Mystic massacre
A trader named John Oldham was murdered and his trading ship looted by Pequots,[2]: 177 and retaliation raids ensued by Colonists and their Indian allies.
[4] The Connecticut towns raised a militia commanded by Captain John Mason consisting of 90 men, plus 70 Mohegans under sachems Uncas and Wequash.
On the night of May 26, 1637, the Colonial and Indian forces arrived at the fortified Pequot village, which was on a low hill near the Mystic River.
As the fire raged, many trapped Pequots were shot as they attempted to escape by climbing over the palisade; those men, women, and children who did get out were killed by Narragansett fighters.
[2]: 190–193 Captain Underhill described the scene and his participation: "Captaine Mason entring into a Wigwam, brought out a fire-brand, after hee had wounded many in the house, then hee set fire on the West-side where he entred, my selfe set fire on the South end with a traine of Powder, the fires of both meeting in the center of the Fort blazed most terribly, and burnt all in the space of halfe an houre; many couragious fellowes were unwilling to come out, and fought most desperately through the Palisadoes, so as they were scorched and burnt with the very flame, and were deprived of their armes, in regard the fire burnt their very bowstrings, and so perished valiantly: mercy they did deserve for their valour, could we have had opportunitie to have bestowed it; many were burnt in the Fort, both men, women, and children, others forced out, and came in troopes to the Indians, twentie, and thirtie at a time, which our souldiers received and entertained with the point of the sword; downe fell men, women, and children, those that scaped us, fell into the hands of the Indians, that were in the reere of us; it is reported by themselves, that there were about foure hundred soules in this Fort, and not above five of them escaped out of our hands.
[9] The massacre effectively broke the Pequots, and Sassacus and many of his followers were surrounded in a swamp near a Mattabesset village called Sasqua.
[2]: 196 In the latter half of the 20th century, Pequot descendants revived the tribe, achieving federal recognition in 1983 and settlement of some land claims.
"[14] In early 2021, some people called for the removal of another statue depicting John Mason that stands outside the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford.
[15][16] After a year of deliberations, a state commission decided that the statue should be removed but lawmakers from the Connecticut General Assembly would be permitted to debate its future.
