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

about 1620. Pie came with wife Grace and daughter Grace to Cambridge,
and settled on south side of the river; freeman 1652. (For
further account, see Binney's History of the Prentice family,
Paige's History of Cambridge, and Jackson's History of Newton.)
He was a very active and influential man, and a trusted officer both
in civil and military service. He died 1709, July 7, aged 89 years.
Capt. Prentice was appointed captain of the special Troop, June
24, 1675, and sent out with Capt. Henchman, as has been related.
On arriving at Svvansey, at Miles's garrison, the Indians began firing
from the bushes across the river at our guards, and twelve of the
troopers volunteered to go over the bridge and drive them off. These
were commanded by Quartermaster Joseph Belcher (hitherto supposed
to have been Andrew, but the Journal settles the point) and
Corporal John Gill. Mr. Church went along with them and also a
stranger, and William Hammond acted as pilot. As they advanced
across the bridge the Indians fired upon them and wounded Mr. Belcher
in the knee, killed his horse, and shot Gill in the breast, but
his buff coat and several thicknesses of paper saved him from injury.
They killed the pilot outright, and the troopers were forced to re-
treat, bringing off Hammond and his horse. On the renewal of the
attack by the Indians next morning, the troop, supported by Mosely's
volunteers, charged across the bridge and drove the Indians
from the " Neck " and across to Pocasset. June 30th was spent by the
army traversing Mount Hope neck, and at evening Capt. Prentice
with his troop rode to Rehoboth and quartered over night. On the
morning of July 1st he divided the troop, sending one division back
under command of Lieut. Edward Oakes (not Thomas, as in Mr.
Drake's note, Hubbard, page 70). It is not certain whether both
divisions rode back by the same route, but it would seem thus from
the result. The captain's division came upon the Indians burning
a house, but could not get at them on account of several fences which
had to be torn down, giving the Indians time to retreat to a swamp.
Lieut. Oakes's force, however, discovered them from a more advantageous
quarter, and chasing them over a plain killed two of Philip's
chief men, but in the fight lost one of their own men, John
Druse 49 of Roxbury. The next few days Capt. Prentice and his
troop spent in searching the swamps, and then went with the army
to Narragansett, as has been related heretofore. Capt Prentice's
name stands second of the signers to the treaty with the Indians,
July 15, 1675.
After the return to Swansey and the news that Philip was shut up
in Pocasset Swamp, when the main body of Massachusetts troops
were sent away to Boston, Capt. Prentice and his troop were
49 In his note in Hubbard, page 73, Mr. Drake says Druse was not killed outright, but
lived to reach his home. Mr. Savage says he was " brought home and died next day,"
hut in the Roxbury records (Vol. vi. Report of Record Commissioners, memorandum of
Amos Adams, p. 182) I find this, with a wrong date evidently, " John Druse dyed in the
wans & was there huryed. he acquited himself valiantly."