Litchfield enquirer., 1874-01-15
MILES STANDISH.

1 s MILES sTANDIsH.
 IheEsketeh of Miles Standish in the Wetmore genealogy gives many curious facts regarding the difficulties of the early 1 Puritan settlers. In 1923 the Indians formed conspiracy for the massacre of the settlers. beginning with Weston's com pany at Weymouth. One of the latter had stolen some corn of the natives and, to propitiate them, the company hung a man-whether the actual thief, or some one they could better spare, is matter of doubt.
 Mir Hubbard's account of this matter Is as follows: ''The company, as some re- port, pretended, in way of satisfaction, to punish him that did the theft; but in his stead, hanged poor, decrepid old man that was unserviceable to the company. 1 and buriensome to keep alive. This was 1 the ground of the story, with which the 1 merry gentleman that wrote the poem called Hudi5ras, did in his poetical fan cy, make so much sport. The inhabitants of Plymouth tell the story much other wise, as If the person hanged, was really guilty of stealing, as were many of the rest. Yet 1t is possible that justice may be executed, not on him that most de- served 1t, but on him that could best be spared, or was not likely to live long, if he had been let alone"
 Butler refers to this queer specimen of vicarious atonement (Hudibras, Part II. Canto IT. line 41O):
 Our brethren of New England use
 Choice malefactors to excuse
 And hang the guiltless in their stead
 Of whom the churches have less need;
 As lately t happened In town
 Eheresived Cobbler and but one,
 That out of Doctrine could cut use,
 Ans Ana Rassi Rpfaeei6us Brother having slain
 In time of peace an Indian,
 Not out of malice, but mere zeal
 Because he was an InfideD,
 The mighty Tottipottymoy
 Sent to our Elders an Envoy,
 Complaining sorely of the breach
 league, held forth by Brother Patch
 Against the articles in force
 Between two churches, his and ours;
 For which he crav'd the Saints to render
 Into his hands, or hang tn offender.
 But they maturely having weigh'd
 They had no more but him O tn trade
 GA man that serv'd them in double
 Capacity, to teach and to cObble),
 Resolv'd to spare him; yet, to do
 The Indian Moghan Hoghan, too,
 Impartial justice in his stead did
 Hang an old Weaver that was bed-rid
 The General Court, learning the hos tile intentions of the Indians, sent out Capt. Standish with eight men to ''take them in such traps as they set for others" He was told to go to the English of Weston's company, acquaint them of the supposed plot. and having made himself certain of it's reality to ''fitly take oppor- tunity to revenge the same. but shold for bear. if it were possible till at such time as he could make sure of Wittuwamat, q bloody and bold william, whose head he had orders to bring with him.
 Arriving at Weymouth, Standish found the Indians exceedingly insolent. One Pecksuotsent him word that he under stood he had come out to kill them; but, said the chief, "We know It. Let him begin when he dare He shall not take us unaware" ''Many times after, divers of them, sev- erally or few together, came to the plan tation, where they would whet and shar- pen the point of their knives before his face, and use many other insulting gest- ures and speeches. Among the rest Wit tuwamat bragged of the excellency of his knife, on the handle of which was pictur- ed woman's face. But, said he, I have 1 another at home, wherewith Ihave killed both French and English, and that hath 8 mans face on it, and by and by, those two must be married Further he said of that knife which he there had, 'Hinna- ane a0Daea bsan0ina nichen, Hadtt0 cuts, that is to say, '6y and 6y it shovld see, by and by it should eat, but not speak Also Pecksuot being man of greater stature than the captain, told him: Though you are great captain, you are but a little 1 man; though he no sachem, yet I am a man of great strength and courage These things the captain observed and bore them with great patience, "On the next day. seeing he could not get many of them together at once, but l Pecksuot and Wittuwamat being togeth- CT with another man and the brother of Wittuwamat. youth of eighteen, putting many tricks on the weaker sort of men, and having about as many of his own men In the same room, the captain gave the word to his men, and the door being fast shut, he began himself with Pecksuot, and snatching his knife from his neck, after much struggling, killed him herewith; the rest killed Wittuwamat and the other man; the youth they took and hanged. IB IS incredible, how many wounds these men received before they died, not mak- ing any fearful noise, but catching at their weapons, and striving to the last
 This broke up the conspiracy" Evi- dently Capt. Standish knew how to "take them in such traps as they set for others.'