the day broke they effected their exploit; and, by the rising of the sun, arrived at the Major's garrison, where they met the General, and presented him with eighteen of the enemy, [which] they had captivated. The General, pleased with the exploit, gave them thanks, particularly to Mr. Church, the mover and chief actor of the business. And sending two of them (likely boys) [as] a present to Boston; [and] smiling on Mr. Church, told him, that he made no doubt but his faculty would supply them with Inaian boys enough before the war was ended.

Their next move was to a swamp,* which the Indians had fortified with a fort. Mr. Church rode in the General's guard when the bloody engagement

* Hubbard, 136, says that the army was piloted to this place by one Peter, a fugitive Indian, who fled from the Narragansets, upon some discontent, and to him they were indebted, in a great measure for their success. How long before the army would have found the enemy, or on what part of the fort they would have fallen, is uncertain. It appears, that had they come upon any other part, they must have Deen repulsed. Whether this Peter was the son of Awashonks, or Peter Nunnuit, the husband of Weetamore, the Queen of Pocasset, is uncertain. But Mr. Hubbard styles him a fugitive from the Narragansets. If he were a Narraganset, he was neither.

† Before this, on the 14, a scout under Sergeant Bennet killed two and took four prisoners. The rest of the same company, in ranging the country, came upon a town, burned 150 wigwams, killed 7 of the enemy and brought in eight prisoners. On the 15, some Indians came under the pretence of making peace, and on their return killed several of the English, who were scattered on their own business. Captain Mosely, while escorting Maj. Appleton's men to quarters, was fired upon by 20 or 30 of the enemy from behind a stone wall, but were immediately dispersed, leaving one dead. On the 16, they received the news that Jerry Bull's garrison at Pettyquamscot, was burned, and 15 persons killed. On the 18, the Connecticut forces arrived, who on their way had taken and killed 11 of the enemy. The united forces now set out, Dec. 19, for the headquarters of the enemy. The weather was severely cold and much snow upon the ground. They arrived upon the borders of the swamp about one o'clock. Hubbard, 128 to 130.

began. But being impatient of being out of the heat of the action, importunately begged leave of the General, that he might run down to the assistance of his friends. The General yielded to his request, provided he could rally some hands to go with him. Thirty men immediately drew out and followed him. They entered the swamp, and passed over the log, that was the passage into the fort, where they saw many men and several valiant Captains lie slain.* Mr. Church spying Captain Gardner of Salem, amidst the wigwams in the east end of the fort, made towards him; but on a sudden, while they were looking each other in the face, Captain Gardner settled down. Mr. Church stepped to him, and seeing the blood run down his cheek lifted up his cap, and calling him by his name, he looked up in his face but spake not a word; being mortally shot through the head. And observing his wound, Mr. Church found the ball entered his head on the side that was next the upland, where the English entered the swamp. Upon which, having ordered some care to be taken of the Captain, he despatched information to the General, that the best and forwardest of his army, that hazarded their lives to enter the fort upon the muzzles of the enemy's guns, were shot in their backs, and killed by them that lay behind. Mr. Church with his small company, hastened out of the fort (that the English were now possessed of) to get a shot at the Indians that were in the swamp, and kept firing upon them. He soon met with a broad and bloody track where the enemy had fled with their wounded men. Following hard in the track, he soon spied one of the enemy, who clapped his gun across his breast, made towards Mr. Church, and beckoned to him with his hand. Mr. Church immediately commanded no man to hurt him, hop

* Six Captains were killed. Captains Davenport, Gardiner and Johnson of Massachusetts; Gallop, Siely and Marshall of Connecticut. No mention is made that any officers were killed belonging to Plymouth.

ing by him to have gained some intelligence of the enemy, that might be of advantage. But it unhappily fell out, that a fellow that had lagged behind, coming up, shot down the Indian; to Mr. Church's great grief and disappointment. But immediately they heard a great shout of the enemy, which seemed to be behind them or between them and the fort; and discovered them running from tree to tree to gain advantages of firing upon the English that were in the fort. Mr. Church's great difficulty now was, how to discover himself to his friends in the fort; using several inventions, till at length he gained an opportunity to call to, and informed a Sergeant in the fort, that he was there and might be exposed to their shots, unless they observed it. By this time he discovered a number of the enemy, almost within shot of him, making towards the fort. Mr. Church and his company were favoured by a heap of brush that was between them, and the enemy, and prevented their being discovered to them. Mr. Church had given his men their particular orders for firing upon the enemy. And as they were rising up to make their shot, the aforementioned Sergeant in the fort, called out to them, for God's sake not to fire, for he believed they were some of their friend Indians. They clapped down again, but were soon sensible of the Sergeant's mistake. The enemy got to the top of the tree, the body whereof the Sergeant stood upon, and there clapped down out of sight of the fort; but all this while never discovered Mr. Church, who observed them to keep gathering unto that place until there seemed to be a formidable black heap of them. "Now brave boys," said Mr. Church to his men, "if we mind our hits we may have a brave shot, and let our sign for firing on them, be their rising to fire into the fort." It was not long before the Indians rising up as one body, designing to pour a volley into the fort, when our Church nimbly started up, and gave them such a round vol

ley, and unexpected clap on their backs, that they, who escaped with their lives, were so surprised, that they scampered, they knew not whither themselves. About a dozen of them ran right over the log into the fort, and took into a sort of hovel that was built with poles, after the manner of a corn crib. Mr. Church's men having their cartridges fixed, were soon ready to obey his orders, which were immediately to charge and run [-]1 upon the hovel and overset it; calling as he ran on, to some that were in the fort, to assist him in oversetting it. They no sooner came to face the enemy's shelter, but Mr. Church discovered that one of them had found a hole to point his gun through right at him. But however [he] encouraged his company, and ran right on, till he was struck with three bullets; one in his thigh, which was near half cut off as it glanced on the joint of his hip bone; another through the gatherings of his breeches and drawers with a small flesh wound; a third pierced his pocket, and wounded a pair of mittens that he had borrowed of Captain Prentice; being wrapped up together, had the misfortune of having many holes cut through them with one bullet. But however he made shift to keep on his legs, and nimbly discharged his gun at them that had wounded him. Being disabled now to go a step, his men would have carried him off, but he forbid their touching of him, until they had perfected their project of oversetting the enemy's shelter; bid them run, for now the Indians had no guns charged. While he was urging them to run on, the Indians began to shoot arrows, and with one pierced through the arm of an Englishman that had hold of Mr Church's arm to support him. The English, in short, were discouraged and drew back. And by this time the English people in the fort had begun to set fire to the wigwams aud houses in the fort, which Mr. Church laboured hard to prevent. They told him

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[that] they had orders from the General to burn them. He begged them to forbear until he had discoursed with the General. And hastening to him, he begged to spare the wigwams, &c., in the fort from fire. [And] told him [that] the wigwams were musket proof; being all lined with baskets and tubs of grain and other provisions, sufficient to supply the whole army, until the spring of the year, and every wounded man might have a good warm house to lodge in, who otherwise would necessarily perish with the storms and cold; and moreover that the army had no other provisions to trust unto or depend upon; that he knew that the Plymouth forces had not so much as one [biscuit] left, for he had seen their last dealt out, &c. * The General advising a few words with the gentlemen that were about him moved towards the fort, designing to ride in himself and bring in the whole army; but just as he was entering the swamp one of his Captains met him, and asked him, whither he was going? He told him "In to the fort." The Captain laid hold of his horse and told him, [that] his life was worth an hundred of theirs, and [that] he should not expose himself. The General told him, that, he supposed the brunt was over, and that Mr. Church had informed him that the fort was taken, &c.; and as the case was circumstanced, he was of the mind, that it was most practicable for him and his army to shelter themselves in the fort. The Captain in a great heat replied, that Church lied; and told the General, that, if he moved another step, towards the fort he would shoot his horse under him. Then [bristled]2 up 2 [brusled]

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Thus the heroick Church discovered not only great bravery in battle, but judgment and forethought. Had his advice been taken, no doubt many lives would have been saved. It may be remarked, that notwithstanding. Mr. Church so distinguished himself in this fight, his name is not mentioned by our chief historians.