USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Woburn > The history of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. from the grant of its territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the year 1680 > Part 34
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And now, that nothing might be wanting thoroughly to furnish this house of worship for its intended use, the parish, at a meet- ing January 18th, the following year, 1773, chose Josiah John- son, Esq. and Joseph Wright a committee to sell the old bell, and to purchase a new one, that should weigh about four hun- dred and fifty pounds.b
In 1755 began that sharp national contest known in New England as "the last French war ;" and which continued, with some abatements, till the definitive treaty of peace, signed at
· Parish Records, Vol. II., p. 137.
৳ Parish Records, Vol. II., p. 145.
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Paris, February 10, 1763. This war was occasioned by en- croachments, which the French were constantly making in Nova Scotia, a province ceded by them to Great Britain, or acknow- ledged to belong to her, by a succession of treaties ; and by their commencing a chain of settlements and fortifications, which were designed to extend the whole length of the northern and western frontiers of the English colonies, and which would prove exceed- ingly embarrassing and detrimental to their interests in time of peace, and might be successfully employed for their utter ruin or subjugation in time of war. Remonstrances against these pro- ceedings having been repeatedly urged in vain, hostilities between the two nations actually commenced in 1755, although war was not publicly declared till the following year.
In this war, in the result of which all the British colonies bor- dering on the Atlantic were so deeply interested, the inhabitants of New England in general engaged with a hearty zeal, and with a willingness to make every sacrifice in their power, in order to bring it to a successful issue. And although, through the rashness, or imbecility and folly of the military commanders, appointed and sent here by the government in England, these col- onists were grieved and mortified the first three years of the war to see a constant series of losses and defeats and disappoint- ments, yet upon a change of men and measures, they were over- joyed to behold the former discouraging prospect entirely reversed ; to witness success and victory everywhere attendant upon the arms of Britain and her colonies, especially in the cam- paign of 1759, when Quebec was taken, and the vast region of Canada subdued. For from the first settlement of New England, Canada had been a perpetual scourge to her inhabitants; a con- stant source of vexation to her commerce, of war and bloodshed to her people, and of malicious, mischievous interference with her Indian neighbors. Hence they longed to see this settlement of France subdued; they freely offered their persons and their fortunes to the accomplishment of this end in the present war. And " great and universal was the joy (saith Rev. Dr. Trumbull in his History of Connecticut) 26 which spread through the Eng-
26 Vol. II., Chap. xx., p. 429.
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lish Colonies, especially through New England, on the conquest of Canada, which, for more than a century, had occasioned so much aların, such an expense of blood and treasure to them, as well as to the sister colonies. Many had been their own and their forefathers' fastings and prayers for this great event. Now, they conceived, that they were fully answered. Days of public thanksgiving were generally appointed in New England to recog- nize the divine goodness, and ascribe due honors to HIM, whose is the greatness and the victory, and whose kingdom ruleth over all."
In order to the accomplishment, however, of this most desir- able end, for which so many united devout thanksgivings were offered by a whole people unto God, numerous and costly were the sacrifices, both of treasure and life, which the colonies were called to make to procure it. In relating the close of the war, the Reverend Historian just quoted, thus describes these sacrifices. " For nearly eight years they had been making the most strenuous exertions to carry on the war, and to assist his Majesty to hum- ble the pride of their common enemy. Their burdens and losses had been great. As the provincials enlisted for one campaign only, a new army was to be raised, new bounties given, and new clothing to be furnished, every spring. So great was the expense, that the colonies were obliged not only to emit bills of credit to a great amount, but to tax the people as highly as they could bear. Besides the public bounties given by the colonies, the merchants, farmers, and gentlemen of character were obliged to advance considerable sums to encourage the enlistments, or they must have left their farms, merchandise, and various employ- ments, and gone into actual service. Especially was this the case with the northern colonies. New England, in general, had, during the war, ten thousand men in the field. Some years, the two colonies of Massachusetts and Connecticut furnished that number. Massachusetts annually sent into the field five thou- sand five hundred men, and one year, seven thousand. Besides her annual quota, this colony, for several years, garrisoned Louis- burg and Nova Scotia, that the regular troops might be employed in the expeditions against Canada. On the application of the
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British admiral, she furnished five hundred seamen, in the expe- dition against Louisburg and Quebec. At several times, many others were impressed out of the vessels employed in the fishery. According to the statement made by Governor Bernard, and transmitted to the lords of trade, the colony had expended in the war, eight hundred and eighteen thousand pounds sterling. Of this sum, three hundred and twenty-eight thousand pounds had been replaced by parliamentary grants. Four hundred and ninety thousand pounds [or $2,177,777] were expended, for which the colony had no parliamentary compensation."27 In the course of this war, too, it has been estimated by the same Reverend Historian, that the colonies lost considerably more than twenty thousand men. "These, in general," continues he, " were their most firm and hardy young men, the flower of their country. Many others were maimed and enervated in the many distant and arduous campaigns during the war. And as the New England colonies furnished much the greatest number of men, so this loss fell with the heaviest weight upon them." 27
Of the public losses and sacrifices, particularly those sus- tained by Massachusetts, during this war, Woburn had her full share. During the five years immediately preceding 1755, when the country was at peace, the average amount of her proportion of the Province Tax was only £139 9s. 5d. lawful money .. But from 1755, when hostilities commenced, till 1763, inclusively, when peace was concluded between the two contending nations, the annual average amount of her proportion of the same tax was £518 98. 9d., almost four times as much as the average in time of peace. But, oppressive as these taxes were, yet such was the patriotic zeal of the people, they appear to have been borne by them, and paid without complaint.
But what is still more observable is the large proportion of men furnished by Woburn in that war for military service. From a partial examination of the voluminous muster roll returns of that war, preserved in the archives of Massachusetts, and also from family papers and indisputable popular tradition,
17 Trumbull's Connecticut, Vol. II., Chap. xxll., pp. 453-435.
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it appears, that one hundred and twenty-seven of the inhabi- tants of this town were enlisted or impressed for service, in the successive stages, and for the various enterprises of that long and bloody contest. And, were the examination of the public documents above referred to completed, it would not improbably enlarge that number to one hundred and fifty. In 1755, when the war commenced, fifty-four Woburn men were enrolled for the expeditions set on foot that year against Nova Scotia and Crown Point alone. Now this number is more than two-elevenths of all the males in Woburn that were taxed upon the Province tax lists of that year, 28 and more than one in twenty-eight of all the inhabitants of the town the same year, reckoning its population in 1755 to have been 1500, which is a large estimate.23 But what a heavy burden would it now appear to be, if two- elevenths of all the taxable males in any town, or if one out of every twenty-eight of its inhabitants, including old and young, men, women and children, were to be drafted and sent off upon active military service in any one year !
Two interesting memorials, one written, the other tradition- ary, of persons and events in this war, have been handed down to us by Woburn men, and are well deserving notice in this connection.
The written memorial is a journal of Samuel Thompson, Esq., once a well known, highly respected citizen of this place, now deceased, which was kept by him, while serving in this war, as a soldier. In April, 1758, he joined a company enlisted for the Northern campaign, commanded by Capt. Eben- ezer Jones, then of Wilmington, but of Woburn three years before, when he was a leader in the expedition against Crown Point. This company started for the place of its destination May 24th, and reached Fort Edward, June 17th. When it began its march, Mr. Thompson was one of the sergeants : but in consequence of the sudden death of its commander and several
24 Viz : 142 on the west list, and 152 on the east list=294. Town Records, Vol. VII., pp. 162~168.
" The total population of Woburn, ten years af er wards, viz : 1765, was 1,515. See Report of Town Clerk of Woburn for 1865, p. 31.
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other officers, of wounds received in an attack by the Indians, he was advanced to be a lieutenant. The journal referred to is an account kept by him, daily, of his marches, hardships, and the innumerable incidents which befell him or his fellow-soldiers, or which he had occasion to notice in the public service, from the time he left home in May 1758, till his return thither again in November of the same year. The entire document has been accounted as well worth copying and preserving in this connec- tion ; and a place has therefore been given to a copy of it in the Appendix to this work, No. IX.
The traditionary anecdote referred to, in connection with the war of 1755-1763, respeets Capt. John Wood, son of John and Esther Wood, who was born August 23, 1740, within the limits of Woburn precinct (now Burlington) where he resided all his days, and died there, October 19, 1809.
At the age of sixteen, and in the second year of the war, Wood repaired to Concord to enlist. The enlisting officer, seeing he was but a stripling, passed him by till all other applicants had left. He then addressed Wood in some such terms as these : " Well, youngster : and what have you come here for ?" " To enlist, Sir," said Wood, " if you will accept me." "To enlist !" replied the officer: " Why, do you think you can kill an Indian ?" " I don't know about that, Sir," said Wood: "but I think I can fire a bullet into an oak stump as far as any other man." The officer perceiving by this time that he was a bold, hardy, ingenuous youth, though not so old as he could wish, at length took down his age, measured him, and going through all the other ceremonies of enlistment, dismissed him to the com- pany in which he was to serve.
At a certain time during the period of his enlistment in the war, being under the command (as he used to say) of Benedict Arnold, the future traitor in the War of the Revolution, as he and his company were marching through the forests of Canada in midwinter, with the snow three feet under them on a level, and the weather exceedingly cold, one of his comrades was seized with a sore on one of his legs, which became so swollen and painful as totally to disable him for keeping up with the
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rest. This the captain perceived; and being resolved not to leave him behind to perish with cold, or by the hand of the enemy, and yet being unwilling to stop to take care of him, feeling it to be important to hasten to the post he was going to, which was thirty miles ahead, he called his men together, and then bade any one, who might be willing to stop there and take care of the poor lame soldier till he could send relief from the fort he was marching for, to present his arms. But no one answering to his bidding, John Wood stepped forward, and offered himself for this benevolent, yet hard and trying service. The captain gratefully accepted his offer; and after employing some of his men to build him a little shanty for his shelter, and others to collect in the forest sufficient wood for his fuel, he gave him such necessaries as he could spare him, and a two-quart wooden bottle of rum for his comfort and that of the sufferer he was to wait upon, and then proceeded with his men on their march.
Early the next morning, as Wood drew aside a blanket which served for a door to his shanty, and looked out, he spied four or five Indians approaching, and as he had reason to think, with hostile intent. At this sight, he was utterly dismayed for a few moments. But quickly perceiving it would be of no use to attempt either to resist or to run, he resorted to kindness for protection. He instantly takes the bottle of rum which had been given him, into his hands, and, going out and holding it up to the Indians, cries out "Oncapee, Oncapee," their word for ardent spirit. Upon this, the Indians stepped up, but refused to drink, fearing it might be poison, till Wood drank himself. But still apprehending that he might treacherously hold in his mouth what he knew would be death to take down, they insisted upon his drinking again, and make it appear to them that he swallowed it. Wood readily took another sip, which made such a motion before their eyes as it passed down his throat, that the Indians instantly dismissed all suspicions of any evil design in his offer- ing them " Oncapee," and drank of it freely, as much as they thought proper. And now Wood takes them into his hovel, and shows them the diseased swollen limb of his comrade under
-
30
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his charge, as he lay helpless upon the leaves or whatever served him for a bed. Upon viewing it attentively, one of the Indians (who, it seems, was an Indian doctor,) signified to Wood, that he could cure that sore, and that he wished for a flint. The flint being brought, the Indian pounded it to pieces as well as he could, and taking the splinters, he stuck the sore with them by their sharp points, very thickly, which soon caused matter or water to ooze from the swollen leg. And now this Indian surgeon repairs to a tall hemlock hard by, and seraping away the deep snow at its foot, he takes a little herb he found there, and gives Wood to understand that he must make of it a wash which he must apply to the diseased leg three times a day. And now the red men of the forest depart, leaving Wood unharmed, he prepares and applies the wash as directed; and in three days, within which time the promised help from the fort arrived, the poor, lame soldier entirely recovered the use of his limb, and was able to go with Wood and the rest to his company again. How much real, disinterested benevolence did Wood display on this occasion ! And what evidence did the uncivilized Indians he had to do with furnish, by their forbearance and kind offices towards two defenceless foes, that, notwithstanding the horrid cruelties with which their countrymen were sometimes chargeable, they could and would act at times in a manner that deserves and challenges our warmest praise.
The ministry of Rev. Mr. Sherman (who, it has been already stated, was ordained in Woburn in 1755,) commeneed under very favorable auspices, and promised several years to be long, harmonious and successful. But pecuniary embarrassments, incurred by him originally in the purchase of his house and lands, at length produced uneasiness between him and his peo- ple. To relieve him in his perplexed situation, recourse was had, but unsuccessfully, to various expedients. At one time, the parish voted to give him .£100 as a present; but this vote was presently after reconsidered, and declared null and void. It was also proposed, that they should purchase of him his home- stead, and then allow him to occupy it free of rent; but this measure, also for his help, when they came to act upon it, they
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declined to adopt. They raised for him, however, in 1761, and three years afterward in succession, in addition to his salary, eight or ten pounds in money for procuring his firewood; and in 1765, they voted him a permanent grant of ten pounds per annum, for this purpose, so long as he should "carry on the whole work of a Gospel Minister " among them.30 But this grant, though very acceptable to Mr. Sherman, did not essen- tially relieve him, or satisfy his wants. He was very desirous, that beside this help, an addition should be made to his stated salary in money, so long as he continued to preach among them ; and that while he retained his pastoral relation to the church in the place, some provision should be made for his support and comfort, in case he should be necessarily taken off from his ministerial labors by any Providential occurrence. And at length a mutual agreement to this effect was entered into between him and the parish, through their committee, which is here copied from the records.
" Whereas the Rev. Mr Josiah Sherman, Pastor of the First Church in Woburn, appeared in a legal Parish meeting of the First Parish in said Town, on the 20th day of October A. D. 1766, and requested of them, that they would make an addition of ten pounds of Lawful Money to his salary, to be paid to him annually so long as he shall carry on the whole work of the Gospel Ministry in said Parish ; and state sixty pounds of his salary to be paid to him annually so long as he shall sustain the character of a Pastor to the Church in said Parish, in case he shall be taken off his labours in Providence :
" In answer to which Request (after the said Parish and the Revd Mr. Josiah Sherman had mutually agreed thereto) the said Parish on the said Twentieth day of October A.D. 1766, passed the following votes, which are to take place and be in force from and after the twenty-eighth day of January, Anno Domini 1767.
" Voted, by said Parish, that they will add to the Rev. Mr Josiah Sherman's salary Ten Pounds of Lawful Money, to be paid to him annually, so long as he shall carry on the whole work of a Gospel Minister in said Parish, in case he will be therewith con- tented for the future.
30 Parish Records, Vol. II., p. 86.
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" Voted, that they will state only fifty Pounds Lawful Money to be paid to him annually for his support, so long as he is in the Pastoral Office in said Parish, when he shall be taken off his labours in Providence, in case that he shall request no more, unless he is constrained by necessity to ask more : but not to exceed ten pounds.
" In Testimony of our mutual consent to the above agreement, we have hereunto set our hands this seventeenth day of December, Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six.
" JOSIAH SHERMAN, Pastor.
" BENJA. WYMAN WILLIAM TAY JOSIAH PARKER
Committee, in the Name of the Parish."31
In accordance with this engagement, the parish at a meeting March 16, 1767, voted " to raise £100 Lawful for Mr. Sher- man's salary and firewood the present year, which began January 28th, 1767." 32 For more than seven years, Mr. Sherman for- bore to make any complaint, upon record, of the provisions of the above agreement. But necessity seems then to have compelled him to open his mouth. In the warrant for a parish meeting, to be held March 14, 1774, one article was. " To see if the Parish will take the Rev. Mr Josiah Sherman's circumstances under their consideration, and grant him proper relief; or vote him a Release from his Ministerial Relation to them, according to his request on February 15, 1774."33 This renewed application by Rev. Mr. Sherman to his people, for their help, prepared the way for a twelvemonth's debate and altercation among them upon the subject of his affairs. During that period of time, various plans for his relief were proposed and urged by his friends ; but these were all, one after another, obstructed or defeated by a party, that now openly appeared in opposition to Mr. Sherman. In view of this opposition, Mr. Sherman became quite disheart. ened. As matters now were, he saw no prospeet of securing a comfortable maintenance for himself and family. His people, he
" Parish Records, Vol. II., p. DR.
32 Parish Records, Vol. II., p. 98.
3 l'arish Records, Vol. II., p. 132.
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thought, now eyed him in the sanctuary with a different look from that which they once used to present in the Sabbath assembly. It seemed to him that his comfort and usefulness in the place were now gone: and hence he felt constrained to address the parish committee in a letter, dated January 18, 1775, expressing an earnest request that they would call a parish meeting as soon as possible, to see if the parish would be pleased to release him from his ministerial connection. In com- pliance with this request, a meeting of the parish was held February 6, 1775. But though a majority could not be obtained in parish meeting to aid Mr. Sherman in the way he desired, yet so deep rooted was the attachment to him of many, and so strong appears to have been the expectation of retaining him upon some terms or other, that, at this meeting, a majority could not be found willing to part with him. After sending for Mr. Sherman, and conferring with him, and debating the matter some time, the parish decided after he withdrew, by a vote of thirty-seven to thirty-four, not to dismiss him.34.
Three other fruitless meetings concerning Mr. Sherman were held February 15th, March 20th and March 27th. That on March 20th was convened in answer to the petition of seventeen persons, to see if the parish would relieve Mr. Sherman by purchasing the place he lived on, or by granting him a sum of money, or in any other way they should deem expedient, and would be agreeable to Mr. Sherman. But at the meeting it was voted not to act on the warrant, and the meeting was declared dissolved.35 And at the meeting, March 27th, (it being the annual parish meeting) an article was inserted in the warrant, at the petition of ten persons, seconded by a written note from Mr. Sherman, earnestly requesting the parish to release him that day; it was voted again, after adjourning to March 28th, and conferring with Mr. Sherman once more, not to release him.36
In the mean while, there was a meeting of the church upon Mr. Sherman's affairs, which resulted as follows :
" At a meeting of the first Church in Woburn conven'd at
34 Parish Records, Vol. II., p. 170.
35 Parish Records, Vol. II., p. 174. 36 Parish Records, Vol. II., p. 179.
30*
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the meeting house in the first Parish in said Town March 27th. 1775.
" The following Votes were passed.
" 1. That they would dismiss and recommend Mr Josiah Sherman, their present Pastor, in answer to his request.
" Then the following Recommendation was read.
" At a Meeting of the first Church in Woburn March 27th. 1775 :
" The Rev.d Mr Sherman, who hath been for many years Pastor of this Church, having represented that he is under great difficul- ties respecting his temporal Circumstances, which, he finds, cannot be removed without disturbing the peace and harmony of this Society ; that he therefore thinks it necessary, his Pastoral relation should be dissolved ; and having accordingly requested a dismission from us as Pastor :
" The Church having taken the said request, and the circum- stances which attend it, into their serious and deliberate consider- ation, cannot but express their sincere regret at parting with a Minister, whose doctrine and morals have been unexceptionable while he hath been with us, and who hath discharged the duties of his office and trust reposed in him with fidelity and diligence. But as there seems to be no way of removing the difficulties under which Mr Sherman labors, without introducing great contentions and divisions among us, We are obliged to consent to his removal ; and do accordingly dismiss him from his Pastoral Relation to this Church, and Recommend him, as one who is well qualified for the Gospel Ministry, to any Church who may employ him in that sacred work. We heartily wish him all the comforts of that Gospel which he hath preached to us; and that he may be an Instrument of building up the Redeemer's Kingdom in the world.
" 2. Voted that they were willing to subscribe that form of dis- mission and Recommendation that was then read to them.
" 3. Voted that they would appoint and make choice of a Com- mittee to sign said Recommendation in their name.
"4. Voted Deacon Nathan Richardson, Deacon Samuel Wyman, and Brother William Tay to be a Committee for that purpose.
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