History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 95

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 95

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" Ist That as we are entitled to all the Privileges of British Subjects, we have an undoubted and exclusive Right to Graut our own monies for the support of Government aud that no Power on Earth has a right to Tax or make Laws binding ns, withont our consent.

"2dly That the British Parliament laying a Duty on Tea Payable in America, for the Express purpose of Raising a Revenue, is in our opinion an unjust Taxation, and that the specious method of permitting the East India Company to export their Teas into the Colouies, has a direct tendency to rivet the Chain of Slavery upon ns.

"3dly. That we will lend all the aid and assistance in our Power in every Rational Method, to hinder the Importations of Teas, so long as it is subject to a duty ; and that this Town are well pleased with aud highly approve of that Resolution in particular entered into by the Town of Boston, viz. : that they will not suffer any Tea to be imported into that Town while subject to an nnrighteons Duty ; and it is the desire and expectation of this Town that said resolution be not relaxed in any Degree ; which if it should it would much lessen that confidence (which we hope we may justly say) we have reason to place in that re- spectable metropolis.

" 4thly That the Persons appointed by the East India Company to re- ceive and vend their Teas (by their obstinate refusal to resign their odious Commission) have shown a ready disposition to become the Tools of our Enemies, to oppress and enslave their Native Country, and bave manifested such stupidity and wickedness to prefer private Interest to the good of their Country, and therefore can expect no favor or respect from us ; but we leave them to accumulate a load of Infamy, propor- tionate to their vileness.

"5 That whoever shall sell, buy, or otherwise use Tea, while subject to and poisoned with a duty, shall be deemed by us Enemies to their Country's welfare ; and shall be treated by ns as such. The Town by their Vote Ordered the foregoing resolves to be recorded in the Town Book, and a Copy of the same to be forwarded to the Committee of Cor-

respondence at Boston, with our sincere thanks to that Respectable Town, for their Manly Opposition to every ministerial measure to en- slave America.

" Thomas Plympton, Ezeklel Howe, John Maynard Committee." "Sampson Belcher, Phinenas Glezen, Josiah Langdon

Military Preparations .- November 14, 1774, " it was voted, that the town recommend to the several com- panies of militia to meet for the choice of officers for their respective companies, as recommended by the Provincial Congress. Also voted, that a company of militia on the East side, meet on Thursday next at twelve o'clock at the East meeting house in Sudbury, to choose their officers; and that the companies on the West side to meet at the West meeting house at the same time and for the same purpose."

Besides looking after the militia, the town took measures to form companies of minute-men. These, as the name implies, were to hold themselves in read- iness to act at a minute's warning. The officers re- ceived no commissions, but held their positions by vote of the men. Two such companies were formed, one on each side of the river. There was also a troop of horse composed of men from both precincts. Be- sides these companies of able-bodied men, there was an alarm company composed of men exempt from military service. The names of the companies were,-

North Militia Co., West Side, Capt. Aaron Haynes, 60 men.

East Militia Co., East Side, Capt. Joseph Smith, 75 men.

South Militia Co. (Lanham District), both sides, Capt. Moses Stone, 92 men.

Troop of Horse, both sides, Capt. Isaac Loker, 21 men.

Minute Co., West Side, Capt. John Nixon, 58 men.

Minute Co., East Side, Capt. Nathaniel Cud worth, 40 men.

These make, besides the alarm list of Jabez Puffer, six companies-348 men-in process of preparation for the coming struggle.

In 1776, the town " voted to pay each of the minute- men one shilling and sixpence for training one half day in a week, 4 hours to be estecmed a half day, after they were enlisted and until called into actual service or dismissed ; and the Captains 3 shillings and Lieutenants 2 shillings and six pence and the en- sign 2 shillings."

The muster-rolls are preserved and represent about one-fifth of the entire population. The number in actual service at the Concord and Lexington fight, three hundred and two. The following report shows to what extent these companies were equipped :

" Sudbury, March ye 27th 1775 :

"The return of the Severall Companys of Militia and Minute in Sd Town viz.

"Capt. Moses Stone's Company-02 men of them, 18 no guns. at Least one third party e forelocks uufit for Sarvis others wais nu a quipt.

"Capt. Aaron Hayns Company-60 men weel provided With Arms the most of them provided with Bayonets or hatchets a bonte one quar- ter Part with Catrige Boxcs.

"Capt. Joseph Smith's Company consisting of -- 75 able Bodied men forty well a quipt twenty Promis to find and a quip them- selves Emedetly fifteen no guns and other wais un a quipt.

" The Troop Capt. Isaac Locer (Loker)-21 Besides what are on the minit Role well a quipt.

" Returned by Ezekiel How. Left" Conl" (Stearns Collection.)

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SUDBURY.

It is not strange that, at the time this report was given, the troops had not been fully equipped. It was not easy to provide for so many at once, but the following record may indicate that the town had been endeavoring to supply the deficiency since the preced- ing fall, October 3, 1774:

To Capt. Ezekiel How for 20 guns and Bayonets . 27-0-2 600 pounds Lead 8-16-0

Early on the morning of April 19th the Sudbury people were astir. The news of the march of the British proclaimed by Paul Revere came by a messen- ger from Concord to Thomas Plympton, Esq., who was a member of the Provincial Congress. In a little more than a half hour after, and between four and five o'clock in the morning, the bell rang and a mus- ket was discharged as a signal for the soldiers to re- port for duty. The West Side companies arrived at the North Bridge about the time that the firing com- menced there, and joined in the pursuit of the retreat- ing British. In the memorable fight that followed the town lost two men, viz. : Deacon Josiah Haynes and Asahel Read. The former was eighty years old and was killed at Lexington by a musket bullet. His remains are buried in the " Old Burying-Ground " at the centre. Asahel Read was son of Isaac Read and a member of Nixon's minute company.

It is said that he exposed himself rashly to the fire of the enemy, and although warned to exercise more caution, persisted in his venturesome conduct until he fell.

Sudbury was represented by three companies at the battle of Bunker Hill. These were commanded by Sudbury captains and made up mainly of Sudbury citizens. The town also furnished three regimental officers, -- Col. John Nixon, Major Nathaniel Cudworth and Adj. Abel Holden, Jr. Capt. John Nixon of the minute-men was promoted to the rank of colonel, and was authorized, April 27th, to receive nine sets of beating papers. Capt. Nathaniel Cudworth was made major in the regiment of Col. Jonathan Brewer, who received enlistment papers April 24th, and Abel Holden, Jr., was made Colonel Nixon's adjutant.

The three Sudbury companies were commanded by Capts. Thaddeus Russell, Aaron Haynes and David Moore. The companies of Russell and Haynes were in Col. Brewer's regiment, and that of Moore in Col. Nixon's. The total number in these companies was one hundred and fifty-two. In the engagement of June 17th, these men were in a very exposed condition. The regiments of Nixon and Brewer were at the left of the American line, in the direction of the Mystic River. A part of the men had no breastwork what- ever to protect them. An effort was made to form a slight breastwork of the newly-mown hay about there, but the British advanced and they were forced to desist. In their exposed position they held their ground, and fought till the order came for them to re- treat. The ammunition of the men in the redoubt 26-ii

had failed and it was useless to protect the flank. Both the colonels, Nixon and Brewer, were wounded and the regiment of the former was one of the last to leave the field. In Capt. Haynes' company, two men were killed, viz .: Corning Fairbanks, of Framingham, and Joshua Haynes, of Sudbury. In Capt. Russell's company, Leblaus Jenness, of Deerfield, was slain.

As the war progressed Sudbury soldiers were still in the service. Capt. Asahel Wheeler commanded a company in the Ticonderoga campaign, and Capts. Abel Holden, Caleb Clapp and Aaron Haynes had command of Sudbury soldiers elsewhere. In 1778, several companies were still in the field. Four of these had 327 men, and were commanded as follows : West Side men, Capt. Jonathan Rice and Capt. Asahel Wheeler; East Side men, Capt. Na- thaniel Maynard and Capt. Isaac Cutting.

Government Storehouses .- Besides other responsi- bilities, the town had charge of some government storehouses containing munitions of war, which the Sudbury teamsters, from time to time, conveyed to the front. Various receipts are still preserved which were received by these teamsters. These buildings were situated on the northerly part of Sand Hill, east of the county road. Several squads of soldiers were employed to guard them, and at one time Captain Isaac Wood was commander of the guard. In 1777, the following soldiers did guard duty : "Corporal Robert Eames, Silas Goodenow Jr, Philemon Brown, Elisha Harrington, Jona Clark." A guard of the same number was there in 1778 and 79, but all the men were not the same. The field in or near which these buildings stood was used as a training-field in former years, and at one time a militia muster was held there. But now all trace even of the site has become obliterated, and for years it has been a quiet feeding place for cattle, and all is as peaceful there as if the slow pacing of the old Continental guard had never been heard at Sand Hill. The town had a pop- ulation of 2160, with about 500 ratable pools ; and it is supposed that, during the war, from 400 to 500 men liad some service either in camp or field. Of these soldiers, one was brigadier-general, three were col- onels, two were majors, two were adjutants, two were surgeons, twenty-four were captains and twenty- nine were lieutenants. That the soldiers were iu places of peril is indicated by the following records of casualties :

CASUALTIES TO SUDBURY SOLDIERS.

Killed .- Deacon Josiah Haynes, Aged 80, April 19th 1775 : Asahel Read April 19th 1775 ; Joshua Haynes Jr, of Capt Aaron Hayne's Com- pany, June th 1775, at Bunker Hill ; Sergeant Thadeus Moore, 1777, at Saratoga : Benjamin Whitney,-By accident-

Wounded .- Gen. John Nixon and Nathan Maynard, at Bunker Hill; Lieut. Joshua Clapp, at Saratoga; Cornelius Wood, Nahum Haynes, Captain David Moore, Joshua Haynes ; Benjamin Barry, lost an arm in Canada Expedition, 1776.

Died of Sickness .- Sergeant Major Jesse Moore ; Sergeant Samuel May- nard, of the small pox at Quebeck with Arnold, 1776 ; Sergeant Hope- still Brown, Sergeant Elijah Willis.

At Ticonderoga .- Ensign Timothy Underwood, Oliver Sanderson, Dauiel Underwood, James Puffer, Phinehas Gleason, Stephen Puffer, of

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Capt Daniel Bowder's Co., Col Webb's Regt died Oct 3d ; Solomon Rice, Timothy Rice, Josiah Cutter.

Taken Prisoner and Never Heard of .- Thadeus Harrington, Thomas Dalrimple, Thomas Moore, Daniel Haynes.

Lost Privateering .- Isaac Moore, Silas Goodenow, Lemuel Goodenow, Peletiah Parmenter.

Persons Who Met With Casualties the Nature of which is Not Specified .- John Brewer, James Demander, John Bemis, Timothy Mossman.

In closing this account of Sudbury's military service we will give some facts in the life of General Nixon.

Sketch of General Nixon .- Gen. John Nixon, was a son of Christopher Nixon, who went to Framingham about 1724, where seven children were born, of whom John was the oldest. At an early age, being but a mere boy, he entered the army, and at the instiga- tion of older persons he left unlawfully, but clemency was shown him and he was allowed to return to the ranks. His subsequent career proved him to be a true soldier.

In 1745, when he was but twenty years old, he was in the Pepperell Expedition to Louisburg, and lieu- tenant in Captain Newell's company at Crown Point in 1755. Later in the war he served as captain. At oue time, when operating against the French forces, he was led into an ambuscade and only forced his way out with the loss of most of his men. As before noticed, at the beginning of the Revolutionary War he served as captain of a company of minute-men. April 24, 1775, he received the commission of colonel. He fought and was wounded at the battle of Bunker Hill. He went with the army under Washington to New York, and was promoted, August 9th, to briga- dier-general. His promotion to the rank of general of brigade was on recommendation of Washington, who stated to Congress that Nixon's military talents and bravery entitled him to promotion. In his new position he had, for a time, command of two regi- ments and a force of artillery at Governor's Island, New York Harbor. August 27th he left there, and subsequently operated with the army in the northern campaign in New York State against Burgoyne. When it was decided to advance against the latter, General Gates ordered Nixon and two other com- manders to make the attack. A cannon-ball passed so near his head that the sight and hearing on one side were impaired. After the surrender of Burgoyne, General Nixon and some others were detailed to escort the prisoners to Cambridge. About that time he had a furlough of several months, in which time he married his second wife. General Nixon was on the court-martial-with Generals Clinton, Wayne and Muhlenburg, and of which Gen. Benjamin Lincoln was president-for the trial of General Schuyler for the neglect of duty in the campaign of 1777, by which Ticonderoga was surrendered. The trial was at the request of General Schuyler, and by it he was fully acquitted with the highest honors. In 1777, General Nixon's brigade had headquarters for a time at Peeks- kill, N. Y., and for a time in 1777, at Albany. On Sept. 12, 1780, he closed his military career by resigning his commission as general, aud retired to private life.

In considering the military service of the town in the Revolutionary War, we have only considered a part of her history. During that time important civ- il transactions were taking place also. There were de- privations to be endured by those at home; the coun- try was burdencd with debt, the currency was in a very uncertain state, and, because of its depreciated condition, there was more or less confusion in com- mercial affairs. There was as much need of sagacity on the part of the civilian in council, as of military men iu the field, to direct the affairs of State and town. The town-meetings of those days were very important occasions, and, unless the people met emer- gencies there in a prompt and efficient manner, the fighting element in the field could accomplish but little. In this respect the people of Sudbury were not deficient. We have heard of no instance where a Tory spirit was manifest nor where a patriotic purpose was want- ing. During the war a large share of the town war- rants set forth the needs of the county or town which were caused by the war; and the town-meeting that followed was about sure to result in a generous re- sponse to the demand.

Another man who was prominent in military mat- ters was Col. Ezekiel Howe. He belonged to the old Howe family in Sudbury, and was a former proprie- tor of the Red Horse Tavern.

In 1780 the town was divided. The part set off was called East Sudbury, since Wayland.

In 1792 the town voted to sell the training-field in the southeast part of the town, and " the Committee formerly employed to sell the Work house " were ap- pointed to attend to the work. The same year measures were taken for the prevention of the small- pox. The article concerning it in the warrant was "To see if the town would admit the Small-Pox into sd town by Inoculation." "It passed in the nega- tive." The following year the selectmen were in- structed " to take measures to prevent the spreading of the small-pox, and to prosecute the persons who transgressed the laws respecting the disease." In- structions were also given "to make diligent search to see if there were any persons who had been in- oculated for small-pox contrary to law."

On Oct. 5, 1795, the town again voted "to build a new Meeting-House, that it should be erected on the common land near to the present meeting-house, and that the south and west cells of sd house should occupy the ground on which the south and west cells of the present meeting-house now stand upon, aud that the eulargement of the meeting-house should ex- tend North and East. Voted to accept a plan drawn by Capt. Thomson which plan is 60 feet by 52 with a porch at one end with a steeple or spear on the top of sd porch. Voted that the Commitee for building the house should consist of nine persons, and that they should receive nothing for their services." In 1796 it was voted that a bell should be purchased for the meeting-house. October, 1798, the building com-

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mittee presented to the town the summary of receipts and expenditures which was six thousand twenty-five dollars and ninety-three cents.

In 1812 the number of soldiers reported to be in readiness was eighteen. " Voted to give them $1.25 per day while in service and doing actual duty." The following persons from Sudbury were in service a short time during the war: Aaron Hunt, Jonas Tower, James B. Puffer, Josiah Puffer, John Carr, Cyrus Willis, George Barker, Leonard Dutton, Otis Puffer, Jesse Puffer, John Sawyer. Warren Moor was in the naval service on a privateer, was taken prisoner and spent some time in Dartmoor Prison.

In 1814, the town settled a new pastor, Rev. Jacob Bigelo having become infirm. In 1810 Rev. Tim- othy Hillard had been invited to preach as a candi- date, and June 1, 1814, he became colleague pastor at a salary of six hundred and fifty dollars and five hundred dollars to begin with.

Sept. 26, 1815, Mr. Hillard was dismissed. The next year Rev. Mr. Hurlbut was called to the pastor- ate. Sept. 12, 1816, Rev. Jacob Bigelow died. In 1823 a Methodist class was formed, which resulted in the formation of a Methodist Episcopal Church. A meeting-house was soon erected which was dedicated in 1836.

March 5, 1832, the town voted to buy a town-farm. In 1845, it voted to build a town-house.

In 1839, a new religious society was formed called the Sudbury Evangelical Union Society. The same year it voted to build a meeting house which was completed and dedicated Jan. 1, 1840.

May 11, 1839, Rev. Rufus Hurlbut died.

March 2, 1841, Rev. Josiah Ballard was installed his successor.

Jan. 5, 1845, Rev. Linus Shaw was installed as pas- tor of the old parish, which position he retained till his death, Jan. 5, 1866. Since his death the follow- ing ministers have acted as pastors for the First Parish : Revs. Bond, Dawes, Webber, Knowles, Will- ard, Sherman, E. J. Young and Gilman. For several years the church has had preaching but a small por- tion of each year.

In 1852 Rev. Josiah Ballard was dismissed from the Evangelical Union Church ; and the following per- sons have been his successors : Reverends C. V. Spear, E. Dickinson, W. Patterson, P. Thurston, G. A. Oviatt, C. Fitts, D. W. Goodale, W. Richardson.

THE WADSWORTH MONUMENT .- An important event that occurred early in the last half of the present century was the erection of the Wadsworth Monu- ment. February, 1852, a petition was presented to the Legislature of this Commonwealth, in which, after a brief rehearsal of the events in connection with the Wadsworth fight, the petitioners say "that a small, temporary monument was erected many years ago by the Rev. Benjamin Wadsworth, President of Harvard College, over the grave of his father, Captain Wads- worth, and his associates in arms. Said monument

being in a dilapidated condition, it is desirable that it be rebuilt in a more durable form. Wherefore, at a legal town-meeting held for that purpose, your peti- tioners were chosen for a committee and instructed to petition your Honorable body for aid in erecting a suitable monument to the memory of said officers and men."

Signed, "Drury Fairbank and thirteen others."

Accompanying this report is the resolve, " That a sum, not exceeding five hundred dollars in all, be and the same is hereby appropriated towards defraying the expense of repairing or rebuilding, in a substan tial manner, the monument in the town of Sudbury, erected by President Wadsworth of Harvard College, about the year 1730, to the memory of Captain Samuel Wadsworth and a large number of other officers and soldiers and others in the service of the colony, who were slain upon the spot marked by the monument, . . . in the defence of that town against the Indians, the said sum to be expended uuder the direction of His Excellency the Governor, in connection with a committee of said town of Sudbury."

Agreeable to the foregoing resolve, at a legal town- meeting held June 14, 1852, it was voted that Nahum Thompson, Drury Fairbank, Ephraim Moore, Enoch Kidder and J. R. Vose be a committee to superintend the building of the Wadsworth Monument. It was then voted to appropriate a sum of money, sufficient to complete said monument and finish about the same, out of any unappropriated money in the treasury, said sum not to exceed five hundred dollars. His Excellency George S. Boutwell, then Governor of this Commonwealth, in connection with the committee of the town, " procured a handsome monument, consist- ing of three large square blocks of granite, one and one-half, two, and three feet thick, raised one above the other ; from the upper one of which rises a granite shaft, tapering towards the top; the whole being twenty-one and one-half feet in height. On the front of the centre block appears the following inscription :

" This monument is erected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the town of Sudbury, in grateful remembrance of the services and suffering of the founders of the State, and especially in honor of

CAPT. SAMUEL WADSWORTH, OF MILTON ;

CAPT. BROCKLEBANK, OF ROWLEY ;

LIEUT. SHARP, OF BROOKLINE ;

and twenty six others, men of their command, who fell near this spot, on the 18th of April, 1676, while defending the frontier settlements against the allied Indian forces of Philip of Pokanoket.

1852."

(The date of the fight as above given is incorrect, the true date being April 21st.)

SCHOOLS SINCE 1850 .- Wadsworth Academy .- In 1856, measures were taken to establish an academy at South Sudbury. A corporation was formed, the object of which was to hold property, consisting of a build- ing, land and suitable fixtures for educational and re- ligious purposes. The design of the projectors of the enterprise was to erect a building, the upper part of

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

which could be used for a school, and the lower part for social and religious services.

The first meeting was held March 11, 1857, and the following officers were elected: President, Dr. Levi Goodenough; directors, Roland Cutler, Samuel Puffer ; treasurer, Samuel D. Hunt. The land was purchased of Nichols B. Hunt, and the building was erected by Arthur Bowen, of South Sudbury. It was two stories higb, had a colonnade in front and faced the west. It was named in honor of Captain Wads- worth.

The school flourished for some years, until the de- mand for its continuance ceased. The school-rooms in it were then used for one of the town's common schools. A few years later the building was destroyed . by fire, and on its site was erected a Congregational chapel in 1880.

Important changes took place during this period in connection with the common schools. Old districts were divided, and new ones were formed ; old school- houses were moved and new ones built. A large share of the territory of the Northwest District was taken from Sudbury by the incorporation of Maynard; but in the districts that remained, the schools and school- houses remained. The Centre School-house, that had stood on the common, was moved to its present loca- tion south of the Methodist meeting-house, and after its removal was fitted up for the use of two schools,- a primary and grammar. In 1868, the Lanham School-house was moved from the road corners by the Coolidge place to its present location, north of the Boston and Worcester highway, on land that once be- longed to the Goodnow farm. In 1869, eight hundred dollars was granted for repairs on the Southwest School-house. In 1870, the town voted to build a new school-house in the Northeast District, to be lo- cated at or near the junction of Puffer Lane and the north road. The building was erected at a cost of $2884.82. The same year measures were taken for the removal of the old Pantry School-house, and the result was that a new school-house was built in the southerly portion of the Northeast District, and the Pantry School-house was moved and became the depot of the Framingham & Lowell Railroad. The new school-house was located near the house of Alfred Thompson, and cost $3825.23. About the same time the town voted to build a school-house in the west part of the town in a locality where, hitherto, there had been none. It was erected on the Boston and Berlin road, near the house of John Coughlin, at a cost of $2508.77. The building committee rendered their report to the town March 4, 1872, and at the same meeting the committee appointed to number the school districts reported that plates had been pro- cured, lettered, and numbered, at a cost of $7.50, and that commencing with the Centre District, which they designated as number one, the committee next pro- ceeded to the house in the Southwest District, which they numbered two. Thence, passing to the right of

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 95

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