FROM THE 



ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



OF 



NEW ENGLAND 



By the Reverend & Learned Cotton Mather, D. D., F. R. S. 

 The Memorable Action at Wells. 



A vessel, the name whereof I know not (reader let it be the Charity) being 

 immediately dispatched unto Sagadehock by the charitable compassions of the 

 more southward neighbors, with effects to accomplish it, happily effected the 

 redemption of many that were taken captives at York. But the rest of the people 

 in that broken town talking of drawing off the Government sent Capt. Converse 

 and Capt. Greenleaf , with such encouragements unto them to keep their station, 

 as prevailed with 'em still to stand their ground. In February Major Hutchinson 

 was made Commander in Chief, and forces under the command of Capt. Converse, 

 Capt. Floyd, and Capt. Thaxter, were by him so prudently posted on the frontiers, 

 that by maintaining a continual communication, it became a difficult thing for the 

 enemy to make any more approaches. Lieutenant Wilson particularly hearing of 

 a man shot at in the Quocheco woods, went out with a scout of about eighteen 

 men, who came upon the indians that had shot at the man, and killed and wounded 

 all but one of the whole company. But now, reader, the longest day the year 

 is to come on, if I mistake not, the bravest act in the war fell out upon it. 

 Modockawando is now come, according to his promise a twelve-month ago. 

 Capt. Converse was lodg'd in Storer's garrison at Wells with but fifteen men; and 

 there came into Wells two sloops, with a shallop, which had aboard supplies of 

 ammunition for the soldiers, and contribution for the needy. The cattel this day 

 came frighted, and bleeding out of the woods, which was a more certain omen of 

 indians a coming than all the prodigies that livy reports of the sacrificed oxen. 

 Converse immediately issued out his commands unto all quarters, but especially 

 to the sloops just then arrived. The sloops were commanded by Samuel Storer, 

 and James Gouge, and Gouge's being two miles up the river, he wisely brought 

 her down undiscovered unto Storer's, by the advantage of a mist then prevailing. 

 A careful night they had on't. The next morning before daylight, one John 

 Diamond, a stranger that came in the shallop on a visit, came to Capt. Converse's 

 garrison, where the watch invited him in, but he chose rather to go aboard the 

 sloops, which were little more than a gun-shot off; and, alas, the enemy issuing 

 from their lurking-places, immediately seiz'd him, and haled him away by the 

 hair of the head, (in spite of all the attempts used by the garrison to recover him) 

 for an horrible story to be told by and by concerning him. The general of the 

 enemies' army was Monsieur Burniff; and one Monsieur Labrocree was a principal 

 commander; (the enemy said, he was Lieutenant General:) there were also divers 

 other Frenchmen of quality, accompanied with Modockawando, and Moxus, and 

 Egeremet, and Warumbo, and several more Indian Sagamores; the army made up 

 in all about five hundred men, or fierce things in the shape of men, all to encounter 

 fifteen men in one little garrison, and about fifteen more men, (worthily called 

 such) in a couple of open sloops. 



Diamond having informed 'em how 'twas in all points, (only that for fifteen, by 

 a mistake he said thirty,) they fell to dividing the persons and plunder, and 

 agreeing that such an English captain should be slave to such a one, and such a gen- 

 tleman in the town should serve such a one, and his wife be maid of honor to such or 

 such a Squaw proposed, and Mr. Wheelright (instead of being a worthy counsellor 

 of the province, which he now is!) was to be the servant of such a Netop; and the 

 sloops, with their stores, to be so and so parted among them. There wanted but 

 one thing to consummate the whole matter, even the chief thing of all, which I 

 suppose they had not thought of; that was, for heaven to deliver all this prize 

 into their hands; but aliter statu turn est in coclo! A man habited like a gentle- 

 man made a speech to them in English, exhorting 'em to courage, and assuring 



