USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > History of the town of Westford, in the county of Middlesex, Massachusetts, 1659-1883 > Part 14
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Milwaukee, Wis. Cortes Reed.
Sycamore, Ill. Warren Wright. Ohio. Jotham B. Wright.
Westville, Otsego Co., N. Y. Theodore Woodward.
Monona, Iowa. Parker Woodward.
Indiana. Lemuel Fletcher.
Granville, N. Y. Silas Spalding, a soldier of the Revolution.
To Western Reserve. Rev. Phinehas Spalding, son of James, a Baptist clergyman.
To Virginia. John Patten, Oliver Patten.
Florida. Harrison Reed, son of Seth. Born in Littleton in 1813. His father removed to Westford when he was less than two years old. Governor of Florida in 1876.
CHAPTER V.
FROM 1800 TO 1860 - THE WAR OF 1812-ITEMS COLLECTED FROM' TOWN RECORDS.
IN the last chapter the narrative has been brought down to the close of the last century. The going out of so many men soon after the war, took from the town both capital and executive force ; and although there is no account of the fact in the enumeration, for want of space, it is yet true that many noble women, born on these hillsides, went forth to be helpers of the sturdy pioneer whose axe leveled the forests in the midst of which, in due time, he provided for his family the comforts, if not the luxuries, of a good home. The mothers and the daughters must not be overlooked, in making up our estimate of the value of the contribution made by the early Massachu- setts towns to the welfare of the younger States. The pen of the historian has not yet shown in its fullness the influence of woman in the development of New England civilization. It is, indeed, a force too subtle to be expressed in words or measured by statistics. But, however hard it may be to define it, its potency cannot be denied.
For two centuries or more these towns kept on giving in this way, and as the area of the West broadened and the tide of immigration swept onward to the great valley of the Mis- sissippi, all the towns of New England felt the impulse, and gave their best blood and brain to help found those new republics which have since joined the sisterhood of States. In consequence of this the growth in population and wealth in the old towns was necessarily slow; and, accordingly, it
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. EIGHTEEN HUNDRED TO EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY.
appears that this town, in the year 1800, had but seventy- four persons more than it had in the census of 1776, twenty- four years before. Meantime, the expenses of supporting the poor were large and constantly increasing. As yet agricul- ture was the chief source of wealth, and the markets were hard to reach and comparatively meagre in their demands.
THE WAR OF 1812.
On the 19th of June, 1812, the government of the United States issued a proclamation of war against Great Britain. "Upon the declaration of war the few regular troops then in the service of the United States were sent off on an expedi- tion into Upper Canada. To man the fortresses on the mari- time frontier, the President called upon the Governors of. States for militia to be placed under officers of his own ap- pointment. Governor Strong of Massachusetts, Governor Griswold of Connecticut and Governor Jones of Rhode Island resisted the demand, on the two-fold ground that neither of the constitutional exigencies had arisen, and that the militia could not be compelled to serve under any other than their own officers, with the exception of the President himself, when personally in the field. The misunderstand- ing between the national executive and the executives of these States embarrassed the measures of
the State governments. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island were at this time destitute of the protection of national troops and exposed to the ravages of an incensed enemy, with scarcely any other than their own resources, and these were constantly decreasing by an onerous system of taxation for the national treasury." (Holmes' Annals, pp. 449 and 467.)
Although "New England experienced very little actual war within its borders, yet it felt its pressure heavily in the paralysis of its peculiar industries and the continual drain upon its wealth of men and money. From the spring of 1813 until the close of the contest, British squadrons were
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HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
hovering along our coasts and threatening the destruction of our maritime cities and villages. The year 1814 was a specially trying one for New England. The British govern- ment had determined and prepared, at the beginning of that year, to make the campaign a vigorous, sharp and decisive one on land and sea."
"The war was unpopular in Massachusetts, and the * people were not enthusiastic in its prosecution. Caleb Strong, then Governor, was intensely opposed to it, and it was not until all the territory east of the Penobscot River in the district of Maine was in possession of the enemy that any energetic measures were taken for its defense. On the 6th of September (1814) Governor Strong had issued his orders for the whole of the State militia of all arms to be in readi- ness to march to Boston at a moment's notice. By the middle of that month there were some five thousand State troops of all arms in service at Boston and on the forts and batteries in the harbor and vicinity, and were retained in ser- vice until the middle of November."
Men from Westford were engaged in this war, but the references to it on the records are few and brief. It is known that the company of militia then organized here went to Bos- ton, but the names of officers and men cannot easily be obtained .*
" July 7, 1812. Voted that the treasurer of this town be and he hereby is authorized and required to pay out of the town moneys to each and every soldier who shall produce sufficient evidence of his having been in the actual service of the United States in consequence of the present detachment from this town, whether he be detached in person or takes the place of another, such sum as in addition to what he may receive from the United States and this State, will make the pay of each private amount to twelve dollars per month, and
* The original muster-rolls are in Washington, having been sent thither by request of the Pension Department, and no copies or duplicates are held in the office of the Adju- tant-General at Boston. But many names of individual soldiers have been gathered from various sources and put upon record in the office.
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED TO EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY. 177
of non-commissioned officers and musicians to be as much from the town as a private."
" September 5, 18.14. Voted to give a bounty to the soldiers that are drafted or may be drafted of four dollars per month when in actual service for the year 1814."
This is all that can be gleaned from the records concern- ing that war. The names of a few men who were in the ser- vice have been ascertained, but the list is brief.
In Lieut .- Col. Jonathan Page's company of detached militia, stationed at Fort Warren, in Boston Harbor, from September 13th to November 7, 1814, were Thomas Pear- son, lieutenant ; Asa Bixby, Joseph Brown, John Dudley, Jonas Kemp, Robert McGuire, William Parker, Noah Shattuck, 2nd, Joel Wright and Ebenezer Wright. In Captain Abel Tarbell's company, stationed at the same place for the same time, were Francis Leighton, Ephraim Leighton, Jedediah Robbins and Jonathan Swallow. In Captain Stephen Tolman's company, at the same place, were Bethuel Read and Tilley Allen.
Timothy Fletcher was also at Fort Warren for three months.
Oliver Fletcher was killed in battle near Sackett's Har- bor. James Kemp was killed and Jonas Kemp was severely wounded in the same battle, probably.
Thomas Spalding enlisted in the service and rose to the rank of captain.
Walter Abbot was a lieutenant on board the United States frigate Chesapeake, and was wounded in the action of that ship with the frigate Shannon, June 1, 1813. He died from the effects of his wound July 12, 1825.
Several men from the north part of the town were mem- bers of the artillery company of Groton and served in the war ; but as no muster-roll of that company can be found in the archives of Groton, their names cannot all be ascertained. There is, however, good proof that the following persons were enrolled and served at Boston : Imla Keyes, Thomas
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HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
Prescott, Roswell Read (drummer), Caleb Wight, Theo- dore Woodward and Parker Wright.
It seems probable, too, that William Ditson served at Boston, but perhaps not in the Groton company.
Abel Boynton, son of Abel, born in Westford, settled in Bath, Me. He was captain of a company of cavalry in Bath during the war.
ITEMS COLLECTED FROM THE RECORDS.
January 20, 1817. "Voted that the overseers of the poor lay before the town at the March meeting the expenses of the poor the past year. Voted that the selectmen lay before the town the whole expenses of the town the past year." This appears to be the first time that these boards were called upon to make a report of this kind.
October 16, 1820. John Abbot, Esq., was chosen " to meet in convention with other towns to revise or alter the con- stitution of this commonwealth." This convention met in Boston, November 15, 1820. It submitted to the people fourteen articles of amendment, and this town, at a meeting held on the second Monday of April, A. D. 1821, voted yea on nine of them, and nay on the other five.
" November 2, 1823. Voted that the selectmen lay out in arms and equipments the sum of fifty-six dollars, being the residue of the unexpended conditional exempt money in the town treasury, to be under their care for the use of the com- pany of militia. Voted that the town give leave that a stove be put in the meeting house, the same to be made secure from fire and free of expense to the town."
Poor-Farm. " April 5, 1824. Voted that the town purchase John Read's farm for the sum of $2500." The committee to purchase it were Eliakim Hutchins, Samuel
* Heretofore the men had borne the discomfort of cold feet, but the women had foot-stoves, being the favored sex. It was the meeting-house, undoubtedly, and not the stove, that was to be made secure from fire.
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED TO EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY. 179
Richardson, Zaccheus Read and John Abbot. They had been appointed at a previous meeting to devise the best means of maintaining the poor, and upon their recommendation the town passed the vote cited above and authorized them to buy the farm and stock it. They were also empowered in the fol- lowing September to receive proposals for a master and mis- tress to take charge of the workhouse and to report the best and most proper regulations for the same. On the first day of November they made two reports, one in regard to stock- ing the farm, and one comprising " Bye-laws, or Orders and Regulations of Westford Workhouse." The first declares that the sum necessary to the purchase of farming-tools, pro- visions, household furniture and stock to commence carrying on the farm will amount to $500, and recommends that the town borrow this sum for the purpose. The by-laws assigned to the board of overseers the inspection and government of the workhouse, with full power to appoint a master and need- ful assistants ; the said master to be a man of temperance, prudence and good moral character. The overseers were required to meet at the house once in two months, and one of them to make a visit to it once in two weeks. The master was required to keep a book wherein should be recorded the names of all inmates and a book of accounts, and also an in- ventory of all personal property. He is enjoined to reward the faithful and industrious and to punish the idle and dis- obedient at his discretion by immediate confinement without any food other than bread and water. The Lord's day to be strictly observed and kept. "The use of all spirituous liquors andany liquor, part of which is spirituous, is strictly pro- hibited, except when ordered by the physician, overseer or master." The first master was Jonathan Hosmer, and the second Otis Haywood.
Copying. "March 7, 1825. Voted to choose a com- mittee to copy off and regulate the town book of records of births and deaths. Voted Benjamin Osgood regulate and copy off town book of records of births and deaths." In accordance with this vote the late Doctor Osgood copied the
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HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
record as it now stands in a large volume of several hundred pages, and as it was authorized by the town it must be deemed genuine and valid. This volume brings the record down to about the year 1840.
Idleness and Intemperance. " March 6, 1826. Voted that the overseers of the poor continue to take further measures in relation to suppressing idleness, intemperance and profli- gacy in this place by causing such persons as possess those habits to be sent to the workhouse in Westford, or to the County House of Correction at Concord, and to take measures to retake any person who may elope from said workhouse."
The report of the committee to reckon with the town treasurer for the year 1825, dated April 26, 1826, is recorded on the town book for the first time; also the report of the overseers of the poor. This last shows the reduction of expenses for supporting the poor that year to be $407.33, which saving is thus tacitly attributed to the policy of buying a farm for the town.
Project for a New County. The town held a meeting . April 7, 1828, " pursuant to a resolve of the legislature, approved by the governor, March 8, 1828, to wit: 'Shall a new county be formed of the towns of Royalston, Winchen- den, Athol, Templeton, Gardner, Westminster, Ashburnham, Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg, Princeton, Hubbardston, Phillipston, Lancaster, Bolton and Harvard from the county of Worcester ; and the towns of Groton, Shirley, Pepperell, Ashby and Townsend from the county of Middlesex' . and voted in the negative, ninety votes being cast and not one in the affirmative."
In 1831 the town voted on a proposed amendment to the State constitution as follows : Yeas, 8; Nays, 80. In 1835 the selectmen were made a committee to build one stone bridge in a year across Stony brook, " until they are all con- structed with stone."
New Burying-Ground. In 1836 the town voted " to grant to Bela Wright and others the privilege of a burying-
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED TO EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY. 181
ground on the north road, between Caleb Wight's and Reu- ben Wright's, which is to be free of expense to the town."
Poor-House. "April 3, 1837. Voted to choose a build- ing committee of five persons to superintend the building of a poor-house. Voted that Abram Prescott, Levi Heywood, Asia Nutting, Samuel H. Nichols and Horatio Fletcher be said committee." They recommended the erection of a house 39 feet by 40 feet, two stories high, with buttery and well- room in the shed. It was built in the summer and autumn of 1837. The contractor was Daniel W. Hartwell, who failed to finish it at the time agreed upon, October 20th, and the town voted, November 13th, that the committee be in- structed to superintend the finishing of it and settle with Mr. Hartwell as they think proper. He had agreed to build it for $2400, but the committee allowed the additional sum of $37.40, and finished it at a total expense for the house and shed of $3002.45. The overseers were authorized to buy new furniture for it, April 2, 1838, and probably it was occu- pied about that time, Mr. Parker being the master. The number of persons assisted in and out of the poor-house, be- tween the first day of March, 1839, and the eighth day of February, 1840, was fifty-five.
Common Land. In 1837 a committee was appointed to look up the common land, if any there be. . It was in 1832 that Asia Nutting took up and fenced a lot of ten acres in Shipley Swamp, near the head of Nubanussuck Pond. This is the last that is recorded in regard to it.
Disposition of Surplus Revenue. May 15, 1837, the town voted to receive its proportion of the surplus revenue of the United States in deposit, and to comply with the several acts passed by the Legislature respecting it. Abram Prescott was appointed agent to receive and receipt for the money to the State Treasurer, and required to pay over the same to the town treasurer, who, in turn, was required to pay with it all outstanding notes against this town and to loan the remainder on good security.
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HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
Printing. " March 4, 1839. Voted that the expenses of the town shall be printed for the future, and for 1838, by the selectmen of that year." *
Annual Reckoning. November II, 1839, the town voted that the committee chosen to reckon with the town treasurer shall do so " on the second or third week in Febru- ary and that this vote remain in force until repealed with regard to all further committees chosen for that purpose."
Fencing the Common. September 11, 1839. " Whereas it is desirable that the common in the middle of Westford should be fenced, and individuals are willing and ready to subscribe for the purpose of putting up stone posts with one rail between each post : Now, therefore, we the subscribers agree to pay the sums set against our names to such person as shall be chosen at a meeting of the subscribers to be called by J. W. P. Abbot, as soon as twelve names shall be placed upon this paper.
John Abbot $25 00
Ephraim Abbot
6 00
J. W. P. Abbot
5 00
S. D. Fletcher 5 50
Samuel H. Nichols 2 00
Trueworthy Keyes 5 00
Walter Wright 1 00
Nathan S. Hamblin
7 00
Henry Herrick 2 00
B. F. Osgood .
2 00
Avery Prescott
3 00
H. P. Herrick
1 50
Leonard Luce
2 00
Wm. W. Goodhue
3 00
Ira G. Richardson
1 00
Otis Longley .
1 00
Thomas Davis
2 00
John Davis
50
Benjamin Osgood .
2 00
Joseph Whitmore
2 00
Francis Leighton
1 50
Nathan S. Hamblin
50
Jonas Prescott
1 50
John Cutter
50
Josiah Webber
1 00
Jonathan F. Parker
1 00
Amt. carried forward, $74 50
$102 25
(Records, vol. vii., p. 377.)
Amt. brought forward, $74 50
Joseph Hildreth . 2 25
Albert Leighton . 3 00
Augustus Whiting, N. Y. 10 00
Imla Lawrence
2 00
·
* In 1840 the edition included 300 copies. Mr. John M. Fletcher has a collection of these annual reports nearly complete. It is the only collection known to the compiler.
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EIGHTEEN HUNDRED TO EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY.
" March 2, 1840. Voted that John Abbot and others may build a fence around the common, provided the town be put to no expense on account of the same."
" The trees on the common in the middle of Westford were set out in 1839, and in the fall of 1841 the fence was built by individual subscription.
"JOHN W. P. ABBOT, Town Clerk." (Records, vol. vi., p. 370.)
"This certifies that Eliakim Hutchins, Jr., on the twen- seventh day of November, A. D. 1847, set out on the south- west side of the common, opposite the Academy, all the spruce and pine trees in the two rows, and this record is made in commemoration of the same.
"JOHN W. P. ABBOT, Town Clerk."
(Records, vol. vii., p. 120.)
Sale of the Land in Plymouth, N. H. In the report of the treasurer for the year ending February 5, 1842, there is this item : Cash received for the Plymouth land, $49.00. Thus, after a period of fifty-seven years-1784 to 1841-this land was sold for this small sum, and the mention of it is no more found in the records. John W. P. Abbot was empow- ered to give the deed in behalf of the town.
Copying Record of Marriages. " March 2, 1846. Voted and chose John W. P. Abbot to collect and copy the marriage records into a book." *
Appended to this is his own certified copy of returns of marriages of Westford parties, which took place in other towns of the State, made by other town clerks, pursuant to an act of the Legislature of 1857.
Celebration at Acton. "September 23, 1851. Voted and chose John Cutter, Samuel Fletcher, Solomon Richardson,
* Mr. Abbot attended faithfully to this service and copied them with his own hand in a suitable book bearing this inscription: "Record of Marriages Collected from the Town Books in Westford from 1728 to 1845.
John W. P. Abbot, Town Clerk. April 1st, 1847."
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HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
D. C. Butterfield, Jonas Prescott and George E. Burt as a committee to confer with the Acton committee." This was to "take action respecting the coming celebration in that town." The town was invited by its committee to be present and participate in the ceremonies at the completion of a monument to be erected in Acton to the memory of Capt. Isaac Davis, who fell at Concord Bridge. Through the in- fluence of Rev. James T. Woodbury, the Legislature, during the session of 1851, made an appropriation of $2000 for that purpose.
Map of the Town. "March 1, 1852. Voted that the selectmen be authorized to procure 500 copies of a map of this town agreeable to Mr. E. Symmes' proposal."
" Nov. 13, 1854. Voted that Edward Symmes be authorized to print, at his own expense and for his own benefit, 100 extra copies of the map of the town of Westford." This map was published in 1855, from surveys made by Mr. Symmes.
Barn at the Poor-Farm. ". May 1, 1857. Voted to choose a committee of three to take measures to build a barn or repair the old one at the Poor-Farm the coming year." The treasurer was authorized to borrow $1500 to defray the expense. Nathan S. Hamblin, Charles L. Fletcher and Timothy P. Wright were the building committee. They asked for instructions in April, 1858, and the barn was built some time in that year, for they presented their report March 7, 1859, which was accepted and placed on file.
CHAPTER VI.
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
IT may well be doubted whether a war was ever under- taken that involved such stupendous issues and was attended with such momentous consequences as the War of the Rebel- lion. It is scarcely within the power of rhetoric or demon- stration to set them forth too vividly and strongly.
On the part of the Union army it was a war in defence of our homes and our constitutional rights ; a war in vindication of all that was dear to us in our political and educational sys- tems, and, in the last analysis, of all that was valuable to us in our Christian faith. It involved the question whether might makes right ; whether liberty is the birthright of every human soul, however lowly; whether the all-embracing air and the vivifying sun in the heavens are God's free gift to all his creatures ; whether every man, while submitting to the requirements of just law, has a right to himself, to the owner- ship of his own faculties of body and mind-the right which is inalienable and untransferable to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It was to decide this point that every battle was fought. Could there be a more momentous strife? Of all the questions that relate to man's earthly destiny, is there one more important? Bad as war is, in itself considered, always and everywhere ; repugnant as it is to every humane feeling, and to every principle of the gospel, it is surely in keeping with the facts to say that no more cogent and justifiable reasons ever existed for taking up arms in defence of freedom and home than the reasons which led the patriot soldiers of the North to go forth to victory or to death.
The early wars in the history of the world were wars of conquest mainly-the effort of the stronger tribes or clans to establish a supremacy over the weaker ones.
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186
HISTORY OF WESTFORD.
The campaigns of Alexander and Napoleon were carried on in the interest of a personal ambition. The end sought was the aggrandizement of the leader or of the nation which he represented. Occasionally, indeed, there was a higher motive ; sometimes a veritable stroke in behalf of liberty. But in turning the pages of history, where can be found an impulse so fervidly patriotic, so undeniably just and true as that which governed the Union army in the memorable contest ?
The bombardment of Fort Sumter sent a thrill to every loyal Northern heart that will not cease to be felt until the generation then on the stage shall have passed away. At that time the air was full of anxious forebodings, and men spoke seriously of the gravity of the situation and wondered what would be the result. The winter. of 1860-'61 wore away in dreadful anxiety, and on the breezes of spring came the sulphurous breath of war, mingling unnaturally and reluctantly with the fragrance of the violet and the arbutus.
On the 19th of April, 1861, the Sixth Regiment of Mas- sachusetts troops, whose homes were in Lowell, Lawrence and the vicinity, hastening to the aid of the national government, marched through the streets of Baltimore, Md., leaving their dead cruelly slain by the minions of slavery in that disloyal city. This was the first sacrifice made by the defenders of freedom upon the altar whereon, in the succeeding years, so many choice spirits laid themselves down in death for her sake. The great majority of the people of this town were filled with indignation at this unprovoked assassination. Clear proof of this was shown by the eagerness with which men hastened to enlist under the old flag. On the 22nd of April, three days after that occurrence, the names of twenty-one men, all residents of the town and many of them born here, were on the enlistment-roll of what became, a few days later, Company C, Sixteenth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, Captain Leander G. King, and were quartered at Groton Junction, now Ayer, for equipment and drill. These were the earliest to enlist, and others joined them soon after.
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