History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

484 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1704-1707.
that remained, and their situation was desolate and forbidding
in the extreme. In order to encourage the inhabitants
to remain, Lieut. Col. Partridge of Hatfield, impressed
men into the service and permanently garrisoned
the town.
All allusion to the heroic exertions made
Attempts to Recover
the Pris- fo^. the recovery and redemption of the
oners, 1704 to 1707. , . . •! t i • p i » rcaptives
must necessarily be briet. ^ A few
months after the disaster, efforts were commenced for their
return. Ens. John Sheldon, Capt. John Wells of Deerfield,
and Capt. John Livingstone of Albany, set out on an
expedition for this purpose in December following. They
had credentials from Gov. Dudley, and letters to the Marquis
de Vaudreuil. Finding the Indians unwilling to give
them up without ransom, and the French government not
ready for an exchange, they were able to obtain the release
of but five persons, with whom they returned in the spring
of 1705. Meanwhile negotiations were in progress between
Gov. Dudley and the Canadian authorities for a general exchange
of prisoners, and a number of French in the hands
of the English were sent to Port Royal. In January,
1706, Sheldon and Wells were again commissioned as deputies
and sent to Canada. After a delay of many months,
they brought away with them forty-four captives, returning
to Boston in August. Rev. Mr. Williams and fifty-six
others, were afterwards set at liberty, and they arrived at
Boston in November of the same year, under the conduct
of Mr. Samuel Appleton of that city. In 1707, Mr. Sheldon
was again sent to Canada, to negotiate for the release
of the remaining prisoners, ninety in number. He was not
well received, and as there were rumors of an English expedition
against Canada, he was detained several months.
He reached Albany with seven more rescued captives in
August.
story of Mary Iiiterwoveii with the local history of Northsheidon.
amptoii, as well as that of Deerfield, is the
story of Mary Sheldon. She was the
daughter of John Sheldon, who removed from Northamp-
1 For a detailed account of these efforts, see Sheldon's History of Deerfield, vol.
1, pp. 324 to 351.