Captivity and Restoration | Page 3

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Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

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.
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.
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,