USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Keene > History of the town of Keene, from 1732, when the township was granted by Massachusetts, to 1874, when it became a city > Part 16
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JABEZ DANIELS HOUSE, COURT STREET. BUILT BEFORE 1775.
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
The same intense excitement and promptness of action were everywhere to be seen. The Swanzey company of sixty-two men, under Captain (afterwards Colonel) Joseph Hammond, started at daylight.1 To each of the little towns away from the main lines of travel the only roads were those bridle paths, though some of them-as was the case between New Ipswich and Keene-had been regu- larly laid out by the towns. At Packersfield (Nelson), the tidings were received about the same time as at Keene, and the men were rallied during the afternoon and night. There were but thirty-four men in that town of suitable age to go, and twenty-seven of them marched at sunrise under Lieut. Abijah Brown. And some other towns did equally well.
This shows a condition of public sentiment in Keene which needs explanation. At that time Keene had a fully organized military company which numbered, in 1773, 127 officers and men, besides an "alarm list," or home guard, of the older men, which numbered forty-five. In 1775, those companies must have been still larger; yet Keene turned out but thirty men.
The explanation is that the colonel of the militia regi- ment here, one of the wealthiest, most active, and most prominent men in the county, was Josiah Willard, then living in Winchester-the same who had commanded the company here in 1748-and he was a tory. His son, Josiah Willard,1 major of the regiment, lived here, had been Keene's first representative to the legislature in 1768- 70, was at this time, and had been for several years, recorder of deeds, and had much influence in the town, and he, too, was a tory. Lieut. Benjamin Hall,2 who for four years had been Keene's representative in the colonial assembly, was a tory. Elijah Williams, the bright young lawyer of the town, a graduate of Harvard college, was a tory. Dr. Josiah Pomeroy, a leading physician of the town, was a tory. Breed Batcheller, the second major of
1 Revolutionary Rolls, vol. 1, page 36. Swanzey Town History says "at sunrise."
2 Major Willard, Lieut. Hall, Samuel Wadsworth, John Swan and probably some of the others, afterwards took the side of the patriots and regained their positions as trusted and respected citizens; and John Swan volunteered and served in Col. Isaac Wyman's regiment in 1776, and Major Willard was one of those whose pay for services in the patriot cause was adjusted in 1788.
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the regiment, more widely known in Keene, where he had been a citizen, than in Packersfield, where he then lived, was a tory. There were thirteen of them in the town, besides Batcheller, and nearly all were men of property and influence. They did not believe it possible for the patriots to succeed, and, as a matter of prudence and policy, they believed it their duty to stand by the royal government. But for their adverse influence there can be no doubt that the number of volunteers from Keene would have been very much larger ..
Nearly every town in the province sent volunteers. Two thousand New Hampshire men were on the ground at Cambridge and Medford by the 23d, and with those from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, formed an unorganized army of nearly 20,000 men - without uni- forms and many of them without equipments.
On the 22d, Gen. Artemas Ward of Massachusetts was appointed a major general in the service of that province, and assumed command of all the troops. Stark, the vet- eran Indian fighter from Derryfield (Manchester), N. H., was there on the 22d, and was ordered by Gen. Ward to take position at Chelsea with 300 men, forming the ex- treme left of the American line, which extended to Rox- bury. Boston was now completely inclosed on the land side, the patriots began to throw up intrenchments all along their lines, and the city, with the British army there- in, was in a state of siege.
As there was no staff organization from New Hamp- shire on the ground, and no rations, ammunition, or sup- plies of any kind provided by the authorities of that prov- ince, New Hampshire men were advised to enlist for the time being into the service of Massachusetts in order to draw rations and quarters. An arrangement of that kind was made by a committee of the New Hampshire provin- cial congress with one from that of Massachusetts-the men to be accounted for on the quota of New Hampshire - and supplies were issued to some of the New Hampshire troops by the commissaries of Massachusetts. 1
1 Commissions were issued to Stark and Reed as colonels, April 26, by the Massachusetts committee of safety, which were accepted to continue till New Hampshire acted. (McClintock's History of New Hampshire, page 382.)
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To form their own separate organization the New Hampshire officers met at Medford on the 26th and elected field officers. John Stark was chosen colonel, Isaac Wy- man of Keene, lieutenant colonel, and Andrew McClary of Epsom, major of the First New Hampshire regiment. Stark, being the senior and most experienced officer on the ground, was recommended by the meeting "to take charge of all New Hampshire troops in the field." (The room in which the officers met was called "New Hampshire Hall" afterwards.) The next day, Col. Stark established his head- quarters at Medford, by order of Gen. Ward. Lieut. Jere- miah Stiles succeeded to the command of the Keene com- pany, and was afterwards commissioned captain.
Most of the men who had gathered in such haste around Boston were farmers, impatient to strike a blow for their country, or to be at home to plant their crops and attend to their affairs. Seeing no prospect of imme- diate action at the front, large numbers of them returned to their homes-many of them with the consent of their officers, others without asking consent. There was no power to hold them because they had not yet signed enlisting papers in any regular service; and, in some cases, they were advised by their commanders to go home and prepare for a war of indefinite length.
Four of our Keene men came home, but ten others stood ready to take their places; or, very likely the same men, or some of them, soon returned to the front. It is altogether probable that some of these later volunteers were in that first company.
The names of those who joined -or rejoined -the com- pany at Medford in time to be present at the battle of Bunker Hill were:
Benjamin Archer, appointed sergeant May 26.
Ebenezer Cook, appointed sergeant May 15.
Joseph Gray, \ enlisted May 15.
William Gray, sons of Aaron Gray of Gray's Hill.
Samuel Hall,1 enlisted May 15.
Benjamin Hall (son of Samuel), enlisted May 15.
1 Entered on this roll as from Rockingham, but reported ever afterwards as from Keene, was a citizen of Keene for many years previous and following, was in the military company here in 1773, and doubtless went from Keene at this time.
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Hannaniah Hall, enlisted May 15. David Harris, enlisted May 8. Stephen Larabee, enlisted May 8. Thomas Morse, enlisted May 15.
Silas French and Tilley Howe joined after the battle of Bunker Hill; and the name of Jonathan Wheeler of Keene appears on a later roll of the same company.1
In the meantime the excitement among the people at home was intense. Upon the alarm of the 19th, the com- mittee of safety of New Hampshire sent runners to the several towns asking them to send delegates to a conven- tion to be held at Exeter on the 21st, to consult for the general safety. The inhabitants of Keene came together hurriedly and without legal notice, on the 27th, and "Chose Lieut. Timothy Ellis 2 a Delegate to meet the Com- mittee at Exeter, and, as a member, to sit in the provincial Congress at Exeter whenever they may convene." That convention of the 21st, sometimes called the Third Provin- cial congress, appointed Col. Nathaniel Folsom of Exeter a brigadier general to command the New Hampshire troops around Boston, and recommended the several towns to provide their proportion of £500 worth of biscuit, flour and pork for the public use; and that they "engage as many men in each town as they may think fit to be prop- erly equipt & ready to march at a minute's warning on any emergency." A special committee was appointed to procure arms and ammunition for the towns.
On the 4th of May the regular assembly of the prov- ince was called together at Portsmouth by proclamation of Gov. Wentworth. Capt. Isaac Wyman was the mem- ber of the house of representatives for Keene, but he was in the army and did not attend.3
1 "Soon after the battle of Lexington, several tories, among whom was Elijah Williams Esq., left this vicinity, and joined the British, in Boston." (Annals, page 41.)
2 " He expressed his willingness to accept the office, but declared that he had not, and could not, in season, procure money enough to bear his expenses. The inhabitants, thereupon, voted that he might draw from the treasury four pounds, lawful money." (Annals, page 41.)
3 In his speech the governor urged upon the legislature "a Restoration of our Harmony with Great Britain." On the 6th, "in his Majesty's name he adjourned the General Assembly" to the 12th of June. A few of the members met on that day according to adjournment, but adjourned from day to day, and no business was transacted. On the 15th of July the governor sent in his last message, and ordered an adjournment till September; but the general as- sembly of the province under the government of Great Britain never met after- wards. Governor John Wentworth, an upright, honorable man, maintained himself in nominal power until September, when he abdicated. and sailed away in a British frigate.
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Soon after the meeting of the convention at Exeter, in April, the committee of safety for the province sent formal notices to the towns to send delegates to a convention to be held at Exeter on the 17th of May. This convention was called the Fourth Provincial congress. Great enthusi- asm prevailed during its session. A patriotic address was issued to the people, leniency towards debtors was recom- mended, and effective measures were adopted. It estab- lished a post office at Portsmouth and provided for post riders to other points. It resolved "to raise immediately Two Thousand Effective Men in this Province Including officers & those of this Province already in the service;" "that every member pledge his Honor & Estate in the name of his Constituents to pay their proportion of main- taining and paying the officers & soldiers of the above number while in the service;" and "that the Selectmen of the several Towns & Districts within this colony be desired to furnish the soldiers who shall inlist from their respective Towns and districts with good & sufficient Blankets & ren- der their accounts to the Committee of Supplies." Col. Matthew Thornton, Col. Josiah Bartlett, Capt. Wm. Whip- ple, Col. Nathaniel Folsom and Ebenezer Thompson, Esq., were appointed the committee of safety. Col. Nicholas Gil- man and six others were appointed a committee of supplies.
The 2,000 men raised were divided into three regiments of ten companies each, sixty-two men to the company. Stark, by far the most experienced and capable soldier in the province, was indignant because political influence had placed Folsom, who had remained at home where he could meet the members of the convention, over him, who had been at the front in command of the troops. But the col- onelcy of the First regiment was left open for Stark if he chose to accept it, and Enoch Poor of Exeter was ap- pointed colonel of the Second.
Stark was sent for and appeared before the convention, explained his conduct, which had been somewhat insubor- dinate towards Gen. Folsom, and accepted the commission offered him. Isaac Wyman of Keene was confirmed as lieutenant colonel and Andrew McClary of Epsom as ma- jor of the same regiment.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
Poor's regiment, raised in the eastern and central parts of the province, was held for the protection of the New Hampshire coast, and did not join the main army until after the battle of Bunker Hill.
Upon the alarm of the 19th of April, James Reed of Fitzwilliam, afterwards for many years a resident of Keene, who had been a captain in the French and Indian wars and had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel, had hastened to the front at the head of a company of volun- teers and joined the other New Hampshire troops. Find- ing the army at Cambridge in an unorganized condition, he "beat up" for volunteers for the purpose of forming a regiment. He also engaged Andrew Colburn, of Marlboro, a veteran of the Indian wars, who afterwards rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and others, to enlist men for him in Cheshire county. He went to Exeter and laid before mem- bers of the convention his claims to a commission, and on the 1st day of June was appointed colonel of the Third regiment. Israel Gilman, of Exeter, was appointed lieuten- ant colonel, Nathan Hale, of Rindge, major; and ten recruiting officers were appointed to enlist men to complete his regiment, eight of whom were afterwards captains under him. Under verbal orders from Gen. Folsom, he came immediately to Cheshire county, collected the recruits that had been enlisted for him, marched them to Cambridge, reported to Gen. Ward on the 12th, and was directed to go to Medford, where his other companies had been sent from Cambridge, and collect his recruits; and he received the following written order:
"Head Quarters, June the 12th 1775.
"GENERAL ORDERS-That Coll. Reed quarter his Regi- ment in the houses near Charlestown Neck and keep all necessary Guards between his Barracks and the Ferrey and on Bunker's Hill.
(Signed) "J. Ward Sectary Copy for James Reed."
Stark had more than ten companies and two of his- those of Captains Whitcomb of Swanzey and Thomas of Rindge- were transferred to Reed, who marched his regi- ment of ten companies, numbering more than five hundred men present for duty, to Charlestown Neck on the 13th,
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and posted a guard of one captain, two lieutenants and forty-eight men as directed.
On the afternoon of Friday, the 16th, Gen. Ward placed Col. William Prescott of Pepperell in command of a de- tachment of a little less than 1,000 men, including two pieces of artillery and a company of Connecticut troops under Capt. Knowlton, with orders to take all the in- trenching tools, their packs, and provisions for twenty-four hours, and proceed to Charlestown Neck. 1 The detach- ment paraded on Cambridge common-ordered at 6 o'clock but somewhat delayed-a ration of rum was served to the men from a hogshead brought to the spot, and at 9 o'clock, after a prayer by President Langdon of Harvard college, the column moved, silently, with two sergeants to lead the way, carrying dark lanterns open only to the rear.
Halting within the lines of Col. Reed's regiment, Pres- cott there received further orders to fortify Bunker's hill and hold his ground until relieved. Gen. Ward's chief en- gineer, the veteran Col. Gridley, was with him to lay out the works; and Gen. Putnam and other officers of high rank were also with him, but without commands.
Bunker's hill, one mile from the point where the British landed, sloped towards the bay, and, about half way down the ridge, rose again in a smaller elevation called Breed's hill. This point was believed by those experienced officers to be the better position and was selected as the place for the redoubt. The plan of the fortifications was marked out, the sentinels placed along the shore, and at midnight the work began. Strict silence was enjoined upon the men, for six vessels of war carrying about 170 guns and 1,000 men lay within range, and the "All's well!" of the British sentinels along the Boston shore could be dis- tinctly heard. So vigorously was the work pushed that at daylight, a little after 3 o'clock, there was a breast- work six feet high on every escarpment of the redoubt. From the northern angle a ditch and breastwork were extended about 100 yards towards Mystic river. All sides
1 A somewhat extended account of the battle is given for the reasons that it was the bloodiest fight that could be called a "battle," in proportion to the numbers engaged, that has ever been fought on American soil; and that Keene had a larger proportion of its men in that battle than in any other, in any war.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
of the hill were open fields, except on the south and south- west, where lay the village of Charlestown.
As daylight disclosed the works on the hill, the senti- nels on the vessels gave the alarm. Fire was immediately opened from the men-of-war, and soon afterwards from the battery on Copp's hill. Both armies and the inhabitants of Boston and the surrounding towns were rudely awak- ened to a great and memorable day; and there was ex- citement and confusion in both camps. Prescott foresaw the impending attack and called for reinforcements.
Stark with his regiment of more than 600 men, larger, better appointed, and better disciplined than any other in the army, lay at Medford. Early in the morning Gen. Ward sent him an order to reinforce Prescott with 200 men. 1 He immediately detailed Lt. Col. Wyman to com- · mand the detachment, and sent them forward as soon as they could be supplied with ammunition. Anxious to know the exact condition of affairs, he soon afterwards mounted his horse and galloped across the Neck and over the hills to the redoubt, passing Col. Wyman with his detachment in the hollow between Winter and Ploughed hills, about two miles from the redoubt, and quickly returned to his regiment.
Urged by the Massachusetts committee of safety, at 11 o'clock 2 Gen. Ward sent orders to both Stark and Reed to reinforce Prescott with their whole force. But Stark was four miles away and ammunition had not been distributed except to guards and pickets. He immediately drew up his men in front of the building used for an arsenal, and each man was given a gill cup of powder, fifteen balls 8 and one spare flint. A few cartridges were made, but very few of the men had cartridge-boxes, or paper for cartridges. Some took their powder in powder-horns, others in their waistcoat pockets. Their guns were of various calibres and some of the balls had to be hammered and others wound with patches to make them fit. Col. Reed's men
1 Gen. Ward feared to weaken his centre lest he should be attacked at that point, and therefore reinforced Prescott from his left wing.
2 Stark stated that it was "about 2 o'clock" when he received the order; but he was on the ground before the battle began, which was "about 8 o'clock." 8 Lead had been taken from the organ pipes in the church at Cambridge and wherever it could be obtained and run into bullets.
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were supplied in the same way and under the same diffi- culties. It took two hours to prepare the ammunition. Then, "about one o'clock," the veteran colonel began his march, with the roar of the British cannon-the prelude of the battle-testing the nerves of his men.
Crossing the Neck at a deliberate pace under a raking fire from some of the ships-which had deterred other troops, who were lying there-a young captain 1 marching by the colonel's side ventured to suggest that it might be well to quicken the step. Stark's reply was: "One fresh man in action is worth ten tired2 ones," and he would not hasten. A little before 3 o'clock he arrived near the ground; 8 halted his column for a few minutes; went for- ward to speak with Prescott; " returned to his men; made them a short, spirited address; had them give three cheers, and then moved them to the left, and took position about 200 yards to the rear of the fortifications, his line extend- ing down to Mystic river, to prevent a flank movement by the enemy in that direction. It was ebb tide, the beach at that place was strewn with rocks, and Stark directed his men to throw those up for a breastwork at that end of the line.
Col. Reed had moved his regiment to the front and formed on Capt. Knowlton's left-who had taken position with his company of Connecticut troops in rear of the redoubt, facing Mystic river-Reed's line turning at nearly a right angle towards the river. Stark now formed on his left, completing the line from the fortifications to the water's edge, with the exception of a gap of about 100 yards next to the ditch and breastwork, which was covered by the fire of the New Hampshire regiments. Two companies of artillery took position in this gap, but with- drew to the rear soon after the battle began and did little service. Capt. Crosby's company of Reed's regiment was detached and stationed, with other troops, on Main street,
1 Henry Dearborn of Nottingham, afterwards, in the war of 1812, a major general and commander-in-chief of the United States army.
2 Some quotations make him say fatigued, but he was not the man to use a long French word when a short English one was better.
8 Yankee Doodle had been played by the British in ridicule of the Provincials, who now used it for the first time in defiance of the British. (Address of Rev. Geo. E. Ellis, June 17, 1841.)
Communication to New Hampshire Patriot in 1818, by Major Joseph Dow, of Hampton Falls, who was present in Stark's regiment.
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at the foot of Breed's hill, forming the extreme right of the line and protecting that flank. The day was hot, and many of the men, particularly of Reed's regiment, whose camp was near the battle ground, left their packs and some even their coats, expecting to return for them, and they were afterwards paid for clothing and other articles lost that day.
The day before, the grass on the north slope of the hill had been cut for hay and still lay on the ground. A breastwork, which Capt. Knowlton's men had begun, was made along the greater part of the New Hampshire line, where there was a rail fence, by bringing others that stood near and setting them to make two parallel lines1 about three feet apart and filling the space with the hay, well trod in, which the men brought in their arms. 2 Hay packed in that way would stop many of the musket balls, as they were fired in those days. A British letter after the battle says, "It was found to be the strongest post ever occupied by any set of men."
The New Hampshire line thus formed two sides of a rectangle which the enemy must enter to make their at- tack on that wing. And this was the key to the position, because the only sensible move the British could make was to direct their main attack against this line with the view of turning the American left and getting in rear of the re- doubt. And that was exactly what they did. It was here that Gen. Howe himself commanded, with his grenadiers and light infantry, with field artillery-"the flower of his troops"-and the most sanguinary fighting was done in the two first assaults.
It was Saturday afternoon. The British had begun to land from their boats at 1 o'clock. At 3 o'clock, they had about 3,000 men on the ground, with Gen. Howe in com- mand. The barges were sent back to the Boston side, to
1 The fence that was already there a part of the distance, was a low stone wall topped with two rails, and another line of posts and rails was set in front to hold the hay. This was made chiefly by Reed's and Knowlton's men, prob- ably ordered by Putnam, as Stark arrived only a few minutes before the battle began.
2 I had this when a boy from my grandfather, Nehemiah Wright, who was present in Reed's regiment, and assisted in building those fences and fired from behind them ; and tradition brought down the same account from my grandfather, Samuel Griffin, who was also present in the same regiment, and fought behind the rail fence .- S. G. G.
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prevent the flight of the men-for then it was "conquer or die." "They were supplied with large tubs of drink to prepare them for the onset." 1
They formed in two columns, the left, under Gen. Pigot, directed against the redoubt, the right, as stated above, making the principal attack against the rail fence.
On our side the field officers passed along the lines, encouraging the men and giving them directions to hold their fire until the British were close upon them; telling them to "fire low;" "aim at the waist;" "powder is scarce, don't waste it;" "wait till you can see the whites of their eyes." Stark stepped out about forty yards in front, stuck a stick in the ground, and said to his men: "Don't fire a shot till the redcoats come up to that stick and I say the word."
The British advanced with steady step, in closed columns, halting and deploying when well up towards our lines with the coolness and precision of a dress parade; and then the line of battle moved forward in perfect- order, halting to fire now and then, but without aim and shoot- ing over and doing little harm.
When they had reached the mark, "Fire!" shouted Stark, and a deadly volley of rattling musketry burst from the whole line followed by another as soon as they could load. Nothing could withstand such a fire. The British wavered, broke and fled. The smoke lifted and disclosed the ground strewn with dead and dying, and hundreds were wounded who were able to escape, but not to return. A few of our men rushed forward to pursue, but were restrained by their officers.
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