History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 39

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200

USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 39
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 39

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).

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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CHAPTER II.

MARLBOROUGH-( Continued).

THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.

AT the breaking out of the Revolutionary War Marlborough was but sparsely settled. The census that was taken in 1775 gave three hundred and twenty-four inhabitants ; of this number, one hundred and forty-eight were fe- males and one hundred and four were boys under sixteen years of age; so there could not have been more than sixty men qualified for military service. As British invasion was made on the 19th of April, 1775, the red-coats marched upon Lexington and Concord, and con- sternation and terrible anxiety spread through the whole land. Then we had no independent government ; at best, were only under colonial instructions. The total population of the coun- try then did not exceed three millions. But the first crack of British muskets and roar of British cannon, within our borders, startled our brave yeomanry throughout the land. Axes were dropped in the forests, plows were left in the fields, drums were beaten, bells were rung, muskets were snatched from over mantel-pieces, powder-horns and ball-pouches were slung over the shoulders, blankets were tied to the backs, men with determined minds and patriotic hearts were rushing to the fields of strife. Devoted wives and tender mothers could but weep bit- terest tears; still, they bid their noble husbands and brave sons go forth doing valiantly for God and country. Yes, a Stark quickly fled from his saw-mill at Londonderry, Putnam quit his farm at Pomfret without stopping to change his dress. All were bound to drive the enemy from our soil ; they were ready to tear down King George's statue and melt it into bullets to shoot down British invaders. If from earliest time there had been a tendency to reverence the King, and trace one's pedigree to a kingly source ; if the heroes of Homer de- lighted to call Olympus father ; if the historie families of Sparta and Macedon clung to the

all-seeing Zeus as their progenitor; if the great Julius Cæsar fancied that he was the son of the beautiful Aphrodite ; if the old Teutonic tribes believed that there was a sacredness in being the subjects of kingly rule,-Americans were not to submit to any such delusion. They had suffered wrongs under the King as long as they could. Somehow they felt they must and would be free.

At this sudden burst of martial flames the thirteen colonies were remarkably free from Toryism. The Pilgrims and the Virginian adventurers had been here long enough to real- ize that America was bound to have a govern- ment of her own. Her lands, her waters, her climates and her skies were truly American, and why should not this be true of her political administration ? It was soon made evident, as her brave men sprung to arms and marched with quick step to fields of carnage and death, that it was to be a reality.

Marlborough, with other towns of the Granite State, was not slack in assuming its share of hard- ships in the pending Revolution. If our town did not have any soldiers in the battles of Lex- ington and Concord, on account of being so re- mote from the seat of war, it did send forth Moses Tucker, Timothy Rodgers, Robert Worseley, Daniel Collins, Lieutenant James Brown and Pearson Newell, who were in the memorable battle of Bunker Hill, the 17th of June, 1775.

At the elose of this year, it is said, there were in the army in the vicinity of Boston from our town, sixteen men.

After the evacuation of Boston by the Brit- ish a thousand soldiers left this post, under the leadership of Benedict Arnold, pressing their way towards Quebec through the dense woods of Maine. They advanced to the Kennebee River and then embarked in boats, forcing their way with the greatest difficulty up the current to its head-waters; thence they bore their boats, heavily burdened, across to the river Chaudière and passed down to the St. Lawrence, six miles above Quebec. In this perilous experience the sufferings must have been beyond descrip-

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tion. Several of our soldiers were among the number. Robert Worseley was one of them, who says they were terribly harassed by the Indians, and became so reduced in rations that they were forced to eat the leather of their shoes and cartridge-boxes. At one time, as they emerged from the woods a dog saluted them and they shot it. Mr. Worseley relates that " it fell to his lot to dress it, and as he was taking out the entrails, the famishing men snatched away the flesh, having for himself only what he could clutch in his hands." Although they ate the flesh raw, Mr. Worseley asserts that "it was the sweetest meat he ever tasted." In another company of this expedition, Mr. Worseley says, "some of the men came across the eareass of a hog, which was eaten quicker than he could tell a lie." Truly, those were times that tried men's bodies as well as souls.

In July, 1776, a regiment of New Hamp- shire militia was raised to increase our army in Canada ; but a change was made, so that it was sent to Ticonderoga to aid in defending that part of our country. On the roll of this regi- ment we find the names of Benjamin Goodenow, Abel Woodward and Peter Tozer, who enlisted from Marlborough. In September of the same year another forec was called for from New Hampshire to reinforce the army in New York, and in the following December it came under the immediate command of General Washing- ton. Among the names from our State we find those of Daniel Goodnow and Jonah Har- rington.

In the spring of 1777 England decided to in- vade the States from the north with seven thousand troops besides a large artillery train and several tribes of Indians, all under the command of General Burgoyne. Accordingly, steps were at once taken by the colonists to en- list men for three years, or during the war. Our State was called upon to furnish one hundred and nineteen men ; the quota for Marlborough was six. Colvin Goodenow, Frederick Free- man and Reuben McAlister enlisted immediately

and the town offered a county which soon in- duced Adino Goodenow, Timothy Rogers and Jabez MeBride to give in their names, thus meeting the demand made upon our town at this eall. Peter Tozer joined the army not long after. These men were mustered into service and put into Colonel Seammel's regiment, in which Andrew Colburn, of this town, was lieu- tenant-colonel. This force was engaged in the battle of Stillwater and the men proved them- selves daring and loyal. Though they were in the thickest of the battle, they faltered not, but seemed bound to live or die for their country. Lieutenant-Colonel Colburn and Frederick Freeman were killed in this battle.

All this while the British had been making ready to invade our land from the north ; and in the spring of this year, unexpectedly, they advanced towards Lake Champlain. As this became known it ereated great alarm and exeite- ment ; and soon from all quarters of our land brave men were marehing to confront and over- power the enemy. Twenty-three enlisted from Marlborough. As our forees advanced the enemy were induced to withdraw from Fort Tieon- deroga and along the shores of Lake Champlain, and so our soldiers were relieved for a time. But it was soon ascertained that General Bur- goyne had changed his plans somewhat and had resolved to march into Vermont, and on into New Hampshire, subduing New England, if possible. This startled and aroused the people again. The Legislature of our State was at onee called together, and divided its militia into bri- gades, to be under the command of General John Stark and Colonel William Whipple to march forthwith into Vermont to co-operate with the forees from other States in driving the enemy beyond our borders. At this call Marlborough sent Isaac McAlister as sergeant, William Ten- ney as corporal, and John Tozer. These men participated in the battle at Bennington and in the surrender of Burgoyne.

In September more soldiers were called for and our town supplied six more, who joined the

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army at Saratoga, and were also present at the capitulation and the relinquishment of Bur- goyne's army. After this the base of action was changed on the part of our troops to that of Rhode Island, which was in the possession of the British. Arrangements had been made for a French fleet to allure and attract the attention of the English troops there towards the coast, while at the same time General Sullivan, in the summer of 1778, was to attack them on the land side. New Hampshire supplied a brigade to assist in this undertaking and our town fur- nished eleven of that number of soldiers. The next year the State called for five hundred men to fill up the three Continental battalions from the State. Captain James Lewis and Russell Oliver are the only names mentioned as going from Marlborough. The succeeding year no enlistments were called for, but in 1781 special efforts were put forth by the town to fill the quota assigned it. After overcoming some special difficulties, arising from the depreciation of the currency and the scarcity of hard money, the town was successful in complying with the State requirements, furnishing their full number of soldiers all through the Revolution. After the close of the war there were thirty-nine new settlers to the town, all of whom had served their country more or less, at different points and in different engagements, during the struggle with England. So, when this martial strife was over, Marlborough could count nearly a hundred names of brave citizens who had fought and bled for the freedom of our land. In camp and field, for the most part, they had proved them- selves patriotic and loyal soldiers All the way from Lexington and Concord, through the seven long, bloody, weary years, to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, at Yorktown, our State and town did their full share to hasten peace and es- tablish one form of government. It was some- thing new under the sun. It is true there had been republics before. Athens was so re- garded when Phidias chiseled and Pericles deelaimed, but she was really sustained by slaves.

Rome was once proclaimed a republic, but serfdom reduced it to an empire. Florence and Genoa were pronounced republics, but aristoc- racy made them tyrants over adjacent cities and at length wrought their downfall. There were republics in Holland, whence came our free schools, but they crumbled away because founded on classes. It was reserved for our fathers to establish a republic on the basis of the equal rights of all men, and so construct a government as broad as humanity itself. This is what was really achieved by the hardships and triumphs of the Revolutionary War. We gladly acknowledge our Revolutionary heroes had inherited good blood and noble principles. Before Washington and Franklin were Moses, Socrates, Tell, Luther and Milton. Before Boston and Philadelphia were Jerusalem, Sparta, Venice, Genoa and Leyden. But it is right we should recognize the faet and rejoice that our fathers improved upon their patrimony, and ex- pressed for the first time faith in the right of self-government, in the government of the whole people. This was worth fighting for and dying for ! Blessed bestowments have we re- ceived from our pristine townsmen! All honor to the Revolutionary heroes of Marlborough !

CHAPTER III.

MARLBOROUGH .- (Continued.)

THE STATE ADOPTING ITS CONSTITUTION.

IN the infancy of the colonies the fear of the Indians and the trouble with Great Britain often called the people together in convention. From these small gatherings at length arose the Continental Congress, and from this last body sprung the Articles of Confederation, and out of these articles came our present Constitution of the United States. So this is an instrument of no hasty growth, but the outcome of neces- sity and trying experience.

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION were

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not binding till they were approved and adopted by each of the States separately. This work was not completed and the new government put into operation till the 23d of March, 1781.

This course of the States, together with many defeats, led England to become weary of the war, and, accordingly, Parliament decided upon closing it, and commissioners were chosen by both governments to make the terms of peace. The provisional articles were signed on the last day of November, 1782, and the final treaty was signed September 3, 1783. The last of the British forces were withdrawn from our borders on the 25th of November, 1783 ; and on the 23d of December, Washington appeared in the Hall of Congress, at Annapolis, and resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of our army.

As apparent peace had now come to our peo- ple, the different States began to examine with care the Articles of Confederation, with the view of forming State Constitutions that would be in harmony with the same and equal to the demands of the different States. These Consti- tutions were to be brought before the citizens in the various towns of a State and cautiously considered before their adoption. We see plain- ly the intention was to have the people make the laws by which they were to be governed. The few were not to rule the many any longer.

New Hampshire took necessary steps to have these Articles of Confederation brought before its people as soon as practicable, and in June, 1784, its new plan of government was accepted and its Constitution publicly declared. So our State was still sovereign as to all its local in- terests.

Although greater power was granted to the Confederation by the co-operation of these State-movements, still its power was too lim- ited to meet all the demands of a national gov- ernment. Its bonds of union were not suffi- ciently strong and close. For this reason the States found it essential to improve upon the Confederation by creating and adopting a Uni-

ted States Constitution. This was not com- pleted and accepted by all the States till the 4th of March, 1789, on which day George Washington was elected the first President.

The Constitution is truly one of the most remarkable papers ever produced. It is enough to immortalize the names of Jefferson, Frank- lin, Adams, Washington and others that were chief in bringing it forth. It is the outcome of the profoundest thought and the devoutest endeavors.

Though it was felt and hoped that our coun- try would now be permitted to enjoy peace and prosperity, still our people soon learned to the contrary and found their rights were being tres- passed upon by foreign nations. They were particularly harassed along their borders and on the seas. Then, too, internal troubles sprang up because of differences of opinion in reference to State and national affairs. They were harassed in quarters by the Indians. But in spite of trials and struggles, the States, un- der the administration of Washington, exper- ienced striking growth. As he completed his second term as chief ruler the masses were glad to declare him " first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." During the Presidency of Adams and Madison internal and external storms of war threatened them, and in June, 1812, our country declared war the second time against Great Britian. Now meas- ures were at once taken to increase the army. Each State was called upon to furnish a certain number of men. New Hampshire's quota was three thousand five hundred.

The forces of the States were divided into three divisions : The Army of the West, col- lected near Lake Erie ; the Army of the Cen- tre, brought together on the Niagara frontier ; and the Army of the North, centred on the shores of Lake Champlain.

Marlborough was called upon to furnish eight soldiers. These at once enlisted without any draft being made, but they were so fortunate as not

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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

to be called into the field. But in 1814 our Governor asked for troops to garrison the forts at Portsmouth, as British war-vessels were threatening our coasts. Accordingly, a draft was made and it fell to the lot of Etheel Par- menter, Benjamin Fife, Henry H. Cutler, Na- than D. Parker and Abner Fairbanks to ful- fill the demand, and they immediately complied and went to Portsmouth, serving three months. Soon after this another call was made, and the town, offering a bounty, raised the following as volunteers : Moses Perkins, Stephen White, Ezekiel White, Darius Williams, Aaron Hodg- kins and Levi Gates, Jr. These men served six months and were honorably discharged. During this time thickening gloom seemed to be settling down upon our land, and active meas- ures were taken to have strong forces ready for marching orders at any moment. For this rea- son, all through the States, old and young, who were fitted to do military service, were being drilled and trained for the army. Marlborough was not behind in this work. Her sons were patriotic and daring. They laid in store pow- der and balls in large quantities, that they might be prepared for an emergency. During this year the battles of Chippewa, Lundy's Lane, Plattsburg, Lake Champlain, Fort McHenry and New Orleans were fought. The signal victory gained at the last place closed the sec- ond war with Great Britain. New Hampshire had performed well its part, and Marlborough had fulfilled her duty in defending and preser- ving our republic. The spirit of liberty, some- how, was sure to blow aside the weeds of dis- cord in their pathway, and thereby open up to them the violets of peace. It was as water thrown upon Mosaic pavements, developing brilliant colors, gilding their track with the ra- diance of heaven. It was the mystic lyre that played sweetest music by their rustic hearths in spite of the din of war or the howl of wild beasts. Their course was difficulty, struggle, progress.

THE REBELLION .- Who of us that remember

the spring of 1861 can refrain from expressing heartfelt gratitude to the braves dead and the braves living? As the echoes of Fort Sumter reached our ears, how men sprang to their arms ! Reared in peace, we coveted peace. But our country was threatened, our flag insulted and our Union likely to become dissevered. It seemed but a day before countless flags were floating from our house-tops, and almost every village and city in our State and northern land had become a rendezvous for the enlistment of volunteers. How soon camp-fires were seen blazing upon our hillsides and our fields were spotted with army tents ! Men went forth in earnest to drill on campus and make ready in haste for the war. Some could not stop to prac- tice with the sword and gun, but rushed to the field of strife with rusty bayonet and unbur nished blade. They were bound to stand by the old flag in its first and last tribulation. As soon as the sense of duty bid the braves go forth in defense of our country, what scenes followed ! Do we not witness the pallid face of the weeping wife ? Do we not still witness the mother's arms about the neck of her son and the shake of the father's hand, as they bid their beloved " away to your country's call ?" No- ble men, have you forgotten the wail of chil- dren as you kissed them, you knew not but for the last time, and hurried off to the perils of war and the din of the battle-field ? Young men, do you not recall the plighted vows made, or renewed, to some fair lover, or dear friend whom you were leaving, perchance, never to meet again this side of the dark river ? Quick- ly the first call of our now sainted Lincoln was filled. With no small degree of pride, it is our privilege to record the fact that Marlborough was the first town of Cheshire County to respond to this call. One of her sons, Thomas L. White, led the roll of enlistments to the First New Hampshire Regiment from our county. Two others soon followed, doing likewise,-James and John Totten.

In the course of a few weeks a company was

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raised at Keene for the Second New Hamp- shire Regiment. The names below show who were in this regiment from our town a part or the whole of the time during the war :

Levi N. Converse. Rhodolphus I. White.

Daniel B. Woodward.

Lucius F. Hunt.

William H. Tenny.

Amos L. Corey.

James Newell.

Mark Tens Greenwood.

Merrick H. Ross.

Cyrus E. Hardy.

Amaziah Sawtelle.

Augustus C. White.

John Totten.

Milton G. Razey.

Asa M. White.

This regiment was engaged in more than twenty battles and lost in action more than eight hundred men. Most of the men from our town proved themselves valiant soldiers. Among others should be specially mentioned Levi N. Converse. He enlisted as a private, but was soon promoted, because of merit, to the rank of sergeant and then to that of lieutenant-colonel. In the ordeal at Gettysburg he lost his right arm, and at the battle of Chapin's Farm a minie-ball went through the roof of his mouth, badly disfiguring his face. But from these wounds he remained in the hospital no longer than he was obliged to, before he was in the active service again, and continued with his regiment until it was mustered out of service in Concord at the close of the war.

When the Sixth Regiment was raised, in th ' autumn of 1861, eighteen men from our town joined it, consisting of

Nelson Converse. Oscar W. Farnum.

Calvin Stone. F. H. Castone. Edward F. Adams.

Charles A. Field.

John H. Priest.

Henry H. Atherton.

William A. Russell.

George H. Smith.

Thomas L. White.

Charles W. Pike.

George V. R. Farnum.

Francis M. Farrar.

Arculus Vicar. Charles L. Clarke.

Everett F. Gates. George Tilden.

Nelson Converse, the father of Levi Con- verse, served as colonel of this regiment till he was forced to resign from ill health. Edward F. Adams was promoted from the ranks to captain. This regiment experienced much hard service in camp and on field. It per- 16

formed its part well in helping crush the Rebel- lion. When its complete history shall be writ- ten out, it will portray not a few heroic charac- ters and patriotic deeds.

In 1862, at the raising of the Fourteenth Regiment of three years' men, the citizens of Marlborough supplied eighteen more soldiers, whose names are as follows :

James Totten. Nathaniel P. Rust.

Christopher Totten.

Theodore Pope.

William Collins.

Sumner L. McCollester.

Enoch Foster.

William H. Pierce.

George H. Stone.

Luke Knowlton, Jr.

George H. Stockwell.

Charles A. Mason.

Alphonso A. Adams. Edwin B. Matthews.

Perley E. Collins. Ebenezer T. Greenwood.

Delevan C. Richardson.

Charles Knowlton.

This was a marked regiment all through the war, and the " boys" in it from Marlborough won lasting honors by their heroism and faith- ful service. Some of them were killed on the field of battle, most of them were wounded, several died in hospitals and others were mus- tered out of service at the end of the war and are still living.

Marlborough supplied in all for the war ninety-eight men. Of course, some of these were substitutes. But she was loyal to the calls made upon her and shed freely her share of blood to wipe out the stains of slavery from our soil and give fullest freedom to all dwelling within our borders. Can we not now rejoice in this ? Would we have it otherwise ? It is not a small thing that our devoted townsmen helped settle the question-we trust, for all time-that a republican government has permanency. Ah ! did our brave soldiers know for whom and for what they were making their great sacrifices as they were marching upon fields of carnage ? Nay, verily, not any more than Moses could have calculated the outcome of his leading the Israelites through the wilderness for so many years ; or the three hundred Spartans could have foreseen for what they climbed in the pass of Thermopyla to perish; or why the brave six hundred rushed into the jaws of death at

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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Balaklava. Our noble heroes did infinitely more and better in living and dying for the pre- servation of our republic than they could have anticipated. Our country is now free from human slavery ; and what is this faet not worth ? It is worth all your hard-fought bat- tles, O American republie! It is worth all your prayers and anxieties, O sainted Lin- coln ! It is worth all your graves, O Gettys- burg ! O Arlington Heights ! O Chattanooga ! O Northern cities of the dead ! for it enables every citizen of our Union to cast his own vote, nurture a free school in his brain and cherish the Declaration of Independence in his heart.

CHAPTER IV.

MARLBOROUGH-(Continued).

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

No one can question but that physical environ- ments have much to do in the formation of character ; but still more have mental and re- ligious forces. Accordingly, as our early an- cestors came from the Highlands of Scotland and the cultivated lands of England, having been long trained to religious thought and feel- ing, they were naturally disposed to worship God. As plants depend on light, air, heat, moisture and soil for growth, so they seemed to feel these were essential to their outward de- velopment, but the consciousness of a superin- tending Providence was still more demanded by their spiritual natures. This explains why, as the Pilgrims stepped upon Plymouth Rock, they bowed in sineerest worship; why, as our State was first settled, provisions were made for the worship of God ; why, as towns were char- tered, requirements were laid upon the people to build churches and provide for the support of the ministry.

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History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 39

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200