The history of King Philip's War

[38]
fent for Capt. Church out of the Meeting-houfe, gave him
the News, and defired him immediately to Rally what of
his Company he could; and what Men he had raifed
mould joyn them. The Captain beftirs himfelf, but found
no Bread in the Store-houfe, and fo was forc'd to run
from Houfe to Houfe to get Houfe-hold Bread for their
March; but this nor any thing elfe prevented his Marching
by the beginning of the afternoon Exercife; March-
[38]ing with what Men were ready, he took with him
the Poll that came from Bridgwater to Pilot him to the
Place, where he tho't he might meet with the Enemy. 267
2(" Mitchell [in 2 Mafs. Hiji. Coll.
vii : 157, and in his Hijt. Bridge-water,
39] gives an extract from an old manufcript
which he fuppofes to have been
written by Comfort Willis, who was
"Town Trooper" at this time,- which
gives fome details nightly at variance
with Church's account of the matter,
but which, if genuine, muft take pre-
cedence in authenticity. He fays,
" On Saturday [29 July], Capt. Hay j
ward, Sergt. Packard, John Willis, and
Ifaac Harris, went out to fee if the In-
dians were coming down upon them,
and they faw an Indian, which made
them think the enemy was at hand
and they immediately prefled Comfort
Willis and Jofeph Edfon to go poft to
the Governor the fame day at night
to tell him of it. And he [the Gover-
nor] went to Plymouth with them the
next day, [Sunday, 30 July] to fend
Capt. Church with his company. And
Capt. Church came with them to Monponfet
[Halifax] on the Sabbath, and
;
124
came no further that day; and he told
them he would meet them the next day.
And Comfort Willis and Jofeph Edfon
came home at night, and told their
friends of it, and Enfign Haward, Samuel
Edfon, Jofiah Edfon, Jofeph Edfon,
John Wafhburn, Samuel Wafhburn,
Thomas Wafhburn, John Field, Nicholas
Byram, Samuel Allen, Samuel Allen,
jr., John Gordon, John Hayward, John
Packard, John Ames, Comfort Willis,
Guido Bailey, Nathaniel Hayward, John
Whitman, John Packard, and Samuel
Leach went out on Monday, fuppofing
to meet with Captain Church; but
they came upon the enemy, and fought
with them, and took feventeen of them
alive, and alio much plunder, and they
all returned, and not one of them fell
by the enemy, and received no help
from Church."
I incline to accept the verfion of
this MS., and I reconcile its ftatements
with thofe of Church by fuppofing him,
in his reminifcence of the events, forty