Celebrating an Indian Defeat

A Ballad of Pigwacket (1725)

The endemic warfare of the eighteenth century, which witnessed European empires contesting for power, spilled over into the North American colonies. British colonists fought Native Americans in a long series of frontier skirmishes, like the one commemorated in this 1725 song. Captain John Lovewell (1691–1725) and his New England men attacked and defeated the Abenaki Indians at the Battle of Pequawket (Pigwacket) along the Maine frontier, causing them to retreat north to Canada. Here we see the effect of warfare on Indian peoples and the ideas and beliefs about them that British Americans held.

1. Of worthy Captain Lovewell, I purpose now to sing,

How valiantly he served his country and his King;

He and his valiant soldiers, did range the woods full wide,

And hardships they endured to quell the Indian’s pride.

2. ’Twas nigh unto Pigwacket, on the eighth day of May,

They spied a rebel Indian soon after break of day;

He on a bank was walking, upon a neck of land,

Which leads into a pond as we’re made to understand.

3. Our men resolv’d to have him, and travell’d two miles round,

Until they met the Indian, who boldly stood his ground;

Then speaks up Captain Lovewell, “take you good heed,” says he,

“This rogue is to decoy us, I very plainly see.

4. “The Indians lie in ambush, in some place nigh at hand,

In order to surround us upon this neck of land;

Therefore we’ll march in order, and each man leave his pack,

That we may briskly fight them when they make their attack.”

5. They came unto this Indian, who did them thus defy,

As soon as they came nigh him, two guns he did let fly,

Which wounded Captain Lovewell, and likewise one man more,

But when this rogue was running, they laid him in his gore.

6. Then having scalp’d the Indian, they went back to the spot,

Where they had laid their packs down, but there they found them not,

For the Indians having spy’d them, when they them down did lay,

Did seize them for their plunder, and carry them away.

7. These rebels lay in ambush, this very place hard by,

So that an English soldier did one of them espy,

And cried out, “here’s an Indian,” with that they started out,

As fiercely as old lions, and hideously did shout.

8. With that our valiant English, all gave a loud huzza,

To shew the rebel Indians they fear’d them not a straw:

So now the fight began, and as fiercely as could be,

The Indians ran up to them, but soon were forced to flee.

9. Then spake up Captain Lovewell, when first the fight began,

“Fight on my valiant heroes! you see they fall like rain.”

For as we are inform’d, the Indians were so thick,

A man could scarcly fire a gun and not some of them hit.

10. Then did the rebels try their best our soldiers to surround,

But they could not accomplish it, because there was a pond,

To which our men retreated and covered all the rear,

The rogues were forc’d to flee them, altho’ they skulked for fear.

11. Two logs there were behind them that close together lay,

Without being discovered, they could not get away;

Therefore our valiant English, they travell’d in a row,

And at a handsome distance as they were wont to go.

12. ’Twas ten o’clock in the morning, when first the fight begun,

And fiercely did continue until the setting sun;

Excepting that the Indians some hours before ’twas night,

Drew off into the bushes and ceas’d a while to fight,

13. But soon again returned, in fierce and furious mood,

Shouting as in the morning, but yet not half so loud;

For as we are informed, so thick and fast they fell,

Scarce twenty of their number, at night did get home well.

14. And that our valiant English, till midnight there did stay,

To see whether the rebels would have another fray;

But they no more returning, they made off towards their home,

And brought away their wounded as far as they could come.

15. Of all our valiant English, there were but thirty-four,

And of the rebel Indians, there were about forescore.

And sixteen of our English did safely home return,

The rest were kill’d and wounded, for which we all must mourn.

16. Our worthy Captain Lovewell among them there did die,

They killed Lieut. Robbins, and wounded good young Frye,

Who was our English Chaplain; he many Indians slew,

And some of them he scalp’d when bullets round him flew.

17. Young Fullam too I’ll mention, because he fought so well,

Endeavouring to save a man, a sacrifice he fell;

But yet our valiant Englishmen in fight were ne’er dismay’d,

But still they kept their motion, and Wyman’s Captain made,

18. Who shot the old chief Paugus, which did the foe defeat,

Then set his men in order, and brought off the retreat;

And braving many dangers and hardships in the way,

They safe arriv’d at Dunstable, the thirteenth day of May.

American History Told by Contemporaries, Volume II: Building of the Republic, 1689–1783 (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1901), 344–346.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS