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 62
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Previous to their departure the people assembled at their armory on Merrimac Street, where the volunteers were addressed by Hon. Alfred Kittredge, who presented to them, in behalf of the citizens, a purse of $1,477.50, to be used for their necessities. Thomas F. Barr, Esq., in behalf of their fellow-citizens, presented them with a silk American flag ; and an address was delivered before them by Rev. R. H. Seeley, D. D., and cach member presented with a copy of the New Testament. Following the address were words of good cheer from Hon. E. J. M. Hale, whose name the company bore.
The surviving members of the old Haverhill Light Infantry, with Captain, Nathan Burrill; 1st Lieut., Ezekiel Hale ; 2d Lieut., An- drew Johnson ; Sergeant, J. H. LeBosquet; officers improvised for the occasion, organized at the counting-room of Moses Nichols, Merrimac Street, and escorted the "Guards" to the common, where prayer was offered by Rev. Benjamin Wheeler, and they were ad- dressed by Hon. George Cogswell, of Bradford. From thence they were escorted to the depot, under the marshalship of Dr. William Cogswell, taking their departure amid the cheers and tears of friends.
From that hour the excitement became intense, and no utterance of indifference to the success of the loyal cause found favor with the popular sentiment. Deep feeling had been generated by articles which had appeared in the " Essex Banner "; the office was surrounded by a menacing throng, asking for a display of the American flag, and copies of the paper and an effigy of the editor were burned in the street, before the demonstrations ended.
The enlistment of this company was for three months, and they were immediately stationed at Washington, which brought them into the Bull Run battle, where the first Haverhill man, Hiram S. Collins, was killed. James A. Shaw was wounded, and taken prisoner at the same time.
Immediately following this, came the thought of preparation for inevitable war. On the 2d of May suceceding, a meeting was called in Music Hall, to make provisions for the families of soldiers, and to aid soldiers in procuring uniforms. A resolution, offered by Hon. Alfred Kittredge, proposing to raise ten thousand dollars for the aid of volunteers, was passed, and the following committee appointed to provide for families : Alfred Kittredge, J. B. Swett, George W. Lee, E. D. Bailey, Jacob How, Levi Taylor, E. J. Sawius, Charles W. Chase, Moses E. Emerson, and George W. Kelley.
Further resolutions were offered : first, that as the fathers pledged, so we pledge " our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor," for the support of the government and the maintenance of the laws and the Union in its integrity ; second, that we commend the President for promptness, energy, and firmness, thus securing the hearts of the people, and the cordial support of all friends of free government and free institutions ; third, that in this contest we know no parties, but are for " our country, one and inseparable, now and forever."
The ladies of Haverhill were alive to a sense of their duty, and on the 22d of April, 1861, a Relief Society was organized in the chapel of the North Congregational Church, but with no just conception of the magnitude of the work before them, or the extent of its duration. On the 3d of May following, it took the name of the " Soldiers' Re- lief Society of Ilaverhill and Bradford," adopting articles of associa- tion. In this work the ladies of the parishes and Ayer's Village joined with hearty good-will, and are deserving of honorable mention. The officers were : President, Mrs. E. P. Hill ; Vice-President, Mrs. James Noyes ; Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs. Edmund Fletcher.
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Subsequently. Mrs. S. M. Coburn, Mrs. Daniel Harriman, Mrs. James H. Duncan. Mrs. E. P. Minot. and Mrs. J. T. McCollum, were Vice- Presidents, with Miss Mary Stickney and Mrs. I. E. Chase serving portions of the time as Secretary and Treasurer; Miss Anna Porter also filled the office of Assistant Secretary. In addition to this, every religious society had its directress. making the organization full, strong. and effective.
This powerful organization existed from the commencement till the elose of the war. Through all the years, till the last one, Mrs. E. P. Hill was the chief officer, at which time Mrs. Daniel Harriman became her suceessor. This oeenrred when one of those sectarian tornadoes. which sometimes sweep through communities and organizations, had its roll and tumble, only to be remembered as an accident. to escape from which, for a long succession of years. in such an organization. would be too much to expect. Serious evil. however. to the vital in- terest did not come ; the administration was always efficient, and its work among the noblest and most effective of all the charities and labors of love which surrounded the soldiers from this town in the long and terrible struggle in which they participated. A knitting society also existed as an auxiliary to the main organization.
The society also received valuable aid from Count L. B. Schwabe. who spent much time here in the interest of the soldiers. It was always in harmonious co-operation with the authorities of the town, and their first work was to supply clothing and comforts to the volun- teers. First were the Hale Guards, company G. Capt. C. P. Messer : next came company D. Capt. A. J. How ; company F, Capt. Luther Day ; company E, Capt. McNamara. Capt. Day's company they sup- plied with a full uniform, and two other companies with undress uniforms.
When the bloody struggle of Antietam came. the suffering ones of the 35th Regiment. in which was company G, Capt. Gibson, found in this society a succoring hand, and so was it with those in companies F and G, Capts. Samuel W. Duncan and George W. Edwards, of the 50th Regiment, suffering in an uncongenial climate. Capt. E. F. Tompkins's company of the 17th. Capt. Boynton's of the 60th. re- eeived attention, as did all others whose locality and needs were known. The camp and home were practically united. While none of " our men " were forgotten, the society found means to make large contributions to the " Sanitary Commission ; " to the New England Rooms. New York ; to the Cooper-Shop Hospital. at Philadelphia ; to the Massachusetts Soldiers' Relief Society, at Washington. and oc- casionally to others. When the disaster came to our arms on the Peninsula on the first of July. 1862, the cry for help coming up from the swamps of the Chickahominy was responded to with equal prompt- ness, and the co-operation of the citizens was not exceeded by the benevolence and patriotism of any other community. With all the labors and petty trials incident to such an association. its service is crowned with blessed memories.
The return home of the Hale Guards. after a three months' campaign, and their passage through the Bull Run battle, brought into the com- munity a fresh influx of lively loyal sentiment, and there was less patienec with expressions of sympathy for the rebels and the rebel cause. The " Essex County Democrat " had been quite free in those utterances, and friends had warned the editor, Mr. Ambrose L. Kim- ball, of his imprudence, but he chose to be his own counsellor. On Monday evening, Aug. 19, 1861, a large crowd of men assembled at the residence of Mr. Kimball, on Main Street. took him into the street, and conducted him to the front of the Eagle House, where they made a halt. They then requested him to retract his offensive 1 sayings, which he refused to do, and he was at onee ordered to re- move his clothing from his body. after which they applied a coat of tar and feathers, placed him on a rail, bearing him to the front of his office, where he was required to give three cheers for the Union. He was then remounted and taken to Bradford, and from there returned to the front of the Eagle House. where he was required to kneel down, hold up his hand. and repeat the following: "Iam sorry for what I have done. and I promise I will not publish anything more against the North and in favor of secession as long as I live." After this he was returned to his home. Although Mr. Kimball. and his guard of friends, proposed resistance with pistols. they were too soon disarmed to use them, and nothing of violence occurred beyond what is here described. The event was one of those outbursts. through the guards of law and order, when the subtle violence which men do to principles and the rights of man is of that peculiar nature which invites spontancity of redress. The wave of violence had its sweep, and all was calm again. The actors were at once again in their orbits of order. and the offender stepped down from his position, and was
seen no more. It is a hopeful indication that the tendency of the spirit of the age is in the direction of kindness. of toleration of thought. opinion. and action, and that outbursts like the one here recorded are very rare. and the disposition to repeat them not inclined to become a fixture in the tempers of men. The records of the past show that our patriot fathers had a kindred way of dealing with offenders, and from them succeeding generations may have been inelined to pattern.
The town was fully committed to the country's eause, and the memory of every soldier who fell was precious to them. They passed resolutions declaring that they recognized in the names of those who on the battle-field and by the wayside have fallen in defence of their country, martyrs to the sacred cause of liberty, and pledging them- selves to cherish their names and perpetuate them to posterity. Of such a people. it could not be expected that they would submit to the ineulcation of sentiments exactly the reverse of these without exerting themselves to secure silence, especially in the midst of a raging san- quinary conflict. Their first request was for silence, which being re- fused, they were determined to enforee it.
On the 19th of July. 1862, the town voted $100 bounty to soldiers mustered into the service, and recruiting offices were ordered to be opened. The families of soldiers were to be provided for according to law. and the names of all the soldiers were ordered to be printed on a " Roll of Honor," and kept standing during the war.
At another meeting. August 15th, a bounty of $200 was voted for nine months' men. and on the 12th of September it was again voted to pay a bounty of $200 for a number not exceeding three companies.
Early in July, 1862, intelligence was received of the death of Maj. Henry Jackson How, who fell in the memorable struggle before Richmond. The loss of so brave and true a soldier was a source of much sorrow, and to his friends an occasion for the deepest grief.
At the September town-meeting resolutions were presented de- claring that " Liberty had lost an heroic champion, the country a gal- lant leader. and the town a chivalric, noble, and generous citizen," and the sympathy of the citizens was tendered to the family. James H. Carleton, Esq .. was also authorized to request of the family of Maj. How his battle-sword as a legacy to the town, to be placed near the speaker's stand, and inscribed, "The Battle Sword of Henry Jackson How. who fell in front of Richmond while defending the Constitution and flag of his country." Maj. How fell at the battle of Glendale, before Richmond. June 30. 1862.
Provision for soldiers and soldiers' families then embraced much of the business of the town. while promptness in furnishing men to fill all quotas was the rule. Aug. 8, 1863. a meeting was held to make preparations for the reception of the 50th Regiment and the firing of a salute. March 12, 1864. Addison B. Jaques withdrew from his position as town clerk, after a service of twenty years, to which was extended the response of complimentary resolutions.
On the 16th of April, 1864, the town voted to pay a bounty of $125 in gold to fill the quota under the last call. Objection was made to the payment in gold, many believing it to be in violation of the statute of the Commonwealth, and anticipated resistance to the pay- ment of taxes, which would lead to litigation. A petition was pre- sented. signed by James H. Duncan. and twenty-seven others, asking for an injunetion restraining the selectmen and town treasurer from paying bounties in gold. which was granted by the court. This gave rise to much unpleasantness, from which trouble was apprehended, and on one occasion there were indications of violence, Mr. Duncan's house being surrounded by a threatening mob, but the critical moment passed by without any very serious demonstration, and the matter was soon quieted, the bounties being paid as heretofore. This was the only important occasion when his townsmen refused to listen to him. Confidence, however, soon returned, and he again became their trusted counsellor.
On the 6th of March. 1865, the town authorized continued enlist- ments in anticipation of a call of the President, paying such bounties as were authorized by the Commonwealth. Not long after this the war ended by the surrender of Gen. Lee and the rebel army. an event which gave rise to heartfelt rejoicing, and the public thought was once more given to peace.
Attention was early given to recording the names of the patriotic citizens of Haverhill. who had fallen in battle in defence of the country. for inseription on a memorial tablet, and very soon the subject of crecting a soldiers monument began to be agitated. A committee, of which James H. Carleton, J. V. Smiley, E. T. Ingalls. O. H. Roberts, J. P. Gilmore. Alfred Kittredge, and E. P. Hill were members, were chosen to procure plans and estimates. The committee to consider
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the place of loeating it, were James H. Duncan, Wm. Taggart, and Caleb Hersey.
After much deliberation the site was fixed upon, at the junction of Main and Pond streets .. In March, 1868, the committee reported a plan of monument at a cost of $6,000, and $1,000 for enclosing the same, which was accepted, and James H. Carleton, J. V. Smiley, C. P. Messer, Henry T. Fitts, J. K. Jenness, D. Smith Kimball were constituted the building committee. A contract was made with Charles H. Weeks, of Haverhill, to become the sculptor and architect, who at onee entered upon its construction.
This memorial to the memory of the patriotic dead is twenty-six feet high. Its base is two and a half feet high and ten feet in diam- eter, the plinth is two feet in height, with buttresses surmounted by inverted cannon six feet four inches in length ; the second die is five feet ten inches high ; and all surmounted by a statue eight feet four inches in height, representing a volunteer soldier, with minsket at parade rest. The base is of Rockport granite, and the other portions of Italian marble, the whole weighing forty tons, and is enclosed by an iron fence sixty-six feet in circumference.
Chiselled upon the tablets are the names of those who fell in the great confliet, aecompanied by the following inscription : "Iu grateful tribute to the memory of those who, on land and on the sea, died, that the Republic might live, this monument is erected by the citizens of Haverhill, A. D. 1869."
One hundred and eighty-six names are now upon it, and there is space for about fifty more. The completion of the monument was followed by its formal presentation to the town by J. V. Smiley, in behalf of the building committee, and was received in behalf of the town by Nathan S. Kimball, chairman of the board of selectmen, of which Levi Taylor and David D. Chase were members. Other gen- tlemen at times during the war officiating on the board, were the late Robert G. Walker, A. A. Sargent, and David Boynton. These constituted the successive boards of war magistrates of the town during the continuanee of the conflict. The dedication of the monument, with imposing ceremonies, immediately followed its presentation, July 5, 1869, the address being delivered by Hon. George B. Loring, of Salem.
The number of men furnished by Haverhill for the war was about thirteen hundred, giving a surplus of eighty-five men in excess of all claims. Of that number seventy-three were commissioned officers, embracing six field officers, five of whom were credited to its quota, and one to Boston, as follows : Gen. William F. Bartlett ; this officer was captain in the 20th regiment, where he lost a leg in the service. He afterwards raised the 49th (nine months') Regiment, becom- ing its eolonel, serving in the Department of the Gulf, where he was again wounded, before Port IIndson, on which occasion his bravery commanded the admiration of both armies. Recovering a second time, he became the colonel of the 57th, and, June 27, 1864, was com- missioned brigadier-general of volunteers. Subsequently he was breveted major-general for brave and meritorions services in the field.
The other five were Col. Wm. B. Greene, of the First Heavy Ar- tillery, Col. Jones Frankle, a German officer, of the Second Massa- chusetts Artillery ; this officer was captain in the 14th Regiment, ma- jor in the 17th Regiment, and came out of the war brigadier-general of volunteers by brevet ; Col. Carlos P. Messer, of the 50th Regiment ; Maj. Luther Day, of the 17th Regiment; Maj. Andrew Jackson How, of the 19th Regiment, who fell before Richmond ; Lient. Col. Henry Splaine, of the 17th Regiment.
During the four years of the war the town raised and expended for the support of the same, exclusive of State aid, one hundred and eighteen thousand one hundred and thirty-five dollars and forty-nine eents ($118,135.49).
The amount raised and paid out for State aid to the families of vol- unteers, afterwards refunded by the Commonwealth, was as follows : In 1861, $8,941.20; in 1862, $29,316.82; in 1863, $31,284.22; in 1864, $26,000; in 1865, $19,000; making a total amount, $114,- 542.24.
On the 8th of January, 1869, occurred the death of Hon. James H. Duncan, at the age of seventy-five years, au event much deplored. He had from his youth been identified with the town in its business, political, social and religious interests, and was highly esteemed for his many qualities of head and heart, which caused him to be leaned upon as a leader, counsellor, and common friend.
At the annual town-meeting, March 1, 1869, N. S. Kimball, E. P. Hill and J. B. Swett were made a committee to prepare a series of memorial resolutions to the memory of their late honored citizen and friend. These resolutions recognizing the event as the order of
Providence, accepted the stroke as falling upon one whose entire life had been spent here, identified with all the interests of the community ; also expressing grateful remembrance of him as a prudent counsellor and common friend, who had at length been gathered to the fathers " like a shock of corn fully ripe"; at the same time bearing sympathy to the family in their affliction, uniting common sorrow with private grief over the event which was a public loss as well as a private heart- felt bereavement.
In 1867 the Legislature granted a city charter to the town, but the following census failed to show the requisite number of inhabitants, and the measure failed. On the 12tb of September, 1868, the town applied for a re-enactment of the city charter if 12,000 inhabitants should be found, which proved to be the case, and the organic law for a city was again supplied.
On the 15th of May, 1869, the town accepted the city charter by a ballot of 671 yeas to 141 nays, and on Sept. 1, 1869, the town accepted an Act of the Legislature to unite Bradford with Haverhill in a city, by a vote of 212 affirmative to 67 negative votes, but Brad- ford failed to concur, and the movement did not succeed.
On the 15th of May the town voted $1,000 to the widow of the late Joseph Burnham, a watchman of the town, who was shot in a conflict with a gang of burglars attempting to break into the Merrimack National Bank.
Following the acceptance of the city charter, the selectmen, N. S. Kimball and Phineas Ayer, divided the town into six wards, prepar- atory to the coming change of government, and the last town-meeting was held in the autumn of that year. On the 6th of December, 1869, at meetings held in the respective wards, the officers of the new city government were elected, as follows : Mayor, Warner R. Whit- tier ; Aldermen, Samuel Laubham, James E. Gale, A. Washington Chase, R. Stuart Chase, L. V. Spaulding, Levi Taylor; Council- men, Carlos P. Messer, Moses Ilow, Wm. A. Brooks, James F. West, E. B. Bishop, Calvin Smith, Charles W. Wentworth, Wm. L. Bass, B. F. Leighton, M. G. J. Emery, Addison B. Jaques, Daniel Fitts.
The adoption of a city charter, and the election of officers under it, opened a new cra in the history of this ancient town, whose primitive reeord still stands in thought, clustered about by unnumbered pleas- ant memories.
On Monday, Jan. 3, 1870, Warner R. Whittier, the first mayor elect, appeared in the town hall, accompanied by his associate offi- cers elect, in the presence of a large assembly of citizens, and re- ceived the oath of office, administered by Alfred Kittredge, justice of the peace; after which he proceeded to qualify the respective boards of the city council, which was followed by the delivery of his inaugural address. David B. Tenney was immediately after unani- mously elected city clerk, and has been unanimously re-elected to that office at every successive election since that time. The various offices under the new government were acceptably filled, and the new power was put in motion, commanding the full confidence of the people.
The policy of the new city government proved to be a liberal one, and improvements in every department of public interest were en- tered upon with directness and energy. The streets and highways became greatly improved by adding new sidewalks, and paving the principal thoroughfares, and a general careful supervision established ; the public schools were given particular attention, and better accom- modations generously supplied ; the poor department was properly watched over, and a general "budding and blossoming" appeared on every hand. Mayor Whittier was re-elected in 1871, and his succes- sors have been : Levi Taylor in 1872, who was elected to a second term, but resigned before being qualified; J. V. Smiley, in 1873 and 1874; Alpheus Currier, in 1875; Joseph K. Jenness, in 1876 and 1877, and Nathan S. Kimball in 1878.
The distinguishing literary and educational event of the present period has been the establishment of a public library. On the twenty- niuth day of January, A. D. 1873, Hon. E. J. M. Hale addressed a communication to " His Honor the Mayor, and City Council," propos- ing to found a public library, and convey a lot of land on Summer Street as a site for the building, accompanied by a donation of thirty thousand dollars in money, provided an equal sum of money should be raised by the city within the term of six months. The proposition was promptly accepted, aud a committee of twelve persous selected to solicit subscriptions, which resulted in securing the required con- ditional sum. On the 1st of August following, E. J. M. Hale, James H. Carleton, James E. Gale, James R. Nichols, R. Stuart Chase, and John L. Hobson were elected the board of trustees. A model for a library building was soon adopted, and the structure built at the cost
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of $49.543.32. The edifice is at onee an ornament to the city, and admirably adapted to the uses for which it was designed. The dedi- catory exercises took place Nov. 11. 1875. The opening address was by Mayor Currier ; the dedieatory prayer by Rev. R. H. Seeley, D. D. ; and a poem, written by John G. Whittier for the occasion, was sung by the quartette of the South Congregational Church of Boston, Mrs. Julia Houston West, Mrs. J. F. Winch, and Messrs. W. J. and J. F. Winch. of Boston. A historical sketch was read by Hon. E. J. M. Hale, followed by addresses by Col. Leverett Sal- tonstall. Gen. W. F. Bartlett. Judge Charles Bradley, of Providence, R. I .. Prof. James Thayer. of Harvard College. and Maj. Ben. Per- ley Poore, of Newbury. Gov. Gaston was present, but being unwell, did not speak.
Since its dedieation Mr. Hale has made liberal appropriations in money. with donations of books and artieles of vertu. and the insti- tution now contains more than 25.000 volumes, choice in selection, together with statuary and many adornings of art. The librarian is Edward Capen, and his principal assistant Mrs. Grace A. Borges de Freitas Henriques.
Since the adoption of the city government. the city hall has been remodelled. the old high school building entirely reconstructed, a new high school building ereeted in 1873, on the site where Harriet Newell was born, and the Currier school-house built on Mount Wash- ington. On every hand have appeared improvement and expansion, all bearing the impress of solid growth.
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