History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1881, Part 12

Author: Ballou, Adin, 1803-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Boston : Rand, Avery, & co.
Number of Pages: 1328

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1881 > Part 12

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THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION-CHURCH MATTERS.

at the State House in Boston on the second Wednesday of January next. Voted and chose Daniel Wedge, James Sumner, Lt. Ephraim Chapin, Lt. Saml. Jones, Timothy Jones, Luke Kelley and Oliver Daniell a Committee to converse with and Instruct the above named Delegate. Voted to adjourn to Landlord Robinson's at six O'clock this day, to hear the report of said Committee; which report was to reject the Constitution ; And when laid before the Town, said Town rejected it." But when adopted against their vote, they appear to have sub- mitted in good faith to the will of the majority, and to have proved themselves always loyal citizens. During their first twenty years of town immunities they were represented in Gen. Ct. eleven times. In 1784 and '85 by Capt. Ichabod Thayer ; in '87, '88, and '89 by Mr. David Stearns ; in '91, '92, '94, '96, '98, and '99 by Samuel Jones, Esq.

In relation to religious matters, the Town succeeded to all the responsibilities of the old Precinct, i.e., in respect to the meeting- house, the ministry, and kindred concerns. There had been a long and fruitless struggle in the Precinct to get the meeting-house en- larged, or replaced by a new one. The Town inherited this struggle, and for several years nothing more was achieved than indispensable repairs, slight internal alterations, and some painting. Meantime, considerable changes of religious opinion were taking place among the people. Baptists, Methodists, Universalists, and free-thinkers were multiplying. Unity of denominational predilections was more and more broken up ; and it became quite impossible for the Town, as such, to levy rates for the support of public worship, either in respect to meeting-house or preaching. None would pay on compulsion. Voluntary subscription, contribution, or donation must be mainly depended on. Yet, as the time had not arrived for a complete dis- solution of Church and State, the Town must still exercise parish functions. The awkwardness of this may be seen by contemplating the following extracts : Warrant of Dec. 4, 1788, "To see if the Town will exempt any person or persons from being rated to the Congregational Society . . . that will legally certify . . . that they are of a different Denomination." Voted in the affirmative on the 18th of the same month. This only showed the direction of the wind. Quite a considerable number had before exempted themselves by such certificates, and here was a sort of invitation for many more to avail themselves of the same legal advantage. Jan. 24, 1791, " Voted to let the people of the Denomination ealled Universalers have liberty to meet in the Town's Meeting House on week days, when it is not otherwise wanted." May 6, 1795, " Voted to have former Certifi-

HISTORY OF MILFORD.

cates exempt persons from a Ministerial tax who have not changed their Persuasion." Such grew to be the state of public sentiment.

As to the meeting-house, its story may be told in a few words, by giving a summary abstract of the records. Aug. 12, 1782 : a vote to repair, and committee chosen. Jan., 1783 : fruitless attempt to in- duce the pew-owners to co-operate equitably in repairing. Unimpor- tant action the next March about making more room for pews. Fur- ther action of the same sort the ensuing November. April, 1784, the committee on repairs ordered to be settled with ; something had been done, but how much does not appear. At length, in Jan., 1791, a petition came before the Town from Oliver Daniell and several other responsible individuals, for permission to enlarge the house by cutting it in two and inserting fourteen feet, with the privilege of remunerat- ing themselves by sale of the new pew-room thereby to be created. Granted, on condition of their giving a satisfactory bond for the proper execution of their undertaking. A little afterwards they were grant- ed the further privilege of adding a porch, rebuilding the gallery stairs therein, and selling the pew-room thereby gained. Some painting was ordered to be done at the town's expense, and the improvements were completed. The whole was accepted, and the bond of the un- dertakers given up Oct. 22, 1792. This was a few months after Rev. Mr. Frost had gone to his'rest. Thus the town had now a tolerably decent meeting-house for those times, fifty-four feet long by thirty-five in width, with a porch on its southern front perhaps fourteen by eight feet. This porch had three doors and two gallery staircases. The old east and west doors into the body of the house, heavily capped, still remained, and the pulpit stood on the northerly side. Dea. Peter Rockwood and other venerable survivors were my informants. They also remembered, and further said, that the new house, when erected, covered the spot where the old one stood, and, being larger, more ground. When the new house was enlarged and renovated, a few years ago, it was removed westwardly its whole length. So we must imagine the ancient sanctuary as standing lengthwise just eastwardly of the present one. At that time, what is now Congress St. did not cross the Common, or " Parade Ground " southwardly, but on the northerly side of the meeting-house turned short eastwardly into Main St. in front of the present Mansion House. And that part of the Common now fenced in exhibited an unpleasant-looking hollow, hold- ing in winter and wet seasons a little pond three or four feet deep at some points.

As to the support of public worship, it had to be done mainly by subscription, contribution, or donation. Few would submit to com-

DELAYS IN SETTLING A PASTOR, ETC.

pulsory taxation. It was a vexed question for years, and all the more vexed because exempt citizens could vote on every question of the kind. Once a motion was put and carried, to tax all who presumed to vote on parish questions ; but this only aggravated the sore. The trouble arose from the town feeling obliged to play two dissonant parts, - civil and religions. There was some income from the old " Ministry money ; " but this had been shifted abont from one set of borrowers to another, till, after growing beautifully less, it was invested in " Con- solidated State Securities " of uncertain value. What finally became of this fund, remains to be ascertained. Rev. Mr. Frost received his dues in one way or another, too often tardily, down to his decease, March 14, 1792. His funeral expenses and the cost of his grave- stones were honorably paid by the town. The pulpit was thenceforth supplied, through the action of town committees, until the settlement of his successor, Rev. David Long, early in the year 1801. During this long pastoral vacancy, there seems to have been a general indis- position, outside of the church, to be satisfied with candidates. Be- sides several who were merely heard a few sabbaths each, the church chose three in succession for settlement. These, for one reason or another, were either rejected by the town, or declined to accept on the terms offered. Rev. James Tufts was rejected by non-concurrence with the church, May 27, 1793. Next, Rev. John Fisk was concur- rently elected, July 3, 1795 ; but such unsatisfactory conditions were imposed that he declined. Rev. Leonard Worcester was elected by the church in 1799, but forthwith rejected by the town. About forty different preachers filled up the pastoral vacancy between Mr. Frost and Mr. Long.

In the matter of church music, I do not find much action of either the church, precinct, or town, previons to 1800. The church, Dec. 2, 1748, made " choice of Dea. Daniel Corbett, sen., to be an assistant in reading the Psalm, and with him John Chapin. Likewise made choice and voted that Habijah French and Joseph Marshall should be assist- ants in Tuning the Psalm." Probably the old custom of lining and tnning the psalm or hymn continued for many years. Oct. 22, 1792, the Town " voted and gave leave for the Singers to build two or three Pews in the front Galleries in the Town's Meeting House, to be for the use of the present Singers, who now perform that part of Divine Wor- ship, and their successors as Singers only." May 16, 1793, " Voted to have the Singers fetch a Bass Viol into the Meeting Honse on Sundays, and some person to play on the same in time of Singing." Whether there was any opposition to the introduction of this instrument (then violently resisted in some of the churches), does not appear. Nothing

HISTORY OF MILFORD.

was paid for sacred music in those days, at least in our general re- gion of country ; and volunteers for that service seem to have been thankful for the privilege, and especially so for a very little patronage.

In relation to pauperism, judging from the records, our towns- people had a great dread of it. Probably they felt poor in taxable resources, and wished in all practicable ways to prevent or lighten burdens of that nature. There were then stringent laws for determin- ing inliabitancy and the liabilities of towns to maintain their own poor. Among these laws was one authorizing towns to prevent new-comers from gaining legal inhabitancy therein. This might be done by warn- ing them out, or requiring bonds of somebody that they should not become a town charge. All new-comers, not allowed to gain an in- habitancy, could be thrown back for maintenance on the municipality where they belonged. Our early townsmen appear to have been much more anxious to avoid paupers than to increase population. I sus- pect most communities had more burdens of this sort then, in propor- tion to population and wealth, than we have now, at least in New England. Anyhow, the measures taken to prevent such burdens indicate an inveterate pauperphobia, as witness the following votes : May 18, 1780, " Voted to warn all persons out of the Town of Mil- ford that have moved in since it was a Town, or that shall move into said Town hereafter." Jan. 24, 1791, " Voted to warn out of Town all persons who have come to reside in said Town since the 10th of April, 1767." This was making a pretty clean sweep of good, bad, and indifferent. Indeed, the numerous recorded warnings show that there was no respect of persons, for many new-comers who became first-quality citizens got warned out. Happily for the prosperity of the town, this warning-out soon became a mere bugbear formality, and nobody was deterred from moving in and staying through dread of its disgrace. Of course in some cases it saved the town from becoming chargeable.

The method of maintaining the town's poor during this period was such as then generally prevailed in New England. Those who could not be helped through the year in their own humble homes or in the families of near relatives, by small stipends, were let out by public vendue to bidders who would keep them cheapest, - some to fare well and others ill, according to the character of their keepers. Once or twice the town hired a house for a year at a time, appointed an overseer, and provided work for the. inmates. But the selectmen found this unprofitable, and otherwise more or less impracticable. Various projects were started to obviate difficulties, - such as for the town to unite with the neighboring towns in establishing a work-

DEPRECIATION OF OLD CURRENCIES.

house, or, alone, to purchase a poor-farm, or to build an asylum ; but none of these amounted to much at that period. (See this subject resumed and fully treated in Chapter X., " Maintenance of the Town's Poor.")

Respecting roads, education, cemeteries, etc , I will not now re- count responsibilities assumed, intending to treat of these and various other subjects under appropriate heads in the subsequent chapters. In drawing the present one to a close, I will briefly notice the finan- cial troubles which our early townsmen had to endure. They had to struggle, like their fellow-citizens throughout the nation, with most trying difficulties in monetary affairs. The currency of the times was mostly paper, till after the adoption of the Federal Constitution, 1787. Between 1775 and 1780 Massachusetts had emitted treasury-notes and bills of credit to the amount of £1,600,000, and the Continental Congress $400,000,000, old tenor. The quota of this Continental money received by Massachusetts was $59,800,000. All this to carry on the Revolutionary war. A comparatively small amount of hard money, nearly all silver, was either in circulation, or hoarded up by careful individuals. The depreciation of paper money was frightful to contemplate. In 1781 Continental bills of the old tenor passed five hundred dollars for one dollar of hard money. The old Massa- chusetts Bank of 1784 put some tolerably good money in circulation in redeemable bills, which served well as far as it went. The United States began to coin gold, silver, and copper money. Our State did the same for a short time, till prevented by the new Federal Constitu- tion. Then decimal money took the place of pounds, shillings, and pence. In 1794 Massachusetts liquidated its scrip of all kinds, pay- ing a moderate percentage of its nominal value ; but many holders waited for better terms, and lost all. Milford, however, was wiser, having, May 19, 1788, " Voted to sell the whole of the State Securi- ties now in the Town, and for the Selectmen . . . to dispose of the same at the best lay they can." Perhaps I ought to add here that the equivalent of the American, or certainly the Massachusetts pound, in dollars, was commonly reckoned to he three and one-third, so that every £100 would be $333}. From the foregoing, respecting the currency of the times, the depreciation of paper money, etc., the reader will readily interpret the votes of the Town to raise money for whatever purpose; and, if some of the sums seem enormously extravagant, their small actual value accounts for it. Thus we find that on Sept. 4, 1780, one thousand pounds were raised " for School- ing Children ; " but in 1782 ouly twenty pounds in silver. Probably the current value of the latter was equal, at least, to the former. So

HISTORY OF MILFORD.

in 1780, " Voted to raise £1,000 to defray Town charges." Then, again the same year, in July, " Voted to raise £6,080," for the same purpose ; and in September of the same year, for the same purpose, " Voted to raise £70,000." At this last I looked at first with amaze- ment ; but lo, in 1781 the votes were first one hundred pounds, and at another meeting two hundred pounds, silver. And so the sums went on year after year variously to 1799, when the amount voted was eighty pounds.

[If in subsequent chapters, chiefly devoted to some of the foregoing topics, I repeat minor portions of what is contained in the foregoing, I shall hope to be excused on account of the difficulties involved in assorting, classifying, and arranging the details with exact propriety.]

MILFORD'S MARTIAL PATRIOTISM.

CHAPTER VII. ANNALS OF WARLIKE AND MILITARY SERVICE.

Previous to and during the Revolutionary War. - Martial Patriotism always Pre- dominant here. - Down to the French and Indian War of 1756-63. - Reference to the Old Muster-Rolls. - Down through the Revolutionary War. - Men and Officers. - Events and Incidents. - Town Action. - Gen. Alex. Scammell.

From the Revolution to the Secession Rebellion. - Disbandment of the Army. - Militia Organization in Town, and Expenses. - Occasions of Alarm. - Shay's and Whiskey Insurrections, threatened War with France, etc. - Artillery Com- pany organized in 1803. - Its Brilliant Career, March to Boston in 1814, at Call of General Order. - Names of Officers and Men. - Compensation, etc. - Organi- zation of the "Lafayette Guards " in 1826. - Dishandment of both these Com- panies between 1843 and 1846. - Milford Captains and Higher Officers. - Changes in Militia Laws. - Enrolments. - Organization of "Company A" in 1853. - Its Career and Captains.

During and since the Secession Rebellion. - Gen. Schouler's Summary of Milford's Action, Contributions, and Sacrifices in Behalf of the National Cause. - Ex- tracts from Headley on Gen. A. B. Underwood's Heroism and Sufferings in the War. - Concerning Milford's Officers in the same, and Losses of Soldiers. - Grand Army Post, etc. - More Recent Military Companies organized, etc.

PREVIOUS TO AND DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

THE inhabitants of Milford, before and since its incorporation as a town, have always been eminently patriotic and martial. They have had no treason or cowardice on their soil, and only a few non- resistants from Christian principle. The military spirit has always been conspicuous. The various records demonstrate this. How largely the easterly precinct of Mendon was represented by soldiers in the French and Indian war of 1744-48, I have not deemed it necessary to make research. It is probable that it then furnished soldiers ; but, if so, I have not sufficiently informed myself to give any definite statement. There were, however, in those times plenty of men with military titles, acquired either in actual war or in home- military organizations. A train-band flourished in this precinct at an early period, and, I presume, continued to do so down to the great French war of 1755-56 to 1763, which was rendered memorable by the conquest of Canada. In that war all the precincts of Mendon were drawn heavily upon for soldiers. Here I am better informed, having been kindly privileged by Dr. John G. Metcalf to extract from

100

HISTORY OF MILFORD.

his manuscript " Annals of Mendon," such facts as seemed perti- nent to this volume. The Dr. has rendered those Annals replete with very interesting details, drawn with great pains from various authen- tic records in the State and Town archives. I have appropriated only such of them as I deemed indispensable to our history. He copied from the muster-rolls in the State archives, vol. 95, p. 203, the names of Mendon soldiers in the company of Capt. Nathaniel Thwing, who served in the expedition to Crown Point in 1755. They were as follows : -

Nathan Tyler, Jr., 1st lieut., Joseph Clark, sergt. (d. in service), Peter Aldrich (do. do. do.), Eliphalet Wood, corp., William Hutchens (do.), John Watkins, drummer (servant to Jos. Johnson), Joseph Aaron (servant to David Daniels), William Barron (d. in service), Benj. Blake (servant to Daniel Taft, Jr. ), Thos. Bryan, Joseph Clark, Jr., Daniel Davidson, Asa Daniels, John Holden, Stephen Johnson, Neal McNeal, John Passmore, William Rawson, John Spawford, John Vickery (d. in service), Aaron White (do.). Of these, I suppose Capt. Nathaniel Thwing, Eliphalet Wood, Daniel Davidson, John Passmore, and John Vickery must have belonged to our precinct, though I am not certain of them all. Possibly others in the list belonged here. In another company, commanded by Capt. John Jones, then of Bellingham, eldest son of our Eld. John, there were seventeen Mendon soldiers. Among these I recognize, as of this pre- cinct, John Thwing, drummer, Joseph Cody, Josiah Tenney, Asahel Thayer, John Marsh, John Hill, John Gage, etc. In the muster-roll of Capt. Phinehas Lovett I find the names of Gershom Nelson, Ger- shom Chapin, John Perry, Moses Gage, Daniel Wedge, Benjamin Atwood, William Legg, Peter Brown, etc. These served in 1757. In later rosters occur those of Benj. Hayward, Dependence Hay- ward, Moses Tenney, Ebenezer Cheney, sergt., Caleb Cheney, Sr., Isaiah Corbett, Ichabod Marshall, Ichabod Robinson, Moses Rams- dell, Nathaniel Corbett, etc. The Dr's. " Annals " give names, dates, payments for service, and other particulars, with much exact- ness ; also references to all his authorities. All, or nearly all, these were of our precinct. Some rolls seem to have been lost, not being found in the State archives. How many other fighting-men from this vicinity served in that seven-years' war, whose record has perished, is matter for uncertain conjecture. The names cited above show how largely the easterly precinct assisted, as well as Mendon throughout, in annexing the French Provinces of Canada, etc., to the British Empire.

When we reach the great agitation which culminated in the Ameri-

101

THE MILL-RIVER REVOLUTIONARIES.

can War of Independence, we find Mendon and its three precincts in the front rank of the conflict. Its municipal population, led by the talented Joseph Dorr, Esq., kindled the beacon-fires of liberty ; re- echoed the protests against British usurpation ; held public meetings in behalf of endangered rights ; organized a committee of "Corre- spondence, Inspection, and Safety ; " and equipped no less than four companies of minute-men, two of which were mainly in our precinct. When the battle of Lexington occurred, April 19, 1775, and the con- sequent general alarm pealed through the land, these four companies immediately hurried to the field. One or both the Mill-River cos. actually marched in hot haste for the theatre of war on the very day of the battle, or certainly the next morning. One of these cos., numbered as " the Second Company of Mendon," consisted of the following-named officers and men : -

Dr. William Jennison, Capt. Caleb Cheney, Lieut. - - Jones, Sergt. Josiah Brown, Corpl. Samuel Bowditch.

Joseph Gibbs. John Hayward.

William Lesure, Corpl.

Samuel French, Drummer.

David French, Fifer.

Joshua Hayward.

Samuel Davis. Eben' Davis.

Warfield Hayward. . Joseph Jones, jun. John Jones.

Aaron Davis.

William Cheney.

Abrahamn Jones, jun. Eli Partridge.

Seth Thayer.

Josiah Wheelock. William Ward.

Daniel White.

Benj. Vickery.

Samuel Cobb, Lieut. Adams Chapin, Sergt.

William Jennison, jun., Sergt.

John Gibbs, Sergt. Sheffield Partridge, Corpl.

Asa Albee, Corpl.

Jesse Hayward. Jona. Hayward. Jacob Hayward.

Edmund Bowker.

Benj. Norcross. Henry Nelson. Amos Shepherdson. Abraham Stearns. Eli Whitney, jun. Saml. Warren.

The other Mill-River co., numbered " the Fourth Company of Mendon," consisted of the following-named officers and men : --

Gershom Nelson, Capt. Jesse Whitney, Lieut. Josiah Nelson, Lieut. Moses Chapin, Sergt. Simeon Wiswall, Sergt.

Joseph Cody, Sergt. Nath' Parkhurst, Sergt. Ephraim Parkhurst, Corpl. Levi Thayer, Corpl. Daniel Legg, Corpl.

102

HISTORY OF MILFORD.

Ichabod Nelson, Corpl.

Nathan Beal.

Gershom Legg. Robert Corbett.

Gershom Twitchell.

Levi Legg.

Ebenr. Read.

Saml. Jones.

Jonas Parkhurst.

Daniel Chapin.

Elisha White.

Isaac Littlefield.

John Robinson.

Moses Gage.

Aaron Merrifield.

Isaac Chapin.

Stephen Chapin.

David Chapin.

Daniel Wedge.

Saml. Thayer.

Ichabod Corbett.

David Legg, jun.

Daniel Hayward.

Alexander Wheelock.

James Albee.

James Sprague.

Eph" Chapin.

Jonas Twitchell.

Enoch Perry.

Darins Holbrook.

Darius Sumner.

Silas Brooks.

Levi Hayward.

Josiah Kilburn.

These Mendon cos. joined the thousands of troops that thronged the vicinity of Boston. Of these, a hundred and fifteen enlisted as three-months' men into the regular army. Among the latter a large percentage evidently belonged to our precinct. The following names appear : Sergt. Samuel French, Amos Shepherdson, David French, James Sprague, Benj. Vickery, Asa Albee, Edmund Bowker, Capt. Samuel Cobb, Cor. Peter Corbett, Wm. Cheney, William Legg, Wm. Lesure, Jonas Twitchell, Saml. Thayer, Joel Thayer, Lt. Joseph Cody, Sergt. Adams Chapin, Isaac Chapin, Josiah Chapin, Jno. Dewing, Wm. Brown, Aaron Davis, Saml. Davis, Robt. Mingo (a negro man), Henry Nelson, Daniel Norcross, Benj. Norcross, Sheffield Partridge, Joseph Passmore, Aquilla Ramsdell, Daniel White, Jona. Whitney, Elias Whitney, Capt. Saml. Warren, etc. Some of these names may not be found in the roll of minute-men, and I may have claimed one or two belonging to the other precincts. I think, however, I have left out several that ought to be included, through uncertainty as to their proper locality. Whether any of these three-months' men of 1775 took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, I do not learn from the accounts. But that they were enrolled in the army in and around Cambridge, under Gen. Washington, there is no doubt.

Dr. Metcalf's annals are full, explicit, and interesting, all the way down from the opening of the Revolution to its close. In what con- cerns our history, we find on the Mendon records ample evidence that the people of our precinct shared most honorably with their fellow- townsmen at large in every patriotic and self-sacrificing measure

103

PUBLIC SPIRIT AND SACRIFICES.

adopted in behalf of the common cause. They contributed liberally for the relief of their distressed fellow-citizens in Boston while held in durance by the British troops, and those of Charlestown when laid in ashes at the battle of Bunker Hill. There was a continual succes- sion of calls for soldiers in the army and for supplies of every de- scription towards its maintenance. Men, money, arms, ammunition, and all sorts of levies, drained the town's resources. Meantime, the County and State governments had to be thoroughly reconstructed. The National Declaration of Independence had to be decided on, and the United States Constitution under the Confederation adopted. In every stage of these proceedings the citizens of this precinct took an active and responsible part. Their leading men were prominent on all the committees that managed warlike matters, and were members of the congresses and conventions of the Commonwealth which so frequently sat in those trying times. They paid their taxes, and fur- nished their soldiers in full proportion to recruit the Continental armies. In descending to the corporate acts of Milford as a town, it remains for me merely to give the names of our precinct soldiers, so far as I can distinguish them, between 1776 and 1780. Of some there seems to be no record other than references in town votes. The muster- rolls of 1776 especially, are missing, and others. "The following are the names of Mendon men who enlisted for 3 years. 2d Co. (Mill River), 19."

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History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1881, Part 12

Author: Ballou, Adin, 1803-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Boston : Rand, Avery, & co. Number of Pages: 1328

Author: Ballou, Adin, 1803-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Boston : Rand, Avery, & co.
Number of Pages: 1328