Part 7 (1/2)

This settle The Indians were ever ready, it is said, to sign any agreement whatever which would extricate them from a momentary difficulty; but such promises were broken as pro returned to Mount Hope, sent in noresources for war, and entering into alliances with other tribes Philip denied this, but the people of Plyht that they had ample evidence that such was the case

The summer thus passed ahile the aspect of affairs was daily growingto agreement, and as there was evidence, apparently conclusive, of his hostile intentions, the Plyust, sent another sun to appear before the, in case he did not comply with this summons, to send out a force to reduce him to subjection At the same time, they sent communications to the colonies of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, stating their co their aid in the hich they thought evidently approaching

In this e over the Ply to the terms of the treaty, all future difficulties were to be referred to the arbitration of Massachusetts as an impartial umpire But Plymouth had now, in violation of these terms, imperiously summoned the Indian chieftain, as if he were their subject, to appear before their courts Philip, instead of paying any regard to this arrogant order, immediately repaired to Boston with his councilors, and thus manifestly placed himself in the position of the ”law and order” party It so happened that he arrived in Boston on the very day in which the Governor of Massachusetts received the letter from the Plymouth colony The representations which Philip made seemed to carry conviction to the impartial umpires of Massachusetts that he was not severely to be censured They accordingly wrote a letter to Ply that there was perhaps equal bla that there did not appear to be sufficient cause for the Plymouth people to commence hostilities In their letter they write:

”We do not understand how Philip hath subjected hiiven his toward him, do not render hi to su to hostilities The sword once drawn and dipped in blood, may make hieeneral council from the united colonies to assereed to meet this council in a new attempt to adjust all their difficulties At the appointed ti Philip was present, with a retinue of warriors, all decorated in the highest style of barbaric splendor Bitter complaints were entered upon both sides, and neither party were disposed to draw any very e and the overnments were responsible Another treaty was, however, ain separated with protestations of friendshi+p, but quite hostile as ever at heart The colonists were, however, all anxious to avoid a war, as they had every thing to lose by it and nothing to gain Philip, on the contrary, dee upon the extermination of the colonists He ell aware that he was quite unprepared for immediate hostilities, and that he had much to do in the way of preparation before he could hope successfully to encounter foes so forlish had now become

Three years now passed away of reserved intercourse and suspicious peace The colonists were continually hearing ruenerally successful endeavors, to draw them into a coalition The conspiracy, so far as it could be ascertained, included nearly all the tribes of New England, and extended into the interior of New York, and along the coast to Virginia The Narragansets agreed to furnish four thousand warriors

Other tribes, according to their poere to furnish their hundreds or their thousands Hostilities were to be co of 1676 by a simultaneous assault upon all the settleo frolish,in blackness; yetPhilip that, while the air was filled with rumors, it was difficult to obtain any positive proof, and still more difficult to decide what course to pursue to avert the cala chieftain were approaching maturity, Philip became more independent and bold in his dean to feel that the danger was indeed imminent, and that their Plymouth brethren had more cause for complaint than they had supposed

The evidence becaress, that the Governor of Massachusetts sent an e an explanation of these threatening appearances, and soliciting another treaty of peace and friendshi+p The proud sacheovernor is but a subject of King Charles of England I shall not treat with a subject I shall only treat with the king, my brother When he co aspect of affairs at the close of the year 1674

CHAPTER VI

COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES

1675

Enthusias Indians--John Sassamon--Betty's Neck--Private secretary of Philip--The conspiracy--Incredulity of the English--Sassamon to be murdered--Death of Sassamon--Indians arrested--Proof of the murder--Execution of the Indians--Superstitious notions--Insolence of the Indians--They capture a settler--The first blood--Day of fasting--Letter of Governor Winslow--Murders by the Indians--Flight of the colonists--Energy of Philip--assistance iht of Philip--March of the army--The Soykonate tribe--Awashonks--Captain Church--The embassadors of Philip--The council--Appearance of the ee of Captain Church--Awashonks to remain friendly--The Pocasset tribe--Wetamoo joins Philip--Indian warfare--The colonists much scattered--An illustration--Heroic wo the Indians--Succor arrives--Defiance of the English--Horrible sight--Destruction of corn--An ambush--Attempt to surround the continued--Relief at hand--All rescued--Narrow escape of Captain Church--Dartlish--Attempts to capture Philip--An unfortunate ambush--Lesson of caution dearly purchased--Indian allies--Preaching politics--Escape of Philip--A conference agreed upon--Suspicions of treachery--Furious attack--Escape to Brookfield--Attack upon the town--Brookfield consuarrison--Relief coarrison saved--The Indians elated by victory

The old warriors, conscious of the power of the foe whose fury they were about to brave, were not at all disposed to precipitate hostilities, but Philip found it difficult to hold his young men under restraint They became very insolent and boastful, and would sharpen their knives and to in reat deeds they were about to perform

There was at this time a Christian Indian by the name of John Sassamon, who had learned to read and write, and had becoent in Christian lish as truly a piousto translate the Bible into the Indian language, and also in preaching to his countryh He lived in semi-civilized style upon assawohter, who Puritans did not i it into Betty The noted place in Middleborough now called Betty's Neck is ih This Indian maiden married a warrior of her tribe, as also in the elish, and in all his interests had beco Philip, but he and his family were on the most intimate and friendly relations with the colonists

Philip needed a private secretary who could draw up his deeds and write his letters He accordingly took John Sassamon into his employment Sassamon, thus introduced into the court and cabinet of his sovereign, soon beca extent and n He at once repaired to Plyovernor He, however, enjoined the strictest secrecy respecting his coovernor that, should the Indians learn that he had betrayed them, his life would be the inevitable forfeit There were many who had no faith in any conspiracy of the kind Ru perils had been rife for many years, and the community had become accustoht the Plymouth people unnecessarily alarreat incredulity ”His inforinal, and one can hardly believe thearded”

Sassaned his situation as Philip's secretary, and returned to Middleborough, where he resumed his employment as a preacher to the Indians and teacher of a school

By some unknown means Philip ascertained that he had been betrayed by Sassa to the Indian code, the offender was deeade, and was doo Philip to kill him whenever and wherever he could be found But Sassalish, and had been for years so intient, that it was feared that they would espouse his cause, and endeavor to avenge his death It was, therefore, thought best that Indian justice should be secretly executed

Early in the spring of 1675 Sassaun were found upon the ice of assawompset Pond, near a hole Soon after his body was found beneath the ice There had been an evident endeavor to leave the impression that he had committed suicide; but wounds upon his body conclusively showed that he had been lish pronizance of their laws Three Indians were arrested under suspicion of being his murderers These Indians were all men of note, connected with the council of Philip An Indian testified that he happened to be upon a distant hill, and saw the murder coe thus obtained, but at length was induced to disclose the criainst Tobias, one of the three, is thus stated by Dr Increase Mather:

”When Tobias ca on fresh, as if it had been newly slain, albeit it was buried a considerable time before that” In those days of darkness it was supposed that the body of a murdered man would bleed on the approach of his murderer

The prisoners were tried at Plyuilty, and sentenced to death The jury consisted of twelve Englishmen and four Indians The conde to the last that they were entirely innocent, and knew nothing of the deed One of them, it is said, when upon the point of death, confessed that he was a spectator of the murder, which was committed by the other two

The sued and alarly As the death of Sassamon had been undeniably ordered by Philip, he was apprehensive that he alsowarriors were roused to phrensy, and immediately co the cattle, frightening the wo wayfarers wherever they could find them The Indians had imbibed the superstitious notion, which had probably been taught them by John Sassamon, that the party which should commence the war and shed the first blood would be defeated They therefore wished, by violence and insult, to provoke the English to strike the first blow

The English established astores with coht Indian desperadoes, all ar into the town of Swanzey, and, calling at the door of a colonist, derind their hatchets As it was the Lord's day, the colonist informed them that it would be a violation of the Sabbath for them to do such work, and that God would be displeased They replied, ”We care neither for your God nor for you, but ill grind our hatchets” They then went to another house, and, with insulting carousals, ransacked the closets, helping themselves abundantly to food The barbarian roisterers then proceeded blustering along the road, when they chanced to meet a colonist They immediately took hi him with taunts and ridicule, and then disood man, and not to tell any lies or work on the Lord's day