Military History. 239 



lost, and over one hundred and ninety of the English were killed 

 or wounded, of whom over one hundred belonged to Massachu- 

 setts, out of a total of about rive hundred and forty. 



In the " great Narragansett fight" the men of Hingham, under 

 their unfortunate captain, led the way. We must regret having 

 but little record of their individual experiences. We know, how- 

 ever, that the retreat from the Narragansett country was one 

 series of hardship and suffering, and that besides the death of 

 many ol the wounded on the way, that the unharmed nearly per- 

 ished from exposure and hunger ; so that when General Winslow 

 readied his headquarters four hundred of his little army, besides 

 the wounded, were unfit for duty. On the 24th of February, 

 Weymouth was attacked and seven houses destroyed, and by 

 March the Indians had become so aggressive that Massachusetts 

 ordered garrisons to be established in each town, and a select 

 number of minute-men were to spread the alarm upon the first 

 approach of the savages. 



That the three forts, and perhaps all of the garrison houses 

 were occupied permanently at this time there can be little doubt. 

 Lieutenant Smith, as has been said, is known to have commanded 

 a fort, — more than probably that near his residence upon the 

 Lower Plain ; while Captain Hobart, though exercising general 

 supervision of all the defences, took immediate personal charge 

 of the one in the cemetery, directing, we may presume, the gar- 

 rison of the fortification at Fort Hill to obey the orders of Ensign 

 John Thaxter, then the third officer of the company. 



The Town Records have the following : — 



'& 



•'At a meeting of the freemen of Hingham on the 18th day of October, 

 1675, on complaint made against Joseph the Indian and his family, who 

 were in the town contrary to the views of most of the inhabitants, and on 

 suspicion that he will run away to the enemy to our prejudice, therefore 

 the freemen at the said Town meeting passed a clear vote that the con- 

 stable forthwith seize the said Indian and his family, and carry them up 

 to Boston to be disposed of by the Governor and Council as they shall 



see cause." 



October 13, 1675, Hingham was ordered to pay ,£30 toward 

 carrying on the war. Besides this tax, the selectmen's records 

 show many allowances for arms lost, for money allowed the 

 soldiers, and suras voted for transporting them to Boston, and 

 various other military purposes, including an allowance for " lick- 

 ars" for the committee having some duty connected with the war. 



In February, 1676, the selectmen forbade, under a penalty of 

 twenty shillings for each offence, any person from harboring or 

 entertaining any Indian within the limits of the town. 



Early in February the little army of Massachusetts returned to 

 Boston, and the men were dismissed to their homes. But the 

 vigorous prosecution of the campaign by Philip in the very first 



