Uncas (Poquin, Poxon, Woncas, Okase, Onkos, Onkus, Unkowa, Unquase, Vncas) was born in the closing years of the 16th century, before the arrival of the European settlers. His father, Owaneco, was the son of Woipequund, chief sachem of the Pequots who also had Narragansett and Mohegan blood in his ancestry. His mother, Mukkunnup, shared a similar lineage that linked this family to the people in power in neighboring tribes. History records that he had at least one brother, Wawequa, but unfortunately no records exist telling his sisters’ names. Tradition has it that one was called Wequot.

As a youth, Uncas enjoyed the traditional childhood, which offered the freedom to learn the skills which one would need to become an adult. Fishing, hunting, competing in games of sport and endurance, all would serve to furnish him with the strength and skillfulness that Uncas was later noted for in his dealings with the Colonists. He may have been a mischievous child, but discipline would be mainly in the form of verbal disapproval. Native Americans were shocked by the corporeal punishment that the Colonists used to correct their own children, believing that such mistreatment of a child damaged the future adult.

On occasion, Uncas would join in the work that the adult males banded together to perform for the good of the community: clearing new cornfields through planned fires and turning the soil with bone and wood tools; cutting wood for the palisades which kept animals and marauders out of the village at night; fashioning dugouts from trees which had to be felled with stone axes – all labor intensive activities best handled in a group. Iron and steel tools at that time was scarce, supplied only through the fur trade with Dutch, English and French ships.

Like people everywhere before the Industrial Age, life was governed by the seasons. In the late spring, when the shad bush was in bloom, the people would move to the various brooks and rivers that fed into Long Island Sound to take advantage of the annual shad and herring spawning migration. Wooden stakes for weirs had to be set at the narrower places on these tributaries, to trap these plentiful fish which supplied not only meat for eating and curing for future meals, but also the refuse which was used for fertilizer in the newly cleared corn fields. The summer was spent curing and smoking shellfish meats, berrying, fishing in the Sound and Atlantic, tending the fields and producing wampum, which were beads made from quahog shells that were used as a modicum of exchange with inland tribes for the furs to trade to the Europeans for more desirable goods. Autumn was the time of harvest, a time for drying the corn, pumpkins, squash and beans that would be the mainstay of the people through the winter and early spring, augmented by venison, raccoon and other wild animals and fowl. Because the Native diet was far richer in protein than that of the average European of that time, the Native Americans of the Northeast were more robust and taller than the newly arrived Colonists. The Colonists noted that Uncas was even more well built than his fellow Mohegans.

Uncas took Momoho, a daughter of Tatobem the Chief Sachem of the Pequots, for a wife about 10 years before the Pequot War. She had been promised to his older brother, but his brother died before the marriage could take place. Uncas would later marry a daughter of Sebequanash, Sachem of the Hammonasetts, and for his third wife he chose Obechiquod’s wife. Other alliances included the sister of Foxon, his able and shrewd councilor.

In June of 1633, Jacob Van Curler set up a trading post on land he purchased from Tatobem on the Connecticut River where all tribes might trade freely without any fear or danger. Van Curler fortified this place with two cannon and called it the “House of Good Hope.” Shortly after this it was learned that the King of England had granted all the territory from Narragansett to the Manhattans to some of his subjects, virtually ousting the Dutch from that territory.

Some of the Indians showed ill feeling toward the Dutch and fighting broke out between those at Fort Good Hope and the Pequots. The Pequot killed some Indians who came to trade at the fort, and in retaliation, the Dutch slew the Pequot Chief Sachem Tatobem [Wopigwooit] and some of his followers in 1633. This act was the real cause for the Pequot War that followed, with the Pequot against the Dutch. The English used this to their advantage to further their claim on this territory. English colonist Captain Stone and others who had begun trading along the Connecticut River were then slain by a party of Pequots led by Sassacus who had succeeded his father, Tatobem.

Uncas believed that he had a legitimate claim to be Chief Sachem of the Pequots, having married a sister of Sassacus. Upon the death of Tatobem, Uncas broke out in open rebellion against Sassacus in that belief. Four times he was defeated and fled to the Narragansetts with his followers, each time he was allowed to return to the Pequots after humbling himself to Sassacus. Each time he returned to the Pequots, some of his followers stayed behind (In 1663, at least two of his warriors were still living among the Narragansetts). Some of his followers including Foxon and others claiming to be Mohegan took up residence around Hartford. After a fifth rebellion, Sassacus denied Uncas the right to reunite with the Pequots, instead Uncas was to settle on the lands of his father known as Montononessuck on the west side of the Thames. Sassacus would spend his 3-½ years of rule at war, always on the defensive, and see the virtual extinction of his people. He would never equal his father for greatness.

The English colonists demanded that the murderers of trader Stone and others be given up and that the Pequots pay 1000 fathoms in blood money to keep the peace. The Pequots would not comply, so Captain Endicot, with 90 armed men sailed to the mouth of the Thames River demanding an audience with the Pequot Chief Sachem. Sassacus did not appear. An elder of the Pequots, when learning that this armed expedition from the Bay wanted the heads of the murderers, replied that they had not knowingly slain any English and that the Pequots had been greatly wronged by the whites. 

In 1637, Uncas arrived in Hartford with about 70 warriors and joined forces with Captain John Mason to attack the Pequots after the colony of Connecticut declared war. The Mohegans gained the trust of the English after engaging in sorties against hostile Indians at Saybrook. After burning the Mystic stronghold of the Pequots, the Colonial and Mohegan combined forces pursued the survivors to the Fairfield swamp. Sassacus and several of his sachems escaped this debacle. They were later killed by the Mohawk, who sent their heads back to Connecticut Colony. The alliance with the English allowed Uncas to claim most of the former Pequot lands – lands which extended into Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the territory watered by the Thames River and its tributaries, and the lands westward to the East River in Guilford.

In July 1638,Uncas with 37 warriors made a ceremonial visit to Boston, presenting 20 fathoms (about 120 feet) of wampum to Governor Winthrop. The Council accused Uncas of harboring Pequots and Uncas angrily denied that he had broken faith with the English. There he pledged his eternal friendship for the Colonists, telling the Bay Colony Council, “This heart is not mine, it is yours. I have no men, they are yours. Command me to do any hard thing and I will do it. I will never believe any Indian’s word against the English, and if any Indian shall kill an Englishman, I will put him to death, were he never so dear to me.” While Uncas was returning to Connecticut, one of his men became ill and since Roger Williams lived close by, the warrior was left there to convalesce. The warrior had both Mohegan and Narragansett blood, so he enjoyed the confidence of both peoples While talking with Williams, this fellow innocently blurted out that there were only two Pequots living with the Narragansetts, while there were 60 living among the Nehantics. Williams was told that there were many Pequot living among the Mohegan, and that six of these had accompanied Uncas to Boston. Winthrop had been so convinced of Uncas’ sincerity that he had paid his expenses, given him food for the journey, and given him a red coat.

In Oct. 1638 a triparty peace treaty was signed by Colonists, Narragansetts and Mohegans. The Narragansetts and the Mohegans agreed to put any differences that they might have before the Council for adjudication. The 200 known captive Pequots are divided up – 80 to Miantonomo, 20 to Ninegrit, and 100 to Uncas. Each sachem had to pay a per capita annual tribute in wampum to the Colonial government for the captives received. A few Pequots managed to escape and exist as fugitives either singly or in small groups. All other Pequots had either been killed or sold into slavery and shipped to the West Indies.

The General Court of Connecticut, in 1639 sent 40 soldiers under John Mason, joined by 100 warriors under Uncas, with 20 canoes, to the mouth of the Pawcatuck River to punish a remnant band of Pequots who had been forbidden to make a settlement in their ancient country. These Pequots had put themselves under the protection of the Eastern Nehantics and the Narragansets. These two tribes were loath to fight the English, but would have fought Uncas alone. The Connecticut forces made off with the village corn, mats and kettles, and 30 of the Pequot canoes after torching the village.

In 1640, Uncas parted with some Mohegan land except that which was currently planted. Finding no relief from the magistrates in Hartford over complaints against Sequassen and the River Tribes, Uncas fought many skirmishes and won a major battle in which many Connecticut River Indians were killed. (Sequassen was a relative of Miantonomo, Sachem of the Narragansetts).

In 1643, Miantonomo sent messengers to Gov. Winthrop of the Bay Colony complaining about Mohegan raiding parties – Winthrop said that if Uncas had committed a wrong and refused to grant satisfaction, Miantonomo was free to choose his own course. Miantonomo and his warriors went from Rhode Island to the Quinnebaug River where they were discovered by Mohegan scouts. Runners were sent to warn Uncas at Fort Shantok and Mohegan warriors gathered from nearby villages and advanced to the Great Plains. Uncas confronted Miantonomo and challenged him to single hand-to-hand combat. Miantonomo refused saying that his warriors had come prepared to fight and battle they would.  Upon this rejection from the sachem of the Narragansett, Uncas fell flat on the ground and this was a prearranged signal for the Mohegans to attack. The Narragansetts were unable to rally their men from this surprise and they retreated to the Yantic River where many of their lives were lost. The remainder of the hostile party were pursued to Sachem Plains by the Mohegan. Here Tantaquidgeon captured Miantonomo, holding him, his brother and the two sons of Cononicus for the arrival of Uncas. The captive Narragansetts were brought to Fort Shantok and Uncas submitted his grievance to the Commissioners. Miantonomo was treated well during his captivity, but Uncas finally carried his prisoner off to Hartford. Miantonomo was held in Hartford until the Commissioners of the United Colonies in Boston returned him to the custody of Uncas, with orders to take him to Mohegan Country and execute him. This act would be the wedge which would prevent the Mohegan and the Narragansett from ever uniting against the colonists. The Narragansetts signed an agreement in Hartford not to attack the Mohegans until the next planting time, and then only after 30 days notice had been given to the Government of Massachusetts Bay Colony– Yet shortly thereafter, the Narragansetts sent a large force into Mohegan country, finally laying siege to Fort Shantok after destroying Mohegan crops and wigwams. A Mohegan messenger was able to slip through the Narragansett lines and make his way to the English stronghold at Saybrook to inform the Colonists of Uncas’ plight. The English loaded up a boat with supplies and dispatched it up the Thames, relieving Uncas plight. (Uncas and his people were subjected to sporadic attacks for a period of 15 years or so, until Norwich was settled by the English in 1660. John Brewster’s trading post across the river from Shantok often signaled the Mohegans of marauders. Brewster and other colonists in the Saybrook relief party received grants of land from Uncas in friendship.)

In 1645,  Passacus, with a large number of Narragansetts attacked the principal Mohegan village.

A 1657 Narragansett incursion into Mohegan country led Uncas to retreat to his Oswegatchie fort (on the Niantic River) where he was assisted by New London settlers in driving off the enemy.

Uncas granted land to Richard Haughton and James Rogers (Pamechaug Farm) in 1658 and in 1659, Uncas sold a 9 miles square tract of land at the head of the Thames River to Captain John Mason, Reverend James Fitch and others of Saybrook for 70 pounds.

From the end of the Pequot War until the beginning of King Philip’s War, Uncas was often called to General Council in New Haven or Hartford to answer charges of behaving in a “prideful and contemptuous manner, assaulting Indians living in Pequot or Nameaug (now New London), damaging colonists’ livestock”, etc. Often this was a ruse of the English to wrest more land from the Mohegan chief, however Uncas rarely had a lawsuit go against him as the Connecticut Colony saw him as the Noble Redman. In 1670, Uncas was brought under bond of 100 pounds for the appearance of his son, Foxen and two Indians, Jumpe and Towtukhagg, and eight Indians more for breaking open a New London warehouse. He was fined 50 bushels of Indian corn for his son, five pounds in wampum to Mr. Samuel Clarke, and twenty pounds in wampum to the county treasury.

In King Philip’s War in 1675 Uncas sent his son Oweneco and fifty men to Boston; and another son, Attawanhood and 30 men to join with the Western Massachusetts’ forces. Uncas was too old to physically take part in the battles ahead but he was not too old to continue to lead his people. More than 1,000 English, and 150 Mohegan and Pequot men under Catapazet attacked the Narragansett Indians at South Kingston (aka South Kingstown), RI. Canonchet, the son of Miantonomo, was captured and brought to Stonington where he was executed. One account says that he was shot by the Colonists, another that a Mohegan hit him over the head with a tomahawk.

Charles Hill’ s tract of several hundred acres was conveyed to him by Uncas in 1678 in exchange for “Betty”, an Indian woman taken captive in Philip’s War and given to Captain James Avery, who sold her to Charles Hill.

Uncas spent his remaining years in relative peace. He had outlived most of his enemies. His English adversaries included both John Winthrops, father and son. John Winthrop, Jr., a leader in New London County and in state government, was the son of the head of the Bay Colony and claimed a prodigious amount of land in Connecticut. He had been granted some of the best land in Connecticut Colony and all of Fishers Island. He was always willing to use the Mohegan to fight other tribes, yet he had called Uncas a “wily jackal” and warned all who would listen not to trust him. The tribes and sachems who had opposed Uncas were broken and in no position to challenge Mohegan sovereignty ever again. Uncas maintained his friendship with the original colonists from Saybrook but not the land greedy second generation. The affection for John Mason’s family continued even beyond the grandchildren of both families. Uncas had the title to his remaining land in Mohegan put into Mason’s name thinking that the Masons would be able to stop the white trespassers from taking it all. The Colony of Connecticut disallowed any legal recourse and the Land Case would eventually be heard in the Courts of Queen Anne.

Several sources say that Uncas spent his final years in front of his dwelling, dispensing justice to his people and smoking his pipe in the warmth of the Sun, entertaining both his English friends and his own men.

Upon the death of Uncas in 1683, he would be succeeded by his son Oweneco/ Tatuphosuwut, two of his older sons, Joshua/Attawanhood, and John/ Kittateash having predeceased him. Uncas had been a vigorous defender of the native religion, yet a mission school first established in Uncasville in the 1730s would inspire the Mohegan Samson Occum to become one of the most noted clerics of his day.

Who then was Uncas?  Many would be apt to reply, “A Noble Indian”.  Others might answer, “A Friend of the English”.  "Described by some historians as a tyrant and a traitor who lacked prowess in battle, he became known by some of his contemporaries as a complainer and a crafty schemer, who displayed much wiliness in his dealings with the English.  Other historians judge him to be a prudent and valiant man who acted with fidelity and courage, showed concern for his own men, and displayed a great amount of wisdom and strategy in his tactics.  Uncas was a warrior who manifested much wisdom, courage, and vision.  He foresaw the final outcome of conflict with the English and chose to save his tribe from destruction.  An Indian, “ unique among his kind”, he saw invaders and made them his allies. He foresaw annihilation and sought preservation.  Uncas was a great sachem who left his tribe at his death “the chief native body in Connecticut, with greater possessions than any other, and whose posterity still survives in Connecticut, respectable in numbers, character, and property.” [p. 47  “Uncas”, Charles Frederic Chapin, Papers and Addresses of the Society of Colonial Wars in Connecticut, Volume I]

Sr. Bette-Jean Coderre, Research Associate
Faith Damon Davison, Archivist

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