of musquetry pierced the house, accompanied with every act of savage malice to it; but all without effect, excepting the loss of one man killed. They then set fire to a cart load of swingling-tow, and other combustibles, and moved it up against the house; yet even this was extinguished, by a special providential shower of rain; and at the moment when the savages felt sure of their conquest, and the destruction of their enemies, Major Willard arrived, raised the siege, and put the enemy to flight, with a very considerable slaughter.

The enemy next appeared at Deerfield, on Connecticut River, and laid waste the village. They next commenced an attack upon Northfield, where they killed eight men; they next ambushed Captain Burr, who was sent with thirty men, to the relief of Northfield. The Indians, elated with these successes, were now collected, in great forcé, from all parts of New-England, and ambushed Captain Lathrop, from Boston, who was dispatched with eighty men, and a number of teams, to the relief of Deerfield; a terrible slaughter ensued, the flower of his party fell, and seventy men were buried in one grave.

This scene was distressing, beyond what the pilgrims had ever experienced; the whole country was filled with 'consternation, and mourning. A Captain Mosely, who was near with a body of men, flew to the relief of his friends, dispersed the enemy, who left 136 killed and wounded, on the field. Captain Mosely lost only two men. The successful termination of this action, roused up the energies of New-England; but their villages were burnt, and >their sons murdered, and the enemy were formidable, and

in arms.

The Indians next appeared at Springfield, where they burnt 32 houses, which alarmed the general court, then sitting at Boston, who appointed a civil and ecclesiastical committee, to enquire into the state of New-England, if possibly they

might discover and correct those crying sins, that had brought such heavy judgments upon the land..

The committee reported agreeable to their appointment, and a general reformation of manners and morals was recommended, and attempted.

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The ravages of the enemy, had now became general in Massachusetts; whilst the flames of Springfield were rag. ing with violence, 7 or 800 Indians attacked the town of Hatfield; but the town was garrisoned, with a force suffi cient to repel the assault of the enemy, with very considerable carnage, and the fugitives fled to Naraganset, and secured their retreat, in a dismal swamp, with the strongest fort the country had ever known.* General Winslow, with about 1800 men and 160 friendly Indians, pursued the fugitives, with the greatest possible rapidity, and overtook a strong party at the entrance of the swamp. They exchanged one shot, and the enemy fled into the fort; the English pursued, and commenced an attack

the fort; but were compelled to retire with loss. They soon renewed the attack with redoubled ardor, and entered the fort, amidst a most tremendous explosion of musquetry, and put all to the sword that fell in their way, excepting about 300 warriors, and 300 women and children, and the rest made their escape. The English next set fire to about 600 wigwams, which exhibited a solemn, and an awful scene; amidst the rage of inextinguishable flames, were heard the shrieks of the aged, and the sick the infant, and the mother; and the groans of the dying. With all this distress, was connected the destruction of their domestic stores, and their magazines of corn. More than 1000 warriors strewed the field of death, and the affrighted fugitives became the miserable victims of death,

;

This fort was encircled by palisadoes and trees, so constructed as to be impenetrable; with but one entrance, which lay over a water, upon a single tree, and this pass was securely guarded. In this fort were collected about 4000 Indians.

in the ensuing winter, for the want of these very stores, whose destruction they had witnessed in this awful scene.

This was a glorious day to New-England, although they had purchased this bloody victory with the loss of six brave captains, and about 230 men killed and wounded; yet God had given their enemies into their hands, and broken the strength of the Canaanite in the land.

It was now the 20th of December, and the driving snow and piercing cold, were very distressing to the wounded amongst the English; yet their sufferings were small, compared to the sufferings of the savages, who felt the distressing loss of their families, their dwellings, their support, and even their country;-all which had fallen as a sacrifice, for those murderous scenes of carnage and conflagration they had spread through the land.

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Although the strength of the Canaanite was now broken, yet the same power in Canada, who had furnished firearms for the war, now furnished allies to fill their ranks, and carry on an Indian predatory war. In January they took advantage of a thaw, and laid Mendon in ashes. In February they proceeded to the destruction of Lancaster, and carried off the inhabitants into captivity, particularly Mrs. Rowlinson, the wife of their minister, who was then absent. The same torch consumed part of Marlborough, Sudbury, Chelmsford, Medford, and Plymouth; and even Plymouth witnessed the loss of two of her families. In March they carried the torch into Warwick, Marlborough, Northampton, Sudbury again, and Groton, and committed a massacre at Springfield.

The English pursued the war with energy; but they suffered, often very severely, from the musquetry of the savages, who had become as fierce as bears bereft of their whelps. This war of extermination, raged through the moath of March; and near the close of the month, the towns of Rehoboth and Providence, suffered severely, by con

flagration; Andover suffered severely; Sudbury was attacked again, by about 500 Indians, and felt the loss of her brave Captain, and more than fifty men. The savages

wreaked their vengeance on their prisoners, with their most cruel tortures.

These scenes of general desolation and distress, called up the attention of the pilgrims, to a sense of their situation, and led them to eye the hand of God in these judgments, and to pour out their souls to him, in the deepest humility, fasting, and prayer. One general spirit of supplication, prevailed throughout the churches of New-England-God heard their prayers, and gave them a gracious answer of peace.

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The ravages of the enemy were soon closed, for the want of supplies, and the parties, which were scattered about the country, were hunted like wild beasts, by the united forces of Massachusetts and Connecticut. They were driven from Bridgewater, Medfield, Northampton, Hadley, Hatfield, and Rehoboth, with severe loss, and carnage. These signal victories opened the heart of Massachusetts, in a public Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for these signal successes in the war.

The scene was now changed. The Maquas, a powerful tribe, resented some severe wrongs, which they had suffered from Philip, rose in arms, fell upon his flying parties, and butchered them without mercy. Struck with despair, Philip fled to Mount Hope, and his people sought safety by flight.

At this time, the Colony of Plymouth followed the example of Massachusetts, and renewedly dedicated themselves to God, in a public Thanksgiving, for the signal displays of his goodness.

The troops of Connecticut and Massachusetts, again entered the country of the Naragansets, and triumphed over their enemies, wherever they found them; in all their

skirmishes, they killed, took, and destroyed more than 1000 of the enemy; and last of all, they caught the great Philip in one of his swamps, where they shot him, and carried his head to Plymouth, where it heightened the gratitude of that public Thanksgiving to Almighty God, which witnessed the joy of their hearts, upon this interesting occasion.

Thus fell great Philip, the head of this terrible confed. eracy against the pilgrims of New-England, and with him, all further hopes of success in this bloody, savage war. To recount the exploits of the heroes of New-England, who distinguished themselves in defence of the little church in the wilderness, would exceed the limits of this work. Such coolness, and bravery, as well as intrepidity and skill, as was manifested by the officers and troops of the pilgrims of New-England, has rarely, if ever, been recorded on the page of history; and such a terrible, as well as total overthrow, has perhaps never been witnessed since the days of Joshua, in the ancient Canaan.* Amongst the heroes of that day, none were so conspicuously distinguished, and deserving of notice, as a Captain Church, of the Colony of Plymouth. More than a double portion of the mantle of the renowned Captain Standish, had fallen upon Captain Church, and acquired for him, more than a double portion of renown in this memorable war. The daring intrepidity, and the unexampled skill of this knight of NewEngland, in eluding the wiles of the enemy, in exploring their retreats, in repelling their assaults, in conducting his attacks, in overawing his cuemy, and in commanding the respect, confidence, and even affections of his prisoners, were all distinguished features, peculiar to the character of Captain Church. Captain Church was greatly pros

*Such was the severity of the war, that New-England lost more than six hundred of her valiant sons, who fell in the field, and almost every family was in mourning: more than six hundred buildings had been burnt, and property to a large amount had been destroyed, and the colonies were greatly in debt.