Edward Kneeland, Jr.

Edward Kneeland Jr., son of Edward Kneeland and Deborah Martin, was born Mar. 19, 1767 in Colchester, New London Co., Connecticut. Sometime about 1769 his father moved the family to Royalston, Vermont and took up a tract of land there, clearing it and built thereon a substantial house for the bride of his eldest son, Joseph, who was married in 1778. Two years after that marraige came the "Royalston Massacre. Edward Sr., then broke down by sickness and hard work, aged before his time and his two sons, Joseph and Edward Jr., the latter a youth of thirteen, were captured.

On his return from captivity, Edward Jr. married with ELIZABETH PECK, of Rehobath, Mass. He settled in Hadley and became the father of a little brood of twelve children. He died in 1829, at the age of 66.

Children were: Joseph (1790), Samuel (1794), Betsey (1795; m. Wm. Lebeveau; m. Caleb Wright), Edward (1796, d.y.), Lucinda (1799; m. Wm. W. Bliss), Clarissa (1803; m. Nathaniel Potter after her sister Hannah died), Emily (1805; m. Ebenezer Nutting), Edward (3/24/1807), Harvey (1809, d.y.), Hannah (1811; m. Nathaniel Potter, no ch), Lydia (1813; m. Walter Day), Electa (1815; m. Theodore Bellows, no ch).

Of the events of the massacre, Hall wrote in "The History of Eastern Vermont", pg 385,390: Joseph Kneeland was killed and scalped by the Indians to avenge the death of the Indian who had been shot by the Americans. The older Kneeland (Edward Sr), was re-captured by the Americans and send back to safety. Edward Jr., was never re-captured and kept as a prisoner. He was adopted by a chief and lived with him for eight years, following in their wanderings through Vermont and Canada and once from the mouth to the source of the Connecticut river. He became expert in woodcraft and in the use of the rude weapons of the Indian. After the chief died, he was sold, in Canada, to a Frenchman and permitted by him to return to his old home, where he married and became the head of a numerous family.

• http://archive.org/stream/sevencenturiesin1897knee#page/362/mode/2up. pg. 362
• http://archive.org/stream/historyofroyalto02love#page/844/mode/2up. History of Royalston, Vermont w genealogies. Pg. 845

DAR Patriot List #066315 Service: VERMONT Rank: PATRIOTIC SERVICE Birth: 9-30-1768 COLCHESTER NEW LONDON CO CONNECTICUT Death: 1829 HADLEY HAMPSHIRE CO MASSACHUSETTS Service Description: 1) PRISONER OF WAR, ROYALTON RAID, 1780-82

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 27 2020, 21:44:00 UTC