Battlefield Map

The Battlefields of the Pequot War project, initiated in 2007, is the first project in New England to employ the methods of Battlefield Archaeology. The purpose of the study is to identify and document all of the battlefields of the Pequot War.

To date, three battlefields have been studied: The Siege and Battle of Saybrook Fort (September-March 1636-1637); the Battle of Mistick Fort (May 26, 1637); and the Battle of the English Allied Withdrawal (May 26, 1637). The Battles of Mistick Fort and the English Allied Withdrawal proved to be the most decisive and significant battles of the war. While the English and their Native allies suffered approximately 100 casualties, more than 150 Pequot women and children and 500 men lost their lives in the Battles of Mistick Fort and the English Allied Withdrawal which effectively destroyed Pequot ability to defend themselves against further English attacks. Shortly after the Mistick battles, the Pequot abandoned their homeland to seek safety with other tribes around the region.
The English Allied withdrawal consisted of a day-long battle over 4.5 miles of Pequot territory as the English and their Native allies fought hundreds of Pequot in order to reach the safety of their ships anchored in the Pequot (Thames) River six miles to the west.
The hundreds of objects recovered from these battlefields constitute the most extensive collection of Pequot War artifacts ever assembled. The objects in this exhibit were recovered from the battles of Mistick Fort and the English Withdrawal.