USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 24
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 24
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If any action was taken by the Assembly respecting Baldwin's case, it was not recorded, for the journal of the House contains no further reference to the matter.
August 16, 1779, the town voted not to accept the plan of government for the State that had been drawn up by a convention assembled at Concord for that purpose. The record states that it was "rejected by the number of fifty-two which were all [that were] then present."
At a town-meeting held the 1st day of May,
1780, it was voted to raise eight thousand pounds to be expended on the highways. Each man was to be allowed twelve pounds per day for his own labor, and £7 4s. for the use of a yoke of oxen. This nominally enormous sum was doubt- less raised to make allowance for the great de- preciation of the currency.
During the last two or three years of the War of the Revolution Chesterfield seems to have fur- nished but a very few men for the military service of the United States, and several times refused to bear its proportion of the burdens of the war. For this reason fines were afterwards imposed upon the town. In a petition to the General Court, drawn up by the selectmen of Chesterfield, June 1, 1786, they used the following language in speaking of the fine that been imposed for deficiencies in the last quota of men: "As to that Point, we are conscious to ourselves, if the honorable House had been Rightly Informed of what we as a Town have done and performed in the war, our Fines might have been much abated; But not casting ye blame on ye Honor- able Court, we blame ourselves for defects in ye Returns made by ye officers then improved."
It is evident that Chesterfield's lukewarmness in the American cause during the last two or three years of the war did not arise from the prevalence of Toryism in the town, but rather from the disturbed state of affairs within its borders, caused by the memorable controversy about the "New Hampshire Grants."
As already stated, Chesterfield paid bounties to the amount of £40 6s. 8d. to men who en- listed on account of the "Lexington alarm;" but the names of the men who received the bounties have not as far as known been fully ascertained.
Soon after the battle of Lexington three regi- ments were organized in New Hampshire, the Third being commanded by Colonel James Reed, of Fitzwilliam. One company in this regiment was commanded by Captain Jonathan Whitcomb. In this company were the following Chesterfield men :
137
CHESTERFIELD.
Joseph Smith, fifer.
Josiah Hastings.
Eleazer Jordan.
Elisha Walton.
Jonathan Farr.
Eleazer Cobleigh, drumm'r.
Joshua Farr.
Ephraim Farr.
Eleazer Stoddard.
Asa Gale.
Joseph Metcalf.
John Merrill.
Charles Johnson.
Benjamin Wheeler.
Elijah Walton.
Captain Whitcomb's company appears to have been at Medford, Mass., October 13, 1775, as at that date the men signed a receipt for money received "in lieu of coats promised by the Colony of New Hampshire."
Another company in Colonel Reed's regiment was under the command of Captain Jacob Hinds, of Chesterfield. The following men, besides Captain Hinds, belonged to this town:
Ezekiel Davis, sergeant. Jacob Davis.
David Stoddard, sergeant. Jacob Hinds, Jr.
William Farwell, sergeant. Richard Coughlan.
[On one roll the last-named is put down as sergeant-major.] This company also appears to have been at Medford in October.
The men in these two companies received wages ranging from six pounds to £8 11s. 5d. for terms of service varying from three months to three months, sixteen days. Captain Hinds received £19 48. 3d. for three months and eight days' service. It is evident, however, that both companies served longer than the maximum time given in the pay-roll.
Colonel Reed's regiment took part in the battle of Bunker's Hill, as it is commonly called.
According to the "Army Rolls," a man named John Davis (or John Dawes, as given on one roll), of Chesterfield, a member of Reed's regiment, was killed in this battle, and Josiah Walton, also of Chesterfield, wounded. With regard to the first-named, the writer has not been able to determine whether he really belonged to this town or not; the last-named may have been intended for Elijah Walton or Elisha Walton.
It is not known how long the Chesterfield men in Reed's regiment remained in the service
after October, 1775; but it is evident that some of them had returned home before June 12, 1776.
Early in 1776 a regiment of New Hampshire men was raised for the defense of the western frontier of the State, and placed under the com- mand of Colonel Timothy Bedel. This regi- ment was at the "Cedars," in Lower Canada, in May of that year, where it was soon afterwards surrendered to the enemy by Major Butterfield, who had command at that time. One company of this regiment was commanded by Captain Daniel Carlisle, of Westmoreland, and contained . at least four Chesterfield men, viz.,-
Aaron Smith, ensign. Thomas Gibbs, sergeant.
Nathaniel Bacon, fifer. Eleazer Jordan, corporal.
It is quite probable that there were several more men from Chesterfield in the same com- pany, but they cannot be identified with cer- tainty.
The non-commissioned officers and privates received each, when mustered, one month's wages, a bounty of forty shillings, fifteen shil- lings for " blanket-money," and one penny per mile for "billeting." Their term of service probably did not exceed a year. The following is a copy of a sworn statement made by Thomas Gibbs respecting his losses at the " Cedars":
" I, the Subscriber, whose name is hereunder writ- ten, was in Collo Timothy Beddell Regiment, But more espeshaly under the Command of major But- terfield, Commander at the Seaders, and was Capti- vated and Stripped by the Savage of the following Articles in ye year 1776.
" THOMAS GIBBS.
£ s. d.
"Thomas Gibbs lost one gun .. 21 00
1 New Bever Hatt 12 12 0
1 Brace Ink Stand. 0 14 0
1 Powder horne. 1
1 0
1 Comb 0 3 6
1 Coat. 16 16 0
1 pr Shoes. 2 2 0
1 Snap Sack, 1 Bag. 1 18 0
1 Canteen 7 0
£ 56 13 6"
It appears from the record that Gibbs was not indemnified for his losses.
138
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
In July and August of the same year, a reg- iment of New Hampshire men was raised, of which Joshua Wingate was colonel. One com- pany in this regiment was commanded by Cap- tain William Humphrey. This company con- tained the following Chesterfield men :
Joseph Metcalf, corporal. John Pratt.
Gustavus Bingham. Amasa Colburn.
James Wheeler.
John Peacock.
Joseph Metcalf, Jr.
Amos Pattridge.
Thomas Metcalf.
Nathaniel Sanger.
Elijah Watson [Walton ]. William Day.
Perhaps the name of Ebenezer Porter should be added.
This regiment was sent to reinforce the northern army in New York State. Most of the privates in Captain Humphrey's company received, each, advanced wages and bounties amounting to £9 188. The time of service has not been determined, but it is certain that some of the Chesterfield men had returned home before May and June of the following year.
One of the companies of Colonel Nahum Baldwin's regiment (raised in September the same year, and sent to reinforce the Continen- tal army in the State of New York) was com- manded by Captain John Houghton. It con- tained the following Chesterfield men :
John Bishop.
James Robertson.
Josiah Hastings.
Jonathan Cressey. Jonathan Farwell. Isaac Farr.
Nathan Thomas.
Jonathan Farr. Ezekiel Powers.
Jonathan Farr (3d).
Each man was paid six pounds in advance and allowed £1 13s. 4d. for two hundred miles of travel. The date of their discharge has not been ascertained, but most of the men from Chesterfield were at home early in the summer of the next year.
Another regiment was raised in New Hamp- shire in December, 1776, for the same purpose as the two last mentioned. It was commanded by Colonel David Gilman. In Captain Fran- cis Towne's company, in this regiment, were at least two men from Chesterfield, viz. : Zenas Fairbanks (Jonas Fairbanks on one roll) and Aaron Farr.
They each received wages from December 5, 1776, to March 12, 1777, amounting to £6 108. 8d., and were allowed two pounds for four hundred and eighty miles of travel, at one pen- ny per mile.
Amos Colburn, of Chesterfield, was commis- sioned second lieutenant in Colonel Alexander Scammel's regiment, November 7, 1776, and appears to have remained in the service till 1779, if not longer.
Ebenezer Fletcher, of this town, was also first lieutenant in the same regiment, having been appointed January 15, 1777.
November 11, 1776, William Lee, of Ches- terfield, was appointed lieutenant in Colonel Cilley's regiment and served till January 8, 1778.
It appears from the following extraets from the journal of the House that, some time in June, 1776, the selectmen, or town Committee of Safety, made a requisition on the colonial authorities at Exeter for gunpowder for the use of the town :
" Monday, June 17, 1776 .- Voted to choose a com- mittee of this House to confer with a committee of the Honorable Board on the expediency of furnishing the town of Chesterfield with powder to defend them- selves against the attempts and assaults of all persons who appear by their conduct inimical to this Country, and to make report to this House as soon as may be, and that Captain Prentice, Major Bellows and Dr. Dearborn be the committee of this House for that purpose."
" Tuesday, June 18, 1776 .-- Voted that half a barrel of gunpowder be delivered out of the powder-house in Exeter, to the selectmen of Chesterfield, on their order, for the use of said town of Chesterfield, and that the said selectmen of Chesterfield, or some person in their stead, give a receipt therefor, and promise to account with the treasurer of this Colony for the same."
The honorable board concurred with the House in both votes.
In the company commanded by Captain Waitstill Scott, of Westmoreland, (in Colonel Ashley's regiment), and which marched to Ticonderoga in May, 1777, were the following men who belonged to Chesterfield :
139
CHESTERFIELD.
James Robertson, first lieu- Eli Partridge (or Pat- tenant.
tridge).
Samuel Davis, ensign.
William Hildreth, ser-
Ephraim Farr.
geant.
Thomas Farr.
Daniel Colburn, corporal.
Jacob Farr.
Daniel Farr, corporal.
Charles Farr.
Eleazer Jordan.
John Sanderson.
Joseph Metcalf.
William Thomas.
Amos Partridge (or Pat- tridge).
Nathaniel Walton.
The most of Captain Scott's men served about forty days, and were discharged June 21st. They received pay at the rate of £4 10s. per month, and were allowed three pence per mile for marching to Ticonderoga, and two pence per mile for the return march. The distance, each way, was called one hundred and ten miles.
The troops that went to Ticonderoga in May had scarcely arrived home when tidings were brought of the actual approach of Bur- goyne's army toward that important post. Again the New Hampshire militia was called upon to march to the rescue. One of the com- panies in Colonel Ashley's regiment was com- manded by Lieutenant Oliver Cobleigh, of this town, and nearly, or quite, all the men belonged also to Chesterfield. The roll of Lieutenant Cobleigh's company was as follows :
Josiah Hastings, ensign. Jonas Davis, sergeant. Samuel Davis, sergeant. James Wheeler, sergeant. Ezekiel Powers, sergeant. Dan Cobleigh, corporal.
Privates.
Amos Davis.
Ebenezer Fletcher.
Jonathan Farr, Jr.
Joseph Higgins.
Daniel Baldwin.
Elisha Walton.
Thomas Whitcomb.
Henry Cressey.
Isaac Hildreth.
Joseph Higgins, Jr.
Ephraim Amidon.
Benjamin Smith. Ebenezer Farr.
Amos Smith.
Eleazer Stoddard.
Aaron Smith.
Jonathan Cressy, Jr.
Martin Warner.
Joel Whitney.
Jonathan Starr (?) (prob- ably Farr).
Amos Streeter. John Peacock.
The fortress at Ticonderoga was evacuated by the Americans on the 6th of July, so that the
troops that started to its assistance were not in season to be of much use. Some of them learned of the evacuation before they had pro- ceeded a great way, and returned home. None of Lieutenant Cobleigh's men seem to have been absent more than thirteen days, and some not more than seven, four or three days.
They all belonged to Chesterfield, with the possible exception of Thomas Whitcomb, Wil- liam Crafford (or Crawford) and Ephraim Amidon. The last-named was either of West- moreland or this town.
Another company in Colonel Ashley's regi- ment was commanded by Lieutenant James Robertson, of Chesterfield. The following Ches- terfield men, under command of Lieutenant Robertson, set out for Ticonderoga, June 29, 1777 :
Moses Smith (who also ranked as lieutenant).
Daniel Colburn.
Samuel Davis Converse. Oliver Hobart (probably
Hubbard).
Silas Richardson, sergeant.
Zenas Fairbanks.
John Pratt, sergeant.
Thomas Metcalf.
Reuben Hildreth.
John Davison.
Jesse Hildreth.
William Henry.
Joseph Smith.
Nathan Metcalf.
Silas Thompson.
Thomas Daby. Nathaniel Bingham.
Joseph Metcalf. Andrew Hastings.
Ebenezer Streeter. Elisha Rockwood.
Asa Gale. Joseph Metcalf, Jr.
Amos Partridge (or Pat- tridge).
Reuben Graves. Asa Metcalf.
Samuel Walker.
It is possible that a few more of the men who marched with Lieutenant Robertson also belonged to Chesterfield ; but the above-named are all that can be identified with certainty. The men of this company were absent, at the long- est, only thirteen days ; some of them not more than two or three days.
One of the regiments in General Stark's brigade was commanded by Colonel Moses Nichols. The Eighth Company of this regiment was under command of Captain Kimball Carl- ton, of Chesterfield. The record says that this
William Crafford.
Jonathan Davis.
Samuel Stearns.
Daniel Kennison, ensign. John Ellis, sergeant.
Jonathan Farwell.
140
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
company " marched from Chesterfield and towns adjacent, July 22, 1777." It took part in the battle of Bennington, on the 16th day of August following. The following are the names of men in this company who have been identified with certainty as belonging to this town :
Josiah Hastings, ensign. Amos Partridge (or Pat-
Danicl Farr, sergeant. tridge).
Noah Emmons, corporal.
Benjamin Streeter.
Thomas Metcalf.
Daniel Baldwin.
Joseph Metcalf.
Jacob Farr, Jr.
Charles Farr. Jonathan Cobleigh.
William Farr. Samuel Peacock.
Lemuel Stoddard. Amos Hobart (probably
Jonathan Farr. Hubbard).
Jonathan Hildreth, Jr. Aaron Fisk.
Theodorus Bingham. Samuel D. Converse.
According to tradition, John Pierce and others of Chesterfield (whose names are not now known), took part in the battle of Bennington as independent volunteers. Oliver Brown and Thomas Farr are said to have driven cattle for the use of the American army. The British captured the cattle, whereupon the two young men went into the ranks and served as soldiers. It has always been claimed that the roar of the cannon on that eventful day, was heard by several different persons in this town. It was heard, it is said, by the wife of Aaron Fisk, who lived on the hill west of Spafford's Lake. Greatly agitated thereby, she walked about the house as long as it continued.
The most of Captain Carlton's men served two months and two days, and received pay at the rate of £4 10s. per month, cach.
No Chesterfield men are known to have been killed at this battle, and the names of those who were wounded, if any, have not been as- certained.
In June, 1777, Gustavus Bingham and John Grandy, both of Chesterfield, enlisted ; but in what regiment has not been determined with certainty. Both were discharged January 10, 1778. The town paid bounties this year (1777) to the amount of £100 8s.
In 1778 Chesterfield paid bounties to the amount of £66 13s. 9d. The name of only one of the men who enlisted this year has been ascertained, viz., John Hill, aged twenty-three years. He enlisted in Captain Wait's com- pany, Stark's regiment, and received, in May, a bounty of twenty pounds.
In 1779 the bounties and mileages paid by the town to soldiers amounted to upwards of four hundred pounds. In the spring of this year the following Chesterfield men enlisted in Captain Ephraim Stone's company, Colonel Mooney's regiment :
Jonathan Cressey. John Putnam. Martin Hildreth.
Each received a bounty of thirty pounds, and eleven pounds for one hundred and ten miles of travel (to Providence). Colonel Mooney's regiment was raised for the defense of Rhode Island.
In July, the same year, the following men enlisted for the town of Chesterfield :
William Nichols. David Pierce.
Phineas Hemenway. Simon Pierce.
Thomas Wooley.
They enlisted in the "Continental service" for the term of one year, and received a bounty of sixty pounds each.
In the summer of 1780, Francis Crane, William Lee, Reuben Still, David Still, Nathan Dodge, all enlisted for the town of Chesterfield, and served a few months, at the least. Crane, in a petition dated April 7, 1783, stated that, " being at Glasgo, in the Bay State, on or about the Twentieth of sd July [i.e., July, 1780], he, the Deponent Did by misfortune and axcident Cut off two of his Fingers and was thereby Dis- abled to go forward to the army, and was under the care of Doc: Primous, a noted and ap- proved Doctor & Surgeon, near four months,
The following is the doctor's certificate :
" EAST WINDSOR, June the 27, 1782.
" whereas, I was imployed to Doctr francis Crain, of said East windsor, for the Los of too fingers and a
141
CHESTERFIELD.
weakness in his Breast which said Crain was unfit for Soldier's Duty from July, 1780, till January ; given under my hand.
" PRIMOUS MANAMIT, Doctor."
The following Chesterfield men also enlisted this year (1780) in Colonel Moses Nichols' regiment, raised for the defense of West Point :
John Pratt (who appears Daniel Baldwin.
to have been appoint- Noah Emmons.
ed a lieutenant).
Aaron Cressey.
Ebenezer Safford.
In October the same year, the British and Indians burned Royalton, Vt., and committed other depredations in the vicinity of that town. It seems that Captain Josiah Hartwell, perhaps of Chesterfield, with a few men from his town (whose names have not been ascertained), was among those who went in pursuit of the enemy. Captain Hartwell's pay-roll, "allowed by the General Court's special Committee in the lump," amounted to £37 14s. 4d.
The following is an extract from a petition sent to the Legislature by the selectmen of Chesterfield, dated June 1, 1786 :
" We would humbly inform this House, that we hired one Merifield Vicary, who served in Coll : Hazell's Regt, and we have obtained his Dis- charge ; we also hir'd one Nath1 Merrild [Merrill] for three years and also one Silas Ray, who served dur- ing ye war,-and your humble Petitioners beg we might have credit for what service we have done in ye war, &c."
The Legislature allowed seventy-two pounds for Silas Ray.
Merrill and Ray were members of Captain John Grigg's company, Colonel Scammel's regiment ; as were also Levi Farwell and John Daniels, both of Chesterfield.
At a town-meeting held January 11, 1781, a settlement was made with Nathan Thomas and others for lead furnished for the use of the town on the occasion of a certain " alarm," in October, 1776. The cause of the "alarm " has not been ascertained. The following is a state- ment of the amount of lead furnished, together with the names of those who furnished it: Nathan Thomas, 6 pounds, 6 ounces ; Noah
Emmons, 1 pound, 12 ounces ; Abel Emmons, 3 pounds ; Jonathan Farr (2d), 9 pounds, 8 ounces ; Captain Simon Davis, 9 pounds.
It was voted to allow six Continental dollars per pound for the lead !
In August, 1794, Chesterfield "Voted to make up the soldiers' wages equal to forty shil- lings per month, including the pay which Con- gress has given them, exclusive of the cloth- ing."
The names of but few Chesterfield men who were wounded or killed, or who lost their lives from any cause while serving their country in the struggle for independence, have been ob- tained by the writer.
According to the town records, Nathan Bishop died in the army in 1777 ; David Stod- dard, Sr., went into the army, it is said, and never returned ; Elisha Bingham was discharged from the service and died while on his way home; Gustavus Bingham was also wounded in the head some time during the war, but re- covered. As already stated, John Davis (or Dawes) was officially reported as killed, and Jo- siah Walton as wounded, at Bunker's Hill ; but these two cases are somewhat in doubt.
CHESTERFIELD'S PART IN THE CONTRO- VERSY ABOUT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS. -The year 1781 will ever be memorable in the annals of Chesterfield on account of the ex- citement and strife that existed within its bor- ders, arising from what is known in the history of the States that took part therein as the " Controversy about the New Hampshire Grants." The government of New York claimed jurisdiction as far eastward as the Con- necticut, by virtue of a grant from Charles the Second to the Duke of York, in 1674. In spite of this claim, Governor Benning Went- worth, of New Hampshire, continued to grant townships west of the Connecticut, having made, up to 1764, inclusive, about one hundred and twenty-nine grants, including Brattlebor- ough, Bennington and many other now import- ant towns of Vermont.
142
HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
After the establishment of the independence of Vermont, a majority of the inhabitants in a number of towns in the western part of New Hampshire were desirous of forming a union with the former State. Among the towns in favor of this project was Chesterfield, in which a bitter partisan spirit seems to have been en- gendered, that came near culminating in blood- shed.
Two, at least, of the Board of Selectmen for the year 1781 belonged to what may be called the Vermont party. These were Samuel King, Jr., and Moses Smith, Jr. By them a town- meeting was called, in the name of the "Gov- ernment and Good People of the New Hamp- shire Grants," to be held on Thursday, March 29th. The second article in the warrant for this meeting was, "To see if the town will agree to establish or accept of the union agreed upon between the Legislature of the State of Vermont and the Committee of the New Hamp- shire Grants, held at Windsor in February, 1781." The third article was, " To choose one or more members to sit in the Assembly of Vermont on the first Wednesday of April next, in case the union takes place, or in the Convention at Cornish on the aforesaid day, as the eireumstances may require."
At this meeting it was voted to accept the terms of union mentioned in the warrant, and Deacon Silas Thompson and Samuel King, Jr., were chosen to represent the town in the As- sembly of Vermont. The number of votes in favor of nnion with that State was ninety ; against, thirty-two.
On the 2d day of May following another town-meeting was held, ealled, as the record states, " agreeable to the order of the State of Vermont." At this meeting Ephraim Baldwin was chosen town clerk. Sixty-nine men then took the oath prescribed by the law of Ver- mont, and proceeded to vote for chief judge, as- sistant judges, high sheriff, judge of Probate and justices of the peace, all for the "County of Washington, in the State of Vermont." At
another meeting, held the 14th day of the same month, several more " freemen " were sworn in.
The town was now completely in the posses- sion of the " Vermont party," and remained so during the rest of the year ; but the adherents of New Hampshire were by no means inactive, and stoutly opposed the proceedings of the ma- jority.
On the 25th day of August, the same year, Nathaniel Bingham, Michael Cressey, William Lee and James Robertson drew up a memorial to the Council and House of Representatives of New Hampshire, in which they deplored the action of the partisans of Vermont, and gave the names of eighty of the inhabitants of Chesterfield who declared that they still re- garded themselves as subjects of New Hamp- shire. The memorialists concluded by begging for advice and protection, and subscribing theni- selves as " loyal and affectionate subjects."
On the 5th day of November following, in the evening, several of the inhabitants of Ches- terfield met at the house of Nathaniel Bingham, a short distance north of the Centre village, on what is now sometimes called Wetherbee Hill, for the purpose of nominating one or two per- sons to be commissioned as justices of the peace by the New Hampshire Legislature. While they were assembled for this purpose, Samuel Davis, of Chesterfield, acting as constable under the authority of Vermont, entered Mr. Bingham's house, with several others, and attempted to serve a " precept " on James Rob- ertson. Dr. Belknap says that the precept, or writ, was in an action of debt. Davis, how- ever, was not able to accomplish the object of his visit, on account of the opposition, as he al- leged, of Mr. Bingham and John Grandy, Jr. On the 12th of the same month warrants were issued for the arrest of Bingham and Grandy, "in the name and by the authority of the freemen of the State of Vermont," and they were soon after- wards committed to the jail in Charlestown, from which they sent a petition to the General Assembly of New Hampshire, praying for
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