King Philip's War 1675–76 by Gabriele Esposito & Giuseppe Rava

Author:Gabriele Esposito & Giuseppe Rava
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472842985
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2020-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

A new defensive position, named Fort Leverett for the Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, was built to the southwest of Pocasset Swamp, to cover any movement by water through this area. A few militiamen were left behind in the Pocasset area, to harass the Wampanoags and destroy their access to food supplies.

On July 29, however, the militiamen left their positions just outside Pocasset Swamp in order to come to the aid of the town of Dartmouth, lying some 20 miles east of Mount Hope, which had come under Native American attack. King Philip, however, had taken the opportunity to slip across the Taunton River and was moving northeast toward Old Rehoboth. His objective was to enter Nipmuc territory, where he would be safe. The Wampanoag sachem had escaped the trap that the colonists had set for him, but the price paid was that more than 100 Wampanoag women and children were abandoned in Pocasset Swamp. They were later captured by militiamen, and most were sold into slavery.

The threat to King Philip did not only come from the colonists. A large force of Mohegans, allies of the settlers, was tracking him, under the command of the war chief Oneko. The Mohegans had been sent from Connecticut Colony to help in the pursuit of Metacomet, and proved to be much more efficient than the militiamen in pursuing and catching up with the Wampanoags. On August 1, 1675, the Mohegans, supported by a number of colonist militiamen, clashed briefly but violently with King Philip and his warriors at Nipsachuc (Nipsachuck Swamp, RI). The Wampanoags lost 23 men during the battle, including four senior, experienced warriors. Metacomet’s band of warriors was reduced to just 40 men, who were at risk of being surrounded by the 250-strong militia–Mohegan force. Yet King Philip was able to escape once again, haven taken shelter alongside his remaining men in a nearby swamp, from which he later fled along the course of the Blackstone River. The Wampanoags eventually entered Nipmuc territory, where they joined forces with their allies.

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