God in the ordinances of the gospel. Distinguished was the honour conferred upon David, for fighting the battles of the Lord: this honour, O ye courageous soldiers of God, is now prepared for you. You will now

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execute his vengeance on the heathen; you will bind their kings in chains, and their nobles in fetters of iron. 'But perhaps some one may fear that a fatal arrow may deprive him of this honour. Let every faithful soldier of Jesus Christ be assured, that if any servant be taken away, it is merely because the honours of this world are too narrow for his reward; an everlasting crown is set upon his head, because the rewards of this life are insufficient. March, then, with Christian courage, in the strength of the Lord; march with faith in his divine promises, and soon your swords shall find your enemies; soon they shall fall like leaves of the forest under your feet."

Being now joined by Uncas, the sachem of the Mohegans, they all proceeded down the river to Saybrook, where they formed their plan of operations. It was determined to attack the enemy in one of their principal forts, (in the present town of Stonington,) where Sassacus, their chief sachem, had retired. Previous to the attack, Capt. Mason was joined by about five hundred Narraganset Indians, who, when they understood that they were to fight Sassacus, betrayed much fear, and retired to the rear, saying, "Sassacus was all one a god, and nobody could kill him."

The time fixed at length arrived the dawn of the 26th of May, which was to decide the fate of the colony of Connecticut. The barking of a dog, when within a few rods of the fort, announced their approach, and aroused the Pequot sentinel, who cried out, Owannux! Owannux! i. e. Englishmen! Englishmen! The captains, followed by their men, courageously pressed forward, found an entrance, and fired upon the enemy the fort, who made a desperate resistance. The destruction of the Pequots was terrible, yet the victory seemed doubtful. Captain Mason (who with his men were now nearly exhausted) seized a firebrand, and set

in

fire to a wigwam, of which there were many in the fort, covered with mats and other combustible materials. The fire, assisted by the wind, spread, rapidly, and directly the whole fort was in a flame. The roar and crackling of the flames, with the yells of savages, and the discharge of musketry, formed an awful and terrific scene! The troops who had now formed outside of the fort, with the friendly Indians, who had by this time gathered courage to approach, surrounded the enemy, and fired upon those who attempted to escape.

The work of destruction was complete; of five or six hundred Pequots, only seven or eight escaped-the rest were either shot or perished in the flames. The loss of the English was only two killed, and sixteen wounded.

15. Elliot, the Indian Missionary.

In 1650, the society in England, instituted for propagating the gospel, began a correspondence with the commissioners of the colonies of New-England, who were employed as agents of the society. In consequence, exertions were made to christianize the Indians. Mr. John Elliot, minister of Roxbury, distinguished himself in this pious work. He collected the Indian families, and established towns; he taught them husbandry, the mechanic arts, and a prudent management of their affairs, and instructed them with unwearied attention, in the principles of Christianity. For his uncommon zeal and success, he has been called the Apostle of New-England.

Mr. Elliot began his labours about the year 1646. His first labour was to learn the language, which was peculiarly difficult to acquire; for instance, the Indian word Nammatchechodtantamoonganunnonash, signifies no more in English than our lusts.* Elliot having finished a grammar of this tongue, at the close of which he wrote, "Prayers and pains through faith in Jesus *Mather's Magnalia, Vol. I.

Christ will do any thing!" With very great labour he translated the whole Bible into the Indian language. This Bible was printed in 1664, at Cambridge, and was the first Bible ever printed in America. He also translated the Practice of Piety, Baxter's Call to the Unconverted, besides some smaller works, into the Indian tongue. Having performed many wearisome journeys, and endured many hardships and privations, this indefatigable missionary closed his labours in 1690, aged eighty-six years.

The ardour and zeal of Elliot, Mayhew, and others, were crowned with such success. that in 1660, there were ten towns of Indians in Massachusetts who were converted to the Christian religion. In 1695, there were not less than three thousand adult converts in the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

16. King Philip's War.

(ATTACK ON BROOKFIELD.)

In the year 1675, Philip, sachem of the Wampanoags, and grandson of Massasoit, began the most de structive war ever waged by the Indians upon the infant colonies. He resided at Mount Hope, in the present town of Bristol, in Rhode Island.

It is supposed that his object was the entire extinction of the colonists, who were now rapidly extending their settlements. The immediate cause of the war was this: Sausaman, an Indian missionary,* had made a discovery of Philip's plots to the English, for which Philip caused him to be murdered. The murderers were tried and executed by the English. This roused the anger of Philip, who immediately commenced hostilities, and by

Philip always opposed the introduction of Christianity among his people. When Mr. Elliot urged upon him its great importance, he said, "he cared no more for the Gospel than he did for a button upon his coat."-Mather's Magnalia.

his influence, drew into the war most of the Indian tribes in New-England.

Philip fled to the Nipmucks, a tribe of Indians in that part of Massachusetts which is now called Worcester county, and persuaded them to assist him. The English sent a party also to this tribe, to renew a former treaty; but Philip's influence prevailed, and this party were waylaid, and eight of their number killed. The remainder fled to Brookfield, pursued by the Indians into the town. Every house in this place was burnt by the Indians except one, into which the inhabitants had fled for refuge; and this was soon surrounded by their foes, and for two days they poured into its walls a shower of musket balls. Only one person, however, was killed. Brands and rags, dipped in brimstone, attached to the ends of long poles, were used to fire the house; arrows of fire were shot against it; and a carriage of tow and other combustibles, was with long poles, pushed against the house, and the savages stood ready to slaughter all who should attempt to escape.

At this awful and critical moment, a sudden torrent of rain extinguished the kindling flames. Major Willard soon after came to their assistance, raised the siege, and, after some slaughter of the enemy, compelled them

to retreat.

17. Swamp Fight with the Narragansets.

Lest Philip should increase his power, by an alliance with the Narraganset Indians, the English had made a friendly treaty with them in July, 1675. But notwithstanding this, in December of the same year, it was discovered that they were secretly aiding Philip's party. This determined the English to undertake a winter expedition against them. For this object, the colony of Massachusetts furnished five hundred and twenty-seven men, Plymouth one hundred and fifty-nine, and Conaecticut three hundred; to all these were attached one

hundred and fifty Mohegan Indians. After electing Josiah Winslow, Governor of Plymouth colony, to be their commander, the whole party met at Pettyquamsquot. About sixteen miles from this place, it was found that the Narragansets had built a strong fort in the midst of a large swamp, upon a piece of dry land of about five or six acres. The fort was a circle of pallisadoes surrounded by a fence of trees, which was about one rod thick.

On the 19th of December, 1675, at dawn of day, the English took up their march through a deep snow, and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon attacked the Indians in their fortress. The only entrance which appeared practicable was over a log, or tree, which lay up five or six feet from the ground, and this opening was commanded by a sort of a block house in front. The Massachusetts men, led on by their captains, first rushed into the fort, out the enemy, from the block house and other places, opened so furious a fire upon them, that they were obliged to retreat. Many men were killed in this assault, and among them Captains Johnson and Davenport. The whole army then made a united onset. The conflict was terrible. Some of the bravest captains fell, and victory seemed very doubtful. At this crisis some of the Connecticut men ran to the opposite side of thefort, where there were no pallisadoes; they sprang in, and opened a brisk and well directed fire upon the backs of the enemy. This decided the contest. The Indians were driven from the block house, and from one covert to another, until they were wholly destroyed or dispersed in the wilderness. As they retreated, the soldiers set fire to their wigwams, (about six hundred in number,) which were consumed by the flames. In this action it was computed that about seven hundred fighting Indians perished, and among them twenty of their chiefs. Three hundred more died from their wounds; to these numbers may be added many old men, women, and children, who had retired to this fort as a place of undoubted security.

The burning of the wigwams, the shrieks of the