USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Orleans > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 8
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 8
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Wellfleet > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 8
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and distinct. His sermons were evangelical, and rich in thought. His last illness was attended with triumphant faith in his Redeemer. 'I once thought or feared,' said he, 'that when I came to my journey's end, I should be down in the valley; but instead of that, I am on Mount Pisgah, looking into the promised land, and waiting my departure.' No record of the number admitted to the church during his min- istry has been found.
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1795. The question came up respecting the revision of the constitution of the state, and by order of the General Court the town was required to express their opinion in town meeting by their votes, which they did, nineteen voting for a revision, and four against it.
An agent was chosen to answer in behalf of the town to a complaint made by the town of Bridgewater, on account of one Benjamin Webb, a pauper. He is supposed to have been the son of the former minister of Eastham. Mr. Webb spent his life as a school-teacher.
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The town voted to add £10 to the Rev. Mr. Bascom's salary; also to pay Seth Knowles' bill for the use of his house, and for cooks and other necessaries for the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Shaw.
1796. It was agreed to divide the town into two pre- cincts, and a committee was chosen to carry this agreement into effect.
Before this time, from 1718, when the south parish and church were organized, both had acted together, as one, in the call, settlement and support of the ministers, giving to each the same amount of salary and privileges; in building and repairing of the meeting-houses, parsonages, and all oth- er expenses; which were paid by a tax on the polls and es- tates of the whole town, except Billingsgate.
. Simeon Kingman and Amos Knowles were appointed hum- bly to petition the great and General Court, to cause a line and boundaries between this town and Chatham to be estab- lished.
This petition was granted by the Court, and a committee of that body sent down to establish this line.
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The town voted to raise by tax one thousand and sixty-six dollars and sixty-six cents for the support of the gospel, the town schools and other public charges.
Elijah Knowles, Esq., died this year. He had represent- ed the town nine years in succession in the General Court, and was one of the most distinguished men of the town, being often employed in other public offices of trust and importance. His death was deeply lamented by all who knew him.
1797. The question came up for a division of the town, which was agreed to, and a petition was sent to the General Court, praying that honorable body to sanction their doings, and to pass an act to incorporate the southerly part thereof into a township by the name of Orleans.
Dea. Joseph Pepper, being now the only selectman in the town of Eastham, was by legal authority required to warn a town meeting for the choice of officers and other business proper to be done at said meeting. He issued a warrant notifying all the legal voters to meet at the meeting-house, on Wednesday the fifteenth day of March, 1797, to choose the necessary town officers, and a committee to settle all ac- counts with the town of Orleans. John Doane, Benjamin Clark and Samuel Freeman were chosen as said committee.
They met the committee of Orleans, chosen for the same purpose, at the house of Mrs. Keziah Harding, innhold- er, of Orleans, on the 11th day of May, and reported that the town of Orleans was indebted to the town of Eastham in the sum of two hundred and seventeen dollars and twenty- five cents; that the town of Orleans should have all the' out- standing taxes in that town; that the town of Eastham should pay to the town of 'Orleans, as soon as any of the tribe of Potanumaquiet Indians should become chargeable, thirteen dollars and ninety-three cents, it being the proceeds of lands sold by Micah Ralph, by order of the General Court; also, that all the former town records of Eastham should belong to Orleans, with all other books belonging to them in common. The ammunition was divided equally between the towns, be- ing fifty-one pounds of powder, seven hundred and twenty- four pounds of lead and three hundred and ninety-four flints.
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Two school-houses were built by the town at the expense of four hundred dollars, one in the south and the other in the north part of the town; also Dea. Benjamin Clark was paid fifty dollars for his attendance on the General Court.
1799. Seth Knowles and others obtained liberty of the town to dig a canal from Herring pond, across the road near Timothy Cole's, into Great Meadow river, for the purpose of letting in herrings. They were to have the benefit of the fishery for fifty years, and obligated themselves to maintain a bridge over said canal in the town road.
The first salt manufactured by solar evaporation in this town was made by Dea. John Knowles. During the revo- lutionary war it was made by boiling salt water in large ket- tles. This process was slow and expensive. The price of salt at that time was one dollar per bushel. After this time, large sums of money were invested in salt works.
On the fourteenth of December, 1799, George Washing- ton, the illustrious and beloved father of his country, paid the debt of nature; and throughout the United States, all classes of people mourned the event as a great national ca- lamity. It was recommended by the public authorities that the twenty-second of February, 1800, his birth-day, be con- secrated by the whole community to the remembrance of the savior of our country. The event was noticed in this town. Grief and sorrow were depicted on every countenance; and the whole people, as one family, bewailed the death of their common father.
Samuel Freeman, Esq., was appointed by the general gov- erninent to take the census of eight of the lower towns in the county of Barnstable.
A ship from Virginia, with a cargo of tobacco, bound to Boston, was driven on shore by a violent gale of wind, in December, a little to the north of Nauset harbor. The crew were landed in safety, the tobacco in a damaged state. The owner allowed the inhabitants one quarter for . landing and drying it. The ship was got off and taken to Boston. Dur- ing the same storm a ship loaded with salt was driven on shore near the same place. The vessel and cargo were lost, but the crew were saved.
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The town chose a committee to view the broken lands between the meeting-house and Richard Atwood's.
1800. The town was represented in the General Court for the first time since the division, by Elisha Mayo, Esq.
Another district school-house was built at the expense of the town.
In this and the following year, the votes of the town were almost unanimously given for Governor Strong.
The town agreed to build a house, seventeen by sixteen feet, for the, widow Betty Doane, whose house . had been burnt; and a building committee was chosen.
At this time there was but one denomination of Christians in the town, all worshiping in the same house, which was too small for their accommodation, owing to the increase of the population. It was resolved therefore to enlarge it, and , a committee was appointed to superintend the work; also, voted that the town pay twelve dollars for a pulpit cushion, and eight dollars for military colors. The expense of enlarg- ing the house was fifteen hundred and sixty-two dollars and forty-one cents, and the new pews were sold for two thous- and and ten dollars, bringing into the town treasury four hundred and twenty-seven dollars and thirty-eight cents.
The town voted to raise one hundred and twenty dollars for the support of the district schools; also to divide the town into four districts. 1
1804. The town chose a large and respectable commit- tee' to ascertain the practicability of digging a canal from Town cove into Boat Meadow river, and thus connect the waters of the ocean with the bay, for the purposes of naviga- tion. This committee was to be joined by another from Orleans, chosen for this purpose, and to petition the General Court for leave to raise the money by a lottery. The canal was opened and the water flowed through at high tide, but the project failed.
1806. The ship Confidence, Isaiah Knowles, master, which sailed from Boston for Africa, was upset in a violent gale near the end of the Cape, and driven into the bay, on the west side of the town, with the loss of all her crew.
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1809. Elisha Mayo, Esq., was appointed an agent, by the town, to meet, at Orleans, other agents, to be appointed by the other towns in the county of Barnstable, to petition Congress for a port of entry in this county.
The town raised thirty-one dollars for the support of sing- ing
The enforcement of the embargo law which was enacted by Congress, caused great suffering on the sea-coast and throughout our commercial community. Eastham and all Cape Cod was most severely affected by it. Navigation was entirely suspended, and our seamen were deprived of their employment and the means of supporting their families.
1812. War was declared by our government against Great Britain, in consequence of her claims in derogation of our rights as a neutral nation, and her practice under that claim of impressing naturalized and native American citizens into her service. About this measure of the government there was much division of opinion, and many opposed it.
This town was unanimously in favor of peace, but passed no votes or resolutions against the war. The consequence of the war was, that very soon the fisheries were entirely in- terrupted. In these the inhabitants were principally employ- ed, and by them a very large portion were supported.
All communication by water, with Boston and other com- mercial cities, was cut off, except in small boats running round by the shore, and that with much danger of being taken by the enemy, whose ships were anchored in Provincetown bar- bor, and who sent their barges to cruise about the bay. A number of boats and some of our packets were taken, while attempting to pass to and from Boston. A number of sea- men belonging to this town were taken by the enemy in this. war.
1814. An incident connected with the history of this town is worthy of notice, as it shows the wisdom and cour- age of one of the inhabitants.
Capt. Matthew H. Mayo, accompanied by Capt. Wins- low L. Knowles, left this town, in a whale boat loaded with rye, bound to Boston, where they arrived in safety. Hav-
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ing sold their rye, they purchased articles for their own fam- ilies and others, and exchanged their boat for one somewhat larger. In attempting to make their passage home, when near the Gurnet, they discovered a pink-stern schooner of a- bout sixty tons, at anchor within range of cannon shot of them, apparently fishing, with five men on deck. Suddenly a cannon was discharged, the shot of which struck the water about fifty feet from thein; keeping on their course, another shot fell only a few feet short and skipped over them, on which they hove to, and the schooner ran alongside their boat. Capt. Mayo secretly threw over his valuable spy- glass, that it might not fall into their hands.
They were taken on board the schooner and conveyed to the British man-of-war Spencer, where they were kept three days, when an offer was made to ransom themselves and boat for three hundred dollars; and for that purpose Capt. Knowles was permitted to go to Boston, to obtain the money, but was there advised by his friends and a certain naval offi- cer to give up the scheme.
Capt. Mayo having remained seven days in the ship, was put on board of the schooner that took him, as a pilot, with three British officers and twenty men, well armed with a brass four pounder, muskets, pistols, cutlasses, boarding pikes and other weapons, and ordered to cruise in the bay.
After two days they were overtaken by a severe north- west wind. Capt. Mayo advised them to make a harbor un- der Billingsgate Point; but it being his intention to deceive the enemy, and, if possible, to recapture the vessel and make prisoners of all on board, he anchored in bad holding ground. The gale still continuing, he went forward unobserved, and with his penknife partly severed the cable, which soon part- ed. He then advised the officers to make a harbor to the leeward, about ten miles distant.
He had previously picked the lock of the first officer's writing desk, and obtained a pair of brass pistols, which he secreted under his jacket.
The schooner soon grounded on the flats of Eastham. The officers now suspected that he had deceived them; but
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Capt. Mayo assured them that they had only struck on the out- er bar, and would soon beat over, and advised the men to go below, as they might be suspected by the people who began to collect on the shore. He gave them a gimblet, with which they tapped a cask of West India rum, and drank till they were intoxicated.
The schooner soon began to heel over, as the tide ebbed, and the officers, finding they were deceived, ordered their men on deck for the purpose of resistance. Capt. Mayo immediately threw overboard the arms that were on deck, drew out his pistols and threatened to shoot any one who should attempt his life.
He went on shore and requested the people who had as- sembled there, to notify the proper authorities of his circum- stances. The militia were ordered out and took possession of the vessel, officers and men, and marched them up to the public house of Mr. Thomas Crosby, where they were put under guard for that night. In the morning they were or- dered to the barn of Mr. George Collins, and a guard placed over them; but they were soon permitted to escape, and taking a boat at the shore, went on board of their ship.
The commander sent a barge, and demanded of the town twelve hundred dollars in specie, threatening that, if it was not paid in twenty-four hours, he would land with a force suffi- cient to burn, indiscriminately, the vessels, dwelling-houses and salt-works of the inhabitants.
The deputy marshal of the district, having been informed of the capture of the vessel and crew, demanded the prison- ers and their baggage; but they having escaped to the Brit- ish ship, he took the arms and baggage. He also demanded the vessel, which belonged to persons in Duxbury; but .the proper authorities secured her to Capt. Mayo, who justly considered that she was his property. The owners in Dux- bury afterwards paid bim two hundred dollars for the vessel. If the prisoners had not been permitted to escape, he would have been entitled to thirty dollars for each of them.
The officer of the barge now peremptorily demanded .the money, or be would immediately execute his threats, upon
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which the committee of safety requested some delay, and permission to visit the commodore on board of his ship, and return in twenty-four hours. Finally they paid two hundred dollars for the baggage taken from the prisoners by the dep- uty marshal, and one thousand for the protection of the town.
The money was receipted for by the commodore, with a written promise not to take or destroy any property belong- ing to the inhabitants of the town of Eastham during the war.
This matter being settled, the British forces left the shore for their ships.
The selectmen were the committee of safety, and the town voted to pay all necessary charges occasioned by the British in threatening to land.
The .payment of money for the protection of the town seeins to have been unwise and unnecessary. It can be ac- counted for only from the great alarm and fear which pervad- ed the minds of the people, of which the enemy took advan- tage. On cool reflection, it would appear impossible for them to have executed their threat. There was no thickly inhabited village, the salt-works were scattered at a distance on the shore, and the flats extend a mile or more, and are dry at low water. The militia of this and the neighboring towns, with an artillery company having two brass pieces, from Brewster, were on the spot, ready to repel any attempt to land.
The town voted to pay those persons who boarded the militia when called out for defence against the enemy, ten cents per meal.
During the war a number of men from this town were en- gaged in privateering. Four of them, Samuel Freeman, Jr., Joseph Snow, Josiah Smith and Matthew H. Mayo, were in the Reindeer, Capt. Nathaniel Snow. They were ordered to cruise from the mouth of the English Channel to the Bay of Biscay, to intercept a fleet of East Indiamen. They fell in with it on the coast of France, but as it was under a strong convoy, they let it pass.
Subsequently they captured six prizes, from which they took part of their cargoes, and burnt some of the vessels.
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One of them was an English brig under Spanish colors,. on board of which they put a prize-master, and ordered her to the United States; but she was retaken on the passage.
They fell in with another fleet of merchantmen under a strong convoy, and remaining near it till dark, they engaged one of the vessels, which they were on the point of taking, when one of the convoy coming to her relief, they drew off, and returned to Boston, having been absent five months.
There were five other men from this place, in the Brutus, commanded by Capt. Austin, of Boston. They had a num- ber of severe engagements and took several prizes. After the war, Capt. Austin removed to Texas, and established a colony which bears his name.
Others, among whom was Capt. Winslow L. Knowles, engaged in this business with considerable success.
Mr. John Cook, of this town, was in the sanguinary but victorious battle of Lake Erie. He belonged to the flag ship of Com. Perry.
1815. The difficulties between this country and Great Britain being settled by a treaty, the people returned to their former employments, and were permitted again to sit under their own vines and fig trees, having none to molest or make them afraid.
Thus ended the war, in which our country nobly defended her rights, and her small but gallant navy most honorably and victoriously, both on the ocean and the lakes, performed their duty.
1816. This town has generally been very healthy, and free from epidemical diseases, but this year, in which a most fearful and fatal sickness prevailed, will long be remembered. It commenced its ravages in the south part of the town, but soon extended to every neighborhood and almost every fam- ily. The first person who died with the disease was buried on the eighteenth of January, and from that time to the thir- tieth of May, it swept off seventy-two persons, about one eleventh of thej whole population. The old, the middle aged and the young were indiscriminately cut down by the fell destroyer. Five were buried in one day, and there was
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seldom a day, from the first of February to the twentieth of March, without a funeral. Those who were well could hard- ly take care of the sick. The most successful prescriptions that were made - were powerful emetics and cathartics. The assistance and advice of the physicians of the neighbor- ing towns were had, but yet the greater portion of those who were visited with this sickness died. The cause of this un- common epidemic could not be determined by physicians or others. The weather was noted for its sudden changes from extreme cold to very warm.
The town most humanely voted to pay the physicians the amount of their bills, during the sickness, in cases where the individuals or families were not able to do it.
The town voted to lease the Great pond to Joshua P. At- wood and others, for fifty years, on the condition that a canal be dug out in ten years so as to bring in salt water.
1819. The town appointed Harding Knowles their agent to settle with the town of Standish, in the State of Maine, respecting two paupers who were formerly inhabitants of Eastham.
In December, 1820, the ship Rolla, from Surinam, bound to Newburyport, with a cargo of molasses and thirteen thous- and dollars in specie, was driven ashore on Nauset beach in the night. The vessel being old, was soon rendered a com- plete wreck, and all but three of her crew and passengers were lost. The survivors found their way to the house of Freeman Doane, where they were hospitably entertained ten days, without any compensation. A gentleman of New- buryport lost an only son, who was washed from the deck after the ship struck.
The brig Massachusetts, Capt. Hubbard, from Bremen, with a valuable assorted cargo, bound to Boston, was by a wrong calculation run ashore on this beach. The cargo was landed in safety, carted across the Cape, and freighted to Boston, by Messrs. Doane and Knowles, on a contract for eleven hundred and fifty dollars.
In 1820, the Methodist Episcopal church was instituted in this town, through the influence of a camp-meeting held in
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Wellfleet, in August, 1819. A number of persons from this place, who attended the meeting, became awakened to a sense of their lost condition as sinners, and began to inquire most earnestly 'what they should do to be saved?'
The Rev. E. Wiley, who was then stationed in Wellfleet, often preached here, and the result was, that an extensive re- vival of religion was enjoyed in different parts of the town. A large number of persons were brought to the knowledge of salvation by the remission of their sins. This was the ori- gin of the Methodist society in Eastham, but it was attached to the Wellfleet circuit, which continued under the charge of Mr. Wiley until the next session of the New England con- ference, in June, 1820.
The Rev. Edward Hide succeeded Mr. Wiley in the charge of the circuit, and bis labors were enjoyed by both branches of the society during the year, in which time they so increased, that the next year, Mr. Hide being re-appoint- ed to the same charge, in connection with the Rev. Heman Perry, took up his residence here, and supplied them through the year.
In 1821, the Methodist meeting-house was built. It is a neat and commodious house, sufficiently large to accommo- date all who belong to the society and attend the meeting, being at the present time nearly two thirds of all the inhabi- tants of the town.
In 1822, the circuit was supplied with the joint labors of Mr. Perry and the Rev. L. Bennett. Mr. Hide, having been appointed to the office of presiding elder for the Bos- ton district, visited this place quarterly, it being within the limits of his circuit.
This society remained in connection with the Wellfleet cir- cuit until June, 1823, when it was constituted a separate station and distinct charge.
This year the Rev. Nathan Paine was appointed to the charge of this church and society, for two years. At this time the church was composed of about one hundred mem- bers.
Since this, the following preachers have been apppointed to the church and congregation in succession:
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1825, Rev. E. K. Avery, one year.
1826, Rev. Benjamin Keath, two years.
1828, Rev. Frederic Upham, one year.
1829, Rev. Joel Steel, two years.
1831, Rev. H. Brownson, two years.
1833, Rev. Lemuel Harlow, one year.
1834, Rev. T. W. Brown, two years.
1836, Rev. Warren Emerson, two years.
1338, Rev. Thomas Ely, one year.
1839, Rev. Josiah Litch, two years.
1841, Rev. E. W. Jackson, one year.
1842, Rev. O. Robbins, two years.
'This church has enjoyed interesting revivals from time to time since its organization, with more or less accession near- ly every year; but it has suffered many losses, by removal and death, especially in 1843, when several valuable and use- ful members were removed by death, as we humbly trust, to the church triumphant.
The number in the church now, including a few in South Wellfleet, is one hundred and eighty-five.
CAMP-MEETINGS IN THIS TOWN ..
The first of these meetings was held in 1828. After this time, to 1836, three others were held. This year, the ground and grove, containing about ten acres, was purchased by an association formed for that purpose, and an act of in- corporation was obtained from the General Court in 1838. It is called Millennium Grove. It is a most beautiful and attractive spot, and exceedingly well located and adapted for this purpose. It is near the shore of the bay, where steam- boats and other vessels land their passengers.
These ineetings have brought together very large numbers, not only of the Methodist denomination but of all other soci- eties. It has been supposed that nearly five thousand per- sons have been on the ground at the same time, so that the strictest regulations have been found necessary to preserve that order and attention which such a meeting demands.
It commences on Tuesday, and continues till the follow- ing Monday. The attendance is much larger on the Sabbath than on any other day.
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The exercises are, three sermons delivered from the stand each day, and prayer and exhortatory meetings in the centre of the camp, and in the tents during the intermissions, except at meal times. A large and convenient house has been erected for the accommodation of the ministers; and tents for the congregation are so arranged as to form a circle, in which they sleep; in the rear they cook and take their meals.
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