USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Peterborough > Historical sketches of Peterborough, New Hampshire : portraying events and data contributing to the history of the town > Part 9
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Charles B. Carter, captain; Charles Had- ley, lieut .; G. W. Colbath and Asa F. Gowing called a meeting for training of the P. L. I. at the town hall, May 8, 1852.
The TRANSCRIPT of June 2, 1852, has the following : "Training .- A company of soldiers paraded in this village on Sat- urday last, to the excellent music of the Mechanics' Brass Band. The band came out in grand shape with new caps and looked ' neat as wax.' We were unable to tell whether the company was the old Peterborough Light Infantry, or a new one, as the members appeared in citizen's dress. We understand that it is the de- sign of the company to procure a new uniform throughout before the 4th of July, when they will again appear on duty. It is encouraging to see a spark of military fire surviving the general ruin that has swallowed up the militia. We have but one single objection to the new company ; we are afraid it will encroach upon the ranks of the Calathumpians. If the field is large enough for both, we wish the new company triumphant suc- cess."
July 4th, 1857, the TRANSCRIPT says : "The afternoon, however, was prolific with excitement. The first volunteer compa- ny, under the new military law, paraded in fine style, under command of Capt. Charles Scott, marching to the music of fife and drum. The uniform was new and attractive, consisting of various fabrics usually worn by country people, among which blue drilling figured extensively. The soldiers consisted of old veterans in military tactics and raw recruits, some of whom never shouldered a musket before, nor knew front from rear, or right from left. However, they came into line and made a very respectable show. We have seen companies many years older make a worse appearance. The training wound up with a terrible cracking of musketry that put us in mind of old sham fights of former times. The first command to load, after some, who did not like the smell of.
promptly obeyed by some of the uniniti- ated, who poured the whole cartridge in- to the barrel without stopping to prime. They were relieved from the unfortunate predicament, which was very much like
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Scraps of Early Military History of Peterborough.
a jug without a handle, by having another cartridge passed around to prime with. However, the training was good, the fir- ing better, and the music best."
Under date of October 13, 1857, a no- tice was printed in the TRANSCRIPT, signed, "By request of Old Officers of 1847," asking the members of the Old Peterborough Light Infantry Co., and others interested in military life, young and old, to meet near Col. French's hotel, Saturday, the 17th, at 5 p. m., "to see if there is spirit enough in Old Peter- borough to form a good company ; also to drill some, as music will be in readi- ness for the occasion." On this occasion they formed under command of Capt. C. A. Wheeler and marched through the principal streets to music of fife and drum, after which they repaired to the band room where speeches were made in favor of forming a military company in this town ; temporary officers were chosen for drills until such time as might be thought best to organize a company under the stat- ute. Asa F. Gowing was chosen captain, C A. Wheeler Ist lieut., Charles Scott 2d lieut., and K. C. Scott clerk.
The TRANSCRIPT of Nov. 4, 1857, has this item : " It really seemed like the old- fashioned May trainings last Saturday, when a large company of citizens were out on drill, under command of Capt. Gowing, keeping step to the music of fife and drum. It stirred up quite a military spirit, and the company voted unanimous- ly to come out again this Fall. We hope in the spring to see the company in uni- form, armed and equipped as the law di- rects for military duty."
The TRANSCRIPT of May 29, 1858, says : "The days of May trainings are gone, glimmering in the mist of things that were. Even the new militia law will not revive them with its imposing array of Generals, Majors and Quartermasters. Last Saturday afternoon Aquarius Engine Company came out with their engine,
dressed in uniform, and making a very good appearance. Breed's Band also par- aded the streets, discoursing good music. The company tried the squirting powers of their machine upon the pole, and threw water high enough for practical purposes, at least. The red-breasted uni- forms, the battle array, and the stirring strains of the band, reminded us forcibly of the old May Trainings, where the Peterborough Lights and Peterborough Guards and the "Old Slam Bangs" marched and wheeled and went through the manual exercise, "in all the pomp and circumstance of glorious war." The old militia will never be exhumed from its now fossil condition. Men cannot afford now to train for nothing, and the people are convinced that they can make a bet- ter use of their earnings than to hire men and boys to march and counter-march and cut up various didoes in the street."
The TRANSCRIPT of April 28, 1860, gave an account of the training the Sat- urday afternoon before, when 82 men marched about the streets to the tune of two fifes and drums with Capt. C. A. · Wheeler, Lieut. Chas. Scott and Ensign S. I. Vose as officers. The object of the drill was to awaken a military spirit suf- ficient to organize a uniformed military company in town. Adjournment was had to McGilvary's hall when a committee was selected to report at a meeting to be held at the town hall April 28.
In the TRANSCRIPT of July 28, 1860, is a notice directing attention to the calling of the meeting August 4, as mentioned in the subscription for a new uniform ; at this meeting officers were to be chosen and selection of a uniform was to be made.
The TRANSCRIPT of Aug. 11, 1860 has this item : " A Uniformed Military Com- pany under the name of Peterborough Light Infantry was organized in this place on Saturday last and the officers chosen."
[From page 52 to here was published in the Peterborough TRANSCRIPT, July 16, 1908.]
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Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
OLD PETERBOROUGH ARTILLERY COMPANY.
As the Lafayette Artillery Co. is to visit us Old Home Day, August 18, 1908, it is timely to note that this conpany was organized in the year 1804 in Peter- borough, where it remained for about thirty years. A very interesting article on the history of " The Militia," is given in the Lyndeborough Town History, com- mencing on page 207. Col. Luther Das- comb of Wilton commanded the regiment when this company was removed to Lyndeborough, where it has since re- mained one of the oldest military organi- zations in the country. After its removal it was christened the Lafayette Artillery Co. Its first cannon, of which there is any record, was an iron four-pounder and was handled with drag-ropes. The present brass six-pounder-bearing date of 1810 -- was substituted in 1844. The uniform of the company, at the time of its removal and for many years prior was prescribed as follows : " The cap shall be a Bonaparte cap with a black 'Ploom,' the coat blue and trimmed with yellow ball buttons and yellow worsted cord ; with white panta- loons, with black 'gaters' in Pickets and black stocks, yellow belts for the sword with a belt over the shoulder, and Boots."
.
From this historical sketch we take the following : "The company was organized in Peterborough, and for a number of years was essentially a Peterborough affair. A majority of its members were Peterborough men ; Lyndeborough came next, and some men were enlisted from other towns. It will be noticed that the commissioned officers for a number of years after its organization were from Peterborough. As the years passed by, Lyndeborough canie to the fore in the number of men enlisted. Now, what came about in 1833 is a matter of record, but the causes of the changes in that year are mostly a matter of tradition only. From stories of elderly men, from the fact that two companies appeared on the muster-field in that year, both claiming to be the Artillery Company of the 22nd
Regiment, it would seem to be a plausible theory that Lyndeborough insisted on having the commissioned officers, and that Peterborough resisted, and that there was a quarrel between the men of the two towns, which resulted in a division of the company. The Peterborough contingent was commanded by Captain Samuel Carey, who had been its captain in 1829-30-31, and the men from Lyndeborough and Wilton were led by Captain Eleazer Put- nam. They had borrowed the famous " Molly Stark," a gun owned by the New Boston Artillery Company, together with. their uniforms, and it was for Col. Luther Dascomb, who was colonel of the regi- ment at that time, to decide which was the artillery company of the regiment. Now, whether the fact that some of the men in the Lyndeborough company were from Wilton, Col. Dascomb's town, had anything to do with his decision, is a matter of conjecture, but, at any rate, he decided in favor of the Lyndeborough company, and since that year (1833) the organization has been known as a Lynde- borough institution. They sent up a squad of men and a pair of horses and captured the old iron field-piece, which was theirs until condemned as unfit for service."
" The earliest roster and roll of mem- bership of which there is any record is that of 1820. It is inserted here as a matter of historical interest.
Commissioned Officers-James White, Capt .; Nathan Leathers, Lieut .; Isaac Hadley, Ensign ; Sergeant, Benjamin Brackett. The commissions of these officers were dated April 20, 1820.
Privates-Charles M. Howe, William Matthews, Pliney E. Yer, Milton Carter, Charles Smith, John Barber, Robert White, John J. Holt, Norton Hunt, Sam- uel Gates, James H. Swan, Nathaniel Felt, Ahamaaz Jewett, Samuel H. Howe, Wil- liam Breed, Mathew Grey, William Scott, James Wilder, Jeremiah Steele, Eli Upton, James Howe, William Puffer, Charles Fletcher, Anson Moore, Silas Barber, Isaiah T. Smith, Adam Miller, Jonathan
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Old Peterborough Artillery Company.
Felt. A large majority of these men were probably from Peterborough."
" The first captain of the Company was James Wilson of Peterborough, and he held his commission from 1804 until 1810. He was the son of Major Robert Wilson. He graduated from Harvard College in 1789, and chose law as his profession. He practised in Peterborough until 1815, when he removed to Keene, where he died Jan. 4, 1839, aged 73 years. He was said to be a talented and successful law- yer. He was elected Representative to Congress in 1809 and 1811. He was the father of James Wilson, Jr., a noted ora- tor during the presidential campaign of 1840. This son was major-general of the New Hampshire militia at one time, and was best known as General Jim Wilson.
1810-14. The second captain was Na- thaniel Morrison, born at Peterborough, Oct. 9, 1779. He was a carriage and chair maker, and at one time carried on his business at Fayetteville, N. C. At the urgent solicitation of his father he re- turned to Peterborough. There came with him a young mechanic named John H. Steele, who afterward became gover- nor of New Hampshire. Capt. Morrison died in Mississippi, Sept. 11, 1819.
1814-20. The third captain was Jona- than Mitchell, born at Peterborough, Jan. 21, 1787. He died at Belvidere, N. Y., Sept. 1, 1853. His father was a soldier in the Continental Army.
1820-23. The fourth captain was James White, born at Peterborough, March 30, 1784. He died in that town July 6, 1859. He was the grandfather of Gen. Daniel M. White of Peterborough, a soldier in the Civil War.
1823-24. The fifth captain was Isaac Hadley, born at Lexington, Mass., Aug. 9, 1784. Died at Peterborough, June 25, 1843. He was a brickmaker by trade, and a sergeant in the United States Army in the War of 1812. His father, Ebenezer Hadley, was a resident of Lexington,
Mass., and was one of that gallant band of yeomen who stood on Lexington com- mon and fought the British on that memorable 19th of April, 1775.
1824-27. The sixth captain was Wil- liam Scott, born at Peterborough, Feb. 19, 1801. Died Sept. 24, 1846. . He was a farmer by occupation, and was the father of Col. Charles Scott of Peterborough.
1827-29. The seventh captain was Nor- ton Hunt, born at Peterborough, March 27, 1800. He was a farmer and miller by occupation, and at one time was colonel of the 22nd Regiment, New Hampshire militia. He died March 30, 1885.
1829-32. The eighth captain was Sam- uel Carey, born at Jaffrey, June 1, 1799. He was a successful farmer. He died March 27, 1886.
1832-33. There seem to have been two captains chosen during this period. Of L. Hill we have no record. Capt. Ashley Loring was born at Peterborough, April 21, 1807. Died in Ohio, Jan. 28, 1849.
1833-36. The eleventh captain was Eleazer Putnam, born at Lyndeborough, Jan. 8, 1801, and died in that town, Dec. 27, 1866. He was a descendant of one of the early settlers of Lyndeborough, and was the first captain chosen after the headquarters of the Company was re- moved to Lyndeborough. He was by trade a millwright. He served with the Company at Fort Constitution for a short time during the Rebellion. One of his sons, Albert M., was a soldier in that war."
Practically all the members of the com- pany of 1820 were Peterborough men ; sometime after that year Lyndeborough and Wilton men began to join the com- pany, and in 1833 there were quite a number of out of town men among its members. Peterborough men, however, did not continue with the company after its removal as much indignation was felt at the action of Col. Dascomb depriving Peterborough of the company.
[From page 59 to here was published in the Peterborough TRANSCRIPT, July 23, 1908.]
A COPY OF INSCRIPTIONS ON GRAVESTONES IN THE TWO OLD CEMETERIES
ON THE EAST HILL IN PETERBOROUGH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
This publication is issued with a desire to preserve, in a convenient and perma- nent form of print, a copy of the inscriptions on the gravestones in the old ceme- teries-the records on which, in many instances, can be found in no other place. The first burials were in the smaller cemetery, which is a little walled enclosure fifty feet square, situate two hundred and fifty-two feet westerly from the second and much larger cemetery. In this small cemetery there are but five gravestones. In both cemeteries there are many mounds with rough stones at either end indicating graves that must ever remain unknown. The larger cemetery is two hundred and seven feet on the Street Road, and two hundred and ninety-five feet on its south line (see plan). The spelling, punctuations, capitalization and use of f for s on some of the oldest gravestones, have been faithfully copied.
The subject of copying these inscriptions was first suggested at a meeting of the Peterborough Historical Society, and, as a result, the matter was brought before the annual town meeting of March, 1908, and the following motion passed : "That a survey and plan of the two old cemeteries on the hill be prepared, that a copy of the inscriptions on all the gravestones be made and printed for permanent preserva- tion and free distribution under the direction of a committee of three to be appointed by the moderator, and that a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars be raised and appropriated for the same." Under this motion James F. Brennan, Eben W. Jones and William Moore were selected as a committee.
The following is copied from page 220 of the Town History on " Cemeteries and Burials."
"A few burials were made in a little graveyard on the meeting-house hill. This was probably laid out just after the first meeting-house was built, in 1752. It seemed the intention of the early settlers to have the graveyard just behind the church, and a few burials were made here. William Stewart, the first person who died in town, March 15, 1753, aged fifty-three years, was buried here, and then five other burials (which have stones) took place, and a few mounds and headstones indicate a few graves beside. But the ground was found so full of rocks, and so hard, that It was impossible to dig graves, and this site was abandoned and a new location sought. A spot was selected near, situated on the side of the hill, east of the meeting-house, of about one and a half acres, and walled in for this purpose. which is now known as the Old Cemetery. With our modern views of cemeteries, it had an exceedingly bad location ; it was on ground, the most of it, wholly unsuitable for the purpose of burial ; there was no order in the arrangement of the graves in the yard, only that the head was laid to the west. It was also too circumscribed, as though in this wide country, and where land was so cheap, a sufficient room could not be afforded for the final resting place of our bodies without impinging on one another. The north side only of this yard was found suitable for graves, embrac- ing but little more than a half of the yard, while the remainder of it, in consequence of its rocks and ledges, was never occupied. So hardly an ace of ground constituted the burial place of this town for more than eighty years, or through more than two generations. How such numbers were buried on such a small tract of land, and yet always room for more, is a mystery to us. Gravestones were not very common, in proportion to the number of deaths, and the graves soon became obliter- ated and gave space for new burials. In these times, very little attention was ever bestowed 011 cemeteries ; they were sadly neglected, allowed to grow up with bushes and briars, to be overrun with cattle, and to become one of the most unsightly places in town. To narrow the precints of man at death, when he requires so little space at the best, was a petty economy, a thoughtless act that should never have been tolerated.
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Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
The early inscription on the stones began with the real matter of fact, 'Here lies the body of '; the next step was, 'Sacred to the memory of -- -'; and later to the plain 'Meinory of ; but subsequently with the plain 'Mr .-- ', with the date of death and the age, and perhaps with some scrap of poetry or a Scripture quotation on the bottom of the stone. The early gravestones very scrupulously noticed all the titles of the individual, and if he had none he was sure to have the plain Mr. applied to his name on his gravestone.
In proportion to the large number of burials, very few gravestones were erected, and all of these were of slate. Many families were very culpable in this respect. No doubt it was attended with a great trouble and expense in these times, and then to be served with an ordinary article at the best. But some of these stones show the durability of slate, even compared with the modern marble. They stand yet-a good, fair record-after more than a hundred years of exposure to the elements.
The first burial in this yard was Samuel, son of Capt. Thomas and Mary Morrison, died Dec. 22, 1754, aged one year ; and then burials occurred in 1757, '58, '60, '62, '64, and '66, and so on till 1834. when most of the burials ceased, upon the establishment of a new yard. As for ornamentation of the early cemeteries, it was never dreamed of ; all agreed to let the graveyard be the most neglected of all places ; but little effusions of fancy and sometimes grim humor would eke out on the grave- stones, in the grotesque figures of death and death's head, sometimes an angel with a trumpet, and the memorable inscriptions of 'Moriendum est omnibus' and the 'Memento mori' so common in these times. Little scraps of indifferent poetry were often applied to individuals, as much out of place as could be well imagined ; for instance, a rough, quarrelsome, and perhaps intemperate per- son, is lauded with all the choicest and mildest of the Christian graces, the quotation being as devoid as of propriety of application."
At the annual town meeting of March, 1897, a committee was selected to mark the site of the old meeting house. Their report-submitted at the next annual meeting -may be found in the town records and in the Transcript of March 17, 1898 ; a copy of the plan of survey, accompanying that report, is here given-believing it would be useful in connection with a description of the old cemetery-showing the site of the First Frame Meeting House built in 1777, abandoned in 1825, sold by the town to William Scott in 1829 for $75.25 ; the probable site of the First Log Meeting House built in 1752, used in 1796 as a school house ; the location of Horse Sheds; the prob- able site of the Beech Tree under which the people gathered at noon, between Sabbath services, to discuss the events of the day ; the location of the roads across the com- mon ; the large rock near the southwest corner; the minister's house south of the south wall of the common on land owned in 1895 by George E. Hunt and west of where Mrs. (Cheney) Schofield's new road enters the common. In the north - west corner is shown the head of the old road-long since abandoned and of which only the south wall now remains. The town records of 1784 show the plan of the ground floor of the 1777 meeting house, giving size and shape of pews, aisles, pulpit, and names of owners, showing the house to have been 60 by 45 feet. On June 21, 1834, the town voted " to discontinue the road across the old common from the Street road to south line of common, and that the selectmen sell the common at auction." The registry of deeds (Vol. 179, page 332) records a deed, dated July 4, 1834, from the selectmen to John Farnum, for $81, of land " known by name of Old Meeting House Common, bounded east by highway and old graveyard, north by Dunbar, Ames and Smith, west by Ames, Smith and said Farnum, south by said Farnum and the grave- yard." The grantee and his heirs and assigns were to put up and forever maintain a wall around the small graveyard and keep up the wall between the common and graveyard adjoining.
A Copy of Inscriptions on Gravestones in the Two Old Cemeteries. 65
Road
1
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Plan of the Old Common Peterborough h. H.
1
Ist Cemetery
is Peterbord
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,
Placeof old horse sheds
sitterto maketing house in Perci bord Freeted :1777
+ approximate site of Ist meeting house in Peterboru afterward, used as a school house
+approximate site of old Beach tree .
site-ul mis. Cheneyshouse Erectieal 1898.
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2ª Cemetery in Peterloro .
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Boulder
Drawn by Ew Jones
+ Approximate site of residenceof 1. settled minister in Peterboro.
- Road
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Street Road
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WALL
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'S made to accompany a report rendered March 8, 18/98
by a committee of the town consisting of William Moore "DanielM. White and Fred G. Roble
-Scale 1 inch = 25 feet.
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Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
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PETERBOROUGH, N. H. 1908.
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This plan of the larger old cemetery is prepared to aid in the location of grave- stones. Because of rocks and ledges in the soil, most of the graves were placed in the north and west part of the cemetery, hence it was thought best to use the north line of posts to measure from in the location of graves. At the points indicated by letters of the alphabet on the plan, are set fifty-four substantial granite posts with four inch square tops, on which are cut letters as above shown. The graves are placed very irregularly, little or no attempt at uniformity of rows of lots were maintained, and in order to establish some plan for the location of these graves imaginary lines were run north and south, as indicated on plan, wherever an unobstructed space through the gravestones could be found, and measurements from the north posts southerly to the front of each gravestone was made, and from this imaginary line east to the face of the gravestone. Under this arrangement will be found a letter and figure at the left of each of the following printed record of inscriptions to indicate its location ; for instance, A 57 indicates that the grave is south fifty-seven feet from the north post marked A, on an imaginary line to the south post with a similar initial ; the figure at the right of the record of inscription indicates that it is that number of feet east from this imaginary line to the face of the gravestone. Where the lines on the west side are so close together, much difficulty was experienced in finding an un- obstructed space between the many and irregularly placed gravestones to run a line.
Oct. 1, 1908.
JAMES F. BRENNAN, EBEN W. JONES, WILLIAM MOORE.
Committee.
PLAN OF OLD BURIAL GROUND
A Copy of Inscriptions on Gravestones in the Two Old Cemeteries. 67
SMALL CEMETERY.
1
Slate. (The first death in town.) Memento mori. Here lyes ye Body of Mr. William Stewart who departed this Life March ye 15st 1753 in the 53ª year of his age.
Slate. (Different spelling of same name; wife of above )
In memory of MRS. MARGARET STUART, the wife of Mr. Williamı Stuart who died March 8th 1795 in the 87th year of her age.
2
Slate. (Son of the foregoing.) Memento mori Here lies the Body of Mr William Stewart who depar- ted this Life Octr 25th 1771 In the 3Ist year of his Age. Modern Polished Granite Tablet (replaced an old slate.)
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