USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Hardwick > History of Hardwick, Massachusetts, with a genealogical register > Part 28
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Next to Brigadier Ruggles in prominence among Hardwick of- ficers was Captain Samuel Robinson, who commanded a company in every campaign from 1755 to 1759 inclusive, with perhaps a single exception. His muster-roll from March 27 to December 26, 1755, includes thirty-eight Hardwick names, to wit : -
Samuel Robinson, Captain.
John Green.
William Paige, Lieutenant.
Larkin Green.
Eleazar Rice, Ensign.
Thomas Johnson.
John Blunt, Sergeant.
Edmund Jordan.
David Doane, Sergeant.
John Jordan.
Ebenezer Whipple, Sergeant.
Jacob Knowlton.
Richard Ellis, Clerk.
Phinehas Powers.
William Wood, Corporal.
Moses Seaver.
Edward Blair, Corporal.
Job Smith.
Isaac Gibbs, Corporal.
Nathaniel Sprout.
Thomas Barnes, Corporal.
Daniel Stearns.4
Philip Safford, Drummer.2
Thomas Stevens:
Elkanah Stewart.
David Aiken. Simeon Bacon.
Seth Stewart.
Jason Badcock.
William Stone.
Nathan Billings.
Bartholomew Taylor.
Oliver Cobleigh.
James Taylor.
Jonas Fay.
Pelatiah Ware.
Joseph Gilbert.8
James Whipple.
This company was engaged in the sanguinary battle near Lake George, on the 8th of September, 1755, and Sergeants Blunt and Whipple, Corporal Gibbs, and privates John Green and Bartholo-
1 The value of his service was recog- probably designed in part as a reward for nized both by the provincial and by the the same service. "We hear there are new appointments for Surveyors of his Majesty's Woods in North America. ... Hon. Brigadier Ruggles for this Province and the northern parts of Nova Scotia, . .. with salaries of £300 sterling, per annum, each." Boston News Letter, Octo- ber 11, 1770. royal government. By an act of the Gen- eral Court, January 6, 1764, a farm in Princeton was "granted to the Honour- able Timothy Ruggles, Esq., his heirs and assigns forever, in testimony of the grate- ful sense this Court has of the important services the Grantee rendered his Country in the late war ; more particularly while 2 Philip Safford was drum-major in 1757, and lieutenant in 1759. Commander-in-Chief of the Troops of this Province, furnished for the reduction of 3 Died November 4, 1755. Canada." A few years later he received 4 Daniel Stearns died in service, No- from the British government an office, vember 4, 1755.
265
MILITARY HISTORY.
mew Taylor, were killed ; on the next day, Corporals Wood and Blair were promoted to the rank of sergeants, and Edmund Jor- dan, Jacob Knowlton, and James Whipple were made corporals, to supply vacancies caused by death and promotion.
In the campaign from February 18 to December 24, 1756, Captain Robinson commanded a company in which were Hard- wick men (with their ages indicated by the figures in parentheses), as follows : -
Samuel Robinson, Captain (48).
Joshua Farr (21).2
Ezekiel Pratt, Ensign (37).
Benjamin Goddard (19).
Jonas Fay, Clerk (20) ..
Dudley Jordan (20).8
Philip Safford, Drummer (20).
Edmund Jordan (45).4
Benjamin Whipple, Sergeant (30).
Amos Marsh (22). Joseph Nichols (18).
Jacob Knowlton, Sergeant (27).
David Gitchell, Sergeant (21).
Isaiah Pratt (35).5
Daniel Billings (28).
Samuel Stewart (18).6
Samuel Church (40).1
Seth Stewart (20).7
Samuel Dexter (21).
Nathaniel Winslow (23).
James Doane (26).
Seth Winslow, Jr. (20).
It does not appear that Captain Robinson performed regular service in the field during the campaign of 1757 ; but he was not idle. The records of the Council show that provision was made to pay "to Captain Samuel Robinson the sum of £245, for ninety-eight men, and the sum of £9 15. 6. for his expenses in en- listing said men." 8 And in the pay-roll of Colonel Timothy Ruggles, in the expedition for the relief of Fort William Henry, is found the name of Samuel Robinson, captain.9
The regular muster-roll of Captain Robinson's company for the campaign from March 13 to December 1, 1758, is not found ; but a descriptive roll, omitting the officers, contains eighteen Hard- wick names : -
David Allen. Oliver Cobleigh. Samuel Dexter. Daniel Fay.
James Fay. Jonas Fay. Watson Freeman. David Gitchell.
1 Died in service.
2 Died October 2, 1756.
3 Died December 6, 1756.
4 Died November 18, 1756.
5 Died October 26, 1756.
6 Died November 18, 1756.
7 Died November 6, 1756.
8 Council Records, April 19, 1758. See next note.
9 No allowance was made to Captain Robinson for travel, indicating that his service was rendered near home, probably in enlisting the "ninety-eight men " for the relief of Fort William Henry in Au- gust, 1757.
1
Samuel Atwood (30).
Samuel Robinson, Jr. (17).
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HISTORY OF HARDWICK.
David Glazier. Isaiah Glazier. Stephen Gorham. Daniel Hastings. Jacob Hastings.
John Roberts.
James Robinson, Jr.
Samuel Robinson, Jr.
Philip Safford.
James Whipple.
For this military duty in 1758, the Council made provision to pay " to Capt. Samuel Robinson and Company the sum of £1422 3s. 7d., for their service on the intended expedition against Canada, under the command of General Abercromby, to dis- charge the Muster Roll, beginning the 13th day of March 1758, and ending the 1st day of December following." 1
There is similar proof of similar service in 1759, but the Muster Roll has disappeared. The Council passed an order to pay "to Capt. Samuel Robinson and Company for their service in the expedition against Canada under General Amherst the sum of £908 10s. 6d., to discharge their Muster Roll beginning the 31st day of May 1759, and ending the 24th day of December fol- lowing." 2
Captain William Paige, who had served as lieutenant of Cap- tain Robinson's company in 1755, commanded a company, from May 31 to December 24, 1759,8 composed of officers and sol- diers belonging to several towns. The commissioned officers were : -
William Paige, of Hardwick, Captain. Cornelius Stowell, of Worcester, First Lieutenant. James Henderson, of Rutland, Second Lieutenant. William Ward, of Worcester, Ensign.
The following Hardwick names are found : -
Elisha Cobb, Corporal. Lemuel Cobb.
Zurishaddai Doty.
Samuel Billings. Joseph Chamberlain. Jonas Paige. John Cobb. Shubael Winslow.
From March 11 to December 29, 1760, Captain Paige com- manded a company, composed, like the other, of officers and men residing in several towns, and including seven Hardwick names : -
1 Council Records, January 31, 1759. commanded a company at an earlier 2 Ibid., February 26, 1760. date; but no muster roll of such service is found.
3 Captain Paige is supposed to have
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MILITARY HISTORY.
William Paige, Captain. Samuel Hedge, Corporal.1 Edward Foster. David Glazier.
Isaiah Glazier.
Jonas Paige. David Weeks.
Captain Ebenezer Cox, of Wrentham, commanded a company during the campaigns of 1758, 1759, 1760, and, probably, in 1761.2 He then removed to Hardwick, and from March 4, to December 19, 1762, commanded a company, in which were Hard- wick men, to wit: -
Ebenezer Cox, Captain.
John Haskell.
Daniel Hastings, Corporal.
John McSwain.
David Aiken.
Caleb Nye.
Samuel Billings.
Benjamin Raymond.
John Cobb.
John Raymond.
Lemuel Cobb.
Joel Simonds.
Thomas Freeman.
Nathaniel Whitcomb.
Stephen Gorham.
James Winslow.
To the foregoing persons should be added regimental staff- officers, namely : -
Samuel Robinson, Jr., Adjutant. Challis Safford, Surgeon.
Elisha Hedge, Commissary. Joel Carpenter, Surgeon's Mate.
Besides these were others who performed similar service under captains who did not reside in Hardwick, to wit: -
Stephen Fay, Sergeant.
Richard Hatch.
Ebenezer Safford, Sergeant.
Simeon Hazeltine.
Samuel Winslow, Sergeant.
Samuel Hunt.
Isaac Clark, Corporal.
Ebenezer Lawrence.
Ebenezer Lyscomb, Corporal.
Benjamin Mann.
Timothy Abbott. Abel Benjamin.
Peter Ott. Joseph Petrell.
Elisha Church.
Richard Church.
Dan (a negro).
Ichabod Dexter.
Holland Weeks.
Joshua Elwell.
Paul Whipple.
James Whitcomb.3
1 Samuel Hedge died September 11, 1760.
2 Captain Cox, probably, rendered ser- vice before 1758, perhaps in a subordinate station. His epitaph asserts that he
William Merrick.
Timothy Sauge (or Sogg). John Train.
Caleb Green. Zachariah Haskell.
" In six campaigns intrepid trod the field, Nor to the Gallic Power would ever yield."
3 James Whitcomb, aged 23, was in General Winslow's army, in the Eastern Expedition, and was killed in July, 1755,
268
HISTORY OF HARDWICK.
All the persons before-mentioned are enrolled as officers and soldiers in the regular army for one or more campaigns. In addi- tion to these, two whole companies were in the field, for shorter periods, on special occasions. One of these companies was in the Crown Point Expedition, from September 20 to December 5, 1756, namely : -
Paul Mandell, Captain.
Watson Freeman.
Nathan Stone, Lieutenant.
Solomon Gilbert.
Noah Mandell, Ensign.1
Samuel Harrington.
Timothy Newton, Clerk.
Zachariah Haskell.
James Fay, Sergeant. Solomon Aiken, Sergeant. Silas Bowker, Sergeant.
Jacob Hastings. Elisha Hedge, Jr.
Joseph Hinds.
Samuel Steele, Corporal.
Seth Hinkley.
Nathaniel Merrick, Corporal.
Sylvanus Howe.
David Marble.
Joseph Higgins, Corporal. Henry Chase, Corporal.
Nathan Marble.
Benjamin Negus.
Eliphalet Ayers. James Bacon.
Daniel Parkhurst.
David Barr.
John Paige.
Abel Benjamin.
Jonas Paige.
Edward Blair.
Ephraim Rice.
Jotham Bruce.
Oliver Rice.
Jonas Butterfield.
Whiting Ruggles.
Isaiah Carpenter. Lemuel Cobb.
James Whipple.
Ebenezer Cummings.
Asa Whitcomb.
Elijah Cummings.
Nathaniel Whitcomb, Jr.
Ebenezer Curtis.
Thomas White.
John Fay.
Another company marched, August 9, 1757, as far as Kinder- hook, for the relief of Fort William Henry.
Joseph Warner, Captain. Joseph Ruggles, Lieutenant. Ezra Leonard, Ensign. Silas Newton, Clerk. Stephen Fay, Sergeant.
as mentioned in the manuscript diary of Surgeon John Thomas: "July ye 25, A. D. 1775. I lodged at Fort Lawrance. Lieut. Willson came from Gauspereau, bringing an account that one of Capt. Cobb's men were killed, passing from ye foart to ye vilige on his hors ; he and his
John Aiken, Sergeant.
Jonathan Farr, Sergeant.
Elisha Billings, Sergeant. Solomon Aiken, Corporal.
Samuel Bridge.
hors ware both killed; his name was Whitcum ; he came from Hardwicke. Colonel Munckton ordered Major Bourn out with 200 men to Gauspereau, to inquire into the affair."
1 Noah Mandell was promoted to the office of lieutenant, October 29, 1756.
!
- - --
Timothy Sauge.
269
MILITARY HISTORY.
Joseph Chamberlin.
Richard Church.
Timothy Church. Silas Dean.
Timothy Pike. Abraham Powers. William Powers. Oliver Rice.
Thomas Elwell.
Solomon Rice.
John Fay. Jonas Fay.
Leonard Robinson. Daniel Warner.
Aaron Forbush.
Elijah Warner.
Joseph Higgins. Thomas Johnson.
Thomas Weeks.
Asa Whitcomb.
John Paige. John Paige, Jr.
Shubael Winslow.
During the Revolutionary War, Hardwick furnished its full quota of officers and soldiers. In anticipation of its commence- ment, as heretofore related, the whole military force was organ- ized under officers elected by the town, including a company of " minute men," of whom the first captain was Jonathan War- ner ; he was immediately elected colonel, and became brigadier- general February 13, 1776, and major-general June 28, 1781, in which office he served his country faithfully until the end of the war, and during the Shays Insurrection. The company of " minute men," under a new captain, promptly reported for duty at Cambridge immediately after the memorable 19th day of April, 1775. The members of this company who responded to the call were : -
Simeon Hazeltine, Captain. Josiah Locke, Lieutenant. Ebenezer Washburn, Lieutenant. Barnabas Sears, Sergeant. Denison Robinson, Sergeant. Stephen Gorham, Sergeant. Moses Whitcomb, Sergeant. John Raymond, Corporal. Adnah Bangs. Nathan Bangs. John Butler. Nathan Carpenter.
Jonathan Hastings.
Edward Chaloner. Isaac Clark. Uriah Converse.
Jabez Cobb. Paul Dean. Samuel Dexter.
John Dunsmore. Simon Fletcher. Edmund Freeman. Stephen Fuller. Shearjashub Goodspeed.
John Hedge. Edmund Hodges. Aaron Hudson. Solomon Johnson. Philip Jordan. John Kinney. Ebenezer Lawrence. James Lawton. Nathan Leonard. Moses Mandell. Caleb Nye. Joseph Nye.
270
HISTORY OF HARDWICK.
Prince Nye. James Paige, 2d.
Edward Ruggles.
Jesse Paige. Timothy Paige,
Nathaniel Ruggles. Samuel Ruggles. Thomas Ruggles. Steward Southgate. Daniel Thomas. Ephraim Titus.
William Paige, Jr.
Josiah Perkins.
Elisha Pike.
Samuel Pike.
Joseph Washburn.
Edmund Rawson.
Isaac Rice.
Joseph Weeks. Judah Weeks.
Henry Rixford.
John Wheeler.
Josiah Roberts.
Adam Willis.
Joseph Robinson.
David Witt.
Thomas Robinson, Jr.
James Wright.
Benjamin Ruggles.
Thomas Martin Wright.
Of these sixty-four persons, twenty-one immediately enlisted in the "Continental Army;" and of the forty-three others, at least thirty rendered service, sooner or later, in the same army. Captain Hazeltine was among the first to organize a company, consisting chiefly of Worcester County men, to serve three months from May 1, 1775. The roll, exhibited at Roxbury, June 10, containing fifty-nine names, included thirteen belonging to Hardwick, namely : -
Simeon Hazeltine, Captain. John Raymond, Sergeant.
Joseph Nye.
Josiah Perkins.
Prince Haskell, Drummer. Seth Babbitt.
Daniel Rice.
Ebenezer Sprout.
John Butler.
Nathaniel Sprout.
Edmund Freeman. Ebenezer Luce.
Ephraim Titus.
It has already been mentioned that in reorganizing the militia with reference to the impending outbreak of hostilities, the town elected Samuel Billings, Jr., as captain " for the south side of the town," November 21, 1774. When the first blow was struck on the memorable nineteenth day of April, he immediately enlisted a company consisting of fifty-nine persons, fifty-seven of whom were Hardwick men, to serve eight months from May 4, 1775, to wit : -
Samuel Billings, Jr., Captain. Barnabas Sears, Lieutenant. Stephen Gorham, Ensign.
John Hanmer, Sergeant.
Steward Southgate, Sergeant. Abraham Chamberlin, Sergeant.
271
MILITARY HISTORY.
Caleb Nye, Sergeant.
Philip Jordan. Joseph Loring. Marshall Miller.
William Merrick.
Reuben Ned.
Stephen Newton.
Timothy Newton. Isaac Otis. Joseph Pike. John Plant. Levi Pratt.
Joshua Boyden. Nathan Carpenter.
Stephen Pratt.
Moses Chamberlin.
-
Edward Church.
Moses Rice. Josiah Roberts. Jesse Safford. Reuben Snow.
James Crossman. Daniel Evans.
Thomas Spooner.
Aaron Fay. Simon Fletcher. Philip Freiker.
Zephaniah Spooner. Robert Sprout.
John Giffin. Benjamin Glazier.
Ephraim Thayer. Daniel Thomas.
Shearjashub Goodspeed.
Ephraim Tucker.
Jonathan Hastings. Elisha Hedge, Jr.
David Weeks.
Edmund Willis.
Henry Higgins. Antipas Howe.
Job Winslow.
Samuel Dexter, a member of the company of " minute-men," having enlisted a company at a later day, was commissioned captain December 10, 1775. " A Muster Roll of Capt. Samuel Dexter's Militia Company in Col. Learned's Regiment, from Hardwick, New Braintree, and Oakham, for their travel from and to home, at one penny a mile, - Roxbury Camp, January, A. D. 1776," contains the following Hardwick names : -
Samuel Dexter, Captain. Thomas Robinson, Jr., Sergeant. Samuel French, Corporal. Atwood Aiken. John Aiken. Nathaniel Aiken. Jonathan Childs. Uriah Converse. Nathan Crosby. Paul Crowell.
Thomas Crowell. Seth Dean. Daniel Fay, Jr. Alexander Forbush. Jonathan Glazier. Thomas Haskell. Asa Hedge. Moses Hunt. Jesse Kenney. Moses Mandell.
Adnah Bangs, Corporal. Aaron Hudson, Corporal. Joseph Weeks, Corporal. Thomas M. Wright, Corporal. Shubael Wilder, Drummer. Moses Doty, Fifer. Solomon Aiken. Jedediah Bassett. John Batchelder.
272
HISTORY OF HARDWICK.
George Paige, Jr. Jesse Paige. Timothy Paige, Jr. Lemuel Ruggles.
- Thomas Ruggles. John Wheeler. Jacob Whipple.
Barnabas Sears, sergeant of minute-men, and lieutenant under Captain Billings, was captain in February, 1776, was elected major June 26, 1776,1 and was styled Lieutenant-Colonel Com- mandant in a roll of field officers dated 1781. The roll of his company, at the Dorchester Camp, February 15, 1776, contained fourteen Hardwick names, to wit : -
Barnabas Sears, Captain.
Israel Lawton.
Consider Eddy.
John Lawton.
Nathan Foster, Jr.
William Merrick.
John Gorham.
Reuben Ned.
Andrew Haskell.
Nathaniel Paige.
Moses Haskell.
Daniel Ruggles.
Solomon Hedge.
Zephaniah Spooner.
In June, 1777, General Warner was appointed to command an expedition to St. John's River, N. S. His acceptance exhibits both his patriotism and his modesty : "May it please your Honors. By the direction of your Honors, the Secretary has acquainted me of my appointment as Brigadier General to com- mand the Forces destined to St. Johns in Nova Scotia, and re- quires my immediate answer. I could wish a person of more experience had been made choice of, as your Honors must be sensible that military knowledge and experience is highly neces- sary in an undertaking of this importance, and the little op- portunity I have had to qualify myself for so important an affair. But since it has pleased your Honors to appoint me to command in this Expedition, I will exert my poor abilities, and endeavor to deserve the honor conferred on your Honors' most obedient humble servant. JONA. WARNER. Boston, June 25th, 1777. To the Honorable Board." 2
1 " The House made choice by ballot of the following Gentlemen as Field Offi- cers for the Battalion to be raised in the County of Worcester for the continental service, agreeable to a Resolve which passed the House yesterday, viz : " Jonathan Holman, Colo.
" Paul Raymond, Lt. Colo.
" Barnabas Sears, Major.
" In Council, Read and Concurred." This battalion was destined to serve in New York; and the proportion allotted to Hardwick was thirty-eight. See Gen- eral Court Records, June 26, 1776.
2 Mass. Archives, cxcvii. 198.
273
MILITARY HISTORY.
Before this expedition was fully organized, however, the ad- vance of General Burgoyne on the northern frontier created widespread alarm, and urgent appeals for aid were issued by the civil and military authorities. Among these was a letter from Colonel Seth Warner, still on file in the Mass. Archives, cxcvii., 321. On its receipt, General Warner forwarded it by express to the Council of this State: - " To the Honble Council of the State of the Massachusetts Bay : Gentlemen, I have this minute received an express from Colo. Warner which I thought it my duty to forward to your Honors immediately. Accordingly I thought it expedient to issue out orders for every sixth man in my Brigade to march to the assistance of Colo. Warner, by the way of Bennington, and desire your Honors would give direction in the matter as you shall think proper. As I have orders to march on an expedition to St. John's River, in Nova Scotia, your Honors will determine what is most expedient in the present distressing circumstances of affairs.1 I am your Honors' most obedient humble servant, JONA. WARNER. Hardwick, July 22, 1777, at 11 o'clock at night."
The detachment from General Warner's brigade marched within a few days, one company of which was commanded by Captain Edmund Hodges, one of the " minute-men," who had al- ready become captain of militia. He was detached, with a por- tion of his company, to which were added officers and soldiers from other towns. The company, thus formed, was attached to the regiment of Colonel Job Cushing,2 and served in the North- ern Army from July 27 to August 29, 1777. The muster roll included twenty-nine Hardwick names : -
Edmund Hodges, Captain. Solomon Aiken, Sergeant. Ebenezer Lyscom, Sergeant. Stephen Newton, Sergeant. Daniel Fay, Jr., Corporal.
1 The Council directed General War- ner, August 8, 1777, to disband the troops designed for the expedition to St. John's River, and on the next day appointed him to take command, as brigadier- general, of all the militia which had been detached for the reinforcement of the Northern Army.
2 " A Pay Abstract of the Staff Officers of Col. Job Cushing's Regiment of Mass. Bay Militia in Gen. Warner's Brigade,
Atwood Aiken, Corporal. Oliver Bailey, Corporal. Abraham Chamberlin. William Chamberlin. Aaron Forbush.
on the Alarm to Bennington," contains the names of Colonel Job Cushing, of Shrewsbury ; Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Rice, of Hardwick ; Major John Rand, of Westminster ; Major Joseph Bowman, of New Braintree. They continued in service from July 25 until November 30, and assisted in the capture of Burgoyne's entire army, November 19, 1777. See Muster Rolls, xxvi. 8, 10.
18
274
HISTORY OF HARDWICK.
Nathan Freeman.
Benjamin Ruggles.
George Haskell.
Ephraim Ruggles. Seth Ruggles.
Solomon Hedge.
Ephraim Hodges.
Lewis Sweeting.
Moses Hunt.
Gardner Wait.
Prince Jenney.
Daniel Warner.
Philip Jordan.
Elijah Washburn.
Ezra Leonard, Jr.
David Whipple.
Joslyn Munroe.
Moses Whitcomb.
Timothy Newton.
" A Pay Roll of Capt. Timothy Paige's Company, for going to Bennington in an Alarm," and remaining in service from Au- gust 21 to August 31, 1777.1
Timothy Paige, Captain. John Dunsmore, First Lieutenant. Job Dexter, Second Lieutenant. Thomas Robinson, Sergeant. John Raymond, Sergeant. Samuel Beals, Sergeant.2 Jonathan Hastings, Corporal.
Lemuel Gilbert.
Shearjashub Goodspeed.
John Gorham.
Uriah Higgins.
John Jenney.
Lemuel Johnson.
Seth Johnson.
Thomas Ruggles, Corporal.
Gideon Newton.
Prince Nye.
Ephraim Thayer, Corporal. Prince Haskell, Drummer. George Paige, Jr., Fifer.
William Nye.
Captain William Paige, Cadet.
Captain Simeon Hazeltine, Cadet.
Freeman Sears.
Lieutenant Elisha Billings, Cadet.
Abijah Sibley.
Lieutenant Ebenezer Washburn, Cadet. Elisha Sibley. Seth Babbitt. William Bassett.
Jesse Snow. Jeduthun Spooner.
Daniel Billings.
Zephaniah Spooner.
Elijah Carpenter.
Joel Stratton.
Thomas Crowell.
Nathaniel Swift.
Isaac Cummings.
Daniel Thomas.
Barnabas Cushman.
Ephraim Tucker.
Silas Dean.
Robert Tucker.
Jedediah Fay. George Field.
Silas Willis.
Before the arrival of this company at Bennington, the party
1 Muster Rolls, xxii. 64.
and deputy quartermaster general in 1787,
2 Samuel Beals was lieutenant in 1781, with the rank of major.
Edmund Willis.
John Giffin.
Jesse Paige. David Pratt.
275
MILITARY HISTORY.
detached by General Burgoyne had been defeated by the troops under General Stark, at the famous Bennington Battle, August 16, 1777, and the danger of serious disaster had been averted. But the main army of Burgoyne was still advancing. The vol- unteers had made no preparation for long service, and soon re- turned home. In this emergency, fresh levies of troops were necessary for the public defence. The order of General Warner to the commander of a regiment in his brigade has escaped de- struction, and remains on file in the Massachusetts Archives, cxcviii. 127 : -
" Bennington, August 25, 1777. Sir, With grateful acknowl- edgments of your forwardness in turning out men for the assist- ance of the Army in the late alarming crisis, wherein we have been favored with a surprising victory, but as the enemy are re- pulsed, and the men who came on the alarm cannot be prevailed with to tarry till the last of November, I am to direct you to see that every sixth man in your Regiment, agreeable to the Resolves of the General Court, be detailed and with all possible despatch marched to join my Brigade in the Northern Army, now stationed at this place, as those that turned out as volunteers are not pre- pared to tarry so long, and it is very necessary that the General Officers should know what number of men they have to depend on, in order to plan proper measures for the further repelling of the enemy. Therefore said Order of Court must be immediately complied with. I am, Sir, yours &c., JONA WARNER, B. G. You will form the men detached from your Regiment into Com- panies, as near as may be to Order of Court, and appoint proper Officers to command the same, and order them to march with all possible despatch. To Col. Abijah Stearns."
Nathan Leonard, one of the " minute-men," commanded a com- pany composed of Worcester County men, through the campaign from January 18, 1778 to January 1, 1779. The Hardwick names were : -
Nathan Leonard, Captain. John Thayer.
John Harris, Sergeant. Samuel Thayer.
Josiah Green.
Moses Winchester.
Andrew Haskell.
Daniel Shays, afterwards so conspicuous in the Insurrection in 1786, commanded a company during the campaign of 1778. Although he was not a resident in Hardwick,1 I give him a place
1 At this time Captain Shays resided in Shutesbury ; he afterwards removed to Pelham.
276
HISTORY OF HARDWICK.
here, as the influence which he gained over his men at this time may account for the adherence of some of them to him after- wards. His muster roll, dated Albany, February 9, 1778, con- tains eight Hardwick names : -
Daniel Shays, Captain.
Moses Doty, Fifer.
Edward Chaloner, Ensign.
Joseph Hunt.
John Wheeler, Sergeant.1 Elisha Pike.
John Plant, Corporal.
Henry Rixford.
Shubael Wilder, Drummer.
" A Pay Roll of Capt. Timothy Paige's Company, in Col. John Rand's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia, raised for the defence of the United States, agreeable to a Resolve of the Great and General Court, bearing date June 22, 1780; raised for three months, and did duty at West Point in the State of New York." This company, which commenced service July 5, 1780, consisted of one hundred and two men, of whom thirty were residents in Hardwick : -
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