Soldiers in King Philip's war. Containing lists of the soldiers of ...

90
possible. Gen. Epaphras Hoyt, of Deerfield, wrote a history of
the Indian wars more than fifty years ago, which seems to be the
first effort at analysis. In that work are many important questions
raised and valuable suggestions presented. In regard to this affair
he suggests that the main part of the troops had passed over the
brook and were waiting the slow movements of the lumbering teams
over the rough roads. The Indians crept stealthily about and encompassed
the whole company and fell upon them with sudden and
terrible fury, so that many were shot down or disabled at the first
volley, including probably Capt. Lathrop. Doubtless a brave resistance
was made, but with little avail. 96 The coming of Capt.
Mosely upon the scene after the disaster, his subsequent fight and
opportune reinforcement by Major Treat, have been previously
related.
As to the number of the English killed in this encounter, early
accounts vary. In the postscript to a letter from the Massachusetts
Council to Richard Smith, of Narraganset, dated Sept. 22, 1675,
and still preserved in the Archives, vol. 67, p. 262, the statement
is made that " above forty of Capt. Lathrop's men with himself
were slain ;" and then it is further stated that Capt. Mosely lost
eleven men in the subsequent fight, which together with many lost
that were with the teams made up sixty-four in all, who were
buried the next day. Mr. Mather relates that above three-score
were slain. Mr. Hubbard reckons eighty as the number in the
company of the English, including doubtless the teamsters, and says
that not above seven or eight escaped. In Rev. Mr. Russell's list,
noticed above, the number of slain is put at seventy-one. This last
is probably nearly correct, as Mr. Hull's credits, now for the first
time published, after a lapse of more than two hundred years, go far
to prove. The list pertaining to " Bloody Brook " is given below
entire. It has been copied from the original with the utmost
care, and proved and tested letter by letter till I feel sure of its
accuracy. This list was first copied by Mr. Coffin some fifteen
years before he published his "Newbury," and is the most nearly
correct of any list that has been published hitherto that I know of;
but a comparison of his text with the original will show many mis-
takes . The following is the list
:
" At Muddy-Brook bridge y e 18 Sept. 71 men slaine."
Capt. Thomas Laythrop Caleb Kemball George Ropes
Sergt. Thomas Smith Thomas Hobs Joseph Kiuge
Samuel Stevens Robert Homes Thomas Alexander
9G In the Harleian Miscellany, vol. 8, p. 72, in a letter sent from Boston, Mass., to London,
Dec. 28, 1675, containing the official manifesto issued by the Massachusetts Council,
Dec. 7, 1675, explaining the course of events in the war, is the following reference to Capt.
Lathrop
:
" Yet let not the world censure too much Capt. Lathrop; he, in the Pequot wars, had
done exploits ; nor in this would have been behind-hand if the narrow passage or causey,
where his unexpected enemies set on him, would have given him leave to have drawn up
his men."