USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Amherst > The history of the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
Hadley had 39 corn-houses; the other towns returned none. The " unratable polls" were those of old and infirm men. Of the mills in Amherst, besides those owned by the Kelloggs, which have been referred to before, there was a mill owned by John Adams, perhaps the one on Mill river ; Simeon Clark owned three-fourths of a mill and another was owned in 14ths. The potash works in Amherst were owned, one by Martin Kellogg, the other by Elisha Ingram, Moses Warner and John Billings. Resi-
i
75 .
STATISTICS.
dents of Amherst who had {roo or more at interest were : Solomon Boltwood, $300 : Nehemiah Strong, {200; Simeon Strong, £100; Nathaniel Smith, {roo ; Nathaniel Dickinson, 5100. Solomon Boltwood and Daniel Kellogg had each eight cows, and Mr. Boltwood had 35 sheep. The cider made in the four towns averaged 43 barrels to a house. There: was a distillery in Amherst ; Col. Ephraim Smith, born in Hadley in 1788, told Mr. Judd that he had carted many loads of cider to Amherst to be distilled, by a man who lived near where the South Cong'l church now stands. The same man carried on a rye distillery, and rye was carried from Hadley to Amherst and gin returned. Amherst had many maple trees and considerable quantities of sugar and molasses were made. Horses were of inferior grade and were chiefly used under the saddle. The harness was simple, generally made by the shoemaker and rope-maker. Horses were used in farming operations before oxen.
In 1767, Simeon Smith, son of Moses Smith who lived on the Bay road in Amherst, started a wagon freight route between Amherst and Boston, over the Bay road by way of Brookfield. This was the pioneer route of the kind in Hampshire country. He sometimes carried loads that weighed more than a ton, which, over the rough country roads, must have proved a severe tax upon his horses. He carried to Boston grain, meat, farm produce and quantities of potash, the latter worth in Boston in 1770 34 shillings per cwt. On his return trips he would bring back supplies- for the traders, including generous quantities of New England rum.
Between the years 1750 and 1775, horses were valued at what in our currency would amount to from $10 to $40. The charge for hiring a horse was from one to twopence per mile traveled. When oxen were introduced they took the place of horses in farming occupations. Oxen were worth from $15 to $45 per yoke. Early in the 18th century, Hadley began to. fatten cattle for the Boston market. an example that was followed in Amherst soon after its first settlement. Cattle were driven to Boston and sold on credit, the result being many lawsuits in the Hampshire courts. Some cattle were killed and the meat salted down in barrels before being shipped to Boston. There were few regular butchers in this section, farmers slaughtering their own cattle when in need of fresh meat. Great quantities of pork were raised and consumed, this being the principal meat food of the early settlers. The pork was salted down in brine, some of it being afterwards smoked in large pieces. The old name for lard was suet,. and it brought about the same price in the market as butter. Hogs, fat and lean, were driven from the Connecticut river to Boston ; considerable quantities of pork were shipped to market in barrels.
Cows were fairly plentiful, their price ranging, in our money, from $7 to Str. Milk was a staple article of diet : combined with bread or hasty-
-
.76
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
pudding it furnished many a breakfast and supper table. Cows were allowed to run at large and during most of the year were able to secure sufficient feed. Sometimes they were placed in charge of a keeper, but as a general thing the bells they wore were considered a sufficient guarantee against their straying away and becoming lost. Sheep were raised both for mutton and wool. The price of live sheep in 1790 was one penny per pound, the price of wool previous to the Revolution, from eight pence to .one shilling per pound. A carding machine was erected in the north part of Amherst in 1803 ; previous to this the wool was carded by women. Some of the best wool was not carded but combed ; from this worsted was spun.
Hens were early introduced and were kept by all farmers. They sold for from fourpence to sixpence each in 1700, while eggs were worth three- pence per dozen. Tame turkeys were far from plentiful, but wild ones abounded. Geese were rare in Hampshire county until the middle of the 18th century. There was always a good market for geese-feathers, the price previous to 1750 being 18 shillings, old tenor, per pound. Wild bees were hunted, many swarms being found in the woods and on the mountain.
Tobacco was in general use both for smoking and chewing. The traders in Hampshire county sold great quantities of pipes. Cigars were not introduced until near the end of the century. Little patches of tobacco were raised in Amherst as in surrounding towns. The price of leaf tobacco was from twopence to sixpence per pound.
Butter and cheese were made in large quantities for home consump- tion. The price of butter in 1775 was five or sixpence, of cheese four or fivepence. A mill for making linseed oil was established at Northi Hadley in 1795.
Wild strawberries, dewberries and huckleberries abounded. They were gathered by the children, many of them to be eaten at home and some to be sold in the market at a penny a quart. Checkerberries were abundant and highly esteemed by the children.
Chestnuts and walnuts were very plentiful. Chestnuts have always been regarded as common property, but from an early time walnuts came to be regarded as a regular farin crop to be gathered and sold in the markets. Many walnut trees were cut and sold for timber and firewood.
Watches and clocks were luxuries known to but few of the early settlers; they depended for the time of day on hour-glasses, sun dials, and " noon-marks" on the window casings. Dr. Nathaniel Smith had an old- fashioned "bullseye" watch, still treasured by Mrs. Enos Baker, one of his lineal descendants.
The first carriage owned in Amherst was a " fall-back chaise." taxed to Simeon Strong in 1791. The first one-horse wagons made in this
77
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
vicinity were manufactured by Mason Abbe at Amherst. Joseph Smith of Hadley bought one of Abbe, in 1808. In 1809, Abbe removed to Belchertown.
The spring plowing was done in Amherst and surrounding towns from April 10 to April 25. Barley, flax, rye, oats and peas were sown in April and the first week in May. Corn was planted from May 5 to 23, hoed the. first time from June 1 to 15, the second time from June 15 to July 5, the third time from July 6 to 25 ; stalks were cut from Sept. 5 to 14, and corn picked from Sept. 24 to Oct. 14. Homelots were mowed the first time from June 14 to July 5, the second time from July 15 to Aug. 10. The meadows were mowed from July 1 to 10. Rye and wheat were reaped from July 19 to Aug. 5. Barley was mowed the last week in July. Peas were "hooked" from Aug. 23 to Sept. 5. Oats and rye were cradled from Aug. I to 15. Flax was pulled from Aug. I to 10, spread and turned in September,. taken up the last of October. Fall plowing was done and winter rye and wheat sowed in September. Potatoes were dug, beans gathered, turnips pulled and pumpkins carted in October. They had severe frosts that fre -- quently did great damage to crops.
.
CHAPTER XI.
AMHERST IN THE REVOLUTION .- MINUTE MEN .- TORIES .- THE CANA- DIAN CAMPAIGN .- NAMES OF AMHERST SOLDIERS.
Amherst bore an honorable part in the war of the Revolution. When. kingly oppression was no longer to be borne, the words of defiance that. were uttered on the shores of Massachusetts Bay found ready and resonant echo from the valley of the Connecticut. From no town in the valley was there a more prompt and patriotic response than Amherst gave to the com- mittee of correspondence at Boston. The District, still a district although it had assumed the name of town, was among the first to pledge its strong support to a declaration of independence of Great Britain, before such a declaration had been formulated. It was ready to pledge money and men. and supplies, anything needful for carrying on the war for independence. The martial spirit of its citizens, in many instances strengthened by experience gained in the French and Indian wars, was ready for the conflict which, it was recognized, was inevitable. Nor was this a mere spasm of. patriotism, destined to die out when confronted with the grim realities of
-
-78
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
.
war. During the long years of bloody strife that were to follow, with a: large percentage of its citizens personally engaged in the conflict, oppressed by heavy taxation, Amherst was prompt to honor every demand that was made upon it for the support of the "common cause". This, too, in presence of enemies at home, who had no sympathy with the principles and objects for which the colonists contended. There is no prouder page in Amherst history than that which tells of what was done by its patriotic citizens in the war for independence. The sons and grandsons of men English-born, with reverence inbred in them for all that pertained to the kingly estate, they had breathed deeply of the free air that wanders over the mountain-peaks and through the valleys of New England and felt in .every fibre of their being that they too might be, must be, free. They were not optimistic from ignorance ; they knew the power of England and realized the fate that awaited them should the conflict go against them : they realized the heavy odds in opposition, but they believed the Lord was on their side and they knew that one, with God, was a majority.
The old town records contain in outline the history of these eventful years, an outline that can never be filled in as fully as it ought, but it gives to us an insight into the character, the motives and the deeds of those who dwelt in Amherst when the crystallization of the American nation was first in process. The names of some who took part in the eventful contest are here recorded, but the list is not complete, nor can it ever be. The names that are missing from this roll of honor are recorded in a Book unseen of human eyes. Without repeating in full the many votes passed by Amherst during the revolutionary period, it may be well to summarize them, giving such additional facts as are at the historian's command.
Jan. 26, 1774, a committee was appointed to draw up a letter to be sent to the committee of correspondence at Boston. The members of that ·committee, five in number, were among the most influential men in the community, and included two men, Reuben and Nathaniel Dickinson, who had taken part in the French and Indian war. The letter they prepared. .stirring and patriotic in tone, may be found on page 68 of the District records : it was accepted, entered upon the town book and forwarded to the committee of correspondence at Boston. Sept. 20, 1774, a standing committee of correspondence was chosen, and Oct. 3, of the same year. Nathaniel Dickinson, Jr. was elected a delegate to the first Provincial Congress, which met at Concord, Oct. 11. Jan. 2, 1775. Mr. Dickinson was .elected a delegate to the Provincial Congress which met at Cambridge. Feb. 1, of that year. Hadley voted, Jan. 13. 1775, that its selectmen should confer with the districts of Amherst and South Hadley and the town of Granby to know whether or not, they or any of them, would unite with Hadley to send a delegate to the Congress at Cambridge, but Amherst
£
79
AMHERST MINUTE MEN.
seems to have forestalled this action by choosing a delegate of its own. Feb. 23, 1775, Amherst voted to purchase a supply of powder, lead and flints, and at the same meeting voted to pay the province money then in the District's possession or that remained to be collected to Henry Gardner of Stowe, rather than to Harrison Gray; the latter held his appointment from the king. A committee of inspection was chosen at this meeting, also one to procure subscriptions for the needy persons in Boston and Charlestown.
April 19, 1775, came the "Lexington alarm," to which the " minute men " throughout the colony responded. It was the prompter's call to the overture of the mighty war drama, that was to extend through long and weary acts until the final curtain descended upon a nation new-born and consecrated for all time to liberty under the law. A congress of committees from every town and district in Hamphire county, except Charlemont and Southwick, had been held in Northampton, Sept. 22 and 23, 1774, "to consult upon me isures to be taken in this time of general distress in the prov- ince, occasioned by the late attacks of the British Parliament upon the consti- tution of said province." Amherst was represented at this convention by Moses Dickinson, Jacob McDaniel and John Dickinson. A series of resolu- tions was adopted, calling, among other things, for a Provincial Congress to assemble at Concord in October, recommending that no province money be paid to "H. Gray, treasurer ", and exhorting all the inhabitants of the county to acquaint themselves with the military art, under such persons as they might choose, and to supply themselves with arms and ammunition. In accordance with these resolutions, companies of " minute men " were formed in nearly every town and district, prepared to march to the scene of disturbance on the first alarm. It was natural that the command of the Amherst company should be entrusted to Reuben Dickinson. A son of Ebenezer Dickinson "one of the original settlers, in the prime of life. a prominent man in district affairs, his military experience gained in the French and Indian wars especially fitted him for the position. His company was one of the first from this vicinity to respond to the Lexington alarm, and with him, under his command, went the following men :
Joseph Dickinson, 2d lieut., Ezra Rood. serg't, Adam Rice, corp'l,
Ebenezer Eastman, corp'l, Clement Marshall, John Hodden, John Ingram,
Ebenezer Kellogg,
Reuben Dickinson, Jr.,
Thomas Morton, Samuel Buckman. Luke Coffin,
John Eastman,
Ebenezer Mattoon,
Stephen Smith,
Waitstill Dickinson, Eldad Moody,
Timothy Green,
Azariah Dickinson, Ebenezer Dickinson,
Elihu Dickinson,
Martin Smith, Reuben Smith,
William May, Ambrose Williams.
Simeon Smith,
Other members of this company came from surrounding towns : Daniel Shays of Pelham, afterwards leader of the Shays rebellion, was a
.
80
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
sergeant in it. The company marched to Cambridge and was in comn: sion eleven days, although some of its members remained longer in servic The men on the "aların roll " of the company were paid £89, 1, 5.
Lieut. Noah Dickinson of Amherst also led a company to Cambrid .. at the time of this alarm ; the following Amherst men were in his command.
Henry Franklin, serg't, Lemuel Moody, serg't,
Joel Moody, corp'l,
David Blodgett, Oliver Clapp, Elisha Dickinson,
Amasa Allen, Stephen Cole,
Chileab Smith,
Nathaniel Dickinson,
Hezekiah Cole,
Jacob Warner,
Elihu Hubbard,
Zachariah Hawley.
In Capt. Noadiah Leonard's company that responded to this alarm. and served seven days, were the following from Amherst :
Reuben Bishop, Samuel Field,
Elias Smith,
Moses Hastings, Simeon Pomeroy,
Gideon Henderson,
Samuel Gould, John Billings,
Isaac Goodale. 42.
In Lieut. Eli Parker's company, that also responded to this alarm. were the following from Amherst :
Thomas Bascom, serg't, Joel Billings, Thomas Hastings,
Gideon Dickinson, John Ingram, Noah Smith,
Elijah Hastings, Reuben Cowls, Enos Coleman,
Elijah Elmore, John Lee.
These companies all served in the Hampshire county regiment com- manded by Col. Ruggles Woodbridge of South Hadley. The latter part of April, 1776, the "minute men " disbanded. Capt. Reuben Dickinson organized, May I, a new company that served for three months and eight days. This contained many members of the old company, as is shown by the following list of Amherst men :
Adam Rice, serg't, Ebenezer Kellogg,Jr.,corp'l, Elihu Dickinson, corp'l,
Levi Smith, fifer, Elijah Alden, Samuel Buckman,
Benjamin Buckman, Elijah Baker, Luke Coffin,
Giles Church, Azariah Dickinson,
David Hawley,
John Hastings,
Ebenezer Kellogg, Henry Lee,
Archelas Leonard,
Clement Marshall, John Dickinson,
David Pettis, Caesar Prutt, Daniel Rolf,
James Shay, Ambrose Williams,
Richard Waite.
Shelah Dickinson.
Daniel Shays was 2d lieut. of this company. The pay of the com- pany to Aug. 1, 1775, was £289, 12, 10.
Capt. James Hendrick of Amherst led a company to Cambridge at the time of the Lexington alarm ; from a return of his command from Charles- town Camp No. 3, dated Jan. 13, 1776, the following Amherst names are taken :
8 1
AMHERST SOLDIERS.
Joel Moody, serg't, Reuben Dickinson, Jr.,
Joseph Pettis,
Stephen Smith,
Joseph Nash,
Amariah Dana,
Samuel Ingram,
Aaron Dickinson,
Martin Smith,
Elisha Dickinson,
Ebenezer Pettis,
Levi Clark,
Ethan Billings,
Henry Dyer,
John Lee,
Jonathan Edwards,
Timothy Smith,
Timothy Smith, 2d,
Elijah Elmer.
In a list of eight-months' men who served from the outbreak of the war, many of them being "minute men " who afterwards enlisted in the Continental service, are found the names of the following Amherst men : In Capt. Noadiah Leonard's company :
- Samuel Gould, lieut., . Moses Cook, serg't,
Samuel Field, corp'l,
Moses Hastings, Simeon Pomeroy,
Samuel Gould,
John Billings, Abner Nash, Elias Smith,
Isaac Goodale, 12 Gideon Henderson,
Ebenezer Field,
Amos Nash, Samuel Church.
In Capt. John Wiley's company :
John Burns, Michael Kief, Joseph McClench.
In Capt. Moses Kellogg's company :
Thomas Dunton, Simeon Forbes. Robert Brown,
. John Nichols.
In Capt. John Popham's company :
Jeremiah Lampson, - Weston, Stephen Hills.
A return of men belonging to Ephraim Coney's company, dated Cam- bridge, Oct. 7, 1775, contains the name of Daniel McGrath of Amherst, who was taken captive June 17, the day of the battle of Bunker Hill. Capt. Moses Kellogg's company was " on command to Quebec " and Robert Brown and John Nichols are said to have enlisted in " the train," i. e. the artillery. Capt. Popham's company was connected with Col. Richard Gridley's regiment of artillery. The company commanded by Capt. Reuben Dickinson, numbering 60 men, was stationed June 14, 1775, " at the college." This company took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, but was not in the intrenchments. Sept. 30, 1775, the company was stationed on the west side of Prospect Hill, and in December at Lach- mere's Point, where one of its members, Abel Woods of Shutesbury, was wounded by a cannon-ball from a British man-of-war.
May 4, 1775, Amherst appointed a committee to provide stores for the army assembled at Cambridge. At the same meeting the District " entered into an examination of Mr. Josiah Chauncey." While the spirit of patriotism was strong within the District, an influential body of citizens remained loyal to King George. John Dickinson estimated that nearly
6
. 82
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
half the inhabitants were tories or neutrals ; among the more prominent tories were Dr. David Parsons, Simeon Strong, Solomon and William Boltwood, Josiah and Isaac Chauncey. Mr. Dickinson stated to Mr. Judd that the residents in Shutesbury and Pelham were ready to assist. " in a mob way or otherwise," in disposing of the troublesome element. But the patriots in Amherst were abundantly able to fight their own battles: and were prompt to discipline such as were unfriendly to the "common cause." Josiah Chauncey held a commission from the king as justice of the peace, and this he was ordered to burn, also to deliver his firearms into the hands of the selectmen. He also held a commission as captain in the militia, received from Gov. Hutchinson in 1773. John Field held a com- mission as lieutenant in the same company and John Nash one as ensign. At a meeting of officers held in Northampton, Nov. 11, 1774, these officers. and thirty others, renounced all authority they might have by commission from Gov. Hutchinson, but this did not satisfy the patriots in Amherst ; they made Mr. Chauncey give them his commission and burned it in public. with some display. At a meeting held May 9, it was voted that John Nash should destroy his commission and that the arms of Mr. Chauncey should be returned to him. May 24, 1775, Nathaniel Dickinson, Jr., was elected a delegate to the Congress to be held at Watertown the 31st of that month ; and July 10, Moses Dickinson was chosen as representative to the General Assembly to be held at Watertown the 19th. The Rev. Dr. David Parsons was an ardent tory, and doubtless took little pains to conceal his disapproval of the actions of the patriots ; at a meeting held Aug. 10. 1775. a committee was appointed to go to him and desire him to attend the meeting, but there is no record as to the committee's success in their mission. June 13, 1776, the District voted that if Congress should declare the colonies independent of Great Britain, "the inhabitants of the town of Amherst solemnly engage with our lives and fortunes to support them in the measure." A noble pledge, as nobly to be fulfilled.
June 25, 1776, the General Court ordered that 5000 men should be raised. Those going from six counties were designed for Canada, from four counties for New York, where Gen. Washington had established his headquarters. The troops to be raised in Hampshire county were to march to Canada, and were offered a bounty of £7 each. The number to be raised in the county was 754, of which Amherst was to furnish 27, Hadley 13, South Hadley 12, Sunderland 9, and other places in proportion to their population. This order was followed on the 10th of July, immediately after the declaration of independence, by an order for the enlistment of every 25th man in the state, to reinforce the northern army. The form of enlistment in Hampshire and Berkshire counties was as follows :
83
AMHERST SOLDIERS.
¥
" We the subscribers do hereby severally inlist ourselves into the Service of the United American Colonies, until the first Day of January next, if they Should require it :- and each of us do engage to furnish and carry with us into the Ser- · vice aforesaid, a Good effective Fire Arm & Blanket: (also, a good Bayonet & Cartridge Pouch, and a Hatchet, or Tomahawk or Cutting Sword, if possible. And we severally consent to be Formed into a Regiment under the Command of such Field Officers, Captains and Subalterns as are or may be appointed & com- missioned by the American Congress & when so formed, we engage to March under said Officers into Canada with the utmost Expidition, and we further agree during the Time aforesaid to be subject to such Generals or superior Officers as are or shall be appointed, and to be under such Regulations in every respect as are provided for the American Army.
Dated the - -- of ---- A. D, 1776."
Among the first to respond to this call was Capt. Reuben Dickinson, who enlisted a company of 86 men from Amherst and adjoining towns. This company was attached to Col. Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment and marched to Ticonderoga. They served from July 1, 1776 to March 1, 1777 and received pay at the rate of one penny per mile and one day's pay for each 20 miles. Following are the names of the men from Amherst :
Timothy Henderson,corp'l, David Adams, drummer, Firmin Woods, David Hawley,
John Billings, Jr., Daniel Lane,
Hezekiah Cowls, John Hodden, Elihu Dickinson,
Amasa Allen, Gideon Lee, Noah Hawley,
Enos Rolf,
Noah Gould, John Workman,
James Barnes,
Abner Nash, Simeon Pomeroy,
Simeon Peck. Jr., Samuel Gould. Jr.,
Benjamin Rolf,
Adam Dike, John Hastings.
In Zaccheus Crocker's company of Col. Wright's regiment were the following from Amherst:
Silas Billings, Joel Dickinson, Archelus Leonard.
April 23, 1777, two battalion of 750 men each were ordered from Hampshire county for two months' service around Ticonderoga. The following men from Amherst responded to this call, and were enrolled in Capt. Oliver's company of Col. Grafton's regiment :
Reuben Dickinson, Jr., James Barnes, Elijah Baker,
David Pettis, Joseph Aldrich, Hezekiah Cowls,
Samuel Gould, Preserved Briggs.
John St. Clair served in Sumner's company and John Fox in Flower's company of Grafton's regiment ; Noah Gould, Samuel Harper and Bigelow in Shays' company in Putnam's regiment, David Hawley in Day's company of Alden's regiment, Nath'l Yale in Alvord's company of Shephard's regiment and Samuel Buckman in Miller's company of Putnam's regiment.
84
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
A pay-roll of Capt. Eli Parker's company in Col. Leonard's regiment of militia, who marched from Hampshire county to Ticonderoga, May 8, 1777, contains the names of .the following men from Belchertown, Granby and Amherst, the particular place of residence not being given. Their enlistment was for two months :
Eleazer Warner, Istlieut., Samuel Cook. 2d lieut.,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.