Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-10-05
ABOUT "CAPTlVE" JOHNSON
Statement in Correction from Dr..
Gardner Cox.

GafOneF COX
DIR. Gardner Cox of Holyoke
Mass writes the Springfield Repub.
lican as follows concerning an inter,
esting bit of Windsor county history
The Republican of recent issue
contained an article ON Huntting's
edition of "The Captivity Of Mrs
Johnson" wherein it is stated, in the
last paragraph, that her child who
was born in captivity, and named
Captive" became the great-grand'
mother of the late Frederick Bill,
ings Of Woodstock, Vt. If that state,
ment is really in that richly appoint,
al edition, it is unfortunate, for it is
2 mistake. 1t was "Captives" sister
usanna," who was four years old
er than Captive" that was the
great grandmother of Frederick Bill
ings. Susanna" johnson married
Samuel Weatherbe, and their son,
Jason, married Sophia Farwen in
1893. Jason's daughter, Sophia,
married Ole Billings Frederick S
Inher) in 1917. Susanna was taken
prisoner and to Montreal with the
rost Of the family, where she was
adopted Ivy Sisters of Charity named
GiasSou, and for number of years
she was educated in a nunnery. In
the last and leisure years of his life
Billings employed an expert to write
up the Billings genealogy, who
crossed the Atlantic several times to
mahc The American and English
lines complete. Billings was very
prond Of this work and it is publish
ed i'll Daua'~ Woodstock" history
for which Billings furnished the
means for publishing. A copy is in
the Springfield library, and anyone
can verify the facts themselves.
am pretty well acquainted with
all the sacred places of Windsor
county, VI, where this little history
transpired. Captive" married Col.
George kimball of Cavendish, Vt,
the very town in which Captive"
MAS born, though the two slate stone
markers that commemorate the event
stand by the roadside near Felchville;
which is in the town of Reading, VT
But the birth occurred just enough
over the line to be credited to the
town of Cavendish, the first birth in
the town and the first white persons
known to have visited the town.
have recently read the two inscrip-
tions. One states that the Indians
encamped there the first night after
the capture aud that the birth &C.
CURED half a nile up the brook. The
second one, which stands by the side
of the first one, was intended to stand
a half mile up the stream, on the
groRnd that witnessed the birth, but
for some reason it never has been
moved up there where it belongs.
The stone is a coarse slate, and on it
is recorded that on the 3lst Of
August, 1854 (which would be the
second day of the captivity, the birth
took place ION this Spot of Ground. !"
If the stone was up in the woods
where it belongs few would ever see
it, and it is allowed to stand where
it is by the roadside where he who
runs may read. Mrs. johnson iden-
tilted the spot 80 years after the
birth occurred Many people living
about here were born and brought up
on farms adjoining this historic spot
the late ex-Mayor Whitcomb, born
in Reading but brought up in Cav
endish; the talented family of Tier
neys; all professionals, are from Cav
endish, as were tie late Col. futile
and the late Dr. 'ruttle; Judge Sher-
man is native Of the place, and the
Fays are from Reading. George
Clark and Hank White of minstrel
memory were natives Of Reading and
are buried there.