History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 10 – Article 11
ARTICLE. X. Harm Watch'd, and Catch'd by the Indians, and ſeveral Rare Inſtances of Mortal wounds upon the Engliſh, not proving Mortal.
THat memorable Tygre, Hope-Hood, (called alſo, Wohawa,) finding the Coaſt hereabouts too hot for him, went away with his Crue, a great way to the West-ward, with a Deſign to Bewitch another Crue at Aquadocta into his Aſſiſtence. Here a party of French Indians, by a ſtrange Miſtake, ſuppoſing Hope Hood, & his Wretches, to have been the Indians, who had lately done ſome Spoil upon them at Canada, furiouſly fell upon them, and in their Blind Fury ſlew him, and a conſiderable part of his Company. So, we have now done with him! …n the mean Time, ſome other Indians came upon an Helpleſs place, called, Spruce Creek, and kill'd an old man, and carried a Woman into Captivity; but tho' Captain Convers purſued 'em Three Dayes, they were too Nimble for him. On July, 4 Eight or Nine perſons working in a Field, at a place call'd, Lampereel River, the Scythe of Death, unhappily mow'd them down, in that Field of Blood: The Indians by Surprize, kill'd 'em all, and carried a Lad Captive. About this Time, a Council of War, was called, at Portſmouth, by which t'was thought adviſeable, to ſend out Captain Wiſwel, with a conſiderable Scout for to Scour the Woods, as far as Caſco: and it being Reſolved, That one of the other Captains with about Fourſcore Stout men ſhould accompany Captain Wiſwal in this Action, they All with ſuch a Generous Emulation offered it, that it was neceſſary to determine it by a Lot, which fell upon Captain Floyd. On July 4. aſſiſted with Lieut. Andrews, and a Detachment of Twenty Two men from Wells, they took their March from Quochecho, into the Woods. But the Day following, the Enemy ſet upon Captain Hiltons Garriſon in Exeter, which Lieut. Bancroft, then poſted at Exeter, with the loſs of a few of his men, Relieved. At this Time, there happened a Remarkable Thing. I know not whether the Story told by Plato be true, That one Herus Armenius (whom Clemens will have to be Zoroaster) being Slain in War, lay Ten Days among the Dead, and then being brought away, and on the Twelfth Day laid on the Funeral Pile, he came to Life again. But it is true, that one Simon Stone being here wounded with Shot, in Nine ſeveral places, lay for Dead, (as it was Time!) among the Dead. The Indians coming to Strip him, attempted, with Two ſeveral Blows of an Hatchet at his Neck, to cut off his Head, which Blows added, you may be ſure, more Enormous wounds unto thoſe Port-holes of Death, at which the Life of the poor man, was already running out, as faſt as it could. Being charged hard by Lieut. Bancroft, they left the man, without Scalping him; and the Engliſh now coming to Bury the Dead, one of the Souldiers perceived this poor man to fetch a gaſp: whereupon an Iriſh Fellow then preſent, adviſed 'em, to give him another Dab with an Hatchet, and ſo Bury him with the reſt. The Engliſh deteſting this Barbarous Advice, lifted up the wounded man, and poured a little Fair Water into his Mouth, at which he Coughed; then they poured a little Strong Water alter it, at which he opened his Eyes. The Iriſh Fellow was ordered now to hale a Canoo aſhore, to carry the wounded men up the River, unto a Cheirurgeon; and as Teague was fooliſhly pulling the Canoo aſhore, with the Cock of his Gun, while he held the Muzzle in his Hand, his Gun went off, and broke his Arm, whereof he remains a Creeple to this Day: But Simon Stone was thoroughly cured, and is at this Day a very luſty man, and as he was Born with Two Thumbs on one Hand, his Neighbours have thought him to have at leaſt as many Hearts as Thumbs!
Reader, Let us Leave it now unto the Sons of Aeſculapius, to Diſpute out the Problem, What Wounds are to be Judged Mortal? The Sovereign Arbiter of Life and Death, ſeems to have determined it, That no Wounds are Mortal, but ſuch as He ſhall in His Holy Providence Actually make ſo. On the one ſide, Let it be Remembred, That a Scratch of a Comb has proved Mortal; That the Incomparable Anatomiſt Spigelius, at the Wedding of his Daughter, gathering up the Reliques of a Broken Glaſs, a Fragment of it ſcratched one of his Fingers; and all his Exquiſite Skill in Anatomy, could not prevent its producing an Empyema, that Killed him: That Colonel Roſſiter, cracking a Plumbſtone with his Teeth, broke his Tooth, and Loſt his Life; That the Lord Fairfax, cutting a Corn, in his Foot, Cut aſunder the Threed of his Life; That Mr. Fowler, a Vintner, playing with his Child, received a little ſcratch of a Pin, which turn'd unto a Gangrene, that Coſt him his Life. And, Reader, Let the Remembrance of ſuch Things, cauſe thee to Live, preparing for Death continually. But then, on the other ſide, That nothing may be Deſpaired of, Remember Simon Stone. And beſides him, I call to Remembrance, That the Indians making an Aſſault upon Deerfield in this Preſent War, they ſtruck an Hatchet ſome Inches into the Skull of a Boy there, even ſo deep, that the Boy felt the Force of a Wre…ch uſed by 'em to get it out. There he lay a long while Weltring in his Blood; they found him, they Dreſs'd him, conſiderable Quantities of his Brain came out from time to time, when they opened the Wound; yet the Lad Recovered, and is now a Living Monument of the Power and Goodneſs of God. And in our Former War, there was one Jabez Muſgrove, who tho' he were Shot by the Indians, with a Bullet, that went in at his Ear, and went out at his Eye, on the other ſide of his head; and a Brace of Bullets, that went in to his Right Side, a little above his Hip, and paſſing thro' his Body within the Back Bone, went out at his Left Side; yet he Recovered, and Lived many years after it.
ARTICLE XI. A Worthy Captain Dying in the Bed of Honour.
ON July 6. Lords Day, Captain Floyd, and Captain Wiſwell, ſent out their Scouts, before their Breakfast, who immediately returned, with Tidings of Breakfaſt enough provided for thoſe, who had their Stomach ſharp ſet for Fighting: Tidings of a conſiderable Track of the Enemy, going to the Weſtward. Our Forces vigorouſly followed the Track, till they came up with the Enemy, at a place call'd Wheelrights Pond; where they Engaged 'em in a Bloody Action for ſeveral Hours. The manner of the Fight here, was as it is at all times, with Indians; namely what your Artiſts at Fighting do call, A la disbandad: And here, the Worthy Captain Wiſwel, a man worthy to have been Shot (if he muſt have been Shot,) with no Gun interior to that at Florence, the Barrel whereof is all pure Gold, behaving himſelf with much Bravery, Sold his Life, as dear as he could; and his Lieutenant Flag, and Sergeant Walker, who were Valiant in their Lives, in their Death were not divided. Fifteen of ours were Slain, and more Wounded; but how many of the Enemy, 'twas not exactly known, becauſe of a ſingular care uſed by them in all their Battels, to carry off their Dead, tho' they were forced now to Leave a good Number of them on the Spot. Captain Floyd maintained the Fight, after the Death of Captain Wiſwal, ſeveral Hours, until ſo many of his Tired and Wounded men Drew off, that it was Time for him to Draw off alſo; for which he was blamed perhaps, by ſome that would not have continued at it ſo long as he. Hereupon Captain Convers repaired, with about a ſcore Hands to look after the Wounded men, and finding ſeven yet Alive, he brought 'em to the Hoſpital, by Sun-riſe the next morning. He then Returned with more Hands, to Bury the Dead, which was done immediately; and Plunder left by the Enemy at their going off, was then alſo taken by them. But the ſame Week, theſe Rovers made their Deſcent as far as Ameſbury, where Captain Foot being Enſnared by them, they Tortured him to Death; which Diſaſter of the Captain, was an Alarum to the Town, and an Effectual Word of Command, cauſing 'em to Fly out of their Beds into their Garriſons; otherwiſe they had all undoubtedly before the next morning Slept their laſt: their Beds would have been their Graves. However, the Enemy Kill'd Three Perſons, Burnt Three Houſes, Butchered many Cattel; and ſo, that Scene of the Tragedy being over, away they went.
In fine; From the First Miſchief done, at Lampereel River, to the Laſt at Amesbury, all belong'd unto one Indian Expedition, in which, though no Engliſh Places were taken, yet Forty Engliſh People were cut off.