A Narrative of The Diary of John Frizzell 1756-1760
By Patricia A. Johnson
August 1998
In July 1998 I received a copy of "The Diary of John Frizzell 1756-1760". John Frizzell is my 7th great-grandfather, and I knew little more than his name until I received the copy of this diary from Eileen Buckway in West Jordan, Utah. Now, I know a great deal about his adventures and about the man. I would like to share what I have learned about John Frizzell. John Frizzell was age 26 when this adventure begins in August 1756. It covers his experiences and travels and finally ends when he takes a ship, homeward bound, on 15 April 1759.
The language is hard to interpret, it is written in Old English. Someone has transcribed it very well, verbatim et literatim, and published it with other diaries of New England. That transcription accompanies my narrative, and the reader can read the actual words.
The French and Indian War is the setting for this adventure, and it is an exciting and violent time in the history of the North American Continent. The diary of John Frizzell gave me a special reason for studying the war and especially the saga of the battle of the Oswego Forts in August 1756.
Using two references, I have put the pieces of the diary together as they pertain to history. The rest of my narrative is about John Frizzell's personal experiences after he became a prisoner of war. The two references used are "Arms for Empire" by Douglas E. Lynch and "Battle for A Continent 1754-1763" by Harrison Bird. I hope the reader finds both the narrative and drama interesting.
The story actually begins on 17 May 1756 when the British government declared war on France. The struggle between the two countries was about control of the Northern part of the North American Continent -- and the riches and trade that went with it.
The battle of the Oswego Forts, in August 1756, was important because these forts commanded access to Lake Ontario in Western New York. Both Britain and France wanted control of this access. Lake Ontario was the gateway to the St. Lawrence River and therefore to the Atlantic Ocean and international trade.
The Oswego Forts were these three: Fort Ontario on the east bank of the mouth of the Oswego River; Fort George on the west bank of the mouth of the Oswego River; Fort Oswego, a bit inland from Fort George and by far the strongest of the three.
I have not been able to determine which fort John Frizzell was assigned to, but I suspect it was Fort Ontario since his diary begins on 10 August 1756 and that coincides with the start of the battle at Fort Ontario. At any rate, he was at one of them. I have not been able to determine which unit John Frizzell served in. The most likely possibility is the 50th or 51st Foot Regiment.
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I DO know he was among 1,780 prisoners of war by the time the white flag went up over Fort Oswego on 14 August 1756.
John's diary agrees completely with history. He begins with, "August 10th 1756 attacked by our enemy and the 14th day we surrendered ourselves to our enemy and were confined to close quarters." Both historical references state that the battle began 10 August 1756 at Fort Ontario and by 14 August 1756 the white flag of surrender was hoisted over Fort Oswego. The troops that survived the attack on Fort Ontario withdrew to Fort Oswego on 12 August.
The British leader at the Oswego Forts was Colonel James Mercer. He was killed before he had a chance to surrender to the French General, Louis Montcalm. General Montcalm had maneuvered an almost perfect victory -- except for one thing -- his Indians slipped out of control and began plundering and murdering the terrified British troops. A number of them had been killed before Montcalm could regain control of the Indians. This happened after the British commander had been promised safety from the Indians as part of the surrender terms. The Indians had no patience for these "humanitarian agreements" between white men.
John Frizzell describes this very incident in his diary. "The French general said to the Indians take what follows and immediately thrust three of them through with his sword which struck dread in them, but he saw that they were hard set on their mission and he could not pacify them so he called out seventeen men and gave them to the Indians to pacify them." His next sentence is, "I can't say but that it made me look around amongst my fellow creatures to see whose lot it must be next." I can only imagine the terror of that event! To see men called out to be turned over to the Indians and feeling a mixture of guilt and thankfulness to be passed over would be unforgettable. The horror of being an Indian captive is not exaggerated by history. They were masters at torturing a human being horribly, yet keeping him alive to feel every bit of it. I, for one, am most grateful that John Frizzell was not chosen for this terrible fate. As in so many other instances, I find that my existence two hundred years later was in the balance of the outcome of certain events in history.
About 17 August 1756, the Canadians marched the group of prisoners to Lake Ontario. There were several batteaux there and the Canadians pointed to them. John Frizzell and his fellow prisoners jumped into the boats and steered north northwest. They were followed closely by Indians in canoes. The Indians were flourishing their knives to show that they intended to kill and scalp them if given the chance. The Canadians made signs that the prisoners should lay down in the batteaux so the Indians didn't see so many of them. John Frizzell says, "You must think our case was very sad and solitary, but how to miss them we knew not."
Even nature was against the group of prisoners. As they sailed at night to lose the Indians, the wind blew so strongly out of the south that they could not steer. They were at the mercy of the wind and finally drew ashore in a nook, "where we skulked among the rocks and saw no more of the Indians that night."
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The next day they proceeded on their journey and came to a place called "Gattrooksway." I have not been able to find this place on a modern atlas. John Frizzell mentions an island north of this place with a small fort. I believe this fort may be Fort Henry on Wolfe Island, situated at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Soon after seeing this island they "made the St. Lawrence River." Some Indians spotted them and gave chase in their canoes. The Indians hollered and rejoiced to see the English prisoners going into captivity. John says, "we had little to say for ourselves for we thought that it was all in vain so we must submit ourselves to their pleasure and make the best we can of a bad bargain." That night they came to a place called Kring Point where they gladly stepped ashore and found some wild cherries. "They gladly laid hold of them and fell to eating them being a long time without victuals and the day being fairly spent, we camped there that night and the next morning the Canadians made motions to have us go into the batteaux."
The group of batteaux was pursued by boats filled with Indians. The Canadians ordered the prisoners to row away as fast as they could for the Indians would scalp them all alive if they caught them. John says, "So we being past all hope said nothing, laid hold of an oar but very carelessly and making motions to get out of their way but did not care much what became of us." Fortunately the Indians did not catch the men. They stayed that night on shore near St. Johns, a small fort. Many wigwams were at St. Johns so they found a place further downstream.
The next day they proceeded down the river, passing Canadian villages along the way. Finally they could see the "Great Falls of the St. Lawrence" ahead. This is where the Ottawa River empties into the St. Lawrence river. John Frizzell didn't expect to survive the trip over the falls, but the Canadians brought them through safely. The prisoners were ordered to lie down in the batteaux and I can only imagine the terror of that experience! They went ashore near Beauharnois, Quebec and then traveled another twelve miles to a place John calls "Swaygochway" a very fine fort with thirty pieces of cannon on the south side of the river. I am sure this place is Chateauguay, Quebec. Twelve miles further and they reached their destination of Montreal, Quebec.
Upon reaching Montreal, the prisoners were, "turned into a yard and kept under lock and key. It was raining very hard but the men thought that this was the least of their grievances. The next day at 10 o'clock someone came and told them they could go aboard a ship or go to work (forced labor). We told him we was prisoners of war and we hoped he would use us as such, this being some of the last days of August we gladly embraced the opportunity as there was a ship bound to St. Francis and so down the river 200 miles to a country called Quebeck the Capitall City in Cannaday."
The last two weeks in August 1756 had brought John Frizzell from a miserable fort in western New York, across Lake Ontario, down the St. Lawrence River to Montreal. He had many more experiences to face, but that he had survived this two weeks was a miracle!
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The diary continues, "After we arrived in this place (Quebec) being on the 9th day of September 1756, our portion was then a prison as other captives, and for how long we know not but as it was our misfortune we knew that we must make the best of it, we can knowing that God hath power over the devil so they cannot take our lives."
On October the 6th 1756 an order came for them to embark for old France, but John was in a "very poor state of health, and could not venture the passage." The next day a Doctor came and took him to Saint Joseph's hospital. He was unable to get out of bed for 30 days. He thought that he must submit himself to death. At this point in time a friar came to visit John once a day. When the friar suggested that John receive the sacrament and become a Christian, John said, "I pray you will not do me any harm for I know you cannot do me any good. He told me that he would go home and pray for me. I told him as it was God's will that I should be a prisoner of war I should trust in his mercy for my deliverance. But as God's mercy was greater than their power, I recovered."
At the end of December 1756, John Frizzell was returned to the prison. "Out of 50 or 60 men that went in one man would live to come out. I went back to prison with a very heavy heart, the snow being 9 feet deep upon the level and in that country the Winters are 8 months long."
In March 1757, John mentions two officers that had been captured at Ohio and had been prisoners for two and a half years. The two men had drawn a map of Canada and tried to smuggle it to England. It was their misfortune that the ship was taken and carried to France. There was an order that one of them would be executed for the act. John says, "as it happened, the night before the Indians came and took them out of the dungeon and they saw no more of them."
The life expectancy in that Quebec prison was very short - 5 months. The prisoners barely survived on bread and water. They each got one pound of "Pea bread" a day, in the morning, and got to go to the water cask three times a day and fill their "horn" (ladle). Boredom and hunger were their constant companion.
On 22 July 1757, John Frizzell embarked on board the French ship "Canticle". The ship was going to England. John was finally free of prison -- at least the prison on land. On the third day out they were on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and saw thirteen small ships, but he couldn't tell if they were French or British ships.
About the passage across the Atlantic John says, "when we came to the Bay of Biscay we lost one man who died of smallpox and there being very much sickness aboard in general, I myself was sick with the fever and smallpox. Before we got to Plymouth Sound men died very fast indeed -- 3 or 4 in a day. You must consider that our lodging was hard and we were almost starved because we had one quart of Pea broth a day for 10 men and 15 ounces of meat which you will think very short indeed. In 28 days we made Plymouth Sound, we had good passage I must say, otherwise it would have gone very hard with us as our sickness was so mortal. After we came into Plymouth Sound I was aboard ship without victuals, I had water. Those who were not sick
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went ashore very soon after we came in."
John went to the hospital in Plymouth, England and continued there for four months being sick with the fever and smallpox. On 6 December 1757 he began to try to find passage home. He had 18 pence in his pocket, but apparently had to spend his money to live because he did not succeed in his undertaking.
9 December 1757, John Frizzell was "obliged" to go on board a privateer of 18 guns. Thus began his travels to various ports of the World. 5 February he was off the coast of Jerusalem. Other places he mentions are: Cape St. Vincents, off Portugal; Cape Finisterre, off Spain; Gibralter; Cartagena; Port Mahon; the Gulf of Lyons; Costoco, Leghorn, off Italy; Sicily; Sardinia.
The most important date in the diary is 15 April 1759 when John Frizzell took a brig, the San Fernandez, homeward bound. The ship was commanded by Captain Mootry. The last entry is, "August the 18, 1759 on board his Majesty's Theristes ship on short allowance of wine for seven days. August the 28, 1759 short allowance of bread.."
The span of time of this narrative is three years. From August 1756 to August 1759. During this time John Frizzell survived ordeals that I can only imagine. He had lived a lifetime in those three short years. I am sure his father, Samuel Frizzell and his mother, Prudence Flagg had no hope of ever seeing him again. What a joyous day it must have been to see their son come home. I imagine the stories told around the family hearth were very exciting indeed.
I have included some maps that illustrate some of the places John Frizzell saw.
John Frizzell settled down and married Martha Bartlett. They had seven children and their oldest son, Earl Frizzell is my 6th great grandfather. In the diary John noted the birth dates of his children and to me this is one of the most important entries in the diary. John says, "August the 28, 1765 Susie was born. December the 15, 1768 then Earl was born - Lois was born April the 9th 1770. Calma was born August the 3rd in the year 1772. April 16th in 1776 then Pattey was born. May 25 in 1779 was Relief born. January 26, 1784 then John was born."
Apparently, Florence H. Sturtevant of Hartland, Vermont was the transcriber of the original diary. It is a miracle that it survived and most of all it is a miracle that John Frizzell survived. It has been my pleasure and honor to read it, study it, and share it two hundred and forty two years later.