USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Historical sketches of the discovery, settlement, and progress of events in the Coos country and vicinity, principally included between the years 1754 and 1785 > Part 1
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NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES 3 3433 08177997 1
1
Nere York ic k Orary
IQD ( Coos Co.)
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
DISCOVERY, SETTLEMENT,
AND PROGRESS OF EVENTS
IN THE
COOS COUNTRY AND VICINITY,
PRINCIPALLY INCLUDED
Between the Years 1754 and 1785.
BY REV. GRANT POWERS, A. M., C. H. S.
HAVERHILL, N. H. PUBLISHED BY HENRY MERRILL. 1880.
District of Connecticut, ss.
BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the ninth day of March, A. D. 1840, GRANT POWERS, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the title of which is in the words fol- lowing, to wit :-
"Historical Sketches of the Discovery, Settlement, and Pro- gress of Events in the Coos Country and Vicinity, principally included between the years 1754 and 1785. By Rev. Grant Powers, A. M., C. H. S."
The right whereof he claims as author, in conformity with an act of Congress, entitled " An act to amend the several acts respecting copy rights."
CHARLES A. INGERSOLL,
Clerk of the District of Connecticut.
District of Connecticut, ss.
The foregoing is a true copy of the original record of copy right, recorded March 9th, A. D. 1840.
Attest, CHARLES A. INGERSOLL,
Clerk of the District.
A true copy of copy right.
GRANT POWERS.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Astor Lenox and Tilden
1898.
Gazette Printing Co.
Fine Book and Job Printers,
Northampton, Mass. 11670
PREFACE.
THE history of our nation is peculiar in a number of things, but in none more than this,-that it records its own origin. There is no other nation that does this, the Jews excepted. No one of the present nations of Europe can tell us a word of their earliest ancestors, or even specify the cen- tury in which their territory was first taken possession of by them, but all is involved in obscurity as are the years before the flood. But it is far different with our early history as a nation. We know the men who said they would be free, and who laid the foundation of this mighty republic. We know whence they came, the object for which they came, the spot to which they came, and the year, the month, and the day they took possession. Our nation owes a lasting debt of gratitude to our ancestors for their fidelity in recording the incipient steps taken by them in settling this new world. But with regret must we say that their descendants soon began to relax in their fidelity in this respect, and they con- tinued to decline, until their delinquency was almost entire. It may well be doubted, whether more than one-half of the towns in New England have any well-authenticated history of their early settlement, and had not the attention of the peo- ple been called to this subject by recently organized Historical Societies, and centennial addresses, a very few years had buried all in oblivion with those towns whose history was not already recorded. There seems, truly, an anomaly in the human character, inasmuch as man delights to retrace the line of his descent to his remotest ancestry, and has a strong passion to live in the memory of his descendants, and yet possesses very little inclination to do anything directly to fur-
iv
PREFACE.
nish the means to his posterity of knowing that he ever existed.
One reason for the indifference manifested towards record- ing present events, is the general impression that they can have no important bearing upon what is to come, unless they are such events as greatly interest the community in present time - the result of a great battle, a revolution in a kingdom, or a destructive earthquake. But nothing is more delusive than such an impression. What would the inhabitants of the city of London now give for the year, the month, and the day, in which the first man pitched his tent on that ground ? What would they give if they could know his name, his origin, whence he came, the circumstances in which he came, the object for his coming, and, withal, a minute description of the place as it then was? An octavo pamphlet of ten pages, containing well-authenticated facts of this kind, would be worth millions sterling to the author or proprietor. And the history of our ancestors' landing at Plymouth is infinitely more important in our history than the history of the surren- der of Burgoyne's army, or that of Cornwallis. And even those occurrences which do not seem to stand intimately con- nected with any great results, time will often vest with pecul- iar interest, in the view of posterity. How unhappy is the reflection, then, that the early settlement of our towns should be permitted to be forever lost through the apathy or indiffer- ence of their inhabitants, since the time will certainly arrive when the subject will be duly appreciated, and our descend- ants will reproach us for our stupidity and sloth in this respect !
It was in view of these and kindred considerations, that the author of the following Sketches commenced, sixteen years ago, visiting the survivors among the first settlers in the Coos country, and in some towns in the vicinity. He was careful to take down their statements in their presence, and they were interrogated upon almost all subjects here introduced. Some made further communications under their own hand-
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PREFACE.
writing, and he has obtained written and published docu- ments, as far as he was able, to aid him in this work. But as it has been his main design to go back of written and pub- lished documents, and to bring to light things which would never have appeared, unless they were taken up in a work of this kind, he could avail himself of those documents but in a limited degree ; and in general, they are introduced as corrob- orative testimony, or explanatory, merely. But he fears he has already raised, by his remarks, expectations which he will by no means be able to satisfy ; and yet he has done what he could with his means. He could not create means, and yet had procured so many, that he could hardly feel justified in permitting them to perish with himself. It will be perceived that he writes things grave, things trivial, and things import- ant, and this with a view to present as nearly as possible, to the present and future generations, the circumstances, views, feelings, habits and customs of our ancestors.
Before he concludes these remarks, he begs leave to suggest what he views to be important for every family, and for every town in this nation. 1. Let every family obtain as full and as correct a record of their ancestry as is now possible, and every child take a copy, and make additions as time furnishes the means. 2. Let every town have its stated historian, who shall delight in his duty, whose object will be to collect facts of the aged, and by all other means which Providence may afford him; and to record passing events of an interesting nature. Let this record be examined annually by the town authorities and certified by the town clerk, and then preserved in the archives of the town. Extracts from these documents might furnish annually interesting materials in every state for a volume of Historical Collections. And these volumes would in a few years furnish matter for the richest history that ever was possessed by a nation on earth. He suggests it to his brethren in the ministry, of all denominations, to aid in this cause. No class of men in the community enjoy so many facilities for making such a record - none would derive
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PREFACE.
more benefit from it, and it is by no means foreign to their appropriate duties. Brethren, think of it; think seriously, and then act.
GRANT POWERS.
Goshen, Ct., Jan. 1st, 1840.
LIST OF AUTHORITIES
AMONG THE FIRST SETTLERS USED IN THESE SKETCHES.
Col. Joshua Howard.
Hon. James Woodward.
Hon. Ezekiel Ladd.
Mrs. Ruth Ladd.
Mr. Charles Wheeler.
Mrs. Annis Wheeler.
Mr. John Page.
Mrs. Ruth Johnston.
Col. Joshua Bailey.
Mrs. Mary Kent.
Mr. Jonathan Tyler.
Andrew B. Peters, Esq. John Mann, Esq.
Col. Otis Freeman, Esq.
Rev. Asa Burton, D. D.
Mr. Richard Wallace.
Mr. Joel Strong.
Col. Jonathan Elkins.
OTHER AIDS.
Belknap's History of New Hampshire.
Gazetteer of New Hampshire.
Gazetteer of Vermont.
Eastman's History of Vermont.
Marshall's Life of Washington.
Capt. Powers' Journal.
Rev. Jared Sparks' certified Copies.
David Johnson's Letters and Extracts.
Rev. Clark Perry's Sketches.
John Farmer's Extracts.
Mrs. Abigail Cross.
Mrs. Hannah Pearson.
Mrs. Sally Johnston.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
COOS COUNTRY AND VICINITY.
So late as 1760, there was no settlement by the English, in the Connecticut Valley, above the town of Charlestown, in New Hampshire, which was then called "No. 4." Nor were there more than three towns settled south of Charlestown, in the valley within the present limits of New Hampshire. Hinsdale, or "Fort Dummer," was settled in 1683. Westmoreland, or "No. 2," was settled in 1741; Walpole in 1752.
These towns, with the exception of Walpole, were all settled by Massachusetts men ; for, until 1741, it was supposed the north line of Massachusetts would include these towns.
At Hinsdale and Charlestown, forts were built at an early period of their settlement, and soldiers were stationed there for the double purpose of affording protection to the settlers, and arresting the progress 1*
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
of the Indians from Canada, while meditating incur- sions upon the frontier towns in Massachusetts.
And so little interest did New Hampshire feel in the settlement of the Connecticut Valley, which has been very justly denominated the "Garden of New England," that in 1745, when the Governor recom- mended to the Assembly of New Hampshire the taking and sustaining their newly-acquired "Fort Dummer," which fell to them upon the establish- ment of the line between the two colonies, the lower House declined the acceptance of this place and that of "No. 4;" alleging that the fort was fifty miles distant from any towns settled by New Hampshire ; that they did not own the territory ; and that they were unequal to the expense of maintaining those places.
Nor was it until 1752, that the Governor of New Hampshire was permitted to adopt any measures to secure to that colony this invaluable tract of country. He then made several grants of townships on both sides of the Connecticut River, and a plan was laid for taking possession of the "Rich Meadows of Cohos,"* of which they had heard by hunters and captives returned.
The original design was to cut a road from "No.
* Coos was spelt Cohos and Cowass by our ancestors.
11
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
4" to the Cohos ; to lay out two townships, one on each side of the river, and opposite to each other, where Haverhill and Newbury now are. They were to erect stockades, with lodgements for two hundred men, in each township, enclosing a space of fifteen acres; in the centre of which was to be a citadel, containing the public buildings and granaries, which were to be large enough to receive all the inhabitants and their movable effects, in case of necessity. As an inducement for people to remove to this new plan- tation, they were to have courts of judicature, and other civil privileges, among themselves, and were to be under strict military discipline.
"In pursuance of this plan," says Dr. Belknap, vol. ii. p. 215, " a party was sent up, in the spring of 1752, to view the meadows of Cohos, and lay out the proposed townships." It seems that this project embraced the two objects of possessing the Cohos country, and establishing a military post there. It was to be partly civil and partly military, and a number of adventurers were about to enlist in the enterprise. But the whole plan was defeated by the timely remonstrance of the Indians of the St. Fran- cis tribe. And notwithstanding, Mr. Belknap says, " A party was sent up, in the spring of 1752, to view the meadows of Cohos, and lay out the proposed
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
townships," it is extremely doubtful whether that party ever reached their destination, if they ever left "No. 4." There were no returns made of this tour. They certainly did not lay out the townships. And we find in the Life of General Stark, that in 1754, the General Court of New Hampshire determined to send a party to explore this " hitherto unknown region," referring to the Cohos country.
Now, if this country had been explored by the party of 1752, it could not have been called the " hitherto unexplored region " in 1754, seeing that, in each instance, the General Court is represented as the principal mover in these exploring parties. And by the kindness of the late Mr. Farmer, of Concord, N. H., I have been furnished with the extract from Col. Israel Williams' letter, to which Dr. Belknap refers for his authority in saying what he does of the exploring party of 1752. And with the additional evidence which has been obtained upon these trans- actions since Dr. Belknap's time, I should feel that Col. Williams' letter was insufficient to authorize the assertion, that a party was actually sent into the Cohos country in 1752. It is but a mere allusion to such a thing, or to such an intention.
The letter of Col. Williams was written to the Governor of Massachusetts, dated at Hatfield, 19
13
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
March, 1753, and speaks of "our people going to take a view of the Cowass meadows last spring." This by no means says they did go to view them, but were " going," or were preparing to go, and view them. And doubtless this was fact. A party might have been sent on by the Governor as far as "No. 4," and even farther ; but the Indians remonstrating and threatening, they relinquished their object. Dr. Belknap states that the Indians came to "No. 4," and made this threat ; that it was communicated to the Governor of Massachusetts, and he sent the in- formation to the Governor of New Hampshire, and the project was laid aside. The only discrepancy in all this testimony is found in Dr. Belknap's under- standing Col. Williams to say that the party of 1752 did go into the Cohos country, when he did not say it ; and as the evidence is now exhibited, we must think he did not mean to say it.
But notwithstanding this project of exploring the Cohos from "No. 4" was suspended, yet the Gov- ernor and House of Assembly did by no means abandon the idea of a future possession of those meadows, and events hastened their attempt to ex- plore and possess the Cohos country.
In the spring of 1752, John Stark, afterward General Stark, Amos Eastman, afterward of Hollis,
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
N. H., David Stinson, of Londonderry, and William Stark, were hunting upon Baker's River, in the town of Rumney. They were surprised by a party of ten Indians. John Stark and Amos Eastman were taken prisoners, Stinson was killed, and William Stark es- caped by flight. John Stark and Eastman were car- ried into captivity to the head-quarters of the St. Francis tribe in Canada, and were led directly through the "Meadows," so much talked of in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
These men returned from their captivity in the summer of 1752, and gave an interesting account of Cohos ; and as the country was expecting that the war with the French and Indians would soon be renewed, and that the French would be desirous of taking the Cohos country for a military post, the General Court of New Hampshire determined to send a company to explore the region ; not to at- tempt to ascend the Connecticut from "No. 4," but to pursue the track of the Indians as they came from the great valley to Baker's River and the Pemige- wasset, and returned again with their prisoners.
Accordingly, in the spring of 1754, Col. Lovewell, Maj. Tolford, and Capt. Page, were sent out at the head of a company, with John Stark for their guide. They left Concord, March 10, 1754, and in seven
15
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
days made Connecticut River at Piermont. They spent but one night in the valley, and made a pre- cipitate retreat to Concord, at which place they ar- rived on the thirteenth day from their departure. *
The cause of this failure to explore the region to which they were sent, I have not learned ; but that it was a failure, we must know - for one night spent in the woods at Piermont could have returned to the government no information concerning the Coos meadows. The probability was, they feared an Indian foe superior to their own force.
But the government was not discouraged by this failure, and the same season, 1754, Capt. Peter Powers, of Hollis, N. H., Lieut. James Stevens, and Ensign Ephraim Hale, both of Townsend, Mass., were appointed to march at the head of a company to effect, if possible, what had hitherto been attempted in vain. The company rendezvoused at Concord, which was then called Rumford, and commenced their tour on Saturday, June 15, 1754.
It may not be improper to state in this place, that there is no record of this tour in the state papers of that day, and no reference to it in any papers of sub- sequent date, as I can learn. The evidence of its having been performed consists, at this day, in the
* Stark's Life.
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
tradition among the descendants of Capt. Powers, that he was the first to explore the Coos country, and in his manuscript journal, kept by himself du- ring his tour, recently found among papers on file, preserved by the late Samson Powers, of Hollis, youngest son of the said Peter Powers. I have also the same tin safe, of ample dimensions, which con- tained his journal, and a piece of his tent cloth which was spread over him at night, on this very expedition.
The only rational explanation that can be given for the silence of all public records in relation to this exploring tour, may be found in the loose man- ner in which such things were transacted at that day, and in the commotion which immediately fol- lowed Capt. Powers' return ; for already war was renewed in Europe between France and England, and the intelligence of it having reached Quebec, the Indians renewed their incursions upon our fron- tier towns, and made a descent upon Boscawen a few days after the return of the exploring company. This suspended all further thought of settling the Coos country during the war that was then raging, and Capt. Powers' report was not called for, or it was lost during that war, or the war of the Revolu- tion, which followed hard upon the restoration of peace between France and England.
1
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OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
Capt. Powers' journal is not entire-some pages of the returning expedition are lost, and, probably, some prefatory remarks. I should think, also, that it is not as full in description as he would have returned to government, but general facts noted to enable him to make out a correct statement in things essential ; and, finally, it is an interesting document of antiqui- ty, and must be so, especially, to the people of Coos, who have for a long time felt an earnest desire to know who first explored that part of the Great Val- ley. I shall give the journal as it is found, only cor- recting some of the orthography, and offering some explanation in notes.
JOURNAL.
" Saturday, June 15th, 1754. This day left Rum- ford," (now Concord,) " and marched to Contoocook, which is about eight miles, and here tarried all night."
[The original Indian name of Concord was Pena- cook. From 1733 it bore the name of Rumford, un- til 1762, and then took the name Concord. ]
" Sunday, June 16th. This day tarried at Con- toocook, and went to meeting, and tarried here all this night."
[Contoocook was present Boscawen. The Rev.
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
Phinehas Stevens was minister in this place at that time. ]
Monday, June 17th. This morning fair weather, and we fixed our packs, and went and put them on board our canoes, about nine of the clock, and some of the men went in the canoes, and the rest on the shore. And so we marched up the River. Merrimack to the crotch, or parting thereof ; and then up the Pemigewasset about one mile and a half, and camped above the carrying-place, which carrying-place is about one hundred rods long ; and the whole of this day's march is thirteen miles.
Tuesday, June 18th. This day marched up the Pemigewasset River, about eight miles, to Smith's River, and then east one hundred rods, and then north, two hundred and twenty rods, to the long car- rying-place on Pemigewasset River, and there camped."
This encampment, I think, must have been on or near the present line which divides Bristol from New Chester upon the Pemigewasset. It might be inter- esting to the present inhabitants of those towns to mark out the spot which was thus occupied by swords and bristling bayonets in 1754, whilst the whole country around remained an unbroken wilderness. And what may be true in this case, may be true of
19
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
others in respect to all places hereafter to be named by the exploring party. ]
. " Wednesday, June 19th. We marched on our journey, and carried across the long carrying-place on Pemigewasset River two miles northeast, which land hath a good soil, beech and maple, with a good quan- tity of large masts. From the place where we put in the canoes, we steered east, north-east, up the river about one mile, and then we steered north-east one mile, and north six miles up to Sawheganet Falls, where we carried by about four rods ; and from the falls we steered about north-east, to Pemigewasset in- terval, two miles, and from the beginning of the in- terval we made good our course north four miles, and there camped on a narrow point of land. The last four miles the river was extremely crooked."
" Thursday, June 20th. We steered our course, one turn with another, which were great turns, west, north-west, about two miles and a half, to the crotch, or parting of the Pemigewasset River, at Baker's River mouth ; thence from the mouth of Baker's River, up said river, north-west by west, six miles. This river is extraordinary crooked, and good inter- val. Thence up the river about two miles north- west, and there we shot a moose, the sun about a half an hour high, and there camped."
[This must have been in the town of Rumney. ]
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
" Friday, June 21st. We steered up the said Baker's River with our canoes about five miles as the river ran, which was extraordinary crooked. In the after part of this day, there was a great shower of ' haile and raine,' which prevented our proceeding any further, and here we camped ; and here left our canoes, for the water in the river was so shoal that we could not go with them any further."
" Saturday, June 22d. This morning was dark and cloudy weather ; but after ten of the clock, it cleared off hot, and we marched up the river near the Indian carrying-place, from Baker's River to Connec- ticut River, and there camped, and could not go any further by reason of a great shower of rain, which held almost all this afternoon."
" Sunday, June 23d. This morning dark and cloudy weather, and we marched up this river about one mile, and came to the Indian carrying-place, and, by reason of the dark weather, we were obliged to follow the marked way, that way marked by Major Lovewell and Capt. Tolford, and others, from Baker's River to Connecticut River. And this day's march was but about six miles ; and we camped between ยท the two first Baker Ponds. And it came on a great storm of rain, which prevented our marching any further. And on this day's march we saw a consid-
21
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
erable quantity of white pine timber, and found it was something large, fit for thirty-inch masts, as we judged. But before this day's march, we saw no white pine timber, that was very large, on this Baker's River, but a great quantity of small white pine, fit for boards and small masts. And on this river there is a great quantity of excellent interval, from the be- ginning of it to the place where we left this river. And it layeth of a pretty equal proportion from one end to the other ; and back of the interval, there is a considerable quantity of large mountains."
[Those more familiarly acquainted with the serpen- tine course of Baker's River than the writer, may fix on several encampments in Rumney and Wentworth with tolerable accuracy ; but we shall all agree that, at this last date, they were encamped between the Baker Ponds, lying in the north-east part of the pres- ent town of Orford. It is a little singular that it should not have been discovered until recently, that the south-western branch of Baker's River afforded greater facilities for communication between the Con- necticut Valley and Pemigewasset than those routes which have been hitherto improved, seeing the In- dians had given their preference to this south branch, and it was improved by the first English parties which explored the country. ]
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
" Monday, June 24th. This morning it rained hard, and all the night past, and it held raining all this day, and we kept our camp, and here we stayed the night ensuing, and it rained almost all night."
" Tuesday, June 25th. This morning fair weather, and we swung our packs, the sun about a half an hour high, and we marched along the carrying-place, or road marked, about two miles, and then steered our course north, twelve degrees west, about twelve miles, and came to that part of the Coos interval that is called Moose Meadow. And then steered our course up the river by the side of the interval, about north- east, and came to a large stream that came into the interval, which is here about a mile wide. This stream came out of the east, and we camped here this night. There are on this river the best falls and con- veniences for all sorts of mills. These falls are nearly twenty feet perpendicular."
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