USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Warwick > Warwick, Massachusetts; biography of a town, 1763-1963 > Part 7
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We the subscribers do hereby severally inlist Ourselves into the service of the United American Colonies until the first day of January next if the service should require it. And each of us do engage to furnish and carry with us into the service aforesaid a good effective Fire Arm and 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 commis- sioned by the American Congress. And when so formed we engage to march under said Officers into Canada with the utmost Expedition. And we further agree during the time aforesaid to be subject to such Generals and other Officers as are or shall be appointed; and to be under such Regulations in every Respect as are provided for the American Army.
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Dated the 16th day of February, 1776. (Signed) John Ball, Jeduthan Morse, Samuel Marsh, Ephraim Town, Asa Burton, Silas Town, Jr.
With high hopes for success the army approached Quebec only to find that England was reinforcing the city with a large fleet of warships and thousands of soldiers. But the greatest en- emy to be faced was smallpox. Over half of the American force fell ill and General Thomas, the commander, died. The English closely pursued the retreating Americans and defeated them at Three Rivers. The story of the retreat up the Richelieu River to Chamblee and then to St. Johns and finally the return to Crown Point and Ticonderoga is one of the most tragic episodes in the history of our country. Struggling to transport their equip- ment, supplies and the sick and wounded in small boats against the current of the river, they left the graves of their dead com- rades all along the trail.
Captain Alexander kept a diary of the trip and he records the death of Samuel Marsh, 17 years old, the son of Amos Marsh, on June 17 at Chamblee and when Ticonderoga had been reached and home was almost in sight, Jeduthan Morse died on Septem- ber 18, age 46 years.
The story of Jeduthan Morse is a saga of the spirit that acti- vated the settlers of Warwick. Piecing the story together from many items we find in the town and proprietors' records that he came to Warwick as early as 1758, married Mercy, the daughter of Moses Leonard, and built his home near the southwest corner of Moores Pond. He owned Lot 8 in the first division and was one of the proprietors of Hathorn Farm. He operated the sawmill first built by Ebenezer Locke. Active in church and town affairs he had been elected selectman continuously from 1760 to 1772. Intently opposed to the acts of King George that led to the revo- lution, he became a leader in agitating the colonial cause and was an opponent of Reverend Hedge. A member of the all powerful Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety, and the father of eight children, it seems astonishing that he would drop all his activities and enlist as a private in the army.
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Doubtless his intense patriotism prevented him from taking refuge in his age and town or family obligations. He insisted on sharing the dangers and hardships he urged on others, and so his bones now rest on the shores of Lake Champlain.
When Morse died, Asa Burton and Silas Town were given their discharge and returned home to tell the sad story of their adventures. John Ball remained in the Continental Army and was with General Washington at Morristown, New Jersey .. At the request of Washington the company remained 15 days beyond the expiration of their enlistment period and then returned home.
The last town meeting called in His Majesty's name was the annual meeting held March 11, 1776. Five men were elected as selectmen, Amos Marsh, David Cobb, Seth Peck, Amzi Doo- little and David Bucknum. Chosen for the Committee of Cor- respondence, Inspection and Safety were Josiah Pomeroy, Josialı Rawson, David Gale, Thomas Rich, Reuben Petty, Elijah Whit- ney and Joseph Goodell. No outstanding matters of interest were acted upon, the meeting being concerned with customary town business. But in May at a meeting called in the name of the gov- ernment and the people of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Lieu- tenant Thomas Rich was sent as representative to the General Assembly. Marsh, Rawson and Petty were chosen to give Rich his instructions. The town also voted to accept the resolves sent to them by the Suffolk County Committee for their consideration, instructed the clerk to write them "on the town book" and in- cluded them in the instructions. We quote them in part because they best tell the principles and conditions that so deeply con- cerned them, and some of which still concern us today.
First: That you will represent us as true and loyal subjects to the power now in the hands of the people of America, and that you do endeavor that no acts be passed encroaching on the liberties or in any measure invading the rights of the peo- ple.
Second: That you grant all supplies necessary for the safety of America under her distressing circumstances; and that you are not extravagant in your grants to those who may be em- ployed in the service of the Colony; at the same time trusting
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that every true friend to his country will be willing to serve in any place where he may be wanted, for a reasonable reward.
Third: That you tolerate all persuasions on account of their religious sentiments, without giving one the advantage of the other either in their persons or their properties.
Fourth: That all such laws as in any degree infringe on the liberties of the people be made void. In particular that of a person having twenty pounds ratable estate to qualify him to vote in town affairs, by reason of which so great a majority as two-thirds of the freeholders of this town are prohibited voting in town affairs, although they pay the major part of the taxes hereby raised, which is frequently the case in new- settled towns. There are other things that are a burden, such as these: going sixty miles for a license to keep a tavern, and recording Deeds, all of which may be done in every town, or in sundry places in the County, greatly to the advantage of the towns lying in the outside of the Counties.
Fifth: As also, paying the Representatives by their own towns, which might be more equitably done by the Province, a great hardship that a town of forty families should pay as much for legislative power as one that has three hundred families in it; and as we are poor, and hard drove to pay our taxes, everything that is a burden that can be taken off or eased ought to be done.
Sentiment had been steadily growing stronger for many months for a permanent break with Great Britain. Independence was not an act of sudden passion nor the work of any one man. It had been discussed everywhere, at the meeting house, the stores, the shops, the tavern; in fact, wherever two or more men met for any reason. The final action waited only for the voice of the people to be heard. In May the assembly of Massachusetts ad- vised the people in their town meetings to express their sentiments on declaring independence of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
By a strange coincidence July 4, 1776 was the day set for the men of Warwick to make their decision. Little did they dream as they assembled at the meeting house that this day would be celebrated the length and breadth of the land for un- told years as the birthday of their country, not because of what
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they were doing but because unknown to them Congress was performing a similar act at the same time in Philadelphia.
They too, without a dissenting vote, recorded their names with the town clerk in favor of independence. Six days' time was given to those not present at the meeting to register, and a total of 82 names are inscribed in the town book. In effect they too must have felt they were pledging their life, their property and their sacred honor. However it is too much to claim, as some historians have, that all were in favor of this act. There are sev- eral prominent names missing from the list. Of course some were absent from town and no definite conclusions should be drawn.
In October the town assembled to determine if they would approve having the General Assembly and Council draft a State Constitution as requested by those bodies. The town decided it would not delegate this important task to anyone but that the House of Representatives could "make a form of government and send it out to the inhabitants of each town for their inspec- tion and perusal."
Then they chose Amos Marsh, Josiah Rawson and Peter Fisk as a committee to instruct their representative Thomas Rich as to some of the articles they deemed essential for their protection. The instructions state:
Being fully sensible that it is a matter of the greatest import- ance, both to the present and future generations, that such a plan be adopted as shall be most free from the seeds of tyranny and have the greatest tendency to preserve the rights and liberties of the people and the most likely to preserve the peace and good order in the State, we therefore beg leave to lay be- fore you the following short hints respecting a form of govern- ment, which we apprehend, if adopted, will have a tendency to answer the purpose above mentioned.
First: That there be but one branch in the legislative au- thority of this State; viz. the representatives from the several towns, with a president or speaker at the head.
Second: That an equal representation may be made and the balance of power properly preserved, let each incorporated
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town send one member, and the larger towns not more than four or five and the other towns in equal proportion.
Third: That in making choice of representative every free free male inhabitant, twenty-one years of age, to have the privilege of voting.
Fourth: That in case sufficient evidence appears to a town that their representative or members are guilty of acting con- trary to the rights and liberties of the people then to have the privilege at any time in the year to recall him or them and choose anew.
Fifth: That not less than eighty members make a House.
Thus having declared their ideas they awaited the outcome.
The annual town meeting in 1777 was called "in the name of the government and people of the Massachusetts Bay in New England." With Lieutenant Thomas Rich serving as moderator, Amos Marsh was chosen clerk and also selectman. Four more selectmen, Seth Peck, Lieutenant Josiah Pomeroy, Lieutenant Thomas Rich and Lieutenant John Ormsbee were chosen, and the Committee of Correspondence was composed of seven men: Thomas Rich, Josiah Rawson, Joseph Goodell, Josiah Cobb, Henry Burnet, David Whitney and Lieutenant Ormsbee. Amzi Doolittle was chosen treasurer with Jacob Rich and Benjamin Mayo as constables. Thomas Rich was again chosen to represent the town in the General Court.
The year 1777 opened with a dismal outlook for the newly born United States of America. The military situation was at a low ebb. It was well known that an army of soldiers with Tory and Indian allies was poised in Canada awaiting the coming of Spring to advance down the Champlain and Hudson River valley in a plan to cut New England from the other colonies. Washington and his army had been forced to evacuate New York and retreat toward Philadelphia. Sergeant John Ball of War- wick, with the remnant of Captain Thomas Alexander's company left after the disastrous Canadian expedition, had joined Wash- ington on December 1, 1776. They were with him when he turned on his pursuers, crossed the Delaware River Christmas
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night and surprised the Hessian troops at Trenton. This spec- tacular victory had a tremendous effect in arousing the drooping spirits of the colonies. The term of enlistment ended December 31, but Ball and his comrades, at the earnest plea of Washington, remained with the army until it went into winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey. (T&S, Northfield, p. 328)
In 1776 the militia company in Warwick was increased to two companies as part of the Sixth Hampshire Regiment com- manded by Colonel Phineas Wright with Samuel Williams of Warwick as Lieutenant Colonel. Reuben Petty, a veteran of the French and Indian War, was made Captain of the First Com- pany with First Lieutenants Thomas Rich and Josiah Pomeroy and Second Lieutenant John Ormsbee. The following Warwick men served in this company: Samuel Brown, Henry Burnet, Richard Bucknum, Abijah Adams, Mark Moore, Asa Lampson, Peter Fisk, Benjamin Simons Jr. and John Whitney. It is inter- esting to note that Peter Fisk was 54 years of age. This Company was one of several sent north under command of Lieutenant Colonel Williams in December, 1776 to oppose the expected advance of the British. They were enlisted for a term of three months and returned March 20, 1777, having taken 12 days to travel 240 miles on the homeward trek.
The Second Company was composed of Warwick and North- field men under the command of Peter Proctor as Captain. Joseph Mayo and Benjamin Conant, both of Warwick, were commissioned First and Second Lieutenants respectively May 7, 1776. The Warwick men in this Company were, as far as can be determined, Sergeants Benjamin Mayo and Daniel Whitney, Privates Alexander Wheelock, Aaron Robbins, Archibald Burnet, Jonathan Moore, Jonathan Gale, John Mallard, John Bucknum, Jonathan Davis, Jonas Leonard, James Kelton, Simeon Stearns, Timothy Wheelock, Charles Wood, David Bucknum and Thomas Kelton.
These two Companies included most of the able-bodied men in town. Apparently it was the plan to have one company on active duty and the other in reserve at home to attend to the pressing daily occupations. The war was now causing increasing
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hardships on the people. Spring plowing and planting of seed was being neglected through lack of manpower. Most of the all- important work at home had to be left in the hands of the aged and the women and children. Enlistments were difficult to secure for periods of over three months because the men dared not leave their farms and crops for a longer time. If the hay was not cut and the crops harvested then both their families and their animals might starve.
General Burgoyne and his army advanced from Canada and besieged Fort Ticonderoga July 1. The inadequate garrison under General St. Clair was forced to flee south with Burgoyne in close pursuit. Among these troops at Ticonderoga were Asa Gould, Jonathan Gale and Joseph Goodale of Warwick. The Massachusetts militia was ordered to reinforce the American army at Fort Edward or Fort Ann, the men to serve until the army could be otherwise reinforced, and it was Captain Peter Proctor's company's turn to respond to the call. The company left July 10 and on August 12 they were back home again. (Mass. Soldiers and Sailors, Vol. I, page 27)
Burgoyne sent a detachment of a 1000 men under Colonel Baum to raid southern Vermont for supplies. His force of Ger- mans, Tories and Indians was met a little west of the Vermont border by General Stark with a hastily assembled army, and at the so-called battle of Bennington captured the entire force.
General Gates, in command of the American army, prepared to meet Burgoyne's army at Bemis Heights and sent an urgent call for reinforcements. Now it was Captain Reuben Petty's com- pany's turn and they left Warwick on September 22. It was too late to participate in the first battle fought September 19, but the company had ample time to have been in the second battle on October 7. The two defeats caused Burgoyne to surrender his entire army October 17, 1777, and the following day Petty's company was discharged and hurried home. Petty brought with him a statement from Colonel William Williams certifying that he and 11 men had engaged in the second battle and had been present at the surrender.
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Words cannot describe the joy and relief of the people at the news that the threat to their safety had been removed. With the exception of the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut, where Newport and New London suffered from raids, the remainder of the war was fought in the central and southern States. But New England had to continue to maintain large forces to defend itself.
A serious problem confronting the inhabitants in the inland towns was a drastic shortage of salt due to the blockade instituted by England on our ports which severely hampered its importa- tion. The lack of this vital necessity was chiefly felt in the pre- servation of meat. Without salt it could not be kept from spoil- ing. The State soon was made aware of this serious situation, and when a supply was available it was rationed among the towns. Warwick was alloted 46 bushels and Josiah Cobb and Asahel Newton were sent to Boston to transport it to Warwick in August, 1777.
The heavy cost of supporting an army was becoming an in- creasing burden. To meet this enormous expense the State, which had already advanced large sums to the national Congress, borrowed money and raised taxes and on frequent occasions printed money called bills of credit, payable at some future date. As the State debt increased the value of these bills decreased. In October, 1777, the State passed an act calling in all the issues of State money to be exchanged for treasury notes redeemable in 1782 with six percent interest payable annually. (A&R, Vol. V, p. 784)
In December the selectmen, alarmed at the rising cost of labor and commodities due to the depreciation in the value of money, called a special town meeting, "to take into consideration a late act of the Court in calling in the State money and granting Treasurer's Notes upon interest, or act anything relative to said act. Also to see if the town will take into consideration the late Tax Bill and subscribe some general rule for the assessors to con- duct themselves by, or act anything relative to said bill."
As a result of their deliberations the town "voted that if no other method could be adopted then to call in the State money
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and put it on interest: that we should have the said money called in and burnt: then run our risk in paying interest for it at a day when money can't be had so easy as at the present day. . . Pro- posed that the assessors estimate in their invoice the real and personal estate at the rate of silver currancy in the year 1774, and passed in the affirmative."
The State, in a futile attempt to halt the rising prices and pre- vent owners of vital necessities from holding out for exorbitant profits, passed an act on January 27, 1778 to set and fix prices upon all the necessities of life and the rates to be charged for various types of labor. This act explained the situation that was developing in its preamble, as follows:
Whereas the avaricious conduct of many persons, by daily add- ing to the now exorbitant price of every necessary and con- venient article of life and increasing the price of labour in general, unless an effective stop be put thereto, will be attended with the most fatal and pernicious consequences, as it not only disheartens and disaffects the soldiers who have nobly entered into the service of their country for the support of the best of causes, and distresses the poorer part of the community by obliging them to give unreasonable prices for those things that are absolutely necessary to their existence but will also be very injurious to the State in general.
The State then issued a long list of articles and services with the prices to be charged for each. The selectmen and the Commit- tee of Safety were required to set prices for articles not enumer- ated but that were commonly used in their town.
As a result the selectmen and the Committee met at the Inn of Joseph Goodell and carried out the instructions which were entered in the Town Records.
The annual appropriations made to carry on the ordinary business of the town for the year 1778 shows how drastic the decline in the value of money had become. Four hundred pounds was to be raised and expended on the highways where 40 pounds had been raised the previous year. Money was now worth only one tenth of its face value. But rigid economy was practiced when the school appropriation was only increased from 24 to 50 pounds plus the interest from the school fund.
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In May two special town meetings were held. Ezra Conant, Jr., Amzi Doolittle and Nathan Hastings were charged with hiring the quota of continental soldiers allotted to the town and to furnish them with the necessary clothing "as cheaply as may be had at the present day." They voted not to send a represnta- tive to the General Court thus saving this expense. The question of ratifying the State Constitution submitted for approval was rejected by a vote of three in favor and 24 against.
A meeting held in October approved the payment of a bounty of 20 pounds for the head of each wolf killed in town. That the wolves were becoming a problem is clearly apparent.
A tradition concerning the depredations of these animals was told and written for publication in 1891. According to this ar- ticle one David Neville settled in Warwick about a mile and a half north of the village where the State picnic reservation is now located. It was a tough winter and Neville and his family had a hard struggle to survive. He had built a pen to secure his sheep but the wolves had killed them all and the pen was empty. In the dead of winter he traveled across the hills to the Connecticut River to try his luck at catching fish at night through a hole cut in the ice. His luck was good and he had secured a good catch when by the light of the fire he had built on the ice he discov- ered the aroma of fish he was cooking had attracted a pack of wolves. Throwing a dozen fish in a bag he left as many on the ice to satisfy his unwelcome guests and started for home.
The wolves soon cleaned up the fish he had left and started in pursuit. For four long miles he was forced to walk backward, lighting one flare after another to ward off the wolves and when they came too close he threw them a fish for them to fight over. A mile from home his wife heard his cry for help and instructions telling her to open the sheepfold and place a ladder against the wall to a window in the barn. Staggering into the sheep pen he dropped the last of the fish in the bag and scrambled up the lad- der and through the window of the barn while his wife slammed shut the door of the pen, capturing the wolves inside it. Twelve wolves at 20 pounds a head made $1200, which should have paid off the mortgage, bought stock for the farm and set the Nevilles
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up in Warwick society. We give the story as it was handed down (probably based on fact) but without doubt it has improved over the years.
RELIGIOUS TROUBLE DURING THE REVOLUTION
Following the unfortunate experience with the Reverend Le- muel Hedge the town made no effort to replace him until nearly two years had passed. No reason is known but it is evident that the vacancy could not be filled easily under the uncertain condi- tions caused by the war. Doubtless the refusal of the Baptists to pay the ministerial tax and the cost of "supporting preaching" was a burden the remainder of the inhabitants were reluctant to assume. Thus, lacking the spiritual guidance provided by a set- tled minister and with moral standards somewhat disturbed by war, the ground was prepared for a scandal that was to involve many prominent citizens and shake the town to it very founda- tion.
No mention is to be found in the town records, and the only sources of information are the story as told by Jonathan Blake in his HISTORY OF WARWICK and a brief mention made by the Reverend Preserved Smith in 1854, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination as the third minister of Warwick.
There is some uncertainty as to the exact time but it seems logical to believe the incident took place shortly before the Rev- erend Samuel Reed was secured to preach a probationary period in November of 1778. We are told that a man known as Elder Hix came to Warwick and started a supposedly religious move- ment. Reverend Smith describes it as follows:
In the early part of Mr. Reed's ministry there were several persons of both sexes some of whom I believe were members of his church who became new-lights and adopted what in modern times (1854) is called the "free-love doctrine." They had reached so great perfection in their own estimation that they were deluded with the idea that it was lawful to have spiritual husbands and wives, which of course led to the ex- change of partners. If their religion began in the spirit it ended in the flesh.
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Jonathan Blake places the incident before the advent of the Reverend Reed and he relates how Hix and his followers went from house to house preaching and exhorting with a zeal that could hardly have been exceeded by St. Paul himself.
Their daily and usual occupations were neglected; some of the first characters in town were subject to irresistible grace and exhorted and prayed and admonished each other to flee to the ark of safety; the children and boys, unlearned and un- taught could pray with the tongues of men and angels. Much enthusiasm made them mad, sober reason was discarded, and the town was well nigh turned upside down.
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