EARLY HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN, NH
From:	Janice Farnsworth (Farns10th@AOL.COM)

Subject: The Captivity of Joseph Willard and his family, by 
          Indians June 7, 1760
Source:  History of Charlestown, NH, The Old No. 4,
     by Rev. Henry Saunderson printed by the Claremont Mfg.
        Co., Claremont, NH 1876

p.88
June 1760
Colonel Goffe had his headquarters at Charlestown, NH.  His regiment was employ-
ed in clearing the road between Charlestown and the mountains. The trails of the
Indians were occasionally seen in the adjacent woods but they were too few to
make, under the circumstances, any general attack.  Before this regiment had
reached Charlestown they (Indians) had made an incursion and carried off Mr.
Joseph Willard, his wife and five children.  They were taken at their homestead
on the edge of the Great meadow, a short distance from the the later residence
of Peter A.  Evans.   It was June 7, 1760.   Considering that Samuel Willard, the
youngest, who was an infant, somewhat burdensome to them, the Indians took
him aside, the next day (June 8) and beat out his brains against a tree.  The family
were taken to Canada, their journey through the wilderness occupying fourteen days.

They remained in captivity till the surrender of Montreal, into which city they had 
been taken a few days previous to its capitulation, when, with other prisoners,
they were released.  This was the last incursion of the Indians on the frontiers
of New England and the bloody scene which had so long been opened, now
closed.  The eastern Indians soon agreed on articles of peace and acknowledged
themselves subjects of the crown of England.  Notwithstanding, the war still
continued in Europe, and a few provincial troops were raised in 1761-62.
New England was still exempted from further hostilities - and, on the tenth of
February 1763, a general peace was signed at Paris, and soon after ratified by
the belligerent powers of Europe by which Canada and all the other northern
French settlements passed quietly under the jurisdiction of the British Crown.

p.627
Joseph Willard was the son of Rev. Joseph Willard and his wife, Susanna (Lynde)
Willard.   He was born 3 mos posthumously after the Indians killed his father 
in 1723 at Rutland at which time Joseph Stevens two sons, Phineas and Isaac 
Stevens were taken prisoners and two sons killed. This on August 14, 1723.
Rev. Willard returned the fire and wounded one of the Indians, mortally it is said.
Another Indian closed in with Mr. Willard who would have been more than a match
for him, had not the other three (Indians) come to his assistance and it was some
time before they killed him.  His scalp was carried to Quebec.  The widow of
Rev. Joseph Willard married sometime after the death of her husband, to Rev.
Andrew Gardner into whose family her children William Willard and Joseph Willard
were received and brought up.

Joseph Willard b. 1623 m. Huldah Willard dau of Lieut Moses Willard and his 
wife
Susanna (Hastings) Willard and settled at Charlestown (Fort 4).
Their children were:
1.  Francis Willoughby Willard b. July 14, 1751 m. Deborah Blood in 1772.
2.  Susanna Willard b. Feb 5, 1753 died the 16th of the same month.
3.  William Willard b. Mar 13, 1754 d. Apr 1, 1825 aged 71; m. Elizabeth Shepley
     of Groton, MA b. June 5, 1759. d. Sept. 25, 1851.
4.  Susanna Willard b. Apr 15, 1756 
5.  James Willard b. Mar 8, 1758 d. Sept. 29, 1760
6   Samuel Willard b. Apr 16, 1760 killed by Indians June 8, 1760 (see p. 88)
7.  Joseph Willard b. Nov 22, 1763 m. the widow, Mrs. Pierce and had 6 children
     and lived and died in Langdon.
8.  Samuel Willard b. Nov. 28 1763 (says town records) was prob. twin to Joseph,
     an error made in recording dates.
     He m. Abigail ___ who had two children and died.  1. Samuel Willard, Jr. 
b.
     Jan 15, 1784 and 2. Jotham Willard b. 1785 
     Samuel m. (2) Joanna Putnam b. 1763 
Joseph Willard the progenitor of the above families with his wife and children were
taken by the Indians June 7, 1760 and carried to Canada (see p. 88)  The place is
still shown on the hill to the east of where his cottage stood, where the party who
took them prisoners halted, while a portion of them returned to the house for
provisions to sustain them on their way.  They were conducted by the old route
up Black River to the Green Mountains and thence to Otter Creek and Lake
Champlain.  They returned to Charlestown after the surrender of Montreal.  Mr.
Willard died in Charlestown after a brief illness in 1799 and was buried on the 12th
of September of that year.   Joseph Willard was under Colonel Josiah Willard at
Fort Dummer from Feb. 12 to July 1st 1748.  He was also a member of Capt.
Phineas Steven's Company in No. 4 in 1750  


*************************************************
* * * * 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. We encourage links to the state and county table of 
contents. 



* * * *
The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the 
information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information 
must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is 
always best to consult the original material for verification.