St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-10-02
Mrs. Johnson's Captivity.
An historical Event Of Much Interest.

The CALIFORNIAN notes with pleasure
4hp review and comment of several Of our
leading daily papers, of the republication
of one of Vermont's very rarest little
hooks. entitled the Narrative of the
Captivity of Mrs. Johnson, published at
windsor. Vt, 1914. This little historical
Gem has now been reproduced entirely
nv H. R. Hunting & Co., Springfield,
Mass. In addition to the reproduction
is the introduction covering several
oages, written by Horace w. Bailey of
Newbury. This introduction brings out
several Incidents and historical events
never before published in Vermont, max
ing the introduction itself no mean page
of history.
This Indian raid was upon Charles
town, N. H., {No.i4) in August 1854, in
which, among Others, Capt. Johnson,
wife and three children, were taken
prisoners. The route of the Indians re-
turning to Canada was through Yer
mont to the head waters of Lake Cham
plain. The second night out, while in
what is now the town of Reading, VT,
Mrs. Johnson gave birth to daughter.
Mrs. Johnson's account of this event
with those incident to the march and
three years as prisoner in Canada are in
deed thrilling, and with such story put
before the public, there is but little place
for fiction. Mrs. Johnson many years
afterward located the place where her
daughter was born, and marked the spot
with suitable stones and inscriptions.
These stones are now standing in the
town Of Reading, VT, having braved the
storms of more than a hundred years.
Mr.. Bailey's introduction deals with the
settlement of the Connecticut river
valley leading up to the event of 1854.
He also gives something of a history OF
the stones marking the birthplace, also
of the daughter elizabeth Captive John
SON. born in captivity, relating that
among her direct descendants was the
late Frederick Billings of Woodstock. A
daughter became the wife of COL limo
thy Bedel, one of the prominent pioneers
of Haverhill, N. H. Mrs. johnson lived
for time in Concord, VT, but for the
most part her home after her return
from captivity was at Charlestown, N.
H., where she died in 1910. The book
has had many editions, but this 1914
edition is the most comprehensive OF
the entire list, having valuable foot notes
and appendices. The reproducer and
introducer have done an excellent work
for lovers of local history.
This is Mr.. Bailey introduction to the
book:
"The upper Connecticut valley and the
state of Vermont were never the perma-
nent abiding place OF an Indian tribe.
Indian families often found the rich
unwooded interval lands in the valley
convenient and comfortable squatting
places for season or two at time, and
at such times the soil was cultivated,
chiefly for the growing ofcorn."
In her old age, so years after her
captivity, full particulars of which are
given in her narrative by foot notes,
Mrs. Johnson located the spot where her
daughter was born, and as she states,
caused two stones to be erected, one on
the spot where the Indians encamped
the other "half a mile up the brook
where the daughter was born" These
stones are now standing after marking q
full century of time and are reproduced
in the Hunting edition by the courtesy
of the Tuttle company of Rutland
publishers of Commits Vermont. Instead
of marking two separate places at hal
miles apart, as was the plan and pur
pose of Mrs. Johnson, the stones have
since the recollection of the oldest in
habitants of Reading and Cavendish
stood side bv side. Mr.. Bailey, in hi:
introduction, has this to say on thu
location of the stones:
"The readers will be interested IL
Mrs. Johnson's story OF the locating
nearly so years after the event, OF tn
spot where her daughter was born. Thu
stones, cut of which is reproduced II
this volume, stand in the town OF Read
ing, VT, but the daughter was born hal
mile up the brook in the town OF Caven
dish. The history of the town ofCharles
town, N. H., says in substance tina
Mrs. Johnson negotiated for thes
stones, prepared the inscriptions AM
directed that the smaller stone should b
placed upon the spot where her child wa
i born, while the larger should mark tn
place where the Indians encamped; bu
q regardless of her instructions the stone
were placed together on the main roa
Il leading from Weathersield to Reading
and here they have stood for century.
Of the Indian raids in general and {
Mrs. Johnson's story in particular, tn
introduction says:
These stories of Indian raids ar
historical gems, especially when tn
persons taken captive were moved t
i chronicle their experiences in endurin1
Il type. These writers were not IN tn
u commercial list, but for the most par
seem to have been actuated by a spiri
y of gratitude to Almighty God for n
n markable deliverances, their narrative
& being characterized throughout by goo
e old Puritanic piety.
"The Johnson narrative is no exceI
n ton to the general rule, and has bu
little in its subject matter that does nc
bear directly and concisely upon tn
beginnings and makings of our Ne