Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians in New England, Narrative 1 (1 of 2)
KNown unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world, though manifest to us, only by the events of time, that fruitful mother of all things, which in the former age did bring forth, at least did bring to light the knowledge of this western World, called America, that in all foregoing times and ages, lay hid in this obscure and remote Region, covered with a veyle of ignorance, and looked up from the knowledge of all the rest of the Inhabitants of the Earth. To whom the honour of its investigation doth of eight more properly belong, is sufficiently declared by the Hystory and Reports of such as were ey witnesses thereof, and not in ended to be any part of the pre…ent disquisition. The most considerable part of all the North side of America, is called New England. In the fertility of the Soyle, salubriousness of the Air, and many other commodious advantages, most resembling the Country from whence it borrowed its appellation. For the knowledge thereof the World is most beholding to the discoveries of the English, under the conduct of Sebastian Cabbot a famous Porreguez about the year 1497. though since much perfected by the industry and travels of Captain Gosnold, Captain Hudson, Captain Smith, and others of the English Nation. North-America this posthumous birth of time, is as to its na…vity, of the same standing with her two elder Sisters Peru and Mexico, yet was suffered to ly in its Swadling-clothes, one whole Century of years, nature having promised no such Dowry of rich Mines of Silver and Gold to them that would espouse her for their own, as she did unto the other two, which possibly was the reason why she was not so hastily deflowred by her first discoverers, nor yet so early courted by any of the Princes of Europe, lying wholly neglected as it were, until a small company of Planters, under the command of Captain George Popham, and Captain Gilbert were sent over at the charge of Sir Iohn Popham in the year 1606 to begin a Colony upon a Tract of Land about Saga de hoch, scituate on the south side of the River of Kennibeck and about that called Shipscot River, about twenty miles south-West from Pemmaquid, the most Northerly bound of all New-England. But that design within two years expiring with its first Founder, soon after some honourable persons of the West of England, commonly called the Counsel of Plimouth, being more certainly informed of several Navigable Rivers and commodious Havens, with other places fit either for Traffick or Planting, newly discovered by many skilful Navigators, obtained a Grant by Patent, under the great Seal from King Iames of blessed memory, of all that part of North America, called New-England. From the 40 to the 48. gr …of North Latitude. From which Grand and Original Patent, all other Charters …nd Graunts of Land from Pemmaquid to Delaware Bay, along the Sea-coast, derive their Linage and Pedigree; thus was that vast tract of Land, after the year 1612. cantoned and pa…celled out into many lesser Divisions and parcels, according as Adventurers presented, which said Graunts being founded upon uncertain, or false Descriptions, and Reports of some that Travelled thither, did many of them interfere one upon another, to the great disturbance of the first Planters, and prejudice of the Proprietors themselves, as is too well known by any that have had occasion to stay never so little amongst them, many of whom are yet surviving. For notwithstanding the great charge and vast expences the first Adventurers were at, the first Proprietors of the whole Province of Mayne and others (reaching from the head of Casco Bay North-east to the mouth of Pascataqua River about sixty miles Westward) and the hopes they migh have conceived of being the first Founders of NewColonies, and of enlarging their Estates and Inheritances by those new acquired possessions and Lordships, there was little profit reaped from thence, after the rich fleeces of Beaver were gleaned away, nor any great improvement made of those large portions of Lands, save the erecting of some few Cottages for Fishermen, and a few inconsiderable Buildings for the Planters, which were on those occasions drawn over the Sea, to settle upon the most northerly parts of New-England.
But whither it were by the imprudence of the first Adventurers, or the dissoluteness of the persons they sent over to manage their Affairs, or whither want of faithfulness or skill to manage their trust, they were by degrees in a manner quite deserted almost of Laws and Government, and left to shift for themselves, by which means at last they fell under the Jurisdiction of the Massachusets Colony, not by Usurpation, as is by great mistake suggested to his Majesty, but by necessity, and the earnest desire of the Planters themselves, to accept of whom, those of the Massachusets Colony were the more easily induced, in that they apprehended the bounds of their own Patent, by a favourable Interpretation of the words describing the Northern Line [Three miles beyond the most Northerly branch of Merimack River] do reach somewhat beyond Pemmaquid, the North-west limits of all New-England.
This was the first begining of things in New-England, at which time they were not unlike the times of old, when the people of Iudah were said to be without a Teaching P…iest, and without Law; and no wonder things were no more successfully carried on.
In the Year 1620. a Company belonging to Mr. Robinsons Church at Leyden in Holland, although they had been courteously entertained by the Dutch, as Strangers sojourning amongst them, yet foreseeing many inconveniencies like to increase, and that they could not so well provide for the good of their Posterity, under the Government of a forreign Nation: they resolved to intreat so much favour from their own Soveraign Prince King Iames, as to grant them liberty under the shelter of his Royal Authority, to place themselves in some part of New-England, then newly discovered; wherefore having obtained some kind of Patent or Graunt, for some place about Hudsons River, they set sayle from Plimouth in September for the Southern parts of New-England, but as they intended to bend their course thither ward, per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum; they were at last cast upon a bosome of the South Cape of the Massachusets Bay, called Cape Cod, about the 11th of November, from whence the Winter so fast approaching, they had no opportunity to remove; and finding some incouragement from the hopefulness of the Soyle, and courtesie of the Heathen, they resolved there to make their abode for the future, which they did, laying the foundation of a new Colony, which from the remembrance of the last Town in England they sailed from, they called New-Plimouth; containing no very considerable Tract of Land, scarce extending an hundred miles in length through the whole Cape, and scarce half so much in breadth where it is broadest. The first Founders of that Colony aiming more at Religion then Earthly Poss…ssions, aspiring not to any large dimension of Land, in their setling upon those Coasts.
At Weymouth also was a Plantation begun by Mr. Weston in the year 1622. but it came to little.
The North and South Border of the Massachusets Bay being thus planted, the middle part was the more easie to be filled up, which thus was brought about. Some Gentlemen and others, observing how it fared with those of New-Plimouth, were desiring upon the like ground to make the same attempt for themselves, wherefore having by a considerable sum of money purchased of the Councell of Plimouth, all their right and interest in a Plantation there begun in the Massachusets Bay, and having attained a confirmation thereof by Patent from King Charls of famous memory, in the year 1628, they sent over a Governour with several persons to lay some foundation of an other Colony in the Massachusets Bay: and in the year 1630, more of the persons interested in the said Patent (thence commonly called Patentees) with several other persons, intending to venture their lives and all with them, transported themselves and their Families into the said Massachusets, who did in a short space of time by the accession of many hundreds, who every year flocked after them, make such increase, that in the space of five or six years, there were twenty considerable Towns built and peopled, and many of the Towns first planted, became so filled with Inhabitants, that like Swarms of Bees they were ready to swarm…, not only into new Plantations, but into new Colonies, insomuch that in the year 1635 a new Colony began to be planted upon Connecticut River, partly by combination amongst themselves, removing from some Towns about the Massachusets Bay, and partly by the interest of a Patent purchased of that honourable Gentle man Mr. Fennick, Agent for the Lord Sey, and Lord Brook, the Lords Proprietors of the said River Connecticut, at the mouth of which River they had built a fort, (called after their own titles Sey-Brook Fort) commanding the passage of the said River. Yea such was the Confluence of people making over into those parts, that in the year 1637 a fourth Colony began to be planted, bearing the name of Newhaven from the first Town erected therein, seated near the midway betwixt… Hudsons River and that of Connecticot. The Sea coast from the pitch of Cape Cod to the mouth of Connecticot River, inhabited by several nations of Indians, W…mpanoogs (the first Authors of the present Rebellion) Narhagansits, Pequoes, Mohegins, as the more inland part of the Country by the Nipnets (a general name for all inland Indians betwixt the Massachusets and Connecticut River) The Sea-coast Southwest from Plimouth was first possessed by some discontented with the Goverment of the Massachusets Colony, from which some being exiled, others of their friends accompanying of them, setled themselves upon a fair Island to the South-west of Cape Cod, now called Road-Island, others setled upon the Mayn, at a place called Providence, and so by degrees planting toward Narrhaganset Bay, made another Plantation called Warwick, which places are since by Patent conferred upon the Inhabitants of Road-Island; the rest of the Country from Pequod River to the River of Connecticot, falling within the bounds of Connecticot Colony by Patent also, since confirmed to the said Colony. Things had been very prosperously and succesfully carried on in all the foresaid Colonyes and Jurisdictions, from the year 1620, to the year 1636, at which time the Pequod Indians, the most warlike and fierce of all the Indians in that part of the Country, who had made all the rest of the Indians to stand in awe, having committed many barbarous outrages upon their neighbour Indians, both Narhagansets on the east side, and Mohegins on the west side of them: and also upon the English and Dutch, as they came occasionally to traffick with them: and in the year 1634, having barbarously murthered Capt. Stone and Capt. Norton, as they were trading with them. Afterwards one Oldham coming amongst them upon the like account. In l…ke manner having committed several outrages upon the planters about Connecticut River, the Inhabitants of all the Colonyes, unanimously setting upon them in the beginning of the year 1637, they were easily suppressed, about 700 of them destroyed, the rest either fled to the Mohawkes, by whom they were all cut off that escaped, or else sheltring themselves under the Narhagansets & Mohegins their neighbours, they were by the power of the English all subjected to one of those two Nations of the Indians. Miantonimoh the chief Sachem or Lord of the Narhagansets, expecting to be sole Lord and Ruler over all the Indians, after the pequods were subdued, began to quarrell with the Mohegins upon the account of Soveraignty, notwithstanding a firm Agreement was made betwixt the English and the said Narhagansets in the year 1637, when they had helped to destroy the Pequods, and also notwithstanding the tripartite League between the said Narhagansets, the Mohegins, and the English at Hartford (the chief Town of Connecticut Colony) made in the, year 1638, wherein the said Indians were solemaly ingaged not to quarrel either with the Mohegins, or any other Indians, untill they had first asked the advice of the English, to whose determination they had likewise obliged themselves to stand, in all following Differences among them. Yet did these ambitious Narhagansets specially their chief Leader Miantonimob; bare such an… inveterate hatred against the Mohegins, that they were every year picking quarrels with them. The Mohegins on the other side though not so numerous, yet a more warlike people and more politick, alwayes made their recourse to the English, complaining of the insolencies of the Narhagansets, contrary to their League, so as they would hardly be kept from making open warre against them, when they say all other attempts to kill and destroy Vncas the Mohegin Sachem, by Treachery, poyson, & Sorcery prove ineffectual. Insomuch that at last the malice of Miantonimoh and his Narrhagansets grew to that height, that they began to plot against the English themselves, for defending of Vncas. But it being discovered by Vncas and some of his men to the English, Miantonimoh was sent for by the Massachusets Co…rt to come to Boston when he came there, he would have denyed those things laid to his charge, he was conv…cted by one of his own fellowers; and instead of standing to his promise, to deliver him to the Mohegin Sachem whose Subject he was, going homeward he cut… off his head, to prevent his telling m…re tales. And with great discontent as he was going home said he would come no more at Boston, wherein he proved a truer prophet then he himself believed when he uttered the words, for in the end of the same year 1643 making war upon Vncas, he was taken prisoner by him, and soon after by the advice of the Commissioners of the four Colonyes, (at that time united firmly into a League offensive and defensive, on which account they were after that time called the united Colonyes of New-England: though since that time they are reduced but to three Colonyes; that of New-haven and Connecticot by the last Patent being conjoyned in one) his head was cut off by Vncas, it being ju…tly feared, that there would never be any firm peace, either betwixt the English and the Narhagansets, or betwixt the Narhagansets and the Mohegins, while Miantonimoh was left alive: however the Narhagansets have ever since that time borne an implacable malice against Vncas, and all the Mohegins, and for their sakes secretly against the English, so far as they durst discover it.