Nicholas Ulshafer
US History
10/8/2014
Stolen in Chaos: An Essay in Response to
The Unredeemed Captive – A Family Story by John Demos The story took place during the war between the English and French known as the Queen Anne’s War in New England, 1704. Conflict spread throughout North American colonies like that of Deersfield. The French fight with the Mohawk Indians in attempt to capture their prime suspect, John Williams. On the night of February 29 a raid began throughout the town of Deersfield. Residents were slaughtered and scalped leaving the town in wreckage. The fortunate escaped while the remaining were taken captive. Largely, the raid had begun in hopes to capture John Williams. A significant raid because it was the largest of its kind executed by the French and Indians. This resulted in the greatest number of captives of any raid. Even though advised, the Massachusetts Colony was extremely upset. It was said the raid had been planned …show more content…
It left an empty and unsettling feeling for the Williams’. They had a constant reminder of a broken family with Eunice’s captivity. Although she was warmly welcomed and loved in the Indian family, John and brother Stephan never gave up trying to reunite her. Countless efforts of communication barriers and hundreds of miles between each other made it difficult to see one another in a time with limited resources to travel. John fought for he and his families freedom but was unsuccessful for Eunice. This broke the Williams family and would see a battle to bring her home to New England until both John’s and Stephan’s death. Eunice lived happily with her husband, three children, and grandchildren despite being captive at such a young age. She was brought up English, although lived majority of her life as a civilized Indian resident. Eunice is a great story of a broken family in the midst of a war between
US History
10/8/2014
Stolen in Chaos: An Essay in Response to
The Unredeemed Captive – A Family Story by John Demos The story took place during the war between the English and French known as the Queen Anne’s War in New England, 1704. Conflict spread throughout North American colonies like that of Deersfield. The French fight with the Mohawk Indians in attempt to capture their prime suspect, John Williams. On the night of February 29 a raid began throughout the town of Deersfield. Residents were slaughtered and scalped leaving the town in wreckage. The fortunate escaped while the remaining were taken captive. Largely, the raid had begun in hopes to capture John Williams. A significant raid because it was the largest of its kind executed by the French and Indians. This resulted in the greatest number of captives of any raid. Even though advised, the Massachusetts Colony was extremely upset. It was said the raid had been planned …show more content…
It left an empty and unsettling feeling for the Williams’. They had a constant reminder of a broken family with Eunice’s captivity. Although she was warmly welcomed and loved in the Indian family, John and brother Stephan never gave up trying to reunite her. Countless efforts of communication barriers and hundreds of miles between each other made it difficult to see one another in a time with limited resources to travel. John fought for he and his families freedom but was unsuccessful for Eunice. This broke the Williams family and would see a battle to bring her home to New England until both John’s and Stephan’s death. Eunice lived happily with her husband, three children, and grandchildren despite being captive at such a young age. She was brought up English, although lived majority of her life as a civilized Indian resident. Eunice is a great story of a broken family in the midst of a war between