USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Westminster > History of Westminster, Massachusetts (first named Narragansett no. 2) from the date of the original grant of the township to the present time, 1728-1893, with a biographic-genealogical register of its principal families > Part 20
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Westminster was in no wise dilatory in responding to the action of the Provincial Congress. At a meeting held Dec. 13, 1774, the citizens
"Voted, that the former and present Constables and Collector in the town of Westminster who Now Have province money in their hands, Do Not pay the Same into Harrison Gray Esq. of Boston: and also Voted that they pay the Same to Henry Gardner Esqr. Who is by the Proventiall Congress appointed to Receive the Same, and voted and Resolved that a Receight under the Hands of the said Henry Gardner Esqr produced by the Respective Constables and Collectors Shall fully and finally Discharge Said Constables and Collectors for any Somes they shall pay.
"l'oted to purchase five Barrils of powder and one Thousand weight of Lead and Granted one hundred and Ten Dollars for Said Buisness and Voted to purchase 300 flints.
"L'oted that the Town will Have Nothing to Doe with the Melletearry Company and Racommend to the officers to appoint a Day to Settle the millitearry and Chuse their officers and Regulate the Melitia as they think proper and Each Soldier to Have a Voice in the afaire and that they Doe it Directly."
155
LEXINGTON AND CONCORD.
While these things were going on hereabouts, matters throughout the country were ripening to their consummation. The Continental Congress at Philadelphia, after long and thoughtful deliberation, had taken strong ground against the continued usurpations of England and had issued appeals and recommendations to the people of the provinces, in the form of resolutions calculated to encourage and secure united and decisive action on their part, and to prepare them for whatever duty might be required at their hands. Pursuant thereto, at a meeting held Jan. 4, 1775, Westminster
"Voted and resolved to adopt the whole of the Contenentall Congress Re- solves Respecting this province, and Voted Strictly to adhear Theirunto and Voted to appoint three persons to see that the association agreement be strictly adheared unto and observed agreeable to the proventiall Congress directions."
Anticipating trouble ahead, it was, at a meeting held March 29, 1775, voted "that all persons in town capeable of doing milleterey Duty are desired to Doe it under their proper officers without any objections." Also " voted and chose Doctor Zach- ariah Harvey, Capt. Daniel Hoar, and Mr. Abner Holden, Mr. John Foskett, Mr. Edmund Bemis, as a Committee of Inspec- tion agreeable to Congress Resolves."
It was not long before the wisdom of the Provincial Congress in regard to the raising of "minute men" was made clearly apparent. The people of Boston and vicinity, though seem- ingly quiet, were yet diligently preparing for the conflict at arms which, with clear-eyed vision, they saw was not far away. By cunning devices were they laying up stores of arms and ammu- nition at convenient points for use in time of need. Cannon were carried into the country concealed in loads of manure ; half-barrels of powder and candle boxes filled with cartridges were put into marketmen's wagons as they went home at night, and so taken away without the knowledge of the royal authori- ties. This went on till considerable supplies had been gathered at Concord, Salem, and other localities. Governor Gage, learn- ing of this, determined to gain possession of these stores and devote them to the king's service and at once set out to carry his purpose into effect. It was this that on the 19th of April, 1775, made Lexington and Concord historic and inaugurated the Revolution.
When the tidings of what had transpired at the places named reached Westminster, which was about II o'clock A. M. of the same day, three companies of "minute men," raised for the special purpose of meeting such an emergency, started immedi- ately for the scene of conflict, but not reaching there in season to participate in the stirring events of the occasion, followed on to Cambridge, where they remained under pay of the province for about seven days, or until all apprehension of another sally
156
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
from the British troops was dispelled and all immediate occasion for further service was removed. These men, ninety-one in number, of whom twenty-seven enlisted as regular soldiers and were enrolled among the continental forces, were under the command of Captains John Estabrook, Elisha Jackson, and Noah Miles, respectively. Their names will appear in a tabu- lated statement at the close of this chapter. Capt. Nicholas Dike, with an improvised corps of five men, also hurried away to serve the common cause.
The "Lexington Alarm," as the affair of April 19th was called, put a new aspect upon the condition of things in the province and required special and prompt action on the part of the patriot party. The Provincial Congress, which had been temporarily adjourned, came together again at an early date and caused a circular letter to be issued in its name to the towns, urging upon the people the importance of raising troops "to defend their wives and children from the butchering hands of an inhuman soldiery," and entreating them to encourage the enlistment of men with all possible dispatch. The raising of an army had been voted, and the appeal was made to each town to do what it could to fill up the ranks. Moreover, the towns were asked to take and support the poor of Boston, driven therefrom by the peril and suffering to which they were ex- posed. To make this proposed project bear equally upon all communities, an assignment had been made to each of them respectively, thirty-one being allotted to Westminster as her just share of the common burden. The towns were further- more asked to express an opinion in regard to heeding the requisition of Governor Gage for the election of representatives to a Provincial Assembly, to be held as usual by royal proclama- tion on the last Wednesday of May.
At a meeting held May 26th, the last one called "In his Majesty's Name," for the purpose of considering and acting upon the several topics suggested by the Provincial Congress, the town of Westminster voted that no attention should be paid to the writ issued by Governor Gage convoking a General Assembly. A committee of correspondence was chosen to be in communication with the same committee of the town of Bos- ton, touching matters pertaining to the common welfare and safety ; said committee consisting of Abner Holden, Capt. Nicholas Dike, Doctor Harvey, John Fosket, and Ensign John Brooks. It also voted "to receive and support our proportion- able part of the poor of Boston." Pursuant to this vote thirty- one persons were taken and cared for by the town soon afterward.
To indicate the mode of proceeding in cases of this sort, the following certificate, found in a miscellaneous lot of old papers, is inserted, presumably sent to the selectmen of Westminster.
157
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED.
" BOSTON, Dec. 9, 1775.
" The Bearer, Mrs. Sarah Browne and her family removing out of the Town of Boston, recommended to the Charity and Assistance of our Benevolent Sympathizing Brethren in the Several Towns in this Province.
" By order of the Committee of Donations,
EDWD L. SANDERS, Clerk.
" Five in Family.
"To the Selectmen and Committees of Correspondence in the several Towns in the Province of Massachusetts Bay."
Dea. Nathan Wood, who on the fourth day of January had been chosen delegate to the second Provincial Congress, was, at the meeting now under notice, appointed to represent the town in the third congress, which was to meet at Watertown five days afterward, May 31st.
This congress was now the only acknowledged government in the province. While claiming to act in the name of the people of Massachusetts, it acknowledged allegiance to the Continental Congress, which represented all the provinces acting together for the common welfare. To that body, therefore, it made application for permission "to take up and exercise civil gov- ernment as soon as may be." Sanction having been received, an assembly was called by order of the Continental Congress, to meet on the 19th of July following. On the 10th of July the town chose Dea. Nathan Wood to represent it in the General Assembly, which was designed and destined to super- sede the Provincial Congress and become the first legislature under the new regime of what was afterward the State of Massachusetts.
While this was going on in respect to civil affairs, great events of a different nature were transpiring in and about Boston. Governor Gage had taken possession of the town and within its boundaries was having everything his own way. He had openly denounced those who refused alle- giance to his authority as rebels, threatening vengeance upon them unless they submitted to him, and offering pardon to all who would do so, excepting Samuel Adams and John Hancock, whose offenses he deemed too great to be in any way condoned or allowed to escape punishment. The Provincial Congress met this manifesto by a corresponding one denouncing in equally strong terms all offenders against the liberties of the country, and offering pardon to all who would renounce allegiance to King George and espouse the cause of the colonies, except Governor Gage, his prominent supporters, and those native Americans who went out with the British troops and assisted in the robberies and murders of the 19th of April. Before it was made public, however, another conflict at arms made its issuance needless. While Governor Gage. was strengthening his position in Boston by a concentration of the soldiery under his command, by fortifications at suitable points,
158
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
and an accumulation of military equipments, and was laying plans to take possession of Dorchester and Charlestown heights as a further security to himself, the Provincial Congress, aware of his movements and intentions, resolved to forestall his plans and prevent the execution of his purposes. In response to its call a large number of troops had already gathered at Cam- bridge, Watertown, and Roxbury, ready for any service to which they might be assigned. They were a motley crowd, ununiformed, undisciplined, unused to the arts and manners of military life and of the movements of a battlefield. But there were among them a few trained leaders, who had seen service and who knew what was needful to a successful issue at arms. Generals Ward of Shrewsbury, Thomas of Kingston, Putnam from Connecticut, and Colonel Prescott of Pepperell, by a sort of natural selection, came into command of different sections of this vast assemblage, and, by counsel and drill, prepared them in a measure for what was to follow. These men were in close communication with the master spirits of the provincial government, and mutual consultation was held at frequent inter- vals in regard to the policy to be pursued and action to be taken.
At length it was decided to thwart Governor Gage's de- signs by taking possession of and fortifying the heights of Charlestown, and await the course of the royal governor with reference thereto. The night of the 16th of June was fixed upon to commence operations in the carrying of that decision into effect. What followed- the occupying of Breed's Hill and surrounding territory, the hasty throwing up of defenses and redoubts, the surprise of the governor and his subordi- nates, the movement of the royal troops, the repeated repulse by the colonial forces, and their own final retreat upon the third attack on account of exhausted ammunition -all pertain- ing to what is known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, in which victory nominally perched upon the banners of the British troops-this is a matter of familiar history and needs not to be repeated.
The war was now actually begun, and leaders and people yielded at once to that conclusion and made up their minds to prepare as rapidly as possible for the duties and sacrifices it required. Of the action of both the Provincial and Continental Congresses immediately afterward, of the renewed efforts to raise and equip an army, and the success attending those efforts, of the choice of George Washington as commander-in-chief of the American forces, of his assuming charge of the same at Cam- bridge, of the investment and seige of Boston, resulting in its evacuation by Governor Gage and all his subsidiaries on Sun- day, the 17th of the following March, giving the complete con- trol of Massachusetts to the patriots of the time, -of these and corresponding events it is not the province of this volume to treat.
159
WESTMINSTER MEN AT BUNKER HILL.
The town of Westminster, only three days before the battle referred to, wholly unappraised of the impending conflict, "tak- ing into consideration the Critical and alarming Circumstances of this Colony with regard to the Calamity of Warr, in which we are unhappyly Ingaged," and with a view of devising and putting in motion "some Suitable method to Raise a Rein- forcement to Stand Ready in any Imargency to assist our Brethren in the Armey,"
" Voted to raise thirty men to be at a minutes warning with horses and all implements of warr and that the Several officers belonging to the several Companies " have charge of the same.
It may be remarked here that immediately after the "Lex- ington Alarm," a company of fifty Westminster men was regu- larly enlisted for eight months' service and placed under the command of Capt. Edmund Bemis, as noted more in detail on a subsequent page. They were at the battle of Bunker Hill, either as active participants in the conflict or as a reserve force awaiting command to the front in case of need. They were in charge of Edmund Bemis, who had been promoted to a cap- taincy immediately after the Lexington and Concord affair. They enlisted for eight months, at the expiration of which time, about the first of January, 1776, they were discharged and returned home. Their first pay-roll, dated Aug. 8th, is preserved in the State archives; also a second, dated two months later. They were in Col. John Whitcomb's regiment, and took part in the seige of Boston. One of their number, Reuben Miles, died Sept. 15, 1775.
As time passed on, the breach that had opened between the mother country and her American colonies grew wider and wider with ever diminishing prospect of its being healed. Both parties continued with increasing diligence their preparations for a vigorous prosecution of the conflict. With the continua- tion of this state of things arose the idea of a separation of the two-the idea of American independence. Received at first with aversion, it soon came to be regarded by more thought- ful people as the only solution of the problem. An act of the Provisional Legislature of Massachusetts, looking to this con- summation and no doubt helping it on, was passed at its April session in 1776, ordering the omission of the words "In his Majesty's name" from all legal documents, and inserting in its place, "In the name of the Government and people of Mass.," etc. The selectmen of Westminster issued their warrants for town meetings and transacted other business incumbent upon them in accordance with the provisions of that order.
About the same time another order was passed by the acting Legislature, directing the people of the several towns of the province to give instructions to their representatives for the following session upon the question of independence. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Westminster, held June ioth,
160
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
" The Vote was putt whether the Inhabitants of the Town of Westminster would (if the Continentall Congress Should Declare Independence on the Crown of Greate Britan) Stand by and Support them in the measure with their lives and fortunes and the Vote passed in the afarmitive unanimously."
By such assurances on the part of the great majority of the towns of the province, and on the part of other sections of the country as well, the members of the Continental Congress were unquestionably encouraged to make the immortal Declara- tion of July 4th, the same year, confident that, in doing so, they were but voicing the convictions and answering the demand of the people of the land, and that the people would be true to them and to the principles which they embodied in that "Magna Charta " of American liberty.
No further action was taken by the town with respect to the affairs of the province and country during this eventful year. The war was going slowly on. Troops, when called for, were raised by volunteer enlistment without the intervention of the town. Minute men were ready for any emergency. Soldiers from Westminster were in the service from the beginning, en- tering it at different dates, under differnt captains, in different regiments, for longer or shorter periods, as will be more fully shown at the close of this chapter.
It was in the summer of 1776 that Captain Nicholas Dike was commissioned colonel, put in command of a regiment, and assigned to duty in what was called the "Dorchester Coast Defence," which was virtually the defense of Boston, being sta- tioned at Dorchester Heights, now South Boston. His staff was composed of Henry Haskett, Shirley, lieutenant colonel; Noah Goodwin, South Hadley, major; Daniel Johnson, Harvard, chaplain; Jabez Brown, Stow, adjutant; Jeremiah Everett, Westminster, surgeon; Abishai Crossman, Uxbridge, surgeon's mate ; Joseph Holden, Westminster, quartermaster.
The captains under Colonel Dike, Dec. 1, 1766, were: Caleb Brooks, Cambridge; Stephen Penniman, Braintree; Oliver Lyman, Northampton ; Abijah Bangs, Harwich; John Minott, Chelmsford; Ezekiel Knowlton, Templeton; Manasseh Saw- yer, Lancaster; Joseph Stetson, Duxbury; Samuel Baldwin, Northbridge ; John Hartwell, Lincoln ; Moses Harrington, Grafton; Theophilus Wilder, Hingham. Some changes in the commands took place from time to time. At other dates there were in Colonel Dike's regiment Captains Benjamin Richard- son, Oxford; Reuben Munn, West Springfield; Abial Pierce, Abington ; Samuel Taylor, -; and perhaps others.
The orderly book of Colonel Dike has been carefully pre- served, and is now in the possession of his great-grandson, Mr. Sewall Morse, who kindly permits the writer to make a few ex- tracts for these pages. They are given not only as pertaining to the relation existing between a prominent citizen of Westminster
161
ORDERLY BOOK OF COLONEL DIKE.
and the great events transpiring at the opening period of our national history, but as illustrating the military methods of Revolutionary times. They are mostly orders of Colonel Dike himself, though a small percentage of them came from the brigade commander, or other officer of high rank in the ser- vice. The first is of the latter kind, and was issued at the opening of the campaign :
"HEAD QUARTERS, BOSTON, Aug. 16, 1776. " Parole, York; Countersign, War.
" The Officers and Soldiers of the new raised regiments will strictly con- form themselves to the rules and regulations of the Continental army. A Sargeant's Guard will be kept in each fort on Dorchester [Heights ] which will be daily relieved at 8 o'clock in ye morning. All the men off duty are to Fatigue Eight hours in a day, Sunday and rainy days excepted. The officers will choose such hours as are most convenient-the rolls of each Company will be called morning and evening, and delinquents, if there should be any such, Noticed. Each Regiment will exercise at least one hour in a day at such times as the Commanding Officer shall Order. As soon as the Regiments are settled, the reveille is to beat at Day-Break. The troop at 8 o'clock in ye morning, the retreat at Sunset, and the tatoo at 8 o'clock in the Evening. The drum and fife Majors of each Regiment will pay particular attention to the improvement of Martial Musick. The Com- manding Officers of the Regiment are to give in to the Brigade Major a weekly return of ye State of their Regiments, on friday ye Adjutant may have a copy of the return of the Brigade Major. The Adjutant will attend at Head Quarters daily at 11 o'clock for orders, who will keep both General and Regimental Orders with a detail of ye duty of ye Regiments in a fair book. Each Field Officer and the Choir of Officers for each Company will keep an orderly book in the which they will keep all General and Regi- mental Orders. The Officers and Soldiers are to be acquainted with the Rules and Regulations of the Continental Army by reading a part of them to the Regiment weekly so that the whole may be read every month. Gen- eral and Regimental Orders to be read daily. The Commanding Officer of each Regiment will give to the Commander in Chief immediately a return of the state of the Arms and Ammunition of their Regiments that the de- ficiency may be supplied. [No signature.]
"After Orders August ye 19, 1776."
"The Captains of the Companys are to charge their men with all the Am- munition, Flints, Cartridge-boxes, &c &c, that are delivered to them at any time that they may be returned again at ye end of the Campaign or they will be accountable for them and in case they are not used in action they will be Stoppd out of their pay.
"PELEG WADSWORTH A. D. Comg."
The first recorded order of Colonel Dike was as follows :
"R. O. [Regimental Orders.] That a Quarter Guard be kept in this Regi- ment consisting of 1 Subaltern, t Sargeant, 1 Corp1 and 18 privates, and a guard for tools on the heights of Dorchester consisting of I Sargeant I Corp1 10 privates, that no Commissioned Officer be allowed to be absent from the Camp without leave from the Commanding Officer of the Regi- ment, and that no non-commissioned Officer or Soldier be absent from the Company which he belongs to, that the taptoo be beat at half after 8 o'clock in the evening, that there be no disturbance or disorder in ye Camp and that the revalley beat every morning at half after four, that no sutler or other person be allowed to sell any spirituous liquors within the limits of the Incampment of this Regiment without first obtaining leave from the Com- manding Officer of the same. NICHOLAS DIKE, Colonel."
11
162
HISTORY OF WESTMINSTER, MASS.
" DORCHESTER, Aug. 28, 1776.
"R. O. Parole, Adams; Countersign, Liberty. All, both Officers and Soldiers on duty, except one in each mess, to turn out on fatigue at 7 o'clock and remain on till two in the afternoon, each Commanding Officer to turn out his Company at 4 o'clock for exercise till further orders.
"NICHOLAS DIKE Coll."
"HEAD QUARTERS BOSTON Aug. 30, 1776.
"Parole, Industry ; Countersign, Expedition. As every kind of gaming whatever is pernicious in the army, the General strictly forbids any gaming whatever and commands all officers to exert themselves to prevent such in- jurious and scandalous Practices and to bring every transgressor to condign punishment. Col. Dike's Regiment will furnish a guard of I Sargeant, 1 Corporal, and 12 privates, with blankets and accouterments to relieve the magazine at Jamaica Plains, they will march from Roxbury tomorrow morn- ing at 9 o'clock when the Officer will receive orders from the Brigade Major."
"DORCHR Sept 3, 1776.
" The Col. orders that the men belonging to this Regiment do not pass and repass the Inhabitants' enclosures where there are not any roads and that all Officers are careful to see that their men do not do any damage to to the Inhabitants.
N. DIKE, Col."
" DORCHESTER ye 6th Sept. 1776.
"To Lieut. Hambleton .- You are hereby ordered to take Sargeant and party and reconnoiter the fields and enclosures adjacent to my Regiment at Roxbury after the tattoo beat and take up all persons rifling or plundering any of the inhabitants fields or enclosures and send them to guard and make return to myself at 3 o'clock in the morning and let no man know of this on any account. N. DIKE, Coll."
"HEAD QUARTERS BOSTON 3d Oct. 1776.
" Parole, Congress ; Countersign, Army. The Colonels of each Regiment are to make out their abstracts for the pay of their men for the month of September and that part of August while they were in the service reckoning from the day they marched from home. The pay allowed by Congress is as follows per Calendar month. Coll. 50 Dollars; Lieut. Coll. 40 Dollars; Major 33 1-3 Dollars; Capt. 26 2-3 Dollars; Lieut. IS Dollars; Ensign 13 1-3 Dollars; Adjutant, 18 1-3 Dollars; Qr Master, 18 1-3 Dollars; Chap- lain 33 1-3 Dollars; Surgeon, 33 1-3 Dollars; Surgeon's Mate 18 Dollars; Sargeant S Dollars; Corporals 7 1-3 Dollars; Drummers, 7 1-3 Dollars; Fifers, 7 1-3 Dollars ; Privates, 6 2-3 Dollars."
" REGIMENTAL ORDERS 13 Oct 1776.
"That the Commanding Officer of each Company in this Regiment make a return immediately of the State of his Company, of the sick absent, where they are and by whose leave they are absent that they may be imme- diately sent for if able to attend. NICHS. DIKE, Col."
"HEAD QUARTERS BOSTON 23d Oct 1776.
" After orders. A General Court Martial will set tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock at Capt. Brooks Quarters in Boston -Col. Dike Prest. Col Dike's Regiment gives 2 Captains 4 Subalterns ; Col. Francis' gives 2 Captains, 4 Subalterns, members. Capt. Lyman, Judge Advocate. Adjt. Brown will attend the Court Martial. The Adjt will return the names of the Officers warned for the Ct. Martial to the President at their meeting.
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