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 20
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The Keene company marched a part of the distance, was met by an express with the information that the alarm was false and started to return, but was overtaken by a second courier ordering the troops forward in all haste. They marched as far as Otter creek, where they met a part of the army in retreat-Ticonderoga having been abandoned-and returned home. Other companies had similar experiences. Burgoyne was steadily advancing, and during those last days of June and first of July, bat- talions, companies and squads of troops were marching and countermarching to and from the front in all parts of the state. But the military road opened by Lt. Col. John Hawks and Col. John Goffe from Merrimack, N. H., through Peterboro, Keene and Charlestown to Crown Point, made this route through Keene the main line of the movements.
Two companies from Amherst and Wilton, under Major
1 He was usually called Rial, and is on the roll as Ariel Blake. Royal Blake was in the service and was one of those whose pay was equalized by the town in 1788; but "Ariel" is the only form in which his name appears on the Revolu- tionary rolls.
1
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Abiel Abbott, passed through Keene and marched as far as No. 4, when they were ordered home. At Dublin, they were overtaken by an express and ordered to march "with all speed for Ticonderoga." This time they marched as far as Otter creek, where they heard of the evacuation and returned home. This made four times that those com- panies passed and repassed through Keene. A battalion of several companies and parts of companies under Lt. Col. Heald of New Ipswich, and companies and detachments from Hollis, Peterboro, Merrimack, Dunstable, Hudson, Derry, Bedford, Litchfield, Nottingham, Marlboro, Stod- dard, and other towns, passed through Keene in a similar way at different times, marching both ways, at all hours of the day and night. One was a company of sixty-four men from Fitzwilliam and adjoining towns, under Capt. John Mellen. A company of forty-eight men from New Ipswich, under Capt. Josiah Brown, had horses enough to "ride and tie," and thus hastened their march. For weeks at this time, "Keene Street," as it was called then and for more than half a century afterwards, resounded with the continual tramp of marching patriots and the rub-dub-dub of the recruiting officer's drum.
The three New Hampshire regiments of Continental troops-Cilley's, Hale's and Scammel's-in Gen. Poor's brigade, had again joined the northern army. They had been armed with the French "fusil," the best musket then in use. But Gen. St. Clair abandoned his stores and the fortresses at the head of Lake Champlain, and retreated to Fort Edward, by the way of Hubbardston, Castleton and Rutland. At Hubbardston, disaster befell the New Hampshire troops by being overtaken by the energetic Gen. Frazer. They lost heavily in killed, wounded and prisoners ; and among those captured was Col. Nathan Hale of Rindge. Lt. Col. George Reid, 1 of Londonderry, of Cilley's regiment, was transferred and given the command of Hale's regiment. Our northern army was in a deplorable condition; many of the soldiers left without permission, and when the vol- unteers for the support of that army met the straggling
1 A daughter of Lieutenant Colonel, afterwards Colonel, and General Reid of the militia, became the wife of one governor of New Hampshire and the mother of another-Samuel Dinsmoor, senior, and Samuel Dinsmoor, junior, of Keene.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
and demoralized troops, they turned back disappointed and disheartened, and some of them disbanded and returned singly to their homes. The imminent danger of invasion by the British and Indians caused increased alarm through- out this part of the country. Parties of New York tories and bands of Indians were already overrunning the New Hampshire Grants (Vermont), west of the mountains, out- raging the inhabitants, destroying their property and driv- ing off their cattle and horses, and many of the settlers abandoned their farms and fled.
In the midst of all this excitement, another source of anxiety to the people of this vicinity was disclosed in the increased activity, more or less hidden, of the tories in this and other towns. The following record appears in the State Papers, but is not found in the court records of this county :
"Return of the names of the Persons found guilty of missdemenors against the States by a Special Session held at Keen June 1777 as pr minutes on file with the sum find & order thereon
Col. Josiah Willard 208 John Gould 40s
Majr Josiah Willard 308 Alexander Rolstone 408
Eleazur Pomeroy 208 Paul Richardson 40s
Eben™ Harvey 40s Nathan Rugg 408
Rev. Micah Lawrence 209 Revd Clement Sumner 40s
Benj Melvin 408 Capt Henry Coffin 208
Benj. Melvin Jr. 40s Sam" King 40s
Nathan Willard 10% John White 40
Joseph Collins 208
Simon Willard
108
Sam'l Wadsworth
40s
Total £29-10-0."
"Ordered that the several Persons find for Misdemeno, Recognize in the sum of £500 as Principal with Two Sur- ties to be of a Peacable Behavior towards the State & to be confind within certain Limits untill this Court or Sum other Authority shall Discharge them therefrom-
"orderd that Capt Benja Flood Receive £12 out of the fine money to Billit his guard with he to acct therefor- "orderd that the Remainder of the fines be Reposited in the hands of Nath1 S. Prentice Esq. to wait the County Sessions order thereon
"a Coppy from the minutes on file
Nath1 S. Prentice Clerk of sd Sessions." At a special session of the court held at Keene, on the 3d
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day of June the following persons, who had previously been indicted, were tried: Elijah King of Charlestown; Elijah Willard, Prentice Willard and Capt. Samuel Smith of Win- chester; Simon Baxter of Alstead; Abner Sanger of Keene; and Josiah Butler. King and Prentice Willard were put under bonds of 500 pounds each for their good behavior; and Smith, Sanger, Baxter and Elijah Willard were locked up in jail at Charlestown.
On the 17th, the legislature, upon the report of a com- mittee previously appointed to investigate a complaint against Breed Batchelder of Packersfield, and Robert Gil- more of Keene, "Voted that the said Batchelder and Gil- more be committed to close Prison in some Gaol in this state;" and they were arrested and locked up in the jail here. Other tories in the county were arrested from time to time, and tried before Justice Wyman and others. Some gave bonds, and some were imprisoned, though most of them were allowed freedom within certain limits. The property of the more obnoxious ones was afterwards con-
fiscated for the benefit of the state. "Mrs. Sturtevant, who is the widow of Cornelius Sturtevant, Jr., the printer, was born in 1770, and is now living with mental faculties bright and vigorous, well remembers that, in early girl- hood, when going to school from West-street to the school- house just South of the old Ralston house, she passed the old jail, standing near where the Emerald House now stands. It was made of hewn logs, with a small hole for a window. She and her companions often stopped to hear a Mr. Baxter, who was confined there, sing the 'Vicar of Bray.' This Baxter was a tory, lived in Surry or Alstead, and was probably then confined for toryism. Tradition speaks of him as wealthy for the time, bold, reckless, fond of enjoyment, and of defying public opinion. He doubtless sang the ' Vicar of Bray' to reproach and provoke the rebels outside for having deserted their King and sworn allegiance to the new government. He emigrated to Nova Scotia." (Annals, page 50.)
Yet, notwithstanding the alarming outlook and all their discouragements, the people as a whole were reso- lute and determined. They were also gladdened and
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
encouraged by good news from the patriot army in New Jersey, where Washington, in the single month of June, had gained advantages over Howe and Cornwallis, and driven them out of that state. There was great rejoicing through- out the country.
But urgent appeals from the patriots of the "Grants" came to New Hampshire for assistance, and those appeals were sustained by reports of the insolence of the British invaders and the barbarities of their Indian allies. The commanding officers at various points sent expresses along the routes as far as No. 4 and Keene, and even beyond, to rally and bring forward the stragglers and reinforcements, directing them to march to Bennington, and thence to join the main army.
The legislature had finished its spring session and ad- journed on the 28th of June. A summons from the com- mittee of safety brought the members together again on the 17th of July, for a special session of three days. On the second day the two houses met in convention to discuss the situation - Mesech Weare, chairman of the committee of safety, in the chair. The state was destitute of money and the people had already done all that seemed possible for them to do in the matter of furnishing troops. But Burgoyne must be stopped or his army would overrun their own territory, and their own homes and property would be sacrificed.
The main question was that of raising the means to pay and equip the soldiers. When the gloom of the situation was portrayed, Col. John Langdon, speaker of the house, rose and made one of the most telling speeches of the Rev- olution.
He said: "Gentlemen, I have three thousand dollars in hard money, thirty hogsheads of Tobago rum, worth as much, I can pledge my plate for as much more; these are at the service of the state. With this money we can raise and provision troops; our friend, John Stark, will lead them. If we check Burgoyne the state can repay me, and if we do not, the money will be of no use to me." The offer was accepted with enthusiasm. The convention rose and the two houses went to their work.
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Stark was called from his farm on the Merrimac- whither he had retired because he felt insulted by congress in the appointment of brigadiers-was made a brigadier general, and given command of all the militia on the west side of the state, with orders to take one-fourth of all his troops, with a few from Whipple's brigade on the east side of the state, make his rendezvous at Charlestown and march at once into the Grants. Four companies of rangers were also raised and placed under his command. The mili- tia officers were ordered to take away their arms from all who scrupled or refused to assist in the defence of the country; and a day of "General Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer" was appointed, which "was observed with great solemnity" on the 7th of August.
Stark's commission was from the state and was wholly independent of every other authority. On July 28, 1777, he was at Charlestown. There was no need of a "draft." Plenty of volunteers joined him promptly, for they were alarmed at the danger and they had unbounded confidence in him as a commander. As they arrived he sent them for- ward by companies and detachments, to report to Col. Seth Warner at Manchester, twenty miles north of Ben- nington.1 At Charlestown, he found but few supplies, a part of the powder being worthless; a few pieces of small cannon there and at Walpole, but without carriages and no workmen to mount them; a small quantity of sugar; "Very little Rum;" a few hundred pounds of lead but "only one pair of bullet moulds in town;" all of which delayed his movements; yet when 500 volunteers had reached him, on the 4th of August, he went forward, en- camped on the night of the 6th at what is now Peru, Vt., and reached Manchester on the 7th. There he met Gen. Lincoln of the Continental army, who ordered him forward with his troops to join the main army on the Hudson,
1 "The legislature adjourned on Saturday. All that night and the next day, a horseman was riding from Exeter to Concord. Sunday afternoon he dis- mounted at the church door, and walked up the aisle. The minister stopped and said: 'Captain Hutchins, are you the bearer of a message?' 'Yes, Bur- goyne is on his march to Albany. Stark will command the New Hampshire men, and if we all turn out, we can cut him off.' 'My hearers,' said the Rev. Timothy Walker, 'You who are ready to go, better leave at once.' All the men left the house. But Phineas Virgin had no shoes. 'You shall have a pair,' said Samuel Thompson, the shoemaker, 'before tomorrow morning.' Next day those shoes were marching."- President Bartlett's address at Bennington, August 16, 1877.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
and to report to Gen. Poor as his brigade commander. Stark refused to obey his order or report to Gen. Poor or any other officer who had been his junior in the army. At the same time he wrote Gen. Schuyler, commander of the northern army, that he was willing to unite in any meas- ure that would promote the public good. Lincoln reported him, and congress passed a vote of reprimand, but subse- quent events sustained him.
The important depot of supplies at Bennington was threatened by the enemy. On the 8th, Stark made that point the rendezvous for his troops, and soon afterwards went there himself, taking Col. Warner with him, but leav- ing his battalion of "Green Mountain Boys" at Man- chester for protection on that side. Reinforcements con- tinued to join him, chiefly from Charlestown, a few via Brattleboro. Three of the nine colonels in Stark's brigade of militia joined him, with regiments made up of volun- teers from all the regiments and from Whipple's brigade- Nichols of Amherst, Stickney of Concord, and Hobart (or Hubbard) of Plymouth. Col. Ashley, of Winchester, had just returned with his regiment from his march towards Ticonderoga, and his whole force not being called for, he volunteered as aid on Gen. Stark's staff and served with him through the campaign. Col. Nichols had ten com- panies, four of them from Cheshire county, with Wm. Gregg of Londonderry, lieutenant colonel; and Timothy Ellis, major, and Ebenezer Cook, sergeant major, both of Keene.
Capt. Elisha Mack, of Gilsum, commanded one of the companies, with Josiah Richardson, of Keene, lieutenant. The enlisted men from Keene in that company were Adin Holbrook and Tilly Howe, sergeants; Robert Worsley, corporal; and Cephas Clark, Joshua Durant, Samuel Hall, Ezra Metcalf, Jonathan Wheeler, Daniel Willson, David Willson, Jonathan Dwinnell, Michael Metcalf, Jr., William Woods, David Harris and Zadoc Wheeler, privates. This company marched from Keene on the 22d of July, and was in the battle of Bennington, where Nichols' regiment took a prominent part in the fight. In the same regiment were a company from Chesterfield under Capt. Kimball Carlton,
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of sixty-one men; one from Swanzey, under Capt. Samuel Wright, of sixty men; one from Rindge, under Capt. Sal- mon Stone, of seventy-four men, many of whom were from Marlboro, Dublin and Packersfield; and one from New Ipswich, under Capt. Stephen Parker, 1 of seventy men. The aggregate number of the regiment was about 600. Walpole and Charlestown also sent companies in Col. Hobart's regiment. While at Charlestown, Gen. Stark had appointed Rev. Augustine Hibbard, of Claremont, who had preached for a short time in Keene, chaplain of his brigade, by an order dated Aug. 3, 1777.
Burgoyne had detached Col. Baum with about 700 veterans, two pieces of artillery, a few Canadians and 150 Indians for a raid through the New Hampshire Grants, and to destroy the depot of supplies at Bennington. His orders were to collect cattle and horses, mount his dra- goons, destroy such stores as he could not bring off, cross the mountains to Rockingham and return to Albany- where Burgoyne expected to be-by the way of Brattle- boro. Baum was also joined by several hundred tories under Col. Skeene, of Skeensboro. On the 13th, his ad- vance reached Cambridge, twelve miles northwest of Ben- nington. A woman on horseback-all the men were in the army on one side or the other-brought the news to Stark that there were 200 Indians at Cambridge. Stark had about 1,400 men. He immediately sent Lt. Col. Gregg, of Nichols' regiment, forward to hold the enemy in check. A few hours later, another woman came from the same place to say that 1,500 Hessians and tories had reached that town. Early the next morning, Stark marched with his whole brigade to support Gregg, whom he met four miles out, retreating before a superior force. Discovering Stark's column, the enemy halted and formed on a commanding ridge. Stark deployed his column and tried to induce Baum to attack him; but Baum was cautious, and intrenched. Leaving a line of skirmishers, Stark fell back about a mile, and his men lay on their arms that night. Friday, the 15th, it rained all day and both parties lay in position;
1 Capt. Parker was father of Elijah Parker, Esq., a prominent citizen of Keene in the early part of the 19th century, lawyer, town clerk, and town agent.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
but Stark sent out detachments on both flanks of the enemy to harass them and magnify his own numbers. The Indians reported that the woods were full of Yankees and many of them deserted.
The next morning a few more troops joined Stark, and he now had about 1,600 men. 1 He sent Col. Nichols with 300 men around the enemy's left, and Col. Hendricks with 300 around their right, to unite and attack their rear; and Cols. Hobart and Stickney were to attack their right flank. Taking command of the main body in front of the intrenched position, when all was ready, he made his men a short speech in which he said-and that was nearly all he said-"There are the Redcoats; they are ours, or Mollie2 Stark sleeps a widow tonight."
It was 3 o'clock. The signal of attack-the opening fire of Nichols' men-was heard; Stark advanced upon thé centre and a furious fire was poured in from every side. But the enemy were stubborn and held their ground for two hours. Then the patriots rushed upon their breast- works, swept everything before them, captured their two pieces of artillery and a large number of prisoners; and the rest abandoned their works and fled. But such a charge always breaks up the organization of the attacking party, and the Americans neglected to re-form and prepare for further action. Some prepared refreshments; some plun- dered the enemy's camp, and all were off their guard. While in this condition, Stark learned that Breyman's re- inforcement of 644 Brunswickers, with two brass field pieces and a number of tories, was within two miles of him. The men were rallied, ammunition was distributed, and the fight was renewed. Again the enemy fought stub- bornly, but when our tired men were nearly exhausted, Col. Warner's battalion, under Major Safford, arrived from Manchester. Stark said to Warner, "For God's sake fall in and let us take breath." With the aid of those fresh troops the fury of the fight was renewed, and at sunset the
1 A short description of the campaign and battle is given for the reason that Keene and Cheshire county were well represented there; and because no other battle has ever been fought so near Keene. The roar of the British can- non was distinctly heard in this town, and even ten miles further east.
2 Hiland Hall's History of Vermont, and the language used on the mona- ment at Bennington ; but Mrs. Stark's name was not Mollie, but Elizabeth. He probably said "Betty Stark."
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enemy gave way and fled in disorder. Stark pursued until dark, captured the other two field pieces, twelve brass drums, all their transportation and horses, 1,000 small arms and about 700 prisoners, among them Baum, who died of his wounds. Two hundred and seven of their dead were found on the field next morning. The English and German prisoners were treated with kindness and sent to Boston; but the tories were regarded as traitors and were treated as such. There were 155 of them; and they were tied in pairs to a long rope, a poor old horse was hitched to the end of the rope and they were led away to jail. Stark's loss was about thirty 1 killed and forty wounded. Among the killed were Michael Metcalf, Jr., and William Wood of Keene, and Joshua Fuller of Surry, showing that Capt. Mack's company was in the hottest of the fight. The names of the wounded were not given. 2
This brilliant victory raised the spirits of the people and relieved them from the fear of the destruction of their homes and property by invasion. Stark made no report of the battle, except to the authorities of New Hampshire, but congress heard of it indirectly and passed a vote of thanks and promoted him to be brigadier general in the Continental army. After some hesitation, he accepted the appointment, and, with a fresh brigade raised for him, moved forward and joined the army on the 16th of Sep- tember; and Nichols' regiment was present at the battle of Stillwater on the 19th. But its term of enlistment had expired, as had that of the other Bennington troops, and it was discharged on the 23d, and the men came home.
Previous to the action at Stillwater, Major Henry
1 The British were on higher ground and shot over.
2 Maj. Ellis, Josiah Richardson, Joshua Durant and others, immediately crossed the Green Mountains, and soon found themselves in front of the Hes- sian breastwork, sustaining and returning an incessant fire. The major, some- what excited, ordered a charge, and himself and most of his men leaped over, among whom was Durant. The Hessians wavered, scattered and fled. Durant pursued a party of three, and gaining fast upon them, the hindmost turned back, their muskets at this moment touching each other. Durant fired first and killed his antagonist. While reloading, the other two turned back upon him. He wrenched his bayonet from his gun, seized one by the collar, and was about to stab the other, when both called for quarter and surrendered themselves prisoners. The three were brothers. For many years afterwards, Durant occa- sionally wore, as trophies, a waistcoat and silver mounted breast pin taken from the man he had killed.
Mr. Richardson came home with the glory of having captured three Hes- sians. He allowed the world to believe the story to be true, as in fact it was, but to his friends he admitted that, either from terror, or dissatisfaction with their condition, they appeared to be not very unwilling captives. (Annals, page 51.)
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Dearborn had been placed in command of a battalion of 300 picked men, mostly from Scammel's regiment, in which was the Keene company under Capt. William Ellis, to act as light infantry with Col. Morgan's corps of riflemen. The battle was opened by those troops, sent forward as skirmishers to attack and harass Burgoyne's right flank ; and they were sharply engaged, and captured one piece of artillery, but could not bring it off. At 2 o'clock, Arnold, who commanded the American left, sent forward the three New Hampshire Continental regiments, and they made a gallant fight with the British right. Some pieces of British artillery were taken and retaken several times. Getting short of ammunition the Americans withdrew, taking with them their wounded and about 100 prisoners. The British held the ground that night, but withdrew the next day, and left the victory to the Americans. A large share of the fight- ing was done by the New Hampshire troops, and they were highly complimented for their bravery. Among the killed was Andrew Colburn of Marlboro, lieutenant colonel of Scammel's regiment. In Capt. Ellis's company of about forty men, three were killed and several wounded.
On the 7th of October, Burgoyne, in desperation, again attacked the Americans, and again the New Hampshire troops were conspicuous for their gallantry. That battle was won by the patriot soldiers themselves and their sub- ordinate commanders, no general officer of high rank ap- pearing on the field except Arnold, who was without a command. Among those who were killed or died of wounds received in these engagements were Daniel Snow, of Col. Scammel's regiment, wounded Sept. 19, died Sept. 30; John Crossfield, of the same regiment, wounded Oct. 7, died Oct. 12; and Nathaniel Briggs, of Lt. Col. Reid's regiment, wounded Oct. 7, died Oct. 18, all of Keene. Snow is reported, on different rolls, both as "died of wounds Sept. 30th," and "killed in battle Oct. 7, 1777."
In this campaign to repel the invasion of Burgoyne- considered one of the decisive ones of all history -the little state of New Hampshire, then almost a wilderness, fur- nished more than 6,000 men and contributed very largely to the grand results attained.
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Immediately after Burgoyne's surrender on the 17th, Poor's brigade of New Hampshire Continentals marched forty miles in fourteen hours, fording the Mohawk river on the way, to check the British advance up the Hudson to relieve Burgoyne. When that force retired they marched to Pennsylvania, and with the rest of Washington's army, suffered the hardships and privations of that terrible win- ter at Valley Forge. The 18th of December was designated by congress, and heartily observed by the people, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to God, our first national Thanksgiving.
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