Pennacook Confederacy & Metacom's War
Colonial Era Boston 1675 A.D.
Introduction
“Metacom was furious at the Plymouth authorities for interfering in a Wampanoag concern… Metacom’s sense of grievance was aggravated as he reflected on the fact that when the English came, his father was a great man and the English a ‘little child’, yet Massoit had protected them from other Indians, given land and corn, and showed them how to plant. Now the English had a hundred times more land than the Wampanoags and treated them with contempt. To add insult to injury, the English accused Metacom of killing John Sassamon as a plot against the English.” - Utley & Washburn. pg. 55
Wampanoag Chief Massoit dies in 1661 at the age of 81. His son Alexander succeeds him. Alexander dies on the way home from Plymouth, where the Governor summoned Alexander to swear loyalty to their English allies. The natives suspect the English poisoned Alexander. Alexanders’ brother Philip, also known as Metacom, is next in line to become chief of the Wampanoags. Metacom becomes chief at 24 years old.
As tensions mounted through the spring and early summer of 1675, some of the whites in outlying settlements abandoned their farms…. Some Indians fired upon a few settlers who had remained in the semi-deserted village of Swansea. The only casualty was one Indian was killed in the skirmish. The next day, after the garrison head dismissed the Indian complaint over the killing, the Indians took matters into their own hands. They killed the Englishman who shot the Indian, his father and five other settlers. Thus King Philip’s war began. (summarized from Utley & Washburn. pg. 55)
Related
“In July, 1670, the Chelmsford town meeting ordered all male residents over fifteen years of age to provide a five-foot club with a knob on the end, to be left in the council building, to be used for public defense. Militia training was also conducted.” - Eno. Pg. 19
[1] The Pennacooks fight a bad war with the Tarrantines.
[2] 1660 A.D. Pennacook Chief Passaconoway abdicates to his son Wannalancit, making this statement.
‘White men are the sons of the morning. Never make war with them. Sure as you light the fires, the breath of heaven will turn the flame upon you and destroy you. Listen to my advice. Listen to it and live.’ Burtt, edited by Eno. pg. 1
[3] 1675 A.D. War breaks out between the Wampanoag led by Metacom against the English colonies in New England.
[4]
Metacom’s war leads to the rise of the Iroquois as crucial allies of the English in the American Northeast.
The significance of the role of the Iroquois - particularly the Mohawk nation - in Metacom’s War has been overlooked by historians… Francis Jennings has pointed out, it was the crushing blow dealt by the Iroquois, acting in alliance with the English, that defeated Metacom. - Utley and Washburn. pg. 60
[1] Feb 10, 1675 - 400 warriors burn Lancaster
[2] Feb 15 - Warriors attack Chelmsford resident Joseph Parker
[3] Feb 21 - Hundreds of warriors attack Medfield garrison
[4] Mar 13 - 400 Nipmuck warriors under One-Eyed John attack Groton
[5] Mar 18 - Another attack on Chelmsford
[6] By April 1676, Dunstable and Chelmsford alone are inhabited. The other frontier towns are abandoned.
“My heart breaks, I am ready to die.” - Metacom
[7] Capt. Church and Capt. Fuller land on Mount Hope looking for Metacom and his soldiers.
[8] The soldiers split their forces.
[9] A fight with the Wampanoag pushes the soldiers onto the beach in a heated battle - a ship saves the soldiers from being driven into the sea.
[10] English soldiers force concessions from other tribes under the accusation they are helping Metacom and the Wampanoag. Captain Samuel Mosley burns a Pennacook village to the north despite Wannalancet’s actions to stay out of the fighting.
[11] A few days after the beach fight the soldiers land again, get into another fight, and take heavy losses before retreating.
[12] Captain Church’s men destroy a Wampanoag fort in the winter. The destruction of the fort and killing of hundreds of warriors, women and children effectively break the Wampanoag.
[13] Captain Church’s find and kill Metacom in August 1676 as the Wampanoag’s are on their legs.
Notes
References
Utley, Robert M, and Wilcomb E Washburn. Indian Wars. Boston Mass., Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
Eno, Arthur Louis. Cotton Was King. 1976.