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

NO. X.
CAPT. JOSEPH GARDINER AND HIS MEN.
JOSEPH GARDINER was the son of Thomas and Margaret
Gardner of Salem. He married before August, 1656, Anne
Downing, daughter of Emanuel Downing and niece of the first Gov.
Winthrop.
He was a man of energy and ability, and held many positions of
honor and importance in Salem. In May, 1672, he was appointed
by the General Court of Massachusetts, lieutenant of the foot company
under Capt. William Price of Salem (Mass. Colony Records,
v. 517).
On May 12, 1675, the militia of Salem was divided into two
companies by order of the Court, and by the same order the election
of Joseph Gardiner as captain of the First Company in Salem was
confirmed. When the expedition against Narraganset was organized,
Capt. Gardiner was appointed, November 3, 1675, to command
the company raised at Salem and the adjoining towns, and
mustered his men, ninety-five strong, at Dedham Plain, December
10th, and marched with the army towards the rendezvous at Wickford.
During the march several skirmishes took place, and Mr.
Hubbard relates that some of Stone-wall-John's crew " met with
some of Capt. Gardiner's men that were stragling about their own
business contrary to order, and slew his Sergeant with one or
two more." In " Capt. Oliver's Narrative" it is related that on this
occasion the Indians " killed two Salem men within a mile of our
quarters and wounded a third so that he is dead." The names of
these are given in the list below. The fall of Capt. Gardiner is
thus related in Church's " Entertaining History " :
" Mr. Church spying Capt. Gardner of Salem amidst the Wigwams in
the East end of the Fort, made towards him ; but on a sudden while they
were looking each other in the face, Capt. Gardner settled down, Mr.
Church stepped to him, and seeing the blood run down his cheek lifted up
his cap and calling him by name, he looked up in his face but spake not
a word, being mortally Shot through the head."
After the death of Capt. Gardiner, the command of his company
fell upon his lieutenant, William Hathorn, under whom the men