One man, Benjamin Waite, a scout who knew how to survive in the
woods, knew what he was going to do. After all, his wife and 3
young daughters were among the hostages. The first move was to
get to Albany as quickly as possible to find out if the Mohawks
were involved. By October 4, Waite was back in Springfield
reporting that the New York tribe was not involved. He
immediately left for Boston before Benoni Stebbins, who had
escaped from the Amerindians, arrived in Hadley with his news
about the captives. Finally, after bureaucratic delays in
Boston, Waite managed to obtain an appointment as agent to secure
the release of the captives and funds were set aside to meet the
ransom demands. A parley with the Amerindians in mid-October
failed. The only recourse left for the English was to track the
hostages to Canada, through territory never traversed by the
English colonists.
By October 24, over a month after the raid, Waite and Stephen
Jennings (whose wife and her two children were also captives)
began the monumental task of finding the hostages. After petty
bureaucratic delays in Albany, Waite and Jennings were finally
given permission to go after the captives on December 10. Now
the rescuers were faced not only with traveling through unknown
territory but with deep winter snows. A local warrior guided
them to Lake George, helped them fashion a canoe, and drew them a
rough map of Lake George and Lake Champlain -- and then departed.
December 16, 1677 - Lake Champlain was reached, the first
time English colonists had set foot there. Strong winds and ice
slowed their progress, their provision ran out and they were
forced to live off the land. But nothing could stop these two
men for long. On or about January 6, the trackers reached the
frontier of Canada, nearly 4 months after the raid on Hatfield.
In a nearby town Hannah Jennings and a few other captives were
found. The other hostages were close by with their captors.
Immediately Waite and Jennings started for Quebec to bargain with
Governor Frontenac for the release of the hostages. With the
governor's help, the payment of two hundred pounds secured the
release of the English. Of the 21 captives, 17 were returned; 2
children had been killed during the long trek north, probably
because they fell ill. Sergeant Plympton of Deerfied was burned
at the stake in Canada. Two children were born in Canada.
Martha Waite had a daughter on January 22 who was named Canada.
Nearly two months later, Hannah Jennings had a daughter who was
named Captivity.
The English remained in Canada until the winter weather was over.
At long last, on May 2, 1678, the entire party began the long,
slow trip back home. When they reached Albany, the following
letters were sent off to Hatfield:
"Albany, May 22, 1678.
"Loving wife-Having now opportunity to remember my kind
love to thee and our child, and the rest of our friends, though
wee met with greate afflictions and trouble since I see thee
last, yet now here is opportunity of joy and thanksgiving to God,
that wee are now pretty well, and in a hopeful way to see the
faces of one another, before we take our finall farewell of this
present world. Likewise God hath raised us freinds [sic] amongst
our enemies, and there is but 3 of us dead of all those that were
taken away - Sergt. Plympton, Samuel Russel, Samuel Foot's
daughter. So I conclude being in hast, and rest your most
affectionate husband, till death makes separation.
"Quintin Stockwell."
Excerpted from Wells and Wells (1910), p. 96
"Albany, May 23, 1678.
"To my loving friends and kindred at Hatfield- These few
lines are to let you understand that we are arrived at Albany now
with the captives, and we now stand in need of assistance, for my
charges is very greate and heavy; and therefore any that have any
love to ourr condition, let it moove them to come and help us in
this straight. There is 3 of ye captives that are murdered,-old
Goodman Plympton, Samuel Foot's daughter, Samuel Russell. All
the rest are alive and well and now at Albany, namely, Obadiah
Dickenson and his child, Mary Foot and her child, Hannah Gennings
and 3 children, Samuel Kellogg, my wife and four children, and
Quintin Stockwell. I pray you hasten the matter, for it
requireth greate hast. Stay not for ye Sabbath, nor shoeing of
horses. We shall endeavor to meete you at Canterhook; it may be
at Houseatonock. We must come very softly because of our wives
and children. I pray you, hasten then, stay not night nor day,
for ye matter requireth greate hast. Bring provisions with you
for us.
"Your loving kinsman,
"Benjamin Waite.
"At Albany, written from myne own hand. As I hve bin affected to
yours all that were fatherless, be affected to me now, and hasten
ye matter and stay not, and ease me of my charges. You shall not
need to be afraid of any enemies."
Excerpted from Wells and Wells (1910), p. 96
On receipt of the letters, a party from Hatfield immediately set
off to escort the exhausted group home.
References:
Wells, D. W. and R. F. Wells. 1910. A History of Hatfield
Massachusetts. F.C.H. Gibbons, Springfield, Mass.
Judd, S. 1905. History of Hadley. H. R. Hunting,
Springfield.
