USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greefield, shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 27
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business. The schools were dismissed, and to a large extent business was suspended. The superstitious believed that the end of the world was at hand, and went about with sad hearts and long faces.
THE "BLIZZARD"
March 8, 1888, snow began to fall Sunday evening about nine o'clock, and continued without interruption until Tues- day noon when it partially cleared, and soon after clouded over and began again to fall faster than before. All the while there was a strong northeast wind, and the snow was piled in deep drifts and sifted in at every crack and cranny.
Monday morning people wallowed through deep snow to their places of business, and the railroads ran their much be- lated trains. But by Monday evening many a train found itself stalled in drifts ten feet deep, and the passengers in many instances had to spend the night in the cars. A Raymond & Whitcomb excursion train left Boston Monday night and suc- ceeded in reaching Fitchburg that night, where they were side- tracked until Wednesday morning. That day they reached Athol, where they spent the rest of the day, and late in the evening were sent on their way rejoicing. Peter Rome, track walker between Greenfield and West Deerfield, was frozen, and his body thrown out by the snow plow passing Monday evening. People from the hill towns did not reach the vil- lage until Thursday and Friday. Many people abandoned their sleighs, and mounted their horses in order to reach their destinations. The first mail from Springfield reached here Wednesday morning, and the first one from Boston Wednes- day night. The young ladies working in the printing office at the old tool factory works were obliged to remain all night, as it was impossible to safely reach their homes. The work- man's train from Turner's Falls did not come in Monday eve- ning. A few men undertook to walk home, and succeeded after great exertion.
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DESTRUCTIVE HAILSTORM
June 14, 1892, about five o'clock P. M., Greenfield village was visited by the most destructive hailstorm ever recorded. The day had been very hot, and there had been a slight shower from seemingly a clear sky. About three o'clock the barometer took a sudden fall, and inky black clouds gathered in the southwest and came rolling down Shelburne hills, and in five minutes, time it was estimated that $10,000 damage had been done in this village. One hailstone picked up on the sidewalk measured nine inches in circumference. The ground was strewn with them the size of brook pebbles. The largest newspaper hen's egg did not compare favorably with thousands of these hailstones. Nearly all windows upon the westerly sides of buildings situated between Wiley & Russell's and the northerly part of the village were broken. If protected by blinds, in many cases the blinds were broken. Four hundred and fifty lights were broken at Cutler, Lyons & Field's shops, 400 at the old tool shops, and other buildings in the same propor- tion. Two cats and one old rooster are reported among the killed, but the wounded included several bipeds whose wounds required medical attendance. The street was the scene of several runaways, but luckily no human lives were lost.
THE HOUSTON & GILL CAMPAIGN IN 1860
The political campaign of 1860 was especially remarkable in Greenfield because of the candidacy of one of the well known men of the town for the office of vice president. " Col." Harvey Gill, a descendant of Ethan Allen, and one of the best known men of the village, long an employee of Joslyn & Eldridge in their livery stable, was induced by a few of the young and ardent men of the village to accept a nom- ination as vice president, on a ticket headed by Sam Houston, of Texas. If the Houston & Gill party was not large, it was at least select. Had its success being equal to its merits, much blood and treasure might have been saved.
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On the last day of July a fine flag was floated over Main street bearing the names of Lincoln & Hamlin, and the cam- paign was opened in an appropriate manner. The next even- ing, without previous notice, an equally large and expensive flag was given to the breeze bearing the names of Sam Houston, of Texas, for president, and Harvey Gill, of Massachusetts, for vice president. The succeeding evening the Houston & Gill Club, under the escort of the Greenfield band, courteously waited on Colonel Gill, and escorted him to the banner. It was serenaded by the band, and the candidate in a patriotic speech defined his position upon the political questions of the day. At the close of his eloquent remarks he was loudly cheered and the club and candidate adjourned to the Mansion House.
The nomination of Colonel Gill attracted much attention, and within a few days his mail matter became quite large, and he was kindly assisted in his correspondence by members of the club. Among others he received the following cordial letter :
"ST. LOUIS, Aug. 4, 1860.
"COL. HARVEY GILL.
" Dear Sir : I learn with great pleasure that you have be- come associated on the Democratic ticket with my old and tried friend, Houston, and although I am opposed to him on political grounds, as a man and a friend-socially-he is worthy of the high trust about to be committed to his charge. While ' Honest Abe' has my sympathies and will receive my support at the ballot box, I entertain a feeling for you and your associate such as should ever exist between leading polit- ical men in every clime. I will embrace this opportunity to extend to you an invitation to visit our city during the approaching State fair, which commences on the 25th, ul- timo. I shall take pleasure in pointing out to you such leading features of our country as may most interest you, and as all the candidates for the high offices to which you and
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my friend Houston aspire, will be present, have no doubt the time will be agreeably passed.
"I remain your obedient servant :
"O. D. FILLEY, Mayor."
During the progress of the campaign, Colonel Gill received a letter from Honorable John A. Dicks, announcing with re- gret, the withdrawal from the contest, of his principal, Hon- orable Sam Houston. This announcement made necessary a meeting of the club ; the time at the meeting was spent in denunciation of the trading propensities that had developed within the party to the great disgust of the local candidate. He strongly denounced the politicians of New York and New Jersey, especially Commodore Stockton.
About this time he received a letter from Worcester hold- ing out great inducements to him if he would turn over his influence to the Belleverett party. This so enraged the doughty descendant of Ethan Allen that he announced in disgust that he would himself decline as a candidate, and forego politics forever. Nothing could swerve him from his purpose when his mind had become fixed, and he was justly indignant that an attempt had been made to bribe him.
So on the 15th of September, the members of the Houston & Gill party in Greenfield, six in number, mounted on horse- back, led by the Greenfield band, and escorted by a dozen boys with torches ablaze, drew up before the Joslyn & El- dridge stable, and taking up Colonel Gill, dressed in his long frock, with a tall feather in his white hat, they marched to the foot of the flag staff on the common, where Colonel Gill de- livered "in his elegant and chaste style " an address, announcing his declination as a candidate for the vice presidency. He particularly dwelt upon the corruption in the political parties of the day, said when the country called for aid in putting down any sectional strife and controversy, that they would find a descendant of Ethan Allen on hand, and that his position re-
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minded him of an historic personage, (whom he named,) whom the devil took into a high mountain, and after showing him all the nations of the earth, offered him the whole if he would fall down and worship him, closing with the assertion, "and the - - - didn't own a foot of it."
His address was received with uproarious applause by the gathered multitude, the Houston & Gill banner was lowered, and Colonel Gill retired to private life.
CHAPTER LXIII
MISCELLANEOUS
THE DEERFIELD CANNON
G REENFIELD has always claimed a considerable in- terest in the old Deerfield cannon. While for the last few years this interest has not been expressed with that force and vigor formerly shown by its citizens, still a deep feeling of attachment to the traditions of the forefathers re- mains latent in their less belligerent successors.
Authentic history does not tell us how the great cast-iron guns (the one now in Memorial Hall and its mate) came to be in this part of the Connecticut valley, but it is surmised that they were a part of the " setting out " of Governor Jona- than Belcher when he held his great council at Deerfield in August, 1735, with the Housatonic, Caghnawaga and Mo- hawk Indians. This conference was held at great cost to the Colony (£7020, 17s. 20d.) and nothing was spared to impress upon the minds of the Indians the power and grandeur of the English government. Two years later the governor called another conference with these Indians at Fort Dummer, and immediately after we find that the fort has a "Great Gun," which was used for the purpose of giving alarms, and without doubt our " Deerfield " cannon's mate was taken to the fort at the time of this conference. Colonel Israel Williams, the commander of the frontier, lived in Hatfield, and soon after the close of the Indian wars and the consequent dismantlement of Fort Dummer, we find a "great gun" in Hatfield. Deer- field claimed it as her own; Hatfield resisted ; Hadley boys
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stole it, and about 1840 it was loaded to its muzzle and placed on the bank of the river pointing toward Hatfield, and upon its discharge it was blown into a thousand pieces. Deer- field men who saw it declared it to be the counterpart of- the Deerfield gun. In 1777 Jonathan Hobby, who was fitting out a privateer, purchased of Colonel William Williams of Pitts- field (who, with headquarters at Deerfield had been commis- sary during the French war), the old gun now at Deerfield. When his agent came to Deerfield to take away the gun (as appears in his petition to the Council and Representatives of Massachusetts Bay, for redress), he was "interrupted by the Committee of said town of Deerfield and the Cannon Con- veyed back, to the loss and damage of your petitioner." Af- terward other " Committees " of Deerfield acquired quite a rep- utation for "interrupting " parties who were conveying the cannon away.
For years the old gun stood upon the Deerfield common, mounted on carriage and wheels provided by vote of the town, but it was generally safely secured as the national holiday approached. But few knew its hiding place until upon the "glorious fourth " it spoke for itself. Sometimes it remained exposed too long, and disappearing, its location was unknown, until it woke the echoes in the early morn from the heights of Greenfield village.
Sheldon tells the story of its being spirited away to Conway about 1808, and the organization of a battalion of young and old from Deerfield on horseback, under the lead of Colonel Joseph Stebbins and Rufus Saxton to retake it. The Con- way boys had given the stolen gun the privilege of sanctuary, but Colonel Stebbins with uplifted axe stood before the church door and gave five minutes for the delivery of the gun. The gun was surrendered under the promise that it should not be fired until they got it back to Deerfield. As soon as the town line was crossed the old gun roared defiance to its ene- mies or joy at its return.
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Possession of this old gun served for years as a vent for the surplus energies of the strong men of Greenfield and Deer- field. Quite often struggles occurred between the contending forces in which bloody noses and bruised heads marked for many days the victims of the frays. A few years before the railroad came to town, a party was returning from a successful raid on Deerfield, following the old gun in triumphal proces- sion up Clay hill about where the railroad arch now stands. Levi Jones, George W. Potter and probably A. P. Cooley were members of the victorious squad. Suddenly they were attacked by a pursuing party from Deerfield, and if reports are true, but few on either side escaped severe treatment. The cannon remained with the Greenfield party, but one man hap- pening to get both legs through a rail fence, astride the rail, nearly had his legs pulled from their sockets, and was lamed for weeks.
The hiding places for this old gun were numerous. Levi Jones and David R. Wait, had it in the pond near the electric light station for a year. Broughton's pond seems to have been a favorite resting place. Many of the cellars of old Deerfield have had it for a guest. When the Phillips's Pocumtuck Hotel cellar was dug it was resurrected there. One dark night a party of Deerfield men with the aid of Deacon Hitch- cock's oxen and cart wheels conveyed the old gun down the Albany road to where a lot of rails lay piled beside the way. Removing the rails they dug a shallow grave and buried therein the cannon and replaced the rails. Scarcely had they finished their work when a pair of sharp eyes discovered a looker-on, and a chase began which resulted in the capture of a spy from Greenfield. But, Sheldon says, "the cannon did not go to Greenfield that year."
About 1854 Tom Whittemore had the cannon in his cellar. One of " Bill " Wait's boys worked for Whittemore and told Henry Wait where the cannon was. Henry Wait came im- mediately to Greenfield and a party was organized to get the
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gun. At midnight a "committee," among whom were Charles H. Munn, John R. Holton, A. P. Cooley, Charles Keith, and Henry Wait, gathered at " Bill " Briggs's stable at the Union House and in a coach and four, followed by " Bunk " Thayer and his truck wagon, proceeded towards Deerfield. Arriving at the common, Holton and Wait were detached to examine Whittemore's barn cellar where Wait supposed the cannon lay. They soon returned with the state- ment that the barn had no cellar. In low whispers a council of war was held and the scouts ordered to examine the house cellar. Holton climbed through a cellar window, unfastened the bulkhead door an groping in the dark found the big gun.
Gathering their forces they captured all the chains and ropes which the premises afforded, and by lifting and pulling dragged the cannon to the top of the bulkhead steps and loading it into an old wagon started for the common. Just then the Wait boy heard the noise and shouted, "Tom ! Tom ! they've stole the cannon !" By the time Whittemore arrived at the common they had transferred it to Thayer's wagon, and Whittemore started toward the horses, Charles Keith, thinking he intended to cut the harness, grabbed a wagon stake and told him to stand off, which order he complied with. Thay- er's horses were started into a run, and the marauders piling into the coach went cheering through the " old street " toward Greenfield. That night the old cannon rested in the new- made cellar of the house now owned by Wm. G. Packard. But it was thought too many people were in the secret, and the next day (being Sunday), it was decided by a few to re- move it the next night to a more secure hiding place. A rescue or at least spying was feared, and guards were kept on all the near-by streets. Neither did the leaders fully trust Henry Wait, he being a Deerfield man, so they placed him some distance away on guard while they removed the gun. Amos Pond helped load the gun, and Wait while away on
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guard heard Charles Munn say " Nash's mills," and thinking he ought to know where that cannon was put, struck out for Nash's mills across the lots in the dark. Arriving there he waited a long time, but at last was rewarded by hearing the " chuck," " chuck," of Thayer's wagon coming down the hill near the schoolhouse, Thayer having driven up Federal street to Long's corner, in order to put spies off their guard. Wait remained hiding and Thayer drove over the bridge and north on the Leyden road. Wait followed as far as the Pic- kett place and lost the sound of the wagon. Soon he heard it again as it crossed the bridge over Glen brook by the town farm. He struck across the meadow and not finding a suit- able fording place in the dark got into Green river up to his waist.
Reaching Irish Plain, he had got ahead of the van and hid by the way until it passed, then followed on. Coming to the place at the foot of the hill where the Plain road turns off to the east, Thayer stopped, and just east of the Green river road and north of the Plain road, in a harvested buckwheat field owned by Henry A. Ewers, they buried the cannon. When the coast was clear, Wait took the lay of the land as closely as possible, and walked to the village. Dressed in his best clothes, wet to his arms and bedraggled and tired as he was, instead of keep- ing out of sight, he went to the Mansion House. The wise ones at once became suspicious of Wait, but kept their peace. Wait went home and told his father (the late David R. Wait, who had been in many a cannon scrimmage) the whole story. He loaned his son an ox team and hired man, and the next evening Henry fully equipped with shovels, chains and ropes drove to the lonely place of burial, but lo, and be- hold ! the buckwheat field had been plowed. He took his bearings, measured, prodded and dug, but no cannon could be found, and he returned home disgruntled.
Now comes into my story a communication of Henry Briggs
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to George Sheldon and by Mr. Sheldon published in the Gazette of April 18, 1903.
" On learning the young man from Deerfield had been there and fearing he might find it, the Greenfield boys came up and removed it from the field, Mr. Ewers telling them they might place it under the ell of the hotel for safety. They did so and there it rested three or four years, till Mr. Ewers sold the farm to a Mr. Nims* and removed West.
" Some of the young men in the Meadows, on learning the cannon was there, decided to take it out and celebrate. Mr. Nims fearing there might be an accident, asked me if I would help him get it out and conceal it on my premises. On re- moving some of the boards in one of the back rooms we found it underneath the floor. That was the first time I ever saw the cannon. One night we took away enough of the underpinning to admit a man, then I crept in and placed chains about the cannon, while Mr. Nims waited outside with two pairs of cattle.
" When all was ready the signal was given, the cattle started, but not the cannon, as the chains were broken. The second time was more successful, the cannon left its hiding-place and I came out behind it.
" Thinking the noise of the cattle drawing the gun might disturb the neighbors, we got it onto the forward axle of a two-horse wagon and drew it by hand into my yard, burying it near the sill of my barn.
" Mr. Nims and myself were the only two men who knew where the cannon was all that summer.
" On going to my barn one morning I found the yard had been entered during the night and an unsuccessful attempt made to find the gun, the yard having been thoroughly punched with iron bars in trying to find it. Two or three times they had just missed it.
* Wm. Newton Nims deceased,
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" On another occasion in coming in from the field at noon I found a Mr. Stebbins (I do not know his given name) from Deerfield in the barn. I well knew his errand though the cannon was not mentioned. He smiled, made some casual remark about the weather, and left. The cannon rested in my yard till about January or February of the next winter. About that time two men drove up from the street, saying the Deerfield and Greenfield boys had settled the dispute and agreed to give it up. The next day, when down street, I met Rufus Howland, the druggist, and Major Keith, both of whom told me to give it up, as all disputes had been settled. That night Major Keith sent his team, with his man and three volunteers, Levi Clark, the Davis street blacksmith, Edward Thayer, familiarly known as " Bunk " Thayer, and the third I did not know.
" On going to the spot we found the ground frozen solid and could only be removed with the aid of picks and bars. When the task was completed the evening was far spent but the men started for Deerfield. That was the last of my connec- tion with the gun.
" It was so late when they reached Deerfield the boys thought the cannon was not coming. About ten o'clock they saw the team turning the corner at the north end of the street, and the news quickly spread. The four men were given a good supper and $10, a man by the name of Abercrombie giving the money. I have Mr. Thayer's authority for the supper and money, as he was one of the four men who helped dig the cannon up from my yard, and he told me a few days after of the kindness shown them at Deerfield. All this happened 40 years ago or more but as my memory of those times is good I think I have the above facts correct.
" The young man from Deerfield, who followed the Green- field boys up through Country Farms, told me himself of his doing so."
At the annual meeting of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial
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Association in February, 1903, a few of the younger members related their experiences in relation to the old gun. Spencer Fuller, in his inimitable manner, told the story of the boys getting the gun from the cellar of the late Charles Jones, by his leave, in 1876, and then taking it up to Fort Hill and amusing themselves nearly all night ; that near morning they got word that a company from South Deerfield were coming to take the cannon. They immediately gathered reinforce- ments by calling in Mr. Jones, who took the lead and with a stout club soon scattered the southern invaders. County Treasurer Newcomb remembered how, when Richmond fell, they fired the gun all night and then filled it up with earth ; the South Deerfield boys stole it soon after, but had a hard time to get it in working condition. At one time the Deer- field boys stole the cannon from South Deerfield, put it on a handcar and ran it up to Deerfield, but could not get it off the track. After much excitement the track was cleared in time to escape wrecking a train. John Sheldon remembered that one time the cannon was taken up near the cemetery and preparations made to salute a passing train. A lively discus- sion arose as to whether to fire before or behind the train. It was decided to fire just before the cars passed, but the charge held fire and the cannon was discharged just in time to nearly blow off the end of the rear car. The boys scattered in all directions, two jumping into a newly-made grave, others hid- ing behind tombstones, and one running away to Shutesbury, where he remained eight months.
I remember once seeing a cut of a large brass horn that had been taken upon one of the expeditions in search of the North Pole, and upon its return deposited in a museum as a curiosity. From the mouth of the big horn were issuing musical notes, which had become frozen into the instrument ; these had been thawed out by the warmer atmosphere. If this old gun should some day thaw out, in its place among the treasures of the Pocumtuck Memorial Association, what
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interesting stories of exciting events in the history of this vicinity would then be revealed.
Here is hoping that the old gun may at some future time " speak for itself."
WAR OF 1812
The following page, copied from a diary of Capt. Thaddeus Coleman, relates to the War of 1812 :
" GREENFIELD, May 7, 1814. " Hon. Secretary of War :
" I acknowledge the receipt of an appointment by the Pres- ident of the United States as captain in the 48th Regiment of infantry, commanded by Colonel Isaac Clark. I accept the appointment and will report myself in person to Colonel Clark, agreeably to orders.
" I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect,
" Your obedient servant, " THADDEUS COLEMAN " Hon. John Armstrong, Esq., " Secretary of War, Washington."
"June 28, 1814. This day opened my rendezvous at Green- field. Captain 26th Regiment Riflemen.
"July 5. First return-none .*
" September 7, 1814. This day removed my rendezvous from Greenfield to Bernardston.
"September 13. Returned none (and the same weekly to October 25.)
" GREENFIELD, June 22, 1814. " United States to Thaddeus Coleman, Dr.
" To transportation of baggage from Burlington, Vt., to Greenfield, Mass. $13.60
" September 22. To expenses in pursuing Fran- cis Henery, deserted 7.50
* The war was unpopular in New England, and recruits were scarce. The same report was made weekly until September 6.
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" October 7. To expenses for pursuing John Barbour, a deserter 8.33
" August 31, 1814. This day Dennis Eddy began to do duty for me as a waiter.
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