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 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
80
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
dead silence reigned, until Freeman saw the tears swelling in the old man's eyes, and his chin shook like an aspen leaf, and then came a sudden and convul- sive response-" Yeâ !" which electrified the whole of them. the a in yea was sounded as broad as â in hall, and the e not sounded at all. All sympathized with the old people, and Mr. Powers could scarcely procced with the ceremony ; but it was performed, and the connection proved an unhappy one. Wal- bridge was a worthless character. But this was the first marriage in Hanover, as Judge Woodward's was the first in Haverhill-the results widely different.
Mr. Powers being thus known, and being generally loved and respected, did much to increase the settle- ment at Coos. Persons often attended worship there from Thetford, Orford, Bradford, and Piermont. There was one Deacon Howard, who lived near the river in Thetford, who used to ride to Newbury often with his wife to hear Mr. Powers, and he loved him as his own soul.
At this time there were no taverns between Char- lestown and Coos, and adventurers were necessitated to stop at such houses as they could find for refresh- ment and lodgings. They had called on this Deacon Howard, some making him compensation, and some not, until his means for subsistence were running
81
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
low ; and he had resolved that it was not his duty to entertain any more strangers ; and this he could do more conscientiously, as there was a sort of an inn opened for their accommodation three miles north of him.
Mr. Powers, at a certain time, passed down the river on horseback, undiscovered by the deacon, and as he was on his return home, he found he should be overtaken by the darkness of night before he could reach the inn, and as it began to rain just before he came to Deacon Howard's, he thought he would there stop and spend the night. He accordingly rode up to the door, in the dusk of the evening, and tapped with his whip upon the door. The deacon came to the door, and asked what he wished for. Mr. Powers replied, that he was journeying up the river ; that he was overtaken by the night and by rain ; and he should like to put up with him for the night. The deacon answered in an abrupt and gruff tone of voice, " I cannot keep you. Folks have come here until they have eaten me out of house and home, and we cannot consent to take you in." Mr. Powers replied that he was much fatigued, and he knew not how to proceed farther ; he would pay him whatever he was disposed to charge him. " No," said the dea- con, " I cannot keep you. There is a house for en-
4*
82
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
tertainment three miles ahead, and you must go there."
By this time, the old lady had come forward, and was looking over her husband's shoulder, listening to the conversation as it proceeded ; and as Mr. Powers began to turn his horse away from the door, she said to her husband, " It seems to me, that man speaks like Mr. Powers of Newbury." "Mr. Powers ! no, he don't," said he. "But why don't you ask him
who he is ? " said she. "I don't care who he is," said he ; "I can't keep him ; " but, at the same time, stepping from his door, and advancing along after Mr. Powers, he said, " Where are you from, sir ?" "Newbury," replied Mr. Powers. "From, New- bury ?" "Yes, sir." "Well, you know the Rev. Mr. Powers, then, don't you ?" "Yes, very well." " And he is a very good man, aint he ?" "Some have a good opinion of him," said Mr. Powers, " much better than I have." "Well, you may go along."
By this time, the old lady had come up to her hus- band in the rain, and as the deacon was turning to go into the house, she said, " Husband, I verily believe that is Mr. Powers." On hearing this, he turned suddenly on his heel, and making rapid strides after the stranger, he cried out, " Sir, what is your name ?"
83
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
"My name is Powers," was the reply. " You rascal! " exclaimed the deacon ; and seizing him by one leg, drew him from his horse, held him fast until he got him into the house, and there he made all concessions to the man whom he loved above all oth- ers. A very happy interview they had of it, and the deacon continued to relate the particulars of this ad- venture with peculiar emotions until the close of life. He related them to Dr. Burton, and the doctor to myself.
Mr. Powers spent nearly twenty years at Newbury and Haverhill, and with the exception of the troubles which grew out of the revolutionary war, I believe their union was a happy and prosperous one.
Mr. Powers was a high whig, and by his preaching and efforts for the common cause of the colonies, he drew upon him the fierce resentment of the tories, and they threatened his life, which induced him to remove over into Haverhill, in the spring of 1781. This displeased many of his friends in Newbury, and although he continued to preach in Newbury one half the time, for a year or two, yet it resulted in his dis- mission from the church in Newbury, some time in 1782. But he preached still a year or two in Haver- hill, and sometimes in Newbury, to particular friends ; but he finally left, and went and settled on
84
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
Deer Isle, Me., where he closed his labors by his de- cease in May, 1800, aged 72. He died of a cancer. When told by his son Jonathan, who was then a set- tled minister at Penobscot, Me., that he was dying, he looked around on his family, and replied, "The will of the Lord be done," and yielded up the ghost. Mrs. Powers was Martha Hale, of Sutton, Mass. She was an intelligent, pious, and superior woman. She survived her husband until January, 1802, and died suddenly while on a visit to her children in Newbury.
To those who sat under the ministry of Mr. Pow- ers, of whom there are some still living, and those who have looked upon him as their spiritual father, it will be pleasing to learn by what means their min- ister was prepared to preach to them the unsearcha- ble riches of Christ. The facts which I shall here record I received from an eye and ear witness of what she related. It was the sister of the Rev. Peter Pow- ers.
I have already related that Mr. Powers was the oldest child of Capt. Peter Powers and Anna, his wife ; that they were the first settlers in the town of Hollis. I now relate that for about two years their nearest neighbor was at the travelling distance of ten miles, and this solitary family sustained all the pri-
85
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
vations and hardships which were incident to pio- neers in these New England settlements. For about twelve years they had neither schools, or a preached gospel ; but they carried with them the Holy Scrip- tures and the love of God in their hearts. . Their children were instructed in the principles of the gos- pel, and they witnessed the blessedness of godliness in the daily walk of their parents. At an early age Peter became a devoted child of the Lord Jesus, and was endeared to his parents by a thousand ties ; for they looked to him as their first helper, under God, and fondly hoped he would be their support and sol- ace in old age. But as Peter grew in years, a flame was kindled in his breast which could neither be ex- tinguished nor suppressed ; and his parents often heard him say, "He had an ardent desire to enjoy the advantages of an academic and a collegiate edu- cation." But as these seemed altogether incompati- ble with their circumstances, and militated against all their previous arrangements, those desires of the son were treated by the parents as visionary ; and in- admissible, and for a time no human ear was offend- ed by the importunities of the son ; and the parents hoped that the subject was relinquished and forgotton by him, until it was revived to them in the following manner :-
8.6
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
These parents were of Puritan strictness in the government of their family, and neither their sons nor their daughters were allowed in ordinary cases to be absent from the family at nine o'clock in the eve- ning, which was the hour of prayer. But it appeared on a calm summer's evening that Peter was absent at the hour of prayer ; nor did he appear when it was necessary to close and secure the house against the intrusion of the Indians. The parents passed the night in agitation of spirits. At one moment, they trembled in view of his having fallen a victim to In- dian treachery and violence, and their imaginations presented him pierced and lacerated upon the ground, or hurried away into a captivity more appalling than death. At another time they were vexed with the apprehension that their son had for the first time ab- sented himself in wanton disregard of their views and feelings. The night was at length spent, and the father rose at the dawn of day ; and as he unbarred the door, he saw his young son emerging from the forest, and approaching the dwelling with a solemn and down-cast look. The father beheld his son with the mixed emotion of joy and resentment ;- joy, be- cause he had received him safe and sound-resentment because he supposed there could be no adequate cause to justify the elopement ; yet he restrained himself
87
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
and called for no explanation until the hour of prayer when he was accustomed to administer reproof, if it was necessary. The family being seated, and a por- tion of Scripture having been read, the father paused, and fixing a reproving look upon Peter, said, "Where did you spend the night, Peter ?" The son was ex- ceedingly embarrassed, and did not return a prompt and explicit answer. The father more sternly re- peats, "Peter, where did you spend the night ?" The son faintly and meekly replied, while the tears coursed down his cheeks, "I spent it in the woods, sir." "In the woods ?" said the father ; how did you spend it ?" "In prayer, sir." A pause of a moment succeeded, and the subdued soul of the father rushed to the eye, to seek the relief which ut- terance now denied. But soon the father resumed the inquiry, and, in an altered and subdued tone, said, " My son, what were you praying for, during the night ?" " That I might go to college." " What would you go to college for, Peter ?" "That I might be prepared to preach the gospel to sinners." The father turned and looked upon Anna, his wife in the deepest emotion, but could not speak. As soon as he possessed the power of utterance, he led in devotion, and as soon as Peter had gone out, the father said to Anna, in a soft and tremulous voice,
8
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
" I do not see but we must give up the matter, and let Peter go to college." The result was a collegiate course, a life of eminent usefulness, a triumphant death, and that eternal reward which is promised to those who turn many to righteousness.
Mr. Powers' dismission from Newbury church was the first step towards a dissolution of the union be- tween Haverhill and Newbury in all ecclesiastical concerns ; and it does not appear that they ever as- sisted each other in supporting the gospel afterwards. And the probability is each town was beginning to feel itself able to support preaching independent of the other. ,We find a proposition coming from Mr. Powers to Newbury church and society, so early as December, 1781, "for an agreement between the town of Haverhill and the town of Newbury to be separate parishes." This proposition was undoubted- ly from the people of Haverhill, and therefore we find a vote of Newbury, December 31, 1781, " That the above committee treat with the town of Haverhill, relative to the Rev. Peter Powers." They also vote to make a settlement with Mr. Powers for all arrear- ages. Mr. Samuel Powers, of Newbury, son of the Rev. Peter Powers, and a very worthy citizen, says, "he can well remember the time of his father's dis- mission from Newbury ; that Newbury church did
89
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
not unite in the council for his dismission, and the council sat in Haverhill." But the church in Haver- hill was not constituted a separate church until some years after the sitting of this council, an event to be noticed hereafter.
I will in this place relate an extraordinary case of instinct in a cow, as related to me by Capt. Howard, and I relate it here, before I proceed to the events of 1769, because it occurred in the first years of these settlements. Col. John Hurd came into Haverhill at an early period of the settlement, from Portsmouth, and lived a little north of Moses Southard's, or the old Porter place, at Horse Meadow. He came first to Charlestown, and then up the river, as most others did. With him he brought a valuable cow, which he turned upon the meadow, where, for aught that ap- peared, she was well content to abide ; but, after a lapse of a few weeks, the cow was on a sudden among the missing, and nothing could be found of her. They went through both settlements, and searched in vain ; no one had seen her. The colonel then employed Indian runners to go in pursuit of her ; they were out one full week, and returned without her, but reported that they had been on her trail in Coventry ; but east of that, they could discover no trace of her. Hurd gave her up as lost. But the
90
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
next autumn, there came a man from Portsmouth, bearing letters from friends, and in one of them it was stated that on such a morning, the old cow was found in the barn-yard from which she took her de- parture some months before. She was in good keep- ing. Now, we must consider, that from Portsmouth to Charlestown is at this day, in the most direct route, ninety-six miles ; from Charlestown to Horse Meadow nearly seventy miles ; and from Horse Mead- ow to Portsmouth cannot be less than one hundred miles, for it is the hypotenuse of the triangle, which has Portsmouth, Charlestown, and Haverhill for its angles. The cow unquestionably travelled all three sides of the triangle; and what seems most surpris- ing is, that after travelling more than one hundred miles, as the roads then were, north of west, and much of that distance was woods, then more than seventy miles east of north, all woods, the cow should have kept in her mind the direct bearing of Ports- mouth, and that she should have made the journey from Haverhill to Portsmouth, an entire wilderness, and have reached her old home in safety, without guide or protector. She might have fallen in with Barrington or Stratford, twenty miles north-west of Portsmouth, but she did not do it, probably, or she would have been taken up; yet she performed her tour, and gained her destination.
91
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
I now come to speak of events of 1769, and on- ward. It was in April, of this year, that Col. Chas. Johnston came into Haverhill, and settled at the Corner. Col. Johnston was born at Hampstead, N. H., 1737. He married Ruth Marsh, of Londonderry, N. H., and came to Haverhill at thirty-two years of age.
Col. Johnston had departed this life prior to my coming to Haverhill, and I am wholly dependent up- on others for the information I have respecting him. But no man's character could be better established in the public mind, and seldom can we find greater unanimity with the public in bestowing on one man the meed of commendation. There is still a blessed savor of him remaining in Haverhill and vicinity.
I am in possession of an interesting occurrence which took place on the journey of Col. Charles and his family from Hampstead to Haverhill. I have it in the hand-writing of Mr. Richard Wallace, of Thet- ford, Vt., who was born in Nova Scotia, in 1753, and at the age of sixteen years accompanied Mr. Johnston to Haverhill, I shall give it in his own words, with the correction of some errors in orthography and grammatical construction of sentences. Mr. Wal- lace's early opportunities for an education were lim- ited, as nearly all were at that day ; but he sustained
92
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
a character above suspicion for veracity, and had been a professed disciple of Christ many years when he wrote me this statement. He says :-
" On the second day's journey from Hampstead, N. H., (this was in April, 1769, in the afternoon of this day) my feet became tender and swollen, and much parboiled, as was the common phrase at that day. This caused me to fall in the rear of the family many rods. I then concluded I would take off my shoes and stockings, and travel bare-footed, expecting by this means to be able to overtake the family. But my feet being swollen, and stockings wet, I was hindered in drawing them a good while, and I fell far in the rear. I then hastened my steps forward as fast as I could, the sun being about a half an hour high at night, as near as I can recollect. After wad- ing a large brook, I entered the eleven-mile-woods, for the first time, in the upper part of Boscawen. I had not travelled far before I came to ice in the sled road, both in the middle and at the side, although the snow was for the most part gone in the woods. But I made all the speed I could, till it was almost dark, when I came to a brook or stream, that I dared not attempt to ford without daylight, nor could I find any tree fallen across the stream, on which I might pass over. But concluding I must stay there for the
93
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
night, I went in immediate search of a convenient place to rest. I soon found a large tree fallen on the side of a knoll, the butt end lying up from the ground, leaving just room enough for me to crawl under. I took my long stockings, and drew the dry part of them on to my feet, and crawled under the tree, and being very tired, I soon fell asleep; and I think it likely I slept two or three hours, or more-I cannot tell exactly. But my anxiety did not leave me when asleep ; and when I awoke, I was very cold, as there was a hard frost that night. Besides this, I found myself saluted from all parts of the solitary and dreary wilderness, by all the animal inhabitants of the forest, like a band of instrumental music, the wolves taking the chief lead, and carrying the high- est notes ; or something like a bass-viol and bassoon in their different strains. They did not appear to be far off, but did not come near me to offer any vio- lence ; yet their noise was some alarming, and very dis- agreeable, since the whole region of the forest seemed to be alive with these different kinds of animals. By
and by, somebody cried out over my head, and barked like a little dog, then again screamed in the voice of women, and laughed out like parrots. I had not learned their grammar, nor to raise and fall their notes, for I was but a boy from the sea coast,
94
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
and had never heard the like before. But I thought I would not make any disturbance with them, if they would let me alone until morning. But as soon as morning appeared, I crawled out from under the tree, and suddenly screamed with all my might, "Stop your noise !" I was immediately obeyed. And behold, the noisy creatures over my head were no other than great owls, roosting upon a branch of a tree ! But I soon made ready to decamp, though my shoes and stockings were so frozen, that I could only get on my shoes slipshod. After some search, I found a log which enabled me to get over the brook, and I found the road, and I walked and ran as I could, some miles, and I reached Favor's tavern in New- Chester, that now is, just as the sun arose. Some of the company were up, and some getting up, and friends never came together in greater joy. I never shall forget how Col. Charles looked when he told me what concern he had had for me through the night.
"RICHARD WALLACE."
I would, in conclusion of this narration, raise the inquiry of those youth of sixteen, into whose hands the above statement may come, whether they would covet such a night's rest ; and whether such a sere- nade from the beasts of the wilderness would be to them " some alarming, and very disagreeable ! "
95
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
When Col. Johnston arrived at Haverhill, he pur- chased the ground where Haverhill Corner now is, and located himself on the ground where Capt. Pow- ers pitched his camp for the night, in July, 1754, and wrote in his journal-" Here was the best of up- land, and some quantity of large white pines." .
I had it from the widow of Col. Johnston, who survived the death of her husband several years, and died, in 1816, at the age of seventy-five, that when they came to Haverhill, and found themselves hem- med in on every side by those towering trees and a dense underwood, she became very much discontented, and endured for some time all the melancholy and depression which arise from home-sickness. When suffering from the strongest paroxysms of this mala- dy, she would sometimes go out to her husband, while he was felling trees upon what is now the com- mon, and relate her distresses to him, in hopes that he might be induced to relinquish his hold on Coos, and return to their friends at the east. But the col- onel, to amuse her, and to dissipate her melancholy would seat her upon a large stump, and then begin to describe to her the future village which they should ere long witness in that place. "On such a line would be the main street ; on such a spot the court- house would stan7; the academy would occupy such
96
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
a site, and the meeting-house stand there ! " For the moment, she would seem to fancy it a reality ; but the next sober thought would dissipate her relief, and she would exclaim, "Mr. Johnston, there can't be any such thing ! I know there can't. It never will be in this world !"
It is probable that the colonel thought as little of this ever being realized by them as she did ; and yet both lived to witness, almost to a jot and tittle, those very predictions fulfilled. And no man in that town ever contributed more towards converting that wil- derness into a delightful village than Col. Johnston. He was laborious and prudent, yet generous and brave. He accumulated a handsome estate ; and by his beneficence, he often caused the poor, the widow, and the fatherless to sing for joy, and their blessings came upon him.
He was a man of great muscular powers, and he often put them forth, not to foment quarrels and broils, as is often the case in a rude state of society, but to suppress outbreakings and fightings ; and those who were acquainted with him, refrained from those hostile attacks in his presence, for they knew the colonel would immediately stand between the parties, the advocate of peace and good order.
It is related of him that he was passing the inn at
97
OF THE COOS COUNTRY.
the Corner, at a certain time, just when two stran- gers, who had met there, fell into a violent conten- tion, and came to blows. The encounter was sharp and bloody ; but, as the colonel's custom was, he walked up to the combatants, and placing his hands gently upon their shoulders, began to expostulate with them in the kindest manner, when they mutual- ly left beating each other, and commenced dealing blows at him, who would have set them as one again. Upon this, the colonel held one in each hand firmly by the shoulder, and suddenly extending his arms to the right and left, he threw the assailants apart, but brought them again in contact, face to face, in front of him, with such power, that before this was re- peated the third time, they called out for quarter, nor did he let go of them until they promised to be at peace with each other.
It was said in his day, and is said to this day, that Col. Johnston was a peace-maker, both in church and state. I have one instance of this, given by Mr. Wallace, who lived with the colonel after they came to Haverhill. He says, in a letter bearing date De- cember 25, 1828, " Esquire Charles was the only jus- tice of the peace in Haverhill prior to 1773. I will relate one anecdote of him in honor to his memory, and for a pious example for his descendants and 5
98
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
others. Soon after his appointment for justice of the peace, there came a man to him with an earnest re- quest for a writ against one of his neighbors. Es- quire Johnston put him off by relating to him the unhappy consequences of neighbors going to law with each other ; and recommended that he should go home and see his neighbor in a subdued temper of mind, and see if he would not pay him. The man went away, but soon returned with a bitter complaint and demanded a writ. The colonel left his business, called for his horse to be saddled, and said to the man, ' I am going with you to see if this matter can- not be settled without expense and strife.' When they came to the man so much complained of, the colonel told him his business, and that he came for the sake of peace. The man told him he was ready to settle the account, and always had been ; and be- fore they separated, all matters were adjusted, and the men parted in friendship." How much expense and strife might be avoided annually, if all our mag- istrates were of the same stamp ! We say, " Blessed are the peace-makers."
I have another anecdote of the colonel, related to me by Esquire Jonathan Hale, of Coventry, N. H., who was knowing to the story. A poor man of Cov- entry bought a cow of Col. Johnston upon credit.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.