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Colonization, 1562-1753
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General SummaryCaptain Benjamin Church was the General Custer, or rather Nelson A. Miles, of his day, and particularly was the nemesis of the Indian sachem Metacomet, opprobriously known to the early New England colonists as King Philip. His "Entertaining Passages Relating to Philip’s War—as also of Expeditions more lately made against the Common Enemy in the Eastern Parts of New England," written in the third person and described as a soldier’s bluff narrative of his own dangerous and enticing adventures," was widely read during the colonial period. \n In his account of the death of King Philip, Captain Church neglects to say that Philip’s body was quartered, on a Thanksgiving Day especially appointed, and his head, at first given to the Indian who shot him, was gibbeted in Plymouth.
The Death of King Philip
HAVING located Philip’s headquarters on a spot of upland at the south end of a miry swamp, Captain Church [who used the third person in writing this account] went down to the swamp, and gave Captain Williams of Scituate command of the right wing of the ambush, and placed an Englishman and an Indian together behind such shelters of trees, etc., as he could find, and took care to place them at such distance that none might pass undiscovered between them; charged them to be careful of themselves, and of hurting their friends, and to fire at any that should come silently through the swamp. But it being somewhat farther through the swamp than he was aware of, he wanted men to make up his ambuscade.
Having placed what men he had, he took Major Sanford by the hand, and said, "Sir, I have so placed them that it is scarce possible Philip should escape them." The same moment a shot whistled over their heads, and then the noise of a gun towards Philip’s camp. Captain Church, at first, thought it might be some gun fired by accident; but, before he could speak, a whole volley followed, which was earlier than he expected. One of Philip’s gang going forth to ease himself, when he had done, looked round him, and Captain Golding thought that the Indian looked right at him, (though probably it was but his conceit); so fired at him; and upon his firing, the whole company that were with him fired upon the enemy’s shelter, before the Indians had time to rise from their sleep, and so over-shot them. But their shelter was open on that side next the swamp, built so on purpose for the convenience of flight on occasion. They were soon in the swamp, and Philip the foremost, who, starting at the first gun, threw his petunk and powderhorn over his head, caught up his gun, and ran as fast as he could scamper, without any more clothes than his small breeches and stockings; and ran directly upon two of Captain Church’s ambush. They let him come fair within shot, and the Englishman’s gun missing fire, he bid the Indian fire away, and he did so to the purpose; sent one musket bullet through his heart, and another not above two inches from it. He fell upon his face in the mud and water, with his gun under him.
By this time the enemy perceived they were waylaid on the east side of the swamp, and tacked short about. One of the enemy, who seemed to be a great, surly old fellow, hallooed with a loud voice, and often called out, "Iootash, Iootash." Captain Church called to his Indian, Peter, and asked him, who that was that called so? He answered, it was old Annawon, Philip’s great captain; calling on his soldiers to stand to it, and fight stoutly. Now the enemy finding that place of the swamp which was not ambushed, many of them made their escape in the English tracks.
The man that had shot down Philip ran with all speed to Captain Church, and informed him of his exploit, who commanded him to be silent about it and let no man more know it, until they had driven the swamp clean. But when they had driven the swamp through, and found the enemy had escaped, or, at least, the most of them, and the sun now up, and so the dew gone, that they could not easily track them, the whole company met together at the place where the enemy’s night shelter was, and then Captain Church gave them the news of Philip’s death. Upon which the whole army gave three loud huzzas.
Captain Church ordered his body to be pulled out of the mire on to the upland. So some of Captain Church’s Indians took hold of him by his stockings, and some by his small breeches (being otherwise naked) and drew him through the mud to the upland; and a doleful, great, naked, dirty beast he looked like. Captain Church then said that, forasmuch as he had caused many an Englishman’s body to lie unburied, and rot above ground, not one of his bones should be buried. And, calling his old Indian executioner, bid him behead and quarter him. Accordingly he came with his hatchet and stood over him, but before he struck he made a small speech directing it to Philip, and said, "he had been a very great man, and had made many a man afraid of him, but so big as he was, he would now chop him to pieces." And so went to work and did as he was ordered.
Philip, having one very remarkable hand, being much scarred, occasioned by the splitting of a pistol in it formerly, Captain Church gave the head and that hand to Alderman, the Indian who shot him, to show to such gentlemen as would bestow gratuities upon him; and accordingly he got many a penny by it.
This being on the last day of the week, the Captain with his company, returned to the island, tarried there until Tuesday; and then went off and ranged through all the woods to Plymouth, and received their premium, which was thirty shillings per head, for the enemies which they had killed or taken, instead of all wages; and Philip’s head went at the same price. Methinks it is scanty reward, and poor encouragement; though it was better than what had been some time before. For this march they received four shillings and sixpence a man, which was all the reward they had, except the honor of killing Philip. This was in the latter end of August, 1676.
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Chicago: Benjamin Church, "The Death of King Philip," Colonization, 1562-1753 in America, Vol.2, Pp.219-222 Original Sources, accessed November 21, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=PIH32ZXTDKWLRE8.
MLA: Church, Benjamin. "The Death of King Philip." Colonization, 1562-1753, in America, Vol.2, Pp.219-222, Original Sources. 21 Nov. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=PIH32ZXTDKWLRE8.
Harvard: Church, B, 'The Death of King Philip' in Colonization, 1562-1753. cited in , America, Vol.2, Pp.219-222. Original Sources, retrieved 21 November 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=PIH32ZXTDKWLRE8.
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