USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 34
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 34
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63
Mr. Thayer also gave to the town a fund of $10,000 for the improvement of this institution.
Number of days opened to the public, in 1877,
253
Circulation of books,
13,919
Average per day,
55
Number of borrowers during the year, 1,417
Whole number of volumes in the library, upwards of 3,700
Number added during the year, 621
Largest number loaned in any one day, March 24th, 258
Percentage of fiction, 72; juvenile, 9; higher order, 19.
Miss Abbie M. Arnold is the present librarian.
RANDOLPH LIBRARY.
The Turner Free Library is a fine structure, built of granite at a cost of $40,000. This, together with a fund of $10,000, the income of which is to be appropriated for the purchase of books, was presented to the town by the heirs of the late Col. Royal Turner, an old, wealthy and much-respected citizen of Ran- dolph. The building was dedicated with appropriate services, April 22d, 1875. The library was opened March 22d, 1876, and
46
354
PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
contains six thousand volumes. The town recently purchased a fine portrait of this generous donor, at a cost of $1500, and it now adorns the walls of the library. The lower part of the building is occupied by the Randolph National and Savings Banks, for which the fund receives an income of $300, besides an additional sum of $300 of D. B. White, for rent.
The following extracts from the librarian's report will more fully illustrate the practical operations of this institution :-
Number of days opened to the public, in 1877, 264
Average daily issue for the first half of the year, 81
Average daily issue for the second half of the year, '76
Largest daily issue for the first half of the year, 271
Largest daily issue for the second half of the year, 264
Whole number issued the first half of the year, 10,576
Whole number issued the second half of the year, 10,720
Number of persons holding cards at the close of the first half of the year, 1,433
Number of persons holding cards at the close of the year, 1,552
Population of the town at the last State census, 4,064
About three-fourths of the circulation is fiction; about two- thirds of the remainder is history.
Mr. Charles C. Farnham is the librarian.
HOLBROOK LIBRARY.
There was a very fine library in Holbrook in 1877, but the large conflagration which visited that village in December of that year, destroyed it. The library contained 2,706 books, of which 330 were loaned at the time of the fire, on Christmas morning, and consequently saved. The insurance on the library , was $3,600. The library has been temporarily re-opened at the residence of the librarian, Z. Aaron French, Esq., until a new town hall is constructed. The appropriation for the library, in 1877, was $500.
MILITARY.
The colonists, soon after they had completed their civil organ- ization, took immediate action, by adopting and making rules and regulations for their better protection from expected attacks of the Indians. This was accomplished by forming themselves into military companies, consisting of infantry alone ; afterwards first pike men, then troopers. All male persons, from sixteen to sixty years of age, were obliged to do military duty, and were required to provide themselves with arms and ammunition at their own expense, if able; if not, at the expense of the town. " Their arms of defence were pikes, muskets and swords. Their muskets were of the matchlock, or firelock description, and to each one of them was a pair of bandoleers, or pouches, for pow- der and bullets, and a stick called a rest, used in taking aim." The matchlock was an uncertain and troublesome instrument of warfare; it had to be discharged by a fuse, and the powder in the pan was liable to be blown out by the wind, and to get damp in wet or stormy weather. The length of the pikes were ten feet, besides a spear at the end. The corslet and quilted coats were used as a defensive armor. For their better defence, they were organized into train-bands, and when they amounted to two hundred men, were to be divided into two companies. " And it is further ordered by the Court and the authorities thereof, that all Scotsmen, Negers and Indians, inhabiting with, or servant of the English, from the age of sixteen to sixty years, shal be listed, and hereby are enjoyned to attend traynings, as well as the English, and that every company shall have two drummers ; and it is further ordered by the Court and the authority thereof, and it is enacted, that when in any town or plantation within this jurisdiction, the number of trayned sould- gers listed, and by law are to attend constant trayning, shall arise to the number of two hundred men, then such souldgers
356
MILITARY.
shall be divided into two companies." Mass. Rec., Vol. III, p. 268.
" The pike men were selected for their superior strength and stature; the musketeers were to be twice the number of the pike men. The officers of a band were a captain, a lieutenant, an ensign and four sergeants. The commissioned officers carried swords, partisans (otherwise called leading-staves) and, if they . saw fit, pistols. The sergeants bore halberds; this instrument was a combination of a spear and battle-axe. At first, traynings were ordered to take place every Saturday, then every month, then eight times a year." The honor of a military office was much esteemed. "John Hull, a thriving Boston merchant, chosen coporal in 1648, praises God for giving him acceptance and favor in the eyes of his people, and as a fruit thereof, advancement above his deserts." (Diary in Archaeology, Amnes, Vol. III, p. 145.) When six years later, he was promoted to be an ensign, he recorded his prayer, " beseeching that the good Lord, who only can, would please to make me able and fit for, and faithful in the place I am called unto, that I may with a spirit of wisdom and humility, love and faithfulness, obey my superiors, so also be exemplary and faithful to my inferiors." Ibid, 147.
The celebrated Indian chief, Kuchmakin, or as most commonly called, Cutshamokin, was an inhabitant of Braintree, and was among the first of the noted Indian Sachems of New England, with his people, to attend Mr. Eliot's preaching. Previously, he had been opposed to the English settling here, but after consid- eration, he soon became reconciled and a christian. On being asked by Mr. Eliot, why he was so opposed to his people becom- ing christians, he replied by saying, "they would pay him no tribute "; thus standing upon his dignity, considering that hom- age was as much dne him as chief of the rude red men of his native forests, as it was to civilized rulers. This noted chief was on intimate and friendly terms with the colonists, and was frequently engaged by Gov. Winthrop as arbitrator to conciliate differences between the whites and hostile, as well as friendly, Indians. Friendly as the Indians appeared to be, still the gov- ernment was apprehensive and suspicious of their honesty, well knowing that their characteristic disposition was treacherous,
357
MILITARY.
and therefore they needed the utmost watchfulness. In 1642, the Court at Connecticut was informed that the Indians had combined to attempt a general massacre of the colonists soon after the annual harvest, and despatched a courier to the Massachusetts Colony to notify them of the impending danger. Upon the reception of this intelligence, Gov. Winthrop, (the General Court not then being in session) notified as many of the magistrates as were near, to assemble for the purpose of calling an extra session. The magistrates immediately convened, and after due consideration, whether the advice was reliable or not, concluded to call them together.
Winthrop says, " they sent out summons for a General Court, to be kept six days after, and in the mean time, if it was thought fit for our safety and to strike some terror into the Indians, to disarm such as were within our jurisdiction. Accordingly, we sent men to Cutshamokin, at Braintree, to fetch him and his guns, bows, etc., which was done. He came willingly, and it being late in the night when they reached Boston, he was put in prison, but the next morning, finding upon examination of him and divers of his men, no ground of suspicion of his par- taking in such conspiracy, he was dismissed."
In 1643, Cutshamokin with other chiefs, desiring the protec- tion of the white man's government, called upon the Governor for that purpose. The terms upon which they were to receive this gift was, that they should renounce their religion, and agree to the prescribed rules of the colony and " all the ten command- ments of God." After some consideration, they finally con- sented. As soon as they had become proselytes, they were solemnly received by the authorities, to whom the chiefs pre- sented twenty-six fathoms of wampum.1 Not to be outdone by this act of courtesy on the part of the Indians, the Court gave " them a coat of two yards of cloth and their dinner, and to them and every one of their men, a cup of sac at their departure; so they went away very joyful," if not intoxicated.
In 1646, Cutshamokin was engaged to settle the dispute be-
1. "A fathom of wampum was one string of Indian beads, six feet or a fathom in length, which was valued at five pounds, eight pence, sterling."
358
MILITARY.
tween the Colonies and the Nianticks, a tribe of the Narragan- setts, in reference to the tribute they were to pay the Colonial Government.
Ammunition was very scarce in the Colonies at this time, and obtained with great difficulty ; so much so, that the General Court issued an order, June 14th, 1642, for the military com- panies in each town to manufacture saltpetre for making gun- powder.1 Martin Saunders was appointed in Braintree to see this order enforced.
In September following, the court enacted a law apportioning to each town the amount of powder they were entitled to, for the purpose of supplying their military with ammunition to pro- teet them from a sudden attack of the Indians. Braintree's portion was one barrel.2
The first military commander in Braintree was Capt. Robert Keyne, who was sent from Boston, to organize and drill them for proper military duty.
1. "And being willing to lay hold on, and use all such means as God shall direct us unto, as may tend to the raising and producing such material amongst ourselves, as may perfect the making of gunpowder, the instrumental means that all nations lay hold on for their preservation, (having too much neglected to take due course, which we might have done, ) do order and decree that every plantation within this Colony shall erect an house in length about twenty or thirty feet, and twenty feet wide, within one-half year next coming; into which house we desire and enjoyn the officers of each military company in each town to see, and cause a sufficient quantity of carth by their company or otherwise, yearly to bee carried, and twice in every year, or oftener, the earth from its foundation, by them to be stirred and removed from one end thereof to the other, from the bottom to the top, mixing such urine of men and beasts with goates', henns', hoggs' and horses' dung, as shall be by the carefull and con- scionable members of this Commonwealth brought to bee dispeirst and scat- tered amonngst the said earth, the company not leaving off bringing more earth into the said house till it shall come within two feet of the wall plate of the same, and for the further improving of what is above ordered and decreed, we declare that all such inhabitants of every town shall cause urine of their fam- ilies in some such place to be put up and kept, as that it may be in due time brought and disposed in said house." Mass. Rec. Vol. II, p. 17.
2. "This court taking into serious consideration the present danger of each plantation by the desperate plots and conspiracies of the heathen, as also that they might be furnished with such stores of powder as may prevent any sudden invasion, have thought it meet to supply the towns with powder. Braintree's portion, one barrel."
359
MILITARY.
The second in command was William Ting, who received his commission as captain of the company. The third was Mr. Richard Brackett, who, after the resignation of Captain Ting, was commissioned by the court as commander, and held his commission until he was seventy-three years of age, when he resigned.1
By the time the inhabitants of the town had fairly settled down into their peaccable agricultural pursuits, they were called upon to take an active part in the Indian wars. These Narra- gansett wars, under the celebrated Indian chiefs, Pessacns, Nini- gret and King Philip, were a severe trial for the early settlers, and drew hard upon their limited resources, and nearly proved fatal to the settlement of the Colonies. They finally conquered, not without severe losses, however.
Bancroft says that "twelve or thirteen towns were destroyed, as many as six hundred houses burnt, and the disbursements and losses equalled in value half a million of dollars-an enor- mons sum for the few of that day. More than six hundred men, chiefly young men, the flower of the country, of whom any mother might have been proud, perished in the field. Of the able-bodied men in the Colony, one in twenty had fallen, and one family in twenty had been burnt out. The loss of property and lives were, in proportion to their numbers, as distressing as any in the Revolutionary war. There was scarcely a family from which death had not selected a victim. Let us not forget a generous deed of the generous Irish ; as they sent over a con- tribution-small, it is true-to relieve in part the distresses of the Plymouth Colony."
So severe was the draft upon the Colonies for able-bodied men to go to the war, that the youth from ten to sixteen years of age, were by law obliged to be instructed in the art or war- fare, to protect their homes and friends while their fathers and
1. "1684, Oct. 15. On the request of Capt. Richard Brackett, being above seventy-three years of age, and infirmities of age upon him, having desired formerly, and now also to lie down his place as chief military commander in Braintree, the court granted his request, and order that Lieftenant Edmund Quincy be captain of the foot company in Braintree, in his room, and Robert Twelves his lieftenant, and Samuel Tompson ensign."
360
MILITARY.
elder brothers were away upon the field of strife. The follow- ing is the law enacted in 1645, for this purpose :-
" Whereas, it is conceived that the training up of youth to the art and practice of arms will be of great use in the country in divers respects, and among the rest that the bows and arrows may be of good concernment in defect of power upon any occa- sion. It is therefore ordered, that all youth within this jurisdic- tion, from ten years old to the age of sixteen years, shall be instructed by some one of the officers of the band, or some other experienced soldier, whom the chief officer shall appoint, upon the usual training days, in the exercise of arms, as small guns, half pikes, bows and arrows, etc., according to the discre- tion of the said officers or soldiers." Colonial Laws, p. 734.
In these Indian wars, at this ecclesiastical period of the Colo- nies, soldiers would not even approach the field of battle with- out holding a religious controversy, as Neal relates that "the troops going to the Pequot War deemed it necessary to halt on their march to Connecticut, in order to decide the question whether they were under a covenant of grace or a covenant of works, believing it improper to advance until that momentous question was settled." They might as well have debated the question whether humanity would have been more benefited by tweedledum or tweedledee.
.
Mather says, that Mason and Underhill, in their conflict with the Pequots, on the day of strife, brought down to hell from five hundred to six hundred Pequot souls.
The first draft ordered on Braintree for soldiers, was Aug. 5th, 1645, to fill a quota of two hundred men, to go to Narra- gansett.
"It is ordered, three horses should be pressed from Dorches- ter, Braintree and Weymouth, with sadles and bridles, to be at Boston by 7 of the clock in the morning, the 18th of this 6th month, to go to the Narragansetts." The Rev. Mr. Tompson, pastor of the First Church of Braintree, was selected as chaplain for the occasion. The commissary supply for this undertaking was as follows :- " 1645. A note of particulars of what pro- visions will be needful for the present expedition for the supply of two hundred (200) men : Bread, tenn thousand ; pease, three
.
361
MILITARY.
hogsheads; beif, six hogsheads cut into messe peeces ; fish, tenn kintalls; oyle, tenn gallons ; vinegar, one hogsheade; strong water, one hogsheade; wine, at your pleasure; beare, one tunn ; oatemeale, one hogsheade; flower, two hogsheads; butter, sixe firkins ; raisings of the sunne, two barrells ; shugar, one-half C. » for sick men ; candells, one dussen ; hatchets and axes, twelve; canvis, fortye yards; spades and shovels, thirtye; pick axes, sixe; kettles for boyling victuals, six; platters, thirtye-sixe; payles, tenn ; eanns or potts, twenty; salt, one hogsheade; 200 fathoms of cod line."-Mass. Rec., Vol. II, p. 124.
Mr. Cobbet, in his manuscript narrative, gives the following account of this enterprise :-
"In the year 1645, proud Pessacus with his Narragansetts, with whom Ninigret and his Niantigs joined, so as to. provoke the English to a just war against them. And accordingly, forces were sent from all the towns to meet at Boston, and did so, and' had a party of fifty horse to go with them under Mr. Leveret, as the captain of the horse. Edward Gibbons was commander- in-chief, and Mr. Tompson, pastor of the Church in Braintree, was to sound the silver trumpet along with his army. But they were met by the deputies from Pessacus, and the other chiefs, and the following accommodation took place : 'It was demanded of them that they should defray the charges they had put the English to, and that the sachems should send their sons to be kept as hostages in the hands of the English, until such time as the money should be paid.' After remarking that from this time the Narragansetts harbored venom in their hearts against the English, Mr. Mather proceeds : 'In the first place, they endeavored to play legerdemain in their sending hostages, for instead of sachem's children, they thought to send some others, and to make the English believe that those base papooses were of a royal progeny ; but they had those to deal with who were too wise to be so eluded. After the expected hostages were in the hands of the English, the Narragansetts, notwithstanding that, were slow in the performance of what they stood engaged for. And when, upon an impartial discharge of the debt, their hostages were restored to them, they became more backward than formerly, until they were by hostile preparations again and
47
362
MILITARY.
again terrified into better obedience. At last, Capt. Atherton of Dorchester, was sent with a small party of twenty English soldiers to demand what was due. He at first entered into the wigwam where old Ninigret resided, with only two or three soldiers, appointing the rest by degrees to follow him, two or three dropping in at once ; when his small company were come « about him, the Indians in the mean time supposing that there had been many more behind, he caught the sachem by the hair of his head, and setting a pistol to his breast, protested whoever escaped he should surely die, if he did not forthwith comply with what was required. Hereupon a great trembling and con- sternation surprised the Indians; albeit, multitudes of them were then present, with spiked arrows at their bow strings ready to let fly. The event was, the Indians submitted, and not one drop of blood was shed.'"
During these Indian wars the Colonists found great difficulty in the transportation of their heavy ordinance into deep morasses and swamps in pursuit of the Indians, the place of their usual retreat, and desiring something lighter which they could more easily and rapidly handle in case of a sudden attack, or enable them to mount the enemy's embankments with greater expedi- tion, asked the Legislature for assistance. The General Court to relieve them of this embarrassment passed an order Nov. 11th, 1647, for the importation of leather guns, viz :- " For the more easy and speedy transporting of great artilery when and where ; also, sometimes cattell, carriages, canon and field peeces cannot passe, as also upon some suddame design to mount for advantage in an enemies workes, this Court doth order that there be, by direction of the major generall, 3 or 4 leather guns, of severall sizes, sent for to England by the first oportunity, at the charge of the country, which if found good and profitable may give light and incouragement for the procuring or making of more."- Mass. Rec., Vol. II, p. 219.
In 1654, it became necessary to finish and put in order, the fort on Castle Island for the defence of Boston Harbor. But how to accomplish this object was the great question, as the County Treasury was bankrupt. After considerable consulta- tion, the military commanders concluded to detach several of
363
MILITARY.
the military companies from various towns in the vicinity of Boston, and orders from the proper authorities were immedi- ately given for this purpose.1
The 3d of Oet., 1654, the Governor called his Council together at Boston, for the purpose of considering the report of the com- missioners recently returned from Hartford, in reference to the threatening acts of the Indian chief, Ninigret. After consulta- tion, matters appearing so urgent and the time so short before the expected attack of the Indians upon the Colony, that there was no time to convene the General Court, therefore it was ordered that the Secretary of State forthwith issue a warrant to the military committee of each town to levy and "impress" their proportional number of one hundred and fifty-three foot soldiers. The quota from Braintree was four men. The Indians continued to harass the towns in the Colony for a long time. Feb. 25th, 1675, they made a raid on the town of Braintree and killed four persons-three males and one female. We have not been able to ascertain the name of but one of the four, and that was Nathaniel Mott.2 Richard Chapman was killed the year after-March 2d, 1676. The Mass. Historical Collection gives the following account of this incident3 :- " They killed four at
1. " Foreasmuch as the County is in debt, no stock in treasury to finish the Castle, which yett is necessary forthwith to be done, it is therefore ordered, the military of twelve nigh-towns, viz :-- Hull, Hingham, Weymouth, Braintree, Dedham, Dorchester, Roxbury, Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Maulden and Woobourn, shall in leiwe of their four next days' training, allow three days at the Castle this Summer, to be ordered for their time of attending that service, place of working and the number to be employed at one time, by the Committee for the Castle.
" Major Edward Gibbens and Capt. Humphrey Atherton, who, together with the chief officers of the company employed, shall order and direct the several employments, and that the rest of the companies in this jurisdiction shall allow for every soldier in their respective companies, four shillings and six pence, to be employed and improved about or upon the said Castle; for which they shall be exempted from their four next training days, (Boston only to be exempted), whome this court concludes will not suffer any of their neighbors to exceed or acquailize them in this kind, they having this Spring bestowed and expended much for the fortifying the town of Boston."
2. See Braintree Town Records.
3. From Rev. Mr. Niles's history of the French and Indian wars, published in the Mass. Hist. Soc. Col. Mr. Niles was pastor of the Braintree church.
364
MILITARY.
Braintree-three men and one woman. The woman they car- ried about six or seven miles, and then killed her and hung her up in an unseemly and barbarous manner, by the wayside lead- ing from Braintree to Bridgewater." The woman could not have been Mrs. Reed, as she was captured at Casco Bay and carried to Canada, where she was redeemed and brought back to Braintree, at which place she died May 16th, 1691.
The following named "troopers " were "impressed " from Braintree, Dec. 3d, 1675, and were mustered into Capt. Davis's Company :- " Joseph Parmenter, Martin Saunders, Joseph Crosly, Ebenezer Hayden, Samuel Hayden, Jacob Nash, John Ripley." -Mass. Arch., Vol. LXVIII, p. 84.
The following named persons were "impressed " from Brain- tree for Captain Johnson's Company, in 1675, viz :- " Ebenezer Owens, Samuel Bass, William Sable, (probably Savil), Thomas Holbrook, Richard Thayer, Martin Saunders, Francis Nash, In- crease Niles, James Atkins, Henry Bartlett, Thomas Copeland, James Pitcher."-Mass. Arch., p. 67.
These Indian raids caused the town to establish a garrison on its frontier towards Bridgewater. The military committee of the town selected Mr. Richard Thayer to take charge of this important post, who proved to be a very unreliable and untrust- worthy person for the position. He was in the habit of giving, or instrumental in giving, false alarms, which created great anx- iety and fear among the inhabitants of the town, and caused the military committee a heavy extra expense in procuring English- men and friendly Indians to scout the woods. He presented to the town an exorbitant bill for his services, which they refused to pay. Upon this, he petitioned the Governor and Council for a redress of grievances. This petition was full of misrepresen- tations, among which he stated that he ran a great risk of his life in the capture of the celebrated murderer, Indian John, when it was proved that this Indian had surrendered himself, and Captain Brackett conveyed him to Boston, where the Coun- cil rendered a verdict that he should be banished from the coun- try. The following note will explain this matter.1
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.