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37-883: The English (and their Narragansett and Mohegan allies) drove the Pequot from their homes in the wake of the Mystic massacre in May 1637. Fleeing westward along the Connecticut coastline, the Pequot arrived in Sasqua Village, present-day Fairfield, where they sought refuge with the Sasquas Indians, a tribe of some 200 members. The Hartford General Court dispatched Captain Israel Stoughton and his troops numbering some 120 soldiers to southern Connecticut, with

74-587: A militia commanded by Captain John Mason consisting of 90 men, plus 70 Mohegans under sachems Uncas and Wequash . Twenty more men under Captain John Underhill joined him from Fort Saybrook. At the same time, Pequot sachem Sassacus took a few hundred warriors and set out to attack Hartford, Connecticut . Captain Mason recruited more than 200 Narragansett and Niantic Indians to join his force. On

111-409: A statesman from Wethersfield . The combined English forces surrounded the swamp, firing rounds into the thickets. These acts were meant to force the Pequot into negotiations for the release of non-combatants. The English surrounded the Pequot warriors at a distance of roughly four yards apart from one another. Thomas Stanton , "a man well acquainted with Indian language and manners", was sent into

148-496: A swamp near a Mattabesset village called Sasqua . The battle which followed is known as the " Fairfield Swamp Fight ", in which nearly 180 warriors were killed, wounded, or captured. Sassacus escaped with about 80 of his men, but he was killed by the Mohawks , who sent his scalp to the colonists as a symbol of friendship. The Pequot numbers were so diminished that they ceased to be a tribe in most senses. The treaty mandated that

185-538: Is a short river and tidal estuary in the state of Connecticut . It flows south for 15 miles (24 km) through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic River and Shetucket River at Norwich, Connecticut , to New London and Groton, Connecticut , which flank its mouth at Long Island Sound . The Thames River watershed includes a number of smaller basins and the 80-mile (130 km) long Quinebaug River , which rises in southern Massachusetts and joins

222-528: The Connecticut Colony . Estimates of Pequot deaths range from 400 to 700, including women, children, and the elderly. The colonists suffered between 22 and 26 casualties with two confirmed dead. Approximately 40 Narragansett warriors were wounded as the colonists mistook many of them for Pequots. The massacre effectively broke the Pequots, and Sassacus and many of his followers were surrounded in

259-547: The Connecticut General Assembly would be permitted to debate its future. The Mystic massacre was featured in the History Channel series 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America . 41°21′35″N 71°58′36″W  /  41.35972°N 71.97667°W  / 41.35972; -71.97667 Thames River (Connecticut) The Thames River ( / θ eɪ m z / THAYMZ )

296-535: The Mohawk territories of New York . The casualties among the colonists were few. John Winthrop was quoted saying, "[the Pequot] coming up behind the bushes very near our men... shot many arrows into their hats, sleeves and stocks, yet (which was a very miracle) not one of ours was wounded." Mason's account supported this, saying that "several were found slain," a reference to them being injured. Most, if not all, of

333-727: The Pequot massacre and the Battle of Mystic Fort  – took place on May 26, 1637 during the Pequot War , when a force from the Connecticut Colony under Captain John Mason and their Narragansett and Mohegan allies set fire to the Pequot Fort near the Mystic River . They shot anyone who tried to escape the wooden palisade fortress and killed most of the village. There were between 400 and 700 Pequots killed during

370-563: The 1990s, the Pequot's tribal chairman Skip Hayward was against its removal because "If you take it down," he said, "no one will remember what happened here." In early 2021, some people called for the removal of another statue depicting John Mason that stands outside the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. After a year of deliberations, a state commission decided that the statue should be removed but lawmakers from

407-581: The Dutch colonists, while the Mohegans and others allied with the New England colonists. A trader named John Oldham was murdered and his trading ship looted by Pequots, and retaliation raids ensued by Colonists and their Indian allies. On April 23, 1637, 200 Pequot warriors attacked the village of Wethersfield killing six men and three women, all unarmed noncombatants. This was a major turning point in

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444-598: The Fort, both men, women, and children, others forced out, and came in troopes to the Indians, twentie, and thirtie at a time, which our souldiers received and entertained with the point of the sword; downe fell men, women, and children, those that scaped us, fell into the hands of the Indians, that were in the reere of us; it is reported by themselves, that there were about foure hundred soules in this Fort, and not above five of them escaped out of our hands." Mohegans would collect

481-587: The Mystic massacre should be considered an act of genocide. Rebecca Joyce Frey lists the incident as genocide in her 2009 book Genocide and International Justice . Steven M. Wise from Harvard Law School called the Mystic Massacre "the Puritans genocidal Indian War" where "one thousand Indians" were killed. Wise notes that Captain John Underhill justified the killing of the elderly, women, children, and

518-640: The Pequot war as it enraged the settlers that the warriors would kill civilians and led to increased support for the Pequot War among colonists. According to Katherine Grandjean, the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 damaged the corn and other crop harvests of that year, making food supplies scarce and creating competition for winter food supplies. This in turn increased the tensions between the Pequots and Colonists who were ill-prepared to face periods of famine. The Connecticut towns raised

555-569: The Pequot warriors were killed during the engagement. The 180 Pequot non-combatants were taken captive and dispersed among the English and their allies. Many of the slaves taken prisoner did not remain in captivity for long because of their inability to adapt to their roles in servitude. Some of those captured were shipped off to the West Indies into the slave trade. The soldiers took Pequot wampum , some kettles and other items as spoils. In

592-594: The Shetucket River about four miles northeast of Norwich. The river has provided important harbors since the mid-17th century. It was originally known as the Pequot River after the Pequot Indians who dominated the area. Other early names for the river have included Frisius, Great, Great River of Pequot, Little Fresh, New London, and Pequod. The town was officially named New London in 1658 and

629-651: The South end with a traine of Powder, the fires of both meeting in the center of the Fort blazed most terribly, and burnt all in the space of halfe an houre; many couragious fellowes were unwilling to come out, and fought most desperately through the Palisadoes, so as they were scorched and burnt with the very flame, and were deprived of their armes, in regard the fire burnt their very bowstrings, and so perished valiantly: mercy they did deserve for their valour, could we have had opportunitie to have bestowed it; many were burnt in

666-454: The attack; the only Pequot survivors were warriors who were away in a raiding party with their sachem Sassacus . The Pequots were the dominant Indian tribe in the southeastern portion of the Connecticut Colony , and they had long been enemies of the neighboring Mohegan and Narragansett tribes. The New England colonists established trade with all three tribes, exchanging European goods for wampum and furs. The Pequots eventually allied with

703-560: The ensuing weeks after the battle, the Mohawk Indians of New York tracked down Sassacus and the Pequot warriors accompanying him. The Mohawk murdered Sassacus, sending his head to Hartford as evidence of his capture. On September 21, 1638, the Treaty of Hartford formally ended the war and eliminated the Pequot political and cultural identity. The survivors were not allowed to live on tribal lands, and any geographic locations bearing

740-614: The estuary river was renamed Thames after the River Thames in London , England . The United States Coast Guard Academy , Connecticut College , a U.S. Navy submarine base , and the Electric Boat submarine shipyard are located on the river at New London and Groton. USS  Nautilus was launched into the river on January 21, 1954 from Electric Boat, becoming the world's first nuclear-powered submarine . In addition to

777-549: The fire raged, many trapped Pequots were shot as they attempted to escape by climbing over the palisade; those men, women, and children who did get out were killed by Narragansett fighters. Captain Underhill described the scene and his participation: "Captaine Mason entring into a Wigwam, brought out a fire-brand, after hee had wounded many in the house, then hee set fire on the West-side where he entred, my selfe set fire on

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814-509: The goal of ending the Pequot War and the capture of Sassacus , the Pequot chief sachem . As they moved westward, the English encountered stragglers from the band of Pequots and obtained intelligence about the whereabouts of Sassacus and his fellow tribesmen. As the English forces approached Sasqua Village, several Pequot on a hill just beyond the English revealed their position. Recognizing this, they attempted to flee. The English followed them to investigate. The compromised Pequots rushed up

851-608: The goals of the preservation efforts, the researchers hoped to find an exact location for the Pequot Swamp and the areas surrounding it. Once that land was found, they hoped to secure permission from local landowners to further survey the land. Among the initial findings of the report was new information about Pequot armaments. The armaments held by the Pequot are beginning to be reconsidered and among them are thought to be firearms and "Mohawk Hammers." Mystic massacre The Mystic massacre  – also known as

888-529: The heads of fallen Pequots, taking scalps as war trophies. Hundreds of Pequots were killed; the colonists reported that only five village occupants escaped while seven were taken prisoner. Returning Pequot warriors chased after the Colonial forces after discovering the massacre, but the Connecticut forces avoided any Pequot counterattack despite getting lost for a brief period during their retreat back to

925-442: The hill, the English following. The Pequot sought refuge in a swamp, later named Sadque, and the English continued to search the abandoned village and encircle the swamp the Pequots had sought refuge in. Lieutenant Davenport attempted to force his way through, but a volley of arrows prevented his success. Among the participants in the battle were Captain John Mason , the man responsible for the massacre at Mystic, and Roger Ludlow ,

962-573: The infirm by stating that "sometimes the Scripture declareth women and children must perish with their parents [...] We had sufficient light from the Word of God for our proceedings." In 2020, some people called for the removal of a statue of John Mason at Palisado Green in Windsor, Connecticut following national civil rights protests about Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials . The statue

999-581: The name of the Pequot were changed. Among these were the Pequot River, renamed the Thames , and Pequot Village, which was renamed New London . Roger Ludlow , one of the soldiers in the forces that fought the Pequot at the swamp fight, later petitioned the General Court to found a settlement on the same location and the surrounding lands. Being "charmed with the landscape," under his leadership,

1036-432: The night of May 26, 1637, the Colonial and Indian forces arrived at the fortified Pequot village, which was on a low hill near the Mystic River . The large village was surrounded by a palisade with only two exits. The Colonial forces first attempted a surprise attack but they withdrew after stiff resistance from the Pequots. In response, Mason ordered that the village should be set ablaze and its two exits blocked off. As

1073-474: The night. The English entered the swamp and systematically shot down the Pequot warriors, some of whom were later found drowned in the bottom of the swamp. The Pequot warriors held their location through the night until the fog rolled in the following morning. The English soldiers, Captain Patrick's forces specifically, had the clear advantage with their use of "small shot" during the engagement. The small shot

1110-727: The plantation of Uncos was founded in 1639, later becoming the town of Fairfield. The Mashantucket Pequot Museum filed an application with the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program in January 2007 to develop a phased plan to research, protect, and preserve the sites involved in the Pequot War. Among these sites was the Fairfield Swamp area. Kevin McBride, an archaeologist and professor from

1147-583: The remaining Pequots were to be absorbed into the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes, nor were they allowed to refer to themselves as Pequots. In the latter half of the 20th century, Pequot descendants revived the tribe, achieving federal recognition in 1983 and settlement of some land claims. During the emergence of the modern Pequot tribe in the 1990s, an article in The New England Quarterly considered arguments for and against whether

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1184-729: The research center at the University of Connecticut , is leading the program. Researchers from the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center were able to determine study and core areas from narrative accounts (those of Philip Vincent, John Mason, William Hubbard, Increase Mather and the John Winthrop Papers) as well as the Connecticut Colonial Records, local deeds and other records. Using non-invasive techniques, including

1221-495: The submarine bases, a US Navy Magnetic Silencing Facility is also installed within the mouth of the river. Two historic forts overlook the mouth of the river at New London harbor, now Connecticut State Parks : Fort Griswold on the eastern Groton Heights , and Fort Trumbull on the New London side. The Harvard-Yale Regatta is held annually in New London. New London's Sailfest is an annual event which includes OpSail ,

1258-471: The swamp to talk to the Indians. Stanton was able to negotiate a settlement with Sassacus for the release of some 180 elderly men, women and children who would surrender to the English. In addition to the Pequot non-combatants that were released, the Pequot hosts, the 200 Sasquas Indians were released as well. Roughly 100 Pequot warriors remained with Sassacus in the swamp. The remaining warriors refused to surrender. The fighting resumed and continued through

1295-444: The use of metal detectors, researchers were able to mark spots of interest to determine the origin of the artifacts. Much of the original swamp and surrounding areas have been impacted substantially through residential and commercial development. The construction of Interstate 95 resulted in the filling of approximately half of the entire swamp. As a result of this, many of the archaeological artifacts are thought to be lost. Among

1332-490: Was essentially multiple musket bullets fired at a single time. This was disabling to the Pequot forces. Initially, the Pequot warriors took advantage of the English and their slow advance. Sassacus and his warriors were able to exploit a weak point in Patrick’s perimeter. The Pequot at this point attempted to break the English perimeter on the offensive. This ability to break through the English perimeter led to Sassacus’ escape to

1369-473: Was originally erected on the site of the Mystic Massacre in 1889, but it was moved to Windsor in 1996 because it was the location of Mason's home. In September 2020, the town council voted 5-4 to remove the statue and give it to Windsor Historical Society. But Dr. Kevin McBride, Director of Research at the Pequot Museum, noted that, when it was removed from its original location of the Mystic Massacre in

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