At u - 1923
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SOURCE.
Connecticut State Library
A LETTER
Written by Cap' WAIT WlNTHROP
from M- SMITHS in Narragansett
T o
Govr JOHN WlNTHROP
of the
Colony of CONNECTICUT
ISSUED at the General Court of the SOCIETY OF COLONIAL
WARS in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
by its
Governor, H E N R Y D E X T E R SHARPE, Esq.
and the
Council of the Society
August 8, 1919
PROVIDENCE : Printed for the Society by the Standard Printing Co. from
the original MS in the Archives of the State of Connecticut
cCo- 1 f.-•?:-' 1 Su 1 • "
HE General Court of Connecticut was
not sitting when King Philip's War
broke out in June, 1675. The news
of the uprising reached Hartford " by-letters
post from Stoneington & New London" with
a request " for ayd" and the Governor, John Win-throp,
with the Assistants met on July 1 and acted
at once. They ordered forty men to be sent to those
towns, with Nicholas Olmstead, a veteran of the
Pequot war as lieutenant, and, as Major John Win-throp
was sick and Major Palmes absent, they
appointed Captain Wait Winthrop to command the
forces of New London County.
It is this Captain Waitstill or Wait Winthrop, the
younger of the two sons of John Winthrop, Gov-ernor
of Connecticut, who writes from Mr. Richard
Smith's house at Narragansett, on July 9, 1675, the
letter which is here printed, entire, for the first time,
by the courtesy of the State of Connecticut, through
its State Librarian, Mr. George S. Godard.*
* The letter is officially known as Connecticut Archives, War
Vol /, Document 6.
[ i i ]
1 4 S O 0 0 .
The Forces of Plymouth and Massachusetts had
made little headway in their campaign about Swan-zey
and Pocasset. Philip had escaped them with
hardly diminished numbers, and no check whatever
had been put on the Indian outbreak. The authori-ties
at Boston, therefore, turned their attention to the
Narragansetts who, they claimed, were harboring
the old men, women and children of the Wampa-noags,
and dispatched their troops to negotiate— or
compel— a treaty, with hostages, whereby Canonchet
and his Sachems should give up to the tender mercies
of the Bay the helpless refugees.
Trumbull and Hutchinson both say that Capt.
Wait Winthrop and Mr. Smith were commissioners
from Connecticut about this same business, and it
was this which seems to have brought the young
Connecticut officer from the defence of New
London to the difficult and delicate negotiations at
Narragansett.
The letter throws a great deal of light on an epi-sode
generally passed over by the historian in a few
sentences, and reveals a striking and interesting dif-
[ i i ]
ference of view between the Massachusetts envoys
and the Connecticut captain who seems to have
shared and supported the thought of Roger Williams.
The Bay had sent Captain Thomas Savage, whose first
wife had been Faith Hutchinson, daughter of
William and Ann, and who, as one of the Antino-mians,
agreed to go to Aquidneck though he is not
of record there, and Savage's brother- in- law Captain
Edward Hutchinson. With these two, both of
whom were of the moderate party in dealing with
the Indians, had been sent Captain Samuel Mosely,
an ex- pirate—" privateer at Jamaica" was the more
polite phrase used by one of his contemporaries—
and with these three, and probably under Mosely's
immediate command, were 120 " volunteers from
Boston" as Winthrop puts it; " about five score
privateers, resolved men" (!) Roger Williams called
them. Mosely was a man such as one would
expect from the description of him, utterly lacking in
humane feeling and troubled by few if any scruples
where Indians were concerned, and altogether the
last envoy to be sent to a people like the Narragan-
[ i i ]
setts under a Sachem as proud and independent as
Canonchet. Savage, if his conduct of the Pocasset
campaign is any criterion, was a slow and perhaps
ineffectual man, and it was probably thought that, if
he and Hutchinson were too lenient, Mosely would
keep them up to their work. Joseph Dudley and
Roger Williams— the only man fit for the embassy—
had come with the three captains, but this letter
reveals no trace of their presence.
The upshot of the matter was the bringing in
after some trouble, for the Indians, strangely enough,
kept away, of four subordinate men, counsellors or
warriors, who signed such a treaty as the Bay gov-ernor
required Savage, Hutchinson and Mosely to
bring back. On October i 8 Canonchet reaffirmed
this agreement in Boston and agreed to deliver up
the Indian Refugees within ten days. He did not
so deliver them, and the Swamp Fight campaign
was his punishment.
E D W I N AYLSWORTH BURLINGAME
N O R M A N MORRISON ISHAM
CHARLES E D W A R D CANNON
[ i i ]
The Letter
Honored Sr *
Upon our march at Pacatuck riuer I met with thofe letters1 —
from mr Williams and Cap! Hutchinfon2 which I pofted away to
goe with the letter I left at mr Richardfons3 by Thomas
Hancok to yourselfe, and fo marched on till I met with Nenegraft
nere his old fort, where we discorsed wth him a great part of the
afternoone, the burthen of his difcors ftill was about the coate king
Charles fent him, ( which he had then on) and that had engaged his
heart to the Englifh, but when I preft him to fhew his fidelyty
to the Englifh by delivering a hoftage to vs, he would ftill put it
of with other difcours, till at length it growing late and I ftill prefsing
for a pofsitue anfware, he told me he could not giue any hoftage, but if
any of Philips men fhould com to him he would deliver them to the
englifh, but he wondred we should take the pequots with out his
knowledge, I made him this answare that the Pequots weare the english
mens fervants and came with us to fhew theire fidelyty and that
he had nothing to doe with them, Soe I tooke leaue of him and came
that night to Petaquamfcutt, 4 and hereing there that Capt. Huchifon
had that day bin treateing wth the Sachems here, ( who apered with all
the force they were able to make in all the Narowgansett Cuntry, wth a
great deale of insolency,) I prefently fent back order to Stoneington
by two of Squamacutt5 men that were goeing in the night to Pacatuck, if
thofe forces which weare expected from Saybrooke fhould ftop at
* The letter is addressed: To
John Winthrop, Esqr At the top in John Allyn's hand :
Gov of the Coloney of Capff Wayt Winthrop
Conecticott July 12 : 1675 :
In
Hartford
these
[ i i ]
Stonington to fecure those places, in cafe the masathusets men fhould
fall on thefe Indians before notice might be fent: this moring we came
from petaquamscut hether wher we found Capt. Huchifon2 and Cap!-
mofely6 and mr Smith7 wth 120 volunteres from Bofton wth order
from the Governr to demand hoftages from the Narrowgansets
or els to let them know that thay fhould looke at them as yr enemyes,
and abetters wth Philip, the Bay and Plimoth feem to be refolved to
make thorow work wth all the indians either to make them fit ftill
or els to diftroy them if god fhall inable them, they haue about 700
men in the feild; it is like to be a troublefome time, and I feare
will be found more difficult than is imagined to hunt fuch wolues
vnlefse god help by fom eminent prouidence, I haue about 60 of the
Pequots with me well armed with Robin and Momoho, which if thay
proue true as I haue no caufe to fufpect them thay may doe good seruice
if there be occation; thay desire that I would write that theire wifes and
chilldren might be under the protection of the englifh soldiers, our troop
which are about fixty, ( which I made up at Stoning[ ton]
and N. London, becaufe I knew not whether any of thofe from Saybrook
wold be time enough with me to march) are gon back againe this after
noone to quarter at Jer: Bulls, 8 where there is about 16 of the neibours
it being a convenient larg ftone house with a good ston wall yard before it
which is a kind of fmall fortyfycation to it. mr Mynard and myfelf stay
here this
[ end of first sheet]
this night that we might the more conveniently here wl intellegence is
coming, and be redy to advife with the officers here, to morrow I purpofe to fe
them with a gard of Cap1 Moselyes men, I intend to be there with them
till I here farther order from yourselfe; thay intend to ly ftill likewife at
[ i i ]
mr Smiths till thay here from Bofton, haueing Just now fent a boate away to
Swanfy with the Sachems anfware that thay will not deliver any hostage
which Capt. Sauige comander in cheife pofts away to Bofton wth a gard,
If I had not com when I did thay were aduifeing to fend for theire
forces and fet on them forthwith, but I aduifed by all meanes that
thay might put the matter of for the present by telling them that we
wold fend yr anfware to both the Colloneyes and wold stay here till we
had anfwares back againe, that thay might haue time to confider what
mifcheife thay might bring themfelues to if thay fhould continue obstinate
by this meanes yr will be no acts of hoftillyty I hope yet
though thay fhot arrowes into fome hogs of mr Smiths and others as thay went
away yefterday and matters feeme to run high with them, I here the Gen:
Court is to fitt, I defire as fpedy a returne as may be, if the Bay and
plimoth fhould engage of necefsity I muft ftand by them, tho I haue
no order to fight unlefs thay afsolt us if we fhould ftay, care muft be
taken about bread here is plenty of flefh, fom other perticulars I could
write but time calls me to haft away the poft, therfore defireing yours wth
the prayers of all other good people, I take leaue to fubscribe my felfe
Your obedient fon
W. Winthrop
I prefent my humble fervis to all
the gentlemen with my love to my lifters
from mr smiths, fryday at night July, g4.11 1675.
mr Smith and his wife prefent theire fervis to you.
[ 23]
/<? r~ Kjr
Q
1
Notes
8$
i. These letters are probably those of June 27 and July 7
addressed, the former to Gov. Winthrop, the latter to Wait
Winthrop himself. To these should possibly be added those to
Gov. Winthrop, dated June 13 and 25.
The letters to Gov. Winthrop are to be found in the Narra-gansett
Club's Publications, volume VI, pp. 363, 366 and 370.
That to Wait Winthrop is in the Publications of the Rhode Island
Historical Society, vol. VIII, p. 154. The last letter is so essen-tial
to an understanding of the situation that we reprint it.
TO WAIT WINTHROP, JULY 7, 1 6 7 5 .1
From Mr Smiths July 7, 75 ( ut vulgo
Sir this last second day in the morning five troopers came
from Swanzy to me bringing the Governour and councils Letter
from Boston to me with there desire of my accompanying Cap'
Huchinson ( then at Swanzy) to Nahiggonck from Swanzy, I
came to Nahiggonsik and Cap1 Moseley of Boston and about five
score privateers with him resolved men : Cap' Huchinson hath
sent again and again for the Sachims, they can not yet agree
upon a Meeting, nor when they meet ( without Gods Extraordinary
hand) can I think they will agree, but that there will be blows
and bloodshed and the fire kindled : Cap4 Huchinsin is writing
to you himself and I think it best to supside that point, though I
judge there is great ( if possible) of your concurrence fearing that
God may suffer the barbarians to put our small company to some
inconveniencies : five days since Cap' Cudworth, Cap' Bradford,
Cap' Fuller with upwards of two hundred from Plymouth, as also
Cap' Savidge Cap' Prentice, Cap' Page and with about two
hundred from the Bay drove Phillip's Neck ( Mount Hope) but
found not him nor any indian : Since they are divided and the
Plymouth forces, I met them on their march persuing Philip
towards Rehoboth, Taunton, Bridgwater & c and Cap' Savidge
persuing him this way towards the Nahiggonsik : The barbarians
have Slain 14 persons and burnt twenty houses in and about
1 From a copy of the letter, possessed by the Society, " Moses Brown Papers," XVIII. 118.
[ i i ]
Swanzey. They have burned many farm houses about Providence
and wounded 3 of our men. The forces at Swansey could meet
with no company of Indians yet they kill'd 4 Indians, and we at
Providence five or six. Sir the messenger stays, I pray impart
these to Mr Avery, and Wetherell : Mr Smith and myself pre-sent
our Lo. respects to your honourable Gouernour and Magis-trates
and yourselves. I humbly beg of God to give council and
streangth in this dangerous hour, and to turn all, to his own
praise, and this countrys safety, and the joy of them that truly
love and trust in him.
Sir your most unworthy Servant
ROGER WILLIAMS
[ Endorsed :] " Copy— Roger Williams Lr= to Cap4 Wait Winthrop
at New London, Stonington or Elsewhere.
July 7^ 1675. Copied 7mo 31st by
William J. Harris, 1826."
2. Edward Hutchinson, 1613— 1675, was the son of William
and the famous Ann Hutchinson. He went back to Boston from
Newport or from Long Island. His sister Faith was the first
wife of Capt. Thomas Savage. He was a partner with Winthrop
and Atherton in the Quidnesset and Namcook purchases and in
the Narragansett mortgage. His son Elisha was also a partner.
3. Amos Richardson of Boston and Stonington was another
partner in the Narragansett purchases and mortgage. He bought
land in New London as early as 1653. He later acquired a large
grant in Stonington. He was sued by Capt. Mason for calling
the latter a traitor, and was fined £ 100 and costs. He died in
Stonington Aug. 5, 1683. By his will he left his mortgage lands
to his sons Stephen and Samuel.
4. Jireh Bull's house is meant. There must even then have
been quite a settlement around it on Tower Hill.
5. Squamacutt was the Indian name for Westerly. Pawcatuck
must have meant the Connecticut settlement at the river of that
name, as it does now.
[ i i ]
•
6. Samuel Mosely, son of Henry, was born in Boston, June
14, 1641. He was a cooper by trade, and had been " an old
Privateer at Jamaica." See the chapter on " Capt. Samuel Mosely
and his Company" in Bodge's *' Soldiers in King Philip's War."
7. This was Richard Smith, Jr. It was at his house, on the
present Babbitt Farm at Cocumscussuc, a mile or so north of
Wickford, that Capt. Winthrop's letter was written.
8. Major Thomas Savage married for his first wife Faith
Hutchinson, daughter of William and Ann. He was thus
brother- in- law of Edward Hutchinson, associated with him in this
mission. He was born in Taunton, England. He died 1682. See
Bodge, quoted above, page 87.
9. Jireh Bull's house stood part way up the eastern slope of
Tower Hill on that portion of the Bull- Dyer farm, so- called, which
is now owned by Mr. Samuel Peckham. A series of mounds,
betrayed as stone heaps by the outcropping fragments, and
marked, in part as a rectangle by an old growth of buckthorns,
has always been the traditional site of what is generally called the
Block House, burned by the Indians on December 15, 1675. As
Bull, who was a son of Henry of Newport, was, like his father, a
Quaker, this is a misnomer, though it did certainly serve as a
refuge for the people of the neighborhood. If one follows the
Middle Bridge or Tower Hill road down into the valley of the
Narrow River and turns to the right, or toward the south, he will
see, just before the turn to the bridge, a triangular piece of
meadow in the south- west corner of which is a bar- way. Beyond
this an old road zig- zags up the hill. By following this road up
to and beyond the stone wall, one will find a trail to the left or
south which will bring him to the site.
The excavations made here are described in a separate publica-tion,
issued by this Society.
[ i i ]
