Walking in the Footsteps of Reverend John Norton

 

by Margaret A. Ley

Edited and with a foreword by C.A. Chicoine

Foreward

I've had an interest in Fort Massachusetts ever since I first attended the annual commemoration of the siege of Fort Massachusetts in 2007. Back then, the site was owned by the Golub Corporation, where they had a Price Chopper Supermarket. Although the site lay in neglect for several years, in 2012, a group of supermarket employees did a tremendous job cleaning the site up and making improvements to the site.  

My interest piqued once again when news of the supermarket closure and the sale of the property in 2016 made the headlines. That was when I formed the Friends of Fort Massachusetts (FoFMA). It made its debut on the 270th anniversary of the siege, before a crowd of 150 people–the highest for this ceremony in years, if not decades. Although FoFMA dissolved as a group a year later, it was instrumental in paving the way for the Golub Corporation to donate this historic site to the City of North Adams. The FoFMA website will remain intact; educating its visitors about this historic site. If the communities in Northern Berkshire wish to honour the site of Fort Massachusetts with more than a vague marker on a small boulder to memorialize and inform the visitor of the actual site, FoFMA can provide the vehicle needed for such an endeavour. This historic site certainly has a lot of potential that we are not fully exploiting, as I outlined in my article, "The Origin of Our Community".    

In March of 2021, Margaret contacted me––via the FoFMA Facebook page––asking if there were any events planned for the 275th anniversary of the siege of Fort Massachusetts. At that point, it was in the hands of the North Adams Historical Society. And nothing had yet been planned. By summer, a date had been set, but they weren't sure where they were going to hold it. 

After a couple of texts back and forth, Margaret revealed to me that she was a descendant of the Reverend John Norton. And that she had always heard about the story of the siege, and couldn't believe that it was true, and that the site actually existed. When I learned that she was planning to come here for a visit and to travel the route the captives took from the fort to Quebec, Canada––following in the footsteps of her 6th great-grandfather's footsteps––I thought to myself, what a great article this would make for the FoFMA blog! 

There wasn't a formal commemoration at the site that year. A memorial of sorts was held at the Holiday Inn, where the North Adams Historical Society had a space. I went to the site instead, where I coincidentally ran into Margaret and her husband, Joel. We weren't scheduled to meet until the next day. But this so happened to be the anniversary of the first day of the siege. The following day was the surrender and the beginning of their long journey to Quebec.  

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they could only travel to Windmill Point, Vermont––near the border of Canada on that trip. The following year, 2022, they picked up where they left off––to be in Quebec on the 275th anniversary of the captive's release. 

As Margaret was putting together this article, we had discussed how it would be presented and when. Some ideas had crossed our minds. Should we release it a section at a time, on the anniversary of each of Norton's journal entries? Release the first half (in 2021), then the second half the following year? Then there were all of the photos taken; which to include and which not to include (for blog space). I felt it would be best to wait for both sections to be completed and release it as one article, featuring some photos, and have the remaining photos presented in a slideshow at the end of the article.

And as we worked through the material, more details would surface through Margret's further research. As a result, she had started a year-long series on the FoFMA Facebook page––"Redeemed Captives 279 Years Ago Today". Working from John Norton's journal and two other journals written by prisoners of war in Quebec, more details had come to light. The Facebook entries started on August 4, 2025 with background information before chronicling the daily events from Norton's and others' journals. It ended on August 18, 2026. Margaret will be consolidating these daily posts into a more comprehensive, user-friendly format here on this blog. 

Her research has been enlightening, to say the least. For example, she found the whereabouts of Col. Ephraim Williams Jr. during the siege. The materials that I had at the time that I was putting together the brief history of the siege on the FoFMA website, did not indicate where he was. It was a mystery. We now know that he was in Albany, NY. From Margaret's FoFMA Facebook post (October 14, 2025), she wrote, "Captain Ephraim Williams Jr., in command of the line of forts, was absent from Fort Massachusetts when it was besieged by French General Rigaud. The Captain was present in Albany, NY, with roughly half of the fort's garrison, for one of the series of conferences held by New York Governor George Clinton, with the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. In fact, the conference opened the day of the siege. Governor Clinton was hoping to secure English-tribal relations and raise enough forces to make an attack on Crown Point."   

As you will learn from reading Margaret's series on Facebook, and the following compilation on this blog, the conditions that the captives had to endure in Quebec went from acceptable to appalling. Conditions deteriorated with the rising death toll.

We also found out that I am related to Captain Moses Rice (my 1st cousin, 9x removed). During King George’s War (1744-1748), his farmstead was one of a line of farms used as forts and garrisons. The Reverend John Norton and Doctor Thomas Williams lodged there before making their way to Fort Massachusetts––where Norton, the soldiers and their families would have that fateful encounter with the French and their Indian allies.       

It has been a joy and a pleasure meeting Margaret and Joel, and working on this article with them. Without further ado, I present to you, "Walking in the Footsteps of Reverend John Norton".         

Introduction

When I was a young girl, I first heard the story of the capture of Fort Massachusetts from my grandmother. She took our family history seriously and filled notebooks with names and stories that she'd pass down to her descendants. One story she told was about a relative who was a chaplain at Fort Massachusetts during the French and Indian War. Her version: “The fort was sacked by the French and Indians, and everyone in it was taken captive all the way to Quebec. Our relative, John Norton, was taken captive along with the others, including a pregnant woman. He stayed with her until she had the baby, and then made an escape to return home.” No doubt my grandmother heard this story from her father-in-law, Howard Norton Smith. Howard followed in John Norton’s footsteps before I did. Like John Norton, Howard attended Yale and then continued his studies to become a congregational minister. His journey led him from East Hampton, Connecticut, to the shores of Hawaii. By the time I came along, our family was rooted in Seattle, Washington. I broke the mold somewhat, graduating from the University of Washington, and then studied at Wartburg (Lutheran) Theological Seminary in Iowa before embarking on my ministry at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center in Kennewick, Washington. I recently retired as lead chaplain from Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Washington. Clearly, John Norton is a source of inspiration in our family, and he has certainly captured my imagination. Over the years, I have uncovered information about him that has been lost to our family. I found a copy of John Norton’s reprinted diary in the archives of the First Congregational Church in East Hampton, Connecticut, as well as online records about Fort Massachusetts written by some of Norton’s contemporaries and local historians.

I’ve drawn parallels between Norton’s experience and mine, such as:

• As a chaplain, I served in a war with global ramifications. Congress, under the Nixon Administration, declared War on Cancer in 1971, which is still active today.
• My director at the cancer center was from Caribou, Maine. Her French ancestors stretch back further than mine in North America, and quite possibly they once regarded one another through sights over the barrels of their guns.
• Some cancer patients frequently make references to a “cancer journey”, whilst others, a "forced march"—which better reflects the lack of control over one's own life, and often brutal realities of facing cancer and its treatments.
• Norton suffered an epidemic in a Quebec prison. For the last three years, I served as lead chaplain at St. Mary Catholic Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The story of Fort Massachusetts had sustained me over nearly 20 years while serving as a chaplain in the medical field. I gained from Norton’s journal and my own experience that the way of a minister is best exemplified by honor shown to others. I hoped to learn more by visiting the places where Norton was held captive. And to commemorate the 275th anniversary of the capitulation of Fort Massachusetts, I would travel to North Adams. Norton kept detailed notes of his journey to Quebec, and I wanted to find the trail the captives walked, meet some of the people who preserved their stories, and pay my respect.

The Back Story
1746

In the unsettled times of the 1740s between the French, Indians, and English, Massachusetts Governor William Shirley placed Colonel John Stoddard, of the Hampshire (Berkshire) County militia, in charge of the defense of western Massachusetts. Stoddard created a line of forts, strategically placed along the northern boundary, starting from the Connecticut River to what is now the New York border. Oliver Partridge put down the survey stakes for construction. The role of personnel in the forts was to alert and defend settlers against enemy invasion. In 1745, Rev. John Norton left parish ministry and accepted a commission as chaplain, and along with his family, he was stationed at Fort Shirley near Heath, Massachusetts. As a chaplain, his role was to frequently visit the line of forts, provide worship services, sacraments, and encouragement.

John Norton left Fort Shirley in the company of Dr. Thomas Williams and fourteen soldiers on August 19th, 1746. They traveled west to Fort Pelham and then lodged for the night at the home of Captain Rice. They arrived at Fort Massachusetts the next day, where Norton planned to stay for a month. His stay would have been welcomed by Sergeant John Hawks, who was put in charge of the fort during the absence of Captain Ephraim Williams. Everyone along the Massachusetts northern frontier was on high alert for a French counterattack after Massachusetts Governor William Shirley successfully captured Fort Louisbourg on Brenton Island. Under these circumstances, it couldn’t hurt to have a chaplain around.

Norton said goodbye to his wife Eunice, daughters Asenath (age 7), Elizabeth (age 5), and son John (aged 3), and a one-year-old baby, Anna. A year passed before he saw them again.

2021

Preparation for our trip involved lots of research. Some days felt like falling down a rabbit hole. First, I had to map out the trail by the journal entries made by Norton.

My husband Joel and I both grew up hiking in the Mountains of Washington State. The most memorable trip we made together was a hike through the Olympic Mountains on the trail blazed by the Press Expedition. For this next big adventure, I printed out pages of maps covering the area from North Adams to Quebec using Google Maps. I taped the pages to our full-length living room window. The maps had been in place for a few days before Joel noticed. “I see you are setting up your war room,” he said. But he was hooked. Joel ordered USGS survey maps, and I discarded the ones I had. We spent hours combing through these maps spread out on my drafting table. We encountered some challenges in Norton’s notes, but eventually we plotted a likely course.

Our first stop had to be Deerfield. To learn more, I reached out to the Congregational Church in Historic Deerfield, where Norton was ordained in 1741. Their response to me was a referral to Timothy Neumann, Director of Memorial Hall, who agreed to meet with us.

I also reached out to the founder of Friends of Fort Massachusetts, C.A. Chicone, and he, too, was willing to meet with Joel and me. I was elated by this support, and I still feel a debt of gratitude for these people—and nameless others—who recognized the value of history and have worked to preserve this story. My one disappointment was that our trip had to be divided into two parts due to the COVID pandemic. With few vacation days, we would be driving—not hiking.

2021 Itinerary

Day 1 August 18—Arrive in Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, Massachusetts

Day 2 August 19— Meet with Timothy Neuman, director of Memorial Hall

Day 3 August 20—Travel to North Adams.

Day 4 August 21—Meet with Craig

Day 5 August 22—Leave North Adams and travel the trail of the captives to White Hall

Day 6 August 23—Break

Day 7 August 24—Travel from White Hall to Windmill Point

On the pages that follow, I offer you chronological snapshots of Norton’s Journal along with my observations and reflections.

Fort Massachusetts
1746

Norton Journal Entry:

Saturday, (August) 16th. The doctor, with fourteen men, went off for Deerfield, and left in the fort, Sergeant John Hawks, with twenty soldiers, about half of them sick with bloody flux. Mr. Hawks sent a letter by the doctor to the captain, supposing that he was then at Deerfield, desiring that he would speedily send up some stores to the fort, being very short on it for ammunition, and having discovered some signs of the enemy… The letter did not get to the captain seasonably.

Lord’s Day and Monday, 17th and 18th, we met with no disturbance, nor did we discover any enemy; but the sickness was very distressing.

Day 1
August 18, 2021

Travel from Walla Walla to Massachusetts seemed long because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions requiring everyone to wear a mask. There was an atmospheric disturbance off the coast of Florida named Henri, but it didn’t affect our travel. We arrived at our hotel near Historic Deerfield, ready for an early start in the morning.

Fort Massachusetts
1746

Norton Journal Entry:

Tuesday, 19th. Between eight and nine o’clock in the morning, when, through the good providence of God, we were all in the fort, twenty-two men, three women, and five children, there appeared an army of French and Indians, eight or nine hundred in number, commanded by Monsieur Regand de Vaudrule, who having surrounded the fort on every side, began with hideous acclamations to rush forward upon the fort, firing incessantly upon us on every side.

Day 2
Historic Deerfield, Massachusetts
August 19th, 2021

We took the Greenfield Street exit off Interstate 91, then turned onto Old Deerfield Main Street and stepped back in time to the 18th Century. Main Street's plain black-topped surface, devoid of sidewalks or ditches, enhanced the charm of stately homes in faded colors with framed front doors skirted by fenceless lawns and shrubs. Along Main Street were two homes of interest: the Jonathan Ashley House, and the Dr. Thomas Williams House. The homes were so well preserved that their original owners might have been peering from behind the curtains.

We parked near the Deerfield Fire Department just as their morning meeting concluded. Joel fired off some questions to a couple of firefighters who returned friendly banter, appreciative of the opportunity to share their perspective on Deerfield with curious tourists. We then found the once relocated and twice rebuilt church building where Rev. Jonathan Ashley ordained Norton. From there, it was a short walk to the Memorial Hall Museum, where the director, Timothy C. Neumann, presents and promotes multi-cultural history.

Neumann showed us artifacts from the church and produced a copy of Norton’s ordination sermon delivered by Jonathan Ashley on November 25, 1741. The sermon was followed by laying out clear expectations of the office and work of a minister, and then an official congratulations and welcome was offered. I could hardly believe these documents were still in existence.

The last exhibit Neumann showed us is a progression of Native American art from before European expansion to the present. Neumann also showed us some of his work to complete historical records. He showed us an imprint of a monument for one woman that read, “She was captured by savages and then became one.” Neumann worked with her descendants to preserve her English name and, with an overlay, describe “savage” with an accurate tribal name, making her recognizable to her descendants.

Tim left us with a final story. “One day, an 'artist-in-residence' was asked by a museum visitor if she would make more 'traditional' Native art?

She said, “But we aren’t the people we once were, and neither are you.”

Fort Massachusetts
August 20, 1746

Information below is paraphrased from Norton’s Journal on the 19th and 20th

The fort held out through the night due to Sgt. John Hawks’ leadership with a helping hand from Providence. At the initial onslaught, Hawks ordered his men to fire no more than what was necessary and with good opportunity. He ordered those unable to fight to make bullets and fill every item that could hold water when it appeared that the enemy intended to fight with fire. Within the living quarters, Hawks cut a passage from one room to the other so the soldiers could avoid the fort parade. The enemy discovered a fatal flaw in the fort’s design. From a small ledge on a north-facing hill, the enemy were able to fire directly into the fort. Hawks considered sending out an alarm, but it was deemed impossible to get past the enemy. Consensus was that the garrison would stand their ground and fight to the end. After dark, a gentle summer rain began to fall, discouraging the enemy from setting fire to the fort. So, the enemy held back under the cover of the woods. Gunfire resumed at first light:

•  At 11:00 the fort suffered its first fatality.

•  At 12:00 the enemy desired to talk.

•  At 2:00 p.m., after much consideration, the terms of a surrender were presented to the General.

I.  That we should be all prisoners to the French; the general promising that the savages would have nothing to do with any of us.

II.  That the children should all live with their parents during the time of their captivity.

III.  That we should all have the privilege of being exchanged the first opportunity that presented.

Besides these particulars, the general promised all the prisoners should have all Christian care and charity exercised toward them, that those who were weak and unable to travel should be carried on their journey.

• that we should all be allowed to keep our clothing;

• and that we might leave a few lines to inform our friends what had become of them.

At 3:00 p.m., General de Vaudreuil was admitted to the fort, and his officers wasted no time raising his flag.

Day 2
August 20, 2021

From Deerfield, we drove along the old Mohawk Trail, and at the scenic overlook in the Berkshire Mountains, we got our first glimpse of North Adams. The Mohawk Trail runs parallel to the Hoosic River. At the former Price Chopper supermarket, we turned right, and the site of Fort Massachusetts lay straight ahead.

We spotted the iconic chimney from the reconstructed replica of Fort Massachusetts and parked in front of a stone monument placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution. I caught the moment of the historic surrender on my phone with the camera set to “video”. I pointed the camera at the stone, then lifted it to a path that leads off through the trees. And as I continued to lift the camera upwards, a breeze rippled the leaves of the trees, and just then, I heard my husband say with a hearty laugh, “And you must be Craig.” It was a welcome surprise to meet the person who had a large role in helping us make this journey.

August 20 and 21, 1746

Extracted from Norton’s Journal:

It only took a few hours for the agreed terms of surrender to be broken. The body of Thomas Knowlton was desecrated, and all the soldiers were forced to go with the Indians except the two with their wives and children, Hawks and Norton, who were kept by the French. Rebecca Perry was separated from her husband, and she, too, was forced to go with the Indians. Norton’s pleas on behalf of Josiah Reed and John Aldrich that they remain with the French because neither soldier could walk were ignored.

On the morning of August 21, the General allowed Norton, under the guard of a Frenchman and some Indians, to return to the fort to leave his letter. Norton found the west post, part of the well, still standing and nailed his letter to it.

August 20, 1746

These are to inform you that yesterday, about 9 of the clock, we were besieged by, as they say, by seven hundred French and Indians. They have wounded two men and killed one Knowlton. The General de

Vaudreuil desired capitulations, and we were so distressed that we complied with his terms. We are the French’s prisoners and have it under the general’s hand that every man, woman and child shall be exchanged for French prisoners. 

The army broke camp and a few left for Deerfield, while the main army, with their captives, marched over four miles to the site where they camped the night before the attack. Here, the captives rested before they started out on the next eight-mile stretch. Reed and Aldrich had to be carried, and Hawks had to intercede on behalf of Rebecca Perry because of rough treatment by her master. Mary Smead covered the first twelve miles without difficulty, which is remarkable because she was near full term pregnant. Somewhere after the second rest stop, Mary went into labor. The French Officers built her a birthing chair and carried her.

Soldiers and prisoners made camp by sunset after traveling nearly twenty-four miles that day. The meadow land where the Little Hoosic flows into the Hoosic belonged to Dutch settlers, “Van Der Verick.” Somehow, these settlers managed to sequester themselves in hiding, leaving their cabins and livestock unprotected. The General’s troops helped themselves and destroyed what they didn’t keep. The army continued this practice as they made their way north.

Josiah Reed became the second fatality and died from his wounds. Mary was safely brought to camp and gave birth to a daughter.

August 22, 1746

Van Der Verick’s Place

Norton’s Journal Entry:

Friday 22nd. This morning, I baptized John Smead's child. He called its name CAPTIVITY.

Day 3
August 21, 2021

We woke up after a comfortable night's sleep in the historic Flatiron Building in North Adams. We were close to the North Adams Historical Society at Hotel Downstreet and stopped by to see the exhibit on Fort Massachusetts. [The historical society no longer has a space there.] We then returned to the fort site and, as agreed, met with Craig at 10am. 

Craig continues his research on Fort Massachusetts. He questioned me for details about the story I heard from my grandmother, our family connection to Norton, and what prompted me to make this trip. I shared that our family descended from Norton’s second daughter, Elizabeth. My dad kept a reprint copy of one of Norton’s sermons that he read at Fort Edward in 1754 during his second term as chaplain to the militia. Unfortunately, a fire at the Congregational Church in East Hampton—after his death—destroyed Norton’s professional documents. I only know of three surviving published copies of his original journal.

The journal I have is a 1870 reprint of the original, which was retitled and edited by Samuel G. Drake. I found it while visiting Norton’s church in East Hampton, CT, in the church’s archives. Until then, neither I nor anyone else in my family knew of its existence. Craig’s genuine interest and questions deepened my appreciation of the importance of oral and local history. 

Craig began answering our questions by starting with the “Mohawk Trail"—colloquially called The Trail. He referred to it as the “Trail of the Five Nations”, referring to the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy that lived in the Northeastern portion of North America. They were comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca (listed geographically from east to west). The Trail was a footpath used for trade and travel between the Hudson River Valley in New York State and the Connecticut River in Massachusetts by those native American tribes for approximately 10,000 to 12,000 years. 

The fort was intentionally laid out with respect to the Trail in present-day North Adams at the point along the Hoosic River where the river makes a wide U-shape. Inside the “U,” observers from the fort could view river and trail traffic. What was overlooked was the rise of the mountain facing the entrance of the fort. An outcropping of rock at the foot of the mountain provided an advantageous ledge, which the enemy put to use, firing their muskets directly into the fort parade. Craig roughly pointed out the layout of the fort as it stood in 1746. He shared that this site had not been excavated. And, with arms spread in a wide gesture encompassing the parking lot, told us that this site still holds the human remains of some of the soldiers buried there—"God's Acre", it being the first cemetery in the Northern Berkshires.

On the website for FoFMA, Craig mapped out the most likely route the General took his army back to Canada. From Fort Massachusetts, Craig then led us by car north, turned west near the infamous ledge, and then followed him about 4 miles to the first resting spot in Williamstown. 

The first resting spot is well known to residents of Williamstown as “The River Bend.” Benjamin Simonds, a soldier who was wounded during the siege, rested here along with the other soldiers and their families. Simonds survived the ordeal, and in 1750, he purchased this site and built an Inn there. It’s called “The River Bend Farm” and today still welcomes travelers. Craig knows the current owners of “The River Bend Farm, Dave and Judy, who are also enthusiastic supporters of Fort Massachusetts. Craig arranged for us to meet them and tour the Inn. 

The River's Bend  

The Hoosac meadow on which the band of captives rested 

for a while at about noontime on their first day's journey to Canada.

Craig then showed us a 1753 replica house of a regulation settler's home. Then we toured the cemetery where Benjamin Simonds is buried. 

Day 4 – North Adams
August 22, 2021

We woke up and made ready to get on the road. We planned to cover nearly a hundred miles from North Adams to Lake Champlain in a single day. It took the captives six days to cover the same distance on foot. As we were getting ready to check out, my phone alerted me to a text message from Craig.

“...And do please be careful of the coming storm ahead. I encourage you to postpone any travels as this approaches if you can. Between the downpours obstructing your vision, and possible downed trees, etc., I am very concerned for you both as you journey the hills. Take care, Craig.”

We read the text and then looked at the national weather report. Tropical Storm Henri had moved inland and was taking aim at North Adams. Unbelievable. First, COVID-19, and now a major atmospheric event added to the challenge of our adventure. We planned to get on the road and stay ahead of the storm. We first stopped at a grocery store named the...”Big Y” 

“I have never seen this store brand before,” I said.

Joel said, “Great! An existential grocery store.”

We headed back to Fort Massachusetts and took time under a low gray sky to leave flowers on the monument in honor of “Captivity’s birth”. I considered leaving a note in reply to Norton’s. I would have written,

“Granddad, your family got your note, we have come to look for you—don’t lose hope.” 

I wonder—if anything—if I could ever do anything in my life that would amount to someone remembering me 275 years later. 

Joel and I drove to River Bend and then continued Route 7 across the southwest corner of Vermont, where we picked up 346 and crossed into New York State. We cut north where the Little Hoosic flows into the Hoosic River. The land here is rich farmland. And I can imagine the Van Der Verick's cabin where a modern farm now sits. We parked along the road and walked back across the bridge to take a better look at the confluence of these two rivers. Our timing was perfect as the morning sun was shedding light on the mouth of the Little Hoosic—perhaps the very site where Captivity was baptized.

Captivity’s arrival has caught the imagination of historians over the years. American historian Francis Parkman, in his work "Half Century of Conflict", wrote this:

“Rudely shaped as were their lives, these English borderers were unconsciously poets. The name of John Smead’s daughter is an epic in a single word."

In 1895, The Hoosac Valley News published a poem written by Annie W. McMillin titled “Captivity.” An excerpt of her poem....

But when they came on weary feet

Near where the Hoosac Rivers meet

A new life fluttered down to earth

For here a little child had birth,

And new care on that hour of need

Came on John and Mary Smead

But they were brave – they looked above

And welcomed her with tenderest love

Turned to their chaplain and thanked Heaven

That Christian Baptism could be given

Crushed down their longing to be free

And named their child “Captivity”

Well for that mother that there lies A

heaven in a Baby’s eyes.

I wonder what was going through the mind of the chaplain under these circumstances. Perhaps he carried the worry of another long day of travel ahead, and that being baptized into death and into new life, might too soon become her reality. 

Van Der Verick's farm, where the captives arrived a little before sunset. 

Down by the river at Van Der Verick's place. 

The sunlight on the water before us didn’t last. To the south, a band of gray storm clouds spun north like the outer arm of a galaxy. We too needed to keep moving.

Norton’s Journal Entry—Continued: 

August 22, 1746 

The French then made a frame like a bier, and laid a buck skin and bear skin upon it, and laid Mrs. Smeed, with her infant, thereon; and so two men at a time carried them. They also carried Moses Scott’s wife and two children, and another of  Smeed’s children. Then Indians also carried in their canoes, Br. Simon and John Aldrich and Perry’s wife, down the river about ten miles. 

We had remarkable smiles of Providence. Our men that had been sick, grew better and recovered strength. The enemy killed some cattle which they found in the meadow;: so that we had plenty of fresh provisions and broth, which was very beneficial to the sick. I then expressed a concern for the feeble people, understanding that we were to leave the river, and travel through the wilderness near sixty miles; but Mons. Dumuy told me I need not fear, for the general had promised those Indians a reward who had the care of the feeble persons, if they would be kind and carry them through the journey. 

This night I visited most of the prisoners. This night, also, died two Indians of their wounds. The enemy had got four horses.

The Hoosic River bends to the north just after picking up the Little Hoosic. Ten miles downriver are rapids and falls, and another five miles beyond that, the Hoosic takes a decided turn to the west. The Hoosic Falls is likely the spot where the captives disembarked, and at the river’s turn to the west is the likely spot where the army made camp. Another smile of providence came in the form of four horses the enemy “got” at the start of their 60 miles of overland travel.

We crossed the Hoosic River where it bends west, a location today called Eagle Bridge. I had one last chance to get to the water’s edge. We found parking at a small boat launch, and just to the side of the ramp was a large flat rock extending from the shore into the water. From that rock, I stuck my shoeless toe into the river.

Looking east, the Hoosic sparkled in the sunshine. In front of me, the river was deep and dark in the shade of overhanging trees. The Hoosic grew with each tributary it collected between here and North Adams. It flowed on by me with an air of self-importance, purposely driven forward by a current that left tell-tale swirls on the surface. For the captives, it must have felt like they were leaving their last connection to home. I wanted to sit here and make the river tell me its secrets, but the sun disappeared behind a bank of clouds.

Joel said, “Margaret, we need to keep moving.”

Norton Journal Entry:

Saturday, 23, 1746

This day we left the river and traveled in the wilderness, in something of a path, and good traveling for the wilderness, something east of north, about fifteen miles…The French still carrying Smeed’s and Scott’s wives and children,…the Indians finding horses for brothers Simon and John Aldrich. Perry being released from his pack was able to help his wife and carry her when she was weary.

The body of the army lodged between two ponds, but part, with a number of the prisoners, were send forward about two miles, till they crossed Sarratago River; it is there twenty rods wide, but shallow water.

We found a place matching Norton’s description about 15 miles north-northeast. At this location, there are five lakes running in a north-to-south line. NY-22 cuts between two of the smaller lakes (ponds) in the middle.

We drove from Eagle Bridge along NY-22, which parallels the Owl Kill, and thought what a curious name for a river. We found out later that the name is likely of Dutch origin, and the word “kill”—translated—means body of water. The Dutch fingerprint on the landscape is one more surprise in our travels, pointing out that—once again—I have underestimated the historical complexity of the competition among tribes and nations in the eighteenth century. I have to laugh at our misconceptions as Pacific Northwesterners that all of New York State is covered in concrete and skyscrapers.

When we reached the southernmost lake of the five, we saw that it was the source of the Owl Kill. This river was useful in two ways. It was a constant source of drinking water as well as a navigational guide. Soon we had a small lake on either side of the road, Dead Lake and School House Lake, and the land between seemed to us like a traveler’s oasis—and a likely place for the army to make camp.

Downriver from the Owl Kill

Roughly two miles north of these two ponds is a significant river named Battenkill. Norton called it the Saratago, and Norton’s editor, Samuel G. Drake, made the following notation:

“This was doubtless the Hudson River, but the place of crossing is difficult to ascertain. The two ponds do not appear on any maps in the editor’s possession.”

I’ll forgive Drake, since in 1870, he did not have the maps we have, and given the number of historic languages spoken in this area, I wonder when, how, or if there was a consensus for the names of lakes, rivers, and peaks. 

Norton Journal Entry:

Lord’s Day, 24

This day we set out in the morning and came to Sarratago river, crossed it, and came to our company, which had been before us. Here we came to a rich piece of meadow ground, and traveled in it about five miles. We had good traveling this day. We crossed several pieces of good meadow land. We went about eighteen miles. John Perry’s wife performed this day’s journey without help from any. Our sick and feeble persons were remarkablye preserved to-day; for about two o’clock in the afternoon, there fell a very heavy shower of rain, which wet us through all our clothes.

Craig also believes the route we were on was correct, and he had shared local history about the Battenkill. Just beyond the ponds, the river widens and flattens at a point still referred to as the “Fording Spot.” From that fording spot, there are debatable options as to which way the army went. I believe that the main army continued along the route that is now NY-22, but for reasons I can’t explain, we left the trail after the ponds and took a road that lifted us out of the valley and trees onto an open ridge east of Rexleigh.

Maybe I wanted a scenic view of the valley, or I just wanted to cross the Battenkill where it moves fast down the hillside. More likely, I was feeling threatened by Henri, and I knew that it was near here that the storm clouds opened up in 1746 and poured a bone-drenching rain upon the captives. It neither rained nor was there a breath of wind when we crossed the Battenkill as she churned under the Rexleigh Bridge. We returned to route NY- 22 soon after crossing the river. Yeah, I think I would have really liked to have seen the place where a person can cross the Battenkill on foot—next time.

Heading north, we noticed the valley floor is tilted at a fairly easy grade for walking. In many places, the rocky soil doesn’t appear hospitable to anything but low-growing plants and grass.

The best part of this route is a constant supply of water from creeks. After leaving Battenkill, it is less than a mile to White Creek. Once you leave White Creek, it is a short distance to Beaver Creek. Beyond Beaver Creek is a low pass that separates Beaver Creek from Black Creek. After Black Creek, there is one more pass to go over and then a short distance to Indian Creek.

Growing up a hiker in the Pacific Northwest, I am used to our clear, fast-moving streams and rivers, and I know how important it is to find them along the trail. When it comes to Norton’s description of a “good run of water,” it doesn’t justly describe Indian Creek the likely place where they camped for the night. From the pictures shown, you would think you were looking at dry earth. The clear water you can’t see in this picture is maybe 10 to 12 inches deep.

Norton Journal Entry:

Monday 25 -- This morning we set out and traveled about eleven miles. We had something rough traveling to-day. We quickly left the small stream we lodged by at our right hand to the east of us, and, traveling a few miles over some small hills and ledges, came to a stream running from east to west, about two or three rods in width, and about two feet deep.

We crossed it, our general course being north. We traveled about two or three miles farther and came to a stream running from south-west to north-east, about six rods in width, which we crossed. And this stream (which we suppose to be Wood Creek), according to the best of my remembrance, and according to the short minute that I made of this day’s travel, we left at our right hand to the east of us; but Sergeant Hawks thinks I am mistaken, and that we crossed it again, and left it at the left hand, west of us. I won’t be certain, but I cannot persuade myself that I am mistaken. The French and Indians helping our feeble people, we all arrived well at our camp, which was by a couple of ponds. Some few who were before us went to the drowned land.

Indian River flows north and empties into the Mettawee River. The Mettawee, at Grandview, flows west, then turns and flows northeast, then turns again and flows southwest. It matches Norton’s description of the day’s journey, including his dispute with Hawks, and Hawks was right. They had to have crossed the Mettawee one more time. Norton’s journal notations might indicate he was struggling with fatigue, because he didn’t remember the second crossing, and he seemed to be a bit vague about the rest of the day’s travel.

To figure out where they may have camped, Joel and I looked at his notes for the next day, the 26th, which mentioned coming to the “Drowned Land.” We worked his notes backward from the Drowned Land to the Mettawee.

Norton Journal Entry:

Tuesday 26 -- This day we took our journey. Our course in the morning something west of north. In traveling about three or four miles we came to a mountain, a steep ascent, about eighty or one hundred rods, but not rocky. After we passed this mountain, our course was about west, five or six miles, till we came to the drowned lands.

From the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for New Hampshire and Vermont (p.62.), we identified the drowned lands and directly east we found the name of a peak that rises to 1,163 ft., Mt. Thorn. That puts the campsite for the night of the 25th three to four miles to the South-Southwest. There are plenty of ponds around this area to support Norton’s description of camping near two ponds.

We drove 22A, then CT 18 to SR-4. I looked longingly at the forested lands, hoping to get closer to Mt. Thorn without luck. Roads are remote and likely privately owned. I thought about the residents and wanted to respect their privacy, but I wondered what they knew about historic trails that once lay across these lands.

Norton Journal Entry:

August 26-- When we came to the canoes, the stream ran from north-east to south-west. We embarked about two o’clock; the stream quickly turned and ran to the north. We sailed about eighteen or twenty miles that night, and encamped on the east side of the water.

With the most arduous portion of their journey behind them, all the captives must have been grateful to have come so far and to be alive. From here on in, they would be carried by boat with few exceptions. That night, they made camp on Lake Champlain at approximately Benson Bay.

Like the captives, we also felt fortunate as we reached the Drowned Lands near White Hall.

The sky was completely overcast with a cool light wind, but Henri had spun himself east for the Atlantic coast. We were headed for Ticonderoga and a historic guided excursion on Lake Champlain. We were going to take a break tomorrow and pick up the trail again in two days.

DAY 6

August 25, 2021

Lake Champlain

We started today at Benson Bay, which is a secret park known to locals. It offers protection from the wind, a small creek, and a sloping shoreline conducive to beaching canoes and wading. One thing we learned on our boat tour, although this may be debatable, is that the level of the lake has been altered due to manmade construction of canals. The level may have been altered as much as 10 feet. Taking into consideration the current lake to what it might have been in Norton’s day was a good mental exercise as we traveled the shoreline. A lot can change in 275 years.

Norton Journal Entry:

Wednesday 27th, We embarked about nine o’clock, and sailed to Crown Point, something better than twenty miles. Some of the army went in the night before, and some before the body of the army. The sails were pulled down, and the canoes brought up abreast, and passed by the fort over to the north-east point, saluting the fort with three vollies as we passed by it. The fort returning the salute by the discharge of the cannon. This was about twelve o’clock. Here we tarried til the 4 th of September. I lodged in an house on the north-east point. We all arrived better in health than when we were first taken.

Crown Point is located at a narrow channel near the south end of Lake Champlain. In 1734, the French strategically built Fort St. Frederic here to control lake traffic and protect their settlements to the north. Norton gave this description the day after their arrival.

Norton Journal Entry:

Thursday, 28. This day I was invited by Monsieur Demuy to go over and see the fort, which I did. It is something an irregular form, having five sides to it., The ramparts twenty feet thick, the breast work two feet and half; the whole about twenty feet high. There were twenty-one or twenty-two guns upon the wall; some four and six pounders, and there may be some as large as nine pounders. The citadel an octagon built, three stories high, fifty or sixty feet diameter, built with stone laid in lime, the wall is six or seven feet thick, arched over the second and third stories for bomb proof. In the chambers nine or ten guns; some of them may be nine pounders, and I believe none less than six, and near twenty patararoes. But as my time was short I cannot be very particular. They have stores of small arms, as blunderbusses, pistols and muskets. This night proved very cold and stormy.

The storm lasted through the next day, and the Scott and Smeed families were taken into the house with the French officers so that they might be more comfortable. On August 30th, the storm abated somewhat.

Meanwhile, Deerfield was on full alarm and had sent a post to Fort Massachusetts to “bury the dead.” It is ironic that Captain Partridge, who did the initial survey work for Fort Massachusetts, was put in charge of the detail.

When he and his troops arrived at the remains of the fort, they found the ground white as though covered in snow. The enemy had ripped open all the bed mattresses, knowing that it is often where the English hide their treasures.

Partridge read the note left by Norton, and it must have come to him as a great relief to find feathers and not fatalities. Partridge reported the news back to Deerfield on August 30th.

At Fort Saint-Frédéric, the captives wrote more letters to assure loved ones at home of their condition. They handed the letters to the French in hopes that on their next forage to the south, they would drop them where they might be found by the English.

The letter Norton wrote on the 30th of August, 1746, did reach the English within two weeks and was documented by Deacon Noah Wright.

Noah Wright’s journal entry:

Sept. 11, 1746, I saw a letter wrote by Mr. Norton at Hoosic after the fort was taken, and he says, that they were besieged by seven hundred French and Indians, and they being brought to a great strait, the enemy prepared a vast quantity of faggots in order to burn down the fort by force, but the French General came to them for capitulation, and told them if they would resign up the fort he would treat them all well and carry them to Canada; that they should be redeemed as soon as there was any opportunity, and if not he would kill them all. And so they resigned up the fort, and lost but one man, name Norton (Knawlton), and had two wounded, and so all the rest are gone to Canada. He says they are all well used by the enemy.

On Sunday, the 31st of August, their stay at Crown Point began with warmer temperatures. The captives were given the liberty of gathering for worship, which may have given them the strength to endure the scene they encountered at noon. Hopefully, they were still together when the canoes came ashore.

Norton Journal Entry:

Lord’s Day, 31. …the enemy who went off from us from Hoosuck, the morning after we were taken, returned and brough in six scalps, viz Samuel Allen, Eleazer Hawks, Jun., two Amsdels all of Deerfield; Adonijah Gillet of Colchester, Constant Bliss of Hebron, and one captive, viz., Samuel Allen, son to him who was killed. He was taken with his father and Ealeazer Hawks. The Amsdells and Gillet were killed in Deerfield South Meadow, August 25th. The Indians also acknowledged they lost one man there. This lad told us they had not then heard in Deerfield of their taking fort Massachusetts. [The young boy the Indians kept as captive, Samuel Allen, was nephew to John Hawks.] A young Hatacook (perhaps Scattacok or Schaghicoke) Indian was Samuel Allen’s master, and carried him to St. Francois.

Our first glimpse of Fort Saint-Frédéric was from the Lake Champlain Bridge. The bridge goes right over the bay, separating the fort from the former site of their windmill for the use of making flour. The mill was also fortified with cannons and served as an outpost, and is now the Lake Champlain Memorial. The bay between these sites became a harbor for the French-built, 45-ton, 50-feet-long sloop, which they used to run supplies between Crown Point and Fort Chambly on the Richelieu River.

From the literature provided at the site, we learned that Fort Saint-Frédéric was a classic fortress with a 12-foot-deep moat at the entrance and a gated drawbridge. Inside, it had a well, a chapel, a citadel, and a redoubt that also held a dungeon. As a military installation, it was second only to Quebec. It became the center for the first European community of farmers, merchants, and soldiers in the southern Champlain Valley. The stone foundations are still visible, as are the foundations of four beehive ovens built over French ovens by the British when they captured the fort in 1759.

The ruins of Fort Saint-Frédéric

We learned more details about the fort from the journal of another English soldier, Nehemiah Howe, who was taken prisoner from Fort Dummer by the Indians in October of 1745.

Nehemiah described the shores of Crown Point being lined with civilians and soldiers. One of those on shore was Amrusus, which connects this story to an event in 1704 when Deerfield was attacked, and Rev. John Williams and his family were taken to Quebec. The surviving members of Williams’ family returned to Deerfield except for his daughter, who refused to leave her captors. Amrusus later became her husband. As part of Howe’s “arrival ceremonies”, he was forced to perform song and dance for jeering spectators, and several times during his ordeal, he thought he would die. He credits his survival to some Indians, French officers, and a priest who intervened on his behalf.

My mind went into overdrive imagining what went through the captives’ minds, especially Hawks, when they laid eyes on his nephew—now a captive. Whatever Hawks felt, he could do nothing except maintain an exterior at least as thick as the fortress walls and pray to God that someday he would be able to find the boy.

Norton Journal Entry:

Thursday 4 -- We embarked for Canada about ten o’clock , and sailed about fifteen miles. Our course, I judged to be north, about 10 degrees east, which I take to be the general course from Crown Point to Champlain. Towards night we turned into a cove, the east side of the lake, and encamped, having the land upon the south-west, south, and east of us. Here we were to wait for General De Vaudrieule, who we left at Crown Point, and expected would come to us this night or in the morning; but the night proved very stormy.

Friday 5, …we lay by to-day.

At first glance at the map, Shelbourne Bay fits Norton’s description. But Shelbourne doesn’t fit with the distances given by Norton for the day’s travel. Since Norton had been amazing with the accuracy of distances traveled each day, we found two promising alternatives to Shelbourne and thought, perhaps, we could scout them out. The first bay was not only private property, but the banks were high and not conducive to landing canoes. Our second guess was impressive. Kingsland Bay.

The name isn’t the only hint that this bay predates the American Revolution. Kingsland Bay is easy to access from the main route of the lake, and it fits Norton’s description. Reminiscent of River’s Bend, where an 18th-century building was erected as an Inn in the 1750s, we saw a slightly larger building made for lodging also of the 1750s. We understand that stones from Ticonderoga were used in construction, which tells me there must be some type of military connection. The bay is deep, except at the northeast corner where the land has a gentle slope, making it easy to beach a fleet of canoes and come ashore. We noticed that there were canoes parked along the shore when we visited.

Norton Journal Entry:

Saturday 6th. About nine o’clock this morning the general came up with us; then we embarked and sailed with a pretty good wind the bigger part of the day. Towards night we saw a few houses on the west side of the lake, but I supposed they were deserted. We sailed at least three score miles this day. We came to where the lake was but a few miles in width, and encamped on the east shore, where there was a windmill and a few houses, but were all deserted.

We arrived at Windmill Point in the late afternoon of August 24th. We found Windmill Point an exclusive place with lovely homes, protected by a private drive. Understanding the feelings of the residents, we respectfully kept our distance, but we were disappointed.

We were able to park and walk across an empty field to Windmill Point’s west shore. To the south, we looked down the lake. To the north, we looked at the bridge connecting New York and Vermont. Just beyond the bridge, and out of our reach, was the Canadian border. With any luck, we will pick up the trail next year.

On The Trail in Canada
2022

In 2022, the border between Canada and the United States reopened, making it possible for us to finish our quest, which was to be present at the site of the old prison in Quebec for the 275th anniversary of the release of the captives. I booked plane tickets, made hotel reservations, and crossed my fingers, hoping for some smiles of Providence that our trip would go ahead as planned.

Our trip was complicated. We did not want the trouble of driving a car around Montreal and Quebec. As a result, we had to abandon visiting two sites (the September 12th and 14th stops).

We needed our passports, proof of vaccination, and had to register with the Canadian Government, providing them with details of our itinerary. As the day of our travel got closer, the number of COVID-19 cases began to rise on the East Coast. Canada reinstated random testing on the day of our arrival. To cap it off, Pope Francis was visiting Canada and arriving in Quebec the day after we planned to depart.

Itinerary

Day 1 July 19 Tuesday — Arrive in Montreal

Day 2 July 20 Wednesday — Start at the Canadian border, and travel the Richelieu River

Day 3 July 21 Thursday— Explore Old Montreal

Day 4 July 22 Friday — Explore Trois Rivières and Quebec

Day 5 July 23 Saturday— Tour with Accolade Tours

Day 6 July 24 Sunday — Worship at the Basilica, Tour the Governor’s House

Day 7 July 25 Monday — Old Prison and Day of Redemption

Day 8 July 26 Tuesday — Depart

Norton Journal Entry:

Lord’s Day (September) 7, (1746) We rose early (at Windmill Point) and set sail as soon as it was fair day-light, having a good wind, but the wind fell about eight o’clock, that they were obliged to ply their paddles. When we came to the end of the lake, about eleven o’clock, and were entering Champlain river, we met a boat with three men in it, who brought a packet of letters for the officers in the army.

The Richelieu River is known by many different names. In the 18th century, the French interchangeably referred to it as Chambly, Champlain River, or Iroquois River. A hundred years before Massachusetts set its line of forts, the French established a series of forts along the Richelieu from the St. Lawrence to Lake Champlain. The land surrounding the Richelieu was known as the Valley of Forts. At the time of King George’s War, there was only one active fort on the river.

This fort, built in 1666, was named Fort Louis. It was destroyed and later rebuilt in 1711 and renamed Fort Chambly. It was prized for its strategic location at the base of the Chambly rapids. For most of Fort’s years of service, it was used for storage.

Norton Journal—continued:

We went on shore at the first house, about three miles above the fort, where they were called together, and said their prayers; and as soon as they had done, Mons. Dumuy read his letter. Upon which they all shouted, crying, Vive Le Roy q.d. Let the King live. Upon which several of the young men came laughing to me, and by signs endeavored to inform me what the news was. I concluded that these fine tales were framed and sent to meet the army, in order to keep up the courage of the common people and of the Indians, who seemed to repent of their engaging in the war, and to grow very weary of it. Though, I found out afterwards that the Brest fleet was actually come over, with a design against New England.

Nehemiah Howe, who was brought from Crown Point to Quebec, was brought ashore just before the Chambly rapids. He recorded seeing about 300 French and Indians gathered around, and so he was ushered quickly to a house for his safety. 

Norton Journal Entry—continued:

From thence we traveled down to Champlain, (Chambly) where the gentlemen set up their tents, and we had great numbers to visit us of both sexes. There I expected we should have tarried that night. But a little before the sun setting, M. Dumuy came and ordered his canoe’s company to embark, and go down the river; and told me I must go with them…We sailed down the river about three miles, and lodged at a poor man’s house, who according to his ability, was courteous to me. I lodged with him in his own bed, which was the first bed I had lodged in since my captivity; and though it was a hard bed, and destitute of linnen, yet it was very comfortable to me.

Day 1
July 20, 2022

It was a short night and an early morning for us Westerners. We picked up a car and drove south on A-15. Just before the US - Canadian border, we took 221 to 223, and then turned right and drove past dense vegetation that blocked our view of the River. Luckily, we found the Marina Sieur de Champlain where we pulled in and parked. From the marina, we had a clear view to the south and a view of the Vermont / New York Bridge. Sighting the bridge assured me we were back on the trail.

French phrases uttered by nearby workers carried on the morning breeze to where Joel and I stood looking out over the Richelieu River—reminding us that we were on foreign soil. Today, Canada is a bilingual country, with English the predominant language except in the province of Quebec. By one account, only 2% of today’s inhabitants in Quebec speak English at home. I estimated that we were close to the spot where the boat with three men bringing letters from home met the army.

Dumuy engaged Norton in banter about the news he received. Their exchange covered the wrath and certain revenge of Louis XV over the loss of Brenton Island, and ended with Dumuy stating his belief that England would return to Catholicism and “our children...would come to a good union in religion.” That sentiment would no doubt rankle Norton, the protestant chaplain.

From the marina, we ventured north along Route 223. The Richelieu River is nearly 80 miles long, and it cuts almost straight north through lush green farmland. Further north, the river came into view, and the landscape reminded us of the Skagit Valley in Washington State. We stopped whenever we came across a historic site, which was mostly about the English invasion in 1756.

We knew we were getting close to Fort Chambly when we reached the Island of Sainte Therese and the entrance of the Chambly Canal. Sainte Therese Fort was one of the early forts, but was not in use in 1746. The canal didn’t exist then either.

Somewhere between the Island of St. Therese and modern-day Fryer Dam is likely where the French went ashore for prayers. There is nothing along this stretch of river that would give us a clue where the stopping place was. There are two Catholic Churches, one on each side of the river, situated well back from the shore. Eglise De Notre Dame de Bonsecours (The Church of Our Lady of Right Heart) is on the east bank, and the Most Holy Heart of Mary Catholic Parish is on the west bank. These churches appeared to me like a religious/spiritual gateway on this ancient river highway. Perhaps the original congregation was from the community that met our captives. We noticed that the Catholic influence becomes stronger the further down the river one goes.

We arrived in Chambly and saw the fort as the captives did. The structure is basically unchanged except for minor repairs to the front fascia. Coming from Washington State where we count 1840 as old, I was amazed beyond words at finding a well-preserved 300+ year old fort. I noted that the French were much further established than the English. A rooster adorned the roof of the belfry and stood out to me as odd as the one on the steeple of the Deerfield Church.

Norton Journal Entry:

Monday (September) 8th -- This morning there came an English man to see me; his name Littlefield. He was taken a lad from Piscataqua, and so continued with the French and lived, having a family at Champlainbley. We had considerable discourse together. About eight o’clock we embarked; some canoes passing down the river on the opposite side. We sailed over the river and met with Mons. Dumuy and took him in. We sailed down river about fifteen miles and dined with a priest…About two 2 o’clock it began to rain, and continued a cold rain all the rest of the day. We sailed down the river between thirty and forty miles, and then carried over our canoes and packs across the land to St. Lawrence, which was about three miles; and we came to it above Lozel and there we lodged that night in a French house.

After Joel and I had lunch in Chambly, we crossed the Richelieu and drove three miles downriver along the east bank. We found a public boat launch, and barely noticed, on the north side of the launch we found, a small creek with a generous flow of fresh water. Perhaps this boat launch is an old familiar place to come ashore, dating back to the time of our story. Of course, this is pure speculation since we don’t know which side of the river the cabin was located on.

The visit from Littlefield, eager for news from New England, is a heartbreaking reminder of the lives interrupted by years of war. One study I read recently said nearly 29 % of the population descended from couples married between 1936-1950 in Quebec can trace, by paper trail, their ancestry back to an English Captive. English captives were often used as slaves, or the women became wives.

We estimated that Dumuy and Norton dined with a priest somewhere near the present-day Eglise Saint Matthieu Beloeil.

“Lozel” is believed to be Sorrel, which lies near the mouth of the Richelieu. Miriam Perry was ill and did not go with the rest of the captives to Quebec but was taken to the Ursuline Hospital in Trois-Rivières. The rest of the captives went overland to the St. Lawrence River and lodged for the night.

We turned west, just south of Sorrel, and followed the road, Chu Du Gold, with the hope that perhaps this was a road built on an old trail. After roughly three miles, we came to the St. Lawrence, but the river’s east bank is covered with trees on privately owned land, leaving us without any view of the St. Lawrence. We turned south with our eyes peeled for a water access. We found a camp and stopped in the parking lot. Under tall pines, we had a view of the St Lawrence.

Norton Journal Entry:

Tuesday (September 9) This morning being something lowery, we did not set out very early. The wind was northeasterly and pretty high. About nine o’clock we set sail up the river for Mountreal. It was good sailing. We dined at a French gentleman’s house on the eastern shore. There was an Irish doctor came and dined with us – his name O’Sullivan. …then we set sail and went within about five miles of Mount Real. The weather was something tedious, and it rained in the afternoon.

I am no longer surprised by the multiplicity of nationalities that keep appearing in this story. I understand that the Irish began immigrating because Canada supplied timber to the English / Irish for shipbuilding. Rather than sail empty, ships returned with immigrants who were given land for farming. I wonder at the stopping place with the Irish doctor and the settlement where they made camp. We estimated the camp was near the present-day Longueuil Ferry dock.

The late afternoon journey became tedious, so we stopped for water at a roadside market, Contrecouer at the Maraichere Fruiters. It was my turn to attempt communicating in French. My greeting, “Bonjour,” was returned with, “Hi, how are you?” That was about all either of us knew of the other’s language, but we still managed to exchange water for cash. With our objective for the day complete, we sought a quick route to our hotel.

Norton Journal Entry:

Wednesday, 10th. This morning it rained very hard till near ten10 o’clock about which time we the general general and some others passed by us, and we embarked directly upon it and arrived at Mount-Real about twelve o’clock. Mons. Demuy took me to the Governors.

Norton couldn’t miss the “skyline” of Montreal as their boat pulled into the old Port. He could not have missed the 100-year-old steeple of Notre Dame de Bon Secours. The congregation was founded by the first French European teacher, St Marguerite Bourgeoys, who in 1655 rallied support for a stone chapel.

Mons Demuy took Norton for questioning by the governor, Joseue Dubois Berthelot de Beaucour. The visit was brief. John learned that he and the rest of the captives were to be moved to the prison in Quebec, and while in Montreal, he “should keep” with Mons. Demuy.

Over the next two days, Dumuy courteously entertained Norton in his home along with the steady stream of visitors eager to talk with the chaplain. Among the visitors was a French Major whose wife, an Englishwoman, was taken from her family by the Indians when she was a child. Ironically, their son had been part of the French / Indian forces at the taking of Fort Massachusetts.

Day 2 - Montreal

Currently, Montreal is a metropolis both charming and modern. Its foundations are steeped in the history of French fur traders and the Catholic Church. Our bus let us off at the steps leading to the Cathedral, “Mary Queen of the World.” Out of curiosity, we stopped to tour inside and expected to find religious art depictions of familiar saints and apostles—and yes, we saw plenty of them. We also saw artistic depictions of Jesuit priests and their first encounters with the natives. Our list of sites to visit now includes Catholic churches.

We made our way to Old Montreal and the Notre Dame de Bon Secours at 400 Rue St. Paul.

The chapel was destroyed and rebuilt in 1746, but the current chapel is still situated on the old chapel site. This area has ties to Mother Emilee Gamelin, who started the Sisters of Providence. Four sisters from her order came to Walla Walla and founded St. Mary Medical Center, where I was employed.

I did not expect that the waterfront at Montreal would be unchanged. We found that Old Montreal is very well preserved, with 17th and 18th-century buildings set along cobblestone streets. The port is well preserved and attracts tourists. I was most excited to discover cobblestones leading in and out of the park. They made me wonder if the home of Mons. Dumuy was still standing.

From the shore, we climbed Place de Jacques Cartier to the Chateau Ramezay, which is the historic governor’s residence and where Mons. Dumuy took Norton. The building is open during business hours for tourists; however, the gates had just closed when we arrived.

A good-natured employee, who was just about to get in his car, took pity on us and walked over to where we stood by the fence. He told us that, in 1746, this building was closed and under renovation. The temporary governor’s residence that year was down the hill in the direction from which we had just come from and the house could be identified by the painted stones in front.

We retraced our steps as directed and found the painted stones. If we got the right building, then it is now a restaurant, Le Jardin Nelson, and we were in time for dinner.

The food was delicious, and the dessert was a remarkable Quebec concoction—Pouding Chomeur (poor man’s pudding). It was made of a bread cake with maple sauce and served alongside ice cream.

Norton Journal Entry:

Friday (September) 12th This day about two o’clock in the afternoon, we embarked in boats, and set sail for Quebec, and sailed down the river about five leagues. There were all that were taken with me but six men who were yet with the Indians, and John Perry’s wife, who was at the Three-Rivers. There were also four Dutch with us, who were taken near Sarratago. We lodged in a house upon the north-west side of the St. Lawrence’s River.

Day 3

Our trip from Montreal to Quebec was by bus. We would pass the campsite mentioned in Norton’s notes and have a four-hour layover in Trois-Rivieres. We estimated our location when we were about “five leagues” downriver from Montreal, and from our bus window, we snapped a bunch of pictures.

Norton Journal Entry:

Sunday 13th This day we had a fair wind, and sailed down the river twenty-five leagues, when we arrived at the Three Rivers. We went into an inn. The general and some others of the gentlemen which went down with us, presently went out to the Governor’s, leaving only their soldiers to guard us. And after a little time the Governor sent for Sergeant Hawks and me to come and sup with him…This night John Perry’s wife (Miriam) was also brought to us, and added to our number. The bus let us off for a four-hour layover. It was a short walk to the pier of the St. Lawrence. The shoreline here was what I expected everywhere, a long wide cement pier in commercial use for shipping. Turning our backs on the pier we saw buildings and tree covered high bank with most of the city just out of site on top of the bluff. We walked up the hillside to the Rue de Ursulines. The Ursaline nuns and their hospital were well established in the 17th century.

Even though many of these buildings were severely damaged in the English invasion, they have been restored to maintain the look and feel of the 18th century.

Hawks and Norton were invited to dine with Governor Claude Michel Begon de la Cour and his other distinguished guests. Norton mentions the courteousness with which they dined together, but I wonder if it was more on the awkward side. Apparently, the dinner conversation revolved around battle scars, and among the company was General Francois-Pierre Rigaud de Vaudreuil with his recent flesh wound to his arm acquired during the siege of Fort Massachusetts. Do you suppose he ever figured out who shot him?

Norton Journal Entry:

Lord’s Day, 14th. We set sail, but received little help from the wind. The soldiers were obliged to row the greatest part of the day; but at night, the tide favoring of us, we sailed till two or three o’clock in the morning. We sailed in the day and night twenty-three leagues (69 miles). Then we went on shore the north-west side of the river, and lodged at a house in a small village.

Our bus went north and away from the St. Lawrence. From maps, we knew there was a river delta in that vicinity, well-known and used as a camp by the Iroquois. In 1535, Jacques Cartier was reported to have made contact at this camp with an Iroquois chief, Donnacona, who then returned to France with Cartier. Today, this ancient site is a town named in honor of Donnacona, and would be about the right distance from Trois-Rivieres for the army to have settled for the night.

Norton Journal Entry:

Monday, 15th This day we sailed seven leagues and came to Quebec. We were landed on the east point of the town, where St. Lawrence meets with Loretto, and were conducted up by a number of soldiers through the lower town to the Governor Generals’ where I was taken into his private room and he desired me to tell him what news we had in New England…After this I was conducted to the Lord Intendants, who inquired also after news, both of me and Sergeant Hawks; after which he gave us a glass of wine; then we were conducted to the prisoner’s house which is a guard house standing by a battery towards the south-west end of the town, about one hundred and fifty feet in length, and twenty in width, and two stories high. And we made to the number of one hundred and five prisoners. Here we had the free liberty of the exercise of our religion together, which was a matter of comfort to us in our affliction. Sergeant Hawks and myself were put into the Captain’s room where we found three English masters of vessels, viz, Mr. William Chapman of Maryland, Mr. James Southerland of Cape Cod, and Capt. William Pote of Casco Bay, who had all been prisoners near sixteen months.

Nehemiah Howe made a journal entry when the captives arrived.

Howe Journal Entry:

September 15th On the 15th, twenty-three of the captives taken at Hoosuck fort were brought to prison, among whom was the Rev. Mr. John Norton. They informed us that after fighting twenty- five hours, with eight hundred French and Indians, they surrendered themselves, on capitulation, prisoners of war; that Thomas Nalton and Josiah Read were killed when they were taken. The names of those now brought in are the Rev. Mr. Norton, John Hawks, John Smead, his wife and six children John Perry and his wife, Moses Scott, his wife and two children, Samuel Goodman, Jonathan Bridgman, Nathan Eames, Joseph Scott, Amos Pratt, Benjamin Sinconds, Samuel Lovet, David Warren, and Phinehas Furbush. The two last of these informed me that my brother Daniel Howe‘s son was taken from the Indians, and now lives with a French gentleman at Montreal. There were four captives more taken at Albany, the last summer, who were brought to prison the same day.

The old prison was holding nearly one hundred prisoners when the garrison from Fort Massachusetts arrived. Over the next several days, the other six soldiers from Fort Massachusetts were brought into the prison by the Indians. From the day of the siege until they arrived in Quebec, all but two survived. General Francois Pierre Rigaud de Vaudreuil proved himself to be a man of honor and had kept his word.

Joel and I arrived at the bus/train station located due north of Old Quebec. The imposing ramparts of the fortress city made us feel insignificant. We hiked up the street named Saint Nicolas, which cut through the wall. We angled slightly to the left and walked along Des Remparts, which led past the hospital and to the Augustinian monastery where we had reservations for lodging.

The monastery and hospital date back to 1639 when three Augustinian nuns arrived in Quebec. They first served in the settlement of Sillery, located to the southwest of Quebec City. Then, in 1644, with the hospital and residence complete, the nuns moved into their home. By the time of King George’s War, the hospital had grown to 50 beds. That hospital was later destroyed by the British in 1755.

The current hospital, Hotel-Dieu de Quebec, occupies the historic site of the first building and is a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Laval’s medical school with a specialty in Cancer Treatment. The historic monastery has been modernized and is now a comfortable hotel. A few Augustinian nuns still live in residence and manage the archives. I couldn’t help noticing the rooster adorning the roof of the chapel.

Day 4

We ate breakfast silently in the Monastery café per their tradition. Footloose in Quebec, we visited the old port where the captives came ashore. Today, it is covered in concrete piers with public access to a swimming area. From the port, it is a bit of a hike to Quebec’s lower town, which sits below the fortress walls. We walked among old stone buildings bustling with the activity of the people living and working there.

The Côte de La Montagne is the main road into the city and was lined with signs announcing the route the pope would be taking. I believe this is the route Norton and Hawks walked to the governor’s residence, which is in ruins today and lies under the boardwalk outside the iconic Hotel Frandelac.

Later that morning, we met up with Xavier of Accolade Tours. As part of the tour, Xavier pointed out that the College of Quebec was a seminary for training Jesuit priests founded by Francois de Montmorency-Laval in 1633. The seminary was the central point of mission to the Natives in North America. Henri-Marie Dubreil de Pontbriand was the sixth bishop of Québec and served from August 1741 to 1760. I am curious to know if he was also the Superior for the Jesuit College. A few blocks beyond the College of Quebec is the site of the old prison known today as the Morrin Building.

The Morrin Center was built in the 1800s on the site of the redout, which—Xavier explained—is an army barracks or guard house. Xavier told the story of how the roof of the redoubt caught fire in April of 1747, with the prisoners still inside. It was a Jesuit priest who came to their rescue. He came running when he saw the fire and that the prisoners were in danger from smoke and exploding pieces of overheated bricks. The guards refused to open the gates, so the priest chiseled off the gate hinges and said, “English, March.”

Xavier took our group around the Morain Building to the wall of old Quebec and showed us where the prisoners were kept after the fire. Xavier also pointed out that there is a sister redoubt of the one that burned, and it is open to visitors.

We then followed our guide to a place in the wall that was under repair. This section of the wall didn’t exist in 1746, but the taking of Louisbourg by the English drove the French to complete it. In 1988, the wall underwent renovations to the foundation, and human bones were discovered. After research, Scientists identified the bones as those of New England prisoners held during King George's War.

In October of 1746, English sailors taken prisoner aboard the French man-of-war—the Lazora and Le Castore—contracted an illness that they brought into the Quebec prison. Many died as a result. Being non-Catholic, the prisoners could not be buried inside the city, so their bodies were taken here to be buried. The Quebec wall was laid over the top of their grave. Most, but not all, of the bones were exhumed during the renovation in 1988. Among the remains, no infants or small children were found.

“What happened to Captivity?” I asked?

Xavier suggested that after her mother died, Captivity was likely taken into the hospital by the nuns. Often, the nuns, who might be caring for the young, would have the child rebaptized, thereby if they died, they could be buried in the city cemetery.

Much later, I found a reference that reinforced what Xavier had said. This reference, from a French Canadian Genealogist…

Legally speaking, Catholicism was the only religion recognized in New France. When a “heretic” was sick or injured, they were still cared for at the Hôtel-Dieu or the general hospital. If they died, however, they would not be buried at the hospital cemetery. The deceased would be buried somewhere off the property.  

Joel and I had a daughter who died two days after her first birthday. I never considered my own mortality until she died. When we purchased her grave, we bought two more for us. I took comfort in knowing that one day we would be united in death. It pierced my heart to come to this wall and gain knowledge that the captives, so celebrated in Massachusetts, were unceremoniously tossed in an unmarked grave for their bones to become the footings of the rampart, and Mary separated from Captivity.

Fort Massachusetts Roster:

Sergeant John Hawks, Commander—Deerfield

Reverend John Norton, Chaplain—Falltown

John Aldrich, Sentinel—Mendon

Jonathon Bridgeman, Sentinel—Sunderland: Died 7-21-1747, Quebec Prison

Nathaniel Eames, Sentinel—Marlborough: Died 11-07-1746, Quebec Prison

Phineas Forbush, Sentinel—Westborough: Died 7-16-1747, Quebec Prison

Samuel Goodman, Sentinel—Hadley: Died 3-21-1747, Quebec Prison

Nathaniel Hitchcock, Sentinel—Brimfield: Died 5-22-1747, Quebec Prison

Thomas Knowlton, Sentinel: Died 8-20-1746, Fort Massachusetts

Samuel Lovatt, Sentinel—Mendon: Died 01-23-1747 Quebec Prison

John Perry, Sentinel—Falltown

Amos Pratt, Sentinel—Shrewsbury: Died 4-12-1747, Quebec Prison

Josiah Reed, Sentinel: Died 8-21-1746 Van Der Verick’s Place

Moses Scott, Sentinel—Falltown

Joseph Scott, Sentinel—Hatfield

Stephen Scott, Sentinel—Sunderland

Jacob Shepherd, Sentinel —Westborough: Died 5 - 30 - 1747 Quebec Prison

Benjamin Simonds, Sentinel—Ware River

John Smead, Sr. Sentinel—Athol

John Smead, Jr., Sentinel—Athol: Died 4-7-1747 Quebec Prison

Daniel Smead, Sentinel—Athol: Died 5-13-1747 Quebec Prison

David Warren, Sentinel—Marlborough

Mary Smead, wife of John Smead, Sr. Died 3-29-1747, Quebec Prison

Elihu Smead, son of John Smead, Sr.

Simon Smead, son of John Smead, Sr.

Mary Smead, daughter of John Smead, Sr.

Captivity Smead, daughter of John Smead, Sr.: Died 5-17-1747, Quebec Prison

Miriam Scott, wife of Moses Scott: Died 12-11-1746, Quebec Prison

Ebenezer Scott, son of Moses Scott.

Moses Scott, Jr., son of Moses Scott: Died 2-11-1747, Quebec Prison

Rebecca Perry, Wife of John Perry: Died 12-23-1746, Quebec Prison

Day 5
Sunday July 24
Recipients of God’s Grace

Written by Rev. Joel Ley

Margaret and I spent a week retracing the travels of her fifth great-grandfather. 275 years ago, he had been a chaplain to the colonial militia at Fort Massachusetts and was taken prisoner when the fort was sacked by French and First Nation forces in 1746. He and along with others were taken to Quebec. We were in Quebec for the 275th anniversary of his release.

We saw some amazing sights on our journey, ate a lot of scrumptious food, and stammered our way through several conversations with the French-speaking locals. The highlight of our trip, though—the incident that remains at the forefront of our memories— happened on a Sunday morning in a church.

It wasn’t just any church. It was the Roman Catholic Basilica that Pope Francis would visit later in the week. After touring its stunning magnificence the day before, we decided to worship there on Sunday morning.

When we arrived, we were met at the back of the church by an older gentleman who turned out to be a Roman Catholic Deacon. He asked if we were there to tour or to worship. He seemed a little surprised when we told him we were there to worship. “You’re here to worship?” he exclaimed. “Marvelous!” Then, after a couple of brief exchanges, he asked, “Will you present the bread and the wine to the priest before communion?

Typically, only Roman Catholics are allowed to commune in Catholic churches. So, there Margaret and I were, up against a rock and a hard place. I finally confessed to him in hushed tones, “I’m a Lutheran pastor, and she’s a Lutheran deacon!”

He smiled and replied, “It doesn’t matter. It makes no difference here. You believe. The Holy Spirit told me to ask you.”

How were we supposed to argue with that? So then I dared to ask him, “So, can we commune as well?”

“Yes, of course,” he said. “There is no problem.”

I was blown away. Margaret had tears in her eyes for the rest of the service. Out of an entire week of adventure, being invited to participate in the Eucharist at a Roman Catholic Basilica remains one of the greatest highlights of our trip.

First, I think that amid all the animosity and division we have experienced for too long in our own country, our experience at worship in Quebec that morning was a much-longed-for sign of hope that healing and an end to division really is possible. We were given a glimpse of God’s reign of grace breaking into our world and making us one.

That morning, we were also reminded of what it is like to be outsiders who think that the best they can hope for is to watch from afar, but who are then unexpectedly invited, included, and embraced. We arrived at worship that morning, assuming that we would not be welcomed at the table, and planned to recuse ourselves from the sacrament. Instead, we were welcomed with open arms and included in a way we never imagined. That day, we were indeed the recipients of God’s grace.

July 25, 2022
275 Years After the Redemption of the Captives
Taken From
Fort Massachusetts

Our visit to the Basilica on the cusp of the visit from the pope, who traveled to Canada for a journey of repentance, made its impact. I disagree with historians who understate this story of captives taken from Fort Massachusetts. 50% of the garrison died in prison. 70+ English prisoners in total died and were carried to an unmarked grave under the ramparts of Quebec without the prayers of their chaplain to bless.

In the early morning of the day of redemption, Joel and I returned to the wall. Even though most of the bones have been removed to Laval University, I opened my Lutheran book of Occasion Services and, after prayers, read aloud each name of all those who died in prison and were buried here. I closed with a blessing from John Donahue. I trust the Rev. Norton can endure the scandalous irony of his Lutheran chaplain granddaughter offering a Blessing written by a Catholic priest with her fervent prayers that reconciliation for all is still within reach.

May the perpetual light shine upon The

faces of all who rested here.

May the lives they lived Unfold

further in spirit.

May all their past travails

Find ease in the kindness of clay

May the remembering earth

Mind every memory they brought

May the rains from the heavens

Fall gently upon them

May the wildflowers and grasses

Whisper their wishes into light

May we reverence the village of presence

Joel and I waited outside the entrance of the Morain Center, sipped from a paper cup a robust blend of fresh hot coffee, and chatted with another couple as if we would see the captives file past us and look east to toward the St. Lawerence and their waiting ship, La Vierge de Grace (The Virgin of Grace) docked in the harbor. Of the surviving captives, Benjamin Simonds, age twenty, was too sick to be released with the other captives and remained confined to the hospital.

It was a beautiful day. Our train departed from Quebec at approximately 2 pm.

Epilogue 

As I Imagine

The captives helped each other up the gangplank of La Vierge de Grace. The dock was bustling with workers who were outfitting the ship for her voyage, and slowly they were whittling down stores of provisions still waiting to be stowed aboard. Captain Larregni’s officers remained on the bridge, overseeing the operations, issuing orders, and noting the English as they came aboard. Sailors and officers likely evaluated the seaworthiness of their cargo and ordered them below, out of way.

By Sunday night, the ship was loaded, awaiting her captain and ready to sail in the morning. The newly freed gathered silently on deck to feel the breeze as the sun sank over the St. Lawrence and the trail that brought them to this place. Eyes turned to the east bluff for one last look at the fortress city that held them for nearly a year, and where some still anticipated their release, and friends and family lay in their graves. Reverence marked the occasion. Dirt from the bluff, breeze cutting the air, and water licking the sides of the ship composed a wordless melody to the broken-hearted. Some stayed on deck to watch the waning Gibbous moon rise. Words of praise for the gift of love that can never be broken through the Spirit of Grace lifted their spirits. Here, they said goodbye as the weakening tie stretched thin. The prisoners went below, and hands that once clasped let go.

Monday morning broke, and the sun’s light spread a path of gold on the St. Lawrence leading east. La Vierge de Grace was ready to sail. Captain Larregni boarded and appeared on the bridge. On his order, dock hands unfastened the hawser, and the ship slipped back while sailors onboard hauled in the line. Rudder met current, and the ship gave a shudder. Sails unfurled and snapped full in the wind.

Pote Journal Entry:

Monday ye 27th…at about 9 In ye morning Saw ye other Vessell (La Vierge-de-Grace)

Under Sail.

Norton Journal Entry:

August 1st we came in sight of Brenton Island.

From the first sighting of Brenton Island, the English scanned the shoreline for Fort Louisbourg. When it came into view, respect and wonder passed between those on shore and those on deck. At Fort Louisbourg, the keeper of the watch sighted La Vierge de Grace under a white flag of truce, and word spread quickly. At first, it was unclear her destination, but when Larregni kept a steady course, it was safely assumed she was on her way to Boston. They watched each other closely as they sailed from sight.

Norton Journal Entry:

August 16th -- We arrived at Boston. The sick and infirmed were taken to the hospital. Col Winslow sent to me and desired me to come and tarry with him while I continued in Boston. I thankfully accepted it and was courteously entertained. This was a great day of joy and gladness to me. May I never forget the many great and repeated mercies of God toward me.

This Col. Winslow, with whom he “tarried” is believed to be John Winslow, Commissioned Captain in the British Regular Army at the time he was meeting with Norton and Hawks.  Norton and Hawks returned to Deerfield and no doubt were warmly welcomed by Rev. Jonathan Ashley, perhaps Dr. Williams, and Captain Williams, to name a few. 

For Norton, his homecoming brought new heartache. It must have been a great joy for Norton to be received by Johnathon Ashley. They must have talked late into the evening. After the dinner plates were cleared, Ashley would have waited until the two were alone together. The something would have begun, “I have something to tell you…” and ended with, “I am so sorry.” Only then would it have become clear to Norton why his wife, Eunice, wasn’t in Deerfield to meet him.

“I expect you will want an early start in the morning,” said Ashley. “There is a guard ready to escort you with orders to leave at the crack of dawn.”

It would have been a long, sleepless night as Norton switched his thoughts toward home.

At Fort Shirley, his welcome home was restrained. John received handshakes of heartfelt welcome tempered with respect and sorrow. Eunice had taken the responsibility of the family in Norton’s absence, and his children barely knew him. Over in the corner, the cradle was empty. Anna, born on September 22,1745, died on August 28, 1747, at age two.

Anna was buried in a field near the fort by men from Fort Shirley with a grave marker kindly hewn by a nameless soldier. Norton’s longest walk of the war was the path from the fort’s gate to his daughter’s grave. Her grave is still maintained today by the citizens of Heath. 

Joel and I made a visit to Fort Shirley on August 25, 2021, to visit Anna Norton’s grave. The Fort has long since rotted away, but the grave and stone remained nestled peacefully in a grove of trees while a battalion of fierce wood ticks faithfully deterred the idle curious. For many years, the family had returned to lay flowers on Anna’s grave. I collected a bouquet of wildflowers and placed them at her headstone.

Flowers for Anna Norton

In Closing

John Norton left Massachusetts after King George’s War to become the first ordained minister at the Congregational Church in East Hampton, Connecticut. Peace between England and France lasted less than a decade. On 28 May 1754, the first battle of the French – Indian War occurred in Pennsylvania between George Washington and Joseph Coulon De Jumonville over French encroachment on English territory. I have little doubt that Norton was reliving his painful past and contemplating the devastating years ahead when he rose to the pulpit on Sunday, 22 September 1754, to deliver sermon numbered 827 on what would have been his daughter Anna’s ninth birthday.

One year after writing this sermon, plans were laid for another English expedition to Crown Point, and Norton enlisted. On 8 September 1755, Norton’s name was submitted to Colonel Samuel Talcolt for assignment to the Colony of Connecticut’s Third Regiment.1 It was the same day his friend, and at one time commander, Captain Ephraim Williams Jr., was killed in a French ambush while he and his company were on their way to Fort Edward.

Norton preached his sermon #827 at Fort Edward sometime later, and it is the only known sermon of Norton’s to have survived a fire that destroyed all his other work. I expected to find some mention of his personal experience during King George’s War in the sermon, but Norton never mentioned any of that. The text for the sermon was from

Genesis…

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”

I have no doubt that Norton’s experience from his time at Fort Massachusetts transformed him and shaped his theology found in this sermon. His words to the assembled were an appeal for them to think beyond their mortality. Norton’s point, and words for us to ponder, are timeless…

…”God hath made the rational soul the more noble part of us and united it to this body…we have a better part than that which is composed of the dust of the ground, an immaterial, immortal, never-dying soul. This we should provide for above all things.”

Providing for our spiritual side is my calling, too. During my clinical work to become a chaplain, I learned that stories are powerful tools for nurturing our souls. I was advised to pay attention to the stories of my patients and of the stories of my life as well. I was told that our stories are sacred and if we tend to our stories, our stories will take care of us.

I am grateful that I have the story of my sixth great-grandfather handed down to me and that I was able to walk in his steps. The power of his story has helped me to persevere in adversity and to have the strength to remain beside others on what were often the worst days of their lives. Deciding to actually make the journey to retrace Norton’s steps was a decision I made near the end of my career.

In the process of planning to retrace Norton’s steps, I came across information about his daughter Anna for the first time. My grandmother never mentioned her, maybe because we were descended from Norton’s second daughter, Elizabeth. The significance of learning about Anna Norton holds an even deeper connection to Norton than I had previously believed. Long before I entered ministry, my husband Joel and I also had a daughter named Anna. She died just after her first birthday. She is our only child.

When our daughter died, I felt singled out, angry about injustice, and confused about faith. My mother gave me a jar she brought home from her travels to Jerusalem. The jar was meant symbolically for my tears. I put the jar away, but brought it out again when we retraced Norton’s steps. Instead of tears, I collected dust from my daughter’s grave, my oncology and hospital work sites, and at all the stops we made on our trip. Dust is the tangible symbol of mortality; the sign of immortality is our story.

At Anna Norton’s grave, I opened the jar and, taking out some of the dust, I sprinkled it on her grave, bringing together the ground from under our feet from coast to coast, generation to generation, and in remembrance of the mere mortals, fellow sojourners whose lives direct us to pay attention to what actually matters. Following in Norton’s footsteps brought me home to a place where I recognize that I am no longer alone, my suffering is transitory, for we are a blend of mortality and immortality, both of which are awakened through inspiration. I leave with you a blessing.

May you find courage along a path that challenges you to face what you fear.

May you strive to grow in fuller understanding and deeper compassion of your story and of the stories of others.

May you remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

Therefore,

May we tend and honor the sacred stories passed down to us by our ancestors so that we may nurture our souls and be reminded of who we are and where we have come from,

May we live in certain hope that what we see of this transitory life is not all there is, and

May we strive onward, for the best is still to come.

Margaret A. Ley, Chaplain

1 Records of the Colonial Colony of Connecticut Vol. 10, page 400.

Margaret and Joel Ley

 at the 1753 House in

 Williamstown, Massachusetts

This video is of the walk from Fort Shirley to Anna Norton's Grave.

Taken by Margaret Ley

1 Records of the Colonial Colony of Connecticut Vol. 10, page 400.

Slideshow

Photos provided by Margaret and Joel Ley, and C.A. Chicoine.

A Portrait of the Life of the Reverend John Norton

Compiled by C.A. Chicoine

“There are left on record no traditions that indicate his peculiar traits or qualities; but there have been, through successive generations, living examples whose purpose and practice bear witness to the sterling qualities and gentle courtesies of the man who held the pastorate of the newly organized church, and the patient gentlewoman who walked by his side through all the varied vicissitudes of a pioneer life, and transmitted to his descendants qualities by which we judge him to have been simple, upright, hospitable neither parsimonious nor extravagant, genial and affable––qualities that inhered in his race, and were undoubtedly the secret of the long and successful pastorate terminated only by his death.” 1

I was hoping to find a portrait of the Reverend Norton: in a book, online, or archived in a historical society or museum––but no such luck. There may very well be an unidentified painting in an antique or thrift shop somewhere. Perhaps in someone's attic. Hidden in plain sight. A portrait lost to time. If one does exist, I've yet to find it. I wonder if there is any family resemblance? In any case, this portrait in words will have to do … for now.

The Reverend John Norton was born in the parish of Kensington, in the present town of Berlin, Connecticut––but which was at the time of his birth a part of the town of Farmington, Connecticut––on November 16, 1715. He was the fourth son and child of John and Anna (Thompson) Norton, of Kensington, grandson of John and Ruth (Moore) Norton, of Farmington. The family is of Norman descent, and the first of the name La Seur Norville (afterward changed to Norton), came to England from Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066, as his constable––a military office of high rank. The family settled in Sharpenhoe, a hamlet of Bedfordshire, England. By 1640, the Nortons moved to the New Haven Colony, in British Colonial America. 2/3

John Norton graduated from Yale College in the class of 1737. 3

On August 28, 1738, he married Eunice, daughter of Luke and Elizabeth (Walker) Hitchcock, of Springfield, Massachusetts, who was born March 2, 1712. 4

He was ordained at Deerfield, Massachusetts, on the 25th day of November, 1741, as the pastor in Fall Town, then a part of the town of Deerfield (but since then incorporated as a separate town by the name of Bernardston), at which time a church for that town was also founded.

In the wake of the French and Indian Wars, his ministry was cut short. In about two years, Fort Shirley was built a few miles to the west. The church and congregation could not be kept together. Norton was appointed chaplain to the line of forts in February of 1745, with his spiritual headquarters at Fort Shirley. In addition to Fort Shirley, the line of forts consisted of Fort Pelham, Fort Morrison, Fort Lucas, Fort Morris, Rice's Fort, and Fort Massachusetts, all under the command of Capt. Ephraim Williams. 5

He was at Fort Massachusetts when it was besieged and captured by a large body of French and Indians in August of 1746, and was taken captive with the rest of the garrison and carried to Quebec, where he remained about a year, when he was exchanged and returned to Boston. He wrote an account of the siege and of his journey to Quebec, his captivity, and return, which he entitled "The Redeemed Captive Being a Narrative of the Taking and Carrying Into Captivity”.

On November 30, 1748, he was installed as the first pastor of the Congregational Church at East Hampton, Connecticut. He was their minister until his death, except for intermittent appointments, beginning in August 1755 to 1762, during which time he was appointed chaplain of the government forces raised by the colony to go to Crown Point. 6 

Reverend Norton died March 24, 1778, of smallpox, and was buried in a field, as was the custom of the time in such cases, at the solemn hour of midnight. Seven other victims of smallpox were interred in the same locality. "The terror inspired by the presence of that disease in a community at that period can hardly be realized or understood at the present time when vaccination has been substituted for the original disease. Then its subjects were banished as far as possible from the abodes of men while living and from the public burial places when dead." 7 

A red sandstone slab, ornamented after the manner of the times, marked his grave at the place of his interment for one hundred and twenty years, when it was removed to the Lakeview Cemetery and set up by the side of that of his wife. It bears the following inscription:

In Memory of

The Rev. John Norton,

Pastor of the 3rd Church in Chatham,

who died with the Small Pox, March 24, A. D. 1778,

In the 63rd year of his age.

Photo by David Malloy 
Used with permission

"His remains are still at their original resting place, it not being thought best at that time to have them disinterred, but it is much to be regretted that his dust could not be permitted to mingle with that of his kindred and the parishioners among whom he mingled in the daily walks of life and to whom he ministered in holy things for nearly thirty years. But while in the course of events his last resting place may be forgotten by men, and the hallowed spot where his remains lie be desecrated and given over to other purposes, it cannot be forgotten by Him whose watchful eye never slumbers, and in due time his being shall hear the voice of the "Son of Man" and come forth to everlasting life. Until then, may the wild flowers ever shed their sweetest perfume and the birds of the air carol their sweetest songs above the hallowed place where they rest undisturbed by the din and turmoil of the busy world." 2

John and Eunice Norton had nine children: five daughters and four sons. Asenath, born December 19, 1738, died January 2, 1810. Elizabeth, born in 1739, died April 16, 1773. John, born in 1743, died April 11, 1809.  Anna, born September 22, 1745, died on August 26, 1747, at Fort Shirley. Jacob, born December 15, 1748, and died aboard the prison ship, HMS Jersey, in Wallabout Bay, New York, during the American Revolution––between 1780 and 1781.8 Elias, born 1750, died in November of the same year. Anne, born March 29, 1752, died on August 13, 1769. And Elias and Eunice (twins), born October 23, 1754: Eunice died on October 12, 1845; Elias died in 1846. Eunice Norton died on May 22, 1796, in the eighty-fourth year of her life.  9  

Margaret Ley is a descendant of the Reverend Norton through his daughter Elizabeth. 

References for the "A Portrait of the Life of the Reverend John Norton article:

1. “Facts and Fancies of Family History,” by Elizabeth Eunice Smith Marcy, 2018

2. “The One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary, 1748-1898, of The Congregational Church of East Hampton, (Chatham,), Conn.”, November 30, 1898 “History of the town of Bernardston, Franklin county, Massachusetts. 1736-1900. With genealogies,” by Kellogg, Lucy Jane (Cutler) Mrs. 1902

3. "History of the Colony of New Haven, to its Absorption into Connecticut", by Edward E. Atwater, 1902

4. Family Search: Eunice Hitchcock

5. "The Line of Forts", by Michael D. Coe, University Press of New England, 2006

6. "Berlin in the French and Indian War 1753 – 1763", Research by Cathy Nelson, Librarian Emeritus. Berlin-Peck Memorial Library. Research & corrections by Sarah Caliandri, President, Berlin Historical Society, 2022

7. "Biographical Sketches: Graduates of Yale College with Annals of the College History, October, 1701—May, 1745", by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, M.A., New York, Henry Holt & Company, 1885

8. "Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Volume Vlll.", Hartford: Published by the

   Society. 1901.

9. Find a Grave

List of Works Consulted Not Noted by Hyperlinks in the "Walking in the Footsteps of Reverend John Norton" Main Article:

—"Art of the Pilgrimage", Cousineau, Phil, Conari Press, San Francisco, CA, 1998

—"Bless the Space Between Us", O’Donohue, John, Doubleday, NY, 2008,

—"Dictionary of Canadian Biography"

—"Facts and Fancies of Family History", Marcy, Elizabeth Eunice Smith, Bowman

Publishing Co., Evanston, IL, 1911.

—"Forgotten Ledge of Fort Massachusetts", Champney, Wendy, Create Space Independent

Publishing Platform, 2016.

—French Canadian Genealogist, Hôtel-Dieu

—"Half Century of Conflict", Parkman, Francis, Little, Brown, and Co. 1914.

—"A History of Deerfield, Massachusetts: the times when the people by whom it was

settled, unsettled and resettled", Sheldon, George

—"The Journal of Captain William Pote, Jr. During the Captivity in the French and Indian War",

Pote, William Jr., Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1896.

—"Line of Forts", Coe, Michael D., University Press of New England, Lebanon, NH, 2006.

—"A Narrative of the captivity of Nehemiah How in 1745-1747", How, Nehemiah Burrows

Brothers Co., Cleveland, OH, 1904.

—"Narrative of the capture and burning of Fort Massachusetts by the French and Indians,

in the time of war of 1744-1749, and the captivity of all those stationed there, to the

number of thirty persons", Norton, John. Boston, MA 1748

—"Norton’s Redeemed Captive", Norton, Rev. John. Edited by Drake, Samuel, Boston, MA,

1870.

—"Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Town of Heath", The Heath Historical Society, E.A.

Edited by Robbins, Howard Chandler, Hall & Co., Greenfield, MA, 1935.

—"Stories From Our Hills", Jarvie, Jean, Adams Specialty & Printing Co., Adams, MA, 2013.

—"Yankee Township", Price, Carl F., East Hampton Bicentennial Committee, East Hampton,

CT, 1975

—"1785-1885 Heath, Mass. Centennial", Aug. 19, 1885, Edited by Guild, Edward P., Press of

Advertiser Publishing Co., Boston, MA, 2013.

—Family Search: John Norton 1627- 1709

—GenI: Rev. John Norton