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 31
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The evil effects of President Jefferson's policy of " non- intercourse and embargo" were very seriously felt at this time, 1809, particularly in this part of the country. The shipping interests, which were large in New England, were ruined. Prices of imported goods became enormously high, and many articles which had come to be regarded as necessaries of life could not be had at any price. The good effects of that policy were apparent later in the impulse given to domestic manufactures. People were constrained to make for themselves articles of necessity or comfort
1 Now known as the "Cole place," foot of Marlboro street. He had been a deacon of the Brattle Street church, Boston, and his wife was a Miss Gold- thwaite, sister of Mrs. Daniel Adams of Keene.
2 Since known as the "Carpenter place."
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
which they could not buy. The war which followed a few years later intensified the distress and the impulse to self- protection, and cotton, woolen and other manufactures started up in all the eastern states. That was the chief cause which led to the establishment of the glass factory in Keene, which for many years at one period was exceed- ing profitable to its owners. The woolen factory on West street, which has been of immense benefit to this commu- nity, was started under the same impulse, beginning in a small way and increasing to its present dimensions.
But the immediate effects of the embargo were disas- trous, and the people were impatient under its restraints. Legal town meetings were called in many places, accord- ing to the custom of those times, to give expression to the sentiments of the people on questions of public policy. Such a meeting was held in Keene on the 26th of January, 1809, Lockhart Willard, moderator, "to take into consid- eration the present alarming condition of our country; to express our sentiments thereon; and to adopt such meas- ures for a redress of grievances as shall be thought expe- dient." A long series of resolutions denouncing the policy of embargo and non-intercourse was passed and after- wards printed in full and distributed. The annual town meeting in March cast 235 votes for Jeremiah Smith, the Federal candidate for governor, to nineteen for John Lang- don, the administration candidate.
The first meeting of the Keene Engine Company, called for organization by Daniel Newcomb, Elijah Dunbar and Samuel Dinsmoor was held at Pierce's tavern on the 6th of February, 1809, at 6 o'clock p. m. This was the first suc- cessful movement for the introduction of a fire engine, although an effort had been made for that purpose, and a meeting of subscribers called at Holbrook's tavern, in 1805.
Phineas Cooke taught a subscription school in Masonic hall this year; and a Mr. Durand opened a school for teaching the French language and afterwards added fenc- ing and sword exercise.
In November, 1809, Ichabod Fisher, who had been a prominent man-town clerk for twenty-one years-died, aged eighty-one.
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The threatening war kept the military spirit up to the fighting pitch, and led to changes in the militia laws, requiring every town to be constantly supplied with thirty- two pounds of powder, sixty-four pounds of musket-balls, 120 flints, three iron or tin camp-kettles to every sixty- four enrolled soldiers and other stringent provisions, with a heavy fine in each case of failure.
In October, 1810, there was a brigade muster here of the Sixth, Twelfth and Twentieth regiments. Brig. Gen. Huntley of Alstead and Maj. Gen. Whitcomb of Swanzey were the reviewing officers. The Twentieth regiment appeared with a band of fourteen pieces-the first mention of a military band in Keene. Capt. Dinsmoor had been promoted to major of the regiment and thence to quarter- master general of the state, and Aaron Hall, Jr., was now captain of the Keene Light Infantry. At the close of the muster there was a spirited sham-fight in which all the troops were engaged.
In April, 1810, Levi Newcomb, son of Hon. Daniel Newcomb, a very bright and promising young man, an undergraduate of Dartmouth college, died at Hanover, aged twenty. The sympathy of the community for Judge Newcomb and his family was profound.
The close of the first decade of the 19th century marked a decided advance in the condition of the country generally, and of Keene in many particulars. True, its population had increased by only one, and was now 1,646; but in addition to the two large brick stores, a brick hotel and a brick bank, two large wooden stores had been erected-one by Noah Cooke where E. F. Lane's upper block now stands, and another on the site of Gurnsey's block - besides several fine residences1 of wood, and other buildings. Horses, cattle and swine still ran at large in the streets in spite of by-laws to the contrary; and 1810 was one of those years when certain of the more fastidious voters made a spasmodic, but ineffectual attempt to pre- vent the practice. It was not until nearly two decades more had passed that that nuisance was finally abated.
1 One, in 1804, by Wm. Lamson on West street. still standing and occupied by his descendants; one in 1808 by John Prentiss, which gave place to the pres- ent residence of Major O. G. Dort on Court street, and others in various parts of the town.
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But there was an increased air of refinement and thrift in the well-kept premises and tasteful gardens; the farms were better and more extensively cultivated, and from many of them the log-cabin had disappeared and the framed house had taken its place. Wheeled vehicles were fast com- ing into use, the bridle path had given place to the high- way, and the subject of transportation was very generally agitated.
The Middlesex canal was so near completion in the spring of 1810 that "Canal Boats have begun to go reg- ularly twice a week from the landing place (Alms House Wharf) in Boston to Nashua village in Dunstable. Goods and produce of every description are received there by Mr. John Lund, who forwards them by boats or delivers them to the owners." The freight from Boston to Nashua was $4.50 per ton; from Nashua to Boston $3.50. The next year canals were built around the falls of the Merrimac river so that navigation by boats was complete from Boston to Concord, N. H.
Previous to this there had been a constant succession of teams from Vermont and the Connecticut valley, many of them with six horses, travelling the great turnpikes through Keene, Jaffrey and New Ipswich to and from Bos- ton; or by the more southern route through Fitzwilliam and Rindge. Now their course was through Dublin and Peterboro to Nashua, to reach the canal.
Changes had taken place in business in town. Abijah Foster, who, in a long term of trade and tavern keeping at West Keene, had become one of the wealthiest men in town, had sold out to Pond & Coolidge; Isaac Parker & Co. had taken the brick store of Ralston & Bond, opposite Shirtliff's tavern; John Wood continued the business of Mann & Wood, taking in Aaron Hall, Jr., from the corner store, while James Mann opened a store next south of Pierce's tavern, and was soon succeeded there by John Elliot and Shubael Butterfield; Sparhawk & Davis had succeeded John G. Bond in the store on the east side of the Square; Eliphalet Briggs had taken the cabinet shop on Prison street, just north of the meetinghouse, and car- ried on the business for many years afterwards. William
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AMOS TWITCHELL.
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TOWN AFFAIRS.
Dickinson had repaired his father's fulling-mill on the West- moreland road, and continued the clothier's business there.
Dr. Amos Twitchell came from Marlboro early in 1810 and took rooms in the Albe Cady house, already described. Dr. Joseph Wheeler came about the same time from West- moreland and took "the Widow Sprague's1 house." Dr. Dan Hough came in November of the same year, 1810, and took rooms in Pierce's tavern. Soon afterwards, for about a year, he was a .partner of Dr. Daniel Adams; and the next year he went into trade with Isaac Parker.
The ten highest tax-payers were William Wyman, Abi- jah Foster, Stephen Chase, Daniel Newcomb, Daniel Wat- son, Abel Blake, Noah Cooke, William Lamson, Ephraim Wright and Samuel Dinsmoor.
1 Widow of Peleg Sprague, now the Laton Martin house.
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CHAPTER XIV. WAR OF 1812. 1811-1815.
At the annual meeting in 1811 the town voted its consent "that Thomas Thompson and Thomas Thomp- son, junior, with their Farm now lying in Swanzey may be annexed to this Town." That farm lay on the hill southeast of South Keene, since known as the "Batcheller farm."
In 1759, as already stated, Keene granted to certain persons the right to divert the waters of the East branch into the South branch for the purpose of creating a water- power at what has since been known as Swanzey Factory village. Saw and grist mills had been operated there until 1809, when Dr. Daniel Adams bought the property for the Swanzey Factory Company, then about organizing. In June, 1810, that company was incorporated, with a capital of $40,000, for the purpose of "spinning cotton and woolen yarn or weaving the same into cloth." The incorporators were Samuel Dinsmoor, Aquilla Ramsdell, Josiah Wood- ward (of Roxbury), William C. Belding, John Thompson and their associates. John Elliot and Daniel D. Hatch were among the directors. In January, 1811, the corpor- ation bought the mills and privilege and soon began making cotton yarn. The saw and grist mills and a black- smith's shop were also operated by the company. Albe Cady was clerk, John G. Bond, treasurer, and most of the stock- holders were Keene men. Power looms had not then come into use, and the yarn was taken by families-usually through merchants who held stock in the company-and woven by hand. Years afterwards Appleton & Elliot and John Elliot & Co. did a large business of that kind, and nearly all the traders in town dealt more or less in that way. Isaac Parker and his firm of Parker & Hough were largely interested. Parker had a shop at the mills for
HOUSE OF THOMAS THOMPSON. BUILT 1800.
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making cotton and woolen machinery, in which he was also largely interested. In 1813, his shop, containing finished and unfinished machinery, and some of the other buildings were burned-the loss of about $3,000 falling chiefly on Capt. Parker.
After this a mill was built and furnished with machin- ery for dressing the yarn and weaving it into cloth; and for many years Swanzey Factory cotton was sold at the stores in Keene and elsewhere and was a favorite article of its kind.1
Nathan Blake, one of the first settlers of the town, the story of whose capture by the Indians has been told, died on the 4th of August, 1811, aged ninety-nine years and five months.
The state of affairs between the United States and England was rapidly approaching war. The outrageous conduct of British naval officers in impressing American seamen, capturing and confiscating our merchant vessels and annoying and insulting Americans in various ways, had become so exasperating and humiliating that it could be borne no longer. Congress was called together in No- vember, 1811; the regular army was increased to 35,000 men; and the president was authorized to raise volunteers, to strengthen the navy and to borrow money.
While congress was still in session, our army under Gen. Harrison, sent into the Indian territory simply to negotiate and preserve peace, was treacherously attacked by the Indians at Tippecanoe and narrowly escaped defeat; but turned the battle into a decisive victory.2 It was generally believed- and proof was not wanting-that the Indians were instigated to hostilities by the British. War was soon afterwards declared in spite of a somewhat formidable opposition to that measure both in congress and among the people.
1 In 1848 the mill was burned. The next year the remaining property of the corporation-the water privilege, saw and grist mills, two dwelling houses and a shop-was sold to Abel Bowers of Leominster, Mass., and the ownership of that property passed out of the hands of Keene parties. The corporation at that time consisted of John Wood, A. & T. Hall, Levi Willard, Samuel Dinsmoor, Aaron Appleton, John Elliot, Samuel Wood, Eliphalet Briggs, Samuel Cooper and Salma Hale. Mr. Bowers went into the manufacture of combs, and sold the saw and grist mills to Daniel Thompson and Elbridge G. Whitcomb of Keene.
2 The Fourth U. S. Infantry, in which were several Keene and other Cheshire county men, was in Harrison's command under Lt. Col. James Miller.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
In May, 1812, New Hampshire was called upon for 3,500 men. Volunteers responded promptly and the quota was soon organized. At the same time enlistments were made into the regular army.
The following obituary appeared in the Sentinel in 1812: "Died, May 5th in the U. S. service at Vincennes, Indiana Territory, Josiah Willard, son of Lockhart Wil- lard, Esq., of this town, who for his gallant behaviour in the late action near the Prophets town, highly merited the approbation of his officers and country, aged 28." He was a son of Lockhart and Salome (Reed) Willard, born in Keene, Jan. 31, 1784. His mother was a daughter of Gen. James Reed.
Keene was well represented in the militia. Samuel Dinsmoor was quartermaster general of the state, with the rank of brigadier general, and his fine executive ability and earnest support of the administration were of great advantage in preparing the troops for the field. Wm. M. Bond, late captain of the Ashuelot Cavalry, was major of the Second battalion, Twentieth regiment, and Capt. Aaron Hall, Jr., had been succeeded in the command of the Keene Light Infantry by Capt. Horace Wells and he by Capt. Isaac Parker.
Shubael Butterfield dissolved his partnership in business with John Elliot and accepted an appointment as lieuten- ant in the Fourth United States Infantry, James Wells, the hatter, son of Thomas Wells, was appointed lieutenant in the Eleventh United States Infantry, and both opened recruiting offices at Benoni Shirtliff's tavern in Keene. Apparently no rolls of those enlistments have been pre- served, but 397 men of New Hampshire's quota enlisted in the Eleventh regiment, many of them from Cheshire county, and a smaller number enlisted in the Fourth. Wells was lieutenant in Capt. Joseph Griswold's company, and after the consolidation of the Eleventh and Twenty-first regi- ments he was first lieutenant in the company of Capt. Richard Burns. Henry S., son of Judge Daniel Newcomb, enlisted in the regular army, and rose to the rank of lieu- tenant. The militia was not called out, except two com- panies of infantry and one of artillery sent to Portsmouth,
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reinforced in July by a larger detachment. None from this part of the state was sent in 1812. The pay of the United States soldier at that time was $5.00 per month, after- wards increased to $8.00.
A large majority of the people of Keene and of Chesh- ire county were opposed to the embargo policy, and to the measures of the administration incident to the war. The Federalists complained bitterly of mismanagement, of the burdensome taxes and the accumulating debts. The report of Hull's surrender and other disasters added to the depres- sion and intensified the opposition to the course of the government.
At the annual election in March, 1813, Keene cast 253 votes for John Taylor Gilman, the Federal candidate for governor, to forty-five for William Plumer, the adminis- tration candidate. In Cheshire county the vote was 3,622 to 2,083. At the national election in November the vote was still stronger against the administration candidates, Keene casting 272 votes in opposition, to thirty-nine in favor. Cheshire county stood 4,431 to 2,761.
Previous to this change in political sentiment, in 1810, Samuel Dinsmoor had been elected to congress by the Democrats. Being well known as an honorable, high- minded man and popular generally, he was reelected in 1812, notwithstanding the strong majority of the opposi- tion in Keene and Cheshire county.
There was much distress and irritation. All pleasure carriages were taxed from $2.00 to $20.00 each, according to value; salt twenty cents per bushel of fifty-six pounds; and many articles were similarly burdened. The financial depression was serious and widespread, causing disastrous failures among merchants and business men and embarrass- ment to the banks. Among those to suffer in that way was the Cheshire bank of Keene, which was compelled to close its doors for a short time. Estimates were published of the cost of the war in direct taxes for the year to fol- low, 1814. That for Keene was put down at $9,879; Alstead, $10,164; Chesterfield, $11,034; Walpole, $11,364; Westmoreland, $11,622; showing that in valuation at that time Keene stood below the four towns named, while
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
Fitzwilliam, Rindge, Richmond and Winchester stood nearly as high.
The non-importation laws encouraged smuggling, and there was demoralization and incipient sedition-so much so that law-abiding people were roused to stem that tide which they feared might undermine our institutions and overthrow our government.
Among the organizations for reform was the Washing- ton Benevolent Society for the encouragement of patriotism and benevolence, extending throughout the country, partic- ularly through New England. The national society had been organized in New York city on the 12th of July, 1808, with branches extending to states, counties and towns. There was a very active branch in Cheshire county, and a sub-branch in nearly every town. The Keene society was formed in February, 1812, and was composed of the leading people of the town, with Albe Cady secretary until he became secretary of state in 1814. It was active and vigorous, and continued for several years. To each member upon joining was given a small volume, 3x5 inches, half an inch thick, containing a portrait of Washington, a copy of his farewell address and of the constitution of the United States. Some of those curious little volumes are still in existence. The county society celebrated the 4th of July in 1812, at Walpole, in a very elaborate manner. A large procession of members marched through the streets with banners and a band of music, preceded by seventy young ladies in white, led by Miss Hayes, preceptress of the academy, listened to an oration and then sat down to a dinner on the common, which closed with toasts and speeches. Col. Carter of Marlboro, Col. Fisk of Chester- field, Major Bond of Keene and other military officers were the marshals. On the same day Daniel Webster delivered an oration before the society at Portsmouth. The next year there was a similar celebration of Independence Day by the society in Keene. There was an oration by Phineas Cooke and a dinner in a bower in front of the court- house. The procession marched from Fish's tavern (form- erly Pierce's) under the marshalship of Dr. Daniel Adams, assisted by Capt. Isaac Parker and others.
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The influence of those societies, with their patriotic meetings and Fourth of July celebrations, aroused the loy- alty and stimulated the martial spirit of the people in spite of the political opposition to the measures of the adminis- tration. That martial spirit brought about a muster here in September, 1813, of the Sixth, Twelfth, Twentieth and Twenty-eighth regiments of the Fifth brigade, numbering about 3,000 men, reviewed by Brig. Gen. Hastings. The field was the plain above Sand hill, one mile west of the Square, on which there were no buildings at that time. Besides the infantry of the line, each regiment had two companies of cavalry, two of light infantry and one of artillery-twenty companies in full uniform. In the after- noon all marched through the streets of the village and performed various evolutions, with firing. The day was fine and the warlike spectacle was enjoyed by thousands of people.
The appetite for such displays had been whetted by what took place a few weeks previous. The government collected a force of 5,000 men at Burlington, Vt., under Gen. Hampton, with a view to an advance on Montreal. About the 20th of June, Col. John Darrington marched through Keene with the Fourth United States Infantry to join that force. He encamped his regiment on the north side of Fisher brook, east side of the turnpike, a little more than a mile north of the Square; and it remained there several days and attracted much attention. A tavern was kept by the " Widow Leonard" on the opposite side of the turnpike, since known as the Kate Tyler place. Two of the men died in that camp, Ebenezer Prescott and Leonard Jenkins, both from Maine, and were buried near the camp. Lieut. Butterfield, and the men enlisted by him from Keene and other towns, belonged to that regiment, but the rolls have not been preserved and it is impossible to designate them.
Commodore Perry's victory on Lake Erie in September, 1813, and other successes, served to stimulate the patri- otism and martial spirit of the people. In February, 1814, a large number of carpenters passed through Keene on their way to Lake Champlain, to build the vessels with which McDonough won his victory on those waters.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
During the summer of 1814, British war vessels lay off the New Hampshire coast, and captured and burned many coasting vessels; and the admiral declared the whole east- ern coast in a state of blockade. There was great alarm at Portsmouth and other New England ports, and the excitement spread throughout the states.
In August, a British squadron sailed up Chesapeake bay and landed a force of 5,000 troops, which advanced on Washington, burned the public buildings and many of the government archives, and withdrew unmolested. That dastardly act of the British and the still more dastardly cowardice of the Maryland and Virginia militia under Gen. Winder, who permitted it, roused the people in this part of the country, brought the administration hosts of friends and caused thousands to rally to the defence of the nation.
In New Hampshire, Gov. Gilman, "yielding to the demands of the people," ordered detachments from twenty regiments of militia to march immediately to the defence of Portsmouth. Two days later he ordered the whole militia force of the state, infantry, cavalry and artillery, "to hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's warning;" and directed seventeen companies from the regi- ments on the eastern border of the state to march at once to Portsmouth. The orders were obeyed with alacrity, whole companies volunteering where only detachments were called for. The Keene Light Infantry, Capt. Isaac Parker, and the Ashuelot Cavalry, Capt. Justus Perry, offered their services and stood ready to march with full ranks. Companies of volunteers from those who were exempt by law were formed in many of the towns, under experienced officers, and offered their services for the defence of the state.
At Portsmouth, the troops were organized into a bri- gade under Brig. Gen. John Montgomery of Haverhill, con- sisting of five regiments and one battalion of infantry, and one battalion of artillery. Lt. Col. Nat. Fisk of West- moreland commanded the First regiment, in which were the companies of Capt. Nathan Glidden of Unity, and Capt. Oliver Warren (residence not given). Capt. Glidden's com- pany was composed chiefly of Cheshire county men, and in
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Capt. Warren's company were Samuel C. Thayer, ser- geant, and Daniel A. Carpenter, Justus Chapin, John Foster, Edmund C. Mason, Shubael Plympton, Henry Wheeler 1 and Amos Wood, privates, on the roll as from Keene, and Daniel Allen 2 of Surry-all enlisted for three months.
Lt. Col. John Steele, of Peterboro, commanded the Second regiment, with John H. Fuller, afterwards a prom- inent citizen of Keene, adjutant. Capt. James M. Warner of Acworth, commanded one of the companies, composed almost wholly of Cheshire county men. Among them were Josiah Colony, Jehiel Day, Zebadiah "Keys," George Met- calf, Isaac Miller, Jr., and Asa Wares, Jr., from Keene. 3 About fifty men went from the Twentieth regiment at this time, the detachment assembling at Keene and starting for Portsmouth on the 17th of September, 1814. Every man was given a dinner and had his canteen filled. Some of the towns sent wagons to carry their men. On the 28th a second detachment of about forty men from the same regiment marched from Keene, and were treated with the same hospitality.
Capt. Reuben Marsh of Chesterfield, commanded a company of Cheshire and Sullivan county men; Capt. William Gregg of Antrim and Capt. Silas Call (residence not given) also had many Cheshire county men in their companies; and Capt. Josiah Bellows of Walpole, com- manded one of the companies of artillery. His men were mostly from Walpole and Charlestown.
At Portsmouth, the governor took command in person. British cruisers lay off the harbor with the intention of destroying the navy yard and Portsmouth, but finding a large force, well stationed for defence, they abandoned
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