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certain.* Church's account differs considerably from it. He says, that on the evening of the same day he and his company marched from Plimouth, "they heard a smart firing at a distance from them, but it being near night, and the firing of short continuance, they missed the place, and went into Bridgewater town."

On the 1 August, the intrepid Church came upon Philip's head quarters, killed and took about 130 of his people, Philip himself very narrowly escaping. Such was his precipitation, that he left all his wampum behind,

and his wife and son fell into the hands of Church.

No sooner had the story of the destruction of the Indians begun to attract attention, (which, however, was not until a long time after they had been destroyed,) much inquiry was made concerning the fate of this son of the famous Metacomet; and it was not until considerable time had elapsed, that it was discovered that he was sold into slavery! It is gratifying to learn what did become of him, although it must cause pain in every humane breast; not more for the lot of young Metacomet, than for the wretched depravity of the minds of those who advised and executed the decree of slavery upon him.

Some of Philip's Indians, who now served under Church, said to him, "You have now made Philip ready to die; for you have made him as poor and miserable as he used to make the English. You have now killed or taken all his relations-that they believed he would soon have his head, and that this bout had almost broken his heart."

Church relates this attack upon the flying chief as follows:-"Next morning, [after the skirmish in which Akkompoin was killed,] Capt. Church moved very early with his company, which was increased by many of Bridgewater that listed under him for that expedition, and, by their piloting, he soon came, very still, to the top of the great tree which the enemy had fallen across the river; and the captain spied an Indian sitting upon the stump of it, on the other side of the river, and he clapped his gun up, and had doubtless despatched him, but that one of his own Indians called hastily to him not to fire, for he believed it was one of his own men; upon which the Indian upon the stump looked about, and Capt. Church's Indian, seeing his face, perceived his mistake, for he knew him to be Philip ; clapped up his gun and fired, but it was too late; for Philip immediately threw himself off the stump, leaped down a bank on the side of the river, and made his escape. Capt. Church, as soon as possible, got over the river, and scattered in quest of Philip and his company, but the enemy scattered and fled every way; but he picked up a considerable many of their women and children, among which were Philip's wife and son of about nine years old." The remainder of the day was spent in pursuing the flying Philip, who, with his Narragansets, was still formidable. They picked up many prisoners, from whom they learned the force of those of whom they were in pursuit. At night, Church was under obligation to return to his men he had left, but commissioned Lightfoot, captain, to lead a party on discovery. Lightfoot returned in the morning with good success, having made an important discovery, and taken 13 prisoners. Church immediately set out to follow up their advantage. He soon came where they had made fires, and shortly after overtook their women and children, who " were faint and tired," and who informed them "that Philip, with a great number of the enemy, were a little before." It was almost sunset when they came near enough to observe them, and "Philip soon came to

*It is published by Mr. Mitchel, in his valuable account of Bridgewater, and supposed to have been written by Comfort Willis, named above. See 1 Col. Mass. Hist Soc. vii.

157.

+ Hist. Philip's War, 38. ed. 4to.

a stop, and fell to breaking and chopping wood, to make fires; and a great noise they made." Church, concentrating his followers, formed them into a circle, and set down "without any noise or fire." Their prisoners showed great signs of fear, but were easily put in confidence by the conciliatory conduct of Church. Thus stood matters in Church's camp through the night of the 2 August, 1676. At dawn of day, he told his prisoners they must remain still where they were, until the fight was over, (for he now had every reason to expect a severe one shortly to follow,)" or, as soon as the firing ceased, they must follow the tracks of his company, and come to them. (An Indian is next to a bloodhound to follow a track.)"*

It being now light enough to make the onset, Church sent forward two soldiers to learn Philip's position. Philip, no less wary, had, at the same time, sent out two spies to see if any were in pursuit of him. The respective spies of the two famous chiefs gave the alarm to both camps at the same time; but, unhappily for Philip, his antagonist was prepared for the event, while he was not. "All fled at the first tidings, [of the spies,] left their kettles boiling, and meat roasting upon their wooden spits, and run into a swamp with no other breakfast, than what Capt. Church afterwards treated them with." Church sent his lieutenant, Mr. Isaac Howland, on one side of the swamp, while himself ran upon the other, each with a small party, hoping, as the swamp was small, to prevent the escape of any. Expecting that when Philip should discover the English at the farther extremity of the swamp, he would turn back in his own track, and so escape at the same place he entered, Church had, therefore, stationed an ambush to entrap him in such an event. But the wariness of Philip disappointed him. He, thinking that the English would pursue him into the swamp, had formed an ambush for them also, but was, in like manner, disappointed. He had, at the same time, sent forward a band of his warriors, who fell into the hands of Church and Howland. They, at first, attempted to fly, and then offered resistance; but Church ordered Matthiast to tell them the impracticability of such a step. He accordingly called to them, and said, "If they fired one gun they were all dead men." This threat, with the presence of the English and Indians, so amazed them, that they suffered "the English to come and take the guns out of their hands, when they were both charged and cocked." Having secured these with a guard, armed with the guns just taken from them, Church presses through the swamp in search of Philip, towards the end at which that chief had entered. Having waited until he had no hopes of ensnaring Capt. Church, Philip now moved on after the company he had sent forward, and thus the two parties met. The English had the advantage of the first discovery, and, covered by trees, made the first fire. Philip stood his ground for a time, and maintained a desperate fight; but, a main body of his warriors having been captured, which, by this time, he began to apprehend, as they did not come to his aid, he, therefore, fled back to the point where he entered the swamp, and thus fell into a second ambush. Here the English were worsted, having one of their number slain, viz. Thomas Lucas, of Plimouth: thus escaped, for a few days, Philip and some of his best captains, such as

*Hist. Philip's War, 39.

One of Church's Indian soldiers, but of whom he makes no mention.

An improvident fellow, given to intoxication, and, from Church's expression about his being killed, "not being so careful as he might have been," it leaves room to doubt whether he were not, at this time, under the effects of liquor. He had been often fined, and once whipped, for getting drunk, beating his wife and children, defaming the character of deceased magistrates, and other misdemeanors.

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Tuspaquin and Tatoson. This was August the 3d, and Philip's numbers had decreased, since the 1st, 173, by the exertions of Church.

Philip, having now but few followers left, was driven from place to place, and lastly to his ancient seat near Pokanoket. The English, for a long time, had endeavored to kill him, but could not find him off his guard; for he was always the first who was apprized of their approach. Having put to death one of his ment for advising him to make peace, his brother, fearing the same fate, deserted him, and gave Captain Church an account of his chief's situation, and offered to lead him to his camp. Early on Saturday morning, 12 Aug. Church came to the swamp where Philip was encamped, and, before he was discovered, had placed a guard about it, so as to encompass it, except a small place. He then ordered Captain Golding to rush into the swamp, and fall upon Philip in his camp; which he immediately did-but was discovered as he approached, and, as usual, Philip was the first to fly. Having but just awaked from sleep, and having on but a part of his clothes, he fled with all his might. Coming directly upon an Englishman and an Indian, who composed a part of the ambush at the edge of the swamp, the Englishman's gun missed fire, but Alderman, the Indian, whose gun was loaded with two balls, "sent one through his heart, and another not above two inches from it. He fell upon his face in the mud and water, with his gun under him."

There were many reports in circulation of the particulars of this last great tragedy of the Wampanoag sachem, which occasioned, as in many other events, different accounts being handed down; but all of them which we have seen, though manifestly contradictory in some particulars, have, nevertheless, some facts of great importance. The following being exceedingly curious, we give the substance of it. Besides containing some additional facts, it serves to show one of the different reports. It is contained in a single sheet, in folio form, printed in London, 1677, and was licensed 4 Nov. of that year. Its title is, "THE WARR IN NEW ENGLAND VISIBLY ENDED. King PHILIP, that barbarous Indian, now Beheaded, and most of his Bloudy Adherents submitted to Mercy, the Rest fled far up into the Countrey, which hath given the Inhabitants Encouragement to prepare for their Settlement. Being a True and perfect Account brought in by Caleb More, Master of a vessel newly arrived from Rhode Island." Its substance is as follows: Philip had, when he began the war, 300 men, but when he was killed, 10 only remained of them. He was a "pestilent ringleader." The swamp in which he was killed, was "so loose, that our men sunk to the middle" in the mud. chance, the Indian guide and the [a] Plimouth man, being together, the guide espied an Indian, and bids the Plimouth man shoot, whose gun went not off, only flashed in the pan; with that the Indian looked about, and was going to shoot, but the Plimouth man prevented him, and shot the enemy through the body, dead, with a brace of bullets; and, approaching the place where he lay, upon search, it appeared to be King Philip, to their no small amazement and great joy. This seasonable prey was soon divided; they cut off his head and hands, and conveyed them to Rhode Island, and quartered his body, and hung it upon four trees. One Indian more of King Philip's company they then killed, and some of the rest they wounded. But the swamp being so thick and miry, they made their escape.".

*Church, 41. In the account of Tatoson, Church's narrative is continued.

+ Brother of Aiderman.

"By

Capt. Roger Goulden, of R. I. Plimouth granted him 100 acres of land on Pocasset, in 1676, for his eminent services. Plim. Records.

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