Hello, Everyone... Below please find an excerpt from a new biographical account re. Father Isaac Jogues, one of the first white men to see for his own eyes the splendor of upstate New York back in the 1600's. Unfortunately, his life was filled with experiences of captivity and horrible torture at the hands of the Iriquois Confederacy. To read the entire biographical account please visit the NY GenExchange page at the following URL: http://www.genexchange.org/ny/index.cfm While it is being filed as pertaining to Warren County, his travels and experiences included Clinton, Essex, Saratoga, Washington, Albany, and Montgomery County, indeed, he probably saw most of what now comprises New York State. Enjoy! Susan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Father Isaac Jogues, Missionary to and Captive of the Iriquois Nation Among their captives on that foray [the Iriquois, who had attacked the Canadian settlements north of what is now NYS] was a noble Jesuit priest, Father Isaac Jogues, who in company with several helpers and converts were returning, with their canoes loaded with supplies, to a mission already established among the Hurons in the distant west. He, with two assistants, Couture and Goupil, and a number of Hurons, were horribly tortured; then they were bound and headed south for the Mohawk country. It was about the 1st of September when they arrived at that bold promontory jutting out into Lake Champlain, which has since become famous as Ticonderoga. Rounding this they turned west where soon they were stopped by the churning rapids and chiming falls of a goodly stream, the outlet of another lake. Here the Indians landed, shouldered their canoes, followed up the stream and soon with their captives launched forth upon the crystal waters of Andiatarocte (Lake George). Here, for the first time since the dawn of creation, eyes, that could appreciate, looked upon the rare beauty of that 'fair Naiad of the ancient wilderness', Lac St. Sacrament, as it was christened four years later by Father Jogues. These savage warriors, with their hapless victims, duly landed where now stands that handsome hostelry the Fort William Henry Hotel, and straightway plunged into the dusky woods and followed the ancient war trail. This trail led from Lake George to the bend in the Hudson a few miles west of Glens Falls, thence southwestward till it struck the Mohawk in the vicinity of Amsterdam. Arrived at their castles, the captives were again ferociously tortured for the entertainment of savage women and children. Finally GOUPIL was murdered. COUTURE, having struck the fancy of the Indians by some act of skill or bravery, was adopted into the tribe. Father Jogues lived for months in daily expectation of being murdered. The latter was given to an old Indian as a slave and performed for him the most menial tasks. In the following March he accompanied his master on his spring fishing trip. They repaired to a lake four days distant. ON reasonable grounds this is supposed to have been Lake Saratoga. If so, Father Jogues was the first white man who ever gazed upon the placid surface of that beautiful sheet of water. SLWillig in AZ, US valcour@earthlink.net