USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Standard history of Essex county, Massachusetts, embracing a history of the county from its first settlement to the present time, with a history and description of its towns and cities. The Most historic county of America. > Part 130
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The Salem Light Infantry, Capt. Devereux, was the first company to leave Salem ; but the Mechanic Light Infantry, Capt. Pierson, and the City Guards, Capt. Danforth, were not far behind, - both those companies leaving Salem on Saturday morning, April 20. Eight days after the first gun opened on Fort Sumter, three full companies had left Salem for the seene of action. The Salem Light Infantry, called also the Salem Zouaves, formed part of the 8th Regiment ; and on their departure from Boston, Gov. Andrew closed his address to them as follows : "Mr. Commander, -Go forth with the blessing of your country and the confidence of your fellow-citizens. Under the blessing of God, in a good and holy cause, with stout hearts and stalwart arms, go forth to victory. On your shields be returned, or bring them with you. You are the advance-guard of Massachusetts soldiers. As such, I bid you God-speed and farewell."
The city council met on Friday evening, April 19th, and appropri- ated $15,000 " for the benefit of those of our fellow citizens who have so promptly and so nobly responded to the call of their country," and the private citizens did all in their power to encourage and assist them.
The noble record of the three months' volunteers, who so promptly obeyed the orders issued by Gov. Andrew in April, their valuable services rendered on land and water, the rescue of the frigate " Con- stitution," the brave deeds of the men of the 5th Regiment at Bull Run, the salvation to the Union of the city of Baltimore; in all these historic events Salem volunteers bore an honorable part, and acquired in their short career an experience which fitted them for efficient service in the regiments which they found forming on their return. A single instance will show the enthusiasm and zeal with which these men devoted themselves to the service of the country. Out of the ranks of the Salem Light Infantry, known sometimes as the Salem Zouaves, twenty-six officers were commissioned.
When the call came for a response from the light batteries of the State, the old Salem Artillery, under Capt. Charles Manning, was one of the first in the field, with the title of the 4th Light Battery. In the heavy artillery regiments assigned to the defence of our border cities, but transformed later into infantry regiments, the city was so well represented that the First Heavy Artillery alone contained be- tween two and three hundred Salem men. When Gen. Banks made his successful retreat down the Shenandoah Valley, the 2d Massachu- setts Infantry performed the arduous and responsible duties of rear guard, and Company C of Salem, under command of Capt. William Cogswell, received especial mention for brave and meritorious con- duct. This regiment was present at Antietam, at Gettysburg, at
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Averysborough, and on the march from Atlanta to the sea. In the brave Irish regiment, the 9th Massachusetts, the city was ably represented by a full company, under Capt. Edward Fitzgerald, and they partici- pated in the memorable battles of the Army of the Potomac.
Capt. Arthur F. Devereux, when he returned from the three months' campaign, accepted the position of licutenant-colonel in the 19th Massachusetts Regiment. A large number of the officers of this regi- ment were Salem men, and a full company, recruited by Capt. Charles U. Devereux, was afterwards connected therewith. This command performed good service on the Peninsula, on the Potomac, and at An- tictam, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and before Richmond. Capt. John F. Devereux recruited a company from this vicinity and joined the 11th Massachusetts Regiment. The organiza- tion of the 23d Regiment included two Salem companies : Company A, under Capt. E. A. P. Brewster; and company F, under Capt. George M. Whipple. In this regiment were more than two hundred men connected with this city, and it participated in the battles of New- bern, Kingston, and Goldsborough, and saw active service in front of Petersburg. In the 40th Regiment there were twelve commissioned officers and forty-eight enlisted men from Salen. The colored regi- ments, the 54th and 55th Massachusetts, which performed such valiant service at Fort Wagner and the surrounding islands, contained Salem men in their ranks.
In the nine months' regiments, Salem furnished one full company, under command of Capt. George Wheatland, Jr., to the 48th, and one, under Capt. George D. Putnam, to the 50th Regiment. These regi- ments saw service in Louisiana and before Port Hudson. The Salem Cadets, under Maj. J. L. Marks, from whose ranks the three years' troops had drawn very freely, enlisted for 100 days, and were assigned to garrison duty in Boston harbor. The 13th Unattached Company, Capt. Robert W. Reeves, was stationed at New Bedford. The 1st Company of Sharpshooters, under Capt. John Saunders, and the 2d Company, under Capt. Lewis H. Wentworth, performed their es- pecial work in a manner to reflect credit upon themselves and the city. In the navy, the first enlistment was in April, 1861, and, between that date and the close of the war, nearly four hundred men represented Salem in the different squadrons and flotillas. We find them with Dupont, with Farragut, with Porter, on the "Kearsarge," and on the sinking "Cumberland."
In the carly days of the war there were two funerals in Salem, which first brought home a full realization of the horrors of war. Brig. Gen. Frederick W. Lander was born in Salem, Dec. 17, 1822. Hc was a successful engineer and surveyor, and a valuable employee of the government. On the breaking out of the war he offered his ser- vices to Gen. Scott, and was appointed in July, 1861, a brigadier- general of volunteers. He distinguished himself at Ball's Bluff, where he was wounded, and March 2, 1862, he died of congestive fever, ag- gravated by his wounds. His funeral took place in Salem, March 8th, in the presence of a large assemblage of mourners.
Lieut. Col. Henry Merritt, of the 23d Massachusetts Regiment, was killed at the battle of Newbern, March 14, 1862. Ile was a brave and faithful officer, and his funeral occurring on Friday, March 21st, so soon after that of Gen. Lander, caused a general feeling of sadness in the community.
More than three thousand men entered the service from this city, and more than two hundred were killed. Fifty shared the suffering endured in the rebel prisons, and hundreds bear to-day the scars of honorable wounds. Such is briefly the record of Salem in the civil war, and it is a record of which she may be justly proud.
The members of the Salem High School Association have placed a marble tablet on the wall of their school-room, bearing the names of those scholars who entered the service of their country. Salem has as yet erected no monument or memorial hall to perpetuate the meni- ories of her gallant sous ; but their surviving comrades of the Grand Army, on each returning spring, strew flowers on their graves as a token that they are still held in affectionate remembrance.
Grand Army Post .- With the close of the civil war, there sprang up, all over the country, organizations composed of the soldiers and sailors who had been honorably discharged from the service of the country, and known as the Grand Army of the Republic. Salem has one of the largest posts in the State. It is numbered 34, named the Phil. H. Sheridan, and was chartered Nov. 15, 1867, its charter members being George H. Pierson, George A. Fisher, George M. Whipple, Robert W. Reeves, E. H. Fletcher, John P. Tilton, Jolin R. Lakeman, E. A. Phalen, and John P. Reynolds. Its commanders have been in the order named as follows : George H. Pierson, John R. Lakeman, Charles H. Chase, James G. Bovey, Gilman A. Andrews,
John W. Hart, J. Frank Dalton, William H. Eastman, and Charles J. Sadler, the latter commanding in 1878. Its present membership is 314 ; but it has reached the number of 525, which is believed to be the largest number ever attained by any Post in the State. It has furnished two members of the national staff, one member of the council of administration, one department commander, one member of the department council of administration, and three members of the department staff. It has raised and disbursed over $20,000 in charity. In 1874, Congress, by enactment, recognized this Post by a donation of four rebel cannon and thirty-six cannon-balls, which will, undoubtedly, be used to ornament the large and beautiful burial- lot given to the Post by the city, in the cemetery on Orne Street. The discriminating and conscientious disbursement of its charity fund, and its scrupulous observance of Memorial Day, carly won for the Post the confidence of the Salem community, which it still fully enjoys,
Memorial Hall and Public Library .- There is as yet no memorial erected in Salem to the memory of her brave sons who died in the late civil war, but the failure to agree upon the particular form the memorial should assume seems to be the principal reason for the delay. The common council, in 1869, passed an order to a second reading appropriating $28,000 for a soldiers' monument ; but the order failed of a final passage, many thinking that a memorial hall was the best form of testimonial.
In 1873 it was again discussed by the city council on a proposition to establish a memorial hall in connection with a free public library. A petition was received from R. S. Rantoul and others, asking for the establishment of a public library, which was referred to a committee consisting of Aldermen Oliver P. Ricker and William A. Brooks, and Councilmen Charles S. Osgood, George W. Williams, and John H. Conway. This committee gave public hearings, which were fully attended, and, on July 14th, a minority of the committee, Messrs. Osgood and Williams, reported in favor of making a proposition to the Salem Atheneum, Essex Institute, and Peabody Academy of Sci- ence, for the free use of their collections of books ; the city agreeing to ercct a fire-proof building in the rear of Plummer Hall, suitable for containing a memorial hall, to provide for the proper care and custody of the books, and keep the same forever as a free public library. The societies named were inclined to consider the proposition favorably, but a majority of the committee reported in favor of refer- ring it to the next city government, which report was accepted by the city council, and no further action has as yet been taken regard- ing it.
City Water- Works .- The greatest public enterprise that Salem has ever engaged in was the introduction of water from Wenham Lake, and, before giving a history of it, it may be interesting to briefly notice the various private companies that have, to a greater or less degree, supplied the city with water. From the settlement of the town until 1796, there is no record of any public association of citi- zens for the purpose of securing a supply of water. But in that year there was an organization of citizens " for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants generally of Salem and Danvers with pure spring water." On the 30th of December, 1796, a meeting was held at the Sun Tavern, with Jacob Ashton chairman, which appointed a com- mittee of three to " procure an act of incorporation and to purchase the necessary logs, contract for boring the same, and do such other acts as were necessary to forward the business." This was the begin- ning of the Salem Aqueduct Company.
An Act of incorporation was obtained by the Salem and Danvers Aqueduct Company, March 9, 1797. The company organized April 7th, and William Gray, Jr., was president. In 1798, the corporation built a reservoir on Gallows Hill, ten feet deep, and about twenty- four feet square. In the spring of 1799, the corporation began to supply water from the present sources of the aqueduct to the inhabit- ants. Their operations were at first primitive and simple, consisting of a large-size fish hogshead for a fountain and sapling of three-inch bore for the main pipe. A new fountain was built in 1802. In 1804 the three-inch bore gave out, and logs were substituted with a bore of five inches. The estimated cost was at least $20,000. In June, 1814, complaints began to be made of a failure of water, and, in 1816, the proprietors voted to discontinue all branches leading to manufactories, distilleries, stables, and similar establishments. In 1817, the corpo- ration purchased a piece of land on Sewall Street, on which a reser- voir of 22,000 gallons capacity was subsequently erected. In 1834, a charter was obtained for a new aqueduct company, but the old com- pany voted to reduce their water, and the plan of building a new aqueduct was abandoned. In 1834, a six-inch iron pipe - the first used by this company - was laid down in Essex Street from North to
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Newbury Street. In 1839, a new main, without branches, was laid from the fountain to the reservoir at Gallows Hill.
In November, 1839, this new main was extended from Gallows Hill to the main iron pipe, near Summer Street. In 1849, an iron pipe was laid through Union Street to the Naumkeag Mills, which were authorized to draw water during the night. In May, 1850, leave was granted to lay a log to Spring Pond, and in 1851 a twelve- inch iron pipe was laid from the fountain to the head of Federal Street. A new reservoir was also built, capable of holding 652,000 gallons, and the company gradually laid iron pipes in the place of the wooden logs. Everything now went smoothly till 1858, when the tanners and curricrs demanded a larger supply of water. They laid their complaints before the city government, and a conference was had with the aqueduct company. The effect of this complaint was the laying of an additional six-inch iron pipe from Federal through Boston and Essex streets to Summer, and the twelve-inch main was extended into Spring Pond. Complaints still continued of a short supply of water, and, in 1865, a connection was made with Brown's Pond, a sixteen-inch main was laid from the fountain to the head of Federal Street. and great expense was incurred in building dams. These last expenses were incurred with the hope of deterring thic city from building a system of city water works, but the supply was still insufficient, and the construction of the works to take water from Wenham Lake was vigorously pushed forward.
The history of this company shows how immensely the requirements of our city have increased in seventy years. Starting with a fish hogshead and saplings of three-inch bore in 1799. it had in 1865 absorbed the whole of Spring and Brown's ponds, and the aqueduct fountain, with a capacity of 600,000 gallons per day. and still the supply was inadequate to the demand. This company is now confined almost entirely to supplying the town of Peabody.
Salem Water-Works. - The first action of the city council upon the subject of a water supply was in July, 1858, when a committee was appointed to confer with the aqueduct company in regard to an increased supply. The result of this conference was the laying of an additional main by the aqueduct company. In 1863, the condition of our water supply became such that the citizens again invoked the aid of the city government, and, on the 12th of October, John Ber- tram and ninety-three others petitioned the city council "to take the necessary measures to procure from the Legislature power to cstab- lish city water works," which petition was referred to a committee consisting of Aldermen George R. Chapman and Francis W. Piekman, and Councilmen Rufus B. Gifford. Gilbert L. Streeter, and Charles Lamson. On their report, the mayor was requested to petition the Legislature to grant to the city such powers as will enable it to con- vey a sufficient supply of pure water for domestic and manufacturing purposes from Humphrey's, Brown's, and Spring ponds, and the springs in the land of the Salem and Danvers Aqueduct Company.
On the 23d of November, the city council chose in convention Stephen H. Phillips, James B. Curwen, and James Upton a com- mittee, with authority to collect evidence, showing the necessity of a larger supply of water, and present the same to the Legislature. This committee examined the different sources of water supply, and on their suggestion a supplementary petition was presented to the Legis- lature, asking that Wenham Lake be included in the sources of supply for the city water-works. This petition was presented to the Legislature on the 18th of February, 1864, and a hearing was had on the petition Feb. 29. This hearing was very protracted. The city was represented before the committee by Robert S. Rantoul, Esq., and their petition met with sharp opposition from the Aqueduct Company and others. An Act was approved, however, May 13, 1864, which provided that the city may take water either from Wenham Lake, or from Brown's and Spring ponds, and that the city council shall make careful inves- tigation as to the sources mentioned, and determine by joint ballot, at least fourteen days before the first Monday of December, 1864, from which source the city will take the water, in the event of the accept- ance of the Act by the citizens. The Act to be void, unless accepted by a majority of the voters, at a meeting to be held on the first Monday of December, 1864.
The committee of citizens reported to the city council May 23, 1864, and a committee of the city council, consisting of Aldermen John Webster, Peter Silver, Nathaniel G. Symonds, and Councilmen Richard C. Manning, John C. Osgood, James F. Almy, Thomas Quinn, Rufus B. Gifford, and Charles S. Osgood were appointed to investigate the sources of supply, and report thereon to the city council. This committee examined both sources thoroughly and care- fully, and on the 11th of November reported, recommending "that
the city council decide to take Wenham Lake as the source of sup- ply." On the 14th of November their report was accepted, and in joint convention it was decided by a vote of twenty-two to five to select Wenham Lake as the source of supply. On the fifth day of December next following, the citizens voted to accept the Act of May 13, 1864, by a vote of 1,623 yeas to 151 nays.
On the 22d of May, 1865, the city council passed an ordinance, providing "for the choice of three water commissioners, who shall, under the direction of the city council, commence the work of con- struction," and Stephen H. Phillips, James B. Curwen, and James Upton were chosen ; but Messrs. Curwen and Upton declining, on the 26th of June, Franklin T. Sanborn and Peter Silver were elected in their stead. The board met in July, and Mr. Phillips was chosen chairman, and James Slade was appointed engineer ; and subsequently Charles H. Swan was appointed assistant engineer, and Daniel H. Johnson, Jr., clerk.
The commissioners were in favor of proceeding at once with the construction of the works, and asked the city council to place $40,000 at their disposal. A disagreement now arose between the water com- missioners and the city government, the former contending that they were authorized to proceed at once with the work, and bind the city for all expenses incurred ; and Mayor Osgood taking the ground in a communication sent by him to the city council, Sept. 11, 1865, that no money could be expended except that raised by a sale of the water- loan bonds, and stating that he had refused to sign the warrants to enable the commissioners to draw money from the city treasury. Abont this time two petitions were received by the city council, asking for delay in the construction of the water-works, and one asking that they be completed forthwith. These petitions were referred to a committee, before whom numerous public hearings took place ; and Oct. 22, 1865, they made a lengthy report, signed by Abner C. Goodell, Jr., Charles S. Osgood, James F. Almy, and Thomas Nichols, Jr., favoring no unnecessary delay in the construction of the works. Alderman Chapman submitted a minority report, with an order directing the commissioners to suspend all work until the city council shall order them to commence. Both reports were widely circulated through the city.
The season of 1865 was very dry. The disagreement between the water commissioners and Mayor Osgood, and the consequent delay in pushing forward the work, caused much uneasiness among the citizens ; and prior to the municipal election of Jan. 1, 1866, public meetings were held, pamphlets were issued, and the matter was earnestly and warmly discussed. At the election it was the main issue before the people, and a city government favoring no delay was chosen by a large majority.
The new city government organized Jan. 22, 1866; and the Hon. David Roberts was qualified as mayor, and Charles S. Osgood, Esq., was elected president of the common council. Mayor Roberts, in his address, said that "the project so emphatically endorsed should, with all reasonable despatch, be pushed to its final completion." An ordinance establishing the Salem water loan, and authorizing its issue, was passed Feb. 12. On the same day, the commissioners advertised for proposals for the construction of a reservoir on Chipman's Hill in Beverly ; and on April 17, the proposal of Messrs. Collins & Boyle was accepted. On the 18th of May, work was commenced on the reservoir.
Caleb Foote and others petitioned the supreme court for an injunc- tion, restraining the city from constructing works to cost over $500,000, and from payment of interest in coin. Their petition was dated May 30, 1866, and a hearing had June 16, on which day Judge Gray de- clined to issue an injunction. The matter was then carried before the full court, who, after hearing arguments, dismissed the petition, and decided that the city was not restricted by the Act to an expenditure of $500,000, and that the payment of the interest in coin was not illegal. On the 5th of July, the commissioners notified the city council that they had decided to purchase a Worthington pumping- engine for the sum of $40,000. One of the commissioners, Mr. Stephen H. Phillips, resigned July 9, and Mr. Willard P. Phillips was elected to fill the vacancy. The proposal of Messrs. J. W. & J. F. Starr to furnish 6,000 feet of thirty-inch and 25,000 feet of twenty- inch iron pipe was accepted Oct. 8. On April 15, 1867, the proposal of Boynton Brothers for building a pipe bridge and syphon at Bass River was accepted. Early in May, the laying of the supply main was commenced ; and in July every portion of the work beyond the limits of the city was under contract. The total expenditure to July 1 had been $213,176.85. During the month of October the twenty- inch supply-main had been laid from the reservoir to Beverly Bridge,
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and from there nearly to the junction of Boston and Federal streets. Upon the 4th of November four of the iron pipes, furnished by the Messrs. Starr, were found to be deficient in weight, and the laying of pipe was at onee discontinued. This resulted in a lawsuit, in which the city was successful in recovering damages against the Messrs. Starr. On Nov. 18, the syphon was lowered into place by the Messrs. Low of Boston. Up to Jan. 1, 1868, the total amount expended was $445,736.86.
In consequence of the great cost of the works, the amount being largely in excess of the estimates, there was another contest at the municipal election of January, 1868; but the friends of the water projeet again triumphed, although by a comparatively small majority. On the 3d of February, 1868, the commissioners contracted with George H. Norman, of Newport, R. I., to furnish and lay the iron and cement distribution-pipes, and to set hydrants and gates ; and on April 15 he commeneed laying them. The Legislature, by an Act approved March 19, 1868, provided for a further loan of $500,000, making the whole amount of the water loan $1,000,000.
On the 12th of October, Mr. Norman commenced putting in service- pipes, and on the 31st of the same month he had laid in the streets of the city 127,000 feet of distribution-pipe, and set 196 hydrants and 228 gates. On Tuesday, November 24, the force-main was completed. The pumping-engine was put in order, and on November 25, at mid- night, the pumping began, and at four o'clock on Thanksgiving morn- ing, November 26, there was a foot of water in the reservoir. On the afternoon of November 26, water was let into the supply-main, and the section extending to the Gloucester Branch Railroad crossing was filled and tested, and, at 11 A. M. of November 29, the supply- main and syphon at the river were filled, and the first water from Wen- ham Lake reached Salem. On Wednesday, December 2, the filling of the distribution-pipes in the city was commenced, and on Christmas morning, December 25, the water was let into the service-pipes, and the houses of the citizens were supplied. The total expenditures to Dec. 31, 1868, were $919,771.94.
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