During the colonial period in America, European colonists came into conflict with New England Native Americans. This conflict stemmed from the continued expansion of European colonists into Native American territories. Native Americans responded to this encroachment during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by attacking colonial villages and towns. These sharp, sudden raids were an effort to drive the colonists back towards larger European communities, thus leaving the Native American areas free from infringement.
Native American Preparations
When a New England Native American tribe decided upon a raid the participation warriors would gather at a predetermined location to decide upon which local colonial settlement they would attack. The raiding force would be under the nominal command of several individuals, but New England Native American combat stressed solitary acts of bravery and daring. This individualized form of warfare did not focus on long term, coordinated attacks.
The Attack
The raiding party would make its way to the target area not as a single mass, such as in the European style, but in small groups and singly. This method of arrival made it difficult for colonists, who often posted guards and watches in their communities, to identify the threat of a raid. With the Native Americans dispersed around – and at times within – the target area, they waited until either dawn or dusk to attack. At either of these times the Native Americans had learned that they could maximize the number of casualties they could inflict on the colonists.
The attacks began quickly, with Native Americans racing into the target area from their hiding spots. War cries were issued in an effort to induce further panic before colonists could make their way to the village or town’s garrison house.
The Garrison House
Each colonial village or town had at least one house designated as a garrison house: a building, usually a home, well fortified and ready to be defended against a Native American attack. Garrison houses rarely fell during an attack, so the Native Americans sought to kill as many colonists as possible before they reached the safety of the garrison.
Once the colonists had secured the garrison the Native American raiding force wreaked havoc upon the community. Goods and belongings were plundered, houses and buildings put to the torch, and livestock butchered: all in an effort to make daily life difficult – if not impossible – for the colonists once the Native Americans had broken off the attack.
The Native American raiding force often spent little time attacking garrisons. They knew from experience that the colonists could withstand an assault for quite some time within a garrison. Also, the Native American style of individual combat did not lend itself to disciplined, prolonged sieges.
Thus the goal of the New England Native American raid was to inflict maximum casualties, cause massive damage to property, and to attempt to stop European colonists from continuing their territorial expansion.
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