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eight escaped from the bloody scene to relate the dismal tale, and the wounded were indiscriminately butchered.

"Captain Lathrop fell in the early part of the action; the whole loss, including teamsters, amounted to ninety. The company was a choice corps of young men, from the county of Essex, in Massachusetts-many from the most respectable families. Hubbard says, 'they were the flower of the country, none of whom were ashamed to speak with the enemy in the gate.' Captain Lathrop was from Salem, Massachusetts.

"Captain Mosely, at Deerfield, between four and five miles distant, hearing the musketry, made a rapid march for the relief of Lathrop, and arriving at the close of the struggle, found the Indians stripping and mangling the dead. Promptly rushing on, in compact order, he broke through the enemy, and charging back cut down all within the range of his shot, and at length drove the remainder through the adjacent swamp and further west, and after several hours of gallant fighting, compelled them to seek safety in the more distant forest. His lieutenants, Savage and Pickering, often led the troops, and distinguished themselves in a particular manner by their skill and persevering resolution.

"Just at the close of the action Major Treat, who, on the morning of the day, had marched toward Northfield, arrived on the ground with one hundred men, consisting of English, Pequot and Mohegan Indians, and shared in the final pursuit of the enemy. The gallant Mosely lost but two men in the various attacks, and seven or eight only were wounded. Probably the Indians had expended most of their ammunition in the action with Lathrop, and occasionally fought with bows and spears."

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CHAPTER IV.

Specimens of "Sam's" savage battles with the Indian Tribes-The character of his Retribution.

THIS sanguinary battle, only proved that the young Sam was, as yet, too indifferent to danger to be sufficiently cautious in his military movements, because having let his people loose, to go eating wild grapes, just before the fatal attack commenced, and while he might have reasonably expected something of the sort, he succeeded in getting himself soundly drubbed. But it affords a good foil to his next act of important retribution, in which he thoroughly avenged this earliest and most serious error of his adolescence.

It is something after this fashion that the story runs. It seems that the commissioners of the colonies, who, as their représentatives had by this time gotten so far along in the game of "marbles" as "plump-keeps" with the rifle, and then, from this striking stand-point of individuality, to playing partners at "long-taw" in the ring, had necessarily entered into solemn articles of confederation.

Having assembled in the name of the "United Colonies," they declared that the Narragansetts "had been deeply accessory in the present outrages," (which meant, of course, in the singular number, the late defeat of Lathrop, etc., etc., understood,) and determined that an expedition should be

carried into their country; and so follows the account of this famous expedition, which resulted in one of the most savagely desperate battles ever fought in any country.

On the 9th of December, the Massachusetts and Plymouth troops, assembled at Dedham and marched about twentyseven miles, to Woodcock's plantation; thence continuing their march through Seconek, Providence, and over Patuxet river, they arrived at Wickford, the place intended for headquarters. On the route, Captain Mosely surprised and captured thirty-six of the enemy, and parties detached from Wickford, traversed the country in various directions; one of which burned one hundred and fifty cabins, and killed and captured several Indians. Prentice's dragoons penetrated the country as far as Pettyquamscott, which they found the enemy had burned, after killing fifteen of the inhabitants. The next day, the 18th, the whole army advanced to that place, and were joined by the Connecticut forces under Major Treat, who on his march had killed and taken a number of the enemy.

The Indians had been apprised of the designs of the English against the country, in time to prepare for their reception. Their best warriors had collected and chosen a position in a large swamp, in the center of which, on an elevation containing five or six acres, they had constructed a work of palisades, and encompassed it with a sort of hedge, or rude abattis, through which was only one principal passage into the work, and this over a long log stretching across a brook, defended by suitable flanks; and at one angle of the place, was a low gap, covered by a log four or five feet high, which might be scaled; but near this was a sort of block-house so placed as to enfilade this weak point. The fortification in every part presented a formidable defense against musketry; and from the nature of the surrounding swamp, the approach was difficult.

The destruction of Pettyquamscott, was unfortunate for Winslow's army; for here they expected to find a cover from the inclemency of the weather; and Bull's garrison at this place, which had also been destroyed, would have furnished

The site of this place is in the town of South Kingston, Rhode Island, seven or eight miles west of the south ferry to Newport.

a place of defense in case of misfortune. Deprived of shelter, the troops were compelled to remain through a stormy night, with no cover but the heavens, and as the weather was extremely cold they suffered severely. Early in the morning of the 19th, Winslow put the army in motion, to attack the enemy. The distance was about sixteen miles - the snow deep and the provisions were carried on the backs of the men. At one o'clock in the afternoon, guided by an Indian, the army reached the skirts of the swamp, where a party of the enemy had taken post. This was instantly attacked, and the Indians driven into their works. Four companies of the van troops immediately rushed through the swamp, and accidentally arriving at the log gap, mounted that angle of the fort, but were soon compelled to fall back to avoid the destructive fire of the enemy, poured from the block-house. Reinforced by two other companies another attempt was made on the same point, and, by a most gallant charge over the log, the troops entered the fort and beat the enemy from a flanker, and notwithstanding the severity of the fire from other points, maintained it; but the enemy continuing their resistance, with great obstinacy-victory hung in doubtful suspense. The remainder of the army now pressing through the swamp, entered the fort at the point that had been carried, and the contest continued about three hours, but still with doubtful success. The enemy, driven from one covert to another, poured the English a fatal fire, reluctantly giving up their ground, and some were driven out of the fort. Captain Church, who was acting as aid to General Winslow, at the head of a volunteer party, about this time dashed through the fort, and got into the swamp in the rear, where he made a destructive fire in the rear, of a party of the enemy, who had there taken post, and were pouring in their fire upon the English; and charging with his usual gallantry, again entered the place, driving the Indians before him. But this exploit was not achieved without a severe wound. Thus attacked in different directions-forced from their covert places, and fast falling by the fire of the English the warriors gave up the contest, and fled into the wilderness.

The Indian cabins, amounting to about six hundred, were now set on fire, and in a few moments everything in the

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interior of the fort was involved in a blaze, and a scene of horror was now exhibited. Several hundred of the Indians strewed the ground on all sides; about three hundred miserable women and children, with lamentable shrieks, were running in every direction to escape the flames, in which many of the wounded, as well as the helpless old men, were seen broiling and roasting, and adding to the terrors of the scene by their agonizing yells. The most callous heart must have been melted to pity at so awful a spectacle.

The Indians who escaped fled to a cedar swamp not far distant, and passed the night without fire, or food, or covering, but that afforded by the boughs of trees. By information afterward obtained from a Narragansett chief, it was ascertained that they lost about seven hundred warriors at the fort, and three hundred who died of their wounds; the whole number in the place, at the commencement of the attack, was reckoned at about four thousand.

After the destruction of the place, Winslow, about sunset, commenced his march for Pettyquamscott, in a snow-storm, carrying most of his dead and wounded, where he arrived a little after midnight, with his worn-down troops. Several whose wounds probably were not mortal, overcome with cold, died on the march, and the next day thirty-four were buried in one grave. Many were severely frozen, and about four hundred so disabled that they were unfit for duty. The whole number killed and wounded was about two hundred; among the former were Captains Davenport, Gardner and Johnson, of Massachusetts, and Captains Gallup, Seely, and Marshall, of Connecticut; and Captain Mason, of the latter province, and Lieutenant Upham, of the former, afterward died of their wounds.

This expedition against the Narragansetts was conducted with spirit, and the attack on the fort exhibited the most obstinate valor on the part of the English. Much, no doubt, was due to the officers who led the troops to the assault, who were men of no common stamp. Though some had been in the service the preceding summer, and had seen hard fighting, they were little acquainted with systematic war. To

Captain Mosely had been an old privateer at Jamaica, and probably one of the buccaneers.-Hutchinson, vol. i, p. 262.

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