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 6
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CHAPTER II.
TOWN SOVEREIGNTY AND THE "OLD FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR." 1741-1749.
In 1741, the year of the establishment of the boundary line between the two provinces, by a royal decree New Hampshire was made an independent province, and Ben- ning Wentworth was appointed governor.
But for a long time Upper Ashuelot, cut off from Mas- sachusetts and ignored by New Hampshire, took no part in provincial affairs; nor was she invited to do so. The governor would issue his precepts to the sheriff directing him to warn the several towns in the eastern and central parts of the province to choose representatives to the general assembly, but never mentioning those in the Con- necticut valley. For twenty-seven years after it became a New Hampshire town Upper Ashuelot had almost nothing to do with the province, its first representative, Capt. Josiah Willard, being elected in 1768.
It was a case of complete town sovereignty and inde- pendence. The little hamlet in the wilderness, which "had now become a considerable village," was a miniature re- public-made its own laws and managed its own affairs without interference from higher political powers. What protection it had in its struggle with the savages, which began in 1744, came from Massachusetts.
Apparently the first intercourse the town had with the province of New Hampshire was a complaint from Rev. Mr. Bacon in 1742, joined with one from Rev. Mr. Ashley of Winchester, that the inhabitants refused to pay their taxes for the support of the minister; for we find the following in Provincial Records, Vol. 5, p. 189:
"Governor's Orders.
"Province of ) Portsmouth, Jan. 31, 1742. New Hampshire
"It having been represented to his Excellency that many of the Inhabitants residing on the King's Lands, since his
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THE OLD FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
Majesty has been pleased to determine the boundarys be- tween this Province & the Massachusetts Bay, have refused to pay their Taxes towards the support of their Ministers, alledging that there is no Law of the Province to oblige them thereto; I am therefore by his Excellency's Command to inform the respective Inhabitants, that it will be very agreable to the Governor that you & each of you, who have been delinquent on that occasion, do forthwith com- ply with your obligations in regard to the payment of your Ministers, as a contrary behavior will incur his Ex- cellency's displeasure.
By his Excellency's Command.
"To the Several Inhabitants on the King's Lands in New Hampshire.
"Coppys Delivered to Messrs Ashley & Bacon ministers at Winchester & Ashuelot on Connecticut."
On the 19th of November, 1740, a meeting of the pro- prietors at the house of William Smeed-Capt. Jeremiah Hall, moderator-after passing the usual vote to raise money for Mr. Bacon's salary and provide his fire wood :
"Voted, That those who have Intrest in ye Nine Lot plain, So Called, have Liberty to thro up y." respective Intrests and to Lay ym out in another Place in ye Now undivided Upland." Josiah Fisher, Beriah Maccaney and David Foster were chosen a committee to lay out their new selections.
Several roads, two rods wide, which had been laid out by the committee, were accepted, only one of which can now be traced. That one is described as "another Road Leading from ye Town Street along thro Capt. Halls House Lot, and John Corbits qualification to Leu.t Heatons Thirty acre Lot Nº (1) at ye Southerly part of ye Beach Hill." This was our present Baker street and the lower end of Marlboro street.
A meeting held at the meetinghouse on the 7th of September, 1741-Capt. Jeremiah Hall, moderator:
"Voted That ye meeting House be removed from ye place where it now Stands to the most Convenient place on ye Hill over against ye House of Mr Isaac Clark, 1 and
1 " This hill which has entirely disappeared, was a conical eminence in the street, a few rods south of the old Ralston tavern. 2 The meetinghouse was accordingly removed thither, and was placed near the centre of the street, the travelled path being cast of it." (Annals, page 16.)
2 "I built my house in 1828, directly in rear of the old Ralston tavern. The main part of the old tavern was afterwards removed to the site of the present Appleton house."-Gen. James Wilson. The Ralston tavern was not built until 1775, or later.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
yt ye charge of moving ye Same be Laid on ye Proprietors and Drawn out of ye Proptors Treasury."
Ebenezer Force, Dea. Josiah Fisher, Joseph Richardson, Benjamin Guild and Timothy Puffer were chosen a com- mittee to make the removal. At a meeting on the 18th of August the year previous, leave had been granted to cer- tain parties to move the meetinghouse "as far as Serg't William Smeeds, against ye ends of ye Ministry and School House Lotts," which were the northernmost ones on the west side of the street, but the removal was not made. At that same meeting grants of land were made to the three public lots, the same as had been made to the other sixty lots, which had been neglected in making the divisions.
"Voted, That the Road now Leading from ye Meeting House Platt over ye River into ye Ash Swamp by ye South Side of House Lot Nº 54 be changed and Go on ye North Side of sd Lot upon Timothy Puffers Digging Down ye Hill and making a good Road to ye River."
John Andrews was chosen proprietors' treasurer.
"Upon the 6th Article voted, That if the Collectors Shall be obliged or Necessitated to go thro' a course of Law to recover their Collections, and the Massachusetts Law by we we are or have been Supported Should fail, That then they shall Draw ye Charge of posting, and charge wc they are or shall be at, out of the Publick or Proptors Treasurey."
A meeting of the proprietors was held at the meeting- house on the 27th of July, 1742-Capt. Jeremiah Hall, moderator- at which it was:
"Voted, That whereas there was a vote passed by this Propriety December ye 4th, 1738, to glaze the Meeting House and set the glass in Lead, and to cover the outside of sd Meeting House with Sawed Clapboards, we do now, Having tho't Sedately upon it, agree and vote to Set the glass in wood, and to cover the out Side with Shingles, for the following Reasons, 1. Bec: we Judge it Stronger, and 2. Bec: we can do it at less Expense of money, we is no Small article, not Easy to be obtained by us at this Day and that the Comtee then appointed and Chosen to See the work done, in y.t way be hereby Impowered and Desired to See that the work be done this fall as now agreed upon, and all the other work then voted to be done, as soon as may be and Likewise that the sd Comtee
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THE OLD FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
be appointed and Desired to underpin the Meeting House, or See that it be done, and take an account of the same -and whereas the Proptors agreed with the first Comtee about the Meeting House to make the Doors plain, and paid for their being thus done, we agree to have them done otherwise, Even framed, or pannel Doors, and the South Door to be a Double folding Door, and that the Comtee agree with a man to do it well and Decently as Becomes Such an House, and Bring the charge of it into ye Proptors what is more than plain Doors-and whereas there was Some Sawed Clapboards provided to cover the Meeting House agreable to ye vote y" passed, in ye year aforesd, voted that the Comtee take care and Dispose of sª Clapboards, for the use of the Propriety.
Jeremiah Hall Moderator."
The next meeting of the proprietors was held at the meetinghouse on the 28th of September, 1743-Capt Jere- miah Hall, moderator. The annual salary of the minister was voted as usual, and Joseph Guild, Josiah Fisher and Joseph Fisher were chosen a committee to let out the school lot to be cleared and brought "into grass and under good Improvement."
A meeting at the meetinghouse on the 16th of Jan- uary, 1744, chose Jeremiah Hall moderator, and adjourned to the house of Ebenezer Daniels.
" Voted That the Rates or Taxes be made or Levied for ye years past and for the future in the following man- ner till further orders viz. that Each House Lot Belonging to each Right to the Nº of Sixty be assessed "
The sum of. 0=06=4.
The eight acre division 0=10=0.
The 30 acre division .0=05=0.
The 10 acre division 0=10=0.
The 100 acre division 0=30=0.
The 5 acre division 0=04=0.
The 10 acre division of upland. 0=01=0.
And the after divisions belonging to each right. 0=05=0.
A vote was passed allowing Capt. Jeremiah Hall eight pounds, "old Tenor for getting that 100 pounds at Boston of Co" Dudley." This must have been the one hundred pounds to which the town was entitled by the terms of the Massachusetts grant: "When forty families are settled in Each or Either of the said towns and they have Raised the frame of a meeting house"-all dues having been paid.
The proprietors were fortunate in securing it, for it was
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
then nearly seven years since they had applied for it, and for three, years they had been a New Hampshire settlement.
The operations of the sawmill having been unsatisfac- tory, Ebenezer Force, Joseph Green, William Smeed, Mark Ferry and Joseph Ellis were chosen a committee "to Treat with John Corbit and Elisha Root, and if any thing may be done to oblige them to Repair, or Build a good Saw- mill, that may answer the End Proposed, In the Land and Money Granted by this Propriety, for ye Building of ye sd Mill, or of a Saw-mill, for ye Benefit of ye Propriety."
It was during this year and the one following that the fatal throat distemper prevailed here, and John Andrews buried every one of his nine children, as already related; and there were many other deaths.
On the 29th of March, England formally declared war against France. By a policy more conciliatory than that of the English the French had won over to themselves the Indians of Canada and most of the few yet remaining in New England, and made them allies in their attacks on the English colonies. They offered bounties for scalps and for prisoners delivered in Canada.
Since the late French and Indian war of 1754 to 1760, this earlier one has been called the "Old French and Indian War." The report of its declaration reached the colonies early in the summer and brought dismay to the hearts of the settlers; for they foresaw that the savages would be let loose upon them with all their frightful methods of conduct- ing warfare. The hardships and privations of the pioneers were great, at best, and now, in addition to those, the constant danger of massacre or capture by relentless sav- ages loomed up before them. They abandoned the work of clearing their lands and making improvements, except such as could be done in the immediate vicinity of their forts, and turned their attention to completing and strengthening their defences. They dared not go out to cultivate their fields, although that industry was their main dependence for food, except with arms at hand; and when they went they usually did so in squads, with sentinels to watch for the wily foe, or under a guard of soldiers, if troops were stationed at their fort.
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THE OLD FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
In addition to these trials, a call was almost immedi- ately made by the British commanders for troops for expe- ditions against the French, which drew away from the settlements the regular soldiers and many of the able-bodied citizens, who went as volunteers, or by draft, and sometimes by impressment. Four thousand of the fighting men of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut were drawn off to make up the army of Gen. William Pepperell to operate against Louisburg. These calls made a heavy draft on the fighting force of the provinces, and left the frontiers almost destitute of defenders. The settlers were alarmed and cast about for means of resistance, and called upon the authorities of Massachusetts for pro- tection.
A meeting of the proprietors held at the meetinghouse on the 25th of February, 1745, chose Joseph Green, moderator, and adjourned to the house of Philemon Chandler. On the second article in the warrant:
"Voted and Granted the Sum of one Hundred and fifty four Pounds, old Tenor, for the Revd Mr Bacons Sup- port for ye Present Year.
"Voted, That the Support Granted for y.e Revd Mr Bacon for ye year Anno Domini 1744, Being the Sum of one Hundred and Fifty four pounds old Tenor, and by Reason of war and Sickness was Neglected and not assessed, Be brought into ye Rates or assessment Granted; Levied by ye same assessors, and comitted to the Same Collector y.t Shall be chosen at this Meeting. The Sup- port Granted for ye last year we should have been Col- lected and paid in October ye 18th 1744, be paid in the First of April next, and this years Support now Granted to be paid in ye 18th of Oct. this Date."
On the 8th article: "To see if they will Seek any further Protection in Case the war continues"-voted not to act. A convention of delegates from the towns in this vicinity had met, however, at Fort Dummer on the 20th of March preceding, to consider the matter of joining in a petition to the general court of Massachusetts for better protection. Capt. Jeremiah Hall and Ebenezer Force were delegates from Upper Ashuelot to that convention, which voted to leave the matter to a committee consisting of Col. Josiah Willard, Col. Ebenezer Hinsdell, Major Josiah
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
Willard, Rev. Joseph Ashley, Capt. William Symes and Capt. James Heaton, to determine when and in what man- ner a petition should be preferred.
The provincial authorities, though hampered by their straitened condition, made preparations for defence. Col. John Stoddard of the Hampshire county regiment of militia had again been appointed commander on the western frontiers, with Capt. Ephraim Williams in com- mand of the cordon of forts, Major Israel Williams of Hat- field, chief commissary, and Capt. Josiah Willard at Fort Dummer and "Rev. Ebenezer Hinsdell at Hinsdell's Fort" assistant commissaries.
The general court of Massachusetts on "Sabbath, June 2, 1744, Voted, that 500 men be impressed out of the foot companies and ordered to march under such officers to such parts of the frontiers as may be deemed best, there to be placed in garrison or employed in scour- ing the woods as the circumstances require." Two hun- dred of these troops were sent to the western frontiers. The war was expected to be of short duration, and the terms of enlistment were short. On the 13th of June the general court ordered "500 more men to be raised for the defence of the frontiers, said levies 'to be paid till the 15th of October and no longer.'"
"Sabbath, Oct. 13," the general court passed an order that the pay of men in the service be stopped on the 15th. "But inasmuch as it may be necessary for some marching scouts to be employed in the winter, ordered, that 12 men of each of the 5 snowshoe companies in the western parts, amounting to 60 in all, be detached and sent out under a captain commissioned for that purpose, to scout and range the woods for the four months next coming, their march to be from Contookook on the Mer- rimack river to the westward as far as the Captain-Gen- eral shall think best."
Massachusetts offered bounties-eighty pounds for an Indian captive, or seventy-five pounds for his scalp; forty- two pounds each for female captives and boys under twelve, and for scalps of the same, thirty-six pounds, ten shillings and sixpence.
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THE OLD FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR ..
Gov. Wentworth sent scouting parties up the Merrimac valley and through the northern part of New Hampshire, but none into the Connecticut valley, as those settlers were considered Massachusetts people, and were left to the care of that province. New Hampshire had forts or block- houses at Canterbury, Contoocook, Hopkinton, Penacook (Boscawen), Suncook, Merrimac, Amherst and along the eastern border of the province.
For her own protection Massachusetts had added sev- eral forts to those previously built in the Connecticut val- ley, besides the two small ones at Upper and Lower Ash- uelot, which were now strengthened and manned with a few soldiers. Bridgman's and Sartwell's forts were on the west bank of the Connecticut, a short distance apart and a few miles below Fort Dummer, in what is now Vernon, Vt. On the east bank of the river, on the trail (which was now a well worn path, or road) leading from Northfield to Fort Dummer, Rev. and Col. Ebenezer Hinsdell had built a fort in 1743, about sixty rods from the river, in what is now Hinsdale; and he had a mill on a brook near his fort. Shattuck's fort was also on this road, built on both sides of a brook and connected by a small bridge, the whole surrounded by a stockade. Above Fort Dummer four forts had been built, known by their numbers-No. 1 at what is now Chesterfield, No. 2 at Westmoreland, No. 3 at Great Falls (Walpole), and No. 4 at Charlestown. There was also at this time a fort in the middle of the Putney meadows, known as Great Meadows,1 which was kept up for many years. These forts were still maintained by Massachusetts, and were under the general oversight of Col. Stoddard.
Fort Dummer had been thoroughly repaired and mounted with guns; but when it was found to be above the boundary line, in the territory of New Hampshire, Gov. Shirley applied to the home government to be relieved from its support; and at the suggestion of the crown Gov. Wentworth advised the assembly of New Hampshire to assume its future maintenance. But the assembly declined
1 New Hampshire State Papers, vol. 6, page 313; Aldrich's Walpole; His- tory of Chesterfield, 22; and Heaton's Vermont.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
to take any such action, on the ground that the fort was fifty miles from any of the New Hampshire settlements, with no roads thereto, and could afford them but slight protection; that if they assumed the support of Fort Dummer-the principal bone of contention-all the other forts in the Connecticut valley would fall to their charge, including No. 4, the next post in importance, and the one farthest advanced towards the enemy's country, and there- fore the most exposed; that the people of the province had been so severely taxed for the support of the war and for other purposes that they were not able to bear the expense; that the title to all those lands granted by Mas- sachusetts was in dispute and it was doubtful if taxes could be collected on them; and that those Massachusetts people should look to the Massachusetts government for protection.
The governor dissolved the assembly and called another, and recommended the same measure in an eloquent appeal, but that assembly was as stubborn as the former one. The members believed that if New Hampshire declined to maintain those forts, Massachusetts would support them for the protection of her own frontiers. And so it proved, for when it was learned that New Hampshire had refused to provide for them, the general court of Massa- chusetts voted its usual support to Fort Dummer, and provided for the other forts on the Connecticut and its branches. Capt. Josiah Willard, who had done much surveying in Upper Ashuelot, had a company of twenty men at Fort Dummer, in the service of that province, and Capt. Phineas Stevens, of whom we shall have much to · relate, was at No. 4, but no troops had yet been sent him.
With the opening of the spring of 1745, came small bands of Indians, prowling the forests, instigated to mis- chief by the French, and often led and assisted by them. On the 26th of March they burnt the house of Rev. Timo- thy Harrington at Lower Ashuelot. At Great Meadows, on the 5th of July, as William Phipps was hoeing his corn, he was seized by two Indians and compelled to go with them, but was permitted to carry his hoe. They started up the river. When they had gone about half a mile one
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THE OLD FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
of the Indians ran back a short distance to bring some- thing that had been left behind. Watching his opportunity, Phipps with his hoe knocked down the one who remained, giving him a death blow; then, seizing his gun, shot the other as he came up. Starting to escape he fell into the hands of three others of the same party who killed and scalped him. Five days later they made their first appear- ance here at Upper Ashuelot.
"On the 10th of July, deacon Josiah Fisher was killed, as he was driving his cow to pasture. The road leading up the river, then left the main street, by Mr. Lamson's tan yard,1 led along the margin of the meadow, back of his house, crossed West street a few rods west of Aaron Hall's house,2 and continued up the river, near the adjoin- ing low land, until it came upon the route of the present turnpike,8 above deacon Wilder's house, now occupied as a tavern.4 Fisher was found dead, and scalped, in the road, near where Mr. Lamson's bark house now stands ; 5 and it was supposed that the Indian who shot him, was concealed behind a log, which then lay within the present limits of Mr. Lamson's garden.6 He had a brass' slug in his wrist, which, at the time, was conjectured to have been cut from a warming pan, that had lately been lost by one of the inhabitants."
(Annals, page 18.)
Immediately upon receiving information of these out- rages Gov. Wentworth again sent out the scouting parties of the previous year, with some addition to their num- bers. One was a company of mounted men under Capt. Potter of Londonderry, and another of thirty-seven in- fantry under the noted Capt. John Goffe.
For three months all was quiet in the. Connecticut valley. Then, on the 11th of October, a party of Indians came to Great Meadows and captured Nehemiah How, who was cutting wood a short distance from the fort. The alarm was given, and one Indian was killed by a shot from the garrison. As they were leading How away up the river, Daniel Rugg and Robert Baker came down in a canoe. The Indians fired upon them, killing Rugg, but Baker escaped.
Reports of How's capture reached the posts down the
1 Where Lamson block now stands. 2 Now the site of the Thayer library building. 8 Court street. "Known as the "Old Sun Tavern." 5 Now Woodbury & Howard's furniture shop. 6Still kept as a garden on the Lamson estate.
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
river the same day-doubtless by canoe on the current of the stream. A company of twenty-nine mounted men started from Deerfield at 3 p. m., and reached Fort Dum- mer at 10 o'clock. There they found Ensign Stratton with ten men from Northfield. Col. Willard, the com- mander, had already left in pursuit, with fifty-four men. The reports of the number of Indians in the party varied greatly, some setting it as high as eighty, others much lower. The next morning, Sunday, the Deerfield and Northfield party of forty men pushed forward and joined Col. Willard; and they followed the trail till sunset, reach- ing a point where the enemy had scattered in different directions. There they bivouaced for the night, and the next morning pushed on to No. 4, but no Indians were seen. Tuesday morning they all set out for home by the way of Upper Ashuelot and Northfield. The Deerfield men reached home Wednesday night. How was taken to Crown Point and thence to Quebec. He was kindly treated by the French, but died in prison.
No attacks were made upon the settlers during the winter, but the spring of 1746 opened with frightful raids from the savages. These were made chiefly by the St. Francis tribe of Canada, conducted in their movements by their allies, the Squawkheags, who were familiar with all this part of the country. These predatory bands were usually made up in part of French soldiers and commanded by French officers, sent out by Beauharnais, governor of Canada.
"March 19, the proprietors agreed to raise the sum of forty pounds, lawful money of New-England, ($133.33,) or one hundred and sixty pounds, old tenor, for the Rev. Mr. Bacon's support the present year. From this vote, it ap- pears that, at this time, old tenor, in comparison with law- ful money, was as four to one.
"Here occurs a chasm in the proprietors' records, which the following relation of events will sufficiently account for."
(Annals, page 18.)
Sometime in April, Massachusetts sent a few men to each of the posts, two to Great Meadows, four to No. 4, and four each to Upper and Lower Ashuelot, with a large number to Fort Dummer and the posts below. By a
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THE OLD FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
previous order Capt. Phineas Stevens was to raise a com- pany of sixty men, thirty of whom were to be stationed at No. 4, and that force arrived there a few weeks later.
On the 19th of April, Ensign De Neuville with about forty French and Indians attacked No. 4, took Capt. John Spafford, Lieut. Isaac Parker and Stephen Farnsworth prisoners, burnt the saw and grist mills recently built, and killed a number of cattle. The prisoners were detained in Canada for some time, but afterwards returned to their homes.
"In the early part of the year 1746, the General Court of Massachusetts sent a party of men to Canada, for what purpose, is not now recollected, and perhaps was not generally known. On their return, they passed through Upper Ashuelot. On arriving in sight of the settlement, they fired their guns. This, of course, alarmed the inhab- itants, and all who were out, and several were in the woods making sugar, hastened home. From some cause or other, suspicion was entertained, that a party of Indians had followed the returning whites; and for several days the settlers were more vigilant, and more circumspect in their movements; seldom leaving the fort, except to look after their cattle, which were in the barns, and at the stacks, in the vicinity."
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