Chapter I: Preface

The Author does not propose an elaborate explanation, nor an apology of any kind, for the benefit of the following work. If it absolutely requires either, he must even be content to have written it in vain, as no statement or argument can give it any degree of vitality or popularity in the one case or in the other.

He has regarded it, historically, as an act of mere Justice to the fame and the memories of many wise, brilliant, brave and generous men,--patriots, orators, warriors and statesmen,--who ruled over barbarian communities, and were indeed themselves barbarians, but whose influence, eloquence and success of every description were _therefore_ but the nobler objects of admiration and the worthier subjects for record. Nor can Philosophy look upon them without predilection. Comparatively unopinionated and unaffected as they were,--governed by impulse and guided by native sense,--owing little to circumstances, and struggling much amidst and against them,--their situation was the best possible for developing both genius and principle, and their education at the sane time the best for disclosing them. Their Lives, then, should illustrate the true constitution of man. They should have, above all other history, the praise and the interest of "philosophy teaching, by example."

The strictly moral inducements which have operated on the Author's mind, must be too obvious to require dissertation. We owe, and our Fathers owed, too much to the Indians,--too much from man to man,--too much from race to race,--to deny them the poor restitution of historical justice at least, however the issue may have been or may be with themselves. Nor need it be suggested, that selfishness alone might dictate the policy of a collection such as the Author has endeavored to make this, were it only for the collateral light which it constantly throws on the history and biography of our own nation.

Nothing of the same character is before the public. What may be called an Indian Biographical Dictionary has indeed recently appeared, and to that the Author has gladly referred in the course of his researches; but the extreme difficulty of doing justice to any individuals of the race, and at the same time to _all,_ may be inferred from the fact that the writer alluded to has noticed such men as Uncas in some six or eight lines, while he has wholly omitted characters so important as Buckongahelas, White-eyes, Pipe, and Occonoetota. On these, and on all their more eminent countrymen, the Author has intended to bestow the notice they deserve, by passing over the vast multitude distinguished only by detached anecdote, or described only in general terms.

In fine, conscious of many imperfections, but also conscious of a strenuous exertion to render them as few and small as might be, the Author submits the Biography to the public, and especially to the candor of those whose own labors, if not the results of them, have shown them the essential fallibility of every composition like this. He will have reason to be satisfied if it do good, as he will assuredly be gratified if it give pleasure.

Boston, Sept. 10, 1832.

CONTENTS

CHAP. I.--The Indian tribes of Virginia at the date of the Jamestown
settlement; their names, numbers and power--The Powhatan
confederacy--The Indian Village of that name--Powhatan--The
circumstances of the first interview between him and the
English--Opechancanough, his brother--Opitchipan--Reception of Captain
Smith by Powhatan--Interposition of Pocahontas in his favor--Second
visit of the colonists--Third visit, and coronation--Entertainment of
Smith by Pocahontas--Contest of ingenuity between Powhatan and Smith;
and between the latter and Opechancanough--Smith saved again by
Pocahontas--Political manoeuvres of Powhatan and Opechancanough--Smith's
return to Jamestown.

page 9

CHAP. II.--Conduct of Powhatan after Smith's departure for England, and
causes of it--Hostilities resumed--Peace finally effected by the capture
of Pocahontas--Manner of gaining this point--Marriage of Pocahontas with
John Rolfe--Death and character of Powhatan--His person, manner of
living, talents, influence. His method and means of warfare--The
discipline of his warriors--The manner in which he availed himself of
the English arms and science--Causes of his hostility towards the
colonists--His dignity--Shrewdness--Independence--Courtesy--Liberality--
Simplicity--Affection for his relatives--A review of various opinions
entertained of him by various historians.

40

CHAP. III.--The family of Powhatan--His successor--Sequel of the history
of Pocahontas--Her acts of kindness to the colonists at various times,
and especially to Smith--His gratitude--Her civilisation, and
instruction in Christianity--Her visit to England in 1616--Reception at
Court--Interview with Smith--His memorial respecting her to Queen
Anne--Her death and character--Her descendants.

66

CHAP. IV.--Sequel of the history of Opechancanough--Renewal, by him and
Opitchipan, of the treaty of peace--Finesse by which he extended his
dominion over the Chickahominies--Preparations for War--Causes of
it--Profound dissimulation under which his hostility was
concealed--Indian custom of making Conjurers--Manoeuvres against the
English interest--The great massacre of 1622; circumstances and
consequences of it--particular occasion which led to it--Character and
death of Nemattanow--Details of the war subsequent to the
massacre--Truce broken by the English--New exertions of
Opechancanough--Battle of Pamunkey--Peace of 1632--Massacre of
1641--Capture of Opechancanough by the English--His death and
character.

77

CHAP. V.--Biography of other Virginian chieftains--Opitchipan--Some
particulars respecting Tomocomo--His visit to England, interview with
Captain Smith, and return to America--Japakaws, chief sachem of the
Patowomekes--His friendship for the English--Ill treatment which he
received from them--Totopotomoi, successor of Opechancanough--His
services--His death in 1656--Notices of several native chiefs of North
Carolina--Granganimo who dies in 1585--Menatenon, king of the
Chowanocks--Ensenore, father of Granganimo; and Wingina, his
brother--Plot of the latter against the Hatteras colony--His
death--Comment on the Carolinian Biography.

95

CHAP. VI.--Synopsis of the New England Indians at the date of the
Plymouth settlement--The Pokanoket confederacy--The Wampanoag
tribe--Their first head-Sachem known to the English, Massasoit--The
first interview between him and the whites--His visit to Plymouth, in
1621--Treaty of peace and friendship--Embassy sent to him at Sowams, by
the English--Anecdotes respecting it--He is suspected of treachery or
hostility, in 1622--His sickness in 1623--A second deputation visits
him--Ceremonies and results of the visit--His intercourse with other
tribes--Conveyances of land to the English--His death and
character--Anecdotes.

115

CHAP. VII.--Massasoit succeeded by his son Alexander--The occasion of
that name being given by the English--History of Alexander previous to
his father's death--Covenant made with Plymouth in 1639--Measures taken
in pursuance of it, in 1661--Anecdote illustrating the character of
Alexander--Notice of the charges made against him--Examination of the
transaction which led to his death--Accession of Phillip--Renewal of the
treaty by him--Interruption of harmony--Supposed causes of it--Measures
taken in consequence--Philip's submission--Letter to the Plymouth
Governor--Second submission in 1671--Remarks on the causes of Phillip's
War.

141

CHAP. VIII.--Preparations for war between Philip and the Colonies--Great
excitement of the times--Deposition of Hugh Cole--Immediate occasion of
hostilities--Commencement of them, June 24th, 1675--Summary sketch of
the war--Consequences to the parties engaged--Exertions, adventures and
escapes of King Philip--His death--Anecdotes respecting
him--Observations on his character--His courage, dignity, kindness,
independence shrewdness, and self-command--Fate of his family--Defence
of his conduct.

159

CHAP. IX.--The Narraghansett tribe; territory and power--Chief Sachems at
the date of the English settlements in New England--Canonicus associates
with himself Miantonomo, his nephew--Their treatment of Roger Williams
in 1634--Hostility to the Plymouth Colony--Invited by the Pequots to
fight the English--Treaty negotiated at Boston, in 1636, by
Miantonomo--War with the Pequots and result of it--Subsequent hostility
between Miantonomo and Uncas--Sequassen--Battle of the
Sachem's-Plain--Capture of Miantonomo--Sentence of the English
commissioners upon him--Execution of it.

177

CHAP. X.--Consideration of the justice of the Commissioners sentence upon
Miantonomo--Their reasons, as alleged--The charge against him of
ambitious designs--Of employing the Mohawks--Of breaking the league of
1638--"Concerning the Pequot squaws"--Of hostility to the English--Of
peculation--Proofs of his fidelity and friendship--Causes of complaint
by him and Canonicus against the English--Character of both
Sachems--Their treatment of Roger Williams--Letters of that
gentleman--Anecdotes--Death of Canonicus.

198

CHAP. XI.--Canonicus succeeded by Pessacus--Mexhan--Ninigret, Sachem of
the Nianticks--Proposals made by them to the English, and by the English
in return--They commence hostilities against Uncas--The English resolve
to make war upon them--They make concessions--Their visits to
Boston--Subsequent movements against Uncas. An armed party sent against
Ninigret and Pessacus--They are accused of a league with the Dutch
against the English.

210

CHAP. XII.--Sequel of the lives of Ninigret and Pessacus, from
1653--Various accusations, deputations, and hostile movements between
them and the English--Controversy between Ninigret and Harmon
Garrett--Application for justice in 1675--Conduct of Ninigret in
Philip's War--Consequences of it--His death--Death of Pessacus--Some of
the charges against the former considered--His hostility to Uncas, and
the Long Islanders, and "League with the Dutch"--Remarks on his
character.

231

CHAP. XIII.--The Pequot tribe--Their first chief-sachem known to the
English, Pekoath--succeeded by Sassacus--An embassy sent to Boston in
1631--Residence and strong-hold of Sassacus--His earliest intercourse
with the English--Murder of Captain Stone--Justification of it by
Sassacus--He proposes a treaty of peace in 1634--Sends deputies to
Boston twice--Treaty concluded--Anecdotes--His wars with the
Narraghansetts--Fresh controversy with the English--They send an armed
party to demand damages--Conduct of the party, and consequences of
it--War with the Pequots in 1636--Political movements of
Sassacus--English expedition against him in 1637--He is defeated--Driven
from his country--Killed by the Mohawks--The English policy in his case
briefly considered.

250

CHAP. XIV.--The Pequot territory claimed by Uncas--His tribe, family, and
early history--Services in the Pequot expedition rewarded by the
English--Effect of their favor--His contest with Miantonomo, and
result--Subsequent wars and quarrels with various tribes and
chiefs--Assistance rendered him by the English--Complaints brought
against him to them--His Christianity considered--His morality--Evidence
of his fraud, falsehood, violence, tyranny, ambition--His services, and
those of his tribe to the English--Manner in which he met the
accusations made against him--Cunning and servility--His treatment of
neighboring sachems--Various negotiations with the English--His
death--fate of his tribe.

266

CHAP. XV.--Indians who submitted to Massachusetts--The Gortonists--Pomham,
Sachem of Shaomet, and Saconoco complain of them--Submit to the
Government--Their examination and entertainment--Policy of Massachusetts
in the case of Pomham--He and Saconoco much harassed by their
neighbors--Subsequent history--Pomham takes part in Philip's war, and is
killed--Canonchet, son of Miantonomo--His agreement of October,
1675--Weetamore Squaw-Sachem of Pocasset--Canonchet's career during
Philip's war--Particulars of his surprisal and death--His
character--Anecdotes--His reputation with the English--Defence of his
conduct.

295

CHAP. XVI.--Account of the Pawtucket confederacy in New
Hampshire--Passaconaway, their Chief Sachem--He is disarmed by order of
the Massachusetts Government. His residence, age and authority--He
maintains a good understanding with the English--Visits Boston--The
Apostle Elliot's acquaintance with and notice of him--His views of
Christianity--Festival, and Farewell speech to his tribe in 1660--Death
and character--His son and successor, Wonolanset. Anecdotes of the
family--Legend of Passaconaway's feats as a Powah.

315

INDIAN BIOGRAPHY.

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