MIANTONOMO SACHEM OF THE NARRAGANSETTS

MIANTONOMO WAS A GRAND SACHEM OF THE NARRAGANSETT TRIBE. HE WAS THE SON OF CANOMIUCS. MIANTONOMO WAS BORN SOMETIME BETWEEN 1565 AND 1600 A.D. HE DIED IN 1643. HE BECAME THE SACHEM OF THE NARRAGANSETTS IN 1636.

MIANTONOMO WAS A FRIEND OF ROGER WILLIAMS AND OTHER ENGLISH SETTLERS OF RHODE ISLAND. IN 1637, HE AND UNCAS WITH THEIR MEN AND ENGLISH SETTLERS PARTICIPATED IN THE MASSACRE OF THE PEQUOTS AT MYSTIC FORT.

MIANTONOMO, UNCAS AND THE ENGLISH SIGNED A PEACE TREATY IN 1638. IT WAS DESIGNED TO KEEP ARMED CONFLICT FROM HAPPENING BETWEEN THE MOHEGANS, THE NARRAGANSETTS AND THE ENGLISH SETTLERS.

THE ENGLISH SETTLERS WERE SUSPICIOUS OF MIANTONOMO. THE ENGLISH SETTLERS HAD MIANTONOMO COME TO BOSTON IN 1640. MIANTONOMO WAS SUPPOSEDLY CHARGED WITH DISLOYALTY TO THE ENGLISH SETTLERS. HE DEFENDED HIMSELF WITH THE ENGLISH.

DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, THE CONNECTICUT SACHEM SEQUASSEN A RELATIVE OF MIANTONOMO WAS SUPPOSEDLY KILLED BY THE MOHEGANS. MINATONOMO ALLEGEDLY WENT TO THE ENGLISH AND ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO GET REVENGE ON UNCAS FOR THIS AND OTHER THINGS.. THE ENGLISH SUPPOSEDLY TOLD THEM THAT NARRAGANSETTS COULD DO WHAT THEY WANTED. LATER THE ENGLISH WOULD SAY IT NEVER HAPPENED.

IN 1643, MIANTONOMO LEADING AN ESTIMATED 500 TO 600 NARRAGANSETTS WENT TO ATTACK THE MOHEGANS. SUPPOSEDLY WHEN THE NARRAGANSETTS GOT TO THE AREA OF PRESENT DAY NORWICH, MOHEGAN WARRIORS SPOTTED THE NARRAGANSETTS AND SENT WORD TO UNCAS. UNCAS WAS EITHER AT FORT SHANTOK OR FORT HILL. HE GATHERED WHAT MEN WERE IN CAMP AND SENT OUT RUNNERS TO BRING MORE MOHEGAN MEN TO THE BATTLE.

THE NARRAGANSETTS AND MOHEGANS MET AT THE "GREAT PLAINS." EACH ARMY A GREAT DISTANCE APART LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. UNCAS ASKED FOR A PARLAY WITH MIANTONOMO. THEY MET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT PLAINS WHILE THEIR ARMIES LOOKED ON.

SACHEM UNCAS SUGGESTED HAND TO HAND COMBAT BETWEEN HIMSELF AND MIANTONOMO. UNCAS SUPPOSEDLY STATED THAT THE WINNER WOULD TAKE THE LOSERS ARMY CAPTIVE. MIANTONOMO, REALIZING THAT HE HAD THE MOHEGANS OUT NUMBERED SAID, "MY MEN CAME TO FIGHT, AND THEY SHALL FIGHT." WITH THAT UNCAS FELL TO THE GROUND AND THE MOHEGANS ATTACKED SHOOTING ARROWS AND CHARGING WITH TOMAHAWKS.

THE NARRAGANSETTS SUPPOSEDLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE RUNNING FROM THE MOHEGANS. ONE GROUP FORGED THE SHETUCKET RIVER AND ESCAPED. THE OTHER NARRAGANSETT GROUP HEADED BY MIANTONOMO ENDED UP BY THE YANTIC FALLS AND YANTIC RIVER (INDIAN LEAP.)

WHEN UNCAS GOT THERE, HE SAW MIANTONOMO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GORGE. UNCAS OR ONE OF HIS MEN (POSSIBLY TANTAQUEDGEON) SUPPOSEDLY JUMPED THE GORGE AND GAVE CHASE TO MIANTONOMO. HE WAS CAPTURED EITHER BECAUSE OF A BROKEN LEG OR THE HEAVY ARMOR HE WAS WEARING THAT HE HAD GOTTEN FROM AN ENGLISHMAN.

MIANTONOMO WAS TAKEN BY SACHEM UNCAS AND THE MOHEGANS TO HARTFORD. THE ENGLISH DECIDED THAT MIANTONOMO SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH BY THE MOHEGANS IN THEIR TERRITORY. MIANTONOMO WAS ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY UNCAS OR ONE OF HIS MEN (TOMAHAWK BLOW TO THE HEAD) SOMEPLACE BETWEEN HARTFORD AND PRESENT DAY NORWICH.

THE ENGLISH BY HAVING UNCAS KILL MIANTONOMO HAD TO REALIZE THAT THE MOHEGANS AND NARRAGANSETTS (WHICH WERE THE TWO LARGEST AND MOST POWERFUL TRIBES) WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO UNIFY TO ATTACK THE ENGLISH. MAYBE THE ENGLISH THOUGHT THE TWO TRIBES WOULD HATE EACH OTHER AND NOT EVER TRUST EACH OTHER AGAIN. THE TWO TRIBES WOULD NEVER BE A PROBLEM ANYMORE..

HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY BURIED WHERE HE WAS CAPTURED IN NORWICH. LEGEND HAS IT THAT NARRAGANSETTS WHEN PASSING THE SPOT OF HIS CAPTURE WOULD PUT STONES TO COMMEMORATE THE PLACE. YEARS LATER, IT HAS BEEN SAID A FARMER TOOK THE STONES AND USED THEM FOR THE FOUNDATION OF A HOUSE.

TODAY THERE IS A MARKER OF THE PLACE OF MIANTONOMO'S CAPTURE. IT SAYS SIMPLY MIANTONOMO 1643 ERECTED 1841. THE MARKER WAS PUT THERE BY NORWICH ON JULY 4, 1841. THE MARKER IS ON ELIJAH STREET.