USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Charlestown > History of Charlestown, New-Hampshire, the old No. 4 > Part 8
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On the 27th of November, 1755, His Majesty's additional instruc- tions were brought before the House of Representatives, and acted up- on as follows :-
"Province of - New-Hampshire S In the House of Representatives, Nov. 27, 1755 :
Whereas it appears by His Majesty's additional instructions to his Excellency the Governor, of the 12th of August, that it has been un- justly represented to His Majesty, " That the settlements on the fron- tiers of this Province have been greatly neglected, and left exposed to the incursions of the St. Francis and other Indians, &c." and-
Whereas the distressing circumstances of this Province occasioned by the great expense and charge this government have been at in pro- tecting the inhabitants on the frontiers ; and more especially those set- tled at Charlestown, or No. 4, and other places on the Connecticut River ; with the vast expense and charge this Province has been and is still at in promoting the expedition to Crown Point, loudly call for His Majesty's compassionate regard. Therefore
Voted That Henry Sherburne, Jr. Esq. Mr. Thomas Wiggin, and Captain Thomas Wk Waldron, be a committee of this House to join with such as may be appointed by the Hon'ble Council, to prepare an
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address to his Most Gracious Majesty and lay the same before the Gen- eral Assembly, as soon as may be, setting these matters in a true light, and shewing the distressed circumstances of this Province at this critical juncture of affairs and the absolute necd we stand in of his Majesty's aid and humbly and earnestly praying that His Majesty would be pleased most graciously to afford such assistance and relief, as he in his great wisdom may think meet."
Notwithstanding the House of Representatives aver, that " the gov- ernment had been at great expense and charge in protecting the in- habitants on the frontiers, and more especially those settled at Charles- town, or No. 4, and other places on the Connecticut river," it is still unquestionably the fact, that the only troops New-Hampshire had sent for the protection of the Connecticut river frontier in the region of Charlestown, was the detachment of twenty men, heretofore spoken of under Colonel Bellows as Lieutenant, and which the Colonel himself declared " would not more than supply one town." In addition to this Governor Wentworth in his message speaks of the " additional instructions of His Majesty on the 12th of August, but the detach- ment under Colonel Bellows did not enter into service till the 23rd of that month. At the time therefore the additional instructions were issued, New-Hampshire had furnished not one soldier for the protec- tion of Charlestown, or the towns in the vicinity, on the Connecti- cut below. It is true that, almost insuperable difficulties were in the way of the assembly on account of the straitened pecuniary circum- stances of the government, of making provision for the payment of troops, and this, if properly presented, might have constituted a rea- son for their not being raised and sent. But in denying the correct- ness of the representation that had been made to the king, and de- claring that they had been at great expense and charge expressly for Charlestown, the House of Representatives placed themselves in a false position, inasmuch as the facts were entirely wanting which could sustain them in it.
Governor Wentworth, as may have been inferred from his commu- nications to the assembly, was desirous of furnishing the frontiers on the Connecticut with the requisite aid. But he could do nothing with- out the assembly, who appeared to regard his views with so little fa- vor, that they pertinaciously refused, as often as the subject was pre- sented before them, to comply with his recommendation. The subject even seemed to annoy them. That under such circumstances the inhab-
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itants of Charlestown should feel no little solicitude in respect to the source from whence their protection was to come, was not only natur- al but inevitable. But what must have added very greatly to their solicitude, was that in the plan proposed by Colonel Israel Williams, who had again been put in charge by Massachusetts of the defense of her western frontiers, it was especially recommended that Charlestown in consequence of its belonging to another jurisdiction should be left out. The plan that he recommended was, the "abandonment of forts Shirley and Pelham, and the erection of a line of smaller works on the north side of the Deerfield River; that the old works at North- field, Bernardston, Colraine, Greenfield, and Deerfield, should be re- paired; and others built, where repairs were impracticable ; that forts Dummer, and Massachusetts should be strengthened and furnished with light artillery, and sufficient garrisons ; that fortifications should be erected at Stockbridge, Pontoosnck, and Blandford, in the South- western part of Massachusetts, and two others to the westward of Fort Massachusetts, in order to form a cordon with the line of works in New York; that the fort at Charlestown, being out of the jurisdic- tion of Massachusetts, should be abandoned ; and that as in the former wars, ranging parties should be constantly employed along the line of forts, and in the wilderness (now the State of Vermont) and that the routes, and inroads from Crown Point, should be diligently watched." This plan commended itself to the government of Massachusetts ex- cept the proposed abandonment of the fort at Charlestown ; which ap- peared far too important a post to be yielded to the enemy, and which they were without reasons for expecting would be properly garrisoned by New-Hampshire.
During the Summer of 1755, the Indians made frequent attacks on the New-Hampshire frontiers, and were particularly active in the Connecticut valley. To this section therefore, scouts were ordered un- der Captain Elisha Winslow, Captain James Neal, and Captain Sum- mersbee Gilman. The one under Captain Neal, consisting of twenty- two men, which alone had any connection with Charlestown, was or- dered to the frontier for service for thirty days. It was not probably present at Charlestown during its period of service over one week, dur- ing which time it was billetted by Lieutenant Isaac Parker. Though Captain Neal and his men were ordered for service for only thirty days, they continued until they had considerably exceeded that period. They entered upon service the 13th of August, and were not discharged till the first of October. On making out his Muster Roll for that period
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of service, we find the following record made in the Journal of the House of Representatives. "Upon examining Mr. James Neal's Mus- ter roll, it appeared that it consisted of more than there was any grant for, and Captain Waldron was ordered by the Speaker to inform Mr. Neal, that he must make out his Muster Roll for thirty days only, which is according to the grant." VI Vol. of P. R. page 455.
The bill amounting to £135, 14s 5d, was allowed April 28th, 1756. The following is the Muster Roll of Captain Neal's Company.
James Neal, Capt.
Jonathan Blaso.
Philip Johnson, Sergt.
Jonathan Norris.
WVm. Stevens, Sent.
James Rowe.
Joshua Webster.
John Mc Mahon.
Elias Parker.
Moses Blake.
Reuben Ham.
Eben Putnam.
Jacob Rundlett.
Small Moulton.
William Parke.
John Montgomery.
Satchel Clark.
John Hopkins.
William Smith.
Francis Orr.
John Stevens.
William Mack.
See Potter's Military History, in Adjutant General's report, page 154.
As the inhabitants of Charlestown had little reason to expect that any suitable provisions would be made for their defense by New- Hampshire, they were induced once more to appeal to Massachusetts to furnish them with such a force, as was necessary for their protec- tion .* The petition which set forth the circumstances of their situa- tion and their great need of assistance was signed by the following persons : viz. Micah Fuller, Thomas Adams, Simon Sartwell, Moses Wheeler, Daniel Sartwell, James Whiting, John Hastings, jr., John Spafford, John Hastings, Seth Putnam, Moses Willard, Isaac Parker, David Farnsworth, and Ebenezer Putnam. As a proof of the impor- tance of the post at Charlestown the petitioners stated that attacks of the enemy had been sustained there, on ten different occasions during
* On the 8th of September, 1755, Simon Sartwell, John Hastings, and three others say " The Indians are all around killing cattle, and driving them away- no chance to work, and we must abandon the place unless we have help. New- Hampshire, sent eighteen or twenty soldiers and we gathered our grain, in a dam- aged condition, and some hay. The men were ordered off on the 24th and we left destitute. There are but twenty-seven or eight men in town, soldiers and in- habitants."
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the space of two years. Mention was also made of the sufferings and trials which the inhabitants had endured, and of their great losses in cattle and provisions, in defending that frontier. The appeal was suc- cessful ; and Massachusetts again sent her soldiers for the defense of the town, and a guard was thence-forward continued at the fort till 1757 ; when such was its situation it was supposed that the Commander in Chief of His Majesty's forces would take the place under his supervi- sion as a royal garrison. The petition was signed on the 8th of Sep- tember, 1755.
As has already been stated, the Indians were particularly active dur- ing the Summer, of 1755, in the Connecticut valley. The principal mischief they did at Charlestown, was to kill a large number of the cattle of the settlers. From these the flesh was cut, and every part of them carried away which was valuable for food. But other towns in the valley suffered from their incursions much more severely. This resulted from the extensive means of defense, which had been instituted by Massachusetts, which rendered, for the most part, successful attacks on her frontiers impracticable. They therefore, put forth their most strenuous efforts against the settlements on the Connecticut, where, as they were but feebly garrisoned, they had better prospects of succeeding. Their most successful incursion was at Hinsdale, (now Vernon, Ver- mont) on the 27th of June, where they took three families, consisting of fourteen persons in all, among whom was the celebrated Jemina Howe and her children, whose pathetic story has often been told. Walpole and other places were attacked during this summer, (1755) but the account of these attacks, though most interesting, does not belong to this history.
It ought in justice to be observed, that though New-Hampshire failed to give suitable protection to her settlements on the Connecticut River, that in furnishing troops for the Provincial army her abilities were tax- ed to the utmost. A regiment, consisting of six hundred, under Col- onel Joseph Blanchard, of Dunstable, was ordered for assisting in the expedition to Crown Point, in which no better service was done than by the New-Hampshire troops. In this regiment Jonathan Hubbard, of Charlestown, was Adjutant. After the engagement of the eighth of Sep- tember, when it was found necessary to reinforce the army, the State also raised and forwarded another regiment of three hundred men, which was under the command of Colonel Peter Gilman. It is stated that af- ter the battle of the eighth of September, the 1st New-Hampshire reg- iment were employed in scouting, which service they performed so ac-
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ceptably that no other duty was required of them. Parties of them, with a dashing intrepidity, amounting to almost recklessness, frequently went in view of the French fort at Crown Point, and at one time they brought off the scalp of a French soldier, whom they had killed at the very gate. The men of the 2d Regiment, with an cqual earnestness, were on the alert to do what they could, but it was determined not to pursue the expedition, and late in autumn the forces were disbanded and returned home.
Belknap remarks, (page 314) that "The exertions made for the re- duction of Crown Point, not only failed of their object, but provoked the Indians to execute their mischievous designs against the frontiers of New-Hampshire, which were wholly uncovered and exposed to their full force. Between the Rivers Connecticut and St. Francis there is a safe and easy communication by short carrying places with which they were perfectly acquainted. The Indians of that River (St. Francis) there- fore made frequent incursions and returned unmolested with their pris- oners and booty."
During the summer of this year, (1756) a plan was projected for building a strong fort on the highlands between the sources of Black River and Otter Creek, in the present state of Vermont. A post at that place was supposed to be important, not only to cut off one of the prin- cipal debouches of the enemy's parties from Lake Champlain, but to fa- cilitate operations on the left of the enemy at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and also to afford a convenient station for scouting parties from Connecticut River. The route had not escaped the notice of Lord Lou- doun, the Commander in Chief; and he proposed to the Provincial offi- cers, that it might be critically examined, and the practicability of a road from the Connecticut reported to him. Colonel Israel Williams was applied to for information on the subject, who communicated to his Lordship a topographical sketch and description of the country, com- piled from ample materials, obtained from various reports of officers who, at the head of scouting parties, had traversed the country.
The government of Massachusetts, with a similar object in view, had previously taken measures for examining the same route. In the House of Representatives, the following vote was passed March 10th, 1756, and approved by the Governor and Council :- " Whereas it is of great im- portance that a thorough knowledge be had of the distance and prac- ticability of a communication between Number Four, on Connecticut River and Crown Point; and that the course down Otter Creek to the Lake should be known, Therefore, Voted-that his Excellency the Gov-
-
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ernor be, and is hereby desired, as soon as May be, to appoint fourteen men upon this serviee; Seven of them to go from said Number Four, the directest course to Crown Point, to measure the distance, and gain what knowledge they can of the Country; and the other seven to go from said Number Four to Otter Creek, aforesaid, and down said Creek to Lake Champlain ; Observing the Course of said Creek-its depth of water-what falls there are in it ; and also the nature of the soil on each side thereof, and what growth of woods are near it. Each party of said men to keep a journal of their proceedings and observation, and lay the same, on their return, before this Court; They to observe all such di- reetions as they may receive from his Excellency. One man in each par- ty to be a skillful surveyor; and the persons employed shall have a reasonable allowance made them by the Court for their services."
The Governor directed Colonel Williams to carry the order into effect, and gave such further instructions as might be necessary for accomplish- ing the business. But as that portion of the country was then infested with a large number of Indians, the attempt was deemed so hazardous, that it was only partially executed. The surveys were made only to the height of the land, but both the design of building the road and con- structing the fort were abandoned for the time. The road was built, as will be ultimately seen, some years after.
In the spring and summer of this year, (1756) another attempt was made upon Crown Point, for which New-Hampshire furnished a reg- iment of seven hundred men, which was placed under the command of Colonel Nathaniel Meserve. Most of the companies entered service in May, and were not discharged till into November and December. For this expedition Charlestown furnished the following men :- Isaac Park- er, (who was Lieutenant of the company of which Samuel Watts was Captain); John Hastings, Simon Stevens, son of Captain Phineas Stevens, Andrew Gardner, jr. and Aaron Hosmer, who was in the house of James Johnson when attacked by the Indians. Jacob Sartwell and Eleazer Farwell were also probably of Charlestown. By this expedi- tion and the military movements of the summer, the English gained nothing ; while the French, by their superior alertness, besieged and took the English fort at Oswego, with the regiments of Shirley and Pepper- ell, which garrisoned it, which were sent as prisoners of war to France.
But the expedition not only accomplished nothing, but beeame posi- tively detrimental, as it drew from the protection of the frontiers, forces, which might have otherwise been employed in their defense; and the Indians again taking advantage of the exposed situation of the town-
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ships, began once more their incursions, early in the summer. On the 18th of June Charlestown was visited, but by how large a number, has not been ascertained, and Lieutenant Moses Willard was killed. Rev. Dr. Crosby, in his " Annals " gives the following account of the man- ner in which he came to his death :- " While Lieutenant Moses Willard was endeavoring to extinguish the fire which had been kindled in his fence, he was attacked by the Indians and killed, behind the barn of the late Captain John Willard, and near the Academy. At the same time, his son, Moses, was wounded in the hip by a spear, which is said to have re- mained in the wound till after his retreat into the fort. It is further said that a Mr. Preserved Clapp carried the same spear into the Rev- olutionary war." (See Vol. IV, New-Hampshire His. Coll., page 119.)
While engaged in mending the fence, after the fire was extinguished, the son, who was at a little distance from his father, was startled by the report of a musket, and instantly turning in the direction of the sound, saw his father fall, and at the same time several Indians, who had leap- ed the fence, dashing furiously towards him, to take him prisoner, He did not stop to see more, but started on a race both for liberty and life, for the fort, which he succeeded in reaching, though as has been narra- ted, dragging the spear which had been lodged in his hip, after him.
It is not known that the Indians again visited Charlestown during the year 1756. Incursions were made by them into Winchester and Hins- dale, but the fort at Charlestown, being better garrisoned, a force from Massachusetts being still continued in it, they did not again approach its vicinity.
During the winter of 1756-'57 Charlestown, as was usual in the win- ter months was unmolested. But on the 20th of April, 1757, the most im- portant incursion of the enemy during the year was made upon it. The party making it consisted of about seventy French and Indians, who succeeded in capturing Deacon Thomas Adams, David Farnsworth and Samson Colefax; also, subsequently, on the same day, Thomas Robbins* and Asa Spofford, whom they met returning from a hunting expedition in the vicinity of Sugar River. They were all carried prisoners to Can- ada, whence Farnsworth and Robbins alone returned. Farnsworth es- caped and after several perilous adventures, arrived in Charlestown in
* Robbins became a soldier in the Revolutionary War in 1779. In 1780, Nov. 22, while out on a hunting expedition with his brother Aaron they both were killed by the Indians at Neshobe on Otter Creek."-(See History of Northfield, p. 527). Neshobe is the present township of Brandon Vt.
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safety. The whole history of their capture and captivity is of deep in- terest, and may be found in a sketch of David Farnsworth, in this work.
Early in March of this year, a regiment of five hundred men was rais- ed by New-Hampshire for another Crown Point expedition, of which Nathaniel Meserve was Colonel and John Goffe Lieutenant Colonel. This regiment by Lord Loudoun, who had succeeded Shirley as Com- mander in Chief, was divided between these two officers; two hundred men being placed under the command of Goffe ; which detachment was ordered by Lord Loudoun immediately to Charlestown, as shown by the following extract of a Message of Governor Wentworth, of March 21st, 1757 :-
"By a letter, I received yesterday from New-York, of the 12th in- stant, wrote by Lord Loudoun's order, I am desired to assemble the force raised by this government, as soon as possible, and to march them immediately to Charlestown-the men are to be provided with camp equipage, and it is expected that the government procures carriages to transport them to Connecticut River at a reasonable rate, and Lord Loudoun will issue warrants for the payment thereof. Warrants will also be made out for the payment of two shillings Sterling, per week, for the allowance made by Lord Loudoun to each man, in lieu of pro- visions, until they receive the King's provisions ; but this allowance is not to take place until the first muster, by which you will see the ne- cessity of an immediate Muster."
In accordance with the above order of the Commander in Chief, the detachment under Lieutenant Colonel Goffe, on its being mustered into service, was ordered immediately to Charlestown ; but unfortunately, they did not arrive in season to protect the inhabitants from the incur- sion of the French and Indians, which had taken place on the 20th of April. The military station at No. 4, thus passed under the supervis- ion of His Majesty's officers, commanding in the region, and Massachu- setts, presuming that on account of its importance, they would continue to make the necessary provision for it, felt that the time, at length, had come, when it would be safe to withdraw her forces. It was accordingly done, and that government was relieved from the heavy burden, which, for so many years she had felt it her duty to bear, of sustaining a frontier, not within her jurisdiction.
But though the prospect was flattering, of permanent relief, the end was not yet, as will be ultimately seen.
CHAPTER V.
HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN FROM THE SPRING OF 1757, TO THE CONQUEST OF CANADA.
HE detachment of two hundred men under Lieutenant Colonel Goffe, did not long remain at Charlestown, but was ordered to Fort William Henry, to constitute a part of the garrison of that important fortress, under the command of Colonel Munroe. This fort being invested on the 3d of August, by the army of General Mont- calm, composed of French and Indians, capitulated on the 9th ; the terms being an escort to Fort Edward and their private baggage. These terms, by General Montcalm, were dishonorably violated. The In- dians were permitted to attack the English troops as they left the fort, and to rob and murder them at will. The New-Hampshire battalion was in the rear and suffered severely. Out of two hundred, eighty were killed or taken."* (Potter M. His., pp. 189-96.)
When Lieutenant Colonel Goffe, was ordered by General Webb, to Fort William Henry, a regiment of five hundred Connecticut troops, under command of Colonel Nathan Whiting was ordered to Charles- town, to supply his place. These troops, as Colonel Whiting was ap- prehensive of an attack from Montcalni, were kept constantly on the alert, and scouts ranged the woods, as far as Lake Champlain, and
* Captain John Burk belonged to Lieutenant Colonel Goffe's detachment of the New Hampshire troops. His name occurs among the proprietors of No. 4, though I do not know that he ever lived here. He was commander for a time at the Fort in Hinsdale. When the New-Hampshire troops were assaulted by the Indians after the surrender of Fort William Henry, he was seized by the savages and after a violent struggle stripped of the whole of his clothes, when he escaped into the woods. Straying in various directions he was overtaken by darkness in the mar- gin of a morass, and, unable to direct his course, lay down in the thick grass and passed the night, covered only by the damp vapor of the swamp. The next day he renewed his march, and fortunately arrived safely at Fort Edward. See Hoyt's Indian Wars, page 292.
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made close approaches to the French head-quarters. In one of these excursions, Lieutenant Pierce lay some time in the vicinity of Ticon- deroga, while the French were firing their cannon and making demon- stations of joy at the capture of Fort William Henry. On their re- turn they discovered hanging in the woods sixty pairs of snow shoes which they destroyed, or brought into Charlestown.
At the latter end of August, Major Thomas Tash, arrived at Charlestown, with two hundred and fifty New-Hampshire troops, or- dered there by Governor Wentworth, at the requisition of General Webb, who, on their arrival, withdrew the Connecticut troops, who by the route of Charlemont and Fort Massachusetts, marched under Col- onel Whiting, to reinforce the main army at Fort Edward. "This was the first time (says Belknap, speaking of the force of Major Tash,) that the troops of New-Hampshire occupied that important post." They had however, occupied it previously for a short time, as has been seen, under Lieutenant Colonel Goffe. But neither Goffe's nor Tash's force was sent there, merely for its defense as a frontier town, but for the purpose of facilitating the operations of the main army. The force under Major Tash, consisted of five companies, three of infan- try, and two of cavalry. They entered service in August, and were discharged for the most part, in the following November. (See Potter's Mil. His. 191 Vol. II.)
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