Wheeler's Surprise facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wheeler's Surprise and Siege of Brookfield
Part of King Philip's War
Date August 2–4, 1675 Location Brookfield, Massachusetts (present-day West Brookfield and probably New Braintree) Result Successful ambush by the Nipmuc. Siege unsuccessful. Follow up battle fought to a draw.
Belligerents
Nipmuc	Massachusetts Bay Colony Praying Indians Mohegan
Commanders and leaders
Muttawmp Matoonas	Cpt. Thomas Wheeler Cpt. Edward Hutchinson Maj. Simon Willard
Strength
Unknown, but at least a hundred	Originally 35-40 men were ambushed, remains plus about 70 civilian colonists were besieged. Relief force numbered 350 colonial militia plus an unknown number of Mohegan Indians.

The events known as Wheeler's Surprise and the Siege of Brookfield were important moments in King Philip's War. They happened in August 1675. This conflict involved Nipmuc Native Americans, led by Muttawmp, and English colonists from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The colonial forces were under the command of Captain Thomas Wheeler and Captain Edward Hutchinson.

The events started with a surprise attack, or ambush, by the Nipmuc on Wheeler's group. After this, the Nipmuc attacked the town of Brookfield, Massachusetts. They then surrounded the remaining colonial forces. The siege took place at Ayers' Garrison in West Brookfield. The exact spot of the first ambush is still a bit of a mystery to historians.

Why the Conflict Started

After Massasoit, a Native American leader who was friendly with the English, died in 1661, his son Metacom became the new leader. The English called him "King Philip." Metacom began talking with leaders of other Native American tribes in New England. He wanted them to unite against the Plymouth Colony.

The war officially began on June 20, 1675. A group of Pokanoket people, part of the Wampanoag tribe, attacked Swansea, Massachusetts. They likely did this without Metacom's full approval. It was in response to an English colonist killing a Pokanoket person. The colonists then attacked and burned a Pokanoket village at Mount Hope.

At the same time, the colonists sent Ephraim Curtis to the Nipmuc territory west of Boston. His job was to talk with the Nipmuc tribe. He wanted to make sure they would stay loyal to the colonists. However, Curtis and his group found only empty Nipmuc villages. This was a sign that something was already happening.

Curtis eventually found the Nipmuc chief, Muttawmp. They agreed to meet at a specific place. But it was too late for talks. The Nipmuc, led by another chief named Matoonas, had already attacked an English settlement at Mendon. They had decided to join Metacom's fight. Captain Thomas Wheeler and Captain Edward Hutchinson (whose mother was Anne Hutchinson) later joined Curtis.

Talks Before the Battle

Curtis and his men met with Muttawmp on July 14. On that very day, other Nipmuc warriors were attacking Mendon. So, Muttawmp already saw himself as being at war with the English. However, Muttawmp decided to pretend to be friendly. He told Curtis he would visit Boston within seven days.

When Curtis returned to Boston, he told his leaders about the meeting. They decided not to wait for Muttawmp. Instead, they sent Captain Hutchinson, Captain Wheeler, and 30 mounted soldiers. Some "Natick" Praying Indian guides went with them to talk directly with Muttawmp.

The group traveled to New Norwich. On July 31, they found that village empty too. They learned the Nipmuc had moved their main camp about 10 miles (16 km) from Brookfield. Curtis and the Natick guides were sent to talk to Muttawmp again. The Nipmuc warriors were rude to the English messengers. But Muttawmp continued his trick. He agreed to meet Hutchinson in Brookfield the next day.

The Surprise Attack

The next day, the colonists arrived at the meeting spot in full force. But they found no one there. The Natick guides tried to convince the colonists to give up and go back to Brookfield. However, Hutchinson and Wheeler decided to march to the Nipmuc camp. This was the place where they had met the day before.

To reach Muttawmp's camp, the colonists had to cross a swamp. They had to walk in a single line on a narrow path. The Indian guides warned them again, but Hutchinson and Wheeler took the risk. They knew they might be walking into a trap.

After they had gone about 400 yards (366 m), Muttawmp's warriors appeared. They jumped out from the tall swamp grass. They attacked the colonists with bows and rifles. When the colonists tried to turn around and run back, they found another group of Nipmuc blocking their way. The colonial force was completely confused. At first, they couldn't even shoot back. Both Hutchinson and Wheeler were badly hurt. Eight other men were killed right away, and several more were wounded.

The entire group would likely have been wiped out. But the Natick guides saved them. One guide took charge of the company. He led the remaining colonists out of the trap. They went into the hills near the swamp. Once they were safe for a moment, the group headed for Brookfield. They knew Muttawmp was chasing them.

The Siege of Brookfield

An old picture showing a Native American attack in New England. At Brookfield, Muttawmp tried to use a wagon filled with burning materials to set the house on fire.

Wheeler and his men, led by the Natick guides, ran to the English settlement of Quabaug. This place later became the town of West Brookfield. The village was quite far from other towns. This meant help would not arrive quickly, even if other towns heard about the attack.

In Brookfield, the soldiers gathered at the house of Sgt. John Ayers. Ayers had been killed in the ambush. About 70 villagers joined them there. They had heard about the coming Nipmuc attack. Ayers' house was the biggest building in the settlement. Once inside, Wheeler recovered from his shock. He took charge again and ordered his men to strengthen the defenses. He tried to send two soldiers for help. But they couldn't leave before Muttawmp and his warriors arrived. In total, about 80 people were inside Ayers' house.

When the Nipmuc arrived, some warriors kept shooting at the house. Others drove away the farm animals. They looted other houses in the settlement and then set them on fire. Once Muttawmp had all his men surrounding the house, he launched three attacks. All three failed. The only English people hurt on the first day were two colonists. They made the mistake of stepping outside and were quickly killed. Muttawmp then realized he needed a different plan.

On the second day of the siege, at dawn, Muttawmp had his men fill a village wagon with things that would burn easily. They pushed it towards the fortified house. He hoped to set the house on fire and force the defenders out. However, the plan didn't work. Heavy rains began to fall while the wagon was being prepared. During the confusion, Ephraim Curtis managed to sneak out of the house. He ran successfully into the woods. He eventually reached Marlborough. By that time, colonial soldiers were already on their way. Some travelers had heard gunfire near Brookfield and alerted them. A group of men led by Major Simon Willard was already coming to help those under siege.

Help Arrives

Simon Willard was the main military officer for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He was stationed with 48 troops in Lancaster. After hearing about the siege, he rushed to Brookfield. He arrived on the night of August 3rd. His arrival forced the Native Americans to stop the siege. More soldiers continued to arrive. Willard eventually commanded 350 colonial soldiers and an unknown number of Mohegan Native American allies.

The fighting between the two sides continued until the middle of the night of August 4th. Neither side could force the other to leave. At that point, Muttawmp felt he had achieved most of what he wanted. This included getting important supplies from looting Brookfield. He decided he didn't want to risk losing any more of his warriors. So, he left the battlefield.

What Happened Next

After leaving Brookfield, Muttawmp led his men to a fort at Hatfield. Metacom himself, with 40 Wampanoag warriors, arrived there shortly after. King Philip heard about the attack. He rewarded the Nipmuc chiefs with unstrung wampum (beads used as money or for decoration).

The next attack by the Native Americans happened at South Deerfield in August of the same year. Throughout the rest of 1675, the Native American forces won many battles. This was thanks to the clever leadership of chiefs like Metacom, Muttawmp, and Matoonas. They used their knowledge of the land to surprise and ambush colonial forces. This was much like what happened in Wheeler's Surprise. However, 1675 ended with a big loss for the Native Americans. The Narragansetts were defeated in the Great Swamp Fight.

Philip and his allies managed to gain the upper hand for a while in 1675. But the colonists used "scorched-earth" tactics. This meant burning crops and homes. This caused the Native Americans to start running out of supplies. The lack of supplies, along with offers of partial forgiveness, led more and more chiefs to leave Philip's alliance. Others, like Narragansett chief Canonchet, were killed. In the spring of 1676, the colonists started winning. Muttawmp, who had won at Brookfield, tried to make peace with the colonial leaders. But promises of safety were broken, and he was executed in September 1676. Metacom, the leader of the uprising, was already isolated. He was surrounded in the Assowamset Swamp and killed by a Praying Indian on August 12 of the same year.

Remembering the Event

A marker on Massachusetts Route 9 at the edge of Brookfield remembers the event:

BROOKFIELD.

SETTLED IN 1660 BY MEN FROM

IPSWICH ON INDIAN LANDS CALLED

QUABAUG. ATTACKED BY INDIANS

IN 1675. ONE GARRISON HOUSE

DEFENDED TO THE LAST. REOCCUPIED

TWELVE YEARS LATER.

Thomas Wheeler, who gave his name to "Wheeler's Surprise," survived the battle. Soon after, he wrote down what happened. His account was first published in 1676.

This event is also known because it was a topic of debate among historians in the 1800s. They argued about the exact place where the ambush, Wheeler's Surprise, happened. They also debated the exact path Wheeler and Hutchinson took. The exact spot is still a mystery. However, most modern historians believe the ambush likely happened somewhere within the area of today's New Braintree, Massachusetts.