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 8
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make inquiry about the matter before you let them go, for I have lost money enough that way already. Send me word about the matter the first opportunity you have.
I ever remain your loving husband,
M. DUSTEN.
N. B. If you find that it will answer for you to take the money, I would have you send me some the first opportu- nity that you have, for I cannot sell my horse, and I am destitute of money, and know not what to do for money to pay for washing and other necessaries that I cannot do without .
Remember me to all inquiring friends. M. D. CAMP, NEW HAMPSHIRE VILLAGE, NEW YORK, May 18, 1781. My Dear :
I take this opportunity to write to you, hoping that you and the children are all well, as I am at present. Since I wrote to you, we have had the misfortune of hav- ing one colonel killed and one major killed, one doctor wounded and one lieutenant wounded and both taken pris- oners, one sergeant and about forty privates killed and tak- en down on the lines. I am ordered to go on command to- morrow morning, but which way I cannot certainly tell, but I will write to you and inform you the first opportunity that I have. Since I wrote you the last letter, I have had some prospect of getting a small matter of money, so that you need not trouble yourself about sending me any if you should have it to spare. Money depreciates so fast that I think it not worth your while to take any more than that note of David, if that will answer your end, but I would have you do as you think best.
I ever remain your loving husband,
M. DUSTEN.
[Post Mark. ] Captain Moses Dusten, Candia, New Hamp- shire. To be left at Esquire Webster's, Chester.
Captain Dusten was a great grandson of the famous Han- nah Dusten, who was taken by a band of Indians from Ha- verhill, Massachusetts, and brought to Boscawn, near Con- cord, where, with the assistance of another captive, she killed all of her savage enemies while they were asleep, after which she returned to her home.
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Paid Margaret, the wife of John Mitchell, a Continental soldier for Candia, £18, 6 s.
Paid several persons for interest on money that was hired to pay Continental soldiers, £4, 6 s., 6 d.
Account for men raised by the state to fill up the Conti- nental battalion, in the year 1779, for one year, or for the war :
John Clark, for the war, £150.
John Anderson, for the war, £150.
John Taylor, for 12 months, £90. Travel to Springfield, 6 shillings.
John Moore, for the war, £150.
Voted that Walter Robie, Abraham Fitts, Dr. Samuel Mooers and Nathaniel Burpee be a committee to draw in- structions for our Representative to the Grand Assembly to lay before the citizens of the parish for their approbation.
At a town meeting held April 25, 1777, it was voted that the money voted to those persons who had done service in hiring our quota of men for the Continental army, is hereby recommended.
The following is a copy of the instructions of the free- holders of the Parish of Candia to Moses Baker, then rep- resentative :
It is the voice of the people of Candia that the Eighth ar- ticle in the Confederation on agreement, is not expressed so plain to our understanding as that it should not admit of an exception. We think that the states ought to be taxed according, in some manner at least, to their real and per- sonal estate and number of votes, not particularly by lands and buildings. As to the Ninth and Tenth articles, we think there ought to be a provision that one or more of the New England States be of the same mentioned. As to oth- er things we have no exception that appears to us natural, but that we approve the same.
The following are the names of Candia men, who served in Captain Joseph Dearborn's company, of Colonel Wy- man's regiment against Canada in 1776 :
Benjamin Cass, Peter Mooers, Joshua Moore, Ezekiel Knowles, Enoch Rowell, Sergeant, David Hill, Drummer. Each private received ten pounds, four shillings and nine
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pence. The sergeants received eight shillings extra, the drummer, four shillings.
The following Candia men served in Captain Samuel McConnell's company, of Colonel David Gilman's regiment in the Continental army in New York, in 1776 :
Ichabod Robie, Sergeant, John Clark, Corporal, Amos Knowles, John Clay, Paul Eaton.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION-(Concluded.)
THE following is a list of the names of the Candia sol- diers, who served in Captain Stephen Dearborn's company, of Colonel Stickney's regiment in Stark's brigade, of the Northern Continental army, in 1777, and were present at the battle of Bennington :
Nathaniel Maxfield, Ichabod Robie, Joseph Cass, Ser- geant, Thomas Dearborn, Sergeant, Israel Clifford, John Cammet, Benjamin Smith, Anthony Clifford, Samuel Mooers, Jr., Samuel Dearborn, James Libbey, Benjamin Eaton, Benjamin Wadleigh, Oliver Smith, Enoch Colby, John Clay, John Bagley, Moses Emerson, Thomas Wilson.
Captain Joseph Dearborn's company', of Colonel Moses Nichols' regiment, served in Rhode Island from August 5th to April 28th, in 1778. The following are the names of the Candia men who belonged to the company :
Benjamin Cass, Lieutenant ; Jacob Worthen, Ensign ; Benjamin Batchelder, Sergeant ; Zebulon Winslow, Corpor- al; Aaron Brown, Corporal; Obededom Hall, Jonathan Cammet, Silas Cammet, Walter Clay, Henry Clark, Joseph Bean, Amos Knowles, Enoch Colby, Thomas Wilson, Oli- ver Smith, Burleigh Smith, William Shannon, Sewell Brown, Jonathan Pillsbury.
CANDIA SOLDIERS.
The following is a list of the names of soldiers, who served in the war of the Revolution, and were credited to Candia. Many of the men belonged to other places, but were employed by the Candia authorities to fill up their quotas from time to time :
John Anderson, William Anderson, Thomas Anderson, . Jonathan Bagley, David Bagley, John Bagley,
Samuel Bagley, Jacob Bagley,
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Parker Hill,
John Hills,
James Jeel,
John Kent,
Henry Kimball,
John Knowles,
Ezekiel Knowles,
Nehemiah Leavitt,
Joseph Long,
Daniel Libby,
John Lovering,
Moses Baker,
John Magoon, Benjamin Batchelder,
John Batchelder,
Nathan Bean,
Jonathan Bean,
Phinebas Bean,
Caleb Brown,
James Bragdon,
Sewell Brown,
Nathan Burpee,
Nathaniel Burpee,
Moses Bursiel,
Samuel Buswell,
William Burleigh,
Peter Cammet,
Silas Cammet,
John Cammet,
Thomas Capron,
Benjamin Cass,
Moses Cass,
Joseph Cass,
John Caldwell,
Walter Clay,
John Clay,
Timothy Clay,
Theophilus Clough,
Richard Clough,
John Clark, Jr.,
John Clark,
Henry Clark,
Israel Clifford,
John Clifford,
Joseph Clifford,
Anthony Clifford,
Jacob Clifford,
John Colby,
Enoch Colby,
Jethro Colby,
Benjamin Critchett,
Edward Currier,
Gideon Currier,
Joseph Dearborn,
Samuel Dearborn,
Thomas Dearborn,
Jonathan Davis,
Moses Dusten,
Alexander Eaton, Eben Eaton, Jr.,
Jesse Eaton,
Benjamin Eaton,
James Eaton,
Jonathan Eaton, William Eaton,
Paul Eaton,
Nathaniel Emerson,
Wiggins Evans,
Benjamin Fellows,
Henry Gotham,
Obededom Hall,
David Hill,
Benjamin Hubbard,
Moses Emerson, Abraham Fitts, Jacob, Flanders, Jonathan Green, Jason. Hazard, Robert Holland,
Eben Eaton,
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FRANCIS PATTEN.
Sketch, page 500.
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Joseph Marston,'
James McClure,
Nathaniel Maxfield,
David Morrison,
William Miller,
John Mitchell,
William Moore,
John Moore,
Joshua Moore,
Samuel Mooers,
Samuel Mooers, Jr.,
Peter Mooers,
Isaac Morse,
Philip Morse,
Samuel Morrill,
John Morrison,
Jonathan Norris,
Joseph Palmer,
Thomas Patten,
William Patten,
Jonas Perry,
Michael Poor,
Asa Pierce,
Jonathan Pillsbury,
John Prescott,
Benjamin Pollard,
Eleazer Quimby,
Asahel Quimby,
Enoch Rowell,
Enoch Rowell, Jr.,
Isaiah Rowe,
John Shannon,
Thomas Shannon,
Benjamin Sanborn,
Ezekiel Smith,
James Tiel,
Biley Smith,
Oliver Smith,
John Taylor,
Anthony Towle,
Jeremiah Towle,
Benjamin Towle,
Moses Turner,
Nehemiah Underhill,
James Varnum,
John Varnum,
Thomas Wason,
Robert Wason,
Nath. Wadleigh,
John Wason,
Thomas Wilson,
Robert Wilson,
William Wilkins,
Zebulon Winslow,
Isaac Worthen. . '
It is believed that the foregoing list of the names of the ·Candia soldiers who served in the war is substantially cor- rect. It will be noticed that a large proportion of the most prominent and wealthy men in the town, including many town officers, served in the ranks as privates, and never thought of asking for a commission. It is quite remarka- ble, considering the length of the war, that so few were killed or seriously wounded or died while serving in the field.
It is probable that the most of those soldiers who came from other towns and enlisted to fill the quotas of Candia, ·did so to secure the bounties which were offered. Many of
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these, as well as some of those who belonged to the town, enlisted several times each during the first three or four years of the war for short campaigns of from one to three months, and received bounties upon each enlistment. Two or three of those who came from other towns were bounty jumpers and deserters ; but the most of them served their full time and were honorably discharged.
A few Candia men, in the course of the war, enlisted in other towns. In the fifteenth volume of the New Hamp-' shire State papers, in which is contained an account of the New Hampshire men who enlisted in Massachusetts regi- ment, it is stated that Moses Turner, aged 23, James Libby, aged 22, and Stephen Palmer, aged 24, all of Candia, New Hampshire, enlisted in a regiment at Salem, Massachusetts, April 20, 1778. It is also stated that James Libby, of Can- dia, enlisted for the town of Raymond, in 1781.
During the first two years of the Revolutionary war, the majority of the soldiers who belonged in Candia, were en- listed to serve in the armies which were grappling with the enemy on or near the territory of New England, and within from two to five days' march of their homes. They were sometimes organized into companies or parts of companies, and marched together to the field of conflict, and their names were placed upon the rolls of the regiments which they served with some degree of order and regularity. At a later date, the quotas of men raised in the town were gen- erally sent out in squads of from two to five to fill up arm- ies in New York, Deleware, New Jersey, Virginia, and oth- er distant localities. In such cases it is sometimes quite difficult to ascertain the facts in regard to the position of each soldier and the battles in which he was engaged. Some were with Washington at Trenton and Princeton, and some spent the gloomy winter at Valley Forge.
In the years 1780 and 1781, the people of Candia made heroic efforts to support the cause of liberty and indepen- dence. They taxed themselves over and over to raise money to pay the bounties of the soldiers and to support the families of such as had no means. In 1780, when the Continental Congress called for large quantities of beef for the use of the army, which was then contending with the
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enemy in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other middle states, the town responded to the call without delay. The selectmen, assisted by a committee, purchased the cattle and payments were made to a large extent in the notes of the town, signea by the selectmen. In some cases, the cattle which were collected in Candia were united with those which were being raised in Chester, Londonderry, and other towns in the vicinity, so as to make a large drove, and in this way were taken to Albany and from thence to the army. In some cases the cattle were driven to other points.
The following are some of the items relating to the sub- ject which appear in the selectmen's accounts of the time :
November 15, 1780. Paid Zebulon Winslow's note for beef, 665 pounds sterling, 16 shillings. . .
Paid Silas Cammet ditto, 248 pounds, 15 shillings.
December 4. Paid John Sargent's beef note, 180 pounds.
Paid Nathaniel Burpee for hiring money to buy beef, 60 pounds.
Paid Jonathan Pillsbury's note for beef, 1683 pounds.
January 27, 1781. Paid Silas Cammet for beef, 123 pounds.
February 19. Paid Jeremiah Bean 15 shillings for pastur- ing an ox one month.
Paid Silas Cammet for two oxen do. one month, 30'shillings. Paid Edward Robie for driving cattle, 9 shillings.
During the last two or three years, the Revolutionary war dragged along slowly with varying success. Some- times the Americans gained a battle, and sometimes the British were successful, but neither side gained much ad- vantage upon the whole.
In the autumn of 1781, General Cornwallis, the command- er of a large British force, established his headquarters at Yorktown, Virginia. In this position he was attacked at all points by the American troops, his supplies were cut off, and he was unable to move. On the 19th of October, he was compelled to surrender his entire army, consisting of upwards of seven thousand men, to General Washington.
This great victory raised the spirits of the Americans
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throughout all the country, for all felt that it decided the contest in favor of the Americans. There was some fight- ing after the surrender in some localities for nearly two years ; but no extensive campaigns were planned by either side. During that period the Americans were careful to keep an army in the field so as to be prepared for every emergency. The people of Candia continued to support the cause of liberty, doing everything in their power.
On September 3, 1783, a treaty of peace was made at Paris by the British and American Commissioners, and the United States became an independent nation. On the 3d of November, 1783, the Revolutionary army was disbanded and the soldiers returned to their homes.
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CHAPTER XIV.
MISCELLANEOUS .
THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
Soon after the close of the Revolution, several attempts were made by a convention of delegates to form a new Constitution of the State of New Hampshire to take the place of that which was adopted in 1776, to continue through the war, but nothing satisfactory to the people was effected until 1783. In that year, a constitution which had been formed by a convention of delegates was ratified by the people, and in 1784, became the organic law of the state. Meshech Weare was elected President, being the first executive officer elected by the people of the state. Abra- ham Fitts was elected representative by the people of Candia.
In 1787, a convention of delegates from all of the thirteen states met at Philadelphia for the purpose of establishing a general or national system of government. The convention was in session many weeks, but at last a constitution was adopted and sent to the several states for ratification. In some of the states a very strong opposition was manifested.
In 1791, a convention of delegates assembled at Concord for the purpose of revising the constitution which was adopted in 1784. It changed the name of the executive from President to Governor, and provided that twelve sena- tors should be chosen from twelve districts, into which the state was to be divided by the Legislature. It also provid- ed that a council of five members should be chosen from five districts into which the state might be divided, instead of the same number of counsellors which had been chosen by the senate. William Plumer, of Epping, after- wards Governor of the State, who was a member of the committee which prepared the revision, proposed an amendment abolishing all religious texts, and giving to Ro-
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man Catholics and Deists an equal right with Protestants to hold office. The amendment was adopted by the con- vention, but was voted down by the people.
Josiah Bartlett was the first governor elected under the new constitution.
RATIFICATION OF THE UNITED STATES' CONSTITUTION.
In 1787, a convention of delegates from the thirteen states assembled at Philadelphia to form a national system of government. After a session of four months, a constitution to go into operation, when nine states had ratified it, was agreed upon.
The people of New Hampshire took a deep interest in the question of adopting the new national constitution. The first session of the convention to consider the matter, was held at Exeter, in February, 1788. Some of the most dis- tinguished statesmen, lawyers and civilians of the state were members, among whom were John Langdon, Josiah Bartlett, John Taylor Gilman, John Pickering, Mr. Atherton, of Amherst, and Joseph Badger. Mr. Stephen Fifield was the candidate from Candia. At the outset, it seemed evi- dent that the opponents of the constitution were in the ma- jority, and that many of the delegates had been instructed by their constituents to oppose its ratification. Mr. Ather- ton was the chief leader of the opposition. Among the provisions of the constitution which were the most bitterly assailed, was one which gave protection to the foreign slave trade for a period of twenty years, and another which allowed five slaves to be counted as three whites in mak- ing up the basis of representation in the national House of Representatives, thus giving the slave states an unjust ad- vantage over the non slave-holding states.
The friends of the constitution in the convention were in favor of adjournment, in the hope that some of those who were opposed to ratification might be induced to charge their minds after further consultation with their constitu- ents. The convention was adjourned to meet at Concord in the following June. Upon the re-assembling of the con- vention, it was found that those who favored ratification had increased in number, and after a session of four days
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the constitution was accepted by a vote of fifty-seven to forty-six.
Mr. Stephen Fifield, of Candia, voted against ratifying the constitution.
As New Hampshire was the ninth state which had rati- fied the new constitution, preparations were at once made to organize a national government in accordance with its stipulations. George Washington was unanimously elect- ed President, and John Adams, Vice President, and the several states elected Senators and Members of the House of Representatives. On March 4th, 1789, the new Congress assembled, and Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic.
The following is a list of the tax-payers in Candia, in I778 :
Abraham Fitts, Amos Knowles, Amos Knowles, Jr., Aaron Brown, Arthur Libbee, Abijah Pillsbury, Alexander Stevens, Widow Anna Robie, Widow Ann Quimby, Widow Anne Whicher, Widow Abigail Brown Dr. Benjamin Page, Benjamin Brown, Benaiah Colby, Jr., Biley Smith, Benja- min Smith, Benjamin Batchelder, Benjamin Rowell, Benja- min Cass, Benjamin Fellows, Benjamin Pike, Benjamin Hubbard, Benjamin Rowe, Esq., Benjamin Lang, Caleb Brown, Caleb Shaw, Widow Catherine Cammet, Charles Sargent, Widow David Jewett, David Bean, David Hills, Dean Woodleth, Edward Critchett, Enoch Colby, Enoch Colby, Jr., Elisha Towle, Ezekiel Knowles, Edward Robie, Esq., Ephraim Eaton, Ebenezer Eaton, Widow Elizabeth Quimby, Enoch Rowell, Gilman Dudley, Humphrey Hook, Henry Clark, Henry Clark, Jr., Captain John Sargent, John Wiggins, Jacob Sargent, James Miller, Jacob Bagley, Jeremiah Quimby, John Clifford, Jacob Clifford, Jeremiah Bean, Joseph Bean, Joshua Moore, James Libby, Isaac Randall, Joseph Palmer, John Robie, Israel Dolber, Jesse Eaton, Deacon John Hills, James Eaton, Jonathan Sargent, Jr., John Carr, John Clay, Lieutenant Jacob Worthen, James McCluer, Jonathan Brown, Jethro Hills, Joseph Fi- field, Jonathan Cammet, Jonathan Hills, Ensign Jonathan Bagley, Widow Jane Moore, James Prescott, Jeremiah Bur- pee, Isaiah Rowe, Jonathan Woodman, Jonathan Ring, John
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
Prescott, Jonathan Pillsbury, John Lane, Jonathan Smith, John Cammet, Jeremiah Towle, James Randall, Joseph Bean, Jr., James Philbrook, John Morrison, John Colby, Isaac Morse, Jonathan Currier, John] Clay, Jr., Jonathan Browning, Joseph Fitts, Moses Baker, Esq., Thomas Hobbs, Moses Sargent, Lieutenant Moses Dusten, Moses French, Widow Miriam Rowe, Moses Buswell, Moses Emerson, Colonel Nathaniel Emerson, Deacon Nathaniel Burpee, Nicholas Smith, Nicholas French, Nehemiah Brown, Na- thaniel Hall, Nathaniel Burpee, Jr., Obediah Smith, Oliver Smith, Obededom Hall, Obediah Hall, Paul Eaton, Captain Phineas Batchelder, Peter Mooers, Paul Jewett, Robert Wil- son, Richard Clough, Robert Smart, Richard Clifford, Reu- ben Bean, Robert Wason, Robert Patten, Deacon Stephen Palmer, Samuel Clough, Samuel Brown, Sherburne Rowe, Stephen Fifield, Silas Cammet, Samuel Morrill, Lieutenant Samuel Buswell, Simon French, Lieutenant Samuel Towle, Samuel Dearborn, Samuel Bagley, Stephen Clark, Samuel Colcord, Samuel Mooers, Samuel Worthen, Samuel Bean, Stephen Palmer, Stephen Marden, Thomas Dearborn, Thomas Anderson, Thomas Patten, Thomas Wason, Thom- as Critchett, Thomas Sargent, Theophilus Clough, Thomas Emery; Thomas Wilson, Thomas Sanborn, William Eaton, William Clifford, Walter Robie, William Turner, William Evans, William Anderson, William Wormwood, Zebulon Winslow, Zachariah Clifford.
CHAPTER XV. CEMETERIES AND THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD. THE FIRST CEMETERY.
ABOUT the year 1754, the town laid out the first cemetery on the northeast corner of lot No. 91, of the 3d division> which was reserved by the proprietors for the support of public schools. This lot is situated on the corner of High Street and the South Road, and contains about four acres. The lot was filled with boulders, many of which are from one to three feet in diameter, and very hard gravel, and on this account the land is one of the worst places for a ceme- tery which could have been selected, while for convenience of location it was all that could have been desired.
It is said that, when the settlers were one day engaged. in cutting down the trees and bushes, and putting the grounds to order, one among the boys who were present said to his companions, "I wonder who will be the first person to be buried here?" and it turned out that the re- mains of the boy who asked the question were the first to. be buried in the cemetery. At a revival meeting, which was held in the old Congregational Church on a Sabbath. evening, in 1831, Rev. Mr. Wheeler related this anecdote as. an illustration of the uncertainty of life.
There was never any systematic division of burial lots. in this cemetery, but when a person died, the surviving members of the family to which he belonged, selected such. an unoccupied burial place as best pleased them, the first bereaved families, of course, having the first choice. In 1858, the cemetery was enlarged by taking in a wide unoc- cupied strip of the highway on High Street, the north boundary of the enclosure. Walks through the grounds were constructed, and the cemetery was otherwise greatly improved. The original entrance to the grounds was closed up, and a new and handsome iron gate supported by ham- mered stone posts, was placed two or three rods further
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east. The gate was the gift of Governor Frederick Smith, of Manchester.
The first grave stones were constructed of a soft and per- ishable material, of a nature between slate and soapstone. Some of these have become so weather-worn. that the in- scriptions upon them. cannot be deciphered without difficul- ty. The most durable monuments in the cemetery, appear to be those which are made of a very firm, tough kind of slate, sometimes of a glazed tint and sometimes a reddish brown. One of this sort, which was erected over the grave of the first wife of Rev. Mr. Wheeler, in 1832, is now as bright and perfect as it ever was. About seventy years ago, white marble gravestones were first introduced. Among these, were several which were erected to Jethro Hill and members of his family. Some of the largest mar- ble gravestones in this cemetery were, unfortunately, so thin, that they have been broken off by the winds and ruined.
It early became customary to inscribe a verse of script- ure, a stanza of poetry or an appropriate motto following the name and age of the deceased. The following is the Latin motto upon the gravestone which was erected by the town in memory of Rev. Mr. Remington, who died in 1815: "Sic transit gloria mundi." (So fades the glory of the world. )
In 1823, the town bought a well-made hearse and bier and also a full set of tools for digging graves, such as shov- els, picks, iron bars, etc. The hearse was made by Thomas Critchett, the carriage maker at the village. A hearse house to contain the apparatus, stood for many years on the north side of the cemetery, about three rods west of the present entrance. The first funeral at which the hearse was used, was that of Mrs. Nicholas French, who died in 1823 in the house now occupied by Allen Nel- son, on the Burpee road. This hearse was in constant use for nearly fifty years, ending in 1871, on the occasion of the burial of Thomas Dearborn, who died at the old Caleb Brown place, on the Marden road. The old hearse house and the old hearse were removed to a spot near the district schoolhouse adjoining the Congregational Church. In 1871,
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