USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Salem > History of Salem, N.H. > Part 21
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OLD MOSES AUSTIN HOUSE. (M 341)
OLD LUKE WOODBURY HOUSE.
-
MILITARY HISTORY. 257
Declare that it has been Reported that in his appeals to Heaven he has Gone Beside the truth.
"Thads Butler "Henry Little "Jonath" Tenny
"To the Committee of Safty at Exeter."
"To the Honourable Committee of Safty now siting at Exeter -Gentlemen, I have Recd a Summons from Your Honours to appear on thursday the 29th of this Instant For to give in Evi- dance Relating to what I know of Mr Robert Young being Enimical to the United States and by Reason of the badness of the Weather and other surcomstances I Cannot attend, but this may Certify that I have been Intimately acquainted with Mr. Young he has been a Committee for the purpose of Raising men for the Carrying on the war against the Common Enemy and gave the greatest satisfaction to the Town and has always paid his proportion of Tax for that purpose, and I have often heard him Say he would Do any thing in his power to promote the good of the Cuntry, and from all I Can learn the Complaint has been Exhibited wholly on account of his not agreeing with those which follow one Fletcher who has set up Preaching and Exhorting in the Town
"John Kelly
"Adkinson Nov" 24th 1781"
The finding of the committee indicates the impression among the members that the charges against Young were not sustained by the evidence presented. Doubtlsss he had said some uncom- plimentary things about the government, but it was through a desire for improvement rather than in a spirit of antagonism. The spirit in which remarks of such a nature are made could easily be misrepresented. The Committee have thus recorded their action :
"This day Robert Young appeared before this Committee, who was apprehended on Suspicion of being inimical to this and the United States; after examining Sundry Evidence Or- dered that the said Robert Young should give Bonds for his good Behavior and that he should appear before the General
18
258
HISTORY OF SALEM.
Court or their Committee when called thereto. Which Bond was given in presence of said Committee of Safety.
"C. S. Nov. 30, 1781."
The Committee seem to have been justified by the outcome of Young's period of probation, for no more complaint was made against him, and in less than a year his bond was released.
"Robert Young requesting of this Committee that his Bond might be given up. It is the Opinion of this Committee that as he is acquitted, said Bond might be given up, which was accordingly done.
"C. S. Sept. 7, 1782."
In connection with this and other similar cases it is interest- ing to note a sequel. In 1787 Joshua Clement and others sent to the General Court a petition against Moody Morse, Esq., for maladministration of his duties as Justice of the Peace. They had plenty of direct evidence of his abuse of his power. After deliberation on the facts of the case the Court decreed the im- peachment of Morse.
We wish that personalities might have been excluded from this treatment of the case of Robert Young. The incident is of importance more because it sets forth the tension of public feel- ing and discloses a few of the internal causes of dissatisfaction, than that it has to do with the prosecution of an offender. That there were valid grounds for criticism of governmental acts there is no doubt. But a just criticism, from an impetuous man, might appear almost anarchistic in its tendency. From another viewpoint the case is important as exposing the extreme partisanship that was rampant in our town at this time, rather than that it is a quarrel of a few of the citizens. Under such strained relations in a community men are liable to go beside themselves in their zeal to make their cause triumphant.
As an illustration of the incongruities of this period of inter- regnum we may refer to a case earlier in the war. It seems well nigh incredible that Capt. Elisha Woodbury, the hero of Bunker Hill, should have been sent to prison on a charge of disloyalty, less than three years after that battle. Yet such was the case, as is witnessed by the action of the Committee of Safety :
"A warrant was issued from the Committee in consequence of
259
MILITARY HISTORY.
which Elisha Woodbury was apprehended & examined & sent to prison.
"C. S. Nov. 13, 1777."
After vainly trying to obtain a release he sent a petition the next April to the Committee, asking permission to appear before them. They gave him license to appear before the Court of General Sessions sitting at Portsmouth. This did not accom- plish anything immediate, and in June he sent another petition.
"The Committee upon reading the petition of Capt. Elisha Woodbury of Salem praying to be liberated &c
"Voted, That a letter be sent to the Selectmen & Committee of said Town, Notifying them that Woodbury was to be heard upon sª Petition on Thursday ye 9th Instant &c also gave a per- mit for said Woodbury to appear before the Committee at the Time above mentioned
"C. S. July 1, 1778."
"The committee liberated Capt. Elisha Woodbury from his Confinement to the Town of Salem he having taken the oath of fidelity to the States.
"C. S. July 9, 1778."
Whatever may have been his words or actions, it is difficult for us to believe the captain had any desire for harm to the cause of the colonies. His earnest effort to exonerate himself before the Committee is an indication that he had been misinter- preted and his attitude toward the country misconstrued.
After the war, during the period of reconstruction, many vexing problems involving political and civic strife presented themselves for solution. We shall leave all such for treatment under the proper chapter heads and endeavor to follow the military interests through the early history of the new nation.
A militia has been maintained in the state of New Hampshire during most of the years since the Revolution. The early records, however, are extremely meagre, giving little or no information of a detailed nature.
By act of the General Court, Nov. 11, 1784, the militia of Salem was put into the Seventh Regiment of the state. On Dec. 27, 1792, it was transferred to the Eighth Regiment, Sec- ond Battalion, in which it has since been enrolled.
260
HISTORY OF SALEM.
We know nothing of the militia of those days, since not even at the adjutant-general's office are there any records. Even in the War of 1812 the names of Salem soldiers are entirely wanting. In fact, no companies were enlisted in the towns for this war, and of the individual soldiers who took part the addresses are not given in the records. Doubtless some men from Salem were enlisted in the army at that time. However, the town records have an entry of a vote taken in 1815 to pay twelve dollars per month for "those of the militia who went in defence of Portsmouth." But there is no list of the men who received pay under this vote. In the years directly following the war there was an increased interest in the militia, and com- panies were formed in nearly all of the towns. The state took the matter in hand in a systematic way in 1820 by the passage of an act intended to unify and centralize the service. Such sections of this act as are necessary to show the plan of organ- ization are here given. Arrangements for musters are included in the act, as well as conditions of exemption from duty. Men might, by furnishing sufficient evidence of cause, be excused from military duty either conditionally or absolutely. All other male citizens of requisite age must serve. Any one conditionally excused must pay two dollars a year-namely physicians and those who have held commissions in the militia of any state in the Union for a less term than four years. Those who might be absolutely excused included all federal officers; all stage- drivers and ferrymen carrying United States mail; all pilots and mariners; all officers of the state or of any college or acad- emy ; all ministers; all judges and registers; all who have held commission in the militia of any state for a term of four years; all fire engine men not exceeding eighteen to an engine; and all persons of the religious denomination of Quakers or Shakers. It was also provided that the towns should furnish rations for their troops at muster. The other important features are con- tained in the following extract :
"State of New Hampshire
"In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty
"An Act for forming, arranging and regulating the Militia
GEORGE C. GORDON,
261
MILITARY HISTORY.
"SEC 2 And be it further enacted
"8-That the companies in the Towns of Londonderry, Salem, Pelham and Windham shall constitute the eighth regiment
"SEC 3
"3-And be it further enacted That the eighth, eleventh, sev- enteenth, eighteenth and thirty eighth regiments shall compose the third brigade
"SEC 4 And be it further enacted That each and every free, able bodied white male citizen of this State resident therin, who now is or here after shall be of the age of eighteen years and under the age of forty five years, or who may hereafter come to reside in this State (except such as are herein after absolutely excused) shall severally and respectfully be enrolled in the militia by the Captain or commanding officer of the Company within whose bounds such citizens shall reside,
"SEC 9. And be it further enacted. That every commanding officer of a Company shall parade his company on the first Tues- day of May annually at one of the Clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of inspecting, examining and taking an exact ac- count of all equipments of his men and for correcting his com- pany roll, in order that a thorough inspection of each Company in the State may be made.
"SEC 41. And be it further enacted That the Colonels or commanding Officers of the several regiments shall assemble the officers of their respective regiments at some convenient and central place within the same, once at least every year armed with swords, muskets and bayonets; and it shall be the duty of the commanding officers aforesaid to instruct or cause said offi- cers to be instructed by some person qualified therefor, in the lefsons of the soldier, the squad, the platoon the company and the battalion, the notice for such meetings to be ifsued to the officers in the same manner as for regimental muster.
"SEC 44. And be it further enacted That each regiment shall turn out for inspection and review once in every year and no more; which shall be between the first day of September and the fifteenth day of October: and the respective major generals shall sometime in the month of July in each year ifsue their orders to the brigadier generals within their divisions directing
262
HISTORY OF SALEM.
them to order the several regiments in their brigade, at such times within the time specified in this act as such major general shall direct: and the brigadier generals receiving such orders shall on or before the twentieth day of August of each year, in brigade orders, ifsue the same to the several Colonels composing their brigades, accompanied with such directions relative to their discipline as they may think proper to make, leaving it dis- cretionary with the field officer of the respective regiments to appoint the place of meeting and no Colonel or commanding officer of a regiment shall oblige to call out his regiment without such order. And it shall be the duty of each major-general to review at least three of the regiments composing his division in each year : and the brigadier generals shall review such regiments in their brigades as shall not be reviewed by the major generals : So that each regiment called out agreeably to the provisions of this act shall be reviewed either by its major general or its brigadier general.
"Dec 21. 1820
"Samuel Bell Gov."
There had been companies in town previous to the passage of this act, but this brought the muster into full sway as far as out of town companies were concerned. In the same year of this enactment a muster had been held on the "Little Land," so called, the broad plain just west of the old Tom Nevins place (now owned by Morton L. Smith) on the road from Salem Village to Canobie Lake.
The militia companies were not uniformed, but had as accou- trements a gun, knapsack, canteen and cartridge box. Thomas D. Lancaster tells us they were "a pretty hard looking set," and by picturing in our minds a heterogeneous collection of humanity from the shops and farms, clad in all the varying qualities of homespun clothes, we can readily agree with him.
At first the men received thirty-one cents each from the town on muster days to purchase a dinner. But this was increased in 1835: "Voted to authorize the selectmen to pay the soldiers and officers of this town 19 cents in addition to the legal require- ment of 31 cents for muster days." Muster day attracted large crowds. The visitors came in the morning and stayed until the
263
MILITARY HISTORY.
troops departed in the evening. There were nine or ten com- panies in a regiment, and the local companies assembled in Salem, Londonderry, Derry and Pelham in different years. In Salem musters were held on four level tracts of land near the village : the "Little Land" above referred to; the Marston land, which took in the square enclosed by Lawrence Road, Main Street, around by the bridge by the old cemetery to the river, most of the houses which now fringe this lot having been built more recently ; "Kelly's Plains," east of the Isaiah Kelly place (now W. E. Bodwell's) ; and "Clendenin's Plains," on the low plateau north of the schoolhouse at the village, formerly a part of the farm of John Clendenin, who lived in the house now owned by Clinton L. Silver.
In Pelham the muster ground was near the tavern of Joshua Atwood, who was an officer in the militia. He is described as a huge man, weighing three hundred and twenty-five pounds, and looking a veritable giant when mounted on his large horse.
On one occasion the boys thought it would make the muster more like the real thing if they could introduce a little camp life. So they procured tents and went over to Pelham the night before the muster. But unfortunately a severe frost which was running ahead of schedule time struck the town the same night, causing a panic in the camp of the invaders and a disorderly retreat to a nearby store, where the friendly offices of an ancient stove enabled the leaders to reorganize their forces before the break of day.
A full list of the officers of the Salem companies, in so far as they are given in the records of the adjutant-general, is presented here. Of the early records we have only the name of Abraham Dow, who was lieutenant-colonel in the Twentieth Regiment in 1787, '88, '89. The others are in the Eighth Regiment.
FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS OF EIGHTH REGIMENT.
Name.
Rank.
Date of Commission.
John Kelly
Major
June 16, 1825
Lieut .- Col.
June 30, 1826
Colonel
June 26, 1827
Thornton Betton
Paymaster
July 17, 1826
Adjutant
Sept. 5, 1827
264
HISTORY OF SALEM.
Name.
Rank.
Date of Commission.
Thornton Betton
Major
Oct. 14, 1831
Lieut .- Col.
June 21, 1832
William B. Merrill
Colonel
June 25, 1833
Asa S. Austin
Lieut .- Col.
Sept. 4, 1837
Ira W. King
July 18, 1842
William L. Bradford
Major
July 1, 1843
John R. Wheeler
Lieut .- Col.
Jan. 1, 1845
John L. Clendenin
Major
Dec. 27, 1848
Lieut .- Col.
June 30, 1849
Colonel
June 28, 1850
Adjutant
July 30, 1850
Quartermaster
April 9, 1851
Paymaster
April 9, 1851
CAVALRY.
Charles Pattee
1st Lieut.
April 7, 1819
Captain
April 16, 1830
Seth Emerson
2d Lieut.
June 30, 1821
1st Lieut.
May 24, 1822
Andrew Clendenin
Captain
May 24, 1822
Daniel Bradford
Cornet
April 7, 1823
FOURTH COMPANY INFANTRY.
Date.
Capt.
Lieut.
Ensign.
1815
Samuel Emerson
1816
David Messer
Richard Woodbury
John Kelly
1817
Richard Woodbury
John Kelly
Asa Woodbury
Asa Woodbury
John Smith
1822 1824 1825 1827
John Kelly
John Smith
Sam'l Gorrill
John Smith
Sam'l Gorrill
Ezekiel Foster
1828
Wm. S. Merrill
Sam'l B. Pettingill
Sam'l B. Pettingill
1830
Sam'l Pettingill
Mark Webster John A. Messer
1831
Mark Webster
John A. Messer
Edward Cook
Edward Cook
John Haseltine
John Haseltine Gardner Cross Asa S. Austin
1834 1834 1835 1836
John Haseltine
Gardner Cross Asa S. Austin
Joseph Gage
Asa S. Austin
Joseph Gage
Isaiah Woodbury
1837
Isaiah Woodbury
Washington Kimball
Isaac Thom
John Kelly
Jonathan Kimball
Wm. S. Merrill
Mark H. Webster John A. Messer Edward Cook
1832
John A. Messer John Ayer Frederick Kimball
RESIDENCE OF BENJAMIN CHASE. (M 467)
WILLIAM BRADFORD HOUSE. (M 276)
265
MILITARY HISTORY.
Date.
Capt.
Ensign.
1839
Isaac Thom
Lieut. Washington Kimball
Wm. L. Bradford
1840
Wm. L. Bradford
1841 Wm. L. Bradford
James M. Haynes
James M. Haynes Lowell Reed
In 1841 this was changed to the Third Company.
1842
Lowell Reed
Josiah Cluff
1843
Lowell Reed
Josiah Cluff
Wm. B. Gage.
1845
Josiah Cluff
Wmn. B. Gage
Leverett Silver
1845
Leverett Silver
Stephen Bailey
1847
Leverett Silver
Stephen Bailey
Philip Ayer
1849
Stephen Bailey
Philip Ayer
Andrew J. Silver
1850 Philip Ayer
Andrew J. Silver
John Q. Adams
1851
Andrew J. Silver
John Q. Adams
Robert B. Lowell
1854
Levi Cluff, Jr.
NINTH COMPANY INFANTRY.
Caleb Wheeler was captain of cavalry in this company in 1819, having been lieutenant in 1815. The infantry officers were as follows:
Date. Capt.
Lieut.
Ensign.
1815
Edmund Adams
James Webster
Same
1817
David Currier
Isaac Wheeler
Same
1819
Isaac Wheeler
Caleb Duston
Same
John Russ
Isaiah A. Duston
John Russ
Isaiah Duston Abiatha Wheeler
Hiram Allen
David Allen, Jr.
Israel W. Hall
1829
Hiram Allen
Israel W. Hall
Benaiah Gordon
1830
Israel W. Hall
Benaiah Gordon
Asa Taylor
1832 1833 1834 1835 1836
Wm. E. Lancaster John Russ
Luther Emerson, Jr.
Luther Emerson, Jr. Sam'l Woodbury
1837
Sam'l Woodbury
Simon Harris
1838
Wm. L. Russ
Nathaniel Bailey
1839
Phineas Corning
. Horace Noyes
1840 Ira W. King
John R. Wheeler
Gilman Stickney
In 1840 this company was made the Eighth Company.
1842 John R. Wheeler
1845 Rawson Coburn
Rawson Coburn Nathaniel Paul
Ebenezer G. Duston
1847 Stillman Simons
Ebenezer Duston
David D. Bailey
1848 Ebenezer Duston
Thomas D. Lancaster
Richard Taylor
1850
John W. Wheeler
Matthew H. Taylor
1851 John W. Wheeler
Matthew H. Taylor
John G. Duston
1822 1823 1824 1825 1827
Benaiah Gordon
Asa Taylor
Joshua Webster
Joshua Webster
Moody Foster
Abiatha Wheeler
Abiatha Wheeler
David Allen, Jr. Hiram Allen
Wm. E. Lancaster John Russ Sam'l Woodbury Simon A. Harris William L. Russ Phineas Corning
Nathaniel H. Paul
266
HISTORY OF SALEM.
In connection with this company there is record of a notice of a muster :
"To the selectmen of the Town of Salem,
"You are hereby notified that the regimental muster for the Eighth regiment, will take place at Pelham, near Joshua At- wood's Tavern, in the town of - -, on the fourteenth day of September, and that the number of men liable to do duty in the 8 company of Infantry in said regiment under my command is fifty.
"Salem, August 26, 1843,
"John R. Wheeler "Captain or Commanding Officer of said Company."
Even a superficial examination of these lists of officers is suf- ficient to enable one to locate the two companies in the town. Just as the line of division was between the north and south parts when the militia companies were first organized, during the early years of the Revolution, so also was it when the state troops were reorganized. The Fourth (later the Third) Com- pany was the south command, while the Ninth (later the Eighth) Company was from the northern part of the town. But the line was by no means rigidly defined, and frequently men and officers of one company lived in the other part of the town.
There was a company of artillery in the Eighth Regiment, composed largely of men from towns other than Salem. In its earlier days, before the organization of the "Salem Guards," Salem contributed largely to its list of men and officers. The following officers are noted :
Date. 1819 1821
Capt.
First Lieut.
Second Lieut. Benj. Woodbury Thomas Duston
1823 1825 1831 1832
Thomas Duston
Benj. Woodbury
Simeon Duston
Simeon Duston
John Dunlap
John Dunlap Obediah Duston
1834 Obediah Duston
Perhaps the most interesting of all the Salem military organ- izations, certainly of those not enlisted in time of war, is the "Salem Guards Artillery Company." When we speak of ser- vice to the state or nation, of course we do not compare this
267
MILITARY HISTORY.
company with the bodies of men who followed the stars and stripes through the terrible years subsequent to 1775 and 1861. That would be most remote from our purpose. But for pic- turesque individuality the Guards certainly are entitled to the first award.
To begin with, it was an independent organization, in no way affiliated with other such interests in the state. Also it was purely local. It was organized by John Leverett Clendenin, who was for many years the most prominent man in Salem in many respects. The company was designed for the duty ex- pressed by its name-that of guarding the town of Salem. Therefore the town paid for the services at muster and on other occasions. The armament consisted of a six-pounder brass can- non, which was very carefully lodged in a gunhouse built oppo- site Clendenin's house near the later site of the home of the late Abraham H. Merrill, now the property of Charles H. Allen. This gunhouse was moved in 1853 to its present site near the Temple Roberts place on Bluff Street.
The uniform of the Guards was the crowning glory of the whole equipment. It consisted of white trousers, with a broad stripe down the side, tucked into high-top boots of hard leather. These boots were polished to a brilliant luster for exhibition days. The coats were of light blue, cut full below the belt so as to flare out slightly. The shoulders were ornamented with large epaulets, while at the waist was worn a belt and sword. Above this artistic array of finery appeared a black hat similar to that worn by the hussars. One of the members of the Guards describes it as "a stovepipe hat without a brim, and having a very small vizor." On the top of the hat, at the front, was a huge yellow plume, with long drooping pendants which shed over the whole hat and responded gracefully to the solicitations of the amorous breeze. We regret that we cannot resurrect one of these uniforms for the purpose of a photograph. But they seem to have disappeared. We can easily imagine the envious glances of the militia companies, with no uniforms other than those of the daily occupations, when they beheld the gorgeous spectacle presented by the Guards at muster. And it goes with-
268
HISTORY OF SALEM.
out saying that the fair sex involuntarily followed the irresist- ible beckoning of the yellow plumes.
The town records contain several entries regarding this com- pany, from which a partial list of the members may be gathered. The officers, for the short period of the existence of the organ- ization-1843 to 1851-are given below; they were elected every two years. John L. Clendenin was captain and John Brown first lieutenant from 1843 to 1849. Charles Kimball was chosen captain in 1849 and served in that capacity until 1851, when the company was disbanded. During these two years John Ayer was first lieutenant.
Date. Second Lieut.
Third Lieut.
1843-5
Isaac Pattee
Richard Taylor
1845-7
Richard Taylor
Albert Holbrook
1847-9
Albert Holbrook Charles Kimball
1849-51
Wm. B. Ayer
Frederick Kimball
The town usually voted one dollar for each member for pay for services for one year. The enrollment for 1848 is shown from the payroll for that year.
"Rec'd of John L. Clendenin, Collector, the sums set against our respective names, in full for military services for 1848
John Dix
1.00
William F. Stevens 1.00
Charles Austin
1.00
William K. Morrison 1.00
Samuel Palmer
1.00
William Thom 1.00
John P. Foster
1.00
Daniel Taylor 1.00
James A. Bryant
1.00
J. L. Clendenin 1.00
Daniel W. Emerson
1.00
William Abbott
1.00
Jesse Ayer
1.00
John W. Cluff 1.00
Hiram Webster
1.00
John B. Palmer 1.00
Charles M. Russ
1.00
George R. Austin 1.00
Samuel P. Kelly
1.00
Horace Pettingill 1.00
William B. Ayer
1.00
Charles Kimball® 1.00
Sylvanus P. Massey
1.00
Benj. P. Cole 1.00
Nelson Emerson
1.00
John Mclaughlin
1.00
Moses A. Kelly
1.00
John Bodwell Jr.
1.00
"Gridley B. Rowell performed duty once.
"John L. Clendenin
"Captain."
HON. BENJAMIN R. WHEELER.
269
MILITARY HISTORY.
Also the following record is from the town books:
"Sept. 27, 1849
"List of those who performed military duty in First Company of Artillery, commanded by Charles Kimball-
Clinton Ewins
Levi Cluff, Jr.
Alonzo How
Daniel Hunt, Jr.
Miles Hall
H. P. Stevens
John Q. A. Kelley
Isaachar O. Foster
Moses Whittaker
Joseph K. Haseltine
Benjamin H. Smith
Benjamin A. Cole."
Charles A. Adams
The Guards were disbanded in 1851, at the time of the act abolishing the mustering of the state militia. This act, passed July 5, 1851, removed the requirement for active duty by the militia, except when called out to suppress a riot or other dis- turbance. This meant practically the disbanding of the militia.
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