be observed, that among the accounts of the earliest writers, the dominions of the different sachems were considered as comprehended within very different limits; a kind of general idea, therefore, can only be had of the extent of their possessions. It is evident that the Massachusetts were either subject to the Narragansetts, or in alliance with them; for when the latter were at war with the Pequots, Chikataubut and Sagamore John both went with many men to aid Canonicus, who had sent for them. This war began in 1632, and ended in 1635, to the advantage of the Pequots. We shall now proceed to speak of the chiefs agreeably to our plan. Chikataubut, or Chikkatabak,-in English, a house-a-fire,—was a sachem of considerable note, and generally supposed to have had dominion over the Massachusetts Indians. Thomas Morton mentions him in his NEW CANAAN, as sachem of Passonagesit, (about Weymouth,) and says his mother was buried there. I need make no comments upon the authority, or warn the reader concerning the stories of Morton, as this is done in almost every book, early and late, about New England; but shall relate the following from him. In the first settling of Plimouth, some of the company, in wandering about upon discovery, came upon an Indian grave, which was that of the mother of Chikataubut. Over the body a stake was set in the ground, and two bear-skins, sewed together, spread over it; these the English took away. When this came to the knowledge of Chikataubut, he complained to his people, and demanded immediate vengeance. When they were assembled, he thus harangued them: "When last the glorious light of all the sky was underneath this globe, and birds grew silent, I began to settle, as my custom is, to take repose. Before mine eyes were fast closed, me tho't I saw a vision, at which my spirit was much troubled, and trembling at that doleful sight, a spirit cried aloud, 'Behold! my son, whom I have cherished; see the paps that gave thee suck, the hands that clasped thee warm, and fed thee oft; canst thou forget to take revenge of those wild people, that hath my monument defaced in a despiteful manner; disdaining our ancient antiquities, and honorable customs. See now the sachem's grave lies like unto the common people, of ignoble race defaced. Thy mother doth complain, implores thy aid against this thievish people new come hither; if this be suffered, I shall not rest in quiet within my everlasting habitation."'"* Battle was the unanimous resolve, and the English were watched, and followed from place to place, until at length, as some were going ashore in a boat, they fell upon them, but gained no advantage. After maintaining the fight for some time, and being driven from tree to tree, the chief captain was wounded in the arm, and the whole took to flight. This action caused the natives about Plimouth to look upon the English as invincible, and this was the reason why peace was so long maintained between them. Of the time and circumstances of this battle or fight we have detailed at length in previous chapter. Mourt's Relation goes far to establish the main facts in the above account. It says, "We brought sundry of the prettiest things away with us, and covered the corpse up again," and, "there was variety of opinions amongst us about the embalmed person," but no mention of the bear-skins. From a comparison of the different accounts, there is but little doubt, that the English were attacked at Namskekit, in consequence of their depredations upon the graves, corn, &c. of the Indians. In 1621, Chikataubut, with eight other sachems, acknowledged, by a written instrument, which we have already given, themselves the subjects of King James. Ten years after this, 23 March, 1631, he visited Governor Winthrop at Boston, and presented hin with a hogshead of corn. Many of "his sannops and squaws" came with him, but were most of them sent away, "after they had all dined," although it thundered and rained, and the governor urged their stay; Chikataubut probably feared they would be voyage to Massachusetts before spoken of, and from Squanto who was with them it probably received its name. * If this be fiction, a modern compiler has deceived some of his readers. The article in the Analectic Magazine may have been his source of information, but the original may be seen in Morton's New Canaan, 106 and 107. 108 CHIKATAUBUT-HIS DEATH. [BOOK II. burdensome. At this time he wore English clothes, and sat at the govern or's table, "where he behaved himself as soberly, &c. as an Englishman." Not long after, he called on Governor Winthrop, and desired to buy clothes for himself; the governor informed him that “English_sagamores did not use to truck; but he called his tailor, and gave him order to make him a suit of clothes; whereupon he gave the governor two large skins of coat beaver." In a few days his clothes were ready, and the governor "put him into a very good new suit from head to foot, and after, he set meat before them; but he would not eat till the governor had given thanks, and after meat he desired him to do the like, and so departed." June 14, 1631, at a court, Chikataubut was ordered to pay a small skin of beaver, to satisfy for one of his men's having killed a pig,-which he complied with. A man by the name of Plastowe, and some others, having stolen corn from him, the same year, the court, Sept. 27, ordered that Plastowe should restore "two-fold," and lose his title of gentleman, and pay £5. This I suppose they deemed equivalent to four-fold. His accomplices were whipped, to the same amount. The next year we find him engaged with other sachems in an expedition against the Pequots. The same year two of his men were convicted of assaulting some persons of Dorchester in their houses. "They were put in the bilboes," and himself required to beat them, which he did.† The small-pox was very prevalent among the Indians in 1633, in which year, some time in November, Chikataubut died. The residence of the family of Chikataubut was at Tehticut, now included in Middleborough. He was in obedience to Massasoit, and, like other chiefs, had various places of resort, to suit the different seasons of the year; sometimes at Wessaguscusset, sometimes at Neponset, and especially upon that part of Namasket called Tehticut. This was truly a river of sagamores. Its abundant stores of fish, in the spring, drew them from all parts of the realm of the chief sachem. In deeds, given by the Indians, the place of their residence is generally mentioned, and from what we shall recite in the progress of this article, it will be seen that the same chief has different residences assigned to him. August 5, 1665, Quincy, then Braintree, was deeded by a son of Chikataubut, in these terms: §"To all Indian people to whom these presents shall come; Wampatuck, alias Josiah Sagamore, of Massathusetts, in Newengland, the son of Chikataubut deceased, sendeth greeting. Know yoo that the said Wampatuck, being of full age and power, according to the order and custom of the natives, hath, with the consent of his wise men, viz. Squamog, his brother Daniel, and Old Hahatun, and William Mananiomott, Job Nassott, Manuntago William Nahanton "For divers goods and valuable reasons therunto; and in special for" £21 10s. in hand. It was subscribed and witnessed thus: In presence of JOSIAH, alias WAMPATUCK, his 10 marke. OLD NAHATUN, and a mark. WILLIAM MANUNION, and a mark. JOB NOISTENNS. ROBERT, alias MAMUNTAGO, and a mark. THOMAS KEYAHGUNSSON, and a mark ✪. JOSEPH MANUNION, his |— mark. THOMAS WEYMOUS, his ✪ mark. *However true this might have been of the governor, at least, we think, he should not have used the plural. "The most usual custom amongst them in exercising punishments, is, for the sachem either to beat, or whip, or put to death with his own hand, to which the common sort most quietly submit." Williams. Namauasuck signified in their language fishes, and some early wrote Namascheuck. History of Quincy, by Rev. Mr. Whitney, taken from the original in the possession of the Hon. J. Q. Adams. Nohaton, or Ahaton, and the same sometimes written Nehoiden. See Worthington's His. Bedium. 21 ile sold lanus ipon Charles River in 1680. ib. There is a quit-claim deed from "Charles Josias, alias Josias Wampatuck, grandson of Chikataubut, dated 19 Mar. 1695, of Boston and the adjacent country, and the islands in the harbor, to the "proprietated inhabitants of the town of Boston,” to be seen among the Suffolk records.*. Wampatuck says, or some one for him, "Forasmuch as I am informed, and well assured from several ancient Indians, as well those of my council as others, that, upon the first coming of the English to sit down and settle in those parts of New England, my above-named grandfather, Chikataubut, by and with the advice of his council, for encouragement thereof moving, did give, grant, sell, alienate, and confirm unto the English planters," the lands above named. Besides Josias, there signed this deed with him, Ahawton, sen., William Hahaton, and Robert Momentauge. Josias, or Josiah Wampatuck, was sachem of Mattakeesett, and, from the deeds which he gave, must have been the owner of much of the lands southward of Boston. In 1653, he sold to Timothy Hatherly, James Cudworth, Joseph Tilden, Humphrey Turner, William Hatch, John Hoare, and James Torrey, a large tract of land in the vicinity of Accord Pond and North River. In 1662, he sold Pachage Neck, [now called Ptchade,] "lying between Namassakett riuer and a brook falling into Teticutt riuer, viz. the most westerly of the three small brookes that do fall into the said riuer;" likewise all the meadow upon said three brooks, for £21. Also, another tract bounded by Plimouth and Duxbury on one side, and Bridgewater on the other, extending to the great pond Mattakeeset; provided it included not the 1000 acres given to his son and George Wampey, about those ponds. This deed was witnessed by George Wampey and John Wampowes. After the death of his father, Josias was often called Josias Chikataubut. In the PLIMOUTH RECORDS We find this notice, but without date: "Memorandum, that Josias Chickabutt and his wife doe owne the whole necke of PunLateesett to beloing vnto Plymouth men," &c. In 1668, "Josias Chickatabutt, sachem of Namassakeesett," sold to Robert Studson of Scituate, a tract of land called Nanumackeuitt, for a "valuable consideration," as the deed expresses it. This tract was bounded on the east by Scituate. Josias had a son Jeremy; and "Charles Josiah, son of Jeremy, was the last of the race." Of Josiah, Mr. Gookin gives us important information. War between the Massachusett Indians and Mohawks. In the year 1669, "the war having now continued between the Maquas and our Indians, about six years, divers Indians, our neighbors, united their forces together, and made an army of about 6 or 700 men, and marched into the Maquas' country, to take revenge of them. This enterprise was contrived and undertaken without the privity, and contrary to the advice of their English friends. Mr. Eliot and myself, in particular, dissuaded them, and gave them several reasons against it, but they would not hear us." Five of the Christian Indians went out with them, and but one only returned alive. "The chiefest general in this expedition was the principal sachem of Massachusetts, named Josiah, alias Chekatabutt, a wise and stout man, of middle age, but a very vicious person. He had considerable knowledge in the Christian religion; and sometime, when he was younger, seemed to profess it for a time; for he was bred up by his uncle, Kuchamakin, who was the first sachem and his people to whom Mr. Eliot preached." § Of those who went out with Wampatuk from other tribes we have no record; but there were many, probably, as usual upon such expeditions. This army arrived at the Mohawk fort after a journey of about 200 miles; when, upon besieging it some time, and having some of their men killed in sallies, and sundry others sick, they gave up the siege and retreated. Meanwhile the Mohawks pursued them, got in their front, and, from an ambush, *Printed at length in Snow's Hist. Boston, 389, et cet. + Deane's Hist. Scituate, 144. Ibid. Squamang was a brother of Josiah, and ruled "as sachem during the minority" of Jeremy. Dr. Harris, Hist. Dorchester, 16, 17. 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. i. 166. 110 MASCONONOMO OF AGAWAM. [Book II attacked them in a defile, and a great fight ensued. Finally the Mohawks were put to flight by the extraordinary bravery and prowess of Chikataubuł and his captains. But what was most calamitous in this disastrous expedition, was, the loss of the great chief Chikataubut, who, after performing prodigies of valor, was killed in repelling the Mohawks in their last attack, with almost all his captains, in number about 50, as was supposed.* This was a severe stroke to these Indians, and they suffered much from chagrin on their return home. The Mohawks considered themselves their masters, and although a peace was brought about between them, by the mediation of the English and Dutch on each side, yet the Massachusetts and others often suffered from their incursions. A chief of much the same importance as Chikataubut and his sons, was Mascononomo, or Masconomo, sachem of Agawam, since called Ipswich. When the fleet which brought over the colony that settled Boston, in 1630, anchored near Cape Ann, he welcomed them to his shores, and spent some time on board one of the ships.t On the 28th June, 1638, Mascononomet ‡ executed a deed of "all his lands in Ipswich," to John Winthrop, jr., for the sum of £20. § At a court in July, 1631, it was ordered, that "the sagamore of Agawam is banished from coming into any Englishman's house for a year, under penalty of ten beaver-skins." This was probably done in retaliation for his having committed acts of violence on the Tarratines, who soon after came out with great force against Mascononomo; he having, "as was usually said, treacherously killed some of those Tarratine families." It would seem that he expected an attack, and had therefore called to his aid some of the sachems near Boston; for it so happened that Montowampate and Wonohaquaham were at Agawam when the Tarratines made an attack, but whether by concert or accident is not clear. To the number of 100 men, in three canoes, the Tarratines came out on this enterprise, on the 8 August following. They attacked Mascononomo and his guests in his wigwam in the night, killed seven men, wounded Mascononomo himself, and Montowampate, and Wonohaquaham, and several others who afterwards died. They took the wife of Montowampate captive, but it so happened that Abraham Shurd of Pemmaquid ransomed her, and sent her home, where she arrived on the 17 September the same autumn.** From Mr. Cobbet's account, it appears that they came against the English, who, but for an Indian, named Robin, would have been cut off, as the able men at this time, belonging to Ipswich, did not exceed 30; and most of these were from home on the day the attack was to have been made. Robin, having by some means found out their intentions, went to John Perkins,†† and told him that on such a day four Tarratines would come and invite the English to trade, "and draw them down the hill to the water side," when 40 canoes full of armed Indians would be ready, under "the brow of the hill," to fall upon them. It turned out as Robin had reported; but the Indians were frightened off by a false show of numbers, an old drum, and a few guns, without effecting their object. We hear no more of him until 1644, March 8, when, at a court held in Boston, "Cutshamekin and Squaw-Sachem, Masconomo, Nashacowam and Wassamagin, two sachems near the great hill to the west, called Wachusett, came into the court, and, according to their former tender to the governor, desired to be received under our protection§§ and government, upon the same terms * 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. i. 167. + Hist. N. England. This is doubtless the most correct spelling of his name. It is scarce spelt twice alike ir the MS. records. Records of Gen. Court, v. 381. Hubbard's N. E. 145. || Prince, 357. ** Winthrop's Jour.-Lewis's Hist. Lynn, 39, 40.-Felt's Hist. Ipswich, 3. Quarter-master, "living then in a little hut upon his father's island on this side of Jeof ry's Neck." MS. Narrative. Cobbet's MS. Narrative. They desired this from their great fear of the Mohawks, it is said. that Pumham and Sacononoco were. So we causing them to understand the articles, and all the ten commandments of God, and they freely assenting to all, they were solemnly received, and then presented the court with twentysix fathom of wampum, and the court gave each of them a coat of two yards of cloth, and their dinner; and to them and their men, every one of them, a cup of sac at their departure; so they took leave, and went away very joyful."{ In the Town Records of Ipswich, under date 18 June 1658, a grant is made to the widow of Mascononomo, of "that parcel of land which her husband had fenced in," so long as she should remain a widow. Her husband was the last of the sachems of Agawam, and with him, says Mr. Felt, descended "his feble and broken scepter to the grave." He died on the 6 March, 1658, and was buried on Sagamore Hill, now within the bounds of Hamilton. His gun and other valuable implements were interred with him. "Idle curiosity, wanton, sacrilegious sport, prompted an individual to dig up the remains of this chief, and to carry his scull on a pole through Ipswich streets. Such an act of barbarity was severely frowned upon, and speedily visited with retributive civil justice." MONTOWAMPATE, sagamore of Lynn and Marblehead, was known more generally among the whites as Sagamore James. He was son of Nanepashemet, and brother of Wonohaquaham and Winnepurkitt.§ He died in 1633, of the small-pox, “with most of his people. It is said that these two promised, if ever they recovered, to live with the English, and serve their God."|| Montowampate, having been defrauded of 20 beaver-skins, by a man named Watts, who had since gone to England, he went to Gov. Winthrop on the 26 March, 1631, to know how he should obtain recompense. The governor gave him a letter to Emanuel Downing, Esq. of London, from which circumstance it would seem that the chief determined to go there; and it is said that he actually visited England and received his due. The histories of those times give a melancholy picture of the distresses caused by the small-pox among the "wretched natives." "There are," says Mather, "some old planters surviving to this day, who helped to bury the dead Indians; even whole families of them all dead at once. In one of the wigwams they found a poor infant sucking at the breast of the dead mother."** The same author observes that, before the disease began, the Indians had begun to quarrel with the English about the bounds of their lands, "but God ended the controversy by sending the small-pox among the Indians at Saugus, who were before that time exceedingly numerous." We have mentioned another of the family of Nanepashemet, also a sachem. This was Wonohaquaham, called by the English Sagamore John, of Winisimet. His residence was at what was then called Rumneymarsh, part of which is now in Chelsea and part in Saugus. As early as 1631, he had cause to complain that some of the English settlers had burnt two of his wigwams. "Which wigwams," says Governor Dudley, "were not inhabited, but stood in a place convenient for their shelter, when, upon occasion, they should travel that way." The court, upon examination, found that a servant of Sir R. Saltonstall had been the means of the mischief, whose master was ordered to make satisfaction, "which he did by seven yards of cloth, and that his servant pay him, at the end of his time, fifty shillings sterling." Sagamore John died at Winisimet, in 1633, of the small-pox.§§ He desired to become acquainted with the Englishmen's God, in his sickness, and requested them to take his two sons and instruct them in Christianity, which they did.|||| Winnepurkitt,¶¶ who married a daughter of Passaconaway, makes considerable figure also in our Indian annals. He was born about 1616, and succeeded Montowampate at his death, in 1633. The English called him George Rumney *The articles which they subscribed, will be seen at large when the Manuscript Hist. of the Praying Indians, by Daniel Gookin, shall be published. They do not read precisely as rendered by Winthrop, t Winthrop's Journal. Hist. of New England, 195. Hist. Ipswich, 5. Letter to the Countess of Lincoln, 25, edition 1696. #Prince's Chronology. Wonder-working Providence. Lewis's Hist. Lynn, 16, 17. 66 History of New England, 195, 650. TT Spelt also Winney erket. |