.MTAxNQ.NjcxNjI

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         69

had many ways proved their fidelity to the country: but this was an hour of temptation, & murmuring, as sometimes gods own peopld are inclinable unto, as at Massah & Meribah; thus it pleasd god to exercise his poor Job; yet reserved him fir greaater service afterward, as in the sequel will appear. crossed out. The 15 Novr there befell another great trial to the poor pray. Inds. at Wamesit, they lived very near to Lieut Thos. Henchman , about 2 miles from Chelmsford, & were under ye guard & care if Lieut. Richardson, appointed thereunto by the council. The antecedents to this affliction of the Inds. was this. A barn belonging to Richardson being full of hay & corn was set on fire & consumed; this was done by some skulking rogues of the enemy, that formerly lived abbout Groafton, as we afterward understood, but the Eng. at Chelmsfd. imputed the fact to the Wamesit, Inds. as they had formerly done, by the same man's hay, & thereby brought much trouble upon these poor Chrns; upon this occasion about 14 armed men from Chelmsfd. pretended to scout & look out for the enemy but as I was informed it was moved among them & concluded that they wd. go to the wigwams of the Wamesit Inds. their neighbors & kill all; in pursuance whereof they came tot he wigwams & called to the poor Inds. to coame out of doors which most of them readily did, both men, women & childn., not in the least suspectg. t