captain Underhill was sent to the relief of fort chap. III. Saybrooke, which had been besieged by the 1636. enemy; and the three colonies, Massachussetts, Plymouth and Connecticut agreed to march with united forces the next year, into the country of the Piquods in order to effect their entire destruction. Connecticut being most exposed to the enemy, the troops of that colony were first in motion. Those of Massachussetts were detained by the controversy concerning the covenant of works, and of grace, which had insinuated itself into all the transactions of that colony. Their little army when collected found itself __1637. divided by this metaphysical point, and the stronger party believing that the blessing of God could not be expected to crown with success the arms of such unhallowed men, as they deemed their opponents in faith on this question, refused to march until their small band was purified, by introducing in the place of the unclean others whose tenets were unexceptionable. In the mean time the troops of Connecticut being joined by a body of friendly Indians, and re-enforced by a small detachment from Saybrooke, determined to march against the enemy. The Piquods had taken two positions which they had surrounded with palisadoes, and resolved to defend. In one of them was Sassacus himself, their chief sachem, and the other was on a rising ground surrounded by a swamp, near the head of Mystic river. Against the fort CHAP. III. commanded by Sassacus, the first attack was 1637. intended to be made; but some of the troops . becoming lame, and all very much fatigued with the march, the original plan was changed, and it was determined to attack fort Mystic, which was eight miles nearer than that commanded by Sassacus. By an Indian they obtained the information that the enemy, deceived by the movement of their vessels from Saybrooke to Narraghansetts, believed the expedition to have been abandoned; and were celebrating in perfect security, on a large quantity of bass they had taken, the supposed evacuation of their country. About day break, while in deep and secure sleep, they were approached by the English, and the surprise would have been complete had they not been alarmed by the barking of a dog. The war whoop was immediately raised, and they flew, undismayed, to such arms as they possessed. The English rushed on to the attack, and while some of them fired on the Indians through the palisadoes, others forced their way through the works, and set fire to their wigwams which were covered with reeds. The confusion soon became universal, and almost the whole party were either killed or taken. Soon after this action, the troops from Massachussetts arrived, and it was resolved to pursue their victory. Several skirmishes took place which terminated unfavourably for the Piquods; and, in a short time, another total defeat was АСНАР. III. given them, which put an end to the war. This first essay in arms of the New England colonists was conducted with vigour and ability, and impressed on the aborigines a high opinion of their courage and military superiority; but their victory was sullied with cruelties, which cannot be recollected without mingled regret and censure. Immediately after the termination of this war New Haven was settled. 1637. A small emigration, conducted from England by Eaton and Davenport, arrived at Boston in June. Unwilling to remain under a government, where power and influence were already in the hands of others, they refused to continue within the jurisdiction of Massachussetts; and, notwithstanding the opposition and threats at Manhadoes, settled themselves at a place on Connecticut river, which they named New New Haven Haven. Their institutions, civil and ecclesiastical, were in the same spirit with those of their elder sister Massachussetts. settled. The colony was now in a very flourishing 1638. condition. It is computed that from its first settlement there had arrived in Massachussetts twenty one thousand two hundred persons. Although its inhabitants, who had emigrated 1638. CHAP. I. in search of civil and religious liberty, devoted a great part of their attention to those abstruse points of theology which so much employed the casuists of that day, yet they were by no means unmindful of those solid acquisitions which were so necessary for their comfort while they sojourned in this sublunary world. Sober, industrious, and economical, they laboured indefatigably in opening and improving the country they occupied, and were unremitting in their efforts to furnish themselves with those supplies which are to be drawn from the bosom of the earth. Of these they soon raised a surplus for which fresh immigrants offered a ready and profitable market; and their foreign trade in lumber, a business at first accessary to the clearing of their lands, furnished them, in addition to their fish and fur, with the means of making remittances to England for those manufactures, which they found it advantageous to import from that country. Their fisheries had become so important as to attract the attention of government. For their encouragement a law was, this year, passed, exempting property employed in catching, curing, or transporting fish, from all duties and taxes, and the fishermen and ship builders from militia duty. By the same law too, all persons were restrained from using cod or bass fish for manure. Robertson....Hutchinson....Chalmer....Hume....Trumbull. . CHAPTER IV. Massachussetts claims New Hampshire and part of Maine ....Dissensions among the inhabitants....Confederation of the New England colonies....Rhode Island excluded from it....Separate chambers provided for the two branches of the legislature....New England takes part with parliament....Treaty between New England and Acadié....Petition of the non-conformists....Disputes between Massachussetts and Connecticut.... War between England and Holland....Machinations of the Dutch at Manhadoes among the Indians....Massachussetts refuses to join with the united colonies in the war.... Application of New Haven to Cromwell for assistance.... Peace with the Dutch....Expedition of Sedgwic against Acadié....Religious intolerance. setts claims New Hamp RENDERED sanguine with respect to their 1639. future importance, by the rapidity with which Massachusthey had attained their present growth, the go-shire and part vernment of Massachussetts, in this year, set of Maine. on foot an inquiry respecting the extent of their patent; and for this purpose deputed persons to explore the Merrimack and to ascertain its northernmost point. Their charter granted them the lands within lines, drawn three English miles south of Charles' river and the same distance north of the Merrimack. They construed this description as authorizing a line to be drawn due east from a point three miles north of the head of Merrimack, which soon leaves that river, and includes within Massa |