The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-16
THE REDEEMED CAPTIVE"
Reproduction Of Book Of Interest to
Vermonters.

present In first class book making
art. a reproduction of the 1895 edi-
tion of The Redeemed Captive Re
turning to Zion" This Is the third
in the Hunting series Of Indian Cap
tives, the preceding issue being repro
auctions of the Captivity and Suffer
ings OF Zadoek Steele" 70 which is
prefxed an Account Of the Burning
OF Royalton," printed at Montpelier
in 1916; the series being uniform in
size and style, says Horace W. Bailey
in St Johnsbury Caledonian.
The publishers show excellent judg-
ment in selecting George Sheldon, the
historian of Deerheld and the lower
Connecticut Valley. to write the intro
duction. This wonderful little book,
The Redeemed Captive" has passed
through dozen editions since 1907. F
P. Wells, the historian of Newbury,
and the upper Connecticut Valley in
his history of Newbury, says, "A copy
Of the first edition is worth more than
its weight in gold, and the writer will
youch that a copy of an edition as
late as 1858 costs more than the entire
set of the Hunting series. In the vol
ume just published may be found
most interesting and valuable biblio-
graphy of the entire subject, by Viii
berforce Games, librarian of the Len
OK library, New York City. The pub
fishers did well to select the 1895 edi-
ton for reproduction, for it contains
in its appendix much interesting mat.
ter and valuable historical data.
This edition also contains the first
sermon preached by the Captive after
his return from Canada, which was
delivered in Boston, December 3, 1704.
few days after his arrival. The Re
deemed Captive" like the preceding
books of this series, is of great gen
eral value to lovers of early condit.
ions in New England-but there are
other reasons why the little volume
should appeal to Vermonters every
where.
While it is true that the writer's of
the other series left descendants who
were and are makers of the best
things in Vermont history and condi-
tions, it is superlatively true that the
descendants of THE Redeemed Cap
tive were more vital in the warp and
wool of our being than were the mem
bers Of any other early Vermont fam
lily, with the possible exception of the
Aliens.
Rev. John Williams, who at the
opening of the story, was pastor of
the little parish in Deerfield, approx
! imating $50 souls, was about 40 years
old The sack of Deerfield, as the
event is often called, by the French
and Indians, was so thorough that the
entire community were either killed
or taken captive. Among the captiyes
in the Williams family was the little
four year old Wareham, who grew to
maturity and became a minister OF
the gospel. at Waltham, Mass, where
hts CON Gap.ttot a .rro dnata 90 IIo,
ward, class of 1861 was born April %.
l743 He became an instructor at
Harvard, minister OF power. and
was given the degree of Doctor Of
Laws. Rev Samuel Williams, LII, d.,
came to Rutland in 1883, where he
died January 2, 1917. The impress of
his ability and character was potent
everywhere in the then little republic
OF Vermont He preached, he lectur-
ed, he wrote, he worked. He was the
founder of the Rutland Herald and
Vermont's first historian the first ed
ition Of his history being in one vol
ume printed at Walpole. N. H., in
1894. The second edition was in 1909.
Besides numerous sermons and schol-
arly addresses which were published
he wrote history of the American
revolution that was first published in
the Rural Magazine edited by himself
and was put into book form by a New
Haven publishing house His remains
repose in the Old North burying
ground at Rutland.
But the story ends not here. Chas
! X. Williams, son of Samuel, was born
in Cambridge, Mass, January "a, 1852
and came to Rutland with his parents
He was a graduate of Williams college
class of 1900, became for a while tn
tor in that institution, and was ad
mitted to the Rutland county bar in
l1SO3 He represented Rutland in the
General Assembly during seven SEES
sions, was states attorney and be
came Judge Of the supreme court ii
1922, holding the Office for 20 year:
and being chief justice for 10 years
He also held the position of collector
of customs for a short time, and was
governor of the state in 1S5O-5i. II,
died March 8, 1858.
Gov. Williams had two sons o
these the first, Charles L., was borI
in Rutland, March IA, 1920. Like hi
father he was a graduate Of William
college and practiced law in RUTLAND
and Brandon, dying in Rutland, Fet
ruary TO- 1861, He made a most va
l..nIln nnnL,.lhnllnn Ia Nnrnnnnl hiaL or