Susanna Johnson's Captivity
New Hampshire Indian Raid During the French and Indian War, Fort-4.
Feb 15, 2008
Money for English captives as well as French and Indian enmity for the English, fueled Indian raids upon colonists. In New England, forts were built for protection. Colonists relied upon them for refuge during times of attack except when they had to leave the protection of the fort and return to their homes in the surrounding areas to care for their livestock and their farmlands.
Johnssons' Captivity
When Mr. James Johnson returned home from buisness, his family left Fort #4, also known as Charlestown, New Hampshire and returned to their home a few miles away. Terror struck the hearts of the Johnson family during the pre-dawn hours of August 30, 1754. James Johnson, his wife, Susanna Johnson, Susanna Johnson's sister, Miriam Willard and the Johnson children, were awakened by harsh rapping at their door.
James Johnson had just finished dressing, save for his shoes. He was expecting his neighbor, Peter Labarree to help with woodcutting. Upon opening the door to their rustic home, James Johnson was greeted by not only Labarree, who was then hostage, but a group of Indians from one of the Abenaki nations.
James Johnson and the remaining Johnson clan, clad only in their nightclothes, were forced to begin their trek to St. Francis, Canada. Their hired man, Ebenezer Farnsworth was also taken hostage. Mrs. Johnson was nine months pregnant at the time.
Scoggins, a neighbor's horse wandered across their path. The Indians were quit to catch him and gracious enough to show Mrs. Johnson some compassion. She was allowed to ride upon him.
The second day on the journey, Mrs. Johnson delivered her baby sans medical help. She named the infant, Elizabeth Captive Johnson. The next day they were hard on the trail again.
Starvation eventually forced the Indians to shoot Scoggins and use him for food. Mrs. Johnson then rode upon her husband's shoulders as she experienced a great deal of fatigue--either that or be left behind with her infant. Their daily fare consisted of watergruel, sometimes duck, hawk and bear broth (seasoned with snakeroot).
Canadian Captivity
Upon arriving at St. Francis, Canada, the hostages were divided amongst various Indian families or sold into slavery to the French. Sylvanus, the only male child of the Johnsons, remained with the Indians along with Farnsworth and Labarree.
The remaining Johnsons were divided up between prisons and French families. They relied upon the compassion of both French and English patrons to finally obtain freedom once again. However, before freedom was granted the Johnson family experienced the birth and death of a child while Mrs. Johnson was in prison. Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson contracted smallpox while in prison. Their daughter, Polly, was taken from them and sold to three elderly, genteel, French women.
The end of their story is bittersweet. Farnsworth and Labarree were able to buy back their freedom.
Mr. Johnson's freedom was short-lived as he died in the service of the colonies at Fort Ticonderoga.
Sylvanus was later returned to his family unable to speak English. Instead, he spoke fluid Indian and broken French. He had very little recall of his former life with his family.
All of the Johnsons were finally able to return to their home. The length of time it took to do so from that fateful day of August 30, 1754, was four years.
Sources
Johnson, Susanna, A Narrative of the Captiviy of Mrs. Johnson, Privately printed by descendant Rodney Williams, Charleston, S.C., 1973.
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