King Philip's War

Winter

During the winter of 1675/1676, the Indian attacks diminished. As winter progressed, the Indians found themselves lacking food that was not farmed over the summer, but still firmly held on the central Massachusetts. The colonists, fearful that the powerful Narrangansett tribe might side against them, made the same mistake as they did with the Agawam tribe. In an attempt to head off the neutral tribe, the colonists attacked them in December of 1675. An Indian traitor told the English where the Narragansett's had their winter fort, and colonists from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, and the Connecticut Colony marched into Southern Rhode Island and what would become the Great Swamp Massacre. Let by General Winslow and Benjamin Church, over 500 Narrangansetts were killed. The remaining Narrangansetts joined King Philip and the towns of Medfield, Groton, Sudbury, Plymouth, Rehoboth, Providence and Marlboro fell to their rage. In February 1676, the town of Lancaster was attacked and the ministerr's wife, Mary Rowlandson, was taken prisoner. Her account of the attack and her six weeks in captivity has become one of the most important documents to come out of the war.

Spring

In May of 1676, the colonists got another break from an escaped English captive, (or from an Indian, accounts vary), who informed them where the Wampanoags had their main war camp. At dawn on a calm May morning, Captain Turner and Captain Holyoke attacked the camp. Turner lost his life but the camp was destroyed. The Indian Alliance soon fell apart, with only a few Indians fighting on and the majority fleeing north. Philip made his way back to Swansea, his headquarters, but was tracked there by Benjamin Church. Ironically, King Philip was shot by the Indian guide who had led Church to the camp.

The remaining hostile Indians were either killed or sold into slavery. Many children were forced into servitude until the age of 24. Tribes that remained neutral or fought with the English eventually came under colonial jurisdiction and many converted to Christianity in order keep their communities intact.

The repercussions of the war went far beyond physical damage. New England suffered major structural damage and King Philip's war resulted in the greatest loss of life, proportionately, than any other war in American History. Although some Indians remained in New England, King Philip's War effectively ended any Native American control in the region and the portrayal of the war by the Puritans influenced all future perceptions of the war

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