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- Source: Berkshire Genealogist, Vol. 26, Number 3, Summer 2005, Query Section, page 108:
"Looking for information about Captain Jabez Hall who led a company of Lanesborough, MA patriots to Quebec, Canada, in Jan. or Feb. 1776. Unit was attached to Seth Warner's Green Mountain Boys. They retreated from Quebec when the general order was issued in May 1776. According to information in pension applications sickness, including smallpox, was common. (submitter) is looking for information about this venture other than that found in pension applications. Was this company authorized and/or funded by the Town of Lanesborough or at the Colony level?"
Source: The Berkshire Hills, August 1, 1901 and December 1, 1901: Title: Some Old-Time Taverns
The Old Hall Tavern in Lanesboro - In the days of the Revolution a famous old time tavern in Lanesboro stoon on the old hill-climbing highway hardly a half mile from the New Ashford south line in North Lanesboro.... It was on the pioneer acres of Captain Jabez Hall who came hither for residence from New Fairfield, CT., who was named Jabez after the great fighter of Bible history, and who was true to his namesake in his warlike proclivities.
In the early French war antidating the Revolution there came a sudden call in the night for the enlistment of a company or Lanesboro men to go to Canada and fight the French. Captain Jabez Hall was a colonial officer of the crown under King George.
Early the next morning the able-bodied men of Lanesboro assembled in front of this old Hall tavern, when Captain Jabez came out with a black bottle of rum in each hand. Though small in stature he was a great athlete, of wonderful courage and great muscular power. Leaping into the air he struck his heels together three times before coming to the top step, also clashing the two bottles together three times above his head. Then he shouted "Who goes with me to Canada?" A full company was immediately enlisted and of its members were his two sons, Gershum and John, while Lyman, being but nineteen years of age, accompanied his father as a valet.
This company went to Quebec in the fall of 1775 and immediately after the death of Gen. Montgomery. Their sufferings from the severity and hardships of a northern winter were indescribable, to which was added the horrid disease of small pox. Capt. Jabez was suddenly taken down with the disease soon after his arrival in the Canadian city. He was pronounced a a convalescent, but suddenly died in the night when a townsman named Tirrell was his nuse. Though it was never proven, it was always suspected that he was poisoned, as this attendant had been heard to threaten him on account of something which had happened in the collection of the King's taxes in Lanesboro.
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