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

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(marched) to Boston, leaving the Foot at Malbury and South-bury,
who came home on Munday following and were all dismist to their
several Habitations except Capt. Wadsworth, who was left at Malbury
in pursuit of the Enemy of whom he destroyed about 70 Old
Men Women and Children, who wanted strength to follow the fugi-
tive Army." 120 Hull's treasury accounts agree with this date of the
disbanding of the army, so that Capt. Wadsworth's operations on
the frontiers with his headquarters at Marlborough, began doubt-
less on the same day.
On February 10th a large body of Indians fell upon Lancaster
and burned near half the town, consisting of about fifty families,
but succeeded in capturing only one of the garrison houses, of which
there were several. The one captured was that of Rev. Joseph
Rowlandson, who was himself absent at the time in Boston, seeking
assistance from the Council for the threatened town. The house
was sufficiently garrisoned, but the enemy succeeded in setting fire
to the rear portion, and forced all within to surrender or die, as the
house was quickly burnt to the ground. Forty-two persons were
thus made prisoners, most of whom were women and children. As
soon as the news of this attack upon Lancaster reached Marlborough,
Capt. Wadsworth mustered a company of about forty men of his
garrison and hastened to the rescue of the remaining part of the
town. On one side the Indians had cut off the approach of assist-
ance, as they supposed, by tearing off the planks from the bridge;
but the English readily repaired this and passed over, and by a
secret way were led into the town, where they succeeded in driving
off the enemy.
During the rest of this month Capt. Wadsworth and his men
were employed scouting along the frontiers, with head-quarters
chiefly at Marlborough, I think, where Capt. Brocklebank was in
command, whose company, dismissed on February 5th, had been
called again into service upon the news of the assault upon Lancaster.
An order of the Council, dated February 11th, appoints Capt.
Samuel Wadsworth ; Robert Badcocke, Sergeant ; and " those that
are at present selectmen " a council of militia for Milton ; and this
would seem to indicate the design of the Council to keep Capt.
Wadsworth upon the home frontiers, as will further appear.
"° This writer is unreliable in his account of the war, and in attributing this last exploit
to Capt. Wadsworth undoubtedly contuses tilings in mixing the rescue of Lancaster by
him with the midnight surprise of Indian.-. March 27th, by Lieut. Jacob. But while his
direct statements are to be received with caution, his casual references are valual le as hints
of existing tacts which others do not mention, and many of which, confirmed by evidence
gleaned from the Archives, throw light upon thin us which have hitherto been entirely unknown
in history ; for instance, tin.- reference to Capt. Wadsworth, together with Major
Gooi in's mention, is the only hint, in published accounts, th.it connect- him with the Narraganset
campaign, and in these references there is only inferential evidence, and in regard
to Capt. Brocklebank there is absolutely no reference until the present investigations based
upon Treasurer Hull's accounts; but following up the clues, there is plenty of evidence in
the Archives of these officers and others having had part ia this campaign, that have never
been mentioned in connection with it.
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