USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Mattapoisett > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 9
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Rochester > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 9
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During 1774 many town meetings were held. It was
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voted "To sign a covenant to break off trade with Great Britain until the Boston Port Bill is repealed." Repre- sentative White was enjoined "not to act in conformity with the Act of Parliament altering the Charter." Charles Nye was appointed to examine the town stock. Forty firearms were purchased for the use of the town. Nathan Nye, Jr., was directed to "make up the Town Stock of powder to 400 weight with Lead and Flints Answerable." The Assessors were directed " not to make up the Province Rate," but at a later meeting this vote was reconsidered.
It was also voted "to choose officers to take ye Com- mand of the Military Companies," and that "Every minute man (so-called) in Rochester to the number of One Hundred that shall attend Three Half Days in each week as shall be appointed by their Captain & Twice in a month in one Body to Learn the use of the Fire-Licks from this day to the first Day of April next & be Ready to March when Needed & Equip Himself with a Good Firearm & other acooterments as Recommended by the Provential Congress shall be Entitled to one Shilling ye Week."
September 26, 1774, a company of young men from Rochester made an incursion into Barnstable County in order to prevent the Inferior Court of Common Pleas from holding its regular session. The excuse given was that the method of drawing jurors by the sheriff instead of out of a box in town meeting put in jeopardy the rights of the people. The real aim, however, was, by breaking up the County Court to destroy an avenue through which busi- ness could pass to higher courts that were under the King's control. One of this company was young Abraham Holmes, whose zeal for liberty did much to arouse the
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Revolutionary spirit of Rochester. As the company passed through Wareham and Sandwich, they were re- inforced by others of like spirit, and on reaching Barn- stable they succeeded in preventing the session of the Court, and compelling the judges to sign certain pledges. After holding a political meeting at Barnstable, at which it was resolved to boycott British goods and to suppress pedlers who sold Bohea tea, the agitators dispersed.
When the battle of Lexington occurred, April 19, 1775, the rumor reached Rochester April 20, but it was scarcely believed. Abraham Holmes, then twenty-one years of age, was sent to learn the truth of the rumor. On reach- ing Middleboro, he met a messenger who confirmed the report, and Mr. Holmes records that he returned to Rochester " as gay as a lark" at the joyful news that the struggle for Independence was really begun.
Three companies of militia from Rochester marched to Boston in response to the Lexington call. The "First Company of Minute-men," under Capt. Edward Ham- mond, a "Second foot Company of Militia," under Capt. Nathaniel Hammond, and a third company under Lieut. Seth Briggs, with which the Rev. Jonathan Moore, pastor of the First Church of Rochester, went as Chaplain. Mr. Holmes records in his diary that because of some mis- understanding in the regiment, formed in the summer of 1775, in Plymouth County, none of the Rochester Militia officers would accept commissions. But this must have been a temporary situation, for there were afterwards many commissioned officers from Rochester.
The three companies that marched from Rochester after the Lexington alarm saw only a few days' service at this time. In August of the same year, Capt. Edward
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Hammond's company, with its enrolment much changed, and a company under Capt. Earl Clap were in service at Boston. Gideon Hammond is also mentioned as a cap- tain in the regular army in 1775. Earl Clap rose to the rank of Major in the General Army. He was at the battle of Bunker Hill, and in later life had a pension of $560 a year.
In 1776 a Rochester company was in service under Capt. Samuel Briggs; in 1778 two companies were in service under Capt. Nathaniel Hammond and Capt. Elisha Haskell; and in 1780 there were in service in Rhode Island in the Fourth Plymouth County Regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel White, four companies from Rochester under Capt. Charles Church, Capt. Nathaniel Hammond, Capt. Barnabas Doty, and Capt. Samuel Briggs. There were also many Rochester men in com- panies formed in other towns of the State. The person of most note in the military record of Rochester, perhaps, was Major Elnathan Haskell, who became one of Wash- ington's Aids. His portrait in this capacity may be seen in the great painting representing Burgoyne's Surrender, in the dome of the Capitol in Washington. After the War, Major Haskell settled in South Carolina.
It is difficult at present to make a complete list of the Rochester men who did military service in the Revolution, but from various enlistment rolls, - muster rolls, records of "New Levies," of pensions, bounties, and men dis- charged, a list of some hundreds could be compiled. It was said at the Rochester Bi-Centennial that "it is a historical fact that Rochester furnished more men in proportion to territory and inhabitants than any other town in the Old Colony."
ROCHESTER COMMON Showing Meeting-house, Academy, Schoolhouse and Town House
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It is even more difficult to make an accurate list of those who did naval service. Naval records were less carefully kept than those of the military. Much of the naval service also was by privateering, and this was not officially recorded. But many men of Rochester followed the sea, and were drawn into naval action. Minister Le Baron has recorded the fatalities in this service from Mattapoisett as follows : " In late war a No. lost at Sea out of Mattap't, David Rogers, Captain Rogers, M. Barlow, Joseph Barlow & Reuben, Jo Wing & Wyett Wing - Daniel H. Cowen, Indian Boy, Jo Clarke, Aaron Parker, Lothrop Hamond - Seth Hamond - Micah Hamond, Thos. Williams Jn Cushing, Elisha Toby, Wm. Toby, Sol Young, Ez Hovey, Asa Price, Francis Luce, Eleazer Allen, - Norton, Calvin Hamond - Nie Stevens, Timo Stephens, Jabez Dexter - Jonathan Annable, Sam'l Annable, - Anthony Hamond - Andrew Southw'd."
In 1775 it was voted to hire one hundred pounds to buy war stores, also "two Boats for the use of Capt. Nathaniel Hammond's Company "; also "to send to the West Indies by Capt. Moses Barlow for powder, firearms, molasses and other war supplies."
A climax was now approaching, and the records in- crease in interest. May 23, 1776, it was " Voted that when the Honourable Congress shall think best to Declare them- selves Independant of the Kingdom of Great Brittain that we will Defend them with our Lives & Fortunes."
Soon the link was severed that bound the colonies to the mother country, and now arose new governmental questions. The town government holds on its way, but all else is in a transitional and chaotic state. Each little town by its decisions, made known through its representa-
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tive, will help to direct the trend of State and national affairs. November 5, 1776, Rochester voted "That the Present General Court of this State agree upon and settle a form of government for the present, to be subject to alteration if need be Hereafter."
But the making of State Constitutions requires time and meanwhile the war-needs continue. Not only must weapons be furnished to the soldiers, but they need the inspiriting influence of music as well. So the town votes the sum of sixty pounds to "purchase guns Drums and Fifes "; also "Voted that the Town draw 50 firearms belonging to the Continant to be returned when called for." New committees are also appointed to take care of the families of the soldiers. Enoch Hammond did much service during the war in the care of soldiers' sup- plies and soldiers' families, and was called "The Father of the Town."
The draft of the State Constitution being prepared, on May 22, 1777, the town of Rochester took it "into Con- sideration, and after Mature Deliberation thereon said Town voted said form," but added a list of comments and objections, one of which runs thus:
"The Ninth Article seems to be attended with some Difficulty as To vote for Sennators in the furthest parts of the State when we cannot be acquainted with their Quallifications Said Town think it best that Each District choose their own Senators & no more."
Meanwhile, army reverses had brought a feeling of depression, and a spirit of opposition to the war showed itself which must be suppressed. A committee of inspec- tion was formed in Rochester at an early date to call to account those who uttered Tory sentiments. One of
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those dealt with had said that he "wished the people of Rochester were in hell for their treatment of Ruggles and Sprague," but on expressing repentance he was duly forgiven.
In 1776, Samuel Sprague, the former town representa- tive, was accused by Isaac Snow, chairman of the Inspec- tion Committee, as unfriendly to the cause of the colonies. It was declared that "he was one of the Addressors of the late Governor Hutchinson (the Tory Governor), that afterwards he had subscribed a declaration manifesting his repentance and retraction of said address, - which confession and retraction was to the general satisfaction of the town, - but that he had since retracted his former confession and repentance and, on the seventh of June last, did declare that he was not convinced of the justice of the Cause of the Colonies, and that he utterly refused to take up arms or be in any way personally active in the defence of the Common Cause of the Colonies."
Exactly what was done about it is not very clear. Sprague did not become an out-and-out Tory. He was probably a man of balanced mind, who recognized some justice on both sides of the great struggle. He sold his home in Rochester soon afterwards, and in the last part of his life was a resident of Fairhaven. He lived to advanced age, and in his closing years was the oldest man living who had served as representative to the General Court. He died in 1825, and left in his will a bequest to his native town from which it still derives benefit, and which is known as the "Sprague Legacy."
Another man in Rochester, whose Tory sympathies were even more pronounced than those of Samuel Sprague, was Nathaniel Sears. He, too, was arraigned by Isaac
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Snow of the Committee of Inspection, but there is no evidence that he was won over to the side of the colonies. Possibly the zeal of Isaac Snow in the American cause sometimes outran his discretion. In 1781 he was dis- ciplined by the First Church of Rochester because, in a religious service in which Rev. Thomas West of North Rochester was the preacher, the said Isaac Snow " spoke out and called Mr. West an old Tory, while he was preach- ing." But the "Committee of Inspection" was held to be a necessary office, and in 1779 "The town made choice of Earl Clap to Take evidence against those that are Enemical to the American States agreeable to a Late Act of this State."
About this time a rather obscure and complicated record occurs. A town meeting was called "To choose 3, 5 or 7 persons who shall be under Oath to prosicute all Breaches of the Act for preventing Monopoly & Oppres- sion which come to their knowledge or of which they shall receive information and all Breaches of an Act Intitled An Act in Addition to and Amending an Act intitled An Act for preventing Monopoly, etc."
As the weary struggle went on, and the money depre- ciated in value, the people grew desperate. Many kinds of money were in use. Sometimes in the account of a single transaction, several kinds of money are named. We read of money of the "New Emmission" and the "Old Emmission," of "Hard Money," as well as "Con- tinential Currancy." These, with English money also in use, and changing values for all, and various counterfeits in circulation, made all financial transactions embarrass- ing.
As an illustration of the state of affairs we read that at
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one town meeting Rochester voted one hundred hard dollars as bounty for the soldiers, made an appropria- tion of "671 £ in Bills of ye new Emission for army beef," and an "assessment of 1860 Continential Dollars upon the town to pay for Constables."
Many futile resolutions were passed in regard to the money situation. May 26, 1779, after certain resolves relating to efforts " to appreciate the Currancy " had been passed, the following malediction was added:
" Whoever shall Directly or Indirectly violate either of Sd resolves made for this important purpose shall be Deemed Infamous & held up to view as an Enemy to ye Indepindence, freedom & happiness of his Country by publishing his name in ye newspapers published in this State, after which publication it shall be Disrespectfull in any Good Citizen to maintain Either Social or Commer- cial Connections with a wretch so Lost to all publick Virtue as wantonly to Sacrafice the Intrest of his Country to the acquisition of a Little paltery Gain."
It was chiefly the financial troubles which caused the excitements and illegal actions in Massachusetts towns that were focalized in the western counties as "Shay's Rebellion," and made painfully evident the need of a stronger national government that could regulate for all the States their monetary system.
About this time a committee of thirteen was chosen to "Stipulate prices of Labour & of Sundry articles sold to the Town." A few days later, delegates from Rochester attended a Convention at Plympton to discuss the same questions. The prices reported at the Plympton Con- vention throw some light on the monetary situation. Among them were the following:
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€ S
Labour, Common Labour a Day
42
Mowing
54
Houpwrights a Day
3
Millwrights a Day
3 12
Masons
3 6
Shiprights a Day .
3 12
Tanners Sole Leather, a lb. 18
Shoemakers for making a pair of men's shoes 42 Women's shoes & finding heels by the shoemaker 42
Making a pair of strong men's shoes and finding all 6
Prices were also given of "Nails, lumber, pasture, cole, wood, fish, (fresh fish without entrails at ye waterside 1s a pound) etc." Other articles were referred to the com- mittee for further regulation.
August 19, 1779, the town chose Nathaniel Hammond as delegate to a State Convention at Cambridge called to form a New State Constitution. It also appointed a committee of four to prepare instructions for Captain Hammond's guidance in the Convention. This com- mittee presented an elaborate report with many explicit directions to Captain Hammond.
The Constitution proposed by the Cambridge Conven- tion was duly presented to the town for consideration and, in May, 1780, it was voted upon, article by article. Two articles in the Bill of Rights were voted upon adversely, and a number of alterations were proposed, one of them being: "That there be added to the above Frame of Government That there shall no slave be born nor Im- ported into this Commonwealth."
We are not told whether the Rochester amendments
.
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made any difference in the final form of the State Consti- tution; but the instrument went into effect duly, and September 4, 1780, the citizens met in town meeting, and voted for State Officers, John Hancock being chosen Gov- ernor, with Robert Treat Paine as Lieutenant-Governor.
In December, 1781, a town meeting was called, "To protest against duties laid on Rum wine &c & if thought best to take Lawfull measures to obtain redress of the Grievance." It was voted that "The Act is Disagreeable to the Town," and a committee was chosen to petition for redress. It is plain that the Rochester of that date would not have tolerated either high license or prohibition.
One result of the money troubles was that it became extremely difficult for the town to raise the new "cota of 32 soldiers," called for in 1780 to fill the ranks of the depleted armies. The committee report that they cannot "hire any soldiers in town by reason of Disapointments many soldiers have met with in the depreciation of their wages before they were paid." It was therefore "voted to promise the soldiers that any such Depreciation should be made up by the town"; also a bounty of "12£ & no more," was to be paid to each soldier, " in gold, silver or produce," as he should choose, and soldiers in the field were to have "12£ in Cloathing and other necessaries for self & family." At last by strenuous efforts of the com- mittee, aided by bounties to "3 mos. men," and to "6 mos. men," the "cota" was made up; but in January, 1781, a new committee of eight was appointed to hire "25 soldiers called for by the General Court to serve for three years or during the war." A bounty for these soldiers was also voted, of "One Hundred hard dollars each year in January."
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A matter which gave increasing irritation was the requi. sition on the town for beef for the army. It was a never- ceasing need, and became at last a most onerous burden.
December 30, 1782, it was voted "to petition the Great & General Court to receive in all the paper money of both Emissions now in the Town's hands and Give the Town credit for the same." In January, 1787, however, it was reported that the town has "946£ - 10s - 5d of the new Emmission & 49144£-8s-0 of the Old Emmission," though a considerable number of bills of each " ware coun- terfeit."
Peace was declared in 1783, but it was long before the blessings of peace came to the burdened community. O1. the contrary, the confusion and dissatisfaction grew ever stronger. The feeling toward the government is shown by the attitude of the town-meeting toward certain grants of the Continental Congress to officers of the army.
February 6, 1784, the town's committee reported the following spirited protest which was adopted:
"To wit that it is the opinion of your Committee that the paying of the Officers of the Continential army 5 years wages after their service is Ended is highly unreasonable & oppressive & will be productive of many bad conse- quencies as one notorious bad presedent. However the power of Congress may be we think the Grant made by them to sd officers was obtained by undue influence & if no Negative to Sd Grant is yet to be admitted (notwith- standing all their Good Service) we shall Esteam them Publick Nusances & Treat them in that Curracter."
Thus the town of Rochester set its own opinion on national affairs above that of Congress, and proposed " to act accordingly."
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Peace having been declared, Commerce began to receive attention, and in May, 1785, the town instructed Lieu- tenant-Colonel White to use his "Influence that a large Impost be laid on all Goods imported in British Bottoms "; also, in 1786, to use his influence, "that there be a Bank of paper money Emitted by the General Court." In August, 1786, Earl Clap, Nathaniel Hammond, and Abraham Holmes were made a committee "to correspond with the other Towns in order to Divise & Adopt" legal measures for a redress of grievances.
Several weeks later, this committee reported, and the town then gave very extended instructions to Colonel White, "which we expect you to follow & by no means depart from them." These instructions, prepared it is said by Abraham Holmes, cover five or six pages of closely written foolscap, and discuss most far-reaching and im- portant principles of government, such as the redemption of the currency, the right of Congress to lay taxes on the State, the Constitutional power of the General Court to place a check on the Acts of Congress, the system of taxation that should be employed, the principle of exempt- ing ministers from taxation, and of making grants to army officers. All of these things are committed to the "utmost endeavors" of Colonel White with the words, "May the great Fountain of Goodness and Knowledge assist you in discharging this Trust with Success."
The preparation of such documents by the country towns shows the magnitude of the intellectual labor by which the state and national governments were developed.
But the effort of small communities to direct the larger affairs of State and nation had its dangers. Disorders
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Mattapoisett and Old Rochester
were arising, and the excited people in certain towns of Massachusetts overstepped legal bounds in their attempts to regulate abuses. The story of Shay's Rebellion may be read on the pages of the school text-books. It came as a warning to law-abiding persons to pause and see whither things were tending.
February 12, 1787, a town meeting of a very different spirit was held in Rochester, "on account of the Con- fusions & Disorders in the Commonwealth." A com- mittee of five was chosen to draft a petition and report in one hour. This report expresses the "Attachment of the town of Rochester to the Government of Massachusetts & its poignant regret for the late unhappy disorders." But it adds :
"We humbly pray that the troops under General Lin- coln (now the Insurgents are disbursed) may be imme- diately disbanded. We think this would restore Publick tranquillity if an Act of General Indemnity be passed & we pray your honours patience in praying you to take measures for suitably lowering the Salaries of the Servants of Government & take into your wise Consideration that late act of suspending the privelidge of the writ of Habeas Corpus."
The law adviser of General Lincoln who commanded the State troops during this time of agitation was John Sprague, who was born in Mattapoisett village in 1746, and at this time was the Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Worcester County.
About this time reports were carried to Boston against Abraham Holmes. It was said that he was a dangerous person, since it was well known that he did not approve of the acts of the Legislature. He went before the Senate
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in his own defense, declaring that he had done nothing revolutionary. But learning that a state warrant had been issued for his arrest, and fearing that since the act of Habeas Corpus was suspended he should be held in jail without a trial, he left Rochester privately during a snow- storm, and remained for a time in Rhode Island. Later he returned to Rochester openly and his fellow-citizens, who had been his firm supporters and indignant defenders during the agitation, gave him an enthusiastic welcome, and the next year sent him as their representative to the Gen- eral Court.
But the time was at hand when governmental questions were to be settled on a broader basis. Not the little towns, discussing from a local standpoint these matters of national concern, not the several States jealous of their own State rights, nor yet the Continental Congress with its limited powers, could settle finally these tremendous complications. But a broader tribunal was even then constructing the instrument which should marshal the conflicting elements into an organized whole.
December 20, 1787, the town of Rochester "Voted to read the proposed Federal Constitution in Town Meeting, & to send two delegates to the State Convention at Bos- ton," Capt. Nathaniel Hammond and Mr. Abraham Holmes being chosen for this honored service.
So the Federal Constitution began its harmonizing rule, and a year later (December 18, 1788) a town meeting was convened to choose "One Member of the House of Representatives of the united States of America, to be the Representative of Plymouth and Barnstable Counties; also to vote for two persons as electors for President and vice-President of the united States of America."
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Mattapoisett and Old Rochester
The Revolution was at last ended, and now the town records change their character, and again glide naturally into the election of local officers and the ever-seasonable regulation of the "Herren fisheries."
CHAPTER VIII
AFTER THE REVOLUTION
T HE Revolution being over, the town of Rochester began again to give attention to its own development. Minister Le Baron writes concerning the town, in 1786:
"Length N. & S. 10, E. & W. 7,- containing two rivers, Mattapoisett and Sipican, on which there are 10 grist mills 13 sawmills, 2 forges and 1 fuling mill; on other less streams 1 foundry, 3 gristmills & 1 sawmill. Agri- culture not highly improved. Our Navigation is so much an object of our attention as to be a great disadvantage to our Husbandry. As we have a large proportion of sheep the Inhabitants are enabled to manufacture much the greater part of the thick cloth that is worn & we have about 4 vessels employed in the Whaling fishery, about the principal source of our specie. Ship building & iron are two branches of manufactory not unprofitable."
The fulling mills were used to dress the cloth woven in the homes from wool and flax. Among the many mills that have stood at the Sippican mill site by Leonard's Pond since the beginning of the town history, there was once a fulling mill. Another also stood for a time at the Dexter Dam at Rochester Center.
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