History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 159

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 159

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582

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

These two rolls were copied from the "Lexington Alarm Rolls," vol. xii. pp. 115, 42, in the State archives. The captains of these companies made oath before Israel Hobart, Esq., that they were cor- rect in regard to travel, term of service and the days of the month on which the service was rendered, from which it appears that Townsend had seventy-three men who quickly responded to the "alarm " on that memorable 19th of April.

The title of the roll of Captain Douglas' company is instructive in regard to the feeling here among the people at the commencement of the Revolution ; for it appears that this company " was called back to take care of the tories in sd Townshend." Most of the Townsend men who did not favor the cause of inde- pendence were near neighbors of Douglas and his soldiers. It appears from the records that Townsend had quite a number of men who were loyal to the King, some of whom left the Province. Both of these rolls designate the British soldiers as "ministerial troops" instead of His Majesty's troops, which rather indicates that the colonists considered that the King had bad advisers, and that the British ministry might perhaps be induced, in using deliberation and reason, and guided by wisdom, to consider and reconsider some of the acts that bore so heavily upon them.

The assembling of the soldiers around Boston in 1775 was a great advantage to the colonists, as it showed them the need of arms, blankets and other munitions of war. The acquaintance there formed, the discussions of future operations against their ene- mies and the necessity of well-concerted action, all strengthened their determination to be free. A large portion of the soldiers from all parts of the State who responded to the alarm re-enlisted and served more or less during the war with different captains and in companies from different towns.

The summer of 1775 was extremely hot and dry, much more so than any since the settlement of the town ; there were small crops of corn and potatoes, and on dry land failed entirely ; of hay not over half a crop was raised. There was also much sickness in town; many families suffering from the diseases of dysentery and fevers, which in many cases were long and severe. The number of deaths in town was unu- sually large. Add to this the absence of so many heads of families in the army, and the keen anxiety concerning the affairs of the Province, and we can have some idea of the depressed condition, the trials and struggles of this first year of the war.

The exact number of men from Townsend in the battle of Bunker Hill is not known; thirty-five of them were in Captain Henry Farwell's company, made up principally from Groton and Townsend sol- diers. Oliver Stevens, in Captain Wyman's company, was wounded and died in prison. Archibald Mclu- tosh, of Townsend, was killed in this action.

As near as can be ascertained, there were between thirty and thirty-five men constantly in the army

from this town until the British evacuated Boston in March, 1776. One great mistake in the war was the short term of enlistments, just as it was in the War of the Rebellion. About as soon as some of the recruits began to be worth anything to the government their term of service expired and they were mustered out.

In 1776 Oliver Prescott, of Groton, was appointed brigadier-general, and in that capacity he organized the militia of Middlesex County into eight companies constituting a regiment of drafted soldiers under fifty years of age.

Company No. 8, in this regiment, was commanded by Captain Thomas Warren, of Townsend. There were sixty men in this company, thirteen of whom belonged to Townsend, and their names are as fol- lows :

Thomas Warren, captain ; Samuel Maynard, corporal ; Robert Waugh, corporal ; William Manning, Joel Davis, Samuel Wyman, Jonathan Bowers, David Holt, William Clark, Asa Merrell, Hinchman Warren, Ephraim Warren, Timothy Warren.

It will be easily understood that, under the severe pressure of a harassing war, when all resources were heavily drawn upon to furnish arms, ammunition, clothes and provisions for the army, to supply funds for the payment of the soldiers and to meet other ex- penses incident to the state of public affairs, money among the people was not only exceedingly scarce, but that, in consequence of the successive drafts for sol- diers, laborers were in great demand, and their ser- vices commanded exorbitant prices. The result of this was that prices of all commodities, and articles of consumption, rose in proportion. This was a pe- culiar state of affairs. Every kind of goods was held at a high price, although no one had money to buy with. The General Court passed an act dividing the State into districts, and ordered that a committee should be chosen in each district to fix upon the. prices of labor and provisions. This plan operated unequally, and was given up, as the people would not submit to it.

At this time the people began to feel the heavily- pressing burdens of the war, and began to devise means to equalize the same among themselves. At the March meeting, 1777, the town "voted to choose a committee of five men to estimate all the past ser- vices done in the war by men of this town; Thomas Warren, James Hosley, Daniel Adams, Richard Wyer and Levi Whitney were chosen for said com- mittee." The report of this committee is spread on the town records, and the sums awarded to the sol- diers are certainly small. The expense was made into a tax "on the several inhabitants of this town, and that the polls pay one-half of said rait."

In addition to all other embarrassments under which the patriotic citizens were laboring, was the discouraging influence of about a dozen men in this town who were Tories. These men, for more than two years, had clandestinely opposed all measures which tended to resist the authority of Great Britain.

583

TOWNSEND.

They were intelligent, most of them, and lived on Nissequassick Hill, and during the time that the sol- diers were absent-after the alarm of the 19th of April-they were offensively outspoken aud disagree- able. It was during this year that it became neces- sary for every man to show his colors, as public opin- ion demanded every able-bodied citizen to give his individual support to the American cause, or be ex- posed to public indignation, to prosecution's before a special court of the Sessions of the Peace, to impris- oument, or to a coat of tar and feathers. Occasionally they were obliged to uncover their heads, and, in presence of the assembled majesty of the town, to promise greater love for the American cause and a strict conformity to the popular will.

The selectmen reported the names of persons who were suspected of unfriendly feelings towards the pa- triots, and who were considered dangerous. There were eight of them, viz .: Isaac Wallace, William Wallace, David Holden, Jonathan Wallace, Ebenezer Giles, Joshua Smith, Reuben Tucker and Seth John- son. Jonathan Wallace and Ebenezer Giles were ex- cused after a rigid examination. There were others besides these men, some of whom, when the excite- ment was at its height, precipitantly left the town. The most prominent Townsend man who was loyal to the Crown and British ministry was Joseph Adams, a physician. He came to this town from Lincoln, married Miss Lovy Lawrence, of Lincoln, December 19, 1774. He owned a farm in Towusend and one in Pepperell, both of which, after the close of the war, were sold under the confiscation act by James Locke, who was appointed agent by the Judge of Probate. A committee was appointed to settle with his cred- itors, consisting of Rev. Samuel Dix, Captain Josephi Adams and others. He left early in the struggle and went to England, and died at Liscard, Cornwall, February 3, 1803.

At the close of the war there was considerable pres- sure on the part of the absentees, or runaway tories, from all parts of the country, for the privilege of re- turning to the places that were once their homes. To this the patriots never consented. On the 17th of April, 1783, the town of Boston sent a letter concern- ing these absentees, and a copy of the proceedings of a meeting at Faneuil Hall, directed,-"To the com- mittee of Correspondence. &c., the Selectmen of the Town or Plantation of Townsend, to be communi- cated to the Town or Plantation." The tone of this meeting had the regular Faneuil Hall ring to it. The preamble to their action set forth the case of the absentees in their true light at considerable length, stating the duty of each town to practice their rights. One resolution only was passed which covered the whole subject :

" HESOLVEO, That this Towo will at all times (as they have done), to the utmost of their Power, Oppose every Enemy to the just Rights and Liberties of Mankind: And that after so wicked a conspiracy against those Rights and Liberties, by certain Ingrates, most of them Natives

of these States, and who have been Refugees and declared Traitors to their Country, it is the opinion of this Town, that they ought never to be suffered to return, but be excluded from having Lot or Portion among us."

Townsend, at a towu-meeting on the 12th of May following, voted not to allow the return of the ab- sentees, and that the selectmeu communicate the vote of the town to the town of Boston. All the towns on the coast, as well as Boston, had more interest in the return of these Tories than the inland towns, for more of them belonged in these towns.

On the 30th of April, 1775, General Gage made a proposal " that those persons in the country who inclined to move into Boston with their effects might have liberty to do so without molestation." To this the Provincial Congress asseuted, and officers were appointed to grant permits, and a large number of Loyalists availed themselves to seek the shelter of the British guns. There are good reasons for suppos- ing that two or more of the Townsend Tories took advantage of this chance of escape, for their names, as far as is known, never appeared afterward on any records of the town.

All along through the war there were repeated calls upon the town for soldiers. Sometimes a few left at a time and joined companies in other towns. William Kendall, third sergeant, Joseph Putney and Jedediah Jewett, of Townsend, were in Captain Jonathan Davis' company, of Harvard. Perhaps the most critical period in the war was the state of affairs on the Hud- son River, when Burgoyne was marching for Albany with his army. The General Court ordered thither a portion of the troops from several counties, June 27, 1777. In some parts of the State volunteers enlisted, and marched to the assistance of General Gates and General Arnold, who at that time was the bravest of the brave. The following is a roll of one of these volunteer companies :

"STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS. Capt. James Hosley's Muster Roll of Volunteers, who turned out of the towns of Townshend, Pepperell and . Ashby, aud marched with him to the assistance of Major-General Gates, agreeable to a Resolve of the General Court of said State, upon Septem- ber 220, 1777, in the Regiment whereot Jonathan Reed is Colonel. James Hosley, Capt .; Asa Kendall, Lieut. ; Nath1. Sartell, Lieut. ; Daniel Adams, Clerk ; Lemuel Patts, Sergt. ; Thomas Shattuck, Sergt. ; Asa Shedd, Sergt. ; Benjamin Whitney, Sergt. ; Abram Clark, Lieut. ; Abner Adams, Sergt. ; Nath1. Bailey, Sergt. ; David Heyward, Sergt. ; Elijah Wyman, Sergt. ; Benja, Adams, Corpl. ; Jedidiah Jewett, Corpl. ; Joseph Lawrence, Corpl. ; John Boynton ; William Stevens, Corpl. ; Thomas Fisk, Corpl. ; Samuel Stone, Corpl. ; Abel Richardson, Corpl. ; William Prescott, Esq., formerly Colonel ; Henry Wood, Esq., formerly Major ; Samuel Stone, Major in the Militia. Privates : James Campbell, John Emery, John Eaton, Isaac Farrar, James Giles, Jonas Farmer, Jamos Greeu, James Hildreth, Benjamin Ball, Joshua Hosley, Samuel Ilen shaw, Abel Hildreth, Benja, Hudson, Daniel Jewell, Asa Kendall, .Fr., David Locke, Thomas Lawrence, Joseph Baldwin, Abner Brooks, Abra. ham Boynton, Sampson Bowers, Jonas Baldwin, Daniel Butterfield, Isaac Blood, Daniel Clark, John Locke, John Manning, John Stevens, Richard Stevens, Samuel Seward, Nath1. Sartell, Jr., Daniel Sherwin, Jr., William Tarbell, Samuel Wright, Jr., Joseph Walker, Jacob Wright, Timothy Warren, Pomp Phillis, John Emerson, Nathan Lovejoy, Tim- othy Hodgman."

These volunteers were in the service one month and fifteen days, and the pay of the privates was £3

584

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

15s., that of the officers being about sixty per cent. more than that of the men. This was one of the most efficient military companies that went to the war from this part of Middlesex County. Colonel Prescott, the hero of Bunker Hill, and two of his subordinate offi- cers carried their guns and served in the ranks of this corps, which, on the 17th of October, 1777, assisted in the surrender of the haughty Burgoyne at Saratoga.

During the year 1778 town-meetings followed in rapid succession ; the fourth one, on May 11th, was called " to see if the town will come into some method that will be effectual to raise the men called for of said town, for the public service, by the resolves of the General Court, April 20, 1778." At this meeting voted to give £130 to each of the Continental men and £80 to each of the militiamen. It must be kept in remembrance that when the war commenced, the en- thusiasm of the people was at its height, and the pay was comparatively good ; after this period it became necessary to resort to some regułar system for keeping our quota full. Besides this, the seat of war was so much farther from home than at first that there was more dread to enlist. Townsend had two militia com- panies, organized about 1774, known as the "North Company " and the "South Company." These compan- ies are called the "training-bands " in the records. The men of the town were enrolled from sixteen to sixty- five years of age, in these two companies, the dividing line between the two being the old county road. Whenever a call was made for troops from this town, these soldiers would meet and equalize the number of men each company was obliged to furnish. Gen- erally the soldiers from this town, in the first part of the war, received bounties, but some went for less bounty than was offered by the town at that time. In some instances members of these two companies cast lots among themselves to see who should go. The man upon whom the lot fell had to shoulder his musket and march, or hire a substitute. The number of men who could afford to hire a substitute was lim- ited. One fact is worthy of record: Townsend sent no man to the war except its own sons and citizens.

The following list of names is the only roll to be found in the records of the town of Townsend. Names of the six months' men in the continental ser- vice for 1780-travel, 220 miles :

"Eleazer Butterfield, William Stacey, Isaac Spalding, John Sberwin, Peter Adams, Jonathan Wheelock, Benjamin Hill, Timothy Shattuck, Bonja. Wetherhoe."

In June, 1779, a town-meeting was called, with this article in the warrant: "To see what the town will give to the men for the nine months' continental ser- vice, rather than proceed to a draught." On this article "voted to offer each soldier of our quota of nine months' men, 1000 dollars, or ninety bushels of rye."

During the last years of the war the depreciation of the currency deranged all business transactions and caused much excitement. The mother country had

flooded the States with counterfeit scrip, so that even- tually paper money became entirely valueless. One dollar in specie varied in value from $4.50, in 1778, to $166, in 1781, compared with Continental scrip. In July, 1781, the town voted to raise £40,000 to defray the charges of the war, and £6000 to make up the salary of Rev. Samuel Dix.

The writer is aware that this dim abstract of the part which Townsend took in this great struggle for constitutional freedom does not do justice either to the subject or to the men who engaged in it. They were poor, they had " foes within" in the heartless gang of Tories with whom they had to contend, they fought against great odds, and nothing but a con- sciousness of the rectitude of their course gave them success. Looking back over these scenes, they rise up before the mind like things coming from dream- land.

"'Tis like a dream when one awakes, This vision of the scenes of old ;

'Tis like the moon when morning breaks, "T'is like a tale round watch-fires told."

THE SHAYS REBELLION .- At the close of the Rev- . olution the country was in a demoralized condition. Nearly all the available wealth of the people, at the commencement of the war, had been expended to feed, clothe and pay the soldiers. There was much dissatisfaction among those who had served in the army at being paid off in worthless currency. The increase of the indebtedness of the towns and individ- uals, the scarcity of money of any value, the decay of business, numerous law-suits, and a want of confi- dence in the government, particularly in regard to financial matters, generated a depressed state of feeling, which caused great anxiety among the people. This state of feeling, in some degree, was co-extensive with the Commonwealth. People began to express great disapprobation of the man- ner in which the government was administered, and a revolt, in the western part of the State, was freely discussed, as early as 1782. In the town of Northampton the insurgents were rather numer- ous, having a disappointed and disaffected clergyman by the name of Ely for a leader, who understood all the arts of a demagogue. In 1783 a mob assembled in Springfield, resolving itself into a general conven- tion. Proceeding to the court-house, on the appear- ance of the judges and sheriff, they opposed their entrance into the building. A riot was prevented by the timely intervention of the most influential citi- zens there present.

For the next three years "the distressed state of affairs " as expressed in Townsend records, continued. In 1786 a convention of insurgents, according to Holland's " Western Massachusetts," assembled at Leicester, when thirty-seven towns were represented, which, without any interruption, freely discussed the propriety of obstructing the sitting of the General Court at Boston, the closing of the County Court's by force, law abuses and other subjects.

585

TOWNSEND.

In the counties of Middlesex, Bristol and Berk- shire similar conventions were held, and votes and resolves passed. On September 5, 1786, a mob pre- vented the session of the court at Worcester. The voters in the towns of Pepperell, Shirley, Groton and Townsend were about equally divided on this subject. The town of Concord, where the court was then in session, was much excited, dreading the arrival of the rebels against the State authorities. A majority of that town was in sympathy with the insurgents. A committee chosen by the town of Concord addressed the following letter to most of the towns in this county, and Townsend among the number :

" To the Town of Townsend :

"GENTLEMEN : Alarmed at the threatening aspect of our public affairs, this towo hns this day held a meeting and declared unanimously their utter disapprobation of the disorderly proceedings of a onmber of persons in the Conoties of Hampshire and Worcester, in preventing the action of the courts. Aud apprehending the like may be attempted in this County, and probably be attended with very dangerous couse- queoces, we have thought it advisable to endeavor, in conjunction with ns nnoy of the neighboring towns as we can give seasonable informa- tion to, by lenient measures to dissuade from such rash conduct as may involve the state in anarchy nod confusiou, and the deprecated horrors of civil war. We conceive the present uneasiness of the people to be Dot altogether groundless ; and although many designing men, enemies of the present government, may wish nod actually are fomenting un- easiness among the people, yet we are fully persuaded that the views of by far the greater part are to obtain redress of what they conceive to be real grievances. And sioce the method they havo taken cannot fail of meeting the hearty disapprobation of every friend of peace and good order, we cannot but hope, from what we know of the strenuous exer- tioos which have been made by the towns around us, and in which those disorders above mentioned now exist, to purchase at the expense of blood our independence, and the great unanimity with which they have established our present government ; and from what we know of the real grounds of their complaints ; were lenient measures nsed, aod n oumber of towns united to endeavor, by every mational argument, to dissuade those who may seem refractory from measures which tend immediately to destroy the fair fabric of our government, and to join in legal and constitutional measures to obtain redress of what may be found real grievances, they would he attended with happy effects.

"We have therefore chosco a committee to act in concert with the neighboring towns, for the purpose of mediating between opposing par- ties, should they meet. Aod we cannot but hope our united endeav- ors to support the dignity of government and prevent the effusion of blood will meet with general approbation, and be attended with happy results.

" If the above should meet with your approbation, we request you to choose some person to meet a committee of this towo, chosen for that purpose, at the house of Captain Oliver Brown, innholder in Concord, on Monday evening or Tuesday morning next, that we may confer to- gether, and adopt measures which may be thought best calculated for the attainment of the ond above proposed.

" We are, gentlemen, with great esteem and friendship, your bnoible servants.

" JOSEPH HOSMER, "in behalf of the towo's committee.

" Coucord, Sept. 9, 1786."

Townsend during this period was in a state of great perplexity, judging from the records of many town- meetings. In May, 1786, a warrant was posted call- ing a town-meeting on the 5th of June following, when a committee of five men was chosen " to draft public grievances," consisting of David Spafford, Jonathan Wallace, Daniel Adams, Benjamin Ball and Thomas Seaver. The first and last-named man on this committee were disaffected men ; the other three were opposed to the insurrection. At the same

meeting chose the same men as a committee to con- fer with other towns, aud then adjourned to the 26th of the same month. Met at the adjournment and adjourned for two weeks. At this adjourned meeting the town "chose two men to attend a convention (of insurgents) to be holden in Concord on the twenty- third of August."

There is no record of anything like a response to the letter sent to Townsend by the committee of the town of Concord. It seemed to be the first purpose of the insurgents to suppress the Courts of Sessions until some action should be taken to stay the flood of exe- cutions which wasted their property and made their homes desolate. On the 12th of September, 1786, three days after the date of the letter from Concord, three companies of insurgents marched into Concord, and forcibly stopped the court then in session The " head-centre " of the insurrection in Middlesex County was Job Shattuck, of Groton, assisted by Sylvanus and Nathan Smith, of Shirley, and Peter Butterfield, of Townsend, all of whom had been offi- cers in the War for American Independence. Shat- tuck served in the French War, and all of these men were well qualified to be conspicuous in such a cause.

Meeting with no resistance in stopping the court at Concord, their deportment was insolent and offensive in the extreme towards the judges, the members of the bar and every one not diposed to be in sympathy with them. The court being about to be holden at Cambridge, the Governor ordered the militia to be in readiness to march to that place, and at this junc- ture, when an effort to stop the court so near the capital of the State had succeeded, without any further delay or chance for the insurgents to rally their forces, " war- rants were issued for apprehending the head men of the insurgents of Middlesex, and for imprisoning them without bail or mainprise," A company of horse was ordered from Boston to assist the sheriff in the capture of Shattuck and his officers, which, on its arrival at Concord, was reinforced by a party of mounted men from Groton, under Colonel Henry Woods. This force succeeded in capturing two pris- oners-Oliver Parker and Benjamin Page, but failed to find Shattuck during the day, as he had taken alarm and escaped. "Under this disappointment, at midnight, in the midst of a violent snow-storm, the whole party were ordered on to Shattuck's house, in Groton, where they did not arrive till late in the morn- ing. A search was immediately commenced, and judi- cious pursuit discovered him to a party of a few persons led by Colonel Woods himself. Shattuck obstinately resisted, and was not taken till he had received sev- eral wounds, which he returned without much injury."

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 159

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034