USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Canterbury > History of the town of Canterbury, New Hampshire, 1727-1912, v. 1 > Part 13
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As a part of the record of the Revolutionary period is the action of the town upon the various plans of state government submitted to it by the conventions called for that purpose. The first plan was considered at a special meeting August 16, 1779. The vote stood fifteen for to fourteen against the plan This was the constitution prepared by the convention which sat at Concord in 1778. Another convention met at Concord in June, 1781. It continued a live body for two years and almost five months. During this time, it framed three consti- tutions which were successively submitted to the people. Two were rejected.1
At a meeting January 15, 1782, a committee was chosen "to peruse the plan of government made at Concord in the year 1781 and make remarks upon those articles they object to and hand it in at the adjournment of this meeting." An adjournment was taken to January 22, 1782, when the report of this commit- tee was accepted. Then the meeting adjourned to April 16, 1782, and a new committee was appointed "to peruse the plan of government and make remarks thereon and report at an 1 Carter, N. H. Official Succession 1680 to 1891, page 429.
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128
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
adjourned meeting." Two adjournments followed, but without action.
A town meeting was held December 19, 1782, at which a com- mittee was appointed "to inspect the plan of government last drawn by our convention and see what alterations ought to be made to it." The meeting adjourned to December 28, when the plan of government was rejected "the whole meeting voting against it, which was 35," to use the words of the town clerk.
"Then it was put to a vote whether they would accept the present plan of government with the amendments which the committee had brought in, and there were thirty-four votes in the affirmative."
At the annual meeting March 20, 1783, it was "voted that the present government be continued in its full force until June 10, 1784."
At a meeting September 4, 1786, the town had under consid- eration the subject of the state issuing a paper currency. The record quaintly says: "Then it was put to a vote to see whether or not they would have a paper currency made, and better than two-thirds of the people voted in the affirmative to have a paper currency on such footing as the General Court shall think best."
In November following, the inhabitants were called together "to give their opinion on a plan proposed by the General Court for issuing a bank of paper money for a currency, or to propose any plan that may be more expedient."
Then the record continues, "It was put to a vote to see if they would accept the plan sent out by the General Court and it was voted in the negative, 21 men.
"It was next put to a vote to see if they would have a paper currency made upon any footing, and it was negatived by 17 men."
CHAPTER VI.
ROSTER OF ENLISTMENTS FROM CANTERBURY. SERVICE OF MEN FROM BUNKER HILL TO YORKTOWN. TOWN AND STATE RECORDS. TRAIN BAND AND ALARM LIST. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SOLDIERS CREDITED TO THE TOWN.
The records of enlistments and service of the Revolutionary soldiers are fragmentary and imperfect. The enlistments for the most part were for short periods and in some instances were hasty responses to calls to repel invasion, like Stark's rally of troops for Bennington. The towns voted to fill their quotas, accepting volunteers from among the inhabitants or furnishing men from other localities who could be induced to enlist. The records of Canterbury give but few of the names of the soldiers credited to that community. When bounties were paid by the state or the town, memoranda in some instances appear to have been preserved. Later when pensions were granted by the United States government to invalids of the war and in after years were given for service, the survivors' names were per- petuated on the pension rolls at Washington. The New Hampshire State Papers, however, are the source of most of the information here given.
Owing to the fact that Loudon was set off from Canterbury in 1773, two years before the war began, and Northfield was made a separate township in 1780, five years after the first hostilities, it is difficult oftentimes to say with certainty to which of these three towns the soldiers should be credited. As an illustration, Lieut. Thomas Lyford, who was an ensign in Capt. Jeremiah Clough's company and first enlisted in 1775, is given as of Northfield. His service extended through the war and undoubtedly his residence was in that part of Canterbury which is now known by the name of Northfield, but during almost his entire service of more than five years he was, accu- rately speaking, a resident of Canterbury.
After Loudon was set off from the parent town and before Northfield was made a separate township, the migration of the
10
130
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
descendants of the early settlers from the parental homes of what is now Canterbury to Loudon and Northfield was taking place. Capt. Benjamin Sias, who was a resident of Loudon two years at least before the Revolutionary War, recruited several companies which he raised largely from Canterbury and Loudon. Some members of his company were residents of Canterbury before they enlisted but settled in Loudon after their discharge. Others who have several enlistments to their credit may have changed their residence from one town to the other between their terms of service. Where the record is dependent upon information furnished by the soldiers them- selves it is not always clear whether they were residents of Canterbury or Northfield owing to the fact that the incorpora- tion of the latter town occurred in the closing year of the war. Furthermore, there may be instances where men enlisted from other towns to fill the Canterbury quota and on returning from service settled in Canterbury.
The Rev. William Patrick 1 in speaking of the part that Canter- bury took in the Revolutionary War, says:
"It is believed the people of this town bore their full proportion of the toils and dangers. In the first years of the war we find the names of thirty one who entered into actual service, some for a longer and others for a shorter term of time. The officers were Capt. Jeremiah Clough, Capt. James Shepherd, Lieut. Joseph Soper, Lieut. Laban Morrill, Dr. Josiah Chase.
"The greater part of the soldiers were under the command of Captain Clough, who first dared to face the English troops in the vicinity of Boston. George Shannon was instantly killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Captain Shepherd and those under his command were destined to the Northern army. Some of them fought in the battles of Bennington and Saratoga. After the year 1776 we learn that the names of eighteen others are recollected, who joined the army and served the time of their enlistment. These were exclusive of those who enlisted for three years or during the war. When the call was made for soldiers to enlist for that period of time, the proportion required of this town was twenty. This number was probably sent, though the names of but seventeen are now recollected.
1Historical Sermon of Rev. William Patrick, October 27, 1833.
131
ROSTER OF ENLISTMENTS FROM CANTERBURY.
The whole number that entered into actual service during the war was a little short of seventy. Of these one was killed, six died in the army, forty five have since finished their course and sixteen are supposed to be still living. Those who remain with us (in Canterbury) are Capt. Joseph Moore, Lieut. Samuel Haines, Col. Morrill Shepherd, Col. Asa Foster, John Sutton, Nathaniel Pallet and Sampson Battis. Of those who enlisted for three years or during the war only these remain, Col. Morrill Shepherd, Robert Forrest and Ebenezer Chandler."
If the boundaries of Canterbury as they existed from the beginning of the Revolutionary War until 1780 are taken into consideration, Mr. Patrick's estimate of the number of residents of the town who entered the service is too small. The total is over one hundred who can be positively identified as Citizens of Canterbury. This is a most creditable showing for a town whose population did not exceed eight hundred in 1780, when Northfield was made a separate township. Under the heading "Men to be raised to fill up three Continental regiments," the number of men in Canterbury between sixteen and fifty years of age is given as 159.1 This enumeration did not include those absent at the time in the army. If this census is accurate, over one half of the able-bodied men of the town under fifty years of age served for some period in the army, exclusive of those who belonged to the Train Band and Alarm List and who were prepared to respond in case they were needed but who were not called into service.2
CAPTAIN JEREMIAH CLOUGH'S COMPANY.
"On the 24th day of May 1775 the 4th Provincial Congress of New Hampshire appointed Enoch Poor of Exeter colonel, John McDuffee of Rochester lieutenant colonel and Joseph Cilley of Nottingham major of a regiment of troops to be raised and known as the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment and author-
1N. H. State Papers, Vol. XIV, page 557.
2The source of information in all cases is noted. Where the age of the soldier is given, it is understood to be the age at the time of his enlistment. A large number of the enlistments came from that part of the town now known as Northfield, but there is no way of definitely determining the proportion.
132
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
ized the Committee of Safety to issue orders for enlisting the men." 1 The orders of the committee provided for ten companies of sixty-two men each. Jeremiah Clough received one of the ten commissions as captain to raise a company.
There are three records of this company, the first to volunteer from Canterbury. One is the record of the town made by the committee appointed in 1777 to equalize charges. This was found among the town's papers. The other two are those published in the state papers,2 one of which is copied from the pension roll at Washington.3 There is a slight variance in these records. The town record might be taken as conclusive except for the doubt cast by the committee upon the accuracy of their own report when they provided that "If any person is not herein named upon his making request of the selectmen of said town shall be allowed equal to those who were in the service."4 The list in the Pension Bureau gives the age and occupations of the soldiers, and this information is added to the roster which follows. Except in one instance, that of John Peterson, there is corroborative evidence that all the members of the company here given were citizens of Canterbury about the time of their enlistment. Captain Clough's company was in service for a period of seven months from May 27, 1775, at Winter Hill near Boston. From sixty-two to sixty-eight men were accounted present for duty during this time. As Captain Clough was required to raise only sixty-two men, the additional number who were present part of the time may have joined his command after it left Canterbury. This may account for the doubt expressed by the committee of the town in their report that they had listed the entire company. The other members of Captain Clough's command were recruited from Loudon, Sanbornton, Meredith, Moultonborough, Tamworth and New Britain, the last town being located on an old map of New Hampshire just north of Salisbury and probably embraced the larger part of the present town of Andover. In the roster here given only residents of Canterbury are included.
1N. H. State Papers Vol. XIV, page 107.
2 Idem, Vol. XIV, page 143.
3 Idem, Vol. XVII, page 8.
4See also N. H. State Papers, Vol. XIV, pages 193, 194.
133
ROSTER OF ENLISTMENT FROM CANTERBURY.
NAME.
AGE.
OCCUPATION.
Capt. Jeremiah Clough
36
Husbandman
Ensign Thomas Lyford
35
Husbandman
Sergt. Josiah Chase.
33
Physician
66 Jonathan Heath .
35
Husbandman
Charles Glidden .
Drummer Simeon Robinson 23
Husbandman
Simon Sanborn .
19
Husbandman
Sergt. Joseph Clough.
19
Husbandman
Richard Haines
26
Cooper
John Curry .
21
Husbandman
Masten Morrill.
24
Husbandman
James Sherburne .
24
Husbandman
William Forrest, 3d
22
Husbandman
Ebenezer Chandler
21
Husbandman
John Peterson
21
Joiner
Obadiah Clough
21
Husbandman
Enoch Gibson
23
Husbandman
George Shepard
34
Husbandman
Samuel Haines .
28
Blacksmith
David Blanchard.
20
Husbandman
Humphrey Colby
34
Husbandman
James Gibson, Jr.
19
Husbandman
Shubael Dearborn.
21
Husbandman
Nathaniel Dearborn
24
Husbandman
Jonathan Foster.
26
Husbandman
Jeremiah Gibson
25
Husbandman
John Dearborn
19
Husbandman
Joshua Weeks
27
Husbandman
Eli Simons .
40
Husbandman
William Glines, 3d .
24
Husbandman
William Forrest, Jr.
Robert Forrest
Daniel Randall
John Glines
John Dearborn
Abner Hoyt
Thomas Lyford is given in the pension list as of Sanbornton and Northfield. He had a residence during the war in that part of Canterbury now known as Northfield. Masten Morrill is given in the same list as an inhabitant of Loudon, but he held office in Canterbury from 1777 to 1782. Richard Haines, John Peterson, George Shepard and Eli Simons are found in the pension list but not in the town list. Charles Glidden, Robert Forrest and Daniel Randall do not appear in the pension list
134
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
but they are given in the State Papers as members of Captain Clough's company. "Junior" is attached to James Gibson's name in the pension roll, and, as his age is nineteen, this desig- nation is undoubtedly correct. William Forrest, Jr., appears in the town list and William Forrest is given in the State Papers. They are probably one and the same person. On the pension roll Joshua Weeks is designated as of Loudon, but he is found on the Canterbury tax list of 1775. John Glines and John Dearborn were with Captain Clough's company in Medford, Mass., in October, 1775, but their names do not appear on any other roster of this command. Abner Hoyt is recorded as "in place of Nathaniel Dearborn" at the same time and place.1
TOWN PAPERS.
A committee was appointed at the meeting June 4, 1777, to equalize the contributions that the inhabitants had made towards the support of the war and their report was accepted at a sub- sequent meeting. This report which was found among the old papers of the town is as follows:
"We the subscribers being chosen a committee for the town of Canterbury to make an average of the cost and charges of said town during the late war,
"The following is a list of the men's names who went into the service to Winter Hill for eight months under the command of Capt. (Gordon) Hutchins in the year 1775. That those men shall be allowed by the town of Canterbury aforesaid the sum of three shillings lawful money per month each and every of them viz: 2
"Lieut. Joseph Soper, George Shannon,3 Sergt. John Bean, William Perkins, John Holden, Nathaniel Perkins, John Bean Jr., Jotham Young, Joshua Boynton, Nathaniel Glines, Edmund Boynton.
"The following is a list of the men's names who went into the service to Winter Hill and was in said service seven months under the command of Capt. (Jeremiah) Clough in the year
1 N. H. State Papers, Vol. XIV, pages 193, 194.
2 The pension roll gives three additional names, Benjamin Baker, John Elliot and Isaac Cummings. There is no evidence that the first two were residents of Canterbury (N. H. State Papers, Vol. XVII, page 3).
3 George Shannon was killed at Bunker Hill after serving only two months. The total amount allowed was £12 6s.
135
ROSTER OF ENLISTMENTS FROM CANTERBURY.
1775, that each and every of those men hereafter mentioned shall be allowed by the said town of Canterbury the sum of three shillings lawful money per month : 1
"Capt. Jeremiah Clough, Nathaniel Dearborn, Daniel Randall, Sergt. Jonathan Heath, John Dearborn, Simon Sanborn, Sergt. Charles Glidden, William Forrest Jr., James Sherburne, Sergt. Joseph Clough, William Forrest 3d, Doct. Josiah Chase, Samuel Haines, Jonathan Foster, David Blanchard, Robert Forrest, Obadiah Clough, Jeremiah Gibson, John Curry, William Glines 3d, Ebenezer Chandler, James Gibson, Humphrey Colby, Enoch Gibson, Shubael Dearborn, Masten Morrill, Simeon Robinson.
"The following is a list of the men's names who went into the service to Cambridge for two months under the command of Capt. (James) Shepard in the year 1776, that each and every of those men hereafter mentioned shall be allowed by the said town of Canterbury the sum of three shillings lawful money per month : 2
"Capt. James Shepard, William Forrest 3d, Sergt. Benjamin Heath, William Miles, Jacob Hancock, Thomas Hoit, Benjamin Collins, Stephen Sutton, George Hancock, David Kenniston, Joseph Carr, Richard Blanchard, William Williams.
"The following being a list of the men's names who went from Winter Hill to Canada in the year 1776 for the term of twelve months under the command of Capt. (Jeremiah) Clough and Capt. (Joshua) Abbot, that each and every of those men hereafter mentioned shall be allowed by the said town of Canter- bury the sum of seven shillings lawful money for said service.3
"Capt. Jeremiah Clough, Edmund Boynton, Joseph Moore, Lieut. Joseph Soper, James Gibson, Obadiah Davis, Lieut. Charles Glidden, John Holden, Ebenezer Chandler, Lieut. Jonathan Heath, Robert Forrest, John Curry, Doctor Josiah Chase, Joseph Hancock, Aaron Sargent, James Sherburne, Parker Cross, Jotham Young, Thomas Cross, Elkins Moore, Joseph Glines.
"If any person or persons who has been in the service with either of the aforementioned captains and is not herein named
1 These all served seven months and received a total of £28 7s.
2 All served the full two months and the total allowed was £3 18s.
3 Fourteen served twelve months, one thirteen months, two fourteen months, one nine months and three eight months. Total received £84 14s.
136
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
in the foregoing list, upon his or their making request to the selectmen of said town shall be allowed equal to those who were in the service the same term of time and place in proportion.
"Furthermore your committee saith that those persons in the town of Canterbury who hath advanced money towards hiring of soldiers to go to Ticonderoga under the command of Captain James Shepard shall have their money allowed and discounted by the selectmen of said town out of the town rate list for this current year 1777 and if any of the soldiers in said town belonging to the company aforesaid has not received the town bounty or hire the same to be allowed and discounted out of the rate list aforesaid.
"Also those persons who hath advanced money in said town in towards hiring of soldiers to go to New York and Picks Kilns Capt. (Benjamin) Emery's and Capt. (Benjamin) Sias' companys to have their money allowed and discounted out of the town rate list, and if any person in either of the said companys has not received the town's bounty or hire as was agreed upon by sundry of the inhabitants of said town shall receive the sum out of the town rate list aforesaid.
"CANTERBURY, July the 7th, 1777.
"We the subscribers do hereby make above and foregoing return being made out by us to the best of our judgment without partiality.
"NEHEMIAH CLOUGH "JOSEPH SOPER The Committee. "OBADIAH MOONEY
These documents are confirmed by another found in the archives of the town addressed to the constable of Canterbury and directing him to pay certain men for services "at Winter Hill, Canada and New York." The amount due each man is set against his name, while on the back of the paper the signa- tures of nearly all the men appear as receipting for the amount due them. It will be seen that the first twenty-one names on this pay roll correspond with those on the foregoing list of men who accompanied Capt. Jeremiah Clough to Canada and that their compensation is larger than that given to the men whose names follow Aaron Sargent's. Beginning with the name of Capt. James Shepard on this pay roll, the list corresponds sub- stantially with that previously given of the men who enlisted
137
ROSTER OF ENLISTMENTS FROM CANTERBURY.
for two months under Captain Shepard for service at Cambridge. As has already been seen, Captain Shepard enlisted a company for the Continental service in the Northern army. Some of the names there given are found on this Canterbury pay roll, which bears date of January 28, 1778. The following is a transcript of the document.
"To Mr. Thomas Foss, Constable. Sir: Please for to pay these men the several sums as is prefixed to their several names, it being for service done at Winter Hill, Canada and New York and their signing the back of this order and it being returned and indorsed shall be allowed by us in your settlement as Con- stable for Canterbury.
January 28, 1778.
NEHEMIAH CLOUGH
DAVID FOSTER EDWARD BLANCHARD
for Canterbury.
Capt. Jeremiah Clough£5
5s. Samuel Haines £1
1s.
Lieut. Joseph Soper
5 15 David Blanchard
1 1
Lieut. Charles Glidden 5 5 Obadiah Clough
1
1
Lieut. Jonathan Heath 5
5 Shubael Dearborn 1
1
Doctor Josiah Chase 5
5 Humphrey Colby
1
1
James Sherburn 5
19
Nathaniel Dearborn
1
1
Jotham Young
5
8
John Dearborn
1
1
Elkiner (Elkins) Moore 4
4 William Forrest 3d
1
1
Edmund Boynton
5
8 Jonathan Foster
1
1
James Gibson
5
19
· Jeremiah Gibson
1
1
John Holden
5
8
William Glines 3d
1
1
Robert Forrest
5
5
Enoch Gibson
1
1
Joseph Hancock
2
16 Masten Morrill
1
1
Parker Cross
4
4
Simeon Robinson
1
1
Thomas Cross
4
4 Daniel Randall
1
1
Joseph Glines
2
16 Simon Sanborn
1
1
Joseph Moore
4
4
Capt. James Shepard
1
1
Obadiah Davis
3
3
Benjamin Heath
0
6
Ebenezer Chandler
5
5
Jacob Hancock
0
6
John Curry
3
17
Benjamin Collins
0
6
Aaron Sargent
4
4
George Hancock
0
6
Ensign John Bean
1
4 David Keniston
0 6
John Bean Jr.
1
4
Joseph Carr
0
6
Joshua Boynton
1
4 Richard Blanchard
0
6
George Shannon
6 William Williams
0
6
William Perkins
1
4 William Miles
0
6
Nathaniel Perkins
1
4 Thomas Hoyt
0 6
Joseph Clough
1
1 Stephen Sutton
0 6
Nathaniel Glines
1
4
.
Selectmen
138
HISTORY OF CANTERBURY.
In the New Hampshire manual of the General Court for the year 1899 is a list of New Hampshire soldiers who participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, prepared by George C. Gilmore of Manchester. The rank of the soldiers, the organization to which they were attached and their residence are given. Accord- ing to this list, there were sixteen men from Canterbury. Of this number thirteen are shown to have been on the roll of Capt. Gordon Hutchins' company about the time of the battle. The remaining three were in other commands. In Mr. Gilmore's list the name of Jonathan Wadleigh appears, but his residence is not given. The "History of Northfield" states that Mr. Wad- leigh "fought with his two brothers side by side at Bunker Hill." 1 The same authority says that "Richard Blanchard went with William Forrest to Bunker Hill unenlisted in citizens clothes" and that Charles Glidden, Jacob Hancock, John Cross, Parker Cross and Jonathan Gilman of Northfield (then a part of Canter- bury) were also in that battle.2 As there were undoubtedly volunteers at Bunker Hill who were not formally enlisted in any command, it is not surprising, that there is no record of their service. Even the enrollments at this time were far from accurate. That at least twenty citizens of Canterbury parti- cipated in the battle of Bunker Hill is a conservative estimate. It is more than probable that the number was twenty-four.
CANTERBURY MEN AT BUNKER HILL. 3
N. H. Manual for General Court, 1899.
NAME
COMPANY
REGI- MENT
N. H. STATE PAPERS
Benjamin Baker 4
Capt. Hutchins' Stark's Vol. XIV,
66
p. 63 210
John Bean
66
66
65
Joshua Boynton
65
Edmund Boynton
211
Isaac Cummings William Forrest
Capt. Reid's
66
66
66
215
Nathaniel Glines
Capt. Hutchins'
66
« S XVII, XIV,
65
John Holden
64
Nathaniel Perkins
66 65
1 History of Northfield, page 73.
2 Idem, page 72.
3 N. H. Manual for General Court, 1899.
4 No evidence that Baker was a resident of Canterbury.
66
65
John Bean Jr.
66
3
139
ROSTER OF ENLISTMENTS FROM CANTERBURY.
. NAME
COMPANY REGI- N. H. STATE PAPERS MENT
William A. Perkins
Capt. Hutchins' Stark's Vol. XIV,
p. 65
John Rowen
Capt. Abbott's
66
61
Aaron Sargent
Capt. D. Moore's
" 214
George Shannon 1
Capt. Hutchins'
66 65
Joseph Soper, Lieut.
63
Jotham Young
66
XVII, 3
Jonathan Wadleigh 2
XIV,
83
QUEBEC EXPEDITION UNDER ARNOLD. Capt. Henry Dearborn's Company. (N. H. State Papers, Vol. XIV, pages 210, 211.)
John Bean, Jr., laborer, age 20, taken from Stark's Regiment, 5th Co.
Aaron Sargent, farmer, age 20, taken from Stark's Regiment, 10th Co.
Edmund Boynton, cordwainer, age 22, taken from Stark's Regi- ment, 5th Co.
William Forrest, farmer, age 42, taken from Stark's Regiment, 1st Co.
All were from Canterbury.
MUSTER ROLL OF CAPT. JAMES SHEPARD'S COMPANY. (N. H. State Papers, Vol. XIV, pages 318, 320.)
James Shepard of Canterbury was appointed June 18, 1776, a captain in a regiment to be raised and sent to Canada.3 The fol- lowing are names of Canterbury men appearing on the muster roll July 2, 1776, for the Continental service in the Northern army:
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