Ninth Generation

256. Zebulon Hoxie Jr.⁹⁷ was born on 7 Jan 1747 in Charlestown or Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island Colony.⁹⁸ He died on 27 Jul 1822 in South Easton, Washington, New York. Zebulon and Rufus came from Rhode Island to South Easton, New York, working along the way building log cabins to provide provisions. About 1773 they traveled back and brought their families.

Zebulon Hoxie Jr. and his wife Alice had land and a cabin home which, to quote notes from Butler Hoag, "lay on what is now the John and Jane Garrison farm one mile south of Beadle Hill and directly east on a lane from the road which turns at J. Warren Fort's", a farm now owned by John Peregrim and family. It is an old New England saltbox type house on Ives Mountain. and is one of the oldest in Washington Co., New York. The first Quakers who settled Easton, NY were Zebulon and brother-in-law, Rufus Hall. The first Friends meeting was at his house.


MEETING WITH INDIANS

Quakers recall act of peace during American Revolution
by Anne L. Simko
The Post Star Sep 15, 1995

EASTON---An extended circle of Friends gathered Sunday to remember
an act of peace between European settlers and Native Americans.

The Easton Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, dates to 1773. In that year, Rufus Hall and Zebulon Hoxsie, Quakers from Dutchess County, settle on the east coast of the Hudson River.

Though never numerous, the Quaker presence in Easton has persisted, and area Quakers continue to gather weekly in their two meeting houses.

The South Meeting house, on Meetinghouse Road, was built in 1787 on the site of the Easton Friends' first meetinghouse. It was there in 1777 that the peaceful Quakers were visited by a hand of Indian marauders.

Jeannine Laverty, a professional story teller from Saratoga Springs and a member of the eastern Meeting, recounted the tale Sunday to friends who had come to the meeting's annual Easton Day celebration.

The Quakers had been asked to settle the Easton area to create a buffer between Dutch traders on the Hudson and English settlers moving west from the Connecticut River Valley, Laverty said.

However, the Revolutionary War broke out just a few years later. In 1776 and 1777, as Gen. John Burgoyne's army of English, German, Indian, and Loyalist troops advanced south toward Albany, Quakers and other settlers were urged to flee for their safety.

The Quakers refused, Laverty said, because, they, "held themselves enemy to no one who will come through this valley."

In September 1777, a group of Quakers were holding a mid-week meeting in the log building across the road from Zebulon Hoxsie's home. Worshiping with them was Robert Nesbitt, a member of the East "Hoosick Meeting in North Adams, Mass.

Nesbitt told the group that a dream had told him to visit the Easton Quakers. So he had walked from North Adams to be with them.

After introduction and a reading of Psalm 91 by Nesbitt, the Quakers began to worship silently. As they sat unmoving in the meeting house, a band of 12 armed Indians entered.

It must have been a terrifying moment, even for faithful Quakers.

The 1878 history of Washington County notes that, just two months before, Indians traveling with Burgoyne's army had massacred the Allen and Barnes families of Argyle, Jane McCrea of Fort Edward, and John White of Argyle.

Later the American general Horatio Gates would clam that more than 100 civilians were murdered by British-Allied Indians during Burgoyne's advance.

The Indians raised their bows and necked arrows, but their leader, glancing around, saw the Quakers, as always, were unarmed. Zebulon Hoxsie and the other Quakers smiled at the Indians to welcome them. After a moment. the Indian leader told his warriors to put down their weapons, and directed them to sit quietly at the back of the meetinghouse.

When the Quakers were finished with their silent worship, they greeting the Indians. But it turned out that the Indians spoke only French, and none of the Quakers did -- except Robert Nesbitt, the Quaker from North Adams.

With Nesbitt translating, the Indians explained they had come with the intention of killing the Quakers. When they saw that the Quakers were unarmed and seemed to welcome them instead, they changed their minds. Then the leader realized that white people were worshiping the Great Spirit in Silence, the same way his people did, so he had men to join them.

Hoxsie invited the band to a meal at his house across the road, and they Indians accepted. Before they left, the Indians attached feathers to the meetinghouse, as a sign to other Indians that the people here were peaceful and not to be molested.

Although the story sounds like a legend, it is well documented in letters and diaries of the Quakers who were present, said Dr William Figlozzi a member of the Easton meeting.

"Quakers have always been proud of treating Indians fairly." Figlozzi said. "Quakers believe that if you treat people justly and fairly, it prevents violence."

The Friends' Easton Day gathering is like an old Home Day for past and present members. Sunday's event was attended by more than 60 Friends from the Albany, Easton, Adirondack, Old Chatham, Quaker Street, Schenectady, and Purchase Meeting in New York, and from meeting in Ohio, Massachusetts, and California.

Many remembered worshiping there as children.

The day included a regular worship meeting, a potluck lunch, hymn singing, Laverty 'S presentation, and special programs for the meeting's children. Phineke Brugman, a member of the Quaker Street Meeting, spoke of her work with orphaned and abandoned children in Rumania. Zebulon Hoxie Jr. and Alice Hall were married on 10 Mar 1770 in Oswego, Dutchess, New York Colony.

257. Alice Hall was born on 24 May 1746 in South Easton, Washington, New York Colony.⁹⁸ She died on 26 Feb 1814 in South Easton, Washington, New York. Children were:

	i.	Elizabeth Hoxie was born on 11 Apr 1771 in Oswego, Dutchess, New York Colony. She died on 23 Nov 1825 in Canada. She was christened in Easton MM, Washington, New York, organized in 1778. Elizabeth (Hoxsie) Cornell daughter of Zebulon Hoxie and Alice (Hall) Hoxie.
	ii.	Abraham Hoxsie99 was born on 1 Sep 1773 in South Easton, Washington, New York Colony. He died on 1 Sep 1776.
	iii.	Annie Hoxsie99 was born on 12 Jun 1775 in South Easton, Washington, New York Colony. She died on 26 Mar 1776.
128	iv.	Joseph Hoxie.
	v.	Ruth Hoxsie was born on 4 Jul 1780 in Easton MM, Washington, New York, organized in 1778. She died Y. Ruth (Hoxsie) Harkness daughter of Zebulon Hoxie and Alice (Hall) Hoxie.
	vi.	Hannah Hoxie100 was born on 24 Jun 1783 in South Easton, Washington, New York. She died on 4 Apr 1865.101 Hannah (Hoxsie) Griffin daughter of Zebulon Hoxie and Alice (HALL) Hoxie.
	vii.	Hulda Hoxsie was born on 24 Jun 1783 in South Easton, Washington, New York. She died Y. Hulda (Hoxsie) Delavergna daughter of Zebulon Hoxie and Alice (Hall) Hoxie.
	viii.	Mary Hoxsie was born on 31 May 1785 in South Easton, Washington, New York. She died on 24 Apr 1837 in South Easton, Washington, New York. Mary (Hoxsie) Green daughter of Zebulon Hoxie and Alice (Hall) Hoxie.
	ix.	Gideon Hoxsie was born on 6 Mar 1787 in South Easton, Washington, New York. He died on 27 Nov 1850 in South Easton, Washington, New York. He was christened in Easton MM, Washington, New York, organized in 1778. He was a farmer on the old Zebulon Hoxie farm in Easton, Newport, Rhode Island. Son of Zebulon Hoxie and Alice (Hall) Hoxie.
	x.	Sarah Hoxie was born on 10 Feb 1790 in South Easton, Washington, New York. She died on 22 Jul 1816.