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THE HISTORY OF
STRATFORD
Golden Hill Indians THE HISTORY OF
STRATFORD
Wm. Howard Wilcoxson Establishing
Title to the Land FORREST MORGAN
Lifestyles, Government, Religion and WarIndian Titles and Mohegan Land TroublesSowheag, Uncas, and MiantonomoOwenoco, the Son of Uncas
THE? HOUSATONIC CHARD POWERS SMITH The
Promised Land ALEXANDER JOHNSTON
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The Great Swamp Fight The Pequot War 1637 Continual
conflicts between the newcomers and the Indians occurred from 1634 and 1636
erupting into the Pequot War. The
first official record of the relations of the colonists to the Indians took
the form of a declaration of war. This was made by the General Court on May
1, 1637, acting under color of the Massachusetts Bay. The vote assigned no
cause and read thus: It is ordered that there shall be an
offensive warr agt the Pequoitt, and that there shall be 90 men levied out of
the 3 Plantations, Harteford, Wethersfield, & Windsor out of Harteford
42, Windsor 30, Wethersfield 18: under the Comande of Captaine Jo: Mason
& in Case of death or sickness under the Command of Robert Seely Leift,
& the oldest Sergeant or Military officer surviving, if both these
miscarry. On
June 2, the Court passed this second order: It
is ordered yt there shall be sent forth 30 men out of the several plantations
in this Pequoitt Country & River in place convenient to maynteine River
of Connecticut to sett downe in the or right yt God by Conquest hath given to
vs. & Leiftennt Seely shall have the Commande of them. The men are to be
raised 14 out of Harteford, ten out of Windsor, out of Wethersfield. The
declaration of war of May 1, 1637, called forth the following vote of
assistance by New-Plymouth: It
is concluded and enacted by the Court, that the Colony of New-Plymouth shall
send forth and to assist them of Massachusetts-Bay and Conectacutt, in their
wars against the Pequin Indians, in revenge of the innocent blood of the
English which the said Pequins have barbarously shed and refuse to give
satisfaction for. The
Pequot war ended with the Battle of the Great Swamp Fight located at Sasqua
Swamp in Southport, Connecticut. Below is an excerpt of the Great Swamp fight
from the writings of Capt. John Mason who led the search, attack and capture
of the Pequot Indians Connecticut
Colony being informed hereof, sent forthwith forty men, Captain Mason being
Chief commander; with some other Gent, to meet those of the Massachusetts, to
consider what was necessary to be attended respecting the future.Who meeting
with them of the Massachusetts in Pequot Harbor; after some time of
consultation, concluded to pursue those Pequots that were fled toward
Manhatance, and so forthwith Marched after them, discovering several Places
where they rendezvoused and lodged not far distant from their several
removes; making but little haste, by reason of their children, and want of
provision, being forced to dig for clams, and to procure such other things as
the wilderness afforded:Our Vessels sailing along by the shore.In about the
space of three days we all arrived at New Haven Harbor, then called
Quinnypiag.And seeing a great smoke in the woods not far distant, we
supposing some of the Pequots our enemies might be there; we hastened ashore,
but quickly discovered them to be Connecticut Indians. Then we returned
aboard our vessels, where we stayed some short time, having sent a Pequot
captive upon discovery, we named him Luz, who brought us tidings of the
enemy, which proved true; so faithful was he to us, though against his own
Nation. Such was the terror of the English upon them such was the terror of
the English upon them, that a Mohegan Indian named Jack Eatow going ashore at
that time, met with three Pequots, took two of them and brought them aboard. We
then hastened our march towards the place where the enemy was. And coming
into a corn field, several of the English spied some Indians, who fled them:
they pursued them; and coming to the top of a hill, saw several wigwams just
opposite, only a swamp intervening, which was almost divided in two parts.
Sergeant Palmer hastening with about twelve men who were under his command to
surround the smaller part of the swamp, that so he might prevent the Indians
flying; Ensign Danport, Sergeant Jeffries & c, entering the swamp,
intended to go into the wigwams were there set upon by several Indians, who
in all probability were deterred by Sergeant Palmer. In this skirmish the
English slew but few.; two or three of themselves were wounded. The rest of
the English coming up, the swamp was surrounded. ????
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ALEXANDER JOHNSTON
SOUTHPORT Colonial History of Pequot Swamp COLONIAL INDIAN ARCHIVES Hon. Ralph D.
Smith David D. Fields Sarah Day Woodward Winthrop?s Journal |