The ordinary spear was eighteen feet long, or three times the
height of the man, and from one inch to an inch and a half in
thickness. The iron jaws of the head were two feet and a half in
length.
With such spears the Massachusetts militia was trained for more
than forty years, or until the outbreak of Philip’s war. I do
not know how long they may have been used in Virginia. Poking
Indians armed with muskets out of a swamp with a spear might do
for imaginary warfare--but when it came to real fighting it was
very ugly business. The desperate character of the conflicts
with Philip and the necessity for the exclusive use of gunpowder
became apparent, and the edict went forth that the militia, who
were trained to the use of the spear, should take up the musket.
With this edict the spear disappeared in this country forever.
It went out in England about the same time. Thus do we learn the
progress of the human mind in arts of destruction.--EDWARD
EGGLESTON.
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