USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Candia > History of the town of Candia, Rockingham County, N.H., from its first settlement to the present time > Part 13
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In 1876, a company of infantry was organized in Candia, and attached to the first regiment of the brigade. It was named the Lane Rifles in honor of Col. George W. Lane of Derry, a native of Candia. The following are the names of the first officers who received a commission : Captain, J. Lane Fitts ; Ist Lieutenant, Henry True Eaton; 2d Lieu- tenant, Jesse C. Crowell. The following are the names of the next board of officers of the company : Captain, Henry True Eaton ; Ist Lieutenant, Jesse C. Crowell ; 2d Lieu- tenant, Charles A. Jones.
In 1880 the name of the company was changed to that of The Patten Guards in honor of the late Captain, William R. Patten.
In 1887, the company was disbanded and the uniforms and equipments were taken to Derry for the use of a com- pany which was organized in that place.
MUSTERS IN CANDIA.
The following is a list of the places where musters have taken place in the town : Upon a field near the railroad station which was originally owned by Col. Nathaniel Em- erson, afterwards by his son Nathaniel Emerson, and now
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owned by John Cate. The Seventeenth regiment was mus- tered four or five times, one of which was in 1830.
About the year 1812, the Second Battalion of the regiment mustered upon a field situated upon the north end of the lot formerly owned by Master Moses Fitts, and now owned by John Patten. There were two annual musters of the regiment upon a field situated on the north side of Patten's Hill then owned by Joshua Moore, the father of Silden These musters took place previous to 1820.
In 1823, the annual muster took place upon a field owned by Benjamin P. Colby, near the Corner. There have been three or four musters upon a field at the Corner, formerly owned by Benjamin Pillsbury, William Turner, and John Moore, Esq., and now owned by Henry W. Moore.
In 1828, the regiment mustered upon a field then owned by Nehemiah Colby, and now owned by the widow of Rev. James Adams.
In 1835, the regimental muster took place at the plain on High Street about a quarter of a mile south of High Street on land then owned by Capt. Abraham Fitts, and now owned by Samuel Morrill. The regiment was formed in the morning on High Street opposite the residence of Mrs. Abraham Fitts, and marched to the field. Oysters were among the refreshments which were sold upon the field, and some of the shells which are still scattered over the small space upon which they were served seem as fresh as they were fifty-seven years ago. Two of the uni- formed companies were provided with dinner at the resid- ence of Capt. Abraham Fitts on the day of the muster.
Note. On page 140 of this chapter the name "Col. Samuel D. Mason" should have been printed Samuel D. Wason. Page 141 the word "of- ficers" in the fourth paragraph relating to the Candia Light Infantry should have been printed captains.
CHAPTER XIX.
MISCELLANEOUS.
CHESTER TURNPIKE.
The Chester Turnpike Corporation was chartered by the legislature in 1804 for the purpose of building a road from Pembroke to East Chester meeting house. Among some of the principal members of the company were John Bell, Daniel French and Henry Sweetser of Chester, and Isaac Hill and Amos Kent of Concord. The road, which was fourteen miles and two hundred rods long, extended through the southwest corner of Candia from northwest to south- east, a distance of more than three miles. This section of the town at the time the road was constructed was mostly a dense forest. The stock of the coporation was divided into three hundred shares, rated at ninety dollars each.
The work of constructinig the turnpike was done upon contract by several parties. The section through Candia was done by Simon A. Heath of Epsom at the rate of four dollars and fifty cents a rod. The road bed was to be twenty-six feet wide, the centre to be thirty-six inches above the gutter ; the causeways to be twenty-two feet wide and covered with gravel eighteen inches deep. The hills were to be reduced so that the ascent should not be more than eighteen inches to a rod. John Melvin and Abraham Sargent contracted to build the road over Lakin's hill, which was quite steep, for $3,000, if the tract measured a mile and three-quarters, or in that proportion. Asa Robin- son contracted to build the bridge over Suncook river for $1,000.
There were two toll gates on the turnpike, one of which was located near the foot of Lakin's hill in Hooksett, and the other in Chester, now Auburn, about half a mile below Abraham Hook's present residence. It was provided in the charter that no tolls should be taken of persons going
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HISTORY ON CANDIA.
to meetings, funerals, to mill or upon ordinary business in town, nor of soldiers going to perform military duty. It was also provided that, in forty years, the state could take the road by repaying all expenses and nine per cent inter- est on the stock.
The road proved to be of great advantage to the farmers living in the northern and western part of New Hampshire and Vermont, as it opened a direct route to Boston, New- buryport, Portsmouth and other markets on the sea- board where they could readily dispose of the products of their farms. For many years great numbers of pungs some of which were drawn by two horses came down in winter through this thoroughfare. Sometimes the pungs which were large open chests or boxes set upon runners came in companies of from fivetotwenty each. It often happened that many of the owners of those pungs struck off from the turnpike near what is now Rowe's Corner and came down High Street, and through Candia, on their way to Newbury- port, Portsmouth or Salem, and returned the same way with great loads of all sorts of groceries, salt and fresh codfish and other goods which they had received for their butter, cheese, corn, wheat, poultry and other products.
Previous to the building of the turnpike the roads in Ches- ter, Candia and other towns in the vicinity were constructed in a very simple and bungling manner. It was not cus- tomary to elevate the centre of the road bed, and to con- struct gutters so that the water on the road could be readily drained off. The roadway was merely cleared of the stumps and stones, and wet places were covered with logs.
The Turnpike company built a tavern at the upper toll gate, at the foot of Lakin's Hill at their own expense, and and also cleared a large tract of land for a farm. The tavern and other buildings cost about $27,00. Anderson's tavern four miles below was built about the same time. The tavern at the toll gate was burned about twenty years ago.
The road proved a poor investment on the whole to the stockholders.
When the Concord Railroad was completed there was but little travel over the turnpike and in a short time it be- came a public highway.
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一
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JAMES H. FITTS.
Sketch, page 513.
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
THE CURRENCY.
For many years after the settlement of New Hampshire, there was but little money of any kind in circulation. A small amount of specie was occasionally brought into the country by immigrants and some was obtained in the West India Island in exchange for exports. Trade in the province was carried on to a great extent by barter. Peltry, beans, corn and other products were exchanged with the store keepers for West India and other foreign goods. The gov- ernment was obliged to take the most marketable products, such as oak staves, pine boards, salt beef and pork, Indian corn, wheat, peas, salt fish, etc., in payment for taxes.
In 1690, the want of currency became so pressing that the province of Massachusetts authorized the emission of 7,000 pounds in paper currency in denominations of five shillings to five pounds. New Hampshire, which was then united to Massachusetts, had the advantage of this currency. In 1709, the New Hampshire Assembly voted to issue four thousand dollars in bills of credit to be redeemed in, 1714.
There were seven other emissions of bills of public credit issued by the Assembly between the years 1714, and 1741. In the latter year the Provincial government took measures to call in all their bills, establishing their value at only one quarter the amount of that expressed upon their face.
In 1742, the government made another emission of bills of various denominations. This issue was called New Tenor, while those previously issued were called Old Tenor. Bills of both issues gradually decreased in value from 1720, when an ounce of silver was equal to seven shillings and six pence, to 1760, when an ounce of silver was equal to 120 shillings in currency.
At the beginning of the Revolution war paper currency was issued again by the government of New Hampshire. The Provincial Congress, which met at Exeter in June, 1775, issued currency to the amount of ten thousand and fifty pounds. In July following there was another issue of ten thousand pounds, and in 1776 an issue of twenty thousand pounds.
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
In July, 1775, the Continental Congress at Philadelphia ordered an issue of bills to the amount of two millions of pounds. Of this issue forty thousand pounds were assigned to New Hampshire. In December of the same year three millions more of the same currency was issued. During the first year of the war this currency passed readily at par, but in 1776, it became greatly depreciated; the Tories did all «they could to lessen its value, and it was counterfeited in England, and sent over to America and distributed in large quantities.
In 1781, this currency had so depreciated that it took $200 of it to buy a quire of paper, $30 to buy three pounds of sugar, and $27 to pay the subscription price of a news- paper for one year, $25 for a pound of tobacco, $60 for a bushel of corn, and in the same proportion for all other ar- ticles. Matthew Patten, a prominent citizen of Bedford, recorded in his journal that he paid $28 in currency for fourteen gills of rum, and when he held a court at Chan- dler's tavern in that town he paid $4 for a mug of toddy. . In 1779, 100 pounds of paper currency circulating in the province was worth only fourteen pounds in silver. The people of Candia, as well as those of the other parts of the province, suffered greatly on account of the want of a sound ·currency.
The first bank in New Hampshire was established at Portsmouth, in 1792, with a capital of $160,000. In 1861, there were fifty-three banks in the state, with an aggregate capital of more than five millions of dollars. Previous to that time all the banks in the United States were chartered by the state governments, and the bills issued in one section of the Union were not generally current in others.
Many banks failed from time to time, and counterfeiting was carried on upon a large scale. All prominent traders patronized a monthly periodical called the United States Counterfeiter Detector, in which all banks were noted and the numerous counterfeits of bank bills were described. With all the care which was taken counterfeit bills were of- ten passed upon unsuspecting persons.
- In 1862, these troubles were done away with. The
State banks were abolished and a great national bank-
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
ing system was established by the Federal Government. By this system National banks in all the states of the Union are supplied by the government with paper currency for cir- culation by depositing in the United States Treasury gov- ernment bonds to the amount of ten per cent above the face value of the bills, or, in other words, the government re- quires a deposit of $100,000 in government bonds for $90,000 in National bank bills. By this system the general gov- ernment is amply secured against all loss and guarantees the redemption of the bills.
Before the independence of the colonies was secured and' the United States government was established, the curren- cy was reckoned in pounds, shillings and pence, as in Eng- land. About the year 1790, the United States government established a mint at Philadelphia, where gold, silver and copper currency was coined ; but for many years aftewards the great bulk of the metallic currency in circulation in New England was of foreign origin, the largest amount be- ing Spanish milled dollars, half-dollars, quarters, eighths and sixteenths. The eighths of a dollar were called nine- penny pieces and were of the value of twelve and one-half cents : the sixteenths were called four-pence half penny pieces. There were also silver coins of the value of seven- teen cents, which were called pistareens.
In 1861, at the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion all banks in the country suspended specie payments and in few weeks, the specie of all kinds almost wholly disappeared. In this condition of things, the traders and people in all conditions of life were greatly embarrassed on account of the difficulty of making change in small amounts.
In some cases, the traders purchased postage stamps in considerable quantities for use as a medium of exchange in trading with customers. 3 Other traders issued printed notes of small amounts, which were redeemable at their stores in bank bills or goods upon presentation. When a trader was well known to be an honorable man and finan- ćially responsible these fractional notes were taken as cur- rency without hesitation by other traders, as well as by citizens generally, though no man had any legal right whatever to issue them, even for his own accomodation.
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Some of the traders of Candia issued fractional currency of this kind.
All this difficulty in making change was soon overcome by the Federal Government, as the Secretary of the Treasu- ry gave orders to issue fractional currency of various de- nominations from five to fifty cents, beautifully engraved and printed upon bank note paper. Soon after the war was closed metallic currency became abundant and fractional paper disappeared.
TAX LIST OF 1800.
Anderson, - Samuel, William.
Bagley,-Jonathan, Jacob, Samuel, Timothy, William, William, 3d, Winthrop; Batchelder,-Benjamin, Odlin; Bean, -Abraham, Benjamin, Jeremiah, Jonathan, Joseph, Aaron, Nathan, Phinehas, Josiah, Joseph, Reuben, Jona than, jr .; Brown,-Aaron, Caleb, Caleb, jr., David, Dan- iel, Richard, Sewell; Bennett, -Burleigh, William, William, jr .; Blake, -Jeremiah; Burpee, -Nathaniel, Nathaniel J. Ezra ; Buswell,-Samuel, John.
Clark,-Eleazer, Henry, John, Moses, Henry, jr., Joseph, Henry, 3d .; Cass,-Benjamin, Samuel, Levi, Jonathan ; Clay,-John, John, jr., Stephen, Walter ; Collins, -Jonathan; Critchett, James ; Clifford, -John, Zachariah; Clough, -Sam- uel, Elijah, Theophilus, Samuel, jr .; Currier, -Jonathan, Edward, Jonathan, jr., Timothy ; Colcord,-Samuel ; Cam- mett, -- John ; Colby,-Enoch, Nehemiah.
Dearborn,-Samuel, Thomas; Duncan, -William ; Dol- ber,-Isarel, John.
Eaton,-David, Henry, Ephraim, Benjamin, Paul, True, Jesse ; Emerson, -Nathaniel, Nathaniel, jr. Moses, Samuel, Richard ; Edmunds, -Edward.
Fowler, -Benjamin ; Foster,-Samuel, Joseph ; French,- Nicholas, Nicholas, jr., Moses, Moses, jr. Simon, John, Jonathan, John, jr., Mark; Fifield, -Stephen. John ; Fitts, - Abraham, Daniel, Moses, Reuben.
. Griffin, -David; Gordon, Thomas.
Hall,-Obededom, Caleb, Benjamin, Sargent, Jonathan, Henry, jr. ; Hardy,-Samuel ; Hills,-John, J., Josiah ; Heath, David; Hubbard, Benjamin, Joshua; Huntoon, Elijah.
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
Knowles, -Amos, Amos, jr., Ezekiel, Seth, Levi.
Lane,-John, Peter ; Libbee,-Jacob, Abraham ; Lang,- Benjamin.
Miller,-Josiah, Robert, William ; Martin,-John, Moses, Joseph ; Moore,-John, Joshua, Andrew ; Moores, -Peter, Samuel ; Morrill, -Samuel, Samuel, jr., Parker, Josiah.
Nay, Samuel.
Ordway, Asa.
Poor,-Eliphalet ; Palmer,-Joseph, Stephen; Patten, - Thomas, Thomas, jr., Robert ; Prescott,-David, Josiah ; Prince,-Caleb ; Pillsbury,-Abijah, David, Jonathan ; Phil- ilps,-William.
Rowe,-Isaiah, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Sherburne ; Robie, Walter, Walter, jr., John, William, Ichabod, Lowell.
Sargent,-John, Josiah, James, Moses, Theophilus, Jona- than ; Smith, -Oliver, Biley, Jonathan, Oliver, jr., J. Chase, Timothy, Daniel, Benjamin, Benjamin, jr., James ; Stev- ens,-Solomon.
Turner, -Moses ; Taylor,-John ; Towle, -Thomas, Wil, liam, Elisha, Joseph, Benjamin ; Thorn, -Nathan.
Varnum, James.
Wiggin,-Joseph, Richard ; Wadleigh, -Benjamin ; Ward, Simon ; Worthén,-David, Jonathan, Samuel, Jacob ; Whit- tier,-David, Richard ; Wason,-John, John, jr .; Wilson. - Thomas, Thomas, jr .; Woodman,-Jonathan.
CHAPTER XX.
THE WAR OF REBELLION.
The immediate cause of the civil war between the North- ern and Southern sections of the Union was the triumph of the Republican party in 1860 and election of Abraham Lin- coln, its candidate, as President of the United States. That party in its platform of principles plainly announced its hos- tility to the further extension of slavery in the territories belonging to the General Government, and endorsed the sentiment that the conflict between freedom and slavery was irrepressible.
Though the Republican party had committed no overt act against the rights of the South, a large majority of the statesmen in that section of the country professed to regard the election of Mr. Lincoln as the beginning of a movement to abolish slavery throughout the entire nation by law, and on this "pretext proceeded to withdraw from the Union. Within a week after the result of the Presidential election had been known, a considerable number of the Southern states seceded from the Union, and, on Feb. 4th, 1861, the Southern Confederacy was established. Jefferson Davis was chosen President at Montgomery, Alabama.
Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated President of the United States, March 4th, 1861, and soon afterwards the Federal authorities despatched a vessel laden with provisions and other stores for the relief of Fort Sumpter. The Confed- erates pretended to regard this movement as a threat on the part of the Federal Government to coerce them into submission to its authority, and they forthwith opened a fire upon the vessel and bombarded the fort. After a brave defense of two or three days Major Anderson, the com - mander, surrendered to the rebels. This act of war roused the people of the North to a high pitch of indignation and excitement. President Lincoln immediately issued a pro- clamation calling for the enlistment of 75,000 men for three
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
months, to crush out the rebellion. Of this number of men New Hampshire was required to furnish one regiment.
THE FIRST REGIMENT.
In compliance with the requisition of the Federal author- ities enlistment papers were at once issued by the Adjutant General for twenty- eight stations in various parts of the state. It was soon found that a sufficient number of re- cruits to form a regiment had volunteered. Mason W. Tap- pan of Bradford was commissioned Colonel, Thomas J. Whipple of Laconia, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Aaron F. Stev- ens, Nashua, Major. The regiment arrived in Washington, May 28th, 1861, and became a part of a brigade command- ed by General Charles P. Stone. During its term of service the regiment was not engaged in any battle, but was mostly employed in guarding the lords of the Potomac river and in watching the rebels in Virginia, to prevent them from mak ing an advance upon Washington.
Henry C. Buswell was the only Candia man who enlist- ed in this regiment.
When President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 men, many people of the North believed that the rebellion could be easily put down with that number of men; butit soon became apparent that the contest was to be no holiday af- fair, but a terrible struggle between the representatives of the two great sections of the nation, who were equally brave and determined.
THE SECOND REGIMENT.
Before the organization of the first regiment was complete the President issued a call for 300,000 men for three years, and measures were taken to raise other regiments. A camp was established at Portsmouth, and the second regiment was soon filled, and in a few days made ready to march to the front.
Gilman Marston of Exeter was commissioned Colonel, Frank S, Fiske of Keene, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Josiah Stevens of Concord, Major.
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The following are names of the Candia men who enlisted in this regiment :.
J. Lane Fitts, 1
Wells C. Haines,
John W. Brennan,
George W. Clay,
Horace L. Dearborn,
James T. Gannon,
Henry C. Norton,
Francis A. Fifield,
George C. Emerson,
Samuel C. Carr, John H. Worthen, Edwin J. Godfrey.
The regiment arrived in Washington, June 21st, 1861, and on Sunday, July 21st, participated in the disastrous battle of Bull Run. Of Candia's men, Wells C. Haines was severely wounded in the thigh, while J. Lane Fitts and George C. Emerson, with nearly fifty others belonging to the Second regiment, were taken prisoners, to be conveyed to Rich- mond and incarcerated in Libby Prison. They suffered greatly from hunger, foul air and on various other accounts. They were also much abused by the managers of the pris- on. Lieut. Todd, a Southern rebel, who was a brother of the wife of President Lincoln, was the chief officer in charge of the prison. One of the Federal prisoners died and his body was taken to headquarters by the guards.
This so exasperated Todd that he kicked the corpse into the gutter. One day while he was on the street near the prison he overheard some remarks of several prisoners, which offended him, whereupon he drew his sword and rush- ing up stairs he stabbed the first prisoner whom he met and declared that "every damned Yankee ought to be treated in the same way!" Herman C. Burke, a prisoner who be- longed to the roth company of the 79th New York regiment, was brutally shot and killed while he was standing in a win- dow to ascertain whether a blanket he had washed was dry. Firing upon the prisoners was of frequent occurrence.
Wells C. Haines of Candia died of his wounds in Libby prison. George C. Emerson, a comrade and a fellow pris- oner, took care of him at the prison.
Mr. Emerson was at length exchanged and returned to his regiment.
He was slain at the battle of Williamburg.
J. Lane Fitts was taken to the rebel prison pen at Salis- bury.
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
One day an attempt was made by some of the prisoners to b;eak out and escape from confinement ; but the guards opened fire upon them and the attempt was a failure.
Joel P. Bean of Candia and a member of the Eleventh New Hampshire regiment was one of the prisoners at the time ; but he took no part in the attempted escape. He was sitting in his tent when the guards fired and he was shot and died in a few hours.
Mr. Fitts. after being confined at Salisbury several months, was exchanged and soon afterwards rejoined his regiment.
The Second Regiment was present at many of the hard fought battles of the war among which were Williamsburg, Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg.
THE THIRD REGIMENT.
The Third Regiment was organized at Concord in the summer of 1861. Enoch Q. Fellows of Sandwich was Col- onel, John B. Jackson of Portsmouth, Lieutenant-Colonel, John Bedel of Bath was Major. The following are the names of the six Candia men who enlisted in this regi- ment :
Stephen C. Fifield, Stephen Dearborn,
William Robinson, David R, Daniels,
George A. Turner, John Hagan.
The regiment was attached to the expedition to Port Roy- al, which sailed from Fortress Monroe and arrived at the former place, Nov. 4th. In June, the regiment was engag- ed in a battle with the rebels at James' Island. In that action Stephen Dearborn was killed. The Third regiment was engaged in the deadly assault upon Fort Wagner and other battles near Charleston, S. C .; also at Drury's Bluff, Chapin's Farm, Bermuda Hundreds and various other en- gagements.
David R. Daniels of Candia was killed at the assault on Wagner.
THE FOURTH REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized at Manchester, in Augus
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and September, 1861. Thomas J. Whipple of Laconia was appointed Colonel, Louis Bell of Farmington, Lieutenant- Colonel and Jeremiah H. Drew of Salem, Major. This reg- iment also joined Sherman's expedition to Port Royal. Sub- sequently it served in Florida for some time. Among the battles in which it.afterwards took part were those of Bermu- da Hundreds, battle of the mine at Petersburg and the dead- ly assault on Fort Fisher.
Five men, who were credited to the town of Candia, were enlisted in this regiment, viz.,
David Beede, James S. Schemer,
William Beede, Frederick Pherson,
. Amos W. Brown.
THE FIFTH REGIMENT.
This regiment was organized at Concord in the summer of 1861.
Edward E. Cross of Lancaster was Colonel, Samuel G. Langley of Manchester, Lieutenant-Colonel and William W. Cook of Derry was Major. The following are the names of the six men who enlisted in this regiment and were cred- ited to Candia :
John Sullivan, James Webb, Charles Fuller,
Patrick Donelly,
Frank Rogers, Edward Boyle.
The Fifth regiment took part in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, among which were Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg and Deep Bot- tom.
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