USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Dracut > History of Dracut, Massachusetts, called by the Indians Augumtoocooke and before incorporation, the wildernesse north of the Merrimac. First permanment settlement in 1669 and incorporated as a town in 1701 > Part 28
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In an old diary preserved in the Varnum family an ac- count of the kidnapping of Royal is found :
"Jan 19 1778-This morning while at breakfast heard that Joshua Wyman had sold Ryal Varnum, that ye News was brought from Westford by Jos. Varnum Jr. & that said Ryal was carried off in a covered waggon. Handcuffed-on hearing of which I immediately called for my horse, Galloped to Jos. Varnums to Know ye Certainty. He confirmed it, Sent him to Capt. Jo's to come Immediately and Joyne in ye pursuit to Relieve sd Royal. He came Immediately. Sent Jonas with my horse. Gave Jonas $20 to bare his expenses, with orders to pursue with all possible speed, overtake, Bring back and not suffer such arbitrary voyalance to Escape with Impunity. They
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pursued, came to Woburn, found the News confirmed. That it was the Infamous Joner White, the Scurrilous Tinker of Haverhill, that Bought him (at ye same time knowing sd Ryal was a free man) sd White had Imprisoned him, Woburn peo- ple had liberated him. Sd White laid a false charge against him. Said he was an Inlisted soldier in ye Continental service : that he had received $20 Continental money & had Deserted, that he had stole from Sundry persons & was a thief & that if ye prison Could not hold him ye Guard should & profanely swore that he had bought him & would have him some way on that Complaint. Altho he knew it to be false he put him under guard. There is ye Infamous White that hath worked himself by some means as some way to be a quartermaster for ye Army at or near Boston, a fine post to get money when Truth Nor Honor is not regarded.
Jan 20. Capt Joseph & Jonas Varnum went to Boston, Complained to General Heath against said White, had sd Ryal Liberated, and a promise from the Genl. that he would take Notice of said White. They gave sd White Just Character to ye General, he promissed he would take Notice of it. They went to White, Informed him what they had done. He was extreamly angry. Curst & swore very profanely. They delt with him very sharply for his Conduct to Ryal. He said he did not know that Ryal was free. They told him that he Did not know that his Crime aledged against Ryal, for which he was put under gaol was true, but that he knew ye contrary. He said that all such Neagrows ought to be slaves. They told him that Ryal was as Good a man & of as much Honor as he, at which he was extremely angry & profain. Laid his hand on his Hanger by his side. They told him they had seen Hangers & men before they had seen him or his, that they were Ready to answer him any way he pleased, that they on sd Ryal Be- half, should Bring an action of Damage for false Imprison- ment, that such men stealers should not go unpunished. They came to Wymans same Day. Gave him ye like Trimming."
By this it appears that the seizure and imprisonment was in pursuance of a conspiracy to ship him south and sell him as a slave.
VARNUM GARRISON HOUSE
(See Page 3;
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"I, John White solemnly declare that I purchased a Negro named Royal of one Joshua Wyman of Woburn in the County of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts Bay, sometime the last of spring or beginning of summer 1778, for which I paid nine fifty six pounds lawful money, sd Wyman declaring to me on his word of honor that if I would sell the sd Royal to some other Southern Officer, so that he might never again return to New England, he would give me some consideration therefor (as he said on account of his infamous character as a thief &c) and that the said Wyman still retains the money from me that I gave him for said Negro, alledging that he is my slave for life and that it is my fault that I do not make him so. This I solemnly protest to be the truth.
JOHN WHITE
Newburyport Sept 28 1779."
There is in evidence this further paper, showing that pro- ceedings were commenced against said Wyman, being instruc- tions to Ryal from his counsel Gen. James Mitchell Varnum of Rhode Island, the brother of Capt. Joseph Bradley Varnum, bearing the title, viz .:
"Instructions to Silas Royal in his action vs. Joshua Wy- man to be brought before the Octo term of the Superior Court in the County of Bristol Oct. 1779.
1. Take Deposition to prove the Bill of Sale to White.
2. Take Deposition to prove that Wyman has confessed that he made such a Bill of Sale, that he was sorry for what he had done &c.
3. Make Depst to prove your confinement in irons &c. That Wyman was knowing to it, and that White intended carrying you to South Carolina as a slave.
4 Find out if possible who were witnesses to Bill of Sale & take their Deposition.
5 Take Deposition to prove if Wyman intermedalled in the affare of your Release and endeavored to have those prose- cuted who Released you. Let the witnesses ascertain as near as they can thee date of the Bill of Sale.
6 Get a copy of ye whole case at ye Superior court when your Freedom was declared. J. M. VARNUM
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P. S. Desire ye Justices of peace to be particular in their captions viz. A plea of Trespas whereof Silas Royal is Pt & Joshua Wyman Deft, defending before ye Superior Court at Taunton in Oct 1779.
N. B. Follow your Instructions Exactly without minding other peoples nonsense.
J. M. VARNUM"
The animus of this abduction of said Ryal appears from a transcript of Middlesex county court of common pleas records, second Tuesday of Sept A. D. 1777 in an appealed case, "Joshua Wyman vs. Silas Royal." "The parties now appear and the Case after a full hearing was committed to a jury & were according to Law to try the same, who returned their verdict therein on Oath, that is to say they find the said Wy- man promised in manner & form set forth in the writ & assess Damage at One Hundred Pounds. It is therefore Considered by the Court that the said Silas Royal recover against the said Joshua Wyman One Hundred Pounds Lawful money."
His faithfulness in service was appreciated by Gen. Varnum and provision made for his care in his will. "My will is that Silas Royal, a black man, who has been for a long time sup- ported by me, free from expense to himself or the Town, be comfortably supported through life, and honorably buried after death, at the expence of my Estate, provided, the small property which he has been indulged in the possession of shall not be transferred to any person but my residuary legatees."
Another colored soldier was Smith Coburn, "Servant of Mr. Robert Coburn," who married Peg Connor, "Servant of Mrs. Deborah Coburn." His marriage occured July 10, 1776. His name is on the Roll of Honor, as he was present at the seige of Boston. They lived on the Fowler road, a few rods from the highway leading to Nashua, where the cellar may be seen. Timothy Coburn, Sr., purchased in Boston two colored children and as he journeyed on horseback, he brought them in his saddle bags. The little boy lost his life by falling from the bag, but the little girl arrived safely and continued through life a member of the family. She was very faithful and de- voted to the interests of the family. As she had no surname,
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she was known as Dinah Tim. As she cared for the little ones of the family and was faithful in her duties, when old and infirm she received the care and attention that she had earned and to which she was entitled. She was supposed to be about 100 years old as that period nearly elapsed between the time when she was purchased and her death.
In the History and Genealogy of the Colburn-Coburn families we find the following notice: "Naturally her reason- ing powers were limited. When quite old and unable to work, the daughters of the family were one day preparing to weave some checked cloth for aprons. Dinah requested them to weave some for her. Upon inquiry as to the use she could make of it, she said she wanted it to use when she picked beans. 'But where,' they said, 'will you pick beans?' 'In Heaven,' she answered. At another time she was seen sticking pine needles in the ground, giving as a reason that they would grow and be pine trees. Upon Mr. Coburn's telling her that they would not grow she said, 'Have faith sonny, have faith'."
In the list of colored men who served in the Revolution and delivered firelocks, may be found the names of Smith Coburn and Sampson Coburn, who were colored men. On the Roll of Honor the names of Chester Parker and Tony Clark appear, members of this same race.
The reason for calling the northeast portion of the town Black North has, until lately, been obscure. We now learn that a colored man, named Black North, resided there and lies buried in the vicinity. As already stated, the negroes had no names except what people chose to give them, as for example, Anthony Negro, Smith Coburn, Dinah Tim and Cambridge Moor. The name does not appear in the vital records of the town but there are people living who recall, when children, hearing those who knew him relating facts about his life. It is probable that he had a family, as we learn that if the children were not inclined to obey him he would catch them by the hair and lift them from the floor and holding them at arms' length, he would say, "Now will you mind me?"
A colored man, called Cambridge, lived on Marsh Hill. His house stood at the corner of the old Proprietors road and the present highway near the reservoir. The well is still in
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existence but all traces of the house have disappeared. In one place in the records he is called Cambridge Blackman, in the same manner as Anthony is called Anthony Negro. The colored people were called "blackamoors" from the Moors of Spain, and this leads to the supposition that this may have been the one whose name appears on the Roll of Honor as Cambridge More. He served in a Bedford Company as one selected to meet a call for men by act of December 2, 1780. The record on the Bedford town books is, "Capt John Moore, chairman, provided a negro called Cambridge Moore (servant of the above) and agreed to give him as bounty 20 head of cattle, 3 years old, in case he continued in the service three years."
Major Ephraim Hildreth had a negro boy named Cuffe and directed at his death that Cuffe should be sold with other property to pay debts and funeral charges. In the inventory he was valued at 100 lbs. In the inventory of Col. Joseph Varnum's estate there was entered, "A Negro man servant name Cuff, 320 pounds, A Negro servant named Pegg 230 pounds." Cuff is said to have been a very bright darkey and unusually shrewd. One day his master, the Colonel, got into a discussion about some matter with a neighbor, while Cuff stood by listening with interest. Cuff gave some peculiar sort of a grunt after the neighbor had made some assertion, at which the man became very indignant. "Do you think I am lying?" he asked. "No, Massa, I dossent say as I does but you talk mighty like I does when I isnt speaking de troof."
The neighborhood of the Varnum garrison house was called Cuff's parish. Rev. Thomas Parker owned or employed a colored man named Caesar. A spring of water near Varnum avenue supposed to have been discovered by him is called Cae- sar's Spring. Col. Ansant employed two colored servants, one named Scip. In the vital records there is a record of a mar- riage between Scippio Coburn and Silvia Hill [negroes] dated December 13, 1792.
These are the names of only a few of the colored people who lived in the town as many of them are forgotten, but the records of those who are known are creditable to the race. The graves of some of these people are in the old cemetery, between
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Varnum avenue and the river on the west side of the path oppo- site the burial place of the white people.
REMARKABLE ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON
New Enland has experienced extreme cold weather in the past centuries, which at times has caused a failure of the growing crops and consequent hardship to the inhabitants. In common with other towns, Dracut has been visited by its periods of ex- treme heat and extreme cold. In an old account book in Dracut museum there is a record of such a cold season. "May 4 A Cold Storm beegins About Noon with Rain and turns to Snow before Night Snows all night and ye Next Day. While noon the Snow was about Five inches Deep then turns to rain a Little while Then Snow mixt Snow and Rain while Night Next Day May 5" Fair Weather No. East Wind Snow Lies all Day till night in Some Places Next Day May 7 in the morning Very Cold and a Great frost. This in the year 1761". The same winter records heavy frosts in May, June and September of the same year.
POVERTY YEAR, 1816
The remarkably cold year of this date has given to history the name of "Poverty Year." Corn was planted as usual, but could only be used by cutting the stalks early and feeding to the cattle. There were frosts every month and snow every month, except July and August. In September the corn froze to the center of the cob and apples froze on the trees. The following winter must have been one of great hardship and suffering for the families as there were no facilities for transportation as at present.
THE DARK DAY OF 1790
The nineteenth day of May, 1790, will be long remembered as "The Dark Day." A record was made by Professor Wil- liams of Cambridge University. "This extraordinary darkness came on between the hours of 10 and 11 A. M. and continued until the middle of the next night. It was so great that people were unable to read common print, determine the time of day by
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clocks or watches, dine, or manage their domestic concern with- out light of candles. The prospect was extremely dull and gloomy. Candles were lighted in the houses the birds disap- peared and became silent; the fowls retired to roost; the cocks crowed as at daybreak; objects could not be distinguished ex- cept at a very little distance ;and everything bore the appear- ance and gloom of night. The color of objects was worthy of remark. The complexion of the clouds was compounded of a faint red, yellow and brown; objects which commonly appear green, were of the deepest green, verging to blue, and those which appear white, were highly tinged with yellow. Almost every object appeared to be tinged with yellow, rather than with any other color. Objects appeared to cast a shade in every di- rection and there were several coruscations in the atmosphere, not unlike the aurora bourealis, but no uncommon appearances of the electric fire. The darkness extended all over the New England States. To the westward it extended to the farthest part of Connecticut and Albany ; to the southward all along the sea coast; and to the northward as far as our settlement ex- tended."
This occurred in the days of our great grand parents and the oral traditions related by fathers to sons of the occurrences of the day do not differ substantially from Prof. Williams' record. They add that the cows came from the pasture think- ing that it was milking time. Various reasons have been sug- gested as solutions of the mystery. One statement has been made that it was caused by burning forests, but this is hardly possible as none of the records of the time allude to any odor of smoke or to the existence of forest fires of a magnitude sufficient to cause such widespread darkness.
THE YELLOW DAY
September 6, 1881, will be long remembered for the condi- tion of the atmosphere which caused everything to assume a yel- low color. Trees, grass, cattle, buildings and individuals were apparently yellow. This peculiar condition existed throughout New England. It was necessary to use artificial light through the day, bats and owls came out, frogs croaked and crickets
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chirped. At the noon hour the darkness, which had commenced in the morning, increased in density and to those who were in- clined to be superstitious the condition was frightful. Gas lights burning in stores and offices shone as white and clear as electric lights. At half past three the wind changed towards the west and the sky, after passing through various shades of yellow, assumed the appearance of a cloudy day. At the time of the dark day of 1790 the conditions of the upper atmosphere were not understood, but in 1881 scientific men had studied these problems. A writer in a Boston paper says: "There is now existing in the upper atmosphere a very light fog of so slight a density, in fact, that the sun's rays are hardly able to penetrate or rather to filter through it. Sulphuric matter exist- ing in considerable quantity is found in the composition of this mist and we see at once an explanation of the peculiar saffron tinge which pervaded the atmosphere." A preponderance of certain elements which compose the white light would easily produce this condition, but it would not be likely to occur more than once in a life time.
THE PRESENTATION OF COL. ANSART'S PORTRAIT
The Historical Committee meeting of the Molly Varnum Chapter, D. A. R., was held at the town library building Feb- ruary 20, 1906. After transacting some routine business and presentation of historical essays by members of the committee, Mrs. C. D. Palmer, after referring to Col. Ansart's services in the Revolution as recorded in another chapter, presented to the library a framed portrait of Col. Ansart. This was accepted on behalf of the board of trustees and the town of Dracut by Silas R. Coburn, who at that time was Secretary of the Board of Trustees. After the presentation there was an adjournment to the vestry, where refreshments were served followed by toasts and addresses bearing upon the history of the town.
PRESENTATION OF A REGISTER OF THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS OF THE REVOLUTION.
The Molly Varnum Chapter, D. A. R. has taken a deep in- terest in historical matters relating to the town of Dracut and
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expressed a wish to present a memorial containing the names of the soldiers of the Revolution who went from Dracut. In ful- filment of this desire the members of the Chapter and the towns people met at the library and the memorial was presented to the town. It is a register of the 439 men, printed in Old English letters, beautifully illuminated. The work of preparing the names was executed by Ross Turner of Boston, a celebrated artist. Each page has a border of vines, flowers or fruit, and it is embellished with shields, flags, etc., on its pages. The binding is of beautiful green embossed leather, and it is kept in the library in a glass case, also presented by the chapter. Mr. Turner, the artist, was present and explained the work was pre- pared by him and his assistants.
The presentation on behalf of the Chapter was made by Mrs. M. H. Thompson, Chairman of the Dracut Library Memorial Committee, and was accepted by Calvin Richardson, who repre- sented the trustees of the library. At the close of the presenta- tion exercises, Mrs. C. D. Palmer and Mrs. Thomas Nesmith, members of the Chapter, presented a deed of a strip of land lying on the west of the town lot which gives access to a new street which had just been opened. A collation was served in the Chapel of the Centre Meeting House, after which addresses were made by the officers and members of the Chapter and papers read by ladies resident in the town. The exercises were in charge of Mrs. M. H. Thompson, who was toastmistress of the occasion. She called attention to the fact that all of the ad- dresses were to be by women.
The first toast was, "Dracut-Historie Dracut. May her boundaries never grow less; may her sons and daughters still love and protect her, her adopted children bring her long life, riches and honor, so that generations to come may point to her with pride." Mrs. Arthur Hamblett responded, referring to the hearty response to the call to serve in the Revolution and other wars.
The second toast was, "Our Chapter, God bless Her." Response by Mrs. Thomas Nesmith, one of the ex-regents, who gave as one of the reasons why the Chapter was interested in Dracut, that Molly Varnum, for whom the Chapter was named, was in her lifetime a resident of the town. She also gave praise
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to Ross Turner for his work in designing and ornamenting the memorial.
The next toast was, "Massachusetts and the Daughters of the American Revolution. May they all live long and prosper," and the response was by Mrs. Charles H. Masury of Danvers, State Regent of the D. A. R. Her remarks were in praise of Massachusetts and she asked, "How can there be anything grander or greater than our old State?"
"The Dracut Soldiers of the Revolution." Response by Mrs. C. D. Palmer, who, in response to the rest of the toast, which was "May we emulate his faith in God, his sturdy sense of duty, and his sturdy independence," said, "Material for a score of historical romances is to be found in Revolutionary Dracut," and referred to the large number of men who re- sponded to the call for its defence.
"The women of Dracut, those who know them best love them best." Response by Mrs. Calvin Richardson, who spoke of the hardships endured by the women in the days when the men were fighting for our liberties.
The next toast was, "Stones of Dracut." Response by Mrs. Charles Griffin, who called attention to the earlier days of John Eliot and Wannalancet.
"France in the Revolution." The response was appro- priately given by Mrs. Charles M. Williams, a direct descendant of one of the soldiers who came from France with Lafayette. She referred to the support given to the American people by the people of France and placed the names of Lafayette and Rochambeau as worthy of a place beside the name of Wash- ington.
"The Dracut Library. May its friends, its books and its money multiply exceedingly." Response by Miss Rose E. Pea- body, who gave a historical account of its foundation and growth and gave credit to the Molly Varnum Chapter for the valuable assistance rendered in many ways in the past.
Remarks were made by Mrs. G. C. Brock on the future of the D. A. R., followed by remarks on "The Cultivation of True Patriotism," by Mrs. Donald McLean of New York. Among other interesting things, Mrs McLean referred to Dra- cut's remarkable record in the Revolution.
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The exercises closed with the singing of "The Star Span- gled Banner" by Mrs. Williams.
DRACUT MEN AS GOLD HUNTERS
Until the year 1848, the present State of California was inhabited by Indians, Mexicans and Spaniards. Its resources, mineral and agricultural, were unknown and unsuspected. A small number of Americans were to be found there, among them a Swede, named John A. Sutter, who built a saw mill near the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. To superin- tend its construction, he employed James Marshall, who, while digging a channel for the flow of the water, discovered shining particles which proved to be gold. "The village of San Fran- cisco went wild over the discovery. Many sold all their posses- sions and hastened to the gold fields. All other business came to a standstill. The judge abandoned the bench, and the physician his patients, the town council was broken up for want of a quorum, farms were left tenantless and waving fields of grain were allowed to run to waste." (Bancroft's History.) The gold fever spread rapidly through the country, every state had its representatives in the gold regions wielding the pickax or shovel, or rocking the cradle which separated the rich metal from the gravel. The country was settled only as far west as the Mississippi river, and from that point to the Pacific coast there were deserts, rivers and ranges of mountains which must be crossed while savage Indians, rattlesnakes and wild beasts must be met and overcome.
The journey could be made in three different ways, over- land, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, or around Cape Horn, which is the most southern point of South America, or across the Continent. The Dracut men journeyed by whichever route presented to their minds the greatest advantages. The journey by way of the Cape must be made in a sailing vessel which, owing to the calms and contrary winds, must be long and tedious.
The route by the Isthmus would not require the long jour- ney to the Cape and the return north on the west side of the continent, but the difficulties of the crossing of the Isthmus were many. Mules must be purchased and guides hired. Pro-
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vision must be made for crossing rivers and lakes, poisonous reptiles and insects abounded, while the marshy country, with its poisonous air, produced malarial fevers. No dependence could be placed on the arrival of vessels at the termination of the overland journey, and perhaps weeks would elapse before a ship arrived to convey them north to the California coast.
Those who preferred the overland route across the conti- nent also had their share of danger and hardships. Large parties were organized for mutual protection and economy. Leaving some central point, they proceeded by rail to New York state, then by the Erie Canal and steam roads to the Mississippi river. Mules and horses were purchased and broken for the saddle and for wagons, which could be used in crossing the prairies, but as they proceeded, reaching the moun- tains, the journey must be made afoot, using the mules as pack animals. Parties leaving Boston in the month of April would reach their destination in November. The route chosen would be the one which would be followed having the fewest natural obstructions without regard to distance. The wagons would be used as long as possible, at times crossing mountains where, in descending the slopes, it became necessary to attach ropes to the axle and passing them around a tree the speed of descent could be governed.
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