I'm no historian, but the old county-based histories that were so widely written in the later 1800's are rife with such stories. Perhaps they aren't all true, but surely they aren't all false, either. The settlers had moved into the natives' back yards. It seems it was not uncommon for the natives to take hostages/prisoners for a number of reasons - for revenge, for ransom, for slaves, etc . There is a tale of being captured by Indians in my family that dates back to 1820. There is nothing to validate it, but I am open to the possibility that it has some basis in truth. 

Sharon 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold Miller" <[log in to unmask]> 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Thursday, April 8, 2010 5:33:19 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain 
Subject: [NYHIST-L] 1812 capture by Indians in Albany County? 

In Amasa J. Parker's 1897 "Landmarks of Albany County" on page 69 it says of John Peter Ball of Berne: " Once while plowing in his field, during the war of 1812, he was suddenly confronted by Indians and taken prisoner, he was returned unharmed."  


Could that be real, or is it more likely to be family legend? 


Harold Miller 
AlbanyHilltowns.com