This came over another list and I thought it might be of interest on this list Alice Ccorbett ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 6:18 PM Subject: [GM-L] Tarbell Indian Captives: Grandchild attends Dartmouth Indian School in 1772 > Subject: Massachusetts Gazette & Boston Weekley News-Letter of Oct. 15, > 1772 - "One of the Tarbell Captives." > > Source: Groton Historical Series by Dr. Samuel A. Green - 1887 Vol I > Chapter XII > > p.9-10 > The following article contains an allusion to one of the Tarbell Captives, > and is found in "The Massachusetts Gazette: and The Boston > Weekley News-Letter," October 15, 1772. It is the account from which > the abridgment was made that appears in Farmer & Moore's "Collections" > (Concord, New Hampshire, 1822). > > Dartmouth College in New Hampshire; September 21, 1772 > > "This day Mr. Silvanus Ripley and his Companions, and Interpreter, Lieut > Joseph Taylor, returned from their mission to the Indian Tribes > in Canada and brought with them ten Children from those two Tribes, to > receive an Education in this School; two of which are Children of Eng- > lish captives who were taken by the Indians in former Wars while they > were young, and naturalized and these Children are brought up in the > Language and Customs of the Indians. > > The Great forwardness and unanimity of their chief Men, when they were > called in council on the occasion, to have their Children come, and > their final resolution to send them, notwithstanding the most forceable > opposition their Priest made to it, the cheerfulness, orderly and good > behavior of the Lads on their way, and intire satisfaction on their > arrival "Home", (as they called it) and the accounts they give of the > numbers of their acquaintance which they have left behind, who desired > to come with them for an education, and may be expected in due time, > and all this from a thirst of learning, founded partly on a conviction > of the utility of it, which they have got by observing the great ad- > vantage which the learned have, above others they have lived amongst > and only through their superior learning, also the great and general > veneration the Chiefs expressed towards the benevolent, and charitable > design of this Indian School, exhibit a truly encouraging prospect that > God yet mercifully designs something shall be done in that quarter for > the Honor of his great Name. > > Among these children, is a grandson, about 8 years old, of Chief Tarbell, who > was taken from Groton in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, about 68 > years ago, when he was about 10 years old; he greatly rejoiced to see them on > this occasion, and earnestly encouraged his Grandson's coming; the old > Gentleman is hearty, and well, and is the eldest Chief of that village. He > expressed great affection to his relations in New England and desired they > might be informed of his welfare, and also that he had a grandson at this > school - also a Grandson of Mrs. Eunice Williams, who was captivated with her > father, the Rev. Mr. Williams of Deerfield, in the year 1704, would have come > with them; but was sick with the measels; but may be expected in the Spring, > if they meet with nothing discouraging. The number of Indian children now in > this school is seventeen, besides one that is put out to a private family, on > account of his being too young for the school." > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > THE STORY OF THE TARBELL CAPTIVES THAT BECAME MOHAWK CHIEFS > > Source: "An Historical Sketch of Groton, Massachusetts l655 - l890 by Dr. > Samuel A. Green pub. Groton, l894 - Selected Excerpts on Indians > > p.5l > > In a list of prisoners held by the French and Indians in Canada March 5, > l710-11 are the names of Zechariah Tarball, John Tarball, Sarah Tarball, > Matthias Farnsworth (3d) and Lydia Longley. (Archives LXXI 765) all of > Groton, MA though no date of capture is given. Lydia Longley was taken by the > Indians on July 27, l694. Matthias Farnsworth 3d was captured in the summer > of l704 and the Tarball children were carried off on June 20, l707. Sarah, > John and Zechariah were children of Thomas Tarball and his wife, Elizabeth > (Wood) Tarball who with a large family lived on Farmers Row near where James > Lawrence' house stood. (And still stood as of l897). Sarah Tarball was a girl > nearly fourteen years of age. John a lad of twelve years and Zechariah only > seven at the time they were taken. They were near kindred of the Longley > family who had been massacred thirteen years before. The father was > unquestionably Corp. Tarball who commanded in the autumn of l7ll one of the > eighteen garrisons in Groton. The story of their capture and captivity is a > singular one and sounds like a romance. They were picking cherries early one > evening so tradition relates and were taken before they had time to get down > from the tree. It should be borne in mind that the date of capture according > to the new style of reckoning was July lst when cherries would be ripe enough > to tempt the appetite of climbing youngsters. These children were carried to > Canada. Sarah was placed in a convent at Lachine near Montreal but what > became of her is unknown. Thomas Tarball the father of these children made > his will Sep. 26, l7l5 which was admitted to probate six weeks later and is > now on file at Middlesex Probate Office in East Cambridge. In it he says: > > "all the rest and residue of my reall estate I give to be equally divided > between my three children, John, Zachary, and Sarah Tarball upon their return > from captivity or in proportion unto any of them that shall return & the > rest, or the parts belonging to them do not return shall be equally divided > among the rest of my children. > > The boys remained for many years with their captors at Caughnawaga an Indian > village on the right bank of the St. Lawrence River directly opposite to > Lachine. > > In the year l7l3 John Stoddard and John Williams were apptd by Gov. Joseph > Dudley to go to Quebec and treat with the Gov. Gen. of Canada for the release > of the New England prisoners. They were accompanied by Thomas Tarbell (prob. > the elder brother of the boys) and we find his petition presented to the > House of Rep's June l, l7l5 "praying consideration and allowance for his time > and expences in going to Canada with Major Stoddard and Mr. Williams Anno > l7l3 to recover captives. He was allowed ten pounds out of the public > treasury. No further traces of these boys were found. During the 25 years > following this attempt to release the New England prisoners, in the winter of > l739 John and Zechariah Tarball came back to Groton in order to visit their > kinfolk. And to see their native town. They were so young when carried away > that their recollections of the place were of course very indistinct. It is > not known now under what circumstances or influences they returned. An > itemized bill of the expense incurred in bringing them back from Canada was > made out against their brothers, Thomas and Samuel Tarball and perhaps paid > by them. Shortly afterward Thomas Tarball petitioned the General Court for > means to enable him to meet the necessary charges of the journey besides the > expenses of an interpreter and a conditional loan was granted. The papers > relating to the subject are among the MA Archives (XV A, l5-l9) Several > efforts were made to reclaim these two young men from savage life proved > unavailing for it is known that they remained with the Indians and became > naturalized, if I may use the expression. They married Indian wives and were > afterward made chiefs at Caughnawaga and St. Regis villages in Canada. Their > descendants are still living among the Indians and the Tarballs of the > present day in that town are their collateral kindred. Neary forty years > after their capture Gov. Hutchinson met them in New York state and in his > "History of the Province of MA Bay" refers to them thus: > > "I saw at Albany two or three men in the year l744 who came in with the > Indians to trade and who had been taken at Groton in this, that is called > Queen Anne's War. One of them, Tarball was said to be one of the wealthiest > of the Cagnawaga Tribe. He made a visit in his Indian dress, and with his > Indian complexion (for by means of grease and paints but little difference > could be discerned) to his relations at Groton but had no inclination to > remain there (II.l39.) > > Some years after this time these two young men - now occupying the position > of chiefs - moved up the St. Lawrence River accompanied by several others - > all with their families and est. the village of St. Regis. This Indian > settlement is pleasantly situated on the right bank of the St Lawrence, the > boundary line which separates the State of NY from Canada running through it. > >From its peculiar position, it was agreed, during the last war with England > the Indians should remain neutral but the compact was often broken. In the > summer of l852 the tribe numbered abt eleven hundred persons of whom it is > said that not one was of pure Indian origin. Many interesting facts > concerning the Tarballs at St. Regis are found in the "History of St. > Lawrence and Franklin Counties, New York" (Albany, l853) by Dr. Franklin B. > Hough. A part of the village comes within the limits of Franklin County and > the author has gathered up some of the stories still told about these two > brothers in that neighborhood. > > In former years the St. Regis Indians had certain rights in a land > reservation in the State of NY; and more than once treaties were made between > the Gov. of the State and the chiefs of the tribe, among whom were > descendants of these Tarball boys. A treaty was signed on Feb. 20, l8l8 in > behalf of the Indians by Loran Tarball and Thomas Tarball and two other > chiefs. Another treaty was signed on Sep. 23, l825 by eleven chiefs and > trustees of the tribe including Peter Tarball, Thomas Tarball, Mitchel > Tarball, Louis Tarball and Battice Tarball. Some of these names I am sure > will sound familiar to the older inhabitants of Groton. It is very likely > that Battice is the same as Sabattis (an Indian Name) which is said to be a > corruption of St. Baptiste. Dr. Hough writes about one of the earlier members > of the family as follows: "A half-breed Indian, who usually was known as > Peter the Big Speak, was a son of Lesor Tarball one of the lads who had been > stolen away from Groton by the Indians and who subsequently became one of the > first settlers who preceded the founding of St. Regis. He was a man of much > address and ability as a speaker, and was selected as the mouthpiece of the > tribe on the more important occasions that presented themselves. (Page l32) > This statement is wrong, however, that Lesor was the name of one of the > captured boys. It is perfectly well known that their names were John and > Zechariah but it is not improbable that one of their sons was named Lesor. If > such was the case, it was intended doubtless for Eleazer the name of their > youngest brother who was less than two months old when they were carried off. > It certainly would be a touching tribute to their childish recollections if > they had remembered this little babe at home and carried him in their > thoughts for so many years. > > Source: "An Historical Sketch of Groton, Massachusetts l655 - l890 by Dr. > Samuel A. Green pub. Groton, l894 - Selected Excerpts on Indians > > p.57 > > In the summer of l877 I (Dr. Sam Green) visited St. Regis where I met a > grandson of one of the Tarball captives. He was more than eighty years old > and could speak only Indian, and I had to talk with him thru an interpreter. > I learned that he was aware that his grandfather had been taken when a boy, > from a town near Boston, and that he had kinfolk still living there. What > interested me exceedingly was the physical resemblance between him and some > of his collateral relations who lived and died at Squannacook within my > recollection. He was a man of ordinary size with a sunburnt face and gray > hair though somewhat bald. There was but little appearance of Indian blood in > his veins and he would have passed anywhere for a good-looking old man. He > lived with one of his sons in a small house that was clapboarded and painted, > and was one of the best in the village - where, surrounded by his > grandchildren, he was passing the declining years of his life in comfortable > ease. > > Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > ==== GenMassachusetts Mailing List ==== > >