USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Amherst > History of the town of Amherst, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (first known as Narraganset township number three, and subsequently as Souhegan West) > Part 66
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He is still interested in the welfare of the church and the state, thoughtful of his friends and foriner associates, considerate of neigh- bors, and bestowing sympathy and assistance where they are needed, seeks to keep alive the ancient virtues of New England life, and main- tain the best standards of service and citizenship. (See p. 680: 14.)
THOMAS W. MELENDY
Removed to Germantown, Ohio, in 1819, and engaged in the manufac- ture of fanning mills for cleaning grain. From Germantown he re- moved to Cincinnati. whence, in 1833, he removed to Jacksonville, Ill., where the remainder of his life was spent.
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He was one of the four or five original anti-slavery men in Jackson- ville, and prior to 1840 assisted in securing the freedom of a slave woman who had been brought to Jacksonville, when her master sought to carry her back to bondage.
Owing to his course in this matter, and his outspoken advocacy of anti-slavery doctrines, he became unpopular in Jacksonville, and, with the members of his family, was subjected to many annoyances and persecutions from his neighbors. These, however, ceased before his death, and he was universally considered to be an intelligent, upright man, possessed of independence enough to follow his convictions of right though they came in conflict with the opinions of a large majority of his fellow-citizens. (See p. 692 : 18.)
DR. GEORGE W. MOORE,
A native of Princeton, Mass .; born in 1820; graduated at Dartmouth College in 1841; studied medicine and received the degree of M. D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1843. He commenced practice in Amherst in July, 1843 ; married Miss Margaret Ramsay, of Green- field, but left no children.
Ile died 8 September, 1866. Mrs. Moore married (2) Dr. Leonard French, of Manchester, 25 June, 1867.
Dr. Moore was a good scholar, and a well-read, skillful physician, but rough and eccentric in his manner. While here he was a somewhat active member of the Democratic party, and served as school commis- sioner for the county some years. Ile also served on the town school committee. Ile was appointed register of probate for Hillsborough county 5 September, 1852, but was removed by Gov. Metcalf upon the " address " of the " Know Nothing " legislature of 1855.
WILLIAM S. MORTON,
Born in Roxbury, Mass., 22 September, 1809, died in Quincy, Mass., 21 September, 1871.
He graduated at Harvard University in 1831 ; read law with Sidney Bartlett, Esq .; commenced practice in the office of Perley Dodge, Esq., in Amherst, in 1840, but in a short time removed to Quincy, where the remainder of his life was spent. He married Miss Mary J. W. Grimes, a niece of IIon. Levi Woodbury, 3 October, 1839, by whom he had six children. One of their sons served in the cavalry in the recent war, and lost his life in consequence of exposure and suffering. Another son served in the navy.
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CAPT. JOSIAII MUNROE
Removed from Lexington, Mass., to Amherst about 1777. He served a short time in the French war in 1762. Early in the Revolution he served a few months in New Jersey. In 1777 he enlisted in the third N. H. Regiment, where he continued until the close of the war, rising to the rank of captain 5 July, 1780. His kinsman, Abraham Munroe, who died in Ashburnham, Mass., in 1825, claimed to have fired the first gun discharged at the British on Lexington common, 19 April, 1775.
In 1788 Capt. Munroe joined the first party of emigrants to the north-western territory, and assisted in making the first settlement within the state of Ohio. Ile died in Marietta, O. (See p. 702: 1.)
REUBEN MUSSEY,
Grandfather of Professor Reuben D. Mussey, removed from Kingston to Souhegan West, and settled on the farm now owned by William Noyes.
He sometimes got into trouble with his neighbors about the boun- daries of his farm and the line fences. On one occasion he had quite a dispute about a line fence with Lt. Joseph Prince, whose premises adjoined his. He told Prince he didn't see why he couldn't get along better with Amherst folks ; he never had any trouble with his neigh- bors in Kingston ; they were all friendly, and when he moved away many of them turned out and gave him a day's work to help him off.
" Amherst folks would do better than that," said Prince. "There are many of them who would gladly give a week's work to get rid of you." (See p. 703 : 33, 2.)
DR. REUBEN DIMOND MUSSEY
Lived in Amherst from 1791 to about 180). He acquired a liberal ed- ucation, mainly through his own exertions, graduating at Dartmouth College in 1803, in the class with Edmund Parker, Henry Hubbard, and other eminent men ; fitted for his profession under the instruction of Dr. Smith, of Hanover, and Dr. Howe, of Jaffrey. He also attend- ed the medical lectures at Hanover, where he took the degree of Bach- elor of Medicine in 1806. In September of that year he commenced practice in Ipswich, Mass., but subsequently settled in Salem.
In 1814 he was appointed to a professorship in the New Hampshire Medical College, and at various periods between that time and 1837 he filled the medical professorship in that college.
In 1837 he accepted a professorship in the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, where he remained fourteen years. He then founded the
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Miami Medical College, where he labored six years. Finally, at the age of seventy-eight years, he relinquished his professional duties and retired to Boston where the remainder of his life was spent.
" As a surgeon he was bold and fearless, and ever ready to assume any legitimate responsibility. As a lecturer he was always respected and beloved by his students. From his youth he was a constant and devout Christian, and his record is without a blemish. Few have lived such a life of usefulness as he did." (See p. 703 : 11.)
Mojes Nichols
GEN. MOSES NICHOLS
Commenced practice as a physician in Amherst about 1761; served several years as one of the selectmen and as a representative. At the commencement of the war for independence he took an active part in behalf of the popular cause. He was appointed colonel of the fifth regiment 5 December, 1776, in place of Colonel Lutwyche, of Merri- mack, a loyalist. He commanded the right wing of Stark's army at Bennington, and his regiment commenced the attack upon the Hessian entrenchment. In 1778 he was placed at the head of a regiment sent to assist Gen. Sullivan at Rhode Island, and in 1780 he was in com- mand of a regiment at West Point at the time of Arnold's treason. After the close of the war he was appointed brigadier-general of the fourth brigade of New Hampshire militia.
On the organization of the state government under the temporary constitution, 5 January, 1776, he was appointed register of deeds for Hillsborough county, and held the office until his death. (See p. 707 : IV, 6.)
Camiño Parkeers
HION. EDMUND PARKER
Graduated at Dartmouth College in 1803; succeeded David Everett, Esq., in the practice of law at Amherst in 1807; was moderator of the annual town meeting six years, and representative ten years, county solicitor and judge of probate. He was also one of the trustees of Dartmouth College a long time. In 1835 he removed to Nashua, where he was agent for the Jackson Manufacturing Company several years.
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He was a well-read lawyer, faithful in all the business entrusted to his care, a peace-maker, an excellent citizen, and a worthy man.
In his old age he went to reside with his daughter, at Claremont, where he died 8 September, 1856. (See p. 715: 42.)
CHIEF JUSTICE JOEL PARKER
Studied law with his brother, Edmund, on the Plain. Like his brother, he abounded in fun in which there was sometimes mixed a tolerable share of mischief.
While residing here he was called upon to do military duty in "Old West," one " May training day." Orderly Sergeant " Tom " Wilkins, who officiated on that occasion for the first time in that capacity, was busily engaged in forming the company, passing in front to see that all was right : just as he had passed Parker that worthy sought to ac- complish his overthrow by placing his musket in such a position that he would stumble over it. The trick was discovered in season to pre- vent the accomplishment of its purpose, and its perpetrator was saluted by a blow from the fist of the officer which laid him on the ground. Ile soon regained his feet, and ever after treated the sergeant with the "most distinguished consideration."
CESAR PARKER.
Fifty years ago no training, muster, cattle show, or Fourth of July celebration, could have been successfully carried on without the presence of Cæsar Parker, a jolly, good-natured African, black as the ace of spades, whom the boys, young and old, rather irreverently called "Old Cæsar, " and took delight in tormenting.
Cæsar is said to have been a native of Boston, whence, in his youth, he was brought to Litchfield and held as a slave. The successful war for independence put an end to slavery in the Granite State, and thenceforth Cæsar was one of the sovereigns of the land. Marrying a white woman he settled on a small farm in the south part of Mont Vernon, adjoining Amherst, and his marriage proving a fruitful one, he soon rejoiced in a large family, principally boys, to one of whom he gave the name of the worthy " Pastor of the Church in Milford."
He was accused of being addicted to petty pilfering, and stories are told of some rather slippery dealings in regard to a load of fish he was assisting a dealer in getting up Mont Vernon hill; but whatever his failings in this regard might have been, they were generally detected and promptly punished by the attendants at the old Read store, who, after the toils of the day were over, met at that somewhat celebrated manufactory of "Weston's Itch Ointment " and emporium of dry
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goods and groceries, to talk politics, drink flip, or something stronger, and organize raids upon old buildings that were obnoxious to " Dea. Carleton's" company. One of the performances of this society, we may infer, was described by George Wilkins Kendall, himself an honorary member, at least, of the club, in the "melting story " publish- ed in the New Orleans Picayune some years since.
ToOne winter our hero unfortunately lost his cow, that ha l contributed largely to the support of his numerous family. On making his loss known to Judge Parker, who then hal a law office on the Plain, he re- ceived a handsome contribution toward purchasing another animal. The judge also furnished him with a paper commending the bearer to the consideration of charitably disposed people, which Cæsar circulated, and soon received enough to enable him to purchase another cow.
That cow paper did duty for a long time, and over a large extent of territory. When change grew scarce Cæsar started off on a collecting tour, and seldom returned without a supply of the needful.
In his old age Cæsar went to Rhode Island, where, in the vicinity of Newport, he died in 1858, at the age of about 96 years.
DR. JOHN PEABODY,
Of the north-west parish, visited Milford 9 August, 1798, wearing a French cockale on his hat. A large collection of citizens of the place soon gathered around the house where he stopped, and requested him to remove the French emblem which they regarded as a balge of trea- son. Upon his refusal to do this, and attempts to defend himself with a butcher-knife, while cursing the constitution of the country, recourse was had to arguments stronger than requests; the cockade and hat were dismantled, and the doctor was seen para ling through the door- way with his heels in the air. The citizens then formel a circle around him and gave three cheers for the triumphs of Federalism, after which the doctor was dismissed, with an intimation that, if he visited the town again wearing a cockade, the mill pond would be at his service. -Village Messenger, August 11, 1798. (See p. 722 : VI, 10.)
CAPT. JOSEPH PERKINS, JR.,
From Beverly or Wenham, Mass., settled in Amherst prior to the war for independence. In that contest he served on board a privateer vessel, which was taken by the British and the crew carried prisoners of war to Ireland, whence they were taken to England and were confined in what was called the " Mill Prison." While in prison he worked at tailoring, that being his trade, in which way he contrived to get some money, which made his lot more tolerable than that of many others. Tradition says that when he had secured a guinea he
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would cover it with cloth and sew it on his coat for a button. After his release he returned to Amherst, where he spent the remainder of his life a useful and respected citizen. (See p. 727 : 2.)
EZRA PRESCOTT, ESQ ..
Read law with Ilon. Titus Brown; commenced practice in Frances- town, whence, in 1824, he removed to Greenfield. He was elected register of deeds for Hillsborough county in March, 1828, and removed to Amherst in the fall of that year. He held the office of register until 1840, after which he resumed the practice of his profession. He married Miss Elizabeth Hardy, of Roxbury, N. H., in May, 1830 ; and died 28 September, 1845, aged 64 years, leaving no children.
SAMUEL PRESTON,
Son of Dr. John and Rebecca (Farrar) Preston, was born in New Ipswich 24 June, 1778. 1Ie learned the printer's trade and succeeded Samuel Cushing in the publication of the Village Messenger, at Am- herst, 18 April, 1797, which he continued to edit and publish until 5 December, 1801, when the publication was discontinued.
He left Amherst soon after, and engaged in trade in Dunstable, where he continued until 1809. There he married Esther, daughter of Timothy Taylor, Esq., 30 December. 1804.
In 1819 he removed to Bronson, Huron county, Ohio, where he con- tinned two years. In 1821 he removed to Norwalk, in the same connty. There he resided through the remainder of his life. In February, 1830, he commenced the publication of the Huron Reflector, in which he was engaged until his death, which took place 3 March, 1852.
Hle filled many important offices to the satisfaction of his constitu- ents, and departed, leaving no enemies behind.
Josephe frances
LIEUT. JOSEPHI PRINCE
Was probably the only one of the original proprietors of the township who settled here permanently. IIe is said to have laid out the road from his cabin to the first meeting-house by following the sound of the hammers of the workmen who were engaged in building the house.
During the French and Indian wars block-houses were built in va- rious parts of the town for the protection of the settlers. For some time he declined taking refuge in the block house at night, but finally,
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suspecting that the Indians were lurking around, he sprinkled ashes on the ground around his dwelling, and the next morning saw tracks made by Indiau moccasins during the night. After this he was more careful. On one occasion, as he was going to the block-house in the evening, an Indian arrow whizzed past his head, without touching him. The next day he found the arrow sticking in a tree near the path he followed to the garrison-house. (See p. 7331 : 1II, 1.)
Daniel Prior
CAPT. DANIEL PRIOR,
Born at Nantucket, 1760; died in Amherst 11 October, 1808; mar- ried Abigail, daughter of Capt. Nathaniel Woodbury, in 1784. She was born in 1760 ; died 6 January, 1811.
He purchased the house on the Plain, now occupied by Isaac P. Mc- Kean, in January, 1799, in which he resided, and kept a grocery and dry goods store. There also he kept the post-office from 1803 until his death. In 1802 he commenced the manufacture of twine in a build- ing he had erected on the farm of his father-in-law, in the south-east part of the town, in which business he was engaged at the time of his death.
ROBERT READ, ESQ.,
Commenced his business career as clerk in a store at Chelmsford, Mass. Subsequently he returned to Amherst, where he was a successful mer- . chant for nearly thirty years. In 1835 he removed to Nashua, where lie acted as agent of the Nashua Manufacturing Company. In 1837 he removed to Manchester, having received the appointment of agent of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company. This office he filled near- ly fourteen years, and during the period of his agency a large portion of the operations of the Amoskeag Company, in the way of buildings and real estate was completed.
He resigned his agency in Manchester 1 January, 1852, and returned to Nashua, where the remainder of his life was spent.
He held the office of town-clerk of Amherst thirteen years, and rep- resented the town three years in the general court. In 1850 he served as a delegate to the constitutional convention from Manchester.
For some years he commanded the " West " company of infantry in Amherst, and in the autumn of 1814 he served three months at Ports- mouth as lieutenant of one of the companies sent there to defend the place against an anticipated attack of the British fleet, then cruising
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in the vicinity. In 1828 he was appointed aide-de-camp to Gov. John Bell, with the rank of colonel.
lle was an active and enterprising business man, and by his industry accumulated a handsome estate. (See p. 741.)
LUTHER ROBY, ESQ.,
Learned the printer's trade in the office of the Farmers' Cabinet, and worked a short time as a journeyman printer in Boston, but returned to Amherst, where he opened a printing office and book-store. Late in the autumn of 1822 he removed to Concord, where, on the 6th of Jan- uary, 1823, he issued the first number of the New Hampshire Statesman, which he continued until June following, when he disposed of the establishment to Amos A. Parker, the paper being printed in his office for sometime afterward. He continued in the printing business, to which he subsequently added the manufacture of stereotype plates, and in connection with Samuel A. Kimball and Rufus Merrill, under the firm of Roby, Kimball & Merrill, did a large business in the man- ufacture of bibles, testaments, and school-books. In 1839 he was engaged in the construction of a canal to extend the navigation of the Merrimack, above Concord, but the building of the Northern railroad, shortly after, caused the abandonment of the undertaking, to the serious loss of those engaged in it.
Mr. Roby next engaged in opening the granite ledges on Rattlesnake Hill, and for some years did a large business in quarrying and furnish- ing granite for building purposes.
He contributed largely toward establishing the "Lyndeborough Glass Company," and was for some time employed in opening a graphite mine in Goshen.
He was for many years a member of the Concord Fire Department, and for some time its chief-engineer.
In 1837 and 1849 he was one of the representatives from Concord in the general court.
Mr. Roby was an active man in every thing he undertook. He pos- sessed a gift of language seldom equaled, and many of his quaint, original sayings, are well remembered by his acquaintances. (See p. 748 : 6.)
DAVID RUSSELL, ESQ.,
Carried on the shoe business in town as manufacturer and dealer, fifty years. He also kept a drug store a short time. Ile was post-master one year; served as town-clerk six years; was secretary of the Hills- borough County Fire Insurance Company a long time, and received a commission as justice of the peace in 1846.
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He became connected with the Congregational church in his native town, from which his relations were transferred to the church in Am- herst. in 1821. In, 1823 he became a member of Benevolent Lodge, No. 7, Free and Accepted Masons, and was for some time the oldest living member in both organizations.
For some years he was contemporary with several of the old resi- dents in the town, from whom he learned many facts in regard to its early history. These he treasured up, and in his old age his mind was a perfect store-house of events connected with the history of the town, and its inhabitants, which he loved to rehearse to visitors. For some ten years preceding his death he was totally blind.
Ile was a man of strict integrity, a kind friend and neighbor, and a public-spirited citizen. (See p. 752 : 1.)
JOIIN SABATTEA,
Who had served in the British army, under Burgoyne, was taken sick of a fever, in Amherst, during November, 1784, which resulted in a sore on his leg. Being wholly without means he applied to the selectmen for relief. As he had gained no settlement in any town, no one was liable for his support, but out of pity the selectmen requested Mr. Samuel Dodge to take him into his home and care for him, which he did for twenty-two days, charging therefor £6, 12s. Dr. Codman then boarded him eighteen and a half weeks, for which he charged £17, 1s., 2d. He also presented a bill for medicine of £4, 5s., 101. ; and Dr. Weston presented one of 15s., for advice and medicine, making, in the whole, £31, 12s., which the town directed the selectmen to ask the general court to refund, in June, 1788.
COL. PAUL DUDLEY SARGENT,
Son of Col. Epes and Catherine Dudley Sargent, was born at Glouces- ter, Mass., in 1745. His father soon after removed to Salein, where it is probable the son passed his youth and early manhood.
Driven from Massachusetts by the enmity of Gov. Hutchinson, he came to Amherst about 1773. His father having been one of the pro- prietors of the town he possessed several tracts of land here, which had become his by inheritance.
He early took a decided stand in behalf of the colonists in their struggle with the mother country. He represented Amherst wholly or in part in the first, second, third, and fourth, provincial congresses, held at Exeter, Moses Parsons, Esq., being his colleague in the two last.
In the month of May, 1775, he raised a small regiment, with which he repaired to Cambridge, and entered the army encamped there.
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In the month of November following his regiment was known as the Sixteenth Massachusetts. He continued in the service until after the evacnation of Boston by the British, in March, 1776, when he marched with the rest of the army to New York. During the summer of 1776 he acted as brigadier general, and his services in West Chester county, in the latter part of that year, were highly creditable to him and useful to the country.
It is not known when he retired from active service or from what cause.
He subsequently resided in Sullivan, Maine, where he died in Sep- tember, 1827. His wife, a daughter of Rev. Thomas Smith, of Fal- mouth, and two children, survived him.
WILLIS SARGENT.
The following account of the discovery of " Milford Springs" is taken from a communication signed by Ebenezer Sargent, published in the Farmers' Cabinet 5 December, 1818 :
Willis was sick of consumption, and on the forenoon of the 12th of July, preceding his death, fell asleep. During his sleep he had a dream or vision of a man standing by a large rock in a wood a short distance from his father's house, who told him there was a spring in the ground, under the spot on which he stood, the water of which when drank would cure consumption. The night following he had the same dream or vision. On the eighth day of August he had another vision, in which he saw the same man, who repeated his ines- sage, and also told him he was the angel Gabriel. He was not told that the water would cure him, but that it would help others, and he was very anxious to have it tried.
Some persons then dng at a short distance from the place indicated, and found water of a clayey appearance, that would not settle clear ; but Willis said that was not the water he expected to find.
As he was so anxious about it, he was carried about seventy rods to the place, and indicated the precise spot on which the man stood. The men present commenced digging, but after going down about seven feet without finding water abandoned digging. After Willis's death a man, who was frequently employed to find hidden springs by means of a metallic rod, was engaged, and on going to the spot directed the parties present to dig deeper, and they would finally find water. On digging about three feet deeper they came to a fine spring which gave an abundant supply of water. (See p. 751 : 10.)
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REV. WILLIAM T. SAVAGE
Was born in Bangor, Me., 14 November, 1812; graduated at Bowdoin College in 1833; also at Lane Seminary, Ohio, where he was a teacher in Hebrew. He was ordained pastor of a Congregational Church in Houlton, Me., where he labored for some time. He was installed pas- tor of the Congregational Church in Amherst 25 February, 1840, and dismissed 4 April, 1843.
He preached in Maine several years after leaving Amherst, and was installed pastor of the Congregational Church in Franklin, 4 Sep- tember, 1849. After a successful ministry of nearly twenty-five years, he was dismissed 27 August, 1874, and is now employed in his calling in some of the Western States.
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