Fairfield Swamp Fight
Encyclopedia
The Fairfield Swamp Fight (“Great Swamp Fight”) was the last engagement of the Pequot War
and marked defeat of the Pequot
tribe in the war and the loss of their recognition as a political entity in the 17th century. The participants in the conflict were the Pequot and the English with their allied tribes (the Mohegan and Narragansett). The Fairfield Swamp Fight occurred July 13–14, 1637 in what is present-day Fairfield, Connecticut
. The town of Fairfield was founded after the battle in 1639.
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 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 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.
, 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.
, “a man well acquainted with Indian language and manners”, was sent into 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 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 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.
, some kettles and other items as spoils. In 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 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, the plantation of Uncos was founded in 1639, later becoming the town of Fairfield.
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 included was the Fairfield Swamp area. Kevin McBride, an archaeologist and professor from 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 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 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.” Despite this grim outlook, the researchers in McBride’s group maintain that the likelihood of finding human remains from the fight is still fairly high.
Pequot War
The Pequot War was an armed conflict between 1634–1638 between the Pequot tribe against an alliance of the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies who were aided by their Native American allies . Hundreds were killed; hundreds more were captured and sold into slavery to the West Indies. ...
and marked defeat of the Pequot
Pequot
Pequot people are a tribe of Native Americans who, in the 17th century, inhabited much of what is now Connecticut. They were of the Algonquian language family. The Pequot War and Mystic massacre reduced the Pequot's sociopolitical influence in southern New England...
tribe in the war and the loss of their recognition as a political entity in the 17th century. The participants in the conflict were the Pequot and the English with their allied tribes (the Mohegan and Narragansett). The Fairfield Swamp Fight occurred July 13–14, 1637 in what is present-day Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. The town of Fairfield was founded after the battle in 1639.
Before the battle
The English (and their Narragansett and Mohegan allies) drove the Pequot from their homes in the wake of the Mystic massacreMystic Massacre
The Mystic massacre took place on May 26, 1637, during the Pequot War, when English settlers under Captain John Mason, and Narragansett and Mohegan allies set fire to a fortified Pequot village near the Mystic River...
in May 1637. Fleeing westward along the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
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
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
General Court dispatched Captain Israel Stoughton
Israel Stoughton
Israel Stoughton was an early English colonist in Massachusetts, and later a Parliamentarian officer in the First English Civil War.-Life:...
and his troops numbering some 120 soldiers to southern Connecticut, with the goal of ending the Pequot War and the capture of Sassacus
Sassacus
Sassacus was a Pequot sachem....
, the Pequot chief sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
. 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 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.
The battle
Among the participants in the battle were Captain John Mason, the man responsible for the massacre at Mystic, and Roger LudlowRoger Ludlow
Roger Ludlow was one of the founders of the Colony of Connecticut. He was born in March 1590 in Dinton, Wiltshire, England. Roger was the second son of Sir Thomas Ludlow of Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire and Jane Pyle, sister of Sir Gabriel Pyle...
, a statesman from Wethersfield
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...
. 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.
Day 1 – July 13th
The English surrounded the Pequot warriors at a distance of roughly four yards apart from one another. Thomas StantonThomas Stanton
Thomas Stanton was a trader and an accomplished Indian interpreter and negotiator in the colony of Connecticut. One of the original settlers of Hartford, he was also one of four founders of Stonington, Connecticut, along with William Chesebrough, Thomas Miner, and Walter Palmer.He first appears...
, “a man well acquainted with Indian language and manners”, was sent into 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 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.
Day 2 – July 14th
The English soldiers, Captain Patrick’s forces specifically, had the clear advantage with their use of “small shot” during the engagement. The small shot 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 the Mohawk territories of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The casualties among the colonists were few. John Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
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.
The aftermath
Most, if not all, of 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 wampumWampum
Wampum are traditional, sacred shell beads of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of the indigenous people of North America. Wampum include the white shell beads fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell; and the white and purple beads made from the quahog, or Western North Atlantic...
, some kettles and other items as spoils. In 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
Treaty of Hartford
The term Treaty of Hartford applies to three historic agreements negotiated at Hartford, Connecticut. The 1638 treaty divided the spoils of the Pequot War. The 1650 treaty defined a border between the Dutch Nieuw Amsterdam and English settlers in Connecticut...
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 the name of the Pequot were changed. Among these were the Pequot River, renamed the Thames
Thames River (Connecticut)
The Thames River is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at the Long Island Sound.Differing from its...
, and Pequot Village, which was renamed New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
.
Roger Ludlow
Roger Ludlow
Roger Ludlow was one of the founders of the Colony of Connecticut. He was born in March 1590 in Dinton, Wiltshire, England. Roger was the second son of Sir Thomas Ludlow of Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire and Jane Pyle, sister of Sir Gabriel Pyle...
, 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, the plantation of Uncos was founded in 1639, later becoming the town of Fairfield.
Battlefield preservation efforts
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum filed an application with the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
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 included was the Fairfield Swamp area. Kevin McBride, an archaeologist and professor from the research center at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, 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 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
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
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 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.” Despite this grim outlook, the researchers in McBride’s group maintain that the likelihood of finding human remains from the fight is still fairly high.
External links
- "Battlefields of the Pequot War" project, funded by the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program