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The following accounts were contributed by descendants
or relatives of the persons described therein. |
Johan Ernst (Defuh) Dafoe, my 4th Great Grandfather
and his five sons, Conrad,
Abraham,
John , Jacob and George lived in Pownal,Vermont
and belonged to the large Palatine Family of Dafoes. Some Dafoes joined
the revolution, others stayed out of it. Johan, however, protested the
acts of Ethan Allen and was marked as a troublemaker. When many of the
Loyalists were rounded up in 1776, Johan was one who was put in jail. There
he got to know Benjamin Franklin' son, William, who much to his father's
anger remained loyal to the King.
JohanDafoe's children were not so outspoken and continued
for a time to participate peaceably in the life of their communities. But
that was before Bennington. When Burgoyne swept south through New York,
Johan escaped jail and joined him in the British cause. In the words of
his son,
Conrad: "In the year 1777, He (Johan) broke out of Gaol (jail)
and went into Burgoyne's camp and very shortly after fought in the Battle
of Bennington where he was unfortunately taken prisoner and put in confinement
and irons which situation he suffered for nearly 12 months."
Not all captured Loyalists were treated harshly. Abraham
was freed and allowed to return to his crops. An old friend of the family,
Samuel Anderson stated: "Johan fought like a good and brave soldier, under
my command, with three of his sons, (Abraham,Conrad and George) and that
one of his sons,
George was killed in the battle."
The loss of George was a terrible blow to the family
that must have caused great bitterness against the American cause. But
even more telling was the manner of his death and what happened to his
wife and children afterward. George was a reluctant soldier. He had been
married six years and had three small children. George's luck ran out on
August 16, 1777 when his unit was riding with Gen.Stark's regulars on a
routine patrol through the countryside.
Burgoyne was thought to be nowhere
nearby. Quite by accident Stark ran into Burgoyne's German troops and he
threw all his troops against them. The Militiamen had to make a choice.
George
was wounded by a musket shot. By thus declaring themselves under
fire, George and his company became traitors. George was taken to a barn
and laid on the straw to await whatever nursing his family could give.
With his sister Mary and a neighbor,
Alisha Young by his side. He
died there a few days later.
George's wife could not attend him, for she lay dying
herself a few miles away. Her death was a result of Bennington as was George's.
Her story came out in a letter from Lower Canada Official (Where the Dafoes
were deported to after the War) Eleazer Fitchto his colleague Isaac Ogden
, June 1, 1793: "After the Battle, a mob went to his home, turned his widow
out of door, and took everything from her, even the small things she had
made for her lying in, for she was being then big with child, she had to
travel five miles before she could find someone to receive her into their
home, the fatigue of which together with her grief of mind brought on her
labour and she and the child died.
This was the culminating tragedy of Bennington for
old Johan Dafoe and his family and they soon left America for Lower Canada.
Johan Ernst (Defuh)
Dafoe (1726-August 12, 1789 )
was my 4th Great-Grandfather and Conrad (Coenraet)
Dafoe (March
14, 1753- May 1853) was my 3rd Great Grandfather.
Conrad's Grandson
and my Great Grandfather,
David Conrad Dafoe returned to the
United States
about 1880.
Contributed
by Jerry Dafoe . |
