Guided by a renegade Indian, the English penetrated, throughDecember snows, to this stronghold, and came upon the garrison bysurprise. The fight was fierce and tumultuous. The assailants wererepulsed in their first attack, and several of their bravestofficers were shot down in the act of storming the fortress sword inhand. The assault was renewed with greater success. A lodgment waseffected. The Indians were driven from one post to another. Theydisputed their ground inch by inch, fighting with the fury of despair.
Most of their veterans were cut to pieces; and after a long and bloodybattle, Philip and Canonchet, with a handful of surviving warriors,retreated from the fort, and took refuge in the thickets of thesurrounding forest.
The victors set fire to the wigwams and the fort; the whole was soonin a blaze; many of the old men, the women and the children perishedin the flames. This last outrage overcame even the stoicism of thesavage. The neighboring woods resounded with the yells of rage anddespair, uttered by the fugitive warriors, as they beheld thedestruction of their dwellings, and heard the agonizing cries of theirwives and offspring. "The burning of the wigwams," says a contemporarywriter, "the shrieks and cries of the women and children, and theyelling of the warriors, exhibited a most horrible and affectingscene, so that it greatly moved some of the soldiers." The same writercautiously adds, "they were in much doubt then, and afterwardsseriously inquired, whether burning their enemies alive could beconsistent with humanity, and the benevolent principles of theGospel."** MS. of the Rev. W. Ruggles.
The fate of the brave and generous Canonchet is worthy of particularmention: the last scene of his life is one of the noblest instances onrecord of Indian magnanimity.
Broken down in his power and resources by this signal defeat, yetfaithful to his ally, and to the hapless cause which he hadespoused, he rejected all overtures of peace, offered on conditionof betraying Philip and his followers, and declared that "he wouldfight it out to the last man, rather than become a servant to theEnglish." His home being destroyed; his country harassed and laidwaste by the incursions of the conquerors; he was obliged to wanderaway to the banks of the Connecticut; where he formed a rallying pointto the whole body of western Indians, and laid waste several of theEnglish settlements.
Early in the spring he departed on a hazardous expedition, with onlythirty chosen men, to penetrate to Seaconck, in the vicinity ofMount Hope, and to procure seed corn to plant for the sustenance ofhis troops. This little band of adventurers had passed safelythrough the Pequod country, and were in the centre of theNarragansett, resting at some wigwams near Pawtucket River, when analarm was given of an approaching enemy.- Having but seven men byhim at the time, Canonchet despatched two of them to the top of aneighboring hill, to bring intelligence of the foe.
Panic-struck by the appearance of a troop of English and Indiansrapidly advancing, they fled in breathless terror past theirchieftain, without stopping to inform him of the danger. Canonchetsent another scout, who did the same. He then sent two more, one ofwhom, hurrying back in confusion and affright, told him that the wholeBritish army was at hand. Canonchet saw there was no choice butimmediate flight. He attempted to escape round the hill, but wasperceived and hotly pursued by the hostile Indians and a few of thefleetest of the English. Finding the swiftest pursuer close upon hisheels, he threw off, first his blanket, then his silver-laced coat andbelt of peag, by which his enemies knew him to be Canonchet, andredoubled the eagerness of pursuit.