The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-25
The Indian Raid in Charlestown, ".
H., in 1854.


in the Boston journal, mentions the fact
that there Is monument or slab In that
town, pointing out the spot where the In
dsns enoamped August 30, 1854, with
james johnson, his wife and three children
--Sylyanus, aged six years Susanna, four
and Polly two; also, Peter Labarree, Ebe-
nezer Farnsworth and MIRIAM Willard,
sister TO Mrs. johnson, who were oil taken
prisoners that morning at Charlestown, N.
H., No. 4. and were en- route for Canada.
Another correspondent of the Journal
says: have before me small book Of III
pages entitled ga narrative of the captiv-
ity of Mrs. johnson, containing on account
OF her euffcrings during four years with the
Indians and French" which was written
by Mrs.Jchnsou and fret published in 179S
The copy have was printed in New York
in 1871. Mrs. johnson said in chapter 81,
entitled "History of our Journey through
the Wilderness till we came to the waters
that enter into Lake Champlain" "on the
morning (Which was August 81, 1754) we
were reused before sunrise. The Indians
struck up a fire, hung on their stolen ket-
| ties and made us some water cruel for
breakfast. After q SIP of the meagre fare,
/ was again put on the horse with my hus-
band by my side to hold Inc on, my two fel-
! low prisoners took the little girls, and we
marched sorrowfully on for an hour or
| two. when o keener distress was added to
my multiplied Affections. | was taken
with the pangs of childbirth The In
dams signified TO us that We must 90 on 20
brock. When we got there they showed
some humanity by making booth for me"
An now about 10 o. No.. Of that day her
daughter, appropriately called Captive"
was born. They tarrIed there the rest of
that day and the night after, but the next
morning started on their journey carrying
Mrs. johnson on a litter for some distance
and then put her on to the horse "Scrog-
GIN" which the Indians had taken with
the prisoners, which belonged TO Captain
phineas Stevens, of ChGrlestown. Al
night, she says, after much suffer
ing, we found ourselves at the
head of Black River Pond. On the
fifth day they killed Scroggln for food
to save themselves from starving. The
suffering and privations of the prisoners on
the march through the wilderness, in Indian
wigwams, Canadian iails, and in transpor.
tation to England of Mrs. Johnson and two
of her children, etc, for from two to fOni
years, as reci,ed by her, are thrilling in.
deed, when they were all finally rensomec
ard returned to their old homes at No. 4
| think DR.. L9barreo will respond to the
request of your correspondent for iniorma
ton in regard to bis ancestry, the descend
ants of Peter Labarree and others Of thai
group of prisoners, and do not think there
is anyone living who is so well prepared
| Il. - L.. I'D 10 10. 81
Susanna, Mrs. Johnsons eldest daughter
can give some information. As stateC
by Mrs. johnson in her narrative
Susanna married Capt. Samuel Wetherbe'
and was the mother Of Is children, II Of
whom lived to the meridian of life Of
passed that point, and the youngest anC
, survivor OF them died about six years a. 20
Capt. Wetherbee, afterward county
judge, and his wife settled, reared the
large family and died in Concord, Esse,
county, VT, and their descendants ar,
scattered over Vermont, New Hampshire
Canada, Massachusetts and other states
and are very numerous Hon. Frederick
Billings Of Woodstock, Vt, is only tire
= generations removed from Mrs. Wetherbee
Hon. Alden L. Judevine of Hardwlck
, Vt, two, Major Evarts w. Farr 0
Litletop, N. H., councillor elect from
the 9th New hampshire district, three
All the members of the firm of Ely, Bale
= d Co., hoe and fork manufacturers 0
st. Johnsbury, are descendants of sal,
Susanna. Two. of her sons settled q
CRANKY, Canada, one of whom, Samuel jr.
! raised up large family there, so that nov
p the descendants of that Indian prisoner c
1854 are counted by scores il not by hun
dreds, and are scattered over large exten
i OF country. The first wife OF the writer
Y born in 1903, was a granddaughter of sai
9 Susanna, which accounts in some degre
=. for the knowledge of the family. Captive
who, as stated, married Col. George Kin
t ball, think died in Canada prior to 1916
She had enc daughter who WAS never mai
ried, TO my knowledge, who lived at Shel
brooke, ?. O., whom ] called on ther
> about 1850, who has since died. have II
o recollection of hearing of any other chile
i ren OF Captive, but there may have beer