USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Ashfield > History of the town of Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts from its settlement in 1742 to 1910 > Part 25
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After an uncomfortable voyage they arrived at Baton Rouge December 17. Here and in this vicinity they remained in camp until the 13th of March when they made a hurried march towards Port Hudson. The object of the march was evidently to attract the attention of the rebels while Farragut's fleet was going up the river to attempt to pass Port Hudson. The night of the 14th they were near enough to Port Hudson to see the shells thrown and to see the great flash when the Mississippi was blown up. They soon marched back to Baton Rouge near which place they remained until the latter part of the month, making some raids into the country.
The last part of the month they went with a large portion of Banks' army into western Louisiana without much fighting, driving and scattering quite a body of the enemy under General Taylor. After several long marches, when at Algiers, they were ordered to Port Hudson one hundred miles distant, to which place they marched, arriving there May 20. Here they remained until after the surrender of the fort, July 9. The last part of the siege they were in earthworks within three hundred yards of the outer works of the fort, and where in the daytime it was sure
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death to show a head above the breastworks. Elisha B. Howes was shot through the arm here.
A few weeks after the surrender of the fort, there was some mutiny among certain of the nine months' regiments, because they could not be sent home at once as their time of enlistment had expired. July 20, Brigadier General Stone reports this to General Banks and adds, "At the same time I have elected the 52nd Mass. Reg. in which there has been no instance of refusal to do duty or of insubordination for immediate shipment North." They accordingly left Port Hudson the 23rd, arriving at Cairo the 30th, where eighteen of their number were left in the hospital there, being so sick as to be unable to travel by rail. As they were short for nurses the Colonel was requested to detail several from the regiment to care for those left behind, but he hesitated to do this, preferring volunteers who were willing to stay, and Colonel Greenleaf testifies in the history of the 52nd that George Wait and Truman Bowman now living in Ashfield, volunteered to remain behind and care for their sick comrades.
The regiment arrived in Massachusetts, August 3. Judge Thompson says, "At its departure the regiment had 939 men and returned with 773; 85 had died of disease; 11 were killed or died of wounds; 16 sick were left at Mound City, and 2 officers and 34 men were unable to leave New Orleans. The 52nd lost in about one year's service ten and two-fifths per cent., a greater proportionate loss than any other Mass. Regiment." Of the Ashfield boys, Lewis Eldredge died of the fever at Baton Rouge, January 26; Sylvester Howes died on the voyage between Port Hudson and Cairo; Elon Williams was discharged for sickness, came home, and died September 3. Edward F. Hale was one of the eighteen left at Cairo but was able to come home later and died at his father's, October 1.
31ST REGIMENT
Went into camp at Pittsfield, November 20, 1861, where it remained until about February 1, when it went to Camp Chase at Lowell and on the 20th sailed for Fortress Monroe. After a short tarry they sailed for Ship Island, arriving there
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March 23. They went up the river to Fort Jackson and St. Philip, took part in Bayou Teche, Port Hudson and Red River expedition. Early in March, 1865, the regiment was sent by water to Pensacola Bay, Florida, then marching across the country it took part in the capture of Mobile, April 12. The regiment was mustered out September 24, having been in ser- vice three years and ten months, and lost 205 officers and men. Two Taylors, Reuben W. and Wells P., father and son, also Ephraim, a relative, were in this regiment from this town. Seven Taylors from Ashfield of this family were in the Revolu- tionary war.
No history of this regiment has yet been published.
37TH REGIMENT
The 37th went into camp at Pittsfield in August, 1862, and September 7th started for Washington which they reached the evening of the 10th and went into camp on Arlington Heights until October 1, when they were sent to the main army near Antietam, Maryland. Here they met with the Massachusetts 10th and were glad to see those who remained of their Ashfield friends. They were then incorporated with the Army of the Potomac, were at the battles of Fredricksburg, Chancellors- ville and Gettysburg. In August, 1863, they were sent to New York City to help guard against the threatened riot. In October they were back again with the Army of the Potomac and were in the fierce battles through the Wilderness, Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor. From June until December they were in the Shenandoah Valley cooperating with Sheridan, then were sent back to the main army at Petersburg, and helped to finish up Lee's army in the spring. Of the Ashfield men, Caspar Lilly died of disease April 23, 1863, and his body was sent home for burial. His brother Joel was wounded in the assault on Peters- burg, April 2, seven days before the surrender of Lee, and Henry Luce was wounded the 6th, only three days before the sur- render. Joel and Caspar Lilly's grandfather and great grand- father were Revolutionary soldiers. Darius W. Taylor was another son of Reuben W., mentioned in the 31st regiment.
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The 60th Regiment was composed of men enlisted for only one hundred days near the close of the war. They were sent to Maryland at first, then to Indianapolis, Ind., where they had about 10,000 rebel prisoners under guard. They were in service about four months.
27th Regiment. Of the three Ashfield men belonging to this regiment Joel Wing was killed in battle and Bement Smith died of sickness contracted in the army. It was a three years' regi- ment and was in North Carolina and in the battles before Richmond.
The 1st Massachusetts Cavalry was in some of the most important battles of the war, including Antietam, Fredericks- burg, Chancellorsville, Gettsyburg and Cold Harbor.
The 25th Regiment, to which James Coughlin belonged, was from the eastern part of the state. It saw service in North Carolina, Virginia, and in the battles before Richmond.
Albert Lilly was in the 8th Ohio and saw severe fighting. Was at Gettysburg and faced Pickett's famous charge on Cemetery Hill. He was also with Grant through the Wilderness.
In March, 1866, it was "Voted to raise $650 for the purpose of erecting a monument or memorial, to perpetuate the memory of those persons of this town whose lives have been sacrificed in the effort to sustain the Government against the Slave- holders' Rebellion. Voted that Granville B. Hall and Dr. Knowlton constitute a committee to carry this vote into effect, by establishing said monument or memorial." This vote was duly carried into effect by the committee, and a monument was erected in the form of a drinking fountain bearing the
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names of the fallen Ashfield soldiers. Soon after its dedication, the following lines appeared in Harper's Easy Chair, written by Mr. Curtis:
And these brothers whose incalculable devotion and sacrifice yonder memorial on the village green records, have made us all better, and have given a sweeter strain to the world's story. They have made it easier to do what America was plainly designed to effect. The thought of these brave boys, unmindful of glory, intent only upon duty, whose names we spell out as we stop on the weary way in the summer noon, refreshes our hope and faith, and stimulates nobler endeavor as the living water from the hills which we sip enlivens and comforts our frames.
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CHAPTER XIX
MILITIA COMPANIES AND OTHER MATTERS
In 1800, the town had two companies of enrolled militia, the Ashfield "North Company," then recently commanded by Capt. Phillip Phillips, and the Ashfield "South Company, " then under Capt. Asa Cranson. The two companies of infantry were maintained in a good state of discipline and efficiency, in which their officers took much pride, and held a high standing in popular favor for some forty years, when the legal require- ment for their existence was changed. In 1827, a general train- ing, or brigade "muster" was held on "the Plain," the soldiers of this and neighboring towns having been warned "to meet at the house of John Williams, innholder in Ashfield, on Monday the tenth day of October, at half past six o'clock in the forenoon, for Military duty and inspection, with arms and equipments, as the law directs." The regiment was at that time under com- mand of Col. Nehemiah Hathaway of Ashfield, and the South Company under Capt. Albinas Lilly. (No record of the North Company is found.) "Agreeable to a Division, Brigade and Regimental order, " a "muster" was held in the northwest part of the town, near the tavern of Ezra Williams, October 6, 1831. The regiment was then under Col. Abel Williams of Ashfield, and the South Company was under Capt. Lemuel Bryant.
At the time of this muster, the companies maneuvered in the "Hawley Mowing, " what is now J. R. Smith's potato lot. On the Plain they paraded in what is now Mrs. Alvan Hall's mow lot.
Different officers were chosen from year to year in the two companies, so that besides those named above there were Capt. William Bassett, Capt. Justus Smith, Capt. Nathaniel Holmes, Capt. Kimball Howes, Capt. Chapin and others.
Mrs. Miles gives this pleasant picture of the old training days:
In our town were two companies of militia, the North and South. These had their May training, and another in autumn. Every able bodied man between eighteen and forty-five was
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enrolled as militia. Before the training, my father's old flint lock gun was taken apart, the barrel, lock, bands and bayonet scoured to the brightness of silver, then put together and was in readiness for the semi-annual training; and when the great day arrived he donned his regimentals, and was ready for his outing.
I seem to see him now dressed in his Uniform. A coat of fine blue "Broadcloth" trimmed with scarlet cloth of the same kind which was of a very different texture from his ordinary dress. On his hat was a piece of tin or some other metal japanned and lettered "Ashfield South Co.," with some figures which I do not remember; then to crown the whole, a stiff feather of white tipped with scarlet. Now he was equipped for training, or for the Muster in Autumn when the Regiment met. Then came some additional maneuvers, sometimes a sham fight, some of the Companies being Indians, or British. This was fun for the onlooker. O, the "Drum and fife!" Plainfield's Cavalry some- times came to our training; their horses were finely trained- I can almost see them still as I saw them one bright afternoon as we children sat upon the hill of our pasture and enjoyed the whole, and especially the shrill notes of the fife which I have never forgotten. Yes, that "Russian March," I hear it yet. But the fife! Is that a thing of the past? I have not seen or heard one for long, long years. Very likely I should not like the shrill tones as in early life. I must not omit one or two other things necessary for a complete outfit. There were the straps; one for the sheath of the bayonet, the other for the cartridge box which was from the right shoulder and for the bayonet from the left. In the cartridge box were twelve holes for cartridges. Now our soldier was ready to march, countermarch and perform all evolutions required; and after several hours of this came home satisfied and happy, if very tired.
My father greatly enjoyed these gatherings, as they were nearly all the outings of his busy life; indeed he "trained" two or three years after the law would have released him.
Of course, the early settlers had to contend with wild beasts in addition to their other trials. Mr. Marcus Parker said his father used to tell how after they had cleared up a little piece of land in Cape Street back of the log house, they had to go up and drive the wolves off every day. Some of the Phillipses living have heard their grandfather tell how he used to lie awake nights and hear the wolves howl on Ridge Hill. In 1787, voted to
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raise a bounty of four dollars for each wolf killed in town, and a little later there is a record of Squire Williams and Roland Sears each being paid a bounty for a wolf.
Bear hunting was quite a pastime. Capt. Phillip Phillips killed twenty-nine bears in one season, and this story is verified by his descendants. Mr. Barnabas Howes tells how Heber Honestman, the negro who lived with Captain Phillips, was out on Mill Hill looking for bears in the traps set, when he acci- dentally got caught in one himself. Not returning, a search was made for him and when found he seemed to be pleased at the situation. When asked what pleased him so, he said he had been thinking how the old bear would laugh if he should come along and find him in the trap. But the poor man was badly maimed and never fully recovered from his injuries. Bear Swamp on the Bear Swamp road to Watson was said to be a favorite resort for bears. Barnabas Howes, Sr., (born in 1777, died in 1853) said that when a boy he went out to this swamp with Isaiah Washburn to look at the bear traps there. There are many ledges around the edge of the swamp. The "Old Bears' Den" in Ceylon Bates' pasture was a rendezvous for bears. The last bear killed in Ashfield was in 1831. Mr. Lyman Eldredge who lived on the Colonel Emmet farm came up to the village one morning and said he saw a bear down "Dug Hill" making his way up the hill towards the south. His story was hardly believed, but the tracks were investigated and Bruin soon had a "large following" of men and dogs. He was finally treed west of the farm where Bert Richmond now lives and here the poor fellow ended his wanderings.
Beavers were in the streams and meadows at an early date. A favorite camping place of the Indians for the purpose of trap- ping beaver was near the brooks north of where William Gray now lives. Hence the name "Beaver Meadow Farm." School boys have picked up arrow heads and other Indian relics in this section.
Sixty years ago coon hunting was largely in order when the corn was on in the fall and a small party with a good dog could usually get half a dozen or more plump, fat fellows in a single night.
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Then, in the fall there were also one or more "squirrel hunts." Two persons would "choose up sides" for the game with the understanding that it should be "honest," or that each side "might cheat all it could." At the close of the stated time- a given number of days -- the parties were to bring in their game, have a "count" and the beaten party had to pay for the supper at the hotel. Mr. A. W. Crafts likes to tell the story of a squirrel hunt in which his brother Josephus-"Ceph" -- was one of the "captains." They met to "count" just at nightfall at John Williams' hotel, now the Ranney block, where the game was to be taken, carefully guarded and deposited on each side of the old town hall ready for the tally. The contest seemed to be in doubt when after dusk teams began to arrive, apparently from the outskirts, laden with such bags of game for "Ceph's" side that the other party caved at once. "Better count, " said "Ceph." "No, no, we give it up, let's go down to supper." After supper was eaten and the vanquished party had paid Uncle John the bill, "Ceph" proposed that they go upstairs and look over the game. It was found that the bags last brought in contained not only game, but turnips, cabbages, and much other material besides the genuine article. The other party had to admit that this was a "cheat all you can" with a vengeance. One hundred years ago fish were plentiful in the streams.
Sixty years ago the farmer's boy could dig his bait, cut his pole,-although nearly every prudent boy had his seasoned pole back of the shed-and in two or three hours could catch trout enough for the dinner of a fair-sized family in almost any of the streams. Yet there was no posting of brooks, no fish commissions, hatcheries, or any of the legal paraphernalia to "protect" the streams now almost destitute of the finny tribe.
The little lake or "Great Pond" by the village was well filled with pickerel. There was then no law against taking fish with the snare or spear and hundreds of pounds were taken in this way in the night besides what were caught with the hook in the daytime. The fish would run up near the shore at night and three grown-up boys or men, one with some twenty pounds of white birch bark over his shoulders, another with an iron "jack"
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weighing some six or eight pounds on the end of a six-foot pole to furnish a torch, and the third party with a brass wire snare on the end of a two-foot string attached to a short pole would slip the noose over the head of the fish, blinded by the glare, and by a sudden jerk bring him to terra firma, when he would be secured. Later, instead of birch bark, a ball of rags saturated with kerosene was used for a torch. From six to ten pounds of pickerel weighing from one quarter of a pound to two pounds each was considered a fair haul, and home at two o'clock in the morning. On nearly every quiet night through May and June one or more such parties could be seen, sometimes in boats. In spite of the large quantities taken there seemed to be no diminution, and the next year the fish seemed to be as plenti- ful as ever.
Ownership in the "Great Pond" first appeared when Asa Sanderson bought the "Pond Lot" in 1808, using the water for his tannery works. This was the land around the lower end of the pond. In 1848, Sanderson deeded to the Conway Manu- facturing Company the right to raise the pond seven feet, reserving two feet of water for himself. The company at con- siderable expense raised the dike on the south and east which occasioned a flowage on the meadows above, and a lawsuit with the Bassetts who owned the meadow. The company used their privilege for quite a number of years. In 1875, A. D. Flower bought the Bassett farm, then owned by Walter Lesure, includ- ing all rights to the reservoir, and also in 1879 from L. C. Sander- son all his rights to water in the pond. This to secure its use for Mr. Flower's mill. At the time of the breaking away of the reservoir it was said to cover seventy-five acres. The brook that runs past the creamery can easily be made a feeder for the "Great Pond." In the forties, the boys of the Steady Lane school, one noontime, by a little digging in what is now Robert Howes' pasture turned the brook so that the water ran into the pond. In a day or two an indignant protest came from Dorus Graves for the loss of water from his clothier's shop, and the boys had to turn it back again. M. M. Belding now owns much of the land adjoining the pond and has been liberal in allowing its use by the public.
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The "round ball" mentioned by Dr. Hall was similar to that now termed "basc ball" without being hampered with its science and system, its fuss and feathers. Wicket ball was played on the cross street in front of the Episcopal church door. Wrest- ling was quite popular, "side hold," "back hold" and "at arm's length." At almost every town meeting a ring would be formed in front of the old town hall in the afternoon and a wrestling match started. When one was thrown, another was called in to take his place. Samuel and John Hale, Joshua Hall, Chapin Elmer and the Greens were among the principal con- testants. At one time it was difficult to get anyone to match the young man who had thrown all his competitors, until Dea. Josiah Smith, a man well advanced in years and the grand- father of Alvah and Addison Howes, stepped into the ring and took hold of the victor. For a time it seemed a close contest, but youthful muscle proved too much for the old gentleman who was finally laid upon his back. The crowd admired his grit and cheered him lustily as the staid old deacon brushed the dust from his clothes and slowly wended his way into the hall with the remark, "This thing couldn't have been done forty years ago; guess I ain't quite so limber as I was then."
Of course Ashfield had its Fourth of July frolics as now, in which the "Old Swivel" played an important part. This was a piece of iron about twenty inches in length with a diameter of six inches, square at one end for about six inches, circular the remainder of the length, with a bore about two inches in diam- eter, a proper priming hole and weighed some fifty or seventy-five pounds. This, when loaded to the muzzle, thoroughly tamped down and "touched off" with a slow match, would "speak" with no uncertain sound, sending its echoes to the farthest limits of the town. It was brought out on each Fourth of July, certain elections and other jollifications. It was the "town cannon " which like the Deerfield cannon coveted also by Green- field and Conway, was considered the property of the fellows who could get hold of and keep it. It was considered a smart thing to capture the gun. The Plain held possession of it for a while, then in some way it was captured by South Ashfield. It
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was rescued in this way: It was known that on a certain evening the Swivel was to be brought out and fired to celebrate some event. A few of the Plain boys were there, one of them with a block of wood under his coat about the size and color of the gun, with a rope attached to it. When the gun was brought out to be fired there was a little tussle over it, the block was dropped and several of the Plainers dragged it off with, "come on boys, we've got it," hotly pursued by the South Ashfielders while another Plainer picked up the Swivel and disappeared in the darkness in another direction and with the aid of a team in readiness soon had the gun delivered at the village. It was kept securely hidden, as the South Ashfield enemy was ever on the alert for its capture.
At one time after being taken out, it was closely pursued by a party from South Ashfield and was carried to the house of Mr. Moses Cook and hidden under a bed for a season.
The writer when quite young witnessed an adroit steal of the gun on an evening before the Fourth of July. It was being fired in the street in front of Mr. Crafts' store with a guard thought sufficient to defend the treasure from the southern invaders. At that time there were a sturdy lot of boys up in the Steady Lane district-Elisha Wing, the Bryants, Clarks and Halls. That night they proposed to have a little fun on their own account, and a number of them "happened" to be present. Just as the gun was ready to be fired, "Bill" Bryant "happened" to drive up in front of the store with an open buggy. He was warned to get out of the way as it was about to "go off." The slow match was applied, one end ignited, when Chauncey Bryant and one of the Clarks darted forward, kicked off the match and with almost incredible swiftness, threw the Swivel into the buggy, Bill touching the horse with the whip at the same instant, the gun "went off" up street before the astonished guard could come to their senses, they not expecting any enemy except from South Ashfield. The gun was heard from in dif- ferent parts of the town through the night, and in the morning hours, close to the village. It was then brought back and de- livered over to the guard, with a mild intimation that "they were not so smart as they thought they were."
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It was usually kept in hiding for a part of the year but if brought out, there was very likely to be a scrimmage, and as it was thought that the boys were sometimes careless in its use, the matter began to be considered a nuisance by the older eitizens. At length John J. Braman and Childs Sanderson, in some way learning where the gun was hidden, in the darkness of night sought out its retreat, took it to the shore of the pond next the Buekland road, and with a boat rowed out a short dis- tance, sunk the objeet of their aversion in what was believed to be the deepest place in the Great Pond.
YE OLDE SWIVEL
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REQUIESCAT IN PACE
CHAPTER XX
OLD FAMILIES AND EARLY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
ยท In a few of the old families several of the same name settled in town and left posterity here. We give brief sketches of these separately; others will be noticed in the district sketches.
THE ALDENS
The Aldens from Stafford, Conn., were early interested in Huntstown for they bought land here as early as 1743. David and Daniel were cousins, and David in 1764 bought of Thomas Phillips lot No. 46 where Jerome Kendrick now lives. His descendants were on the farm for over seventy years. In 1835, Cyrus Alden was taxed for one thousand sheep on that farm. Descendants of David live here in the Gray, Field and perhaps other families.
Barnabas, a descendant of Daniel, lived on "Bug Hill" about forty rods west of where the Wings now live, where he raised seventeen children. There are many descendants from his family in Ashfield and vicinity. Ebenezer Alden was here at an early date, settled where Sidney P. Elmer lives, and his son Henry built the house. He was the ancestor of Charles Alden of Conway. Numerous inquiries concerning the Alden family are received from descendants in different parts of the country.
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