in fighting the Indians. Capt. Daniel Henchman commanded the first company; Capt. Thomas Prentice the troopers, and Capt. Samuel Mosely the "volunteers". These three companies marched out of Boston on the 26th and 27th and arrived at Swansy on the 28th, having formed a junction with the Plymouth forces under Major James Cudworth and Capt. Fuller. The forces quartered about the house of Rev. John Miles, the minister at Swansy, whose place was nearest the bridge leading over the river into Philip's dominions. Some of the troopers that evening rode across the bridge and had a slight skirmish with the enemy. On the 29th Major Thomas Savage arrived with another company of foot with Capt. Nicholas Paige's troop. Major Savage took command of the Massachusetts forces; while, according to the custom in the United Colonies, the senior officer of the colony in which the forces were engaged at the time became commander-in-chief. The present seat of war being in Plymouth colony, Major Cudworth was thus the commander of the whole army. On June 30th the troopers, supported by Mosely's company, charged across the bridge for a mile into the woods, driving the enemy before them into swamps, with a loss of five or six. Ensign Perez Savage being severely wounded on the English side. This charge so frightened the Indians that they fled in the night, out of their peninsula of Mount Hope, across the channel to Pocasset, now Tiverton, R.I. so that on the next day when the whole force marched over into Mount Hope, and marched back and forth sweeping the country with their lines, they found no enemy. The forces were engaged several days in scouting the neighboring country in search of the Indians, not yet knowing that the main body were in Pocasset.
Then orders came from Boston for Major Savage's forces to march into Narraganset to enforce a treaty with that powerful tribe, and prevent their junction with Philip. They found the country apparently deserted, few except the very aged being left in any of the villages. Neither Canonchet nor any of his leading Sachems could be found. The officers, however, spent several days completing a very ceremonious treaty with some of the old men whom they were able to bring together. Canonchet afterwards treated the whole matter with scorn as being a farce.
In the meantime, the Plymouth forces passed over to Pocasset and found a body of Indians and had a skirmish with them. Capt. Fuller was in command and Benjamin Church conducted a part of the force, which became engaged with a much larger force, and after hard fighting were drawn off with difficulty by the tact and courage of Mr. Church, after inflicting serious injury upon the enemy, and suffering little loss themselves. After this the Indians retired into the swamps about Pocasset and were held at bay until the return of the Massachusetts forces; when all marched together for concerted action against their enemies.
