FOUNDERS OF FORT NO. 4, CHARLESTOWN, NH From: Farns10th@aol.com - Janice Farnsworth Subject: Captivity of Farnsworth, Colefax, Adams, Spafford, Robbins - 1756 Source:  History of Charlestown, NH - Fort No. 4 by Rev.          Henry H. Saunderson pub l876 On the 20th of April, l757 David Farnsworth and four others were taken prisoners by a party of about seventy French and Indians; and carried to Canada. (*see Josiah Foster letter)                      _______________ *The following letter from Josiah Foster of Winchester who was taken prisoner on the 7th of June l756: Montreal, May l6, l757 To: Lieut. James Johnson Sir:  The 5th of this present month the Mohawks brought in prisoners from No. 4.  Mr. David Farnsworth, Sampson Colefax, Deacon Adams, Asa Spafford and George Robbins, which give us the sorrowful news of the death of your father Willard who was killed by the Indians last summer a little wy from the fort.  Your brother Moses was stabbed in the thigh with a spear.  This is all the mis- chief that has been done except the Indians burnt the mills.  Mr. Labaree has made his escape from Montreal and has gone for the English fort.  I should be glad to write you a fuller account of things but it is very difficult to write.  I should be glad if you would would write to me to let me know how you are. So I remain your friend,  Josiah Foster                   __________________________ p.336 The others were Deacon Thomas Adams, Sampson Colefax, the miller, George Robbins and Asa Spafford.  The enemy was in ambush not quite a mile from the village near Spafford's mills, which stood on or near the spot where Hall's Mills have since been erected.  Deacon Thomas Adams who was going to the hill opposite the mills, for the purpose of making sugar, was the first who was cap- tured.  They tied him to a tree and the Indians started on their way towards the village; but after going a little distance again formed an ambush into which Mr. Farnsworth soon fell.  He had started out on horseback with a bag of grain, to go to the mill, and did not discover them until they rose up around him in such a manner that it was impossible for him to escape.  Instantly comprehend- ing the situation, he leaped from his horse, threw his bag of grain to the ground, twisted the stirrup into the reins of the bridle and throwing them over the back of the saddle, turned his horse homeward at full speed.  The Indians, at once understood that he meant to give alarm and fired several times at the horse for the purpose of killing him; but he fortunately escaped uninjured.  The inhabitants hearing the guns and seeing the horse re- turning at such speed, without a rider, immediately foreboded the evil which had happened and armed them- selves and advanced towards the mills.  But they found the enemy in such force that they thought it prudent to retreat. Meantime while these things had been going on, another portion of the enemy had captured the miller, Mr. Samp- son Colefax.  The whole party of the enemy then gather- ed at the mills which they set on fire - remaining long enough to ascertain that their work of destruction would be sure, they started on their retreat.  When they had got as far as Sugar River they met George Robbins and Asa Spafford, son of Capt. John Spafford who were re- turning from a hunting excursion and also took them prisoners.  Rev. Dr. Crosby in his "Annals of Charlestown" says that "They then returned to Charlestown and fired upon fifteen or twenty men behind Capt. Willard's barn." Author: (but I find this mentioned by no other writer and it is besides in itself scarcely probable). The following traditional account of Mr. Farnsworth's journey to Canada and of his captivity and escape may not be uninteresting: As soon as Farnsworth was captured he pretended to be very lame.  This excited the sympathy of his savage cap- tors and relieved him from many burdens which he would otherwise have been forced to bear.  Thus on his journey he was not compelled to carry plunder as it was called like the other prisoners and his fellow prisoners would often say to him "How glad I should be if I could get along as well as you do."  His dress and manner impress- ed the Indians with the idea that he was a person of some consequence; and thinking it would be for his ad- vantage that they should retain this impression, he gave them to understand that he was a doctor and in this assumed profession they soon gave him an opportunity of trying his skill.  One of their party had taken cold, and was very sick and it seemed probable that on that account they would be detained on their journey.  In this emergency they applied to David Farnsworth who apparently nothing loath to take charge of the patient recommended them to boil hemlock boughs and steam him.  This remedy broke up his cold and produced a cure very much to their satisfaction and had the effect also to place the "doctor" higher in their estimation. When they arrived at Canada with their prisoners, they had a great time in celebrating their achievement.  As was usual with them on such occasions, they drank and danced and enjoyed themselves in their own peculiar fashion to their hearts' content.  They were exceedingly good nat- ured and while they drank, wanted their prisoners to drink with them.  But "doctor" Farnsworth whenever they offered him rum invariably refused saying in Indian Eng- lish, "No no, me no drink fire water, me believe in the great and good spirit above." which made them treat him with still more deference. On the final disposition of the prisoners after their arrival in Canada, David Farnsworth was given to a very old Indian and his wife to supply the place of a son who had been killed by the whites.  He was treated by them with marked kindness and with as much affection as if he had really been their child.  They were not only in much better circumstances than most of the Indians but were much farther advanced in civilization.  They culti- vated their land and kept a horse and oxen and had more conveniences for living and lived much better than most of the tribe. Soon after going to live with the old Indian and his wife, he was taken to the yard to assist in filling a cart.  Several Indians attracted  by curiosity went out to see him work.  He seemed perfectly willing to obey orders and to do the best he could but he handled the shovel so awkwardly and appeared so unaccustomed to the business he was doing that he created much amusement. At one time he would throw the contents of his shovel with such violence that it would pass entirely over the cart then as if seeking to remedy his mistake he would throw the next shovel full so as not to reach it.  He seemed greatly in earnest to get the cart filled but with allhis hurry and zeal he got little into it. At length he purposely swallowed some tobacco which made him very pale and so sick withal that work was out of the question.  The Indians, not knowing the cause of his sickness were very pitiful and concluded it was work that had made him sick and his (Indian) father determined that as work had such an effect upon him he would not have him work anymore.  He then set David to practising medicine in which profession he was so far successful as to secure a large number of Indian patients.  For his attendance and prescriptions he would for himself take no pay under any circumstances; but when anyone offered him anything, he would shake his head and say, "No, no - pay my (Indian) father."  This so pleased the old Indian and gave him such confidence him that he was willing to grant him almost any privi- lege or do him almost any kindness. But David Farnsworth though treated kindly was not of a spirit to be content in captivity.  He felt he would rather die in the wilderness or become prey of wild beasts of the forest than drag out such a life as he was leading and must lead as long as he remained in bondage. This was also the feeling of Deacon Adams who was locat- ed about three miles from him and whom he sometimes met. They therefore laid their plans together to make their escape and to find their way home through the wilderness or perish in their attempt. For this purpose they agreed to meet at a certain spring which was about three miles away.  Farnsworth took the following method of preparing the way for his escape so that no suspicion might immediately arise in the minds of the Indians on account of his absence till he should be so far started on his way as to be out of the reach of pursuit.  He had an Indian "sister" the daughter of the old Indian who had adopted him for whom he professed a most brotherly regard, whose residence was so distant that a visit to her would require an absence of several days.  All at once he had a great desire to visit her and asked of his father the privilege; who was so much pleased with his son's attachment that he not only readily gave his consent but volunteered, as David was "lame" the use of his horse for the occasion. He also furnished him with some very nice venison to eat on the way.  Thus equipped he took an affectionate leave of his Indian parents and started out on his journey and proceeded immediately to the spring where, according to their agreement he expected to meet Deacon Adams but he was not there.  The hours of the day wore on and still he did not come.  He thought perhaps he might be waiting for the night under the cover of which to escape, but neither in the morning did he appear nor on the day that followed nor the next.  He felt he could wait no longer and struck off into the unbroken forest alone.  As Deacon Adams never returned he never ascertained the reason of his not meeting him. For the first eight or ten days after commencing his journey he only travelled in the night knowing that if taken and carried back he would be treated with the most savage cruelty and very probably put to death under the most excruciating tortures.  In the daytime he concealed himself in the best manner he could, to prevent discov- ery in case of pursuit and to avoid being retaken and carried back by roving parties of Indians.  On the 6th morning after his starting out he had carefully secreted himself very early in a large hollow tree which had fallen to the ground, to wait for the night to come before again proceeding.  But he had not long been in his place of concealment before he heard a dog barking furiously which by his voice he knew to be the pet hunter of his old Indian father.  He very soon came up but on being spoiken to by Farnsworth whose voice he knew he sat quietly down a little distance from the tree and made no more demonstration.  The Indians soon came up but after looking around and running a short stick into the hollow of the tree where he was concealed, con- cluded that the object of their search was not there, and left probably with the hope of finding him in some other direction. A few nights after this as he was pursuing his journey he suddenly found himself among a part of Indians who had encamped for the night.  Their fire had gone out and he was not aware of his danger until the "cahoop" of an old savage whom his steps on dry sticks, around the extinct camp-fire had aroused, gave him warning of it.  Dropping immediately to the ground he waited till he had reason to suppose the Indian had fallen asleep again when he found his way out of his undesirable situation as carefully and speedily as possible. After a journey of seventeen days through the wilder- ness without food, except the venison which had been furnished him to refresh him on his visit to his Indian sister and such as without arms and without fire he could obtain in the forest, he reach the first white settlement.  It is needless to say that he was faint and weak and in an almost starving condition.  He situation was immediately appreciated and his reception was as kind and sympathizing as he could have desired.  The first food that was given him was some boiled turnip which the men upon whom he first came, had just been cooking, which is said to be the kind of food that early settlers often used to give in such cases.  In this place he remained and was most kindly cared for during several days and having rest and suitable food, gained strength very fast. At length, feeling sufficiently recruited to continue his journey, he took an affectionate leave of his new and kind friends and proceeded on to Charlestown where he arrived in good health and in safety much to the joy of his family and the inhabitants and profoundly thank- ful for the providential protection which he felt that je jad received.  Of the other prisoners taken with Mr. Farnsworth, Mr. Robbins alone, returned.  They with Robbins were exchanged in the November following their capture but on their way homeward by way of Great Britain Deacon Adams, Colefax and young Spafford died of small- pox at Quebec. p.34l David Farnsworth married in Lunenburg, MA Aug l5 l735 Hannah Hastings b. at Watertown, MA on Jan 24, l7l7. She was the sister of Susanna Hastings who married Lieut Moses Willard (step-brother to Samuel, David and Stephen Farnsworth thru their mother, Mary (Whitcomb) Willard Farnsworth) and also sister to Eunice Hastings who married Stephen Farnsworth, David's brother. No record of the family of David Farnsworth has been found.  He had several children, two of whom, Samuel and David, Jr. settled in the town of Eaton, Lower Canada, where they erected mills and spent their lives.  One them had two sons who removed to Michigan in the early settlement of the state where they became surveyors.  One of them became the father of General John F. Farnsworth who was quite distinguished as a Congressman from Michigan. *Gen. John F. Farnsworth was a key figure in the Civil War - his life is depicted in the Farnsworth Memorial. His nephew was Brevet Brig. Gen. Elon Farnsworth who died at Gettysburg and has a museum in his honor in Gettysburg and is buried in Illinois. The Farnsworth Memorial p.36l lists Lieut David Farns- worth and his wife Hannah Hastings of Charlestown, NH Fort No. 4 and their issue: l.  Hannah Farnsworth b. l730/5 m. l758 John Tarball of     Groton, MA.  She d. Aug 6,l829. 2.  Mary Farnsworth b. l739 m. Apr 29, l762 Elisha     Rockwood, Jr. of Groton, MA b. Nov 9, l740  She d.     Nov ll,l765 and they had:            l.  Hannah Rockwood b. Feb l0, l763            2.  Molly Rockwood b. Oct 29, l764 3. Eunice Farnsworth b. l74l m. l759 Oliver Parker of    Groton, MA b. Feb 23, l738.  She d. Feb 8. l767            l. Rebecca Parker b. Nov 22, l760            2. Eunice Parker b. Dec ll, l76l            3. Elizabeth Parker b. Sep 23, l763            4. Simeon Parker b. May 4, l765            5. Oliver Parker b. Feb 4, l767 4. Relief Farnsworth b. ca l743 m. June 4, l77l Reuben    Tucker of Townsend, MA.  They removed to Digby    Nova Scotia and had:            l. Reuben Tucker b. abt l772            2. David Tucker b. l774            3. Charles Tucker b. l776 m. and has a son.                 l. Gilbert Ruggles Tucker b. l807, a                    well known merchant of Boston.            4. Relief Tucker b. l778            5. Hannah Tucker b. l780            6. Mary Tucker b. l782. 5. Samuel Farnsworth b. l750 m. Anna Wasson b. l75l    She d. l842.  He d. l83l  He ws a drummer at the    Battle of Bunker Hill and was a pensioner of the    government for services rendered in that war.  He    was residing at that time with his father at Hollis    NH; he moved to Stoddard NH and from there to Eaton,    lower Canada in l799. 6. David Farnsworth b. l760 d. Nov l0, l778.  He was    executed by the British at Hartford, CT as a spy    when only eighteen year old; prob. he was the drummer    at Cambridge and also at Bunker Hill, l775 (see    Sabine's Loyalists, p. 282.) p.34l - Charlestown NH Fort No. 4 Begins the account of Stephen Farnsworth p.344 - Charlestown NH Fort No. 4 Begins the account of Ebenezer Farnsworth kin to Samuel, David and Stephen Farnsworth captured with the Johnson family by the Indians p.345 Charlestown NH Fort No. 4 Begins the account of James Farnsworth. p.345 Charlestown NH Fort No. 4 Begins the account of Oliver Farnsworth. ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. 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