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(Cover)

Account of
the Captivity of the Revd Doctor
Williams wrote by himself

(Page 1)

What befell Stephen Williams
in his captivity.
On the last of February 1703/4
the French and indians came &sur-
prized our fort & took it, and after
they had broken into our house & took
us prisoners, they Barbariously murdered a
Brother &
Sister of mine, as they did se-
veral of our neighbours. They rifled
our house & then marched away with
us that were captives, and set our house
& barn afire, as they did ye greatest
part of ye town. when ye greatest
part of ye Enemy were gone out of town
there come some English from ye next
town yt drove those indians yt remained
in ye town away, but they were quick
-ly driven back again by the rest of ye
Army, 9 of ym were slain as they retreated.
then they marched a little further
stoped for they had several wounded men
that hindered them. there they tould us yt
if the English persued ym they would
kill us, but if otherwyse they
would not. but they quickly proved ymselves
Lyars for before they departed from yt place
yy barbariously murdered a child of about two

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two years old. there my master took
away my English shoes and gave me
indian ones in ye room of ym wch I think
were better to travail in. then we march
-ed 5 or 6 miles further were we took up
our Lodging. Then one English man run
back to Deerf: which provoked ym much:
they told us if any more ran away they
would burn ye rest. there they slew
our negro man. they next morning
we travailed about 2 or 3 miles they
murdered my ever honored Mother who
having gone over smal river which
water runing very swift flung her
down She being wet was not able to
travail any further. We travailed 8
or 9 mile further & Lodged yt night.
there were some disturbed for some had five or six
captives & others none. then they called
ye captives together to make a more E-
qual distribution. but I remained wth my
former master. here they searched me
And took away my silver buttons &
buckels wch I had on my shirt. Before we
came to a small river named ye westriver
about thirty miles above Deerf:
they murdered 3 or 4 more persons. Wn they came
to ye west river where they had slays &
Dogs wth which they drew there wounded
men they travailed. (we thought as if
they delighted to kill us all, to eyly traval-
ed 35 or 40 miles aday.

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there they killed near a duozen of
women & children, for there manner
was if any Loitered to kill ym. my
feet were very sore so yt I was afraid-
they would kill me also. we rested on
the Sabbath day. they gave my father Li-
berty to preach. there we sang a psalm
for they required of us a song. ye next
day we travailed a great way far-
ther yn we had at any time before.
about the middle of the day some yt were
in ye rere fired at some Geese yt flew
over wch put-- ym into a considerable
fright, for ye thought yly English
were come up wth ym. then began to
bind the prisoners and to prepare ymselves
for battle, but wn they understood wt ye
matter was they shot a volley for joy
boasting yt ye English could not over-
take ym. I coming to my Hon: Father
he told me he was taken Lame in
his Ankel wch he sprained in ye fall of ye
year, he said likewise he thought he should
be killed, & if I should Live to get to
Canada to tell ym who I was &c., wch then
did terrifie me much, but it pleased y
to strenthen him to perform his journey.
the next day was a tempestuous day
& I froze my great toe of my left
foot. the day after wch was Wednesday my
master bid me go down to ye river wth
him (very early in ye morning) wch startled
me for he did not use to be so early. there ye
river parted.

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& I went up one branch, my father wth
my brs. & sisters the other. I never saw my
father for 14 months after. I did not
eat anything in ye morning yet must
travail all day, yes I travailed till a-
bout 9 o’clock at night wth out one mor-
-sel of victuals. I travailed about 50
miles yt day & night. for my supper I had one
spoonfull of indian corn; in ye morning
5 or 6 cornels, but must travail. then
we left the river and travailed till about
noon on ye west side of ye river and yn
we came to two wigwams, where were sighns of
indians but no indians. (in these wigwams
they left yr packs and went ahunting if
perhaps yy might find some mouse bu
ried in ye snow by ye hunting indians, but
could not find any. I wandered about &
lost myself & Hollowed, my master
come to me & was very angry wth me
threatened to kill me, he lift up the breach
of his gun in order thereto, but God keept
back his hand, for wh I desire his name
might be praised. ye indians will never al-
Low abody to Hollow in ye woods. yr man
-ner is to make a noise Like wolves or any
other wild creatures, when they would
call to one another, my master sent
ye indian lad & I to those wigwams but
he himself took his gun & went out a hunting.
(now yr were only we three in company, we had all
ye army) we made a fire, but had no vic-
tuals to dress, only a mouses paunch wh ye
ye hunting indians had left. we took yt pan out
& boiled wthout cleaning of it for wt was on
it served for thickening ye broth. ther we tarried yt night
and ye next day till about noon, then

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there come an indian girl & brought
us some mouses meat dryed, wch I
thought was ye best victuals ever I eat.
we travailed wth yt indian girl about
10 miles were was two wigwams.
my master yt left us ye day before was got
there, whiles we tarried here ye french
yt were in ye army passed by. within
a day or two we travailed
seven or eight miles northward to
a place where they had killed some
moose; where they made wigwams
(for yr manner was when they killd
any moose to move to ym & Ly by ym
till yy had eaten ym up.) now there
was two Englishmen of our town
in company wth me, who came up from ye
army, to wit Deacon Hoit & one ja-
cob Hix, a souldier, (now my mas-
ter was not yet come to his own
family, from hence he went
to Look for his family & within a
day or two sent for me. I thought
this was hard to go away alone (yt
is to any English persons) here I left
Deacon Hoit & of H. deacon Hoit I
never saw more for he was dead be-
fore I came from hunting) I
went wth ye mesenger and after a
tedious days travail we came to my master
family. he gave to me his br. wth whom
I continued two or 3 months thereabouts
hunting moose, bears, & beavers, (but wn

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I first arrived here they were Ex-
-traordinary kind took card of my toe
yt was frozen, would not suffer me to
any work, gave me a dear skin to Ly on
& a bears skin to cover me withall,
but this did not Last Long, for I
was forced to carry such a pack wn
I travailed yt I could not rise up
with out some help. was forced
to cut wood & carry it sometimes a consi-
-derable way on my Back. after yt
manner I lived till ye hunting
time was over, without any society
but yes inhuman pagans. yn
we travailed with a desighn to go to
Cowass, were ye rendezvouze but
before we had got quite there we met
some indians yt stopt us, they told us yt
all ye indians were coming away from
Cowass wch within a day or two came to us.
now ye reason of there deserting ye Land
was this, there came one English man
wth six of our indians8 & destroyed a family of indi-
ans about 20 mile below
Cowass.) here we staid where these in-
-dians met us amonth or six weeks,
suffered much for want of provision
for there was not much to be got a-
-hunting then, & if yr was any thing it
was as nothing amongst so many. the cheif
of our provision was roots of several
sorts, & bark of trees. here I met ye a-

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bove said jacob Hix. Deacon Hoit was al-
-ready dead for want of provision
this Hix he Lookt like a ghost, was no
thing but skin & bone could scarce
go yet had no victualls but wt
he got himself, (for he had been at
Cowas with ye indians aplanting
corn; where he suffered much for
want of provisions) I was better of
it than they, for whiles I was hunt
-ing we had meat enough, but
neither bread or salt to eat wth it.
there was in company now one Mrs
Bradley of Haverhill, & one Hannah
eastman, one Daniel Ardery of Ha-
-verhill, & one Mrs Jones & Margeret
Hugens, her maid, who were taken at
Northampton farms.
now from hence we set away for
Canada, my master had so
much Lumber to carry yt we were
forced to carry apack a mile or two
and go back & fetch another, wch was
very tedious, Jacob Hix dyed at ye
first carrying place of ye french ri-
ver; this was an Exceeding tedious march
to me we being so Loaden, the other in
-dians left us. I suffered much in
this journey, for when we came to ye
french river it was as much as our
canoe would carry our Lumber, ye wa-
-ter was so shallow, so yt I was forc-
-ed to travail afoot on ye bank wth-
-out any shoes. my feet were much
galled and one or two of my toes almost

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cut of with ye stones, I had Little or
any thing to eat, my master killed
a duck one day in the river & for my
part I had ye guts which I Laid on ye
coals without cleaning ym which
seemed a sweet morsel to me. they did
eat skins & c., but wn we arived at ye
Lake we were supplyed with fish &
fowl, for there is a great number
both of fish & fowl. The indian boys
do kill the Geese with there bows & ar-
-rows. they are so bold. fish can be
easily taken with hooks, one day as
we sayled on ye Lake two young indi-
ans shot a fish with a bullet &
took it into ye canoe, it was as Large
as I am. I arrived at Chamble in Au-
-gust wh was about half a year from ye
time I was taken, the french were
kind to me, gave bread which I had
not eaten in a great while. they told me
my Father & brothers & sisters were
got to canada which I was glad to
hear of for I was afraid my young-
-est brother was killed. whiles I tar-
-ried here a frenchman came & desired ye
indians to Let me go with him, which
they did, I went wth ye frenchman who
gave me some vituals, & made me
Ly down in his couach, which my masters
son perceiving told his father who
thought he did it to hide me & did de-

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sighn to steal me, upon which he
came & fetcht me away and would
not let me go to the fort any more
for which I suffered. (whiles I was
here ye french dressed my feet yt were wound-
-ed at which ye indians seemed to
be vext.) from here we went towards
Sorel—but tarried a day or two near at
french mans house. about 3 mile
from Shamble, who was kind to me
& would have Lodged me in his house
but ye indians would not allow of
it mistrusting he would con
-vey me away in ye night privately—
from hence we went to Sorrel &
as soon as we had Landed there
came a woman a crost ye river on
purpose to bring me some victuals &
seemed to pity me. here we tarried a
day or two. my master bid me go to
ye fort a visiting wch was about four-
score rod off. I went & at a french
mans perswasion tarried all night &
till next day about noon. when my
master came for me, he was very an-
-gry with me, & after yt would ne-
-ver suffer me to go to a french house
alone. from this place we went to
st francis ye indian fort. my master
could not comply with yr rites & cus-
toms. whereupon he went to albany,
& gave me to his kinsman Sachamore
George (now this George when I was at
cowas told ye french govenour yt I was

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his prisoner, whereas he had then nothing
to do with me. whereupon ye Governour
improved one Mr.: Shamble a captain to
buy me, who made a bargain wth George
give him earnest mony.) now being
put into his hands he was not willing yt ye
french should know it. but having a
desire to go to Shamble ye place where
Monsieur Shamble lived took me with him,
but within ten miles of Shamble Left me
alone in ye woods. while he wth those yt
were wth him went to Shamble. after he
came from Shamble we went
ahunting, caught about 30 bea
-vour in ye brooks which run into
ye river betwixt Shamble and So-
rel; after we had done hunting
we went again to St. francis
fort were I continued till towards
spring I then removed because
the small pox was among ye in
-dians & my masters children had
not had it, so yt he moved.
but whiles I continued there mon-
-siur Shamble heard yt I was wth
Sagomore George, & came to buy
me. I seemed to be willing to
go wth him, at which the indians
were much disturbed & would
not let me go because I show-
-ed a forwardness to go, & did lik-
ewise threaten to kill me. did
complain to ye jesuit who came
& said to me, what no Love indian
they have saved your Life &c.

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it is no wonder yt children yt are
small will not speak to yt friends
when yy conme to see to ym, but they will
scofe and deride ym, because ye indians
have taught them so. will be an-
gry if they do other-wise.
whiles I lived here I observed yt
some English children would scofe
at me (when before ye indians
whoese than ye indian children, but
when alone they would talk familiar-
-ly with me in english about ye
own country &c., whereas wn be-
fore ye indians they would pre-
tend they could not speak English.
here the indians did say something
to me about religion but not much,
being eastern indians were not zealous
as ye macquas are. I with a young warrier &c.
the french governour after he
heard I was in ye country, (because
of my father’s intreaties) was
often sending to ye indians to buy
me who were quite wearied out
because of ye many messages he
sent. ye governor was not will-
ing to give above 30 crowns wheras
they stood for 40. at Length be-
ing wearied out my master went
to ye jesuit & got pen ink & pa
-per & would have me to write to
my father (for we had heard yt
he was turned & had 200 pounds a
year allowed him which I believe
some of ym believed) after he had
got paper he takes another indian

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with him yt could speak good english who
was to indite for me—ye substance of ye
letter was this (yt if he did not buy me be
-fore spring they would not
sell me afterwards & yt he must
give 40 crowns for me) they carri-
-ed it to ye jesuit who could speak
english to read, to see whether I
had written as yy ordered me & wn
they found I had they were well
pleased. my master had a mind to go
a hunting & would have taken me
with him, but because he had sent
such word (yt they must buy by such
a time) he left me at home yt I
might be ready if they should send
to buy me. and when captain le-
vingstone and mr. Sheldon where
come to Canada my mistris thought
there would be an exchange of
prisoners, and lest the french
should then take me away for no-
-thing she removed up in ye woods a-
bout half a mile from ye river
yt if they came they might not
find me; whiles on a certain day
my mistris went to a french
house to get victuals, and ordered
me to spend this day in getting wood,
but it proved a tempestuous day
and we had half a cart load of
wood at ye door (which is a great deal
for indians to have) so yt I did not get
any. when she came home (being
disturbed by ye french) asked
wt I had

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been adoing, they replyed nothing.
at which she was very angry. I
will not beat you myself (says she)
for my husband ordered me to the con-
-trary, but will tell ye jesuit, ye
next time he comes (now yly were
not gone so far that ye jesuit
knew were they went, who often vi-
-sits ym) within a day or two, ye je-
-suit comes. She was as good as her
word, did complain. he takes me out
and whips me with a whip wth six
cords several knots in each cord.
after a few days he comes again &
brings me a letter from my Father
by wich I understood he was a priso-
-ner as well as I, which I told ye in-
-dians, who said they believed it. he
Likewise said in his letter yt ye go-
vernour of new EngL: would take
care we should be redeemed.
whilst I lived here I made about
fourscore weight of sugar wth ye
sap of maple trees for ye indians.
my mistriss had a mind to go to So-
-rel & because yr was a barrel of sap
to boil she sent me to ye sugar place
over night to boil it, yt so we might
go in ye morning. I went and kept a
good fire under ye kittle. Little think
-ing of its coming to sugar, till it was
spoiled, for want of stiring. for ye
manner is to stir it when it comes
almost to sugar. for which they were
very angry & would not give me any
victuals. it being now spring we
went

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went in canoes to Sorel, & so soon as
we got there the woman yt brought
me victuals a cross ye river when I
was there before. came & desired ye in
dians to let me go to ye fort, wch yy
consented to. I went but remembring
ye bad effect of tarrying all
night before durst not do so
again, without ye indians leave. I
went to ye indians (and carried ym
some victuals) & asked ym to let me
Ly at ye fort which they granted.
I kept here about a fortnight
& Lay at ye fort eve-
ry night. the french were very
kind provided victuals for me &
would give me some to carry to ye
indians, which pleased ym well. as we
went back to St francis fort, we met
a french canoe who told us yt the french
Governour would come to St francis
fort quickly, upon wch my mistriss said
to me your time is short you have
to Live with me. (truly I hoped it
was) when we came to St francis
we went to masters isLand where
I began to make preparation to
plant corn, but before we be-
gan to plant the Governour came
& bought me after a Long parley,
for 40 crowns. with him I went
to Sorrel, where I met with captain
Levingston & several captives.
capt. Levingston told me I should go
home to NE. with him wch revived me

(Page 15)

me much to think of going home.
but the governour quickly al-
-tered his mind, said I must not go.
from hence I went down to quebec
wth ye Lord intendant. when I
came to Quebeck I found se-
-veral English peo-ple yt were
prisoners there. one mrs Hill took
care of me cut my hair for me
(now my hair was like an indi-
-an one side Long & the other short).
She got me a shirt and a pair of
breeches & a jacket & stockings,
&c for me.
from hence on ye 11 of
may I was sent to Live with my
Father at chatauriche. while I
lived here ye french were very
courteous & kind to me as they were
to my Father. this seemed almost
home to me, because I was got to
my Father who I had not seen for
14 months. when mr. Dudley came
to canada my father & I was sent
for up to Quebeck. when we were at
Quebeck captain courtemarch
took us to his house, entertained us ve-
-ry nobly. he said he received kind-
ness at NE. whiles we were at Que:
the Seminary afamous building was
burnt, & upon mr. Dudly, & captain

(Page 16)

vetch, petitioning, the Governour gave
me Liberty to come home & accord-
ingly I came away on ye 12 of Oc-
-tober 1705 (but I left my Honoured
Father & brs & sisters behind) &
after a tedious voyage I
arrived safe at Boston in New Eng-
Land, which was on ye 21 of novem
-ber 1705 And I desire that the name
of god may be praised & adored for
his wonderfull goodness to me in
sparing my life when I was at it
were at ye Brink of Eternity & that he
stayed ye hands of those yt took up
ye weapons to slay me with.
Finis.

N.B. yt while with indians I was in Great Danger of
being drownd several times.

 

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