USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Spencer > Historical sketches relating to Spencer, Mass., Volume IV > Part 16
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*Evidently lost. No doubt it would be interesting reading.
*The agitation of the liquor question had by this time become so general that a clan of men arose who were called extremists by som, and temperance cranks by others and while they had a perfect right to their views their extreme ideas were not generally accepted. Luther Hill used to relate a story of these times when he was a stripling, and on his way home from Boston with a four-horse load of merchandise for his-father's -store at Hillsville. It was late one- evening when as he came up Mt. Pleasant, Leicester, he reached a place in the road where sand and road wash had accumulated until it was quite deep. Here the wheels
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temperance society met. It being stormy there were but few present. The Rev. Levi Packard and the Hon. James Draper with others made some very spirited remarks upon the subject of temperance in this town. It was moved to choose a com- mittee to consult with Eleazer B. Draper upon the traffic in ar- dent spirits in this town and to prevail on him if possible to abandon the traffic. The motion was withdrawn and the fol- lowing gentlemen volunteered their services, viz. James Draper Esq., Rev. Levi Packard, William Pope Esq., Alonzo Temple and Jeremiah Grout. The meeting was then adjourned.
"DEXTER BEMIS. Clerk."
"February 5th, 1844. Agreeable to an adjournment the temperance society met this evening, February 5th, and the following were the doings of the meeting: 1st, Singing by the choir; 2nd, Prayer by Rev. Mr. Packard; 3rd, Lecture by Mr. Ruel Jones*, which was a very able and interesting address. A committee was then chosen to consider the expediency of celebrating the birth of Washington on the 22nd of February next. Made choice of James Draper Esq., Lewis Bemis, Wil- liam Henshaw, Alonzo Temple, Jeremiah Grout, Amos Kitte- ridge and Harvey Bush.
"Voted that the committee act as a committee of arrange- ments if a celebration is concluded upon.
"Voted to adjourn without date.
"GEORGE H. LIVERMORE, Sect. Protem.
"February 22, 1844. At two o'clock P. M. the cold water army then met at the town hall, where the meeting was opened by prayer by the Rev. Mr. Packard, after which declamations and dialogues by the girls and boys, addresses by the Rev. Mr. Packard, Rev. Mr. Shepherd and others, interspersed with ex- cellent music by the Spencer brass band, all of which was highly interesting and profitable to the temperance society in this town.
sank and his horses were unable to pull the load. He went to Leicester village for help and found a man having a yoke of oxen and a pair of horses. He on- gaged the man to help him up the hill. When they arrived at the scene, the man saw a hogshead of New England rum aboard and said "Young man my teams won't be allowed to draw that stuff an inch."' "All right," said Hill, well nettled. "I guess I can get along if they don't."" And being resourceful worked about an hour scraping the sand away in front of each wheel and down to hard pan. Then the horses, having had a good rest, were enabled to move the load and Hill went on his way rejoicing.
*Mr. Jones presumably delivered this same address one evening at the cld Universalist church, Podunk, before a good audience. When an invitation was extended to those who had thus far failed to pledge themselves to temperance and were asked to sign the pledge quite a large number of young, drinking men came forward and signed the paver amid great applause, but it was soon discovered that none of them had signed their real names.
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"At half past six o'clock P. M., the society met at the same place to hear an address from the Rev. Mr. Shepherd and re- marks from the Rev. Mr. Packard and others, after which sing- ing by juvenile choir with excellent music from the Spencer brass band, all of which made it an interesting and happy meeting to all present.
"The meeting was then dissolved. "DEXTER BEMIS, Clerk." "March 20th, 1845. This society met at the town hall according to adjournment ; president in the chair (Rev. James Shepherd). Meeting favored with prayer by Rev. L. Packar.I. Minutes of last meeting read and accepted, and for nearly two hours the audience (though rather thin) listened to the dis- cussion of the following question (by some half dozen gentle- men) : 'Is it right, or consistent, for temperance people, to give their trade or custom, to those who deal in ardent spirit ?' But a very little opposition to this question. Voted to adjourn to the first Monday in April at 7 o'clock P. M.
"J. W. MORSE, Sec."
"Tuesday Eve., February 24th, 1846 .* This society met at the town hall to celebrate the birth of General Washington (the 22nd of February coming on Sunday), the 24th was the time appointed to celebrate the birth of Washington through the Union.
"The society was called to order by the president, Captain Jeremiah Grout. Order of exercises as follows : 1st, Music by the North Spencer Brass Band; 2nd, Prayer by Rev. Mr. Bates; 3rd, Music by the Band; 4th, Address by Rev. Mr. Packard; 5th, Music; 6th, Address by Rev. Mr. Bates; 7th, Music ; 8th, Remarks by James Draper Esq .. Dr. E. C. Dyer, Rev. Mr. Bates and a number of other gentlemen.
"Voted to take up a collection from the assembly, for the
*April 25, 1846, a general temperance meeting had been planned for Spencer in the afternoon with Dr. Charles Jewett for speaker, but the most disastrous fire that, up to that time, had ever visited Spencer, took place in the lower village, commencing at the noon hour. The dwelling house and barn of David Gates and a large building containing a carpenter, wheelwright and blacksmith shop, and a tannery of Samuel Barnes were totally destroyed. These buildings stood along on the main road near the present Bacon factory in point of location. All business was at a standstill. Everybody was at the fire either to help the bucket engine along, or else to stand around and look on. Temperance meeting was forgotten in the excitement of the hour, but Dr. Jewett was not a man of the latter class. Being muscular, of large frame and a natural commander of men, he at once organized a force of volunteers to pull down a long shed that extended easterly from near the burning buildings to a large barn neur what is now :he west side of Mechanic street at its junction with Main. He proved himself to be the man for the time and his action saved the barn. It was at this fire that the oft-repeated incident occurred of a man so unbalanced by excitement that le threw out of a chamber window articles that broke on coming in contact with the ground while his next move was to rush down stairs with a feather bed.
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benefit of the band that had added so much to the interest of meeting. Collected $4.60. Voted to dissolve the meeting.
"J. W. MORSE, Sec."
"December 29th, 1846 .* This society met at the town hall, the president, Rev. Mr. Abbott, in the chair. Prayer by Rev. Mr. Packard. Second lecture from Rev. Mr. Barnes of Clapp- ville. Society took up a collection to defray the expenses of said meeting. $2.57 collected. 621% cents to Sylvester Luther, the remainder to Rev. Mr. Barnes.
"Thursday Eve, February 7th, 1850. This society met by regular appointment. The president (Dr. E. F Dyer) in the chair. Prayer was offered by Rev. R. D. Winslow. Lecture by Daniel Kimball, Esq.
"Voted to choose a district committee to circulate the Pledge.
Made choice for District No. 1, E. Wheelock ; 2, Joel Grout ; 3, J. W. Morse ; 4, John Lamb ; 5, Daniel Ball ; 3, Plummer Prouty ; 7, William G. Muzzy ; 8, Flias Hall, Jr. ; 9, William Sampson ; 10, Alpheus Bemis ; 11, Nathaniel Eldridge.
"Monday Eve., January 5th, 1852. Annual meeting of this society. The President (Sanford Snow) in the chair. Minutes of last annual meeting being read, voted to choose a District committee to circulate Petition to be sent to the Legislature, in favor of the Maine Liquor Law.
Made choice of the following committee : District No. 1, Ephraim Wheelock ; 2, Joel Grout ; 3, Aaron Watson ; 4, John Lamb ; 5, Pliny Allen ; 6, Plummer Prouty ; 7, William G. Muzzy ; 8, Edward Hall ; 9, Lawson Savage ; 9, William Samp- son ; 10, Alpha Bemis ; 10, William Bemis, 2nd ; 11, William Bemis, 2nd.
"Lecture by Daniel Kimball, Esq. Voted to adjourn to Wednesday Eve., the 14th inst.
"J. W. MORSE."
The last meeting was held Sept. 13, 1852, but no business of importance was transacted. The society which had ac- complished so much for Spencer disbanded for what reasons are not known, though internal dissensions were probably the cause.
*What happeend at this meeting not recorded or what had previously hap- pened and not a matter of record is not known, but it is certain great dissatis- faction of some kind was instrumental in causing the withdrawal of the following members from the society. The loss of so many of the influential men of the town greatly crippled the usefulness of the society but it still continued in its work. It is thought that the current wine and cider agitation was the leading element in causing the dissatisfaction. Rev .- Mr. Packard returned to the society or at least took part in some of its succeeding meetings :
Withdrew Dec. 29th, 1846 : Alvin B. Abbott, William Pope, Danforth Burgess, Levi Packard, Richard Mills, William D. Burgess, James Draper, Jabez Green, Luman Boyden.
SHAY'S REBELLION
The history of the long line of events, leading up to the American Revolution, as also those that followed, of general interest to the American people, is an interesting and familiar tale: There were also events of a local nature, which were the outgrowth of the war, and conditions following it, which if given to the public in as much detail, would prove exceed- ingly interesting, as showing the kind of mettle those pioneers were made of in their struggles for life, liberty and a tolerant existence.
At the close of the war they experienced a deep and wide- spread suffering, the oppressive conditions of the country weighing heavily upon them and during the decade that fol- lowed 1776, these conditions, instead of becoming less rigorous, were intensified. to an alarming extent, as time passed on. The currency had reached its minimum, in value ; credit was exhausted. farmers and mechanics were crushed with debts, vet by order of the General Court they were relentlessly pressed by public officers and lawyers alike. The legislature was flooded with petitions. praying for relief from burdensome taxation. In the opinion of the petitioners these taxes inter- fered with their rights under the articles of confederation. The civil lists of the local courts were filled with actions and suitors, and in lieu of the payment of their "wujust debts," imprisonment was threatened as the only alternative. Law- yers, sheriffs and public officers were particularly obnoxious to the people at this juncture, as it was felt that they were not only in sympathy with, but were prime movers in the long list of prosecutions. for the sake of the fees, which promised a golden harvest.
In 1785 and '86 about 4000 suits, against poor debtors, were entered in the courts at Worcester and before the close of the latter year, the feeling had become so intense that threats to interrupt their proceedings were freely made. These threats culminated at the time for the sitting of the September court, as Captain Adam Wheeler of Hubbardston, at the head of eighty men marched to Worcester and forced an adjournment, which was made until the 23rd of January fol-
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lowing. This date was fixed by order of the General Court and the local court was to convene under the protection of the militia, by order of Governor Bowdoin. These government troops arrived in Worcester on the 22d and were reinforced by the local militia. This demonstration, backed by the authority of the government, had the desired effect, for early in February quiet had been restored and opposition to es- tablished order had vanished from Worcester and vicinity.
The rebellion, however, was not yet quelled, as the leaders of it were gathering their men in the north part of the county, for a further show of resistance, and it was :his obstinacy which induced Governor Bowdoin to adopt drastic methods, by ordering General Benjamin Lincoln, who was at that time stationed at Hadley, with a force of government troops, to proceed at once to their rendezvous and capture or disperse the insurgents. After a forced march of thirty hours in & blinding, freezing snow storm, they were overtaken at Peter- sham. The sudden appearance of the troops was a great sur- prise and without the discharge of a musket, a panic followed which resulted in a complete rout, and soon the rebellion be- came an incident of the past.
Shay's rebellion forms one of the matters of local history mentioned at the beginning of this article and it was made so from the fact that some of the citizens of Spencer partici- pated in it. As a history of it, in detail, is not and probably never will be of easy access to this community, and to meet such a contingency this article has been compiled from county and town records and valuable extracts taken from the history of Hon. James Draper and also from the "History of Shay's Rebellion," by Ellery B. Crane, late of Worcester.
Shay's Rebellion*
The Shay's Rebellion furnishes a remarkable illustration of how readily environment, strained conditions, and sugges- tion, operate to influence and fix traits of character in progeny. A large majority of children born during those troublous times grew up to be extremely penurious, and were responsible for saddling New England character with the say- ing, "They would pinch a twenty-five cent silver coin until the eagle screamed and blood dripped from his carcass."
James Draper in his history of Spencer, page 60, gives quite an elaborate and very impartial account of this rebei-
*Probably the best history of Shay's rebellion has been written by Mr. Ellery B. Crane of Worcester, and published by the Worcester Society of Antiquity for 1882.
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lion in central Massachusetts in 1786, but only gives relatively brief mention of the part which the inhabitants of Spencer took during that memorable contest. The details of those times, however, are of interest as side lights and it is with a view of compiling and preserving these in convenient form that this article has been undertaken. Quotations from other writers will freely be made and many original documents from our town records introduced. James Draper says "The Government and the people of Massachusetts had devoted all their moral and physical powers in the cause of the Revolution and at its close found their resources exhausted and both government and people loaded with enormous weight of public and private debts. Paper money which was nearly the whole currency had depreciated until it was of no value and credit was nearly as low as paper money. The chief creditors of the state were its own citizens. Some of them had advanced money and were bonafide creditors. Others, and some of these were government officials, had purchased state securities and soldiers' certificates at less than one-eighth of their nominal value and these could have afforded to wait a little longer and all these creditors were pressing the government for payment. The legislature being thus plied, unwisely yielded and enor- mous taxes were imposed upon the people."
Hard money was the only legal tender for taxes and as the country had been nearly drained of specie there was no medium wherewith to pay them.
The Tender Act was passed July 3, 1782, enabling in- dividuals to pay private contracts with other property, the value of which was to be fixed by impartial men under oath, but this proved to be unsatisfactory and caused no end of wrangling between debtor and creditor.
Mr. Crane says, "the common people were indeed sorely pressed to meet their private obligations while levy after levy of public taxes was being laid upon them by the legislature. This condition brought a rapid increase of civil actions giving the legal fraternity a grand opportunity of reaping a harvest, and so well did they perform their services and so vastly were their numbers increased that they became an eyesore to the public. The lawyer was charged with having brought about a large share of the burdens which the people were laboring under. It was publicly demanded that this protession should be abolished ; that its members certainly should not be allowed to hold public office and in many cases the representatives chosen for the year 1786 were instructed by their constituents to annihilate them. It was hard indeed to see honest and
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SKETCHES OF SPENCER HISTORY.
industrious men, valuable helpers in society, dragged off to prison or their lands seized and sold to satisfy a debt, or for the payment of overburdensome taxes. The people were driven to desperation by such occurrences and their attacks were first made on the lawyers who brought suits, then on the courts who passed sentence ; and is it to be wondered at that they desired to stay proceedings in the lower courts until such time as the Legislature through their representatives might relieve them by new enactments."
More than two thousand of these civil cases were entered for trial at Worcester during the year 1784 and over seventeen hundred the year following. Draper says : "At this time it is said that the offices of Levi Lincoln, Sr., of Worcester, Dwight Foster of Brookfield and John Sprague of Lancaster, the principal lawyers in the county, were thronged every day with suitors and presented the appearance of some public day when there is a gathering of the people, the dooryards of their offices and adjoining fences being lined with horses and car- riages of unfortunate debtors and not much less unfortunate creditors." He says again : "In spite, however, of the petitions, the remonstrances, the clamors and the threats of the people, the courts continued to entertain all actions for the recovery of debts and to issue executions as usual."
Again, "The public mind now became highly inflamed and the voice of discontent was raised to the highest pitch, and a large majority of the inhabitants of the town were united in sentiment and action with the malcontents."
Mr. Crane says : "At this time is was estimated that not more than one-quarter of the people in the state could be relied upon as firm supporters of the government. As well as can now be judged Spencer was as active and united in the moral support at least of the insurrection as any town in the state, although as she furnished no leading men she did not become conspicuous in the movement. To show her ag- gressiveness she called a county convention to be held at Leicester to consider the situation, while Sutton appears to be the only other town in the county to take such a forward step."
The reader now having a good general idea of the causes that led up to the rebellion and the conditions pre- vailing at the time will now be prepared to let Spencer tell her own story in her instructions to her representatives to com- mittees, and petitions to the General Court. For this purpose many original documents will follow which throw much light on the situation and habits of the times. We will commence
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in 1782 when active remonstrances first began to manifest themselves.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, February 11, 1782.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled :
The remonstrance and petition of the inhabitants of the town of Spencer in town meeting legally assembled February ye 6, 1782 and continued by adjournment to the 11th of ye same.
To take under their serious consideration the last acts of the general court for the general valuation and apportioning and assessing a tax on this Commonwealth. Also of imposing duties of excise of sundry articles mentioned in said act. Humbly sheweth, That we take liberty to remonstrate against the valuation act as unjust, oppressive and an infringement of ye natural rights of mankind and the constitutional rights of your constituents.
1st The act requiring the assessors to make returns on oath and not impowering them to obtain the knowledge neces- sary thereto as altogether unjust and unreasonable because as impossible as Nebuchadnezzar demanding of his magicians an interpretation of his untold dream.
2d Because we are doomed for articles we never had and it is likely never shall have.
3rd Because in the valuation there is not a proper allow- ance made for our different situation from the metropolis which renders the profits of our farmers very inconsiderable to those of an equal bigness and quality near the maritime and market towns.
4th Because the act directing the assessors to make their valuation on the interest of estates at six and two per cent consequently kills and takes possession with less color of justice than Ahab did Naboth and his vineyard by depriving nine-tenths of the free and loyal subjects of this Common- wealth of their privilege of voting in town meeting and there- by exposing them to a state of vassalage not to be endured.
Secondly. We remonstrate against the act imposing cer- tain duties of excise on sundry articles therein mentioned.
1st Because it is an unequal mode of raising money and ought to be repealed.
2d We apprehend the mode of collecting is such as will render the good people mentioned in the preamble of said aot in a great measure abortive, it being calculated to enrich the collector and expose him to temptation to perjure himself and whom we think to be entirely needless and superfluous, and
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that those duties might be collected much cheaper by the con- stables and collectors of the respective towns.
3rd We apprehend that the allowance made to innholders and retailers for leakage and wastages is vastly too much.
4th Because the act is calculated to increase the rich who are able to buy 50 pounds of tea at one time and burden the poor because he is poor.
Therefore we request that the first mentioned acts be forthwith repealed and new, just and equitable acts passed for the taking of the valuations and assessment or otherwise redress the grievances complained of in the remonstrance, they being too palpable to be desired and too great to be borne. We request that the excise act be repealed and your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray. Voted and accepted.
The committee was Maj. David Prouty, John Parker, Elijan Howe, Lieut. John Muzzy, Capt. Benjamin Bemis.
May 16, 1782, the town voted to instruct its representa- tive as follows :
"To Mr. Isaac Jenks.
Sir : The inhabitants of the Town of Spencer in town meeting assembled May the 16th, 1782, for the purpose of choos- ing a representative, having from their good opinion of your ability and patriotic public spirit and disposition chosen you to represent them at the great and general court, enjoin it upon you that you always keep in view the grand end of government, viz. : to the good and happiness of the people and that you use your best endeavors to promote the same by all proper ways and measures within your power and to discountenance all matters, means and things that are calculated to build up or invest any man or men or class of men on the ruins of the public, and that the poor and laboring man be especially re- garded since it is by his hand that the profits of the field are produced, by which all must be sustained. That you pay strict and close attention to the rules of government as set forth in our constitution of government and bill of rights. That you boldly assert and resolutely defend our rights and privileges against all opposers whatsover. That you faith- fully discharge the trust reposed in you by your constituents as you shall from time to time receive by them and of which you may expect to be called to give an account for their satis- faction and your honor. That you give timely notice to your constituents of all public matters and things that specially concern them. That you use your utmost power and influence for the removal of public grievances. Specially : 1st, That you attend to and adopt such measures as are recommended
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by the convention assembled at Worcester on April ye 9th, 1782, and by an adjournment to May the 14th, 1782, excepting the fifth and sixth resolves ; 2d, Whereas the great and general court in its last session passed an act entitled, an act. providing for a more speedy method of recovering debts and for preventing unnecessary costs attending the same, no way being pointed out in said act how the debtor is to be notified. We, therefore, your constituents, think it is necessary that there should be an act in addition to the act aforesaid pointing out in what manner the debtor should be notified to confess debt and that it be made unlawful to sue until the debtor be notified in manner as may be provided in said additional act ; 3rd, That you endeavor to prevent the public moneys being expended on needless places, men or pensioners and that no man be allowed any pay or pension for any longer time than he shall be in actual service, excepting those who shall receive wounds in the war by which they are disabled."
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