Benjamin Burt is my 7th great grandfather. He and his wife Sarah (Belden) Burt were forced to endure a terrifying and unthinkable ordeal during the winter of 1704. In this blog post, I will share their story. I will admit ahead of time, that a large part of the information in this blog comes either directly or indirectly from the book "Early Days in New England: Life and Times of Henry Burt of Springfield and Some of His Descendants" written by Henry Martyn Burt and Silas Wright Burt. I attempted to re-write this harrowing story in my own words and was just not able to do it justice as my ancestors before I had done before.
The story begins with Benjamin Burt who was born on November 17, 1680, in Northampton, Massachusetts, the twelfth child of David Burt and Mary Holton.
When Benjamin was a baby, King Philip's War (1675 - 1678) was fought in southern New England. This was a major effort by the region's Native American tribes to drive out English colonists. Led by King Philip, the rebellion destroyed twelve New England towns within a year and damaged many more. Colonists quickly banded together to mount a defense, but this came at a price, as one-tenth of all men available for military service were killed. Benjamin's older brother David Burt, a soldier on duty at Schenectady, New York, was taken prisoner on February 29, 1690, when that town was destroyed by the French and Indians and was never seen or heard from again. Benjamin was only 10 years old.
Deerfield is beautifully situated near the confluence of the valleys of the Deerfield and Connecticut rivers and contains a large area of fertile soil which made the area attractive to early settlers. It is surrounded by a picturesque region of hills and valleys, but its location at the union of river valleys from the north, west, and east made it easily accessible to hostile approach. These conditions and the extreme frontier position had made it attractive as a strategic point to the savage enemy in the "King Philip" and the French wars. In 1703, its exposed site led to its fortification by an enclosure of tree trunks entirely surrounding it, and to its protection by a garrison.
In January of 1704, an expedition was formed at Montreal, Canada under the command of Major Hertel de Roubille, for an attack upon Deerfield. The party consisted of 200 Frenchmen and 142 Indians. The invaders made a forced march through the wilderness and suffered terribly from the intense cold. When they reached the vicinity of their destination there was four feet of snow on the ground and the crust on it was sufficiently strong to bear the weight of men, while the drifts made easy inclined paths to the top of the enclosure that encircled the town of Deerfield. The sole sentinel on duty, depending upon the mid-winter conditions as a sufficient defense, had left his post and sought shelter from the icy conditions. Just before daybreak on February 29, 1704, the assault was ordered upon the defenseless town. A general attack was simultaneously made by the invaders scattered throughout the settlement, The unfortunate inhabitants of Deerfield, wakened from their sleep by the frightful war whoops of the savages, were massacred or wounded as they ran frightened from their homes, to which torches were set.
Very few people escaped and made it to the nearby forest, and others that were not slaughtered on sight were gathered in the open space near the little church; among these were Benjamin Burt and his wife Sarah, who had escaped death only to have witnessed the death of their family and friends, and the destruction of their home.
Less than eight years earlier, in a sudden raid upon her father's house, Mrs. Sarah (Belden) Burt had seen her mother, two brothers and infant sister killed by the Indians, and another brother dangerously wounded, Sarah only escaped by hiding in the attic. Her father, a brother and a sister were taken captive to Canada, and would not return for two years.
Benjamin and Sarah, along with the other survivors clung together wearing only their night clothes. they mournfully took count of the slain by their absence. As they mourned over the loss of their loved ones, and saw all their treasures turning to ashes, a dreadful uncertainty obscured their own fate. In their midst their revered pastor, the Rev. John Williams, addressed prayers for divine assistance and support, which were interrupted by the orders to march, as the captives were driven from the village.
"The condition and sufferings of these unfortunate creatures cannot be adequately described; in the few brief, agonizing minutes of the attack they had neither forethought nor time to make the least preparation for such a fearful journey; poorly clad and shod, the rocks, bushes and brambles soon rent their scanty garments and when sodden with the penetrating melted snow their power to resist the icy blasts was almost exhausted. At night when the exertion of motion no longer stimulated their blood they could only save their vital warmth by lying close together in the snow, a feebly palpitating mass of misery." - Rev. John Williams
Making the journey even more difficult was the lack of sufficient food and provisions, the Indians always depending for subsistence on their attacks upon the wild game that they came upon along their journey. Of course the captives received the minimum share of such poor food. The women and children naturally suffered the most from fatigue and deficient food, and when they lagged or were unable to continue, they were immediately slain by the impatient and ruthless savages.
The wife of Pastor Williams was the first victim, having given out early in the march, and was tomahawked in the presence of her husband and children. The next victim, was, Mrs. Hepzibah Belden, the step-mother of Sarah Burt, then nearly sixty years old, and who met the same fate, that about ten years earlier, had overtaken her three daughters at Hatfield, where they were tomahawked by the Indians. Altogether there were 19 captives slain on this journey, most of them being pregnant women.
Some of these poor creatures, when they felt that their powers of endurance were nearly exhausted, calmly prepared for death by seeking the consolation of prayer with Pastor. Williams, who gives in his journal a pathetic account of the resignation and heroism of these brave souls about to part from their tortured, worn-out bodies.
" I saw in the naked forest Our scattered remnant cast,
A screen of shivering branches Between them and the blast;
The snow was falling 'round them,
The dying fell as fast."
- Rev. John Williams
On this dreadful march none endured more than Mrs. Burt; when she started upon it she was in the eighth month of her first pregnancy, and despite the aid of her husband she could hardly have endured the burdens, rigors, hardships, and horrors of the twenty-five day journey, if not for her youth and extraordinary powers of endurance.
"The writer has often in fancy depicted to himself this ancestress, subjected in her early wifehood to that direful ordeal ; the days of unmitigated misery in the deep snows of the bleak and trackless wilderness; the piercing cold ; the sore, aching, frost-bitten limbs ; the ever gnawing hunger; the slaughter of her step-mother and of the many women burdened like herself ; of the long nights haunted by the vague dread of the morrow with all its known and unknowable terrors. Was it with joy or dread that she felt within her the throbs of her unborn child ? " - Henry M. Burt of Springfield
When the party reached Coos in Vermont it was entirely destitute of provisions and two of the captives died here of sheer starvation. The hunters having succeeded in getting some game, the dreary march was resumed, until on March 25, the party reached Chamble, about eighteen miles northeast of Montreal. Here, on April 14, 1704, Sarah Burt delivered her first child, a son named Christopher.
Subsequently, the captives were distributed among the Indians and French and put to various services, the larger portion of them being employed in the convent and Jesuit academy near Montreal, Benjamin Burt and his wife Sarah being among these. Strong efforts were made to convert them to the Roman Catholic faith.
On Benjamin Burt's side were :
- (1), his brother David, captured at Schenectady, February 9, 1690, and never after heard from ;
- (2), his brother John, killed in a scout in May 1707 ;
- (3), his uncle, Joseph Baker, killed October 29, 1675 ;
- (4), his uncle, Thomas Holton, killed March 14, 1676;
- (5 and 6), his cousins, William and John Brooks, killed October 27, 1675 ;
- (7) his uncle, Sergeant Samuel Wright, killed September 2, 1676 ;
- (8, 9, 10), his cousin Nathaniel Brooks's wife, captured at the same time as himself, the wife slain on the march to Canada and the children never after heard from.
On Sarah Burt's side were
- (1, 2, 3 and 4), her mother, two brothers, and sister killed September 16, 1696;
- (5 and 6), her cousin, Mary Belden, and child killed September 19, 1677 ;
- (7), her cousin, John Smith, killed May 30, 1676;
- (8), her stepmother, captured at the same time as herself and slain on the march to Canada.
Together Benjamin and Sarah had eighteen relatives slain, besides many others severely wounded or carried into captivity, between 1690 and 1707.
In 1708, certain townsmen of Norwalk purchased from the Indians a tract fifteen miles north and settled it as Ridgefield. As every useful, or rather indispensable, craft had to be represented in such isolated settlements, Benjamin Burt became one of the co-equal proprietors as the blacksmith.
Although, I have known of this part of my family's history for a while now, reading and researching it again brought back the significance of this historical event. The strength and perseverance of Benjamin and Sarah Burt is an amazing testament to the colonial spirit of these early New England settlers. To further strengthen the connection I feel to my 7th great grandparents is the realization that if they had not survived this horrific experience and went on to live full lives, I may not be here today. My 6th great grandfather, Benjamin Burt (1707 - 1796) was born only 6 months after his parents were rescued from their captures.
Benjamin is also my 7x great grandfather. I descend from son Seaborn. Hello, cousin!
Hello Linda- It is very nice to meet a fellow Burt cousin. I don’t have very many connection for that surname. Please feel free to look around the website. I plan on adding more information for our Burt ancestors soon.
Have a great day!
I am also a Burt cousin. I am a decedent of Christopher Burt. He is my 7 times great grandfather.
It is nice to hear from you Sharon. It is always nice to find fellow Burt cousins.
Thank you for reading,
Rebecca
Descended from Sarah Belden Burt through Christopher.
I too am a cousin of yours, having descended fro Seaborn Burt.
It is nice to hear from you Steve. It is always nice to find fellow Burt cousins.
Thank you for reading,
Rebecca
I am a descendent of Jenny Bury Ruley…born in Woodstock, Nova Scotia and Benjamin Burt. I enjoyed reading the Burt family history regarding their survival of the Deerfield Massacre. I marvel at their tenacity and ability to have survived the ordeal. Good work!
Thank you for reading Dennis. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. It was very interesting to research and write.
Rebecca
Nice story, but only half of the tale. What about the Governor’s warnings during the summer of 1703? What about the role that the winter snow played in allowing access over the stockade? What about the Deerfield raid on cattle in 1650 wherein the New Englanders crept up to unguarded tepees of Indians that had raided cattle and shot natives point blank where they slept. There are two sides to every tale and there is even more to this one if you are interested.
David- Thank you very much for the response. The points you made are very interesting. I would love to hear more. Would you be interested in either writing or co-writing a blog post to tell more of the story. I would be happy to share it on my site. I look forward to hearing back from you, Thank you for reading, Rebecca
My great great grandparents were Joseph and Eliza Burt.
They had a son Eli Burt who lived in Northampton. Ma. USA and had four children.
The youngest son Charles Franklin Smith Burt travelled out to NZ and settled there.
Am seeking relatives who can assist me with our branch of the family tree.
I have a handwritten family tree with some of this information as side notes – written by my Dad. So Benjamin is my 6th Great Grandfather I think. Benjamin& Sarah Belden- Benjamin & Anna Blain – Benjamin & Joanna Parashal- Benjamin and Marcy Rickey- Israel and Delight Sauer Beckwith -Lydia Ann Burt married Ernest Wright (anglicized name) from Holstein, later part of Germany. (He was the Ernest Wright of the Pennsylvania “Bucktails” during the American Civil War. Ernest Wright and Lydia (Burt’s) son Warren “Albert” Wright was my Grandfather, my father was Christian Ernst Wright (named after his Grandfather from Holstein). My Grandfather moved to Canada in 1912 – under no duress from either the French of the Indians that generation! They homesteaded in Saskatchewan when my Dad was 15. Dad didn’t marry until he was 48 years old, so my siblings and I are much younger than our first cousins.
Thank you so much for this blog. Does anyone know about a BURT REUNION in PA?
Benjamin and Sarah are my 7th great grandparents through Seaborn. Thank you for this amazing info.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was a very interesting story to share.
Rebecca
I’m part of the Foote family. Have you seen this website, it mentions this event: http://larkturnthehearts.blogspot.com/2009/02/captive-wounded-slan-by-indians.html
Hello Rebecca. I too am related to Benjamin & Sarah as they are my 7th great grandparents through their son Daniel. I am also through this branch related to a survivor of the 1778 Wyoming Valley Massacre, Alla Lowe a young French woman who married my 5th great grandfather John Jacob Rickey. History sort of repeated itself in my family lineage.
Thanks for this. I belive we are descendants of Seaborn also. We moved to New Brunswick as loyalists in three 1780’s
You are welcome. This was very interesting to research and write about. Thank you for reading.
I am descended from Uarda Mary Burtt, daughter of Frasier, and native of NB. Researching the Burtt/Burt family is so interesting…what a resilient family!
I actually have one of Benjamin Burts school books! Lots of Burt history passed down and still trying to figure out why. Bibles of course will important items to pass along. It’s going to take work to figure out why I have all this material. Ha. Wish me luck.
Hmmm.
Thank you for the post.
Bruce, That is amazing that you have one of his school books. I would love to see some photos.
I agree, there is an abundance of Burt family history and it is difficult to consume it all. It’s a good problem to have as a genealogist. My next blog post, coming out next week, is related to the Burt family. Make sure to take a look.
Thank you for sharing,
Rebecca
Rebecca,
Drop me an email and I’ll send some pictures.
I also have books by James and Richard Burt (1893) on early times of Henry Burt. These were Thomas Burt’s books and a book by Roderick Burnham on the Burts. I don’t know if these books were ever digitized and in the public domain
Oops I stand corrected. I have copies of the book BY Henry Burt you mention as your source too.
My email is Walbecq4@live.com.
I am also a descendant through Seaborn Burt. i have lived almost 30 years in Burlington VT, near the path taken to Canada.
Thank you for all the family details
It was hard to connect to this side of the family because some were loyalists in the Rev War and removed to Canada
Incredible story and piece of history. I have been doing some research for a book I am writing of history leading up to the Revolutionary War. While searching for the Deerfield Massacre, I came across your page. I would like to include some quoted text in my history if that is okay with you. I also would like to add your website to the sources in my writings. What a rich piece of history you have written about and the suffering and struggles of so many innocent lives. God bless all those who endured and those that did not.
I would be honored to be quoted in your book. I look forward to hearing more. Thank you for reading the post and let me know if I can provide any additional information that could help.
Thanks,
Rebecca
Another distant cousin! Descended from Christopher Burt.
Amazing!
David Burt would be my 7th GGF according to the path I have followed to get me here, to our story.
Thank you!
You nicely describe some of the violent clashes between the early New Englanders and the even earlier New Englanders, and you relate how the Burts were involved. You might be interested to learn that my rough count, that somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the dead (47) and captured (112) individuals at Deerfield were related in some fashion to Eulalia and Henry Burt – direct descendants, spouses of descendants, cousins, etc. But, of course, in most small rural communities, the limited marriage pool resulted in nearly everyone being everyone else’s relation.