Annawan or Anawan (died 1676) was a

sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...

of the

Wampanoag The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. 1 ...

.Gille 1999, p. 71.

Life

Titles

Annawan served as chief counselor and head captain under King Philip ( Metacomet) in the eponymous

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...

against the New England colonists, having earlier served under Philip's father,

Massasoit Massasoit Sachem () or Ousamequin (c. 15811661)"Native People" (page), "Massasoit (Ousamequin) Sachem" (section),''MayflowerFamilies.com'', web pag was the sachem or leader of the Wampanoag confederacy. ''Massasoit'' means ''Great Sachem''. Mas ...

, in wars with other

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

Indian tribes. He was recognized as a great and valiant warrior, even among his enemies.

King Philip's War

King Philip was killed in an attack on his Miery Swamp fortress, near Mount Hope, on August 12, 1676. After the ensuing rout, only a remnant of his people were left at large, under two principal chiefs, Tispaquin and Annawan. Of these chiefs Annawan was the more important, having been Philip's head captain. Though he was an old man at this time, Annawan rallied the surviving warriors and they continued to attack settlers of Swansea and Plymouth, constantly moving their camp to avoid discovery.

Anawan Rock

Later that year (1676), a captive Indian led a small colonial party under Captain Benjamin Church to Annawan's elevated retreat, now known as Anawan Rock, a hill set in swampland near the Reheboth River. There on August 28 they surprised and captured Annawan and his chief counselors. The main party of Indian warriors was tricked into surrendering when Church told them that his army had encircled their position. Annawan, correctly believing his party to be the last to resist the English, gave Church a deer-skin bundle containing Philip's wampum belts, symbols of his chiefdom, and other effects:

Then opening his pack, he pull'd out ''Philips'' belt curiously wrought with ''Wompom'', being Nine inches broad, wrought with black and white ''Wompom'', in various figures and flowers, and pictures of many birds and beasts. This when hung upon Capt. ''Churches'' shoulders it reach'd his ancles. And another belt of Wompom he presented him with, wrought after the former manner, which ''Philip'' was wont to put upon his head; it had two flags on the back part which hung down on his back: and another small belt with a Star upon the end of it, which he used to hang on his breast; and they were all edg'd with red hair, which ''Annawon'' said they got in the Muhhogs Country. Then he pulled out two horns of glazed Powder, and a red cloth Blanket: he told Capt. ''Church'', these were ''Philips'' Royalties which he was wont to adorn himself with when he sat in State.

Death

The capture of Anawan marked the final event in King Philip's War. Although Church pleaded for Annawan's life, his confession that he had tortured and killed several English captives compelled the Plymouth officials to have him executed and

decapitated Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

while Church was away. The heads of Annawan and Tispaquin were then stuck up for all to see.Sabin 1919, pp. 15–32.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Church, Benjamin (1716)
''Entertaining Passages relating to Philip's War''
Boston: B. Green. * Gille, Frank H., ed. (1999). "Annawan". In ''Encyclopedia of Massachusetts Indians''
Vol. 1
St. Clair Shores, MI.: Somerset Publishers, Inc. * Sabin, Edwin L. (1919)

''Boys' Book of Frontier Fighters.'' Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co. {{Authority control 1676 deaths King Philip's War Native American leaders Native Americans connected with Plymouth Colony Wampanoag people