Sharp County record., 1912-02-23
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ALBERT 1PlYs6N TrRH0Nc
UNCAS.

yOulo. COlilliullu, dbu L CbCy. WA
trust the English before l will trust
mine own people. The Indian that
slays an Englishman shall die by my
hand"
The man who made this speech OF
loyalty to a group Of grim-visaged Pu-
ritans was Uncas, sachem and hero.
Nor were his words mere idle boast
ing. He had already proved their
truth, and was yet to prove it in
far more dramatic way.
Uncas was born about 1888. He waa
a sub-chief Of the Pequot nation, and
up to middle age had had no adven-
lures especially we'll worth relating.
But in 1885 he headed party Of NAL
contents against the Pequot sachem
Sassacus. In the fierce little war that
followed Uncas was expelled from his
nation" But he took with him a
band Of loyal followers and formed a
new tribe which he called the "Mohe-
gans" Gan ancient name of the Pc
quots). He made himself chief Of the
Mohegans, and conquered for them a
fine stretch of land near where Lyme,
Conn.,, now stands. Then he turned
his attention to avenging himself on
his old enemies, the Pequots.
A Deed of Vengeance.
The Mohegans were not strong
enough to tackle them single-handed,
so he signed peace treaty with the
English settlers Of New England, and
in 1887 joined the colonists in their
expedition against the Pequot nation.
Uncas guided the soldiers to the Pc
quots' chief stronghold, village forth
fed by high wooden palisades. So
hercely did the English and Mohegans
assault this town that all but four
teen of its Pequot inhabitants were
slain. Then up and down through the
Pequot country Uncas led the attack,
until the whole nation" that once had
cast him out was subdued. In reward
Uncas received a large slice Of the
Pequot lands, When the war was ac-
tually over he threw himself heart and
soul into an effort to save the sur
vivors of his crushed enemies from
punishment at the hands Of the Eng
lish. So eagerly did he interfere to
rescue the Pequots that the English
declared him traitor and he narrow.
ly escaped with his life. But Uncas
quickly proved his fidelity to the Eng
llsh, and did so In such emphatic
fashion that the Pequots deemed him
double traitor and plotted to murder
him. ,
Uncas swiftly avenged this murder
plot by swooping down upon Sequas-
son, the Connecticut river sachcm, and
laying waste his villages. Next he
found himself involved In quarrel
with Miantonomoh, sachem Of the
mighty Narragansett nation. Mianto.
nomoh had been accused Of conspir.
ing to massacre the white settlers. In
1910 and again In 1912 the Narragan-
sett sachem had been arrested and
brought before the Massachusetts,
magistrates on this charge and had
had much trouble In clearing himself.
Miantonomoh dared not attack the
white men, but wreaked his spite by
invading the country Of their allies.
the Mohegans The Narragansetts,
1000 strong, marched into Uncas's
territory, destroying all In their path.
Uncas could scrape together barely
500 men to meet the Invaders, The
two forces met near the Yantic river
tsl,s. Uncas strode forth between tho
two little armies and shouted to MI.
antonomoh
1--WE both have many brave men at
our backs, Why should many Of them
die In our private quarrel? Stand for.
ward, oh Miantonomoh, and fight me,
hand to hand. And let the battle's
Issue rest on our combat"
Mlantonomoh answered., "My men
have come hithor to fight. And they
shall fght!" Then he gave tho sig.
nal for battle.
Battle and Victory.
A terrific conflict followed. BY mar
tlal skill and utter reckless courage
Uneas defeated the Narragansotts--
double the number Of his own force
and captured Miantonomoh. Instead
OF dealing with his fallen foe In usual
fashion, he carried Mlantonomoh be-
fore n council Of Massachusetts, elders.
who promptly condemned the captive
70 die. Uneass own brother was per-
mltted to strike the death blow, All
the local tribes now combined against
tho Mohegans, and but for tho aid
sent him by tho English Unoas must
have been overwhelmed, As II was.
he fought for years like q tiger against
his allied foes, and held his own
against them, Thomas Lefllngwell, q
settler, smuggled provisions to him
once, when IN 1866 he was besIcgcd
by tho NOrrOgansetta, Unoaa, In grat-