[75] Sagamore John, whose Indian name was Wonohaquaham, lived in Medford, and probably occupied at times the house of his father. He was friendly to our ancestors; he gave them permission to settle, and afterwards apprised them of the premeditated assault of the unfriendly Indians. He died in Medford, Dec. 5, 1633. His last hours are thus described in “New England's first fruits:” --
Sagamore John, Prince of Massaquesers, was, from our very first landing, more courteous, ingenious, and, to the English, more loving than others of them. He desired to learn and speak our language, and loved to imitate us in our behavior and apparel, and began to hearken after our God and his ways, and would much commend Englishmen and their God, saying (much good men, much good God) and being convinced that our condition and ways were better far than theirs, did resolve and promise to leave the Indians, and come live with us; but yet, kept down by the fears and scoffs of the Indians, had not power to make good his purpose; yet went on, not without some trouble of mind and secret plucks of conscience, as the sequel declares; for, being struck with death, fearfully cried out of himself that he had not come to live with us, to have known our God better. “ But now,” said he, “ I must die, the God of the English is much angry with me, and will destroy me. Ah! I was afraid of the scoffs of the wicked Indians; yet my child shall live with the English, and learn to know their God, when I am dead. I will give him to Mr. Wilson: he is much good man, and much love me.” So sent for Mr. Wilson to come to him, and committed his only child to his care, and so died.The Indians were powerful on this shore; and Gosnold, who was at Cape Cod in 1602, says “this coast is very full of people.” Capt. Smith, who was here in 1614, says it “was well inhabited with many people.” Sir Ferdinando Gorges adds, “At our first discovery of those coasts, we found it very populous, the inhabitants stout and warlike.” Speaking of the Mattachusetts, Capt. Smith observes, “For their trade and merchandise, to each of their principal families or habitations, they have divers towns and people belonging, and, by their relations and descriptions, more than twenty several habitations. It is the Paradise of all those parts; for here are many isles planted with corn, groves, mulberries, savage gardens, and good harbors. The seacoast, as you pass, shows you all along large cornfields.” This picture of Indian prosperity was almost wholly effaced by the terrible plague of 1617 and 1618. Morton says of it, “They died on heaps as they lay in their houses; and the ”
