Excerpt from The Pequot Indians: An Historical Sketch

Gov. Winthrop declined the offer, but Governor Winslow, of Plymouth, held the matter under consideration, and soon after visited the place, and on his return home gave a glowing description of its fertility, which tempted many a Puritan to leave his sterile home at Plymouth and explore this Indian paradise from the mouth of the river far back towards its sources.

Meantime the shrewd and active Pequots were watching with sleepless vigilance the movements of the Plymouth people, doubtless foreseeing the danger that would result to them from a settlement of the English upon the Connecticut river, and sought to counteract and prevent it by an alliance with the Dutch. For as early as 1632 they sold lands at Saybrook to the Dutch. Governor at New Amsterdam, and in June, 1633, Wa-py-quart, a Pequot Sachem, sold to the West India Company, through their agent Van Culer, a tract of meadow land now covered by the city of Hartford, on which he immediately proceeded to erected a fort, which he called the "House of Good Hope."

During the month of September, 1633, John Oldham, with several others of the Dorchester plantation, visited Connecticut, and were kindly received by the native chiefs, who gave them some valuable presents of Indian hemp and beaver skins. During this year the Plymouth people formed a trading company, and sent William Holmes in October to erect a trading house at a place previously selected on the west side of the Connecticut river, just be low the mouth of the Farmington, or Tunxis river, in the present town of Windsor. Captain Holmes reached the Connecticut river in safety, and sailed up the same, and passed the Dutch fort at Hartford in proud defiance, and erected the house at the place designated, and with the utmost haste surrounded it with palizadoes. He carried back to their native place Attawanott and several other Indian Sachems, who had been driven away by the warlike Pequots, and of whom the Plymouth people purchased the land. The Dutch fort at Hartford was a harmless affair, and soon ceased to exist as such.

The Dutch Arms at Saybrook were torn down by the English in 1634, and replaced with a fools head. Thus ended practically the power of the Dutch in Connecticut, and the hopes of the haughty Pequots in that direction were blasted forever. But they were so incensed at Holmes for bringing back Attawanott and his Sachems to Windsor, that they kept him and the friendly Indians continually on the defensive, and at every opportunity attacked the English settlers, and murdered such as they could lay their hands on.

In 1633, as two English traders, viz. Captain Stone and Captain Norton, were ascending Connecticut river in a vessel, being unacquainted with the channel, they hired Indian pilots to direct them, but faithless and treacherous guides they proved to be, for they murdered both officers and crew, consisting of nine men.

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