History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 3
ARTICLE. III. The Firſt Expedition of the Engliſh, againſt the Indians.
WHen the Keeper of the Wild Beaſts, at Florence, ha's entertain'd the Spectators, with their Encounters on the Stage, he ha's this Device to make 'em Retire into the ſeveral Dens of their Seraglio. He ha's a fearful Machin of Wood, made like a Gre…t Green Dragon, which a man within it roules upon Wheels, and holding out a Couple of Lighted Torches at the Eyes of it, frights the fierceſt Beaſt of them all, into the Cell that belongs unto him. Sir Edmond Andros, the Governour of New-England, that he might Expreſs his Reſolutions, to force the Wild Beaſts of the Eaſt into order, in the Winter now comeing on, turned upon them as Effectual a Machin, as the Green Dragon of Florence; that is to ſay, An Army of near a Thouſand men. With this Army, he marched himſelf in Perſon, into the Caucaſaean Regions, where he built a Fort at Pemmaquid, and another Fort at Pechypſcot Falls, beſides the Fort at Sheepſcote. He, and his Army, underwent no little Hard ſhip, thus in the Depth of Winter to Expoſe themſelves unto the Circumſtances of a Campaign, in all the Bleak Winds and Thick Snows of that Northern Country. But it was Hop'd, That Good Forts, being thus Garriſon'd with Stout Hearts, in ſeveral Convenient places, …he Indians might be kept from their uſual Retreats, both for Planting, and for Fiſhing, and lye open alſo to perpetual Incurſions from the Engliſh, in the fitteſt ſeaſons thereof: And it was Thought by the moſt ſenſible, this method would in a little while compel the Enemy to Submit unto any Terms: albeit others conſidering the Vaſt Woods of the Wilderneſs, and the French on the back of theſe Woods, fancied, that this was but a project to Hedge in the Cuckow. However, partly the Army, and partly the Winter, frighted the Salvages, into their Inacceſſible Dens: & yet not one of the Indians was killed; but Sickneſs, & Service, kill'd it may be more of our Engliſh, than there were Indians then in Hoſtility againſt them. The News of matters approaching towards a REVOLUTION in England, cauſed the Governour to Return unto Boſton in the Spring; & upon his Return, there fell out ſeveral odd Events, with Rumours, whereof I have now nothing to ſay, but, That I love my Eyes too well, to mention them. Some of the Souldiers, took Advantage, from the Abſence of the Governour, to deſert their Stations in the Army; and tho' this Action, was by Good men generally condemned, as an Evil Action, yet their Friends began to gather together here and there in Little Bodies, to protect them from the Governour, concerning whom, abundance of odd Stories then buzz'd about the Country made 'em to imagine, that he had carried 'em out, only to Sacrifice 'em. Some of the principal Gentlemen in Boſton, conſulting what was to be done, in this Extraordinary Juncture, They Agreed, that altho' New-England had as much to Juſtify a Revolution as old, yet they would, if it were poſſible, extinguiſh all Eſſayes in the people, towards an Inſurrection; in daily hopes of Orders from England for our Safety: but that if the Country people, by any unreſtrainable Violences puſhed the buſineſs on ſo far, as to make a Revolution unavoidable, Then, to prevent the Shedding of Blood by an ungoverned Mobile, ſome of the Gentlemen preſent, ſhould appear at the Head of it, with a Declaration accordingly prepared. He that Reads the Narrative of Grievances under the Male Adminiſtrations of the Government then Tyrannizing. Written and Signed by the Chief Gentlemen of the Governours Council, will not wonder at it, that a Revolution was now rendred indeed unavoidable. It was a Government whereof Ned Randolph, a Bird of their own Feather, confeſs'd, as we find in one of his publiſhed Letters, That they were as Arbitrary as the Great Turk. And for ſuch a Government, a better Similitude cannot perhaps be thought on, than that of Monſr Souligne; 'Tis like the Condition of perſons poſſeſſed with Evil Spirits, which will go an Hundred Leagues in leſs time than others can Ten; but at the Journies End find themſelves to be ſo Bruiſed that they never can Recover it. The Revolution, (and, ye Tories, a Juſt one) was accordingly Made, on the Eighteenth of April; which Their Majeſties, then happily Seated on the Britiſh Throne, kindly Accepted and Approved. The Governour and Magiſtrates of the Maſſachuſetts Colony, which were in power Three years and Half before, [a period often obſerved!] did ſome Time after this Reſume their places, and apply themſelves to ſuch Acts of Government, as Emergencies made neceſſary for them, Fortifyed with a Letter from the King, to Authorize and Empower them in their Adminiſtrations. Thus they waited for further Directions from the Authority of England, and ſuch a Settlement, as would most Conduce (which were the words of the Kings Letter, bearing Date, Aug. 12 1689.) to the Security and Satisfaction of the Subjects in that Colony.