USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 23
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 23
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In 1773 the population of the town num- bered seven hundred and forty-seven persons, viz.,-
Unmarried men, sixteen to sixty. 55
Married men, sixteen to sixty. 109
Males under sixteen 224
Males sixty and upwards. 12
Unmarried females. 220
Married females. 120
Widows 7
Slaves
0
Total 747
In 1775 the number of inhabitants was eight hundred and seventy-four, viz.,-
Males under sixteen. 241
Males sixteen to fifty, not in the army ... 155
Males above fifty 30
Persons gone in the army 36
Females
412
Slaves 0
Total. 874
The settlers who came in during the first two or three years after 1761 appear to have lo- cated, for the most part, in the western and central portions of the town ; but by the year 1770 they seem to have been pretty evenly distributed over its territory, except in the easternmost parts of the same. As nearly as can be ascertained, there were very few settlers in the southeast quarter of the town previous to 1780, especially in that part of it known as
" Hardscrabble." From about 1780 to 1805, however, numerous settlers came into that quar- ter, which, in spite of its ruggedness and rocki- ness, has produced some of the best citizens of the town.
The " New Boston " District, which may be roughly defined as comprising the upper half of the valley of Leavitt's Brook, was partially settled before 1770. It appears to have pos- sessed its maximum number of inhabitants be- tween 1790 and 1800.
A settlement was established at an early period on Streeter Hill, which had for many years a pretty numerous population. Even the " Dish Land," which lies to the northward of Streeter Hill, was once partially occupied by settlers.
The earliest settlers built, of course, log houses ; but, John Snow's saw-mill having been erected in 1762, some of those who came after- wards built very small frame houses. As the families became larger, or as the owners became more prosperous, many of the log houses were replaced with better ones, or the small frame houses were enlarged.
There is a tradition that, one or more winters in the early history of the town, some of the settlers in the western part of it were obliged to go almost to the extreme eastern part to get hay for their horses and cattle, drawing it home on hand-sleds. The hay thus obtained had been cut in certain swales, and consisted of wild grass.
Wolves and bears were more or less trouble- some to the early settlers, sometimes killing their sheep, pigs and calves. Wolves appear to have been numerous at one time, and even since the year 1800 have been occasionally killed in the town, as have also bears. It is said that John Darling, Sr., who first settled on Barrett Hill, used to hunt these animals for the bounty that was paid for their destruction, and obtained considerable money in this way.
On one occasion a party of men from five towns assembled at the house of Abraham
131
CHESTERFIELD.
Stearns, in the eastern part of the town, for a grand bear-hunt. They succeeded in killing one bear, for which Mr. Stearns (probably in his capacity of selectman) gave them, as boun- ty, a barrel of rum valued at twenty dollars ; and they remained at his house till they had drunk it all !
Though the early settlers were, in general, hardy and robust, they appear to have been as much afflicted by contagious and epidemic dis- eases as the latter generations, and probably more so. Especially was this the case with the children, who suffered much from scarlet-fever and what was then called " throat-ail," a dis- ease that appears to have been very similar to, if not identical with, diphtheria. Fevers of various kinds sometimes raged, causing many deaths among young and old. The crowding of large families into very small houses, and the want of means for combating disease, necessarily caused great mortality in the case of epidemic and contagious diseases.
The records of deaths are so few and imper- fect that it is impossible to ascertain how many persons died in the town in any year when the mortality was unusually large ; but the little grave-stones occasionally found standing in a row, or near together, in the old cemeteries, are sad evidences of the mortality that sometimes existed among the children. How many were buried to whose memory no stones were ever erected no one can tell.
CHESTERFIELD DURING THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION .- At a town-meeting held in Chesterfield, January 17, 1775, it was voted to accept of the result of the General Congress held at Philadelphia in the autumn of the preceding year, and to pay this town's propor- tion of the expense of another Congress to be held in the same city the following May. Lieutenant Brown, Lieutenant Hinds, Nathan- iel Bingham, Silas Thompson and Ephraim Baldwin were chosen a committee " to draw up articles," and make return of the proceedings of the meeting to the Provincial Committee.
In the warrant for the annual town-meeting, held on the 1st day of March, the same year, was the following article : " To see if the town will choose a committee, agrecable to the advice of the Continental Congress, whose business it shall be attentively to observe the conduct of all persons touching said Congress." Ensign Moses Smith, Deacon Silas Thompson and Lieutenant Jacob Hinds were chosen a com- mittee for the purpose stated in the warrant.
On the 14th day of the next December a town-meeting was held, at which Archibald Robertson was chosen to represent Chesterfield and Hinsdale in the Provincial Congress, to be held at Exeter on the 21st day of the same month. Captain Shattuck, Aaron Cooper, Captain Hildreth, Ensign Smith and Lieuten- ant Fletcher were constituted a committee to give Mr. Robertson his instructions.
Previous to September of this year (1775) thirty-six Chesterfield men went into the army, the most of them enlisting in Colonel James Reed's regiment. The " Army Rolls" in the office of the adjutant-general of the State show that this town paid bounties to the amount of £40 6s. 8d. to men who enlisted on account of the Lexington alarm.
On the 14th of March, 1776, the General Congress passed the following resolution :
" Resolved, That it be recommended to the several Assemblies, Conventions and Councils, or Commit- tees of Safety of the United Colonies, immediately to cause all persons to be disarmed, within their respec- tive Colonies, who are notoriously disaffected to the cause of AMERICA, or who have not associated, and refuse to associate, to defend by ARMS the United Colonies against the hostile attempts of the British fleets and armies."
This resolution having been received by the Committee of Safety for the colony, it was transmitted to the selectmen of the towns throughout the whole colony, together with the following request :
" COLONY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
"In Committee of Safety, April 12th, 1776. " In order to carry the underwritten RESOLVE of
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
the Honorable Continental Congress into execution, you are requested to desire all males above twenty- one years of age (lunatics, idiots and negroes excep- ted) to sign to the DECLARATION on this paper ; and when so done to make return thereof, together with the name or names of all who shall refuse to sign the same, to the General Assembly or Committee of Safety of this Colony.
" M. WEARE, Chairman."
THE DECLARATION.
" We, the Subscribers, do hereby Solemnly engage and promise that we will, to the utmost of our Power, at the Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with Arms, oppose the Hostile proceedings of the British Fleets and Armies against the United American Colonies."
The selectmen of Chesterfield, having re- ceived the "Declaration," sent the following reply to the Committee of Safety. The date of their letter is not given, but it must have been written before the 12th of June :
" To the Honorable Committee of Safety or General As- sembly of the Colony of New Hampshire.
" As soon as ever we received your Directions request- ing us to desire all the Males in this Town to sign to a Declaration (Lunaticks, &c., excepted) in obedience thereto we Immediately proceded to give publick No- tice of your Intentions and otherwise as we Thought would have the most effectual Tendency to have put into execution, in order that we might make a Return by our Representative, but having so short a Time for to accomplish the Matter in so great a Town, and be- ing unwilling to omit anything relating to our Duty and which might be for the Benefit of the Whole, we calmly deliberated on the matter, asked ye advice of our Representative and others of Sense and Steadi- ness, and as we were not limited to a certain Time to make a Return, we propose to make one as soon as it may be done with conveniency.
"So rest your Humble Servts.,
" EPHM. BALDWIN, Selectmen
" MICHAEL CRESEY, of
"SAM'L HILDRETH, Chesterfield."
June 12, 1776, the selectmen made the following return :
"In obedience to the within Declaration that we Rec'd from your Honors, we proceeded According to your Directions and the persons Names underwriten are those that Refuse to sign to the Declaration on your paper :
" Capt. Jona. Hildreth. Eseek Earl.
Lieut. Ephraim Whitney. Ebenezer Harvey.
Ephraim Whitney.
Elisha Walton.
Eleazer Pomeroy.
Silas Bennett.
Ebenezer Cooper. Sal. Keing [Sam'l King].
Ebenezer Fletcher, Jr.
" EPH. BALDWIN,
" MOSES SMITH, JR.,
Selectmen
" MICHAEL CRESEY,
of Chesterfield."
"SAM'L HILDRETH,
NAMES OF THOSE WHO SIGNED THE DECLARATION.
Abraham Wood. John Pratt.
Simon Davis. Nathaniel Bingham.
Isaac Davis. Abel Ray.
John Snow. Samuel Farr.
Oliver Cobleigh. Nehemiah Merrill.
Jonathan Farwell. Samuel Farr, Jr.
Oliver Farwell. John Haskell.
Silas Thompson.
Ezekiel Powers.
William Farwell.
Silas Wood.
Jonathan Davis.
Obadiah Merrill.
Warren Snow.
William Henry.
Ebenezer Streeter.
Daniel Farr.
William Thomas.
Amasa Colburn.
Daniel Baldwin.
William Simonds.
Amos Smith.
Josh Smith.
Sherebiah Fay.
Zur Evans.
William Farr, Jr.
Jonathan Farr, (3d).
Thomas Farr.
Caleb Johnson.
Benjamin Hudson.
Amos Streeter.
Moses Smith.
Abner Johnson.
Kimball Carlton.
Michael Woodcock.
Jonathan Cobleigh. Jonas Stearns.
Samuel Fairbanks.
Jonathan Farr, (2d). Josialı Lamb. Samuel Walker.
Archibald Robertson.
Andrew Colburn.
Lawrence Walton.
Phineas Brown. John Sanderson.
William Fisher.
Jonathan Hildreth, Jr. James Wheeler, Jr. Josiah Hastings.
Theodore Bingham. John Pierce.
Benjamin Colburn.
Ephraim Farr. Isaac Farr. Thomas Darby.
Joseph Metcalf. Martin Warner.
David Stooder, Jr. [David Stoddard, Jr. ]
Samuel Peacock. John Peacock.
Ephraim Baldwin.
Michael Cressey.
Samuel Hildreth. Moses Smith, Jr.
Thomas Harris.
Douglas Robbins.
Ullainell Merrill.
[prob. Jos. Smith.]
Jonathan Farr, (4th).
Ithamar Chamberlain.
Josiah Streeter.
Joseph Prentice.
Sam'l Davis Converse.
" EPHR'M HUBBARD,
133
CHESTERFIELD.
Andrew Hastings.
William Aires. David Stone.
Noah Emmons.
Jonathan Cressey.
John Grandy.
Ephraim Wheeler. John Cobleigh.
Increase Lamb.
Joseph Higgins.
Abner Albee.
James McElroy.
John Richardson.
Joseph Wheeler. James Wheeler. Zenas Fairbanks. Nathan Bishop. Isaac Hildreth.
Daniel Kinnison.
Joel Whitney.
David Farr.
Israel Johnson.
James Mansfield. Amos Hubbard.
James Robertson.
Jonathan Farr (1st.)
Elisha Rockwood.
Patrick McMichael.
Abijah Kingsbury.
Ebenezer Gail.
Peter Wheeler.
Sylvanus Battey. Ebenezer Faver.
Moses Ellis.
Ephraim Hubbard.
Abijah Stearns. Matthew Gray.
William Hildreth.
James Reed.
John Ellis.
Jonathan Cobleigh. Nathan Thomas.
Michael Metcalf.
Abel Emmons.
Charles Johnson.
William Robertson.
Benjamin Smith.
Edward Hildreth.
Samuel Fletcher. Abraham Farr.
One hundred and thirty-nine persons signed the declaration, and thirteen refused to sign. The declaration was known as the " Association Test," and, according to the returns that were made, was signed by eight thousand one hun- dred and ninety-nine persons in the colony of New Hampshire, while only seven hundred and seventy-three persons refused to sign.
At a town-meeting held December 2, 1776, Michael Cressey was elected to represent the town in the Assembly that was to meet at Exeter the third Wednesday of the same month. Rev. Mr. Wood, Deacon Thompson, Lieutenant Fairbanks, Dr. Harvey and Lieu- tenant Rockwood were chosen a committee to give Mr. Cressey his instructions. In accord- ance with the vote passed on the 2d day of December, the committee chosen for that pur- pose gave Mr. Cressey these instructions :
" To Mr. Michael Creasy, Representative for the Town of Chesterfield in the State of New Hampshire.
" Sir :- Whereas it having pleased Almighty God to humble the people of this land, by permitting the tyrant of Great Britain and his minions, in the ful- ness of their rage, to prevail against them, by sub- verting the Civil Constitution of every Province in his late American dominions, affecting thereby the activity of Law and Justice and [promoting] the in- troduction of vice and profaneness, attended with domestick confusion and all the calamities attendant on the dissolution of the power of Civil Government which in this alarming progress have made it abso- lutely necessary for each state to separate itself from that land from whence their forefathers were exiled by the cruel hand of tyranny, and to form for itself, under the ruler of all the earth, such plans of Civil Government as the people thereof should think most conducive to their own safety and advantage; not- withstanding the importance of an equitable system of Government, as it affects ourselves and our poster- ity, we are brought to the disagreeable necessity of declaring that it is our candid opinion that the State of New Hampshire, instead of forming an equitable plan of Government, conducing to the peace and safety of the State, have been influenced by the in- iquitous intrigues and secret designations of persons unfriendly, to settle down upon the dregs of Monarch- ial and Aristocratical Tyranny, in imitation of their late British oppressor. We can by no means imagine ourselves so far lost to a sense of the natural rights and immunities of ourselves and our fellow men, as to imagine that the State can be either safe or happy under a constitution formed without the knowledge or particular authority of a great part of its inhabi- tants; a constitution which no man knows the con- tents of except that the whole Legislative power of the State is to be entirely vested in the will and pleasure of a House of Representatives, and that chosen according to the Sovereign determination of their own will, by allowing to some towns sundry voices in the said House, others but one, and others none ; and in a Council of twelve men, five of which are always to be residents of Rockingham County, who by the assistance of two others of said Council, have the power of a casting voice in all State affairs. Thus we see the important affairs of the State liable to be converted to the advantage of a small part of the State, and the emolument of its officers, by reason of the other part of the State not having an equal or equitable share in the Government to counterbalance the designs of the other. You are therefore author- ized and instructed to exert yourself to the utmost to
Dan Cobleigh.
Aaron Farr.
Amos Davis. John White. Nathan Metcalf. John Bishop.
Oliver Hubbard.
James Davis. Enoch Streeter.
John Grandy, Jr.
Ebenezer Taft.
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
procure a redress of the aforementioned grievances and in case they will not comply, to return home for further instructions.
" SOLOMON HARVEY, per order Com. " Chesterfield, December ye 12th, 1776."
The inhabitants of Chesterfield were not alone in complaining of the injustice, as they regarded it, of the principle of representation that had been adopted. A number of towns in the western part of the State remonstrated against the form of government that had been assumed, and some of them refused to send representatives to the Assembly. It was asserted that every incorporated town, whether large or small, should be entitled to at least one representative; and some towns maintained that there ought to be no Council to negative the proceedings of the House.
At the annual town-meeting for 1777, held on the 5th day of March, Lieutenant Fairbanks, Jonathan Farr (2d), Lieutenant Robertson, War- ren Snow and Lieutenant Rockwood were chos- en a "committee of inspection and correspond- ence." In the warrant for this meeting was the following article : " To see if the town will write anything to ease any reflections cast on the Hon'ble Committee from the General Court, by a letter sent to said committee from this town." The vote on this article was in the negative. The "Hon'ble Committee from the General Court," mentioned in the warrant, was appointed December 30, 1776, “ to take under consideration the difficulties and Grievances Sub- sisting and Complain'd of by Sundry Towns & People in the County of Grafton, & any other Towns, respecting the present Form of Govern- ment &c." The letter referred to was sent to this committee by the town committee. The following extract from this letter is apparently the portion that was regarded as "casting re- flections " on the General Court's com- mittee : " We beg therefore to be excused from holding any personal conference with you on the subject, as we deem it highly inconsistent with the Nature of adjusting grievances of any
kind to oblige the aggrieved individuals to make separate and unconnected appearances to confer and make answers to matters respecting the whole : unless the assembly consider us as a number of captious individuals without con- nection or cause of complaint."
Another town-meeting was called for June 12th. The warrant was preceded by an " intro- ductory address " to the inhabitants of the town, by Samuel Fairbanks and Elisha Rockwood. This address was as follows :
" To the Inhabitants of Chesterfield :
" GENTLEMEN : You are not ignorant of the calamities of this present day. Enemies without the state, and within ; and being of late often alarmed by hearing of many conspiracies of such persons as were generally esteemed friendly to the American Cause and Freedom ; and also of the great oppression of some and rejoicings of others at the fall and under Vallument of the paper currency, and some rejecting the Regulating Acts ; all the above said circumstances considered, with many others that might be offered, it appears necessary that every town should be furnished with full sets of officers, both selectmen and committees of correspondence; and, as one con- stable is gone, or going, out of town, there will be need of one in his room and stead,-we have thought fit by the advice of some and desire of others, to call the town together for the purposes hereafter men- tioned."
The fourth article of the warrant that fol- lowed this address was, "To see if the town inhabitants will choose a committee of corre- spondence to unite with other towns in this day of distress, and use means to defend all our lawful rights." The constable referred to in the address was John Pierce.
In June of this year (1777) Ebenezer Har- vey, Eleazer Pomeroy and Samuel King, all of Chesterfield, were brought before the "Court of Inquiry," at Keene, charged with being hos- tile to the United States. They were put by the Court under bonds in five hundred pounds each to remain within the limits of their respec- tive farms. The following is an extract from an address sent by the Chesterfield Committee of Safety to the General Court, relating to the per- sons in question :
135
CHESTERFIELD.
" To the Honorable Court of the State of New Hamp- shire :
" The Committee of Safety of Chesterfield humbly sheweth this Honble House, that whereas sundry Persons, viz: Ebenezer Harvey, Elezor Pom- roy and Sam'l King, all of Chesterfield abovsd, were some time in June last, summoned to appear before the Court of Enquiry, at Keen, as being Enem- ical to the United States of America, and upon tryall were, found guilty of a misdemeanor against the State :- on which account they were fined and confined to their farms by Bond till that or some other Court or authority should set them at Liberty :- upon which they, or some of them, Beg'd the Favour of sd Court, that they might have ye Liberty of tak- ing the Oath of Fidelity to the States; on which accompt Esqr Giles went Immediately to Exeter, as we have been informed, and procured said oath or form of it, and sent to us by Sheriff Cook, of Keen, and our Direction was to take a justice of the Peace and tender sd oath to those confined per- sons, to ye end they might take it and performe ac- cordingly and be at Liberty ; and we followed the Directions of Esqr Prentice and Esqr Wyman. The aforementioned confined persons said they were will- ing to take ye said oath, if it came from lawful au- thority ; but they Disputed ye authority and paid no regard to Esqr Prentice Letter, which was to take the Oath of fidelity and be set at Liberty; and as they were fully fixed in principal or will, they apply'd to Justice Baldwin and he liberated them. Again they apply'd to Esqr Wyman and notwithstanding they neglected to take the oath, he, said Justice, enlarged their bonds just so far as to serve their own turns ;-- all which was contrary to ye advice of the Committee, except they would take ye oath of Fidelity to the States, and their bonds are just so far enlarged as to serve their own turns; and when called upon to do any publick service, they say that they are confined, and so are excused : all which gives great uneasiness to many steady friends to America. . We do therefore pray your Honours to take these things into your wise consideration, and Dismiss or Confine the abovementioned persons, and that they be sub- jects of their duty and service in ye defense of our much oppress'd land.
" JAMES ROBERTSON,
" SAMUEL FAIRBANK, Committee " ELISHA ROCKWOOD, of Safety.
"Chesterfield, December ye 13th, 1777.
"To the Honble Court or Committee of Safety of this New Hampshire State. (a Copy near similar to the former petition.)
Test." " SAM1 FAIRBANK, CHAIRMAN,
Esquire Giles and Esquire Prentice, referred to in this petition, were probably Benjamin Giles, of Newport, a prominent member of the House of Representatives, and Nathaniel Sartel Prentice, of Alstead. Esquire Wyman was undoubtedly Colonel Isaac Wyman, of Keene.
April 6, 1778, the selectmen of Chester- field and the town Committee of Safety joined in recommending the discharge of Harvey, Pomeroy and King, without their taking the " oath of fidelity." Accordingly, they were discharged the next day by Justices Prentice and Wyman.
Justice Baldwin, mentioned in the above address, was Ephraim Baldwin, of Chester- field. In a letter written by the Chesterfield committee to President Weare, dated November 3, 1777, Baldwin was accused of having pro- cured one of Burgoyne's proclamations, and of " defending the part that the enemies of this land take." The committee added : "Great care and Pains was Improved with sª Justice to Convince him, and after Certain days the sª Justice signed a Piece acknowledging to the Com' and all good People that he, sª Justice, had given the greatest Reason Imaginable to his friends and Neighbors to view him as unfriend- ly to his Country : and signing said Piece and Delivering it to the Chairman of the Committee, ye said Piece being on the Table before them, sd Justice takes the Piece without so much as ask- ing the Comm1 or either of Them, and Betakes himself to another room and erases out some words, and was Putting in others, and being en- quired of why he did thus and so, he, said Justice, after some words, moved that all the matters of Dispute then depending between himself and Committee might be Transmitted to the General Court, &c." Esquire Baldwin was also accused of setting at liberty persons confined by the Court of Inquiry, of which he was a mem- ber
In the preceding September depositions were made by Anne Snow, Abial Johnson, John Sargent and Fear Sargent, his wife, relative to
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
the Tory sentiments expressed by Baldwin. Under date of the 5th day of the same month, Esquire Prentice, of Alstead, wrote a letter to him, remonstrating with him for the course he had taken and advising him to make a " public and free recantation" of his opinions, etc. This letter was formally approved, also, by Benjamin Bellows. September 25th, Esquire Baldwin made public acknowledgment of the truth of the charges brought against him, confessed sorrow for his conduct and promised to " improve the utmost of his power and skill in ye Defense of America." He furthermore stated that all that had been done by him that seemed to be hostile to the American cause had been done " entirely through Inadvertaney and Not from any good will to georg, the Brittish King."
Notwithstanding this confession (which, as appears from the town committee's letter to President Weare, dated November 3, 1777, he was accused of trying to alter after he had signed it) the Committee of Safety of Chester- field petitioned the Legislature, February 6, 1778, to take some action with regard to Es- quire Baldwin's conduct. The 2d day of the following March the House voted "that Ephraim Baldwin, Esq., of Chesterfield, be cited to appear before the General Assembly, on the second Friday of their next session, to answer to a complaint exhibited to this Court against him by the Committee of Chesterfield, as speaking or acting in some measure Enemi- cal to the Liberties of the American States."
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