120 TITUBA.-WITCHCRAFT. [Book II. and there, where nobody else could. Yea, they could tell where she was, and what she did, when out of their human sight." Whether the author was a witness to this he does not say; but probably he was not. Go through the whole of our early writers, and you will scarce find one who witnessed such matters: (Dr. Cotton Mather is nearest to an exception.) But they generally preface such marvellous accounts by observing, "I am slow to believe rumors of this nature, nevertheless, some things I have had certain information of.” * The Rev. Mr. Felt gives the following extract from the "Quarterly Court Papers." "March 1st. Sarah Osborn, Sarah and Dorothy Good, Tituba, servant of Mr. Parris, Martha Cory, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth, all of Salem village, are committed to Boston jail on charge of witchcraft." The other servant of Mr. Parris was the husband of Tituba, whose name was John. It was a charge against them that they had tried means to discover witches. But there is little probability that these ignorant and simple Indians would ever have thought of "trying a project" for the detection of witches, had they not learned it from some more miserably superstitious white persons. We have the very record to justify this stricture. Take the words. "Mary Sibly having confessed, that she innocently counselled John, the Indian, to attempt a discovery of witches, is permitted to commune with Mr. Parris' church. She had been previously disciplined for such counsel and appeared well." We are not told who disciplined her for the examination. Was it Mr. Parris? This is the only instance I have met with of Indians being implicated in white witchcraft. * I. Mather's Brief Hist. Philip's War, 34. In his valuable Annals of Salem, 303. Danvers Records, published by the author last cited. END OF BOOK SECOND. BOOK III. BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE NEW ENGLAND INDIANS CONTINUED. CHAPTER I. Life of ALEXANDER alias WAMSUTTA-Events which led to the war with PhilipWEETAMOO his wife-Early events in her life-PETANANUET, her second husband -Weetamoo's latter career and death-Ninigret-Death of Alexander-JOHN SASSAMON-His country and connections-Becomes a christian-Schoolmaster-Minister-Settles at Assawomset-FELIX marries his daughter-Sassamon discovers the plots of Philip-Is murdered-Proceedings against the murderers—They are condemned and executed. ALEXANDER was the English name of the elder son of Massasoit. His real name appears at first to have been Mooanam, and afterwards Wamsutta, and lastly Alexander. The name of Mooanam he bore as early as 1639; in 1641 we find him noticed under the name Wamsutta. About the year 1656, he and his younger brother, Metacomet, or rather Pometacom, were brought to the court of Plimouth, and being solicitous to receive English names, the governor called the elder Alexander, and the younger Philip, probably from the two Macedonian heroes, which, on being explained to them, might have flattered their vanities; and which was probably the intention of the governor. Alexander appears pretty early to have set up for himself, as will be seen in the course of this chapter; occasioned, perhaps, by his marrying a female sachem of very considerable authority, and in great esteem among her neighbors. NAMUMPUм, afterwards called Weetamoo, squaw-sachem of Pocasset, was the wife of Alexander; and who, as says an anonymous writer, was more willing to join Philip when he began war upon the English, being persuaded by him that they had poisoned her husband. This author calls her "as potent a prince as any round about her, and hath as much corn, land, and men, at her command." Alexander having, in 1653, sold a tract of the territory acquired by his wife, as has been related in the life of Massasoit, about six years after, Weetamoo came to Plimouth, and the following account of her business is contained in the records. "I, Namumpum, of Pokeesett, hauing, in open court, June last, fifty-nine, [1659,] before the governour and majestrates, surrendered up all that right and title of such lands as Woosamequin and Wamsetta sould to the purchasers; as appeeres by deeds giuen vnder theire hands, as alsoe the said Namumpum promise to remoue the Indians of from those lands; and alsoe att the same court the said Wamsutta promised Namumpum the third part of the pay, as is * Old Indian Chronicle, p. 6. 4 ALEXANDER.—WEETAMO. [BOOK III. expressed in the deed of which payment Namumpum haue recciued of John Cooke, this 6 of Oct. 1659: these particulars as followeth: item; 20 yards blew trading cloth, 2 yards red cotton, 2 paire of shooes, 2 paire stockings, 6 broade hoes and 1 are; And doe acknowledge receiued by me, NAMUMPUM." Witnessed by Squabsen, Wahatunchquatt, and two English. Thus this land affair seems to have been amicably settled; but the same year of Alexander's death, whether before or after we are not assured, Namumpum appeared at Plimouth, and complained that Wamsutta had sold some of her land without her consent. "The court agreed to doe what they could in conuenient time for her relief." We apprehend there was some little difficulty between Alexander and his wife about this time, especially if her complaint were before his death, and we are rather of the opinion that it was, for it was June when her complaint was made, and we should assign a little later date for the death of her husband; and therefore all difficulty was settled in his death. On the 8 April, 1661, Wamsutta deeded the tract of country since called Rehoboth to Thomas Willet "for a valuable consideration."* What that was the deed does not inform us; but we may venture to question the fact, for if the consideration had in truth been valuable, it would have appeared in the deed, and not have been kept out of sight. What time Namumpum deeded land to John Sanford and John Archer, we are not informed, but it was probably about the beginning of 1662. It was a deed of gift, and appears to have been only deeded to them to prevent her husband's selling it; but these men, it seems, attempted to hold the land in violation of their promise; however, being a woman of perseverance, she so managed the matter, that, in the year 1668, she found witnesses who deposed to the true meaning of the deed, and thus was, we presume, restored to her rightful possessions. Since we have been thus particular in acquainting the reader with the wife of Wamsutta, we will, before proceeding with our account of the husband, say all that we have to say of the interesting Weetamoo. Soon after the death of Alexander, we find Namumpum, or Weetamoo, associated with another husband, named Petonowowet. He was well known to the English, and went by the familiar name of Ben. Now, unless Peto-nowowet, or Pe-tan-a-nuet has been corrupted into PETER NUNNUIT, we must allow her to have had a third husband in 1675. We, however, are well satisfied that these two names are, as they appear to be, one and the same name. This husband of Weetamoo does not appear to have been of so much importance as her first, Wamsutta; and as he only appears occasionally in the crowd, we are of opinion that she took good care in taking a second husband, and fixed upon one that she was better able to manage than she was the determined Wamsutta. On the 8 May, 1673, Tatamomock, Petonowowett, and William alias asocke, sold to Nathaniel Paine of Rehoboth, and Hugh Cole of Swansey, a lot of land in Swansey, near Mattapoiset, and Showamet neck, for £35 5s. Weetamoo, Philip alias Wagusoke, and Steven alias Nucano, were the Indian witnesses. About the same time, one Piowant was intruded upon by some others claiming his lands, or otherwise molesting him, and the business seems to have undergone a legal scrutiny; in this affair both Weetamoo and her hushand appear upon our records. They testify that the tract of land bounded by a small river or brook called Mastucksett, which compasseth said tract to Assonett River, and so to Taunton River, [by trees, &c.] hath for many years been in the possession of Piowant. The place of the bounds on Taunton River was called Chippascuitt, which was a little south of Mastucksett. Pantauset, Quanowin, Nescanoo, and Panowwin, testified the same. It does not appear that Peta-nan-u-et was at all concerned in Philip's war against the English, but, on the contrary, forsook his wife and joined them against her. Under such a leader as Church, he must have been employed against his countrymen with great advantage. At the time he came over to * See the Hist. of Attleborough, by John Daggett, Esq., p. 6, where the deed is preserved. |