USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
June 7. Truman B. Hick's house burned.
July 13. A large meeting was held as a token of respect to the memory of President Taylor. Many houses draped in mourning. Franklin Ripley presided at the meeting held in the town hall, and the Greenfield band escorted the people under Marshal Wm. Keith to the brick church where Judge Daniel Wells delivered an address.
The " Long building " stores occupied by A. P. Megrath, Amos Pond, G. A. Bates, Jr., and Hillyer H. Potter have been remodeled. Also J. H. Hollister's store. John P. Rust has built a fine house on the old Methodist church lot (W. W. Davenport's). New houses have been built by Austin Wells on Main street, L. L. Graves on Davis street, Edwin A. Clark on Franklin, Stilman Thomas on Olive, Dexter Hosley on High, John Sawin on Pleasant and Wm. R. Wells on Davis. Thomas & Stratton are building a steam mill below the station, near the railroad. (Noyes's.)
September 15. Cattle show ; 51 pairs of cattle from Shel- burne.
September 30. Small brick house on east side of Clay hill belonging to Allen Jones burned. Insurance $1,000.
December 2. Cheney Kenney died from effects of an acci- dent caused by the bursting of a grindstone at Russell's factory.
Lyceums are in active operation in Deerfield, Montague and Greenfield. . Luther B. Lincoln of Deerfield delivered a fine address on the life of General Hoyt before the Greenfield Lyceum.
March, 1851. The Greenfield Library Association has been organized with 200 books.
April. A. Brainard has moved the north wing from his house (Hollister house) to Newton place and fitted it up for
332
WASHINGTON HALL
a printing office for C. A. Mirick and a bookbindery for L. W. Rice.
July 22. James Avery's house, School street, injured by fire.
August 13. The Greenfield Tool Company organized.
March 1, 1852. The town voted to tax dogs one dollar each. " Any person keeping a dog without license shall be liable to a fine of two dollars."
A committee was chosen to take into consideration the es- tablishment of a high school.
April 5. A committee was chosen to consider the subject of building a new town hall, to report at an adjourned meet- ing.
May 3. Adjourned meeting. The committee reported favorably upon the proposition to build a new town hall, and recommended the purchase of the Jones Mitchell, & Co. lot. (Town Hall lot.) The report was accepted, and David Aiken, Lucius Nims and John P. Rust were appointed a committee to procure estimates, take a bond of Jones, Mitchell & Co. for the lot and report at an adjourned meeting.
Three hundred dollars, was appropriated to rebuild the cause- way near the house of Major H. Tyler.
June 7. Wendell T. Davis, George Adams, Albert H. Nims, William Keith and James S. Grennell were chosen a committee to purchase a lot and build a two story town house, 100X65 feet, according to plans presented by Mr. Pratt, at an expense not to exceed twenty thousand dollars.
Two meetings were subsequently held, called to reconsider the matter of building a new town hall, and to locate it on the common, but the town voted down all dilatory measures and instructed the committee to proceed with the work.
The Gazette states that in 1835 Henry W. Clapp bought of Albert Jones seven acres of land on the east side of High street for $3,000. He has sold from it parcels to ten differ- ent individuals, the last lot sold fronting on Church street
333
FIRST BAPTIST SOCIETY
for $900. The total sales amount to $4,350, and he estimates that he has lost $4,000 in interest.
July. The First Baptist society of Greenfield has pur- chased of Lucius Dickinson his home place at the corner of Wells and Main street and will build a church. Price paid $3,000.
The Greenfield Bank build between their bank and the old courthouse.
Lucius Dickinson purchases of Theodore Leonard his homestead at the corner of Franklin and Church streets. (Potter place.)
March, 1854. The Elihu Severance house built in 1778 was moved from Main street to Wells street. (Edwy Wells's place.) The old Mitchell house was also moved to Wells street. Ptolemy P. Severance is building a fine house on Main street. (Franklin County Hospital.) Edwin H. Clark has built a house on the north side of Main street (now owned by E. E. Kilburn, moved to Conway street) ; Anson Mitchell also (Shattuck place), and so has Amos Pond. S. F. Warner has built on the south side of the street. (Dr. Miner's place.) The Chapman house has been moved again forty feet west, and Chapman street opened. The First Baptist church was erected this season.
May 9. Joseph Day's bowling alley on Federal street was burned. The long brick office building of J. Russell & Co. was built this season.
September 16. Justice Charles A. Dewey of the Supreme Judicial Court sentenced Philbrook Whitney of New Salem to be hanged for the murder of John R. Weeks.
Union Block was erected on the Chapman estate. George S. Eddy will occupy the east store.
October 19. Fire in the " Railroad Lunch " of Allen Jones & Co, Loss $600.
October 22. The Holyoke dam has been rebuilt and is filled with water.
334
FIREMAN'S HALL
A meeting was held November 7, to consider the matter of forming a fire district.
Olive street was laid out and George Pierce bought of the Connecticut River Railroad Company the Wilson house and moved it to the new street.
December 2. The Second Congregational church dis- covered to be on fire; extinguished without much loss.
Charles F. Fay (Wait, Fay & Field) has purchased from Henry W. Clapp the two story house and lot at the corner of Church and High streets, and will remove the old house and build a new residence. (Oakman place.)
March 6, 1854. The town owes $25,400, $20,000 being for the new town hall, which was borrowed of the Smith Charities. Voted that the new town hall be named " Wash- ington Hall."
April 15. The sum of seven hundred dollars was raised to establish a high school.
Voted to fit up the old town hall for the use of the military and firemen.
At the fall election Horatio G. Parker received one hun- dred and ninety-six votes for representative, Edmund Q. Nash, one hundred and thirty-eight, Timothy M. Dewey, one hun- dred and one, scattering, nine, and no person having received a majority, the town voted not to send a representative.
1855. At a special meeting held March 22, an effort was made to have the town apply to the legislature for leave to subscribe to the capital stock of the Troy & Greenfield Rail- road to the amount of $20,000, but it was defeated.
A new meeting was called March 31st, and David Aiken, George W. Potter and Lewis Merriam were authorized to make such application to the legislature.
May 23. Ptolemy P. Severance was elected selectman in place of Horatio G. Parker, resigned, he having moved to Boston.
July 20. David Willard, Town Clerk, having deceased,
335
TROY AND GREENFIELD RAILROAD
the selectmen appointed Dr. Noah S. Wells, to serve in that capacity until his successor should be elected.
1858. March meeting. The report of the committee on the building of the high schoolhouse on Chapman street was accepted.
1859. At the annual meeting the town first voted a dis- count upon taxes paid on or before October Ist of five per cent.
July 6. The town voted to subscribe for three hundred shares of the Troy & Greenfield Railroad stock, at one hundred dollars per share. The conditions of this subscrip- tion not being carried out by the railroad company, but twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars of this was taken, but this amount was paid at the expiration of thirty years, when the scrip issued, matured.
November 24, 1860. At a special meeting held for the purpose, action was taken in aid of the petition of David R. Wait and others for the annexation of Cheapside and all that part of Deerfield north of Sheldon's brook to Greenfield. The selectmen were authorized to " take such action as seem to them proper in aid thereof."
April 29, 1861. " Voted that Theodore Leonard, William Keith and Henry B. Clapp be a committee to disburse such sums as shall in their judgment be necessary for an outfit for the Greenfield Guards and for the comfort of their families during their absence, and for their time expended in prelim- inary drill-and that said committee be authorized to borrow such sum or sums, not exceeding $5,000, as shall be neces- sary to carry this vote into effect-and that $2,000, be as- sessed upon the tax of the present year."
This is the first recorded action of the town regarding the great civil war.
This committee reported to the town November 5, that they had expended $3,644.56 in fitting out Captain Day's com- pany for war, which report was accepted and the committee
336
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION
discharged. At the same meeting, it was voted, "That the selectmen be authorized and directed to expend for the relief of needy families of those inhabitants of Greenfield, who have enlisted in the army of the United States, so much of the bal- ance unexpended by the military committee as the town will be able to receive from the state under the act of the extra session of the legislature."
1862. At the annual meeting, the sum of one thousand dollars was raised for aid to the families of volunteers.
July 22. On motion of Honorable George T. Davis the following vote was passed : " That the selectmen of Green- field be authorized in behalf of this town to pay a bounty of one hundred dollars to every inhabitant of the town who shall have enlisted since July 7, 1862, or shall hereafter enlist un- til the number in said quota (47) shall be fully made up ; such payment to be made as each of said volunteers shall be mustered into the service by the proper United States author- ity, and in the order that their names shall be returned to the selectmen by any recruiting officer duly authorized ; provided, however, that no bounty shall be paid from this town to any volunteer who has received, or is entitled to receive, bounty from any other town or city."
July 26. Twelve hundred dollars was voted for aid to fam- ilies of volunteers, and five hundred for the care of sick and wounded soldiers.
September 2. A similar vote was passed in relation to men who enlisted for nine months.
September 22. The sum of five hundred dollars additional was raised for an extra bounty of one hundred dollars each for the last five men enlisted under the quota of forty-seven men. The town voted the use of a foot path eight feet in width across the " old graveyard " to the Franklin Agricul- tural Society's grounds.
1863. At the annual March meeting the town authorized expenditure, not exceeding $500 per month, for aid to the
337
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
families of soldiers, for the ensuing year. Also the sum of $175 was voted to repay money advanced by citizens in fit- ting out the nine months' men.
July 16. Geo. W. Potter, L. D. Joslyn and Chauncey Bryant were appointed night watchmen for twenty days.
September 19. The town voted to raise the sum of $6, 290.86, " for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of an act for the reimbursement of bounties paid to volun- teers," passed by the Legislature in April.
1864. At the annual meeting the town voted to continue the payment of aid to soldier's families for the ensuing year, not to exceed the sum of five hundred dollars per month.
The assessors were directed to abate the taxes of soldiers in the field, if desirable.
June 29. Fifteen hundred dollars was raised to reimburse individuals for money advanced to fill the town's quota, called for October 17, 1863.
July 12. The town voted $1,500 to repay money ad- vanced by individuals to fill the quota called for February I, 1864, and $2,500 for use in filling any call for volunteers before March 1, 1865. Five hundred dollars was also voted to aid the families of Willard Plumley and Augustus Howard, two conscripts.
January 21, 1865. The selectmen were authorized to take such measures as they thought best to fill the quota under the call of the President in December, 1864, and borrow, not to exceed $ 125, for each man recruited.
22
CHAPTER XXIX
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION
T' THE Free Soil movement found early sympathizers in Greenfield. As early as 1848, Deacon Charles J. J. Ingersoll, then a partner of Colonel Phelps as pub- lishers of the Gazette, disliking the subservient action of the Whig party concerning slavery, which party received the sup- port of the Gazette, withdrew from that firm and established a Free Soil paper called the American Republic. In the fall of 1852 the new party cast a conscience vote of fifty-five for John P. Hale, the Free Soil presidential candidate, out of a total poll of five hundred and twenty-one.
In September, 1855, a large delegate convention was held at Worcester in opposition to the extension of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, and at a largely attended mass meeting at Greenfield, George Grennell, Daniel Wells Alvord and Hugh M. Thompson, were chosen delegates to represent the sentiment of Greenfield. At that meeting the following res- olution was passed : " That the recent alarming advances of the slave power on this continent teach that the time has fully come for a union of all friends of freedom throughout the country in vigorous resistance."
Another great mass meeting was held by the citizens of the town to express the indignation felt at the attack of Brooks of South Carolina upon Senator Sumner, in the United States Senate. Hon. George Grennell presided, and the meeting was addressed by prominent men and caustic resolutions were adopted.
338
339
SECESSION BEGINS
The constant aggressions of the slave power had its ex- pected result, and when the election of 1856 took place, the vote of Greenfield was for Fremont, 385; Buchanan, 148; Fillmore, 21. In 1860, Lincoln received 322 votes; Doug- las, 114; Breckenridge, 32 ; Bell, 18.
The disunion sentiment of the south was brought to a cli- max in 1860 by the nomination and election of Abraham Lin- coln as President of the United States. Ever since the es- tablishment of the government there had been sectional feel- ings and differences which at times threatened the disruption of the bond of union between the states. The great moving cause being the different economic principles caused by the employment of slave labor in the south as against the free labor of the north. The strong and able statesmen of the south, continued by their constituents in their places for long periods of time, had been able thus far, though in a minority in Congress, to control the action of the government, aided as they were by trade and commercial interests in the north, which were always fearful of any disturbance of the existing relations between the different sections of the country. But the election of Mr. Lincoln convinced the south that the rich and populous north had determined that the control of the gov- ernment should hereafter be with the majority of the people, the majority of the business interests, and the majority of the wealth and influence of the country, where of right it should . be. Secession of southern states immediately began, and in February, 1861, a convention, held at Montgomery, Alabama, proclaimed the Confederate States of America. The "Tem- porizing Policy " of James Buchanan during the last three or four months of his administration had been severely criticized, and when at last Abraham Lincoln took up the reins of gov- ernment, he entered upon a task greater than ever before fell upon any human being.
The north was somewhat divided in sentiment, and com- pared unfavorably in military spirit with the south, but the
340
THE GREENFIELD GUARDS
firing upon Sumter created immense enthusiasm in the north for the Union, and military organizations all over the northern states offered themselves for immediate service for the preser- vation of the Union.
Greenfield was in no way less patriotic than her neighboring towns, and the "Greenfield Guards "-Co. G, 10th Regt. Mass. V. M .- then under command of Captain Edwin E. Day, at a meeting in February, 1861, unanimously voted to hold themselves in readiness to march for the defense of the Union whenever their services should be required. Intense excitement followed on Sunday, April 14, 1861, when the news was received that Fort Sumter had been attacked. " America " was sung in all the churches and prayers were offered for the preservation of the Union in every pulpit. The stars and stripes floated over the old Fireman's Hall, then the ar- mory of Co. G, and from the tower of the North Parish church. A patriotic meeting was held at Chandler Hall, in the old North Parish which was addressed by Dr. Chandler. In the village a war meeting was held at Washington Hall, on the evening of April 20th, and Whiting Griswold, then a Douglas democrat, was called to the chair by William A. Walker, who afterward became a Major in the 27th regiment, and gave his life to the cause at the battle of Gaines Mills. The meeting chose the venerable George Grennell president, David Ai- ken, Lucius Nims, Geo. T. Davis, Theodore Leonard, Whiting Griswold, Wm. B. Washburn, Isaac Barton, Richard E. Field, William Keith, Ansel Phelps, Hervey C. Newton, vice presidents ; and Charles Allen, Geo. W. Bartlett, Chas. A. Mirick and Saml. S. Eastman, secretaries. Soon was heard the strains of martial music, and the "Greenfield Guards," under command of Captain Day, came marching into the hall to the music of the fife and drum playing " Yankee Doodle," while the audience rose in their seats and gave lusty cheers. Several prominent citizens made patriotic speeches, but when Henry B. Clapp arose and pledged sufficient money to uniform
341
OFF FOR THE WAR
the military company and trust to future remuneration from the town, the audience were wild in their demonstrations of approval .* Theodore Leonard, George T. Davis and many other substantial citizens expressed a desire to become sureties for any necessary amount needed to enable the men to take the field. The meeting adopted strong resolutions pledging the citizens of the town to the support of the government in its efforts to preserve the Union. The corporate action of the town is given in this work, in the extracts from the town rec- ords, but it may be said here that at no time during the continuance of the war did the officers of the town hesitate to perform every duty which the government required of the town, to its fullest extent, even during the darkest days of the struggle.
From February to June the military company kept up their drills, often marching to the surrounding towns, where they were entertained very generously by the inhabitants of the different villages. They were in hourly expectation of being called into service, but it was near the middle of June before the long expected summons came for them to join the regi- ment at Springfield. On the 14th of June, the Greenfield and Shelburne Falls companies were lined up in front of the armory, and Reverend Dr. Chandler, " his long white hair from his bared head falling over his shoulders, looking like one of the patriarchs of old, standing upon a wagon, made them a touch-
* As the first result of this meeting, a uniform of cadet gray was made for the com- pany by C. H. Montague & Co., who then occupied the store on the corner of Main and Federal streets. Perhaps it would be well to state here what became of those fine uniforms. After the company reached Washington, the whole regiment was fur- nished with the regulation blue uniform and the grays were packed away in a building near Brightwood, where the regiment was in camp during the winter of 1861-2. Here they remained until Early made his famous raid on Washington, in the summer of 1864, and by him were captured and carried off to clothe some rebel regiment. Cap- tain George Pierce of Co. G, upon the discharge of the Ioth, had re-enlisted and was detailed to command the recruits and re-enlisted men at Washington, temporarily at- tached to the 37th, which was one of the regiments sent to repulse the raid, and had the satisfaction of doing his part at that time, within sight of the old camp at Bright- wood. (Gazette & Courier.)
1
342
THE TENTH REGIMENT
ing farewell address." An immense concourse of people had gathered to see these first soldiers start for the seat of war. Presents were heaped upon them, promises made to them, and they were for a time the public idols.
After three years' active service, twenty of the 10th regi- ment returned to Greenfield, having been in most of the bat- tles of the Army of the Potomac during that period. On their return, they were met at the depot by at least two thousand of the citizens, were escorted to the Mansion House by the fire department, where a supper was given them by the mem- bers of Franklin Engine Co., No. 2.
The 10th regiment, in their three years' service were engaged in twenty battles and lost : Killed in action ninety members, and in death from wounds and disease, eighty-three, being thirteen and four fifths per cent of its total membership.
In the fall of 1861, the 27th regiment was organized, and although there was no company from Greenfield, the muster rolls show many men from this town.
The 27th regiment lost : Killed in action, seventy-one ; by disease and wounds, 293, twenty-three and the one fifth per cent of total membership.
The reverses suffered by the Union armies during the first years of the war dampened the ardor of the people; con- fidence in the commanders of the troops was at a low ebb, and it became impossible to raise the quotas called for by the government by volunteer enlistments, notwithstanding the large bounties offered for that purpose. At length a draft was ordered, and 2,044 men were called for from the Ninth Congressional District, in which Greenfield was situated. The drafted men were to serve three years, or during the war. Any drafted person could purchase exemption by paying $300 to D. W. Alvord, Collector of Internal Revenue for the dis- trict. Fifty per cent to make up for drafted persons who were exempt was added to the number to be raised, making it nec- essary to put upon the rolls the names of 3,066 men. Green-
343
THE DRAFT
field was the headquarters of Provost Marshal D. H. Merriam of Fitchburg, and he was aided in the draft by Commissioner Zenas W. Bliss, Surgeon C. E. Richardson and Deputy U. S. Marshal S. N. Whitney. Greenfield's quota was eighty-eight
men. Drafting began at Greenfield July 14, 1863. A piece of cardboard containing the name of each enrolled man was placed in an envelope, sealed, and put into a large brass wheel some three feet in diameter, and turned so as to thoroughly mix the cards. J. P. Streeter of Shelburne Falls, a blind man, and blindfolded beside, drew from the wheel the names of the drafted men which were duly recorded. When the necessary number had been drawn, the cards remaining in the wheel were counted in proof of a correct tally. The towns of the district were taken in alphabetical order and amidst great ex- citement Greenfield was reached. The first name was that of Martin Burns followed by those of eighty-seven other citizens, nine of whom furnished substitutes, eight paid commutation, and the remainder were exempted for various legal causes.
In the early summer of 1862, another regiment from the western part of the state was called for,-the 34th. As it was to be commanded by George D. Wells, who had been serving as lieutenant colonel of the Ist, a Greenfield boy and a descendant of one of the old families of the town, a war meeting was called, July 14th, to encourage enlistments, and recruits were offered a bounty of $ 100 each. Forty-seven en- listed, a larger number than had gone in any regiment up to that time.
In their three years' service, the 34th lost: Killed in ac- tion, eighty-one ; died from disease and wounds, 172, nine- teen and two fifths per cent of the total membership.
At a town meeting, held July 22, it was voted to pay a bounty of $100 to each soldier enlisting for three years. In August came the President's call for 75,000 men to serve nine months. One regiment under that call was to be raised in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Sixty-five men were re-
344
THE HOME GUARD ON DUTY
quired from Greenfield. September Ist, a war meeting was held, and in the midst of great enthusiasm twenty-seven of the young men of the village stepped upon the platform and signed their names to the enlistment roll. The day after the meeting, a tent was raised on the Common, and one or more of the young men who had already enlisted were in constant attendance to receive recruits. In a few days the entire num- ber had enlisted, including one minister, the principals of the high and grammar schools, one Amherst college student, many clerks from the stores, and many farmers' sons.
This was the last organization that went from Greenfield. Recruits after that were sent to various regiments. In the fall of 1862, there were in Greenfield 541 men subject to military service, over 200 of whom were already in the army.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.