USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Pittsfield > History of the town of Pittsfield, in Berkshire County, Mass., with a map of the county > Part 6
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White Marsh ; and on the 19th of December the army took up their winter quarters at Valley Forge, about twenty miles from Philadelphia, which was then in possession of the British. It was on this march, the historian tells us that " through want of shoes and stockings, over the hard frozen ground, the army might be tracked from White Marsh to Valley Forge, by the blood from their feet." Col. Dan- forth has been heard to say that the sufferings of the army from want of food and shelter, that winter, were incredible.
In 1778 he was in the Battle of Monmouth, and the Au- gust following he went to Rhode Island. He spent the principal part of the year 1780 at West point and its vicin- ity. In 1781 he had command, for some months, of a post a few miles from the Hudson, near Tappan's Bay, and was engaged in several skirmishes with the enemy. The army was disbanded in 1783, but Col. Danforth was continued in the service as Paymaster, to assist in the settlement of the accounts with the soldiers, and was not discharged until the year following. In May, 1784, after having visited the paternal home, he removed to Pittsfield, and engaged in mercantile business, in company with Col. Simon Larned. In 1786 he visited a number of the towns in this vicinity, in company with the late Judge Sedgwick, and united his efforts with that gentleman to allay the excitement existing in this County occasioned by Shay's rebellion. In 1787 he was appointed Aid-de-Camp to Major General Patterson ; the same year he received his first commission as a Justice of the Peace from John Hancock, and for a long time he was one of the acting magistrates of the town. In 1794 the Post-Office was established in this town, and Col. Danforth was appointed Post-Master. He retained this ap- pointment until his death, Jan. 30, 1837, a period of 23 years. From about 1794 to 1823 he held successively the offices of Town Clerk, Treasurer, Selectman, and Assessor. In 1801, '2 and '3 and in 1806 and '8, he was Representa- tive to the Legislature. In 1807, he was appointed Asso- ciate Justice of the Court of Sessions of this County, and in 1808 Chief Justice of the same Court. He received from
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Mr. Madison the appointment of United States Marshal for this District, and also that of Principal Assessor, and Collector of the Revenue, for the 18th District in Massachu- setts. In 1827 and '8, he was elected a member of the Governor's Council. Besides these public offices, which show the estimate placed upon his talents and integrity by those who knew him best, he did, during his residence of more than half a century in this town, ever manifest a deep interest in the welfare of this people, and give his time and influence to promote their happiness. He was distinguished for accuracy in the discharge of the various services in which he was engaged; was kind and faithful in all social and relative duties; remarkably constant and attentive in the public worship of God.
Maj. Henry Clinton Brown, already mentioned as the younger son of Col. John Brown, possessed, like his father a fine personal appearance. Bred a merchant, he entered into mercantile business in Williamstown. Being appointed Sheriff in 1812, he removed to Pittsfield, where he spent his subsequent days.' He died in office, May 22, 1838, aged fifty-nine. He was distinguished for loveliness of temper and gentlemanly manners-was kind, generous, faithful as an officer, and exemplary as a Christian.
The preceding sketches, among other things, show that the inhabitants of this town, considering their number, have had no inconsiderable share in the privations, hardships and achievements, arising out of the wars by which the country has been agitated. They were alive to their rights and wants, and to the rights and wants of others around them. As testimony to these facts, and some illustration of the spirit of the times, some additional statements and facts will be now given .*
The settlement commenced a little before the second French war, during which, for the most part, the people were protected by four fortified houses. A garrison was *See Appendix, Note E.
9
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stationed here by order of the government of Massachusetts. In this war it is not likely many individuals were called abroad into the public service : they were too much exposed at home. Col. William Williams, however, as remarked on a previous page, in 1758 marched to the northward, at the head of a regiment. Ezekiel Root was with him, but in what capacity is not known to the writer ; perhaps some others were. Oliver Root was a soldier in the same war, but at the time belonged to Westfield.
The scenes of this war were fresh in the remembrance of the people when the Revolulionary war drew on, and doubt- less served to prepare them for the part they took in the long-continued and arduous struggle for independence. In January, 1774, the town encouraged the enlistment of min- ute or piquet men into a company then forming under Capt. David Noble, by promising to them a certain portion of wages. This company was attached to a regiment made up of similar companies, and placed under the command of Colonel, afterwards Gen. John Patterson, of Lenox. This regiment was marched to Cambridge, immediately after the battle of Lexington, and was re-organized and enlarged. This was employed for a time in services about Boston, afterwards in services in Canada, and was engaged in the exploits at Princeton, Trenton and Saratoga. Very soon after the departure of Noble's company for Cambridge, Col. James Easton and John Brown, Esq. entered into the fa- mous enterprize which had been started at Hartford, against Ticonderoga. Easton, being Colonel of the northern regi- ment of militia in this County, undertook to enlist volunteers for the expedition, and actually engaged from forty to fifty before his arrival at Bennington, of whom a considerable number were probably from this place. Others seem to have followed on afterwards, for there were seventy men from Massachusetts. Col. Easton was the second in com- mand. The conspicuous part which the Rev. Thomas Allen acted in the battle of Bennington, with a portion of his people and other reinforcements from Berkshire, has been stated. Some from this town are understood to have been engaged with Col. Brown in his exploits at the carrying-
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place at Ticonderoga : more were with him probably when he fell at Stone Arabia.
It would be interesting to give the number and names of those who actually enlisted into Capt. Noble's company ; of those also who were present at the taking of Ticonderoga, at the battle of Bennington, and with Col. Brown, at the carrying-place near Ticonderoga, and at Stone Arabia, were it practicable : also a statement of the number and names of those who served their country through the Revolution- ary War, and of any, who, while in that service, died of sickness or of wounds. Cannot their descendants furnish these facts, and cause them to be preserved, for the instruc- tion and benefit of posterity ?
As early as June, 1774, a standing committee of safety and correspondence was appointed in this place, to corres- pond with similar committees in this and other provinces : at which time the people voted to enter into a covenant of mutual defence with other towns in Massachusetts, and to adopt literally a covenant which had been drafted at Wor- cester. This committee was succeeded by another, ap- pointed in Dec. 1775. The latter committee in March, 1776, applied to the town for direction how to recover pay for handling persons suspected of being inimical to their country. The case demanded special directions. The ap- plication called forth speedily the following resolves, which merit insertion as evincive of the spirit prevalent at that time.
" Voted, 1st. That this town determine that said commit- tee, consisting or having consisted of who they may, are one and the same from their first appointment to this day, and that all their transactions and determinations ought to be considered as an adjourned court. Consequently, all mat- ters and things that have not been finally determined, shall have day with them ; and that if there be any matters and things before them that are not yet determined upon, they, the committee, as it now stands, have as full power and authority to act upon as ever they had ; and if any persons have upon trial appeared inimical to their country, or here-
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after on trial shall appear so, they are hereby empowered, so far as our united influence can support them, to tax such persons for their time therein expended on trial, and for all other necessary charges; and on refusal, to be committed to the common gaol, or be otherwise confined till paid, and in all other respects to deal with them as to punishment, according to the direction of the Continental Congress, Pro- vincial Congress, or General Assembly.
" Voted, 2d. That if said committee shall apprehend any person or persons, and convene before them, whom they suspect to be inimical to their country, or to be guilty of any other misdemeanors, and upon trial are found innocent, in that case the said committee have no pay for their time and cost.
" Voted, 3d. That if any complaint shall be brought before the said committee by any person or persons, and if any complaint so brought be supported, then the offender be ordered by the said committee to pay said costs ; and if the offender shall refuse to comply in paying costs, then the offender shall be ordered to confinement in the common gaol or elsewhere, until he comply and pay the cost, to- gether with the confinement, with the charges thereof ; and in case any complainant shall not support his com- plaint, said complainant shall be holden to pay all costs, and on his refusal, shall be holden and committed as aforesaid."
In Aug. of the first year just mentioned, (1774,) the people were alarmed by " two acts of the British Parliament, for superseding the charter of " Massachusetts, "and vacating some of the principal and invaluable privileges and franchises therein contained, which had passed the Royal assent, and been published in the Boston papers, that obedience might be yielded to them." It was deemed " of the greatest im- portance to the well-being 'of" Massachusetts, " that the people of it should utterly refuse the least submission to said acts," and that " the courts of justice should immediately . cease." 'To secure their cessation, they addressed a peti- tion to the justices of his Majesty's inferior Court of Com-
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mon Pleas for the county. The precise effect of the peti- tion is unknown ; but it is a matter of fact that judicial pro- ceedings were stayed in the county from 1774 till 1780.
During the suspension of the courts it was necessary that special care should be taken to preserve order. The gen- eral principles regulating civil society, which had before been introduced by public law, were considered as virtually now in force. They furnished rules of procedure in most cases for committees, appointed from time to time to look to the public welfare.
Besides the men in Noble's company, engaged in the services above specified, the people furnished quotas of men from time to time for the continental service. Their sympathy for their friends and neighbors in the army, and their zeal in enlisting men, appear strikingly in the follow- ing votes :
March 30, 1778, it was voted by the town, "that money sufficient to purchase thirty-two shirts, thirty-two pair of stockings and thirty-two pair of shoes, for the use of the sol- diers now in the continental army, from this town, be made into a tax; said money to beraised immediately, in the same method that the other town taxes have been laid this year."
In May following, it was voted, " that the commissioned officers be empowered to promise 180l. to six able bodied men, to serve in the continental army the term of nine months."
On the 20th of December, 1780, the town accepted the following report of a committee appointed to devise meas- ures for raising sixteen continental soldiers: "that the town choose two thorough men to act as a committee to hire sixteen men ; and to obligate themselves, on the credit of the town, to pay each man the sum of 30l. in hard money, over and above State and Continental pay and rewards, within three weeks ; or otherwise to pay such persons to their acceptance and satis- faction."
The precise course which the people took in the Shays' war, the writer is unable to state; though it is understood they were very generally on the side ofgovernment. The ef- forts of Rev. Thomas Allen and Col. Danforth have been men-
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tioned in the preceding sketches of their lives. In suppress- ing this rebellion, Gen. Lincoln had for a time his head quar- ters here.
In the late war with Great Britain, Col. Simon Larned commanded a regiment. For a notice of the services of some of the sons of Rev. Thomas Allen, in this war, the reader is referred to the account already given of him.
Much was done by the first settlers of this town and their immediate descendants, to promote the cause ofliberty, and to secure the best interests of man. Great were their sacrifi- ces ! But they are gone to the grave. The number of those who remember them is continually diminishing. Every man will draw after them, as there have been innumerable before them .* Happy are they who serve God and their generation faithfully by his will.
* See Appendix, Note F.
APPENDIX.
NOTE A.
In May 1812, Maj. Gen. Dearborn purchased a lot of about 13 acres, (on which the buildings of the Young Ladies' Institute now stand, for the site of a cantonment; and also another lot of one acre with a house thereon. near by, as a residence for the person to be charged with the superintendence of the establishment. On the first mentioned lot, two buildings for barracks and one for officers' quarters, with piazzas in front, and another for an hospital, all two stories, were immediately erected by Maj. Thomas Melville, as Quar- ter-Master and Agent of Gen. Dearborn : two buildings were likewise erect- ed for stores and a guard-house. Towards the close of the year a further purchase was made of about seven acres of land immediately adjoining for the purpose of erecting suitable buildings for the accommodation of a regi- ment of cavalry. Most of the troops stationed here having been with- drawn to the lines it was deemed expedient the succeeding year to establish a depot of prisoners of war on the cantonment: in consequence of which two buildings which had been erected for stables, (each 200 feet long) and one of the infantry barracks, were arranged for the safe keeping of prisoners, and continued to be so used until peace took place. For a time there were 5 or 600 prisoners here, requiring a strong guard. Among these were many officers, Gen. Rial and others. The prisoners were sent from this place to Montreal.
The cantonment ground with the privileges and appurtenances thereof be- ing unnecessary for the purposes of the Government in a time of peace, were sold at auction in Dec. 1826.
The town of Pittsfield, and indeed the county of Berkshire, is said to have derived great benefit, in a pecuniary point of view, from the location of this military establishment, not only by reason of the disbursement of large sums , of money for the erection of buildings, the pay of the troops, transportation of military stores, and the supplies of the soldiers and prisoners ; but also from its having been made the means of affording encouragement to manu- factures, especially those of woollens for the use of the army. To this may be ascribed in a great measure the establishment of woollen manufactures in the County.
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NOTE B.
The death of Charles Baker, Esq., formerly a teacher in this school, is too affecting to pass unnoticed. This occurred at Conway, his native town, where he had been on a visit to his friends, May 29th, 1829, in the 31st year of his age. He had taken a seat in the stage for Pittsfield. A violent thun- der shower coming up as the stage was stopping at the post-office, Mr. Baker got out and went in, and was struck down dead by lightning in an instant. Oliver Warner of Phelps, Y. Y., who was standing near, was killed also. A gentleman sitting between them, who adopted the precaution suggested by Dr. Franklin, of putting his feet upon the rounds of his chair, escaped un- hurt. Mr. Baker had practiced law in Williamstown some years before com- ing to this place.
NOTE C.
It has appeared in the foregoing history that many from other places who have settled in the town, were collegiately educated. The proportional num- ber of natives educated at Williams College, suggests the influence of that institution in advancing education in this section of the commonwealth.
Natives of Pittsfield who have received a Collegiate Education.
Thomas Allen, Jr.
H. 1789
Nathan Willis,
H.
William P. White.
James K. Kellogg, U.
William Stoddard.
George W. Francis, U.
Judah A. Lee, W.
1799
Samuel D. Colt,
W
1829
Thomas B. Strong,
1800
Jesse W. Goodrich,
U. 1829
David W. Childs,
W.
1800
Israel Dickinson,
W. 1830
Perry G. Childs,
W.
1800
David White,
W. 1831
Charles Goodrich, Jr.
Y. 1797
Butler Goodrich,
U.
1832
Henry H. Childs,
W
1802
Charles E. West,
U.
1832
William Allen,
H. 1802
Thomas Allen,
U. 1832
Jashub B. Luce,
W.
1804
William G. Weston,
W.
1832
Thomas A. Gold,
W.
1806
Hubbard Beebe,
W.
1833
Timothy Childs,
W.
1811
James D. Colt, 2d.
W. 1838
Sylvester Larned,
W.
1813
William W. Edwards,
W.
1838
Solomon M. Allen,
D.
1813
Joseph M. Bush,
W.
1838
Charles Larned.
Calvin G. Martin,
W. 1839
Joshua N. Danforth,
W.
1818
James M. Burt,
W.
1840
Charles Dillingham,
W.
1819
Timothy Childs,
W.
1841
George W. Campbell,
U. 1820
Thomas Colt,
W.
1842
Henry K. Strong,
U.
1821
Lemuel B. Gay,
W.
1843
James D. Colt, 1st.
U.
William Allen,
U. 1844
Samuel A. Allen,
W.
1825
James C. Clapp,
W. 1844
Y.
73
Physicians in Pittsfield.
Birth Place.
Birth Place.
Timothy Childs,* Jonathan Lee .*
Deerfield.
Orrin Wright.
Bennet.t
William Kittredge .*
- Gunn.t
Gilbert Jennie.t
John P. Bachelder, M. D.t
Daniel James. +
John De Lamatter, M. D.t
Sturtevant.t
William Coleman, Amherst.
Horatio Jones.t
Stockbridge,
Oliver S. Root, M. D.
Pittsfield.
H. H. Childs, M. D.
Pittsfield.
Robert Campbell, M. D. do.
Enoch Pierce,
Peru.
John M. Brewster, Becket.
John James, M. D.t
Willard Clough. Vt.
Ira Wright.t
Oliver E. Brewster, Becket.
As for the Colleges where any of these physicians have been classically educated, see preceding catalogue and the preceding history.
* Deceased. t Removed.
Lawyers.
Birth Place.
Educated.
Ad. to the Bar.
Woodbridge Little,*
Lebanon,
Y. 1760
about 1770
John Brown,*
Sandisfield,
Y. 1771
do 1773
Ashbel Strong,*
N. Marlborough,
Y. 1776
do 1774
John C. Williams,
Roxbury,
H. 1777
do
1773-4
Thomas Gold,+
Cornwall, Ct.
Y. 1778
do
do
Thomas Allen,*
Pittsfield,
H. 1789
do
1792
John W. Hurlbut, t
Alford,
do
1794
Ezekiel Bacon,t
Stockbridge,
Y. 1794
1798
Thomas B. Strong,
N. Marlboro',
Y. 1797
1800
Henry Hubbard,
Sheffield,
W. -
1806
Luther Washburn,*
Hardwick,
1807
Moses Heyden, t
Conway,
W. 1804
1808
Thomas A. Gold,
Pittsfield,
W. 1806
1809
Jashub B. Luce,* do
W.
do
Chauncey Hurlbut,t
Alford,
do
David Perry, Jun.t
Rehoboth,
do
John Hooker,t
Springfield,
do
Fordyce Merrick,
Pittsfield,
1811
William C. Jarvis,t
Boston,
do
Reynold M. Kirby,t
Litchfield, Conn.
do
Henry W. Taylor,
Pittsfield,
1812
Wolcott Lawrence,
Washington,
do
Daniel B. Bush,
Pittsfield,
1814
Calvin Martin,
Hancock,
do
George N. Briggs,}
Adams,
* Died in town.
t Removed.
# Gov. Briggs moved to this place from Lanesborough a few years since.
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Birth place.
Educated.
Ad. to the Bar.
John Porter,t Dalton,
W. 1810
1817
Matthias R. Lanckton, Pittsfield,
do
Josiah Hooker, t
Springfield,
Y. 1815
1820
Parker L, Hall,
Pownal, Vt.
W. 1818
1822
Hon. Julius Rockwell, Colebrook, Ct.
Y. 1826
Ensign H. Kellogg,
Sheffield.
James D. Colt,
Pittsfield,
W. 1838
Thomas C. Rodgers,
New Orleans, Lou.
Elias D. Merwin,
Troy, N. Y.
-
NOTE D.
Two Letters of Rev. Thomas Allen to Gen. Seth Pomeroy.
PITTSFIELD, May 4th, 1775.
GEN. POMEROY :- SIR :
I have the pleasure to acquaint you that a number of gentlemen from Connecticut, went from this place last Tuesday morning having been joined by Col. Easton, Capt. Dickinson and Mr. Brown, with 40 soldiers, on an ex- pedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point; expecting to be reinforced by a thousand men from the Grants above here ; a post having previously ta- ken his departure to inform Col. Ethan Allen of the design and desiring him to hold his Green Mountain Boys in actual readiness. The expedition has been carried on with the utmost secrecy, as they are in hopes of taking those forts by surprise. We expect they will reach those forts by Saturday next, or Lord's day at farthest. The plan was concerted at Hartford last Saturday, by the Governor and Council, Col. Hancock, Mr. Adams and others from our Province being present. £300 was drawn immediately out of the Treasury for the aforesaid purpose, and committed to those gentlemen who were here. We earnestly pray for success in this important expedition as the taking those places would afford us a key to all Canada. There is, if the accounts are to be depended on, not more than 20 soldiers at each fort, and there is a large number of cannon, and I hear four as excellent brass cannon as we could wish. Should success attend this expedition we expect a strong reinforce- ment will be sent from the western part of Connecticut to keep those forts and to repair and fortify them well. We have had much work here of late with the Tories. A dark plot has been discovered of sending names down to Gen. Gage, in consequence of which, and the critical situation of this town, we have been obliged to act with vigor, and have sent Mr. Jones and Graves to Northampton Gaol, where they now lie in close confinement ; and have sent a hue and cry after Major S. and Mr. L., who have fled to New York for shelter. We hope it will not be long before they are taken into custody and committed to close confinement. Our Tories are the worst in the Province : all the effect the late and present operations have had upon them is, they are mute and pensive, and secretly wish for more prosperous days to Toryism.
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As to your important operations, Sir, you have the fervent prayers of all good men that success may attend them. I hope God will inspire you with wisdom from above in all your deliberations, and your soldiers with courage and fortitude, and that Boston will be speedily delivered into your hands, the General thereof, and all the King's troops, that den of thieves, that nest of robbers, that asylum for traitors and murderers may be broken up, and never another red coat from England set foot on these shores. I have been concerned lest General Gage should spread the small pox in your army. May Heaven protect your army from his wicked wiles. May you be shield- ed, Sir, in the day of battle, and obtain a complete victory over these enemies of God and mankind. I have but one observation to make which I have of- ten made upon the histories I have read, and then I must put an end to this tedious epistle : it is this-Seldom or never do the greatest Generals duly improve a victory when it is obtained.
I am, Sir, with great respect, Your obedient, humble Servant,
THOMAS ALLEN.
PITTSFIELD, May 9th, 1775.
GEN. POMEROY :- SIR :
I shall esteem it a great happiness if I can communicate any intelligence to you, Sir, that shall be of any service to my country. In my last I wrote to you of the northern expedition. Before the week ends, we are in raised hopes, here, of hearing that Ticonderoga and Crown Point are in other hands. Whether the expedition fails or succeeds I will send you the most early in- telligence, as I look on it as an affair of great importance. Solomon, the Indian King, at Stockbridge, was lately at Col. Eastons, of this town, and said there that the Mohawks had not only gave liberty to the Stockbridge In- dians to join us, but had sent them a belt denoting that they would hold in readiness 500 men, to join us immediately on the first notice, and that the said Solomon holds an Indian post in actual readiness to run with the news as soon as they shall be wanted. Should the Council of War judge it neces- sary to send to them after being better informed of the matter by Capt. Good- rich now in the service; if you should issue out your orders to Col. Easton, I make no doubt that he would bring them down soon. Those Indians might be of great service, should the King's troops march out of Boston, as some ? think they undoubtedly will upon the arrival of their recruits, and give no battle.
Our Militia, this way, Sir, are vigourously preparing for actual readiness ; adjacent towns and this town are buying arms and ammunition : there is a plenty of arms to be sold at Albany, as yet, but we hear by order of the Major, &c., no powder is to be sold for the present there. The spirit of liberty runs high there, as you have doubtless heard by their post to our head quarters. I have exerted myself to disseminate the same spirit in King's District, which has of late taken a surprising effect. The poor Tories at Kinderhook are mortified and grieved, and are wheeling about, and begin to take the quick step. New York government begins to be alive in the glorious cause, and to act with great vigor. Some this way say that the King's troops will carry off
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