USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Amherst > Historical address delivered at the centennial celebration, in Amherst, Mass., July 4, 1876 > Part 3
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).
In 1778 the town voted that "persons not owning Independence on the Crown of Great Britain, agreeably to the Declaration of Congress, shall not vote."
From the Muster Rolls, and other records in the State Archives at Boston, a pretty full account can be gathered of the part taken by the Amherst Militia, in the different campaigns from 1775 to 1782 .* My time will allow of only a brief summary. A company of Minute Men had been organized in the fall of 1774, composed of soldiers from Amherst, Shutesbury and Leverett, under command of Capt. Reuben Dickinson of Amherst. The news of the battle of Lexington, April 19. 1775, reached this town about noon on the 20th, and Capt. Dickinson and his company appear to have started before night for the scene of the conflict. The total number of the company was
*These papers, and many others of great historical value relating to Amherst, have been copied for the author by Rev. J. H. Temple of Framingham, well known as an acenrate historian. They are deposited, for the benefit of the future writer, in the Library of Amherst College.
35
BATTLE OF LEXINGTON.
sixty; twenty-eight from Amherst, twenty from Shutes- bury and twelve from Leverett. The first Lieutenant was Zaccheus Crocker, and the first Sergeant, Daniel Shays, afterwards the noted rebel leader in " Shays' Re- bellion," were both from Shutesbury. The Amherst men were as follows : Capt. Reuben Dickinson, 2d Lieut. Joseph Diekinson, Sergt. Ezra Rood, Corp. Ebenezer Eastman, Corp. Adam Rice, Samuel Buckman, Luke Coffin, Reuben Dickinson, Jr., John Dickinson, Waitstill Dickinson, Aza- riah Dickinson, Ebenezer Dickinson, Elihu Dickinson, John Eastman, Timothy Green, John Hodden, John In- gram, Ebenezer Kellogg, Ebenezer Mattoon, Sr., Thomas Morton, Clement Marshall, Eldad Moody, William May, Stephen Smith, Martin Smith, Reuben Smith, Simeon Smith, Ambrose Williams. The company was in service as Minute Men eleven days; though many of them were retained sixteen, twenty-one and thirty-eight days. April 30th, Capt. Dickinson organized a new company enlisted for eight months. Zaccheus Crocker held his place as Lieutenant, and Daniel Shays was promoted to ensign. Nine of the Amherst Minute Men re-enlisted, and, in addition, the following joined the company : Benjamin Buckman, Elijah Baker, Giles Church, Selah Dickinson, David Pettis, Caesar Pratt, Daniel Ralef, Levi Smith. James Shay. The remainder of re-enlist- ments and enlistments, were mostly from Shutesbury and Leverett. This company, sixty strong, was attached to Col. Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment, and was the only full company it contained. Nearly all of Capt. Dickin-
1778994
£
36
SOLDIERS OF '75 AND '76.
son's men were in the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17th. Before the battle, the company had headquarters at Har- vard College; after that, it was stationed at Prospect Will and Lechmere Point. Nine of the Amherst Minute Men re-enlisted for eight months on the 30th of April. Their names were Reuben Dickinson, (Captain), Adam Rice, (Corporal), Samuel Buckman, Luke Coffin, John Dickin- son, Azariah Dickinson, Elihu Dickinson, Ebenezer Kel- logg, Ambrose Williams. The late Squire John Dickinson of East Amherst, who died in 1850, was the last survivor of this company. Ilis picture is before you. Lieut. James Hendrick, Moses Dickinson and Simon Fobes, all of this town, were in the train of artillery attached to Col. Woodbridge's regiment. Thirteen Amherst men enlisted in Capt. Noadiah Leonard's company, Col. Woodbridge's regiment, for the eight months campaign of 1775, viz: Ensign Samuel Gould, Sergt. Moses Cook, Corp. Samuel Field, Moses Hastings, Simeon Pomeroy, John Billings, Abner Nash, Elias Smith, Isaac Goodale, Gideon Hen- derson, Ebenezer Field, Amos Nash, Samuel Church. This makes a total of fifty-three men from Amherst in service in 1775.
Under the call for troops to supply the place of the eight months' men, whose term expired Dec. 31st, 1775, Lient. James Hendrick, promoted to be Captain, raised a com- pany of sixty men from Amherst, Hadley, South Hadley and Granby, who reported at Charlestown, Jan. 13th, 1776. It contained twenty Amherst names. Under the call of June 25th, Capt. Reuben Dickinson enlisted a company of
------
37
SOLDIERS OF '77.
sixty-eight men from Amherst and the surrounding towns for the expedition to Ticonderoga, and was out from July 16th, 1776, to March Ist, 1777. The names of twenty- four Amherst men appear on the roll. Under the call of June 19th for troops to defend Boston, eight Amherst men joined Capt. Oliver Lyman's company and were sta- tioned at Dorchester from August 12th, 1776, to March 31st, 1777. The names of fifty-four Amherst soldiers appear on the rolls for 1776, one of whom, Ebenezer Kellogg, died November 22d.
Next to 1775, the year 1777 was longest remembered, and spoken of with pride by the officers and men who took part in its campaigns. These included the battle of Bennington, and the surrender of Burgoyne, and consti- tuted the turning point of New England enthusiasm. Under the call issued in January for three years' men, our town enlisted Willis Coy, Reuben Dickinson, John Fox, Jr., (fifer), Samuel Gould, (killed), David Pettis. Joseph Young (who re-enlisted in 1780 for three years), Noadiah Lewis, ( enlisted "during the war," ) James Trumble, Samuel Brown. John Johnson and Jonathan Battis. Some were paid $20, others $50 bounty. Of the troops called for in May "to re-enforce the Northern Army," for two months, sixteen of our men went with Capt. John Thompson's company, in Col. Leonard's regi- ment. Capt. Eli Parker of Amherst, and his company of sixty-four, mostly our townsmen, were in the same regi- ment, and Lieut. Jonathan Dickinson with three Amherst men joined Capt. Jeremiah Ballard's company in Col. David Wells' regiment, in the same campaign. Capt.
..
38
SOLDIERS OF '77 AND '78.
Reuben Dickinson. after staying at home four months. went with his company in Col. Elisha Porter's regiment. in July, and was stationed at Moses Creek. Six Amherst men started "for the relief of Bennington" in August, " carrying their own baggage;" and at the same date, Lient. Noah Dickinson and twenty men "marched on an alarm to New Providence." Under the call of August Oth for one-sixth part of the militia to re-enforce the army, Lieut. Jonathan Dickinson and three men marched, Aug. 14th, with Capt. Moses Harvey's company. Capt. Sam- uel Cook and forty-three Amherst men departed August 17th; and immediately after his return from Moses Creek, Capt. Reuben Dickinson and his company marched for Stillwater. Capt. Dickinson returned October 24th; Lieut. Dickinson November 29th ; and Capt. Cook Decem- ber 7th; all were in the army under General Gates; all took a more or less active part in the battles of October 7th and 11th, and all were present at the sur- render of Burgoyne, October 17th. The exact number of our men who were in the service this year is not known, but it could not have been less than one hundred and twenty-four. Ebenezer Mattoon, Jr., commenced his mil- itary career at this time; first as a private in Capt. Thomp- son's company, and afterwards as First Lieutenant in Capt. Samuel Cook's company. He was in the battle of Bemis Heights, October 7th.
January Ist, 1778, Lient. Ebenezer Mattoon, Jr., and others, joined Capt. Joshua Parker's company, Col. Nathan- iel Wade's regiment, for twelve months' service in Rhode Island. In May, Capt. Eli Parker enlisted six men for
----
39
SOLDIERS OF '79, 'SO AND 'SI.
eight months' service in the Continental Army, and four men joined Capt. Abner Pomeroy's company for a like term. In June, six men were drafted for nine months' service, and were ordered to report at Fishkill, July Sth; and nine others voluntarily enlisted.
Most of the men called out in 1779 were for service in Rhode Island and at New London. Capt. Elijah Dwight's company was at the latter place in the summer, with Lient. Luke Coffin and nineteen Amherst soldiers. Four Amherst men enlisted in Capt. Moses Montague's company, October Ist, and four were in Capt. Joshua Woodbridge's company of new levies in December.
In 1780 and 1781, six men were drafted, and twenty- eight men enlisted from Amherst. Most of them were young men from sixteen to twenty-one years old. The companies to which they were attached were stationed at West point and Horse Neck. The list of the " Last Three Years' Men," called for December 2, 1780, has not been found.
I have dwelt thus upon details, because little of our local history in the Revolutionary period has been pre- served in accessible form. The names of the patriots of 1776 must not be lost. If the men who died in the War of the Rebellion are entitled to have their memories pre- served in enduring granite, surely they are worthy of equal remembrance who fell in the War of the Revolu- tion. Let the lists stand side by side-rolls of equal 'honor-upon the monument which Amherst shall some- time build to her sons who lie " dead on the field of honor."
40
CONCLUSION.
But it is time to draw these discursive reminiscences and reflections to a close. I must leave it for another hand to sketch the history of our town since the period of the Revolution. Such a future as that of which Amherst has promise, deserves that all the important facts of her entire history should be gathered and preserved by some one who has ample time and capacity for such work. When your summons to perform the service I am now rendering reached me twenty days ago, my cooler judg- ment would have responded no; but my heart said yes. "Nothing is impossible here," shouted Mr. Webster at Bunker Hill. on the day of his great oration there, to the throng who said they could not fall back. So I thought nothing should be deemed impossible by me on Indepen- dence Day, 1876. Such time as I have been able to snatch from engrossing duties, and such strength as I have had, has been cheerfully given to this pleasurable duty. Surely the old town has a right to the service of every son on a day like this. The charm that lingers on the hill-tops, and nestles in the valleys of Amherst, is not lost by any of her children, however wide their dispersion. Lapse of years has not dimmed this charm, nor have other scenes eclipsed it. Hundreds of hearts far away unite with us in the commemorations of this hour, through those invisi- ble and mystic mental currents which make the absent ' present with us. For them, no less than for ourselves, we salute these ancient homesteads, and pay grateful homage to the mother of us all.
The misty hills, with which we are encircled, return their welcome to our shouts of greeting; the deep
-
41
CONCLUSION.
woods murmur their salutations; the dancing waters in the mountain brooks offer tuneful music for this day of jubilee; and the ripening harvests on hundreds of waving fields bow in honor of the passing century.
"On thy calm joys, with what delight I dream, Thon dear green valley of my native stream."
But what shall the next century be ? Will the orator at the second centennial be able to say that America still sustains a people who love virtue, who honor God, and who cherish the free institutions bequeathed by our fathers. God grant it may be so, and that the twentieth century to which Macaulay doubtingly appealed for the trial of America, may vindicate the hopes of the patriots who fought the battles of Independence, and secured our liberties through many perils and great trials.
nowor aboow
Valuation List of Amherst, 1770.
Polls.
Horses.
Oxen ....
Cows .. .
Swine. ...
Sheep. . . ...
Faculty ..
Negro and
Interest ...
Money at
Estate ....
Personal
Mills
House and
Real Estate
Total .. . . . .
Martin Kellogg.
1
2
2
13
f. 10
116 25 10: 51 5
Ephraim Kellogg.
1
2
4
n. 10
26 5. 20 12
20, 31
51 12
Ebenezer Mattoon.
1
2
2
4
3
13
60 20 15
58. 78 10 99 5
Elijah Baker.
1
3 2
2
3
74 4
Joseph Eastman.
2
2
4
4
21
f. 10
15 4 10 4 16 12 200 15 10
36
35 10 60
76 12
Nehemiah Strong.
19 10
Samuel Gould.
1
1
f. 10
13 10
10 32
56 88 6
Martin Smith.
1
1
1
1001
f. 20 f. 10
6 40 32 6 24 1 9 16 90 36 20 12 12 12 8 23
10
6
David Blodgett.
1
1
·2
7
2
15
f. 10
1
2
2
1
Jonathan Dickinson, Jr.
1
1
3
1
10 16
8 9 11 8
59 11 22 15 32 6 8
Thomas Morton.
1
21
1
3 3
2
4 f. 10
13 1 21 18 24 2
40 29 32
53
1
Hezekiah Beldin.
1
- 01
3
f. 10
1 10
20 10
50 18 56 2 22 3 19
Elijah Morton.
Simeon Dickinson.
1
2
4
10
17 2 1 10
20
36
1
4
Joseph Eastman, Jr.
1
1
1
1
Ezra Rood.
1
2 1
21
01
6 2
12 20
17 23
29 2
Ebenezer Marsh
1
John Tohy.
1
Jeremiah Hubbard.
1
2
3
1 8
1
1
1
1 1
2
f. 30
32
2)
7 6 39
Joseph Bowles.
Stephen Smith.
1
1
1
1
01
1200
f. 10
13 12 22 10
38
6 90 18
64 10
1
1
1
2
3
2
12
1
1
1 4
1
2
6 f. :
1 1 3
9
Reuben Dickinson.
1
1
1
1
3 19
Moses Hawley.
John Hoddin.
1
1
1
1 18 3 5 15 38 10
7 13 38 10 53 2 1 10
Ebenezer Kellogg.
1
Ebenezer Eastman.
1
C 1 10 9 10
12
24
30
Thomas Sumner.
26 10
David Dickinson.
1
Mr. Simeon Strong.
26 46 8 13 14 30 9
Doctor Seth Colman.
Thomas Baseum.
1 1
₹
2
John Nash, Jr.
Elisha Ingram.
3
3
2
6
5
John Morton.
13
1
2
2
1
12 119 28 10 41 2 83 3 40 14 17 33 13 46 3
Daniel Kellogg.
3
1
2
8
21 45 28 1 9
Ebenezer Dickinson.
1
2
11 24 15 39 15 45 14
Joseph Church.
1
27 51
36 43 72 10 99 15
Ebenezer Dickinson, 2d.
14
4
4 18 31 10
Isaac Goodale.
1
Jonathan Dickinson.
Nathan Dickinson.
96 10.118 18
Gideon Dickinson.
2121 21
11
1
Solomon Boltwood.
5 35 f. 40 300 91 5 16 15 8 f. 30 100 62 9 f. 10 1
70 137 10 224 15 108 4
14
1 10
Gideon Dickinson Jr.
16 18 14
4
Land .....
NAMES.
43
VALUATION OF AMHERST. 1770.
Polls.
Horses
Oxen ..
Cows ..
Swine.
Sheep . ..
Faculty ..
Negro and
Money at
Estate ...
Personal
Land .....
House and
Real Estate
Total ..
John Billings.
1
19 10 3 65 112
131 10
William Boltwood.
1
14
17 6
31 66 7 83 13
Nathan Moody.
1
1
6
5 18
14: 24 10 30
Josiah Moody.
1
1
3
6 10
14 24 10 31
Alexander Smith.
2
1
2
1
Aaron Mathews.
1
f. 15
Pelatiah Smith.
1
1
2
3
10
Philip Ingram.
1
1
7
1 12: 24 16 30 17 13
James Merrick.
1
1
2
3
1
3
7 f. 10
8 53 3 6 50 102 10 123 10
Daniel Dickinson.
1
1
2
3
9 5
22 32 10 43 9
Aaron Warner, Jr.
1
1
1 10
10
Lemuel Moody.
1
1
1
f. 10
Abner Lee.
1
3
9
Gideon Lee.
1
John Lee.
1 4 1
4 6
3 3
3
15
23 19: 3 23
1
1
f. 15
16 10
20
1-
35 31 10 9 18 18 27 19
Henry Franklin.
1
4
2
15
Moses Dickinson.
3
·>
4 4
4 3 3
3 20
Chileab Smith.
1
Asahel Moody.
1
1 1
3
2 3
10 f. 15 f. 20
Daniel Roof.
1
Alexander Smith, Jr.
Edward Smith.
Nathaniel Colman.
1
21
20
3 7
16 10
Ely Parker.
1
212
12 11
7
Joseph Nash.
1 1 1 1
1 2 1
2 3 1
5 5
1 1
1
10)
6 18
1
1 1
1
10
4 6 6 19 118, 30
66 12 48 18 53 17 +2 8 9 12 10 1 36 19
1
6
3
5
20 10 13 17 10 19
30 59 10 73 7
Sammel Church.
3
1
.)
3
4 6 9 14 13 4 17 f. 20 60 38 2 3 21
10 10
9 30
11 10 23 6 43 9 11 10 91 2 76 4
Moses Smith.
2
2
1
2
3
8
3
9 18 3 19 15 5 21 16 13 6 16 14
21
14 14 26 41 5 42 86 14 108 10 38 10 43 17 20 17
Jacob Warner.
Peter Smith.
1
2
1
3 17
23 6 26 4 3 3 3 181 20 21 18
6 71 12 40 10,
9 11 10 8 15 16 90 111 18 19 17
Joel Moody.
1
9)
John Pettees.
1.
1
·2
422114 2 1 1
f. 10 24 12 9 17 11 5 1 10 7 10 18 7 4 15 20 12 15!
3 30 20 18
43 10 37 32 15 10 80 10
68 2 46 17 13 5 1 10 23 98 17 4 15
Thomas Hastings, Jr. Ebenezer Williams. John Williams. Justin Williams.
10 42
30 3.20 10) 18 28 10 51 16 35 4 11 13 8 13 19 18
Jonathan Moody, Jr.
1
1 1 3
17
13
33 18 33 8 20 9 16 1 10 16 10: 3 13 4 18 14 46
6 11 5 19 15 3 16 33
26 9| 37 14
Timothy Green.
2
1
2
1 112 1
f. 15 ( n. 9 ¿ f.20
35 70 5 104 3 34: 49 10 82 18
Josiah Channeey.
Jonathan Nash.
33 42 16 1 10
Samuel Abby.
G 5 22 15 1 59 4
7 10 53 52
Jonathan Moody.
Simeon Smith.
Simon Fobes.
2
1 1
Nathaniel Dickinson.
1 1
2 20
71 16 59 14
113312 1
Benjamin Roads.
Simeon Pomroy. John Morton, Jr. John Ellis.
NAMES.
-
....
Interest ..
Mills
29 3 22
1000
0101
John Dickinson.
2
44
VALUATION OF AMIIERST, 1770.
NAMES.
Polls ..
Hlorses ...
Oxen ...
Cows ....
Swine ....
Sheep ......
Faculty ..
Negro and
Interest ..
Estate ...
Personal
Mills.K.
Land .....
House and
Real Estate
Total ..
Nathan Dickinson, Jr. Joel Billings.
1
1
212
20
13 10
3,20
41
44 10
Jonathan Nash, Jr.
1
1 10
1 10
Thomas Hastings.
3
2
2
10.23 14
33
55 10 24 15
31 10
Jonathan Edwards.
2
2
4
17
25 23 13
54
77 13
Noah Dickinson.
1
2
3
15
6
21: 42 13
58
1
Oliver Clap.
2
1
1
1
1 18
Timothy Clap.
1
f. 8
Enos Dickinson.
1
51
7 10
7 10
Barnabas Eddy.
1
1
2
2
4
8 18
29 47 10 56 8
Israel Dickinson.
1
1
2
10
15
17
Simeon Clark.
3
3
2
6
6
19
8 51 28 126 10 145 18
Joseph Giles.
1
Moses Warner.
3
2
2
19 f. 50
66
3
40 33 28
80 69 57
146
3
Aaron Warner.
2
1
2
2
2
f. 10 100 36 16
Jonathan Smith.
1
Noadiah Lewis.
1
Moses Cook.
3
2
2
4 3
8
16 7 14
3 1-7 38 16
84 31 103
6 100 14
John Field, Jr. John Field.
3
4
2
2
f. 10
25 16
128 16
Elisha Smith.
1
2
2
3
3
f. 10
23 14 12 14
24
43
66 14
Oliver Cowls.
1
1 3
4
6
6 16
27 16 7 10 4
10 38 14 20
30
34
Eleazer Cowls.
1
Noah Smith.
1
1
4
1
2
0 16 1-7
10
32 10 52 10 7 15
59
8
Robert Ennnons.
1
1
2
1
9
6 15
73 19
80 14
Edward Elmer.
2
2
2
1
15
1
28 12
54 20
69
1
Isaac Hubbard.
2
1
2
1
10
6 18 5 10
5 10
Renben Ingram.
1
1
2
4
10
14 6 11 11
38 30
52 G
Azariah Dickinson.
2
1
2
2
3
9
2
2
1-
5 13 17
23
36 17
Nehemiah Dickinson.
1
1
2
5
5
20
18 10
50 50
7 19
John Adams.
1 1
1 1 1
3 3
2
Isaiah Adams.
14
21
21
Abner Adams.
10 10 10 10
Ephraim Kellogg, Jr.
1 1 2 2
1 9
10 15
17/ 25
35 15
Real Estate estimated at 6 years yearly income.
JOSIAH CHAUNCEY, JOHN DICKINSON, JONA. EDWARDS,
ASSESSORS.
8
Jonathan Cowls, Jr.
1
2
1
David Cowls.
1
2
Nathaniel Dickinson.
2
2
8
100 21 16
6 2
29
17 74 12 58 1
42
6
Joseph Williams.
2
1
00 :0 01 01
4421 2 1
10
1
f. 10
6 18 10 8
30 1 } 36
18 3
Mary Ingram.
26 18
John Ingram.
1
1
1
1
Jacob Abbott.
3
1
5 n. 10
17 5 30 5 16
20 20 12 30 30 19 5
41 11
Ebenezer Dickinson 3d.
1
2
3
4
4
32
4
Jonathan Cowls.
3
1
3
3
88 14
Gideon Henderson.
2
2
321314821 1 3 1
J
10 11
16
29
39 11
79
4
Ely Colton.
1
6 15
13'
5 1 18
12 24
29
Preserved Clap.
8
1 1
3 2 3 4 10 ť. 30
13 12
1 112 13
Nathaniel Smith.
1
88
19 10 74 12 102
29 18 37 8
17
95 18
74 15
David Smith.
1
68 10
7 19
9 57 15 75 14 16
William Murray.
6,779.8
-
.
1
1
3242
Money at
10 36
1
44025 ..
0
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