The doomed chief, or, Two hundred years ago

Front matter

tv

5 '

mm

Chapter I. Page

Opening scene at Plymouth on the Meeting House Green, where a crowd were assembled in anticipation of the trial of three Indians for murder — A match of skill at target shooting between Vane Willis, a bold young fellow from the country, and Sniffkin, a young court lackey Sparring and discussion between them, relative to policy of the Court of Plymouth toward the Indians, in which Dick Swain, the tool of the latter, takes a part — The coming of the Court announced by the ringing of the bell, and beating of drums at Head quarters — Sketch of the Indian tribes, and their position towards the colonists

Chapter II

The Shadow, a church zealot, arrives with a secret message from Deacon Mudgridge, the chief instigator and manager of the prosecution against the Indians — The arrival of the procession — The introduction of Roger Williams for the defence of the prisoners— The trial and sentence of death... 25

Chapter III

The execution of the Indian prisoners in the jail yard — The appearance of Metacom, or King Philip, and Queen Wetamoo, on a roof overlooking the crowd in the jail-yard— their prophetic denunciations of the deed, and their virtual declaration of war in consequence 52

Chapter IV

Moonlight scene in the street after the execution — The excitement and alarm of the people at the signs and omens seen in the heavens — Altercation among Sniffkin, the Shadow, Dick Swain, and Vane Willis

The ruse of the latter, to get rid of Dick, who was ordered to play

the spy on his movements— Scene at Deacon Mudgridge’s house— Confidential dialogue between him and the Shadow 72

CONTENTS

Chapter V

The scene at the house of Madian Southworth — The love passage between her and Yane Willis, which closes by his announcing his resolution of raising a company of his woodsmen comrades to defend the settlement against the Indians, in the coming war — She gives him her father’s sword and bids him God speed — History of the family of Colonel Southworth, who was the leader of Cromwell’s noted regiment, and subsequently outlawed, self-banished, and lost in the forests

Chapter VI

The Deacon’s plot to get Madian into the church — His persecuting attempts, with the aid of the Shadow, to force her to marry Sniffkin — Her sudden and mysterious disapearance, no one knew how, or whither

Chapter VII

Scene at the Pines on Charles river — The meeting of Captain Mosely and Willis — The arrival of the Praying Indians driven by Captain Prentiss and his troop from Natic to be taken in boats to Deer Island — Their sad interview with their pastor, the apostle Elliot — The parting— and Elliot is left alone, sorrowing in the grove

Chapter VIII

Metacom suddenly appears — His interview with Elliot and a Massachusetts commisioner, who also arrives — A war council, in a neighboring forest, and the forming of Metacom’s first alliance with the Nipmucks — His day vision on the top of Wachusett mountain and the subsequent war dance

Chapter XII

The bold expedition of Captain Willis against the Pocasset Indians — Ventures in disguise into Metacom’s camp, and witnesses his meeting with the Pocassets, led into his camp by their queen, Wetamoo — Willis detected, pursued, and with his company retreats to find a defensible position on the shore of the bay 212

Chapter XIII

The arrival of the company at the shore — The furious assault of the savages, and the long and remarkable fight that ensued, with the escape of the company on board a ship providentially arriving 246

Chapter XIV

Night, and terrific thunder storm on the bay — A dismasted vessel on which a female form is seen in a flash of lightning, crosses their path -a fruitless attempt to reach her as she is thrown on the rocky shore.

Chapter XV

A mysterious stranger partly in Indian garb makes his appearance at the old •* Forge” of James Leonard, in Taunton, and holds a private

conference with the latter, recounting his escape from shipwreck

Metacom enters in disguise — The stranger and Metacom waylaid by a band of kidnappers, but escape into the woods 275

Chapter XVI

Singular scene at a deserted house, a mile or two from Leonard’s, between Deacon Mudgridge and the Shadow, while anxiously awaiting their party The party at length arrive with alarming reports of a contest with evil spirits and Indians, and all flee for Plymouth 296

Chapter XVII

Metacom’s visit with the stranger to the secret cave of the Panisees or Powahs to learn the fortunes of the war- — The mysterious ceremonies The prophetic vision of Passaconaway, the aged seer, showing the destiny of the red men, and then that of their white conquerers to come 324

CONTENTS.

Chapter XVIII. Page

A rapid sketch, of tjje fall campaign, followed by a description of the Great Swamp fight at the strong hold of the Narragansets— The conflagration, massacre, and disastrous retreat — Captain Willis wounded, and carried off into the woods by the mysterious stranger, who suddenly appears at the close of the battle 342

Scene at a house in Providence, of which the mysterious stranger and the lost Madian appear to be the occupants — Willis, Captain Mosely and Roger Williams arrive, and joyous developments transpire 412

Chapter XXII

A scene at the South worth Mansion — The fears and bodings of Deacon Mudgridge — The startling developments before the Court of Plymouth— And the awful fate of Deacon Mudgridge 436

THE CONCLUSION.

Brief sketch of the melancholy situation of the doomed red men — Their last stand over the graves of their fathers ai Mount Hope— the closing scenes of the deaths of Metacom and Wetamoo......... i 460

THE DOOMED CHIEF.

Chapter I

" New England, then, for many years Had had both rest and peace ;

But now the case was otherwise —

Her troubles did increase.”

Peter Ealger, the Pilgrim poet.

It was an anxious, as well as a stirring day with the colonists at New Plymouth. The public mind, for the last few months, had been laboring under a very unusual, and a constantly increasing excitement. Among all classes of men there evidently existed a deep, though unacknowledged consciousness, that the calculations of selfishness, craft, and fraud, instead of obedience to the simple dictates of justice and honesty, had latterly characterized their intercourse with the Indians. This, as in most other cases of conscious wrong doing, had made them, especially the leading men of the colony, peculiarly sensitive respecting the relations in which they stood with the red men, filling them with jealousies, suspicions, and apprehensions, lest the latter, impressed doubtless with the same or livelier convictions of their wrongs, should be secretly nourishing thoughts and schemes of redress and retribution. The colonists were also fully conscious that the injured race were now no longer the comparatively harmless and contemp-

m

THE DOOMED CHIEF.

tible foes they were in times past, when bows and arrows and war-clubs were their most formidable weapons, whole scores of which were scarcely good against a single musket in battle ) but that they had, at this period, almost universally supplied themselves with fire arms, in the fatal use ol which, when occasion required, they had no superiors, even among the most expert sharp-shooters of the old world. And especially and painfully conscious were likewise the leading colonists, that in addition to the advantages thus possessed by their apprehended foes, there had now sprung up among them a Master Spirit who was believed to be fully capable of combining, and giving direction to all the various elements of their disaffection with fearful effect. That Master Spirit was Metacom, the King Philip of subsequent historic renown. And it was not without reason they feared that he, insulted, fined, and dragooned as he had been into hollow treaties of peace, would not long remain inactive or forego — unless prompt and decided measures were taken to prevent the execution of what was believed to be his bold and settled design — a war of extermination against the colonists of New England.

Something therefore it was felt should immediately be done. And something icas done. But, as too often happens among people laboring under a high degree of excitement and apprehension, the colonists seemed madly intent on rushing into measures which hastened on the very event they were so anxious to avoid. And the consequence was that they soon plunged their hapless colony into those fearful scenes of blood and woe, which characterized the year that followed the opening act of the story on which we are about to enter.

It was a calm and sunny morning in the fore part of the leafy month of June, 1675. A crowd of loiterers, evidently awaiting some expected event, were scattered over the smooth and ample grass plat surrounding the Meeting House of the first planted village of New England, the noted Plymouth of

TARGET SHOOTING.

Pilgrim memories. Among the mingled and diversified company present on the occasion, consisting of villagers, and those who had come in from the neighboring towns to witness the public proceedings of the day, were a small party of young men who, to while away the time of their waiting, had entered into a contest of markmanship, which being almost the only kind of amusement countenanced among the young men, by the over scrupulous elders, was generally engaged in with great zest, serving the young as a sort of standing exhibition, in all public gatherings, save those of a religious character. The contesting party in the present instance, were a half dozen youngerly men, of ages varying from twenty to thirty, all supplied with fowling pieces, or hunting guns, of the best construction for the use of the bullet. Deeming themselves among the best marksmen of the colony, they had agreed upon a target, and a distance, which should fully test their pretensions to nice shooting, the mark being a black ring, four inches in diameter, with two less visible inner concentric circles, and a black spot of the size of a half crown in the middle, all painted on a white board, and placed at the distance of one hundred yards from the shooting stand. Having all fired once round, it was seen that four of the contestants, though all making close shots, had failed to plant their bullets within the black ring. These having now, by their rules, no hope of bearing off the palm, voluntarily retired from the contest, which was thus left to be decided by the remaining two, who had both sent their balls within the ring, both bullets nearly alike grazing the next inner circle, and falling consequently about equi-distant from the centre. The attention of the crowd, who, by this time, had all gathered round the spot, was now especially directed to the two remaining candidates for the palm of victory. In personal appearance, these two rival marksmen were alike in nothing, save in the evidence of their similar ages, which were probably twenty-four or twenty-five

THE DOOMED CHIEF.

years. One was, for the times, richly and fashionably dressed. And this circumstance, together with the contemptuous, sneering expression that rested on his small, unattractive features, denoted that he was connected with some family of wealth, and of real, or assumed consequence in the colony, that he was disposed to plume himself on what he considered his elevated position in society, and consequently to look upon the common sort of men, as all well enough in their places, to be sure, but not exactly fit to be counted among his associates. The other was a plainly dressed, but noble looking young man, of a shapely, compact form, and of unusually handsome features, enlivened with one of those clear, frank, and firm countenances, which betoken intelligence, good motives, and cool courage.

“ Dick Swain,” said a bystander, beckoning to his side a short, bustling, restless fellow, with a hooked nose, and a sort of shiny, unsteady countenance, and at the same time pointing to the plainly dressed marksman just described, cl Dick, who is that fellow who is so confidently preparing to contest the palm with Mr. Sniffkin, the English trained maiks-

man ?”

“ That fellow,” replied the person thus appealed to, coming up, and speaking in that low, confidential way, common with men of secretiveness — u his name is "V ane Willis, from one of the neighboring towns, — a bold hunter, and a sure marksman, they say, he having practiced a good deal with the Indians, and proved himself a match for the best of them. I know Mr. Sniffkin is well trained in shooting, and has the most costly and high finished piece in the colony ; but I am really afraid this Willis, with his heavy, thick barreled gun, will beat him.”

a Afraid ! why afraid ?” asked the former. “ Every man has an equal right to the palm, if he can get it, hasn t he ?

“ Yes, yes ; but then Mr. Sniffkin you know, is the ne-

THE RIVALS.

phew of Deacon Mudgridge, and so connected with the Governor, who was related to the Deacon’s wife before she died. Besides that, Mr. Sniffkin is a member of the church, and that fellow ain’t. And then Mr. Sniffkin prides himself so much on his skill in shooting. And then again, I suspect, there is another reason why he wants to beat the fellow to humble him — something about a certain girl in this town — you understand, hey ? But stay ; they are about to fire V*

Sniffkin was evidently desirous that his rustic rival should be the first to fire, and, in a tone sounding very much like a command, requested him to proceed. But the other, with a slight curl of the lip, and a little sprinkling of irony in his manner, peremptorily declined that honor j when the privileged gentleman advanced to the stand, and, after having at length found a place to rest his piece which satisfied him, he took a long, careful aim, and fired.

Dick Swain, and four or five others of Sniffkin’s obsequious friends, sprang forward to the target, and soon announced that the bullet had bored it within half an inch of the small black spot in the centre.

“ Yes, Vane Willis is as good as beat,” cried the exulting inspectors, as they came swaggering along back to the stand. « He can never equal that shot.”

u Don’t boast quite so soon. We can tell better after Vane has fired,” retorted the friends of Willis, who were evidently a majority of the marksmen present, and who now gathered round their tacitly acknowledged leader, with looks plainly betokening their confidence of his triumph.

Without pretending to notice the self-satisfied and supercilious airs of his rival, or the remarks of either party, Vane quietly advanced to the stand, and, waving off those who were preparing a place for him to rest his piece, like the one his competitor had used, raised his gun at arm’s length, and almost instantly fired. So quick and sudden, indeed, did the

THE DOOMED CHIEF.

report follow the upward movement of the barrel, that most of the company supposed that the gun had gone off by accident, and before it could have been brought to bear on the object of* aim. But on being told by the unruffled young marksman that he had obtained all the aim he wanted, his friends now, in their turn, bounded forward for the target. There was a momentary silence among them at first; and then rose their exulting shout of victory. The bullet had pierced the very middle of the black centre mark ; and the triumph was complete.

u An arm’s length shot against one with a rest, and a clean victory at that !” cried one of the exulting party.

{{ It is nothing more than I expected,” added another. “The fact is, Yane Willis is the best shot in the whole colony.”

“ I dispute that,” said Sniffkin, stung by the applause that had greeted his opponent, whom, in his ill-concealed spite and vexation, he was eager to disparage — “ I dispute it. This was doubtless but a mere chance shot.”

“ Perhaps it was ; but I am quite willing to try it over again with you,” coolly remarked Yane. “ What say you, sir, shall we thus put thq question to the test ?”

“ No,” replied the other disdainfully ; “ I may prefer to choose my own company, when I engage in another contest. Nathless I dispute the assertion that you are the best shot in the country.”

“ So do I,” rejoined the former ; “ there is one in the country whom I know to be my full equal, but his name is not Timothy Sniffkin.”

“ Who is it then, Yane ?” asked the one who had made the disputed assertion.

“ It is Metacom.”

“ King Philip ?”

“ Yes, King Philip, of Mount Hope. I have had repeated

THE TWO RIFLES.

trials with him both in the . chase and at a mark. Neither could claim any advantage over the other from the quality of his gun ; for our guns, which were brought over by two German sportsmen, some years ago, and sold when they returned, are precisely alike, being the only ones of the same make in the colony, probably. They were made expressly for the bullet, which, by means of a curious winding groove inside the barrel, as you can see by mine here, is made to whirl as it goes through the air.* I was lucky enough to secure one; and Metacom, who has a keen eye for such matters, somehow soon got hold of the other. And he has since practiced with such effect, that he has no superior, and probably not a single equal in quick and accurate shooting, this side of the great water.

“ You seem to have been quite intimate with that vile, treacherous savage,” maliciously remarked Sniffkin, winking significantly to his backers,

“ Yile and treacherous !” repeated Yane, as with flashing eye, he advanced and boldly confronted his sneering opponent. “ Would to heaven, that, for the peace and safety of our endangered colony, the vileness and treachery were all on one side ! But what meant you, sir, by that insinuating remark

u Oh, nothing in particular !” replied the former, evidently surprised, and at first, disconcerted at the fearless confronting

* The history of no invention is more obscure than that of the rifle. But it is evident that the invention is of German origin, and dates back nearly 500 years since; as early as 1381, we find it' stated that a city in Franconia furnished thirty rifles, or guns with grooved barrels, in a war with the nobility. It is also stated that in 1498, guns with rifled barrels were in use at shooting matches at Leipsic. Their use, however, was very rare till long after the settlement of the American colonies. The Indians seem to have understood the principle, as shown by feathering their arrows, so as to give them a spiral motion ; hence their eagerness to adopt the weapon as soon as they could obtain it.

THE DOOMED CHIEF.

of the other. “ Nothing, in particular ) but it may be well enough,” he added, rallying a little, “to have it known, at this critical juncture, who those are, that have been consorting with, and still seem disposed to defend one, who, with his devilish heathen crew, may soon be arrayed against us in arms.”

“Yes, sir, and if that time does come,” retorted Willis, “ and this piece, in ray hands, with my knowledge of the enemy, does not as good service on our side, as your piece, in your hands, then I will agree to bear your taunts in silence. And I now challenge you, sir, in anticipation of such a time, to enter with me, on that condition, into the actual contest — a contest which will better show who is truly the man, and the marksman, than this by-play of shooting at a mark, where there are no dangers to be encountered. Yes, sir, I repeat the challenge ; and I have a few friends here, I think,” he added looking around on the little band of his hardy comrades, who, as the altercation progressed, drew closer and closer to his side, with increasing manifestations of their sympathy — “ a few friends, perhaps, who are willing to vouch for me that I shall not be the first one to back out. Will you go my vouchers for that, boys ?”

A hearty shout of affirmation was the prompt response to the appeal, 'which was thus made and answered with the more emphasis, doubtless, because they all wished to show the haughty court-minion that one of their number was not to be put down by sneers, or disparaged by groundless insinuations.

“There! Now you will please remember all this, sir,” resumed the speaker, pointing to the visibly perplexed and disconcerted Sniffkin. “ And you too, my friends, remember to hold me to my pledge, for making good my own offer in this behalf.”

“ 0, yes,” responded one of those last addressed. “ Yes,

THE INDIAN PRISONERS.

IT if times should really come, when there is any occasion for making good such an offer ) and it should then be necessary, which it won’t be, to jog your memory, we will do it. But do you seriously suppose we are likely to see those times, Willis ? Do you think there is actually any danger of our being involved in an Indian war V ’

u Aye, I do think there is much danger of such an event,” replied the other. “ And if our people — especially our rulers — persist in the course they now seem so intent on taking towards the already greatly irritated red men, I feel a bloody war is inevitable.”

u Take notice of that, good people of Plymouth !” eagerly exclaimed the court lackey, looking round on the crowd with an air of malicious triumph. “He has shown himself a seeker of occasions to disparage our rulers and take the part of the heathen salvages against them. Take notice of it, ye all, good people, will you ?”

“ Yes, take notice of it, all who wish,” promptly responded the other, with increasing earnestness \ “ and take notice also of the prediction I now, and here boldly venture to make, that if these Indian prisoners, whom we are waiting to see tried here to-day, for the alleged offence of taking the life of one of their own tribe, who, by their laws, had become a traitor and an outlaw, — if these prisoners, known to be the leading men of the tribe, and the councillors of King Philip, are condemned and executed, there will, before the month’s end, burst upon us a war which may not cease till the very existence of these colonies is put in jeopardy !”

The startling import of this prediction, together with the serious and decided manner in which it was uttered, fell with chilling effect upon the whole company, producing a very visible sensation, both among those who coincided with the speaker, in regard to the mistaken policy of their rulers in

their strangely mingled church and state government, and

THE DOOMED CHIEF.

among those also who looked upon those rulers as all but infallible in wisdom and discretion 3 for it was but giving voice to an apprehension by which they were all secretly impressed, however they might differ about the best means of averting the impending danger. Even the arrogant and self-sufficient Sniffkin, who had found matter of accusation in the far less pointed ’and objectionable remarks previously made by his hated rival, was now too deeply impressed, or too much astonished by his bold words and fearless demeanor, to attempt to gainsay them or renew his ill-natured and ungentlemanly

assault.

The silence that followed the dialogue thus impressively brought to a close by the out-spoken young marksman, was, however, soon broken by the startling peals of the churchbell in the belfry, almost above their heads, which all understood to betoken the arrival of the hour of the expected trial, that was to be held in the Meeting House, around which they were assembled, and soon the roll of a drum at the head-quarters of the Governor, his assistants, and the church dignitaries, of whom the court was to be composed, announced that the military guards were then mustering, preparatory to bringing out the prisoners and forming a procession for the place of trial. All eyes were therefore expectantly turned in that direction. But the eager spectators were not to be very immediately gratified by the appearance of any coming procession. The bell-man, in obedience to some signal made from the Governor’s house, soon ceased to ring the bell. The drum ceased beating, and every thing indicated that there was to be a temporary delay of proceedings at head-quarters. . And instead of the expected retinue, a solitary man made his appearance, coming from that direction. His hurried motions, as indicated, in the distance, by the rapid bobbing up and down of his tall, steeple-shaped hat, and the quick, regular outward flaunting of the skirts of his long, tunic-like coat, all

DEACON DUMMER.

moving in correspondence with his steps as he advanced, seemed to show that he was hound on some mission requiring special despatch ; and his appearance under the circumstances, consequently, very naturally soon attracted the attention of the expected company.

“ Who is that tall man coming this way so hurriedly, Dick V 1 asked Sniffkin, beckoning the other aside.

“ Why it looks like Deacon Mudgridge’s Shadow/’ replied Dick carelessly.

“ Deacon Mudgridge’s Shadow ! who do you mean by that, sir ?”

“Crave your pardon, Mr. Sniffkin, meant no offence; but some call him so ?”

“ Call who so ?”

u Why, Mr. Dummer, to be sure — Deacon Dumraer, perhaps I should say, as I have heard that he had been advanced in the church — elected assistant, or supernumerary deacon, or something of the sort, may be.”

“ 0, ho — yes ; well I at first didn’t know but you meant my uncle, Deacon Mudgridge himself, the strongest pillar of Church and State in the whole colony, and therefore a man not to be spoken lightly of by any. But you should be careful about picking up the nicknames, and cant phrases of vulgar schismatics and scoffers, even against Dummer, who is a very zealous and useful man, and is indeed talked of as a fourth deacon. And I think he will get the place, too, if he does as well in other things as he has in aiding Deacon Mudgridge to go through with this important measure on hand to strike a damper on that audacious King Philip.”

“ Grlad to hear that of Dummer ; for I am with the court party in this measure, you know, Mr. Sniffkin. And though I never mean to boast much ; yet I think I may say, I have already done considerable myself towards helping it forward.”

THE DOOMED CHIEF.

“ Aye, you have done very well Dick, and won the praise of Deacon Mudgridge, who says you are a fellow of bright natural parts. But you may have a chance to do much more, to-day ‘ for this matter must and will be carried through, notwithstanding all that has been said by that low caitiff, ~V ane Willis, whose treasonable words just now I hope you will remember and report to our rulers, whom he has so shamefully reviled. But here comes Dummer, and with some word or message from head quarters, I fancy.”

The subject of this last remark, a lank, long, sanctimonious looking man, whom, as Dick Swain had inadvertently remarked, the people, or rather the more independent and outspoken part of them at least, had playfully dubbed Deacon Mudgridge’s Shadow, on accouut of his well known subserviency to that important personage, whom he copied and followed almost as faithfully as the shadow its substance — now came striding forward with a countenance working with solemn anxiety.

“ What is the news from head quarters, Dummer?” asked Sniffkin, as he and Dick advanced to meet the former far enough to be out of earshot of all others — “ What is the news now ? Have they got the jury together and everything rightly fixed there ?”

« Mostly,” replied Dummer, “ mostly fixed, Mr. Sniffkin ; and they supposed they had quite, and were on the point of starting for the Meeting House, but” —

“But what? Tell us at once, Dummer.”

“ Well, they have concluded to delay a brief time, on account of some untoward appearances.”

“ What appearances? What new thing has turned up now ?”

“ Nothing very certain, perad venture j but Roger Williams, that noted old schismatic, who is so prone to side with the powers of darkness now peculiarly manifest in the doings of the salvages, those children of Sathana, has arrived this morning

DOUBTING INDIAN JURORS.

from Providence, to see that the Indians have fair dealing in the coming trial, he says.”

“ That means, I suppose, that, instigated and hired by that damned sachem Philip, he has come on to defend and get them clear.”

u Yea, truly ; and it is greatly feared that he has somehow got speech with some of the five Indians, who, to save all remarks of the ill-disposed against our fairness, and forever shut the mouths of the salvages in the same behalf, were, as yourself doth know, put on the jury with our twelve white jurors. For, although these five red men were selected with proper care, and have ever since been kept under righteous influences till this morning, yet some think they now see in them tokens of weakness and wavering. Moreover, the Indian witness, whose report and confessions so providentially led to the arrest of the murderers of our Christian friend, Sassamon, and who was ready to swear he saw the murder committed, and that he could identify the murderers, now seems strangely sullen and perverse.”