Indian Biography; Vol. 2 (of 2): Or, An Historical Account of Those Individuals Who Have Been Distinguished among the North American Natives as Orators, Warriors, Statesmen, and Other Remarkable CharactersThatcher, B. B. (Benjamin Bussey)
History
Indian Biography; Vol. 2 (of 2): Or, An Historical Account of Those Individuals Who Have Been Distinguished among the North American Natives as Orators, Warriors, Statesmen, and Other Remarkable Characters
Thatcher, B. B. (Benjamin Bussey)
Indians of North America -- Biography; Indians of North America -- History
But although Thomas changed the name of Wollaston to _Merry Mount,_ [FN]
his jollity was not to last forever. Mr. Endecott, of the Massachusetts
Company, who landed at Salem in the summer of 1628, visited Master Morton
within two months from his arrival, and changing Merry Mount to Mount
Dagon, took active measures for correcting that riotous settlement. These
were not entirely successful, and even when Morton was at length arrested
and sent to England for punishment, he was not only liberated, but sent
back again: "upon which," as Prince writes, "he goes to his old nest at
Merry Mount." This was in 1629. In the summer of the next year, the
Massachusetts colonists came over with Winthrop and Dudley; and as early
as September of that season, we find the following order taken upon Master
Morton's case by the Court of Assistants:--
* * * * *
[FN] Prince's Annals, 1625.
"Ordered, that Master Thomas Morton of Mount Wollaston shall presently be
set in the bilbows, and after sent prisoner to England by the ship called
the Gift; that all his goods be seized to defray the charge of his
transportation, payments of his debts, _and to give satisfaction to the
Indians for a canoe he took unjustly from them; and that his house be
burnt down to the ground in sight of the Indians, for their satisfaction
for many wrongs he has done them._"
If this summary course had been taken with Weston and _his_ banditti,
there might have been, as we shall see, the saving of the lives of many
innocent men. If it could not be taken by the English, who were appealed
to, some allowance at least might have been made for those who were
finally compelled to assume the administration of justice.
In the case of Chickatabot, though not in all, such allowance _was_ made.
It also appears, that no evil consequences arose from this policy, but
much the reverse. The sachem was uniformly the more ready to give all the
satisfaction in his power, and no doubt partly because it was rather
requested of him than required. When the Indians were said to be plotting
against the English in 1632, and much apprehension was excited in
consequence, "_the three next Sagamores were sent for,_" says Winthrop,
"who came presently to the Governor," and this is the last we hear of the
matter. Chickatabot must have been one of them, and _he_ explained away
the causes of suspicions at once. Pursuing this course, the Massachusetts
Government continued upon good terms with him until his death, which was
occasioned by the prevalent epidemic, in the latter part of 1633.
His descendants, to the third generation at least, several of whom were
persons of note, followed his own peaceful and friendly example. Among the
Suffolk records, there is still to be seen, a quitclaim deed from his
grandson Josias,--of Boston, the islands in the harbor, &c. "to the
proprietated inhabitants of Boston."
CHAPTER II.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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