What ever became of the surviving captives from the 1746 siege?
This page is currently under construction! But feel free to read through what is here.
John Hawks
The Hero of Fort Massachusetts; he went into the military service early; on the breaking out of the old French war was stationed at Fort Massachusetts, under Capt. Ephraim Williams, where he was wounded May 9, 1746; in Aug. of 1746 he was a Sergt. in command of the fort, with a garrison of 22 men, when it was assaulted by a force of 700 French and Indians under Rigaud de Vaudreuil, a brother to the Governor of Canada; after a brave defence for 28 hours, he was forced to surrender for lack of ammunition; this was a notable event of that war; for a full account of this affair and of his adventure with the Indians, May 9; in 1748 he was sent to Canada with "Rainbout," a French officer, prisoner of war, to be exchanged for English captives; he served through the Last French war; as sergeant and Lieut. He had charge of the Colrain forts, 1754-7; commanded a company at the attack on Old Ticonderoga, 1758, under Abercrombie; was under Amherst as Major in the successful campaign of 1759, and with the army of conquest in 1760 as Lieut. colonel; this closed his military career. As a civilian he was prominent and useful; was selectman nine years and held many other offices of trust and honor; he lived on No. 17, which he sold May 5, 1784, to John Williams; he was buried June 26, 1784, Roger Newton of Greenfield, preaching a sermon on the occasion.
Birth: 5 DEC 1707 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts 1 2 3 4
Death: 24 JUN 1784 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts 5 6 4
Burial: 26 JUN 1784 Old Burying Ground, Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts
Note: History of Deerfield, by George Sheldon, Published by E. A. Hall & Co., Greenfield, MA, 1896. p. 190.
Hawks, 1784
In Memory of Col. John Hawks who died June 24, 1784. in the 77th
Year of his Age. To be pious without superstition, faithful to our trust,
pleasant in our circle & friendly to the poor, is to imitate his example.
Note: Epitaphs in the Old Burying-Ground at Deerfield, Mass. Copied by C. Alice Baker and Emma L. Coleman, published by The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield, Massachusets, 1924. p. 26.
Find a Grave Memorial -- Col. John Hawks
Reverend John Norton
(Under Construction)
John Smead Sr.
(Under Construction)
Mary Smead
(Daughter of John Smead Sr.)
Mary, her parents and 4 siblings, were captured and carried off to Canada. She was redeemed in August of 1747, with her father and 2 brothers. She came back motherless and was brought up in the family of Rev. Timothy Woodbridge of Hadley, Massachusetts. Mary married Aaron Willard of Charlestown, New Hampshire.
[Source: "Willard genealogy, sequel to Willard memoir," materials gathered chiefly by Joseph Willard and Charles Wilkes Walker, published 1915]
Ebenezer Scott
Ebenezer Scott was the first white male child born in Bernardston, Mass., (now Vernon.) Sept. 18th, 1742. Taken by the Indians at Fort Massachusetts when three years old, together with his mother and three brothers, one an infant, carried to Montreal, sold to the French, taken from there to Quebec jail, where his mother and three brothers died, prisoners of the French. He returned to his father in Bernardston when eight years old, had lost our language and talked French. Married Love Fairman from Connecticut, March 12, 1772. Settled, lived and died on the same farm, March 4, 1826. Served in the Revolution, drew a pension. This information is given by his grandson, O. A. Scott, now living on the same farm.
[Source: "History and Proceedings of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Volume 1," Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, The Association, 1890 - Deerfield (Mass.)]
Ebenezer Scott, d. in Vernon, Vl., Mar. 3, 1826; she d. there Mar. 23, 1826. j
Ebenezer Scott was among the captives taken to Canada after the capitulation of Fort Massachusetts, Aug., 1746. Mis mother and brother Moses died in captivity, as has been related in connection with his father,s life. After being in captivity at Quebec one year the father of Ebenezer was released, but for some reason the ransom of the son could not then be arranged, but three years later Capt. Scott returned to Canada and redeemed his son from an Indian chief to whom he had been sold. When discovered the son had lost' all knowledge of his mother tongue and ran from his father like a deer into the woods. It required a nimble Indian to catch him and bring him back. At last the father succeeded in taking him home, but the boy was so thoroughly imbued with Indian ways that he was often found in the morning wrapped in his blanket lying on the floor, which he seemed to prefer to a civilized bed.
The author of the History of Bemardston, Mass., has gathered these facts from original sources regarding the service of Corp. Ebenezer Scott in the Revolutionary war:
"On the roll of Capt. Agrippa Wells, C0., dated April 20 10 May 1, 1775, appears the name of Corp. Ebenezer Scott of Bemardston, out 10 days."
"Col. Whitcomb,s regiment, Capt. A. Wells, C0., dismissed Sept.* 23, 1775, contains from Bemardston the name of Ebenezer Scott. The pay roll of the men credited them with being out from May 1st, in all three months and eight days, and traveling 112 miles."
"In June 1780 it was decreed that nine men should be engaged in the war six months, and they should each receive forty shillings (I6.67) per month, or wheat, rye, Indian corn, wool, flax, neat cattle or sheep at silver money prices."
From Shelden,s History of Deerfield, p. 709, "with Warren on Bunker Hill Aug. 1, 1775 — Roll of Capt. Agrippa Wells' C0., Ebenezer Scott of Bemardston."
From the foregoing it will be seen that Ebenezer Scott gave notable service to his country, and from another source it is learned that he was granted a pension by the government. After the war he settled in the present town of Vernon, Vt., as will be seen by the following copy of the original deed:
"Know all men by these presents, that I, Artemas Cuxhman of Bemardston, in the county of Hampshire, and Commonwealth of Mass., Clothier, in consideration of the just sum of one hundred pounds lawful money paid to me in hand, before the delivery hereof, by Eben,r Scott of Hinsdale in the county of Cumberland and state of Vermont, so-called, yoeinan, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have given, granted, bargained and sold, and do by these presents, give, grunt, bargain, sell, aliene, and fully, freely, and absolutely convey and cbnfinn unto him, the said Ebenr Scott, his heirs and assigns forever, one certain piece of land lying in Hinsdale, containing by estimation one hundred and twenty-two acres be the same more or less, lying in the divisions of commons in Northfield, commonly called the fourth Division. Reference to Record for boundry."
The above deed was executed Dec. 30, 1784, and signed by Artemus Cushman and witnessed by David Smead and Elisha Dumham. This farm was located around the Lily Pond in Vernon. At first a log-house was erected for his family just west of the pond. This farm is still in the Scott family, descendants of the original Scott settler.
[Source: "Descendants of William Scott of Hatfield, Mass., 1668-1906: And of John Scott of Springfield, Mass., 1659-1906," by Orrin Peer Allen, 1906]
Moses Scott
Link HERE.
Adonijah Atherton, Sergt. -- Deerfield. Although not among those who were captured, one source says that he died at Fort Massachusetts in 1748 at the age of 32. I will have to research this further.