the murderous fray, war was declared against them on November 2, 1675,
and a force of a thousand men and horse from Plymouth and Massachusetts
was drawn up on Dedham plain, under the command of General Josiah
Winslow and Captain Benjamin Church. On December 19, the greater part of
this force, aided by troops from Connecticut, fell on the Narragansetts
in their swamp fort, south of the present town of Kingston, and after a
fierce and bloody fight completely routed them, though at a heavy loss.
The tribe was driven from its own territory, and Canonchet fled to the
Connecticut River, where he established a rallying point for new forays.
His followers allied themselves with the Wampanoags and Nipmucks and
began a new series of massacres. In February and March, 1676, they fell
upon Lancaster, where they carried off Mrs. Rowlandson, who has left us
a narrative of her captivity; upon Medfield, where fifty houses were
burned; and upon Weymouth and Marlborough, which were raided and in part
destroyed. Repeated assaults in other quarters kept the western frontier
of Massachusetts in a frightful condition of terror; settlers were
ambushed and scalped, others were tortured, and many were carried into
captivity. Even the Pennacooks of southern New Hampshire were roused to
action, though their share in the war was small. Here a hundred warriors
sacked a village; there Indians skulking along trails and on the
outskirts of towns cut off individuals and groups of individuals,
shooting, scalping, and burning them. No one was safe. Again the
commissioners of the United Colonies met in council and ordered a more
vigorous prosecution of the campaign. More troops were levied and
garrison posts fortified, but the first results were disastrous.
Captain Pierce of Scituate was ambushed at Blackstone's River near
Rehoboth, and his command was completely wiped out. Sudbury was
destroyed in April, and a relieving force escaped only with heavy loss.

But the strength of the Indians was waning. Canonchet, run to earth near
the Pawtuxet River, was captured and sentenced to death, and his
execution was entrusted to Oneko, the son of Uncas. His head was cut off
and carried to Hartford, and his body was committed to the flames. The
loss of Canonchet was a bitter blow to Philip, who now saw his allies
falling away and himself deserted by all but a few faithful followers.
The campaign--at last well in hand and directed by that prince of Indian
fighters, Be