Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1929-02-14
Indian Tribes Gather In What
Is Now Town of Killingly
QUARREL Over Food Ends in Bloody
Battle

The Indian hunter here his shelter
found;
Here cut his bow, and shaped his
arrows true,
Here built his wigwams and his bark
canoe,
speared the quick salmon leapinp
up the fall.
And slew thu. deer without the rife
ball;
Here his young squaw her grading
tree world choose.
Singing her chant to hush her swart
uappoose;
Here stain her quilts, and string her
trinkcts rude,
And weave her warriors wampum
in the wood"
Barnard.
War in most nations. whether bar.
barous or civilized has been eateeme
an honorable employment. Among
the Indians the whole system Of wae
fare was Of eratcgem and surprise
n pitched battle in an omen field was
almost unknown and greater honor
was "ascribed fa the chief Wh0. bg
n night attack. destroyed his enemies
AZ a disadvanta~n and brought away
their scalps in triumph, without los
10 his own neope," than the deeds %
personal exposure. When fully re.
solved upon hostilitics, they first sc
cured the assistance Of ueigheorins
tribes. for which ambassadors were
sent. TO show the advantages Of the
union. and 70 cement the treaty BY
exchange q Wampum.
Wampum was o sort Of ornament.
which answered the purpose OF q cir
culation medium among the local Or
Eastern Indians. This consisted ~
small circular bits Of sen shell
fmoothly grounded and polished. I"
with a hole drilled through the center
Of each. through which il was strung.
or attached as an ornament TO the
belle or other parts Of the clothing.
+ The "qua-hog" or quohog or quohoug
or round cam furnished the principal
shells for this coin. the variegated
purple portions being by far the most
valuable. The great labor in prepar-
ing it was the boring by a sharp
flint The slow process Of making
these immense quantities Of the wam-
pun that were procured by the early
settlers, while it retained its value in
exchange for European commodities,
# or given rs tribute. Is certainly mar
vicious. Tine wHmpumpague. SAYS
+ Gookin ''is made principally by the
Block Islanders and Long Island In
dams Upon the sandy flats and
shores Of these cousts the wiik shells
are found With wompompeague
they pay tribute. redeem eaptives.
satisfy for murders and other wrongs.
purchase peace with their potent
neighbors, as occasion requires; in a
word, Il answers all occasions with
them, as gold and silver doth with
US. They delight much in having and
using knives. combs, scissors. hatch
cts. hoes. guns, needles, avis, looking.
glasses, and such like necessaries
which they purchase of the English
and Dutch with their peague and
then sell them their peltry for their
wompeague. When all was ready for
the fray, usually a Ratchet or other
weapon was painted red told Indian
red. the first paint used in New Eng
land, composed Of ochre and fish oil
was sent as an intimation TO the
enemy for what was in store. When
weary with the war, the message was
sent under the flag Of truce as it
were-the calumet, or pipe Of peace.
which everywhere gave security TO
the person who carried IL. A solemn
and ceremonious smoking of the ca
lumet formed the ratification of every
treaty. When used at the conclusion
~ a peace. the painted Ratchet was
buried In the ground. (hence the ex-
pression-Burying the Hatehet) and
belts Of wampum, so figured and ar
ranged as TO commemorate the essen
tial articles of the agreement" were
given. TO be kept as a perpetual me
mortal,
Old Tobacco Pipes
The old tobacco pipes were made
Of clay or pot-stone or serpentine
marble very fine red pot-stone.
The first were shaped like our com
mon pipes Of clay. though they were
coarser and not so well made Often
the stem was but an inch long, though
sometimes a fingers length. The
hNihf AtafihHftU kfAh OF our cray niNfH
that have been long used. Some
pipes Of the serpentine marble were
well made; they were formed with
great ingenuity, were very scarce,
and seldom used by any but the
chiefs. The stone Of which they were
made was brought from a long dis
tance and was very difficult to get
Pipes Of this material were valued
by the Indians higher than the same
bulk Of silver. The celebrated "pipe
Of peace" was made OF this stone.
The Nipmuck tribe 10 which the
Indians of this locality belonged, had
lost a portion of their territory 70 the
Mohegans. and the canoe az water
loving Indians territory was made to
correspond generally 20 the northern
border of Connecticut. The Nip.
mueks occupied land remote from
The seashore in "the fresh water
country" They were numerous at
{ Thompson Connecticut. where they
skillfully titled the ground. and where
their hworks. on Fort Hill. pro-
vided them a refuge in case Of inva-
sion. The chief Quinatlsset. had his
lodge on the site Of the Congrega-
tioual church in Thompson. One of
their favorite resorts was the great
lake ChargoggagOggmanchauggagogg
chauhunagungamaugg M an n &
Boundary Fishing Place" This was
recognized as the dividing line or