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

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•allies. The principal exploit of these forces was the massacre of
the people of the "Old Queen," Magnus (known also as the " Sunk
Squaw," and also as "Quiapen"), on July 2d. Within a few days
more than two hundred of the enemy came in and surrendered to
the Plymouth authorities ; and between that and the close of July
there was a constant series of captures and surrenders of the Indians,
so that Philip was left almost alone, even his wife and young son
having been captured by the English, mostly the mixed company
under Mr. Church. About the 7th of August a small company
went out from Taunton and captured a party of the Indians of
Awashonks, " Squaw Sachem" of the Sogkonate. Awashonks herself,
trying to escape upon a small raft across the river, was drowned,
and her body being found a few days after, her head was severed, and
being placed upon a pole was paraded in the street at Taunton.
Philip at last, being hunted down by the English and Indians on
every side, retired, with a few of his staunchest friends, to his old
retreat in a swamp at Mount Hope. Mr. Church was then in command
of a scouting company of English and Indians from Plymouth,
and having passed over from Pocasset, where he left most of his
company, to Rhode Island to Major Sanford's, he there heard from
the Major and Capt. Golding, of Philip's condition, as reported by
a deserter, whose brother Philip had killed for advising surrender.
This Indian offered to pilot the English to Philip's hiding-place.
Major Sanford and Capt. Golding both offered to go with his company
to assist in Philip's capture. They were soon back at "Trip's
Ferry " with the rest of his company under Capt. John Williams of
Scituate. Having arrived at the swamp, piloted by the deserter,
Mr. Church requested Capt. Golding to lead the skirmishing party,
led by the pilot, into the swamp to " beat up the quarters " of Philip.
This the Captain accepted and drew out his allotted men. Church
instructed him to creep forward as silently as possible in order to
encompass and surprise the Indians, but when discovered to shout and
make all possible noise, as the orders to the various ambuscades were
to fire upon all who came towards them silently. Mr. Church then
placed the rest of the men with most of the Indians under Capt.
Williams so as to encompass all ways of escape from the swamp,
placing an Englishman and an Indian together. Hardly had these
arrangements been completed when a musket-shot, followed by a
whole volley, rang through the swamp, and then the general onset
began. The Indians were taken completely by surprise, and Philip,
springing hastily from his sleep under the rude open wigwam, seized
his powder-horn and gun and started from the hillside where he had
made his camp, for the deeper security of the swamp. But in
his flight he came face to face with two of Mr. Church's men, and,
the Englishman's musket missing fire, the Indian immediately shot
the great chieftain through the 'breast, so that he fell forward upon
his face with his gun beneath him, in the water of the swamp. The