USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Goshen > History of the town of Goshen, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement in 1761 to 1881, with family sketches > Part 9
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"July I. Went to Boston, and on the way went on board the Connecticut brig, where we were courteously treated. The next day returned on a sloop. A storm
came up on our passage, with thunder, wind and rain. We were in some danger, but by Divine goodness we arrived safe the same evening.
"July 3. Azor Smith, a soldier in our company, in the bloom of youth, departed this life, I hope for a better. God grant it may be sanctified to his surviving friends and to this company.
"Sunday, July 8. This day came in a brig taken by the privateers, her loading about 300 hogsheads of rum. We hear also that a ship of about 600 tons burthen was carried into Salem with 570 hogsheads of sugar."
In March, 1777, he was at Ticonderoga, and remained till its evacuation by our own troops, on the night of July 5. He left an account of his losses of property in that disastrous retreat, which were considerable in amount, expecting that the government would eventually make his losses good. But his expectations were not realized.
March 28, 1777, he writes a letter from Ticonderoga, to his wife at Greenwich, which contains some items of interest concerning the affairs of that day. He says :
" There is a post that comes by Capt. Dwight's in Belchertown every week, so that they may send to us any time. We had a sleigh come up with us all the way, but very expensive. We are to be paid for it, however. The paymaster has not arrived, and I have not received a farthing yet. Elijah (his son) is well, well con- tented, and lives as well as at home. We live with the Major in a good barrack, have good pork and beef, good bread and peas, and sometimes beans that grew in Greenwich. We have but few troops here yet, but expect more daily. The Indians are about us. They have killed four men and taken 20 more prisoners. I am much exposed, being constantly in camp."
William White, who went in Capt. Webster's company to Dorches- ter, does not appear to have had at this time a long service in the
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army. When he returned home from Dorchester, he brought several large folio volumes of " Flavel's Works," in his knapsack, taken from the Light House captured by our troops from the British, which are still retained by his descendants. In June, 1780, he went as delegate to the Provincial Congress from the town of Chesterfield, and his bill, rendered to the town for services and expenses in that capacity, serve to show the state of the currency at that time. The charges are :-
15 days' attendance $36 per day.
Expenses 8 days 25
Horse-keeping 9 days 10 Horse 112 miles 2 per mile.
Expenses on road 97
But the depreciation soon became much greater, so that a certain soldier in returning home paid $80 of it for his breakfast. This currency, known as "Continental money," was made of thick, strong paper, 2 10 3 inches square, containing on one side the following (varying for different amounts) :
" This Bill entitles the Bearer to receive ONE Spanish milled DOL- LAR, or the value thereof, in Gold or Silver, according to a Resolu- tion of CONGRESS, passed at Philadelphia, November 2, 1776." On the other side was printed, "ONE DOLLAR-Philadelphia. Printed by Hall and Sellers, 1776." A few specimens of this currency are occasionally found among the older families residing in the town.
The value of twenty shillings in paper money, January 1, 1777, was 19 shillings ; in January, 1778, 6 shillings ; in January, 1779, 3 shil- lings ; in January, 1780, 8 pence ; in January, 1781, 3 pence. This town and others in this vicinity, at a little later date, appear to have been almost unanimously in favor of paper currency ; on the contrary Lexington instructed its representative to oppose the emission of any paper money. Experience shows that when a dollar in paper will purchase a dollar in gold, the paper is generally preferred. When a dollar in paper will not purchase a dollar in gold, it quickly goes into the category with "rags."
It has been mentioned that a portion of the prisoners taken upon the surrender of Burgoyne, passed through the town under guard, on their way to Boston. The late Capt. John Grant, then a lad of six
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or seven years, remembered seeing them pass his father's house. There were not far from two hundred of them. There were several women with them, riding on horses. Another portion of the pris- oners passed through Chesterfield. Quite a number of them One, by the name of Hughes, deserted and remained in these towns. built a log house, married, and lived for many years on land belong- ing to the heirs of Levi Barrus, which still retains the appellation of "Hughes' Lot." Daniel Brown, who had served in our army, was once relating to Hughes the circumstance of his practising as a sharp- shooter, upon the British troops at a certain place. Hughes recol- lected the event, and told Brown that one of his shots took effect and seriously wounded a companion of his.
The father of James and Daniel Prince, known for some years as tho oldest twins in the United States was another deserter. He married a daughter of James Packard of this town.
An aged citizen of the town a few years ago repeated the following old song learned in his boyhood, which belongs to the literature of the Revolution. Some wag of those times made the British troops say:
'Twas on the fourteenth day of May When we set sail for America. 'Twas in the dark and dismal times When we set sail for the northern climes.
Our drums did beat and trumpets sound As unto Boston we were bound, And when to Boston we were come We thought to beat a British drum- To drive those rebels from their place,
And fill their hearts with sore disgrace. But to our sorrow and surprise We saw them like grasshoppers rise ; We saw those brave Columbian sons Spread death and slaughter from their guns. They fought like heroes much in rage, Which did affright old General Gage.
In 1782, the King of Great Britain, dissatisfied probably with the conduct of the war in America, changed his ministry. A witty critic put the fact into rhyme and pointed it with a suggestion that our people would be likely to appreciate. The following verse contains the chief point :
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The King in a pet, his affairs all deranged, Has at last his unmerciful ministers changed ; Brave news, quoth the Congress ; but better would be Had the King, when he changed them, omitted the c.
The War of 18r2.
The details of the action of the town and its military record during this war has already been given on pages 26-7-8. The name of another soldier may be added to the list. John Manning, son of Phinehas, enlisted and served through the war. He received a wound which so far disabled him that he was pensioned for life.
It is doubtful whether any family in the country can show a better war record than this family of Mannings. Phinehas, the pioneer, served through the entire war of the Revolution. This son John served through the war of 1812. Geo. W. Manning, brother of John, sent five sons and a son-in-law, the husband of his only daughter, to the defence of the country in the war of the rebellion, of whom an account is given under the next caption. Mr. Manning lived to about four score years of age, and for many years was very appro- priately brevetted by his neighbors with the title of "General." The family have always been among the most peaceable citizens of the town, and would from that fact seem unlikely to be among the "first in war."
The Great Rebellion.
The town fulfilled its share in the work of crushing the Great Rebellion, with commendable promptness and fidelity. The whole amount of money paid out for bounties and substitutes was $5,440. The whole number of soldiers assigned to the town, as its share of the quota raised, was 41. Of these, 30 were citizens of the town. Charles Barrus, Gershom Damon, Warren Ball, Frederick S. Billings and Spencer Tilton furnished substitutes ; six other persons were procured from abroad, through agents, one representative recruit was obtained, and two of the soldiers re-enlisted, making a total furnished by the town of 47-6 more than was required to fill its quota.
One of the first persons to enlist from the town, and that without bounty, was Timothy P. Lyman, son of Capt. Francis, who enlisted in the
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Ist Massachusetts Cavalry, Co. E, in August, 1861. He left camp at Readville in December, with a portion of the regiment that went to Hilton Head, S. C. Thence he went to Virginia in August, 1862. At the battle of Aldie, June 17, 1863, with some eighty others, he was taken prisoner and sent to Richmond. After a residence of about a month in Libby Prison and at Belle Isle, he was paroled and returned within the northern lines. Being with others declared exchanged by the President's order, by reason of Gen. Pemberton's (rebel) army violating their parole, he again returned to the service, and was in most of the battles in which the regiment was engaged in the army of the Potomac, never receiving a wound, though his cloth- ing was badly cut by bullets on several occasions. He re-enlisted in February, 1864, receiving from the town, for the first time, a bounty of $125. He attained the rank of Ist Lieutenant and was Quarter- master of his regiment.
George F. Tilton, son of West, enlisted in Co. F, Ist Mass. Caval- ry, Aug. 4, 1862. He had entered Amherst college, but believing he owed a duty to his country which could only be discharged by serving in the army, he cheerfully acquiesced. He proved a good soldier, served as orderly for Gen. Stoneman in his grand raid toward Rich- mond, at the time the battle of Fredericksburg was raging, and was. afterwards wounded in the bip by a pistol ball, while attempting to rescue a comrade from capture in one of the skirmishes under Gen. Meade which proved fatal. He died at Alexandria, Va., Dec. 21, 1863, at the age of 23. He was a graduate of Westfield, Normal School.
Lorin Barrus and Alvan Barrus, sons of Levi, enlisted in the same regiment, Co. B, at the same time with young Tilton. They were but little with the regiment, the former being on detached duty at the di- vision headquarters, at Warrenton, City Point, and other places. The latter, finding his health not equal to his patriotism, was reluct- antly compelled to abandon field for hospital service. He was at Patterson Park and the Marine Hospitals in Baltimore for nearly two years, serving at the latter place as hospital steward. He was with his regiment for two months before their discharge, and was in sev_ eral skirmishes. While on picket duty on the Weldon railroad, a ball passed through a portion of his clothing, but he escaped without a. wound.
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At another time, while stopping for a few moments to put the lock of his musket in working order, a ball from the rifle of some unseen rebel sharp-shooter, struck the stump on which his musket rested.
Joseph Beals, son of Dexter, a descendant of the "Mountain Mil- ler," enlisted with those last named, Co. F., and was chiefly on detached service, away from his regiment.
Geo. Austin Abell, son of Capt. George, a native of this town, enlisted from Conway into the Ist Massachusetts Cavalry. He was taken prisoner with several others, and marched for several days toward Richmond. He and a comrade managed to escape from their captors under cover of night, and after an absence of about ten days reached our lines in safety.
Henry Parsons, son of Theodore, residing in Ashfield. belonged to Co. H., roth regiment, one of the first to enlist, was wounded in the arın at Fair Oaks. He states that many of his comrades in that battle fired about thirty rounds at the enemy, though himself, not choosing to fire unless, as at an old fashioned squirrel hunt, he could bring down his game, discharged his musket only about a dozen times. He was in nearly all the battles in which the army of the Potomac were engaged, including Malvern Hill, the seven days' fight, Yorktown, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellors- ville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, and the Wilderness.
Augustus A. Manning (better known in the regiment as " Old Goshen," a complimentary title,) son of George W., and grandson of the veteran Phineas, of revolutionary memory, belonged to Co. C, roth regiment, was another of the few who enlisted without bounty, and was with the regiment for three years and in twenty-nine battles and skirmishes. He was wounded once only, at Fair Oaks, but did not leave the field. He served as Sergeant of his company.
George P. Manning, son of George W., of Co. C, 21st regiment, was wounded with a rifle ball while gallantly defending a masked battery, in the Cypress Swamp, on Roanoke Island, in the battle of February 8, 1862, under Burnside. He died February 16, aged 22.
John H. Manning and Joel D. Manning, sons of George W., enlisted in the 31st regiment, Co. C. and went to Ship Island, where
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both sickened and the former died at the age of 20. The latter was discharged for disability, but recovering his health, he re-enlisted September 2, 1864, in Co. A, Ist Heavy Artillery, and was in the battle of Hatcher's Run, October 27.
William Manning, son of George W., enlisted in the 20th regiment, was in two battles, wounded in each, the last time at one of the bat- tles of the Wilderness, losing a leg by an explosive rifle ball.
James B. Taylor, son-in-law of George W. Manning, enlisted in Co. A, Ist Heavy Artillery, was taken prisoner at Hatcher's Run and paroled.
Lyman F. Rice, son of Fordyce, same company with Taylor and was with him taken prisoner, and returned home under parole.
Anson W. Godfrey, son of Henry T., belonged to the same com- pany, and was killed by a solid shot in the battle of Boydton Plank Road, October 27. He, with the last named three, had enlisted early in September, and had been only a few days in the army at the time he was killed.
Levant and Leroy Phelps, Co, D, ist Heavy Artillery, enlisted in December, 1863, and were in several battles. Leroy was wounded April I and died April II.
Abner Phelps, father of the above, was in Co. I, 52d regiment, and went to New Orleans December, 1862. The regiment was mus- tered out of service August 14, 1863, having returned August 3d. Mr. Phelps died September Ist, of disease contracted in the service.
Horace H. Packard, Co. H, 29th regiment, was detailed for some time as a carpenter at Fortress Monroe, but was afterwards with his regiment and took part in many of the stirring scenes through which it passed.
Joseph H. Dawes, son of Dryden, enlisted in the 105th regiment, N. Y. Vols., and had an honorable record, serving for some time as Orderly for his Colonel.
Charles H. Dawes, son of Dryden, Co. B, 32d regiment, re-enlisted after his first term, and was four years in the service. He was in
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
nearly all the fighting for the possession of Richmond, twice slightly wounded, and for four days a prisoner.
Henry L. Naramore, son of Franklin, Co. B, 32d regiment, was with his regiment till, in consequence of a wound, he was detailed for other duty. He was for some time leader of a hospital band at Annapolis, Md.
Wm. Lyman Parsons, son of Willard, enlisted and went out with the 37th regiment, September, 1862. He was detailed as teamster, first carrying the regiment supplies, then for the brigade, and finally had charge of the personal supplies of Gen. Wright, commander of the 9th corps.
John H. Bissell, son of Benoni B., enlisted July 23 in Co. D, 37th regiment. He was in all the severe battles in which his regiment participated (15 at least) was twice wounded, and during his three years' service was in hospital only one week.
John Henry Godfrey, son of Henry T., belonged to Co. C, 52d regiment, was with the regiment in all its southern campaign, during the full term of its service.
Joel Wing, son of Isaac, Co. H, 27th regiment, was killed by the explosion of shell in the battle at Newbern, N. C., March 14, 1862.
Timothy D. Pierce enlisted in one of six companies composing the Ist Batallion Mass. Vols., organized for garrison duty at Fort Warren, in the fall of 1861. Failing health obliged him to leave the service before the close of the winter.
Henry Putney, son of John, enlisted in the navy.
Ansel A. Roberts of Co. C, 31st regiment, lived in town only for a short time previous to enlistment as one of the quota.
Thomas S. Holman, son of Rev. Sidney Holman, enlisted in 1862, and was in service as assistant-surgeon for several months at Camp Day, North Cambridge. Exposure to the vicissitudes of camp-life produced an affection of the lungs, of which he died at Goshen, December 7, 1862, at the age of 28.
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Frederick A. Hubbard, Co. F, 52d regiment ; Alexis R. Hubbard, Co. E, 34th regiment ; Calvin A. Hubbard, Co. E, 5th Conn. ; sons of Hollon Hubbard, although not accredited to the quota of Goshen, may properly be considered, with a single exception perhaps, as among the soldiers of the town. The last named was at the slaugh- ter of Ball's Bluff, and was with Gen. Sherman in his great march through the southern states.
CHAPTER IX.
Miscellanies.
The town belongs the Hoosac Mountain System of Hitchcock's Geology. The principal rocks are granite and mica slate. The granite is easily wrought, and is of superior quality for building pur- poses. The mica slate is remarkable for the regularity of its stratifi- cation. Large quantities have been quarried for flagging, and sold in the neighboring towns. Layers of almost any size and thickness are easily obtained, with an eveness of surface that renders it valuable for many purposes. The best localities are in the northwest part of the town, on lands of Hiram Packard, Almon B. Loomis, and T. L. Barrus. The layers of the rock in this part of the town descend northerly at an angle of 25 degrees ; but at the central part of the town the inclination is easterly, at an angle of about 45 degrees. At the south part of the town the dip of the rock turns southerly, while in the extreme western portion of the town above Swift River, the slope of the rock is westerly towards the river, extending north and south. These varying positions of the over-lying rock suggest to the stu- dent of nature that much of the territory of Goshen, including perhaps a portion of the town of Chesterfield has been, in some immensely remote age, pushed up with rocks, from the depths below through the mica slate formation to the surface-position it now occupies. The slope of the
-
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mica slate rocks rests upon the granite in such a manner that seems to admit of no other satisfactory explanation. This theory, as all theo- ries should do, seems to account for all the known facts.
There is an interesting locality of minerals on the farm of the late Levi Barrus, formerly known as the "Weeks Farm." Specimens of tin have been found here. The locality furnishes several varieties of tourmaline, rose quartz and mica, spodumene, Goshenite, and many other minerals of interest to the student in mineralogy. Hitchcock says of spodumene, "Goshen is its most abundant locality." It abounds on land of Geo. W. Manning, Levi Barrus, L. Stone, and in other places. Hitchcock, in referring to several minerals, including Columbite, which he says is found in two localities here, remarks : "Thus we find that in this region there exist several of the rarest metals on the globe." Crystals of beryl are occasionally found, and also specimens of lead ore in the granite rocks on the "James Farm." In the narrow valley lying between this farm and Goshen village, are found in considerable quantities crystals of quartz attached to fragments of rocks that do not appear to have originated in this vicinity. They probably drifted here from some foreign locality, and an enfinent professor suggests they may belong to the tin formation. They were first discovered by the writer, about 20 years since, but he has been unable to trace them to any satisfactory origin.
The highest point of land in the town is More's Hill, 1713 feet above the level of the sea, and about 600 feet higher than Mount Holyoke, and ISoo less than Saddle Mountain. From the summit of More's Hill can be seen the mountains already named, and also Mt. Monadnoc in New Hampshire, and Wachusett in Worcester county. More than 30 church-spires can be seen here in a clear day. Am- herst college is in full view. In every direction a panorama of con- siderable extent and beauty meets the eye, and if there was a good highway leading to the hill, it would become a popular resort for summer recreation.
The "Great Meadow," in the northerly part of the town, referred to as formerly being a beaver pond, was abandoned by the beavers long before the territory was occupied by white settlers. It is said that people from Hatfield were accustomed to come here and cutand stack grass, which grew in considerable quantities, and in winter drive out their cattle to be fed by some person left in charge of them while the hay lasted. Only a small portion of the meadow is now in
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grass, and it is generally covered by water in the colder portions of the year.
The "Lily Pond" was a natural reservoir of mire and water. Cat- tle cannot cross it in safety, and the bridge which passes over it is continually sinking, so as to require repeated layers of logs and earth to bring it up to a suitable height above the water, to make traveling safe. Samuel Olds lowered the outlet to this pond nearly twenty feet, hoping to drain out the surplus water and reduce the land to cul- tivation, but without success. It is said that he invested the first hundred dollars of the "James Fund" in this enterprise.
The Reservoir Pond, owned by the Hayden Manufacturing Co., covers many acres of what was formerly a fine meadow. The dam was first built about 1840, but proving insufficient it was enlarged and re-built in 1854, in a substantial manner, and at an expense of $5,000. The pond is a beautiful sheet of water, nearly a mile in length.
Dresser's Pond is of similar extent to the above, requiring a dam of much smaller dimensions, and furnishes a valuable water power.
"The Devil's Den" is a wild rocky gorge in the southeast part of the town, through which Mill River flows after leaving the "Cascade," which in some seasons of the year is a waterfall of considerable beauty. To reach the "Den," it is desirable to have the company of
some person acquainted with the place. "To enjoy it," says the History of Conn. Valley, "travelers should descend the bank with a guide; travel down the bed of the stream between and under the overhanging walls of granite; tread cautiously along the rocks car- peted with the beautiful but treacherous moss, avoiding if possible, an unexpected bath in some deep, dark pool."
The waters of the eastern part of the town pass through Mill river to the Connecticut, while Swift river, Stone's brook, and others of the western part, flow into the Westfield. None of these streams are as valuable for mill purposes as they formerly were. When the country was covered with forests, and the swamps and meadows were undrain- ed, evaporation was much less rapid than now, the rains were retained as if by an immense sponge, to flow off gradually. Now, the heavy rains flow off rapidly, the springs consequently receive a more scant supply, and the brooks being more exposed to the direct rays of the sun, their rocky beds become heated, and the evaporation of the pass- ing water is greatly accelerated. The result is that many of the mill brooks are not usually more than about half their former size.
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The population of the town was formerly much greater than at present. Some of the old people gave it as being at one time about 900, but the decennial census does not indicate that it ever reached those figures. In 1790 it was 673; in 1800, 724; in 1810, 662; in 1820, 682; in 1830, 606; in 1840, 463; in 1850, 515; and in 1860, 439. On the street that formerly led from the Col. Lyman house eastward to More's Hill, and from thence southward to Tilton street, there was a considerable number of inhabitants, and many good farms. But there is not at present a house standing on the entire route, and the road has been closed for many years. In the southeastern part of the town, on the old road from Dresser's to Wil- liamsburgh, the old orchards and cellars indicate a formerly popu- lous neighborhood, but now there is not a family left. The reason given for the depopulation of this portion of the town, is that Reuben Dresser, the first settler, being a man of considerable means, bought out "everybody that joined him," till he had scarcely any neighbors within a mile. The cheap and fertile lands of the West and other promising fields of enterprise, have been the chief motive power in transferring so many of the population to other portions of the coun- try. Much of the soil of the town is naturally of superior quality, and is capable of supporting a larger population than the town ever possessed. But it is doubtful whether the New England towns will be developed to their full power, till the West ceases to tempt her enterprising sons with the offer of richer soils and cheaper acres. If, in the long future, there should come a time-and come it will- when all the now uncultivated lands of the country shall become di- vided into farms, and each farm shall find its owner, the cry of "Westward, ho!" will cease. The cheap lands then will be the al- most abandoned lands of the East. Then will be the day when New England will begin to find its real capabilities. Cultivated as Old England is, it may become capable of sustaining a population like that of Old England. This "good time coming" may not be so near as to encourage speculators to invest largely at present in this kind of property, nevertheless, even "the wilderness will yet blossom as the rose."
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