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

327
revolution against the colonies, and had promised to be ready in
1676 to enter such war with his whole available force. When,
however, Philip's men precipitated hostilities by the murder of
Sausamon, first, and then by open and active preparation, when
justice was dealt to the murderers, Canonchet restrained his people
and would not join Philip, but on the other hand would not assist
in fighting him. When the troops had driven Philip and his people
out from Mount Hope and held them, as they thought securely, in
the Pocasset swamps, command came from Boston to march the
army into the Narraganset country and demand a treaty at the point
of the sword. That action seems to us now, as strategy, the height
of stupidity ; in spirit, the extreme of intolerance ; and in result,
entirely disastrous.
The only pretext for the invasion was the rumor that the Narragansets
were harboring some of the women and children of those
who were in arms. They restated the terms of a former treaty and
demanded that the Sachem should take arms against Philip. The
troops did not find Canonchet or any of his Counsellors or Chiefs, but
only a few chance stragglers and old men unable to flee ; and with
these entirely irresponsible men, the officers made the treaty, the
articles of which are remarkable only for their overweening conceit
and intolerance, as well as the utter disregard of the rights of the
Indians. Those poor creatures, whom the English forced to stand
for Canonchet and his chiefs, had no more understanding of the big
sounding sentences, framed perhaps by schoolmaster Henchman, or
Mr. Dudley, than would an equal number of their native trees.
Canonchet seems to have ignored this treaty entirely, and probably
looked upon it as one more instance of the crafty influence of Uncas,
who had hastened forward to assist the English at his earliest oppor-
tunity. And yet the Narraganset chief held aloof from Philip's
active operations, evidently strengthening his own people with arms,
ammunition and provisions, besides training his warriors and fortifying
his country in several parts, as if determined to withstand any
attack which might be made upon him.
Canonchet, thus standing aloof from participation in the war, and
fearing nothing from the English who were constantly exercised
against him by the wily arts of the Mohegins, was summoned to
B oston where he appeared before the Council and bore himself with
manly dignity, but was constrained by his situation and by the
threats of the Council, to sign a treaty binding him to fight against
the hostile Indians, and to seize and deliver up all those Indiana
who had taken part in the war and were now fled to his territories
for shelter. This demand, so impossible for him to fulfil, he was
induced to promise under the pressure of present danger, knowing
well that a refusal to accede to their demands would be taken as
confirmation of the charges against him, and would result in his
detention and perhaps death. He had no idea of the sacredness of