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

56
west and the officers of the army, there are many interesting papers 69
in the archives of Massachusetts and Connecticut throwing li^ht
upon the subject.
The following letter of the Council to Major Savage shows something
of the closing movements of this campaign, and is copied in
full from the original in Mass. Archives, vol. 68, page 191. It is
dated 1st April, 76.
Maj r Savage,
Wee receved your letters by the post dated 28 th of march and perceve
both by yo rs and Mr Nowel's letters that Coneticut forces are drawne of &
that by reason of the numerousues of the enimy (according to yo r informa-
tion) you are not in a capacity to pursue
m e
, y also you intimate y feares of
4 th
the people of those townes y in case you bee drawne of w y or forces
y 4 they wilbe in danger to he destroyed by the enimy allso wee understand
that the townes are unwilling to attend our advise to draw into a narrow
compass whereby wee conced they would have been able to deffend
themselves better, but Northampton desires more soldiers to be added to
y er former number, they offer to mayntayne all soldiers both for wages and
victuall the result of the Council touching this matter is y* wee are willing
for present that you leave soldiers to assist those townes not exceeding 150
men choosing such as are fittest for that service and as neare as you can
All single men Leaving Capt. Turner in Capt Poole place ; with the Rest
of the Army we expsly comand you to draw homexoard endeavr in yr returne
fy
to visit ye enimy about Backquake bee
fy careful not to bee Deseved yer
py lap-
wing stratagems: by drawing you of from yr nest to follow some men; Butt
if Maj r 4
Treat and the Conetecut forces should returne & it y be advisable
to march after y e enimy to Dearfeld &c. wee leave you to y or liberty to act
e
as you shall judge Best ; but if y Conetect men re-
r
turne not or after a returne draw of again,* then o
lSPSSto er
f2
ther accn by reason of exp e8se or
order is to bee upon y march homewards & in
ye nuinerousnes or „or r
re tunie to endeavor to visit the enimy as in o past
flight ot v e cuiniy.
**
was exp rs8ed ; If you should not meet with the enimy
then we order you to retreat to Marlborow and wait their for further
orders** .... Wee have latle sent Capt.
SS2liri?SS?S 1
!5 Gravs of Charlestown with about 50 men
signed 1 st April 76. and 30 horses laden with provisions & Am-
E. R. Sec'y,
by ord
munition to Quabaujje ordering him to take
r °
y e charge of y 4 Garrison for p r sent and to
returne y e horses & men w th S rt Ingram, so y 4 wee wilbe sufficiently re-
cruited w th ammunition at y e fort at Quabauge, touching that Rebuke of
God upon Cap 4 Whiple and y e poore people at Springfield it is matter
of great shame and humbling to us. The inteligence by the woouded
woman of what y e enimy said to her; wee have reason to aprehend much
of it is false & y 4
they have not such numbers at Dearefield neither
are the Narragansetts or Nipmucks there ; o r Reasons are because at .
this p r sent time & before y or letter were dated a great Boddy of Indians
and wee conceive they are Narragansetts have done great mis-
69 In a letter of March 28th Major Savage gives the Council some account of his movements,
of the attack upon the people at Lougmeailow, of the withdrawal of the Connecticut
forces, of the gathering oflanje numbers of Indians about Deerfield and Northfield, and
the danger threatening those towns. This letter is in the Mass. Archives, vol. 68, page 189.