History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 67

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

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Within this fortification the Indians had erected about five hundred wigwams, in which they had de- posited large quantities of Indian corn in baskets and tubs, piled one upon another, and thus rendering the wigwams bullet proof; and here some three thousand Indians, including warriors, old men, women, and children, had taken up their residence for the winter, which residence, had it continued until the next spring unmolested or broken up, would probably have been the last winter that European inhabitants would have occupied New England soil, for the red men thus refreshed, encouraged, and reinforced, would have swept the pale-faces as with a besom of destruction.

"The whole country," said an official report issued from Boston, " was filled with Distress and Fear, and we trembled in this citadel Boston itself, and that to the goodness of God; and this Army we owe our safty and estates, and if we consider the Difficulties those Brave Men went through in storming the Fort in the depth of Winter, and pinching Wants they afterwards underwent in pursuing those Indians that escaped through a hideous Wilderness, famously known through New England as the hungry March, and until this Brave tho' small Army thus playª the Man," etc., "we cannot but think that those In- struments of our Deliverance and Safty ought to be not only Justly, but also gratefully and generously Rewarded." (See Report made to the Colonial Legis- lature of Massachusetts in 1732.)

And as justice more than a century and a half ago sought to cancel the debt the colony acknowledged that it owed these soldiers by providing through legislative action for the bestowment of land grants, let us, at this remote period, see to it that we are not remiss in our duties to their memories by neglecting to cause to be most gratefully'and thoroughly fulfilled the poetic prophecy,-

" Long after-years the tale shall tell, In words of light revealed, Who bravely fought, who nobly fell."

Lakeville soil was for about a quarter of a century the home of Isaac Peirce, one of those soldiers, and in what is now Lakeville, when past the age of " threescore and ten," he died and had his burial ; and when about to be gathered with his fathers, in disposing of his worldly estate among his children, he practically said, "Moreover, I have given to thee one portion which I took with my sword and with my bow."

The orders under which Isaac Peirce marched in that expedition were as follows, and bore date of Dec. 6, 1675. (See vol. v. page 183, “ Plymouth Colony Records) :"

"Gentm,-You are heroby required to procuro yower men pressed to bo in a reddines to march soe as they attaine to mect att Prouidence on tho tenth of December next; and in order thervnto that they rendovous on tho seauenth of the said month att Plymouth, on the eighth att Taunton, att Rehoboth on the 9th, and att Providenco on tho tenth as aforsaid, and that you see that they be not onoly able and fitt men but alsoe well fittod with elothing nessossary for the season and prouided with knapsackes and amunition according to order, viz., halfe a pound of powder and 4 pound of bullotts to oach man. Fayle not."

The soldiers of Plymouth Colony, together with those of the Massachusetts Bay, left Providence on the evening of Dec. 12, 1675, marched to and en- camped upon the north side of Wickford Hill, in

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HISTORY OF LAKEVILLE.

North Kingston, and the next morning proceeded to the house of Mr. Smith, where a delay of several days was suffered waiting the arrival of troops from Con- nectiont ; and while there the Indians, issuing forth from their fort in the swamp at South Kingston, camc within a few miles of the English forces of Plymouth and Massachusetts, attacked and captured the forti- fied house of Jireh Bull, putting to death about a dozen soldiers with which it was garrisoned, and setting the house on fire destroyed all that would burn. Considering that this house was of stone and situate about fifteen miles from the Indian fort and near the English encampment, this was justly re- garded as an audacious menace and open challenge to combat on the part of the Indians, who seemed to be actually " spoiling for a fight." But, singularly enough, the English forces seem to have remained in blissful ignorance of the circumstance, and if so were not therefore discouraged thereby until the 18th of December, which was two days after it transpired ; and this of itself leads to the conclusion that the English forces were having little or no communication what- ever with their allies only a few miles in advance of their camp, while the Indians were scouring the coun- try fifteen miles from their base of warlike opera- tions.1

Saturday, Dec. 18, 1675, the Connecticut troops arrived, and, permitting no longer delay, the combined forces of Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecticut Colonies were pushed forward to the site of Bull's destroyed garrison-house, where, unsheltered from the wintry blasts, the allies remained until about half-past five o'clock the next morning. Their provisions being exhausted, and the temporary supply anticipated at Bull's garrison found to have been destroyed or carried away by the Indians, and added to these discourage- ments a dangerous mutiny in camp, amounting to an open rebellion, and a defiant refusal to obey the orders of the commanding officer, Gen. Josiah Winslow ; the mutineers, led by Lieut. Robert Barker, of Duxbury, declining any further part in the enterprise, and breaking in the most disorderly manner away from the army, turned their faces and quickened their march homeward.

It is difficult to conceive of a situation more thoroughly disheartening than that Gen. Winslow was thus forced to occupy, for he appears to have had too little confidence in the authority he could put in successful practice to attempt the trial of Lieut. Barker by a drum-head court-martial, shoot him on

the spot, and force his belligerent followers back to discipline and duty.2

Had Isaac Peirce been cowardly or disloyal, here was a most excellent opportunity for him to have es- caped all participation in the terrible battle that soon followed, for he was a soldier in Barker's particular company, all of whom that chose were permitted to leave the army and follow their officer home; but, to the everlasting honor of Isaac Peirce, he was among the few of that company who remained to test the truth of that line of the old stanza, ---

" Through tribulation deep the way to glory is."

The weary march of those hungry, frost-bitten sol- diers was rccommenced before daylight that ever- memorable Sunday morning, and added to the other impediments encountered in the almost trackless forest was the setting in of a heavy fall of snow that con- tinued nearly all that day.

From half-past five o'clock in the morning till be- tween one and two o'clock in the afternoon did that wearied, half-starved column force its difficult way through the steadily accumulating snow, dragging its slow length through paths scarcely to the eye discern- ible, winding, rough, and difficult, thick woods, across gullies, over hills and through valleys, till it reached the borders of what Capt. Benjamin Church charac- terized as a "hideous swamp," in which, upon an island of five or six acres, the Indian fort was situ- ated. Anticipating the attack, the Indian commander filled his block-house with sharpshooters and lined his palisades with warriors. There was but one place where this fortification could be assailed with any reasonable hope of success, and that was at its main entrance, and this was fortified with a block-house and flankers, thus enabling the defenders to sweep this opening with both enfilading and cross fires, and to reach which opening over a deep ditch the passage was upon the fallen trunk of a very large tree. No time could be wasted, for what was to be accomplished must be done quickly, as delays would not only be dangerous but prove thoroughly disastrous. Gen. Winslow's order for assault was quickly given, in- stantly followed by a " double-quick" movement on the part of his command, that with unrestrained ardor struggled as in a racc to pass over the fallen tree, that to most of them proved a " Bridge of Sighs," groans, and death, and thus to reach the fiery mouth of the Indian fort, although to attain which was to enter the jaws of almost certain death under the red men's unerring aim, that with enfilading and cross fires

1 Their ignorance serves fully to show how little concert of action was practiced, and at this distant date seems hardly credi- ble, and yet it was doubtless true.

2 Lieutenant Barker was soon after cashiered and heavily fined.

1 L

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

swept that entrance as with a besom of destruction. The head of that column went down like grass be- fore a scythe, disappeared like the morning dew, and melted as snow bencath the heated rays of a noon- day sun, but the centre and rear of that resistless force pressed up to the support, and passing over the dead and dying bodies of their fallen comrades, now filling the ditch, supplied the frightful gaps death had made in their front, and thus all were made equally to share the responsibility, dangers, and honors of the terrible hour. In short, a passage at the gate was forced, the fort triumphantly entered and set on fire, and what had begun in blood was ended in a great conflagration, for musket and torch were both that day remarkably successful in reaping an abundant harvest in the fields of desolation and death, the Indian dead and dying, their old men, women, and children, being roasted and destroyed in devouring flames.

So sanguinary a battle, and where the losses sus- tained upon both sides was so large in comparison with the whole number engaged, was never before or since fought upon New England soil since this country has had a written history, and it was, in fact, the turn- ing-point in King Philip's war,-that which caused the hopes of the red man to perish,-and furnishes a key to the subsequent events of that war, being, as it was, the time and the place, the where and the when that problem was solved, and irrevocably decided whether this should be a red or a white man's country ; and Lakeville has the honor and enviable privilege to claim a participation in that notable pro- ceeding, bravely represented as the locality then was by one of its pioneer settlers, Mr. Isaac Peirce.

French and Indian War .- That conflict between England and France usually known as the French and Indian war was officially declared June 9, 1756, but had been progressing in hostilities for several months. Abiel Peirce, a great-grandson of Isaac Peirce, the Narragansett soldier under Gen. Josias Winslow, having enlisted under Gen. John Winslow, a grand- son of Josias, and in the month of September, 1755, participated in the expedition to Acadia for the re- moval of the neutral French.

Abiel re-enlisted July 15, 1756, and this time served in a company commanded by Capt. Samuel N. Nelson, of Plymouth. He was made a corporal in the early part of 1759, promoted to a lieutenant May 4, 1759, and to captain in 1760.

As a lieutenant he served under Gen. Wolfe, par- ticipating in the battle of Quebec, fought upon the Plains of Abraham on the 13th of September, 1759, where Gen. Wolfe fell, the French were defeated, and

the beginning of a speedy and permanent end of French power and dominion on the continent of North America commenced, for thenceforth throughout the length and breadth of Canada victory everywhere perched upon the proud ensign of Old England. The flag

"That's braved a thousand years The battle and the breeze"

was signally triumphant.

As a captain, Abiel Peirce performed military ser- vice fighting the French and Indians in what is now the northerly part of the State of New York, his company being attached to Col. Willard's regiment, and his brother, Henry Peirce, of that part of Mid- dleboro' now Lakeville, performing duty in the com- pany as a private soldier, and Henry re-enlisted in 1762, and performed a tour of duty at Nova Scotia in a company commanded by Capt. Ephraim Holmes.

Job Peirce, a brother of Abiel and Henry Peirce, performed a short tour of service as a private soldier in Capt. Joseph Tinkham's company sent out to reinforce Fort William Henry, but the place was captured by the French before reinforcements could arrive, and so the soldiers returned. This fort was at the head of Lake George, in what is now the State of New York, and was taken by the French in August, 1757. Levi Peirce also served on that occasion in Capt. Tinkham's company. April 5, 1758, Job Peirce enlisted into a company commanded by Capt. Benjamin Pratt, of North Middleboro', and in which he served in what is now the State of New York, taking part in the attempt upon Ticonderoga. The term of that service was seven months and nineteen days. Beside Job Peirce, in that company served from what is now Lakeville Abiel Cole, who was a sergeant. Their service closed Nov. 24, 1758.

April 6, 1759, Job Peirce re-enlisted and this time served in a company commanded by Capt. Lemuel Dunbar, of what was then Bridgewater, now Brockton. This service was performed at or near Halifax, in Nova Scotia.

At its close, it being about the commencement of the month of December, 1759, he with other Mas- sachusetts men whose term of enlistment had just expired were put on board a government transport vessel bound for Boston, but had not been out long ere they encountered a severe storm that reduced the vessel to an unmanageable wreck that, with the relief of almost constant pumping, was yet scarcely able to float.

When the storm had abated they found themselves to have been driven far out of their course and were becoming short of provisions.

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HISTORY OF LAKEVILLE.

At the mercy of currents and the sport of the son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

vinds, thus they drifted until nearly all hope had 'anished, their water about exhausted, and nearly he last biscuit served out, when to their great joy hey discovered land and were successful in getting shore on one of the West India Islands.

Here they were forced to remain to take passage in ome homeward-bound vessel.

Meanwhile news of the departure of the transport essel from Halifax, together with the names of the Il-fated passengers, was received in Old Colony homes f these returning soldiers, and, after anxious watch- ng and waiting for intelligence of those who sur- ived the storm, the parents of Job Peirce felt com- elled to relinquish all hope of ever again seeing heir son.

The weary months of a cheerless winter at length vere passed, and as no news had been received of him who was loved and supposed to be lost, a proper espect for his memory was thought to demand the public demonstration of a funeral service and the rection of a monumental stone.

The warm sun that brings seed-time and harvest lad returned, and Job Peirce, the brave soldier and empest-tossed sailor, at last succeeded in securing a passage on board a vessel bound for New England, where he was safely landed.

Allowing no delay, he out-traveled the news of his rrival and soon stood upon his native hills again.

Scenes familiar, orchards and beechen forests met lis eye, but, save the lowing of cattle and the singing f birds, a deathlike silence prevailed, for it was Sun- lay,-a New England Sabbath, kept after the manner f the Puritan fathers. No alarm was therefore occa- ioned in his mind when he found his home unten- nted, the entire family having repaired to the country hurch to attend public worship, and where he lost no ime in following.

Arriving at the sanctuary during the "long rayer," he at its close walked reverently up the aisle o the family pew, there taking his seat, but creating 10 small stir among the members of that worshiping ssembly, for the superstition of that day invested the ight with little more novelty than terror.

It is indeed quite uncertain how that grave assem- ly would have regained its equilibrium but for the ractical good sense and remarkable presence of mind xhibited by the preacher, who was about to open the acred volume to speak from a contemplated text; but his unexpected sight quite upset all his former plans, nd therefore, without finding the text or so much s opening the book, he gave out for his text that assage of the Scripture that saith, "For this my

Job Peirce for a third time enlisted March 24, 1762, and served in a company of which Ephraim Holmes was captain. Here he served until March 14, 1763, when news of a treaty of peace between France and England, concluded and signed Feb. 10, 1763, having been received, his further service be- came unnecessary, and he was accordingly honorably mustered out of the military service, and for the next twelve years suffered to dwell in peace at home.

Henry Peirce, a brother of Job, was also a soldier in Capt. Holmes' company, upon the expedition last noticed.

Levi Peirce, in the expedition to Crown Point, served as a soldier from April 26 to December 16, 1759, and Hilkiah Peirce served as a sergeant in the French and Indian war.

Revolutionary War .- Anticipating the outbreak that soon after oceurred, the Massachusetts Legisla- ture advised Thomas Hutchinson, then Governor of the province, to cause a general settlement of the mi- litia throughout his government, which, in his history, he informs us that he accomplished, being careful to confer commissions upon such persons only as were known or generally considered to be friendly to the home government in England, as then exercised over the English provinces in Ameriea.

To accomplish this required the dismission from commission of any and all who openly avowed sym- pathy with the Whig cause, and in their places to substitute Loyalists or Tories who, by their influence and acts, might be expected to sustain Parliament and uphold the king.

To meet this emergency companies of Whigs banded together, thus forming military organizations that soon came to be known as " Minute-men." These mili- tary bands selected their leaders, armed and equipped themselves, and commenced to drill and discipline, promising to stand by each other in defense of patri- otic principles, and to respond to the calls of their country by day or night at a moment's warning.

Several of these companies were raised and organ- ized in Middleboro' in time promptly to respond at their country's first cry of distress sent forth on the 19th of April, 1775, and now familiarly known as the " Lexington Alarm." Middleboro', then em- bracing what is now the town of Lakeville, was at the commencement of the American Revolution organized as it had been for several years before, viz., as four companies, officially known as First, Second, Third, and Fourth Foot Companies of Militia in Middleboro'.

Many of the soldiers of each and every of these

1 2

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

companies had doubtless enlisted into the bands known as "Minute-men," but there still remaincd in each some who, from their toryism, and others from their comparatively advanced years, had not so en- listed, as the latter believed that young men are for war, and " old men for council."

A large and probably much the larger part of the Second Foot Company in Middleboro', was com- posed of persons whose homes were within what is now Lakeville, and the commissioned officers of this company at that time consisted of Nathaniel Smith as captain, Nehemiah Allen as lieutenant, and Sam- uel Barrows as ensign, neither of whom under the then existing circumstances could be expected to at- tempt to bring out this company save to fight for the cause of Parliament and the king; and there were those upon its roll beside the " Minute-men," who, if brought to the field at all, were of such patriotie principles as to battle for the Whig cause and fight against Parliament and the king, to improve which force this second company in the local militia was hastily and temporarily reorganized to meet the press- ing demands made upon the patriot cause at that trying hour.

The names of those of the Second Company who thus responded, served with, and practically became " Minute-men" in the trying scenes of April 19, 1775, were as follows :

Commissioned Officers.

Ahiel Peirce, capt .; Joseph Macomher, Ist lieut .; Benjamin Darling, 2d lieut.

Non-Commissioned Officers.

Josiah Smith, Richard Peiree, Elias Miller, Jr., and Joh Ma- comber, sergts .; Bachellor Bennett, Jedediah Lyon, Sam- uel Eddy, and John Bly, corps.

Musicians.

Caleh Simmons, drummer ; Nathaniel Foster, fifer.

Privates.

Joh Peiree.

Levi Jones.

Samuel Hoar.

Josiah Smith, Jr.

David Thomas (2d).

Malachi Howland, Jr.

Michael Mosher. Zachariah Paddoek, Jr. Jesse Pratt. Rufus Howland.

Jacob Heyford.

Sylvanus Purrington.

Joh Hunt.

John Fry, Jr.

Henry Bishop.

John Douglas, Jr.

Consider Howland.

Ebenezer L. Bennett.

Noah Clark.

Samuel Millor.

Cornelius Haskins.

Isaac Canedy.

John Rogers.

Daniel Reynolds.

Lehbeus Simmons.

Rufus Weston.

Caleh Wood.

Ziba Eaton. Isaae Miller.

John Boothe.

Nehemiah Peirce.

Ithamer Haskins. John Reynolds.

Nathaniel Macomber.

Samuel Bonnott. Joshua Thomas.

Calvin Johnson.

Richard Omey.

Joshua Read.

Israel Thomas. Tehabod Read.

Cryspus Shaw.

James Willis.

Samuel Ransom.

Sylvanus Churchill.

Daniel Jucket.

Samuel Macomber.

Besides these there were other residents in what is now Lakeville who responded at the Lexington alarm, and performed duty in the ranks of one or more of the companies that had been previously organized and known as " Minute-men," and among whom, in Capt. Isaae Wood's company, were found performing duty in the following capacities :

Corp., Ahner Nelson.

Privates.

Robert Sproat.

A biel Chase.

Gershom Foster.

Peleg Hathaway.

John Barrows. Peter Hoar.

John Townsend, Jr.

Andrew Cole.

Gideon Southworth.

John Hollowway.

Ahram Parris.

Samuel Parris.

Elisha Peirce.

Ebenezer Hinds.

Samuel Barrows.

Philip Hathaway.

Ebenezer Howland.

Isaac Hathaway.

Abram Shaw.

John Townsend.

James Peirce.

Henry Peirce.

The companies of minute-men did their duty well, but served only a temporary purpose, for when the war of the American Revolution was found to have actually begun, the enlistment of men into the army, who engaged for specified terms of service, was found to be imperatively required, and Capt. Abiel Peiree soon set himself about the raising of a company for the patriot army, which company was made to eon- stitute a part of Col. Nicholas Dikes' regiment.

This company was enlisted from the towns of Abing- ton, Bridgewater, Middleboro', Rochester, and Ware- ham, and consisted of the following :

Commissioned Officers.

Abiel Peirce, of Middlehoro' (now Lakeville), capt .; Jona- than Willis, of Bridgewater, lieut .; William Bassett, of Bridgewater, ensign.

Non-Commissioned Officers.

Nathan Alden, of Bridgewater, Josiah Harlow, of Middle- boro', Hannihal Hammond, of Rochester, and Barnabas Bump, of Wareham, sergts. ; James Peirce, of Middle- boro' (now Lakeville), Jephtha Pool, of Abington, James Alger, of Bridgewater, and William Wiltshire, of Roohes- ter, corps.

Musicians.

Samuel Allen, of Bridgewater, drummer; Josoph Whitman, of Bridgewater, fifer.

Privates.

John Cobb, Mathew Noyos, Joshua Pool, and Ephraim Whit- man, of Abington.

Levi Peirce.

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HISTORY OF LAKEVILLE.

Jail Edson, Radiel Edson. Barzilli Field, Joseph Muxum, Stephen Pettengill, Jeremiah Pratt, Simeon Pratt, J- Packard, James Shaw, Philip Warren, Abiezer Washburn, Benjamin Washburn, Isaac Washburn, Ephraim Washburn, Ebenezer Whitman, Oliver Harris, Samuel Lothrop, and Amasa Packard. of Bridgewater.

Joseph Booth. William Bryant. Ebenezer Borden, James Bump, Isaac Billington, Ichabod Cushman, John Fry, Nathan Haskins. Jonathan Leonard, Timothy Leonard, Jobn Har- low, Nathan Peirce, John Redding, Joseph Richmond, Benjamin Reynolds, Samuel Snow, Jacob Sberman, Icbabod Wood, Andrew Warren, Abner Washburn, Solomon Thomas, and Japhet Le Baron, of Middleboro'.

Job Chadwick, Allen Sears, Joseph D-, Thomas Swift, Seth Pope, Benjamin Hammond, Barzilla Hammond, and Jo- siah Hackett. of Rochester.

Roland Sturtevant, David Sanders, and Stephen Swift, of Wareham.

Capt. Nathaniel Wood, of Middleboro', raised a company for the patriot army that was made to con- stitute a part of a regiment of which Simeon Cary, of Bridgewater, was colonel. Of that company, Job Peirce, of Middleboro', that part now Lakeville, was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Capt. Wood's company, like that of Capt. Abiel Pierce, was raised at large, although probably none of the officers or soldiers resided without the original bounds of the town of Middleboro', and many of them were from that part now Lakeville; but at this date it is so difficult to separate them, the history of this company will be embraced in and considered a part of the history of Middleboro'.

The Whigs having come into power in the province of Massachusetts, by an act of the Legislature caused all military commissions that had been conferred by Governor Thomas Hutchinson to end upon the 19th day of September, 1775, and at the reorganiza- tion of the Fourth Company of the local militia of Middleboro', May 9, 1776, Lieut. Job Peirce was promoted to captain, Sergt. Josiah Smith to lieuten- ant, and Samuel Hoar made second lieutenant.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 67

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