Samuel Thrall (1681 - 1709)

Born 22 Feb 1681 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1709 at about age 27 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut [uncertain]

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Biography

Samuel was a twin of sister Abigail. Samuel was born in 1661. He is the son of Timothy Thrall and Deborah Gunn. He passed away in 1709.

Elizabeth Thrall’s father, Samuel Thrall, was called to duty in that war [Queen Anne's War]and with his regiment was sent on an expedition with orders to attack Montreal and Quebec. The expedition foundered at Wood Creek, the portage place between the Hudson River and Lake Champlain, and disease spreading through the troops caused heavy losses. Samuel Thrall died in 1709 on a vessel on his way home [Stiles, 1:239]. Elizabeth was three years old when her father died.^[1]

He died on board a vessel on the way home from the Wood Creek Expedition (Queen Anne's War). This was the second in a series of four French and Indian Wars fought between France and England. See "History of Ancient Windsor", p 813-14: [1]

This expedition, under the leadership of Gen. Nicholson of the royal service, was to assist in the "reduction" of Montreal and Quebec in 1709. The undertaking was a serious loss and expense to the colonies. More than 1/4 of the troops died, some of disease from exposure in the camps.

Richard Ingoldsby, who had come over with the rank of major, as commander of Her Majesty's four companies of regulars, was now lieutenant-governor of the province. Again a joint expedition was planned by the colonists for the conquest of Canada.

Five regiments of regulars were to be joined with twelve hundred provincial troops, who were to proceed by sea to Quebec. Another body of troops was to rendezvous at Albany for the attack on Montreal. The forces for this latter expedition were placed under the command of Colonel Vetch, a nephew of Peter Schuyler, and General Nicholson. Nicholson was tendered the command by Governor Ingoldsby on the 21st of May, 1709.

On the 19th of May, the council had given orders that there should be sent forthwith to Albany a sufficient quantity of stores and provisions, and all other things necessary for building storehouses and boats and make canoes. About the 1st of June the vanguard of the expedition, consisting of three hundred men, with the pioneers and artificers, moved out of Albany, under the command of Colonel Schuyler. Proceeding to Stillwater, they built a stockaded fort for provisions, which they named Fort Ingoldsby. They also built stockaded forts at Saratoga, situated on the east side of the river, below the Battenkill, and another at Fort Miller falls. From Saratoga they built a road up the east side of the river to the Great Carrying-Place. At the bank of the Hudson they built, at the Great Carrying-Place, another fort, which they called Fort Nicholson. This has since become Fort Edward.

From Fort Edward they went across the Great Carrying-Place to the WOOD CREEK, where they built another fort, which they called Fort Schuyler. This name was shortly afterwards changed to Fort Ann.

At Fort Ann they built a hundred bark canoes and one hundred and ten boats, which would hold from six to ten men each. Lieutenant-Colonel John Schuyler was in command of this place. The number of men was finally increased to eleven hundred and fifty. Fort Nicholson was garrisoned by four hundred and fifty men, including seven companies of English regulars in scarlet uniforms. At the Fort Miller falls there were forty men, and at Stillwater seventy men.

In the mean time, Governor Vaudreuil had moved up from Montreal to Chambly to watch the movement of the invaders. But this expedition overland was simply auxiliary to the fleet by sea from Boston. As this latter failed (Britain cancelled the invasion by sea, without bothering to inform the colonial soldiers) nothing further came of the invasion, and the summer passed away in idleness.

While at Fort Ann a fatal sickness broke out in the English camp, and a great number died as if poisoned. In October, Colonel Nicholson returned with his crippled forces to Albany. Charlevoix states that this sickness was produced by the treachery of the Indians, who threw the skins of their game into the swamp above the camp. It is probable, however, that it was a malignant dysentery, caused by the extreme heat and the malaria of the swamps.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Tom Bredehoft, Jun 14, Nov 22,2012
2. ↑ Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nysarato/Sylvester/chap12.html

• Tom Bredehoft, Pettibone Registry, page 51, see K. Pontius.
• Tom Bredehoft, information is from LDS FamilySearch User Submitted Trees. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Tom and others.