A SKETCH OF THE CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES OF NEW

BEFORE we enter upon that crisis, which fixed the des

tinies of New-England, known by the name of Philip's War, we will take a survey of the genius and character of the natives of New-England, and their number of tribes, with the particular chief or sachem, of each tribe.

The charter of the Colony of Plymouth, embraced three sachemdoms, including many small tribes; the principal of these tribes were the Naucets, and the principal sachem was Mashpee. They lay about the Cape; but on the west of the colony, and extending into Rhode-Island, lay the Pakanockets; a numerous tribe, with their great Sachem Massasoit, who either influenced, or controuled, all the neighbouring tribes. The great Philip, whose wars we are about to relate, became the sachem of this tribe, and thus acquired his influence. West of the Pakanockets, and extending along the coast, and about the Naraganset Bay, lay the Naragansets. These embraced six or seven smaller tribes, all under the great Sachem Miantonimo. The local situation of these Indians, was favourable to support, and presrevation; the sea, upon one side, was a barrier to guard them from surprise by their enemies, and furnished them support, both which increased their population, and rendered them the most numerous sachemdom in New-England. West of the Naragansets, upon the coast, lay the Pequots, whose destruction we have witnessed. North of the Pequots, upon Connecticut River, lay the numerous tribes at Haddam, Middle. town, Wethersfield, Hartford, and Windsor; but the most numerous of all their tribes, was the Podunks at Windsor. West of the Connecticut, not only upon the sea-coast, but extending back into the country, the tribes and sa

chemdoms were numerous, inhabiting the fertile banks of all the numerous rivers, and streams. East of the river Indians, and north of the Pequots, were the Mohegans, which extended into the counties of Windham and Tolland, and were governed by the great Sachem Uncas. This tribe, with the Pequots, in 1636, could muster 1000 warriors; and the whole number of Connecticut Indians, at that time, were estimated at 12000. The Rhode-Island Indians, at the commencement of Philip's war, were estimated at 2,000 warriors, and about one half had firearms; their whole number, in 1636, in this state, were esimated at 8000. The whole number, as well as the particular tribes, in Massachusetts, at the early settlement, were not known; but at the time of Philip's war, they were estimated at ten or twelve hundred. The great sachem of Massachusetts, resided upon an eminence at Dorchester, and his dominion extended, generally, over the adjacent country, lying about the great bay; and the mouth of Charles' River, was a place of general rendezvous for all the neighbouring tribes. In the (now) county of Worcester, was the Nipmuck tribe. At Agawam, or Ipswich, was another tribe; and at Naumkeag, or Salem, was another sachemdom, that embraced all the tribes in the eastern part of Massachusetts proper. In New-Hampshire, the Newcehewannocks, the Wainooset, Patucket, Amoskeag, and Pennecook tribes, dwelt upon the principal rivers, and extended back onto the Connecticut, where dwelt a numerous tribe at Newberry. In the Province of Maine, the Norridge wacks, Kennebeck, Penobscot, and several other tribes, dwelt upon the principal waters; these were denominated Tarenteens, and with the more eastern Indians, (called Abenaquics,) were numerous, and warlike, and were almost perpetually at war with the English. The number of the New-England Indians could be exactly known; but it was at all times sufficient to have destroyed the English, at any time before the settle

ment of Connecticut, and the destruction of the Pequots ; after that time, the English had become too strong, and they

were able to quell an insurrection of all these tribes, when, united in one grand confederacy, and armed with muskets, as may be seen in the following war, stiled Philip's war.

The Indians believed in two supreme Gods, or Great Spirits, the good, and the evil, who governed all events, and ruled the destinies of men; that these dwelt in some inaccessible mountain, cave, or swamp, and to these they "made known their wants, and complaints; and supposed that all their good or evil, came from them. These deities they worshipped by prayers, and sacrifices, with all the tumultuous ceremonies of their powahs, and war dances, promising them skins, hatchets, kettles, beads, and other valuable things, together with the sacrifice of their own children, if their prayers should be granted. Bows and arrows, with spears, were their instruments of war and the chase, and he who was the most dexterous, athletic, and courageous, first became their chief, and this became hereditary in his family. Their rites of marriage, were exactly upon the plan of the old Jewish Patriarchs, and they were as rigid against adultery. Hunting and fishing, were their chief amusements, and they possessed great sagacity in taking their game. They ate their food, like the old Scythians, in a circle, seated upon the ground, with their humble repast placed in the middle-without even a knife to furnish their table, or divide their food. They were much addicted to idleness, and dissipation, particularly gaming. War and hunting occupied, solely, the attention of the men; the women were devoted to the cares of the family; to till the ground, and do the drudgery, carry the burthens, and keep the records. Their method of managing their infants, is common to the savages; they fasten them by bandages of bark, or splints, with their backs to some straight flat substance, as a piece of board, bark, &c. and thus supposed that they acquired those straight limbs

and forms, which distinguish the savage, but which has been found, by Europeans, to belong to the Indians of North America, as distinctly, and as decidedly as their red colour, their noble and majestic stature, or their small black eyes, and long black hair; all which are the characteristic features of an Indian. The friendship of these savages, was co-existent with their interest; and so long as it continued, was warm and affectionate; but their enmity always continu ed until satisfied or glutted with revenge. To effect this, neither heat nor cold, fatigue,labour, privation, peril, or distance of place, that harboured or concealed their ene my, were any bar to their revenge. Their attachments to their own tribes were strong; they seldom have any personal quarrels; they never steal from, rob, or defame each other. Whenever a family leave their hut or wigwam, they set up a stick against the outside of the door; this is their padlock, and proves a religious security to their dwellings.

Their mode of making war is always by stratagem and ambush; they never meet their enemies in the field. They generally commence their first attacks upon their enemy's village, by surprise, in dead of night, or before the waking hours of the morning, whilst their enemy is secure, or by way-laying him, in some thicket, where they can lie concealed. These modes of savage war, have been often fatal to the English. From this war of surprise, the first settlers of North America suffered severely; and even the first settlers of New-England, had their hair's breadth escapes, by the intelligence of friendly, Indians, who disclosed the Indian plots. To guard against these, a constant vigilance became absolutely necessary, as well as a friendly intercourse, by treaty, or otherwise, with the sa-. chems or chiefs, of the neighbouring tribes. This mode of warfare, opened the way for that war, in New-England, known by the name of Philip's war, which commenced in, 1675, and lasted one whole year.

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CHAPTER XVII.

PHILIP'S WAR.

DURING the period of 'fifty five-years, the English had lived quietly with the savages, excepting the war which exterminated the Pequots, and some slight collisions with the Naragansets, and some small tribes; but this war was commenced as a war of extermination, by a coalition of all the tribes of New-England. This plot was communicated to the English, as usual, by a friendly Indian; but it was too late, he paid for his friendship, by falling a sacrifice to savage resentment the next day, and the war commenced by an ambush, surprise, and attack, from a party of Indians, upon the people of Swanzey, on their return home from public worship on the sabbath; two men were killed, and one wounded: the people fled and dispersed, the Indians pursued, and eight more were killed. A body of horse, and infantry were dispatched from Boston, into the enemy's country, and besieged Philip in his camp; they commenced an attack by assault, and dispersed the savages, with the loss of one man killed, and one wounded. They next compelled the Naragansets to a peace, sword in hand, and returned home. The English at Boston, hearing that Philip had fled to the Nipmucks, (now county of Worces-: ter,) sent an embassy to renew the treaty with that tribe; but Philip was there, and had recounted the slaughter of the Indians, and excited them to war. The embassy was received by the explosion of an Indian ambush, which killed eight of the mission, and wounded their chief; and the rest fled to a neighbouring village, where they all assembled in one house. Philip with his Indians, pursued, burnt the village, and surrounded this house, with all his force. Here commenced one of the most memorable attacks recorded in the wars of New-England; an incessant discharge VOL. I.

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