USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Charlestown > History of Charlestown, New-Hampshire, the old No. 4 > Part 34
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Lieutenant James Johnson.
JOSIAH FOSTER.
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towards the village ; but after going a little distance again formed an ambush into which Mr. Farnsworth soon fell. He had started out on horseback with a bag of grain, to go to the mill, and did not discover them, till they rose up around him in such a manner that it was im- possible for him to escape. Instantly comprehending the situation, he leaped from his horse, threw his bag of grain to the ground, twist- ed the stirrup into the reins of the bridle, and throwing them over the back of the saddle, turned his horse homeward at full speed. The Indians, at once understood that he meant to give an alarm, and fired several times at the horse for the purpose of killing him; but he for- tunately escaped uninjured. The inhabitants hearing the guns and seeing the horse returning at such speed, without a rider, immediately foreboded the evil which had happened, and armed themselves and ad- vanced towards the mills. But they found the enemy in such force, that they thought it prudent to retreat.
Meantime, while these things had been going on, another portion of the enemy had captured the miller, Mr. Sampson Colefax. The whole party of the enemy then gathered at the mills which they set on fire, when having remained long enough to ascertain that their work of de- struction would be sure, they started on their retreat. When they had got as far as Sugar River, they met George Robbins, and Asa Spafford, son of Captain John Spafford, who were returning from a hunting excursion, and also took them prisoners. Rev. Dr. Crosby in his "Annals of Charlestown, says that "They then returned to Charlestown and fired upon fifteen or twenty men behind Captain Wil- lard's barn." But I find this mentioned by no other writer and it is besides in itself scarcely probable.
The following traditional account of Mr. Farnsworth's journey to Can- ada, and of his captivity and escape may not be uninteresting.
As soon as Farnsworth was captured, he pretended to be very lame. This excited the sympathy of his savage captors and relieved him from many burdens which he would otherwise have been forced to bear. Thus on his journey he was not compelled to carry " plunder" as it was called like the other prisoners, and his fellow prisoners would of- ten say to him, " How glad I should be, if I could get along as well as you do." His dress and manner impressed the Indians with the idea that he was a person of some consequence ; and thinking it would be for his advantage that they should retain this impression, he gave them to understand that he was a Doctor ; and in this assumed profes- sion they soon gave him an opportunity of trying his skill. One of
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their party had taken cold, and was very sick and it seemed probable that on that account they would be detained on their journey. In this emergency they applied to Dr. F., who apparently nothing loath to take charge of the patient recommended them to boil hemlock boughs and steam him. This remedy broke up his cold, and produced a cure very much to their satisfaction, and had the effect also to place the Doctor higher in their estimation.
When they arrived at Canada with their prisoners, they had a great time in celebrating their achievement. As was usual with them on such occasions, they drank and danced, and enjoyed themselves in- their own peculiar fashion to their hearts' content. They were exceed- ingly good natured. and while they drank, wanted their prisoners to drink with them. But Dr. F. whenever they offered him rum invari- ably refused saying in Indian English, " No no, me no drink fire water, me believe in the great and good spirit above," which made them treat him with still more deference.
On the final disposition of the prisoners after their arrival in Cana- ada, Mr. Farnsworth was given to a very old Indian and his wife to supply the place of a son who had been killed by the whites. He was treated by them with marked kindness, and with as much affection as if he had really been their child. They were not only in much better circumstances than most of the Indians, but were much farther ad vanced in civilization. They cultivated their land, and kept a horse, and oxen, and had more conveniences for living, and lived much bet- ter than most of the tribe.
Soon after going to live with the old Indian and his wife, he was taken to the yard to assist in filling a cart. Several Indians at- tracted by curiosity went out to see him work. He seemed perfectly willing to obey orders and to do the best he could, but he handled the shovel so awkwardly and appeared so unaccustomed to the business he was doing, that he created great amusement. At one time he would throw the contents of his shovel with such violence, that it would pass entirely over the cart, then as if seeking to remedy his mistake, he would throw the next shovel full so as not to reach it He seemed greatly in earnest to get the cart filled, but with all his hurry and zeal, he got little into it. At length he purposely swallowed some to- bacco, which made him very pale and so sick withal that work was out of the question. The Indians, not knowing the cause of his sick- ness, were very pitiful, and concluded it was work that had made him sick, and his father determined that as work had such an effect upon
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him he would not have him work any more. He then set him to practising medicine, in which profession he was so far successful as to secure a large number of Indian patients. For his attendance and prescriptions he would for himself take no pay under any circumstances ; but when any one offered him any thing, he would shake his head, and say, "No, no, pay me father." This so pleased his Indian father and gave him such confidence in him that he was willing to graut him almost any privilege or do him almost any kindness.
But Farnsworth though treated kindly was not of a spirit to be con- tent in captivity. He felt that he would rather die in the wilderness, or become the prey of the wild beasts of the forest, than drag out such a life as he was leading and must lead as long as he remained in bondage. This was also the feeling of Dea. Adams, who was located about three miles from him, and whom he sometimes met. They therefore laid their plans together to make their escape, and find their way home through the wilderness, or perish in the attempt. For this purpose they agreed to meet at a certain spring, which was about three miles away and was known to both. Farnsworth took the fol- lowing method of preparing the way for his escape so that no suspicion might immediately arise in the minds of the Indians on account of his absence, till he should be so far started on his way, as to be out of the reach of pursuit. He had a sister, the daughter of the old Indian who had adopted him, for whom he professed a most brotherly regard, whose residence was so distant that a visit to her would require an absence of several days. All at once he had a great desire to visit her, and asked of his father the privilege ; who was so much pleased with his son's attachment, that he not only readily gave his consent but volunteered as Farnsworth was lame, the use of his horse for the occasion. He also furnished him with some very nice venison to eat on the way. Thus equipped he took an affectionate leave of his Indian parents and started out on his journey and proceeded immediately to the spring where, according to their agreement, he expected to meet Dea. Adams, but he was not there. The hours of the day wore on and still he did not come. He thought perhaps he might be waiting for the night under the cover of which to escape, but neither in the morn- ing did he appear, nor on the day that followed, nor the next. He felt that he could wait no longer, and struck off into the unbroken forest alone. As Dea. Adams never returned he never ascertained the rea- son of his not meeting him.
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For the first eight or ten days after commencing his journey, he only travelled in the night, knowing that if taken and carried back he would be treated with the most savage cruelty, and very probably be put to death under the most excruciating tortures. In the day-time he concealed himself in the best manner he could to prevent discovery in case of pursuit, and to avoid being re-taken and carried back by roving parties of Indians. On the sixth morning after his starting out he had carefully secreted himself very early in a large hollow tree, which had fallen to the ground, to wait for the night to come before again proceeding. But he had not long been in his place of conceal- ment, before he heard a dog barking furiously, which, by his voice, he knew to be the pet hunter of his old Indian father. He very soon came up, but on being spoken to by Farnsworth, whose voice he knew, he sat quietly down at a little distance from the tree, and made no more demonstration. The Indians soon came up, but after looking round and running a short stick into the hollow of the tree where he was concealed, concluded that the object of their search was not there, and left, probably with the hope of finding him in some other direction.
A few nights after this, as he was pursuing his journey, he suddenly found himself among a party of Indians, who had encamped for the night. Their fire had gone out, and he was not aware of his danger till the " cahoop " of an old savage, whom his steps on the dry sticks, around the extinct camp-fire had aroused, gave him warning of it. Dropping immediately to the ground he waited till he had reason to suppose that the Indian had fallen asleep again, when he found his way out of his undesirable situation, as carefully and speedily as pos- sible.
After a journey of seventeen days through the wilderness, without food, except the venison which had been furnished him to refresh him on his visit to his Indian sister, and such as without arms and without fire he could obtain in the forest, he reached the first white settlement. It is needless to say that he was faint and weak, and in an almost starving condition. His situation was immediately appreciated, and his reception was as kind and sympathizing as he could have desired. The first food that was given him was some boiled turnip, which the men upon whom he first came had just been cooking, which is said to be the kind of food that the early settlers often used to give in such cases. In this place he remained and was most kindly cared for dur- ing several days, and, having rest and suitable food, gained strength very fast. At length, feeling sufficiently recruited to continue his
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journey, he took an affectionate leave of his new and kind friends, and proceeded on to Charlestown where he arrived in good health, and in safety, much to the joy of his family and the inhabitants, and pro- foundly thankful for the providential protection which he felt that he had received. Of the other prisoners taken with Mr. Farnsworth, Mr. Robbins alone returned. They with Robbins were exchanged in the November following their capture, but on their way homeward, by way of Great Britain, Dea. Adams, Colefax, and young Spafford died of small pox at Quebec.
DAVID FARNSWORTH married in Lunenburg Mass., Aug. 15th, 1735, Hannah Hastings b. in Watertown Mass., Jan. 24th, 1717. She was sister of Susanna Hastings, who married Lieutenant Moses Willard and Eunice Hastings who married Stephen Farnsworth.
No record of the family of David Farnsworth has been found. He had several children, two of whom, Samuel and David, settled in the town of Eaton, Lower Canada, where they erected mills and spent their lives. One of them had two sons who removed to Michigan in the early settlement of the State where they became surveyors. They sub- sequently removed to Galena Ill., and one of them became father of John F. Farnsworth who has been quite distinguished as a representa- tive in Congress from that state.
Of the birth of STEPHEN FARNSWORTH the youngest brother of Samuel and David I have not been able to discover any record. He married in Lunenburg Mass., Dec. 22nd, 1741, Eunice Hastings, born in Watertown Mass., Sept. 3d, 1722. It is recorded that on the day of her marriage she was admitted to the full communion of the Church in Lunenburg.
The following are their children. I. Oliver (the first child born in No. 4.) born Dec. 8th, 1742, married, July 6th, 1768, Elizabeth (dau. of Moses and Elizabeth Wheeler, b. June 24th, 1750-Their children 1. Havilah, b. May 31st, 1769; 2. Abijah, b. March 12th, 1770. 3. Biel, b. Dec. 25th, 1772. II. Sarah, b. June 30th, 1748, married Oct. 15th, 1765, Peter Page. (See Page.) III. Submit, b. June, 29th, 1750, m. July 9th, 1773 John Hart, (See Hart.) IV. Eunice, b. Mar. 26th, 1752. O. S. V. Jonathan, b. June 7th, 1754, married and set- tled in South Woodstock, Vt., where two of his children Mrs. Azubah E. Farnsworth Burnham, and Miss Ann H. Farnsworth at present (Jan. 17th, 1874) reside, to whom I am indebted for many interest- ing facts relating to the Farnsworth families. VI. Azubah, b. May
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29th, 1756; VII. Mary, b. Feb. 9th, 1759; VIII. Relief, b. Nov. 17th, 1762; IX. Stephen Jr., b. June 20th, 1764.
Several of the above children of Stephen and Eunice Hastings Farnsworth settled in South Woodstock Vt., and after the death of their father, their mother sold her property in Charlestown, and took up her residence with them, where after a long and unusually healthy life she died June 9th, 1811, at the advanced age of 88 years.
In the proprietor's records the name of STEPHEN FARNSWORTH is found on important committees ; and he held some minor offices in the town after its organization. He was one of the first three settlers (the others being his older brothers Samuel and David) and was one of the men demanded by the character of the times, who was prompt in ac- tion and whose courage never failed him in any emergency. He with the other settlers was a member of Captain Stevens Company for the defense of No. 4. formed June 21st, 1750. (See Muster Roll,) and proved himself one who could be relied upon in all the difficult cir- cumstances through which No. 4 and early Charlestown had to pass.
Mr. Farnsworth was captured by the Indians and French on the 19th, of April 1746. Capt. John Spafford, the miller, and Lieut. Isaac Parker were also taken at the same time. The following is a traditional account of his capture and imprisonment. He had been to the saw-mill with an ox team for a load of boards, which having obtained, he had started on his way to return ; but had not gone far, when he saw some one approaching him with an Indian blanket upon his head, whom he thought to be an old hunter who was a hanger on about the settlement, by the name of Will Johnson. But on his com- ing nearer and raising his gun and pointing it at him, he saw it was an Indian. Mr. Farnsworth saw immediately that it was in vain to at- tempt an escape, as at the first indication of such an attempt he would in all probability be shot. Instead therefore of running from the Indian he started and ran directly towards him, jumping to the right and left as he went, thus zigzaging his course, supposing that if the Indian should fire at him, he would be less likely to be hit. The Indian lowered his gun as he approached and as he came up to him threw it down and grappled with Mr. Farnsworth to secure him as his prisoner. But Mr. Farnsworth being a very athletic man and much the stouter of the two, flung him to the ground with no inconsiderable violence, while the thought flashed across his mind that he would take his life. But just at that instant a Frenchman came up and with the breach of his musket gave him such a blow upon the head as to knock him to
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the ground and deprive him of all power of resistance. He then asked quarter of the Frenchman and gave himself up to him as his prisoner, but regretted afterwards that he had not surrendered to the Indian as he had reason to think that if he had done it, he should have received better treatment, as the Indian subsequently manifested a very kind disposition towards him. The number of French and Indians in the party was about forty, who avoided all firing lest they should alarm the garrison at the Fort. Having cut out the tongues of the oxen and taken some other portions of their meat and set fire to the mills they set out with their prisoners, (see Capt. John Spafford and Lieut. Isaac Parker), to return to Canada, but had proceeded scarcely a mile before they heard the alarm guns at the Fort which caused them for a considerable distance greatly to quicken their speed.
After they had proceeded about a dozen miles, the party built a fire and prepared their supper from the meat and plunder they had taken, and encamped for the night. They bound the prisoners and placed each of them between two Indians in such a manner as to fore- stall every possibility of escape, and in this manner they rested the first night as well as nights afterwards till they arrived at Canada. In travelling, they kept out a rear guard of eight or ten of their number, while the main body with the prisoners was kept in the advance. They found some of the streams, which they were obliged to pass, quite difficult to ford, as they were swollen by the spring rains and more rapid than usual at that season. But in the passage of these, Mr. Farnsworth was greatly assisted by the Indian who had first attempt- ed to take him. Their journey through the wilderness was tedious and during the last part of the way, after they had eaten up the meat taken from the oxen, was attended with no small degree of hunger, as their whole dependence for food was on the game which they were able to kill in the forest. In this extremity the Indians had each a strap which they were accustomed to buckle around them, and which they would draw tighter and tighter as their hunger increased, as they thought that thereby the faintness and disagreeable feeling which they experienced from it were diminished.
On reaching Canada, they had a great time as was usual when ma- rauding parties returned with booty and prisoners. Mr. Farnsworth was soon conveyed to Montreal and was confined with fifteen others in a fifteen or sixteen foot room, in the second story, which was reached by stairs not in the best order. On the commencement of winter, four of the prisoners were selected to carry up their wood, of whom Mr.
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Farnsworth was one. They were allowed to carry up an armful apiece, and this allowance was to last, in all circumstances, twenty-four hours. If they overloaded so as to drop a stick, they were not allowed. to stop and pick it up, but had to go on with what they had left This exercise of carrying up the wood Mr. Farnsworth used to say afterwards, was very beneficial to him and helped him wonderfully to endure the confinement of seventeen months which he was obliged to undergo before he was exchanged.
Mrs. Farnsworth with her children removed to Lunenburg, Mass., during the continuance of her husband in captivity, and was very re- luctant after his return to take up her abode again in No. 4. But she at length yielded to his importunity and Charlestown became her home till after his death ; when as has already been narrated she re- moved to South Woodstock Vt., to make her home with her children.
Mr. Farnsworth returned from his captivity in broken health, which he never afterwards fully recovered. The last office which he held in town was that of Tythingman, not then regarded as now, to which he was elected in March, 1770. He died Sept. 6th, 1771, aged 57, leav- ing behind him the example of a brave, and good man and of a useful citizen.
EBENEZER FARNSWORTH, (son of Josiah and Mary (Pierce) Farns- worth), was the fourth of ten children, and was born in Groton, Mass., March 22nd, 1725-26. He settled in Charlestown as it is supposed, about the year 1750, was taken by the Indians with the Johnson fam- ily, Miriam Willard and Peter Labaree, Aug. 30th, 1754; and was carried to Canada, where he remained till a short time before Mon- treal was surrendered to the English. Little is now known of the cir- cumstances of his captivity, except what is contained in the narrative of Mrs. Johnson. He settled down on his return, in Charlestown, and married Sarah - family name not given. He died Nov. 6th, 1794. His wife d. in 1807, aged 82. Ch. I. Levi. b. Apr. 1st, 1763; II. Ebenezer, jr., b. July 12th, 1765 ; d. Apr. 25th, 1813; m. (pub. June 24th, 1792), Olive Hayden ; Mrs. F., d. Dec. 24th, 1820. Ch. (order of birth uncertain). 1. Phila, m. Jan. 1815, John Parker and re- moved to Stowe, Vt .; 2. Luman H., m. Nov. 1821, Hannah Allen ; 3. Ira; 4. Levi; 5. Ebenezer; 6. Charles, a blacksmith and settled near Rochester, N. Y .; 7. Seth, graduated at Dartmouth college, in 1822- studied Theology, was ordained Oct. 3d, 1824, over the church in Ray - mond, N. H. He is always spoken of as an able preacher, and a man of deep piety. He was dismissed in 1834, on account of the ill health
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of his wife. After leaving Raymond, he preached at Hillsborough about a year, when he was installed Nov. 23d, 1836. His ministry was eminently successful and happy, though short. He died March 26th, 1837, very suddenly of lung fever. In his dying moments he exclaimed, " how sweet are the employments of heaven." His loss was deeply felt by all who knew him.
JAMES FARNSWORTH, (son of Josiah), b. Dec. 2nd, 1727 ; m. 1st, Su- sanna -; Ch. I. Anna, b. July 12th, 1753; II. Susanna, b. June 5th, 1756; Mrs. Susanna Farnsworth, d. July 12th, 1756, aged 26; m. 2nd, Sarah --; Ch. III. Saralı, b. Sept. 19th, 1758; IV. Joseph, b. Dec. 14th, 1760 ; V. Benjamin, b. Feb. 19th, 1763; VI. James, jr., b. Oct. 25th, 1767 ; VII. Jeremiah, b. May 7th, 1773.
James Farnsworth, Sen., was a member of the company of Captain Phineas Stevens, for the defense of No. 4, in 1750-was also one of the grantees under New-Hampshire. He was Lieutenant and Captain in the war of the Revolution.
OLIVER FARNSWORTH, (son of Josiah), b. Jan. 16th, 1734-5; is reputed to have been one of the early settlers of Springfield, Vt. His son Oliver, jr., m. Sarah Lynd, Aug. 27th, 1788.
SAMUEL FARRINGTON, m. Martha Pratt, and was in town from about 1809 to 1830. His grand-father, Stephen Farrington was from Andover, Mass., but removed very early to Concord, N. H., where he m. Apphia, dau. of Abraham Bradley. Towards the last part of the time that he remained in town, he was in trade with Dean Conant, in the old Dean store, now owned by Josiah White. He removed from Charlestown to Providence, R. I., and from Providence to Concord, N. H. His home in Charlestown was where Franklin W. Putnam now lives, which house he built. He became an influential citizen of Concord. (See Bouton's His. Concord.)
WILLIAM FARWELL, originally from Mansfield, Ct., was b. Dec. 28th, 1712; and died in Charlestown, N. H., Dec. 11th, 1801. His wife Bethiah Farwell, was born in 1726, and died in Charlestown, in 1812. I give below their children and descendants.
I. William, jr., b. in Mansfield, Ct., 1749; m. Phebe Crosby, Oct. 21st, 1771. They had one child, Gladen, b. Oct. 1st, 1772. He had other children, but of their names or their number I am not informed. He buried two in Charlestown, and it is said that his descendants were quite numerous at one time, in Barre, Vt., whither he removed quite late in life, and where he died Dec. 11th, 1823.
It "is claimed for William Farwell, jr., that he was the first person
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who accepted the doctrine of Universalism in Charlestown, and the first who preached it in the State of Vermont. He was educated in orthodox Congregationalism which views he continued to hold till sometime after his marriage, when through the following providential circumstances he was led to change them.
One day when his mind had been more than ordinarily troubled about his future well being, just at night-fall two men came into his house who had come into the place for the purpose of hunting deer, and such other game as the country at that time afforded, and asked him to take them for a time as boarders. To this he consented ; and in order to relieve Mrs. Farwell of some of her care while she was pre- paring their supper, he took their young child upon his knee and be- gan singing to quiet it in a low, sweet voice the hymn commencing " While Shepherds watched their flocks by night," one of the stan- zas of which runs thus :
"Fear not" said he for mighty dread Had seized their troubled mind- "Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind."
When he had closed, one of the hunters asked him if he believed what he had been singing ? He replied that he did. Do you, continued the questioner, believe, That Christ's Mission will result in " great joy to ALL PEOPLE ?" Farwell, perceiving the bearing of the question, knew not how to answer. The hunter then took the angel's words for his text, and went on to state the great object of Christ's mission, and to apply the promises of God to its accomplishment. The arguments to Farwell were new, and the whole subject deeply interested him. His thoughts were turned into an entirely new channel and it must suffice to say that his mind continued to dwell on the view that had been opened to him, till at length he was impressed with the full conviction that the glad tidings which the angel came to bring were Salvation for all mankind.
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