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

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TIie.se extracts of course give only a partial and general view of
the march and the fight, and for more than a century no one appeared
to investigate for the purpose of giving a more particular
account. Gen. 3 Hoyt, of Decrfielcl, in 1824, published a
rs, in which he gives a v< d clear
account of this affair, though without entering into , or assigni
ority for the many new particulars related by him. He
liliar, however, with all the country round ah;
wit! litions handed down by the descendants of ivho
in the Indian wars and in this Falls Fight. Other
lat( rs have enlarged upon his account "Jed
the ful investigations through official recoi an-
cient documents, till, with the patient labors of Rev. Syl. ::ld,
an 1 very lately the extensive researches of Hon. George Sheldon,
of Deerfield, it seems as though the history of this part c England
must be wellnigh complete. From all the above sources, supplemented
by many new hints and evidences afforded by documents
preserved in the State Archives and elsewhere, I think the following
is a fairly accurate account of the campaign of Capt. Turner
in May, 1676, closing with the Falls Fight on the 18th.
After the withdrawal of the army under Major Savage, the Indians
seem to have relaxed much of their vigilance, watching
mainly for opportunities for plunder wherever the English became
careless and exposed themselves or cattle to the chance of capture.
In the mean time the situation of the Indians was becoming desperate.
The Narragansetts with their allies and many of the Wampanoags
had been forced in an almost destitute condition upon the
Nipmuck and Pocomtuck tribes for support. These unwonted
numbers soon exhausted the never abundant resources of the local
tribes, and when Philip's promises of a speedy victory over all the
river towns with plunder of their goods were not realized, when the
great chieftain Canonchet was taken and slain, and having met the
repulses at Northampton and Hatfield, they were reduced almost to
starvation, these river and northern Indians began to realize the
folly of their too ready alliance with Philip, and put themselves into
communication with the authorities at Connecticut, either with a
view to real peace, or for the purpose of gaining time by a pretence
of peaceful negotiations ; at any rate the English entered into the
negotiations with great zeal, and sought to turn the home tribes
against Philip and the Narragansetts. A price was set upon Phi-
lip's head, whereupon that chieftain betook himself with his faithful
followers to safer solitudes up the river ; and now pending these ne-
gotiations, the Indians gathered to the fishing places upon the river
in large numbers, hoping here to supply their wants and secure a
stock of provisions till they could accomplish, the destruction of the
towns and secure the corn and cattle of the English. Knowing that
the garrisons were small, and feeling secure from attack both by