USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The memorial history of Boston : including Suffolk County, Massachusetts. 1630-1880, Vol. II > Part 52
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This arrangement, with some changes of teachers and compensation, was continued until the incorporation of Chelsea as a distinct town.
Rumney Marsh contributed its quotas to the Indian wars, though few names or incidents have reached us. Hubbard narrates that-
" In the year 1677, about April the 7th, six or seven men were slain by the Indians near York, while they were at work two miles from the town, whereof one was the son of Lieutenant Smith of Winnisimmet, a hopeful young man, who went in his brother's room ; yet his brother's turn was to come soon. . . . Five Indians paddled their canoes down towards York, where they killed six of the English and took one captive, May 19 following ; and May 23, four days after, one was killed at Wells, and one taken by them betwixt York and Wells; amongst whom was the eldest son of Lieutenant Smith forementioned : his younger brother was slain in the same town not long before." 3
In military affairs Rumney Marsh for many years was associated with the neighboring towns in Essex and Middlesex, in an organization called the "Three-County Troop." Under date of May 28, 1659, is the following entry in the General Court Records,4 which fixes approximately the date of the formation of the company: "In ans" to the request of ye troopers lately raised in ye countys of Essex, Suffolke, and Middlesex, for ye Court's confirmation of theire officirs, the Court judgeth it meete to allowe and confirme Edward Hutchinson to be theire captaine." I find no list of the officers; but Oct. 15, 1673, Captain John Tuttle, a citizen of Rumney Marsh, was dismissed from service in that company at his own request; 5
1 Town Records, ii. 233.
4 Vol. IV., Part I., p. 369.
2 Selectmen's Records, i. 177.
8 Mass. Hist. Coll., vi. 631-33.
5 Col. Records, vol. iv. pt. ii. p. 567.
382
THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.
and in 1674 another citizen, Cornet William Hasey, was appointed lieutenant of the troop. In the war of 1676 by the United Colonies, ten men, "to be well fitted with long arms," were to be raised from the Three-County Troop, to rendezvous at Concord.
This company retained its organization until March 12, 1690, when, at a General Court held at Charlestown, it was ordered that -
" The train soldiers inhabiting the lands belonging to the town of Boston lying to the eastward of Winnisimmet Ferry, together with Noddle's Island and Hog Island, are forthwith to nominate meet persons for their commission officers, and present them to this Court for their allowance. And the Three-County Troop is hereby dismissed."
In pursuance of the above order, Major Elisha Hutchinson directed William Ireland, clerk, to warn all male persons above the age of eighteen years within the new district to meet, on the second of June, at Lieutenant Smith's, at Winnisimmet, completely armed, to nominate officers. I find no return to this warrant; but next month the General Court " ordered that sixty of the four hundred soldiers appointed to be raised by order of this Court be put under the command of Captain John Floyd,1 and forthwith posted at Portsmouth, in East Hampshire, for the further enforce- ment and strengthening of that post, to be improved against the common enemy, as they shall be ordered."
During the war for Independence the citizens of Chelsea rendered good service to the cause, both at home and on other fields. Rev. Phillips Payson, their settled minister, showed- zeal and capacity in civil and military affairs; and Captain Samuel Sprague was a spirited and valuable officer. The farmers, either in their own military organization, or as members of companies formed in the neighboring towns, supplied their full quotas of troops.
While the Regulars were on their retreat from Lexington, on the 19th of April, 1775, protected by reinforcements under the command of Lord Percy, a detached party who were carrying stores and provisions were attacked at Menotomy by Rev. Phillips Payson, leading a party of his parishioners whom he had hastily gathered on the alarm. One of the Regulars was killed and some were taken prisoners, together with arms and stores, without loss to the attacking party.2
1 Captain John Floyd was a citizen of Rum- ney Marsh, and his house, of which a view is found in the first volume of this History, is still standing. He was at the Eastward as late as January, 1693, and from his correspondence and other documents in the State Archives he appears to have been an able and intelligent officer.
2 The tradition is, that when Percy's brigade, on their way through Roxbury, reached the Cam- bridge bridge, they found the planks removed,
and so were obliged to pass over on the string- pieces. His wagons of provisions, however, were detained until the planks were replaced; and then, while attempting to rejoin their party, they lost their way in Cambridge. They inquired their way, but were misdirected of course, and the train of provisions fell into the hands of the company led by Payson, and directed by a negro who had seen service. Boston Daily Advertiser, April 19, 1858.
383
WINNISIMMET, ETC., IN THE PROVINCIAL PERIOD.
At the State House is a muster-roll of a company in Chelsea, under · command of Captain Samuel Sprague, which entered the service on April 19, 1775, and continued until their discharge, - generally on the 16th of May, - containing the names of twenty-eight men. On the same day, and under the command of the same officer, a company of militia was formed, which was likewise discharged on the 16th of May. This company consisted of fifty-two men.
Before the expiration of the service of the last-mentioned company, Captain Sprague had enlisted another company, comprising inhabitants of Chelsea and other towns, for the term of three months, which was attached to Colonel Baldwin's regiment.
Under date of April 24, 1775, the Committee of Safety forbade the inhabitants of Chelsea and Malden to fire upon or otherwise injure any seamen belonging to the navy under the command of Admiral Graves, unless fired upon by them, until they should receive orders from the Com- mittee or the general of the forces.
Two days later these orders were countermanded, and the inhabitants of these towns were desired to put themselves in the best state of defence, and exert themselves in such manner as, under the circumstances, their judgments directed.1 In Committee of Safety, May 3, it was voted to raise two companies in Chelsea and Malden, for the defence of the coast of those towns; and that Captain Benjamin Blaney and Captain Samuel Sprague be furnished with beating orders for the purpose.2
On the 4th of the same month the Committee resolved, as their opinion, that all the live stock should be taken from Noddle's, Hog, and Snake Islands, and from that part of Chelsea near the sea coast, and driven back; and that the execution of this business should be committed to the Com- mittee of Correspondence 3 and Selectmen of Medford, Malden, Chelsea, and Lynn; and that they should be supplied with such a number of men as they should need from the regiment then at Medford. On the 22d they resolved to recommend these measures to the Provincial Congress,4 to be immediately acted upon; and that the Commissary-General should be directed to supply twenty-five men of Captain Sprague's company, stationed at Chelsea.
Of the various accounts of the events to which these resolutions led, I have selected that which is found in the State Archives : 5-
"On the 27th instant, as a party of the Massachusetts Forces, together with a party of New Hampshire Forces, in all about 600 men, were attempting to bring off
1 Journal of Provincial Congress, pp. 522, 523.
2 In the original draft of this vote, the names of Rev. Phillips Payson and Rev. Mr. [Peter] Thacher were inserted instead of Blaney and Sprague. Mass. Archives, vol. cxlvi. p. 20.
8 The Committee of Correspondence, elected May 30, 1775, consisted of Rev. Phillips Payson, Thomas Pratt, Captain Samuel Sprague, Samuel Watts, Samuel Floyd, Daniel Pratt, Joseph
Green, James Stower, and Jonathan Williams. Chelsea Town Records, p. 190.
4 Chelsea was represented in the Provincial Congress successively by Hon. Samuel Watts and Deacon John Sale.
5 Vol. CXLVI. p. 131. There are many facts and traditions of interest respecting this affair which cannot be included in the space allotted to me for this chapter.
384
THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.
the stock upon Hog Island, and about 30 men upon Noddle's Island were doing the same, when about a hundred Regulars landed upon the last mentioned island, and · pursued our men till they got safely back to Hog Island. Then the Regulars began to fire very briskly by platoons upon our men.
" In the mean time an armed schooner, mounting four 6-pounders and twelve swivels, with a number of barges, came up to Hog Island to prevent our men leaving said island. But to no purpose. After this she attempted to return back to the place where she was stationed at Winnisimmet, and five or six minutes would have secured her. But our men put in a heavy fire of small arms upon several barges which were towing her back, -for there was little wind, and flood tide ; and two 3-pounders coming to hand that instant began to play upon them, and soon obliged the barges to quit her and carry off her crew. After which, fire was set to her, although the barges exerted themselves very vigorously to prevent it. She was burnt upon the ways of Winnisimmet Ferry.
" We have not lost a single life, although the engagement was very warm from the armed schooner, an armed sloop that lay within reach of small arms, from one or two 12-pounders on Noddle's Island, and from the barges which were all fixed with swivels. Hog Island was stript of its stock; and some was taken from Noddle's Island by our forces. Two or three persons only of our men were wounded, but not mortally. How many of the enemy were killed and wounded we cannot ascertain. Since which we have got into our hands all in the schooner that was not destroyed by fire."
General Putman, Colonel Stark, and Dr. Joseph Warren are said to have been at Chelsea at this time, either as actors in or witnesses of the event.
The battle of Bunker Hill was witnessed by many from the heights where now stands the United States Marine Hospital, and the smoke and cinders of burning Charlestown were driven as far as Chelsea.
In July the people of Chelsea were thrown into a state of alarm by the coming from Boston, by the way of Winnisimmet Ferry, of persons affected with the small-pox. On the 29th of the month, Washington, in consequence of information received respecting this matter, wrote a letter, which resulted in an informal meeting of members of the House of Representatives on Sunday, and the appointment of a committee to repair to Chelsea and take measures to guard the inhabitants against the infectious disease, and at the same time to relieve the poor people brought over and already suffering from it.
During the siege of Boston Chelsea formed the extreme left of the line of circumvallation ; and on the south-eastern slope of Mt. Washington stands the house of Robert Pratt, which occupies the site of an earlier house at which Washington lunched when inspecting the lines.
In the winter of 1775-76, Gerrish's regiment, under command of Lieu- tenant-Colonel Baldwin, was stationed at Chelsea; and at the State House is a rude drawing of the barracks occupied by the troops.
Before the close of the first century the precincts of Rumney Marsh and Brookline experienced the inconvenience of their remoteness from
385
WINNISIMMET, ETC., IN THE PROVINCIAL PERIOD.
the centre of the town; and in town-meeting held March 14, 1699, it was voted that each should have liberty to choose an assessor to act with the selectmen for the making of their own rates. This choice was to be exercised on their first training day, and afterwards to be confirmed by the town.
January 31, 1735, twenty-three of the principal inhabitants petitioned the selectmen for the insertion in the warrant for the next town-meeting, in March following, an article to see if the town would be willing to give to Rumney Marsh "their just share and proportion of the revenues belonging to the town; and if they would refund what they had received more than they had expended for their special use and service for thirty years last past, in order for their supporting their own public charges, and then if the town would sett them off therefor."
This petition was referred to a committee, to consider and report at the annual meeting in March next, 1736. Their report was that the petitioners, at the hearing, gave no satisfactory reasons why the petition should be granted; and added: "We find they are a very industrious people, growing in their substance and estates, and too valuable a member to be severed from the body."
In 1738, at the March meeting, the subject of a separate town govern- ment was renewed by petition, and was referred as before, and with the same result, to a committee. Discouraged in their attempts to persuade the town to a voluntary relinquishment of a portion of their territory and inhabitants, the inhabitants of Rumney Marsh appealed directly to the General Court, by petition dated May 31.
To this petition, notice of which to the town was ordered, there was strenuous but vain opposition, for by act which passed Jan. 8, 1739, the new town was incorporated; and Hon. Samuel Watts was di- rected to assemble the free- holders for organization into a separate municipality.
Benja Brinthall Jamel Spraque Samuel Pargeant
amuel Walls ja:
Agreeably to this warrant, the inhabitants of the town of Chelsea met at the "New Meeting House," on the first SELECTMEN, 1764. Monday of March, 1739, chose Hon. Samuel Watts as moderator, elected town officers, and entered upon the usual town legislation. During the remainder of the provincial period there were but few incidents to be noted by the historian, and nothing which falls within the limits of this sketch, with the possible exception of an unsuccessful attempt to have Noddle and Hog Islands added to their territory. But it may be said, generally, that VOL. II. - 49.
386
THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.
the people of Chelsea shared, according to their numbers, in those expedi- tions which led to the overthrow of French domination in North America. And during the years 1774 and 1775, while the storm was gathering which was to break at Lexington and Concord, the inhabitants were in full sympathy with the patriot cause. The town itself, as appears from its records, was not behind other communities in adopting those measures made necessary for the maintenance of civil government when that of the Crown was destroyed or impaired. Samuel Sprague, Samuel Sargent, and Samuel Watts were the delegates in the County Convention which met at Dedham in September, 1774; and the town voted supplies of arms, ammuni- tion, and clothing for the soldiers. As has been seen, on the breaking out of hostilities, the people were prompt to act, and continued to show zeal and perseverance throughout the war.
MellenChamberlain
CHAPTER XV.
THE PRESS AND LITERATURE OF THE PROVINCIAL PERIOD. 1692-1770.
BY DELANO A. GODDARD, Editor of the Boston Daily Advertiser.
T' HE name of Richard Pierce appears in the imprint of several produc- tions of the press in Boston after Mr. Sewall's retirement in 1684. Thomas speaks of him as "the fifth person who carried on the printing business in this place." His work was mainly for the ministers and book- sellers of the town. It is not, however, as a printer of sermons that his name is preserved, but as the printer of the first newspaper attempted in America. The title of this daring venture was Publick Occurrences, Both Forreign and Domestick; and it bore the date Sept. 25, 1690. One number only was printed, and the only copy known to be in existence is preserved in the Colonial State-Paper Office in London.1 It was printed on the first three sides of a small folded sheet of seven by eleven inches, "by R. Pierce for Benjamin Harris, at the London Coffee House." It was intended to print the Publick Occurrences regularly once a month, or oftener if a "glut of occurrences" called for a more frequent publication. This also, like Mr. Green's news-letter, was designed to correct false reports. The publisher further hoped it might " do something toward the curing, or at least the charming, of the spirit of lying " which seemed to be prevalent, and at the same time furnish materials for directing the thoughts of his readers, and assisting their business and negotiations. The contents of this
1 This copy is reprinted, from title to colo- phon, in the Historical Magazine, 1857, p. 238, and also in Hudson's History of Journalism, p. 44. See also Sewall Papers, ii. 332; N. E. Hist. and Geneal. Reg., April, 1876, p. 239. Before its appearance news of general interest had passed from hand to hand in the form of news- letters, or from mouth to mouth as matter of common report. In this way many disturbing rumors became current. To stop these false reports, Samuel Green, Jr., who had before been known as a writer of news-letters, printed one of them experimentally in 1689, with the
title, The Present State of the New-English Affairs, which is reprinted in the New Hamp- shire Hist. Soc. Coll., 1866, and in the Andros Tracts, iii. 15. It contained an extract from a letter written by Increase Mather, then in Eng- land in the interest of the new charter, to Simon Bradstreet, Governor; also an extract from a London print, and portions of a letter from I. Mather to his son - both concerning the mis- sion he had in hand. This sheet had none of the attributes of a newspaper, and the experi- ment was not repeated. A copy of it is preserved in the Massachusetts Archives, xxxv. 83.
388
THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.
modest paper seem quite innocent through the haze of nearly two centuries ; but it was then regarded with stern displeasure by the authorities. The General Court denounced it as a pamphlet printed contrary to law, and "con- taining reflections of a very high nature," and at once forbade "anything in print without license first obtained from those appointed by the Government to grant" it. This ended the first adventure, and the name of the printer disappears from view.
Benjamin Harris, associated with Pierce in this enterprise, had a printing- house in Cornhill or its neighborhood from 1690 to 1694, and his imprint is common in the books of that time. In spite of his connection with the condemned Publick Occurrences, he appears two years later as "printer to his Excellency the Governor and Council," and in 1692-93, by express authority of the Governor, he printed the new charter of William and Mary, and the acts and resolves of the Province for the first three or four sessions. He soon after returned to London.1 .
Early in 1690, Bartholomew Green, fourth son of Samuel Green of Cam- bridge, set up a printing-office in Boston; but his presses and types were hardly in place before the great fire of that year consumed them. The single number of Publick Occurrences, printed a few weeks later, mentioned as "one of the considerable circumstances in the calamities of this fire" that " the best furnished printing-press of those few that we know of in America was lost, - a loss not presently to be repaired." In two years, however, Mr. Green, having secured a fresh outfit, repeated the experiment and established the first permanent and successful press on the peninsula. His printing-house was in Newbury Street, now Washington, near the cor- ner of Avon Street, a site which he and his successors continued to occupy until the Revolution.2 Mr. Green, after his father's death in 1702, became for a time the printer for the college, - making ample reprisals for the business sent over the river while the printing monopoly was held in Cam- bridge. The name of Bartholomew Green is associated with many of the best books printed in America for more than a third of a century; but he is chiefly remembered as the first printer, and afterward the proprietor and editor of the first newspaper established on the continent. It was called The Boston News-Letter, and was "published by authority." 3 The first number
1 " He had been a brisk assertor of English Liberties, and once printed a book with that very title. He sold a Protestant petition in King Charles's reign, for which he was fined five pounds; and he was once set in the pillory, but his wife (like a kind Rib) stood by him to defend her husband against the mob. After this (hav- ing a deal of mercurie in his natural temper), he travelled to New England, where he followed book-selling, and then coffee-selling, and then printing, but continued Ben Harris still, and is now both book-seller and printer in Grace- church Street, as we find by his London Post." John Dunton, Life and Errors, London, 1705.
2 [See the Introduction to this volume .- ED.] 8 [This and other facsimiles of early Boston newspapers in this chapter are taken from cop- ies in the Library of the Massachusetts His- torical Society, and are reduced in size. I know of but three copies of No. I. This in the Historical Society is defective at the edge, as the plate shows ; and others are in the American Antiquarian Society, and in the N. Y. Historical Society. Hudson says the file in this last depos- itory is the only complete one known, but the librarian informs me that it only extends from No. I (April 17, 1704) to No. 209 (April 19, 1708), and lacks Nos. 27, 138, 139, 140, 141 .- ED.]
RumD. I.
The Bofton News-Letter.
publithed by Authority.
From Monday April 17. to Monday April 24. 1704.
London Fijung-Poft from Decemb. ad. to ath 1703.
L Etters from Scotland bring us the Copy of a Sheet lately Printed there, Intituled,A "feafonable Alarm for Scotland .. In a 'Letter. frem.a Gentleman in the City; to by Friend in the Country, concerning the prefent Danger of the Kingdom and of the Protestene Religion.
This Letter takes Notice, That Papifts fwarm in that Nation, that they traffick more avowedly than formerly, & that of late many Scores of Priefts and Jefuites are 'come thither from France, and gone to .the North, to the Highlands & other places of the Country. That the Minifters of the Highlands and North gave in large Lifts of them to the Commit- ree of the General Affembly, to be laid before the Privy-Council.
It likewife obferves, that a great Number of o. ther ill affected perfons are come over from : France, under pretence of accepting her Majefty's Gracious Indemnity ; but, in reality, to increafe Divisions in the Nation, and to entertain a Correfpondeuse with France : That their ill Intentions are evident from their talking big, their owning the Intereft of the pretended King James VIII. their fecret Cabals, and their buying up of Arms and Ammunition, wherever they can find them.
To this he adds the late Writings and Adings 6F fome difaffected perfons, many of whom are for that Pretender, that feveral of them have declared they had rather embrace Popery than conform to the prefent Government; that they refufe to pray for the Queen, but ufe the ambiguous word Sove- faign, and fome of them pray in exprefs Words for the King and Royal Family ; and the charitable and generous Prince who has thew'd them fo much Kindna's. He likewife takes notice of Letters not rong ago found in Cypher, and directed to a Perfon lately come thither from St. Germains.
He fays that the greateft Jacobites, who will not, qualifie themfelves by taking the Oaths to Her Ma- gjefty, do now with the Papifts.and their Compani- fons from St. Germains fet up for the Liberty of the Subject, contrary to their own Principles, but meer. y to keep up a Divifion in the Nation. He adds, that they aggravate thofe things which the People Complain of, as to England's refufing to allow them a freedom of Trade; &c. and do all they can to fo! inent Divifions betwixt the Nations, and to obftruct a. Redrefs of those things complained of.
The Jacobites, he fays, do all they can to per- fwade the Nation that; their pretended King is a Proteftant in his Heart, tho' he dares not declare it while under the Power of France ; that he is ac- quainted with the Miftakes of his Father's Go' vernment, will govern us more according to Law, End endear himfelf to his Subjects.
They magnifje the Strength of their own Party, lad the Weaknefs and Divifions . of the other, in order to facilitate and haften their Undertaking ; they argue themfelves out of their Fears, and into ''je higheft affurance of accomplithing their purpofe.
From all this be infers," That they have ties of Affiftance from France, otherwife they would ren't be fo impudent ; and he gives Reafons fu hus Ap -. prehenfions that the French King may lead Troops thither this Winter, 1. Because the Engli, & Durch. will not then be at Sea to. oppofe them. - He'sant then beft fpare them, the Seafon of Active beypad Sea being over. 3. The Expectation given Sin q . confiderable number to join them, may incourage him to the undertaking with fewer Mei fle.a. but fend over a fufficient number of Ofr m with Arms and Ammunition.
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