The Redeemed Captive: To Which Is Added a Biographical Memoir of the Reverend Author with an Appendix and Notes Book

Another one of my "scholarly" reads. An amazing tale from early American history. The true story of Reverend John Williams' capture by Indians and his eventual return over a year later. In 1704, about 300 French soldiers and Indians sacked the town of Deerfield, Ma. killing men, women, and children. His 6 year old son and a new born infant were among those slaughtered. The survivors were marched over 300 miles away to Canada where they spent 8 weeks captive among the Indians before being turned over to the French. Along the way his wife and many others died or were killed by the Indians.

Many stories from this time period survive. It was quite common to keep a journal or, as in this case, to write "narratives" of personal experiences.

What I found fascinating in Williams' tale was not the treatment he received from the Indians, but the treatment received by the French. He spent only eight weeks among the Indians and thought he had been resued with the French Priests took them to their village. But Williams and his townspeople are Puritans. The Catholic priests attempt to force conversion to Catholicism. They separate families, deprive food, indoctrinate, and apply physical punishment in their attempts to convert. Some do, by Williams holds strong till the end. Everyone is always hopeful they will be traded for French prisoners held by the English.

Sadly, one of his very young daughters was left with a Mohawk family that used her to replace one of their children that had died. The French would not allow her to leave. She grew up as a Mohawk Indian.