AN INDIAN WIGWAM
It quickly became clear that the day was lost unless the brave but scattered men, each of whom was fighting on his own hook, could have a leader, who would bring order out of the wild chaos. Suddenly the leader appeared, and not one of the amazed people could tell where he came from. He was tall, with a long, flowing white beard, and carried a sword in one hand. Swinging it over his head, he shouted his commands in the ringing tones of a trumpet, and with wonderful quickness brought order and confidence where all had been confusion in the leaderless defense.
Placing himself at their head, he led a charge which scattered the Indians like chaff. Then, when all danger had gone, the strange deliverer vanished as strangely as he had appeared. He had come, he had acted, and now he was gone.
Many believed he was more than a human being,—one sent by heaven to save them in their peril. But he was as much flesh and blood as those whom he had rescued, being no other than General Goffe, who had fled with another comrade from England, for having been one of the judges who sentenced Charles I. to the scaffold. When the son of the executed king came to the throne, after the death of Cromwell, and the passing away of the Commonwealth, Charles II. ordered the death of all those who had condemned his father. Goffe and Whalley fled to the American colonies, and though search was made for them, their friends kept them hidden, and they were never arrested. General Goffe was hiding in the house of one of these friends at Hadley at the time of the Indian attack. Peeping out, he saw the dreadful danger, caught up his sword and rushed to the defence. When all danger was over, he quietly went back to his hiding place, and lived a number of years afterward.
On the same day that Hadley was attacked, the Indians burned several houses and barns at Deerfield, and some weeks afterward Northfield was almost destroyed, a dozen settlers being slain. Captain Richard Beers hurried from Watertown with thirty-six men to the relief of Northfield, but in a fight on the road lost twenty of his troop. Beers retreated to a hill and fought until his ammunition was spent. Then he being killed, the others fled. The garrison at Northfield was saved by the arrival of one hundred men who went with the troops to Hadley.
About the middle of September, Captain Lathrop left Beverly with nearly a hundred men to bring in the corn, grain and valuable articles at Deerfield. In his command were "the very flower of Essex county," eighteen of them belonging to Deerfield. They finished threshing the grain, loaded it into wagons, and started for Hadley on the morning of the 18th. They had seen no signs of Indians, and halted near a small brook to rest. The weather was sultry, and they were tempted by the abundance of luscious grapes growing near. Leaving their weapons in the wagons, they began plucking and eating the fruit, but a large force of Indians had been stealthily following them all night, and now rushed upon them with such fury that only seven out of the whole number escaped.
Captain Mosely was scouting with seventy men, and, hearing the firing knew what it meant. He galloped in all haste to the place and attacked the Indians, but they are believed to have been under the command of Philip himself, and rallied and drove Mosely in turn. Then another force of English and friendly Mohegans appeared, and the Indians were driven off with the loss of nearly a hundred men. The waters of the little stream ran red that day, and it has ever since been known by the name of "Bloody Brook."
By this time the success of Philip had alarmed all New England. He kept drawing allies to his side, and it was soon learned that the powerful Narragansetts were about to join him. It was necessary, therefore, to strike a crushing blow at this ally. If they could be overthrown, little hope would be left to Philip, while, on the other hand, failure would be disastrous beyond measure to the greater part of New England. The campaign must be pushed with a vigor that would destroy Philip and his allies.
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Plymouth placed fifteen hundred armed men in the field, nearly one-half of whom were furnished by Massachusetts. To these were joined one hundred and fifty Mohegans, but they gave little help in the campaign that followed. Governor Josiah Winslow commanded this large body of troops.
The Narragansetts, to the number of more than three thousand, were gathered in an immense swamp at South Kingston, Rhode Island. Philip was there and meant to stay through the winter. The stronghold was one of the largest of its kind ever known on this continent, including fully five hundred wigwams, and covering three or four acres in the form of an island, which was surrounded by strong palisades on every side. The only path leading to the fort was a narrow footbridge of logs. Here enough food was collected to last the multitude of Indians until spring. The weather was very cold, and snow lay to the depth of two or three feet on the level. In these circumstances, the Narragansetts did not believe they were in any danger of molestation.