USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Deerfield > History of Deerfield, Massachusetts: the times when the people by whom it was settled, unsettled and resettled, vol 1 > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
The following fragment of a letter from Mr. Sheldon to his son John at Deerfield, should be read in connection with the above :-
QUBECK, the 2 of aperl, 1705.
dere child :- thes fue lins are to let you noe that i am in good helth at this time, blesed be god for it. i may tel you that we sent away a post the 18 daye of march, and thay ware gone 8 days, and retorned a gane by reson that the ise was soe bad. this may let you noe that i reseued a letere from your wif, the 29 of march, and she wase whel. 1 may let you noe i hant sene none of my children, but I hear thay are gone a honten. [The rest torn off. ]
The "post" referred to went across the country to Casco, in accordance with an arrangement with Gov. Dudley. The dispatches and letters were sent by Capt. Samuel Hill, another captive from Wells, and laid before the Council May 15th by Gov. Dudley. The reply of Vaudreuil to Dudley's proposal
·
329
SOME RESULTS OF THE MISSION.
for an exchange of prisoners, was diplomatic and evasive, and nothing came of it.
Meanwhile the envoys in Canada, by persistent endeavors, and the kindly aid of Capt. De Beauville, brother to the Lord Intendant, secured the release of Hannah Sheldon, and one other of the Ensign's children, Esther Williams and two others. Early in May, the whole party, escorted by Courte- manche and eight French soldiers, set out for home by the way of Albany. Ostensibly this guard was sent as an act of honor and courtesy, but really to observe the condition of the enemy's country. Livingstone and the escort were probably left at Albany, while Capt. Courtemanche and Ensign Shel- don pushed on to Boston, leaving the redeemed captives at Springfield, on the way. They arrived before June 5th, as appears by the General Court records. On that day a com- mittee was ordered to audit the accounts of the "Messengers to Quebec." June 27th, they voted "that an order be made on the Treasurer, payable forthwith to Vaudreuil's Commis- sioner for the amount," taken up on their letter of credit, by Ensign Sheldon, which was 4000 livres. Courtemanche bought duplicates of the dispatches which Vaudreuil had sent Dudley by Samuel Hill, and another futile attempt was made to arrange an exchange of prisoners.
Courtemanche being taken sick, Capt. Vetch with his brig- antine, was engaged to take him home by sea. Capt. Hill was returned by the same conveyance. At the solicitation of the French envoy, William Dudley, * son of the Governor, accompanied him to Quebec. The latter bore new proposals to Vaudreuil for an exchange of captives. The vessel reached Quebec in August, and on the petition of Dudley and Vetch, Mr. Williams was allowed to go up and join them. He and his son Stephen were entertained by Courtemanche, at his own house "most nobly," until September 19th, when he was sent back to Chateau Richer, because he hindered an English friar from making converts among the prisoners. Mr. Wil- liams says the priests "were ready to think their time was short for gaining English proselytes and doubled their dili- gence and wiles."
* Young Dudley was the orator at the Cambridge commencement, 1705, where "he spoke of Mr. Williams in Captivity." Courtemanche also attended com- mencement.
330
QUEEN ANNE'S WAR-1702-1713.
When Dudley arrived at Quebec, Vaudreuil was at Mon- treal busy settling troubles among his Indian allies at the west, and on the 16th and 17th of August he was holding a conference with the Iroquois, who complained that while he had persuaded them to be neutral, their kindred in Canada [the Macquas] had been incited to take up the hatchet. The Governor defended his action as best he could, on the ground that it was necessary for them to make common cause with the Abenakis, who had been wronged by the English, and said that he must follow this course so long as the war be- tween France and England continued. To the English en- voys he held different language when he came down to Que- bec. He professed a great desire for peace, but found excuse for amending and returning the draft of the treaty brought by Dudley. He said the war could "never contribute to the glory of their sovereigns, or the aggrandizement of their States, but merely to the ruin and desolation of some poor families," and the priest at Chateau Richer told Mr. Wil- liams he "abhorred their sending down heathen to commit ravages against the English, saying that it was more like committing murders, than managing a war."
October 12th, Capt. Vetch sailed for Boston with young Dudley, where he arrived November 21st, having done little towards accomplishing the object of their mission, unless, as Ponchartrain, the French minister, suspects, the illness of Courtemanche was a pretense, "assumed as a cover for trade," under an arrangement with Gov. Dudley. This conjecture appears more than probable, by the operations of Vetch the next year.
The vessel, however, brought home eleven captives, only three of whom are known-Stephen Williams, Samuel Wil- liams and Jonathan Hoyt. Nov. 30th, 1705, John Borland was allowed £22 for their passage.
By the same vessel which brought the captive boys, came the following letter and petition, addressed :-
To the Honored Paul Dudley, Esq., her Magesties Attorney Gen- r'all for the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England at his house att Boston in New England :
Worthy Sir :- I hope at the receipt of this you will be made right glad at the return of Mr. Dudley, who has merited the thanks & a great reward of his country, for the great service he has done them here. These are humbly to request that favour of you as to draw up
331
EFFECTIVE APPEAL OF MR. WILLIAMS.
a petition to the General Assembly on my behalf, for the reimbursing Capt. Vetch money he has lent me for paying what I have been forced to expend for my comfort & the necessary relief of my chil- dren. j have on the other side drawn up some minutes for you to lay before the Honored Court that i desire you would better form, & give it to my son Samuel to present. in so doing you will abun- dantly oblige your afflicted friend. i know i need not use arguments to stir up your generous mind to plead the cause of such as are in distress, & therefore forbear them & do humbly offer my best re- spects to yourself & good lady, wishing you all happiness, & am sir Your humble servant,
JOHN WILLIAMS.
Quebeck octob 10. 1705
To the Honor'd Generall Court of the province of the Massachu- setts Bay in New England :
I have for a long time (well known to yourselves) been in sorrow- ful state of Captivity under many exercising trials having so many children captivated with myself among the enemies & some of them among the heathen where they were reduced to many straits, so that i have been necessitated to be at considerable expense for their & my own comfort. One of my children came to me from the indians the first of May past without so much as a shirt upon him, & unless i would be unmercifully cruel & have hardened my heart to all un- naturalness i could not avoid charges i have for the honour of my country & the comfort of my children expended £18, 6s, 9d.
These are humbly to request you to make payment of the same to Capt. Samuel Vetch who has been so charitable to give me several things that he saw I had a need of, though he had never seen me be- fore, who has also put me in a capacity to make payment for what i owed for my son's clothing &c. i hope you will be so generous as to reward the service he has performed with such prudence & unfailing industry & so charitable to me, as to make him full payment of the above named sum. our adversaryes upbraid our religion that it falls so short of theirs in charity & good works, whom i have put to si- lence in assuring them that our charity to all in affliction & good works of every nature far exceeding theirs. i promise myself your charity to me in my affliction and want (having lost what I had at Deerfeild) without any repining will yet give me occasion from my own experiences to refute their calumnyes. your charity herein will also be encouraging me still to keep my post (if God graciously re- turn me) a post lost without any default of mine. wishing you the guidance of God in all your publick affairs & concerns i am
Dudley wisely chose to lay this ingenuous and high-minded appeal before the General Court, in its original form, fresh from the heart of the writer. I find the following record of action endorsed on this petition :-
Nov. 22, 1705, Read in the House of Representatives.
Nov. 27, Read & Resolved, That the Prayer of this Petition be Granted, and the sum of Eighteen Pounds Six Shillings and nine pence be Paid out of the public Treasury to the s' Capt. Samuel
332
QUEEN ANNE'S WAR -- 1702-1713.
Vetch, to Imburse him the same sum, which he supplied Mr. Wil- liams the petitioner.
Sent up for concurrence.
THOMAS OAKS, Speaker.
In Council, Nov. 28, 1705. Read & passed a concurrence.
ISA. ADDINGTON, Sect'y.
SHELDON'S SECOND EXPEDITION TO CANADA.
The Governor and Council could not accept the proposals brought from De Vaudreuil by Vetch, and the whole matter was left to Gov. Dudley, who was to advise with Lord Corn- bury, Governor of New York. To forward the business of ex- change, Dudley sent forty-seven French prisoners to Port Royal in December, and on the 17th of January, 1705-6, he read to the Council his answer to Vaudreuil, which was "to be dispatched to Quebec by Mr. John Sheldon, attended with a servant or two, and accompanied by two French prisoners of war." Mr. Sheldon left home January 15th and on the I7th he received an outfit from the Commissary General at Boston, costing £4, 11 s, 6d, and a bill on Lewis Marchant of Quebec for £2, 10s ; and for John Wells, on the same service. 16s, 6d. Joseph Bradley of Haverhill, it seems, got leave to attend the envoy as one of the servants. His wife was now in a second captivity in Canada. January 20th, Sheldon, bearing funds to the military chest in the valley, with Brad- ley, and the two Frenchmen, left Boston for Hadley, where they arrived the next day, as shown by the following paper :--
Rec'd of Deacon Shelding this Jan'ie 21, 1705, three hundred for- tie one pound eight shillings & one penny wch sd sum he Rec'd of Mr. James Taylor, Treasu'r in Boston, & Brought & delivered to me as aboovsd, wch I own I have the day of the date aboovsd Received. per me, SAM'LL PARTRIDGE.
John Wells joined the party at Deerfield, and on the 25th of January, 1706, the ambassador plunged once more into the wilderness for a winter journey to Canada. His experience now aided him in battling with the elements, and a truce which had been arranged for five weeks, secured him from Indian hostility, and thus enabled him to push on more rap- idly and so arrive before its expiration.
April 28th, 1706, De Vaudreuil writes to Ponchartrain, en- closing Dudley's propositions by Capt. Vetch, and his own
333
HOMEWARD BOUND.
reply ; with an account of the attempt to arrange a treaty of neutrality. He says :-
This induced Mr. Dudley to send me, a Deputy by land, with a letter, about a month ago, but as it is not sufficiently explicit and as Mr. Dudley according to appearances is seeking only to gain time, the term I had fixed in my answer to these propositions having ex- pired, I permitted several small parties of our Indians to recommence hostilities.
This deputy was Ensign Sheldon, but Mr. Williams says the ensign reached Quebec "the beginning of March." On his arrival he was glad to find Mr. Williams; but in a few days the latter was sent down to Chateau Richer, and Sheldon was left alone to prosecute his mission, which he found diffi- cult and perplexing. Dudley's dispatches were not satisfac- tory to Vaudreuil. The Jesuits used their all-powerful in- fluence for delay, and redoubled their artful efforts to seduce the young captives to popery. The sturdy envoy persisted in pushing his claims to at least as many captives as would equal the French prisoners which Dudley had sent to Port Royal, in December, 1705 ; and he so far succeeded, that on the 30th of May, he embarked for Boston with forty-four Eng- lish captives, on board the French vessel La Marie, chartered at an expense of 3000 livres, for Port Royal and Boston. After considerable delay at Port Royal, he reached his desti- nation August 2d, 1706.
In this company came James Adams of Wells, Hannah, wife of Joseph Bradley,-one of Sheldon's attendants, Eben- ezer (?) and Remembrance, sons of Ensign Sheldon, and his daughter Mary, Thomas French, Sen., John Burt, Benjamin Burt, his wife Sarah, and their children, Christopher, born April 4, 1704, while on the march to Canada, and Seaborn, born July 4, 1706, on the home voyage. Mrs. Mary Hinsdale gave birth to son Ebenezer, on the voyage. Both babies were baptized by Samuel Willard, on landing in Boston. The names of the others are unknown, but the greater num- ber were presumably Deerfield captives. August 8th, with light hearts, these began their homeward march.
Mr. Williams not being allowed to see the assembled company of returning captives, wrote them a " Pastoral Let- ter," dated at Chateau Richer, May 28th, 1706. It was sent on board, "Per Samuel Scammon, Q. D. C. Present with
334
QUEEN ANNE'S WAR-1702 -- 1713.
Care I Pray." This was to be read to his flock on the home-
ward voyage. He says :--
"Inasmuch as I may neither be permitted to return with you; nor be permitted to come to see you before your return; these come to acquaint you that I am truly desirous of Prosperity for soul and Body. I would bless God who is opening a door of Return for you; and if God be your Front Guard & Rearward, it shall go well with you. * * * Pray for us that are left behind, that God would preserve and recover us, and give us Grace to Glorify His Holy name, tho' He continue, yea increase our Trials. % What is
it that is most upon your heart in your Return? Is it that you may with all Freedom Glorify God, in bringing forth much Fruit, whilst you are again planted in the Court Yards of our God? How sorrow- ful is it if your greatest design be to see your Friends so long Sepa- rated from you; to Gain Estates, and recover your outward Losses; and to be free again to go and come as you list !"
This is the spirit of the whole address. He urges them to make it a business to glorify God.
"Let God have the Glory of preserving you, and dont ascribe it to your own wisdom; dont think to go shares or partners with God in His Glory; He has done it for the honor of His Name * Dont * think after your return; that having desired publicly in the congre- gation of God's people to have thanks returned to God on your be- half; you have done your duty ** * Thanksliving is the best Thanks- giving. * * I wish you a healthy, a safe, a speedy passage to your destined port; if it be the will of God. But above all, I wish you a gracious, truly penitent, Christ prizing, and soul enriching, sanctifying voyage to a better port, when it is the pleasure of God to call you to come home to your Father's house."
Zebadiah Williams, captured in Deerfield Meadows, Oct. 8th, 1703, died in the hospital at Quebec, April 12th, 1706. Mr. Williams says : " He was a very hopeful and pious young man, *
* * prayerful to God and studious and painful in reading the Holy Scriptures."
Williams had "recovered one, [Joseph Edgerly] fallen to Popery," and after his death, the French told Mr. Williams, " Zebadiah was gone to hell and damned, for he had appeared to Joseph Edgerly in a flame of fire, and told him he was damned for refusing to embrace the Romish religion, when such pains were used to bring him to the true faith, and be- ing instrumental in drawing him from the Romish commun- ion-forsaking the mass-and was therefore now come to ad- vertise him of his danger." "I told them," says the plain- spoken Mr. Williams, "I judged it to be a Popish lie!" and
·
1
335
THE ENVOY'S BILL OF EXPENSES.
he soberly went about gathering evidence to prove it so ; and wrote to Samuel Hill and his brother Ebenezer, at Quebec, "to make discovery of this lying plot, to warn them of their danger." It seems he seriously feared its effect upon the superstitious minds of his flock.
On Sheldon's return he presented his bill of expenses to the Governor :-
An account of what John Sheldon (who was impressed by his Ex- cellency to go to Canada to treat about ye English Captives) hath expended upon the Country's account in Canada for himself and the Captives in General :-
livres. sous. 17 00
By Taylors work in making clothes,
To Mr Dubenot (?) [-] cloath for cloathing, for stockins, shoes, a shirt & a hat and a pair of gloves & a neckcloath,
106
For a carriall 10 goe to see the captives at the Mohawk fort,
12
00
For a cannoe and men to goe from Quebec to visit Mr Williams,
06
00
More paid to Mr La Count my landlord at Quebec,
38
00
More paid to the Barbour for me and my men and my blooting,
21
IO
More paid for washing,
08
00
More paid my landlord at Montreall,
77
06
More paid for my second visit to the cap's at the Mohawk fort,
1
OS
More what I laid out for the captives when i came away from Can- ada & one of the sallers,
42
IO
For John Wells for a hat 16 livres, for silk, 8 livres, for a pair of stockins, 12 livres, for a shirt, 8 livres, II sous,
44
I 1
Joseph Bradley for a shirt,
8
13
Delivered to Mr Williams,
200
00
Laid out for my daughter Mary, for necessary cloathing,
59
00
More for my darter.
15
00
To the doctor for John Wells and for other things for the captives,
12
00
689
9
Expended at Port Royal for Pocket expenses, £10-00-00-at 20d pr livre,
120
-
Sog
Accompanying the above bill was the following petition :-
Aug. 8, 1706.
To his Excellency, Joseph Dudley &c, &c, &c.
The Petition of John Shelden in behalfe of himself, Joseph Brad- ley, & John Wells, humbly sheweth
That your Petitioner with the afore mentioned Bradley & Wells were Sent by your Excellency & Council the last winter by Land to Canada to Obtain the Return of the Captives wherein they have so far succeeded, as that on the 2d instant They Arrived here with forty-four of the Captives. Your Petitioner entered upon the said service on the 15th day of Janu'ry last, the said Bradley on the 20th day & the sd Wells on the 25th day of the same month.
Your Petitioners therefore humbly Pray your Excellency & this Hon'ble Court to Take into your Consideration their service aforsaid and the extraordinary Difficulties, Hazzards and Hardships they have undergone & the time spent therein, and Order Them such Allow-
336
QUEEN ANNE'S WAR-1702-1713.
ance & Consideration for the same as in your wisdom you Shall think meet. And your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray. JOHN SHELDEN.
Wells and Bradley also petitioned in their own behalf : -
To his excellency &c &c-
The Humble petition of John Wells & Joseph Bradley Showeth that your Petitioners were lately sent by his Excellency to Qubeck with Sheldon and in their journey they were necessitated to be at some Expenses and your Petitioner Wells expended above three pounds ten shillings & Bradley forty sh beside snow shoes and pumps which cost him thirteen shillings and a Dog fifteen & beside there was a gun hired for the Voyage valued at 5os which sd gun was broken accidentally in ye discharging
Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that they may be allowed the Disbursements above mentioned and ye money for the gun
JOHN WELLS. JOSEPH BRADLY.
Aug 7, 1706
Action on these petitions by the General Court :-
Oct. 29, 1706, Granted to John Sheldon 35 pounds; to John Wells 20 pounds & to Joseph Bradley 20 pounds over and above what they had in fitting them out.
The successful mission of Ensign Sheldon having opened the door for the captives' return, the brigantine Hope, Capt. Bonner, was chartered to bring another party of them home. August 9th, an order was issued by the General Court, that the captain of the La Marie be kept under inspection, and that the French prisoners be gathered at once at Cambridge, ready to be sent home when the vessel was ready. These prisoners had probably been scattered among the towns. By the following order, found among the Sheldon manuscript, it appears that two of them were at Deerfield :-
To the Constable at Deerfield.
In her Maj'tys Name You are Required to Impress two Squa Lynes & any other Necessary the two Frenchmen now going to Can- ada stand in need of. fayle not. 27 August, 1706.
SAM'LL PARTRIDGE, Lt. Colo.
Envoy John Sheldon, ensign and deacon, was constable as well, and as soon as his papers were presented and reports made to the Governor, he hastened home and Aug. 27th, he was fitting out these men to join the other French captives now being gathered at Cambridge for the home voyage.
In June, 1706, the "Superior of the priests" told Mr. Wil- liams he was ragged, but that his obstinacy against the Cath-
337
THE PURITAN HOLDS HIS OWN.
olic religion prevented them providing him better clothes. Mr. Williams, always a match for a priest, replied : “It is better going in a ragged coat, than with a ragged conscience." This conversation was doubtless reported by John Sheldon, on his arrival at Boston, and reached the ears of Judge Sew- all, a friend of Mr. Williams. An entry in the diary of Sewall Aug. 16th, 1706, shows that he attended a meeting of the Governor and Council when he "spake that a suit of clothes might be made here for Mr. Williams." The garments were doubtless sent to Canada by Capt. Appleton.
The brigantine Hope and La Marie, with Capt. Samuel Appleton as agent, sailed for Quebec with the French pris- oners soon after, reaching their port about October Ist. Then came a trying struggle between the French priests and Mr. Williams for the possession of the captive children. "I can- not tell you," says he, "how the clergy and others labored to stop many of the prisoners. To some liberty, to some money and yearly pensions were offered, if they would stay." To some they urged the danger of shipwreck at that late season, and "some younger ones they told 'if they went home they would be damned and burnt in hell forever,' to afright them." To Mr. Williams's son Warham, then seven years old, they promised " an honorable pension from the King," and a "great deal" from his master, "an old man, and the richest in Canada." No means were left untried to prevail upon them to stay "at least till the spring. * ** * But God graciously brake the snare, and brought them out."
Who can imagine the anxiety and distress of the good pas- tor in this critical time? or the intense feeling of relief, when the strain was removed, and the Hope spread her white wings over fifty-seven English captives for the homeward voyage, and his lambs were safe and beyond the reach of the Popish wolves? They sailed October 25th and had a narrow escape from shipwreck shortly after; but arrived safely at Boston on the 21st of November, 1706. On landing they were sent for to go before the General Court, which voted that "20s be allowed each prisoner this day returned from captivity." Capt. Appleton's bill of expenses being £1406 6 s, was allowed December 6th ; amongst the items of his bill were £2, 13s, 6d, for five Bibles sent to the captives, and 155 livres paid for the redemption of three captives. This sum
338
QUEEN ANNE'S WAR-1702-1713.
was probably to reimburse the French for what they paid the Indians as the price of the captives ; Dudley having firmly re- solved not to " set up an Algiers trade," purchasing the cap- tives from the Indians, as such a course would surely en- courage them to further raids.
December 5th, Mr. Williams preached " at the Boston Lect- ure," from Luke viii: 39-" Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee." The bur- den of his sermon was that God should be glorified for all benefits received, and showing that God speedily answered particular prayers, while the captives were in the hands of the savages.
December 6th, the General Court voted Mr. Williams forty pounds on condition that he returned to Deerfield within three weeks and remained a year.
"Dec. 7, I invited the Gov'r," says Sewall in his diary, "to dine at Holmes.' There were the Gov'r, Col. Townsend, Bromfield, Leverett, Williams, Capt. Wells, Sheldon, Hook, Sewall." Townsend, Bromfield, Leverett and the host, were members of the Council. December 20th, Mr. Williams preached "at Mr. Bromfield's," and probably returned to Deerfield directly after, with his children and such townsmen as had not previously gone on. It may be he spent part of the winter in Boston writing and getting out his " Redeemed Captive." Sewall writes :- "Mch 8 [1707] M' Williams visits us and tells me he goes to Deerfield 14 nights hence next Tues- day. His Narrative is now in the Press."
Of all the fifty-seven captives who returned with Appleton, the names of only Mr. Williams and his children Esther and Warham are known.
THIRD EXPEDITION OF SHELDON TO CANADA.
There being still many English captives in Canada whom Vaudreuil had promised to return in the spring. Dudley pro- posed to the Council, January 14th, 1707, to have " a Person Ledger at Quebec, to put forward that affair, and that Mr. John Sheldon, who has been twice already, may be employed with a suitable retinue to undertake a journey thither on that service." This plan was adopted: Two men of character and standing, Edward Allen, town clerk of Deerfield, and Deacon Edmund Rice of Sudbury, were selected as a " suita-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.