against the governor and company of the colony of RhodeIsland and Providence," in which, among other things, they are charged with neglecting to keep an authentic record of their laws; with refusing to permit the inhabitants to have copies of them; with rasing or cancelling their laws as they please, without consent of the assembly, and with administering the government and justice, without taking the legal oaths. These charges were referred to the attorney general, July, 1685, with orders immediately to issue a writ of quo warranto against their patent. The governor and company were served with a regular notice of the process, which had been issued against them, and they were put upon their defence; they declined standing a suit with their king. In full assembly, they passed an act formally surrendering to his majesty their charter, with all the powers it contained. This act, it is said, "was afterwards made way with, agreeably to a common practice." The governor and company afterwards assembled, and on serious consideration of the suit instituted against them, agreed upon an address to his majesty, in which they pray, that their charter privileges, civil and religious, might be continued; that "all things wherein they have been weak and short, through ignorance, may be remitted and pardoned." They conclude, by "prostrating their all at his majesty's feet, with entire resolution to serve him with faithful hearts." Such servile language was improper for freemen to use, or for the ruler of a free people to receive. It failed of its intended effect. No sooner was the address received, than the committee of the colonies, with the approbation of the king, ordered, that Sir Edmund Andros, the governor of Massachusetts, should demand the surrender of their charter, and govern them in the manner the other colonies of * Chalmers. New-England were governed. At the same time they were assured of his majesty's protection, and of his determination to exercise no other authority over them, than what was common to the other plantations. Accordingly, in December, 1686, Andros formally dissolved the government of Rhode-Island, broke their seal, assumed the reins of government, and selected five of the citizens, and formed them into a legislative council. This state of things continued scarcely two years, when the revolution of 1688, put an end to the tyrannic authority of Andros, in this and the other colonies. Their charter was resumed, and has ever since continued to be the basis of their government. CHAP. XIII. War with the Pequot Indians. THIS is a dismal section of our history. The time has been, when pious ehristians had so lost sight of their Saviour's precepts and examples as to engage in unnecessary war. Excepting this war of extermination, which lasted but a few days, our forefathers lived about fifty years in peace with the Indians; and had they as christians duly considered the importance of peace, the preciousness of human life, and that war partakes of the spirit of murder, and had they taken suitable care to dispense perfect justice to their red brethren, to soothe, to satisfy, and instruct them, probably this, and the subsequent wars might have been prevented. Prudence and good sense may persuade these people, and preserve their friendship. "The differences we have had with them have generally been more owing to us than to them."* Did not truth and impartiality forbid, we * Du Pratz. could wish this chapter erased from the volume. The reader may, however, gain some benefit; he may learn how dreadful is a spirit of war; he may learn how far good men, while ignorant and under the influence of an erroneous conscience, may fall short of that temper which is required in the gospel. While you shudder at the narrative of blood and murder, you may with new fervour pray the God of peace, to hasten the day, when "nations shall learn war no more," when Jesus shall reign a thousand years of peace. In 1634, the Indians murdered Capt. Stone and Capt. Norton, with six others, in a bark sailing up Connecticut river. The next year they killed part of a crew, who had been shipwrecked on Long Island. In the year 1636, at Block Island, they killed Mr. Oldham. To obtain satisfaction for these injuries, the governor and council of Massa*chusetts sent ninety men, who sailed under the command of captains Endicott, Underhill, and Turner. They had commission to put to death the men of Block Island, but to spare the women and children, to make them prisoners, and take possession of the Island. Then they were to visit the Pequots, and demand the murderers of Capt. Stone, and the other English; and a thousand fathom of wampum for damages, and some of their children for hostages. Force was to be employed, if they refused. They arrived in September at Block Island; the wind being northeast, and a high surf, it was difficult landing. About 40 Indians gave a shot from their bows, and fled. The island was covered with bushes, but had no good timber. They traversed it for two days, burned two villages of wigwams, and some corn, of which there was about 200 acres, and then retired. Thence they directed their course for Connecticut river; where they took twenty men, and two shallops, to assist them, and returned to Pequot river, (now the Thames) "landing in much danger, the shore being high, ragged rocks." Three hundred natives were soon assembled, whe trifled with the demand of Endicott, encouraging him, yet delaying to observe his demand, when he assured them he had come for the purpose of fighting. They immediately withdrew; when they had proceeded beyond musket shot, he pursued them; two of them were killed, and others wounded; the English burned their wigwams, and returned. The next day they went on shore the west side of the river, burned their wigwams, spoiled their canoes, and returned to Narraganset, and thence to Boston. After the troops left Pequot river, the twenty men of Saybrook lay wind bound, when they undertook to fetch away the Indians' corn. Having carried one load, and supplied themselves a second time, the Indians assaulted them; they returned the fire, which was continued most of the afternoon. One of the English was wounded. Two days after, five men at Saybrook were attacked in the field, one was taken prisoner, the others fled, one having five arrows in him. A fortnight after, three men in the same neighbourhood were fowling, two of whom were taken prisoners. October 21, Miantonomo, the sachem of Narraganset, came to Boston with two sons of Canonicus, another sachem, "and twenty sanops." Twenty musketeers met him at Roxbury. The sachems declared, that they had always loved the English, and desired firm peace with them; that they would continue the war with the Pequots and their confederates, till they were subdued, and desired that we would do so; that they would deliver our enemies to us or kill them; and desiring that if any of theirs should kill our cattle, that we would not kill them, but cause them to make satisfaction. This was the substance of the treaty established. They were also to return fugitive servants, to furnish guides for our troops when they marched against the Pequots, and they were not to approach our planta tions, during the war, without some Englishman or known Indian. About this time the governor of Plymouth wrote to Massachusetts, that they had occasioned a war by provoking the Pequots, casting a reflection on the late expedition. It was replied, that they could not safely pursue them without a guide, that they went not to make war, but to obtain justice, that they had killed thirteen men, and burned sixty wigwams, which was sufficient satisfaction for four or five, whom they had murdered. About the middle of October, a bark coming down Connecticut river, one Tilly, the master, went on shore to kill fowls, and was taken prisoner. They cut off his hands and feet, after which he lived three days. At the same time, they killed another man in a canoe. The next spring the colony of Connecticut declared their dislike of the Pequot expedition, expressing their hope, that Massachusetts would continue the war, and offered assistance. Capt. Underhill, with twenty men, was sent to Saybrook to defend it against the Dutch and Indians. In May, the Indians at Weathersfield killed six men, and three women, and took two maids prisoners, and killed twenty cows.* The Indians becoming more daring, and the danger increasing, it was universally resolved to make a vigorous effort to repel the evil. Their success in flying from the English at Groton, had greatly encouraged them. They boasted of this at Saybrook fort, that they had deluded the English, that their God "was all one flye," that "the Englishman was all one squaw." Massachusetts raised one hundred and sixty men,† beside forty previously sent to Narraganset; Mr. Stoughton was Winthrop. † Mather. + Winthrop. |