KING PHILIP'S WAR 1676

...you that long so much for it, come forth and fight: who can expect a victory without a battel? ~ Edward Johnson, Wonder Working Providence

an attempt to regroup

After the disastrous Great Swamp Fight from our last post, Phillip took his people to New York hoping to enlist the aid of the Mohawk. It is believed that Governor Edmund Andros appealed to the Mohawk first. However it happened, the New York tribe attacked Philip's people, killing large numbers and effectively driving them out of the area. This debacle was a severe blow to Philip's cause.

Still, Philip was not without allies. After the Swamp Fight, the Narraganset were now firmly in Philip's camp. On 27 Jan 1676, they attacked Pautuxet, Rhode Island. This resulted in a counter-attack by Josiah Winslow's company who chased the Narraganset in what would later become known as "the hungry march" for both the pursued and the pursuers. The English resorted to eating their own horses.

Despite these setbacks, Philip's confederacy continued to attack English settlements in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine. At this point in time, it was beginning to look as though the Natives might just prevail. And, with more fighting men, they might have. But the war had already taken a huge toll on the Native tribes. Every attack on villages cost Philip's warriors, often more than it cost the colonists. Sensing Philip's predicament, the colonists along with their Mohegan allies began taking the war to their enemy rather than sitting in garrisons waiting to be attacked.

the war grinds on

It seemed that no frontier town was safe. One of the worst attacks happend in Medfield on the 21st of February. Three hundred Nipmucks snuck into town under cover of darkness and began firing on farmers and soldiers as they emerged from their homes in the morning. Forty to fifty homes were destroyed in the attack. As the Natives fled the scene, they burned the bridge to nearby Sherborn to prevent soldiers from following them. An account of their celebratory dance, which might be fact or fiction, has been described in The Pictorial History of King Philip’s War:

"The Indians, on leaving the town, retired to the nearest hill, where they indulged in a dance and a feast. The revel was kept up for several hours in full view of the town, but as the bridge had been destroyed no pursuit could be attempted."

March of 1676 proved to be a particulary brutal month for the settlers in what turned out to be a final string of victories for the Natives. The month began slowly with an attack on Groton on March 1. Then, after almost four weeks of relative quiet, March 26, 1676 would be one of the bloodiest days of the war. The settlements of Longmeadow and Marlborough in Massachusetts and Simsbury in Connecticut were attacked and all partially destroyed.

On the same day, Captain Michael Pierce, with a force of sixty soldiers and twenty Wampanoag Praying Indians, caught up with a group of Narragansett who had burned several several Rhode Island towns. The battle lasted for several hours until reinforcement came to the aid of the Narragansett. Nearly all of Captain Pierce's force was killed, including Captain Pierce himself and most of the Praying Indians. The Narragansett lost very few warriors. Nine English soldiers were captured and subsequently tortured and killed. Their mangled bodies were found a day later. The remains were buried at the site which became known as the Nine Men's Misery. A small stone monument marks the spot:

The March carnage didn't end there. The very next day, Sudbury was attacked. Then on March 29 Rehoboth suffered an assault. Finally, on March 29, the entire town of Providence, RI was destroyed.

These desparate attacks hit a large swath of area and caused a great deal of damage to English towns. It wasn't enough.

1 = Medfield 2 = Groton 3 = Longmeadow 4= Marlborough 5 = Simsbury 6 = Cumberland 7 = Sudbury 8 = Rehoboth 9 = Providence

last stand

Times were getting tough for Native American tribes affiliated with Philip. Unable to farm or hunt due to the chaos of the war, they began to run out of food and the starving time began. Unlike the colonists, who had access to supplies from England, the Natives had to rely an ever shortening store of corn along with hunting and fishing. Some, who began to doubt that victory for the Natives was possible, surrendered themselves to the English.

On the night of 21 Apr 1676, about five hundred Natives from four different tribes attacked the town of Sudbury for the second time. This was to be the last all out coordinated effort by Philip and his allies in the war. It would also be their last victory before they faced final defeat four months later.

Captain Samuel Brocklebank and his militia rushed to the aid of the town. Included in this company was our uncle John Stickney (9U) of Rowley. The soldiers set out from Marlborough, a near neighbor to Sudbury. While approaching the town, the company was abushed by a large band of warriors. Both captains were killed along with nearly every militia member. Uncle John Stickney was one of the lucky ones. Not only did he survive the battle, but he married Captain Brocklebank's daughter. His name appears on the papers settling Brocklebank's estate.

Also paticipating in this battle was our uncle Nathaniel Ballard (8U) of Lynn. He was part of Thomas Prentice's famous Troop of Horse. This company was later praised as “a terror to the Indians by [their] sudden attacks and impetuous charges.”

the tides finally turn

Throughout the spring of 1676, the English began to see signs of possible victory in the war. A major boost to the English cause came with the capture of Chief Canonchet, leader of the powerful Narraganett tribe. The English handed Canonchet over to the Mohegans who shot, beheaded and quartered him. His head was presented as a token of loyalty to the council at Hartford.

In May, at the Battle of Great Falls, Captain William Turner led an attack on a large Native camp. Two Hundred Natives were killed while the English suffered only thirty-eight casualties. This disparity of casualties began to be the norm for Philip's men. On June 19th, beginning to see their clear advantage, the government of Massachusetts issued a declaration of amnesty for Natives who would surrender and many war-weary warriors turned themselves in.

Note: The English, of course, turned out to be extremely untrustworthy. Many of those promished amnesty were later sold into slavery.

Then, beginning in July, a series of major setbacks weakened Philip and his allies. On the first of July, 1676, Major Tallcott’s Connecticut Allied Force attacked a band of the few remaining Narragansett in Rhode Island and killed 171 natives. The horror didn't end there for the tribe. On July 3, eighty Narragansett tried to surrender at Warwick, Rhode Island. Instead of honoring the surrender, Major Talcott ordered an attack and the eighty Natives were brutally massacred. All hope of a victory for King Philip in this war was quickly fading.

Benjamin Church's relentless pursuit

By all accounts, Benjamin Church of Plymouth Colony had no quarrel with the Native people living around him and his relations with them were generally congenial. But he saw an opportunity to help his fellow Englishmen when hosilities first broke out. Philip, looking for allies, went first to the Squaw Sachem Awashonks of the Sakonnet tribe. Church, sure he could sway her to the English side, went unarmed to talk with Awashonks himself. According to his own account, Church told her that “if Philip is resolved to make war, the best thing for Your Majesty will be to knock all these Mounthopes on the head and shelter yourself with me for protection. For my part, I desire nothing more than peace, yet if nothing but war will satisfy them, I believe I shall prove a sharp thorn in their sides.” His words were able to convince her.

Note: Church's use of "Mounthopes" refers to King Philip's home at Mount Hope.

A sharp thorn Church proved to be. He was an able and relentless militia man. When the war was all but over but Philip remained at large, the Massachusetts Council turned to Benjamin Church. And who did Church look to for aid? None other than Squaw Sachem Awashonks. When Church arrived in her village for a parley, the chief warrior stood and declared, “Sir, if you will please to accept of me and my men, and will head us, we will fight for you, and will help you to find Philip’s head before the Indian corn be ripe.”

This was a devastating blow for Philip. On 20 Jul 1676, the Awashonks found Philip in the Bridgewater swamp. In the ensuing battle, 173 of Philip's people were killed and his wife and son were captured. Philip managed to escape and fled, probably knowing his death was imminent, to his ancestral home at Mount Hope.

Note: Philip's captured wife and son were eventually sold into slavery in the West Indies.

Now, the war was rapidly drawing to a close. On July 25, the remaining Narragansett were defeated near Dedham, Mass. That same day, around 180 Nipmuck surrendered in Boston.

Then on August 12th, Church, knowing exactly where to look, caught up with Philip at Mount Hope. Ironically, it was a Praying Indian named John Alderman who fired the fatal shot.

aftermath

By September the colonists and their indigenous allies had quelled every vestige of Native American opposition. Approximately 600 Englishmen had been killed, seventeen of their settlements were completely destroyed and fifty more suffered extensive damage.

Note: Only Connecticut managed to emerge relatively unscathed in the war. This was due to the colony's unique and friendly relationship with local Native tribes.

The toll on the Native population was far worse. Out of the total population of 20,000 Native Americans in New England at the time, an estimated 2,000 were killed, another 3,000 had died of sickness and starvation, around 1,000 were captured and sold into slavery, and an estimated 2,000 fled to join the Iroquois in the west or the Abenaki in the north.

King Philip’s War is considered the bloodiest war per capita in U.S. history. The effects of the war, on both the colonists and the natives, were disastrous and continued to be felt for many years. Wartime expenses of nearly £80,000 caused an increase in taxes for citizens already suffering their own financial losses in property, crops and livestock.

The profitable fur trade all but ended for the English as the Natives turned their sights toward the French as more worthy associates. That alliance would prove costly to the English in less than fifteen years time when a whole new set of wars began.

Native American Tribes involved in the war

Penanotek and Wampanoag tribes, led by King Philip

Nipmuck tribe, allied with King Philip

Narragansett tribe, allied with King Philip

Pocumtuck tribe, allied with King Philip

Mohegan tribe, allied with the English

Mohawk tribe, allied with the English

Pennacook and Wamesit, allied with the English

the ultimate whitewash

"It was a struggle in which one race or the other must perish; and that one, which was the harbinger of civilization, triumphed. From the period of victory, New England increased rapidly in strength and influence...her sons, retaining the virtues of the old Puritan, and rejecting his vice, became more liberal, humane and enlightened; and the design of Providence, in founding a land of freedom which shouls serve as an asylum for the oppressed of all other lands, had already begun to unfold."

~ Daniel Strock, Jr. ~ from The Pictoral History of King Philip's War

our relatives in the war

The search for our relatives who served in King Philip's War was quite tedious and I'm certain some have been left out. These are the ones I was able to find:

Killed:

James Kidder, ensign (8GGF) Billerica - Garrison at Billerica, died 1676 probable war wounds

John Kittredge (9GGF) Billerica - Siege of Brookfield, 1675, died 1676 probable war wounds

John Phelps (9U) Reading - Killed at Black Point, Maine

James Richardson, Captain (1C10x) - Killed at Black Point, Maine

Francis Wyman, Jr. (1C8X) Woburn - killed in April of 1676, possibly Sudbury Fight

John Wyman (2C9X) Woburn ~ Troop of Horse, killed in the Great Swamp Fight

Nathan Baldwin (3C10X) Killed in the Great Swamp Fight

Wounded

John French, corporal (1C10X and H9GGM) Billerica - Wounded in the Battle of Brookfield

Stephen Greenleaf (2C9x) Newbury - Wounded in the Battle of Hatfield

Nathaniel Richardson (8U) Woburn - Wounded in Great Swamp Fight

John Wyman, Sr.

Woburn - (Troop of Horse) Shot in the face with an arrow, minor wound

Fought in the war

Samuel Ayer (1C10x) Haverhill

Daniel Baldwin (1C9x) Woburn - Garrison at Billerica

Henry Baldwin (8U) Woburn

John Baldwon (1C9X) Woburn

William Ballard (9U) Chelmsford - Garrison at Chelmsford

John Ballard, Captain (8U) Lynn

Nathaniel Ballard (8U) Lynn - Troop of Horse (Calvary) - Narragansett Fort Battle

John Brigham (2C12x) Marlborough - Garrison at Marlborough

Samuel Brigham (2C12X) Marlborough - Garrison at Marlbrough

Joseph Crosby (1C12x) Cambridge - Defense of Punkapuge Indian Praying Town

Simon Crosby (1C12x) Billerica - Garrison at Billerica

Joshua Eaton (1C10X) Reading ~ Brookfield Campaign

John Eaton (1C9X) Reading ~ Narragansett Battle near Dedham

Joseph Eaton (1C10X) Reading

John Fay (H2C12X) Marlborough - Garrison at Marlborough

Jacob French (1C12X)) Billerica - Sgt of militia, Billierica - in charge of Garrison House

Samuel French (1C10x) Ipswich - Garrison at Marlborough and Chelmsford

Thomas French (1C10x) Ipswich

William French (12U) Billerica - Capt. of Artillery Co. in Billerica

Enoch Greenleaf (2C9X) Boston ~ Boston 7th Company

John Haseltine (1C11x) Haverhill.

Nathaniel Haseltine (1C11x). Haverhill

Thomas Hazen (H1C9x) Rowley - Great Swamp Fight

Ephraim Hildreth (8U) Chelmsford

Jonathan Hill (8U) Billerica ~ Garrison at Groton

Nathaniel Hill (8GGF) Billerica - Garrison at Groton

Joseph Holmes (8U) Cambridge ~ Garrsion at Punkapauge and Springfield

Samuel Holmes (8GGF) Cambridge

John Johnson, Captain (H12A) Woburn

Caleb Kimball. (H9A) Ipswich

Francis Littlefield, Jr., Ensign (11U) Wells, Maine

John Littlefield, Lt. (11U) Wells

Jonathan Loomis (9U) Ipswich

Nathaniel Patten (9U) Cambridge

Thomas Patten (9GGF) Billerica - Garrison at Billerica

John Perley (H9A) Boxford - Served as lookout while townspeople harvested crops

Samuel Phelps (9U) Andover

Gershom Proctor (7U) Chelmsford

John Richardson (1C10x) Woburn

Joseph Richardson (1C10X) Woburn

Josiah Richardson (1C12X) Chelmsford

Nathaniel Richardson (8U) Woburn

Samuel Richardson (1C10X) Woburn

Stephen Richardson (1C9X) Woburn ~ Narraganset Battle near Dedham

Samuel Stickney, Lt. (9GGF) Rowley

Richard Swan (10GGF) Rowley

Robert Swan (1C10x) Haverhill - Great Swamp Fight

Benjamin Symonds (8U) Woburn ~ Garrison at Groton

Caleb Symonds (8U) Woburn - Great Swamp Fight

James Symonds (8U) Woburn

Joseph Symonds (8U) Woburn ~ Brookfield Campaign, Garrison at Chelmsford

Nathaniel Ware (1C11X) Wrentham ~ Garrison at Woodcocks

Robert Ware (11U) Dedham

Francis Wyman, Sr. (8U) Woburn