USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Essex > History of the town of Essex : from 1634 to 1868 > Part 16
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ter to his wife dated at Capt. Van Buren's, Flat Bush, New York, June 10, 1758, he says :
" I arrived here last night; had a very tedious route through unknown ways. We left Boston on Thursday, stopped at Spencer (Worcester Co:) and spent the Sabbath with Mr. Eaton, an eminent servant of Christ. Brother Eben- ezer Cleaveland preached in the forenoon and I in the afternoon. Col. Bag- ley came up and attended service and then rode on to overtake his regiment. Our Surgeon Dr. Rea, Ebenezer, and I went through Springfield to Sheffield where we came across the Connecticut forces in which was our brother Aaron. My health has been very good, though greatly fatigued with my ride upon my very dull horse. Uncommon health prevails throughout the army, and all are in good spirits, anxious to be doing something. Gen. Abercrombie and Lord How have gone before us to the Lake. We expect to be marching in a day or two. If God is for us we shall have success. The regiments dur- ing their marchi have all been very civil except the Marblehead company, whose conduct has been extremely bad. I am now performing the duty of Chaplain for Col. Ruggles' regiment, our own not having yet arrived. We have found the locusts in the wood through which we have come very noisy and annoying. Brother Ebenezer not having received his commission as chaplain was about to return ; but Col. Preble, whose chaplain, Mr. Little, had failed to come on, engaged brother to take his place."
Some extracts from a journal, which Mr. Cleaveland kept during this campaign, may give us some idea of the pri- vations and hardships of a camp life, as well as of the events that then occurred :
"June 15th. Col Bagley has arrived at Greenbush. He expresses a wish to be moving forward-says, two or three men in Col. Ruggles' and Col. Nichols' regiment are sick, and that he apprehends danger of small-pox from the constant visits made to the city ( Albany). Col. Bagley's regiment is coming in ; and Capt. Whipple's company have all come-except Jacob Lufkin left behind disabled. Prayed with three or four companies of our regiment this evening. I am much pleased to meet our friends of Chebacco. " June 16th, Friday. This morning attended prayers with several com- panies of my regiment.
" A sad affair has occurred in our regiment. Several persons in Capt. Morrow's company put under guard for killing some of our landlord's cattle.
" 17th, Saturday. Attended prayers. Lieut. Col. Whitcomb was pres- ent for the first time. The Court-martial condemned three of the men who killed the cattle. Two of them were moderately whipped.
"Sabbath, 18th. This day preached to a large and attentive auditory. Visited a sick man and prayed with him.
" Tuesday 20th, at Schenectady. Think it well situated ; about as large
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1746-1774.]
as Charlestown. A stone Church-Dutch minister and Dutch residents. The regiment called to prayers at evening. Col. Bagley present for the first time. Col. B. has ordered the Captains to attend every day while they tarry here at 6 A. M. and 7 p. M.
" 22d, Thursday. Last night orders arrived from Gen. Stanwix for the two companies of Col. Whiting that are in town, and for one company and half of another, in our regiment to march directly to Half-Moon. We at- tended prayers and then supped at our new lodgings, having dined with Dominie Vroom, the Dutch minister of the town.
" 23d, Friday. Prayers delayed by reason that Col. Bagley gets orders to march towards Fort Edward. Officers and soldiers are pleased with the idea of joining the army. The Lord God be with us in all our marches and engagements.
" 24th, Saturday. Gave a short word of exhortation to the soldiers. Mr. Johnson of Carisbrook was present and prayed. Soon after a soldier, while exercising in the Prussian way, unwittingly discharged his piece loaded with two balls. One man was killed, another wounded and another hit. At evening made a speech of some length as they were to march next day.
" 25th, Sabbath. After prayers, set out for Half-Moon, and arrived about sunsetting : a march of the best part of 20 miles. I cautioned the regiment in the morning to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy ; and they did behave quite civil in general. But I never saw just such a Sabbath before. We took a long Sabbath day's journey for our march. At Half-Moon we found two Connecticut regiments, Col. Lyman's and Col. Wooster's. This night we encamped on the hard floor, with a blanket under us, and another upon us.
" 26th, Monday. Very rainy. Tarried at Half-Moon all day. Wrote a letter to my wife and another to Francis Choate, Esq. Colonels Lyman and Wooster marched off towards Fort Edward.
" 27th, Tuesday. We set out and reached Stillwater about noon. There overtook Col. Wooster's regiment ; dined with Col. Wooster in the Fort.
" 28th, Wednesday. From Stillwater to Saratoga Fort; where we put up and tarried all night. Fourteen miles from Stillwater to Saratoga.
" 29th, Thursday. Marched from Saratoga to Fort Miller, five miles ; and from there to Fort Edward, seven miles. Lodged in Commissary Tucker's tent, and fared well.
" July 1st, Saturday. Having sent back my horse with sundry articles of clothing to Capt. Van Buren's, I set out on foot for Lake George. Dined at Half-Way Brook with Col. Nichols. Col. Cummings and Mr. Morril, the Chaplain reached the lake before sunset ; somewhat fatigued, and lodged with Mr. Furbush, Col. Ruggles' chaplain.
" 2dl. Sabbath. Our regiment joined with the regiment of Col. Ruggles in the services of the day. Mr. Furbush preached in the forenoon from Exo- dus xvii., on Moses sending Joshua to fight against Amalek, while he with the rod of God in his hand went upon the hill with Aaron and Hur. Au 23
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excellent sermon and well adapted. In the afternoon I preached to a large concourse from Ephesians vi. 18. There was remarkable attention in the assembly both parts of the day.
" 3d. Prayers quite early this morning, because the regiment was to be viewed by the General at seven o'clock. Took my brother E. C. with me and visited John Brainerd, chaplain to Col. Johnston, of New Jersey regi- ment, Mr. Ogilvie, chaplain to the Regulars, Mr. Spencer of the New York regiments ; and in the afternoon went with the above chaplains except Ogilvie, to the Connecticut forces, where we had an agreeable interview with their four chaplains, Messrs. Beckwith, Eels, Pomroy and Ingersol, and agreed with them to go in a body the next morning and pay our compliments to his excelleney, Gen. Abercrombie. Also agreed to spend some time in prayer.
" 4th, Tuesday. This morning after breakfast, Messrs. Beckwith, Eels, Pomroy, Ingersol, Brainerd, Spencer, Furbush, my brother and myself went to the General's tent and paid our compliments to him. Mr. Beckwith made a short speech or address to him in the name of the whole. He treated us very kindly, told us he hoped we would teach the people their duty and be courageous.
" This day we had orders to be in readiness to strike our tents at day-break, and be on board the bateaux at five in the morning."
Mr. Cleaveland gives in his journal a pen-drawing of the northern extremity of Lake George, and of South Bay, showing the position of Ticonderoga, a fort, and the line of the French entrenchments. But as we cannot copy this, we ask our young reader to look on the map, and he will see that Ticonderoga is on the west side of Lake Champlain, not far from the northern end of Lake George. Our army is now on the eastern side of Lake George. To reach Ticonderoga it must embark upon this Lake, sail down towards its northern extremity, and land on its west side. Let us take a view of the army just ready to embark ; a larger army of European descent than ever be- fore in America ; having for its object not a war of am- bition and oppression, but merely of self-defence ; at least so far as the colonies were concerned in it, whose sole de- sign was to subdue a foe that had for more than half a century stirred up the savage tribes, and brought them by stealth upon the homes of our fathers to butcher indis- criminately men, women and children. Assembled for this righteous cause, we see on the shore of the Lake nine
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MR. CLEAVELAND'S JOURNAL.
thousand provincial troops, and about seven thousand British Regulars. With the provincials, we see Maj. Rogers with his six hundred rangers, taken from the bold- est and hardiest of the yeomanry of the land, armed with firelock and hatchet and carrying packs of twice the or- dinary weight. This whole armament is about to embark upon the beautiful lake, in nine hundred small boats, one hundred and thirty-five whale-boats, and the formidable train of artillery mounted upon rafts. But to return to Mr. Cleaveland's journal :
" July 5th, Wednesday. At day-break the drums beat ' The General,' when the tents were immediately struck, and everything packed up and car- ried on board; and by five we were rowing our bateaux. The whole army was upon the water ; the Regulars in the middle column ; Colonels Treble, Rug- gles, Bayley, and Williams on the right wing ; Gen. Lyman, Colonels Whiting, Fitch, and others, on the left ; the artillery in the rear of the main body ; and Col. Partridge, with the Royal Hunters, brought up the rear. The rangers were in the front. We rowed above twenty miles, and had orders to draw up with our bateaux to the western shore (to rest). We pitched our tents on the shore, and lay till about eleven o'clock, when orders came to go all on board, and row immediately to the narrows.
" 6th, Thursday. By day-light arrived at the entrance of the narrows, where we halted till the whole army came up, and every regiment took his own place, according to the General's orders, and then orders came to row im- mediately up to the landing and land ; where we expected a very warm re- ception from the enemy's advanced guard. My heart was much inclined to pour out desires to the God of heaven that he would appear for us, and in- timidate the enemy. And it is wonderful how God did appear for us ; for though the enemy had four battalions in the advanced guard, and several cannon, yet by nine o'clock, in the morning we were all safely landed ; the French only fired a few small arms, which did no harm, and then ran off. But as they burned the bridges on the river, (the river which connects Lake George with Lake Champlain,) the army marched through the thick wood, to . go round the bend of the river ; and when we had marched about two miles, we were attacked in front, by about 3000 French and Indians. At hearing the first fire, Col. Bayley's regiment in which I was, was ordered to form to the right and run up to the enemy. There was a very smart engagement for about one hour: My Lord How was killed ; and about 24 of our men were missing when we came into the camp, where we landed, and several were brought in wounded. We captured of the enemy 159, and it was judged, that we killed as many more of them.
" 7th, Friday. This day they marched out again to build the bridges, so
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as to march down the wagon-road and take possession of the saw-mills there, where the enemy have some small strength; and about the same hour, the army began their march to take possession of the ground near the fort; and a little after sunset Gen. Johnson arrived with his regiment. What number of Indians he has brought, I cannot get intelligence. This night I lodged in a bateau and laid my head on the barrels.
" 8th, Saturday. This morning Gen. Johnson with his Indians marched after the army, before sunrise, to Ticonderoga. This has been a most bloody fight. Our troops attempted to force the French entrenchments, with small arms, and met with great loss. Our men acted with the greatest intrepidity ; and one or two companies of the Highlanders and Regulars were almost en- tirely cut off. Many were slain, and many came in wounded. The number of both is not known ; but it is conjectured that a thousand are among the killed and wounded. Capt. Whipple received a ball in his thigh, which lodged there ; Lieut. Nathan Burnham received a mortal wound in his bowels, and Lieut. Stephen Low (both of Chebacco) was slain, as we suppose ; the last that was seen of him, he was sitting down, with a heavy wound. The conduct is thought to be marvellous strange, to order the entrenchment to be forced with small arms, when they had cannon not far off, and numbers sufficient to keep the enemy off till we had entrenched and placed our eannon and mortars so as to play upon the enemy. Most of our forces retreated towards the landing where the bateaux lay.
"9th, Sabbath. This morning, to the general surprise of the whole army, we were ordered to embark in the bateaux, to leave the ground we had possessed, and return to Fort William Henry. We left the ground, at about nine o'clock in the morning, and arrived at Fort William Henry before sun- set. All dejeeted, partly on account of our returning, and partly on account of our being without much food for three days. This evening Lieut. Burn- ham (Nathan) was buried, having died upon the water, of his wound. I un- derstood he inquired much for me, and desired to see me before he died ; but ยท I was in another bateau, and could not be found, the lake being full of them.
" 10th, Monday. Orders are given out to make a return of the killed, wounded and missing ; which, according to the information I have had, amounts to eighteen or twenty hundred in the whole army, principally among the Reg- ulars and Highlanders. In Col. Bayley's regiment six were killed, two offi- cers and four privates ; eleven are wounded, including Capt. Whipple. I find people, officers and soldiers, astonished that we left the French ground, and commenting on the strange conduct in coming off.
" 11th, Tuesday. Wrote a letter this day to my spouse, to be sent by Mr. Thompson. Whale-boats and bateaux, by order, unloaded. People begin to sieken, partly, perhaps, because they were scant of provisions, while down the Lake, and nothing to drink, but lake-water, and partly through dejection and diseouragement, arising from disappointment.
" 12th, Wednesday. This day wrote a letter to Col. Choate. Spent con- siderable time with Mr. Furbush, in reading and conversation. Towards
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1746-1774.]
evening, the General, with his Rehoboam Counsellors, came on, to line out a fort on the Rocky Hill, where our breast-work was the last year. Now we begin to think strongly, that the Grand Expedition against Canada is laid aside, and a foundation is going to be laid, totally to impoverish our country."
This apprehension of the journalist as to Abercrombie's design was well founded. Having in his fright after his repulse by the French, hurried back over Lake George to his former quarters on the south end of the Lake, he en- tirely abandoned his project of capturing Ticonderoga. He remained, however, in his quarters with his whole army through the rest of the Summer. Mr. C. continued his instructive and interesting journal, till his return in the Autumn, embracing sixty-nine pages. It would be desirable, if we had room, to give the whole of it. But a few more brief extracts must suffice :
" 15th, Saturday. Much indisposed in body. This afternoon came in three deserters from Ticonderoga, who say there were but 3500 there, when we at- tacked their entrenehment. Had we forced them thence, their design was to betake themselves to their whale-boats, which lay ready, run down to Crown Point, lay it in ashes, and then repair to Chamblee, and there make their stand, where they could have relief from Canada. But our return saved them a deal of trouble.
" 22d, Saturday. This morning Jonathan Marshall of Chebaeco broke out with small-pox, and was sent to the Hospital at Fort Edward. The Lord prepare us for all his will. At 10 o'clock A. M., all the provincial chaplains that were at the Lake, met at Mr. Emerson's tent for prayer, and agreed to meet every Tuesday and Friday at 10 A. M., for prayer. This evening Col. Schuyler, and Mr. Clark taken at Oswego, and who came home last Fall on a furlough, set off from here with a flag of truce, consisting of twenty-one, with one French prisoner taken in 1755, to go to Ticonderoga, where the Col. and Mr. Clark design to resign themselves up to the French, the parolo being out. Also received this evening a letter from my wife, which informs . me of the near approach of her and my dear brother Nehemiah Dodge to the gates of death. The Lord appear for him, and give him to triumph over death and hell. Also at the same time received a letter from my good and cordial friend William Story of Boston.
" 23d, Sabbath. This forenoon preached with some freedom from Mala- chi 1 : 6. The people gave good attention, and many Regulars were present. Oh that God would set the truths of the gospel home upon the hearts of all, that my heart may be encouraged, and my hands strengthened in the work of God ! Preached again in the afternoon, from the same words, to a more nu-
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merous auditory, consisting not only of my own regiment, but of Regulars and Highlanders.
" 25th, Tuesday. This forenoon one of the Regulars was hanged for theft. He confessed on the ladder that gaming, robbery, theft and other sins had brought him to this shameful and untimely death, and warned his fellow-soldiers against such vices. He desired the prayers of the people standing by, for his poor soul, and praying for himself, was hove off the ladder. The Lord make this sad spectacle the means of effectually warning all from the bad vices that the soldiers are much addicted to."
1760. Our fathers have this year a new king set over them. George II. died suddenly in the seventy-seventh year of his age and thirty-third of his reign ; and was suc- ceeded by his grandson, George III., who was the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta, Princess of Saxe- Gotha. His father died when he was young. George III. was our last sovereign. Sir Francis Bernard was our royal governor at this time. He commenced his admin- istration, August 2, 1760, and retired August 1768. His- tory says of him, that he was haughty, morose and tyran- ical. He left the administration of government in the hands of Lieut. Gov. Hutchinson. Our representative this year was Col. John Choate.
March 13th. The town vote that such private soldiers, as are in the war, exclusive of tradesmen and carpenters, shall be excused from their poll-tax. "A way is opened from North-gate by John Baker's through P. Kinsman's land, to Chebacco road." This is the road which, after passing Haffield's bridge, leads us to the way conducting to the beach.
The Quarterly Fast of the churches in Ipswich has its origin, this year, in this parish. Mr. Cleaveland's church " agreed to spend one day every quarter of the year, in a congregational fasting and praying for the outpouring of God's Spirit upon them, and upon all nations, agreeable to the concert of prayer first entered into in Scotland some years before." The First and South Churches and the church at the Hamlet, in the year 1780, began to unite in the observance of this Fast which from that time was held
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alternately in each of the four churches. It is indicative of stability that a religious observance which commenced ninety-four years ago, (1854,) should still be maintained by these churches, all of them originally of the same town.
1761. The town grant a lot of land for a school-house in Chebacco, near the limekiln. Tradition places this at the Falls, on the north-west side of the lane leading to Jacob Burnham's, near the entrance of this lane. A school had been taught there two months a year, after 1741, in a private house. The limekiln was beyond the school- house, and near the woods, for the convenience of pro- curing fuel. Lime was then made from clam-shells. Lay- ers of wood and shells were alternately placed in the kiln. After the burning, the powder from the shells was run through a sieve. The location of the school-house in this lane was then convenient to accommodate the fami- lies in the South End and near the woods, as well as at the Falls. This was the first school-house erected in that part of the town. Capt. William Story is said to have been the first teacher at the Falls. He was succeeded by Master David Burnham, who had taught in the North school.
1762. Previous to this year there had been no public conveyance from Ipswich to Boston. The mail had been carried through Ipswich in passing from Boston to Ports- mouth, on horseback, for several years before this, and con- tinued to be for several years after. It occupied six days in going and returning. But this year a curricle or stage- chair, as it was called, drawn by two horses, commenced running from Portsmouth to Boston through this town, for the accommodation of passengers here and elsewhere, occupying five days in going and returning. The fare through, each way, was three dollars and ten cents.
The drought this year was so excessive, that it cut off most of the hay and corn, an event very afflictive and dis- tressing at that time, because these articles could not then be procured from any other source. Their cattle, whichi they could but poorly spare, were many of them butchered
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for want of fodder, while they themselves were put to great inconvenience, if not to suffering, for want of bread.
1763. A very remarkable revival of religion com- menced this year in Mr. Cleaveland's society, which re- sulted in the hopeful conversion of very many. About one hundred persons were added to the church. From a narrative of the revival, published by Mr. Cleaveland, we give the following brief extracts. After noticing the Quarterly Fast, the conference and prayer-meetings of the church, as preceding this revival and probably the means in the Divine hand of producing it, he proceeds to say :
" Some time in the month of October, this year, the Rev. Francis Worces- ter came to preach to my people one Sabbath, and I supplied his place. He came early in the week, and preached several lectures before the Sabbath, and several after, and took his leave of us with a lecture to young people ; and as their attention had been aroused by his other discourses, several things in this took such a fast hold of their consciences that they could not shake them off. A little while after, I exchanged with the Rev. Samuel Chandler of Gloucester, and as he understood there were a number of persons under awakenings in my congregation, he adapted his discourses to their case, and his preaching that day was owned of God, for the begetting convictions in some and for increasing them in others. Their concern evidently increased, especially on the Monday evening before the anniversary Thanksgiving, which was on the 8th day of December.
" The next day after Thanksgiving, we had a conference meeting, and a considerable number of the youth attended. On the succeeding Sabbath there was a very solemn assembly. I desired the distressed to come to my house the next evening. But on Monday, early in the day, many came, bowed down under a sense of their lost and perishing condition, and my house was filled all that day. Some found comfort before the evening, and by sun- set or a little after, so many resorted to my house that it could not hold them ; and we repaired to the meeting-house which was soon filled. On Tuesday my house was filled with persons wounded in spirit, and some in the greatest agony of distress in every room. This day and evening several persons received re- lief to their distressed souls. While my house this evening was thus filled, the Rev. Jonathan Parsons of Newburyport came in, having heard of the relig- ious concern here ; and a lecture was appointed to be the next day in the after- noon. On this occasion, Mr. Parsons preached a very suitable sermon. The meeting-house was full of people. People came from the parishes all around us. There was a solemn silence through the whole assembly, during the time of divine service, and a sacred awe on every countenance. As the peo- ple were now inclined to assemble for religious exercises, and their attention
4
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1746-1774.]
was roused, I appointed another lecture to be on Friday, this week ; and from this time till the Spring business came on, we had two lectures in the meeting-house every week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our meeting-house was crowded both on the Lord's day and on week days.
" Divers persons from other towns and parishes were brought under con- cern, and several hopefully converted. Towards the last of February, twenty- two persons were added to the church. About a month after this we took into the church thirty-two more, and the whole number of those we admitted in the space of seven or eight months was upwards of ninety. In the ensu- ing Fall there was not only a considerable revival of those who had received comfort, but several new instances of hopeful conversion. As to the nature of this work, so far as it appeared, it consisted in the conviction of sin and righteousness, as the leading things ; conviction of sin brought them into distress, as by it they saw they were undone and perishing ; conviction of righteousness opened the door of hope and comfort to their souls, as by it they saw an all-fulness of supply in Christ the Mediator."
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