USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Hudson > History of Hudson, N.H., formerly a part of Dunstable, Mass., 1673-1733, Nottingham, Mass., 1733-1741, District of Nottingham, 1741-1746, Nottingham West, N.H., 1746-1830, Hudson, N.H., 1830-1912 > Part 20
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The names of Seth Cutter, Stephen Hadley, Jonathan Marsh, James Pemberton and Caleb Severance appear in the pay-roll, but are not found in the report of the com- mittee. They probably served as substitutes for five of the men whose names are included in the committee's re- turn.
That report included the following names that are not accounted for in any way by the pay-roll, Timothy Smith included: Isaac Barrett, John Hale, Eliphalet Hadley, Jr., Jonathan Bradley and Thomas Hamblet in equal shares, Ens. Nathaniel Merrill, John Pollard, Jr., Timothy Smith, Page Smith and Samuel Wason.
This would indicate that nine substitutes were fur- nished by these men, unless some of them served person- ally, which is not very probable. Five of these substitutes are accounted for in the pay-roll. This would leave four, who may have been in Captain Ford's company, but were residents of other towns, but whose names cannot be iden- tified.
Captain Ford was severely wounded at the battle of Bennington, as appears by the Revolutionary War Rolls, Vol. 3, page 382.
State of New This May certify That James Ford Esqt
Hampshire being a Captain in ye Detachment commanded by Me upon the Right wing of Genl. Starks Brigade in the Battle of Wal- loomsuck Hill (so called) Near Bennington on the 16th of Aug. 1777, was Very badly wounded by Two Musket Balls which pass'd through his Two Thighs.
MOSES NICHOLS Col.
Soon after the discharge and return of Captain Ford's company, a body of volunteers numbering thirty-five, prin-
262
HISTORY OF HUDSON
cipally from Dunstable and Nottingham West, was raised, commanded by Lieutenant Samuel Brown, in Col. Daniel Moore's troops, which company marched from Dunstable and joined the Northern Continental Army at Saratoga, September, 1777. The time of service of these men was from September 29 to October 28, one month, with an al- lowance for travel of 170 miles each way, to Saratoga and return. There were nine men from Nottingham West in this company, as follows:
Elijah Hills, 2d Lieut., Asa Davis,
Joseph Greeley, Sergt.,
Henry Hale, Jr.,
David Cummings,
Samuel Marsh,
William Cummings,
William Gibson,
Richard Cutter.
NOTTINGHAM WEST VOLUNTEERS TO RHODE ISLAND IN AUGUST, 1778
A brigade was raised in the summer of 1778 to re- inforce the Continental army at Rhode Island in prepara- tion for an attack upon the British troops then in posses- sion of the island of Rhode Island. In this assault it was expected that a powerful French fleet, then on the coast, under the command of Admiral Count D'Estaing, would co-operate with the American army.
The first week in August a company of volunteers to aid in the expedition, was raised from this and adjoining towns. This company, including officers, consisted of fifty-four men, twenty of whom were residents of Notting- ham West. These troops were commanded by Capt. Peter Cross, of this town, and was the fourth company of the regiment commanded by Col. Moses Nichols of Amherst, in General Whipple's brigade.
The men were in the service from the 7th to the 27th and some to the 28th of August, when they were dis- charged, without having accomplished the purpose of the campaign, on account of disaster to the French fleet owing
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DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION
to a coast storm, which prevented it from joining in the proposed efforts of the land force.
The wages of the private soldier in this expedition was at the rate of £5 per month and 8d per mile for trav- el one hundred miles each way. These men were also paid something additional by the town. This was a body of mounted troops, and each man had to furnish his own horse. Colonel Nichols' return showed there were fifty- four horses in the company, and £10 each was allowed for these. The names of the men from this town were- -
Peter Cross, Captain,
Ebenezer Perry, Ensign,
Samuel Pollard, Sergeant,
Stephen Chase, Robert Glover, Isaac Hardy,
Daniel Marshall, Sergeant,
Joseph Johnson,
William Cummings, Corporal,
Samuel Marsh,
Jonathan Burbank,
Joseph Marshall,
Gideon Butler,
David Peabody,
John Caldwell,
James Pemberton,
Samuel Campbell,
Abijah Reed,
Micajah Chase,
Joshua Severance.
CHAPTER XXII
SOLDIERS IN THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF 1812 1
This list of Nottingham West-now Hudson-soldiers in the Revolution, showing service or term of enlistment, and where buried so far as can be ascertained, has been compiled with great care, from "Revolutionary War Rolls," edited by Isaac W. Hammond, A. M., town records and other data, and is believed to be substantially correct. It is subject, however, to such unavoidable omissions of any names of soldiers as could not be found upon any of the rolls examined.
"1775 L.," denotes the minute men enlisted April 19, 1775, for Lexington, in Captain Samuel Greeley's Com- pany; "B. H.," at the Battle of Bunker Hill; "Cam." Cam- bridge; "C. A.," Continental Army; "Port.," in garrison at Portsmouth; "Wh. P.," at White Plains, N. Y .; "N. A.," Northern Army on the northern frontier and in Can- ada; "Ti.," Ticonderoga Alarm, June 1777; "Ben.," in Captain James Ford's Company at Bennington, July, 1777; "Sa.," Saratoga; "N. Y.," Fort George, N. Y .; "R. I.," in Captain Peter Cross' mounted company at Rhode Island, 1778; "Blodgett," denotes the Blodgett Cemetery ; "Farms," the Hills Farms Cemetery; "Center," the ancient ceme- tery at Hudson Center.
Barrett, Moses, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 6 mos. Barrett, Simeon, Corp., 1775 L., Center. Barker, Thomas, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs. Bettis, Robert, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos. Blodgett, Ashael, 1777 N. Y., 3 mos. Blodgett, Jonathan, 1775 L., Blodgett. Blodgett, Joseph, 1777 Ben., 2 mos., Blodgett.
Bradley, Jonathan, Corp., 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 6 ds.
Bradbury, Sanders, 1777 Serg. C. A., 3 yrs. Died in the army 1779. Brown, Eliphalet, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs. 264
265
SOLDIERS IN THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF 1812
Brown, James, 1779 C. A. For the war.
Brown, Samuel, 1782 C. A., 3 yrs.
Burns, George, 1777 Ti., 8 ds.
Burns, William, Serg., 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 14 ds., Blodgett.
Burbank, Jonathan, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds., Blodgett.
Burrows, Josiah, 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos.
Butler, Gideon, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds.
Caldwell, Alexander, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 8 ds.
Caldwell, John, Serg., 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1777 Ti., 5 ds., 1778 R. I., 24 ds.
Caldwell, James, Ti., 6 ds., Blodgett.
Caldwell, Samuel, 1776 N. A., 4 mos.
Caldwell, Thomas, 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1777 Lieut. N. A., 28 ds.
Campbell, John, 1778 R. I., 6 mos.
Campbell, Samuel, 1775 L., 1778 R. I., 24 ds.
Campbell, Thomas, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Carlton, Ezra, 1781 C. A. For the war.
Chase, Ephraim Chandler, 1776 N. A., 4 mos.
Chase, John, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1799 Port., 2 mos., Blodgett.
Chase, Joshua, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1779 N. A., 4 mos. 1779 C. A., Blodgett.
Chase, Micajah, 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds.
Chase, Stevens, 1775 L.
Chase, Stephen, Jr., 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1778 R. I., 14 ds.
Colburn, Isaac, 1779 Port., 2 mos.
Cook, John, 1779 C. A., 1 year.
Cross, Joseph, 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Ben., 2 mos., Port., 1 mo.
Cross, Nathan, 1779 R. I., 6 mos., 1781 C. A., 3 mos.
Cross, Peter, 1775 L., 1778 Captain R. I., 24 ds., Blodgett.
Cross, Thomas, 1781 C. A., 3 mos.
Cummings, David, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 8 ds., 1777 Sa., 1 mo.
Cummings, Ebenezer, 1775 L.
Cummings, William, 1777 N. Y., 3 mos., 1777 Sa., 1 mo., 1778 Corp, R. I., 23 ds.
Currier, Samuel, Fifer, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Cutter, Richard, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 1 mo .. 1777 Sa., 1 mo., 1778 R.
I 6 mos. and 20 ds., Wounded at Bunker Hill, Center.
Cutter, Seth, 1775 Cam., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.
Cutter, Thomas, 1780 C. A., 6 mos., Navy.
Dakin, Justus, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Corp. Ben., 2 mos .. Blodgett.
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
Davis, Asa, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1777 Sa., 1 mo., Blodgett.
Davis, Nathaniel, 1775 L., Blodgett.
Durant, Samuel, 1775 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mo.
Eastman, Ichabod, 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 2 mos., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.
Eastman, James, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Eastman, Nicholas, 1777 Ti., 5 ds.
Emerson, Benjamin Hamden, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.
Emerson, Jonathan, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Farwell, Jonathan, 1781 C. A., 6 mos., 1782 Rangers., 4 mos.
Ford, James, Clerk, 1775 L., 1775 Lieut. B. H., Cam., 6 mos., 1777 Capt. Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Capt. Ben., 2 mos. Severely wounded.
Foot, Isaac, 1779 R. I., 6 mos., 1780 C. A., 6 mos.
French, Samuel, 1777 Ti., 8 ds., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Gibson, William, 1777 Sa., 1 mo.
Glover, David, 1775 L., B. H., Cam. 8 mos., Center.
Glover, Robert, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 R. I., 24 ds.
Gould, Elijah, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Gould, Joseph, Jr., 1775 L. Died in the Continental Army, January 13, 1776.
Greeley, Benjamin, 1775 B. H., Cam. Died in the army, September 7, 1775.
Greeley, Joseph, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 N. Y., 3 mos., 1777 Sa., 1 mo. Wounded at Battle of Bunker Hill. Blodgett.
Greeley, Samuel, Captain Lexington Company, April 19, 1775.
Hadley, Enos, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.
Hadley, Moses, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., Blodgett.
Hadley, Seth, 1775 L.
Hadley, Stephen, Drummer, 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1777 Ben., 2 mos. Hale, Henry, Jr., 1777 Sa., 3 ws. Blodgett.
Hardy, Daniel, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 5 ds., 1777 Port., 1 mo.
Hardy, Isaac, 1777 Ti., 5 ds., 1778 R. I., 10 ds.
Hardy, Jonathan, Corp., 1777 Ti., 14 ds.
Hardy, Nathaniel, 1775 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1777 C. A. 3 yrs.
Hardy, Perry, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1777 Port., 2 mos.
Hardy, Richard, 1775 L.
Hamblet, Asa, 1780 C. A., 6 mos.
Haseltine, John, 1775 L., Center.
Hills, Elijah, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 8 ds., 1777 Lieut Sa., 1 mo., Farms. Hills, Ezekiel, 1775 L.
Hills, Jeremiah, 1775 L., Farms.
Hills, Oliver, 1775 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.
Hills, Philip, 1777 Ti., 6 ds.
Hills, Simeon, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1776 Wh. P., 6 mos.
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SOLDIERS IN THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF 1812
Hills, Thomas, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., Farms.
Hills, William, 1777 Ti., 6 ds. Hills, Samuel, 1775 L., Farms. Hobbs, Joseph, 1782 C. A., 3 yrs. Served 4 mos. Hood, Aaron, 1781 C. A. For the war.
Johnson, Joseph, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1777 Ben., 2 mos., 1778 R. I. 23 ds., Jones, Ephraim, 1777 C. A., yrs.
Kelley, Joseph, Lieut., 1775 L. Kinney, Samuel, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs. Kinney, Amos, 1776 N. A., 4 mos,, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs. He was killed in the army previous to June, 1778.
Lowell, John Messer, 1777 C. A.,3 yrs.
Lowell, Stephen, 1775 Bedel's Rangers, 5 mos.
Marsh, David, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Marsh, Samuel, Jr., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1777 Serg. Sa., 1 mo., 1778 R. I., 24 ds.
Marsh, Samuel, 1775 L., Farms.
Marsh, Jonathan, 1777 Ben., 2 mos. It is a family tradition that he was also at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and did other military service dur- ing the war. Farms.
Marshall, Benjamin, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 6 mos.
Marshall, Beniamin, Jr., 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos., 1 77 N. A., 2 mos. Marshall, Daniel, 1775 L., 1778 Serg. R. I., 24 ds. Marshall, John, 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos., Farms. Marshall, Joseph, 1778 R. I., 24 ds., 1781 C. A., 3 yrs. Marshall, Richard, 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 4 mos.
Merrill, Abel, 1779 C. A., 1782 C. A., 3 yrs. Merrill, Isaac, 1777 N. Y., 3 mos., 1777 Ti., 8 ds.
Merrill, John, 1775 L., 1777 Serg. Ben., 2 mos. Merrill, Roger, 1779 R. I., 6 mos. Merrill, William, Serg., 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1776 Lieut. N. A., 4 mos., 1777 Ti. 5 ds. Moore, Samuel, 1775 L.
Osgood, John, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Page, Abraham, 17.5 L., Center.
Pemberton, James, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 Ben., 2 mos. 1778 R. I., 23 ds., 1779 C. A., 1 yr., 1781 C. A., 6 mos. Peabody, David, 1778 R. I., 24 ds., 1781 C. A., 3 yrs. Perry, Ebenezer, 1775 L., 1778 Ens. R. I., 23 ds. Perry, Thomas, 1779 C. A. For the war. Pierce, Daniel, 1781 C. A., 6 mos. Pollard, Amos, 1777 Ti., 6 ds.
268
HISTORY OF HUDSON
Pollard, Ebenezer, Serg., 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 6 months., Blodgett. Pollard, John, Ens., 1775 I ..
Pollard, John, Jr., Corp., 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 4 mos., Blodgett.
Pollard, Timothy, 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos., 1776 N. A., 4 mos.
Pollard, Thomas, 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.
Pollard, Samuel, Serg., 1777 Ti., 5 ds., 1777 Sa., 3 ws., 1778 R. I., 23ds.
Reed, Abijah, 1775 L., Corp. B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1776 N. A., 5 mos., 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1778 R. I., 23 ds.
Robinson, Amos, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs.
Robinson, John. 1775 B. H., Cam.
Sargent, Abel, 1780 C. A., 6 mos., 1781 C. A., 6 mos., 1782 C. A., 3 yrs. Searles, Elnathan, 1779 Port., 2 mos,
Searles, Thomas, 1776 N. A., 4 mos.
Seavey, Andrew, 1775 L.
Seavey, John, 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Senter, Thomas, Serg., 1775 B. H., Cam.
Severance, Caleb, 1775 B. H., Cam., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.
Severance, Joseph, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Severance, Joshua, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds. Smith, Edward, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Smith, Page, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., Center.
Smith, Samuel, 1775 L., 177 7Ti., 14 ds., Ben., 2 mos.
Smith, Timothy, 1781 C. A., 6 mos., Blodgett.
Spalding, Reuben, 1775 L., Farms.
Walker, John, 1775 L., Corp. B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Wason, Samuel, 1775 L., Blodgett.
Wason, Thomas, 1775 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., Blodgett.
Whittemore, Benjamin, Jr., 1775 L., B. H., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Winn, Abiather, 1775 L., Blodgett.
Winn, Nehemiah, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Winn, Joseph, 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Ben., 2 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds. Blodgett.
Wilson, George, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs.
Wyman, Daniel, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Wyman, Ezra, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs.
THE SECOND WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN
For several years previous to the breaking out of hos- tilities between the United States and England, in 1811, one among the many more offensive and annoying meas- ures, claimed and exercised by England, was the right to
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SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF 1812
hold up American vessels and seize all sailors, even natural- ized citizens, who were supposed to be British subjects.
In June, 1807, the insolence of this claim was carried so far that the British man-of-war, Leopard, stopped the United States frigate, Chesapeake, off the entrance of Chesapeake Bay, fired into her, killing or wounding twenty- one of the crew, and took off four men, three of whom were Americans. No reparation was made for this out- rage, but other similar acts followed. Under the last part of President Jefferson's administration the famous Embar- go Act was passed by Congress, signed by the President, and became a law, by which American vessels were pro- hibited from leaving foreign ports, and foreign vessels from taking cargoes from the United States, and all coasting vessels were required to give bonds to land their cargoes in the United States.
This law became very unpopular, and in March, 1809, the Non-Intercourse Act went into force, another very un- popular measure. Party feeling in this country became very bitter.
England and the United States grew more irritated with each other, and in 1811 hostilities actually opened on sea and land.
In May the United States frigate President hailed the British man-of-war Little Belt, and was answered by a shot. The President replied with a shot in turn, and a sharp action ensued in which the Little Belt was badly crippled, and lost thirty-one men, killed and wounded.
Tecumseh, the famous Shawnee chief, had gathered a large force of Indian warriors, and at the instigation of the British they were attacking the north-western settlements. General William Henry Harrison marched against them, and on November 7, he defeated them at Tippecanoe.
The English continued to seize vessels and men. More than nine hundred American vessels had been seized since 1803, and several thousand American seamen im- pressed into British service.
270
HISTORY OF HUDSON
The people of the United States had become exasper- ated over their losses and their inability to protect them- selves.
Madison became President in March, 1811, and prep- arations were begun for hostilities. War was formally de- clared against Great Britain, June 18, 1812. The war was prosecuted on land and sea until December, 1814, when final negotiations for peace took place at Ghent, Belgium, on the twenty-fourth day of that month. A treaty of peace was then signed by the two governments' commissioners, and was promptly ratified.
During this war New Hampshire furnished a large number of soldiers for the United States army, some of whom were stationed at Portsmouth, others on Lake Cham- plain, in New York, and on the frontier between the Uni- ted States and Canada.
The muster rolls of these men are said to be in Wash- ington, but are almost inaccessible. Partial copies of them have been procured and published in the New Hampshire Adjutant General's Report for 1868.
These lists are very unsatisfactory and seemingly inac- curate, most probably containing but a part of the names of the men who served their country from Nottingham West, now Hudson, during the war of 1812.
After very carefully going through all the rolls pub- lished in that report, the following are all the men that could be located in this town, and it seems doubtful if all of these were actual citizens of Nottingham West.
An order dated at Exeter, September 9, 1814, required :
"That four entire companies of infantry from each of the Second, Third, Fourth and Twenty-fifth Regiments be detached immediately, armed and equipped according to law, and provided, as far as possible, with blankets and am- munition to march to Portsmouth immediately to serve for the term of fifteen days from the time of their arrival at Portsmouth unless sooner discharged."
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SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF 1812
In the company of Captain Josiah Converse of Am- herst are given the following names and residences:
Jonathan Cate, Jr., 2ª Lieut., of West Nottingham.
*Alexander Caldwell, 3d Lieut., of West Nottingham. William Emerson, Ensign, Samuel Leonard, Sergeant, West Nottingham. West Nottingham. Livid Lund, West Nottingham. Nathaniel Fellows, West Nottingham.
John Johnson,
West Nottingham.
*Samuel Steele, John Smith,
West Nottingham.
Cyrus Wilkins,
Dunstable. West Dunstable.
The above men were all enlisted September 16, 1814, for three months.
In Captain James Trevett's company enlisted sixty days from September 27, 1814: Henry Eams, Nottingham.
*Hesekiah Hamblet, Nottingham.
Nottingham.
*Asa Hardy, Israel Putnam, Nottingham.
Nottingham.
*Oliver Sprague, Rufus Seavey, Nottingham.
*Henry Tarbox,
Nottingham. Died November 9.
Captain Joseph Towle's Company :
*Samuel Hills, September 10 to September 27, 1814. Captain Joseph Bellows' Company : James Brown, September 26, for sixty days.
*John Merrill, Jr., Both of West Nottingham.
*John Dutton, September 26, for sixty days, was credited to Pelham, but was a resident of this town.
The residences of many of these men were given as West Nottingham, but no town by that name has ever ex- isted in the state. The town at that date bore the name of Nottingham West, and there seems little doubt that West Nottingham as printed in the Adjutant General's Report is designed for this town.
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
The residences of a few others are given as Notting- ham, but several of these at least are known to have been citizens of Nottingham West.
Those names which are marked with an asterisk are nearly all known to have been residents of this town, while several of the others may have enlisted for Nottingham West and still have been residents of other towns.
CHAPTER XXIII
HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS
The history of New Hampshire in this war, together with the numerous and various causes and events transpir- ing for many years preceding the crisis of 1861, and lead- ing steadily on and up to a clash at arms between the two sections of the nation-North and South-has been many times, more or less impartially, written and published, and may be found in almost any library in the state.
Suffice it to say here, that during this extended and bloody conflict of four years' continuance to save the na- tion and perpetuate the Union of the States as founded and transmitted by our Revolutionary ancestors, and for which they fought and bled through the eight long and gloomy years of that war, New Hampshire did her full share. Each call upon the state for enlistments or rein- forcements was promptly answered, and the New Hamp- shire regiments in the war compared favorably and honor- ably with those of any other state for intrepidity, good con- duct and patriotic devotion to duty.
They bravely fought upon nearly all the principal bat- tlefields of the war, and the blood of the old Granite State soldiers-as in the Revolution-mingled freely with that of the brave troops from other states, and their graves, thousands of which are carefully marked and numbered, dot the many soldiers' cemeteries around those old battle grounds, and at Arlington, while other thousands sleep in unknown graves.
The people of Hudson during this cruel strife per- formed their whole duty from the very first, promptly fur- nishing, on the numerous calls for troops, more than the quota allotted to them by the state, it appearing at the
273
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
close of the war that the number of men furnished exceed- ed the number called for.
At a special town meeting, October 14, 1861, the town chose Hiram Marsh, Gilman Andrews and Stephen D. Greeley, a committee to relieve the families of soldiers, and gave this committee instructions to pay not exceeding one dollar a week each for the wives and dependent children or parents of soldiers serving in the army from this town, or of such as shall enlist and be mustered into the service of the United States, provided said sum in the aggregate shall not exceed twelve dollars per month for any such soldier.
The town voted to raise five hundred dollars for said purpose.
This committee, during the war, paid to the families of soldiers the sum of seven thousand, one hundred and six dollars and forty-three cents.
August 12, 1862, the town voted to pay a bounty of two hundred dollars to each person who enlisted as a vol- unteer for three years or during the war, and on Septem- ber 11, following, a bounty of one hundred dollars each was voted to volunteers who would enlist for nine months, the bounty in each case to be paid when such volunteer should be mustered into the United States' service.
At a special town meeting, September 23, 1863, it was voted to extend aid to the families of drafted men or their substitutes, while serving as soldiers in the army.
Also "voted to pay a bounty of two hundred dollars each to drafted men or their substitutes, ten days after being mustered into the service of the United States."
December 5, 1863, the town "voted to assume the Government and State bounties, and pay three hundred dollars, in addition to these bounties, to each volunteer who shall enlist to fill the quota allotted to this town under the late call of the President of the United States."
March 8, 1864. "Voted to pay the drafted men who were drafted September 2, 1863, the sum of one hundred dollars each in addition to the two hundred already paid
275
HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS
them." "Voted to pay a bounty of two hundred dollars to men who enlisted in 1861, and who still remain in the ser- vice, they having been allowed no town bounty."
June 18, 1864. The town voted to pay all those re- cently drafted a bounty of three hundred dollars or the same amount to such drafted men who had furnished sub- stitutes, and to all who should enlist to fill any quota of the town, three hundred dollars.
August 29, 1864. The town by vote offered bounties of eight hundred dollars each to one-year men, nine hun- dred each to two-year men and one thousand each to three- year men, including the state and government bounties, to fill the quota of the town.
At the beginning of the war, April 24, 1861, at a meet- ing of the citizens held at the town house the amount of two hundred and twenty-three dollars was subscribed and paid for the purpose of furnishing volunteers, who had en- listed, with necessary outfits, in addition to such as were furnished by the government.
On the 29th of October of the same year, at another meeting of the citizens, the Hudson Soldiers' Aid Society was organized, and continued in action and successful oper- ation till the close of the war.
The president of this society was Addison Heald; its secretary, Mrs. Nancy B. Merrill; and its treasurer, Mrs. Addison Heald; with an executive committee composed of ten ladies, one from each school district-Mrs. Thomas Gowing, Mrs. Luther Pollard, Mrs. Samuel Morrison, Miss Mary Buttrick, Mrs. Daniel M. Greeley, Mrs. Oliver Hill, Mrs. David Seavey, Mrs. Robert A. Andrews, Mrs. Jack- son E. Greeley and Mrs. James M. Greeley.
This society contributed, collected, bought material and manufactured and forwarded, in quantities, to the sol- diers at the front articles of necessity and comfort, such as comfortable clothing, bedding, lint, bandages, dried fruits, comforts for the sick and wounded in the hospitals, and necessaries for the use and convenience of the men in field and camp.
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