History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 46

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 46

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The chapel at Tremont village has been noticed in another place ; also the church edifice of the Roman Catholies.

French and Indian War .- In this war the eiti- zens of Wareham lent their aid so far that John Bates, Barnabas Bates, Jabez Besse, Henry Sanders, Oliver Norris, Joshua Besse, Ebenezer Chubbuck, Joseph Besse, and Samuel Besse went to Cape Breton and assisted in the taking of Louisbourg, some in the land forees and some in the navy, and Samuel Besse lost his life in the expedition. About the same time Nathaniel Besse, Gershom Morse, Newbury Morse, Elnathan Sampson, and Nathaniel Chubbuck went into the Northern army, and were employed in taking Canada. Also, there were four Indians who resided in this town, named Jo. Joseph, Sol. Joseph, Jabez Wiekett, and - Webquish, who went and fought against the hostile Indians on the Canada frontier. Webquish, who died about the year 1810, said he was present upon the plains of Abraham when Gen. Wolfe fell, and saw the city of Quebee taken. The above- named Nathaniel Chubbuek was in the English army at the time they were defeated near the city of Car-

thagena, in South America, in 1741, and also at the taking of Havana, in Cuba, in 1763.

Revolutionary War .- Wareham, though poor and small, bore her full share in the Revolutionary struggle. Her first act was to answer the people of Boston, as follows :

" At the request of the town of Boston, the in- habitants of the town of Wareham met together on the 18th day of January, 1773, to consider matters of grievance the Provinces were under. Capt. Josiah Carver was chosen moderator. Voted to act on the request of the town of Boston. Chose David Nye, Barnabas Bates, and Benjamin Briggs a committee to act on the above-said matters of grievance, and lay it before the town. Voted to adjourn to the 8th of February.

" Feb. 8, 1773, Voted to receive the committee's resolves, and record them on the town book.

" At a town-meeting in Wareham, Jan. 18, 1773, and continued by adjournment to February 8th, fol- lowing, and then met to consider a letter of corre- spondence from the town of Boston, occasioned by sundry grievances the people of this Province at present labor under respecting sundry acts of Parlia- ment of Great Britain, thereby drawing a tribute or tax from the people of this Provinee, the town taking the same into consideration, come to the following conclusions, as expressed in the following resolves :

" Resolved, That by the charter ef this Province we are en- titled to all the privileges and immunities ef the natural born subjects of Great Britain, therefere,

2. " Resolved, That the raising ef a revenue en the people by a legislative authority where they have ne right in the election, or returning of any of the members, is a great grievance, as we are thereby taxed by other than eur own representatives.

3. " Resolved, That the extensive power given to the cem- missioners ef his Majesty's customs in America is a grievance.

4. " Resolved, That the affixing salaries on the judges of the Supreme Court ef judicature, within the province, out of the aforesaid revenue, is a grievance, as our lives and property are se nearly concerned in the decision of judges who hold their places during pleasure, and are entirely dependent on the Crown fer their support.

5. " Resolred, That the extending the power of the courts of Vice-Admiralty so as that in many things it destroys the privi- lege of the trials by juries, is an extreme grievance; and in particular that remarkable distinction made between the sub- jects in Great Britain and those in these Colenies, in sundry acts of Parliament in which the property ef the colonists is given up to the determination of one single judge ef admiralty whereby the same act the subject in Great Britain is tried in his Majesty's court of record,

6. " Resolved, That we will freely join with the town of Boston, or any or all the other towns in this Provinee, to take any legal measures to obtain a removal of the nbove grievance in a constitutional manner.

7. " Resolved, That whereas we are not in the capacity to send a representative to represent us in the general assembly of the Province, we desire the committee of correspondence of the

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HISTORY OF WAREHAM.

town of Boston to use their influence in that constitutional body, that they may petition onr most gracious sovereign for a re- moval of the above-said grievances, or that such method for the recovery of our ancient and invaluable privileges as in their wisdom may appear most conducive to the common good of the Province.

S. " Resolred. That the thanks of this town be returned to the inhabitants of the town of Boston for their letter of corre- spondence, and the care they have taken to acquaint the Province in general, and ns in particular. of the divers measures that have been, and still are. taken to deprive us of the privileges enjoyed by the subjects of the same Prince in Great Britain.

9. " Resolved. That if any person for the sake of any post of honor. or any private advantage whatsoever, shall basely desert the common canse of British Freedom, and endeavor to hinder or obstruct onr thus recovering our ancient and invaluable privileges, he shall be deemed an enemy to his country. and shall be treated by us with that neglect and contempt that his behavior deserves.

" Lastly, That these resolves be recorded in the town's book of records. and that the town clerk transmit an attested copy of the same under his hand to the aforesaid committee of cor- respondence for the town of Boston."

Thus we see that the town of Wareham responded to the first call to oppose grievances, and to insist upon a constitutional remedy. Failing in this, they prepared for another remedy, and on the 16th of January, 1775. they voted to allow each minute-man 1s. 4d. per week, refusing to pay any province or county tax under the king's authority, and voted to pay the province tax already made to Dr. Andrew Mackie, with instructions that he keep it until the town should otherwise order. On the 17th of March, 1775, they voted to purchase six guns for the use of the town, and directed Nathan Bassett to put the other guns in repair, and make bayonets to fit them, for which service they paid him £24 16s. 6d. April 3, 1775, they voted to pay the province tax to Henry Gardiner, Esq., at Stow, Mass.

The militia company of Wareham that responded to the call, April 19, 1775 : Commissioned officers, -- Noah Fearing, captain ; John Gibbs, lieutenant. Non- commissioned officers,-Jonathan Gibbs, Joseph Stur- tevant, sergeants; Enos Howard, corporal ; Thomas Norris, drummer ; Joseph Bumpus, Joseph Winslow, Jesse Swift, - - Bumpus, John Bates, - Bas- sett, Benjamin Swift, John Bourne, Archipaus San- ders, - Hathaway, Samuel Savery, David Nye, privates.

About the time of the battle of Lexington a report was circulated that the king's troops had landed at Marshfield, and were marching through the country, killing women and children and laying the whole country waste.

The following company of minute-men started at once for Marshfield : Commissioned officers,-Israel Fearing, captain; Joshua Briggs, lieutenant ; Eben-

ezer Chubbuck, second lieutenant. Non-commis- sioned officers,-Samuel Savery, Prince Burgess, Ed- ward Sparrow. - Burgess, sergeants ; John Besse, drummer ; Joshua Besse, fifer ; Samuel Burgess, Syl- vester Bumpus, Calvin Howard, Wilbur Swift, Ben- jamin Gibbs, Samuel Phillips, Rufus Perry, Nathaniel Burgess, Joshua Gibbs, Jr., William Parris, Isaac Ames, William Bumpus, David Perry, Benjamin Briggs, Barnabas Bumpus, Elisha Burgess, Richard Sears, Asaph Bates, Jabez Nye, John Lothrop, Eben- ezer Bourne, Willis Barrows, Samuel Norris, Joseph Bumpus, Elisha Swift, Jabez Besse, Samuel Morse, Thomas Sampson, Timothy Chubbuck, privates. After reaching Plymouth, learning that the king's troops had left Marshfield for Boston, the company returned home ; whereupon the town voted that those who did not go at the alarm should not have any pay, and to those who did go they paid £21 5s. 4d., it being the sum due them by the vote of January 16th.

Soon after this Ebenezer Chubbuck, Samuel Besse, Nathan Bassett, Barnabas Bates, David Saunders, Bar- nabas Bumpus, Judah Swift, and Daniel Perry went to Roxbury and served the term of two months; and about the same time Joseph Bosworth, John Besse, Joshua Besse, Joseph Saunders, William Conant, Jo- seph Bumpus, Consider Sturtevant, Ephraim Norris, Rufus Perry, John Bourne, Benjamin Russell, Sam- uel Morse, Caleb Burgess, Barnabas Bates, Joseph Bates, Thomas Bates, Samuel Bates, and Jabez Nye were stationed along shore in this town, enlisted for the term of six months and paid by the State. They went at an alarm from Naushon during their term of service, to which place they rowed themselves in two whaleboats. Also, during the same time, Edward Sparrow, Lieut. Willard Swift, Lemuel Caswell, John Lathrop, Calvin Howard, Samuel Phillips, Samuel Barrows, Benjamin Chubbuck, and William Thorn were in the army near Boston, among the eight months' men ; and Nathan Savery and John Bourne went to the Lakes and assisted in taking Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Thus we see that this little town, which stated in the Ninth Resolve that they were not in the capacity to send a representative, not having voters enough, had thirty-six men in the public ser- vice the first year of the war. And when the public authorities called for a re-enlistment for the term of one year, and it was submitted to the citizens of Ware- ham to see who would enlist for the year 1776, Ed- ward Sparrow, Josiah Harlow, Willard Swift, Lem- uel Caswell, Samuel Barrows, Samuel Phillips, Wil- liam Pierce, Arthur Hathaway, William Thorn, Jesse Swift, Benjamin Gibbs, Caleb Burgess, Benjamin

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

Burgess, William Bumpus, Benjamin Swift, John Galt, Solomon Hitchman, and Rufus Perry consented and joined the army near Boston ; from whence, after the British evacuated that place, they went to New York. March 18, 1776, the town chose John Fearing, Andrew Maekie, Israel Fearing, Joshua Gibbs, and Prince Burgess a committee of corre- spondenee, inspection, and safety, and voted to pay for five pickaxes, eleven spades, and six narrow axes furnished the army. In June there was another call for men to go to New York, when Joseph Bates, Perez Briggs, William Hunt, Joseph Bosworth, Na- thaniel Burgess, Benjamin Swift, and Benjamin Chubbuck were enlisted for the term of five months, making twenty-five men in the regular army the sec- ond year of the war.

Oct. 14, 1776, resolved as follows : " That we judge it best that the plan of government of the late char- ter, viz., by the House of Representatives and Council, be strictly adhered to, and that no alteration be made therein respecting a form of government, at least during the present war."

Upon the call of Congress for men to serve in the Continental army for three years or during the war, commencing with 1777, Lieut. Joseph Bates, Joseph Saunders, William Conant, Jonathan Saunders, Lot Sturtevant, David Burgess, Nathan Sturtevant, Solo- mon Hitchman, Moses Sturtevant, James Bumpus, Amaziah King, Reuben Maxim, Joseph Bumpus, and William Parkerson enlisted and were marched against Burgoyne's army. About the same time the State called for two months' men to go to Rhode Island, when Silas Besse, Hallet Briggs, Benjamin Bourne, Joseph Swift, John Winslow, and Asa Bumpus responded to the ,call, and were stationed near Howland's Ferry.

After this Lieut. Prince Burgess, Ebenezer Bur- gess, and Heman Sturtevant went to Rhode Island, and were in the battle fought by Gen. Sullivan at the south end of the island, and it is said they all fought bravely. In August of this year nearly every man of the militia went against Newport on the secret expe- dition which did not succeed, and they soon returned.

March 26, 1777, Chose Jeremiah Bumpus, Eben- ezer Chubbuck, Israel Fearing, Edward Sparrow, and Barnabas Bates, Jr., a committee of correspondence, inspection, and safety.

September 29th, Voted thirty-three pounds to pay for one hundred pounds of powder.

November 25th, Voted one hundred pounds for the purpose of supplying the families of the Conti- nental soldiers, and chose a committee to provide such articles as they should need.

This vote shows that those who stayed at home in that trying day did not forget the widow and the fatherless. The property of the rich went to feed the poor by vote, and not by the liberality or narrowness of each individual heart. And there were some who did more than vote. Silvanus Bourne, Esq., of this town, long since deceased, onee gave the following in- cident : " An aged lady by the name of Reed but a few days since told me she was married in the year 1775. The next year her husband went into the army, leaving her young and inexperienced, with an infant upon her bosom, to manage the domestic affairs in-doors and out through a long and bitter-cold win- ter; and when she heard from her husband it was from the battle-field, with the battle bravely fought, but not finished. At length he returned; another winter approaching, he was drafted again, and through her entreaties he was prevailed upon to hire a substi- tute. In addition to the pay agreed upon, he told the man that when he returned he would assist him in building a house. The man was killed in the battle at the taking of Burgoyne; but, said she, his poor widow did not go houseless, for my husband built it, and made her comfortable as long as she lived."

Soon after the taking of Burgoyne's army Barna- bas Bates, Silas Besse, Silas Fearing, John Galt, David Perry, Jabez Besse, and Nathan Norris went to Boston on a three-months' tour to guard the pris- oners.

March 2, 1778, Chose John Fearing, James Bur- gess, Andrew Mackie, Samuel Savery, and Barnabas Bates a committee of correspondence, inspection, and safety.

In September of this year the British burnt the shipping at New Bedford, and the militia of this town turned out generally at the alarm.

There were two alarms at Falmouth during the war, to which place the militia of Wareham speedily repaired, but at neither time found the enemy.

October 5th, Voted to raise money to pay for sol- diers' clothing, and chose a committee to supply the soldiers' families the ensuing year.

Jan. 11, 1779, Voted to raise by tax one hundred and eighty-four pounds in the west end of the town, to pay two nine-months' men, viz., Andrew Sturte- vant and Asa Bumpus. Voted, to raise soldiers in future by a town tax, and a committee was chosen to hire them for the town. March 8, Chose John Fear- ing, Joshua Gibbs, and David Nye, to see that there be no forestalling and monopolizing in the town, agrecably to an act of the General Court.

Chose John Fearing, Andrew Mackie, Samuel Sa. very, Barnabas Bates, and Prince Burgess a commit-

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HISTORY OF WAREHAM.

tee of correspondence, inspection, and safety. March 23d, Voted to sell the nine guns (that came from Boston) at vendue, and they were sold for three hun- dred and eighty dollars and fifty cents.

July 5th. Chose a committee to supply the soldiers' families with the necessaries of life. Voted £110 16s. to pay soldiers' bounty and mileage.

December 6th, Voted to send to Boston for one hundred and sixty pounds of powder.

March 22. 1780. Chose Israel Fearing, Barnabas Bates, and Rowland Thatcher a committee of cor- respondence, inspection, and safety.

June 20th, Voted that the six months' men, now sent into service, be hired by a tax, and that each man have sixty-nine silver dollars as a bounty, and one hundred and thirty paper dollars per man mile- age money. Voted to eleven three months' men forty silver dollars per man, and one hundred paper dollars per month; and Capt. John Gibbs, William Conant, Thomas Bates, Silas Besse, Lot Thatcher, Lot Bumpus, Seth Stevens, Isaac Stevens, George Glover, Benjamin Benson, George Gurney, and Thomas Barrows were the captain and eleven men mentioned in the last vote. These men went to Rhode Island.

September 21st, Voted to raise £86 17s. hard money to pay for beef sent to the army. December 26th, Voted to raise seven men for the army during the war. Jan. 6, 1781, Voted to have a lottery to raise two hundred and eighty dollars hard money to raise soldiers with. Voted to accept the scheme of the lottery as it now stands. This last vote shows to what extremity the town was pushed to raise the funds necessary to carry on the war ; but they shrunk not back; when the people had become so poor that moncy could not be raised by tax, they sought other expedients and found them. July 9th, Chose a com- mitte to procure beef for the army. September 24th, Voted for two five months' soldiers, twenty-one pounds ; for four three months' men, seventy-two pounds ; and for seven three years' soldiers, one hun- dred and twenty-six pounds. October 8th, Voted £235 8s. to pay for nine thousand one hundred and forty-six pounds of beef sent to the Continental army, and £10 for four hundred pounds of beef for soldiers' families.

Dec. 17th, Voted to join with Plymouth to petition to take off the excise act. Sept. 16, 1782, Voted two hundred and ten pounds for seven three years' sol- diers. Sept. 29, 1783, Voted one hundred and eighty pounds for six three years' soldiers.

It is impossible at this date to ascertain the names of the men raised by some of the above votes, but Noah

Bumpus, Asa Bumpus, Solomon Hitchman, Ebenezer Clark, Willard Swift, William Pierce, and Stephen Swift served during the war, and are probably the men raised by the vote of Dec. 26, 1780. Those raised by the vote of 1781 were probably such men as had returned from former service, and were pre- vailed upon to go again. Philemon Dunham, who is not mentioned above, went into the army three times, and Samuel Bates served six years, and no doubt many others went in other campaigus than those where their names are mentioned.

The votes of September, 1782 and 1783, were to pay soldiers already in the army, and not to raise new forces. Of the eighty-six persons who performed service from two months to seven years, whose names have come down to the present generation, thir- teen died while in service, viz. : Samuel Besse, John Lathrop, John Bourne, Samuel Barrows, Samuel Phillips, William Thorn, Caleb Burgess, Rufus Perry, Benjamin Swift, Jonathan Saunders, Nathan Sturte- vant, Moses Sturtevant, and William Parkerson. During the war the operations of the patriotic citi- zens of this town were not confined to the land. Capt. Barzillai Besse went out privateering under a com- mission from the State, in an armed sloop, and took one prize. He, together with John Gibbs and some others of his crew, left his vessel at Nantucket, and went with Capt. Dimmick, of Falmouth, as volun- teers in a wood sloop, borrowed for the occasion, and running down towards the enemy's vessel, which was a shaving-mill mounting six swivels, Dimmick was ordered to strike; he showed submission, but in running under the stern he put his bowsprit over the enemy's taffrail, and calling upon his men, they sprang on board, killed the English captain, and took the vessel in a few minutes. Also a ten-gun sloop named the " Hancock," owned by John Carver, Nathan Bassett, and others, was fitted out from this place as a privateer, commanded by James Southard. The first cruise they went to the West Indies, and took two prizes. The second cruise they took two Grand Bank fishermen, both brigs, and brought them into Wareham. The enemy took from the citizens of Wareham the schooner " Lion," coming from the West Indies with a load of salt. Also the schooner " Desire," going to Brazil, and a sloop that was built for a privateer, and performed one successful cruise in that capacity, but was afterwards sent to Turk's Island for salt, and was taken when returning.

War of 1812 .- From the Revolutionary war until the war of 1812 but few incidents happened to Ware- ham, of an historical nature, worthy of notice. The town increased gradually in business and population,

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

commeree at one time was flourishing, and many ves- sels were built at the Narrows, and when the second war was declared and commerce eut off many persons were poor indeed. However, they bore up under it as well as they eould, ran their small vessels along shore as far as New York, and had the following sloops taken by the enemy, most of which were ran - somed : Sloop " Washington," Capt. Besse; " Reso- lution," Gibbs ; " Liberty," Savery ; " Ruth," White; " Paragon," Howard ; " Polly," Barrows ; " Thomas,". Leonard; "Betsey," Gibbs ; "Swallow," Bessc ; " Vineyard" ferry-boat, Leonard ; " Dolly," Gurney ; "Income," Briggs; and "Fox," Leonard. The sloop " Polly," Capt. Barrows, was taken on the 9th of June, 1814, off Westport. The captain ran- somed her for two hundred dollars, and eame home to get the money, leaving Moses Bumpus and James Miller with the British until his return. The same day the sloop was retaken by a party fitted out from Westport, but the two young men, Bumpus and Mil- ler, had been taken on board the brig-of-war " Nim- rod," and by their aid, as was supposed, in a few days ran up the bay to West's Island. Here they landed and took Samuel Besse on board for a pilot, as he says, by force, and compelled him to pilot the brig up the bay. On the next day, June 13th, she was seen by Ebenezer Bourne, about nine o'clock A.M., off Mattapoisett, standing up the bay, and at ten came to anchor about four miles southerly of Bird Island Light, and immediately manned six barges, which formed a line two abreast. Each barge had a large lateen-sail, and was rowed by six oars, double-manned, with a fair wind and strong flood tide, and steered for Wareham. Bourne left his work and ran to his boat, then lying at Crooked River, and sailed to the lower end of the Neek, when he landed, and in twenty minutes from the time he left home gave information to the selcetmen, then as- sembled on other business, at the Narrows village. He and they passed quickly through the village, giv- ing the alarm to the eitizens, until they arrived at the house of Benjamin Fearing, Esq. Here the select- men ordered Maj. William Barrows to assemble the men and prepare their guns as fast as possible, then pass down the Narrows, and they would forward them ammunition as soon as it could be proeured from the town stores, which were kept by Wadsworth Crocker, Esq. Bourne, upon his first arrival at Fearings, mecting with a gentleman upon a smart horsc, bound towards Agawam village, requested him to quicken his speed and stop at the next public-house, then kept by Capt. Israel Fearing, and tell him to call out his men and proceed forthwith to the cast side of the

Narrows. This the stranger promised and performed. Maj. Barrows eolleeted twelve men, with arms, which he paraded, and the minister, Rev. Noble Everett, came from the selectmen with a keg of powder and balls. But while they were loading their guns, Wil- liam Fearing, Esq., and Jonathan Reed eame to the major and told him to put his arms and ammunition out of sight, for they had made a treaty with the enemy, who had agreed to spare private property. The guns were hid under Capt. Jeremiah Bumpus' poreh, and the keg of powder left near his house. The British came to the turn of the channel, here set a white flag, and proceeded to the lower wharf, where the marines landed, being about two hundred in number, paraded on the wharf, and set a sentinel upon the high land back of the village, with orders to let no eitizen pass from the village, and it was about this time that Fearing and Reed approached the encmy with a white handkerchief upon a eane and made the treaty aforesaid. The enemy then marehed up the strect, stationing sentries upon the high land, at convenient distances, until they arrived at the eot- ton-factory. Here quite a number of persons were collected, and Barker Crocker, Esq., of West Barn- stable, was mounted on a spirited horse. He had bcen pricking the animal with pins until he was in a high state of excitement, plunging and rearing as the British approached.

As Crocker had expected, the commanding officer ordered him at once to dismount, which he did; and the uniformed Britou had hardly placed his feet in the stirrups ere he found himself prostrate in the dust, to the great amusement of the troops and spec- tators. After this episode they set fire to the factory by shooting a Congreve rocket into a post in the mid- dle of the first story, and returned, taking the arms and powder at Capt. Bumpus' house, and threatened to burn the house if the town stores were not sur- rendered, which they thought were there. They fired a small rocket into the roof of the house, and left it. The fire was extinguished before it kindled, and no damage was done. About this time four schooners belonging to Falmouth, which had put into this port for safety, were set on fire by the men left with the barges, these and the factory, as they asserted, not being private property.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 46

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1706

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706