Captain Joe, the friendly Indian Guide (Scout), was born in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada into the Micmac Tribe. He was left an orphan after the British attacked Louisburg in 1745, and fled to the Indian village of St. Francis, Province of Quebec, Canada.
During the French and Indian War, he was part of a raiding party that attacked Newbury, and was wounded and left behind. He was taken in by a white family, and when he regained his health, he returned to St. Francis, promising that he would warn of future raids.
Later, he traveled to the New Hampshire Grants (Vermont) with Molly, the woman he married after persuading her to leave her husband, and her two sons: Toomalek and Muxawuxal. Joe and Molly remained in Vermont, living at camps in Caledonia and Orange Counties.
Joe was considered a remarkable man and rendered services to the early settlers of Newbury and the American Cause. He served in Captain John Vincent's Company of St. Francis Indians in 1777-1778 and was often employed as a Scout by General's Bayley and Hazen using him to point out trails and navigable rivers to American forces. Joe was also the scout for mapping the Bayley-Hazen Military Road that connected Newbury with St. John's, Quebec. He knew thoroughly all the country between Coos and Canada.
During the last year of the Revolution (1782-1783), Joe and Molly traveled to Newburgh, New York to meet General Washington at his headquarters on the North (Hudson) River. They were received with attention: General Washington shaking hands with him, and causing him and Molly to be invited, after he and his officers had dined, to his table.
Molly appears to have died or been captured and taken to St. Francis in 1792, as references to her in petitions to the legislature and other documents ceased.
Joe was held in high estimation by the settlers, and as he grew old there was no difficulty in obtaining for him a pension from the state. The pension at first small (three pounds a year), was increased at different times, until, for several years before his death the state appropriated seventy dollars, annually, for his support.
Later in Joe's life Colonel Frye Bayley was made his guardian. After the Colonel moved to Chelsea, his son Jacob was appointed Joe's guardian in his stead.
On February 1, 1819, when hunting, Joe laid down at night, froze both of his feet, and was nearly exhausted when discovered by the party which was in search of him. He died a few days later on February 19th. Most of the principal men in town attended his funeral and his gun, which was found loaded, was discharged over his grave.
Molly's Pond in Cabot and Joe's Pond which is partly in Danville and partly in Cabot are named for Joe and his wife.
References:
1) "The Vermont Historical Gazetteer: A Magazine embracing A History of Each Town, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military." Volume II. Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orange Counties by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1871, pages 924-926.
2) "History Of Newbury, Vermont, From the Discovery of the Coos Country to Present Time" by Frederic P. Wells, 1902, pages 31, 88 and 130-131.
3) "State Papers of Vermont Volume Nine General Petitions 1788-1792" by Edward A. Hoyt, 1955, pages 452-453.
During the French and Indian War, he was part of a raiding party that attacked Newbury, and was wounded and left behind. He was taken in by a white family, and when he regained his health, he returned to St. Francis, promising that he would warn of future raids.
Later, he traveled to the New Hampshire Grants (Vermont) with Molly, the woman he married after persuading her to leave her husband, and her two sons: Toomalek and Muxawuxal. Joe and Molly remained in Vermont, living at camps in Caledonia and Orange Counties.
Joe was considered a remarkable man and rendered services to the early settlers of Newbury and the American Cause. He served in Captain John Vincent's Company of St. Francis Indians in 1777-1778 and was often employed as a Scout by General's Bayley and Hazen using him to point out trails and navigable rivers to American forces. Joe was also the scout for mapping the Bayley-Hazen Military Road that connected Newbury with St. John's, Quebec. He knew thoroughly all the country between Coos and Canada.
During the last year of the Revolution (1782-1783), Joe and Molly traveled to Newburgh, New York to meet General Washington at his headquarters on the North (Hudson) River. They were received with attention: General Washington shaking hands with him, and causing him and Molly to be invited, after he and his officers had dined, to his table.
Molly appears to have died or been captured and taken to St. Francis in 1792, as references to her in petitions to the legislature and other documents ceased.
Joe was held in high estimation by the settlers, and as he grew old there was no difficulty in obtaining for him a pension from the state. The pension at first small (three pounds a year), was increased at different times, until, for several years before his death the state appropriated seventy dollars, annually, for his support.
Later in Joe's life Colonel Frye Bayley was made his guardian. After the Colonel moved to Chelsea, his son Jacob was appointed Joe's guardian in his stead.
On February 1, 1819, when hunting, Joe laid down at night, froze both of his feet, and was nearly exhausted when discovered by the party which was in search of him. He died a few days later on February 19th. Most of the principal men in town attended his funeral and his gun, which was found loaded, was discharged over his grave.
Molly's Pond in Cabot and Joe's Pond which is partly in Danville and partly in Cabot are named for Joe and his wife.
References:
1) "The Vermont Historical Gazetteer: A Magazine embracing A History of Each Town, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military." Volume II. Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orange Counties by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1871, pages 924-926.
2) "History Of Newbury, Vermont, From the Discovery of the Coos Country to Present Time" by Frederic P. Wells, 1902, pages 31, 88 and 130-131.
3) "State Papers of Vermont Volume Nine General Petitions 1788-1792" by Edward A. Hoyt, 1955, pages 452-453.
Captain Joe, the friendly Indian Guide (Scout), was born in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada into the Micmac Tribe. He was left an orphan after the British attacked Louisburg in 1745, and fled to the Indian village of St. Francis, Province of Quebec, Canada.
During the French and Indian War, he was part of a raiding party that attacked Newbury, and was wounded and left behind. He was taken in by a white family, and when he regained his health, he returned to St. Francis, promising that he would warn of future raids.
Later, he traveled to the New Hampshire Grants (Vermont) with Molly, the woman he married after persuading her to leave her husband, and her two sons: Toomalek and Muxawuxal. Joe and Molly remained in Vermont, living at camps in Caledonia and Orange Counties.
Joe was considered a remarkable man and rendered services to the early settlers of Newbury and the American Cause. He served in Captain John Vincent's Company of St. Francis Indians in 1777-1778 and was often employed as a Scout by General's Bayley and Hazen using him to point out trails and navigable rivers to American forces. Joe was also the scout for mapping the Bayley-Hazen Military Road that connected Newbury with St. John's, Quebec. He knew thoroughly all the country between Coos and Canada.
During the last year of the Revolution (1782-1783), Joe and Molly traveled to Newburgh, New York to meet General Washington at his headquarters on the North (Hudson) River. They were received with attention: General Washington shaking hands with him, and causing him and Molly to be invited, after he and his officers had dined, to his table.
Molly appears to have died or been captured and taken to St. Francis in 1792, as references to her in petitions to the legislature and other documents ceased.
Joe was held in high estimation by the settlers, and as he grew old there was no difficulty in obtaining for him a pension from the state. The pension at first small (three pounds a year), was increased at different times, until, for several years before his death the state appropriated seventy dollars, annually, for his support.
Later in Joe's life Colonel Frye Bayley was made his guardian. After the Colonel moved to Chelsea, his son Jacob was appointed Joe's guardian in his stead.
On February 1, 1819, when hunting, Joe laid down at night, froze both of his feet, and was nearly exhausted when discovered by the party which was in search of him. He died a few days later on February 19th. Most of the principal men in town attended his funeral and his gun, which was found loaded, was discharged over his grave.
Molly's Pond in Cabot and Joe's Pond which is partly in Danville and partly in Cabot are named for Joe and his wife.
References:
1) "The Vermont Historical Gazetteer: A Magazine embracing A History of Each Town, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military." Volume II. Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orange Counties by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1871, pages 924-926.
2) "History Of Newbury, Vermont, From the Discovery of the Coos Country to Present Time" by Frederic P. Wells, 1902, pages 31, 88 and 130-131.
3) "State Papers of Vermont Volume Nine General Petitions 1788-1792" by Edward A. Hoyt, 1955, pages 452-453.
During the French and Indian War, he was part of a raiding party that attacked Newbury, and was wounded and left behind. He was taken in by a white family, and when he regained his health, he returned to St. Francis, promising that he would warn of future raids.
Later, he traveled to the New Hampshire Grants (Vermont) with Molly, the woman he married after persuading her to leave her husband, and her two sons: Toomalek and Muxawuxal. Joe and Molly remained in Vermont, living at camps in Caledonia and Orange Counties.
Joe was considered a remarkable man and rendered services to the early settlers of Newbury and the American Cause. He served in Captain John Vincent's Company of St. Francis Indians in 1777-1778 and was often employed as a Scout by General's Bayley and Hazen using him to point out trails and navigable rivers to American forces. Joe was also the scout for mapping the Bayley-Hazen Military Road that connected Newbury with St. John's, Quebec. He knew thoroughly all the country between Coos and Canada.
During the last year of the Revolution (1782-1783), Joe and Molly traveled to Newburgh, New York to meet General Washington at his headquarters on the North (Hudson) River. They were received with attention: General Washington shaking hands with him, and causing him and Molly to be invited, after he and his officers had dined, to his table.
Molly appears to have died or been captured and taken to St. Francis in 1792, as references to her in petitions to the legislature and other documents ceased.
Joe was held in high estimation by the settlers, and as he grew old there was no difficulty in obtaining for him a pension from the state. The pension at first small (three pounds a year), was increased at different times, until, for several years before his death the state appropriated seventy dollars, annually, for his support.
Later in Joe's life Colonel Frye Bayley was made his guardian. After the Colonel moved to Chelsea, his son Jacob was appointed Joe's guardian in his stead.
On February 1, 1819, when hunting, Joe laid down at night, froze both of his feet, and was nearly exhausted when discovered by the party which was in search of him. He died a few days later on February 19th. Most of the principal men in town attended his funeral and his gun, which was found loaded, was discharged over his grave.
Molly's Pond in Cabot and Joe's Pond which is partly in Danville and partly in Cabot are named for Joe and his wife.
References:
1) "The Vermont Historical Gazetteer: A Magazine embracing A History of Each Town, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military." Volume II. Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orange Counties by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1871, pages 924-926.
2) "History Of Newbury, Vermont, From the Discovery of the Coos Country to Present Time" by Frederic P. Wells, 1902, pages 31, 88 and 130-131.
3) "State Papers of Vermont Volume Nine General Petitions 1788-1792" by Edward A. Hoyt, 1955, pages 452-453.
Inscription
The Friendly Indian Guide
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
