USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Antrim > History of the town of Antrim, New Hampshire, from its earliest settlement to June 27, 1877, with a brief genealogical record of all the Antrim families > Part 9
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Under these circumstances of war and monetary embarrass- ment, trouble arose with the proprietors and non-resident land- owners. In the first place, there was difficulty in obtaining the land for public purposes at the established center of the town. It seems that the voters had been a little too fast the preceding year in clearing ground for a burial-place. Hence, perceiving their mistake, and putting the matter in a mild form, they entered an article in the warrant for March 10, 1778, " to See if the town will be willing [to] Present a petition to the owners of that Right our Centor falls into to get A Privilege for Building a meeting house." On this article they -
Voted to Send a Petition to Mr. Jeffre (Geo. Jaffrey of Portsmouth) and Mr. Parce.
Voted Lieut Jno McCleary to Cary in the above Petition.
No doubt he attended to this duty at once, and was successful in getting the grant of land, as within three weeks another town meeting was called to finish up clearing the lot set apart for purposes of burial. Thus this disturbing element, which threat- ened to be serious, was happily and manfully put out of the way.
The March meeting of 1778 was closed by choosing Daniel McFarland town treasurer. They also " Voted the Selectmen as a Cometee of Seafty. "
In the next place, trouble arose with non-resident land-owners in regard to taxes assessed by the town on their land. The records are very scanty and obscure touching these points ; but enough is known to indicate what the trouble was. Very likely these unlettered men of the forest had not gone strictly accord- ing to law in everything. Two-thirds of the soil of the town was owned by outsiders ; and the people rightfully thought this property should be assessed as well as their own improvements. Several records of sales of such land for taxes are now in exist- ence. All the north part of South Village was thus sold in 1778. This action of the town the proprietors resisted, though the taxes thus assessed seem to have been chiefly, perhaps entirely,
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52
TOWN MEETINGS AND PROCEEDINGS.
on account of the war. This caused great and continued anxiety in town. Committees were appointed again and again, and legal counsel was obtained. It seems from the subsequent action of the town, that there had been no record of the acceptance of the charter ; and probably on this ground they denied the right of the selectmen to tax them. Hence a meeting was called for May 7, 1778, " To heare Mr Cleggets Advise by Lieut. mcCleary," and "To See if the town will act acording to our Charter as Was Voted last Meeting." This gentleman was Hon. Wyseman Claggett of Litchfield, long Attorney-General of the State. It seems that he advised them to accept the charter in a formal manner by vote, put it on record, and then go ahead ; since they at once " Voted the Town on the Charter as Voted last meet- ing ;" and since we find them subsequently selling land for taxes, and hear no' more of trouble with non-residents for a considerable time. And thus this difficulty was overcome, and the settlers as before had their own way, which was the right way. But it is not to be wondered at, that, at the meeting April 21, 1778, being in the midst of these troubles, the town felt too poor to send a man to Concord " As a Delegate to Lay a plan for Government," especially as they then had their first applica- tion for the poor, and " Voted Twenty Dollars out of the Town's Stock to the Suport of Miels Realys family." This meeting was at Richard McAllister's house, and the moderator was Dea. Tristram Cheney.
July 9, 1778, that being the fourth town meeting of the year (Benj. Gregg, moderator), " Voted that there be 700 Dollars Raised for the Great Bridges being compealed in Said town." This being in depreciated currency, would be less than one hun- dred dollars in specie. "The Great Bridge " (Baldwin bridge) was then the only southward exit from the town by road of any kind, and hence of great importance.
At the fifth town meeting of the year, Oct. 14, 1778, much was talked of, but nothing was done of much importance. " Voted that All meetings for the futer be held at Sam Greg's." Also, " Voted that the Warrants for the futer be posted at Jams Moore's mill Likewise at James Aiken's house."
The year 1779 was even harder than 1778. There was some increase of population, and improvement of lands ; but with many of the citizens in the army, with new roads to build, with fences everywhere to put up, with land to clear for absent
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TROUBLE WITH THE CURRENCY.
soldiers, and with the burial-ground to finish, it was a year of extreme toil and hardship for every son and daughter of Antrim. At the town meeting March 9, 1779, Samuel Moore first comes into notice. He seems to have made quite an impression, as he was chosen moderator, second selectman, and town clerk all at the same time. This shows that their method of voting and keeping records was different from what is followed at the present time. At this meeting, the north stream in town is first called the " Branch." A bridge over the same in Branch village was put up this year. Mr. Whiton is mistaken in saying 1781, as the record March 9, 1779, is, " Voted that Richard McAllestor & Thomas Stuart be a Committee To finish the Bridge on the Branch." The continued depreciation of the currency is shown by the following record of this meeting : -
Voted 3000 Dollars To be Worked out on the highways for the presant year at Ten Dollars per Day.
Silver passed entirely out of circulation. As this paper was legal tender, unprincipled men paid their debts with it; and many creditors were crippled or ruined by being compelled to take it. The town paid Rev. James Miltimore seventy dollars per day for preaching, which was about four dollars in good money, as shown by this record : -
Voted that the Minister Be Paid four Dollars per Day Equal to Coarn at three Shillings per Bushel.
The embarrassment and trouble of the people on account of currency this year can hardly be calculated. By an interesting " Table of depreciation for this State," recorded on the Journal of the New Hampshire Assembly, July 3, 1781, it appears that Jan. 31, 1777, continental paper was at par with silver, while Dec. 31 of that year it took $3.10 in paper to equal one dollar in silver. At the close of 1778 it. took $6.34 of paper to equal a dollar of silver. March 1, 1779, it took ten dollars of paper to equal one of silver ; and through the year depreciation was so constant and so rapid that on Dec. 31 it took $23.93 of paper to equal one dollar of silver. And thus the monetary unrest and uncertainty grew worse and worse. Hence but little was under- taken at the March meeting. They adjourned to April 20; and then, though paper had lost a tenth of its value in one month, they cut down the highway appropriation one-third ; and of that
Voted Three. Days Work of Each man to be Worked out at ye Centor for preparing for a meeting house.
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REGULATING PRICES.
At this meeting a vote was taken to lay out a certain road, which as a curious specimen is here given : -
Voted that there be a Road Laid out from a Rock in the River as it is Now Markt or as Near as the Ground Will allow To the West Branch To the most Convinent place fof a Bridge Running out to the other Road.
Of course that is plain to every one ! In 1779, there were six town meetings, which shows the disturbed condition of affairs. The most important of these was called for Sept. 20. On assembling, they chose Samuel Gregg moderator, and adjourned to Oct. 4. ' The principal object of this meeting was to regulate the values of produce, or, as the warrant has it, " To See if the Town Will Chuse a Committee To make a Regulation of prisses." They chose Benjamin Gregg, James McAllister, and Daniel McFarland a " Committee for to Set Upon the Vigitabels that is to be Sold in Said Town." " Voted that Sam1 Gregg be one to Assist sª Committee ; " and surely if ever a difficult task was allotted to three men, this was such a case, especially as they " Voted that any person Taking any more for aney Article that the above committee has Stated forfits that Article or the price of Said Article and all charges arrising Thereon ; " and still more especially as they " Voted that said commit Shall Bring Such offenders To punishment." Then after voting that the " Select- men Give Instruction " to our "Delegate to Represen us in Cort," they adjourned to the first Monday in November. It will be noticed that though our fathers were fighting for freedom, they ruled severely. Their intent was to prevent extortion and extravagant prices, but their steps were exceedingly arbitrary. and futile. But little is known as to the details of the plan, only that it proved a failure, and prices were soon left to regulate themselves. They were not the only men that have attempted to make a dollar's worth go for eighty-five cents, or eighty-five cents' worth go for a dollar ; but experience everywhere eventually enforces the conclusion that prices hinge upon demand and supply, not being subject to arbitrary decisions.
In the fall of 1779 the proprietors and absentees again attempted resistance to the non-resident tax, and this time carried the matter into the legislature of the State. In that body, after some debate and delay, they got a decision in their favor this much : -
Nov. 9, 1779, Voted to forbid the Selectmen of Antrim from Selling
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NON-RESIDENT . TAXES.
land of non-residents for Taxes until further order of the General As- sembly.
Soon after receiving this order a town meeting was called for Dec. 14, 1779, to " See What Meathod the Town will agree upon to obtain Redress of Their Grievances." As the times were then, and as the non-residents were so many, their failure to pay would bring a greater burden on the settlers than it would be now to double our taxes. At the present time, our western pioneers for new roads and improvements issue bonds, or in some other way borrow money, but our fathers paid for every- thing when they got it, and did without until they could pay. Hence, as they were paying and doing all that men could already, the non-resident resistance brought serious trouble upon them. Therefore, when they met Dec. 14, they voted to send a petition to the general court setting forth their circumstances, and " Voted that Lieut. Thos. Nichols Carries ye. abº. petition."
Then they called a meeting for Jan. 24, 1780, " To her Capt. Nichols Report from Court," and "To hear a petition Read With the order of Court thereon Which the proprietors have Laid into the General Court against the Town of Antrim." At this meeting they " Voted that John Duncan Esqr. go Down to Court To answer against the proprietors petition," and " Voted that Capt. Nichols Go to Court to Assist Squir Duncan." This matter was pressed in the assembly the following March. Prob- ably other towns might have had the same interest there. But a compromise was at length decided upon by the legislature, and they voted, March 9, 1780, " That the unimproved lands of non-residents within this State shall be subject to be taxed to the State Taxes, Continental Taxes, War taxes, County Taxes & not . otherwise." The question of taxing "located lands," -i. e., lands purchased, partly cleared, but on to which the owner had not yet moved, was referred on the above day to a " Committee of both houses." They reported an act, which was passed March 16, but the text of it I am not able to find. But, after this, non-residents were taxed for everything except town expenses. But the proprietors were not pleased with this result. A few months after, an article was in the warrant to petition them for " one hundred Aicres of Land for a Settlement for a minister ;" but they seem to have concluded it was no use to ask for favors, and therefore they " Voted that Daniel Miltimore Shall Go to Portsmouth and Purchase a Lot of Land from Esqr.
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56
TITHING-MEN.
Jafre as Low as Possible." Or perhaps they were getting their backs up, in regular Scotch style, and did not wish for any favors from that source.
There are but little data for further remarks on events in Antrim up to March meeting in 1780. By this meeting conti- mental paper had gone down so far that it took $37.36 of it to purchase a silver dollar, and silver could not be had in Antrim even at that rate. They " Voted that Wages at hieways the Instant year be Nine Pounds." . They also " Voted that william Boyd have five hundred Dollars for his Sarvice at Road island." By vote of the assembly, June 23, 1779, a regiment of three hundred men was raised in this State to defend Rhode Island from threatened invasion. It is believed that Boyd was the only man from Antrim in this particular service.
This year the first " Tayithing man " was chosen in this town, in the person of Dea. James Aiken. This office was regularly filled for a long series of subsequent years. The badge of office was a stick a yard long tipped with brass or pewter. The busi- ness of the incumbent was to keep order in religious meetings, and see that the Sabbath was strictly observed, and to stop travel on the Lord's day. This was a religious office, and often the best men in town were elected to it, though in after years the religious was not always the chief distinction about it. It is related that a man from Stoddard was going home one Sabbath afternoon, and, in passing by the Daniel Swett house, was arrested for traveling on the Lord's day. But the Stoddard man was short of corn, and the tithing-man had corn to sell ; so said tithing-man, after duly admonishing the guilty footman of the wickedness of traveling on the Sabbath, sold him a bushel of corn, gave him something to drink, and at sunset let him go on !
The year 1780, like the two preceding years, was hard for the new town of Antrim. There was a steady but slow increase of population, but scarcely any increase of wealth. War expenses weighed very heavily on the people. Men, women, and children had to struggle to get a living even of the plainest kind. No votes or town transactions of account to the present reader, are put on record. The year 1780 is noted rather for extreme cold, and for the " Dark Day," so far as it has any special importance in the traditions that have come down to us. The winter of 1779-80 has a place of note as the "Hard Winter." Dr. Whiton tells us that water did not drop from the eaves in any
THE " HARD WINTER." 57
place for six weeks. For most of the winter snow was five feet deep on a level. The only communication was by means of snow-shoes. Roads were out of the question. Boston harbor was frozen hard enough for a sleigh-ride on it, according to report. People could not go to mill, and, after their stock of meal was used up, they lived for weeks on boiled corn and vari- ous broths. Wood was drawn on hand-sleds most of the winter, it being impossible to move a team. It is related that one lad and his little sister, their father being in the army, drew wood in this way for the family all winter. Having no boots, they sewed rags round their feet and saturated them with neat's-foot oil to keep from freezing, and then sallied forth into the woods. Old stockings, thus saturated, were called proof against frost. As evidence that the reports of cold and snow were not greatly exaggerated, the Journal of the New Hampshire Legislature, March 8, 1780, contains a " Resolve to enable the Court of Com- mon Pleas in the County of Hillsborough to take up and finish sundry matters pending at said Court at their next term, the last term being lost by reason of the stormy weather." In some of these deep snows and blows ordinary log houses were entirely covered out of sight. In one place in New Hampshire, nearly a month after a great storm, a flock of one hundred sheep were dug out of a snow-bank that was sixteen feet deep above their backs, most of them being dead, the few alive having subsisted by eating the wool off the dead !
In such a winter the privation and solitude of these few scat- tered settlers must have been oppressive. It was a rare thing to see a neighbor's face. Each family was shut up by itself. Even the larger places, like Boston and Portsmouth, were thoroughly blockaded with snow. In those families where the husband and father was in the army, the long winter must have been desolate in the extreme ! With all our winter comforts and social enjoy- ments, we are in no condition to appreciate what was endured by the founders of our institutions.
Following this severe and long winter came the celebrated " Dark Day," May 19, 1780. I take the liberty to copy such statements about it as have fallen under my eye. For several days previous the air was full of smoky vapors, as if fires had been burning in the woods, the sun and moon appearing red and somewhat obscured. The early morning of May 19 was cloudy and showery and cool, with some thunder and lightning. But
.
58
THE DARK DAY.
about ten o'clock, when the artisans were busy in the shop and mill, the women spinning and weaving, and the farmers hurrying with their spring work in the field, it began to grow dark. The wild birds screamed and flew to their nests, - the hens went to their roosts, - the cattle came up, uttering strange cries, to their stalls, - the sheep, bleating wofully, huddled under the fences, - the buds and small leaves on the trees were colored almost to an indigo blue, - robins and blue-birds flew into the houses as if they sought the protection of man, -the rain that soon fol- lowed was full of a substance like burnt vegetable matter, form- ing a scum, with smell of soot, over everything, collecting on the Merrimack river here and there to the depth of half a foot, - and this strange darkness increased until by noon people had to light candles to eat their dinners by ! Lights were seen in every window, and, out-of-doors, people carried torches to light their steps. Everything took a different color from what it had by sunlight, and consequently the strange reflections of the torch-lights were in keeping with the marvelous and changed appearance of everything. Hosts of people believed the end of the world had begun to come ; men dropped on their knees to pray in the field ; many ran to their neighbors to confess wrongs and ask forgiveness ; multitudes rushed into the meeting-houses in towns where they had such, where pious and aged ministers, pleading repentance, interceded with God in their behalf; and everywhere throughout this day of wonder and alarm, the once careless thought of their sins and of their Maker ! At this time the legislature of Connecticut was in session, and when the growing darkness became so deep that at mid-day they could not see each other, most of them were so alarmed as to be unfit for service. At this juncture Mr. Davenport arose and said : -
Mr. Speaker, it is either the day of Judgment or it is not. If it is not, there is no need of adjourning. . If it is, I desire to be found doing my duty. I move that candles be brought, and that we proceed to business.
The darkness somewhat increased all day, and before time of sunset was so intense that no object whatever could be dis- tinguished. Anxiously and tremblingly people waited for the full moon to rise at nine o'clock, and even little children with strained eyes sat silently watching for its beautiful beams to appear. But they were disappointed, the darkness being unaf- fected by the moon. The most feeling prayers ever prayed in
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FINANCIAL DISTRESS.
Antrim were at the family altars that night. Children never had more tender blessing than these mothers gave them that night. They slept soundly for the most part, but the parents chiefly sat up all night to wait and see if the glorious sun would rise again. Never dawned a lovelier morning than that 20th of May ! Never were hearts more thankful on the earth ! Even thought- less people praised God ! So much were the whole population affected by this event, that, at the succeeding March meeting, the town voted, March 9, 1781, to keep the next 19th of May as a day of fasting and prayer.
The darkness was greatest in northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. It covered New England more or less, was noticed on the Hudson river, but was not thought of farther south and west. As to causes and explanations of this event, a high authority says : -
The Dark Day in North America was one of those wonderful phe- nomena of nature which will always be read of with interest, but which philosophy is at a loss to explain.
The year 1781 finds the people in much financial distress. Paper had gone so low that it required seventy-five dollars of it to purchase one dollar of silver. In the border towns like Antrim, the people were distressed to pay their taxes. Tuesday, March 13, 1781, they " Voted Esqr. Duncan go to meet a Cometee from Hancock [and] Dearing and Draw a Demon- strance," and " Voted James Aiken and Thomas Stuart be a Commettee to give Capt. alcock instruction." So great were the war expenses, and so poor were the people, that even an article in the warrant to call a minister was " adjourned till the town Receive instruction from Coart." And yet in their great dis- tress they "Voted Mrs. Mary Dickey be freed of Reats," and that " Chopt Down wood Shall pay a tax equal to wild Land and no more." They would not tax the widow of the dead soldier, nor would they tax the scanty beginnings and improvements of soldiers then at the front. This financial pressure explains the action of the town at a subsequent meeting, Friday, June 1, 1781. This was convened to " Chuse a man to Send to Concord to the Convention for forming a Plan of Government," and " To See if the town will agree upon aney method to provide their Supply of Beef for the army." Antrim then had " fifty families or more," as the order for election sent out by the assembly read as fol- lows : -
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HOG-REEVES.
That such Towns & places as contain more than Fifty families be directed (if they see fit) to send one member for every fifty families, pro- vided that each Town, Parish or place so sending, shall pay their own members for their time & expense.
This our townsmen were too poor to do, and they " Voted that we Send no man to Concord."
This year (1781) the distinguished office of hog-reeve was instituted in Antrim. The name is from the old English reve, and is as honorable as shire-reeve, or sheriff. The first holders of this office in town were Randall Alexander and Nathan Taylor. It was the custom, as now in many countries, to let hogs run loose. Little squads of these comely and interesting quadrupeds might be met with anywhere. They were not con- sidered very desirable guests in corn-fields and gardens. Now the duties of this officer were to go about town occasionally, or upon complaint, to catch all loose hogs, " yoke " them so they couldn't go through fences, and " ring " them so they couldn't " root," and collect fees for the same from the owner. We are left somewhat in the dark as to the methods of procedure, the time required to " run down a hog," or the issue if the emaciate candidate for the pork-barrel took to the woods, and if it became the fortune of bruin to " hug the pig " instead of the honorable official of the town; but certain it is that the office was judged important enough to be filled by serious and dignified election for a long series of years. But in process of time fences were completed, and swine were inclosed in pens as now. The office then had no duties connected with it, and the custom arose of electing newly-married people to this office, on the ground, prob- ably, that such persons were not capable of discharging any duty. Regularly, since about 1800, men who had just been entangled in the bondage of matrimony have been thus honored by their townsmen. And this promotion never has been opposed. And this is the only office a few ever had ! Sweet rescue from oblivion !
At a town meeting at Samuel Gregg's, Aug. 20, 1781, called among other things "To See what Instruction the town will give their Selectmen about assessing money to Purchase the Supply of Beef for the Army & to Pay the Remainder of the towns Depts as the Currancy failing will not Pay it," it was " Voted that beef and back rearages occationed by the depretia- tion of our paper currency be Sessed in hard money." This
61
BURIAL-GROUND.
shows their inflexible loyalty in hardship and trial. And as most of them had no money, it was "Voted that a bushel of Corn brought in Shall pay equal to a hard dollar."
They also voted (though there was nothing about it in the warrant) that " Capt. Nichols and Jas Steele be a Committee to go to Dearing Selectmen and demand a road from Deering to this Town," - from which it appears that there was no commu- nication with that town except by way of Hillsborough.
Adjourning till Saturday, Aug. 25, they " Voted that the town be classed in eight Divisions to clear up Samuel Densmores fell wood," thus showing their continued determination to share in the sacrifice those in the field were making.
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