In the fall of 1764, Col. Henry Bouquet of the Royal American Regiment, organized an expedition to the Ohio Country to demand a surrender of the tribes that participated in Pontiac's War during 1763 through the first half of 1764. With the call for surrender, he intended to, as a contingency for mercy, require the return of all captives taken since the outbreak of hostilities in 1754.
With Bouquet when he left Fort Pitt were several companies of Virginia volunteers (the Virginia Regiment was disbanded in 1762 and the militia was, by law, not allowed out of the colony). When the companies returned to Fort Pitt, they accompanied the Virginia captives back to their homes.
Fortunately, the names of the captives returned with the Virginia volunteers and a list of some prisoners returned later survive in James Sullivan et al, eds. The Papers of Sir William Johnson, 14 vols. (Albany, 1921-62), 11:484-91 and Donald H. Kent et al, eds. The Papers of Henry Bouquet, 6 vols. (Harrisburg, 1951-94), 6:753-54.
The Johnson Papers list captives from Pennsylvania and Virginia, but do not indicate the counties that the captives were taken from. For the Virginia captives, the papers only mention the returnees going with Colonel McNeil and Major Field. A document in the Bouquet Papers enables a researcher to separate the Virginia prisoners into those from Hampshire and Augusta Counties. In a letter from Bouquet to Hay, 15 Nov 1764 (6:708-09) in the Bouquet Papers, he states that Colonel McNeil will take his group to Augusta and Major Field will accompany the Hampshire Countians.
The spellings of the last names in the following list are exactly as they are spelled in the originals. It should be noted that there were no spelling rules in the 18th century; all spelling was phonetic. One should use imagination to determine the names. Initial names are spelled as in the original except those abbreviated are fully spelled conventionally. Some of the prisoners were taken so young that the only known name was the name given by the Indians.
Hampshire County Captives
Men Year
TakenWomen & Children Year
TakenFrederick Myers Eve Ice Leonard Hyard 1764 William Ice James Bell 1763 Lewis Ice Thomas Collins 1763 John Ice James Price 1757 Thomas Ice William Young 1757 Elizabeth Ice James Harris Catharine Ice Christopher
HirmntroudRebecca Bryan Michael Cobble Anna Catherine Bridget's Son Sarah Price Cawacawache Sally Nicholas Petro Caty Westbrook Philip Petro Hanah Price Hance Polly John Williams Hannah Daniel Rhoads Experience Wood Henry Punnet Mary Clouser Mordocai Babson Betty Clouser Michael Rhoads Magdeline Clouser Mary Closer Peggy Colly Conogoncony Allice Stedler Molly Milch Mary Craven Pegy Punnet Augusta County Captives
Men Year
TakenWomen & Children Year
TakenMichael Patterson 1756 Barbara Rigar 1758 John Bird 1756 Dorothy Rigar 1758 George Yokeham 1763 Margaret Sivers 1758 Stephen Blankship 1758 Elizabeth Sivers 1758 Thomas Harper 1764 Catherine Sivers 1758 Michael See 1764 Mary Lancises & her Child 1755 George See 1764 Elizabeth Foster 1764 John Huntsmen 1764 Eleonor Kincade 1764 Adam Huntsmen 1764 & two children Solomon Carpenter Elizabeth Mouse 1758 John Gilmore Eve Harper Thomas Wheat Christina House John Freeling Margaret Yokeham 1763 Mary McCord 1763 Elizabeth Gilmore Elizabeth Gilmore, Jr. 1763 Florence Hutchenson 1764 Mary See 1764 Catharine See 1764 Barbara Huntzmen 1764 Susan Fishback 1755 Peggy Freeling Peggy Cartmill Molly Cartmill Pegy Reyneck Elizabeth Stover Elizabeth Stover, Jr. Tamar Elizabeth Snodgrass Elizabeth Castle
Not all of the captives could be returned before Bouquet left Ohio during the last half of November 1764. In a letter to Bouquet from Capt. William Murray, commander at Fort Pitt, dated 31 Jan 1765, Murray enclosed a list of more prisoners returned (Bouquet, 6:753- 54) to Fort Pitt. All nine returnees were taken from colonial Augusta County. All spellings and notations have been kept as those in the original.
| List of the Prisoner's delivered up by the
Shawanese
Indians at Mackwayack & arrived at Fort Pitt 5th Janry 1765 |
|
|---|---|
| Mary Hamilton 15 year old | taken in July 1763 from Kerrs Creek Augusta County, /her father says he Purchased her from the Indians |
| Miriam Hamilton 10 Year Old | taken at the same time & sister to the former. /Her father purchas'd her. |
| Jane Gilmore a Woman | taken at the same time & place /her Brother purchased her from the Indians |
| Margt Bird an old woman | taken 8 years ago from Jackson River Augusta County. Died since her Arrival att Fort Pitt. |
| Elizth Yoakim 12 Years Old | taken July 1763 from Greene Bryar Augusta County. |
| Eliz' Fulkison 16 Years Old | taken about Seven years ago from Smiths River Augusta County |
| Eliz Counsman 9 Years Old | taken in July 1763 from Green Bryar her Mother was given up at Camp no 16. [from Bouquet's November expedition] |
| Mary Williams An old Woman | taken in July 1763 from Greene Bryar Augusta County. |
| Davd Williams 4 Year Old | Son to Mary Williams |
Further Reading:
To learn more about captives and their treatment during captivity
see, James Axtell. The Invasion Within: The Contest of Cultures
in Colonial North America, (New York, 1985), Chap. 13, pp.
302-27.
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