Our Beloved Kin: Remapping A New History of King Philip's War

Remove 13: Kwinitekw, including alternative route south

In Remove 13, Mary Rowlandson describes her location vaguely as "a mighty thicket of brush" which was "five or six miles downriver." However, as documented in Our Beloved Kin, primary sources reveal that her location at this time was much further south, at Pocumtuck/Deerfield, a vital agricultural town. At this time, in early spring, it was likely Mary witnessed the women reclaiming and preparing the planting fields, but she did not mention such activities, markers of "civilization," in her narrative. A crucial document, written by John Russell, the minister of Hadley, reveals Rowlandson's location, as well as the consensus building among Native leaders on the Connecticut River and at Wachusett, toward a process of peace. This document corresponds with other captive reports that place Rowlandson's company at Deerfield.

The map below enable us to view alternative routes south, following major paths through Pocumtuck/Deerfield, then east to Wachusett. Note the contrast with the Mary Rowlandson's Removes map or the interactive story map, which seek to document the route Rowlandson conveyed in her narrative. Importantly, the locations of Removes 13-18 are quite vague in her narrative, impossible to map with any precision, perhaps because they were partially fabricated. She does mention staying at unspecified Indian towns along the route to Wachusett. Once Mary Rowlandson arrives at Wachusett, where many of the Nipmuc leaders were gathered, the location once more becomes clear.

Click here to view these locations in the map of Mary Rowlandson's removes or in the interactive story map.

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