USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Spencer > Historical sketches relating to Spencer, Mass., Volume IV > Part 18
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It is greatly weakening to this state to have such a great number of men kept from labor and under pay. You are hereby instructed to endeavor that the rights and liberties of the people be not abridged, but enlarged. Oppose tyranny and oppression in all its forms and shapes and colors. That the fee table be attended to and fees and salaries of the ser- vants of this state may be lowered such as are too high. You are directed to endeavor that the tender act be renewed and altered in case it needs. That taxes may be as favorable as circumstances will admit. That there may be a very large excise laid upon distilled liquors, both foreign and domestic, and also a very large duty upon imported goods, especially upon superfluities. You are hereby instructed to do all in your power that innholders and retailers of spiritous liquors be for the future so licensed in the towns where they respec-
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SKETCHES OF SPENCER HISTORY.
tively belong by the selectmen of the respective towns or other persons appointed for the purpose. We think it needful that the great and general court be moved out of the town of Boston to some town in the county as there are interruptions in Boston and we apprehend that business would be done well and faster in the country. Our ardent desire is that the presence of God may be with you and direct you and the whole general as- sembly of this Commonwealth and that said assembly may be led into such measures from time to time which may be most for God's glory and the peace and comfort of the people. That your doings may always be like good King David, for whatever he did he pleased all the people.
BENJAMIN DRURY, Town Clerk.
Petition to Governor John Hancock.
The petition of the inhabitants of the Town of Spencer at a legal town meeting assembled on Monday, the 9th day of July, 1787, at the special request of Henry Gale. Humbly sheweth, that whereas the said Henry Gale of Princeton, in the County of Worcester, a prisoner and under sentence of death and confined in the common jail of said county for the heinous crime of high treason against this Commonwealth, which sen- tence is to be executed on the second day of August next, and whereas the said Henry Gale appears to be very penitent and humble for his wicked crime aforesaid and has a great desire that his life may be spared and that he might have an oppor- tunity to prove to the world the sincerity of his repentence by his behaving in the future as a loyal citizen of this Common- wealth. Therefore your petitioners humbly pray that your ex- cellency and honors would if it can be found to be consistent with the peace and safety of this Commonwealth extend your grace and mercy so far towards the above said Henry Gale as to grant him a pardon for his attrocious crime of high treason against said Commonwealth. All of which is humbly submitted to your excellencies and honors wisdom and as in duty bound shall ever pray.
A true copy attest :
BENJAMIN DRURY, Town Clerk.
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SHAY'S REBELLION.
*One of the Ways Spencer Got Into Debt.
Spencer, Aug. 20, 1781.
Received of the Selectmen of the town of Spencer eleven head of beef cattle estimated at five thousand eight hundred and ten pounds weight being in full of the 2d assessment of beef on said town.
JACOB DAVIS, Agent.
*The Kingsbury's trace their ancestry to Josiah Kingsbury who settled at Dedham in 1637. Josiah, Jr., born Dec. 26, 1677. His son Josiah was born Nov. 15, 1705 and settled on Hobart Grant, Oxford. His son Jeremiah was born in 1735. Jeremiah's son Josiah was born June 30, 1759. At the age of sixteen he joined the Revolutionary army, serving through the war. After his return he learned the clothier's trade and began business at the outlet of the great pond, South Oxford, continuing until 1812 when he sold his business to Samuel Slater. He removed to Spencer in April, 1816, and settled in south east Spencer on the farm recently sold by his grandson, Henry H. Kingsbury to William A. Wilson. His daughter Ruth placed on record the fact that he was at West Point under Benedict Arnold, the traitor, and acting quartermaster at the time. He was an ensign when discharged. He married Dec. 15, 1795, Esther Craig of Leicester. Died in Spencer, July 2, 1819.
*The balance of the insurgents fled to Rutland Barracks. These had been built for Burgoyne's prisoners, (see Vol. 2), captured at Saratoga in 1777. Rut- land being in the interior was considered to be a place of safety. Several acres were enclosed at Rutland centre by a stockade twelve feet high within which barracks were constructed for the soldiers, and these were used by Captain Shays for his army in 1786. At the time when the British prisoners occupied the bar- racks there was a dead line all around inside the stockade over which prisoners were ordered not to step under penalty of death, but one of them by accident, or design stepped on the forbidden ground and was instantly shot. This incident was related by Jonathan Tower, great grandfather of the writer, who lived in Rutland at the time and did guard duty at the barracks. The British soldiery dug a well on the premises, still to be seen, and remarkable for its depth, its diameter and almost perfect stone work.
Another writer says "The few years following the Revolution were years of business depression and discouragement, currency worthless and collection of dues almost an impossibility ; sueing for debt became almost a mania. The cases cn the Worcester docket in 1784-5 were numbered by thousands and much property was sacrificed on forced sales. General bankruptcy threatened the community and great distress prevailed." How the court could try so many cases would naturally excite credulity but it must be remembered that a large proportion, in fact nearly all, were defaulted.
*Henry Gale mentioned above was convicted of high treason and sentenced to death January 11, 1787. Thursday, June 21st he was taken to the gallows and there reprieved to August 2d, and again a respite of seven weeks granted. Fourteen persons including Capt. Shays, were tried for high treason and sentenced to death. Eight were granted full pardon shortly after conviction and the re- maining six, like Henry Gale were reprieved from time to time and finally par- doned. Mr. Crane says in closing his article : "The most prominent of the insurrectionists were not runished beyond a short .imprisonment and soon after their release were found occupying responsible positions of honor and trust in the several communities where they resided, showing conclusively that public senti- ment was not to brand them as traitors but to allow respect for honest difference of opinion.'"'
SPENCER IN THE CUBAN, PHILIP- PINE AND CHINA WARS
Spencer has always furnished her full quota of men to defend the country's interests in the hour of peril but in the above campaign she outstripped all previous records. If the same relative proportion of men to the town's population had enlisted from the whole country, it would have made an army of half a million, while a hundred thousand soldiers is probably a fair estimate of troops actually employed by the government.
Below may be found a list of Spencer men who served during the campaign mentioned :
Archambeault, Frank, Co. M, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philip- pines and China.
Beaudin, Arthur D., 2d Heavy Artillery.
Bemis, John, Fortress Monroe, 58th Co. Coast Artillery.
Berthiaume, Frederick, Co. B, 46th U. S. Infantry, Philip- pines.
Bonner, Edward, 5th Cavalry, Cuba.
Bosse, Treffle, Co. D, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines and China.
Cahill, James P., Fortress Monroe, 58th Co. Coast Artillery. Cassavant, Felix, 3rd Cavalry, Philippines.
Cheverette, Charles, Fort Slocum, N. York.
Cheverette, Isador, Co. G, 27th U. S. Infantry.
Collier, Frank, 2d Artillery in Cuba, 3rd U. S. Cavalry in Philippines.
Cooney, John, 12th U. S. Infantry.
Dauphinais, Alfred, 2d Cavalry.
Davenport, Edward, Co. F, 2d Mass. Vols., Cuba.
Deslauriers, E., 41st U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Desplaines, Frederick, Co. L, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philip- pines. Captured probably by Philippinos.
Donahue, Thomas J., Co. D, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines and China.
Dooley, Patrick F., Co. D, 3rd U. S. Infantry, Philippines and west.
Dufault, Edward, U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
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CUBA, PHILIPPINE AND CHINA WARS.
EUGENE LYON, Enlisted January 8, 1899, in Co. I, Ninth Regiment, U. S. Inf. Died February 28, 1901, at Tien Tsin, China.
JAMES MICHAEL MARTIN. Born in Spencer, December 15, 1876. His parents were James and Anna Jane Martin. He enlisted December 7, 1899.
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SKETCHES OF SPENCER HISTORY.
Fairbrother, W. Arthur, C Troop, 3rd U. S. Cavalry. Died in Vermont, 1901, from bullet wound in lung received in Cuba. Fay, Corp. Herbert, Co. A, 2d Mass. Vols., Cuba.
Fay, Lewis M., Co. A, 2d Mass. Vols. Died at Monrovia, Cal., Dec. 31, 1901, from illness contracted in Cuba.
Forest, Alfred, Co. G, 12th U. S. Infantry, Cuba.
Gareau, Joseph, Co. F, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines and China.
Gagnon, Alfred, Co. B, 46th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Gordon, William, Co. G, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Green, William C., Co. H, 2d Mass. Vols. Died from typhoid fever contracted at Santiago de Cuba Aug. 9, 1898, buried in Spencer, Nov. 14, 1898.
Greenwood, Eli, 12th U. S. Infantry.
Hill, Corp. Walter Harry, Troop E, 6th U. S. Cavalry. Wounded by shell in Cuban campaign.
Hines, Thomas, Troop G, 5th Cavalry, Cuba.
Lavalle, Peter, Navy.
Leonard, William, Co. G, 5th Mass. Vols.
Lyford, Frederick, 12th U. S. Infantry.
Lyon, Eugene F., Co. I, 9th U. S. Infantry. Died at Tien Tsin, China of pneumonia, February 28, 1901. Buried in Spencer, May 24, 1901.
Maloney, Dennis, Co. K, 6th Mass. Vols. Died in Spencer, July 10, 1901, from illness contracted in Porto Rican campaign. Manion, Chester, 46th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Manion, 2d Lieut. Walter B., 12th and 13th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Martin, James, Co. A, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines and China.
McDonnell, Capt. John, Troop H, 1st Illinois Cavalry.
McGrath, John, Co. A, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
McKay, John E., Co. H, 2d Mass. Vols., Cuba.
Mulvey, Timothy, Musician, 7th U. S. Infantry.
Murphy, Edward, Co. G, 9th Mass. Vols.
New, Clarence, Battery G, U. S. Heavy Artillery.
Plante, Alfred, Troop C, 5th Cavalry.
Plante, Frank, 12th and 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Reno, Charles, Co. G, 12th U. S. Infantry, Cuba.
Robbins, Arthur, Troop K, 14th U. S. Cavalry, Arizona.
Silk, Martin, Co. F, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines and China. Wounded at Tien Tsin.
Sleeper, Charles, Co. H, 2d Mass. Vols., Cuba.
Sheehy, Sergt. John F., Co. H, 12th U. S. Infantry and 3rd Cavalry, Philippines.
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CUBA, PHILIPPINE AND CHINA WARS.
Sloan, Lawrence, regular army, Cuba.
St.Martin, Charles, Co. J, 12th U. S. Infantry.
Stone, 1st Lieut. E. Raymond, 12th, 4th and 30th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Sullivan, Michael, Co. D, 7th U. S. Infantry.
Tourtelotte, Albert H., Co. H. 2d Mass. Vols., Cuba.
Tyler, John, 13th U. S. Infantry, Philippines.
Walker, Henry H., Co. D, 9th U. S. Infantry, Philippines and China.
Wilder, George, marine service.
The 9th Regt. U. S. Infantry did the most distinguished service, both in the Philippines and China and in this regi- ment were eleven men from Spencer. One of these, Frederick Desplaines, is supposed unfortunately to have been captured and murdered by Philippinos while out with an ox team gather- ing wood. Martin Silk was wounded at Tien Tsin while Eugene F. Lyon died of pneumonia at Tien Tsin, after having done distinguished service in the China campaign. A general outline of the movements of this regiment and the battles in which they were engaged is as follows :
Sailed for the Philippines March 28, 1899 ; arrived at Manila bay Apr. 26; skirmish at San Luise May 17; engage- ment at Gaudalupe Ridge ; Andford near Las Pinas, June 10 : battle of Zapote River, June 13 ; engagement at Perez Das- marinar, June 20 ; battle of Calulet, Aug. 9 ; Santa Rita, Sept. 9 and 16 ; battle of Porac, Sept. 28 ; defense of Angeles, eleven engagements ; against night attack, Oct. 14 and 15 ; capture of Bambam, Nov. 18 ; sailed from Manila for China, June 26th, 1900; arrived at Taku, China, July 9th ; joined the allied forces, July 10th ; battle of Tien Tsin, July 13; set out on the relief expedition to Pekin, Aug. 4 ; battle of Pie Tsang. Aug. 5 ; battle of Yang Tsun, Aug. 6 ; assault and capture of Pekin, Aug. 14 ; stormed the gates of the Imperial City, Aug. 15; expedition to Matan Hring Ha Hiene and Tong Chan, Dec. 28, January 1, 1901 ; left Pekin, May 22 ; arrived in Manila, did further service in Samar, June 1.
The following order shows the high esteem entertained by Gen. Joseph Wheeler for the 9th Regt. :
"Headquarters 1st Brigade 2nd Division 8th Army Corps.
Panigui Luzon, P. I. General Order No. 3. Jan. 15, 1900.
"In parting with the troops I have had the honor for the past five months to command, I desire to personally express to them my most earnest and sincere thanks for their excellent conduct whether in quarters, bivouac, on the march or in action. During that period you have done much arduous and
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valuable service. You were under fire at Santa Rita Sept. 9th and 16th, at Porac Sept. 28th, in the eleven engagements at Angeles Oct. 10th to 20th inclusive and the advance and capture of Bambam Nov. 18th and your bearing always was such as might have been expected from organizations which won the victories at San Juan and El Caney. You have always
HENRY WALKER.
been prompt to the moment in taking position in line of battle. Your marches have been rapid and well conducted and your treatment of and bearing toward the Philippine people has been of a character which could well be taken as a model and example by all soldiers placed under similar conditions.
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"We were not strangers when we met in this beautiful Island of the Pacific. I witnessed the Ninth when it gallantly charged the Spanish trenches at San Juan, and I heard the sound of victory as the 12th led in the battle of El Caney. For the kind consideration you have always extended both officially and personally to myself, I can't find words to express ail that I feel in thanks and heartfelt appreciation, and to the end of my life this service will be remembered with pride and pleas- ure. I shall always follow with interest the career of the 9th and 12th Infantry, Light Battery E of the 1st Art., the officers of my staff and also Troops E and K of the 4th Cav., who were with me on the expedition to San Miguel de Canieling, the 36th Inf. which was with me at Santa Rita and Porac and the pon- toon of the 17th Inf. which engaged in the combats at Angeles, and will entertain an ever increasing solicitude for the happi- ness and prosperity of you all.
"Sgnd. JOSEPH WHEELER. "Brg. Gen. U. S. V."
The following interesting letters in relation to the China campaign were written to relatives in Spencer, by Eugene F. Lyon of the 9th, the young Spencer soldier who gave up his life at Tien Tsin :
Tien Tsin, China, July 21, 1900.
Dear Lottie : I write to let you know I am well and hope this will find you the same. We had a fine trip from Manila. The only stop was at Nagasaki, Japan, for coal, but we did not take all that we could as a cable came that we must hurry to the front with all possible speed, so off we went and July 11th we arrived at Taku, the entrance of the river to Tien Tsin and then found 47 war ships to protect us, and it did look like war. There was the Brooklyn and Newark of the U. S., and the Janapese, Russian, French, German, Italian, Austrian and England governments had ships here and it made a lovely sight. I enjoyed it as I never saw so many before in my life. We anchored right in the middle of them and got and gave three cheers to each one. Two batallions left as soon as pos- sible for the front and got three cheers as they left. They got here the 12th and got into a fight the next day and lost 97, killed and wounded. All the other nations lost heavily. The 3rd, or my batallion, was not in the fight as we did not get there until noon, but we went out to the lines and were kept in reserve. The fight lasted from 4 A. M. until 8 P. M., and it was a hot one. All the time the English and Russians were shelling the city and it was burning in a number of
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SKETCHES OF SPENCER HISTORY.
places. The roar of the cannon, the bursting of shells, the snap and whiz of bullets, would make one think he was in hell, and it was hell. Tien Tsin is a walled city. The first wall is made of dirt twenty feet high, thirty feet thick at the top and fifty feet at the bottom. It took from four in the morning until noon to take that wall and a lot of men were lost, and then came the stone wall. We advanced steadily but could not take it. The Chinese poured such a deadly fire upon the men that all they could do was to hold the ground they had
THOMAS JAMES DONAHUE,
Son of Patrick and Ellen Donahue; born in Brookfield January 24, 1868; came to Spencer in 1875. Enlisted January 27, 1899; discharged February 24, 1902. Died August 25, 1903.
taken. It was here we lost Col. Liscom at the head of the lines talking to his men. It was here that Old Glory was shot down twice and picked up. The third who picked it up held it until it left the field at dark. The men who were wounded had to lay on the field until dark as it was dangerous to lift your head from the ground. How the poor men did suffer. It was here that the English marines and the Japanese soldiers fought like brothers, side by side, and the American soldier
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will always find a warm spot in the hearts of those two nations for the acts of kindness and bravery. That day's fight has drawn those two nations nearer to America than ever, but it was done with blood, and American blood. That night after roll call and sadness had darkened every camp in the field, the little Japanese and the American marines planned to blowv open the gates to the city and at three o'clock the next morn- ing there was a loud noise. Down went the gates and in rushed the Japs and the marines and had a hard but short fight. A sergeant of the marines, the first white man ever known to go in and come out of that city alive, planted Old Glory on the wall and another in the centre of the city. The Japs were next. The Chinese fled to the other end of the city and had a hard fight with the Russians and French, but were driven out and went toward Pekin. The city had a population of one and a half million and just think what a sight it made after sixteen hours shelling. I won't try to tell you how it looked. Men, women and childen in all shapes and conditions, also horses and dogs. It was horrible, and the smell ! War is hell and no mistake. My batallion went in and took quarters in the arsenal. They had plenty of arms and supplies. I had a lot of Chinese prisoners that afternoon and I made them bury all the dead in our district. The detail was a large one so I kept my gun loaded ready for anything that came along, but I had no trouble until that night. I was on post on top of the wall when I was fired upon by about 25 Chinamen. I located the shots and called for help and we soon ended the life of ten of them. The next day I looked over the city. I started to, I mean, but it made me sick and I had to come back, but I went as far as the mint and there saw a sight that almost made my eyes fall out of my head. A shell had struck the building and there were thousands of tons of silver bullion all in one heap and the soldiers of all nations taking it away in wagons and not a word said. I was just taking a load when my Cap- tain came along and wanted me to go with him to the English General's quarters and then the General ordered a guard put on the mint so I got lots of work and no bullion, but the English and Americans are going to divide it up and we expect to get a few dollars out of it and we ought to. The English general has sent a letter of praise to the 9th Infantry and American marines for the brave acts they did on the line the day of the fight. Say, we can knock the starch out of anything over here and they know it after the fight too. Don't tell anyone the French are no good, or Russians either. England has got a Chinese regiment here from Hong Kong and a regi-
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ment from India. They wear a lot of cloth on their heads and they can fight. We and the Japanese are the best dressed troops here. The Russians wore big heavy boots and they look tired all the time. The climate is just like that in the States and the boys are picking up. We get all kinds of vege- tables and are having some fine dinners."
"Gene." Pekin, China, Aug. 29, 1900.
"Dear Sister Lottie : I suppose you are waiting to hear from me as most sisters would be in a case like this. I am alive and well, but have been very tired and footsore. When we got to the gates of this 'big City' they were locked and only one thing would open them and that was shot and shell, and a tired, dirty, ragged and a little hungry, lot of American soldiers had to open the gates to those massive walls, and we did it in the good old American style. I will try and describe the terrible march we had and what happened from the time we left Tien Tsin until we got to Pekin. We left Tien Tsin one afternoon and camped in a cornfield. All the allied forces were there and that night it rained and we got wet, and were covered with mud. We got up at three in the morning and took our place on the line and at daybreak there was a hard fight which lasted three and one-half hours, and many men were wounded, mostly Japanese troops and Russians. We were reserves for the Japs but did not get a chance to show the others what we could do, but did later. We camped that night in that town and after an eight mile march in the hot sun we struck the Chinks in a well fortified town and we were in the advance with the English troops as our reserve. It was here that Riley's Battery got in its first work and it was a beauty. The Chinks opened up first on the battery but Riley soon stopped them and then the 9th, 14th and marines went after them. It was here that a large force of Russians tried the day before to take the town but were driven back with heavy loss ; but they did not drive us back. We kept a steady advance and when the time came charged them and took the town and put the old flag on the top of a water tower just as the little Japs put theirs in another part of the town. Each man saluted with the flag as he put it in place. It was here that Admiral Seamore had to give up his train. It was too hot for him. We stayed here that night and all the next day. Our loss was 53, killed and wounded. My company lost a 2nd Lieutenant and one private, both wounded. Chinese lost heavily. We started the next day fresh and well filled up on all kinds of vegetables, and felt as if we could whip the whole world. But we had a
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long, hard march before us and an object in view. There were some Americans to help. We must make Pekin with all possible haste. We must keep up with the other nations or be sneered at. We must plant the old flag first if possible on the walls of Pekin, and with the help of God, Lottie, we did. Oh, that morning I shall never forget the longest day I live. Our battery worked for one hour pounding away at one gate. At last it fell and in rushed our men, only to be met with terri- ble fire from the enemy. We soon drove them through another gate which they closed and locked. In here on top of that wall were the American and British subjects. We could see them and hear them cheer, but that gate. It was locked. Bang ! Bang ! Bang ! Riley said he would open every gate at Pekin. He had started on this, the most important one. There was blood in every American soldier's eyes, a cry on his lips, and the stern voice of General Chaffee telling us to be cool. But how could we ? A terrible crash ! the gate was down. A mad rush, a wild yell, and we were in and were having a hot little fight. Just at this point a Japanese cooley who worked for England came in with a long ladder and put it on the side of the wall. A soldier gave him the Stars and Stripes and he carried them to the top of the wall, followed by eight of my company. How we did yell ! The little Jap waved the old flag as if it were his own, and velled. The people on the wall kissed it and prayed and cried and hugged our dirty, tired but brave soldiers. Here we stopped. We did what we were sent to do and had done it well, and the suffering we went through was terrible from the heat. Some died. We lost a lot of horses from the heat. All nations lost men and horses. Our feet were all blisters, our clothes in rags and our faces dirty, but we got here and yesterday the Empress surrendered the Palace and the Forbidden City and she was wise in doing so. I see in the paper they have pictures of the Boxers with gas pipe guns. That is not so ; they have the latest of guns. They use the Krupp field guns the Manlicker and Mauser rifle, and have a fine up-to-date cavalry and have a well drilled lot of men. We have been fighting a lot of Imperial troops that are in with the Boxers.
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