Martin Kellogg, Jr.

Martin Kellogg, Jr., (1686-1753) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, was one of two children born to Martin Kellogg and his first wife, Anna Hinsdale. In the 1704 raid on Deerfield by French and Native American soldiers from Canada (New France), 17-year-old Martin, his father, his brother Joseph (1691-1755), and two sisters were taken captive. Martin returned home on June 8, 1705, after escaping with three other Deerfield men. His brother Joseph stayed in New France for 10 years as a warrior and fur trader.

In August of 1708, Martin was captured again while on a scouting mission near Cowass (present-day Newbury, Vermont). This time he remained among the French and Indigenous peoples for several years, learning the languages of both groups. By 1712, Martin had returned to Massachusetts, where he was given the rank of lieutenant in the colony’s military. He and Joseph served as messengers and spies. Martin settled in Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he married Dorothy Chester (1692-1754) in 1716. They had eight children. In 1751, Martin became a teacher at the mission for the Mahican people in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He died on November 13, 1753.

New England Captives Carried to Canada. View this item in the Online Collection.

Details

Date1686–1753
PlaceDeerfield, Massachusetts
TopicCaptives, Captivity
Native American
Military, Wars, Battles
EraColonial settlement, 1620–1762
EventDeerfield Raid. February 29, 1704