Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/323

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PHILIP


PHILIP


ting against the colonists, and in the interview he alleged that his preparations were designed as a defense against the Narragansetts and not against the white settlers. He then signed an agreement to keep peace, but refused to surren- der his arms, whereupon he was summoned to Boston, and signed articles of submission and deposited £100 as a bond of indemnitj-. After three years of peace the discovery of the murder of Sassamon, an Indian spy and convert, was the signal for war. In the meantime a defensive al- liance of all the New England tribes against the English had been i^lanned, and the result was the banding of a force of nearly 10,000 warriors. King Philip's principal village was at Mt. Hope, R.I., and there in 1675 he began his preparations for war, first sending the women and children of his people to the Narragansetts for protection. The first attack by the Indians was made at Swan- sea, June 24, 1675, while the colonists were keep- ing a day of fasting. Volunteers hurried to the town from all parts of Massachusetts and on June 29, Philip and his men took refuge with the Nipmucks. In July the whites secured a treaty of peace with Canochet, chief of the Narragan- setts, but in the meantime, King Philip with about 1500 braves visited the various tribes and incited them to a general war. He then marched against the settlers in the valley of the Connecti- cut, spreading destruction from Springfield, Mass. , north to the Vermont line. Brookfield and Deerfield were burned and Hadley surprised, but there the Indians were checked and repelled by t!ie villagers. It was soon learned by the colon- ists that the Narragansetts sheltered the AVampanoags, and in December, 1675, an attack was made on their stronghold, the site of the future city of Kingston. Canochet, who escaped, was recaptured and killed ; 600 warriors and 1000 women and children were put to death, and their wigwams and provisions burned. The Indians retaliated in the spring of 1G76 by laying waste Weymoutli, Groton, Medfield, Lancaster and Marlborough, Mass., and Warwick and Pro- vidence, R.I. Pliilip's cause, however, soon waned, and several tribes stopped fighting, while those who were neutral joined the side of the colonists. The government set a price of thirty shillings per head on every Indian killed in battle, and many captured Indian women and children, including Philip's wife and son, were sold as slaves. In 1676 Capt. Benjamin Church organ- ized an expedition to destroy Philip and his warriors. After being pursued from one place to another, overtures of peace were made which King Philip declined, and soon after Alderman, a former member of his band, led a large company of whites into his camp near Mount Hope at midnight on Aug. 12, 1676, and Philip Vm. — 20


was shot dead while trying to escape. His head was cut off by Church and was exposed in Ply- mouth on a gibbet for twenty years. In con- formity with the law of the colonies in dealing with traitors his body was drawn and quartered on a day set aside for public thanksgiving. See Ben- jamin Church's "Entertaining History of King Philip's War " (1716), with additions by Samuel Drake (1858); "Philip of Pokanoket " in Irv- ing's" Sketch Book," and "Mount Hope" by Gideon H. HoUister (1851). He died near Mount Hope, E.I., Aug. 13, 1676.

PHILIP, John Woodward, naval officer, was born in New York city, Aug. 26, 1840. He was graduated at the U.S. Naval academy, Jan. 1, 1861, served in the Constitution and the Santee, and was promoted acting master, June 1, 1861, and ordered to the Marion of the Gulf blockading squadron. He served on the Sonoma of the James river fleet in 1862 ; was promoted lieu- tenant, July 16, 1862, and was executive officer of the Chip- peica, the Pattmee, and monitor Mon- tazik of the South Atlantic blockading squadron during the siege of Charles- ton, S.C., and was wounded in the leg at Stono River. He served as executive officer of the Wachvsett of the Asiatic squadron, 1865-67 ; was promoted lieuten- ant-commander, July 25, 1866 ; was executive of the flagship Hartford of the Asiatic squadron, 1867-68 and 1872-73 ; of the Richmond, European squadron, 1868-71, and commanded the Moiiocacy, 1873-74. He was promoted commander, Dec. 18, 1874 ; commanded one of the Pacific mail steam- ships, on leave of absence, 1874-76 ; the Adams, 1876-77 ; commanded Woodruffs scientific expe- dition around the world, April to December, 1877 ; commanded the Tuscarora, 1877-80, and the Ranger, 1880-83. He engaged in the survey of the west coast of Mexico and Central America, and as lighthouse inspector of the twelfth dis- trict, 1884-87 ; commanded the U.S. receiving ship Independence at Mare Island Navy yard. Cal., 1887-90,and was promoted captain, March 31. 1SS9. He commanded the Atlanta, 1890-91, served as general inspector of the construction of the Keio York in 1892, and commanded her when ready for service until 1894. He commanded the U.S. Navy yard at Boston, Mass., 1894-97, the Texas of the North Atlantic squadron, 1897-98, and


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