History of the War with the Indians, Part 31 – Part 32
May 18. This day that happened which is worthy to be remembred. For at North-hampton, Hadly, and the Towns thereabouts, two English Captives escaping from the Enemy, informed that a considerable body of Indians, had seated themselves not far from Pacomptuck, and that they were very secure; so that should forces be set forth against them, many of the Enemy would (in probability) be cut off without any difficulty. Hereupon the spirits of m…n in those towns were raised with an earnest desire to see and try what might be done. They sent to their neighbors in Connecticut for a supply of men, but none coming, they raised about an hundred and fourscore out of their own Towns, who arrived at the Indian Wigwams betimes in the morning, finding them secure indeed yea all asleep without having any Scouts abroad; so that our Soldiers came and put their Guns into their Wigwams before the Indians were aware of them, and made a great and notable slaughter amongst them. Some of the Soldiers affirm, that they numbred above one hundred that lay dead upon the ground, and besides those, others told about an hundred and thirty, who were driven into the River, and there perished, being carried down the Falls, The River Kishon swept them away, that antient River, the River Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. And all this while but one Englishman killed, and two wounded. But God saw that if things ended thus, another and not Christ would have had the Glory of this victory, and therefore in his wise providence he so disposed, as that there was at last somewhat a tragical issue of this Expedition. For an English Captive Lad, who was found in the Wigwams, spake as if Philip were coming with a thousand Indians: which false report being famed (Fama bella stant) among the Soldiers, a pannick terror fell upon many of them, and they hasted homewards in a confused rout, foreign. In the mean while a party of Indians from an Island (whose coming on shore might easily have been prevented, and the Soldiers before they set out from Hadly were earnestly admonished to take care about that matter) assaulted our men; yea, to the great dishonour of the English, a few Indians pursued our Soldiers four or five miles, who were in number near twice as many as the Enemy. In this Disorder, he that was at this time the chief Captain, whose name was Turner, lost his life, he was pursued through a River, received his fatal stroke as he passed through that which is called the Green River, and as he came out of the Water he fell into the hands of the Uncircumcised, who stripped him (as some who say they saw it affirm) and rode away upon his horse, and between thirty and forty more were lost in this retreat.
Within a few days after this, Captain Turner's dead Corps was found a small distance from the River, it appeared that he had been shot through the thigh and back, of which it's judged he died speedily without any great torture from the Enemy. However it were, it is evident that the English obtained a victory at this time, yet if it be as some Indians have since related, the Victory was not so great as was at first apprehended: For sundry of them who were at several times taken after this slaughter affirm that many of the Indians that were driven down the Falls, got safe on shore again, and that they lost not above threescore men in the fight: also that they killed thirty and eight English men, which indeed is just the number missing. There is not much heed to be given to Indian Testimony, yet when circumstances and artificial arguments confirm what they say, it becometh an impartial Historian to take notice thereof, nor is it to be doubted but the loss of the Enemy was greater than those Captives taken by our Forces abroad did acknowledge. Some other Indians said, that they lost several hundreds at this time, amongst whom there was one Sachem. I am informed that divers Indians who were in that battel, but since come in to the English at Norwich, say that there were three hundred killed at that time, which is also confirmed by an Indian called Pomham, who saith that of that three hundred there were an hundred and seventy fighting men. Whatever the victory or success of that engagement might be, it was the Lords doing, and let him alone have all the Glory.
May 23. Some of our Troopers fell upon a party of Indians (about fifty in number) not far from Rehoboth, and slew ten or twelve of them, with the loss of only one English man. The Indians betook themselves to a River, and had not some Foot-Soldiers on the other side of the River, too suddenly discovered themselves, probably there had been a greater slaughter of the Enemy, who hasted out of the River again, and fled into a Swamp where there was no pursuing of them.