Within what was the original limits of Dartmouth, two or more houses were fortified and garrisoned, and besides these probably not another house in the whole township escaped destruction by the Indians. One of these fortified houses stood near the head of Aponeganset River, and was called Russell's garrison. The cellar of that house remained until within the memory of some still living, and other marks to show its site are even now discernible. Another garrison was maintained on the east side of Acushnet River, a short distance from what is called the Isle of Marsh.

October 14, 1675, the Colonial Court at Plymouth enacted:

'This Court, taking into their serious consideration the tremendous dispensations of God towards the people of Dartmouth in suffering the barbarous heathen to spoil and destroy most of their habitations, the enemy being greatly advantaged thereunto by their scattered way of living, do therefore order that in the rebuilding and resettling thereof that they so order it as to live compact together, at least in each Village, as they may be in a capacity both the defend themselves from the assault of an enemy, and the better to attend the public worship of God and ministry of the word of God, whose carelessness *(III-47) to obtain [100] and attend unto we fear may have been a provocation to God thus to chastise their contempt of his gospel, which we earnestly desire the people of that place may seriously consider of, lay to heart and be humbled for, with a solicitous endeavour after a reformation thereof, by a vigorous putting forth to obtain an able faithful dispenser of the word of God amongst them, and to incourage him therein, the neglect whereof this Court as they must and God willing they will not permit for the future.'

These "tremendous dispensations," as nearly as I can learn, occurred at Dartmouth in June, 1675, and probably during the time that intervened between King Philip's leaving Mount Hope and going over to Pocasset, until he was pursued by the English army quartered at Swansea.

Jacob Mitchell and wife and John Pope were among the slain at Dartmouth. Mitchell was identical with the Jacob Mitchell commissioned ensign of Dartmouth Militia March 4, 1674. (See page 65 of this book.)

Plymouth Colony Records, vol. v. page 205, state that an Indian named "John Num owned that hee was of that companie that murdered Jacob Mitchell and his wife and John Pope."

Middleborough (what is now Middleborough and Lakeville) was abandoned *(III-48) by its English inhabitants at about the same date that Dartmouth was destroyed. Freetown had not yet been incorporated, but was purchased of the Indians April 2, 1659, or more than sixteen years earlier than the breaking out of King Philip's war. It was then known as the "Freemen's Land at Taunton River," and had been to a considerable [101] extent settled by the English; but, like the pioneers of Dartmouth and Middleborough, so were those at Freetown forced to flee. *(III-49) At Middleborough a house was fortified, and a garrison for a time maintained, but ultimately all probably fled to Plymouth. What is now Freetown *(III-50) and Berkley, so far as I can learn, made no effort to maintain the ground, but fled 'en masse' to Taunton. A man named Babbett, of that part of Taunton now Berkley, was slain.

To be a little more minute and particular concerning the details of King Philip's operations in the Pocasset swamp briefly noticed on the 95th page of this book, I will now add that Drake's excellent "Book of the Indians" states that it was on the 18th of July, 1675, and the number of English pursuers was sufficient to nearly encompass the swamp, and the fate of King Philip was now thought sealed. A few Indian warriors showed themselves on the edge of the swamp, upon whom the English soldiers rushed with ardor, the Indians meanwhile retreating; and by this feint the English were drawn far into an ambuscade, fired upon, and about fifteen of their number slain. The density of the foliage, together with the lateness of the hour in the day when the battle began, rendered the swamp so dark that the English could scarcely distinguish friend from foe; and, as said an ancient writer, [102] "whereby tis verily feared that the English themselves did sometimes unhappily shoot Englishmen instead of Indians."

That King Philip's forces there assembled were numerous is rendered reasonably certain from the fact that a hundred wigwams, newly constructed of green bark, were found near the edge of the Pocasset swamp. The English captured an aged Indian, who informed them that King Philip was in the swamp and conducting the battle in person. An anonymous writer at that time stated that King Philip lost a brother who was slain in this fight. I shall have occasion to allude to this statement again, when arriving at the genealogical part of this work.

It is quite safe to conclude that the loss on the part of the Indians was small, and probably less than that sustained by the English. That Pocasset swamp, says Mr. Drake, "was upon a piece of country which projected into Taunton River, and was nearly seven miles in extent. ... After being guarded here 13 days, which in the end was greatly to his advantage and afforded him time to provide canoes in which to make his escape, he passed the river with most of his men, and made good his retreat." (See Appendix.)

While King Philip and his warriors were in the swamp at Pocasset, the English received a reinforcement sent to them by the Indian chief Uncas, and consisting of about fifty Mohegan Indians, led by Oneko. *(III-51) This body of friendly Indians arrived at Boston on or about the 26th of July, 1675. A few Natick Indians were added to this company, and the whole sent to Plymouth, being conducted thither by a company [103] of cavalry under command of Quartermaster Swift. *(III-52) The governor of Plymouth Colony ordered these Indian allies to repair to Rehoboth, where they arrived the night before King Philip crossed Seekonk Plain 'en route' for the Nipmuck country, and where he sustained an attack from the Rehoboth home-guards led by Rev. Noah Newman, referred to on page 95 of this book. In that fight, Oneko with his Mohegan and Natick Indians assisted the Rev. Noah Newman and his home-guards. King Philip did not lose many men in this Rehoboth battle, yet he sustained a severe injury in the death of his great captain and counsellor, Woonashum alias Nimrod. The Rev. Noah Newman, in a letter describing the event, said that "14 of the enemy's principal men were slain." (See Appendix.)

Early in September some 9 or 10 persons were slain by the Indians in the woods of Northfield, *(III-53) Mass., and some escaped to a garrisoned house. The day after this took place, and while it was yet unknown at Hadley, Capt. Beers, *(III-54) with 36 mounted infantry, were sent by Major Robert Treat to convey provisions to the garrisoned house in Northfield. Capt. Beers route was through the present towns of Sunderland and Montague, and the tract called Erving's Grant, then a continued forest through which was an imperfect road, a distance of nearly 30 miles, and though continually [104] exposed to attacks, he passed several difficult places without seeing an Indian. At a distance of about two miles from the garrison house in Northfield, the route lay over a deep swampy ravine, through which ran a brook emptying into the Connecticut river. Capt. Beers had caused his men to dismount, so difficult was the passage for the soldiers and accompanying baggage. The approach of Beers being discovered by the Indians, they formed an ambuscade consisting of a large body, and lay waiting to attack him both in front and flank, and quite a portion of the English fell at their first fire. Capt. Beers with his remaining men fell back to a hill about three fourths of a mile, where, for some time, they bravely maintained the ground against the overwhelming force of the Indians, till Beers was slain and the survivors, save one, *(III-55) made good their escape.

Two days later, Major Robert Treat, with one hundred men, arrived on the ground where Capt. Beers was defeated, when the bodies of some of the slain were found to have been beheaded and the heads elevated on poles, and one corpse was suspended to the limb of a tree by a chain hooked into the under jaw, the scene being heart chilling, soul sickening, and appalling.

Major Treat proceeded to the garrison house at Northfield, found its inmates unharmed, but brought off these with all other English inhabitants of the town. The Indians soon after destroyed all the houses and almost or quite everything valuable. The place where Capt. Beers fell is a sandy knoll on the west [105] side of the road, and is called Beers Mountain. The bones of the slain in this action were a few years since found bleaching in the sun on "Beers Plain," where the battle began. For this account I am mainly indebted to Barber's Historical Collections of Mass., pages 266 and 267.

September 18, 1675. Capt. Thomas Lothrop, *(III-56) of Beverly, and his company, were escorting a train of teams loaded with wheat that was being conveyed from what is now Deerfield *(III-57) to Hadley. They had proceeded about three miles through a level and closely wooded country, and prepared at any moment for an attack on either side, but received none, nor could they get trace of the presence of any Indians.