This is a fascinating account of two children who were captured by the Kahnawakes in Groton, Massachusetts in 1707. As often happened, these children grew up as Indians and refused to return to their own families when given the chance. These two children later became Chiefs of the St. Regis Kahnawake near Quebec. These children were cousins of my Parker and Blood ancestors of Groton.

I am most grateful for this compilation of information as typed up and submitted to me by Janice Farnsworth of Rhode Island, and have received her permission to present it here for the enjoyment of my visitors.

Source: "An Historical Sketch of Groton, Massachusetts l655 - l890 by Dr. Samuel A. Green pub. Groton, l894 - Selected Excerpts on Indians

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In a list of prisoners held by the French and Indians in Canada March 5, l710-11 are the names of Zechariah Tarball, John Tarball, Sarah Tarball, Matthias Farnsworth (3d) and Lydia Longley. (Archives LXXI 765) all of Groton, MA though no date of capture is given. Lydia Longley was taken by the Indians on July 27, l694. Matthias Farnsworth 3d was captured in the summer of l704 and the Tarball children were carried off on June 20, l707. Sarah, John and Zechariah were children of Thomas Tarball and his wife, Elizabeth (Wood) Tarball who with a large family lived on Farmers Row near where James Lawrence' house stood. (And still stood as of l897). Sarah Tarball was a girl nearly fourteen years of age. John a lad of twelve years and Zechariah only seven at the time they were taken. They were near kindred of the Longley family who had been massacred thirteen years before. The father was unquestionably Corp. Tarball who commanded in the autumn of l7ll one of the eighteen garrisons in Groton. The story of their capture and captivity is a singular one and sounds like a romance. They were picking cherries early one evening so tradition relates and were taken before they had time to get down from the tree. It should be borne in mind that the date of capture according to the new style of reckoning was July lst when cherries would be ripe enough to tempt the appetite of climbing youngsters. These children were carried to Canada. Sarah was placed in a convent at Lachine near Montreal but what became of her is unknown. Thomas Tarball the father of these children made his will Sep. 26, l7l5 which was admitted to probate six weeks later and is now on file at Middlesex Probate Office in East Cambridge. In it he says:

"all the rest and residue of my reall estate I give to be equally divided between my three children, John, Zachary, and Sarah Tarball upon their return from captivity or in proportion unto any of them that shall return & the rest, or the parts belonging to them do not return shall be equally divided among the rest of my children.

The boys remained for many years with their captors at Caughnawaga an Indian village on the right bank of the St. Lawrence River directly opposite to Lachine.

In the year l7l3 John Stoddard and John Williams were apptd by Gov. Joseph Dudley to go to Quebec and treat with the Gov. Gen. of Canada for the release of the New England prisoners. They were accompanied by Thomas Tarbell (prob. the elder brother of the boys) and we find his petition presented to the House of Rep's June l, l7l5 "praying consideration and allowance for his time and expences in going to Canada with Major Stoddard and Mr. Williams Anno l7l3 to recover captives. He was allowed ten pounds out of the public treasury. No further traces of these boys were found. During the 25 years following this attempt to release the New England prisoners, in the winter of l739 John and Zechariah Tarball came back to Groton in order to visit their kinfolk. And to see their native town. They were so young when carried away that their recollections of the place were of course very indistinct. It is not known now under what circumstances or influences they returned. An itemized bill of the expense incurred in bringing them back from Canada was made out against their brothers, Thomas and Samuel Tarball and perhaps paid by them. Shortly afterward Thomas Tarball petitioned the General Court for means to enable him to meet the necessary charges of the journey besides the expenses of an interpreter and a conditional loan was granted. The papers relating to the subject are among the MA Archives (XV A, l5-l9) Several efforts were made to reclaim these two young men from savage life proved unavailing for it is known that they remained with the Indians and became naturalized, if I may use the expression. They married Indian wives and were afterward made chiefs at Caughnawaga and St. Regis villages in Canada. Their descendants are still living among the Indians and the Tarballs of the present day in that town are their collateral kindred. Neary forty years after their capture Gov. Hutchinson met them in New York state and in his "History of the Province of MA Bay" refers to them thus:

"I saw at Albany two or three men in the year l744 who came in with the Indians to trade and who had been taken at Groton in this, that is called Queen Anne's War. One of them, Tarball was said to be one of the wealthiest of the Cagnawaga Tribe. He made a visit in his Indian dress, and with his Indian complexion (for by means of grease and paints but little difference could be discerned) to his relations at Groton but had no inclination to remain there (II.l39.)

Some years after this time these two young men - now occupying the position of chiefs - moved up the St. Lawrence River accompanied by several others - all with their families and est. the village of St. Regis. This Indian settlement is pleasantly situated on the right bank of the St Lawrence, the boundary line which separates the State of NY from Canada running through it. From its peculiar position, it was agreed, during the last war with England the Indians should remain neutral but the compact was often broken. In the summer of l852 the tribe numbered abt eleven hundred persons of whom it is said that not one was of pure Indian origin. Many interesting facts concerning the Tarballs at St. Regis are found in the "History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, New York" (Albany, l853) by Dr. Franklin B. Hough. A part of the village comes within the limits of Franklin County and the author has gathered up some of the stories still told about these two brothers in that neighborhood.

In former years the St. Regis Indians had certain rights in a land reservation in the State of NY; and more than once treaties were made between the Gov. of the State and the chiefs of the tribe, among whom were descendants of these Tarball boys. A treaty was signed on Feb. 20, l8l8 in behalf of the Indians by Loran Tarball and Thomas Tarball and two other chiefs. Another treaty was signed on Sep. 23, l825 by eleven chiefs and trustees of the tribe including Peter Tarball, Thomas Tarball, Mitchel Tarball, Louis Tarball and Battice Tarball. Some of these names I am sure will sound familiar to the older inhabitants of Groton. It is very likely that Battice is the same as Sabattis (an Indian Name) which is said to be a corruption of St. Baptiste. Dr. Hough writes about one of the earlier members of the family as follows: "A half-breed Indian, who usually was known as Peter the Big Speak, was a son of Lesor Tarball one of the lads who had been stolen away from Groton by the Indians and who subsequently became one of the first settlers who preceded the founding of St. Regis. He was a man of much address and ability as a speaker, and was selected as the mouthpiece of the tribe on the more important occasions that presented themselves. (Page l32) This statement is wrong, however, that Lesor was the name of one of the captured boys. It is perfectly well known that their names were John and Zechariah but it is not improbable that one of their sons was named Lesor. If such was the case, it was intended doubtless for Eleazer the name of their youngest brother who was less than two months old when they were carried off. It certainly would be a touching tribute to their childish recollections if they had remembered this little babe at home and carried him in their thoughts for so many years.

Source: "An Historical Sketch of Groton, Massachusetts l655 - l890 by Dr. Samuel A. Green pub. Groton, l894 - Selected Excerpts on Indians

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In the summer of l877 I (Dr. Sam Green) visited St. Regis where I met a grandson of one of the Tarball captives. He was more than eighty years old and could speak only Indian, and I had to talk with him thru an interpreter. I learned that he was aware that his grandfather had been taken when a boy, from a town near Boston, and that he had kinfolk still living there. What interested me exceedingly was the physical resemblance between him and some of his collateral relations who lived and died at Squannacook within my recollection. He was a man of ordinary size with a sunburnt face and gray hair though somewhat bald. There was but little appearance of Indian blood in his veins and he would have passed anywhere for a good-looking old man. He lived with one of his sons in a small house that was clapboarded and painted, and was one of the best in the village - where, surrounded by his grandchildren, he was passing the declining years of his life in comfortable ease.

Submitted by Janice Farnsworth