USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Westfield > History of the town of Westfield; comp. for the public schools from Greenough's History of Westfield in the Annals of Hampden County and other sources > Part 4
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was fined, exposed in the stocks, or imprisoned in the cage.
Town Ministers .- The earlier minister in Westfield were ministers of the town, selected by authority of the town and paid by town appro- priations. March 19, 1666, the town appropriated a lot of twelve acres for the minister. According to the account of Rev. Edward Taylor written a few years later :
"Westfield, then Warronnokee, coming to be an English plantation, had at first Mr. JJohn Holyoake, son of that Godly Captain Elizur Hol- voake of Springfield, to dispense ve word of life amongst them Ano Dmi 1667, about half a year: but in ye beginning of winter following, he, as finding ve ministry of the word too heavie for him, desisted; from which time till ye beginning of winter 1668 they had no minister."
Springfield was still recognized as the parent colony. Co-operat- ing with a committee at Springfield. it was voted, in 1668, "that Capt. Cook shall go into the Bay to procure a minister." The record of this quest is wanting, but he probably obtained Rev. Moses Fisk, son of a minister of the church of Chelmsford, for he served as minister three years. They then tried to obtain a Mr. Adams from Dedham, but failed, finding him "not as yet movable from ye collidge."
Mr. Edward Taylor was the next minister sought and obtained. He was the minister selected by the town soon after its organization. The town, inelnding every man, woman and child within its borders, was his parish. For more than half a century, during its early forma- tive period, he was the religions, the educational, and, in large degree, the civil leader of the town. An outline of his life cannot fail to pre- sent facts of importance relating to the early history of the town. A letter by one of his descendants, Henry W. Taylor, Esq., of Canandai- gua, to William G. Bates and dated October 1, 1869, gives some facts pertaining to the early life of Rev. Edward Taylor. From this we quote :
" He was born in England, educated for the ministry, studied seven years in one of their universities; but the ejection of 2,000 dissenting clergymen in 1662, and the perseentions which that class of Christians suffered, induced him to a voluntary exile. It seems he was then an ardent anti-monarchist, and his early writings are said to breathe, in no doubtful terms, his strong aversion to the rulings of the existing dynasty. Ile was. through his whole life, a most voluminous writer, keeping a diary of the running events of his life, and recording things of passing interest. He left a large number of written folio volumes. and he was in the habit of transcribing, with his own hand, the books which were loaned to him by his friend, Judge Sewall of Boston. Mr. Taylor also studied medicine: and during his life was accustomed to minister as well to the diseases of the body, as of the soul. He also gave attention to the study of natural history. and some of his compositions were published in the scientific literature of the day."
The Westfield settlement was small when Mr. Taylor came into it ; the cloud of King Philip's war was gathering about to burst in devas- tation and slaughter upon the scattered towns: Westfield seemed es-
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pecially exposed to attack, being the westernmost settlement. It seemed to be no time to organize churches and provide for the needs of a fixed population. However hopeful the outlook, when Mr. Taylor found his way with Mr. Dewey on their horses through the forest from Cambridge to Westfield, times soon changed for the worse, and whether this out- post of western advance could be maintained, was soon a very grave question.
During Philip's war he and his bride shared the toils, the priva- tions, the anxieties and the heartrending sorrow of the colonists. Every night, for many months, he with his wife and others repaired to the fort, one of the forted houses of which mention is often made in the town records, and every night the watch was set to guard the encircling palisades and give notice if the enemy approached. In the midst of the war, as we have seen, the central authority of the colonies urged the settlers to abandon the town and remove to Springfield. The stout re- ply of the little settlement we have given. The framer of this reply was the young minister, whose heart was with the people and whose patriotic determination fitted him for leadership in "times that tried men's souls."
But the terrible years of Philip's war wore away. Westfield had been saved from the fire and slaughter that drove the settlers of Deer- field and of Northfield from their homes, though several of the people of Westfield had fallen victims "to ye rage of ye enemy." A brighter fu- ture dawned. Steps were taken to establish a church and to install Mr. Taylor.
The letters inviting a council bore the date of July. 1679. August 27 was the day for the assembling of the council. The day is described as the last fourth day of the sixth month. This is in accord with the ec- clesiastical year, old style, which began the year with the first of March. The council. we are told, "consisted of Rev. Solomon Stoddard of Northampton, Mr. Strong, ruling elder, and Capt. Aaron Cook and Lient. Clark, messengers ; Rev. John Russell of Hadley, and Lient. Smith and Mr. Younglove, messengers; Rev. Pelatiah Glover of Springfield, teaching elder and I. Holyoke, Dea. Burt and Mr. Parsons, messen- gers; and one messenger from Meriden, Conn., the pastor being detain- ed by sickness; there were present also, as guests, the Rev. Samuel Hooker of Farmington, Conn., and the 'Worshipful Maj. John P.vn- chon' of Springfield. The council assisted in organizing the church, consisting of the following members :- Edward Taylor, John Mandsley (Moseley), Samuel Loomis, Isaac Phelps, from the church in Windsor ; Josiah Dewey and John Ingersoll from Northampton, and John Root from Farmington, Conn. The council then proceeded in accordance with the expressed wish of the church to ordain Mr. Taylor as pastor."
Mr. Taylor, by study of medicine, had prepared himself to care for the bodies as well as the souls of his charge. He was mueh beloved. and respected by the people of the town. However severe the stress of war. however straitened their circumstances, the town records show their readiness to vote his full salary.
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Mr. Taylor, like other country ministers, was a farmer. His peo- ple could not help him to write sermons, they could help him in his field work. It seems to have been the custom for his parishioners to render him voluntary aid in having and harvest time. There is a vote on rec- ord providing such aid and also requiring the women of the town to as- sist Mrs. Taylor in spinning. When Mr. Taylor was advanced in life. the town increased his salary one-third. With filial tenderness they provided by abundant gifts for his table on Thanksgiving and other festive occasions.
One of his daughters married Isaac Stiles, whose son became pres- ident of Yale college. President Stiles made these notes of Mr. Taylor : "He was an excellent classical scholar, being master of three languages, a great historian, and every way a learned man. He had a steady cor- respondence with Judge Sewall of Boston, who duly communicated to him all the transactions in the assembly, and occurrences in the nation." "He was a vigorous advocate of Oliver Cromwell, and of civil and re- ligious liberty. He was an incessant student." "A man of small sta- ture, but firm ; of quick passions, yet serions and grave. Exemplary in piety, and for a sacred observance of the Lord's day."
For many years he was the only physician in Westfield and for many miles around. Some of his medical, as well as his theological books, he transcribed. Natural history was hardly recognized as a school study, vet he accumulated no little knowledge of plants, minerals and animals. He continued to minister to his people fifty-seven and one-half years, preaching regularly till within a few years of his death in 1729, at the age of eighty-seven.
Then followed in the line of succession :
Rev. Nehemiah Bull
1726-1740
Rev. John Ballantine
1740-1776
Rev. Noah Atwater
1781-1802
Rev. Isaac Knapp
1803-1847
Rev. Emerson Davis
1836-1866
Rev. Elias II. Richardson
1867-1872
Rev. A. Judson Titsworth
1873-1878
Rev. John II. Lockwood
1879-1906
Rev. Henry M. Dyekman
1907-1918
Rev. Henry A. Kernen
1919-
WESTFIELD REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.
The parliament of Great Britain, March 7, 1774, ordered the port of Boston closed to commerce and the custom-house, courts of justice and other public offices to be removed to Salem. Salem refused to take them from Boston. The people of Marblehead offered the mer- chants of Boston the free use of their wharves. Other oppressive acts of parliament followed, affecting not only Boston, but Massachusetts, and General Gage, with his soldiers, was on the ground to enforce the
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acts. On the first of June the port bill took full effeet. The ruin of trade resulted in the ruin of fortunes and abject poverty. "All classes," says Lossing. "felt the scourge of the oppressor, but bore it with remarkable fortitude. They were conscious of being right. and verywhere tokens of the liveliest sympathy were manifested. Flour. rice, cereal grains, fuel and money were sent to the suffering people from the different colonies: and the city of London, in its corporate ca- pacity, subscribed one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the poor of Boston."
May, 25. 1774. a town meeting was called "to see what answer the town will make to a letter received from the Town Clerk of Boston set- ting forth the sore calamities the town labors under." Eldad Taylor. Elisha Parks, John Phelps, Dr. Samuel Mather and John Ingersoll were chosen a committee to inquire into the state of Boston and report at a subsequent meeting. July 19 they made the following report :
"Whereas the State House of Representatives of this Province on the 17th of June last past taking into consideration the many dis- tresses and difficulties into which the American colonies and this Pro- vince in particular, are and must be reduced by the operation of certain late acts of Parliament, did resolve to determine that it is highly ex- pedient that a committee should be appointed by the several British Colonies on this continent to consult together on the present state of the colonies and to deliberate and determine upon Proper Measures to be by them recommended to all colonies. for the recovery and establish- ment of the just rights and liberties, and the restoring of that Union and Harmony between Great Britain and the Colonies ardently desired by all good men ; and did, on the same day, appoint a comtee of five Gentlemen to meet said Committee on the first day of September next at the city of Philadelphia for the purpose before said ;-
"Voted that we the inhabitants aforesaid in town meeting as- sembled, do cordially approve of the above measure taken by the said House, and would fervently pray that the Great Father of the Uni- verse out of his abundant goodness, would bless their meeting. and af- ford them that wisdom that is profitable to direct upon measures most salutary to Extricate us from ve difficulties and distresses under which we are laboring, and that we are cheerfully ready to adopt and strictly adhere to any practicable measures said Congress may recommend rela- tive to said relief not inconsistent with our duty to God and allegiance to our Rightful Sovereign George the third: and in the meantime we shall encourage our own Manufactures, and discountenanee unnecessary use of India Teas and British goods, and that we shall not be wanting of charity to the town of Boston and Charlestown in their Distressing Day ;- but think they ought to be relieved and sustained until the sense of the colonies may be had touching their conduct and shall send them that relief that their Circumstances and our abilities upon due eonsid- eration shall dictate and direct."
Some who have given us an account of the men who set out from Westfield the day after the battle at Lexington say that there were sey-
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enty-six men from Westfield, others that there were fifty-three. There were probably fifty-three in the company that marched from Westfield on the 20th of April, the day after the fight at Lexington. Others were delayed a little in Westfield, it seems, and joined the advance division near Boston. The following names are accredited to the first division : Zechariah Bush, Amos Bush, Moses Bush, Lewis Charles, James Cul- verson. Aaron Chapman, Moses Dewey, Benjamin Dewey, James Der- rick. Eliab Dewey, Jonathan Dewey, Stephen Dewey, Moses Gunn, Eli Granger, Daniel Gunn, Warham Gunn, Joseph Kellogg, David King, Capt. Noah Loomis, Agnatius Linus, Bartholomew Noble, Asa Noble, Roger Noble, James Minoeks, Azariah Moseley, Asahel Owen, David Piercy. Jared Plumb, Justus Pomeroy, William Robinson, David Ross, Martin Root, Jonathan Snell. John Smith, Joshua Senn, Phineas Sex- ton, Abner Sackett, Israel Sackett, Gideon Shepard, John Shepard, David Taylor, Nathaniel Tremain. Jedediah Taylor, Ruggles Winchell, William Welch, Luther White, Reuben Wharfield, Solomon Williams, Abner Ward.
A partial list of others than those served as soldiers during some part of the war, we also note: William Ashley. Simeon Burke, Amos Barlow, Lient. Bagg, Lieut. Buell, Aaron Bush, Elijah Bliss. Titus Bigelow, James Carter, John Carter, Buckley Caldwell, Noah Cooley, Aaron Dewey, Deacon Israel Dewey, John Dewey, Noah Dewey, Jr., Asaph Dewey, David Dewey, Sergt. Moses Dewey, Ely Danielson, Sergt. Benjamin Dewey, Timothy Dewey, A. Eager, Isaac Ensign, Samuel Fowler, Frederic Fowler, Ebenezer Fowler, Blackleach Fowler, Luther Fowler, John Fowler, Daniel Fowler, John Frost, Capt. John Ferguson, Stephen Fowler. Bildad Fowler, Jr., David Fowler, Jr., Alexander Grant, Capt. Gray, Elijah Haxman, Enoch Holcomb, Jr., Moses Han- chet. Jacob Halliday, Oliver Ingersoll, John Ingersoll, Capt. John Kel- logg. Aaron King, Jr., Peter Kitts, Silas King, Gideon J. Linsey, Seth Linsey, Jonathan Lyon, Capt. David Moseley, Samuel Mather, Zadoc, Edward and Samuel Martindale, Bilda Noble, Lieut. Stephen Noble, Paul Noble, Sergeant Gad Noble, Shadrack Noble, Aaron Phelps, Justin Pomeroy, David Province, William Palmer, Silas, Samuel and Jonathan Root, Joseph Root, Jr., Datis E. Root, Jr., Abner Stevenson, Simeon Stiles, William Sackett, Thomas Sparks, John Stiles, Phineas Southwell. Jonathan Sibley, Elijah Williams, Sorgt. Martin Way, James Wood- bury, John Wilson, Nathan Waldron. During the first three years of the war it is estimated that more than a hundred men entered the army from Westfield.
The town meeting, in April, a few days after the battle of Lexing- ton, gave evidence of progress towards independence. The second ar- ticle of the warrant was "to consult what measure may be best to be done to secure our privileges and whether it is advisable to take up government." Money was also voted to purchase "powder and warlike stores.' As the town records are imperfect, the record of the earlier committee of "Correspondence and Inspection" is wanting: but the names of those chosen by the town in December. 1775, are as follows:
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Col. John Moseley. Col. Elisha Parks, Daniel Fowler. Dr. Samuel Mather, Capt. David Moseley, Lieut. John Kellogg, Lieut. Daniel Sacket. Ensign Zachariah Bush, Bohan King, Oliver Ingersoll, David Weller, Jr., Ensign Daniel Bragg, Lieut. Stephen Noble.
At a subsequent election of a "Committee of Correspondence, In- spection and Safety," Angust, 1776, the new men elected were Martin Root. Robert Hazard, William H. Church, William Hiscock and Oliver Weller. The following year the committee included Benjamin Saxton and Capt. John Gray.
During the winter of 1777-78, ever memorable for the patriotic for- titude of the continental army suffering for clothing and other sup- plies at Valley Forge, Col. Shepard writes to his townsmen. At a meeting held March 9, 1778, it was voted to send Warham Parks to Bos- ton, "as an agent for the town in consequence of sundry letters from Col. Shepard & others in the continental army .- on the cost of the town. Voted also to choose a committee to remonstrate to the general court of the Nakedness of the Army, and of the Necessity of its being supplied with clothing." It seems the state authorities acted promptly, consid- ering the slow means of communication, for in April the town held a meeting and appointed a committee to provide the fifty-three shirts and fifty-three pairs of shoes and stockings, demanded for the army. The committee, according to their judgment, made requisitions upon each householder. There was not time to make the articles required. The army was suffering. The articles, we may believe. were collected and forwarded promptly. There were no stores of ready-made clothing as now. Each family, in the rural districts especially, made its own clothing.
June 29, 1779, it was "'voted to raise the sum of Twelve Hundred Pounds for the encouragement of the soldiers to be raised to join the continental army forthwith, for the space of nine months." In August, Col. John Moseley was chosen a member of the convention to meet at Cambridge, September 1, to form a new (state) constitution. A com- mittee of nine men were chosen to instruct the delegate.
At the same meeting Angust, 1779, appeared a hint of dissatisfac- tion with the existing government, which later ripened into a threaten- ed revolution under the name of Shays' rebellion. Then, and in the years following, the people of Westfield acted with due consideration, avoiding those ill-concerted gatherings and movements that disgraced many other sections of the state. Gen. Shepard of Westfield rendered most effective service in restoring order to the state. It was voted at this time "that the petition of Benjamin Winchell and others for the purpose of stopping the Courts of Justice in the County be not enter- tained."
At the October meeting. 1779, a bounty of thirty pounds was voted for each soldier "now to be raised for the continental service & destined to Claversack and also their mileage at two shillings per mile." When the state constitution was formed, and submitted to the people of the
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state, the town appointed a committee of eleven "to make objections." and report. At the adjourned meeting the town voted to accept the whole constitution. excepting those articles objected to by the commit- tee. Among the improvements suggested by the committee were the following :
" The Senate should consist of 28 only."
"The Governor should declare himself to be of the Christian and Protestant Religion."
"Justices of the Peace should be nominated by the town, and hold offire for 3 years."
"No minister of the gospel should be allowed a seat in the House of Representatives."
As the war continued, the need of men at home was more severely felt and it was more and more diffienlt for Westfield to meet the requisi- tions for money and men. In 1780, June 16, the town voted "to give the nineteen soldiers to be raised for the continental army for the term of six months three pounds per month in hard money, or Continental money equivalent, as wages, and one thousand dollars in continental money as bounty for each man and the bounty money to be paid before the marching of the men." July 5, five additional six months men were raised, to whom it was agreed to pay a like heavy bounty. As re- quested by the general court, the town, during the year, agreed to pur- chase twelve horses for the army. The town also voted to raise $44,000 to purchase beef, in accord with the order of the general court. Before the year closed they voted to raise eighteen more men. It was voted to raise 30,000 pounds to defray the expenses of the year.
January 2. 1781, it was voted to raise 130 pounds in hard money to buy beef ordered for the army by the general court. In September of this year the town resolved to give each one of the militia who should serve in Connecticut, under the command of Governor Trumbull, 3 pounds per month, in hard money.
There was a public celebration in Westfield of the signing of the treaty of peace. Thirteen guns, in honor of the states joined in one nation, was the morning salute. Rev. Noah Atwater, the town minis- ter, delivered an eloquent discourse in the forenoon; then followed the banquet, with many toasts, each followed by discharge of cannon. The fireworks of the evening closed the day.
Shays' Rebellion .- Freedom from British rule by the toils and priva- tions of a seven years' war had been gained. New troubles arose. It was difficult in country towns to obtain money enough to pay the taxes. The settlement of debts had been deferred during the war. The courts were now busy in enforcing payment ; imprisonment was a penalty for non-payment.
Those who were in straitened circumstances, but who intended to pay their debts, keenly felt the need of delay, and would gladly have the courts stop for a time-at least until the state legislature would diminish what seemed unnecessary expense in the legal processes of enforcing payments.
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There was another class who wished in some way to avoid paying their debts. These had not forgotten that the colonists in freeing them- selves from the government of Great Britain had freed themselves from debts due the English abroad. Why not have another revolution, set up a new government, and escape from the debts contracted under the present government ?
There was another class whose pleasure was found in excitement. in adventure and change. The stirring events of the war had passed. The staid life of a New England farmer was irksome; they prefererd to be where something was "going on."
These several classes were in no sense bloodthirsty. They thought to stop the courts and compel acquiescence in their demands, by gather- ing crowds ( mobs), hoping to prevail by force of numbers. Perhaps a hundred men and boys from Westfield were at one time and another with the rabble that made up the followers of Shays, yet the citizens of Westfield, as a body, as shown by the town records, were in favor of constitutional and conservative methods of adapting publie measures to the exigencies of the times. They and some fifty other towns in Hamp- shire county, sent delegates to the Hatfield convention and afterwards instructed their representative to the general court to secure by legisla- tive enactment, in a legitimate way, changes in the laws, that, as a re- sult of the discussions in the convention, seemed desirable. The town in these troublous times was both considerate and conservative. The ae- tion of General Shepard, a leading citizen of the town, in resisting with his military force the mob intent upon plundering the arsenal at Spring- field, was as humane as it was deeisive, and quite in keeping with the honorable record of his unswerving patriotism.
General Shepard .- It would be fitting, if space allowed, to outline the personal history of men who have led in the progressive develop- ment of Westfield, and who, by their deeds here, and elsewhere, have deserved lasting honor. The heroes of former days, whose exploits were worthy of fame, had no seribes to herald their deeds. A little fellow in one of our schools, after listening to stories and incidents of men en- gaged in one of our recent wars, was asked why these men went to war. He replied : "To have something written, and stories told. about them." Publicity was not a motive in earlier times and the products of the press were very limited as compared with the present. The ma- terials for biographies of the founders of our nation are very scanty. We shall attempt to outline but two of the famous men of Westfield, making use, in the first case, of one of the sketches of William G. Bates, who, in his boyhood, had some personal knowledge of the man :
Major-General William Shepard was born December 1, 1737. and died November, 1817. The eighty years of his life included the times of all the wars with the French and Indians, beginning with King George's war and ending with the capture of Quebec and the conquest of Canada. These eighty years also included the time of the war for independence and the war of 1812. In all these wars, with the excep- tion of the latter, Gen. Shepard was an active participant, and could
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his life in detail be written, as Irving wrote the life of Washington, it would be an epitome of the history of the wars. His limited common school education ended at the age of seventeen, when he entered the army at the beginning of the French and Indian war. Under Generals Abercrombie and Amherst he was promoted from the ranks, through successive grades, and remained with the army until the conquest of Canada established Anglo-Saxon supremacy in North America. Ile then returned to Westfield, married, hung up his sword and put his hand to the plough, hoping to enjoy the peace of a farmer's life. The thrill of the slaughter at Lexington and Concord was felt by all. William Shepard hastened at once to the camp at Roxbury. He was made col- onel and was the companion of Washington in most if not in all his battles. By him he was appointed to protect the retreat from Long Island, during which his neck was pierced by a ball. He was borne from the field. While the surgeons were probing for the ball his con- seiousness returned. "Bring me a canteen," he said. Finding that he could drink, and that the organs of his throat were not severed, he said to the surgeon : "It is all right, doctor, stiek on a plaster and tie on my cravat, for I am out again." In spite of the remonstrance of the surgeon, and to the amazement of the attendants, out he went into the battle. This was but one of the twenty-two battles that tested his valor and proved that the commission of general was justly and wisely given him.
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