USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Essex > History of the town of Essex : from 1634 to 1868 > Part 18
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" 2. That they highly disapprove of the consignees of the East India Company, because of their equivocal answers to a respectable committee of Boston, and their refusal to comply with the wish of their countrymen.
197
UNION OF THE PARISHES.
1746-1774.]
"3. That every person who shall import tea, while the act for duty on it continues, shall be held as an enemy.
" 4. That no tea be sold in town, while this act is in force ; that if any one sell it here, he shall be deemed an enemy.
" Voted that these resolves be sent to the committee of correspondence of Boston."
1774. The two religious societies, after a separate ex- istence of more than twenty-eight years, are at length united and become one again under the name of the Second Church and Parish with the Rev. Mr. Cleaveland for their pastor. The choice of a committee by the Second Parish within three months after Mr. Porter's dismission " to treat with the Sixth Parish concerning a union of the two," and similar action on the part of the latter, soon after, the arrangement entered into less than two years later, March 12th 1768, to worship together,-half of the year in each meeting-house, a renewal of overtures by the Sixth Parish in 1769, and again in 1773, a further agree- ment in 1770, that the Second Parish should pay four- sevenths and the Sixth Parish three-sevenths of Mr. Cleave- land's salary, afford conclusive proof that there had been little if any personal alienation of feeling between the individual members of the two bodies. These measures also served to prepare the way for the formal and perfect union which was now to be effected, first, however, as was becoming, between the two churches. By invitation of the Fourth Church, in response to a proposal for union made by the Second Church on the 30th of March, 1774, a joint meeting of the two bodies " for conference relative to a union " was held at the " Centre school-house " on the Sth of April, at which each chureli passed a unanimous vote " to bury forever as a church all former differences between them and the other church, and to acknowledge the other a sister church in charity and fellowship." At an adjourned meeting at the same place, on the first Monday in June, each church " voted to unite in calling an ecclesiastical council to assist and advise the two churches in uniting in one;" and in this action the two
198
HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 3.
parishes concurred on the 1st of July. Five churches were represented on this council-the first, third (Hamlet), South and Line-brook churches in Ipswich, and the church in Byfield. It convened on the 4th of October at "the new meeting-house." Rev. Mr. Leslie of Byfield was its moderator, and Rev. Joseph Dana, scribe. On considera- tion of the question "whether the way was clear to pro- ceed to the act of uniting the two churches agreeably to their desire," it was found that the Fourth Church had given offence to the church in Manchester by admitting to communion some members of that church resident in Chebacco who were under censure, and it was therefore deemed advisable "for the peace and harmony of the churches " to request the Manchester church, if they think proper, to state whether they had any objection to this union. At the adjourned session of the council on the 25th of the same month, the Manchester church, through a committee, signified their approval of the proposed union, on certain conditions which were referred to the Fourth Church and accepted by them. This reconciliation hav- ing been effected, the council next appointed a committee to draw up a plan of union, articles of faith and a cove- nant. On the afternoon of the next day, the plan reported by the committee, having been unanimously accepted and recommended " as a proper plan of union all things consid- ered," was distinctly read to both churches, unanimously accepted by them, and subscribed in the presence of the council by Dea. Seth Story, moderator, and five other brethren of the Second Church, and the pastor and twenty- two brethren of the Fourth Church. This compact was as follows :
" Heads of Agreement for uniting the Second and Fourth Churches of Ipswich into one Congregational Church, come into, in the pres- ence of a Council of Churches."
" 1. We, the Second and Fourth Churches of Ipswich, covenant and agree to become one Congregational Church, under the name or style of the Second Church of Ipswich.
199
UNION OF THE CHURCHES.
1746-1774.]
" 2. We covenant and agree that, by the act of union, this united church shall be entitled to all the rights, powers and privileges which belonged to each church before the union, that is to say : The officers of each church, whether pastor, ruling-elders, or deacons, shall, by the act of union, become the officers of the united church ; And the church vessels and furniture for the Holy Communion, and every other peculiar privilege and grant what- soever, made or belonging to either, said Second Church or the said Fourth Church, shall be the property of this united church, under the name or style of the Second Church in Ipswich as aforesaid.
"3, We covenant and agree to receive the word of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be our absolute and only rule relative to the doctrines of faith, the worship of God, church-government and discipline, all relative duties, and a virtuous life and conversation.
" 4. As we aim to be a true Protestant Church in our united state, we cov- enant and agree to profess unity of faith with the Protestant church in general, by adopting that system of Christian doctrine held forth in the Westminster shorter catechism and the New England Confession of Faith ; it being a sound orthodox system or summary of Scripture doctrine, according to our under- standing of the word of God.
" 5. And, as we aim to be a strictly Congregational Church in point of church-government and discipline in our united state, we covenant and agree to adhere to the platform of church-government and discipline drawn up by a synod at Cambridge in New England, A. D. 1648, as containing our senti- ments in the general, relative to a church-state, its power, its officers, their ordination, the qualifications for church-membership, admission of members, the communion of churches, &c., &c.,-in a word relative to church-govern- ment in general.
" And now, as a visible political union among a number of visible saints is necessary to constitute them a particular Congregational Church, and this political union or essential form is a visible covenant, agreement or consent, whereby they give up themselves to the Lord to the observing of the ordi- nances of Christ together in the same society ; so a visible political union be- tween us as churches is necessary to constitute us one particular Congrega- tional Church :
" Wherefore, we, the Second and Fourth Churches of Ipswich, having agreed to become one united Church of Jesus Christ for the worship of God and the observing of his ordinances together in the same society, and having before as distinct Churches covenanted with God and one another in a dis- tinct covenant respectively, do now as churches, consistent with sacred re- gard thereto, covenant together to be one church of Jesus Christ, and sol- emnly renew covenant with God in Christ to walk and worship together as one body, by signing together the following form or covenant which is in substance the same as is understood to be the original covenant of the Second Church of Ipswich, in which it (that is the Second Church) was founded.
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 3.
" In testimony of our holy resolution in the strength of Christ to stand and walk together in the fellowship of the Gospel, in a careful observance of this covenant and the foregoing heads of agreement, we not only call Heaven and Earth to witness, but set our names hereunto, in the presence of an Ecclesiastical Council, this 26th day of October, 1774."
" It was then desired that if any of the congregation had aught to object to the articles, they would signify it. There was no objection. Thereupon the moderator, in the name and by the unanimous vote of the council, saluted the Brethren as a united church by the name of the Second Church in Ips- wich, and gave the right hand of fellowship to them as a sister Church; also gave the right hand. of fellowship to the Rev. Mr. Cleaveland as Pastor of the united church, and the other Elders of the council, did the same. The united church voted their thanks to the council, and the business of the day was concluded with singing the one hundred and thirty-third and a part of the one hundred and twenty-second Psalms, and with prayer by the moderator."*
Before the union of the two churches, the following officers had died : of the Second Church, Dea. John An- drews, March 25, 1753; Dea. Zechariah Story, February 16, 1774, aged 90 ;- of the Fourth Church : Elder Daniel Giddinge, October, 1771. The officers of the united church (all of both churches continuing in office), were : elders, Francis Choate, Eleazer Craft; deacons, Seth Story, Solomon Giddinge, Stephen Choate, Thomas Burnham. The additions to the Second Church during this period of separation numbered 23, to the Fourth Church, 155.
The two parishes did not become legally united until the next year. On the 23d of January, 1775, a committee . was chosen by each, to prepare "conditions of union." The terms proposed by this joint committee were adopted by both parishes, March 2d, and a " petition to the General Court for a confirmation of said union," was prepared, ac- cepted March 29th, and sent to Boston by a joint commit- tee. On the 10th of April, " the General Court passed an act uniting the Second and Sixth Parishes into one, to be called the Second Parish." The united congregation con- tinued to worship half the year in each meeting-house, until the present one was built.
* Church Records.
CHAPTER IV.
1774-1800.
TO THE CLOSE OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
1774. WHILE thus engaged in the work of perfecting union among themselves in religious matters, the people of Chebacco were by no means indifferent to the further encroachments made upon their political rights during this same mnost eventful year, nor did they fail to do their part in the preparations made for resistance. They fully shared in the universal indignation, excited by the news, received in the Spring, of acts of Parliament, closing the port of Boston against all trade; altering the charter of their Province, so as to make the appointment of the Council, justices, judges, sheriffs and even jurors, depend- ent upon the king, or his agent ; forbidding all town-meet- ings except the annual meeting, without leave of the Governor in writing, and a statement of the special busi- ness proposed to be done ; authorizing the Governor, with advice of the Council, to send any person for trial to any other colony, or to Great Britain, for any act in violation of the laws of the revenue; and of the appointment of Gen. Gage, with almost unlimited powers, not only as Governor, but also Commander of his Majesty's forces in America. With the rest of the Province, they regarded the election by their House of Representatives of five of its members, as delegates to a Continental Congress to meet in Philadelphia in September, as by far the most im- portant business transacted by that body, at its first ses- sion under the new governor, on the 25th of May.
The town meetings, which were held from month to month on account of the dark and threatening aspect of
26
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 4.
the times, our fathers in this parish were not at all back- ward to attend, especially as they were led on in the way of duty by their pastor, who was full of patriotic zeal, and ready to make any sacrifice for the cause of liberty. On the 29th of August, delegates were elected by the town to a county convention to meet at Ipswich September 6th, . " to concert measures in these distressed times." This con- vention passed several resolutions, recommending peace- able measures as long as they would answer, but a resort to arms as preferable to slavery ; and such measures of defense as might make resistance, if it must come, more successful.
On the 26th of September the town met to give in- structions to their representatives to the General Court, which had been ordered by the Governor to convene again at Salem, October 5th. The patriotic language in which they addressed their representatives on that occa- sion is as follows :.
" As it is a day of much darkness, this Province in particular suffering under ministerial vengeance, it requires wisdom and firmness so to act, as by the blessing of God, to convince our enemies, that we shall stand for our rights. We instruct you not to countenance that unconstitutional council appointed by the king, in submitting to act with them in one particular, and that, if the governor will not allow the council chosen by the people to sit as the second branch of the Legislature, that you do not procced to do one single act, unless it be to pass such resolves as may be judged necessary to attest your abhorrence of slavery, and all attempts that but serve to have a tendency that way. We agree with the advice given by a Congress of this country, that a provincial Congress be formed and meet together to consult on what is to be done by this people as a body ; and we would have you unite with such a Congress. We think it would be better to have each town send more persons to this Congress, than the law allows representatives to the General Court, and we would have you exert yourselves for this."
The House of Representatives, though the governor had changed his mind and by proclamation forbidden it to assemble, met at Salem, resolved itself into a Provincial Congress, and adjourned to Concord. There, October 26th, they took a step decisive of war. This was the organiza- tion of the militia, consisting of all the able-bodied mèn
203
MILITARY COMPANY.
1774-1800.]
of the colony, and the election of general officers. They also constituted one-fourth of the militia minute-men to be frequently drilled and held in readiness for service at a minute's warning. Before the close of the year, the busy note of preparation resounded throughout the whole Province. The committee of safety were indefatigable, in providing for the most vigorous defense in the Spring- procuring all sorts of military supplies for the service of twelve thousand men, and every town was active in carry- ing out their plans.
In Chebacco a military company of foot, consisting of 68 men, was formed. The meeting for organization was held on the 20th of December. Lieut. Jacob Story was chosen chairman and Rev. John Cleaveland clerk. Before proceeding to the election of officers the following pre- amble and resolutions were passed unanimously :
" We, the training Company of Chebacco, in Ipswich, being assembled to choose Military Officers for the said Company agreeable to the advice of the late Provincial Congress, this 20th Day of December, A. D. 1774, previous to our proceeding to the choice of said Officers, think it proper to enter into the following Resolutions, viz :
" 1. Resolved, That the persons who shall be chosen by the majority of the training Band now assembled, shall be military Officers of the company in this place, in case they accept of the choice, till others shall be chosen or appointed in their Room.
" 2. Resolved, That the officers, who shall be chosen and shall accept of the choice, shall hold themselves obliged to inform themselves well into the military Art and Discipline, and to use their best Endeavors to teach the company in this place the military Art and Discipline, by frequently calling them together to exercise them in the way ordered by his Majesty in 1674 ; also, in obedience to their superior Officers appointed agreeable to the advice of the Provincial Congress, to send us forth to action in the Field of Battle in Defence of our constitutional privileges, whensoever there shall be a mani- fest call for it against our common Enemies.
"3. Resolved, That, in case of manifest Failure of performing the Du- ties of their office as hinted at in the above Resolutions in any or either of the officers that shall be chosen, we reserve the power in our hands of dropping such delinquent officer or officers, and of choosing others in their room.
" 4. Resolved, That we will yield such Obedience to the commands of the Officers that shall be chosen, and shall accept of the choice, as the pro-
.
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HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 4.
vincial Laws respecting the Militia require ; and submit to such punishments, in case of Delinquency in us, as the said Laws also require.
" These resolutions being read once and again, the chairman put them to vote one by one to the Training Band, and all four of the above Resolutions unanimously passed in the affirmative.
" Attest, JOHN CLEAVELAND, Clerk of said meeting."
The officers elected were as follows: Jonathan Cogs- well, Jr., Captain ; David Low, Lieutenant; Francis Per- kins, Ensign. The record of the transactions of this meeting in the hand-writing of Mr. Cleaveland, was pre- served by Capt. (afterwards Col.) Cogswell, and is still extant.
1775. January 3d, the inhabitants of the town met and chose Michael Farley to represent them in the Pro- vincial Congress to be held at Cambridge on the 1st of February. January 19th, they met again to instruct their representative :
"1. To use his influence so that Congress may appoint an early Fast be- cause of degeneracy from the good ways of our fathers, and of increasing wickedness and infidelity in Great Britain.
" 2. To inquire if any towns have neglected the resolves of the Provin- cial Congress, and if so to publish them : and if any persons have not com- plied with association agreement, to have their names advertised.
" 3. While enemies among ourselves say, that we are seeking after inde- pendence, when we are not, endeavor that the Congress alter the Government, so as to agree with our last charter.
"4. We approve of the wise recommendations of the late Provincial Congress, as to our manufactures We should like some particular method pointed out for promoting them."
As our fathers say at this town meeting, revolution and independence were not what they were seeking, but re- dress of grievances. Amelioration of treatment for the present, and assurance of kindness in future, were all that the colonies asked of Great Britain. But what they sought was not granted. Instead of any redress, coercive meas- ures were threatened. After the first blood in the open- ing of this great drama had been shed by the British, in the battle of Lexington, on the 19th of April, our fathers had no longer any doubt what course to pursue. About
205
THE IPSWICH FRIGHT.
1774-1800.]
thirty thousand militia were soon assembled in the neigh- borhood of Boston, ready to do justice to themselves and their country.
On the 21st of April, two days after the battle of Lex- ington, a scene of terror and confusion was witnessed in this town, which extended itself to several of the neigh- boring towns and has since been called, "The Great Ips- wich Fright." The news of the Lexington fight in all its exaggerated details, had just been received. Terrible stories of the atrocities committed by the dreaded " Reg- ulars " had been related, and it was believed that nothing short of a general extermination of the patriots,-men, women, and children,-was contemplated by the British commander. Under this excitement, a rumor which no one attempted to trace or authenticate, was spread from house to house, that the British had landed, and were marching upon the town. The terror was indescribable. What should they do ? Defence was out of the question, as all the young and able-bodied men of the town and of the entire region had marched to Cambridge. No relief was left them but in flight. All that could, left their houses and fled from the town. Almost simultaneously the people of Beverly were smitten with the same terror. How the rumor was communicated no one could tell. It was there believed that the enemy had fallen upon Ips- wich, and massacred the inhabitants without regard to age or sex. As our people ran northerly for safety, they found that the rumor had gone before them, and that the people of Rowley had run to Newbury, and the people of New- bury to Salisbury ; and the fright extended up the river as far as Haverhill, whose inhabitants fled across the river in boats to Bradford. It was not till the next morning that the fugitives were undeceived. Such of our town's people as could not, or would not, leave their homes, be- came convinced that the terrible rumor was wholly un- founded. A young man from Exeter, who happened to be in town, mounted his horse, and followed after the fly-
206
HISTORY OF ESSEX.
[CHAP. 4.
ing multitude, undeceiving all whom he overtook, and thus before the next night, they were all quietly lodged again in their homes.
Soon after the battle of Lexington, the Continental Con- gress again assembled at Philadelphia. By a unanimous vote of this body, George Washington, then a member of Congress, was appointed, June 15th, Commander-in-Chief of the army then raised, or to be raised, for the defence of American liberty. Before his arrival at the camp in Cam- bridge, General Ward had the command of the army. The troops had been together now nearly two months, and were impatient for some action against the British. Col. Prescott was sent on the 16th of June, with a detachment of about a thousand men, to occupy a station on Bunker's Hill. On viewing the eminence he saw at once that it was an unsuitable spot, and looking along to the right, he found that a spur of that hill now called Breed's Hill was the most proper situation in every respect for a battle-ground. There he threw up a temporary fortification ; and having, on the morning of the 17th, been reinforced by several hundred men, making the whole force about seventeen hundred, he was attacked and driven from the hill by three or four thousand of the British. Of the men from this parish who were in that battle, the names of six are known : James Andrews, (father of the late Israel An- drews,) Benjamin Burnham (father of the late Abner Burnham), Nehemiah Choate, Aaron Perkins, Jesse Story Jr., a minor,* (brother of the late Ephraim Story,) who was killed, and Francis Burnham (a brother of the late Capt. Nathaniel Burnham), who was wounded. Two Che- bacco boys, Aaron Low and Samuel Procter, belonged to a Gloucester company which reached Cambridge on the
* In the House of Representatives-" Resolved that there be paid out of the public Treasury of this State to Jesse Story of Chiebacco in Ipswich (father of Jesse Story Jr., under 21 years of age) the sum of £5. 15s. in full for the loss he sustained in arms, ammunition and wearing apparel by the death of his said son who was killed at the battle of Bunker's Hill, as will appear in the account and certificate."-Records of General Court.
207
FRANCIS BURNHAM.
1774-1800.]
afternoon of the 16th, and were at work all that night making cartridges.
Francis Burnham's father lived in the old mansion near the ancient grist-mill at the Falls. We will call and hear from him the particulars of the battle :
" We began our march," he says, " from the camp about nine o'clock in the evening, and on reaching Bunker's Hill we lay upon our arms, till our Colonel, with his engineers, had fixed upon the spot for a fort. We were then set at work to gather up what materials we could, suitable for a fortifica- tion, and first built a redoubt, as it was called, about one hundred and forty or fifty feet square, with two open passages. On the left of the redoubt run- ning north-easterly, we made a solid wall of sods, four feet high, for a breast- work .. From this breastwork we built a line of rail-fence, and parallel to it a post-fence with four feet of space between them. This space we filled up with new mown grass; treading it down so that it made quite as good a screen for us, as the redoubt or the breastwork of sods. Early the next morning a British ship of war began a cannonade upon us, but without any damage. Very soon the battery on Copp's Hill was opened against us, and the first shot killed one of our men ; but what is very remarkable, though the roar of cannon from this battery was incessant, yet no further damage was done by it. The next motion of the enemy that we discovered, was the landing at Morton's Point of ten companies of grenadiers and ten of light infantry with some artillery. They spent some little time in reconnoitering our position, and then sent some of their officers back to Boston. In an hour or two they came back with more troops. Though at first much supe- rior to us in force, yet it seems they were afraid to advance. This gave us more confidence in our fortifications. About three in the afternoon they be- gan to advance up the hill, halting occasionally to let us see what their artillery could do, but the angle of elevation was such that it did us but little harm. We had no ammunition to waste, for we had a scanty supply at best. We were ordered to put four buckshots to a bullet, and not to fire till they were within point-blank shot distance. They continued to approach us with a steady column and firm step, till we could see the whites of their eyes and then we poured in upon them a most destructive fire. The effect was tremendous. Their whole line was broken in confusion. We had ample time after we had loaded again, to see the blood flowing down the hill from the great number killed and wounded. At length they formed and advanced towards us again, but not with the same resolute step. We kept cool and waited as before, till every shot should tell, and then mowed them down like grass. Their line was broken into greater confusion than before, and it was some time before the officers could get them to rally. By this time the whole of Charlestown, about four hundred houses, was all in a blaze. This we supposed the British did from revenge, and to terrify us. We expected to
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