USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Our county and its people : A history of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Volume 1 > Part 9
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"Shays had his headquarters on or near Ferry lane (Cy- press street) and a tavern that stood on the southeasterly cor- ner of the present Main and Sargent streets was a favorite ren- dezvous of the insurgents."
"The inhabitants of Springfield were beginning to feel some relief from their anxiety, when a new commotion was seen in the camp of the insurgents. It was rumored among them that the militia had determined that they should not be permitted to march past the court house. But the rumor, however it originated, aroused the fighting qualities of the insurgents. They notified General Shepard that they would march past the court house forthwith; and they did so in military order and with loaded muskets. The militia could not be tempted
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to accept a mere challenge or invite a battle. But some of the militia were so impressed with the numbers and bearing of the insurgents that they deserted their colors and enlisted under Shays."
"The rebels had accomplished all they intended, and more; but success had crazed them. The rank and file were clamorous for a fight, and Shays sent a message to General Shepard de- manding a surrender of the court house. General Shepard did not deem the possession of the court house worth fighting for, the court having adjourned, and moved his forces to the federal arsenal, where there was valuable property that required protec- tion."
"Toward the close of the session (legislative) acts were passed authorizing the governor and council to imprison without bail such persons as they deemed dangerous to the public safety, and providing that persons indicted for treason might be tried in any county. But these measures were qualified by an offer of free pardon to such of the insurgents as should take the oath of allegiance before the first of January. An address to the people was voted, as had been suggested by the Springfield town meeting, but they did not provide money to meet the expenses of dealing successfully with the insurrection."
"The failure of the legislature to adopt energetic measures gave new courage to the insurgents. The war upon the courts was persistently maintained. In December Shays made another raid upon Springfield, and forcibly prevented the ses- sion of the court of common pleas. A letter from Springfield to the Boston Chronicle, under date of December 27, gives this ac- count of the proceeding :
" 'There is a stagnation of almost every kind of business among us by reason of the tumults which are so prevalent here. Yesterday we had another visit from the mobility; about 350 men marched in hostile array, with drums beating, and took pos- session of the court house, commanded by Shays, Day and Grover, in order to prevent the sitting of the court of common pleas, which by law was to have been held here at that time. This they effected, as there was no opposition on the part of the gov-
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ernment. It was not possible for the court (as they were sur- rounded by an armed force and a guard placed at the door of the room in which the judges were met) to proceed to do business. They therefore informed a committee who were chosen by the insurgents to wait on them that they would not attempt to open the court. After which, about dark the insurgents left the town.' "
"Information of this last exploit of Shays was not received by the governor until the first of January. The news was re- ceived at Boston with surprise and alarm. Springfield had been regarded as the government stronghold in the western part of the state, and an uncontested insurgent success had not been ex- pected at that point. At the same time an attack upon Boston was threatened, and there were indications that a part of the population of that town were ready for revolt. Disturbances, too, were occurring in other states. In New Hampshire an armed mob surrounded the legislature, demanding the enactment of a paper money law. There were well grounded apprehensions that general anarchy would be the barren sequence of all the magnificent achievements of the continental armies."
"The governor and members of the executive council were capable and resolute men, but they were powerless. They did not have at their command the means of sustaining even a single regiment in the field. The emergency was finally met by some of the capitalists and business men of Boston, who realized the danger to which their interests would be exposed by a revolution, and came forward with an offer of a loan to the state, trusting to future legislation for their reimbursement. Their offer was accepted and there was at once a change in the condition of af- fairs. Orders were issued for the raising and equipment of
4,500 men.
Shays and his council had been in delibera-
tion over two distinct plans of operation. The more reckless of the leaders advised an attack upon Boston for the purpose of releasing two of their number who had been arrested and were held in jail. Others advised that the attack on Boston be de- layed until after the seizure of the continental arsenal at Spring- field, with its store of war material, and this plan was the one adopted."
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"The Hampshire county quota of 1,200 men were ordered to assemble at Springfield, and General Shepard was placed in command. The eastern militia were sent to Roxbury, whence they were to march to Worcester and there joined with the force raised in Worcester county. The chief command was given to Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, an accomplished officer of the revolu- tionary war. Governor Bowdoin's orders to General Lincoln required him to protect the court of common pleas at the Janu- ary term at Worcester, and left his further movements against the insurgents to his own discretion."
"General Shepard again anticipated the movements of Shays. Acting under the authority of the secretary of war, he took possession of the arsenal. General Lincoln reached Wor- cester on the 22d of January, after a three days' march from Roxbury through the deep snow of midwinter. The court was opened and proceeded with the business of the term. Order was restored at Worcester, and, substantially, at all points in the state east of that place. The insurgents were concentrating their strength in the western counties, and it was understood on all hands that the issue was to be tried and determined at Spring- field."
"The positions of the several armed forces on the evening of January 24 were as follows : General Shepard was posted at the arsenal with about 1,000 men. Shays had just reached Wilbraham on his march from Rutland. A part of Lincoln's command was less than two days' march in the rear of Shays. Luke Day, an insurgent leader, was at West Springfield with about 400 men and boys, well armed and well drilled. There was a good ice bridge at the time, so that he was within easy reach of the arsenal. Eli Parsons, a Berkshire leader, was in the north parish of Springfield (now Chicopee) with about 400 men. The total insurgent force was about double that of Gen- eral Shepard."
"The inhabitants of Springfield, except such as were within the immediate protection of General Shepard, were kept in con- stant alarm. Respectable citizens were seized in their own houses and taken to Day's camp in West Springfield, where they
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were kept under guard as hostages and for purposes of retalia- tion. Men were not sure whether their near neighbors were friends or foes, and unprotected homes were exposed to outrage and plunder. Upon the receipt of the news that Shays had reached Wilbraham, most of the women and children who had means of conveyance fled from that town."
"On his arrival at Wilbraham, Shays sent a message to Day, informing him that he intended to attack the arsenal on the 25th. Day replied by letter that he could not move on that day but would join in the attack on the 26th. Day's messenger was ar- rested and his letter, instead of going to Shays, went to General Shepard. On the 25th Shays moved upon Springfield, expect- ing the co-operation of Day and Parsons. Even if he had re- ceived Day's letter he could not have delayed his attack. His only chance of success was in seizing the arsenal before General Lincoln could come up."
"At that time none of the buildings now standing on the arsenal grounds had been erected. There were two wooden buildings, built for barracks and for storage on the brow of the hill looking to the north, on or near the site of the present store- house. There was a private dwelling house on the site of the present middle arsenal, and it was to this house that the dead and wounded insurgents were carried. East of that point there were no buildings except the powder magazine, that stood in a then remote spot in the woods. Magazine street has since been
located over its site. The present armory square was the pub- lic training field. There were not then any gun shops on the arsenal grounds. If there was one in the town at the time, it was in Ferry lane, where the government gun work was origin- ally done in Springfield."
"When Shays left Wilbraham on the morning of the 25th, Asaph King, a deputy sheriff, started on horseback to give in- formation to General Shepard. He was obliged to avoid the highways, and made his way across the fields, through snow drifts and over fences, and is said to have accomplished the dis- tance in forty-five minutes. This was the first exact informa- tion received by General Shepard of the approach of Shays; and
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he proceeded to make ready for his fitting reception. His men were stationed near the barracks, and his cannon were planted on the brow of the hill commanding the approach by the Bos- ton road. A part of his force was posted in Main street, at the point now crossed by the Boston and Albany railroad, for the purpose of holding Day in check in case he should attempt to come to the aid of Shays. A considerable mob collected at that point, but did not attempt an attack upon the militia."
"It was toward the close of the short winter day that the insurgents were seen from the arsenal making their toilsome march through the snow on the Boston road. They were in the best of spirits; every attempt they had hitherto made had suc- ceeded, but it was not an unprotected court house they were now intending to occupy. Shays was entirely confident. Some of his old army comrades went out to meet him, and advised him to keep out of the range of General Shepard's guns, and to aban- don his treason. He received them pleasantly, told them he was sure of success, and was inclined to be jocose. He did not know his own men."
"There was not any battle. The only firing was on the gov- ernment side, and there was but little of that. Only one shot seems to have been fired in genuine earnest, and that was followed by a panic among the insurgents, and a flight. The official re- port of the firm but kind-hearted General Shepard to the gov- ernor, gives us reliable history. It is as follows :
" 'Springfield, January 26, 1787.
" 'Sir :- The unhappy time has come in which we have been obliged to shed blood. Shays, who was at the head of about 1,200 men, marched yesterday afternoon about four o'clock towards the public buildings, in battle array. He marched his men in an open column by platoons. I sent several times, by one of my aids and two other gentlemen, Capts. Buffington and Woodbridge, to him to know what he was after, or what he wanted. His reply was, he wanted barracks, barracks he would have, and stores. The answer was he must purchase them dear, if he had them. He still proceeded on his march until he ap- proached within 250 yards of the arsenal. He then made a halt.
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I immediately sent Major Lyman, one of my aids, and Capt. Buf- fington, to inform him not to move his troops any nearer the arsenal on his peril, as I was stationed here by order of your ex- cellency and the secretary of war, for the defense of the publick property ; in case he did, I should surely fire on him and his men. A Mr. Wheeler, who appeared to be one of Shays' aids, met Mr. Lyman, after he had delivered my orders, in the most peremptory manner, and made answer, that that was all he wanted. Shays immediately put his troops in motion and marched rapidly near one hundred yards. I then order Major Stephens, who com- manded the artillery, to fire upon them; he accordingly did. The first two shot he endeavored to over-shoot them, in the hope that they would have taken warning, without firing among them, but it had no effect on them. Maj. Stephens then directed his shot through the center of his column. The fourth or fifth shot put the whole column in the utmost confusion. Shays made an attempt to display his column, but in vain. We had one howit, which was loaded with grape-shot, which, when fired, gave them great uneasiness. Had I been disposed to destroy them, I might have charged upon their rear and flanks with my infantry and the two field pieces, and could have killed the greater part of his whole army within twenty-five minutes. There was not a single musket fired on either side."
"I found three men dead on the spot, and one wounded, who is since dead. One of our artillerymen, by inattention, was badly wounded. Three muskets were taken up with the dead, which were deeply loaded. I enclose to your excellency a copy of the paper1 sent to me last evening. I have received no rein-
1The paper referred to in General Shepard's report is as follows : "Headquarters, West Springfield, "January 25, 1787.
"The body of the people assembled in arms, adhering to the first principles in nature, self-preservation, do, in the most peremptory manner, demand,
"1. That the troops in Springfield lay down their arms.
"2. That their arms be deposited in the public stores, under the care of the proper officers, to be returned to the owners at the termination of the pres- ent contest.
"3. That the troops return to their homes on parole.
"To the commanding officer at Springfield, January 25, 1787,
"Luke Day,
"Captain Commandant of this division." (On the back) "By Col. Eli Parsons."
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forcements yet, and expect to be attacked this day by their whole force combined. I am, sir, with great respect.
" 'Your Excellencies most obedient humble servant,
" 'WILLIAM SHEPARD.' " 'His Excellency, James Bowdoin, Esq.'
"The lives so foolishly thrown away before the arsenal were those of Ezekiel Root, and Ariel Webster, of Gill, Jabez Spicer, of Leyden, and John Hunter, of Shelburne. In the evening Shays sent a flag of truce, requesting that the bodies of five of his men killed before the arsenal be returned to him. General Shepard's rather grim reply was, that he could not furnish him at that time with five insurgents, as he had but four, and one of them was not quite dead, but that if Shays would attack the arsenal again he would furnish him as many dead rebels as he should desire."
"Shays retreated on the night of the 25th to 'Chapin's tav- ern,' five miles east of the town. The next day he joined Par- sons' force at Chicopee, 200 of his men deserting by the way. A bold dash on the morning of the 27th might possibly have helped him; but he had lost the only opportunity there was remaining to him. At noon on that day a part of General Lincoln's army, consisting of three regiments of infantry, three companies of ar- tillery and a body of cavalry, reached Springfield. After a rest of one hour, the Lincoln infantry and artillery crossed the river for the purpose of seizing Day and his party. At the same time General Shepard moved up the river on the east bank, and the cavalry went up the river on the ice to prevent a junction of Day and Shays. There was no inclination to fight among the insurgents, who retired as the militia advanced, their number lessening by desertions as they went. The pursuit was vigor- ously maintained until the insurgent leaders were captured or driven from the state, but several months elapsed before quiet was entirely restored."
"Shays and Parsons abandoned Chicopee on the approach of General Shepard's army and fled north through South Had- ley (where his men plundered several houses, taking from one resident two barrels of rum) and Amherst, and thence the leader
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made his way to his own house in Pelham, leaving many of his former followers to work out their own salvation as best they could. His army, however, had now dwindled to about 200 men. At Pelham he attempted to reorganize his force, but soon afterward he changed base and appeared in Petersham, in Worcester county. Here he was surprised by Lincoln and barely escaped capture. He fled to New Hampshire, and his followers scattered in that state, also in Vermont and New York."
Captain Luke Day1, "commandant" of the West Spring- field division of the insurgent army, had posted a guard in the ferry house in that town, and upon the approach of Lincoln's men they fled, after having made a little show of resistance. The infantry then marched up "Shad lane," through the settled part of the town, but the cohorts of Day then were in swift re- treat up the river toward Southampton, many of them in their flight throwing away guns and blankets and whatever might im- pede their progress. They did not stop until they reached Northampton, and there only over night. Their greatest anxiety was to get beyond the bounds of the state without falling into the hands of the militia.
1Luke Day was born in West Springfield, July 25, 1743, and was the son of worthy and well-to-do parents. He entered the revolutionary service early and was a lieutenant in Captain Chapin's company of minute men who marched to Boston upon the Lexington alarm. But Day was a demagogue and was much given to speech making and bluster; his tongue was his most formidable weapon. He talked wildly of "spilling the last drop of blood that ran in his veins," but upon the approach of Lincoln's men upon his quarters in West Springfield, he neither attempted nor encouraged resistance. After his defeat Day fled to New York, and on returning to this state he was arrested and held in jail in Boston. On his own application his case was transferred to Hamp- shire county for trial, but under the general amnesty extended to insurgents he was pardoned. He then returned to West Springfield and died in the town in 1801.
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CHAPTER IX.
THE WAR OF 1812-1815
During the five years immediately preceding the war of 1812-15 the whole country was in a state of nominal peace, but still there was gathering in the political horizon a dark cloud which increased until it boded another foreign war. In the revolutionary struggle America contended for independence and won that precious boon; in 1812-15 she fought to maintain that independence on which British aggression had insolently tres- passed.
The United States had honorably observed the provisions of the treaty made with Great Britain at the close of the revolution. There had been maintained, too, a strict neutrality during the progress of the Napoleonic wars when every consideration of gratitude should have induced an alliance against the mother country. For several years the aggressive acts of the British had been a subject of anxiety and regret to all Americans and had created bitter indignation throughout the country. The embargo laid by congress in 1807 upon our shipping (as a meas- ure of safety) was found so injurious to commercial interests that it was repealed, and the non-intercourse act was passed in its stead.
In April, 1809, the British minister in Washington opened negotiations for the adjustment of existing difficulties, and con- sented to a withdrawal of the obnoxious "orders in council," so far as they affected the United States, on condition that the non- intercourse act be repealed. This was agreed to, and the presi- dent issued a proclamation announcing that on the 10th of June trade with Great Britain might be resumed. The British gov-
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ernment, however, refused to ratify the proceedings and re- called her minister, upon which the non-intercourse act again went into operation.
The most odious and oppressive of all British aggressions was the claim made of "right to search," in pursuance of which British cruisers stopped American vessels on the ocean and seized such of their crews as were suspected to be subjects of the king, forcing them into their own service. This claim led to outrages to which no true American could submit, and the only choice left to the nation was war or disgraceful humiliation.
On June 12, 1812, President Madison sent a confidential message to congress, in which he recapitulated the long list of British aggressions and declared it the duty of congress to con- sider whether the American people should longer passively sub- mit to open insult ; but at the same time he cautioned the house to avoid entanglements with other powers that then were hostile to Great Britain.
The result of the message and the deliberation of congress was a formal declaration of war on the 19th of June, 1812, but the measure was not unanimously sustained or even approved in all parts of the Middle and New England states. The oppo- nents held that the country was not prepared for war and asked for further negotiations. They also met the denunciations of the ruling party (the American or democratic party-for it went by both names, and included many republicans) against the Brit- ish with bitter attacks upon Napoleon, whom they accused the majority with favoring. The war party (variously denomi- nated by the opposition as "Screaming War Hawks" and "Blue Lights") was led by Henry Clay, and the opponents (Federal- ists, otherwise called the "Peace party") by John Randolph, both men of distinguished ability, and the giants of congress at that time.
"In Massachusetts," says Mr. Holland's history, "the war became the theme of pulpit denunciation, the subject of consider- ation and condemnation in town meetings, and the target full of quivers of resolutions from the taut-strung bows of conventions. Berkshire was somewhat more democratic than the river region,
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but the latter was very thoroughly federal, and hated the war with entire heartiness. . Immediately after the declara- tion of war nearly all the towns in Western Massachusetts pos- sessing federal majorities, passed resolutions condemning it and, by concert of action, the towns of the three river counties in legal town meetings, appointed delegates to a grand convention to be holden at Northampton on the 14th of July, 1812, to consult upon the war. Accordingly on that day delegates from fifty- seven towns in the three counties assembled at the Northampton court house. In fifty-three of these towns the delegates were regularly appointed, and appeared with certificates of their re- spective town clerks, while the remaining four sent represent- atives of federal minorities."
The delegates, so far as they represented towns forming a part of Hampden county, were as follows: . John Hooker, Chauncey Brewer, Justin Lombard, Joseph Pease, Springfield ; Jedediah Smith, Alanson Knox, Blandford; Amos Hamilton, Alpheus Converse, Palmer; David Curtis, Granville; Deodatus Dutton, Monson ; Darius Munger, South Brimfield; Robert Ses- sions, Aaron Woodward, Wilbraham; Edward Taylor, Montgom- ery; John Polley, Holland; Eleazer Slocum, Tolland. Pelatiah Bliss and Timothy Burbank were irregular delegates from West Springfield, in sympathy with the convention, but represent- atives of a town whose majority favored the prosecution of the war.
"In all," says Holland, "there were eighty-eight delegates, composed of the best and most influential citizens in the three counties, many of whom were in high civil and military office. The convention organized by the choice of John Hooker of Springfield for president, and Isaac C. Bates of Northampton for secretary. The proceedings were opened with prayer by Rev. Mr. Williams of Northampton. An address to the people, previously issued by the anti-war minority in congress, was then read, when Elijah H. Mills, Ephraim Williams, Lewis Strong, Samuel Hills, Joseph Lyman, Ezra Starkweather, John Hooker, Samuel C. Allen and Samuel F. Dickinson were appointed a committee to report in regard to the proper action of the con-
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vention concerning public affairs, after which the convention adjourned until the 15th. On that day the committee reported that it was expedient to present a respectful memorial to the president of the United States, praying that commissioners might be forthwith appointed to negotiate a peace with Great Britain, "upon safe and honorable terms," and a memorial to that effect was therewith submitted, with a series of resolutions for the consideration of the convention. The committee also re- ported that it was expedient to appoint four delegates from each county, to meet in state convention, provided the measure should be adopted in other parts of the commonwealth, and also, that committees of safety and correspondence be appointed in each county, and that it be recommended to each town to choose simi- lar committees in its corporate capacity. The entire report, with a few amendments of the memorial, was adopted, and the committees recommended were appointed. The following were chosen delegates to the state convention :
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