The Ely miner., 1929-11-15
StandiShS Crave,
South Duxbury Mass.

mile by the sea side, they espied 5.
or 6. persons with dogg coming to-
wards them, who were salvages." But
the Indians 'rane up into the woods"
and that night Standish and his men
camped on the shore "& set out their
sentinels." On November %, sixteen
armed men, everyone his Musket,
Sword and Corslet, Under the COM
mand of Captaine Myles Standish,"
were sent ashore for second explo-
ration. They marched through what
is now PrOvincetOwn, where they saw
several Indians, followed their tracks
about ten miles and spent the night
in the woods. Three more expeditions
were sent out later, and on the third
near Nanskeket they were surprised
by the Indians upon whom Standish
fred. but the skirmish was slight.
In February, 1921, Standish was off,
cially made military captain. During
that first terrible winter when disease
wiped out half of the colony, among
them his wife, Rose Standish. who
died on January q, it was to the min
istrations of this fiery little fighting
man and the gentle Elder Brewster
that many of the survivors owed their
lives. But he was to prove his worth
to the colony in many other ways, and
to justify the statement that the ''Pil-
grims could not have existed without
the strong arm of Capt. Myles STAN
dish" -....
In 1922 the planting of new settle
ment at Weymouth angered the Mas
sachusetts Indians, who formed plot
to destroy not only these Englishmen
but the members of the Plymouth col
ony as well. The plot was betrayed
by Massasoit and Standish with
force of only eight men marched to
the relief of the settlement at Wey-
mouth. Standish enticed the hostile
chiefs, Pecksuot and Wituwamat. and
a half-brother of the latter into
room where the Indians were killed
after a desperate fight, marking the
first shedding of Indian blood by the
Pilgrims. A general battle with the
Indians followed but Standish and his
men routed the savages. The news of
his battle spread terror among the
Indians, and as warning against fur
ther depredations, the head of Witu-
wamat was cut off and exposed on a
pole in Plymouth.
In 1885 Standish led an unsuccess-
full expedition against the French who
had driven party of Plymouth men
away from PenObscot, Maine. In ad-
dition to being the military leader Of
every exploit of Importance in the col
ony, Standish's counsel was often re-
quired in civil affairs. For many years
he was treasurer of the colony, and
in 1926. when the colony was in trou-
BILE with it's partners, the Merchant Ad-
venturers, Standish was sent to Eng
land to seek relief, bearing letter
from Governor Bradford to the coun-
Gil of New England urging their inter-
vention in behalf of the Pilgrims. On
account of the plague in London, how
ever, Standish could accomplish moth
ing.
Alter the uedtn VI Ills VIE, nOSe
the captain married her younger sis
ter, Barbara, and to them were born
four sons, Alexander, Myles, Josias
and Charles, and daughter, Lora.
In 1852 Standish made his home at
Duxbury on Captains hill. There he
died on October 3, 1856. Today tall
monument stands on Captains hill.
On top of it is the statue of military
figure, looking eastward. Its right
hand, holding the charter of the col
ony, is extended toward Plymouth, its
left rests upon sheathed sword. 1t
is fitting memorial to Capt. Myles
Standish, the first military commander
of our country and the protector and
savior of the Pilgrim Fathers.