Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885, Part 6

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office
Number of Pages: 972

USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885 > Part 6

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

They did not wait, however, the result of this petition, but on the 3d of February moved their forces from Pelham to Petersham. Gen. Lincoln, informed of this, marched for Petersham on the evening of the same day, and by a rapid movement of thirty miles, in which much was suffered, the latter part of the way from a violent snow storm, came upon them by surprise on the 4th and put them to flight. One hundred and fifty were taken prisoners, many retired to their homes, and the rest, including all the principal offi- cers, fled into the states of New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. The rebels being thus dispersed, Gen. Lincoln, after dismissing three companies of artillery, and ordering two regiments to Worcester, directed his attention toward Northfield, in the neighborhood of which many of the fugitives had taken shelter. But an express arrived with a letter from Maj. Gen. John Patterson, the commander of the militia in Berkshire, which led him to take a different course.

Some time previous, while the army was marching from the vicinity of Bos- ton, the disaffected in this county, who had not proceeded to Hampshire, un- dertook to support their cause by appearing under arms in their own neigh- borhood, while the friends of good order adopted measures to oppose them. Should they be driven from the counties eastward, it was apprehended they would collect in some of the fastnesses on the Green Mountain range, on the

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

borders between Hampshire and Berkshire, draw their subsistence from towns in the vicinity well affected to government, and take, perhaps, some of the more important characters as hostages. To secure themselves, and pro- mote the public welfare, therefore, a voluntary association was formed, amounting to about 500 men, comprising the most respectable citizens. One company of these volunteers, containing forty or fifty men, was formed in Sheffield, under Capt. Joseph Goodrich. But so great was the agitation in that town, (and many other towns were in commotion,) and such was the dan- ger of their being attacked by their fellow citizens that they did not march to Stockbridge, the place of rendezvous, until a company went down from Great Barrington and joined them. To show their spirit and determination at this juncture, 150 or 200 insurgents assembled at West Stockbridge village. It was deemed indispensable to disperse them before their numbers should be increased. The companies at Stockbridge were formed into three divisions, and ordered to march to that place in the directions which the road naturally pointed out. The central division took the common road to the village, over the mountains ; another, under Capt. Goodrich, took a more southern route, and the third, under Maj. Rowley, of Richmond, a more northern. On the approach of an advanced party from the central division, consisting only of thirty-seven infantry, and seven gentlemen on horseback, they were fired up- on by the sentries, and the insurgents were at once formed in good order, and were commanded to fire. But their situation so affected them that they apparently staggered. Advantage of this pause was taken by Judge Sedg- wick, whom they well knew, who rode to their front and directed them to lay down their arms, which many of them did, while others fled. A firing, how- ever, took place between scattering parties on both sides, and two of the in- surgents were wounded. The southern and northern divisions, having further to march, did not arrive at this place in season, but had an opportunity for taking many of the insurgents prisoners as they fled. On the return of the divisions to Stockbridge it was found that eighty-four, among whom was their leader, had been taken. These were kept under guard, while the troops tra- versed the county.

The express related this affair to Gen. Lincoln, and also stated that the in- surgents afterwards collected at Adams, but upon the approach of Gen. Pat- terson separated, intending to collect again at Williamstown; that here also upon his appearing they again scattered ; that there seemed, notwithstanding, such a disposition in them to embody, in order to prevent the sitting of the courts, and that such numbers were actually on their way to Washington, under Maj. Wiley, that Gen. Patterson thought his situation unsafe, and earn- estly requested assistance from the army. On receiving this communication, in connection with Gen. Patterson's letter, Gen. Lincoln sent back the follow- ing reply :-

PETERSHAM, February 6, 1787.

" Dear Sir :-- I have been honored with the receipt of yours of yesterday's date. Shays Saturday afternoon left Pelham. In the evening I received

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

information of his movement, put the troops in motion, and arrived here Sunday morning, nine o'clock. Upon our approach, he left this place in a very preci- pitate manner. One hundred and fifty men fell into our hands. He moved through Athol northerly ; the last information I had of him was near Chester- field, N. H., with about one hundred men. The rest were dispersed, and many returned to their homes. This gives me an opportunity to remove as fast as pos- sibletowards you. I shall commence my march for Hadley to-morrow morn- ing. No time will be lost in throwinga very sufficient force into your county. shall have the pleasure to come with the troops. The general court have conducted with great spirit and dignity ; they have fully approved the measures taken-they will provide for the expense of it. They have declared a rebellion to exist, and have ordered the Governor to keep up a force until the rebellion is fully crushed.

" Take some strong post, if you consider yourself in danger, until I can relieve you. Should you think it advisable to attack the insurgents prior thereto, warn them of their danger ; and that the general court has declared a rebellion to exist, and that if they do not surrender they will be considered as open enemies and treated as such. " I am, etc.,

"B. LINCOLN." "Gen. Patterson." .

According to his promise, Gen. Lincoln marched immediately for this county, passing through Amherst, Hadley, Chesterfield, Worthington, etc., to Pittsfield, while another division of the army, under Gen. Shepard, marched by a different route to the same place. But before their arrival a body of insurgents, amounting to about 250 men, who had gathered in Lee in order to stop the courts, agreed to disperse, providing the commander of a body of militia, consisting of about 300, collected to oppose them, would use his in- fluence, should they be pursued by the government, to have them tried within their own county ; and so the matter was adjusted. From Pittsfield Gen. Lincoln detached a party under the command of the adjutant-general, to Dalton, after Wiley ; and another, under Capt. Francis, to Williamstown, on a similar undertaking. Both returned the next day, the first with six pris- oners, (one of whom was Wiley's son, Wiley himself having escaped,) and the other with fourteen.

From these events, however, we are not to infer that the spirit of the in- surgents was altogether broken. The following letter from Eli Parsons, prob- ably intended for the disaffected in Hampshire, as well as some other events which followed, show the contrary :-

"BERKSHIRE, February 15, 1787.

" FRIENDS AND FELLOW SUFFERERS .- Will you now tamely suffer your arms to be taken from you, your estates to be confiscated, and even swear to support a constitution and form of government, and likewise a code of laws. which common sense and your consciences declare to be iniquitous and cruel ? And can you bear to see and hear the yeomanry of this common - wealth being parched and cut to pieces by the cruel and merciless tools of tyrannical power, and not resent it even unto relentless bloodshed? Would to God I had the toungue of a ready writer, that I might impress on your minds the idea of the obligation that you, as citizens of a republican government, are under, to support those unalienable rights and priviliges that the God of

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

nature hath entitled you to. Let me now persuade you by all the sacred ties of friendship, which natural affection inspires the human heart with, immedi- ately to turn out and assert your rights.

"The first step that I would recommend, is to destroy Shepard's army, then proceed to the county of Berkshire, as we are now collecting at New Lebanon, in New York, and Pawnal, in Vermont, with a determination to carry our point if fire, blood and carnage will effect it. Therefore, we beg that every friend will immediately proceed to the county of Berkshire, and help us to " Burgoyne" Lincoln and his army. I beg that this may immedi- ately circulate through your country.

" I am, gentlemen, in behalf of myself and other officers, your humble servant, ELI PARSONS."

The volunteer companies in Berkshire, on Gen. Lincoln's arrival, returned to their homes. The time for which the militia was detached expired on the 2 Ist of February, and the troops under the new enlistment, which had been ordered, did not assemble in large numbers at once. In one instance the General was left with only about thirty men. Though the rebels may not have known precisely his situation, they were watching for opportunities to do mischief.

On the 26th of February Capt. Holcomb marched from Sheffield to head- quarters with a company of drafted men, with the best arms that could be ob- tained. Learning this fact, a body of the insurgents, under Capt. Perez Ham- lin, who had been lurking about the borders of New York, eighty or ninety in number, made an interruption the night following into Stockbridge, at mid- night, which they pillaged at their pleasure, and took a great number of the most respectable inhabitants. The next morning they proceeded with their booty and their prisoners to Great Barrington, where they halted at a public house. News of this interruption was soon communicated to Sheffield, run- ners spread the news, and the citizens friendly to government met at the cen- ter, with such arms as they could muster, and about one o'clock, being joined by Captains Dwight and Ingersoll, and a small company from Great Barring- ton, who had fled before the insurgents, they were prepared to advance north- wards to meet them. The whole body, about eighty, was under the com- mand of Col. John Ashley.

The insurgents were now supposed to be coming down to Sheffield, and various rumors were abroad as to the course they were taking. It was at first said they were making their way westward, through Egremont and out of the county. But it was found that they were marching towards Sheffield, and in a little valley near the western line of that town the foes met, and there imme- diately occurred the most severe skirmish during the insurrection.

The insurgents got in the rear of Col. Ashley's troops, surprising them. A halt was immediately made, and an attempt made to form the companies in order. After a few moments of great confusion, Capt. Goodrich directed the Sheffield company to follow him through a lot of girdled trees, on the west side of the road ; and the Great Barrington company, under Capt. Ingersoll, advanced through a copse of timber on the east. By this time a scattering

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

fire commenced, and continued while the companions were advancing, with a rapid march, fifty or sixty rods, when a well directed fire from eight or ten, who were foremost, upon a considerable body of insurgents in the road, dis- comfited them and put them to flight. The whole body dispersed at once, fleeing in different directions. They left two of their number dead near the place of action, and more than thirty were wounded, among whom was Ham- lin, their captain, and a man by the name of Rathbun, who died some time after of his wounds. A body of men coming on from Lenox, under the com. mand of Capt. William Walker, immediately after the skirmish, enabled the conquerors to take more than fifty prisoners. The loss of the militia was two killed and one wounded. One of the killed was Mr. Porter, of Great Barrington ; the other was Solomon Glezen, taken prisoner at Stockbridge. The person wounded was Dr. Burghardt, of Richmond. He was in the company of Capt. Walker, and was wounded by a small party who fired upon them before they arrived at the spot where the action was fought.

The insurgents generally showed great want of firmness and perseverence in the actions in which they were engaged, owing in part to their being poorly officered, but more, probably, to serious doubts concerning the lawfulness of their proceedings, and apprehension of their proving finally mischievous to themselves. After this affair at Sheffield, Gen. Lincoln dispatched an express to the Governor of New York, informing him of the incursion into the county, and of the continuance and support of the rebels in one district of that State ; which produced prompt and energetic measures for dispersing or apprehending the m. The consequence was that they fled to Vermont, where the government had been previously requested to lend their aid in apprenending the rebel ringleaders, and where a proclamation from the Governor was issued about this time against them. Other States in the neighborhood also adopted measures for suppressing the rebellion.

The cause of the insurgents had been for some time sinking. Very many privates gave up their arms, submitted to government, and took the oath of allegiance, agreeably to the proclamation which Gen. Lincoln issued at Hadley, both before and after his arrival at Pittsfield. Indemnity was granted after- wards to 790 persons concerned in the rebellion, by him and two other gentle- men, associated with him by the general court for that purpose. It was judged necesssary, however, to take a different course with some who had been more deeply concerned in opposing the government. Early in the spring, therefore, the supreme judicial court proceeded to try a num- ber charged with treason. Six were then convicted of this offence in this county, six in Hampshire, one in Worcester and one in Middlesex, all of whom were sentenced to death. Besides these large numbers were con- victed of seditious words and practices, many of whom were persons of con- sequence, and one a member of the legislature, who was sentenced to sit on the gallows with a rope about his neck, to pay a fine of £50, to give bonds for keeping the peace and for maintaining good behavior for five

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

years ; which sentence was put into execution. Of those condemned to death, four in this county and four in Hampshire received a free pardon on the 30th of April ; and the rest on the 17th of May, were reprieved until the 2 Ist of June, then until the 2d of August, and then again until the 20th of September. Those confined in Berkshire finally escaped from jail, and the others, as reasons for severe measures had now passed away. were pardoned. One man, however, in Berkshire, sentenced to death in October, was favored only with a commutation of punishment, to hard labor for seven years.

In September, 1787, the military forces which had been kept up in the western counties, where the insurrections principally took place, were all dis- charged, and peace and tranquility were considered as restored. Too much, however, had been said and done to permit the feelings of the people at once to become altogether friendly. Unhappy jealousies remained in neighbor- hoods and towns. The clergy who had favored the Revolution, opposed the rebellion, and thereby offended, in some instances, many of their parishioners. This is understood to have occasioned the dismission of the ministers in Eg- remont and Alford. The Congregational church of the former town remained destitute of a pastor for nearly thirty years, and the church in the latter town, after dwindling for a time, became extinct. From the same cause, dis- affection arose against their minister from a part of the congregation in Sandisfield. It was generally thought, however, that this rebellion impressed the importance of an energetic national government, and hastened the for- mation and adoption of the present constitution of the United States.

In November, 1782, upon petition of representatives from this county, the legislature appointed a committee to take a general view of Berkshire, and to determine where the courts should thereafter be held. The committee examined the county, conversed with the gentlemen of intelligence in differ- ent places, and met a delegation from twenty towns, at Stockbridge, in which the subject of the future seat of the courts was largely discussed. The com- mittee decided upon Lenox as the most central town, and advised that a court- house and jail be erected there. This report was accepted and an act passed directing the courts to be held at Lenox after the ist day of January, 1784. In May, 1783, however, a petition was set on foot at an adjourned court of sessions in Great Barrington, praying the general assembly to post- pone the removal of the courts to Lenox indefinitely, on the alleged ground that the county was unable to erect the necessary buildings. The result of this petition in the assembly was the postponement of the removal of the courts to Lenox for two years only, until the Ist of January, 1786.

In the autumn of 1784 an effort was made to have the courts held alter- nately at Great Barrington and Lanesboro ; and in 1785 a greater effort was made to have the court of Common Pleas held alternately at Stockbridge and Pittsfield, to have the Supreme Court held at Stockbridge, and that established as the shire town, both of which failed. In the beginning of 1787 an order was issued by the legislature for the Court of Common Pleas

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

to be held at Lenox in February, and the Supreme Court in May of that year, and in 1790 the prisoners were ordered to be removed from the jail in Great Barrington to Lenox, as soon as the new jail should be prepared. The new buildings were commmenced in the spring of 1788, and finished in 1791.

From that time until 1868, Lenox remained the shire town of the county, though a conflict was kept up between the northern and southern portions of the county in consequence thereof. In 1868, Pittsfield, after several un- successful attempts, was at last successful in securing to itself the honor of being appointed the shire town, where the courts have since been held.

The Court of Common Pleas, as established in 1761, was continued until 1811, during which time the following named judges officiated, the court con- sisting sometimes of three judges, and sometimes of four, three constituting a quorum.

Joseph Dwight, of Great Barrington 1761-65

William Williams, of Pittsfield . . 1761-81

Timothy Woodbridge, of Stockbridge 1761-74

John Ashley, of Sheffield 1765-81

Perez Marsh, of Dalton. 1765-81

William Whiting, of Great Barrington

1781-87

Jahleel Woodbridge, of Stockbridge

1781-95

James Barker, of Cheshire.

1781-

Charles Goodrich, of Pittsfield.

1784-88

Elijah Dwight, of Great Barrington

1787-94

Nathaniel Bishop, of Richmond. 1795-181I

David Noble, of Williamstown 1795-1803

William Walker, of Lenox. 1807-1811

Of these, the following are supposed to have presided in this court :-

Joseph Dwight . 1761-65

William Williams 1765-81

William Whiting 1781-87

Jahleel Woodbridge 1787-95

Thompson J. Skinner

1795-1807

Jolın Bacon 1807-II

In 1811 the State was districted and a Circuit Court of Common Pleas established for each district, the western district comprehending Worcester, Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Berkshire counties, the only judge of which from Berkshire County was Ezekiel Brown, of Pittfield, serving from 1811 to 1814. In 1820 this court was abolished and a Court of Common Pleas established for the State, which held three sessions in the county an- nually, commencing on the fourth Monday in February, June and October, until 1859, when it was abolished and the present Superior Court established, Julius Rockwell, of Lenox, and James M. Barker, of Pittsfield, now being justices thereof. Sessions of the Superior Court are now held at Pittsfield, for civil business, on the fourth Mondays of February, June and October; for criminal business, on the second Mondays of January and July. The Su-

1788-91

Thompson J. Skinner, of Williamstown 1792-1807

John Bacon, of Stockbridge. 1789-181I

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

preme Judicial Court holds its sessions at the same place on the second Tues- days of May and September.

Prior to September, 1804, the judges of the Supreme Court had a clerk of their own, who attended them in their circuits through the commonwealth. Since that time the clerks of the Court of Common Pleas, and later of the Superior Court, have been clerks of the Supreme Court. The clerks from 1761 have been as follows :-

Elijah Dwight, of Great Barrington 1761-81

Henry W. Dwight, of Stockbridge 1781-1803

Joseph Woodbridge, of Stockbridge 1803-21

Charles Sedgwick, of Lenox 1821-56

Henry W. Taft, of Pittsfield. 1856-

The Probate Court and Court of Insolvency, though distinct in their jurisdiction, powers, proceedings and practice, have the same judge and reg- istrars. Probate courts are held at four places in the county, as follows : At Pittsfield, on the first Tuesdays of January, February, March, April May, June, September, October and December, on the third Tuesday of July, and on the Wednesday next after the first Monday of November ; at Lee, on the Wednesdays next after the first Tuesdays of January, April and October, and on the Wednesdays next after the third Tuesday of July ; at Adams, on the Thursday next after the first Tuesdays of January and October, on the Wednesday next after the first Tuesday of March, and on the Thursday next after the third Tuesday of July; and at Great Barrington on the Wednesdays next after the first Tuesdays of February, May, September and December. The judges of the probate, since the establishment of the court in 1761, have been as follows :-

Joseph Dwight, of Great Barrington. 1761-65

William Williams, of Pittsfield.

1765-78

Timothy Edwards, of Stockbridge. 1778-87

Jahleel Woodbridge, of Stockbridge 1787-95

William Walker, of Lenox 1795-1824

William P. Walker, of Lenox 1824-49

Daniel N. Dewey, of Williamstown 1849-59

James T. Robinson, of North Adams

1859-

REGISTRARS OF PROBATE.

Elijah Dwight, of Great Barrington 1761-81

William Walker, of Lenox. .

1781-85

Edward Edwards, of Stockbridge

1785-95

Nathaniel Bishop, of Richmond.

1795-1823

George Whitney, of Stockbridge

1823-25

Henry W. Bishop, of Lenox

1826-51

Francis D. Farley, (July to September)

1851

John Banning, of Monterey.

1851-53

Henry W. Taft, of Lenox.

1853-55

Andrew J. Waterman, of Williamstown.

1855-81

Edward T. Slocum, of Lee.

1881-

BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

From 1761 until 1790 there was but one registry of deeds in the county, at Great Barrington, where Mark Hopkins served from 1761 to 1776, and Moses Hopkins from 1778 to 1790. In 1790 the county was divided into three districts, the Middle, Northern and Southern, the towns belonging to the middle district now being Lenox, Pittsfield, Richmond, Stockbridge, Tyr_ ingham, Lee, Otis, Becket, Washington, Hinsdale, Dalton and Peru ; all the towns north of this constitute the Northern District, and those to the south the Southern District. At the time the division was made the proceedings and records were all removed to Lenox, where they were kept until 1868, when they were removed to Pittsfield, there being an office in each of the other districts, however, at Great Barrington and Adams, respectively. The registrars of the Middle Districts have been as follows :-

Caleb Hyde, of Lenox. 1790-96

Samuel Quincey, of Lenox

1796-1801

Joseph Tucker, of Lenox. 1801-47

George J. Tucker, of Lenox. 1847-56

M. S. Wilson, of Lenox 1856-62

George J. Tucker, of Lenox

1 862-77

Theodore L. Allen, of Pittsfield

1877-81

Henry M. Pitt, of Pittsfield

1881-

SOUTHERN DISTRICT.

Moses Hopkins, of Great Barrington.

1790-1838

Charles W. Hopkins, of Great Barrington

1838-41

Samuel Newman, Egremont.

1841-46

Isaac Seeley, Great Barrington 1846-84

John C. New, Egremont .

1884-

NORTHERN DISTRICT.

James Barker, of Lanesboro 1791-96

Timothy Whitney, of Lanesboro 1796-1806

Samuel Bacon, of Lansboro

1806-II

Luther Washburn, of Lanesboro 1811-24

George N. Briggs, of Lanesboro 1824-31

Richard Whitney, of Lanesboro

1831-69

Silas P. Butler, of Lanesboro,

1869-70

Herbert A. Fuller, of Lansboro.

1870-77

E. Earl Merchant, Adams. 1877-

Previous to 1761 only five persons resided within the limits of the county who were engaged after their settlement here, in the practice of law, viz .: John Huggins, John Ashley, Elisha Huggins, Mark Hopkins and Theodore Sedgwick. For a list of the present members of the Berkshire bar, see the Classified Business Directory, in part second of this book.

In 1868, when it was decided to remove the seat of justice from Lenox to Pittsfield, the clause -" on condition that the town shall furnish suitable sites for the court-house and jail, and provide rooms for the courts until the court- house shall be completed," was inserted. The town readily accepted the con- ditions, and appointed the following committee to select and purchase the

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Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1725-1885, Part 6

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office Number of Pages: 972

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office
Number of Pages: 972