Fairfield Swamp Fight

Last updated
The Great Swamp Fight
Part of the Pequot War
FairfieldSwampFight.png
DateJuly 13–14, 1637
Location
present-day Fairfield, CT
41°08′18″N73°17′25″W / 41.13833°N 73.29028°W / 41.13833; -73.29028
Result English victory and the disbanding of the Pequot tribe
Belligerents
Pequot people English colonists
Commanders and leaders
Sassacus Capt. Israel Stoughton
Capt. John Mason
Strength
100 warriors 120 under Stoughton
Casualties and losses
Nearly all Pequot warriors present Several wounded, none killed
USA Connecticut location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Connecticut

The Fairfield Swamp Fight (also known as the Great Swamp Fight) was the last engagement of the Pequot War and marked defeat of the Pequot tribe in the war and the loss of their recognition as a political entity in the 17th century. The participants in the conflict were the Pequot and the English with their allied tribes (the Mohegan and Narragansett). The Fairfield Swamp Fight occurred July 13–14, 1637 in what is present-day Fairfield, Connecticut. The town of Fairfield was founded after the battle in 1639.

Contents

Before the battle

The English (and their Narragansett and Mohegan allies) drove the Pequot from their homes in the wake of the Mystic massacre in May 1637. Fleeing westward along the Connecticut coastline, the Pequot arrived in Sasqua Village, present-day Fairfield, where they sought refuge with the Sasquas Indians, a tribe of some 200 members. [1]

The Hartford General Court dispatched Captain Israel Stoughton and his troops numbering some 120 soldiers to southern Connecticut, with the goal of ending the Pequot War and the capture of Sassacus, the Pequot chief sachem. As they moved westward, the English encountered stragglers from the band of Pequots and obtained intelligence about the whereabouts of Sassacus and his fellow tribesmen. [2] As the English forces approached Sasqua Village, several Pequot on a hill just beyond the English revealed their position. Recognizing this, they attempted to flee. The English followed them to investigate. The compromised Pequots rushed up the hill, the English following. The Pequot sought refuge in a swamp, later named Sadque, and the English continued to search the abandoned village and encircle the swamp the Pequots had sought refuge in. Lieutenant Davenport attempted to force his way through, but a volley of arrows prevented his success. [3]

The battle

Among the participants in the battle were Captain John Mason, the man responsible for the massacre at Mystic, and Roger Ludlow, a statesman from Wethersfield. [1] The combined English forces surrounded the swamp, firing rounds into the thickets. These acts were meant to force the Pequot into negotiations for the release of non-combatants. [2]

Day 1 – July 13th

The English surrounded the Pequot warriors at a distance of roughly four yards apart from one another. [2] Thomas Stanton, "a man well acquainted with Indian language and manners", was sent into the swamp to talk to the Indians. Stanton was able to negotiate a settlement with Sassacus for the release of some 180 elderly men, women and children who would surrender to the English. [4] In addition to the Pequot non-combatants that were released, the Pequot hosts, the 200 Sasquas Indians were released as well. [1] Roughly 100 Pequot warriors remained with Sassacus in the swamp. [2] The remaining warriors refused to surrender. The fighting resumed and continued through the night. The English entered the swamp and systematically shot down the Pequot warriors, some of whom were later found drowned in the bottom of the swamp. [3] The Pequot warriors held their location through the night until the fog rolled in the following morning. [2]

Day 2 – July 14th

The English soldiers, Captain Patrick's forces specifically, had the clear advantage with their use of "small shot" during the engagement. [5] The small shot was essentially multiple musket bullets fired at a single time. [6] This was disabling to the Pequot forces. Initially, the Pequot warriors took advantage of the English and their slow advance. Sassacus and his warriors were able to exploit a weak point in Patrick’s perimeter. The Pequot at this point attempted to break the English perimeter on the offensive. This ability to break through the English perimeter led to Sassacus’ escape to the Mohawk territories of New York. [7]

The casualties among the colonists were few. John Winthrop was quoted saying, "[the Pequot] coming up behind the bushes very near our men... shot many arrows into their hats, sleeves and stocks, yet (which was a very miracle) not one of ours was wounded." [3] Mason's account supported this, saying that "several were found slain," a reference to them being injured. [3]

The aftermath

Fairfield Swamp Fight Monument Pequot War Monument.jpg
Fairfield Swamp Fight Monument

Most, if not all, of the Pequot warriors were killed during the engagement. [1] The 180 Pequot non-combatants were taken captive and dispersed among the English and their allies. [8] Many of the slaves taken prisoner did not remain in captivity for long because of their inability to adapt to their roles in servitude. Some of those captured were shipped off to the West Indies into the slave trade. [9] The soldiers took Pequot wampum, some kettles and other items as spoils. [3] In the ensuing weeks after the battle, the Mohawk Indians of New York tracked down Sassacus and the Pequot warriors accompanying him. The Mohawk murdered Sassacus, sending his head to Hartford as evidence of his capture. [10]

On September 21, 1638, the Treaty of Hartford formally ended the war and eliminated the Pequot political and cultural identity. The survivors were not allowed to live on tribal lands, and any geographic locations bearing the name of the Pequot were changed. Among these were the Pequot River, renamed the Thames, and Pequot Village, which was renamed New London. [11]

Roger Ludlow, one of the soldiers in the forces that fought the Pequot at the swamp fight, later petitioned the General Court to found a settlement on the same location and the surrounding lands. Being "charmed with the landscape," under his leadership, the plantation of Uncos was founded in 1639, later becoming the town of Fairfield. [12]

Battlefield preservation efforts

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum filed an application with the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program in January 2007 to develop a phased plan to research, protect, and preserve the sites involved in the Pequot War. Among these sites was the Fairfield Swamp area. Kevin McBride, an archaeologist and professor from the research center at the University of Connecticut, is leading the program. [13]

Researchers from the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center were able to determine study and core areas from narrative accounts (those of Philip Vincent, John Mason, William Hubbard, Increase Mather and the John Winthrop Papers) as well as the Connecticut Colonial Records, local deeds and other records. Using non-invasive techniques, including the use of metal detectors, researchers were able to mark spots of interest to determine the origin of the artifacts. [14] Much of the original swamp and surrounding areas have been impacted substantially through residential and commercial development. The construction of Interstate 95 resulted in the filling of approximately half of the entire swamp. As a result of this, many of the archaeological artifacts are thought to be lost. [15]

Among the goals of the preservation efforts, the researchers hoped to find an exact location for the Pequot Swamp and the areas surrounding it. Once that land was found, they hoped to secure permission from local landowners to further survey the land. Among the initial findings of the report was new information about Pequot armaments. The armaments held by the Pequot are beginning to be reconsidered and among them are thought to be firearms and "Mohawk Hammers." [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pequots</span> Indigenous people from Connecticut, US

The Pequot are a Native American people of Connecticut. The modern Pequot are members of the federally recognized Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, four other state-recognized groups in Connecticut including the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation, or the Brothertown Indians of Wisconsin. They historically spoke Pequot, a dialect of the Mohegan-Pequot language, which became extinct by the early 20th century. Some tribal members are undertaking revival efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mashantucket Pequot Tribe</span> American Indian tribe in the state of Connecticut

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is a federally recognized American Indian tribe in the state of Connecticut. They are descended from the Pequot people, an Algonquian-language tribe that dominated the southern New England coastal areas, and they own and operate Foxwoods Resort Casino within their reservation in Ledyard, Connecticut. As of 2018, Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the largest casinos in the world in terms of square footage, casino floor size, and number of slot machines, and it was one of the most economically successful in the United States until 2007, but it became deeply in debt by 2012 due to its expansion and changing conditions.

Scouting in Connecticut has experienced many organizational changes since 1910. With only eight counties, Connecticut has had 40 Boy Scout Councils since the Scouting movement began in 1910. In 1922, 17 Boy Scout Councils existed in Connecticut, but currently only four exist. The Girl Scouts of the USA has had at least 53 Girl Scout Councils in Connecticut since their program began in 1912. Today there is one, Girl Scouts of Connecticut, which assumed operation on October 1, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystic, Connecticut</span> Census-designated place in Connecticut, United States

Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Groton and Stonington, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Philip's War</span> 1675–78 war in New England

King Philip's War was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, the English New England Colonies and their indigenous allies. The war is named for Metacom, the Pokanoket chief and sachem of the Wampanoag who adopted the English name Philip because of the friendly relations between his father Massasoit and the Plymouth Colony. The war continued in the most northern reaches of New England until the signing of the Treaty of Casco Bay on April 12, 1678.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncas</span> Mohegan sachem of the early colonial period

Uncas was a sachem of the Mohegans who made the Mohegans the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut, through his alliance with the New England colonists against other Indian tribes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pequot War</span> 1630s conflict in New England

The Pequot War was an armed conflict that took place in 1636 and ended in 1638 in New England, between the Pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies and their allies from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes. The war concluded with the decisive defeat of the Pequot. At the end, about 700 Pequots had been killed or taken into captivity. Hundreds of prisoners were sold into slavery to colonists in Bermuda or the West Indies; other survivors were dispersed as captives to the victorious tribes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Ludlow</span> English lawyer, founder and deputy governor of Connecticut Colony

Roger Ludlow (1590–1664) was an English lawyer, magistrate, military officer, and colonist. He was active in the founding of the Colony of Connecticut, and helped draft laws for it and the nearby Massachusetts Bay Colony. Under his and John Mason's direction, Boston's first fortification, later known as Castle William and then Fort Independence was built on Castle Island in Boston harbor. Frequently at odds with his peers, he eventually also founded Fairfield and Norwalk before leaving New England entirely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mason (colonist)</span> English settler, soldier, commander, and Deputy Governor

John Mason was an English-born settler, soldier, commander and Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony. Mason was best known for leading a group of Puritan settlers and Indian allies on a combined attack on a Pequot Fort in an event known as the Mystic Massacre. The destruction and loss of life he oversaw effectively ended the hegemony of the Pequot tribe in southeast Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southport, Connecticut</span> Census-designated place in Connecticut, United States

Southport is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. It is located along Long Island Sound between Mill River and Sasco Brook, where it borders Westport. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,710. Settled in 1639, Southport center has been designated a local historic district since 1967. In 1971, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Southport Historic District.

Sassacus was a Pequot sachem who was born near present-day Groton, Connecticut. He became grand sachem after his father, Tatobem, was killed in 1632. The Mohegans led by sachem Uncas rebelled against domination by the Pequots. Sassacus and the Pequots were defeated by English colonists allied with the Narragansett and Mohegans in the Pequot War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystic massacre</span> Massacre of American Indians during the Pequot War

The Mystic massacre – also known as the Pequot massacre and the Battle of Mystic Fort – took place on May 26, 1637 during the Pequot War, when a force from the Connecticut Colony under Captain John Mason and their Narragansett and Mohegan allies set fire to the Pequot Fort near the Mystic River. They shot anyone who tried to escape the wooden palisade fortress and killed most of the village. There were between 400 and 700 Pequots killed during the attack; the only Pequot survivors were warriors who were away in a raiding party with their sachem Sassacus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Swamp Fight</span> 1675 battle of King Philips War

The Great Swamp Massacre or the Great Swamp Fight was a crucial battle fought during King Philip's War between the colonial militia of New England and the Narragansett people in December 1675. It was fought near the villages of Kingston and West Kingston in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The combined force of the New England militia included 150 Pequots, and they inflicted a huge number of Narragansett casualties, including many hundreds of women and children. The battle has been described as "one of the most brutal and lopsided military encounters in all of New England's history."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pequot Fort</span> United States historic place

The Pequot Fort was a fortified Native American village in what is now the Groton side of Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Located atop a ridge overlooking the Mystic River, it was a palisaded settlement of the Pequot tribe until its destruction by Puritan and Mohegan forces in the 1637 Mystic massacre during the Pequot War. The exact location of its archaeological remains is not certain, but it is commemorated by a small memorial at Pequot Avenue and Clift Street. The site previously included a statue of Major John Mason, who led the forces that destroyed the fort; it was removed in 1995 after protests by Pequot tribal members. The archaeological site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Wequash Cooke was allegedly one of the earliest Native American converts to Protestant Christianity, and as a sagamore he played an important role in the 1637 Pequot War in New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Turner's Falls</span> Turners Fight

The Battle of Turner's Falls or Battle of Grand Falls; also known as the Peskeompscut-Wissantinnewag Massacre, was a battle and massacre occurring on May 19, 1676, in the context of King Philip's War in what is present-day Gill and Greenfield, across from Turners Falls on the Connecticut River. The incident marked a turning point in the war, and in the colonization of Native lands by British settlers. The war led to the expulsion of most Native Americans in the Connecticut River Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Nipsachuck Battlefield</span> United States historic place

The Second Battle of Nipsachuck Battlefield is a historic military site in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. A largely swampy terrain, it is the site of one of the last battles of King Philip's War to be fought in southern New England, on July 2, 1676. The battle is of interest to military historians because it included a rare use in the war of a cavalry charge by the English colonists. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harman Garrett</span> Niantic sachem and then governor of the Eastern Pequots

Harman Garrett was a Niantic sachem and then governor of the Eastern Pequots slightly east of the Pawcatuck River in what is now Westerly, Rhode Island. His chosen English name was very similar to that of Herman Garrett, a prominent colonial gunsmith from Massachusetts in the 1650s.

Rev. Hope Atherton (1646–1677) was a colonial clergyman. He was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Harvard Class of 1665. He was the minister of Hadley, Massachusetts. He served as a chaplain in the King Philips War and became separated from troops during the Battle of Great Falls in 1676. He died months after the battle, aged 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quaiapen</span>

Quaiapen was a Narragansett-Niantic female sachem (saunkskwa) who was the last sachem captured or killed during King Philip’s War.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Fairfield Museum and Research Center. "The Great Swamp Fight."
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Chet. Conquering the American Wilderness, 36.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Cave, The Pequot War, 160.
  4. Mason, History of the Pequot War, 16.
  5. Mason, History of the Pequot War, 17.
  6. Chet, Conquering the American Wilderness, 35.
  7. Chet, Conquering the American Wilderness, 139.
  8. Mason, History of the Pequot War, 18.
  9. Deforest, History of Indians in Connecticut, 149.
  10. Katz, Pequot War Reconsidered, 219.
  11. Katz, Pequot War Reconsidered, 220.
  12. Child, Fairfield: Ancient and Modern, 16.
  13. McBride, Battle of Mystic Fort Documentation, 4.
  14. McBride, Battle of Mystic Fort Documentation, 52.
  15. McBride, Battle of Mystic Fort Documentation, 56.
  16. McBride, Pequot Swamp Fight Battlefield, 21.

Bibliography