Who Built the Mounds? 87 



When the Pilgrims first came among the Indians they 

 bought great stores of venison and eight hogsiieads of cor n 

 and beans. (Mourt's Relations. Drake, p. 79.) King Philip, 

 Metacomet, was surprised and driven from his home on 

 Mount Hope. The Pilgrims took " what he had worth 

 taking, and spoiled the rest, and also took possession of one 

 thousand acres of corn, which was harvested by the English 

 and disposed of according to their directions." (Old Indian 

 Chronicle, Drake, p. 209.) In the history of the Pequod 

 war it is recorded that the Pequods had "two plantation s 

 three miles in sunder, and above 200 acres of corn, which the 

 English destroyed." [Mourt's Relations. Drake, p. 116.) At 

 Philip's Fort, in Rhode Island, there were 500 bushels of 

 corn, stored in sections of hollow trees, each holding about 

 one barrel. These" gums " were so placed as to afford a for- 

 midable breastwork. (Dr. I. Mather. Drake, p. 218.) 



In the war between the Narragansets and the combined 

 forces of the Mowhegans and Pequots, the latter " committed 

 extensive robberies and destroyed twenty-three fields of 

 corn." This occurred in 1637, so says Roger Williams. 

 (Drake, p. 133.) 



In Wisconsin, the Winnebagoes, Menomonies and Pottawa- 

 tomies raised more corn than they required for their own use 

 Clark says: " Gen Atkinson purchased, he thinks it was 

 6,000 bushels of corn of the Winnebagoes. In 1848, when my 

 brother and I traveled extensively through Wisconsin, we 

 drove in several instances over old Indian corn-fields, one of 

 which in Columbia county, extended over half a mile. An old 

 pioneer living near by told us the Winnebagoes had cultivaed 

 this large corn-field. The Mandans and Riccarees of the 

 west cultivate corn not only for their own use, but also 

 enough to make it a prominent article of trade." (Antiqui- 

 ites of Wisconsin, page 90.) 



Gen. AVayne in his official report of a battle with the In- 

 dians of Northwestern Ohio in 1783, says: "A vast destruc- 

 tion of Indian property took place during the expedition. 

 The very extensive and highly cultivated fields and gardens 

 show the work of many hands. The margins of the beauti- 

 ful rivers appeared like one continuous village for many 



