1673. Freemen of Carolina choose re presentatives. Thomas Prince, governor of Plymouth colony, died, in the 73d year of his age.1 1674. ALL the freemen of Carolina, meeting by summons at Charlestown, elected representatives, to make laws for the government of the colony. There were now a colonial governor, an upper and a lower house of assembly; and these three branches took the name of parliament, according to the constitutions. This was the first parliament that passed acts, which were ratified by liament on the proprietaries, and preserved in the records of the colony.2 The proprietaries transmitted to Carolina vines and other useful plants, and men skilled in the management of them.3 First par record. Feb. 9. Treaty beEngtween land & Hol land re. stores N. Netherlands to the English. A treaty of peace between England and the States General of Holland was signed at Westminster. The sixth article of this treaty restored New Netherlands to the English,* and the English territories in Guiana to the Dutch. On this pacification, the duke of York, to remove all doubt and controversy respecting property in America, took out a new patent from the king. This grant recited and confirmed the former. It empowered the duke to govern the inhabitants by such ordinances, as he or his assigns should establish; and to administer justice according his 1 Cotton, Supplement to Morton's Memorial, 345. Mather, Magnal. b. 2. 6. Mr. Prince arrived at Plymouth in 1621. In 1634 he was chosen governor, and again in 1638; and, on the death of governor Bradford, 1657, he was chosen to succeed him, and continued to be annually chosen as long as he lived. Governor Prince was often employed in other important offices. He was of the council of war; treasurer of the colony at one time; and, for many years, one of the assistants, and a commissioner of the United Colonies. He appears to have been alike distinguished for piety and patriotism; for usefulness in the church and in the community. He was a patron of learning, and procured revenues for the support of grammar schools in Plymouth colony. He was one of the first planters of Eastham, in 1644; but, when afterwards chosen governor, he removed back to Plymouth, where he died. "His integrity was proverbial, and his industry, energy, and sound judgment, rendered him a very useful instrument in conducting the affairs of the rising colony." Davis. The Plymouth Church Records testify: "He was excellently qualified for the office of GoverHe had a countenance full of majesty, and therein, as well as otherwise, was a terror to evil doers." A very valuable memoir of him and his family, by Judge Davis, is inserted in his edition of Morton, 421-425. See also Eliot and Allen, Biog. Dict. nour. 2 Hewatt, i. 74, 75. Ramsay, Hist. S. Carolina, i. 35. Chalmers, b. 1. 540. Sir John Yeamans, reduced to a feeble and sickly condition by the warm climate and his indefatigable labours for the success of the settlement, returned to Barbadoes, where he died. Joseph West, who is justly celebrated for his courage, wisdom, and moderation, succeeded him in the government. 3 Chalmers, b. 1. 531. See A. D. 1680. 4 Smith, N. York, i. 31. Univ. Hist. xxxix. 349. 5 Bancroft, Guiana, 10. Encyc. Methodique, Geog. Art. SURINAM. Baneroft says, "in exchange ;" but it was on the principle of uti possidetis; for the treaty provided, "that whatsoever may have been taken, during the war, shall be restored to the former possessor." Chalmers, b 1. 579. 1674. to the laws of England, allowing an appeal to the king in council. It prohibited trade thither without his permission. It allowed the provincials to import merchandises, but required them "to pay customs according to the laws of the realm." Under the authority of this charter the duke ruled New York until his accession to the throne of England. The duke of York now commissioned major Edmund Andros to be governor of New E. Andros York and all his territories from the western bank of the Con- made gov necticut to the farther shore of the Delaware. In October the Dutch resigned their authority to Andros, who immediately received the submission of the inhabitants.1 ernor of N. York. grate to After the English conquest of New Netherlands, many of the Dutch colDutch colonists determined to emigrate. They were offered onists emilands by proprietors of Carolina, who sent two ships for their trans- Carolina. portation, and brought a considerable number of them to Charlestown. The surveyor general of the colony had instructions to mark out lands for them on the southwest side of Ashley river. They drew lots for a division, and formed a town, which was called James Town. This was the first colony of Dutch settlers in Carolina.2 Surinam It being now stipulated between the king of England and the English at States General of Holland, that the articles of the treaty of remove to Breda pertaining to the surrender of the colony of Surinam to Jamaica. those States should be fully executed; ships were sent, and, in this, and the following year, 1200 persons, including negroes, were transported from Surinam to Jamaica.3 Petaquamscut and the adjacent parts, in the colony of Rhode Kingston Island, were incorporated by the name of Kingston.4 incorpo. rated. The only printing press in Massachusetts had hitherto been at Printing Cambridge. This year liberty was granted by the general court press in for erecting one elsewhere; and about this time John Foster set Boston. up a press in Boston.5 Daniel Gookin, of Cambridge, completed his Historical Col- D. Gookin's lections of the Indians, in New England; which furnish an of Indians. 1 Chalmers, b. 1. c. 19. This submission reached "as far westward as the Delaware," but could not be exacted "to the Connecticut." See A. D. 1675. Smith, N. York, i. 32. Smith, N. Jersey, 110. Trumbull, i. 326. xxxix 362. Brit. Emp. ii. 210, 400, 401. Univ. Hist. 2 Hewatt, i. 73, 74. Ramsay, Hist. S. Car. i. 4. Afterward finding their situation too limited, they spread themselves over the country, and the town was deserted. Their industry surmounted incredible hardships, and their success induced many from ancient Belgia afterwards to follow them to the western world. Hewatt. 3 Anderson, A. D. 1674. See A. D. 1667. "Peace of Breda," Note 2. 4 Callender, 39. 5 Thomas, Hist. Printing, i. 276. For the better regulation of the press, it was ordered and enacted, that the reverend Thomas Thacher and Increase Mather of Boston be added to the former licensers. Collections 1674. account of their numbers, customs, manners, religion, government, and condition.1 Quebec. Deaths. Andros de necticut Quebec was made a bishopric.2 John Oxenbridge, minister of Boston, died.3 Thomas Willet, first mayor of New York, died, in the 64th year of his age. Waban, a Nonantum Indian, distinguished among the Christianized Naticks, died at Natick, aged 70 years.5 1675. ANDROS, governor of New York, made efforts to acquire the mands Con- country lying westward of Connecticut river; but he was efterritory. fectually frustrated by the spirited conduct of the colony of Connecticut. That country had been conferred on the duke of York, though it had been possessed by the Connecticut colonists since the year 1637, and confirmed to them by a royal charter in 1662.6 On their receiving intelligence, that Andros was about to invade the colony, and to demand a surrender of its most important posts to the duke of York, detachments of the militia of Connecticut were sent to New London and Saybrook. In July, Andros arrived at Saybrook with an armed force, and demanded a surrender of the fortress and town; but captain Bull, of Hartford, arriving at this juncture with a party of militia, raised the king's colours, and made an instant show of resistance, which prevented his farther procedure. The assem 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. i. 142. This work was dedicated to king Charles II, and seems to have been prepared for publication; but it was not published until the year 1792, when it was printed in the Collections of the Massachusetts Hist. Society [i. 141-227.]. From this respectable authority we learn the numbers of the principal Indian nations in New England, in 1674. Within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts there were 7 old towns of "Praying Indians," containing 99 families and 495 souls, and 7 other towns of Praying Indians, called the New Praying towns in the Nipmuck country, containing 605 souls: In all, 14 towns and about 1100 souls, "yielding obedience to the gospel." In Plymouth colony there were 497 Praying Indians, of whom 142 read Indian, 72 wrote, 9 read English. Martha's Vineyard contained at least 300 families, and they were generally praying Indians; and the island of Nantucket, about 300 families, many of whom were praying Indians. See TABLES at the end. 2 Charlevoix, Nouv. France, i. Henault, ii. 174. 3 Mather, Magnal. b. 3. 221. Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 300; vi. 5 (Introd.). He was educated at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. In the persecution of Nonconformists, A. D. 1662, he went to Surinam; thence he went to Barbadoes; thence, in 1669, to New England, where he succeeded Mr. Davenport, as pastor of the first church in Boston. Magnal. He was one of "the most popular ministers" in New England. Chalmers, b. 1. 435. 4 He was of Swanzey, in Plymouth colony. Mr. Willet was the first mayor of the city of New York after the Conquest. He lies buried in Swanzy, now Barrington in Rhode Island, 6 miles south of Providence on Narraganset Bay, where he died Aug. 4, 1674, Æt. 64, as I copied from his Gravestone." Dr. Stiles, Memorandum, written in his copy of Smith's History of New York. 5 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. v. 263. See an "Exhortation of Waban," Neal, c. 6. 6 Chalmers, b. 1. 581. bly of the colony, then in session, immediately drew up a protest, and sent it by express to Saybrook, with instructions to captain Bull, to propose to major Andros a reference of the affair in controversy to commissioners. Andros, with his suite, was permitted to land. The proposal of a reference to commissioners was rejected. Andros, in his majesty's name, commanded that the duke's patent, and his own commission, should be read; Bull, in his majesty's name, commanded him to forbear reading. The clerk still persisting in his attempt to read, Bull repeated his interdict with such energy of voice and decision of manner, as to silence him. He then read the assembly's protest; and Andros, despairing of success, abandoned his design, and returned to New York.I 369 1675. king Phil The memorable war between Philip, king of the Wampa- Commencenoags, and the New England colonists, now commenced. Sausa- ment of man, a friendly Indian, having given notice to the English of a ip's war. plot which he had discovered among Philip's Indians against the English, was soon after murdered. Three Indians, one of whom was a counsellor and particular friend of Philip, were convicted of the murder, at Plymouth court, and executed.2 Philip, apprehensive of personal danger, used no farther means to exculpate himself either from the charge of conspiracy, or of having concern in the death of Sausaman; but had recourse to arms. Finding his strength daily increasing by the accession of neighbouring Indians, he prepared for war. The Indians, having sent their wives and children to the Narragansets for security, began to alarm the English at Swanzey. After offering them insolent menaces, they proceeded to kill their cattle, and rifle their houses. Provoked by these abuses, an Englishman discharged his gun at an Indian, and gave him a mortal wound. The Indians instant- June 24. tilities. 28. ly fell on the English, and killed all in their power. Eight or First hosnine were slain in Swanzey and its vicinity, on the 24th of June; and on that day, the alarm of war was given in Plymouth colony. A company of foot under captain Daniel Henchman, Mass.forces another company of horse under captain Thomas Prentice, with arrive at 110 volunteers, marching from Boston, joined the Plymouth forces at Swanzey, on the 28th. Toward the evening of the Swanzey. same day, 12 men of the cavalry, passing over a bridge that led into Philip's lands for the purpose of discovery, were fired on by the Indians from the bushes; one was killed, and another, 1 Trumbull, Conn. i. 330. Governor Wolcott, in a MS. Memoir written for president Clap of Yale college, observes: "Sir Edmund Andros came in a vessel under King's colours to Saybrook, and demanded the fort; but captain Bull hoisted King's colours at the Fort, and refused to surrender it, and he went off." 2 This court was in June. Philip and several of the Indians had been previously examined; and, though they would own nothing, yet they "could not free themselves from just suspicion." Hubbard. VOL. I. June 29. They charge the enemy; 1675. whose horse was shot down under him, was wounded. The next morning, the shout of war was heard at half a mile's distance; and 9 or 10 Indians showed themselves on the English side of the bridge. Their challenge was instantly accepted. All the horse, with the entire body of volunteers under captain Mosely, chased them precipitately over the bridge, and pursued them a mile and a quarter beyond it. When the advanced soldiers were just retreating to the main guard, they discharged their guns on the Indians, who were running into a swamp, and killed 5 or 6 of them. This resolute charge of the English don Mount made great impression on the enemy; and Philip, with all his forces, left Mount Hope that very night, abandoning the country to the English.1 who aban Hope. July 15. Treaty with the Narra gansets. A party to Pocasset. The Indians, about this time, killed several of the English at Taunton; and burned about half the town of Swanzey, and the principal part of the towns of Namasket and Dartmouth.2 Captain Hutchinson arriving as commissioner from Massachusetts government, with orders to treat with the Narragansets, it was resolved, the next morning, to march all the forces into the Narraganset country, and to make the treaty, sword in hand. A treaty was accordingly concluded on the 15th of July.3 During this negotiation for peace, captain Fuller and lieutenant despatched Church were despatched with 50 men to Pocasset, to conclude a peace with the Indians, if pacific and friendly, or to fight them, if hostile. They found the enemy on Pocasset Neck; but, such were their numbers, that, after some skirmishing, in which the English expended their ammunition, they were taken off by water to Rhode Island. Church, hastening to the Massachusetts forces, borrowed three files of men of captain Henchman, with his lieutenant, and returned to Pocasset, where he had another skirmish with the enemy, in which 14 or 15 Indians were slain. This loss struck such a terror into Philip, that he betook himself to the swamps about Pocasset, where he lay secreted until the 1 Hubbard, N. Eng. c. 51; Ind. Wars, 78-87. Hutchinson, i. 286, 287. Church, Hist. Philip's War, 11-13. Callender, 73. 2 Mather, Indian War. Namasket was Middleborough. 3 Hubbard, Ind. Wars, 65-67; Hutchinson, i. 289-291; where the Articles are inserted. The date is "Petaquamscot, July 15, 1675." The commissioners for Massachusetts were major Thomas Savage, captain Edward Hutchinson, and Mr. Joseph Dudley; those for Connecticut (who had been seasonably sent forward) were major Wait Winthrop, and Mr. Richard Smith. There were four Indians, who subscribed the treaty as counsellors and attornies to Canonicus, Ninnigret, Mattatoag, old queen Quiapen, Quananshit, and Pomham, "the six present sachems of the whole Narraganset country." The Narragansets were still very powerful. This tribe had promised Philip to rise, in the spring of 1676, with 4000 men; but this number, it is supposed, was meant to contain all the Indians within the bounds of Rhode Island, who, being under the authority of the great Narraganset sachem, were often called by this general name. Callender, 75. Hubbard, Ind. Wars, 126. Hutchinson, i. 458. |