THOMAS] CONNECTICUT S POLICY TOWARD THE INDIANS G15 



miles east of Quinnipiak river and ."» miles west of it, and included 

 all the lands in the ancient limits of the old towns of iSTew Haven, 

 Branford, and Wallingford, " and almost the whole contained in the 

 present [1818] limits of those towns and of the towns of East-Haveu, 

 Woodbridge, Cheshire, Hamden, and North-Haven " ' 



Wopowage and Menunkatuck (Milford and Guilford) were purchased 

 in l(i3!}. These lands, as also those in New Haven, were purchased by 

 the principal men, in trust, for all the inhabitants of the respective 

 towns. Every planter, after paying his proportionate part of the 

 expenses, drew a lot, or lots of land in proportion to the amount he had 

 expended in the general purchase. Most of the principal settlers were 

 from Weathersfleld. "They first purchased of the Indians all that 

 tract which lies between New Haven and Stratford river, and between 

 the sound on the south and a stream line between Milford and Herby. 

 This tract comprised all the lands within the old town of Milford and a 

 small part of the town of Woodbridge. The planters' made other pur- 

 chases which included a large tract on the west side of Stratford river, 

 priuci])ally in the town of Huntington." 



The purchasers of Guilford re(juired the Indians to move off the lauds 

 they had obtained from them; which agreement they carried out iu 

 good faith. 



Mr Ludlow and others who settled Fairfield purchased a large tract 

 of the natives. 



" Settlements," says Trumbull, "commenced the same year at Cupheag 

 and Pughquonnuck, since named Stratford. That part which contains 

 the town plat, and lies upon the river, was called Cupheag, and the 

 western part bordering upon Fairfield Pughquonnuck." He says the 

 whole township was purchased of the natives, but at first Cupheag and 

 Pughquonnuck only, the purchase of the townshii) not being completed 

 until l(i72. 



The following general statement by the same authority- indicates 

 very clearly the just and humane policy of the settlers of this colony: 



After the conquest of the Pequots, in consequence of the covenant made with 

 Uncus, iu 1638, and the gift of a hundred Pequots to him, he became important. A 

 consideraljle number of Indians collected to him, so that he became one of the prin- 

 cipal sachems in Connecticut, and even in New-England. At some times he was 

 able to raise four or five hundred warriors. As the Pequots were now couquered, 

 and as he assisted in the conquest, and was a Pequot himself, he laid claim to all 

 that extensive tract called tho Moheagati or IVquot country. Indeed, it seems he 

 claimed, and was allowed to sell some part of that tract which was the principal seat 

 of the Pequots. The sachems in other parts of Connecticut, who had been concjuered 

 by the Peciuots, and made their allies, or tributaries, considered themselves, by the 

 con(iuest of this haughty nation, as restored to their former rights. They claimed 

 to be iudepeudeut sovereigns, and to have a title to .ill thl^ lands which they had at 

 any time before possessed. The planters therefore, to show their justice to the 

 heathen, and to maintain the peace of the country, from time to time, purchased of 

 the respective sachems and their Indians, all the lands which they settled, excepting 



' Trumbull, History of Connecticut, vol. i, , p. 99. ' Vol. i, pp. 116, 117. 



IS ETII, I'T 2 7 



