A Most Fatal War

While they were yet far away, the sound of drums filtered through the forest: a constant beat echoing through the air, a deep and dark sound, a rhythm that kept on building and gaining in strength. As they ran along, Benjamin kept his eyes fixed on the back of the native to his front, focused on his feet pounding upon the path, now in perfect rhythm with the drums. He felt a tightening of his stomach, haunted by the sound, because he already knew what was going on: a protest over that ill-advised trial, those terrible executions in Plymouth. And as the pounding of the drums continued to build, now joined by shouts, he knew this was the sound of resolve, the sound of preparation for war. His heart filled with dread. King Philip's War (1675-1676) brought an end to the peace between the Native Americans and the early English settlers of New England. Compared with all other American conflicts, including the Civil War, the American Revolution, and World War II, King Philip's was the most destructive, the most violent, and the most fatal war. Benjamin Church played a key role for the English in King Philip's War, helping to bring it to conclusion. But the biggest conflict he faced in the war was not with the natives, many of whom were his friends; it was with the attitudes and behavior of his fellow English who had too quickly forgotten the lessons and grace of their parents' generation.