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Captivity of Stephen Farnsworth at Fort Number Four on April 19, 1746 Source: History of Charlestown, NH by Rev. Henry H. Saunderson 1876 , p.342 (Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth.) The name of Stephen Farnsworth (died Sept 6, 1771 aged 57) in the proprietor's records of Charlestown, NH is found on important commitees and he held offices in the town after its organization. He was one of the first three settlers of Fort 4 (the others being his older brothers, Samuel and David Farnsworth) and he was one of the men demanded by the character of the times, who was prompt in action and whose courage never failed him in any emergency. He with other settlers was a member of Capt. Stevens Company for the defense of No. 4, formed June 21, 1750 and he proved himself one who could be relied upon in all the difficult circumstances through which No. 4 and early Charlestown had to pass. Stephen Farnsworth was captured by the Indians and French on the 19th of April 1746. Capt. John Spafford the miller and Lieut. Isaac Parker were also taken at the same time. The following is an account of his capture and imprisonment: He had been to the sawmill with an ox team for a load of boards, which having obtained he had started on his way to return; but had not gone far when he saw someone approaching him with an Indian blanket upon his head, whom he thought to be an old hunter who was a hanger-on at the settlement, by the name of Will Johnson. But on his coming nearer and raising his gun and pointing it at him, he saw it was an Indian. Stephen Farnsworth saw immediately that it was in vain to attempt an escape, as at the first indication of such an attempt he would in all probability be shot. Instead of running from the Indian, he started and ran directly toward him, jumping to the right and left as he ran, thus zigzagging his course, supposing that if the Indian should fire at him, he would be less likely to be hit. The Indian lowered his gun as he approached and as he came up to him, threw it down and grappled with Mr. Farnsworth to secure him as his prisoner. But Stephen being a very athletic man and much stouter of the two, flung him to the ground with no inconsiderable violence, while the thought flashed across his mind that he would take his life. But just at that instant a Frenchman came up and with the breach of his musket gave him such a blow upon the head as to knock him to the ground and deprive him of all power of resistance. He then asked quarter of the Frenchman and gave himself up to him as his prisoner, but regretted afterwards that he had not surrendered to the Indian as he had reason to think that if he had done it, he should have received better treatment as the Indian subsequently manifested a very kind disposition. The number of French and Indians in the party was about forty, who avoided all firing lest they should alarm the garrison at the Fort. Having cut out the tongues of the oxen and taken some other portions of the meat and set fire to the mills, they set out with their prisoners, Stephen Farnsworth, Capt. John Spafford and Lieut. Isaac Parker, to return to Canada, but had proceeded scarcely a mile before they heard the alarm guns at the fort which caused them for a considerable distance to quicken their speed. After they had proceeded about a dozen miles, the party built a fire and prepared their supper from the meat and plunder they had taken, and encamped for the night. They bound the prisoners and placed each of them between two Indians in such a manner as to forestall every possibility of escape, and in this manner they rested the first night as well as nights afterwards till they arrived at Canada. In travelling they kept out a rear guard of eight or ten of their number, which the main body with the prisoners was kept in the advance. They found some of the streams, which they were obliged to pass, quite difficult to ford as they were swollen by the spring rains and more rapid than usual at that season. But in the passage of these Stephen Farnsworth was greatly assisted by the Indian who had first attempted to take him prisoner. Their journey through the wilderness was tedious and during the last part of the way, after they had eaten up the meat taken from the oxen, was attended with no small degree of hunger, as their whole dependence for food was on the game which they were able to kill in the forest. In this extremity the Indians had each a strap which they were accustomed to buckle around them, and which they would draw tighter and tighter as their hunger increased, as they thought that thereby the faintness and disagreeable feeling which they experienced from it were diminished. On reaching Canada, Stephen was soon conveyed to Montreal and confined with fifteen others in an about 16 foot room in the 2nd story, which was reached by stairs not in the best order. On the commencement of winter four of the prisoners were selected to carry up their wood, of whom Mr. Farnsworth was one. They were allowed to carry up an armful apiece, and this allowance was to last, in all circumstances, twenty-four hours. If they overloaded so as to drop a stick, they were not allowed to stop and pick it up but had to go on with what was left. This excercise of carrying up the wood, Mr. Farnsworth used to say afterwards, was very beneficial to him and helped him wonderfully to endure the confinement of seventeen months which he was obliged to undergo before he was exchanged. Stephen Farnsworth returned from his captivity in broken health which he never afterwards fully recovered. The last office to which he was elected was in March 1770. He died Sept. 6, 1771 aged 57 years, leaving behind him the example of a brave and good man and of a useful citizen. Stephen Farnsworth was b. in 1715 at Groton, MA son of Samuel Farnsworth (son of Matthias Farnsworth and his wife Mary Farr) and Samuel's wife, Mary (Whitcomb) Willard Farnsworth the widow of Simon Willard, grandson of Major Simon Willard of the King Philip Wars. Stephen Farnsworth m. Dec 22, 1741 Eunice Hastings b. Sept. 3, 1722 b. at Watertown, MA. They resided at Lunenburg, MA prior to removing to Fort 4. She died June 9, 1811. They had 9 children: 1. Oliver Farnsworth b. 1742 m. 1768 Elizabeth Wheeler. They removed to Woodstock, VT and owned a 420 acre farm in Dist.9 2. Sarah Farnsworth b. 1748 m. 1765 Peter Page 3. Submit Farnsworth b. 1750 m. 1773 John Hart 4. Eunice Farnsworth b. 1752 m. Nathan Cook 5. Jonathan Farnsworth b. 1754 m. (1) Martha or Rebecca Cottle m. (2) Susannah Brewer and removed to So. Woodstock, VT in 1774 6. Azubah Farnsworth b. 1756 m. 1776 Thomas Adams of Charlestown. 7. Mary Farnsworth b. 1759 m. at Woodstock, VT William McCloy 8. Relief Farnsworth b. 1762 m. 1781 at Woodstock, VT Warren Cottle b. 1755 at Tisbury, MA 9. Stephen Farnsworth, Jr. b. 1764 d. 1829; m. 1785 at Woodstock, VT Deborah Bennett b. 1763 d. 1845.

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