NEW ENGLANDS WARR Viſibly Ended.
IN my laſt, which I hope you received, I muſt acknowledge what I writ (though truth) yet I had not that comfortable ſatisfaction in my ſpirit, to give me hopes, that our publique Calamities were ſo near an end as now I have, which God in Mercy ſanctifie to us, that we may ſee the Rod, and wherefore it is come.
We have been, and ſtill are ready to put different Reflections upon the Murders and Spoils that have been made upon us by this Deſtructive War: Various are mens thoughts why God hath ſuffered it, all acknowledge it was for ſin; many wiſh there hath not been ſome leaven of that ſpirit in the provocation for which we left Old England: I am in great pain while I write, to remember how ſevere ſome of us have been to Deſſenters, making Spoil without pity, but God is teaching us Moderation.
That black cloud (God be thanked) begins to waſte almoſt to nothing, which may not only give us an hopefull opportunity of repairing the Spoils made by our Barbarous Neighbours, but alſo deliberating upon the true cauſes of theſe great diſtractions: for now we have no viſible appearance of an Enemy: Terrour is fallen upon very many, who come in dayly with ſubmiſſion, and the reſt withdraw into places remote, hiding their weapons of War, and flying from Juſtice in ſmall Numbers.
King Philip, who hath been a peſtilent Ringleader, that had once three hundred men (Barbarouſly inclined) as I told you in my laſt, was reduced to ten, but now is killed, in this manner. He being hid in a Swamp on Mount Hope-neck, with his little Party, one of his Indians being diſcontented with him, made an eſcape from him, and came to Rhode-Iſland, and informed Captain Church a Plimouth-Captain of a Company that was in ſearch after this ſaid King Philip, (the Captain being at this time on the ſaid Iſland, refreſhing his men with Neceſſary Proviſions) but underſtanding where King Philip was, and that he intended very ſpeedily to remove far off, to provide his Winter-quarters, retaining ſtill the ſame Barbarous ſpirit and purpoſes, without the leaſt appearance of reluctancy or offers of Mediation, towards his ſurrender to Mercy; whereupon2 the ſaid Captain and his company with ſome Rhode-Iſland men went in purſuit and ſearch after him, taking an Indian Guide with them, and beſet a Swamp where they heard he was, which was very miry, and the ground ſo looſe, that our men ſunk to the middle in their attempts, to come at this ſculking Company, but all in vain, the paſſage was to difficult.
While we were thus beſet with difficulties in this attempt, the Providence of God wonderfully appeared; for by chance the Indian Guide and the Plimouth man, being together, the Guide eſpied an Indian, and bids the Plimouth-man ſhoot, whoſe gun went not off, only flaſhed in the pan; with that the Indian look'd about, and was going to ſhoot, but the Plimouth-man prevented him, and ſhot the Enemy through the body, dead, with a brace of Bullets; and approaching the place where he lay, upon ſearch, it appeared to be King Philip, to their no ſmall amazement and great joy: This ſeaſonable Prey was ſoon divided, they cut off his head, and hands, and conveyed them to Rhode-Iſland, and quartered his body, and hung it upon four Trees: One Indian more of King Philips Company they then killed, and ſome of the reſt they wounded, but the Swamp being ſo thick and miry, they made their Eſcape.
This is the ſubſtance of this Enterprize, and the ſmall remnant we left as inconſiderable, who muſt either fly up into the Countrey ▪ or periſh in the place.
There is one Potuck, a miſcheivous Engine, and a Counſellour, taken formerly, ſaid to be in Goal at Rhode-Iſland, is now ſent to Boſton, and there ſhot to death. One Quonepin a young luſty Sachem, and a very Rogue is now in Goal at Rhode-Iſland, who was there ſome years ago for his Miſdemeanours, but broke Goal, and run away, and could never till now be laid hold on.
God be thanked, many Indians come in daily, and ſubmit themſelves with much dejection, crying out againſt King Phillip, and other ill Counſellors, as the cauſes of their Misfortunes.
The Engliſh go many of them now to their Old Habitations, and Mow down their Ground, and make hay, and do other occaſions neceſſary for their re-ſetling: All which gives us comfortable hope, that God will graciouſly repair our breaches, and cauſe this Bloody War to End in a laſting Peace, So prays,