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

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and Indian allies, about five hundred ;
and Plymouth probably about
one hundred. With allowance for the dead, wounded and disabled
of Massachusetts and Plymouth, about two hundred; sixty left in
garrison at Wickford, and there would be, at a rough estimate, four-
teen hundred serviceable men at Narragansett on January 28th.
From accounts above given it is impossible to determine the lo-
calitv of the "Rocks" referred to by the writer of the letters to
London above quoted, and by him probably quoted from the testimonv
of Tift, which seems to have been, at that time, the chief information
the English had concerning the Indians. It will be
noticed that Tift's evidence is that Philip is " about Quawpaug
amongst a great many rocks by a Swampeside," and this may be
taken as the supposed objective point or rendezvous of the Indians.
The rear guard of the Indians were, at the date of his trial, or when
he was captured, prowling about the settlements at Patuxit and Providence
for an opportunity to drive off cattle, which purpose they
succeeded in carrying out, some clays later, when the witness,
who in this matter at least had given true testimony, had been
" hung and quartered." The route of the main body of the Indians
was in a northwest direction towards Quaboag. Rev. J. H. Temple
suggests the " Old Narragansett Trail," or "Greenwich Path,"
through the Wabbequasset country (now Woodstock) to the old
Quabaog fort. Capt. Henchman, in the Mount Hope campaign,
August, 1675, had marched into the Nipmuck country as far as the
" second fort," at a place called " Wapososhequish" (probably Wabba-
quasset) , and then turned aside and marched to Mendon. In a direct
line Woodstock is about forty miles from Wickford ; by the regular
trail it was doubtless much farther. In midwinter, with their scant
knowledge of the country, with swollen streams to cross, an alert
foe forever vanishing into the great wilderness, and eluding attack
or luring to ambuscade, with provisions which the long waiting for
Connecticut had served to reduce, their march was a hazardous un-
dertaking, and probably was inspired by the hope of striking a final
blow against their enemies, already reduced to great straits for pro-
visions, arms and ammunition. They found "more than sixty horses'
heads " at one place, probably at the late rendezvous of the Indians,
" 25 miles north of Mr. Smith's and 10 miles north of Providence."
There seems to have been but one battle worthy of mention, and
that is described by Mr. Church as at an icy swamp, and here sixty
or seventy were killed ; and it seems that the Mohegans and Pequots
did most of the fighting and execution here. The capture of
the "Matts" referred to, is thought to indicate a Wabbequasset
settlement, as these mats were a peculiar covering used by that tribe.
I think it possible that the battle was at the old fort of the Indians
at Memeniniisset.
Finding his provisions growing short, and his men worn with
their long march and severe exposure, and seeing no prospect of