Eunice married
(1) Benjamin Garfield
(2) Ephraim Pratt
On May 4, 1752, Eunice was married to Benjamin Garfield of Leicester. He may have been the son of Benjamin and Bethia (How) Garfield, b. May 6, 1718, Marlboro, Mass., d. June 27, 1755. Eunice m. (2), prob. in 1756, Ephraim Pratt, res. Hardwick (now Dana) and Wendell, Mass., d. Wendell, Jan. 20, 1809, bur. near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, Mass., prob. s. Phineas and Martha (Puffer), b. Jan. 10, 1732, Sudbury, Mass. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield was his second wife; the name of his first wife is not known.
Benjamin Garfield and Eunice (Cooley) lived near Northfield, Mass., and had one or more children, of whom nothing is known. One report cites a son, captured with his mother by the Indians, who visited his mother in later years, but preferred to live like a savage, as he had been brought up as an Indian; another report says she had only a daughter, Eunice Garfield, concerning whose fate Mrs. Garfield was uncertain. It seems likely that the story concerning the son is "historical fiction" rather than fact; such stories were common regarding anyone with children captured by the Indians.
Married in 1752, captured in 1755, Eunice Cooley Garfield probably had a two-year-old child and an infant; the infant was probably slain by the Indians; generally, when a long march was intended, the mothers were not permitted to carry small infants with them.
In 1742 Orlando Bridgman had built a block-house on his farm, which stood within the then limits of Northfield, Mass. The fort was strongly built and well-picketed, and occupied by three families, those of Caleb How, Hilkiah Grout, and Benjamin Garfield.
On the morning of June 27, 1755, three years after the marriage of Benjamin Garfield and Eunice Cooley, these three men, with the two young sons of Caleb How, went to work in a meadow on the bank of the river a little above the fort. About sunset they started to return to the block-house. Mr. How and his sons were on horseback, and a little ahead of the others. Upon reaching the meadow hill north of the fort, they were fired upon from ambush. Caleb How was shot in the thigh and brought to the ground; he was then scalped by the Indians, and struck by a hatchet in the head and left for dead. His boys were taken alive. Grout and Garfield attempted to escape by crossing the river; Grout succeeded, but Benjamin Garfield was drowned.
As soon as it grew dark the Indians went to the fort, made the proper signal, which they had learned, and were admitted. They took the women and children prisoners, killing all infant children. The fort was then fired, and the captives started on their long trek to Canada.
There is nothing left of old Fort Bridgman. At the spot where the capture took place (now Vernon, Vt.) is a large boulder, commemorating the capture, taken from the old How farm, erected by the town of Vernon and marked with a tablet by the Brattleboro Chapter of D. A. R.; the monument seems to be largely to the memory of Caleb How, as no mention is made of the other two families involved.
The Indians took their captives to Canada. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield seems to have been a woman of considerable personal beauty, as well as of fortitude and presence of mind. She adapted herself to the situation by a forced cheerfulness and because of her evident courage gained favor with the Indians, and was thus treated fairly well on the long march. For many days she kept a sharp lookout for aid, expecting to be rescued by her husband, of whose death she learned only on her return. With the other two women she took turns standing all night, to be ready for quick flight, but no help came.
After many days and nights of travel, footsore and weary, the captives finally reached a French settlement in Canada. Here the Indians sold them as slaves. Eunice was sold to a French family, of which she quickly became a beloved and trusted member, and was soon entrusted with the purchase of all household goods and supplies. Longing for her freedom, she told her story to one of the tradesmen whose friendship she had gained. He was a kindly man and offered to put $10 with every dollar she could save, to be repaid after she got home, so that she could purchase her liberty; this she eventually did. She was sent to France, and from there to England and thence to Boston. She probably reached Massachusetts some time in 1756. In 1758, she was paid a sum of money by New Hampshire to cover her last year in Canada.
On her return to Massachusetts, Eunice learned of her husband's death. Shortly thereafter she became the second wife of Ephraim Pratt, and she lived for nearly half a century in Hardwick (now Dana), where she was widely known and beloved as "Aunt Pratt." People came from a long distance to see the old lady, and to hear the story of her Indian adventures. She lived to be well past 90. The place of her burial is unknown. Old graves in Dana were dug up in the process of building a reservoir for Boston; no record has been found of the old gravestones. Her second husband, Ephraim Pratt, is buried in the Pratt graveyard near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, with his son and grandson. At the time of her death Eunice may easily have been living with one of her numerable descendants, and have been buried in the lot of one of the other members of her family.
(1) Benjamin Garfield
(2) Ephraim Pratt
On May 4, 1752, Eunice was married to Benjamin Garfield of Leicester. He may have been the son of Benjamin and Bethia (How) Garfield, b. May 6, 1718, Marlboro, Mass., d. June 27, 1755. Eunice m. (2), prob. in 1756, Ephraim Pratt, res. Hardwick (now Dana) and Wendell, Mass., d. Wendell, Jan. 20, 1809, bur. near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, Mass., prob. s. Phineas and Martha (Puffer), b. Jan. 10, 1732, Sudbury, Mass. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield was his second wife; the name of his first wife is not known.
Benjamin Garfield and Eunice (Cooley) lived near Northfield, Mass., and had one or more children, of whom nothing is known. One report cites a son, captured with his mother by the Indians, who visited his mother in later years, but preferred to live like a savage, as he had been brought up as an Indian; another report says she had only a daughter, Eunice Garfield, concerning whose fate Mrs. Garfield was uncertain. It seems likely that the story concerning the son is "historical fiction" rather than fact; such stories were common regarding anyone with children captured by the Indians.
Married in 1752, captured in 1755, Eunice Cooley Garfield probably had a two-year-old child and an infant; the infant was probably slain by the Indians; generally, when a long march was intended, the mothers were not permitted to carry small infants with them.
In 1742 Orlando Bridgman had built a block-house on his farm, which stood within the then limits of Northfield, Mass. The fort was strongly built and well-picketed, and occupied by three families, those of Caleb How, Hilkiah Grout, and Benjamin Garfield.
On the morning of June 27, 1755, three years after the marriage of Benjamin Garfield and Eunice Cooley, these three men, with the two young sons of Caleb How, went to work in a meadow on the bank of the river a little above the fort. About sunset they started to return to the block-house. Mr. How and his sons were on horseback, and a little ahead of the others. Upon reaching the meadow hill north of the fort, they were fired upon from ambush. Caleb How was shot in the thigh and brought to the ground; he was then scalped by the Indians, and struck by a hatchet in the head and left for dead. His boys were taken alive. Grout and Garfield attempted to escape by crossing the river; Grout succeeded, but Benjamin Garfield was drowned.
As soon as it grew dark the Indians went to the fort, made the proper signal, which they had learned, and were admitted. They took the women and children prisoners, killing all infant children. The fort was then fired, and the captives started on their long trek to Canada.
There is nothing left of old Fort Bridgman. At the spot where the capture took place (now Vernon, Vt.) is a large boulder, commemorating the capture, taken from the old How farm, erected by the town of Vernon and marked with a tablet by the Brattleboro Chapter of D. A. R.; the monument seems to be largely to the memory of Caleb How, as no mention is made of the other two families involved.
The Indians took their captives to Canada. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield seems to have been a woman of considerable personal beauty, as well as of fortitude and presence of mind. She adapted herself to the situation by a forced cheerfulness and because of her evident courage gained favor with the Indians, and was thus treated fairly well on the long march. For many days she kept a sharp lookout for aid, expecting to be rescued by her husband, of whose death she learned only on her return. With the other two women she took turns standing all night, to be ready for quick flight, but no help came.
After many days and nights of travel, footsore and weary, the captives finally reached a French settlement in Canada. Here the Indians sold them as slaves. Eunice was sold to a French family, of which she quickly became a beloved and trusted member, and was soon entrusted with the purchase of all household goods and supplies. Longing for her freedom, she told her story to one of the tradesmen whose friendship she had gained. He was a kindly man and offered to put $10 with every dollar she could save, to be repaid after she got home, so that she could purchase her liberty; this she eventually did. She was sent to France, and from there to England and thence to Boston. She probably reached Massachusetts some time in 1756. In 1758, she was paid a sum of money by New Hampshire to cover her last year in Canada.
On her return to Massachusetts, Eunice learned of her husband's death. Shortly thereafter she became the second wife of Ephraim Pratt, and she lived for nearly half a century in Hardwick (now Dana), where she was widely known and beloved as "Aunt Pratt." People came from a long distance to see the old lady, and to hear the story of her Indian adventures. She lived to be well past 90. The place of her burial is unknown. Old graves in Dana were dug up in the process of building a reservoir for Boston; no record has been found of the old gravestones. Her second husband, Ephraim Pratt, is buried in the Pratt graveyard near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, with his son and grandson. At the time of her death Eunice may easily have been living with one of her numerable descendants, and have been buried in the lot of one of the other members of her family.
Eunice married
(1) Benjamin Garfield
(2) Ephraim Pratt
On May 4, 1752, Eunice was married to Benjamin Garfield of Leicester. He may have been the son of Benjamin and Bethia (How) Garfield, b. May 6, 1718, Marlboro, Mass., d. June 27, 1755. Eunice m. (2), prob. in 1756, Ephraim Pratt, res. Hardwick (now Dana) and Wendell, Mass., d. Wendell, Jan. 20, 1809, bur. near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, Mass., prob. s. Phineas and Martha (Puffer), b. Jan. 10, 1732, Sudbury, Mass. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield was his second wife; the name of his first wife is not known.
Benjamin Garfield and Eunice (Cooley) lived near Northfield, Mass., and had one or more children, of whom nothing is known. One report cites a son, captured with his mother by the Indians, who visited his mother in later years, but preferred to live like a savage, as he had been brought up as an Indian; another report says she had only a daughter, Eunice Garfield, concerning whose fate Mrs. Garfield was uncertain. It seems likely that the story concerning the son is "historical fiction" rather than fact; such stories were common regarding anyone with children captured by the Indians.
Married in 1752, captured in 1755, Eunice Cooley Garfield probably had a two-year-old child and an infant; the infant was probably slain by the Indians; generally, when a long march was intended, the mothers were not permitted to carry small infants with them.
In 1742 Orlando Bridgman had built a block-house on his farm, which stood within the then limits of Northfield, Mass. The fort was strongly built and well-picketed, and occupied by three families, those of Caleb How, Hilkiah Grout, and Benjamin Garfield.
On the morning of June 27, 1755, three years after the marriage of Benjamin Garfield and Eunice Cooley, these three men, with the two young sons of Caleb How, went to work in a meadow on the bank of the river a little above the fort. About sunset they started to return to the block-house. Mr. How and his sons were on horseback, and a little ahead of the others. Upon reaching the meadow hill north of the fort, they were fired upon from ambush. Caleb How was shot in the thigh and brought to the ground; he was then scalped by the Indians, and struck by a hatchet in the head and left for dead. His boys were taken alive. Grout and Garfield attempted to escape by crossing the river; Grout succeeded, but Benjamin Garfield was drowned.
As soon as it grew dark the Indians went to the fort, made the proper signal, which they had learned, and were admitted. They took the women and children prisoners, killing all infant children. The fort was then fired, and the captives started on their long trek to Canada.
There is nothing left of old Fort Bridgman. At the spot where the capture took place (now Vernon, Vt.) is a large boulder, commemorating the capture, taken from the old How farm, erected by the town of Vernon and marked with a tablet by the Brattleboro Chapter of D. A. R.; the monument seems to be largely to the memory of Caleb How, as no mention is made of the other two families involved.
The Indians took their captives to Canada. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield seems to have been a woman of considerable personal beauty, as well as of fortitude and presence of mind. She adapted herself to the situation by a forced cheerfulness and because of her evident courage gained favor with the Indians, and was thus treated fairly well on the long march. For many days she kept a sharp lookout for aid, expecting to be rescued by her husband, of whose death she learned only on her return. With the other two women she took turns standing all night, to be ready for quick flight, but no help came.
After many days and nights of travel, footsore and weary, the captives finally reached a French settlement in Canada. Here the Indians sold them as slaves. Eunice was sold to a French family, of which she quickly became a beloved and trusted member, and was soon entrusted with the purchase of all household goods and supplies. Longing for her freedom, she told her story to one of the tradesmen whose friendship she had gained. He was a kindly man and offered to put $10 with every dollar she could save, to be repaid after she got home, so that she could purchase her liberty; this she eventually did. She was sent to France, and from there to England and thence to Boston. She probably reached Massachusetts some time in 1756. In 1758, she was paid a sum of money by New Hampshire to cover her last year in Canada.
On her return to Massachusetts, Eunice learned of her husband's death. Shortly thereafter she became the second wife of Ephraim Pratt, and she lived for nearly half a century in Hardwick (now Dana), where she was widely known and beloved as "Aunt Pratt." People came from a long distance to see the old lady, and to hear the story of her Indian adventures. She lived to be well past 90. The place of her burial is unknown. Old graves in Dana were dug up in the process of building a reservoir for Boston; no record has been found of the old gravestones. Her second husband, Ephraim Pratt, is buried in the Pratt graveyard near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, with his son and grandson. At the time of her death Eunice may easily have been living with one of her numerable descendants, and have been buried in the lot of one of the other members of her family.
(1) Benjamin Garfield
(2) Ephraim Pratt
On May 4, 1752, Eunice was married to Benjamin Garfield of Leicester. He may have been the son of Benjamin and Bethia (How) Garfield, b. May 6, 1718, Marlboro, Mass., d. June 27, 1755. Eunice m. (2), prob. in 1756, Ephraim Pratt, res. Hardwick (now Dana) and Wendell, Mass., d. Wendell, Jan. 20, 1809, bur. near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, Mass., prob. s. Phineas and Martha (Puffer), b. Jan. 10, 1732, Sudbury, Mass. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield was his second wife; the name of his first wife is not known.
Benjamin Garfield and Eunice (Cooley) lived near Northfield, Mass., and had one or more children, of whom nothing is known. One report cites a son, captured with his mother by the Indians, who visited his mother in later years, but preferred to live like a savage, as he had been brought up as an Indian; another report says she had only a daughter, Eunice Garfield, concerning whose fate Mrs. Garfield was uncertain. It seems likely that the story concerning the son is "historical fiction" rather than fact; such stories were common regarding anyone with children captured by the Indians.
Married in 1752, captured in 1755, Eunice Cooley Garfield probably had a two-year-old child and an infant; the infant was probably slain by the Indians; generally, when a long march was intended, the mothers were not permitted to carry small infants with them.
In 1742 Orlando Bridgman had built a block-house on his farm, which stood within the then limits of Northfield, Mass. The fort was strongly built and well-picketed, and occupied by three families, those of Caleb How, Hilkiah Grout, and Benjamin Garfield.
On the morning of June 27, 1755, three years after the marriage of Benjamin Garfield and Eunice Cooley, these three men, with the two young sons of Caleb How, went to work in a meadow on the bank of the river a little above the fort. About sunset they started to return to the block-house. Mr. How and his sons were on horseback, and a little ahead of the others. Upon reaching the meadow hill north of the fort, they were fired upon from ambush. Caleb How was shot in the thigh and brought to the ground; he was then scalped by the Indians, and struck by a hatchet in the head and left for dead. His boys were taken alive. Grout and Garfield attempted to escape by crossing the river; Grout succeeded, but Benjamin Garfield was drowned.
As soon as it grew dark the Indians went to the fort, made the proper signal, which they had learned, and were admitted. They took the women and children prisoners, killing all infant children. The fort was then fired, and the captives started on their long trek to Canada.
There is nothing left of old Fort Bridgman. At the spot where the capture took place (now Vernon, Vt.) is a large boulder, commemorating the capture, taken from the old How farm, erected by the town of Vernon and marked with a tablet by the Brattleboro Chapter of D. A. R.; the monument seems to be largely to the memory of Caleb How, as no mention is made of the other two families involved.
The Indians took their captives to Canada. Eunice (Cooley) Garfield seems to have been a woman of considerable personal beauty, as well as of fortitude and presence of mind. She adapted herself to the situation by a forced cheerfulness and because of her evident courage gained favor with the Indians, and was thus treated fairly well on the long march. For many days she kept a sharp lookout for aid, expecting to be rescued by her husband, of whose death she learned only on her return. With the other two women she took turns standing all night, to be ready for quick flight, but no help came.
After many days and nights of travel, footsore and weary, the captives finally reached a French settlement in Canada. Here the Indians sold them as slaves. Eunice was sold to a French family, of which she quickly became a beloved and trusted member, and was soon entrusted with the purchase of all household goods and supplies. Longing for her freedom, she told her story to one of the tradesmen whose friendship she had gained. He was a kindly man and offered to put $10 with every dollar she could save, to be repaid after she got home, so that she could purchase her liberty; this she eventually did. She was sent to France, and from there to England and thence to Boston. She probably reached Massachusetts some time in 1756. In 1758, she was paid a sum of money by New Hampshire to cover her last year in Canada.
On her return to Massachusetts, Eunice learned of her husband's death. Shortly thereafter she became the second wife of Ephraim Pratt, and she lived for nearly half a century in Hardwick (now Dana), where she was widely known and beloved as "Aunt Pratt." People came from a long distance to see the old lady, and to hear the story of her Indian adventures. She lived to be well past 90. The place of her burial is unknown. Old graves in Dana were dug up in the process of building a reservoir for Boston; no record has been found of the old gravestones. Her second husband, Ephraim Pratt, is buried in the Pratt graveyard near Shutesbury and Lock's Village, with his son and grandson. At the time of her death Eunice may easily have been living with one of her numerable descendants, and have been buried in the lot of one of the other members of her family.
Family Members
Siblings
Half Siblings
Advertisement
See more Garfield Pratt or Cooley memorials in:
- Find a Grave Garfield Pratt or Cooley
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
