History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 147

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 147

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Cato Titus was in Framingham in 1770.

Brin, commonly called Blaney Grusha, was at one time owned by Col. Micah Stone. He is named in the tax-list of 1757. He was in the military service during the Revolutionary War; was at the battle of Bunker Hill. He died February, 1820.

Another noted character, still well remembered by many of our inhabitants, was Jim Riggs. He was a mulatto, born in St. Domingo ; was owned as a slave at the South; escaped from slavery, and after many ad- ventres, reached this town. According to his own ac- count he was hostler to Gen. (then Col.) Washington in the campaign of 1755, aud was then nineteen years old. He was in service in the Revolutionary War. Ile built a shanty near Lawson Buckminster's grist- mill, back of Mrs. Newell's house. He did jobbing, and made baskets in the families of Buckminster, Belknap, Horne, and the families of Ilow, Eames and

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llaven at the south part. He died at the house of John Wenzell, Sen., in 1828, and was buried in the South Cemetery. Ile must have been about ninety-two at his death.

Other colored men of note who have lived in Fram- ingham, were Crispus Attucks, Peter Salem and Cato Ilart. Their biography properly belongs to the next chapter.

The strong race prejudice existed in this town as elsewhere. Pews in remote corners of the meeting- houses were specially assigned for the occupancy of negroes. As late as 1826, when the First Baptist Society built its meeting-house at the Centre, pews for the exclusive use of colored people, were constructed in a kind of attie gallery, reached by separate stairs.

PHYSICIANS .-- Dr. Bezaleel Rice commenced prac- tice here as early as 1720, and continued till 1743.

Dr. Joseph Nichols lived in Framingham from 1780 to 1752.

Dr. John Mellen is named in the town records in 1747.

Dr. Ebenezer llemenway was in practice in this town from 1750 to 1784. He lived on the Loring Manson place (now W. B. Ward), and had a grist- inill on the stream.

Jeremiah Pike, a noted bone-setter, was contem- porary with Dr. Hemenway.

Dr. John Sparhawk was in Framingham in 1757.

Dr. Richard Perkins, H. U., 1748, son of Rev. Daniel Perkins, of West Bridgewater, was in practice here in 1758.

The wife of John Trowbridge, Sen., practiced as a midwife.

TAVERNS .- Jonathan Rice kept a tavern and store, a little sonth of S. D. Hardy's, 1708, and for many years. Jona. Maynard had a house of entertainment before 1723, at the Aaron Bullard place, south side of Bare Ilill.

Daniel How opened a tavern about forty-five rods southeast of the old Charles Clark place, in 1726, which he sold in 1736, or '37, to Samuel Gleason, who continued the tavern for many years.

About 1728 Hezekiah Rice opened a tavern at the Captain Uriah Rice place (now A. S. Furber's).

Francis Moquet kept tavern at the old Buckming- ter stand (near E. H. Warren's store) from 1729 to 1735. He afterwards bought the place next east of O. F. Hastings', where he had a tavern and store as late as 1749. After Mr. Moquet left the Buckminster stand, Col. Joseph Buckminster took it, and spent his days here, as did his son, Joseph, and grandson, Dea- con Thomas.

- Nichols kept tavern at the Nathan Goddard place.

John Trowbridge, Jr., had a public house before 1757, and for many years thereafter. January II, 1759, he sent the following petition to the General Court : "The Petition of John Trowbridge, Jr., of Framingham, sheweth, that he entertained Capt. Endi-

cott's Company on their march from Boston towards Albany, in the year 1757; that on application to him he cannot obtain payment, although (as he is in- formed) the said Endicott has received the billeting money for his whole company; that he apprehends he is left without remedy against the said Endicott, by reason of his not being present with his company when they received their entertainment at his house ; praying for relief."

"Jan. 11, 1759. Josiah Drury, of Framingham, petitions for license by the General Court, as an Inn- holder in said town, the person who lives in his neighborhood who had for some time kept a Tavern, not having renewed his license, and the selectmen judging the place convenient for that business." The Court of Sessions were impowered and directed to grant the license prayed for. The tavern was at the east part of the town.

WAR OF THE REVOLUTION .- October 21, 1765, the town "voted to instruct their representative in the General Court : 1. To promote and readily join in such dutiful remonstrances and humble petitions to the King and Parliament, as have a direct tendency to obtain a repeal of the Stamp Act. 2. That you do not give your assent to any Act of Assembly that shall imply the willingness of your constituents to submit to any taxes that are imposed in any other way than by the Great and General Court of this Province, according to the institution of this Govern- ment."

September 26, 1768, Mr. Thomas Temple was chosen to join the Committee in Convention at Faneuil Hall, in Boston, " to consult such measures as may be for the safety of the Province."

Crispus Attucks .- The quartering of troops on the town of Boston, and the exasperation of the people at such an attempt to overawe and coerce them, pre- pared the way for the tragic scenes of the 5th of March, 1770, known as The Boston Massacre.

A principal character in the bloody affray was a Framingham man.

Crispus Attucks, who is admitted to have been the leader of the party, was a mulatto, born near the Framingham town line, a short distance to the east- ward of the State Arsenal. The old cellar-hole where the Attucks family lived is still visible. He was probably a descendant of Jolin Auttuck, an Indian, who was taken prisoner and executed at the same time with Capt. Tom, in June, 1676. Probably the family had intermarried with negroes who were slaves, and as the offspring of such marriages were held to be slaves, he inherited their condition, although it seems likely that the blood of three races coursed through his veins. He had been bought by Dea. William Brown, of Framingham, as early as 1747. But he thus early acquired some ideas of the value of man- hood and liberty, as appears from the following advertisement in the Boston Gazette of October 2, 1750 :

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FRAMINGHAM.

" Ran away from his Master, William Brown of Framingham, on the 30th of Saptember last, a mulatto Fellow, ahout twenty-seven years of age, named Crispus, 6 feet 2 inches high, short curled hair, his knees nearer together than common, and bad on a light coloured Beaver-skin coat, plain brown fustian jacket, or brown all-wool one, new buck-skin Breeches, blue yarn stockings, and a checked woolen shirt. Whoever will take up said Runaway and convey him to his aforesaid Master, shall have ten pounds old tenor Reward, and all necessary charges paid. And all Masters of vessels and others are hereby cautioned against concealtng or carrying off said Servant, on penalty of the law."

A descendant of Dea. Brown says of him : " Crispus was well informed, and, except in the instance re- ferred to in the advertisement, was faithful to his master. He was a good judge of cattle, and was allowed to buy and sell upon his own judgment of their value. He was fond of a seafaring life, and probably with consent of his master, was accustomed to take coasting voyages. The account of the time says, "he lately belonged to New Providence, and was here in order to go to North Carolina."

He was of huge hodily proportions, and brave almost to recklessness. John Adams, who defended Capt. Preston at his trial, says: " Attucks was seen about eight minutes before the firing at the head of twenty or thirty sailors in Cornhill, and had in his hand a large cord-wood stick. . . . He was a stout fellow, whose very looks were enough to terrify any person. . . when he came down upon the soldiers by the sentry- box, they pushed him off'; but he cried out, 'Don't be afraid of them ! They dare not fire! Kill them ! kill them ! Knock them over !'" At the firing he was killed instantly, two balls entering his breast. He was about forty-seven years oldl.

May 28, 1770, the town, by unanimous vote, de- clared against "the pernicious practice of purchasing and drinking Foreign tea, and also of trading with the importers of English goods ; " and March 25, 1774, it was endorsed, "That we ourselves, or any for or under us, will not buy any teas subject to duty ; nor knowingly trade with any merchant or country trader that deals in that detestable commodity." And the declaration was made : " And since such means and methods are used to Destroy our Privileges, which were purchased by the Dearest Blood of our Ances- tors, those that stand foremost in a proper Defence of our Privileges, shall have our greatest Regards ; And if any shall be so regardless of our Political Preservation and that of Posterity as to Endevor to Counteract our Determination, We will treat them in the Manner their conduct Deserves."

May 18, 1774, the town chose the following Com- mittee of Correspondence : Joseph Haven, Esq., Capt. Josiah Stone, Dea. William Brown, Ebenezer Marshall, Lieut. David Haven, Joseph Buckminster, Esq., and Maj. John Farrar.

Capt. Josiah Stone, Joseph Haven, Esq., and Dea. Wm. Brown were appointed delegates to the Provin- cial Congress, which met at Concord in October. Capt. Stone, with Dea. Brown as his substitute, was sent to the Second Congress ; and Joseph Haven, Esq., and Capt. Stone were sent to the Third Congress.

September 9, 1774, the town voted "To purchase, at the town's expense, five barrels of powder and 5 ewt. of bullets or lead, for an addition to the town's stock."

September 30, 1774, voted " to purchase a chest of 25 fire-arıns and two field-pieces, of such size as the Committee shall judge proper." Joseph Winch, Daniel Sanger, James Glover and Captain Benj. Ed- wards were the committee. This meeting was ad- journed for four days, and public notice was given requesting that " every person above the age of six- teen years shall attend, to consider and deter- mine with regard to the Militia as the whole body shall judge proper." A very full meeting convened, and it was voted "that there be two Militia Com- panys besides the Troop in this town : and that each company choose such officers as they judge best to have command in this day of distress in our Public Affairs."

The Provincial Congress, which met in October, adopted a plan, providing that all able-bodied men should be enrolled, and that those should assemble immediately, and elect their proper officers, and that these company officers should assemble as soon as may be, and elect field officers : and that the militia, so organized, should be subject to the orders of the Committee of Safety.

At a meeting of the town, November 8th, " it was voted to accept the resolve of the Provincial Congress relative to the Militia." And this led to the forma- tion of two companies of minute-men.

Fortunately the papers showing the method of organizing these companies are preserved, and are herewith copied :

" We, the subscribers, from a sense of our duty, to preserve our Liber- ties and Privileges; And in compliance with the Resolves of the Pro- vincial Congress, together with the desire of our superior officers, volun- larily enlist ourselves Minute-men, and promise to hold ourselves in readiness to march at the shortest notice, if requested by the ollicers we hall hereafter elect."

This paper was signed by Simon Edgell, Thomas Drury, Samuel Abbot, James Clayes, Jr., John Fisk, Moses Learned, Matthias Bent, Jr., Jolin Eaton, Lawson Buckmiuster, Frederick Manson, and others, to the number of sixty-eight.

This company organized December 2d, as appears from the following certificate :

" These may certify that in Framingham, on the second of December, 1774, a number of men enlisted as Minute Men, and was formed into a companye ; then made choice of Mr. Simon Edgoll captain, Thomas Drury first lieutenant, Lawson Buckminster second lieutenant, officers for said Companye according to the directions of the Jate Provincial Congress in their Resolve in October 26, 1774.

" Signed " SAMUEL BULLARD, " MICAHI STONE, " ABNER PERRY, " JOHN TROWBRIDGE,

Field officers of this Regiment.

"N. B. Said companye consists of 70 men, including officers."

At the same time a second company, comprising sixty men, was enlisted, and organized in the same way. The officers elected were : Thomas Nixon, cap-

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tain ; Micajah Gleason, first lieutenant ; John Eames, second lieutenant ; Samuel Gleason, ensign; Ebene- zer Hemenway, elerk. Some of the other leading names were: l'eter Clayes, Abel Childs, Moses and Nathaniel Eames, John Farrar, Jr., Jona. Hemen- way, dona. Hill, Needham Maynard, Asa and John Nurse, Jona. Temple, Joseph Winch.

These companies at once put themselves in active drill in the manual and field manœuvre. Each man was required to provide himself with a musket, bayonet, cartridge-box and thirty-six rounds of ammunition. The companies met as often as once a week, and squads of men, by arrangement, would meet at the houses of the officers, and spend evenings going through the manual exercise. Says one of them : " I have spent many an evening, with a number of my near neighbors, going through the exercise in the barn floor, with my mittens on."

These minute companies were in part composed of the young and adventurous spirits among us; but many of our most substantial citizens enlisted, and were faithful in drilling, and ready to " fall in" when the emergency came.

1775. " January 2, 1775. At a town meeting duly warned, it was voted, that there shall be a contribution for the town of Boston under their present Distress. And Maj. John Trowbridge, Gideon Haven, Daniel Sanger, Benjamin Mixer, Ebenezer Marshall, David Patterson, Deacon William Brown and Dr. Ebenezer Hemenway were chosen a committee for that purpose ; and next Wednesday and Friday at 1 o'clock were appointed as the times when the people should assemble at such several places as the committee shall designate, to bring in their subscriptions."

Capt. Josiah Stone and Deacon William Brown were chosen delegates to the Second Provincial Congress, to meet at Cambridge the Ist of February.

Capt. Benjamin Edwards, Joseph Nichols, Daniel Sanger, Capt. Amos Gates and Col. Mieah Stone were chosen a Committee of Inspection, "whose duty it shall be to see that the Association of the Continental Congress be duly carried into full execution."

The Battle of Lexington und Concord .- April 19, 1775. The news that the British troops were on the march for Lexington and Concord appears to have reached Framingham before eight o'clock in the morn- ing. The bell was rung, and the alarm guns fired; and in about an hour a considerable part of the two companies of minute-men and one company of the militia 'were on the way to Concord, which place they reached about noon. Capt. Edgell went on foot the entire distance, carrying his gun. Those living at the extreme south and west sides of the town were a little behind the party from the centre and north side.

Soon after the men were gone, a strange panie seized upon the women and children living in the Edgell and Belknap District. Some one started the story that "the Negroes were coming to massacre

them all!" Nobody stopped to ask where the hostile negroes were coming from ; for all our own colored people were patriots. It was probably a lingering memory of the earlier Indian alarms, which took this indefinite shape, aided by the feeling of terror awakened hy their defenceless condition, and the uncertainty of the issue of the pending fight. The wife of Capt. Edgell and the other matrons brought the axes and pitchforks and clubs into the house, and securely bolted the doors, and passed the day and night in anxious suspense.

Our companies reached Concord, not in season to join in the fray at the North Bridge, but in season to join in the pursuit of the flying British column. From the evidence preserved, it appears that a part of our men participated in the daring assault at Mer- riam's Corner, and that all had arrived and were active in the more successful attacks in the Lincoln woods. Captain Edgell and Captain Gleason had seen service in the Indian wars; they were cool and daring, and kept their men well in hand, which accounts for the few casualties of the day among them. Captain Nixon and our two captains, who acted in concert, well knew the need of discipline in harassing a re- treating enemy, and that most casualties happen on such occasions from rashness and needless exposure. A single deliberate shot, from a man behind a safe cover, is etlective, when a dozen hurried shots are harmless.

Our captains kept up the pursuit till the British reached and passed Cambridge ; and then the men disposed of themselves as best they could for the night.

The following incident shows the value of presence of mind in emergency. In the pursuit from Concord, when on the borders of Lexington, Noah Eaton (2d), of this town, fired upon the British, and squatted be- hind a knoll to reload, just as a regular came up on the other side of the knoll, and as it proved, for the same purpose. Eaton instantly brought his gun to his shoulder, and demanded a surrender. The soldier laid down his musket, when Eaton proceeded to re- load. Seeing the state of the case, the soldier re- marked, "My gun is empty, but I could have loaded in half the time you take, as I have cartridges." 'The soldier returned to Framingham with his captor the next day, and continued in his service.

Josiah Temple, then living at Lechmore Point, Cambridge, started with a detachment of militiamen to intercept the British, on their return, and in the severe skirmish which took place just on the line be- tween Lexington and Cambridge, received a musket- ball in the shoulder, which he carried to his grave.

Daniel Hemenway, a member of Captain Edgell's company, was the only one of our minute-men who was wounded that day ; but he kept on with his com- rades to Cambridge, and remained in the service four- teen days.

Ebenezer Hemenway, of Captain Gleason's com-

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pany, shot a British soldier named Thomas Sowers, near Merriam's Corner, and took his gun, which he bronght home with him.

As will appear from the minster-rolls, all our Fram- ingham men followed the British as far as Cambridge, and passed the night there. And only eight of the total of one hundred and fifty-three returned home the next day. The rest remained in the service for longer or shorter periods, as indicated below.

Captain Edgell took seventy-seven men to the scene of action, thirty-eight of whom returned at the end of four days; the others continued in the service from ten to nineteen days. Captain Edgell was out twenty- two days. The second company marched under Cap- tain Micajah Gleason, Captain Nixon having been promoted. This company numbered forty-nine men, who were in service from three to twenty-eight days. Captain Jesse Eames took twenty-four men of the militia to Concord and Cambridge that day, most of whom were out ten days.

It was at the earnest entreaty of the Committee of Safety and the general officers, that Captain Edgell, Captain Gleason and Captain Eames, and so large a part of our minute-men and militia remained at Cam- bridge. The Executive Committee had summoned the Provincial Congress to meet April 22d; and they begged these miunte companies to hold the ground till more permanent companies could be enlisted.

On the 23d the Congress resolved to call on Massa- chusetts to furnish 13,500 men for eight months' ser- vice.

On that day Captain Gleason resigned command of his minute company, and immediately raised from his own men, and other companies on the ground, a company of fifty men, and reported for duty. ITis commission is dated April 23d, and his company was that day mustered into service.

The next day, Lieut. Thomas Drury, of Captain Edgell's company, resigned his commission, and com- menced recruiting a company for the eight months' service. On that and the few following days he en- listed sixty-three men. His commission as captain is dated April 24th, and his company drew pay from that date.

In all, eighty-nine Framingham men were enlisted for the eight months' service in I775.

April 24th the Committee of Safety sent ten sets of beating papers to Colonel Jonathan Brewer, a native of Framingham, but who, since 1770, had resided in Waltham, on the border of Watertown. He prompt- ly raised a regiment, composed of eight companies and 400 men.

The officers of the regiment, all of whom enlisted April 24th, were :

Colonel, Jona. Brewer, of Waltham, born in Framingham.

Lieutenant-Colonel, William Buckminster, of Barre, born in Framing- ham.

Major, Nathaniel Cudworth, of East Sudbury.

Adjutant, Jolın Butler, of Peterborough.

Quartermaster, Charles Dougherty, of Framingham.

40-iii

Surgeon, D. Townsend, of Boston.

The same day, April 24th, Captain John Nixon was tendered a commission as colonel of a regiment ; and on the 27th the Committee of Safety ordered that he receive nine sets of " beating papers," which he was to send to such men of his acquaintance as were con- sidered snitable to be commissioned as captains. The field officers of the regiment when organized were : Col- nel, John Nixon, of Sudbury; Lieutenant-Colonel. Thos. Nixon, of Framingham ; Major, John Buttrick, of Concord ; Adjutant, Abel Holden, of Sudbury ; Quar- termaster, John White, of Haverhill ; Surgeon, Isaac Spofford, of Hlaverbill ; Surgeon's Mate, Josiah Lang- don, of Sudbury. The officers of the regiment drew pay from April 24th, and it was recognized by Gen- eral Ward, and sent by his orders on several impor- tant expeditions ; though it appears not to have mns- tered into service, as a regiment, till June 5th.

April 24th, nine sets of beating-papers were issued to Colonel David Brewer, a brother of Colonel Jona- than, then a resident of Palmer. June 15th, the Committee of Safety reported that "Colonel David Brewer had raised nine companies, amounting, in- cinding officers, to 465 men, who are now posted at Roxbury, Dorchester and Watertown." This regi- ment was commissioned June 17th. The lien- tenant-colonel was Rufus Putnam, of Brookfield ; the major was Nathaniel Danielson, of Brimfield ; the adjutant was Thomas Weeks, of Greenwich ; with Ebenezer Washburn, of Hardwick, quartermaster, and Estes Ilowe, of Belchertown, surgeon. Micah Dougherty, of this town, enlisted for the eight months' service in Captain Jona. Danforth's company, in Col- onel David Brewer's regiment.

Samuel Brewer, a native of this town (brother of Jonathan and David), but then living in Rutland, en- listed in the eight months' service, was appointed adjutant-general of the troops in Roxbury under General Thomas. He was wounded at Bunker Ilill, June 17th. In 1776 he raised and commanded a regi- ment which served at Ticonderoga. He, with his regiment, was in the campaign of 1777, which ended with the defeat of Burgoyne.

Battle of Bunker Hill .- By returns dated June 17, 1775, it appears that Colonel Jonathan Brewer's regi- ment comprised eight companies, and numbered 37] men. Col. John Nixon's regiment had eight compan- ies, and numbered 390 men. Both these regiments took a leading part in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Colonel Brewer was ordered by General Ward early in the morning to go to the support of Colonel Pres- cott. About half of his regiment was absent on leave or in camp at Brookline, so that he went upon the hill with only about 180 men. The regiment took a position at the left of the redoubt, in the open field, which it held through the day, leaving the line of battle only when General Warren, who stood at the head of the rail-fence breast-work-between the regi- ments of Brewer and Nixon-deemed it prudent to

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retire. Colonel Brewer received a painful wound ; Lieutenant-Colonel Buckminster, just before the re- treat, received a dangerous wound from a musket-ball entering the right shoulder and coming out in the middle of his back, which made him a cripple for life. Adjutant Butler was wounded in the arm. Seven of the regiment were reported killed, and eleven wounded.

Colonel Nixon's regiment was sent to the support of Prescott about the same time as Colonel Brewer's. His men helped to build the hay breastwork, took position behind it next to Colonel Brewer, and held their ground till the British got possession of the gap. Swett states that Colonel Nixon marched upon the field with three hundred men. The two Framingham companies-Captain Drury's and Captain Gleason's- who were attached to the regiment, had respectively sixty-three and fifty men. A part of Captain Drury's men were sent to the redoubt to support Prescott just before the British charge. One of them, Peter Salem, who shot Major Pitcairn, was a member of this com- pany. The rest of the company was at the head of the rail-fence. Sergeant Ebenezer Eaton, of this town, happened to have position near where General Warren stood during the action, started to leave the defences with him, was close to him when he received the fatal shot, and, with some comrades, attempted to carry him off the field; but the British onset forced them to leave the body. Colonel Nixon was severely wounded during the third attack and had to be car- ried off the hill. Lieutenant William Maynard, of Captain Drury's company, received a bullet in his hip, which he carried to his grave. Three of this regiment were reported killed and ten wounded. Most of these casualties happened after the men left the breastwork. The reason why the shots of the British did so little execution during the action is found in a statement made by Sergeant Eaton: "The British fired over our heads; the tops of the young apple-trees where we stood were cut all to pieces by their bullets."

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 147

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278