Feral Jundi

John Alderman was a Praying Indian who shot and killed Metacomet (also known as King Philip) in 1676 as part of an expedition led by Captain Benjamin Church.

As a reward, Alderman received King Philip’s head and one hand. The rest of King Philip’s body was quartered and hung on trees. Alderman later sold the severed head to the Fort Plymouth authorities for 30 shillings, a standard rate for Indian heads during King Philip’s War. The head was then placed on a stake in the fort, where it remained for the next 25 years. Reportedly Alderman would exhibit the scarred hand of Philip for a fee.

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   Now Benjamin wasn’t a contractor, but he sure did partake in the business of selling heads for 30 shillings a piece. lol  Just another example of how free markets were used back in the early days of this country.  Privateers look pretty tame compared to this practice.

    Could you imagine Church’s Rangers going after today’s Usama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and with that kind of a free market warfare mechanism in place?  If they were to kill him, we could put his head under glass and sell tickets to see the thing.  The money made from that, could go towards the families of the victims of this vile organization. That would be cool.

   The sad thing is, that if someone was to kill him and bring back his head to collect that 25 million dollars or whatever it is, more than likely that individual would be thrown in jail and scorned for such a thing.  They probably wouldn’t even pay the hero that did it. –Matt

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Woodcut print of Benjamin Church

Major Benjamin Church (c. 1639-January 17, 1718) was an American carpenter, military officer, and Ranger during America’s Colonial era, and specifically, King Philip’s War.

Biography

Born in Plymouth Colony in about 1639, Church married Alice Southworth on December 26, 1667 in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He resided for a time in Duxbury and later moved to Bristol, Rhode Island.

Church was the principal aide to Governor Josiah Winslow of Plymouth Colony. Holding the rank of captain, he fought during King Philip’s War (1675–1678) on the New England frontier against the Wampanoag, Nipmuck and Podunk tribes of Indians. He is best known for his actions during this time in commanding a company of men independent of the governor’s direct command. Church’s men were the first colonial force successful in raiding the Indians’ camps in forests and swamps. During previous decades, colonists were on the defense against the Natives, although relations were generally peaceful until 1675.

Church was eventually allowed to recruit Indians when traditional Army tactics of the times were unsuccessful. He persuaded many neutral or formerly hostile Indians to surrender and join his unit, where they operated skillfully as irregular troops. Some of these men had converted to Christianity in settlements before the war. These were known as Praying Indians. After being organized by Church, these troops tracked Indians into the forests and swamps and conducted effective raids and ambushes on their camps. During the Great Swamp Fight, Church was wounded while playing a leading role in the battle. The war soon ended after an operation by Church’s company on August 12, 1676, when one of Church’s Indian Rangers (John Alderman) killed Metacomet – the chieftain also known as King Philip. Upon inspection of Philip’s body, Church is quoted as saying “a doleful, great, naked, dirty beast.” Philip was then butchered in a manner standard with English punishment for treason, drawing and quartering.

Over the next 28 years, Church led five New England raiding parties into Maine and Canada against the French and Indians. Beginning in 1696, he carried out devastating raids in Acadia, now holding the rank of major. Despite weighing approximately 250 pounds, he led his troops personally in killing inhabitants of Beaubassin, looting their household goods, burning their houses and slaughtering the livestock.

He held public office as the first representative of Bristol at Plymouth between 1682 and 1684. Church died at Little Compton, Rhode Island in 1718 and was buried in the Little Compton Common cemetery.

Legacy

Church kept notes on his tactics and operations in 1675-1676 which were eventually published in 1716 as “Entertaining Passages relating to Philip’s War”. *Captain Church was the grandfather of Dr. Benjamin Church, the first “Surgeon General” (though that title came later) of the Continental Army. Dr. Benjamin Church, thought to be one of the staunchest Whigs/Patriots, was arrested by George Washington as a spy for General Thomas Gage.

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John Alderman

John Alderman was a Praying Indian who shot and killed Metacomet (also known as King Philip) in 1676 as part of an expedition led by Captain Benjamin Church.

As a reward, Alderman received King Philip’s head and one hand. The rest of King Philip’s body was quartered and hung on trees. Alderman later sold the severed head to the Fort Plymouth authorities for 30 shillings, a standard rate for Indian heads during King Philip’s War. The head was then placed on a stake in the fort, where it remained for the next 25 years. Reportedly Alderman would exhibit the scarred hand of Philip for a fee.

Wikipedia for Benjamin Church here.