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 52
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19. Thursday : the teams and waggons went down again loaded, and seven of our Company and Jesse Wyman went home, and late in ye night, the waggons come and loaded again.
20. Friday : on the main guard, and a number of battows carried down, and teams and waggons come up and loaded.
21. Saturday : the teams and waggons went down : we drawed 4 days provision : and Lieut. Joshua Walker & Serjt [McCord ?] set out for home : and they were unrigging the Sloop, and she haled up about 30 or 40 whale boats down ye Lake to sink them; and the waggons came up again.
11 Samuel, son of Samuel and Phebe Tidd, born 17 May, 1741 ; died, under age, in the army at Lake George, October 10, 1758. [Sce State Muster Roll.]
557
APPENDIX, NO. IX.
22. Sunday : the waggons went down again with battows, and they - haled a number of battows down the Lake to sink; and they knocked down the barracks within the new Picket Fort, and they bury the guns belonging to the Sloop, and the boards of the barracks, and the Sloop irons, and many other things: and Mr. Morrill preached; his text, 1 Thessalonians 2, 12 forenoon : no preaching in the afternoon; for Orders came, that our Regiment with 2 more Regiments, and every 20 men to draw battows down to Fort Edward tomorrow.
23. Monday : we drawed out a number of battows down to Fort Edward, and camped 94 [by ?] a Store house : very cold night.
24. Tuesday; Set out from Fort Edward in a battow, and we had a very bad spell at the Falls at Fort Miller. We haled our battow out on the land forty rod, and put it in the River again, and we got stuck in the Falls. I got out and lifted in the River one hour in ye, dark, and we got off, and went on shore, and set up three tents, and put our Sick in one ; and it was a rainy night, and we made a great fire.
25. Wednesday, I went on land part of the day, and part by water; and we camped three miles below Stillwater in a house: a rainy night, and a very bad snow storm all the fore part of the next day.
26. Thursday : I marched all day, and crossed the River at Half Moon at one or two o'clock, and went to Flatbush, and lodged in a house. I bought a good supper.
27. Friday : went in a battow to Green Bush, and got into a barn with our Sick. And I went to Albany and drawed provision for ye Company, and lay in ye barn at Green Bush ; and I had a very bad cold.
28. Saturday : very bad cold; and Abijah and the rest of our Com- pany set out for home in the morning; and I went about to take care of the Sick, and felt pretty poor. Samll. Hutchinson and Dan1. Holt sick. I put Samil. Hutchinson into Hospitall, and Camped in Barn.
29. Sunday : Set out from Green Bush about 10 o'clock, and came to half way house about noon, and rid in a waggon to Canterhook 12 mills before sundown, and Camped in a barn.
30. Monday : Set out from Kenderhook before sun rise, and went to Goodaneers, and eat chocolate, and went to Stone house 11 o'clock. Set out from thence to Lovejoy's, and eat beef and turnips, and paid for it; and went to Roberts', and lodged in his barn, &c.
31. Tuesday : eat - and milk at Roberts' ; paid for it, and set out from thence, and came to Sheffield about 10 o'clock at ye meeting house we marched to Davis's, and I eat beef and potatoes about 2 oclock : then we set out from thence, and went to Mr. Brewer's about 3 o'clock, where we eat supper and breakfast on Province cost, and I lodged in a bed.
November 1. Wednesday set out from Brewer's, sun } hour high; went into Green woods to a house 11 miles from Brewer's : eat a dinner on the Province cost. Set out from thence about noon, and came to Glascow meeting house at 3 o'clock. Stopped there a few minutes, and went one
12 Kinderhook.
48*
558
APPENDIX, NO. X.
mile to a tavern and lodged in a barn. I see Mr. Zorobabel Snow at this place. I eat on the Province cost.
2. Thursday : Set out from the tavern at break of day, and came to Westfield; Sun hour high. I eat chocolate at my own cost. Set out from there, and came to Springfield about 2 oclock to the River, and went over to a tavern one mile this side, and eat on the Province cost. Then I went 5 mile further, and lodged in a barn; eat supper on the Province cost.
3. Friday : Set out before sunrise, and went ten mile, before breakfast to Graves's ; eat on the Province cost, and then went to Brimfield to uncle James Tompson's,13 and got there 4 oclock, and lodged there in a bed.
4. Saturday : stayed at uncle James Tompson's till 3 oclock, and set out and went 4 mile : met Daniel14 and went back to uncle's, and lay there and Daniel.
5. Sunday. Set out from uncle's, and got lost; but we came to uncle Hartwell's about 1 oclock, and eat a good dinner. Set out from thence, Sun & hour high, and rode to Worcester to Brown's, and lodged there.
6. Monday. Set out from Brown's, and came to Agar's [Hagar's ?] and went to breakfast; poor chocolate : then rode as far as Deacon Rice's; went to dinner; poor beef: then rode to Roes [Munroe's ?] of Concord; drinked some cherry, and then rode home to my own house, where I found them all well, &c., on Monday night, about 9 oclock the 6th of November seventeen hundred fifty-eight.
APPENDIX, No. X.
FRENCH NEUTRALS.
During the war, which commenced in 1755, between England and France, frequent references are made in the Woburn Trea- surer's Records to the Neutral French. These originally were inhabitants of Nova Scotia, about seven thousand in number, " mild, frugal, industrious and pious" in their character; Colo- nists of France, but who, upon the cession of that Province by France to England, at the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, became right- fully subjects of Great Britain. But such was their attachment to their native country, its government and religion, that though they were allowed to hold their lands upon condition of taking the oath of allegiance to the Sovereign of England, yet they refused to do this, except with this qualification, that they should not be obliged, in case
. 13 James, son of Jonathan and Frances Thompson, born 14 November, 1696; a brother of Esquire Samuel Thompson's father.
14 Daniel Thompson, brother of Esquire Samuel; killed eventually at Concord fight, April 19, 1775.
559
APPENDIX, NO. X.
of any future war between France and England, to take up arms in defence of the British Province they now inhabited, against their own countrymen. By this qualification to their oath of allegiance, these French Colonists took the position, and acquired the name of Neutrals between the French and English : and had their conduct afterwards been always answerable to the name and position they had so assumed, they would, not improbably, have been suffered to remain unmolested, both as to their property and their persons. But during the war between France and England, which commenced in 1755, it was alleged against them by the English, that they had abandoned their neutral character and position ; that they " fur- nished the French and Indians with intelligence, quarters, pro- visions, and assistance in annoying the government of the Province ; that three hundred of them were actually found in arms at the tak -. ing of Fort Beau-sejour ; and that notwithstanding an offer was made to such of them as had not been openly in arms to be allowed to continue in possession of their land, if they would take the oath of allegiance without any qualification, they unanimously refused it." 1
In view of these charges (which were probably just, as to many individuals among them), the Lieut .- Governor of the Province and his Council, when met together to consider what was best to be done with this people, decided that it would not be consistent with the public safety that they should remain any longer in the Pro- vince ; and that if they were allowed to remove to Canada, the result would be, to replenish the armies of France. Hence they resolved to remove them all by force, and to distribute them among the several British Colonies, " where they could not unite in any offensive measures, and where they might be naturalized to the government and country." 1
The execution of this plan was intrusted principally to the Mas- sachusetts forces, headed by Lieut .- Colonel Winslow. 2 A conve- nient time having arrived, the inhabitants, who had hitherto been kept in entire ignorance of their destiny, " were called into the dif- ferent ports to hear the King's orders, as they were termed. At Grand Pré, where Col. Winslow had the immediate command, four hundred and eighteen of their best men assembled. These being shut into the church (for that too had become an arsenal) he placed
1 Minot's History of Massachusetts, Vol. I., pp. 220, 221, 222.
2 Lieut .- Colonel John Winslow of Marshfield.
560
APPENDIX, NO. X.
himself with his officers in the centre, and addressed them thus : ' Gentlemen : I have received from his Excellency, Governor Lawrence, the King's commission which I have in my hand ; and by his orders you are convened together, to manifest to you his Majesty's final resolution to the French inhabitants of this his Pro- vince of Nova Scotia ; who for almost half a century have had more indulgence granted them, than any of his subjects in any part of his dominions. What use you have made of it, you yourselves best know.
". The part of duty I am now upon, though necessary, is very disagreeable to my natural make and temper, as I know it must be grievous to you, who are of the same species.
"'But it is not my business to animadvert, but to obey such orders as I receive ; and therefore, without hesitation, shall deliver you his Majesty's orders and instructions ; namely ,
"' That your land and tenements, cattle of all kinds, and live stock of all sorts, are forfeited to the crown, with all other your effects, saving your money and household goods ; and you your- selves to be removed from this his Province.'
"Thus it is peremptorily his Majesty's orders, that the whole French inhabitants of these districts be removed; and I am, through his Majesty's goodness, directed to allow you liberty to carry off your money and household goods, as many as you can without discommoding the vessels you go in. I shall do every- thing in my power, that all those goods be secured to you, and that you are not molested in carrying them off; also, that whole families shall go in the same vessel ; and make this remove, which I am sensible must give you a great deal of trouble, as easy as his Majesty's service will admit; and hope that in whatever part of the world you may fall, you may be faithful subjects, a peaceable and happy people.
"I must also inform you, that it is his Majesty's pleasure that you remain in security, under the inspection and direction of the troops that I have the honor to command." " And he then declared them the King's prisoners."
" The whole number of persons collected at Grand Pré finally amounted to 483 men and 337 women, heads of families, and their sons and daughters to 527 of the former, and 576 of the latter, making in the whole 1,927 souls. Their stock was upwards of 5,000 horned cattle, 493 horses, and 12,887 sheep and swine.
561
APPENDIX, NO. X.
" As some of these wretched inhabitants escaped to the woods, all possible measures were adopted to force them back to captivity. The country was laid waste to prevent their subsistence. In the district of Minas alone, there were destroyed 255 houses, 276 barns, 155 out-houses, 11 mills, and 1 church ; and the friends of those who refused to come in were threatened, as the victims of their obstinacy. In short, so operative were the terrors that sur- rounded them, that of twenty-four young men who deserted from a transport, twenty-two were glad to return of themselves, the others being shot by sentinels, and one of their friends, who was supposed to have been accessary to their escape, having been carried on shore to behold the destruction of his house and effects, which were burned in his presence, as a punishment for his temerity, and perfidious aid to his comrades. Being embarked by force of the musquetry, they were dispersed, according to the original plan, among the several British Colonies. One thousand arrived in Massachusetts Bay, and became a public expense, owing in a great degree to an unchangeable antipathy to their situation, which prompted them to reject the usual beneficiary but humiliating establishment of paupers for their children." 3
Of the thousand French Neutrals brought to Massachusetts, to be distributed among its towns, we learn from Gage's History of Rowley, that " Rowley had fourteen to provide for & .... that Bradford had eleven as their proportion. Boxford had fifteen a part of the time, but in March (1758) six of them were removed to Middleton." 4 "The selectmen of the several towns were authorized by law to bind them out to service. It is not known that any of those in Rowley were bound out. The Province was charged with the expense of their board. After the peace of 1763, the town [Rowley] March 17, 1767, made a grant of £13 6s. 8d. to aid them in returning to the place of their nativity." 4
From the following Memoranda in the Records of the Treasurer of Woburn of that day, it appears that a number of these unfortunate people were placed in this town, under the care of different fam- ilies :
1756 May 10. "Paid to Benjan. Wyman for provisions for the French family now maintained by the Town . £1.3.0." " June 20. Paid to Dr. John Prince for his doctoring the French in this town to this day 1.15.8."
$ Minot's History, Vol. I., pp. 224, 227.
" Gage's Rowley, p. 208.
562
APPENDIX, NO. X.
1756 July 15. Paid to Mr. Thomas Reed for beef, pork, meal, wood, and sundries for the French family in Woburn . " Decr. 29. Paid to Mr. Isaac Snow for provisions to the French People in our town in full to this day . · 1757 March 4. "There is a Note in the Hands of Josiah John- son Esqr. of about twenty six Pounds from the Prov- ince, to pay this Town for keeping the French people taken from Menis and sent here." p. 122
" June 1. Paid to James Thompson for three loads of wood he found for the French 0:10:0." " July 29. Paid to Dea. Timothy Winn for provisions for the French people in our town. 0:10:11."
" Aug. 17. Paid to Oliver Richardson for beans for ye. French family
0:2:1}."
1758. Feby. 23. "Paid to Dea. Timothy Winn for keeping the French ye. fore part of ye. year.
0:10 :8."
" March 9. "Paid to Dea. Timothy Winn for service done ye. Town respecting the French
0 :4:0."
" Decr. 4. "Paid to Joseph Wright for time and trouble spent about ye. French
0 :4 :0 :"
" Paid to Benjn. Flagg for Clothing for the French Nuters
1 :4:0."
" Oct. 13. "Paid to Mr. Benjn. Brooks in full for keeping the French Family one year 28:5:7.1"
" Paid to Benjn. Brooks in part of an Order for keeping the French family
0 :19 :8 :3."
1761. Jany. 16. "Paid to Mr. Isaac Snow [for] a Coffin for Abraham French [for Abm. a Frenchman ? see March 30] " March 30. " Paid to Mr. Isaac Brooks for digging a grave for the Frenchman, and keeping a woman stranger " March 30. " Paid to Dr. John Prince in full for doctoring the French family in the years 1758 & 1759.
0 :7 :4 :0."
0 :8.0.0"
0:9:6:0
" Aug. 29. Received of Mr. James Fowle, which he received of ye Province Treasurer for keeping the French in Woburn . .
5 :13 :4 :0."
" July 6. " Paid to Mr. Joshna Walker in full for going to Wilmington to divide the french family [to carry part of them there ?] 0 :4:0:0",
" Oct. 4. " Paid to Mr. Joshua Harnden in full for moving the French family from Wilmington to Charlestown 0 :8 :0 :0."
" "Paid to Mr. Joseph Harnden in part of an Order for house rent for the French family in Wilmington
0:16 :0 :0."
£3.09.0." 3.02.0."
" May 23. "Paid to Benjn. Richardson for taking care of the French
0 :4 :0 :"
1760 Jany. 13. "Paid to Mr. Benjn. Flagg in full of an Order of sixteen shillings for keeping the French in the year 1758
0:16 :0."
563
APPENDIX, NO. XI.
1764. Oct. 12. "Paid Capt. Zacha Flagg in full for a part of a load of wood he found for the French 0 :2 :0 :0. 1764. Decr 29. "Paid John Lappidore in full for what the Selectmen agreed to give him for maintaining the . French for one year ·
1:12 :0:0"
1766 Jany. 8. "Paid to John Labedore for him and his family (Was not Lappidore himself one of the French ?) . 1:12 :0.0."
" August 28. "Paid to John Labedores 1:12 :0 :0."
APPENDIX, No. XI.
BOUNTY FOR KILLING BLACKBIRDS AND SQUIRRELS IN 1741, ETC.
About 1740, the fields in Woburn appear to have been greatly infested, in planting and harvest time, with blackbirds and squir- rels. To get rid of these pests, the inhabitants in town meeting March 30, 1741, passed the following vote :
" Voted, that the Town Treasurer is directed to pay unto the Fathers and Masters of Children and Servants three pence per head for Crow Black-birds, Jebirds [Jaybirds?] and Mouse Squir- rels that they their Children or Servants shall or may kill and destroy within the said Town of Woburn from the twelfth day of April next to the last day of June next, provided that the heads of said birds and squirrels be brought into the Treasury by said Fathers and Masters on the General Town meeting in May next, or on the first Monday of July next ensuing, which are the times appointed by the Town for the Treasurer to receive and pay for the same: Always provided that the General Court does not make an Act of Law upon that account." 1
And now all the boys in Woburn, stimulated by the promise of a bounty to a work of destruction, which they are always ready enough from mere wantonness to perform, entered with alacrity into the warfare which they had now been encouraged to under- take. Through a large portion of the years 1741, 1742 and 1743, they were employed in this business : nor did they confine them- selves to the times for their bloody work to which the vote of the town restricted them, but readily engaged in it whenever the
5 The last entry in the treasurer's book that I find, respecting the French. I have ob- served no mention there of any money given them, to aid them to return to their own country, as was done in 1767 at Rowley.
1 Town Records, Vol. VII., p. 363.
-
564
APPENDIX, NO. XI.
prospect of success invited them to stir in it. Nor did the Trea- surer himself appear to feel limited in the bounty he paid them, but increased it as he pleased, as though the amount of it were a matter left to his own discretion to determine ; and hence we find him giving four pence instead of three pence for every squirrel's head that was brought to him, three pence for every old blackbird's head, and a penny for the head of every young one.
The results of the crusade against these little mischievous crea- tures, which the above vote of the town initiated, may well fill us of the present day with surprise, now that their number is so vastly diminished. Within a twelvemonth from April 28, 1741, the treasurer paid bounty upon 5,200 squirrels' heads that were brought to him, and upon 2,015 blackbirds' heads, young and old.2 And the expense incurred by the town for this purpose was reimbursed from the State Treasury, as appears by the annexed Certificate of the treasurer of Woburn :
" March ye. 13th. 1741-2. Received from the Country Treasurer, of the bounty we paid for birds and squirrels last year, the sum of one hundred and twenty seven Pound and five Shillings and three Pence. £127:5 :3."3
Subjoined are a few specimens of the activity and diligence of the boys in their work of destruction, as are recorded in the Trea- surer's book of accounts :
" May ye. 4. 1741. Paid Mr. Zachariah Snow for 29 Black Birds heads
£0 : 7:3."
" May ye. 25. 1741. Paid Amos Kendall for one hundred and two Black birds heads and twenty eight Squirrels. . .
1. 14. 10."
"June ye. 6. 1741 Paid Jedidiah Leathe for one hundred and four Squirrels, and three old Black Birds, and twelve young Black Birds Heads.
1 :16 :5."
" June ye. 8. 1741. Paid Joshua Jones for fifty eight Black Birds and thirty Squirrels heads. 1: 4 :6."
" June ye. 16. 1741. Paid Jonathan Proctor for 75 old and 5 young Black Birds heads, and 44 Squirrels heads. .
1. 13 : 10."
" August ye. 5. 1741. Paid John Tottingham for 94 Squirrels, and 6 old and 4 young Blackbirds heads
1 :13 :2."
" August ye. 5. 1741. Paid Amos Kendall for 114 Squirrels', and 15 old Blackbirds and 4 young ones heads . .
2:2:1. "December ye. 25. 1741. Paid Farrar [for] 73 Squirrels' Heads
1. 4. 4."
1 Treasurer's Book of Accounts, from 1739 to 1772, pp. 14-24, and p. 31.
3 Treasurer's Book, p. 32.
565
APPENDIX, NO. XII.
February 1. 1741-2. "Paid Samll. Nevers for 33 old and 13 young black birds' and 58 Squirrels' heads. 1. 8. 8" "February 26. 1741-2. Paid Jacob Peirce for 318 Squirrels and 4 old and one young blackbirds' heads 5. 7. 1."
. heads . Paid Joshua Kendall for 150 Squirrels 2. 10. 0"
"February 27. 1741-2. Paid Jacob Richardson ye. 3d. for 189 squirrels and 12 old black birds and 7 young ones [heads] 3. 6. 7."
In the Treasurer's Book, there are registered upon 7 folio pages, 173 entries of payments made by him for the heads of blackbirds and squirrels killed between 1741 and 1742, and brought to him, and amounting severally from four pence to upwards of five pounds.4 Nor did this work of destruction then cease. It was resumed in August 1742; four pages more of the Treasurer's Book are occupied with recording its results 5 ; and November 30, 1743 there was paid out of the Province Treasury £103: 9s. 10d. for what had been done in Woburn in this way.6
APPENDIX, No. XII.
LIST OF MEN, WHO SERVED FOR WOBURN IN THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION :
Comprehending :
(1.) Known Citizens of Woburn, and others, who on plausible grounds are presumed to have been Inhabitants of the town when the War began, or soon after ; and all of whom, being drafted, rendered personal service in it, or procured others who did it in their stead.
(2.) Strangers from a distance, and persons belonging to other towns, who were hired from time to time by Woburn to fill up its quota, or by private individuals to act for them as substitutes. Soldiers of this latter class are distinguished by prefixing a (t) to their names in the List; and though originating elsewhere, yet several of them, it is to be observed, made Woburn eventually their permanent place of residence.
4 Treasurer's Book, pp. 14-21.
5 Treasurer's Book, pp. 31, 38-41.
6 Treasurer's Book, p. 44.
49
566
APPENDIX, NO. XII.
Documents in the Archives of the Town or State, referred to in the List as Authorities, or Sources of Information.
I. Orders for the payment of individual Soldiers.
At the commencement of the Revolutionary War, there were in Woburn three companies of militia commanded respectively by Capts. Samuel Belknap, Jesse Wyman, and Joshua Walker of the Precinct. Original Muster Rolls or Lists of these companies are still preserved. They each give the names of the soldiers belonging to it ; and annexed to their names, in appropriate col- umns, is the valuation of the services respectively assigned them during the first two years of the war, 1775, 1776.
When the terms of their enlistments had expired, at the end of 1776, compensation was made them by Orders on the town treasurer for the payment of the bounties which the town had voted to give for each service performed by them respectively. These Orders, which are (most of them) still preserved, and are very numerons, generally bear date from March 20, 1777; they have all been numbered ; the number of each of them is set in the List here presented against the name of the person in favor of whom it was drawn ; and they all (with scarcely an exception) are receipted on the back by the persons who severally took from the treasurer the amount of them, in their own proper hand. They do not specify, however, on the face of them the particular services for which payment is directed in them to be made, but only sig- nify in general, that they were given for "Service in the present War"; or for " Service done in the present War before 1777," or " January 1st, 1777."
To these Orders may properly be added selections from returns made at stated times of drafts or enlistments for special services, by Samnel Nevers, sworn clerk of the Precinct Company, under Capt. Walker.
II. Town Reports and Orders (numbered on the Town Files of Documents by V., VI., VII., etc. to XX.), respecting the payment of whole companies of men (or of the several individuals compos- ing them), which were sent out subsequently to 1776 on various military expeditions, or " tours of duty ; " and which are distin- guished on the following List by the names of their respective com- manders, and by the times and places of their mission.
III. Names of the " Eight months' Men," in the Continental
567
APPENDIX, NO. XII.
army in 1775, obtained from the original Muster Rolls in Woburn, or from the Register of the same in the State House, Boston.
IV. Names of the men who enlisted for Woburn, 1777, for three years, or " during the War," in the Continental service, as exhib- ited in the Town Document No. XIX., or in the State House Records, or in both.
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