Matoonas (? - died 1676 in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

) (also spelled Matonas) 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

Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...

Indians in the middle of 17th century. He played a significant role in the Native American uprising known as

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 ...

Early life

Matoonas had originally converted to Christianity and became a

Praying Indian Praying Indian is a 17th-century term referring to Native Americans of New England, New York, Ontario, and Quebec who converted to Christianity either voluntarily or involuntarily. Many groups are referred to by the term, but it is more commonly ...

. He was even made a

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

by the colonists of the Praying Indian village of Pakachoog. However, in 1671 his son was accused of murdering an Englishman named Zachariah Smith near the

Neponset River The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. Its headwaters are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near Gillette Stadium. From there, the Neponset meanders generally northeast for about to its mouth at ...

in Dedham, and hanged, despite the fact that it was widely known that somebody else was responsible for the crime. After the execution the head of Matoonas' son was placed on display as a warning. Consequently Matoonas was very bitter towards the English although he kept his true feelings hidden until a suitable opportunity would present itself.Bonfanti, pg. 26 When

Metacom Metacomet (1638 – August 12, 1676), also known as Pometacom, Metacom, and by his adopted English name King Philip,Mendon, which decided Nipmuc participation in the war on the side of Philip. Mendon was the first colonial settlement in the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...

to be attacked during King Philip's War. Shortly after the raid on Mendon, together with another Nipmuc sachem,

Muttawmp Muttawmp (died September, 1676) was a sachem of the Nipmuc Indians in the mid-17th century, originally based in Quaboag. He participated in King Philip's War, taking part in most of the major engagements as one of the most important chiefs who fough ...

, Matoonas successfully ambushed a party of colonial soldiers in what became known as

Wheeler's Surprise Wheeler's Surprise, and the ensuing Siege of Brookfield, was a battle between Nipmuc Indians under Muttawmp, and the English colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony under the command of Thomas Wheeler and Captain Edward Hutchinson, in August ...

at Brookfield.Bonfanti, pg. 27

Execution

Matoonas was betrayed and turned over to the English in Boston in autumn 1676 by another Nipmuc sachem. Most colonial sources list the name of the one who gave betrayed him as "Sagamore John," or "Chief John".Drake, pg. 79 In 1677 Rev. Thomas Cobbett wrote an account of the War stating that "Capt. John Jerthoag a Nipmuk Sagamor came in and some with him, and presently after fetched in old Matonas and his son, 120 more, which I think was before the thanksgiving day," and "Jerthoag" has been interpreted by Drake as meaning, "Jethro," possibly a family member of Nipmuc leaders

Peter Jethro Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

and

Old Jethro Tantamous (also known as Old Jethro or John Jethro) (c. 1580–1676) was a well-known Native American Nipmuc leader in seventeenth century Massachusetts. Tantamous was a powwow ( healer and spiritual leader) who lived near the Assabet River,Barr ...

.Samuel Gardner Drake, ''Indian Biography,'' p. 137 accessible on google books Some sources give the original Native American name of this person as Horowaninit,Moynihan, pg. 28 Schultz and Tougias state in their work on the King Philip's War however, that "...Muttawmp and Shoshonin, who had delivered Matoonas to the English, likewise fell victim to Waldron's treachery and were executed at Boston."Schultz and Tougias, pg. 69 Matoonas' betrayer either volunteered to execute him personally, or was forced to do so by the colonists, in order to demonstrate his loyalty to the English. Sagamore John was sold into slavery.Cogley, pg. 161 Matoonas' head, like his son's before him, was presented on a pole outside of Boston as a way to terrorize other Indians who supported King Philip.

References

7. p. 462

Works cited

*Eric B. Schultz, Michael J. Tougias, "King Philip's War. The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict", Countryman Press, 1999. *Leo Bonfanti, "Biographies and Legends of the New England Indians", New England Historical Series, Pride Publications, 1981. *Samuel Gardner Drake, "The book of the Indians, or, Biography and history of the Indians of North America, from its first discovery to the year 1841", Benjamin B. Mussey, 1845. *Richard W. Cogley, "John Eliot's mission to the Indians before King Philip's War", Harvard University Press, 1999. *"New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume XXII", David Clapp & Sons, 1868. {{DEFAULTSORT:Matoonas Colonial American and Indian wars King Philip's War Pre-statehood history of Massachusetts 1676 deaths Year of birth unknown Native American people from Massachusetts Native American history of Massachusetts