History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714

USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 169
USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 169

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).

Garrisons were built two stories in height, the lower story being of solid timber, with strong window-shut- ters fastening upon the inside. The upper story pro- jected three or four feet upon all sides, commanding approach to the building from every quarter. From the projecting part water could be poured down to extinguish the flames in case the house should be fired, while an enemy who came near the doors or windows was exposed to certain death. Loop-holes were provided at suitable places, large enough upon the outside for a gun-barrel to be pointed through them, and hollowed or beveled upon the inside to allow the gun to be moved about and aimed in differ- ent directions. The second story was built according to the fancy or ability of the owner. In the case of the Richard Wentworth garrison, it was made of thick planks dovetailed together at the corners like a chiest, and without any frame, except a few braces. The cellars of the public garrisons were divided by walls into many separate apartments for accommodation of different families. This was the case with the one at the Gonic. As an additional protection oftentimes the whole building was surrounded with a rampart or palisade formed of timber or posts set in the ground.

A few anecdotes will illustrate the cunning of the Indians and the caution of the settlers. The cattle

were discovered in the cornfield one day at Col. Mc- Duffee's. The boys started at once to drive them out, when they were checked by the colonel, who said he knew the fence was strong, and the rascally Indians must have laid a plot to trap them. No one was allowed to move out of doors for a day or two, but when it was safe to venture forth the place of con- cealment which the Indians had contrived was dis- covered, and it was evident that they had cut down the fence, driven the cattle into the field, and placed themselves in ambush to kill or capture whoever came out.

At one of the garrisons a large number of hogs were kept, which were suffered to roam about during the day to feed upon acorns and such other food as they could find, and were called home at night. One evening they were called a long time, but none made their appearance. In the night, when it was quite dark, the hogs seemed to return suddenly, and a grunt- ing as of a large drove was heard all around the build- ing. The family were too wary, however, to be de- ceived by any such ruse as this; they suspected the truth, that the Indians had dispatched the hogs and were now imitating their grunts to entice somebody out of the garrison. That the imagination of the settlers often magnified the real danger or excited needless fears is very probable. Not much would be required to produce alarm after a few persons had fallen victims to these inhuman foes.

It was not until the 27th day of June, 1746, that any concerted attack was made by the Indians. What a thrill of horror ran through the community ! By an artfully-contrived and boldly-executed plot, four men were murdered in the midst of the settlement, and within sight of a garrison ; a fifth was wounded and taken prisoner. The names of these persons were Joseph Richards, John Richards, Joseph Heard, John Wentworth, and Gershom Down. They were on the way to their work in the field, carrying guns and traveling in company for mutual protection. A band of Indians had concealed themselves by the side of the road, near where these men must pass, having first sent one of their number to the opposite side, who stationed himself behind a tree at a convenient distance. Thus having prepared a snare, with all that cunning for which the race is noted, they patiently waited the approach of their victims. When the workmen arrived at the ambush, the solitary Indian, who was to act as a decoy and draw the fire of the party, stepped suddenly forth into full view and fired upon the company. " Face your enemies : fire !" was the order of Joseph Richards, who acted as captain, and all discharged their pieces at the savage, who, having effected his object, had instantly disappeared, escaping unharmed. The remaining Indians, with terrific yells and whoops, sprang from their ambush in the rear and rushed forward. John Richards was wounded. All the guns on both sides being dis- charged, an exciting race ensued. The whites fled

723

HISTORY OF STRAFFORD COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

down the road towards a deserted house belonging to the wounded Richards, where they hoped to gain refuge. The Indians followed as closely as they dared, but with caution, for fear the guns of some of their enemies might still remain loaded. The flee- ing party-all except John Richards-succeeded in reaching and entering the house; the door was se- cured behind them, the men planting themselves firmly against it, while they hastened to reload their arms. Before they could accomplish this the Indi- ans, finding themselves unable to force open the door, mounted to the roof, tore off' the poles of which it was constructed, and falling upon the men, now defense- less, dispatched them in the most brutal manner. The guns of the murdered men were afterwards found l:alf-loaded ; and a web, which Mrs. Richards had left in the loom unfinished, was stained with the blood of her neighbors. John Richards, who was wounded, instead of entering the house with the others, di- rected his flight to the garrison where his wife was dwelling ; but before he could reach it an Indian overtook him, who, with uplifted tomahawk, was about to take his. life. Richards called for quarter and was spared. ITis wound not being dangerous, and being able to travel, he was carried prisoner to Canada. This massacre occurred near the spot where a school-house now stand's on the main road. The ambush was a short distance this side, near where Bedfield Meserve resides.

Taking the wounded Richards with them, the In- dians, to escape pursuit, struck hastily into the swamp, killing some cattle on the route, and cutting out their tongues and a few tidbits, and next made their ap- pearance on the Salmon Falls road near Adams' Cor- ner. They surprised some men at work in a field, all of whom, however, made their escape. Jonathan Door, a little boy, who in youthful innocence sat whistling upon a fence, became a fellow-captive with Richards. Under the skillful medical treatment of the Indians the wound of Richards was soon healed ; and after re- maining a year and a half in Canada, he was sent by flag of truce to Boston, and thence returned to his friends in Rochester. He bought the place in the village now owned by J. H. Ela, Esq., and here he lived after his return. He died in 1792, aged seventy. His son, of the same name, inherited the place, and for years was a miller in the Horne & Hurd mill, situated op- posite, where Deacon Barker's grist-mill now stands. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and served through the war; was in the battle of Bunker Hill and at the surrender of Ticonderoga, where he narrowly escaped capture ; he was at the battle of Bennington and at the surrender of Burgoyne. He is remembered by many now living.

The excitement produced by the atrocity of the 27th of June cannot easily be imagined. The suddenness of the attack, its locality,-the most thickly-settled part of the town, -- the exciting nature of the struggle, the death of so many of their friends and neighbors,

and the escape of the enemy before pursuit could be made,-all must have roused to an intense degree the feelings of the people. It is apparent from the haste with which they adopted measures for future security that great anxiety prevailed. No sooner were the remains of the murdered men buried than a peti- tion to the Governor and Assembly at Portsmouth was dispatched, representing the dangerous situation of the inhabitants, and begging for a guard of soldiers to protect them. This petition "humbly showeth that the inhabitants are few in number, in indigent cireum- stances, living in a wilderness, and are continually liable to the assaults of the barbarous Indian enemy, who have killed within the past week four men, and taken prisoners one man and a boy. They have killed and wounded a considerable number of our cattle ; they are continually lurking about our houses and fields, and are seen by some of us almost every day ; we cannot go out or come in without being liable to fall by them, and our families are suffering because we are not able to go out to labor." Such is the enu- meration of their distresses. "Therefore we pray your Excellency and your Honors to take our deplorable circumstances under your wise consideration. and ex- tend to us your paternal care and affection by allowing us a suitable number of soldiers to guard us in our garrisons and about our necessary employments."

The excitement had not subsided when another event occurred which carried it to still greater height, and added another life lost to the list of their calamities.

Traces of Indians had been discovered in the sand by the heath brook at Norway Plain, and in expec- tation that a party were on their way to attack the . settlements a company of men concealed themselves at night by the side of the road a short distance below Norway Plain Brook, at the foot of Havens' Hill, in- tending in their turn to ambush the Indians when they came along. Upon the approach of the enemy, however, one of these sentinels, Moses Roberts, be- came alarmed and commenced to creep through the bushes towards his neighbor, who, seeing the bushes wave and supposing him to be an Indian, fired upon him. Roberts died the next morning, blaming him- self, and justifying the man who shot him.

To support the petition of the inhabitants and rep- resent that the settlement would be broken up unless they received assistance, Rev. Mr. Main was sent to Portsmouth. His mission was successful; for, besides the assurance of soldiers to protect them, he returned with a very substantial token of the "paternal care and affection" of the authorities in the form of a huge cannon, one of the iron guns of Queen Anne's time, for the safe return of which, when demanded, he gave his receipt in a large sum. The history of this cannon is worthy of a brief digression. It was intended for an alarm-gun, by use of which the people of the town might be summoned together whenever danger was apprehended. During the Indian war it was

723

ROCHESTER.

kept at Mr. Main's. Afterwards it was moved to Stephen Wentworth's tavern, a house which is still standing, situated upon the lot owned by Dr. Far- rington. This house was called the Wolfe tavern, from the immortal Gen. Wolfe, who had then recently given up his life upon the Plains of Abraham. The Wolfe tavern was a place of no mean renown ; it was the only public-house in town; it was also the only store in town, for not only were there accommoda- tions here for weary travelers, but the necessary articles of life, such as rum and erockery-ware, were dispensed to seeking customers. But the grand boast of the Wolfe tavern was in something more aristo- cratie than these. It was here that His Excellency Governor Wentworth always "put up" when journey- ing to and from his farm in Wolfborough, a distin- guished honor to any tavern. Here the old gun for a long time found a home, a hospitable roof we pre- sume, where its powers of speaking loudly were not over-tested by warlike youth. From this place it would be impossible to trace its wanderings. It ap- pears during its whole career to have experienced more than the usual vicissitudes of earth,-from the minister's to the tavern, from searing away " the bar- barous Indian enemy" to celebrating with booming voice many anniversaries of national independence,- yet ever faithful through good report and through evil report, until, like many a brave soldier, its exist- ence was thrown away in a noble cause by the folly and recklessness of its commander. It was exploded July 4, 1845, by William J. Roberts, William Hodg- don, and some others, and its fragments found an inglorious burial among metal of baser and more ignoble rank in the iron heaps of the foundry. There were many mourners. The town discovered that they had lost a time-honored friend. Its loss was even so much regretted that at the next town- meeting the selectmen were instructed to prosecute the individuals who had sold the old iron. A long and expensive lawsuit grew out of this prosecution, in which the town was defeated, not being able to establish its ownership, a result well deserved by the town perhaps for its neglect to care for its property.

Crowned with success in the object of his visit, Mr. Main returned to the settlement. Throughout the summer and autumn and a part of the winter scout- ing parties of soldiers were stationed in the town, whose duty it was to go their daily rounds upon the most traveled roads near the garrisons, and from gar- rison to garrison, occasionally making longer marches when special reasons required. These parties or squads usually consisted of from twelve to twenty men, who were relieved every few weeks by fresh sol- diers. When long marches across country were to be made the number was of course much larger. Upon report that a party of thirty Indians had killed a man at Penacook (Concord), and were approaching Rochester, Governor B. Wentworth ordered Maj. Davis, with a detachment of forty men, to march to

Rochester to scout about that town. Similar cases frequently occurred. It was doubtless owing to such prudent precautions and the continual presence of sol- diers that there was no further loss of life this year. In the spring of 1747 the inhabitants found it neces- sary to petition for a guard, and as a strong argument why their favor ought to be extended to them, they set forth that no less than twenty of their brethren were enlisted in His Majesty's service for the Canada expedition. Several families had already moved from the town, driven by distress and fear of the enemy. The petitioners confessed themselves unable to defend the settlement. Their only dependence for succor and relief was upon the Provincial authorities, and while they acknowledged the protection granted to them during the past year, and returned for it their hearty thanks, yet unless the same be continued to them they must unavoidably move away, and leave all their improvements for the Indians to destroy. Maj. Davis with thirty men was sent to their protec- tion. Uncommon danger must have threatened the settlement at this time, for at a public town-meeting in the October following the town voted their grateful acknowledgment to the Governor and Council for sending Maj. Thomas Davis with thirty soldiers, " who by his prudent, diligent, and careful manage- ment, under Divine Providence," had been instru- mental in defeating the enemy in their attempts against them, and so of preserving their lives. Per- haps there had been an engagement, for on May 23, 1747, Samuel Drown, a soldier, had been wounded ; he was for a long time taken care of at the expense of the province. Upon the 7th of June of this year an attempt was made by the Indians to capture or kill a party of men at work in a field. Every one who has traveled the Neck road remembers the spring by the roadside about half a mile below Gonic. It was near this spring that the Indians lay in ambush. They were discovered by three boys, John and George Place and Paul Jenness. The Indians fired upon them. John Place returned the fire and wounded an Indian. Jenness presented his gun in a threatening manner, but did not fire. By keeping it aimed towards the Indians he prevented them from rushing upon them until the men in the field, who had heard the firing, came to their relief, and the Indians were put to flight. The wounded Indian was traced by the stains of blood for a long distance.

A few rods from the road leading from Rochester village to Gonic, and not far distant from the latter place, in a quiet spot half encircled by trees which line the high river-bank, several rough, unlettered stones, indistinctly visible to the passing traveler, mark the resting-place of some of the early inhabitants. . One of these graves is that of Jonathan Hodgdon's wife, who was killed by the Indians May 1, 1748. The particular locality of her death is just beyond the "Great Bryok," upon the right-hand side of the road, nearly opposite the place of her burial. She had gone

724

HISTORY OF STRAFFORD COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

out to find and milk her cows. It was a still Sabbath morning. For several days a considerable party of Indians, lying concealed upon Ham's Hill, which commanded a view of Squamanagonic garrison, had watched all the movements of the settlers. They eon- templated something more than the capture or murder of one solitary woman. Tradition says it was their plan to watch the fort until they saw the men depart with their guns to church, surprise and capture the women and children left behind, and finally waylay the men themselves upon the road,-a favorite strata- gem of these tribes; but seeing Hodgdon and his wife leave the fort together, they determined to attack them. Mrs. Hodgdon was seized, and the Indians would have kept her quiet and carried her away a prisoner, but as she persisted in screaming they killed her on the spot. Her husband, who was at a short distance, heard her eries and hastened to her resene, not knowing the cause of her fright, but intending, if the Indians had taken her, to surrender himself also.

He arrived at the instant of her death, while the sav- ages were in the act of scalping her. He presented his gun, but it missed fire. He then made his escape to the garrison. The news spread rapidly. The old iron cannon upon the hill, charged with nine pounds of powder it is said, thundered its note of alarm to distant inhabitants. It was heard even at Portsmouth. Several hundred people gathered together. A com- pany of light-horse from Portsmouth arrived at two o'clock in the afternoon, and the country was scoured as far as Winnipiseogee, but without success. The Indians, it was believed, concealed themselves upon islands in the river near our village.

This was the last attempt of the Indians in Roches- ter. Such vigor of pursuit perhaps deterred them from any subsequent attack. Peace took place the following year, a peace of short duration, for in 1754 the sword was resumed. Heretofore the English had carried on the war in a desultory and feeble manner, which encouraged their enemies to undertake these marauding and murdering excursions. After this period the English displayed more vigor; they fitted out formidable expeditions against Canada, and largely relieved the Eastern settlements from the calamities of war. One of these expeditions was against Lonis- burg, a strong city of Cape Breton,-the " Dunkirk of America," as it was called. It was captured by the British in 1758. Following are the names of some of the soldiers from this town engaged in His Majesty's service at this time : Lieut. John McDuthie, Ensign William Allen, John Copp, Jr., Daniel Alley, Ichabod Corson, Gershom Downs, Eleazer Rand, Wil- liam Berry, Jabez Dame.

The British officers sent press-gangs into the towns during the war to impress men into their service. The people of Rochester petitioned to be exempted from the press; but it does not appear that the peti- tion was granted. When the press-gang visited the town, Jabez Dame, whose name is given in the above

list, concealed himself until the danger was past; the next morning, however, having informed the girl he was courting of his intentions, he volunteered. The war was virtually closed in 1759 by the surrender of Quebec. The following year all the remaining French possessions in Western Canada were surrendered to the English, and the Eastern settlements found a permanent peace from the ravages of the Indians.

CHAPTER CIX. ROCHESTER .- (Continued.) WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

The Activity of Rochester-Town Committee of Correspondence-Nich- olas Austin-First Enlistments-List of Minute-men and Volunteers -List of Continental Soldiers-Prominout Men of the Revolution.

ROCHESTER may well be proud of her Revolution- ary record. Her delegates were present at all the conventions called to co-operate with the other American colonies, and she paid her proportion of the expenses of each Continental Congress. She cheer- fully took her part of the responsibility of resisting British authority, and her citizens shared largely in the feeling which animated the American people. They responded with alacrity to every call for sol- diers, they gave them liberal bounties, and provided for the support of their families. Their minute-men marched immediately when notified, and at one time, when other troops withdrew from the field, Rochester responded to the urgent call of Washington for rein- forcements, and sent a company of militia to his army at Cambridge. fler soldiers took part in the capture of Burgoyne at Saratoga, and of Cornwallis at York- town. They were in the battle of Trenton, and went through the sufferings of Valley Forge. Twenty-nine men were lost during the war.

As early as Feb. 4, 1774, a committee of correspon- dence was appointed, consisting of Hon. John Plu- mer, John McDuflee, Ebenezer Tibbitts, and Daniel Wingate, and it was voted that a copy of the resolves passed at this meeting " be sent to the Committee of Correspondence at Portsmouth, assuring them that our Hearts are knit with theirs in the noble Cause of Freedom." John Plumer was moderator of this meet- ing, and Josiah Main town clerk.

In the fall of 1774, when Gen. Gage, who com- manded the British army in Boston, wanted carpen- ters to build barracks for the troops, and could not hire them in Massachusetts, he applied to Governor Wentworth, of New Hampshire. The Governor dis- patched agents to the back towns in the hope to se- cure workmen, but New Hampshire was no more servile than Massachusetts. One of these agents, Nicholas Austin, visited Rochester, but the loyal men were on the alert. He was compelled to make a humble acknowledgment on his knees before the

725

ROCHESTER.

committee, and " this prudent step disarmed the pop- ular rage, and prevented any injury to his person or property."

Immediately after the battle of Lexington a re- cruiting office was opened in Rochester, at Stephen Wentworth's tavern, and men were rapidly enlisted. At a Provincial Congress held soon after at Exeter, James Knowles and John McDuffee were sent as delegates.

Among the first to offer his services was John Mc- Duffee, who was commissioned, May 20, 1775, as lieu- tenant-colonel of the Third Regiment (Col. Poor's). Hle had seen service in the French wars, had been a lieutenant of rangers at the siege of Louisburg, and had commanded a detachment of men under Wolfe at the capture of Quebec.

The following are the names of Rochester volun- teers in this regiment :

Capt. Winborn Adams' (Durham) Company, June 2, 1775.

Daniel McNeul, yeoman, 24 years old. Jonathan llongdon, Jr., yeoman, 20 years old. John Richards, Jr., yeoman, 25 years old. John Bergin, cordwainer, 30 years old.

Thomas Furber, tailor, 26 years old. John Walker, yeoman, 28 years old.

Edward Rolings, yeoman, 21 years old.

Ebenezer Horn, yeoman, 26 years old. Thomas Tolley, yeoman, 27 years old.

The following were in Capt. Jonathan Wentworth's (Somersworth) company :

Samuel Nute, sergt., entered May 28. James Chamberlain, corp., entered May 29. Samuel Merrow, corp., entered May 29. Ebenezer Chesley, private, entered May 29.

Nathaniel Perkins, private, entered May 28. Daniel Alley, private, entered May 26. Ephraim Alley, private, entered May 26.

Josiah Durg'n, private, entered May 30. James Wentworth, private, entered May 30.

Joshna Merrow, private, entered May 30. Gersbom Downs, private, entered May 28.

Jonathan Downing was in Capt. Benjamin Wit- comb's ( Dover) company. He was a "yeoman 25 years old." In all there were twenty-six men from Roch- ester in the army during the summer of 1775.

The following company of minute-men from Roch- ester was also in the service during this year at Ports- mouth and Boston :

Daniel Place, capt. Ebenezer Tebbets, Ist lieut. John Ham, 2d lieut. George Place, ensign. Paul Libby, sergt.

Reuben HeardI, sergt. Joshua Courson, sergt.

Privates.

Daniel Watson. John Nute.

Thomas Chamberlain. David Wingate. Jonathan Tebbets.

Amos Ilayes. Joseplı Richards. Solomon Clark. Isaac Wentworth. Benjamin Furber.

Timothy Ricker.

Joseph Plummer.

Moses Furber.

John Laighton. Jonathan Richards.

Amos Spencer.

James Rogers.

Samuel Robertson.

Dudley P'ike. Joseph Thompson. John Place.

Moses Drum.

James Coleman.

Jolin Rawlins.

Moses lammet. Jaunes Berry.

Daniel Clark.

Edward Raw lins.

Robert McCreelis.

Johan Bickford.

Jobn Stanton.

The following were in Capt. John Brewster's com- pany, stationed at Newcastle from Aug. 7, 1776, to Jan. 7, 1777. Of this regiment Dr. Samuel Howe, of Rochester, was surgeon's mate :

John Brewster, capt.

Jolın Bergin, ensign.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1714

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714