History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 154

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 154

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" The me cifal providence of God also appeared in preventing the dauger that the hononred Major and his company miglit have been in when they came near us. ... Our enemies, skillful to destroy, endeav- ored to prevent any help from coming to our relief, and therefore sent down sentinels, ... the farthest about two miles from us, who, if they saw auy coming from the Bay, they might give notice by all alarm. And there were abont an hundred of them, who, for the most part, kept at an house some little distance frou us, by which, if any help came from the said Bay, they must pass; and so they intended (as we conceive), having notice, by their sentinels, of their approach, to waylay them, and, if they conld, to cut them off, before they came to the house where we kept.

" But, as we probably guess, they were so intent and buisy in pre- paring their instruments for onr destruction by fire, that they were Dot at the house where they nsed to keep for the purpose aforesaid, and that they heard not their sentinels when they shot; and so the Major's way was clear from danger till he came to our house. And that it was their purpose so to have fallen upon him ... is the more probable in that (az we have since had intelligence from some of the Indians them- MJven) there were a party of them at another place, who let him pass

by them without the least burt or opposition, waiting for a blow to be given him at the said house, and then they themselves to fall upon them in the reare. The Major and company were uo sooner come to the house, and uuderstood (though at first they knew not they were English who were in the house, but thought that they might be In- dians, and therefore were ready to have shot at us,-till, we discerning they were English by the Major's speaking, I caused the trumpct to be sounded), that the said Captain Hutchinson, myself and company, with the town's inhabitants, were there, but the Indians also discerned that there were some come to our assistance; whcreupon they spared not their shot, but poured it out on them. But through the Lord's goodness, though they stood not farr asunder one from another, they killed not one man, wounded only two of his company, and killed the Major's son's horse. After that, we within the house perceived the Indians shooting so at them, we hastened the Major and all his com- pany into the house as fast as we could, and their horses into a little yard before the house, where they wounded fiue other horses that night."

"The Honoured Major Willard stayed at Brookfield some weeks after our comiug here, there being several companies of souldiers sent up thither and to Hadley and the touns there abouts, which areabout thirty miles from Brookfield ; whither also the Major went for a time, upon the service in the present warr, and from whence, there being need of his presence for the ordering of matters concerning his own regiment and all the safety of the towns belonging to it, he, through God's good- less, returned in safety and health to his house and dear relations in Groten."

The cotemporaneous authorities give abundant evidence of the valuable and timely aid rendered by Major Willard in the relief of Brookfield. It is cer- tain that had he not acted with promptness, that the entire town would have been destroyed, and the in- habitants massacred. After leaving Brookfield Major Willard went with the larger part of his forces to the town of Hadley, where he left Captains Lathrop and Beers with their companies. He then returned to Brookfield and shortly after to Boston.

While Major Willard was upon this journey he wrote several letters to the Council, but unfortunately they are not on file in the archives of the Common- wealth. That they were in relation to the expedi- tion in which he was engaged, seems clear from the following answer by Secretary Rawson in behalf of the Council, written August 24th :

"Major Willard. Sr., we rec'd. 2 or 3 letters from you, where in we understood that our forces cannot meet the euemy. The Lord humble us under his afflictive hand. Touching the ordering and disposing the forces under your commnaud, we cannot particularly direct what to do ; only, in general, we hope you will endeavour to your utmost to distress your enemy. Also we think it incumbent upon you to employ your gar- rison to fortify your garrison at Quaboage what you may. And also we propose, whether it be not advisable to send a party of soldiers to ye Nipmuck towns of Wabqusitte and Manexit (?), where there is good store of corn. Possibly some Indians may be about those places to get food ; and if you can engage any person, English or Indians, by pro- mise of reward, to scout abroad, to discover where the encmy lurkest, and to bring you tidings before a great body march to them, and if they do march upon any discovery, will it not be best to march in the night as secretly as you can, and, when you come near the enemy, to leave an ambushmen(t), and by a retreat, after a little charge, to draw the enemy into the ambushment? And, further more, we advise, if you send to the towns where the corn grows, not to cut it up, but rather preserve it ; for, it being near ripe, cutting up will not destroy it : and though at a distance, yet we conceive the scarcity among divers English is like to be such that necessity will find some to fetch it from thence. We have inclosed a letter to Major Pincheon, which we desire you to peruse and seal ; whereby you may perceive our apprehensions touching sending forces to secure those towns. But yet we advise, if you think fit, to ride up with a guard to Springfield, and give Major Pincheon a visit, and encourage him and the people in thoso parts. Touching sup-

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ply of those small parliculars you seud for, order is givon to the com- mittce to send them. So, committing you to the Lord, desiring his presence with you and guidance of you, with our love and respects to yourself and rest of your officers, we remain, "E. R. S.

" Past 24 Angust.

" Pray do tho best endeavour to send tho wounded men home as soon as possible."

Upon his return from Brookfield and Hadley, Major Willard resumed his duties as commander of the Middlesex Regiment, his time being expended in making provisions for the defences for the frontier towns, establishing garrisons, issuing orders and di- recting the movement of the troops and performing such further duties as the exigency of the times re- quired. During all this time his residence was at Nonaicoicus. Here was the rendezvous of the troops, and, without doubt, it was one of the most important military posts upon the frontier.

About this time the Council, being undoubtedly in- formed of the situation, gave orders to detach eighty men from Major Willard's regiment, to take part in an expedition to Pennecook. Major Willard imme- diately communicated to the Council his views, which were contained in the following letter, and succeeded in convincing that body that his position was the correct one for the hour, for the withdrawal of the troops was countermanded :

"Honourable Gentlemen, the Governour and Council:

" This afternoon, we had, according to your order, discourse with Captain Hinckhman in reference to his actings in his way as to the commission he received from you. He is to take eighty men from our garrisons-that is all we have-or more : and we stand in need of more but we dare not be so bold. Our corn, that little we have, its time it were gathered ; but, if our scouts ho taken off, here is little is to be gatbercd, and many will hardly be kept with us, but will run away from all our towns. You haply may think we are afraid. We will not boast there about ; but we dare say our lives are not dear unto us in any way that God shall call us to. Our thoughts are that it is not advisable to marche up to Pennecook, where they are many Indians at the pres- ent, yet many abroad about all our towns, as appears daily period, But onr present thoughts are that it might be, for the present safety for the country that a garrison was settled over Merrimack River about Dun- stable, that there may be intercourse between our towns and that garrison.

" We have appointed (?) Captain Parker and Lieutenant Hinkesman, wbo will relate things to give you real light much further thau it's meet now to do, or than time will permit. We are not willing to trouble you any further, but rest your humble servants.

" SIMON WILLARD, " SAMUEL ADAMS,

" JAMES PARKER,

" JAMES KIDDER.

" Grotan, this 25th, 7, '75."

" 2. Captain Henchman, in his letter to the Governor, dated Chelms- ford, Sept. 21tb, 1675, says that, in pursuance of his instructious, he and his Lientenant met at Major Willard's the last day of the week, with the captains of the several towns directed to, as well for the drawing-off of the soldiers as to advise with them. For the first, they promised that they should be sent to Chelmsford at any hour's warning, and so will be ready here by that time. . . . Tho Major and the rest of the officers will advise no other motion than about this and other towns, but I under- stand the intent of the llonorable Council to be that I should march to Penny-Cook, although not named in my instructious, etc."

So active was Major Willard in the guarding of that part of the frontier under his charge that the Indians made no disturbances, and the settlers began

to have such a feeling of security that the inhabit- ants of Groton expressed themselves as entircly satis- fied at the charge of supporting the soldiers detailed for their protection. During all this time it became frequently necessary to discharge some of the soldiers and secure forces in their places. We find memoirs here and there which show the continued employ- ment of the commander in this business in the months of November and December.

Early in February, 1676, Major Willard received orders from the Council to raise a body of troops and dragoons to range the country between Groton, Lan- caster and Marlborough. The forces placed under Major Willard's command at this time were entirely inadequate for the performance of the duties thus de- volving upon him. The principal security consisted in garrison-houses in the frontier towns, constructed in such a manner as to hold out until the arrival of assistance, and the business of the troops was to go from point to point to protect or relieve the besieged inhabitants. With such means as were at his dis- posal Major Willard was constantly employed to pro- tect the inland towns. His duties were such that he was unable to take a seat at the Council board.

About Feb. 16, 1676, John Parker and his son were fired upon after leaving Major Willard's house at Nonaicoicus, but both, being in the saddle, managed to make good their escape, although the son was badly wounded.

The incursions of the enemy, which had been drawing nearer and nearer, and the fear of which had become intense among the inhabitants of Groton, were now to be realized at that place. In the mean time the major, with an insufficient force at his com- mand, had been ranging the country back and forth to ward off, if possible, the threatening calamity. He, however, found it to be necessary to abandon the house at Nonaicoicus, and removed his family to the centre of the town. His house lay upon the out- skirts, and was the first to be destroyed. There are severa! cotemporary accounts of the destruction of Groton, in which the burning of the major's house is mentioned. They differ from each other somewhat in the details as well as in the dates. I here quote a few as showing the esteem in which the major was held, and the importance with which his house was regarded :

" The 14th of March the savage enemy set upou a considerable town called Groughton and burned Major Willard's bouse first (who with his family removed to Charlestown), and afterwards destroyed sixty-five dwelling houses more there ; leaving but six houses standing in the wholo town, which they likowise furiously attempted to set on fire : but, being fortified with arms and meu as garrisons, they with their shot killed several of the enemy, and prevented so much of their design. Nor do we hear that any person on our side was here either slaiu or taken captive."

" The sevonth of March following, these bloody Indians marebt to a considorablo town called Groaton where first thoy set firo to Major Wil- lard's houso and afterwards burnt sixty-fivo more ; there being scaventy two houses at first ; so that there was left standing but six housesof the whole town."

" The Indians laid siege to the Groton houses in which the inhabitants

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had taken refuge. These they were unable to subdue, and the inhabitants held ont until Major Willard arrived with seventy troops. About the same time there came forty foot from Watertown to their relief. The Indians fled npon their approach and the inhabitants abandoned the town and took refuge in other places."

It is supposed that Major Willard remained in Groton with the Essex and Norfolk troops until March 21st. A short statement in Major Willard's handwriting shows how he was employed from March 21st and 29th. It shows that he was constantly upon the move every moment of his time, devoting it to the protection of the defenceless people of the fron- tier. His last public appearance was the term of County Court in Cambridge, on Tuesday, April 4, 1676, where he resided. He died at Charlestown in April, 1676.

James Patterson, who moved into this vicinity from Dunstable in 1715, and purchased of John Sollendine one-fourth part of the Nonaicoicus farm, was a son of James Patterson, a soldier in the army opposed to Cromwell and the Commonwealth. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Dunbar Sept. 3, 1650, and transported to America by the order of the Protector, and settled in Billerica. His house was a garrison in King Philip's War, and for his services in this war, he was granted a tract of land in Narragansett Number 6, which is now Templeton. James Patterson, the son, resided here until his death, in 1738. His dwell- ing-honse was in the westerly part of the town, in the vicinity of what is now the Lewis Blood place.

Hezekiah Usher, Jr., who was a part owner of the Nonaicoicus farm from June 20, 1679, to May 11, 1687, was the son of Hezekiah Usher, a prominent merchant of Boston, whose tomb and that of his son, Lieut .- Gov. John Usher, may be seen in the north- easterly corner of the King's Chapel burying-ground, resided npon the Nonaicoicus farm, The farm con- tinned to be called the Usher farm for several years after Usher had conveyed it to Jno. Tyng, of Dunstable, in trust for his son John, a grandson of Usher, Senior. Hezekiah Usher, Jr., married Bridget Hoar, the widow of President Leonard Hoar, of Harvard College, who was the daughter of John Lisle, one of the commis- sioners of the Great Seal under Cromwell; but the marriage was not a happy one. She left him and went to England in 1687, and did not return until after his death, which took place at Lynn, on July 11, 1697. Usher's will is dated Nonaicoicus, August 17, 1689, and in it he refers very plainly to his domestic trou- bles, and bitterly blames his absent wife. Usher was a man of morbid temperament and hardly responsi- ble for what he wrote. He says himself that some people may attribute his will " to melancholy or dis- tractedness," which is probably the correct way of judging him. The document which is long and quaint is published in full in The Historical Maga- zine (Morrisania, N. Y.) for September, 1868 (pages 120-122).

It was upon the Usher farm that one of the garri- son-houses of Groton was stationed in the year 1692,

being occupied at that time by Samuel Bennett,

Bennett and three soldiers-in all five men. Mr. But- ler, in his " History of Groton" (page 91), gives it as his opinion that this garrison was in the southeasterly part of Groton, now included in Littleton, basing his conclusions on the fact that there is a brook in that vicinity named Bennett's Brook. It is, however, clear that the Usher farm was none other than the Nonaicoicus farm. From an examination of the con- veyances, I am of the opinion that this garrison- house was situated in the vicinity of the Lewis Blood place, so called, between our village and Mitchellville, as the deeds immediately subsequent to that show clearly that the dwelling-house was in that locality. In fact, the first hamlet in the southerly part of Gro- ton was there.

John Sollendine, who, with William Farwell, was at one time a part owner in the Nonaicoicus farm, was a resident of the town of Dunstable and one of its most prominent early citizens. It is probable that he never resided here.

Moody Chase was a grandson of Aquilla Chase, of Newbury, Mass., and one of the first settlers in the colony. He was born at Sutton on September 23, 1723, and married Elizabeth Hale, of that town, on January 17, 1748. On June 30, 1777, he purchased of Oliver Farwell several parcels of land, being the westerly part of Nonaicoicus farm, and moved there shortly after, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred April 7, 1815. In his early life he took a great interest in the education of the Indians, and he was the leader of the company who cleared the lands in Hanover, N. H., where the ven- erable Doctor Wheelock established an Indian school, from which Dartmouth College took its rise. He was one of the petitioners for the set-off to Shirley of a portion of land on the easterly side of the Nashua River, that, upon the incorporation of the town of Ayer, was annexed to this town. His house stood not far from the Lewis Blood house.

Moses Willard, a grandson of Major Simon Willard, was born at Lancaster about 1702, and married at Groton, on September 28, 1727, to Susanna Hastings. Between 1723 and 1733 he resided near the Lewis Blood place, in the westerly part of our town, on a part of the Nonaicoicus farm territory. About 1733 he removed to Lunenburg, and there joined Captain (afterwards Colonel) Josiah Willard in obtaining from the Province of Massachusetts the grant of the town of Winchester, and became one of the grantees. A new charter was obtained from the Province of New Hampshire in 1753, it having been ascertained to be within the limits of the latter Province. Much of his time seems to have been passed within the new town- ship and guarding the frontier of Fort Dummer and Ashuelot. He was an early inhabitant of Charles- town, New Hampshire, then known as Charlestown No. 4. August 30, 1754, two daughters of Mr. Wil- lard-Mrs. Susanna Johnson, wife of James Johnson,

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

and her sister Miriam, fourteen years of age, after- ward the wife of Rev. Phincas Whitney, of Shirley- were taken captives by the Indians and carried to Montreal. A full account of the affair is given in "The Narrative of the Captivity of Mrs. Johnson," published at Walpole, New Hampshire in 1796. June 18, 1756, when Moses Willard and his son of the same name, were at work upon his farm within sight of the fort, the Indians made a sudden attack upon them. The father was killed and the son was severely wounded, but managed to make his escapc into the fort.

Two families by the name of Park settled in this vicinity in the last century. It is probable that they were related to each other, although I am unable to verify that supposition. In 1738 James Park pur- chased what was formerly the James Patterson farm, in the southwesterly part of our town near the Nashua river. Wm. Park came to this country from Scotland in 1756 and lived here until his death, June 17, 1788. It is supposed that he resided in a stone house built into the bank northwest of the brick house on Park Street, about where Groton Street now is. This stone house contained but one room about sixteen feet square. There was a rude fire-place in the northcast corner, the door and window being on the south side. He was a stone-mason by trade. His wife Anna and his three sons, John, Thomas and James, came to this country in June, 1767. James died in 1778. John, the oldest of William's children, was thirty-six years of age when he came to this country. He purchased of Henry Farwell two lots of land of about one hun- dred acres each, one on each side of the present Park Street. Like his father he was a stone-mason, and, before coming to this country, he was for seven years in the employ of the Duke of Argyle in building his castle and laying out his grounds. After coming to this country he received repeated letters and liberal offers from the Duke to induce him to return to Scot- land. He finally concluded to go, and went to Boston to engage his passage, but upon arriving there he found that the harbor had just been blockaded by the British flcet ; consequently he never returned to Scot- land. He was the first person to introduce into this country the practice of splitting stones with flat steel wedges. A short time before the Revolution he began building the jail at Worcester, but the war interrupted the progress of the work. It was, however, resumed in 1787 and completed the next year. In 1789 he built the jail at Concord, Mass. In 1791 he built the brick house on Park Street, which was the first brick house erected in Groton. Upon the southwest corner, about fifteen feet from the ground, is a stone sun-dial on which is the following inscription :

00000000000

0000000000

J. P.

1791.

00000000000

In 1793 he began building the jail at Amherst, N. H., and died August 15th of the same ycar, in conse-

quence of an accident in the course of the construction of the jail.

Stuart James Park, son of John, was born Feb. 7, 1773, in the dwelling-house formerly standing on the site of the cottage house on the westerly sid e of Park St., and just north of the old Park House, now occupied by Douglas C. Smith. Like his ancestors he way a stone-mason. He built the jail at Portland about 1798, the jail at North Hampton about 1801. In 1803 he, with his brother John, contracted to build the Massa- chusetts State's Prison at Charlestown and completed the same in 1806. In 1808 he contracted to build the Vermont State's Prison at Windsor, and completed it in 1810. In 1811-12 he built the New Hampshire State's Prison at Concord. In 1816 he was employed by the State of New Hampshire to superintend the construction of the State House at Concord. Between 1820 and 1822 he was superintendent in the construc- tion of the mill-dam, now the lower end of Beacon Street, in Boston. After that he built the jail at Dover, N. H., and in 1824 was employed by the County of Middlesex to superintend the construction of the County buildings, at Newburyport, Mass. In 1827 he was employed by the Navy Department to superintend the construction of the dry dock at Charlestown Navy Yard.

In Drake's "History of Middlesex County," it is stated that Colonel William Prescott, who commanded the Colonial forces at the battle of Bunker Hill, was born on Park Street, near the brick house. However gratifying te our local pride such a belief might be, it is but justice to truth to state that there is no founda- tion for such tradition. Colonel Prescott was un- doubtedly born at the Centre. The owners of what is now the Nathaniel Stone and John Mills farms can be readily traced from the grant to Major Willard to the present owners, and it is certain that the land was never owned by the Prescott family, who always re- sided at the middle of the town.

CHAPTER LI ..

AYER-(Continued).

Highways-Fordways- Bridges-Taverns-Maps and Plans.

THE early high ways were naturally very imperfect, being in many instances but rude paths through the forests, following in some cases the Indian trails and in others the paths made by the farmers' cows.

The population was much scattered, and good roads were a luxury they could ill afford. Very little labor was expended in the construction of highways, and distance was sacrificed to the selection of the route most feasible for immediate use, with the least possible expenditure of labor to render it passable. Consequently many of the ancient ways were subse-

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quently abandoned for routes that, by a little outlay, would be more direct and more readily passable at all seasons of the year. As the farmers naturally settled alorg these highways, their location serves as land- marks that enable us to know where our ancestors upon the soil lived.

Groton was settled upon the frontier. Her nearest neighbor, Lancaster, was fourteen miles to the south- west and there was naturally between the two settle- ments a community of interest and dependeuce, and consequently a necessity for iuterchange of products and protection. The first communication was doubt- less had immediately after the settlement of Groton, and when the intervening territory was to the settlers a trackless and unknown wilderness. Naturally they took the most favorable portion of the year for their journey and selected the most accessible and legible route. The settlements being on opposite banks of the Nashua River, that stream served as a more than compass and guide to wayfarers through the forest. The intervals along the river, being generally un- wooded, afforded at certain seasons a ready progress. Consequently, as we would naturally expect, the first highway between Lancaster aud Groton was in the vicinity of the Nashua River, and it was undoubtedly the first highway ever constructed or used through the territory now within the limits of Ayer. It was at its best but a very rude cart-path, and but little labor was expended upon it. It is probable that for the first few years this road was used, each traveler was forced to pick his way the best he could, and that wherever possible the streams were forded. The first record of the expenditure of any money upon this way was in the month of December, 1663, when the following vote was passed at a meeting of the pro- prietors of Groton :

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 154

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1226

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1226