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

IN
No. XXXI.
CHRISTIAN INDIANS OF MR. ELIOT
AND GEN. GOOKIN.
referring to preceding chapters it may be noticed that several
incidents concerning the Christian Indians have been related in
connection with the operations of the English soldiers, while the same
matters, somewhat more at length, are here related again. It will
be readily understood that these repetitions are made for the sake of
preserving the continuity of the story in this chapter devoted to these
Indians.
The order of the Council, referred to in the last number, was
carried out by a strong guard of troopers and soldiers. The whole
number of the Wamesits in their village was one hundred and forty-
five, of whom only thirty-three were able-bodied men. The original
order was for all to be brought down ; but after the village had been
broken up and all had been started on the way, it occurred to the
Council that there were no sufficient accommodations for so large a
body of people, especially Indians, and they prudently ordered all,
save the able-bodied, back to their village. The thirty-three men
were brought down to Charlestown, and lodged in the town-house,
under guard, for a few days, and then all except a few, against
whom some suspicions existed, were returned to their homes. The
Punkapogs were brought as far as Dorchester, but after an interview
with their ruler, William Ahaton, the Council sent all the
tribe, save a few "suspects," home. About the first of October a
great clamor was raised against the Naticks, accusing them of burning
an old empty building in Dedham. It was a false device of
their enemies to ruin them ; but in spite of all the better influence
of the magistrates and ministers, the design practically succeeded.
The popular fury so raged that the authorities and the friends of
these Indians believed that it would be best to get them down to
Deer Island. This was accomplished, and although Capt. Prentice,
their good friend, conducted them down, and did all he could to pro-
tect them, their neighbors, the English, as soon as they had left
their homes, immediately fell upon their villages and robbed them
of everything which they had left behind ; and they had been obliged