THE PEQUOT FIGHT. By Hon. Frederick John Kingsbury. OOKER'S company reached Hartford, after a painful journey of six weeks from Massachusetts bay, late in the Fall of 1635. A few settlers had preceded them earlier in the season and located at Windsor, where a colony from Plymouth had settled the year previous, and a lively fight was going on between the two parties in regard to territorial rights. There was also a small colony at Weathersfield. Eighteen months from this time, when the whole river population numbered, it is said, less than 300-although this estimate seems small-fifteen men from the three towns met together in a representative capacity and passed the following vote: THE FIRST DAY OF MAY, 1637, GENTALL CORTE ATT HARTEFORD. It is ordered that there shalbe an offensiue warr agt the Pequoitt, and that there shalbe 90 men levied out of the 3 Plantacons, Harteford, Weathersfeild & Windsor (vizt) out of Harteford 42, Windsor 30, Weathersfeild 18: vnder the Comande of Captaine Jo: Mason & in Case of death or sicknes vnder the Comand of Rob'te Seely Leift, & the❜ldest Srieant or military officer survivinge, if both these miscary. The The year before (the winter of 1635-36), the people came near starving to death. Many had tried to return to the bay; some had succeeded, and those who remained were kept alive by provisions supplied by the Indians of the neighborhood, who were their firm friends. In fact, the settlers on the Connecticut came there by invitation of these River Indians, who seemed to have maintained and lived up to their professions of friendship as well as any people ever did. The Pequots were their common enemies. The River Indians having abundance of the best of land, and a broad river to fish in, and being very comfortably fixed, were naturally conservative in their politics, and greatly desired to be let alone to enjoy their possessions. Whether the Pequots were covetous of their lands, or whether they enjoyed fighting for the fun of it, or a little of both, does not so clearly appear; but whatever the motive was, one thing is certain; they rendered life a burden to those River Indians. The Pequots were a truculent race. They had come from nobody knows where; it is generally understood, however, from the State of New York. They were immigrants, and they "wanted the earth." Sassacus was their "boss" or chief sachem, and there were twenty-six minor or deputy sachems, each each of whom claimed his full share of the boodle under the threat of "breaking things" if he did not get it, which threat was sometimes carried out, as will appear in the sequel. Uncas was, or it is more proper to say, had been, one of these minor sachems; but he had "bolted" sometime before, thinking, perhaps, that he was a bigger man than old Sassacus himself, and he and his band, who were the Mohegan band, had set up for themselves. Uncas was evidently an Indian with commercial views, and he thought if he could sell out his interest to the English, or combine with them on the co-operative plan, they could make things very lively for Sassacus. There had been no commission to run the lines; but, roughly speaking, the Pequots occupied about one-third of the eastern end of the State, and made forays both ways, as suited their convenience. Their capital, so to speak, was in the present town of Groton, which lies between the Thames and Mystic rivers, and here they had two great forts or fortified towns, where large numbers of them assembled and held “high jinks" during the winter months, feasting, carousing, fighting, love-making, howling, shouting and singing after the most approved Indian fashion. Undoubtedly "there was a sound of revelry by night," for some of Captain Mason's men got near enough |