Edited by Kelsey McLean
Another Praying Indian1 was at Sudbury fight2, though, as he deserved, he was afterward hanged for it. There was another Praying Indian, so wicked and cruel, as to wear a string about his neck, strung3 with Christians’ fingers. Another Praying Indian, when they went to Sudbury fight, went with them4, and his squaw5 also with him, with her papoose6 at her back.
Before they went to that fight they got a company together to pow-wow7. The manner was as followeth: there was one that kneeled upon a deerskin, with the company round him in a ring who kneeled, and striking upon the ground with their hands, and with sticks, and muttering or humming with their mouths. Besides him who kneeled in the ring, there also stood one with a gun in his hand. Then he on the deerskin made a speech, and all manifested assent8 to it; and so they did many times together. Then they bade him with the gun go out of the ring, which he did. But when he was out, they called him in again; but he seemed to make a stand; then they called the more earnestly, till he returned again. Then they all sang. Then they gave him two guns, in either hand one. And so he on the deerskin began again; and at the end of every sentence in his speaking, they all assented, humming or muttering with their mouths, and striking upon the ground with their hands. Then they bade him with the two guns go out of the ring again; which he did, a little way.
Then they called him in again, but he made a stand. So they called him with greater earnestness; but he stood reeling and wavering as if he knew not whither he should stand or fall, or which way to go. Then they called him with exceeding great vehemency, all of them, one and another. After a little while he turned in, staggering as he went, with his arms stretched out, in either hand a gun. As soon as he came in they all sang and rejoiced exceedingly a while. And then he upon the deerskin, made another speech unto which they all assented in a rejoicing manner. And so they ended their business, and forthwith9 went to Sudbury fight.
To my thinking they went without any scruple10, but that they should prosper, and gain the victory. And they went out not so rejoicing, but they came home with as great a victory. For they said they had killed two captains and almost an hundred men11. One Englishman they brought along with them: and he said, it was too true, for they had made sad work at Sudbury, as indeed it proved. Yet they came home without that rejoicing and triumphing over their victory which they were wont to show at other times; but rather like dogs12 (as they say) which have lost their ears13.
Yet I could not perceive that it was for their own loss of men14.They said they had not lost above five or six; and I missed none, except in one wigwam 15.
When they went, they acted as if the devil had told them that they should gain the victory; and now they acted as if the devil had told them they should have a fall16. Whither it were so or no, I cannot tell, but so it proved, for quickly they began to fall, and so held on that summer, till they came to utter ruin. They came home on a Sabbath day17, and the Powaw18 that kneeled upon the deer-skin came home (I may say, without abuse) as black as the devil19. When my master20 came home, he came to me and bid me make a shirt for his papoose, of a holland-laced pillowbere21.
About that time there came an Indian to me and bid me come to his wigwam22 at night, and he would give me some pork23 and ground nuts24. Which I did, and as I was eating, another Indian said to me, he seems to be your good friend, but he killed two Englishmen at Sudbury, and there lie their clothes behind you: I looked behind me, and there I saw bloody clothes, with bullet-holes in them. Yet the Lord suffered not this wretch to do me any hurt25. Yea instead of that, he many times refreshed26 me; five or six times did he and his squaw refresh my feeble carcass. If I went to their wigwam at any time, they would always give me something, and yet they were strangers that I never saw before. Another squaw gave me a piece of fresh pork, and a little salt with it, and lent me her pan to fry it in; and I cannot but remember what a sweet, pleasant and delightful relish that bit had to me, to this day27. So little do we prize common mercies28 when we have them to the full.
Works Cited
1599 Geneva Bible. Biblica. 2020. Biblegateway.com, https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/1599-Geneva-Bible-GNV/#booklist
Bidwell, Paula, and Lea Gerlach. Many Hoops. 2013. http://manyhoops.com/.
Bouton, Nathaniel. Provincial Papers: Documents and Records Relating to the Province of New-Hampshire, from the Earliest Period of Its Settlement: 1623-[1776]. Concord: G.E. Jenks, State printer, 1867. Retrieved from https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002088540084&view=1up&seq=493
Browner, Tara. Heartbeat of the People: Music and Dance of the Northern Pow-Wow. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 2002.
Lexicons of Early Modern English, ed. Ian Lancashire (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2018). http://leme.library.utoronto.ca
Mather, Increase and Royster, Paul (editor), A Brief History of the Warr with the Indians in New-England (1676): An Online Electronic Text Edition (1676). Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries. pp. 45. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience/31
McGlenen, Edward W. The Sudbury fight, April 21, 1676: an address delivered before the Society of Colonial Wars at the Battle Ground, Sudbury, Massachusetts, June 17, 1897. 1898. pp. 9. https://archive.org/details/sudburyfightapri00mcgl/page/8/mode/2up
Noonan, James M., “Reading Racism: Or, How I’m Learning to Wrestle with ‘Little House on the Prairie'”. Harvard University. 2 June 2017. https://scholar.harvard.edu/jmnoonan/blog/reading-racism-or-how-i%E2%80%99m-learning-wrestle-little-house-prairie
“papoose” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2020. Web. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papoose
Schilling, Vincent. “The Word Squaw: Offensive or Not?”. Indian Country Today. 23 Mar 2017. https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-word-squaw-offensive-or-not-AOz_cjbLkEaxKaUEa6kejg.
Thanks to Project Gutenberg for providing the digitized version of this text free of charge. Without their generosity, this project would not be possible.
N. An Indigenous person who has converted to Christianity, willingly or involuntarily. ↩
April 21 1976. A battle of King Phillip’s War in which the Wopânâak (Wampanoag) nation, as well as the Narragansett and Nashaway tribes, raided the Sudbury settlement resulting in what is considered to be the last Native American “victory” of King Phillip’s war. ↩
i.e. “made”. ↩
Although she means “them” as in, the Wampanoag nation, there is evidence of Praying, or, “Christian Indians”, accompanying English soldiers from Charlestown to assist the recovery at Sudbury. Interesting how she doesn’t acknowledge this. ↩
N. A controversial term for an Indigenous Woman. Here, Rowlandson likely uses this term in its more offensive context. ↩
N. A dated and also controversial term for a Native-American child. Also – the cradleboard used by indigenous cultures to carry infants. One of the earliest uses of “papoose” in english government documents was in a 1711 act describing the bounty rewarded for the murders of indigenous children (Bouton). Lest to say that her use of this word likely wasn’t one of endearment. ↩
N. a specific social gathering of indigenous people. The particular purpose of gathering has fluctuated over the years. The modern powwow is mainly one of celebration. Usually involving singing and dancing. ↩
i.e. “Agreement”. ↩
i.e. “immediately”. ↩
i.e. “doubt” ↩
The number provided in Native American accounts is 74 English casualties, something which seems to be accepted. Rowlandson describing 74 as “almost” a hundred is a little misleading. ↩
It’s no coincidence she compares the tribe to dogs. In biblical scripture, the symbolism of dogs are either to represent innocently amoral tools (as the dogs who ate Jezebel) at best, or akin to demonic evil (Beware of dogs: beware of evil workers: beware of the concision. – Phil 3:2) at worst. ↩
i.e. “lost their courage”. ↩
Indigenous people ALSO feel grief over the deaths of family and companions, actually. ↩
Even from the time, puritan accounts estimateed “one hundred and twenty” indigenous casualties. However, this same account also claims that English captives from this battle were stripped naked, and were forced to “run the gauntlet, whipping them after a cruel and bloudy manner”. A torture which Rowlandson denies completely. Do with this information what you will. ↩
This passage calls to many quotes in the bible on the actions of “the enemy” serving “the devil”. For an example, Psalm 106. ↩
N. Sunday, the day of Christian worship and rest. ↩
i.e. “those at the powwow”. ↩
An idiom, “to be of evil and wicked disposition”. ↩
Quinnapin, the last partner of Weetamoo, the sunksqua of the Pocasset tribe. ↩
i.e. “a pillowcase of holland fabric”. ↩
N. a domed shelter made by Native Americans. ↩
This could possibly be a version or a predecessor of Sobaheg, a stew descended from the Wôpanâak people traditionally thickened with ground nuts. ↩
A call to Deuteronomy 18:14, For these nations which thou shalt possess, hearken unto those that regard the times, and unto sorcerers: as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so. ↩
i.e. “fed”. ↩
Breaking news: White woman discovers seasoned food! More at 11. ↩
Could call to Psalm 25:6, Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy lovingkindness: for they have been forever. ↩