Continued...

1675 July/Aug Thomas Stanton - Mohegan

Thomas Stanton wrote a letter to John Winthrop, Jr. [dated Aug. 6, 1675, and published in the Winthrop Papers XVIII, 138.] in which he said “Indians beeLonging to Moheg were a-gathering of hortell berries1 between Pachage & Econke2 and there they discovered the path where Phillip & his men Came in when they went to Eckonke…”

Attributed to Daniel Gookin “About the 26th of July, fifty Mohegans belonging to Uncas, with three of his sons, whereof one was his eldest and successor, named Oneko, came into Boston, all armed with guns, being conducted by two Englishmen [not in text - was one Thomas Stanton?] and some of the praying Indians of Natick, where they lodged the night before;…these had given some intimations of the tender of their device some days before, by six messengers sent on purpose, but they were not expected to come so speedily as they did.”3

The trail used by those Mohegans from Norwich is not stated but the now familiar Nipmuck Trail to Wabaquasset and the Great Trail from there to Boston is the probable route. Natick was on the Great Trail.

The Mohegans were promptly sent to the Narragansett country where Philip was being hard pressed. Philip and a remnant of his people escaped the net thrown round him and took refuge in the Quabaug country with the Nipmucks “…The war was but six weeks old then. The records indicate that Philip and his refugee people reached Wabaquasset, and from there Nipmucks conducted him to Quabaug Old Fort (Ashquoash) on the Nipmuck Trail [Aug. 5, 1675 – not in text], north of the present Brimfield, Massachusetts, and southwest of Brookfield.”4

Philip was pursued by a force under Captain Henchman, and another force, from Providence, under Captain Thomas. The Mohegans were with Captain Henchman. The report of Captain Thomas is a source of much information. He stated Captain Henchmans and the Mohegans “went the west way to a fort in the Neepmug country, called by the Indians Wapososhequash (Wabaquasset) which is a very good inland

p.258 country, well watered with rivers and brooks, special good land, great quantities of special good corn and beans, and stately wigwams, as I never saw the like, but not one Indian to be seen.” [footnote in Ayers refers this quote to Capt. Nathaniel Thomas; Mather’s King Philip’s War, 1862 ed., p.230]”5

Thomas reports further that Lieutenant Brown and four men went to Norwich for supplies. Mohegans loaded with plunder accompanied them. Thus, the Nipmuck Trail southward is again indicated.

While those forces were at Wabaquasset, and Philip was seeking refuge in the Quabaug country, the force
“…under Captains Hutchinson and Wheeler from Boston to Brookfield were ambushed and attacked near Brookfield on August 2nd. Then the war began in western Massachusetts…When the siege [of Brookfield] was raised, the Indians took refuge in Manamesit, in the wild country north of Brookfield…”6

About July 29 “…Philip slipped across the Taunton River and fled north past Old Rehoboth, directly into the heart of Nipmuc country…”7

Philip himself was not yet out of danger. A large force of Mohegan led  “…by Oneko, son of Uncas, had been sent from Connecticut to aid the English military. This fleet band arrived at Old Rehoboth on July 30, overtook Philip, and engaged the Wampanoag in battle at Nipsachuck (present-day Smithfield, Rhode Island) on August 1, 1675. Philip lost twenty-three of his party, including four chief-captains. However poor decisions and tactical blunders kept the English and Mohegan, numbering 256 men, from capturing Philip and his remaining forty warriors as they huddled in a swamp less then three-quarters of a mile away, possessing only thirty guns and standing ready to surrender. Taking advantage of this lapse, the Wampanoag made good their escape along the Blackstone River. Once safe, Weetamoe and some of her Pocasset headed southwest to join the Eastern Niantic under the leadership of Ninigrit. Philip and his warriors continued north to join their Nipmuc allies at Menameset…”8

“…On August 5, Philip and his forty warriors joined with the Nipmuc at their newly constructed fort at Menameset.”9

This deals with the trap and the escape of Philip. The original is on one page, and the transcription is on the page facing it. “…There came some forces from Plymouth, and others from Boston, but with many stays and delays. At last, however, they marched out to the necks of land and swamps at and near Mount Hope…the English marched in a few very long files, and as they marched fired at the bushes when they saw no Indians, lest the…Indians should be lying near. But by the noise of their guns the Indians heard them, and slipped by them, evading them at will. Afterward, however, the army found Philip in a swamp…Some of the English…got into that swamp, slew some of Philip’s party, and got fairly near Philip, but Major Savage and others coming to the swampside and seeing there were some English dead, and night coming on, caused a retreat to be sounded. It is said but for this, those in the swamp probably would have accomplished great things, but were compelled to retreat. The Indians followed, and fought them out of the swamp and some miles farther, inflicting some casualties. Afterward the English could not find Philip in that area, for he marched away up into the country [athor's footnote: At the end of July, 1675, Philip and his followers escaped from the trap the English had set them at Pocasset. Crossing to the north side of the Taunton River, they hurried past Rehoboth toward the Nipmuck country of central Massachusetts. Immediately the flames of war began to spread.], which, when perceived, information thereof was sent to Taunton, Rehoboth and Providence… Philip’s men before this march had wounded a Providence man who later died, and had burned some houses there. So about thirty young men of Providence went out to lay an ambush for Philip, but he had gone by. As they were looking for him there came to them about thirty-five men of Taunton and Rehoboth, and about five more of providence, and later, forty confederate Indians (some of whom were Mohegans and others Pequots) under the command of one of the sons of Uncas, an Indian Sachem of Connecticut Colony. These hundred and ten men followed Philip, and in due time came upon him one morning, and fought him [author's footnote – This skirmish happened early in the morning of August 1, 1675, at a place called Nipsachuck, some twelve miles northwest of Providence. The English failed to destroy Philip’s party, and thus lost their last chance to keep the war from spreading.'], and slew about fifty of his men. Philip was so hard-pressed that he left his powder and his staff, and some of his chief men were dead . So Philip fled up into the country [authors's footnote: After the fight at Nipsachuck, Philip and his warriors continued on into Nipmuck country, while Weetamo and her people, probably mostly noncombatants, went southward toward Narragansett country].”10

---

History Homestead Renovation Fundraising News Home The SDHM, Inc. Updated: 6/23/07