Reverend Williams account of the ordeal
The return of Reverend John Williams:
Following the English release of the Privateer, Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste, Williams was ransomed along with four of his five surviving children, and he, along with Esther age 15, Samuel age 17, Steven age 11 and Warham age 6 were returned to New England. Jerusa age 1 month at the time of the raid was killed along with John Jr. age 1 year. Their mother, Eunice was also killed during the march along with two Negro servants. Reverend Williams worked tirelessly along with Ensign John Sheldon and others to secure the release of other Deerfield citizens over the ensuing years. His son, Steven kept a diary and later wrote a book about the raid.
Eventually Williams remarried and returned to his pulpit in Deerfield. He died in 1729 just before the Great Awakening. His daughter, Eunice (same name as her mother), was taken to the Mohawk at Kahnawake. Lizzie met her there when she went to the camp with Pierre Roi looking for her niece. Like most of the captive children at Kahnawake, Eunice Williams refused to leave in spite of great efforts by her father and other parents from Deerfield. She married a Mohawk brave and had three children. She did return to visit Deerfield with her Indian family in 1741 and visited two more times, but never moved from Kahnawake.
Following the English release of the Privateer, Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste, Williams was ransomed along with four of his five surviving children, and he, along with Esther age 15, Samuel age 17, Steven age 11 and Warham age 6 were returned to New England. Jerusa age 1 month at the time of the raid was killed along with John Jr. age 1 year. Their mother, Eunice was also killed during the march along with two Negro servants. Reverend Williams worked tirelessly along with Ensign John Sheldon and others to secure the release of other Deerfield citizens over the ensuing years. His son, Steven kept a diary and later wrote a book about the raid.
Eventually Williams remarried and returned to his pulpit in Deerfield. He died in 1729 just before the Great Awakening. His daughter, Eunice (same name as her mother), was taken to the Mohawk at Kahnawake. Lizzie met her there when she went to the camp with Pierre Roi looking for her niece. Like most of the captive children at Kahnawake, Eunice Williams refused to leave in spite of great efforts by her father and other parents from Deerfield. She married a Mohawk brave and had three children. She did return to visit Deerfield with her Indian family in 1741 and visited two more times, but never moved from Kahnawake.