FARNSWORTH Founders of Fort No. 4, Charlestown, NH 1740

[Farns10th at aol.com]

I transcribed most of the History of Charlestown, NH, The Old Fort No.4 and
have
donated my work to rootsweb.  Some of the work is online at:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nh/sullivan.htm

and the remainder will be available shortly, pending posting by Ms. McKenzie,
Charlestown, NH site manager.     Regards, Janice Farnsworth 

Surname: Farnsworth
Source:  History of Charlestown, NH - Fort No. 4 by Rev.
         Henry H. Saunderson pub. l876
p.335 - 345
The first settlement of No. 4 was made by Samuel, David
and Stephen Farnsworth, in the spring or summer of l740.
They were sons of Samuel Farnsworth of Groton, MA (who
was the son of Matthias Farnsworth and Mary Farr, among
the first proprietors of Groton, MA) who married Mrs.
Mary Willard mother of Lieut. Moses Willard and the wid-
ow of Simon Willard of Lancaster, MA.  Her maiden name
was Mary Whitcomb.  The following is the Groton Town
Record: "Samuel Farnsworth and Mrs. Mary Willard married
Dec l2, l706; Mary b. Sept l3, l707, at Kingston. Samuel
b. June 29, l709; David b. Aug 4, 1711; the birth of
Stephen is not given (Stephen was born l7l5 - see p. 360
of the Farnsworth Memorial).

p.336
Samuel Farnsworth never married.  He was killed on the
2nd of May l746 - when he was of the party who were
attracted by curiousity to see the spot where Seth Put-
nam had been killed on the l9th of April previous.  He
was therefore one of the first victims of Indian ven-
geance.  From the occurence of his name upon important
committees it is evident that he was esteemed a man of
sound judgment, and had the confidence of the early
settler.

p.336
David Farnsworth appears to have been a man of more than
ordinary intelligence.  If important business was to be
transacted he was usually appointed one on the committee
to attend to it.  He was, thus, with his brother, Sam-
uel, on the committee to contract with some suitable
person for building and keeping in repair, a corn-mill
and saw-mill - on committees for the survey of lots, and
determining lines for laying out and building roads and 
whatever was required for promoting the interests or 
bettering the condition of the township.  From l750 to
l760 he was the principal and nearly the only surveyer
of the place.

On the 20th of April, l757 David Farnsworth and four
others were taken prisoners by a party of about seventy
French and Indians; and carried to Canada. (*see Josiah
Foster letter)
                     _______________

*The following letter from Josiah Foster of Winchester
who was taken prisoner on the 7th of June l756:
Montreal, May l6, l757
To: Lieut. James Johnson
Sir:  The 5th of this present month the Mohawks brought
in prisoners from No. 4.  Mr. David Farnsworth, Sampson
Colefax, Deacon Adams, Asa Spafford and George Robbins,
which give us the sorrowful news of the death of your
father Willard who was killed by the Indians last summer
a little wy from the fort.  Your brother Moses was 
stabbed in the thigh with a spear.  This is all the mis-
chief that has been done except the Indians burnt the
mills.  Mr. Labaree has made his escape from Montreal
and has gone for the English fort.  I should be glad to
write you a fuller account of things but it is very
difficult to write.  I should be glad if you would would
write to me to let me know how you are. So I remain your
friend,  Josiah Foster
                  __________________________
p.336
The others were Deacon Thomas Adams, Sampson Colefax,
the miller, George Robbins and Asa Spafford.  The enemy
was in ambush not quite a mile from the village near
Spafford's mills, which stood on or near the spot where 
Hall's Mills have since been erected.  Deacon Thomas
Adams who was going to the hill opposite the mills, for
the purpose of making sugar, was the first who was cap-
tured.  They tied him to a tree and the Indians started
on their way towards the village; but after going a little
distance again formed an ambush into which Mr. Farnsworth
soon fell.  He had started out on horseback with a bag
of grain, to go to the mill, and did not discover them
until they rose up around him in such a manner that it
was impossible for him to escape.  Instantly comprehend-
ing the situation, he leaped from his horse, threw his
bag of grain to the ground, twisted the stirrup into the
reins of the bridle and throwing them over the back of the 
saddle, turned his horse homeward at full speed.  The
Indians, at once understood that he meant to give alarm
and fired several times at the horse for the purpose of
killing him; but he fortunately escaped uninjured.  The
inhabitants hearing the guns and seeing the horse re-
turning at such speed, without a rider, immediately
foreboded the evil which had happened and armed them-
selves and advanced towards the mills.  But they found
the enemy in such force that they thought it prudent to
retreat.

Meantime while these things had been going on, another
portion of the enemy had captured the miller, Mr. Samp-
son Colefax.  The whole party of the enemy then gather-
ed at the mills which they set on fire - remaining long
enough to ascertain that their work of destruction would
be sure, they started on their retreat.  When they had 
got as far as Sugar River they met George Robbins and
Asa Spafford, son of Capt. John Spafford who were re-
turning from a hunting excursion and also took them
prisoners.  Rev. Dr. Crosby in his "Annals of Charlestown"
says that "They then returned to Charlestown and fired
upon fifteen or twenty men behind Capt. Willard's barn."
Author: (but I find this mentioned by no other writer and
it is besides in itself scarcely probable).

The following traditional account of Mr. Farnsworth's
journey to Canada and of his captivity and escape may
not be uninteresting:

As soon as Farnsworth was captured he pretended to be
very lame.  This excited the sympathy of his savage cap-
tors and relieved him from many burdens which he would
otherwise have been forced to bear.  Thus on his journey
he was not compelled to carry plunder as it was called
like the other prisoners and his fellow prisoners would
often say to him "How glad I should be if I could get 
along as well as you do."  His dress and manner impress-
ed the Indians with the idea that he was a person of
some consequence; and thinking it would be for his ad-
vantage that they should retain this impression, he gave
them to understand that he was a doctor and in this
assumed profession they soon gave him an opportunity of
trying his skill.  One of their party had taken cold,
and was very sick and it seemed probable that on that
account they would be detained on their journey.  In this
emergency they applied to David Farnsworth who apparently
nothing loath to take charge of the patient recommended
them to boil hemlock boughs and steam him.  This remedy
broke up his cold and produced a cure very much to their
satisfaction and had the effect also to place the "doctor"
higher in their estimation.

When they arrived at Canada with their prisoners, they had
a great time in celebrating their achievement.  As was
usual with them on such occasions, they drank and danced
and enjoyed themselves in their own peculiar fashion to
their hearts' content.  They were exceedingly good nat-
ured and while they drank, wanted their prisoners to
drink with them.  But "doctor" Farnsworth whenever they
offered him rum invariably refused saying in Indian Eng-
lish, "No no, me no drink fire water, me believe in the
great and good spirit above." which made them treat him
with still more deference.

On the final disposition of the prisoners after their
arrival in Canada, David Farnsworth was given to a very 
old Indian and his wife to supply the place of a son
who had been killed by the whites.  He was treated by
them with marked kindness and with as much affection
as if he had really been their child.  They were not only
in much better circumstances than most of the Indians but
were much farther advanced in civilization.  They culti-
vated their land and kept a horse and oxen and had more
conveniences for living and lived much better than most 
of the tribe.

Soon after going to live with the old Indian and his 
wife, he was taken to the yard to assist in filling a
cart.  Several Indians attracted  by curiosity went out 
to see him work.  He seemed perfectly willing to obey
orders and to do the best he could but he handled the 
shovel so awkwardly and appeared so unaccustomed to the
business he was doing that he created much amusement.
At one time he would throw the contents of his shovel
with such violence that it would pass entirely over the
cart then as if seeking to remedy his mistake he would
throw the next shovel full so as not to reach it.  He
seemed greatly in earnest to get the cart filled but 
with allhis hurry and zeal he got little into it.

At length he purposely swallowed some tobacco which
made him very pale and so sick withal that work was 
out of the question.  The Indians, not knowing the
cause of his sickness were very pitiful and concluded
it was work that had made him sick and his (Indian)
father determined that as work had such an effect upon
him he would not have him work anymore.  He then set
David to practising medicine in which profession he was
so far successful as to secure a large number of Indian
patients.  For his attendance and prescriptions he would
for himself take no pay under any circumstances; but
when anyone offered him anything, he would shake his 
head and say, "No, no - pay my (Indian) father."  This
so pleased the old Indian and gave him such confidence 
him that he was willing to grant him almost any privi-
lege or do him almost any kindness.

But David Farnsworth though treated kindly was not of a
spirit to be content in captivity.  He felt he would
rather die in the wilderness or become prey of wild
beasts of the forest than drag out such a life as he was
leading and must lead as long as he remained in bondage.
This was also the feeling of Deacon Adams who was locat-
ed about three miles from him and whom he sometimes met.
They therefore laid their plans together to make their
escape and to find their way home through the wilderness
or perish in their attempt.

For this purpose they agreed to meet at a certain spring
which was about three miles away.  Farnsworth took the
following method of preparing the way for his escape
so that no suspicion might immediately arise in the
minds of the Indians on account of his absence till he
should be so far started on his way as to be out of the
reach of pursuit.  He had an Indian "sister" the daughter
of the old Indian who had adopted him for whom he 
professed a most brotherly regard, whose residence was 
so distant that a visit to her would require an absence 
of several days.  All at once he had a great desire to
visit her and asked of his father the privilege; who was
so much pleased with his son's attachment that he not
only readily gave his consent but volunteered, as David
was "lame" the use of his horse for the occasion.

He also furnished him with some very nice venison to
eat on the way.  Thus equipped he took an affectionate
leave of his Indian parents and started out on his 
journey and proceeded immediately to the spring where,
according to their agreement he expected to meet Deacon
Adams but he was not there.  The hours of the day wore
on and still he did not come.  He thought perhaps he
might be waiting for the night under the cover of which 
to escape, but neither in the morning did he appear nor
on the day that followed nor the next.  He felt he 
could wait no longer and struck off into the unbroken
forest alone.  As Deacon Adams never returned he never
ascertained the reason of his not meeting him.

For the first eight or ten days after commencing his
journey he only travelled in the night knowing that if
taken and carried back he would be treated with the most
savage cruelty and very probably put to death under the
most excruciating tortures.  In the daytime he concealed
himself in the best manner he could, to prevent discov-
ery in case of pursuit and to avoid being retaken and
carried back by roving parties of Indians.  On the 6th
morning after his starting out he had carefully secreted 
himself very early in a large hollow tree which had 
fallen to the ground, to wait for the night to come
before again proceeding.  But he had not long been in
his place of concealment before he heard a dog barking
furiously which by his voice he knew to be the pet hunter
of his old Indian father.  He very soon came up but on
being spoiken to by Farnsworth whose voice he knew
he sat quietly down a little distance from the tree and
made no more demonstration.  The Indians soon came up
but after looking around and running a short stick into
the hollow of the tree where he was concealed, con-
cluded that the object of their search was not there,
and left probably with the hope of finding him in some
other direction.

A few nights after this as he was pursuing his journey
he suddenly found himself among a part of Indians who
had encamped for the night.  Their fire had gone out
and he was not aware of his danger until the "cahoop"
of an old savage whom his steps on dry sticks, around
the extinct camp-fire had aroused, gave him warning of
it.  Dropping immediately to the ground he waited till 
he had reason to suppose the Indian had fallen asleep
again when he found his way out of his undesirable
situation as carefully and speedily as possible.

After a journey of seventeen days through the wilder-
ness without food, except the venison which had been
furnished him to refresh him on his visit to his Indian
sister and such as without arms and without fire he
could obtain in the forest, he reach the first white
settlement.  It is needless to say that he was faint and
weak and in an almost starving condition.  He situation
was immediately appreciated and his reception was as
kind and sympathizing as he could have desired.  The
first food that was given him was some boiled turnip
which the men upon whom he first came, had just been
cooking, which is said to be the kind of food that early
settlers often used to give in such cases.  In this
place he remained and was most kindly cared for during
several days and having rest and suitable food, gained
strength very fast.

At length, feeling sufficiently recruited to continue
his journey, he took an affectionate leave of his new 
and kind friends and proceeded on to Charlestown where
he arrived in good health and in safety much to the joy
of his family and the inhabitants and profoundly thank-
ful for the providential protection which he felt that
je jad received.  Of the other prisoners taken with Mr.
Farnsworth, Mr. Robbins alone, returned.  They with 
Robbins were exchanged in the November following their
capture but on their way homeward by way of Great Britain
Deacon Adams, Colefax and young Spafford died of small-
pox at Quebec.

p.34l
David Farnsworth married in Lunenburg, MA Aug l5 l735
Hannah Hastings b. at Watertown, MA on Jan 24, l7l7.
She was the sister of Susanna Hastings who married Lieut
Moses Willard (step-brother to Samuel, David and Stephen
Farnsworth thru their mother, Mary (Whitcomb) Willard
Farnsworth) and also sister to Eunice Hastings who
married Stephen Farnsworth, David's brother.

No record of the family of David Farnsworth has been  *see below, David
Farnsworth
found.  He had several children, two of whom, Samuel
and David, Jr. settled in the town of Eaton, Lower
Canada, where they erected mills and spent their
lives.  One them had two sons who removed to Michigan
in the early settlement of the state where they became
surveyors.  One of them became the father of General
John F. Farnsworth who was quite distinguished as a
Congressman from Michigan.

*Gen. John F. Farnsworth was a key figure in the Civil
War - his life is depicted in the Farnsworth Memorial.
His nephew was Brevet Brig. Gen. Elon Farnsworth who
died at Gettysburg and has a museum in his honor in
Gettysburg and is buried in Illinois.

The Farnsworth Memorial p.36l lists Lieut David Farns-
worth and his wife Hannah Hastings of Charlestown, NH
Fort No. 4 and their issue:
l.  Hannah Farnsworth b. l730/5 m. l758 John Tarball of
    Groton, MA.  She d. Aug 6,l829.
2.  Mary Farnsworth b. l739 m. Apr 29, l762 Elisha
    Rockwood, Jr. of Groton, MA b. Nov 9, l740  She d.
    Nov ll,l765 and they had:
           l.  Hannah Rockwood b. Feb l0, l763
           2.  Molly Rockwood b. Oct 29, l764
3. Eunice Farnsworth b. l74l m. l759 Oliver Parker of
   Groton, MA b. Feb 23, l738.  She d. Feb 8. l767
           l. Rebecca Parker b. Nov 22, l760
           2. Eunice Parker b. Dec ll, l76l
           3. Elizabeth Parker b. Sep 23, l763
           4. Simeon Parker b. May 4, l765
           5. Oliver Parker b. Feb 4, l767
4. Relief Farnsworth b. ca l743 m. June 4, l77l Reuben
   Tucker of Townsend, MA.  They removed to Digby
   Nova Scotia and had:
           l. Reuben Tucker b. abt l772
           2. David Tucker b. l774
           3. Charles Tucker b. l776 m. and has a son.
                l. Gilbert Ruggles Tucker b. l807, a
                   well known merchant of Boston.
           4. Relief Tucker b. l778
           5. Hannah Tucker b. l780
           6. Mary Tucker b. l782.
5. Samuel Farnsworth b. l750 m. Anna Wasson b. l75l
   She d. l842.  He d. l83l  He ws a drummer at the
   Battle of Bunker Hill and was a pensioner of the 
   government for services rendered in that war.  He
   was residing at that time with his father at Hollis
   NH; he moved to Stoddard NH and from there to Eaton,
   lower Canada in l799.
6. David Farnsworth b. l760 d. Nov l0, l778.  He was
   executed by the British at Hartford, CT as a spy
   when only eighteen year old; prob. he was the drummer
   at Cambridge and also at Bunker Hill, l775 (see
   Sabine's Loyalists, p. 282.)

p.34l - Charlestown NH Fort No. 4
Begins the account of Stephen Farnsworth 
p.344 - Charlestown NH Fort No. 4
Begins the account of Ebenezer Farnsworth kin to Samuel,
David and Stephen Farnsworth captured with the Johnson
family by the Indians 

p.345 Charlestown NH Fort No. 4
Begins the account of James Farnsworth.

p.345 Charlestown NH Fort No. 4
Begins the account of Oliver Farnsworth.
_________________________________________________
Transcribed and submitted by Janice Farnsworth