The history of King Philip's War

[5 ]
our defired Mr. Church to give them his Company, and
to ufe his intereft in their behalf with the Gentlemen of
Rhode-IJland? 1 He comply'd with it, and they March'd
the next day. 43 Major Bradford defired Mr. Church with
a commanded party confifting of Englijli and fome Friend-
Indians, to March in the Front at fome diftance from the
Main body. Their orders were to keep fo far before, as
not be in light of the Army. And fo they did, for by the
way, they killed a Deer, [5] flead, roafted, and eat the
molt of him before the Army came up with them. But
the Plymouth Forces foon arriv'd at Swanzey, and were
but returned to Scituate ; was Deputy
for feveral years ; Captain of the militia,
1652 ; Affiftant, 1656-8 ; was deprived
of his command and offices and
diffranchifed, 1658-73, being a friend
of toleration, and fo judged an " oppofer
of the Government." In 1674 he
was chofen Affiftant, and in 1675 " Gen-
eral and Commander in Chief" for
Philip's war. In 1682 he went to England
for the Colony, to obtain a new
Charter, where he took the fmall-pox
and died. He was " paft feventy " when
he took the field at this time againft
Philip. [Deane's Scituate, 245-251.]
42 To underftand this expreffion it is
needful to remember that Rhode-Ifland
had been excluded from the Confederacy
of the Colonies formed for mutual de-
fence in 1643 : " on account of her
heretical toleration of religious freedom,
and her open advocacy of liberty of con-
fcience," fays the Editor of Eafton's
Narrative ; "upon grounds which re-
3
17
fleet no credit upon the Puritan confederates,"
says Arnold ; " becaufe they
had not been able to inftitute a government,
fuch as could be relied on for the
fulfilment of the ftipulations mutually
made by the Four Colonies," with more
juftice, fays Palfrey. Thus ftanding by
themfelves, no claim for aid could be
made upon her citizens, while the fact
that their interefts were, in the refpects
now involved, one with thofe of the
Confederacy, made it probable, that, if
fuitably approached — by one of their
friends, as Church was — they would
furniih fuch aid as might be in their
power. Eafton fays that the Governor
of Plymouth wrote them at this juncture,
"to defier our Help with fum
Boats if they had fuch Ocation, and for
us to looke to our felfs." [Eafton's
Narrative, vi, 16; Arnold's Hijl.
Rhode- IJland, i: 1 15; Palfrey's Hijl.
Nezv Englatid, i : 629.]
43 Tuefday, 22 June, 1675.