USA > Massachusetts > Historical collections, being a general collection of interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c., relating to the history and antiquities of every town in Massachusetts, with geographical descriptions > Part 48
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" An express was sent from Lexington in the morning to. Gene- ral Gage to inform him of what had happened there; and about 9 o'clock a brigade of about 1,100 men marched out under the com- mand of the Right Honorable Hugh Earl Percy, a brigadier-gene- ral, consisting of the marines, the Welsh Fusiliers, the 4th, 47th, and 38th regiments, and two field-pieces. This reinforcement ar- rived at Lexington about 2 o'clock, placed the field-pieces on the high ground below Monroe's tavern, and checked for about half an hour the eager pursuit of the provincials. During this time they burnt the house, barn, and other out-buildings of Deacon Jo- seph Loring, the house, barn, and shop of Mrs. Lydia Mulliken, and the house and shop of Mr. Joshua Bond. By the aid of this reinforcement they were able to effect their retreat to Charlestown, though not without sustaining continual losses on the way. They arrived about 7 o'clock, having, during a day unusually hot for the season, marched upwards of 36 miles, and endured almost in- credible suffering. All the provisions they had had were obtained by purchase or plunder from the people, their provision-wagons hav- ing been taken by the Americans. Some of them 'were so much exhausted with fatigue, that they were obliged to lie down on the ground, their tongues hanging out of their mouths like dogs' after the chase.' Our militia and minute-men pursued them to Charles- town Neck, many of whom remained there during the night; others returned home.
" The damage to private property by fire, robbery, and destruction, was estimated at £274 16s. 7d. in Concord; £1761 1s. 5d. in Lexington; and £1202 8s. 7d. in Cam- bridge.
" Of the provincials 49 were killed, 36 wounded, and 5 missing. Captain Charles Miles, Captain Nathan Barrett, Jonas Brown, and Abel Prescott, jr., of Concord, were wounded. Captain Isaac Davis, Abner Hosmer, and James Hayward, of Acton, were killed, and Luther Blanchard wounded. Captain Jonathan Wilson, of Bedford, was killed, and Job Lane wounded.
" Of the British, 73 were killed, 172 wounded, and 26 missing ; among whom were 18 officers, 10 sergeants, 2 drummers, and 240 rank and file. Among the wounded were Lieutenant Colonels Francis Smith and Benjamin Bernard. Lieutenant Edward Hall was wounded at the north bridge and taken prisoner on the retreat. He died the next day, and his remains were delivered up to General Gage. Lieutenant Edward Thornton Gould was also wounded at the bridge and taken prisoner on the retreat."
The following is a western view of the monument recently erected at Concord, at the place where the old north bridge of Con- cord crossed the river. . It is constructed of granite, with the follow- ing inscription on the marble inlet :-
" HERE, on the 19th of April, 1775, was made the first forcible re- sistance to British aggression. On the opposite bank stood the Ame-
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CONCORD.
Monument at Concord.
rican militia. Here stood the invading army, and on this spot the first of the enemy fell in the war of the Revolution, which gave Independence to these United States. In gratitude to GoD and in the love of Freedom, this monument was erected A. D. 1836."
The monument stands a few rods westward of the public road, near the house of the Rev. Dr. Ripley, who gave the land for the above purpose. The entrance to the bridge was between the trees seen standing by the water's edge on each side of the monument. These trees were standing at the time of the Revolution. The two British soldiers who were killed at this spot were buried a few feet from the monument. The place is marked by two rough stones, seen on the left, by the two persons represented in the engraving.
The following inscriptions are copied from monuments in this town. The oldest monument is in the Hill burying-ground, in- scribed thus: "Joseph Merriam, aged 47 years, died the 20 of April, 1677."'
Here lies Interred the Remains of the Rev. Mr. Daniel Bliss, Pastor of the Church of Christ in Concord, who Deceased the 11th day of May, Anno Dom : 1764, ÆEtatis suæ 50.
Of this beloved Disciple and Minister of Jesus Christ 't is justly observable, that, in addition to his natural and acquired abilities, he was distinguishedly favoured with those eminent Graces of the Holy Spirit (Meekness, Humility, and Zeal,) which rendered him peculiarly fit for and enabled him to go thro' the great and arduous work of the Gospel Ministry, upon which he entered in the 25th year of his age. The Duties of the various Characters he sustained in life, were performed with great strictness and fidelity. As a private Christian he was a bright Example of Holiness in Life and Pul- rity in Conversation. But in the execution of ye ministerial office he shone with Pe- culiar Lustre,-a spirit of Devotion animated all his performances :- his doctrine drop'd as ye Rain and his lips distilled like the Dew :- his Preaching was powerful and Searching ;- and he who blessed him with an uncommon Talent in a particular Appli- cation to ye Consciences of men, crowned his skilful Endeavours wth great success. As ye work of the Ministry was his great Delight, so he continued fervent and diligent in ye Performance of it, till his Divine Lord called him from his Service on Earth to the Glorious Recompense of Reward in Heaven ; where as one who has turned many unto Righteousness he shines as a star for ever and ever.
49
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DRACUT.
" His soul was of ye Angelic Frame, The Same Ingredients, and the mould ye same, Whom ye Creator makes a Minister of Fame." WATTS.
In Memory of Capt. JOHN STONE, the Architect of that Modern and justly Celebrated Piece of Architecture, Charles River Bridge. He was a man of good Natu- ral abilities, which seemed to be adorned with Moral Virtues and Christian Graces. He departed this life in the year of our Lord 1791, in the 63 year of his age.
This stone is designed by its durability to perpetuate the memory, and by its colour to signify the moral character, of Miss ABIGAIL DUDLEY, who died Jan. 4, 1812, aged 73.
The following, generally attributed to the pen of Daniel Bliss, Esq., has often been published and admired.
God wills us free ;- man wills us slaves. I will as God wills ; God's will be done. Here lies the body of JOHN JACK, A native of Africa, who died March, 1773, aged about sixty years. Though born in a land of slavery, He was born free. Though he lived in a land of liberty, He lived a slave ; Till by his honest, though stolen labours, He acquired the source of slavery, Which gave him his freedom : Though not long before Death, the grand tyrant, Gave him his final emancipation, And put him on a footing with kings. Though a slave to vice, He practised those virtues, Without which kings are but slaves.
Here lyes interred the remains of Mr. Hugh Cargill, late of Boston, who died in Concord, January 12, 1799, in the 60th year of his age. Mr. Cargill was born in Bel- lyshannon, in Ireland, came to this country in the year 1774, destitute of the comforts of life ; but by his industry and good economy he acquired a good estate ; and, hav- ing no children, he at his death devised his estate to his wife, Mrs. Rebecca Cargill, and to a number of his friends and relations by marriage, and especially a large and generous donation to the town of Concord for benevolent and charitable purposes.
How strange, O God, who reigns on high, That I should come so far to die, And leave my friends, where I was bred, -
To lay my bones with strangers dead. But I have hopes when I arise To dwell with thee in yonder skies.
DRACUT.
THIS town was incorporated in 1701. This is principally an agricultural town, on the north bank of the Merrimac. This town has a tolerably good soil, and is watered by Beaver brook, which crosses it from New Hampshire, and many smaller streams. Since the rapid increase of the population in Lowell, a good market has been found for the agricultural productions of the town. "A fine and picturesque bridge was built many years since from this town to Chelmsford, over the head of Pawtucket falls. The piers are founded on the rocks that divide and break the falls, and the arches springing from rock to rock, and the water foaming be- neath, has a wild and romantic appearance. Another elegant and costly bridge, just below the falls, connects this town with Lowell. It was built in 1826, is about 500 feet long, is roofed the whole length, and presents a very pleasing appearance." In 1837, there was in the town 1 woollen mill, with 4 sets of machinery ; 700 pairs of boots and 13,600 of shoes were manufactured, valued at $12,000; the value of cutlery manufactured was $4,000. Popu- lation, 1,898. Distance, 16 miles from Concord, 18 from Haver- hill, and 27 from Boston.
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FRAMINGHAM.
DUNSTABLE.
THIS town was incorporated in 1663. This is a small township; the land is rather level, and the soil is light and sandy. Nashua river forms the western border of the town, and then passes into New Hampshire. There are three churches, 1 Congregational, 1 Baptist, and 1 Universalist. Population, 570. Distance, 18 miles from Concord, 6 south of Nashua village, and 37 from Boston.
"Capt. John Lovell, (or Lovewell, as his name was formerly written,) the hero of Pigwacket, and six of his men, were from this town. He had distinguished himself in several bloody fights with the Indians, and taken several scalps, for which he received a bounty of 100 pounds each, from the treasury of the colony. In Feb. 1724, he and his followers surprised and killed a party of ten Indians, as they were sitting around a fire, and received 1,000 pounds for their scalps at Boston ! In April, 1725, Capt. Lovell and Lieut. Joseph Farwell, Lieut. Jonathan Robbins, Ensign John Harwood, Sergeant Noah Johnson, Robert Usher, and Samuel Whiting, from this town, Ensign Seth Wy- man, Thomas Richardson, Timothy Richardson, Ichabod Johnson, and Josiah John- son, of Woburn; 'Ebenezer Davis, Josiah Davis, Josiah Jones, David Melvin, Eleazar Melvin, Jacob Farrar, and Joseph Farrar, of Concord ; chaplain Jonathan. Frye, of Andover; Sergeant Jacob Fullum, of Weston ; Corp. Edward Lingfield, of Derry ; Jonathan Kittredge and Solomon Kies, of Billerica; John Jefts, Daniel Woods, Thomas Woods, John Chamberlain, Elias Barron, Isaac Lakin, and Joseph Gilson, of Groton ; Ebenezer Ayer and Abiel Asten, of Haverhill; with several others who returned without reaching the field of action, to the number of 46 in all, set out for Pigwacket, then the residence of the celebrated Indian chief, Paugus. On the 8th of May, having reached the borders of a pond in what is now Fryeburg, Maine, they were attacked by about 80 Indians, with all the fury of the most determined hostility, and the exultation of expected victory. The heroic band maintained the fight from morning till night, when the enemy withdrew ; having three-fourths of their number killed or wounded. Of Lovell's party, himself and eight more were dead, four were groaning with the agony of mortal wounds, several were wounded less severely, nine remained unhurt, and one had fled at the onset. Lieut. Robbins was left mortally wounded on the field of action ; Lieut. Farwell, chaplain Frye, Davis and Jones, pro- ceeded about a mile and a half, when they failed and were left ; the two former per- ished. Davis and Jones, after inexpressible suffering, reached a place of safety. The pond alone, by protecting their rear, saved them from total destruction. Capt. Tyng, of Mass., after a few days, proceeded to the spot, to bury the dead ; 13 were interred on the field, and their names inscribed on the trunks of the trees ; but more durable records perpetuate the remembrance of the sanguinary conflict."-Spoford's Gaz.
FRAMINGHAM.
FRAMINGHAM was incorporated as a town in 1700. In this year it was by the general court " ordered that said plantation, called Framingham, be henceforth a township retaining the name of Framingham, and have and enjoy all the priviledges of a town according to law. Saving unto Sherbon all the rights of land granted by the general court to the first inhabitants, and those since purchased by exchange with the Indians of Natick, or other- wise, all the farms lying within said township according to the former grants of this general court." On the same day this grant was made by the legislature, a petition, by mutual concert, was made for a large tract of land north-east of said plantation, termed Sudbury Farms, to be annexed to the new township, which was
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FRAMINGHAM.
readily granted. The first minister of the place was Rev. John Swift, who was ordained Oct., 1701, and died in 1745, aged 67. The church at the time of its organization consisted of the follow- ing members :
Henry Rice, Simon Mellen,
Daniel Rice, Deac.
Peter Cloise,
Jona. Hemingway, do. Benjamin Bridges,
John Haven,
Thomas Drury, Caleb Bridges,
Isaac Bowen,
Thomas Walker,
Thomas Mellen,
Stephen Jennings,
John Stow,
Benjamin Nurse,
Samuel Winch, Thomas Frost,
Nathaniel Haven.
Eastern view of Framingham, (central part.)
This village is about half way from Boston to Worcester, being 21 miles from the former and 20 miles from the latter place. The village consists of about 60 dwelling-houses, 4 churches, 2 Con- gregational, one of which is Unitarian, 1 Baptist, and 1 Universalist. Part of the Unitarian church is seen on the right, the Orthodox church on the left, near which is seen in the distance the tower of the Universalist church. The next building in the distance west- ward of the Unitarian church is the academy, which is constructed of stone; the spire seen near this building is that of the Baptist church. The town-house, having pillars at each end, is seen in the distance, in the enclosed green. Saxonville, a manufacturing village, is situated about two miles north-east from this place, and has a Congregational church. The "Framingham Bank" has a capital of $99,450. Population, 2,881. The Boston and Worces- ter railroad passes through this town, about 2 miles south from the village. This town is watered by Sudbury river, a principal branch of the Concord river. The surface of the town cannot be considered as hilly or plain ; it consists mostly of gentle eminences and depressions, every acre being susceptible of cultivation. The soil on the high arable land is rather gravelly, but generally,
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GROTON
throughout the town, it is well adapted for the raising of rye and corn.
The Framingham cotton and woollen manufactory was incor- porated in 1813, with a capital of $50,000. The Saxon manufac- tory was incorporated in 1824. "This company purchased the Leicester factory the same year, and the stock was united in the same corporation by act of court, Feb. 8, 1825 ; capital $150,000." In 1837, there were in this town 5 woollen mills, 11 sets of wool- len machinery ; wool consumed, 744,000 lbs. ; cloth manufactured, 268,640 yards, valued at $311,800; males employed, 105 ; females, 141 ; capital invested, $415,000. There were 1,524 pairs of boots and 34,955 pairs of shoes manufactured, valued at $31,293 ; value of paper manufactured, $46,000. There were 7,777 straw bonnets manufactured, the value of which was $16,358.
The following is a copy of the Latin inscription on the monu- ment of the Rev. Mr. Smith, the first minister of this place, with a translation.
Hic jacet qui obiit A. D. 1745, Aprilis 24to, Ætatisque anno 67mo. vir ille Reveren- dus D. JOHANNES SWIFT. Dotibus et nativis et acquisitis ornatus ; Docendi Artifex, Exemplar vivendi Felix, dum vixit mores exhibens secundum Divinas Regulas Ep . o necessarios : commiscens prudentiam Serpentis columbæque innocentiam commercium cum eo habentibus. In vita percharus, atque gratam sui etsi mæstam memoriam post mortem suis relinquens :- Qui per varios casus variaque rerum dis- crimina, atque usque ad mortem, raram Discretionem, Modestiam, Patientiam, volun- tatique Supremi Numinis submissionem spectandam præbens, jam tandem in Domino requievit, adoptionem scilicet corporis obruti Redemptionem, expectabundus.
[Here lies the Reverend John Swift, who died in 1745, April 24th, in the 67th year of his age. Adorned with gifts both native and acquired ; he was a master in the art of teaching ; a model of living, conforming all his acts to the divine laws. To all those with whom he had to do, he exhibited the wisdom of the serpent and the innocence of the dove. While living, he was very much beloved, and he left at death a grateful, though mournful memory to his friends. Through many scenes and trials, and even unto death, he manifested a rare discretion, modesty, patience, and submission to the Divine Will. . He at length rests with the Lord, looking for the adoption, that is, the redemption of the body.]
GROTON.
GROTON was originally a grant by the general court, made May 23, 1655, of eight miles square, to Mr. Dean Winthrop and others, at a place called Petapaway, and included the greatest part of the towns of Pepperell and Shirley, and parts of Dunstable, Westford, Littleton, and Harvard. Mr. Dean Winthrop, being a son of John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts colony, probably named the place Groton, from the town in England whence the family came. The grant, in the quaint language of the times, says, " the court judgeth it meet to grant the petitioners eight miles square in the place desired, to make a comfortable plantation," and it is ordered to be laid out "with all convenient speed, that so no encouragement may be wanting to the petitioners for the speedy procuring of a godly minister among them." Among the first set-
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GROTON.
tlers were William Martin, Richard Blood, Robert Blood, and John Lakin. The precise time of the first settlement is not known, but a committee of the general court, appointed October, 1659, report, that there are not above four or five families there, though "it will afford a comfortable accommodation for sixty families at least."
The first town record to be found is as follows :- " At a generall town meeting, June 23d, 1662, It was agreed uppon, that the house for the minister should be set uppon the plane whare it is now framing." Also, "that the meeting-house shall be sett upon the right hand of the path, by a small white oak, marked at the sow- west side with two notches and a blaze." The number of inhabit- ants increased until the year 1676, when, having been three times attacked by the Indians, in Philip's war, they abandoned the place. A new settlement took place, it is believed, in the spring of 1678.
The first minister of Groton was the Rev. Samuel Willard, or- dained 1663, left the inhabitants in 1676. His successors have been Gershom Hobart, ordained 1678, dismissed 1704 or 5 ; Dud- ley Broadstreet, ordained 1706, dismissed 1712 ; Caleb Trowbridge, ordained 1715, died 1760; Samuel Dana, ordained 1761, dismis- sed 1775 ; Daniel Chaplin, ordained 1778, retired by reason of age 1825 ; Charles Robinson, installed 1826, dismissed 1838; Rev. George W. Wells, installed Nov. 21, 1838. A Presbyterian society was incorporated in 1788, but it never had an ordained minister, and has become extinct. In 1826, a part of the first parish seceded and formed an Orthodox society ; whose ministers have been John Todd, ordained 1827, dismissed 1833; Charles Kitteridge, install- ed 1833, dismissed 1835; Dudley Phelps, installed 1836, the pre- sent minister. A Baptist society was formed in 1832, and they have Amasa Saunderson for their minister.
Groton, as now bounded, is of a very irregular shape, having many angles in its boundary lines. None of its original boundaries are retained, except one mile on Townsend on the west, and Massapoag Pond on the N. East. Its present area is about 27,350 acres; one fourth of the whole, viz. the central part, is an excellent soil for grass, corn, barley, or most crops usually cultivated in New . England.
The village, in the center of the town, contains two meeting- houses, one academy, two district school-houses, five mercantile shops, two taverns, and seventy other dwelling-houses. The en- graving is a north-western view of the Unitarian church, and the academy, seen on the right, in the southern part of the village. This place is 17 miles from Concord, 14 to Lowell, 30 to Worces- ter, and 34 to Boston. Population, 2,057.
At the west part of the town, about two and a half miles from the center, on the Squannacook river, there is a paper-mill, which will employ from 8 to 10 hands. There are two tanneries, and 4 grist and saw-mills. The town is mostly a farming town, and formerly has raised large quantities of hops, but the recent low prices have discouraged the hop growers. In 1837, the value of
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GROTON.
North-western view of the Congregational Church and Academy, Groton.
clothing manufactured was $24,000; number of garments, 11,000; males employed, 3; females, 245.
The following, respecting the Indian depredations in this town, is from Dwight's Travels, vol. ii.
"Groton, in the early periods of its settlement, experienced its share of Indian de- predations. It was incorporated in 1655. In 1676, a body of savages entered it on the second of March, plundered several houses, and carried off a number of cattle. On the ninth, they ambushed four men, who were driving their carts, killed one, and took a second ; but, while they were disputing about the manner of putting him to death, he escaped. On the thirteenth, about four hundred of these people assaulted Groton again. The inhabitants, alarmed by the recent destruction of Lancaster, had retreated into five garrisoned houses. Four of these were within musket-shot of each other. The fifth stood at the distance of a mile. Between the four neighboring ones were gathered all the cattle belonging to the inhabitants.
"In the morning two of the Indians showed themselves behind a hill, near one of the four garrisons, with an intention to decoy the inhabitants out of their fortifications. The alarm was immediately given. A considerable part of the men in this garrison, and several from the next, imprudently went out to surprise them ; when a large body, who had been lying in ambush for this purpose, arose instantaneously, and fired upon them. The English fled. Another party of the Indians, at the same time, came upon the rear of the nearest garrison, thus deprived of its defence, and began to pull down the palisades. The flying English retreated to the next garrison ; and the women and children, forsaken as they were, escaped, under the protection of Providence, to the same place of safety. The ungarrisoned houses in the town were then set on fire by the savages.
" In a similar manner they attempted to surprise the solitary garrison, one of their people being employed to decoy the English out of it, into an ambush in the neighbor- hood. The watch, however, discovering the ambush, gave the alarm, and prevented the mischief intended. The next day the Indians withdrew ; having burnt about forty dwelling-houses and the church, together with barns and out-houses. John Monoco, their leader, during the preceding day, with the same spirit which is exhibited with so much vanity and haughtiness in the proclamations of General Burgoyne, the duke of Brunswick when entering France, and General Le Clerk when attacking St. Domin- go, insulted the inhabitants of Groton with his former exploits in burning Lancaster and Medfield ; threatened that he would burn Groton, Chelmsford, Concord, and Bos- ton ; and declared, amid many taunts and blasphemies, that he could do whatever he pleased. His threatening against Groton he executed ; but, instead of burning the other towns, he was taken a prisoner a few months afterwards, led through the streets of Boston with a halter about his neck, and hanged. His three compeers in haughtiness
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HOLLISTON.
met with a fate differing in form from his; but by the inglorious and miserable end of their efforts are exhibited to mankind as solemn monitions of the madness, as well as impiety, of arrogating to a human arm that disposal of events which belongs only to God. One would think, that Sennacherib and Rabshakeh had long since taught this lesson effectually. For Monoco, ignorance may be pleaded ; for the Christian boasters there is no excuse."
HOLLISTON.
c
THE first settlements were made in this town about 1710. In 1724, the people had increased to thirty-four families, and finding it inconvenient, on account of the distance, to attend meeting and do duty in Sherburne, they petitioned the town to set them off, which was amicably voted. The same year, (1724) they were incorporated by the. general court; and as a mark of respect for Thomas Hollis, of London, one of the patrons of the university in Cambridge, the place was called Holliston. The soil in this town is generally of a good quality ; a small branch of Charles river rises in this town, and affords a good water-power. There is one woollen factory, one of thread, and one of combs. A considerable quantity of brogans are made here, employing about 300 men, wo- men and children. There are 2 churches, 1 for Congregationalists and 1 Methodist. Distance, 21 miles S. of Concord, 6 N. E. of Hopkinton, and 24 south-westerly from Boston. Population, 1,775. In 1837, there were manufactured in this town 20,803 pairs of boots, 244,578 pairs of shoes, valued at $241,626; males employ- ed, 312; females, 149. There were 26,580 straw bonnets manu- factured, valued at $33,210.
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