so much sorrow as to cause him to weep." This he observes was very different from the current opinion. No doubt the consternation of the people, caused by an approaching war, had great effect in establishing every thing unfavourable of Philip. † It is the custom of most, if not all, the N. American Indians. See Capt. Carver's Travels in America, 269. John Sassamon, or as others spell it, Sausaman, was instructed in English by the celebrated Indian apostle, John Eliot, and pretended to believe in the christian religion. But for some reason he neglected its duties, and returned to a savage life. About this time, or perhaps before, he advised the English of some of Philip's plots, which so enraged him, that he sought Sassamon's death, whom he considered as a rebel and traitor. And this is the principle on which the English themselves acted; yet, they would not suffer it in another people, who, indeed, were as free as any other. The particulars were these: Sassamon was met on "a great pond," which I suppose to be Assawomset, by some of Philip's men, who killed him and put him under the ice, leaving his hat and gun on the ice, where they were found soon after; and also the dead body. See Hubbard's Narrative, 70, 71. This must have been late in the spring of 1675, but there was ice. Marks were found upon the body of Sassamon, that indicated murder, and an Indian soon appeared, who said that he saw some of Philip's Indians in the very execution of it. Three were immediately apprehended, and tried at the court in Plymouth, § An Indian, who from this time, was very friendly to Mr. Church. All I can find concerning him is in this history. - name) to invite Mr. Churen to the dance.* Mr, Church, upon the invitation, immediately takes with him Charles Hazelton, his tenant's son, who well understood the Indian language, and rode down to the place appointed, where they found hundreds of Indians gathered together from all parts of her dominion. Awashonks herself in a foaming sweat, was leading the dance; but she was no sooner sensible of Mr. Church's arrival, but she broke off, sat down, calls her nobles around her, [and] orders Mr. Church to be invited into her presence. Compliments being passed, and each one taking seat, she told him [that] King Philip had sen: six men of his, with two of her people,† that had been over at Mounthope,‡ to draw her into a confederacy with Plymouth, in June, by a jury, says Mather, consisting of half Indians, and half English, and brought in guilty of the murder. Two of them persisting in their innocence to the end, and the third denied that he had any hand in the murder, but said that he saw the others commit it. Perhaps he made this confession in hopes of pardon, but it did not save him. Magnalia, II, 486. Mather places the death of Sassamon in 1674, this was old style, hence it was previous to the 25th of March 1675. Hubbard, 69, says that Sassamon had been Philip's secretary, and chief counsellor. To what tribe he first, belonged I have not ascertained, but from this history it appears that he belonged to the Sogkonate Indians, in the spring of 1675. * One might conclude this transaction to have been about the middle of June, by its connexion with the commencement of the war, but by the death of Sassamon it must be placed much earlier. †These two I conclude, were those, or among those mentioned by Hubbard, 69, who discovered the plots of Philip, one of whom might be Sassamon. (Or Mont-haup, a mountain in Bristol.) Why the author writes this word so I do not know, unless it were so pronounced in his day. Its ancient name was Pokanoket. It is quite an eminence about two miles east from the village of Bristol, very steep on all sides and terminates in a large rock, which at a distance has the appearance of a large dome of an amphitheatre. It is apparently composed of pebbles and sand. On this now stands a small octagonal building. From many places on the east shore, par him, in a war with the English; [and] desired him to give her his advice in the case; and to tell her the truth, whether the Umpame* men, (as Philip had told her) were gathering a great army to invade Philip's country. He assured her he would tell her the truth, and give her his best advice. Then he told her it was but a few days since he came from Plymouth, and [that] the English were then making no preparations for war; that he was in company with the principal gentlemen of the government, who had no discourse at all about war, and he believed no thoughts about it. He asked her whether she thought he would have brought up his goods to settle in that place, if he apprehended an entering into [a] war with so near a neighbour. She seemed to be somewhat convinced by his talk, and said she believed he spoke the truth. Then she called for the Mounthope men, who made a formidable appearance, with their faces painted, and their hairs trimmed up in comb fashion, with their powderhorns and shot bags at their backs ticularly at the little village of Fallriver, this mount forms a beautiful acclivity in the landscape; very nearly resem bling a view of the State house at Boston from a distance. On an excursion there in the summer of 1824, many gratifying objects were discovered, relating to the times of which we treat. A most beautiful prospect of Providence and the surrounding country and bay appears from this mount. * The Indian name for Plymouth. † It has been a question among many, how the Indians became furnished, so soon, with our implements of war. It is not probable that every source is known but they no doubt, had a large supply from the French in the east of Newengland. A man by the name of Morton, who came to this cointry in 1622, is said to have been the first that supplied the Indians with arms and ammunition, and taught them their use, in the country adjacent to Cape Cod. This he done that the Indians might hunt and procure furs for him. Secretary Morton, in his Newengland's Memorial, 76, says, "he had been a petty-fogger at Furnival's Inn, having more craft than honesty ;" but in justice to him it may be observed, that the Memorialist has made every circumstance appear in the darkest dress, and not only of him, but others, whom, ir . which among that nation is the posture and figure of preparedness for war. She told Mr. Church these were the persons that had brought her the report of the English preparations for war, and then told them what Mr. Church had said in answer to it. Upon this began a warm talk among the Indians, but it was soon quashed, and Awashonks proceeded to tell Mr. deed, we had rather speak in praise. All historians, with whom I am conversant, agree that he was a disorderly person, of bad morals, and gave people much trouble. He resided first in Mr. Weston's Plantation at Wessagusset, now Weymouth; but that breaking up the next year, 1623, he next settled with Captain Wallaston at or near the same place in 1625, and the place being near the hill that separates Weymouth from Quincy, was called Mount Wallaston. Capt. Wallaston with most of his company abandoned the plantation, and Morton usurped the government. They soon found themselves involved in difficulties with the Indians and with one another. They erected a Maypole, and practiced their excesses about it. Selling arms to the natives being a breach of the laws among others, he was seized by order of the court, and soon after, 1628, sent to England. No notice of the complaints against him being taken, he returned the next year. He was afterwards imprisoned for his writings. He died at Agamenticus in 1644 or 5, according to Allen, American Biog. 441. He has been accused of giving currency to the story of " hanging the weaver instead of the cobbler." The author of Hudibras getting hold of the story, has, in that work, Part II, Canto II, line 403, &c., set it off to the no small expense of the zeal of the Pilgrims. See Belknap, Amer. Biog. II, 318, Prince Chron. 212, and Savage's edition of Winthrop, I, 34, 35, 36, where the passage may be seen. The latter author says it was not so, on the authority of Morton himself; but as the affair happened at Weston's plantation, where Morton was concerned, it is natural that he should say the right one was hanged. In a note to line 413, in the passage above referred to, is the following positive assertion: "The history of the Cobbler had been attested by persons of good credit, who were upon the place when it was done." Early authors hinted at the affair, and late ones have enlarged upon it. The truth no doubt is as follows: The people of that plantation were in a state of starvation, and by stealing from the Indians had incurred their vengeance, which to satisfy, they hanged one; who, Hudibras says, was a bedrid weaver, whereas the right one was a useful cobbler, whom they could not so well spare. Church, that Philip's message to her was, that unless she would forthwith enter into a confederacy with him in a war against the English, he would send his men over privately, to kill the English cattle, and burn their houses on that side of the river, which would provoke the English to fall upon her, whom, they would without doubt, suppose the author of the mischief. Mr. Church told her he was sorry to see so threatening an aspect of affairs; and stepping to the Mounthopes, he felt of their bags, and finding them filled with bullets, asked them what those bullets were for. They scoffingly replied, "To shoot pigeons with." Then Mr. Church turned to Awashonks, and told her, [that] if Philip were resolved to make war, her best way would be to knock those six Mounthopes on the head, and shelter herself under the protection of the English. Upon which the Mounthopes were for the present dumb. But those two of Awashonks' men, who had been at Mounthope, expressed themselves in a furious manner against his advice. And Littleeyes,* one of the Queen's counsel joined with them, and urged Mr. Church to go aside with him among the bushes, that he might have some private discourse with him, which other Indians immediately forbid; being sensible of his ill design. But the Indians began to side, and grow very warm. Mr. Church, with undaunted courage, told the Mounthopes, [that] they were bloody wretches, and thirsted after the blood of their English neighbours, who had never injured them, but had always abounded in their kindness to them. That for his own part, though he desired nothing more than peace, yet, if nothing but war would satisfy them, he believed he should prove a sharp thorn in their sides: Bid the company observe those men that were of such bloody dispositions, whether providence would suffer them to live He was afterward taken in the war that followed, by Church, and treated very kindly, as will be seen in the gress of this history. pro |