Attack on Nipsachuck Swamp

The month of July 1676 did not start on a positive note. Beginning with the kidnapping and enslavement of thirty-two peaceful Abenaki by Simon Linde, it continued in a haze of violence and discord. The captives, taken aboard Linde’s slave ship, were sold as slaves in the Azores. It It is unclear if any of the captives ever made it back to New England. Shortly thereafter, the Nipmuc sued the Massachusetts authorities for peace but Colonial officials would not entertain the possibility of such peace until all English captives of the war were returned.

On July 2, Connecticut troops under Major Talcott raided Smithfield, Rhode Island, killing or capturing more than 170 Indigenous people, including men, women, and children. Among those killed were “Stonewall John” and Quaiapen, female sachem of the Niantic. Those who were captured were likely sold into slavery. Known as the attack on Nipsachuck Swamp or, alternatively, the Battle of Nipsachuck, this event was the first of several upcoming attacks. Also on July 2, a number of Christian Indians, including James Printer, surrendered to the English. (1)

The following day, July 3, Talcott’s troops and their Indigenous allies laid siege to Warwick, capturing or killing sixty-seven Narragansett who were in the process of surrendering. Among the captives was Potuck, a Narragansett sachem from Point Judith, who had aligned himself with Metacom throughout the war. He would later be executed in Boston.

1. For more on the Battle of Nipsachuck see Dr. Kevin McBridge et al, “Technical Report “The 1676 Battle of Nipsachuck: Identification and Evaluation” GA-2255-11-016.” National Park Service, April 12, 2013.