Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 46

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts > Part 46

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Thomas Durfee, son of Benjamin and grandson of the first Thomas, was born November 5, 1721, and in 1747 married Patience Borden, daughter of Joseph Borden. His birthplace was in that part of Tiver- ton which was added to Fall River. He inherited a large landed estate, and the farm on which he lived and died constituted that part of Fall River city lying north of the line of Elm street and south of Turner street, extending from the shore to Watuppa Ponds.1 He held many important public offices, among them judge of the Court of Sessions for Bristol county. His death took place July 9, 1796.2

Col. Joseph Durfee was a son of the foregoing Thomas, and was born April 27, 1750, and died December 10, 1841, aged nearly ninety-two years. He inherited a large farm lying with the limits of the present Fall River, known in recent years as the Slade farm. He was a brave

1 The two bodies of water commonly known as the North and South Watuppa Ponds were formerly connected by a narrow, shallow strait, in which were placed stepping-stones for cross- ing on foot. This was called "the Narrows," and is now replaced by an artificial roadway and bridge.

2 Judge Durfee was noted for his lavish hospitality and his home was worthy of a man of his station and great wealth. He early established a park, comprising a number of aeres of land be- tween Main and Rock streets, in which he kept a fine herd of deer. At the time of the landing of the British troops here in 1778, Mrs. Durfee drove the deer into the woods; they returned after the troops left the place. Among distinguished guests of Judge Durfee was General La Fayette, who presented his host with two fine deer hounds. In the trying years of the Revolution he spent liberally of his fortune for the good of the patriotic cause, and his life as a whole was a career of great usefulness and honor.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

officer in the Revolutionary army and was in command at the time the British landed at Fall River in 1778, when the enemy was driven away to his boats with a loss of several killed and wounded. Colonel Durfee, with his relative, Capt. Richard Durfee, and others engaged early in the spinning of cotton yarn, and in that business lost much of his for- tune.

Many other male members of the Durfee family have occupied prom- inent stations in private and public life, as will appear elsewhere in these pages. The family became intimately related by marriage with the Borden family; to both of these families the early development of Fall River was largely due.

As will be seen from these brief notes, and details in later pages, those two families (the Bordens and the Durfees), following in the foot- steps of the pioneers who came from Swansea and Dighton and laid the foundation of the later great manufacturing interests here, were foremost in developing the village and city of Fall River, and there is scarcely a branch of the varied manufacturing and commercial interests of the place in which one or more men bearing one of these names has not been directly and prominently interested. Members of both fami- lies of later years are elsewhere noticed in these pages, as well as other pioneer families who were conspicuous in promoting the growth of Fall River in its early history.

In every respect excepting topographically the pioneers of Fall River in its western district were justified in hoping that a prosperous village or city might be founded and stimulated into sturdy growth, at the head of the beautiful Mt. Hope Bay, and along the bank of Taunton River, and beside the tumbling cascades of the Quequechan. If the rocky bluffs and the steep hillside did not offer the most desirable building sites, the enormous descent of water in Fall River ' before it found its way into the bay, spoke eloquently to the pioneers of thousands of horse power to be had almost without price. The Indian name of this little stream, so insignificant in itself, except in its remarkable descent down

1 Fall River is the outflow of the Watuppa Ponds, lying eastward of the city and covering an area of about 3,500 acres, which are mostly filled with perennial springs. The fall of this river within a distance of less than half a mile is 132 feet, and within this distance there are eight dis- tinct falls, creating a source of power almost unparalleled within so short a distance. In one place the falls are only 136 feet apart. For most of its length the river flows over a granite bed and part of the distance between high banks of the same rock. An additional fall of two feet was gained by constructing a dam at the outlet of the ponds.

437

THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.

the steep hillside, is singularly appropriate-Quequechan, or Falling Water.

From the top of the hill, as well as from other elevated points above Taunton River and the bay, the scene is full of native loveliness. The Watuppa Ponds, still retaining their Indian title, are near at hand and surrounded with charming scenery, while to the westward, bay and river and distant landscape unite to form a picture of rare beauty.

Into this and the surrounding region came the hardy, God-fearing pioneers, most of whom were tillers of the forbidding soil, intent upon securing homes for themselves and their posterity and so rearing their children that they might honor their parents. For a number of years after the beginning of settlement on the Freeman's Purchase the center of population was near the extreme northern boundary of the Purchase and a little south of the small tributary of Taunton River which has been called Mother's Brook. At the southern boundary Col. Benjamin Church made his improvements and operated his mills, as before stated.

To save space and avoid unnecessary repetition, the reader must be referred to earlier chapters for a general history of the early wars and the relations thereto of Freetown and Fall River. According to an ac- count by Gen. E. W. Pierce, a tradition is kept alive that in King Philip's war (1675-76) the inhabitants of Freetown fled in a body to the defenses of Taunton, leaving everything to the enemy. Mr. Lawton, before mentioned as a settler at what is now Fall River, was slain by the Indians and his body left in his dwelling by the panic-stricken people.

In King William's war (1689-97) the inhabitants of Freetown were required to supply men, arms and money to the military forces of the colony. The entire militia of the town was organized into a company in June, 1686, which was commanded by Thomas Terry. The follow- ing record of expenses of a soldier named John King, who went out under Major (later Colonel) Benjamin Church, is of interest :

Charges to the soulders under Major Church august 27,

£ s. d.

To 1 gun from John hathway to John King,

1 7 00

To 2 yards Cloth for snapsacks from Benjamin Chase Valued att

5 00

To cash to Cpt Southerd for a hatchet,

1 06

To billiting John King 8 days,

4 00

'To 1 pair of shoes from Ralfe aerll to John King,

6 00

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

In 1690 Freetown men participated in an expedition under Maj. John Walley, as shown in the following order:

To the Liftenant or towne Counsill of freetown

You are required in their majesties name to take care that the two men you were to provide by order of the Last general Court be in readiness by the sixth of July well armed and fixed and every way provided to march according to order. Hereof fail not. Dated at Bristol the 16th of June 1690.

John Walley, Major.

Lieut. Samuel Gardiner was recruiting officer for Freetown and in 1690 made the following returns:

June the 24. Entered for volunteers William Davis, thomas Traintor, and Joseph Chetiagweatt, Indian, for the town of freetoun, Egainst the common Enemy for the present Expidition for Canady, and tarbo Cary being present for said Expidition.

Taken by me, Samuel Gardiner

July the fourteenth tarbo Cary and thomas traintor marcht for plimoth but Willi Davis and the Indian went not.

Samuel Gardiner.

Tallby Jennens (as spelled in the records) and Benjamin Hoppin of Freetown were serving in the army in 1692.

The part taken in the early Indian troubles by the settlers in Free- town, including that part of it now constituting Fall River, has been described in another chapter and need not be further dwelt upon here. As has been seen, strife and bloodshed in the King Philip war extended within the bounds of the present town and some of the most sanguin- ary struggles took place near at hand. But the ultimate doom of the native occupants of the soil was sealed long before, when the first white man settled in these colonies and, justly or unjustly, they were conquered and their numbers finally reduced to a few isolated remnants dwelling upon reservations.

One of these Indian reservations lies within the town of Fall River and originally belonged to a person who was convicted of " high mis- demeanors." He was sentenced to pay a fine of £150, but escaped from an officer having him in charge and fled to Rhode Island. After some years and when he was desirous of returning to the State, Col. Benjamin Church presented a petition to the General Court in his be- half. The proposition was made to the court that in satisfaction of the fine, the refugee should convey to the Province certain lands therein, and praying that when a deed of these lands was made, he should be

439

THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.

permitted to return to his family. In answer to the petition it was resolved in March, 1701, that the prayer be granted, and Ebenezer Brenton, Colonel Church and William Peabody were appointed a com- mittee to see that the transfer of the lands was properly executed. A deed was made on the 27th of November, 1701, transferring the land to Capt. James Church and certain members of his company of friendly Indians, in consideration of their services to the province. In 1763 another committee was appointed to make a new survey of these lands, the bounds to be renewed and a plan made of the same with the subdi- visions, and a new assignment of the lots of those who had died and left no posterity.

The reservation of the Fall River Indians is situated on the east shore of the North Watuppa Pond, in the easterly part of the town, about five miles from the business center of the city. A report made by J. Milton Earl, in 1861, under direction of the State government, showed that the number of Indian families on the reservation was 16; the number of males 41; number of females 37. Of these 72 were na- tives and 6 foreigners. Of the 72, fifty were less than 70 years old, and 3 were over 70. At the present time there are on the reservation, the widow of William Perry and three small children living there; they are supported in part by the city.

Freetown sent a few men to the army in the French and Indian war (1754-62); among them were Elijah Hatch, Benjamin Butterworth, Joseph Rounsville, John White, Benjamin Porter, Edward Pain, Leon- ard Carlile and Josiah Braman (spelled as in the records). Regarding the last four the following appears in the records:

May 3d day, 1756, their Entered into his Majesties' Service out of the first foot company in freetoun, Viz. benjamin porter, Edward pain, Leonard Carlisle, Josiah Braman.

At the above date was paid by the town Treasurer of Freetown to

Benjamin Porter, old tenor 11 15 00

Edward Pain, 11 4 03

Josiah Braman 50 0 00

The account of Lieutenant James Winslow, treasurer of Freetown in 1756, shows that he received from David Cudworth, jr., £75 old tenor to purchase his freedom from the draft and hire a substitute. Charles Cudworth paid £2 8s. to free one of his sons who was drafted, and John Terry paid £8 for a like purpose. James Edmenster bought off his son, Noah, who was impressed, for £2 8s.

440

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

It should be explained here that from the date of incorporation of Freetown (1683) until about the time of the annexation of the tract from Tiverton in 1747, the militia of the town was enrolled in only one company; about the date last named it was divided into three com- panies, the first of which was confined substantially to what is known as Old or West Freetown; the third company to the new part or East Freetown; and the second company, with which we are more particu- larly interested here, to the part which was set off in 1803 as Fall River. Following is a list of captains of this latter company, covering a con- siderable period :

Ambroze Barnolz, commissioned 17 -; discharged 17 --.

George Brightman, commissioned 175 -; discharged

Jail Hathaway, commissioned July, 1771; discharged Sept. 19, 1775.

Thomas Durfee, commissioned July 5, 1776; discharged 177 -.

- Brightman, commissioned 177 -; discharged 178 -.

Joseph Read (3d), commissioned July 1, 1781; discharged 178 -.

Luther Winslow, commissioned June 8, 1789; discharged 1793.

Ichabod Read, commissioned October 2, 1793; discharged December 5, 1796.

Benjamin Brayton, commissioned May 2, 1797; promoted to major September 10, 1803.

At the beginning of the Revolution these three Freetown companies, with part of a company of cavalry, belonged to the Second Regiment of Infantry, of which Thomas Gilbert, of Freetown, was colonel; James Winslow, of Freetown, lieutenant-colonel, and Benjamin Grinnell, of Freetown, adjutant. The commissioned officers of the Fall River Com- pany were as follows: Jail Hathaway, captain; Stephen Borden and Ambrose Barnolz, jr., lieutenants. The field officers of the Second Regiment were as follows:

Thomas Elliot, colonel, commissioned 1762; discharged Sept 19, 1775.

Thomas Terry, lieutenant-colonel, commissioned 174 -.

Ebenezer Hathaway, lieutenant-colonel, commissioned 174 -.

Abiel Terry, lieutenant-colonel, commissioned 1758; discharged 1762.

James Winslow, lieutenant-colonel, commissioned July 25, 1771; discharged Sep- tember 19, 1775.

Joseph Durfee, lieutenant-colonel, commissioned July 1, 1781; discharged 1788.

Benjamin Weaver, lieutenant-colonel, commissioned July 10, 1788; discharged March, 1793.

Thomas Terry, major, commissioned 173 -; promoted to lieutenant-colonel.

Abiel Terry, major, commissioned 175 -; promoted 1758.

Joshua Hathaway, major, commissioned February 7, 1775; discharged in 1778. Joseph Durfee, major, commissioned June 9, 1778; promoted July 1, 1781.

Joseph E. Read, major, commissioned June 2, 1808; promoted April 14, 1812.

441

THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.

In the other companies of this regiment, and doubtless in the other militia regiments of this section, there were a few men who settled on territory included in the limits of Fall River, who were prominent in the later history of the town. Among these are found the names of Timothy Borden, Noah Borden, David Durfee.

The principal event of the Revolutionary war in which Fall River was directly concerned took place in the fall of 1777, when the British made an invasion from the bay. The best and most authentic account of this occurrence and other incidents of local importance was written in 1834 by Col. Joseph Durfee, who was serving as an officer in the American army, and although it has been printed in various publica - tions, there is ample justification for again reproducing it in these pages, omitting from the beginning a little matter descriptive of Fall River in early years:

Our country has been involved in three wars since my recollection. The first was with the French and Indians-when we fought for our lives. The French offered a bounty for every scalp which the Indians would bring them. It was therefore cer- tain death to all who fell into the Indians' hands. I distinctly remember the time when General Wolfe was killed, and seeing the soldiers on their march to reinforce the army. I saw many men enlist into the service, and among them, Joseph Valen- tine, father of William Valentine, of Providence. I was then about ten years of age.

The second war was with Great Britain, during the greater part of which I was actively engaged in the service of my country. We then fought for our liberty. We were divided into two parties, called Whigs and Tories-the former, the friends of liberty and independence; the latter, the enemies of both. Before the Revolution broke out, the Whigs were busy in making saltpetre and gunpowder, in making and preparing small arms, in training and learning the art of war. At this time, we of this State were British subjects, and constituted what was then called the Colony of Massachusetts. Conventions were held in the colony to transact the business and consult upon the affairs of the colony. At one of these conventions I received a captain's commission, signed by Walter Spooner, Esq., and took the command of a company of minute men.

British ships, commanded by Wallace, Asque and Howe, early in the Revolution were off our coast, in the river and bay, harassing and distressing the towns of Newport, Bristol and other towns on the river. I was called upon with my com- pany and such others as could be mustered to guard the shores and prevent the British from landing, until the colony could raise a force sufficient to protect the in- habitants from their depredations.

In 1776, after the battle of Long Island, a reinforcement was called to cover the retreat of the American troops. I was ordered to take command of a company of sixty men and march forward to the army then retreating from New York. These orders were promptly obeyed. With the company under my command, I joined the regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Carpenter, and by a forced march we

442

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

reached the army a few days before the battle at the White Plains. In that engage- ment I took an active part.

Soon after my return home from the battle of White Plains, the British landed at Newport, on Rhode Island, and took possession of that town. I was called upon to proceed immediately with my company to assist in covering the retreat of the small forces then commanded by Colonel John Cook from the Island of Rhode Island. This was effected without a loss, though attended with difficulty and delay, as there was then no bridge from the island to the mainland. At that time, the inhabitants in the south part of Massachusetts and Rhode Island were in a critical situation. They were nearly surrounded with British emissaries. A part of the English squad- ron lay off our coast, and their troops had possession of the south part of Rhode Island. Both were harassing our towns, destroying property, and making prisoners of the inhabitants. In addition to this, we had Tories at home, enemies in disguise, who were aiding and abetting the British, while they professed friendship for the cause of liberty, and for those who were shedding their blood to obtain it.

Early in spring of 1777, I received a major's commission, and was stationed at Little Compton, in the State of Rhode Island, in the regiment under the command of Colonel John Hathway, of Berkley, Mass. At Little Compton and in that neigh- borhood I continued several months on duty with the regiment, often changing our station, to repel invasion of the enemy and to protect the inhabitants from their fre- quent depredations. In the fall of 1777, I returned home to Fall River. I found the citizens, among whom were my relatives and best friends, exposed and continually harassed by the enemy. I applied to several of the leading and influential men of this place, and proposed raising a guard for the safety and protection of the inhab- itants. They coincided with my views, and the necessity of a guard to protect our defenseless inhabitants. I went to Providence to consult General Sullivan, who was commander-in-chief of all the forces raised in this section of the country, and to ob- tain assistance from him. He approved of my plan to raise the guard, and gave me an order for two whale boats and also an order for rations for twenty men, drawn upon the commissary, then at Bristol. I soon raised a guard, procured the store now standing at the end of the Iron Works Company's wharf in this place for a guard- house, where we met every day, called the roll, and stationed sentinels for the night to watch the movements of the enemy and give the alarm when approached. The orders of the sentinel were peremptory-that if a boat was seen approaching in the night to hail them three times, and if no answer was received to fire upon them. It was not long before one of the guard, Samuel Reed, discovered boats silently and cautiously approaching the shore from the bay. The challenge was given but no answer received. He fired upon the boats. This created an alarm, and the whole neighborhood were soon in arms. I stationed the guard behind a stone wall, and kept up a constant fire upon the enemy until they brought their cannon to bear upon us, and commenced firing grape shot amongst us-when, as we were unable to re- turn the compliment, it was deemed advisable to retreat. Two of the guard were sent to remove all the planks which laid over the stream for foot people to cross upon, and to cut off, as far as possible, every facility for crossing the stream, except the upper bridge. We then retreated slowly until we reached the main road, near where the bridge now crosses the stream. I then gave orders to form and give them battle. This was done, and never were soldiers more brave. So roughly were the

443

THE CITY OF FALL RIVER.

enemy handled by our little band of Spartans, that they soon beat up a retreat, leaving behind them one dead and another bleeding to death, besides the wounded, whom they carried away.

The wounded soldier, left by the enemy, before he expired, informed me that the number of the enemy who attacked us was about 150, commanded by Major Ayres. When the enemy landed, they set fire to the house of Thomas Borden, then nearly new. They next set fire to a grist mill and a saw mill, belonging to Mr. Borden, stand- ing at the mouth of Fall River. These buildings I saw when set on fire. When the British troops retreated, as they were compelled to do, from the shots of our little band of volunteers, they set fire to the house and other buildings of Richard Borden, then an aged man, and took him prisoner. We pursued them so closely in their retreat that we were enabled to save the building which they had last fired. The British were fre- quently fired upon and not a little annoyed by the musketry of our soldiers, as they passed down the bay in their boats on their retreat. Mr. Richard Borden, whom they took prisoner, was in one of their boats. Finding themselves closely pursued by a few American soldiers, who from the shore poured in their shot and balls upon them as fast as they could load and fire, and finding themselves in danger from the musketry of these few brave Whigs who pursued them, they ordered Mr. Borden, their prisoner, to stand up in the boat, hoping that his comrades on the shore would recognize him and de- sist from firing upon them. But this he refused to do; and threw himself flat into the bottom of the boat. While laying there, a shot from the Americans on shore killed one of the British soldiers standing by his side in the boat. Mr. Borden was obstinately silent to all the questions which were asked him; so that not being able to make any profitable use of him, they dismissed him in a few days on parole. This engagement took place of a Sabbath morning on the 25th of May, 1778. The two British soldiers killed in this engagement were buried at twelve o'clock on the same day of the battle, near where the south end of the Massasoit factory now stands.

During a considerable part of the month of August following, we were busily en- gaged in procuring arms, ammunition and provisions for the soldiers, and in build- ing flat bottomed boats and scows for the troops to cross over the river on to Rhode Island, with a view to dislodge the British army, who then had possession of the Isl- and. A barn, now standing near the stone bridge, was occupied for a commissary store, of which I had the charge until things were in readiness and the troops prepared to cross over to the island, when I left the store in charge of my friend and relative Walter Challoner.

In the fore part of August, 1778, the American troops embarked in the boats and scows prepared for them, and landed on Rhode Island, where I joined them, having been appointed a major in Colonel Whitney's regiment. Our troops were then marched to a spot but a short distance to the north of what is called Butts' Hill. where they encamped for the night with but the canopy of heaven for a covering and the ground for our beds. But we were animated with the hope of liberty-with a belief that we were engaged in a righteous cause-and that He who sways the scepter of the universe would prosper our undertaking. At this time we were anx- iously looking for the French fleet, from which we hoped for assistance against the enemy, whose numerous bodies of troops were before us. Soon the French fleet hove in sight, when the British set fire to the shipping in the harbor and blew up

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Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Part 46

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub Publication date: 1899 Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company Number of Pages: 1399

Author: Borden, Alanson, 1823-1900; Boston History Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Company
Number of Pages: 1399