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

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fidelity and skill of Joseph and Sampson in conducting the retreat
and avoiding the ambush set by the enemy. But although this was
known and vouched for by the officers, the popular feeling was so
bitter that these two were threatened and insulted by the soldiers, so
that in utter discouragement they fell away to the enemy at Haseanamesit,
and Sampson was slain in fight by some friendly Indian
scouts at Watchuset ; while Joseph having been captured was sold
into slavery at Jamaica, by some Boston merchants, but afterwards
by Mr. Eliot's importunity brought back again, though never re-
leased.
Finally, Aug. 30, 1675, the Governor and Council yielding to
popular prejudice, against their own better judgment, decreed the disbandment
of all Christian Indian companies in service ; and that they
be restrained from all usual commerce with the English and confined
to their five villages ; and no one of them to travel more than one
mile from the centre of such village except in the company of English
or on service. The five villages designated were Natick, Punquapog,
Nashobah, Wamesit, and Hassanamesit. All Christian Indians
were to repair to these villages. If any shall be found breaking
these rules, the English are at liberty to shoot them down as enemies
or arrest them. It was recommended by the Court that several of
the English should reside in each village, and this was earnestly
but few
desired by the Indians themselves, for their own protection ;
could be found who were willing to withstand popular prejudice, as
all who expressed sympathy or confidence towards these Indians
were at once denounced as fools or traitors. Maj. Gen. Gookin,
and even the saintly Eliot were loaded with reproaches and threats,
and insulted in the streets because of their advocacy of the rights of
the Christian Indians. John Watson, senior, and Plenry Prentiss,
of Cambridge, were with the Naticks for twelve weeks and gave
certificate of their orderly, discreet and religious conduct. Although
Watson had gone among them bitterly opposed to them, and
sharing the common opinion against them, he was entirely
converted by his experience, and declared it, though incurring
much popular indignation by that course. Chief among the officers
who led the hostile fury was Capt. Mosely in Boston, whose acts
of persecution are set down in the chapters heretofore devoted to
him, among which the breaking up of the village at Marlborough,
and the imprisonment of the helpless and harmless Indians, was
perhaps the most open outrage sustained by any ; and it is to the
credit of the magistrates that they did not yield to the tremendous
pressure of the people's rage, which by every device possible kept
these poor creatures on trial for their lives and imprisoned through
many weeks. Early in October the fever rose to its height, and
the Court was importuned with many petitions to remove all the
Christian Indians to one place and put them under military guard.
In spite of all proof and testimony, and all the favor of the Court,