The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-09-06
KING RHZZ II

Their numbers increased. My fathers
counselors were alarmed. They urged
him to destroy the English before they
became strong enough to give law to
the Indians and take away their coun-
try. My father was also father to the
English. He remained their friend.
Experience shows that his counselors
were right. The English disarmed my
people. They tried them by their own
laws, and assessed damages my people
could not pay. Sometimes the cattle
of the English would come into the
cornfelds of my people for they did
not make fences like the English. l
must then be seized and confined till
sold another tract Of my country for
damages and costs. Thus tract after
tract is gone. But small part of the
dominion of my ancestors remains.
am determined not to live till have
no country"
Despite Philips plans to open the
war in the spring Of 1876. the conflict
was precipitated in the summer Of
1875 with the famous attack by the
Indians on the town of Swansea. For
the next fourteen months the war
ragged with great fury. Of 80 English
towns in the war area, 81 were at
tackled and IL were destroyed. For a
time it looked as though Philips
dream Of extinction Of the hated white
invaders of his country was to be real
lied. But as the colonists began to
recover from the havoc which Philip
had wrought In the early weeks of the
war, the tide turned in their favor.
Some Of his allies were defeated, 9TH
ers deserted him and began to help
the English. The appointment Of Capt.
Benjamin Church, brave and skill
full soldier, as commander of the col
onists' forces, added to several acts of
treachery by his own people, spelled
doom for the Indian leader.
Philip became fugitive. hunted
from place to place like a wild ami
NAL. His wife and only son were cap
tured and sold as slaves in the West
Indies. "My heart breaks" said Philip
when he heard of this. 'Now l am
ready to die" Finally his hiding place
was betrayed to the English by the
brother of an Indian whom Philip had
slain for proposing to seek peace with
the English. Finding his camp sur
rounded, the chief attempted to flee
along path guarded by soldier and
the Indian traitor. The soldiers gun
missed fire, but that of the Indian,
filled with two bullets and double
charge of powder, brought the chief
down as he ran.
Philips conqueror's proved that
they were but little less savage than
he had been. An Indian executioner
was ordered to cut off his head and
quarter his body. His head was sent
to Plymouth and there exhibited on
gibbet for 20 years. "Such was the
fate of Philip" wrote Edward Everett.
HE had fought a relentless war, but
he fought for his native land, for the
mound that covered the bones Of his
parents; he fought for his squaw and
papoose; mol will not defraud them
of the sacred names which our hearts
understandable fought for his wife
and child" Today monument stands
at Plymouth, erected there during the
Pilgrim tercentenary celebration in
1920, which perpetuates the fame of
Massasoit as the friend of the white
man. Soon another memorial is to
rise to his son, King Philip, whose
fame also deserves to be perpetuated
even though he was the enemy of the
white man. For King Philip was a
fighting man and patriot and the
kindlier judgment of later day will
no longer deny him the honor due
him.