USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. II > Part 62
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In November, 1751, Samuel Clark was chosen to draw the lots in the second division, which he did to the following : Matthew Bolton, David Field, Samuel Stewart, Edward East, John Morehead, Robert Fulton, Jennat Clark, John Ander- son, Ilugh Morrison, Edward Goodward, Andrew Luckes, Jolın Morrison, George Clark, Thomas Bell, John Henry, Sr., Ebenezer Barnard, Thomas McGee, John Henry, Jr., James Stewart, Hugh Paul, John Kately, Robert Hays, Samuel Clark, James Breckenridge, Timothy Childs, Archi- bald Pennell, Alexander Harroun, James Clark, Joseph Heath, David Wells, John Mills, Charles Stewart, John Pennell, Al- exander Clark, Robert Mills, William McCreles, Andrew Smitlı, Asa Bowker.
The lots were each of the area of 50 acres, and laid in four ranges from the east to the west sides of the town ; " the roads between the ranges four rods wide, and the roads between the lots two rods wide, and at the side of every fourth lot there was a road, the land for the roads being taken from the whole one hundred acres to a right of every man."
The committee appointed to lay out the lots were to have "three shillings two pence half-penny per day, or one day and a half's work at the same time to be wrought at home for said committee."
INDIAN TROUBLES.
The early settlers of Coleraine were much harassed by In- dians, and for better protection built three forts. The first of these was built perhaps as early as 1740, in the centre of the little settlement, near the present Shelburne line, about a mile due south of where the first meeting-house was subsequently erected. Traces of the cellar of this old fort are, it is said by some, still to be seen, but they are scarcely positive enough to satisfy the critical observer. The second fort-Fort Lucas- was set just east of Meeting-house Hill, and the third-called Fort Morrison-was near North River, about a mile north of what is now Coleraine Centre.
Upon the first intimation of savage menace, which was watched for with vigilant care, the settlers would promptly flee to the nearest fort; and, once therein, safety was well assured, since the Indians seldom ventured to attack such strongholds when adequately manned.
In 1746, on the 10th of May, a band of Indians, returning from an unsuccessful attack upon Major Burke's fort in Fall- town (Bernardston), passed through Coleraine, and, ambus- cading a party consisting of Matthew Clark, his wife and child, and two soldiers (who, having been alarmed by the reported approach of Indians, were seeking the safe shelter of Fort Lucas), killed Clark, but in turn lost one of their number, while the soldiers, with Mrs. Clark and child, gained the fort.
Not long after (in August, 1747), John Mills, a settler, was attacked by Indians and killed near his house, and about the same time a woman named Pennell disappeared from the set- tlement, and, nothing being heard or seen of her after, the
Coldrain"
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HISTORY OF THIE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.
belief was general that she had been carried into captivity by Indians.
The story is told of an Indian who, seeking to lure a cow- hunting settler to his fate by ringing a bell which he had taken from the very cow for which the settler was searching, was himself first discovered by the latter and shot dead in his tracks.
The renewal of Indian hostilities in 1755 brought fresh and alarming troubles to the Coleraine settlement, and, during the last French-and-Indian war, the constant care and vigilance which the settlers were called upon to exercise permitted them scarcely any leisure for the pursuit of business avoca- tions, and the settlement made but little advancement during that period.
A number of Coleraine men, including John Bolton and David Morris, went into the service, and fought under Wolfe, at Quebec, in a company known as " Rogers' Rangers,"# March 20, 1758. Indians appeared in the vicinity of Fort Morrison, and the inmates thereupon sent Capt. John Mor- rison and John Henry to warn the people lodged in the other forts of threatened danger. Upon sallying out, Morrison and Ilenry were discovered by the savages, but, although hotly pur- sued and fired upon, the two men, mounting an estray horse which they happened fortunately to encounter, escaped in safety to Fort Lucas, Morrison receiving, however, a shot that broke his right arm. Added to that misfortune, the Indians burned Morrison's house and barn and killed all his cattle.
On the following day, March 21st, Indians appeared in force on the high hill west of Fort Morrison, and, conjecturing it to be illy defended, made a night attack upon it. Of the inci- dents which ensued Dr. Holland has given a graphic report, as follows :
" There were but three men in the fort, -Maj. Willard, of Deerfield, Deaco IFulbert, and Joseph McGown. Maj. Willard was wounded soon after the attack, so that he was unable to render any assistance. Some of the women in the fort melted their teapots and made bullets ; others of them loaded the guns, and the two men fired so fast that the savages were led to believe that the fort was full of men; and to confirm this belief the more, Deacon Hulbert, who was a largo and powerful man, and who had a voice of thunder, would cry out to the red- skins to 'come on,' as they were 'ready for them.' Much of the night was passed in this kind of fighting, until, finally, the savages concluded that they must adopt some other means to accomplish their purpose. They went to some barns in the vicinity, and piled upon a cart a load of swingling tow, believing that by keeping the load in front of them, so as to protect them from the guns of the fort, they might, with safety, place it in immediate contact with it, and then, by setting it on fire, they would burn the fort and those in it, or compel them to surrender. Daylight coming before the Indians got their load to the fort, and not deeming it safe to go within gun-shot of the whites after this time, they relinquished their intentions, and withdrew iuto the forest. Early in the attack Maj. Willard caused the children to be warmly clad, not doubting that before morning they would be in the hands of the savages and on their way to Canada. Soon after this night conflict Joseph MeCowen, wife, and a son six months old, were surprised and taken prisoners by the Indians. Mrs. McCowen was a corpulent woman, and before the close of the first day's march she became so much exhausted as to be unable to reach their camp for the night. The savages permitted her husband to go back and remain with her a short time, but would not allow him to assist her in reaching the camp. lle was soon com- pelled to leave her, and, as soon as he turned his back, the savages buried their tomahawks in her head. He was taken to Canada, and, after a few years, re- turned to the home of his early life. The child was kindly cared for by the savages, and was sold to a French lady, who adopted him as her own. The father was permitted to see him occasionally as long as he remained in captivity. After the close of the war, Mr. MeCowen went to Canada to procure his child, but was unable to find him. Hle again returned to Coleraine, and soon learned that his boy, who had grown to be a tall lad, had been secreted and kept from his sight, Another attempt to reclaim his child proved equally fruitless."
Many of the inhabitants of Coleraine abandoned the settle- ment during the season of Indian warfare for places of better security, but upon the termination of hostilities promptly returned, and with them came new settlers in considerable
numbers, so that, by 1767, 90 farms were occupied and nearly 1000 acres cleared.
REVOLUTIONARY REMINISCENCES.
In 1773 the first committee of correspondence was chosen, and consisted of William Stewart, James Stewart, Hezekiah Smith, John Woods, John Morrison, Daniel Donelson, and Thomas Bell. In answer to a communication from Boston, this committee transmitted the following :
" Although we are an infant settlement, we look upon our liberties as dear to us as if we were the oldest in the province, and do, with the most sincere regard, acknowledge the vigilance and care discovered by the town of Boston respecting publick rights and liberties, and would inform you that this town do and will heartily concer with you in all salutary, constitutional, proper measures for the redress of those intolerable grievances which threaten ns with total destruction. We would ever esteem ourselves obliged to the town of Boston, the capital of this province; may she rejoice in perpetual prosperity, may wisdom direct her in all her consultations, may her spirited prudence render hier a terror to the enemies of our Constitution, and may every town and every colony in America be awak- ened to a sense of danger, and unite in the glorious cause of liberty ; may this land be purged from evil and designing men, that want to bring slavery on a loyal and dutiful people to his Majesty, and may righteousness be exalted, that God Almighty may be our God, as he was the God of our forefathers, and may we be possessed with virtue, religion, and publick spirit, which warmed and animated our ancestors. We conclude with expressing our gratitude to all that have been instrumental in bringing to light things that have been hid, and hope by uniting we may stand."
Jan. 31, 1774, the town passed resolves as follows :
" After receiving the letters sent by the committee of correspondence of Boston to the committee of correspondence of Colrain, and the proceedings of the town of Boston also, the proceedings of a body of the good people of the province were read ; a motion was made whether this town will conform to the firm resolutions of our respectable brethren at Boston; the question, being put, unanimously passed in the affirmative.
" Upon a serious consideration and due sense of our just rights, liberties, and properties, look upon ourselves by the laws of natural reason and common sense to cast in our mite when our eyes behold the daring insults of extravagant men, not only those the other side the water, but men born and brought up as breth- ren with us, whose famous abilities gave us just expectations that they would die with us rather than deny ns (Imt, alas! our hopes are gone; designing men had rather sacrifice their whole country, that was bought by their and our glorions ancestry at the price of their blood, than give up so small a profit), since they conkl not obtain their former desires, as they should get by a little detestable tea sent ont by the East India Company upon conditions unknown. We are sorry to see or hear of any of Adam's posterity so blinded (if the light that is in men be darkness, how great is that darkness). Now, in the present posture of our political affairs, it plainly appears to ns that it is the design of this present min- istry to serve us as they have our brethren in Ireland,-first to raise a revenue from us sufficient to support a standing army, as well as placemen and pension- ers, and then langh at our calamities and glut themselves on our spoil, many of us in this town being eye-witnesses of those cruel and remorseless enemies.
" From just apprehension of the horrors and terror of slavery we are induced to make the following resolves :
" First .- Resolved, That as freemen and Englishmen we have a right to the dis- posal of what is our own, are certain there is no property in that which another can of right take from us withont our consent, and that the measures of late pur- sued by the Ministry of Great Britain, in their attempts to subject the colonies to taxation by the sole authority of British Parliament, is unjust, arbitrary, in- consistent, and unconstitutional.
"Secondly .- Resolved, That by landing teas in America, imposing a dnty by an act of Parliament (as is said), made for the support of government, ete., has a direct tendency to subvert our Constitution and to remler our General Assembly useless and government arbitrary, as well as bondage and slavery which never was designed by Heaven or earth.
"Thirdly .- Resolved, That raising a revenue in America to support placemen and pensioners, who, no doubt, when their scheme is once established, will be as merciless as those task-masters in Egypt, and will silence the murmurs of the people by laying on them greater burdens.
" Fourthly .- Resolved, That we do discountenance mobs, nolawful and riotous assemblies ; but when our valuable liberties and privileges are trod under foot, and all petitions and remonstrances are rejected and treated with infamy and scorn, it is the duty of rvery true-hearted American (if possible) to free them- selves from impending ruin.
" Fifthly .- Resolved, That the late proceedings of the town of Boston, assem- hled at Boston, to consult measures against the East India Company, have gained the approbation and applanse of every true-hearted, honest man, and as their struggle is for the rights purchased by our renowned ancestors, which we esteem as dear as life itself, do fully express our satisfaction.
"Sixthly .- Resolved, That we will not, by ourselves or any under us, directly or indirectly, purchase any tea, neither will we use any on any occasion, until that uurighteous act be repealed, and will use our utmost endeavors with every person in our town as we have opportunity, that they shall do the same, and those that buy and sell teus contrary to our true intent and meaning, shall be viewed as enemies to their country, and shall be treated as such."
* This same Capt. Isobert Rogers was the man who, in 1760, commanded the detachment sent by Gen. Amherst to take possession of the Freuch post, Detroit, and who met on bis way, near where the city of ('leveland, O., now stands, the celebrated Ottawa chief, Pontiac, Rogers rose to the rank of major. He was afterward charged with attempting to sell or betray Mackinaw to the Spaniards, and in the Revolutionary war deserted to the British.
749
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
A committee was chosen " to post such persons as shall sell or consume that unnecessary article tea," a committee of cor- respondence selected, to consist of James Stewart, Hezekiah Smith, George Clark, Joseph Caldwell, and John Harroun, and Thomas Bell sent as a delegate to the Provincial Con- gress.
In February, 1775, it was agreed to grant 20s. per week to Minute-Men, provided 18 men enlisted previous to the annual meeting ; but in case that number could not be secured, none of them was to have any pay. The excited state of public feeling in the autumn of 1774 is shown in a record which tells of the selection of a committee "to prevent mobs and riotous assemblies in this town."
Upon the sounding of the Lexington alarm in 1775, Capt. Hugh MeLellan raised in Coleraine and Shelburne a com- pany of Minute-Men, who were mustered into Col. Samuel Williams' regiment and marched for Boston, April 20th .* The names of the men in the company were as below : Hugh Mclellan, Captain ; Jacob Pool, Lieutenant; Abra- ham Pennell, Second Lieutenant; John Stewart, Samuel Boyd, David Morris, and Amasa Kemp, Sergeants; John Patterson, Archibald Pennell, and Elisha Ransom, Corporals ; with the following privates: William Anderson, Thomas Barber, Matthew Clark, Robert Fulton, William Fulton, John Henderson, John Kateley, Isaac Pennell, James Pen- nell, Samuel Stewart, James White, James Wilde, Daniel Morrison, Joseph Caldwell, John Fulton, William Clark, Robert Miller, James Walles, William Stewart, John Dar- roun,. Lawrence Kemp, John Burdoch, Job Coleman, John Herton, David Hunter, John Long, John Taylor, Jabez Ran- som, Benjamin Nash, Benjamin Allen, Stephen Kellogg, Noah Wells, Jonathan Fisk, William Hitten.
In the summer of 1775 the town passed a resolution " that any constable or collector who refuses to take assessments shall be viewed as an enemy to his country, and their estates shall be declared forfeited."
About this time the General Court ordered men to be raised " for Canada," but Coleraine refused to offer any bounty for the men required as its quota, although it is presumed that the men were obtained.
In Capt. Lawrence Kemp's company of 66 men, which served at Ticonderoga forty-seven days, beginning February 23 and ending April 10, 1777, were the following Coleraine men: John Stewart, First Lieutenant; Samuel Stewart, Ser- geant ; Isaac Pennell and Archibald Pennell, Corporals; and Privates David Harroun, Gawn Riddle, Rominer Smith, James Stewart, David Morrison, David McGee, John Caldwell, John Call, Moses Ruinger, Wm. Wilson, Robert Patterson, Peter Wilson, John Walles.
It is said that when the battle of Bennington was fought, Ang. 16, 1777, the roar of the conflict was heard at Coleraine, whereupon Capt. Hugh Mclellan's company, in Col. David Field's regiment, set out for Bennington, August 17th. In that company were the following Coleraine men : Hugh MeLellan, Captain ; Mathew Clark and Hugh Morrison, Sergeants ; and Privates David Morrison, James Walles, Thomas Fox, Gawn Riddle, Elisha Fobes, James l'ennell, Archibald Pennell, David Morris, Andrew Henry, John Ful- ton, Wm. Fulton, Wm. Mellwaine, Hugh Henry, Abner Carswell, David Smith, Joseph Caldwell, Jas. Stewart, Hugh Stewart, David McGee, John Newman, James White, Joseph Henry, John Call, Moses Fulton, Moses Ruinger, John Bol- ton, John Mathews, Andrew Neilson, Robert Riddle.
Capt. Hugh MeLellan's company, which served in Col. David Wells' regiment from Sept. 20 to Oct. 18, 1777, in-
cluded the following : Hugh MeLellan, Captain ; John Stew- art, Lieutenant; JJohn Patterson, Hugh Morrison, David Harroun, and James Pennell, Sergeants ; Thos. Fox, William Fulton, and Thos. McGee, Corporals ; and Privates Jas. Mc- Cullough, Wm. Shearer, Seth Clark, Wm. MeElwaine, John Walles, Seth Denio, Walter Bell, David Smith, Henry Walles, John Call, Josiah Kennedy, John Love, Hugh Stewart, Jas. Harkness, Hugh Henry, John Harroun, John Neilson, Abner Carswell, Wm. McCrelles, Joseph Henry, Matthew Donelson, Daniel Clark, Nathaniel Smith, Wm. Pierce, Moses Johnson, Gawn Riddle, Jonathan McGee, James Stewart, Wm. Clark, Nathaniel Turner, Joseph Thompson, Moses Fulton, Silas Kellogg, Robert Pennell, John McDonald, Hugh Morrison, Jas. Mathews.
There were Tories in the town, but they were so completely overawed that they contented themselves with observing a peaceful neutrality. Suspected persons were prosecuted by a town committee chosen for that especial business.
Coleraine was ardently patriotic during the Revolution, and gave wellnigh all her able-bodied men to the service. Besides those heretofore enumerated, many Coleraine men enlisted in commands recruited in distant towns.
In 1777, John Wood raised and commanded a company of Coleraine artificers, and, with John Bolton as his second in command, entered the service in September of that year. The company was assigned to West Point, and remained there until the close of the war, in 1783. Captain Wood, retiring from the service a few months after reaching West Point, gave place to Lieut. Bolton, who remained thereafter in chief command. He was enlisted heart and soul in the cause of liberty, and, the general government failing to pay his men, he mortgaged his property in Coleraine, and himself, to his own impoverishment, maintained them. He was the direct- ing spirit in the construction of the works of defense at West Point, and in the building of the Croton River bridge. He was, however, illy rewarded for his devotion, his patriotism, and his sacrifices. Not only were his men denied payment for their closing services, but they were left by the govern- ment to reach their homes as best they eould, without money, and frequently without food, while Bolton, having sacrificed all his property to his country's cause, found himself a pauper and homeless at the close of the struggle. ITis last days were spent with his children in New York, where he died in 1807.
Capt. Hugh MeLellan took a conspicuous part in the stir- ring scenes of the Revolution, and from first to last was the foremost man in Coleraine in the business of raising troops for the service, himself commanding at least three companies sent from that town on as many occasions. Dr. Holland re- dates the following of him :
" Ile was at the battle of Stillwater, and was on several occasions chosen to perform perilous duty. After the battle Gen. Burgoyne sent forward a com- pany of artificers, protected by a strong guard, to prepare a way of retreat. It became necessary for the American commander to have those works, so far as they had been completed, destroyed. Capt. MeLellan and his company were chosen to perform this duty. Under cover of night, they went and destroyed a bridge which the enemy had erected. On their return to the American camp, they passed a house in which Capt. M. conjectured a part of the guard sent for- ward by Gen, Burgoyne might be stationed. He placed his men around the house, so that no one could escape, and then ordered two of them to fire at the door; upon which a company of 31 men came ont. A battle ensoed, in which all of the enemy were killed save two, who were taken prisoners. These two afterward joined the American army, and C'apt. Mclellan's company, and when he returned to Coleraine, they came with him. The name of one was Harris the other Bond,-father of James Bond, recently of Heath. Capt. Mclellan, for many years, was one of the principal men of the town. He was a man of sterling integrity, kind and affable manners, and was beloved by all who knew him."
In 1779 the town resolved that
" No person belonging to any other town shall purchase cattle or any other provisions in this town unless such person shall produce a certificate from the town to which he belongs that he is not a monopolizer or forestaller, and that he is a friend to the United States."
At the close of the war, in 1783, it was voted that " the people
* There is some mistake in this date. The battle of Lexington was fought on the 19th of April; the settlement was nearly one hundred miles from Boston; and if the company was recruited after the news arrived,-which would have taken some time,-it could not have started for Boston on the day succeeding the battle.
750
HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.
called refugees that have gone to the British shall not return to live among us."
NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS.
In 1753, on April 12th, the members of the settlement ob- served a day of fasting and prayer, and a record relates that Mr. Abercrombie and Mr. Ashley, of Deerfield, were invited " to come and keep the fast ;" but nothing is recorded to show why the fast and prayer were ordered .*
Ilugh Morrison must have kept a house of entertainment very soon after the earliest settlement, for he presented a bill in 1753 " for bording the ministers and some likyure spent at the ordenation."
A bridge was built over North River in 1752, and for the " Rhumb" furnished by him on the occasion of the raising of the bridge-frame Hugh MeLellan presented a bill.
Upon the beginning, in 1782, of the controversies which subsequently led to the Shays rebellion, the town voted its opinion to be that the county courts ought not to sit in the county of Hampshire on civil cases until the grievances suf- fered by the town should be redressed. A consultation was held with other towns, and it was agreed that such persons as should go to Northampton at the time fixed for the sessions of the courts should be provided with ammunition out of the town-stock. Material support was given by Coleraine to the Shays cause, but there were also Coleraine men in the ser- vice as government soldiers during the rebellion. Among them were Col. Hugh MeLellan, Lieut .- Col. Joseph Stebbins, and William Stevens, James Stewart, James McGee, David Harroun, Jonathan McGee, William S. Williams, and Jas. Hall.
On the insurgent side, Capc. Clarke was conspicuous as one of the committee appointed to raise troops, and James White, also of Coleraine, was among those of the insurgents who were, upon the suppression of the rebellion, tried by the gov- ernment and sentenced to death.t
A notable incident in the later history of Coleraine was the murder of Elmira A. Cheney by Simeon Peck, at Gris- woldville, in 1867. It appears that Peek lived unhappily with his wife in the village of Griswoldville, where both were mill-operatives, and, urged by her reproaches and her declarations that she would seek a separation, he left the vil- lage, saying he would return no more. He did return, how- ever, not many days afterward, and, upon being again repu- diated by his wife after a sudden appearance before her at her home, he broke into a violent rage, and in its first outburst he attacked Miss Cheney, who was present in the apartment, with a stick of wood. After beating her insensible he pur- sued his wife, who had fled at the first assault, and after seriously wounding her he sought to escape. He was happily captured before he had gone far, and, Miss Cheney dying a few hours after the assault, Peek was tried for the murder, but, being adjudged insane, was lodged in an insane asylum ; whence being dismissed in 1872, he was again placed on trial for the murder of Miss Cheney, and upon conviction was sentenced to the State's prison for life.
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