Source: History and Genealogy of the Descendants of Joseph Taynter, Who Sailed From England April, 1638, and Settled in Watertown, Mass., prepared by Dean W. Tainter for private distribution. Printed by David Clapp 1859.

Mr. Samuel Tainter Rice in answer to inquiries respecting his grandfather's captivity, writes as follows:

".....About the time of his captivity the Colonies were much troubled by the Indians, and for their safety they had prepared garrisons of protection, and when there was a prospect of danger the inhabitants in a given locality would all repair to their place of safety and there continue until the danger was over, and when the men went out to their labor one of their number would, with gun in hand, go out with them as a sentinel, to watch the approaches of danger. It had been the custom of the sentinels when stationed on the mountain to wile away the time by starting rocks, and watching them tumble to the plain below. The day before his capture it was difficult to make one roll. The smallest bush or crag would impede their descent. Fatigued they had amusement but with their thoughts, and forebodings of danger was the result. On returning to the fort at night, the story of the rocks was considered a divine warning of the presence of danger, and precautions taken accordingly. The next day sentinels were sent only as far as the fields. Perhaps Benjamin Tainter was more superstitious than the others, for that morning he had his head shaved. ("If the Indians catch me now," remarked he to his comrades, "they will be bothered to get my scalp.")

It was his lot to go as guard to the ploughing field, and the workmen were ploughing with a strong team, while he with his gun over his shoulder would follow a rod behind. Soon after they commenced, they killed a large rattlesnake and hung it on a bush, and as Benjamin had heard it remarked that a snake would live until the sun went down he thought that he would see if the saying was true and as they would come around to that side of the field, he would linger for a moment to look at the snake; once he lingered longer than usual, until the team got some distance ahead. At this moment his attention was arrested by the report of a gun. He took towards the place from whence the sound came, and to his astonishment, just over the fence in the edge of the woods he saw some Indans that had fired upon them.

As quick as thought he levelled his piece and returned the fire. At the moment a ball from one of their guns passed through his hat and cut the skin on his head as it passed along. Whether it was the shock from the ball or at the instant he stubbed his toe which caused him to fall, he never could tell, but he fell and as he arose he was closed in the arms of a sturdy Indian. A thought occurred to him--One Indian alone shall never carry me off. He grappled in with the Indian for the mastery. At the moment he received a heavy blow on the back of his head, and turning he saw that he was surrounded. He was secured and taken into the woods, where he soon found himself amoung a large company of Indians. When they led him to a safe distance,they lashed him to a tree. The Indians then formed into a line, and as each passed him, he would receive a heavy blow. One of their number, rather a rough-looking Indian, as he came up placed one hand on his head, turned it back and struck him a hard blow under the nose and the blood ran freely. It was told him that this was to be his master, and he thought if this was true, he would have a merciless one, but this was the only act of severity that he ever excerised towards him.

After being unbound, his master stated to him that when he fired upon the Indians he killed one of them, which was his own dear brother, and for that cause he should claim him as an adopted brother, in place of the one he had killed, and he ever after treated him with all the kindness of a brother, and when they were out on their hunting excursions and became short of provisions his master would go without and give to him, saying as he drew his belt tighter about him, "Indian can go without better than white man." They soon after started for Canada, where they resided. On their way they struck the head waters of Lake Champlain, followed down the lake, where all was a dense wilderness, now changed into large towns, cities, and a rich farming country. They continued their journey until they reached St. John's LaPrairie, Three Rivers and Montreal, and other places. He went with his master on their hunting excursions, bearing all kinds of hardships as readily as any of the Indians. Sometimes he would lie down at night wrapt in his blanket, and when he awoke in the morning he would find himself under a deep snow. He used to tell of some of his hunting exploits, but they have long since been forgotten.

After a while he was sold to the French, and carried from Montreal to Quebec, where he was confined in prison six months, suffering much for want of food and clotheing and with the Yellow Fever (which took the hair off of his head save a lock behind each ear, and he never had any more while he lived). At the end of that time he was exchanged or redeemed, and returned to Boston.

In appearance my grandfather was stern, but was very pleasant and even in his ways, and a devoted christian. In person he was tall, straight, and robust, and was rough with the Indians who liked him the more for it--and during his captivity he became a great favorite with them."

...FEB 15, 1747 Today my nephew Daniel How and six more prisoners were brought down from Monteal viz. John Sunderland, John Smith, Richard Smith, William Scott, William Scoffil and Benjamin Tainter, son to Liet. Tainter of Westborough, in New England. ...