where, as they were sailing along, they met with a Pinnace, which they found to be John Oldham's, who had been sent to trade with the Pequods, (to make trial of the reality of their pretended friendship after the murder of Captain Stone) they hailed the vessel, but had no answer, although they saw the deck full of Indians (14 in all) and a little before that had seen a canoe go from the vessel full of Indians likewise, and goods, whereupon they suspected they had killed John Oldham, who had only two boys and two Narraganset Indians in his vessel besides himself, and the rather because they let slip, and set up sail (being two miles from the shore, the wind and tide coming off the shore of the Island, whereby they drove toward the main land of Narraganset) therefore they went ahead of them, and having nothing but two pieces, and two pistols, they bore up near the Indians, who stood on the deck of the vessel ready armed with guns, swords and pikes; but John Gallop, a man of stout courage, let fly among them, and so galled them, that they got all down under the hatches, and then they stood off again, and returning with a good gale, they stemmed her upon the quarter, and almost overset her, which so affrightened the Indians, as six of them leaped overboard, and were drowned, yet they durst not board her, but stood off again, and fitted their anchor, so as stemming her the second time, they bored her bow through with their anchor; and sticking fast to her, they made divers shot through the sides of her, and so raked her fore and aft (being but inch board) as they must needs kill or hurt some of the Indians; but seeing none of them come forth, they got loose from her, and then stood off again: then four or five more of the Indians leaped into the sea, and were likewise drowned; whereupon there being but four left in her, they boarded her; when an Indian came up and yielded; him they bound and put into the hole: then another yielded; him they also bound, but Gallop, being well acquainted with their skill to unloose one another, if they lay near together, and having no place to keep them asunder, flung him bound into the sea; then looking about, they found John Oldham under an old sail, stark naked, having his head cleft to the brains; his hands and legs cut as if they had been cutting them off; yet warm: so they put him into the sea; but could not well tell how to come at the other two Indians (who were in a little room underneath with their swords) so they took the goods which were left, and the sails, and towed the boat away, but night coming on, and the wind rising, they were forced to turn her off, and the wind carried her to the Narraganset shore, where they left her. On the 26th of the said July, the two Indians which were with John Oldham, and one other Indian, came from Canonicus (the chief Sachem of the Narragansets) with a letter from Mr. Williams, to signify what had befallen John Oldham, and how grievously they were offended and that Miantonimo (the second Sachem of the Narragansets) was gone with 17 canoes and 200 men to take revenge. But upon examination of the other Indian, who was brought prisoner to them, they found that all the Sachems of the Narragansets, except Canon : icus and Miantonimo, were contrivers of John Oldham's death, and the occasion was because he went to make peace, and trade with the Pequods last year; The prisoner said also that Oldham's two Indians were acquainted with it; but because they were sent as messengers from Canonicus, they would not imprison them: . But the governor wrote back to Mr. Williams, to let the Narragansets know, they expected they should send home John Oldham's two boys, and take revenge upon the Islanders, and withal gave Mr. Williams caution to look to himself, if there should be occasion to make war with the Narragansets (for Block Island was under them) and the next day he wrote to Canonicus, by one of those Indians, that he had suspicion of him that was sent, and yet he had sent him back, because he was a messenger but did expect, if he should send for the two Indians, he should send them to him. Four days after John Oldham's two boys were sent home by one of Miantonimo's men, with a letter from Mr. Williams, that Miantonimo had caused the Sachem of Niantic to send to Block Island for them, and that he bad near 100 fathom of peak, and much other goods of Oldham's which should be reserved for them. And three of the seven that were drowned were Sachems, and that one of the two which was hired by the Niantic Sachem, was dead also. So they wrote back to have the rest of those which were necessary to be sent, and the rest of the goods, and that he should tell Canonicus and Miantonimo that they held them innocent, but the six other Sachems were guilty. Lieut. Gibbons and Mr. Higginson were sent after, with Cushmakin the Sachem of the Massachusetts, to Canonicus, to treat with him about the murder of John Oldham. They returned with acceptance and good success of their business; observing in the Sachem much state, great command of his men, and marvelous wisdom in his answers; and in the carriage of the whole treaty, clearing himself and his neighbors of the murder, and offering revenge of it, yet upon very safe and wary conditions. The English of Massachusetts, after the peace concluded with the Pequods, sent a bark thither for trade, that trial might be made of the reality of their friendship, but they found them treacherous and false, and that no advantage was to be had by any commerce with them, insomuch as they took up a resolution never more to have to do with them; which the said Indians perceiving, made no account of the former peace, but took all advantage to do us mischief, not only by harboring those who had murdered Mr. Oldham, but surprizing many of the English in the year 1636, when Connecticut river began first to be planted, divers of whom were killed (nine at one time in April, 1637) by them about Wethersfield, when the plantation there first began, so as they could not pass up and down the river without a guard, but they would be in danger of being cut off or carried away, as two maids were said to be; thirty men have been killed by them in all; those who fell into their hands alive, were cruelly tortured, after a most barbarous manner, by insulting over their prisoners in a blas phemous wise, when in their dying agonies under the extremity of their pains (their flesh being first slashed with knives, and then filled with burning embers) they called upon God and Christ with gasping groans, resigning up their souls into their hands; with which words these wretched caitifs used to mock the English afterward, when they came within their hearing and view. About the same time, some agents sent over by the Lord Say and the Lord Brook, built a fort at the mouth of Connecticut river, wherein was placed one Lieutenant Gardiner, and a convenient number of soldiers to secure the place, intended soon after to be planted, but all the winter following, being the end of the year 1636, they were little better than besieged by the said savages, not daring to stir out of the command of the fort, but they were ready to be seized by these barbarous enemies: At one time the Lieutenant himself, with ten or twelve of the soldiers, marching out of the fort with intent to pass over a neck of land, to burn the marshes; as soon as they had passed over the streight of the neck, they espied a company of Indians making towards the said isthmus, which if they could not recover, they saw they must all perish; whereupon returning back with all speed, they narrowly escaped, and were two or three of them killed notwithstanding, before they could get back to the fort, which was presently surrounded with multitudes of them; but the discharging of a piece of ordnance gave them warning to keep further from the walls. Sometimes they came with their canoes into the river in view of the sol |