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

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y e insupportable burden and cbarge. All things layed together, I thought
it best to goe forth after the enemy w th o r
p'sent forces. This once resolved,
I sent forth warrants, on y e 14 th instant, early in the morning to Capt.
Mosely & Capt. (as he is called) Seely at Hatfeild and Northampton, to
repair fourthw th to y e head-quarters, y l we might be ready for service," &c.
Capt. Mosely came promptly, but Seely tardily and then without
his company, pleading his want of commission from Connecticut authorities,
but finally agreeing to return and bring his men. Before
he started from Northampton, however, he received orders from
Maj. Treat not to leave that town, and sends that word to Capt.
Appleton. The Captain, much exercised by this seeming insubordi-
nation, posts away letters of complaint to the Connecticut Council,
and urges the return of Maj. Treat, whom he highly commends as
" a worthy Gentleman and discreete and incouraging Coniander."
After this he drew out his own men and marched towards North-
field, but before proceeding two miles intelligence came that the
Indians were discovered in great numbers on the west side of the
river. Therefore he crossed to Hatfield with the purpose of march-
ing to Deerfield. Night came on as they left Hatfield, and after
marching some miles his officers urged the exposed condition of the
towns left without garrisons and the uncertainty of the enemy's
movements, and the night promising to be tempestuous, he yielded
his purpose and returned, against his inclination, to headquarters.
On the evening of the 16th an urgent request for reinforcement
comes from Northampton, which is threatened, and later, word from
Capt. Mosely, that the Indians are discovered within a mile of Hatfield
; and so at midnight he crosses the river to Hatfield, leaving
only about twenty men to guard Hadley and their wounded men.
In a postscript to this letter, added on the afternoon of the 17th, he
says that after " a tedious night and morning's march " they had not
succeeded in finding the enemy.
Several letters in this time passed between Capt. Appleton and
the Council of Connecticut, which are full of interest as showing the
varying aspects of affairs at the time. Connecticut urges that their
own towns are threatened, and further that Plymouth colony has
not sent its quota, and that there is no certain movement on foot
that demands the presence of their troops at Hadley, &c. These
letters are preserved in the Mass. Archives, vols. 67 and 68, and
have been published in the w Appleton Memorial," and certain of
them elsewhere.
It is unfortunate that no letters of Capt. Appleton relating to
the attack upon Hatfield on October 19th are preserved. There can
be no doubt that he wrote an official account of it ; but the Massachusetts
Council had not received the news on October 23d, for on
that day they wrote Capt. Appleton in answer to his of the 17th,
and make no reference to any attack. The next letter to him from
the Council, so far as known, is dated November 1st, and refers to