The sovereignty and goodness of GOD, together with the faithfulness of his promises displayed, being a narrative of the captivity and restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, commended by her, to all that desires to know the Lord's doings to, and dealings with her. Especially to her dear children and relations. The second Addition [sic] Corrected and amended. Written by her own hand for her private use, and now made public at the earnest desire of some friends, and for the benefit of the afflicted. Deut. 32.39. See now that I, even I am he, and there is no god with me, I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, neither is there any can deliver out of my hand.
The supreme power and goodness of GOD, together with the faithfulness of his promises, revealed. An account of the captivity and restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. She recommends this account to all who wish to know what the Lord has done for her and how he has treated her. Especially to her dear children and relatives. Second edition [sic], corrected and revised. Written in her own hand for her private use. Now published at the earnest request of some friends and for the benefit of those who suffer. Deuteronomy 32:39. See now that I alone am God, and there is no other god beside me. I kill and I give life. I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my hand.
On the tenth of February 1675, came the Indians with great numbers upon Lancaster: their first coming was about sunrising; hearing the noise of some guns, we looked out; several houses were burning, and the smoke ascending to heaven. There were five persons taken in one house; the father, and the mother and a sucking child, they knocked on the head; the other two they took and carried away alive. There were two others, who being out of their garrison upon some occasion were set upon; one was knocked on the head, the other escaped; another there was who running along was shot and wounded, and fell down; he begged of them his life, promising them money (as they told me) but they would not hearken to him but knocked him in head, and stripped him naked, and split open his bowels. Another, seeing many of the Indians about his barn, ventured and went out, but was quickly shot down. There were three others belonging to the same garrison who were killed; the Indians getting up upon the roof of the barn, had advantage to shoot down upon them over their fortification. Thus these murderous wretches went on, burning, and destroying before them.
On February 10, 1675, large numbers of Indians attacked Lancaster. They first arrived around sunrise. Hearing gunfire, we looked out. Several houses were burning, and smoke was rising toward heaven. Five people were captured in one house. The Indians killed the father, the mother, and a nursing baby with blows to the head. They took the other two away alive. Two others had left their fortified shelter for some reason and were attacked. One was killed with a blow to the head, but the other escaped. Another man was shot and wounded as he ran, and he fell down. He begged his attackers to spare his life and promised them money, as they told me. But they would not listen. They killed him with a blow to the head, stripped him naked, and split open his belly. Another man saw many Indians around his barn and ventured outside, but he was quickly shot down. Three others from the same fortified shelter were killed. The Indians had climbed onto the barn roof. From there, they had the advantage of shooting down at the people behind their defenses. So these murderous wretches went on, burning and destroying everything before them.
At length they came and beset our own house, and quickly it was the dolefulest day that ever mine eyes saw. The house stood upon the edge of a hill; some of the Indians got behind the hill, others into the barn, and others behind anything that could shelter them; from all which places they shot against the house, so that the bullets seemed to fly like hail; and quickly they wounded one man among us, then another, and then a third. About two hours (according to my observation, in that amazing time) they had been about the house before they prevailed to fire it (which they did with flax and hemp, which they brought out of the barn, and there being no defense about the house, only two flankers at two opposite corners and one of them not finished); they fired it once and one ventured out and quenched it, but they quickly fired it again, and that took. Now is the dreadful hour come, that I have often heard of (in time of war, as it was the case of others), but now mine eyes see it. Some in our house were fighting for their lives, others wallowing in their blood, the house on fire over our heads, and the bloody heathen ready to knock us on the head, if we stirred out. Now might we hear mothers and children crying out for themselves, and one another, "Lord, what shall we do?" Then I took my children (and one of my sisters', hers) to go forth and leave the house: but as soon as we came to the door and appeared, the Indians shot so thick that the bullets rattled against the house, as if one had taken an handful of stones and threw them, so that we were fain to give back. We had six stout dogs belonging to our garrison, but none of them would stir, though another time, if any Indian had come to the door, they were ready to fly upon him and tear him down. The Lord hereby would make us the more acknowledge His hand, and to see that our help is always in Him. But out we must go, the fire increasing, and coming along behind us, roaring, and the Indians gaping before us with their guns, spears, and hatchets to devour us. No sooner were we out of the house, but my brother-in-law (being before wounded, in defending the house, in or near the throat) fell down dead, whereat the Indians scornfully shouted, and hallowed, and were presently upon him, stripping off his clothes, the bullets flying thick, one went through my side, and the same (as would seem) through the bowels and hand of my dear child in my arms. One of my elder sisters' children, named William, had then his leg broken, which the Indians perceiving, they knocked him on [his] head. Thus were we butchered by those merciless heathen, standing amazed, with the blood running down to our heels. My eldest sister being yet in the house, and seeing those woeful sights, the infidels hauling mothers one way, and children another, and some wallowing in their blood: and her elder son telling her that her son William was dead, and myself was wounded, she said, "And Lord, let me die with them," which was no sooner said, but she was struck with a bullet, and fell down dead over the threshold. I hope she is reaping the fruit of her good labors, being faithful to the service of God in her place. In her younger years she lay under much trouble upon spiritual accounts, till it pleased God to make that precious scripture take hold of her heart, "And he said unto me, my Grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12.9). More than twenty years after, I have heard her tell how sweet and comfortable that place was to her. But to return: the Indians laid hold of us, pulling me one way, and the children another, and said, "Come go along with us"; I told them they would kill me: they answered, if I were willing to go along with them, they would not hurt me.
At last they came and surrounded our own house. Soon it became the saddest day I had ever seen. The house stood on the edge of a hill. Some of the Indians hid behind the hill, others in the barn, and others behind anything that offered shelter. From all these places, they fired at the house, so that the bullets seemed to fly like hail. Soon they wounded one man among us, then another, and then a third. They surrounded the house for about two hours before they managed to set it on fire. That was my estimate during that terrifying time. They used flax and hemp brought from the barn to start the fire. The house had no defenses except two projecting defensive structures at opposite corners, and one was unfinished. They set the house on fire once, but someone ventured outside and put it out. They quickly set it on fire again, and this time it caught. Now the dreadful hour had come. I had often heard of others facing such horrors during war, but now I saw them myself. Some inside our house were fighting for their lives. Others lay struggling in their own blood. The house was burning above our heads. The bloodthirsty heathens stood ready to strike us on the head if we stepped outside. We could hear mothers and children crying out for themselves and one another, "Lord, what shall we do?" Then I took my children, and one of my sisters took hers, to leave the house. But as soon as we appeared at the door, the Indians fired so heavily that bullets rattled against the house. It sounded as if someone had thrown a handful of stones against it, so we had to retreat. We had six strong dogs belonging to our garrison, but none would move. At other times, if an Indian came to the door, the dogs were ready to attack and tear him down. Through this, the Lord would make us acknowledge his hand more fully and see that our help is always in him. But we had to leave. The fire was growing and roaring behind us. Before us, the Indians waited with guns, spears, and hatchets, eager to devour us. As soon as we left the house, my brother-in-law fell down dead. He had already been wounded in or near the throat while defending the house. The Indians shouted and yelled scornfully, then immediately rushed upon him and stripped off his clothes. Bullets flew thick around us. One passed through my side. The same bullet apparently passed through the belly and hand of my dear child, whom I held in my arms. William, one of my older sister's children, had his leg broken. When the Indians noticed, they struck him on the head and killed him. So we were butchered by those merciless heathens as we stood stunned, with blood running down to our heels. My oldest sister was still inside the house and saw these terrible sights. The unbelievers dragged mothers one way and children another, while some lay struggling in their blood. Her older son told her that her son William was dead and that I was wounded. She said, "And Lord, let me die with them." As soon as she said this, a bullet struck her, and she fell dead across the threshold. I hope she is now receiving the reward for her good work, having faithfully served God in her place. In her younger years, she suffered greatly from spiritual troubles. Then God was pleased to let this precious passage take hold of her heart: "And he said unto me, my Grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12.9). More than twenty years later, I heard her describe how sweet and comforting that passage was to her. But to return to my account, the Indians seized us, pulling me one way and the children another. They said, "Come along with us." I told them they would kill me. They answered that if I was willing to go with them, they would not hurt me.
Oh the doleful sight that now was to behold at this house! "Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he has made in the earth." Of thirty-seven persons who were in this one house, none escaped either present death, or a bitter captivity, save only one, who might say as he, "And I only am escaped alone to tell the News" (Job 1.15). There were twelve killed, some shot, some stabbed with their spears, some knocked down with their hatchets. When we are in prosperity, Oh the little that we think of such dreadful sights, and to see our dear friends, and relations lie bleeding out their heart-blood upon the ground. There was one who was chopped into the head with a hatchet, and stripped naked, and yet was crawling up and down. It is a solemn sight to see so many Christians lying in their blood, some here, and some there, like a company of sheep torn by wolves, all of them stripped naked by a company of hell-hounds, roaring, singing, ranting, and insulting, as if they would have torn our very hearts out; yet the Lord by His almighty power preserved a number of us from death, for there were twenty-four of us taken alive and carried captive.
Oh, what a dreadful sight there was at this house! "Come, see the works of the Lord, what destruction he has brought upon the earth." Of the thirty-seven people in this one house, only one escaped immediate death or bitter captivity. That person could say, as Job’s messenger did, "And I alone have escaped to tell the news" (Job 1.15). Twelve were killed, some shot, some stabbed with spears, and some struck down with hatchets. When we prosper, oh, how little we think of such dreadful sights. How little we imagine seeing our dear friends and relatives lying on the ground, bleeding their lives away. One person had been struck in the head with a hatchet and stripped naked, yet was still crawling around. What a grim sight to see so many Christians lying in their blood, some here and some there. They were like a flock of sheep torn apart by wolves. All had been stripped naked by a pack of hellhounds. Their attackers roared, sang, ranted, and taunted us, as if they would have torn our very hearts out. Yet the Lord, through his almighty power, kept a number of us from death. For twenty-four of us were taken alive and carried into captivity.
I had often before this said that if the Indians should come, I should choose rather to be killed by them than taken alive, but when it came to the trial my mind changed; their glittering weapons so daunted my spirit, that I chose rather to go along with those (as I may say) ravenous beasts, than that moment to end my days; and that I may the better declare what happened to me during that grievous captivity, I shall particularly speak of the several removes we had up and down the wilderness.
I had often said before that if the Indians came, I would rather be killed than taken alive. But when I faced that choice, I changed my mind. Their glittering weapons frightened me so much that I chose to go with them rather than die that moment. They were, if I may say so, ravenous beasts. To better explain what happened to me during that terrible captivity, I will describe each move through the wilderness.