USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Stratford > History of the town of Stratford, New Hampshire, 1773-1925 > Part 9
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Saturday, Oct. II. Rode down to Wilder's, lodged at the Maj's.
Sunday, Oct. 12. Rode up to Bailey's.
Monday, Oct. 13. Went to Wait's, eat Breakfast, dinner and Supper. I went to a proprietors meeting at Judson's.
Tuesday, Oct. 14. Went into woods this morning. 4 Break- fasts were eat at Wait's, 1/2 Pint Rum drawn, brought out 14 1b. Tea. Camped in pine timber left my inkstand snowy.
Wednesday, Oct. 15. Sunny all day, camped on Nash stream, snow nearly over shoes.
Thursday, Oct. 16. Surveyed all day, camped on Nash Stream.
Friday, Oct. 17. Surveyed all day, camped on a Run, a branch of Great Bog Brook. Snow on the ground yet.
Saturday, Oct. 18. Surveyed till sun an hour high, came in, eat supper at Capt. Lamkin's. Lodged at old Curtis'.
Sunday, Oct. 19. Eames and myself eat Breakfast at Wait's. Rode down to Esq. Eames.
Monday, Oct. 20. Went to Maidstone Meeting, eat Supper at Esq. Cutter's. Lodged at Linsey's.
Tuesday, Oct. 21. Travelled to Mr. Wooster's, eat Breakfast at Wait's, eat Dinner with Ben. Cook lodged there, Eames and Judson also, snowy all night and rain.
Wednesday, Oct. 22. Snow and Rainy all the morning, set out for a survey tour in Stratford, traveled to our old camp, got dinner near night and camped all night, made a split camp. Rainy, Snow.
97
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
Monday, Oct. 27. Went to Rich's to vendue of Maidstone, tarried all day and lodged at Esq. Eames.
Tuesday, Oct. 28. Tarried at Rich's till about noon, rode up to Wait's, eat dinner, supper, attended Wenlock Meeting, went to Capt. Judson's at night.
Wednesday, Oct. 29. Went to Holbrook's and Judson, waited some time for to go into the woods for J. Holbrook jr. to come.
Thursday, Oct. 30. Traveled to Col. Wait's and lugged Com- pass.
Friday, Oct. 31. Traveled to Esq. Eames, eat dinner and lodged.
Names of the Original Proprietors of Stratford, N. H. Survey of 1788
No. of
No. of Lot
Lot 58
Averill, Perry
I4
Hinman, Elijah
63 53
Samuel
39 Holbrook, John Jr
Samuel Jr I7 Holbrook, Jos
59 47 Baldwin, Heth 18 Baldwin, Jabez
50
Holbrook, Joseph Jr
64 Barker, Wm
8
Judson, Abner
20 Barlow, Joseph
5
Agur Capt
16 Bass, Joseph
6 Judson, Agur Jr
26 Beard, Samuel
22
Judson, Daniel Capt
13 Brown, Isaiah Capt
9 Judson, Dan'l Jr
7 Beers, Samuel
42
Judson, David
27 Booth, Nathan
32
Stiles
37 Boyd, Geo. Esq.
61
Kellog, Judah
23 Curtis, Nehemiah
48
King, William
1
44 IO
Stephen
66
Marshall Geo Jr
63 36 Crague, George
34 Meanin, Renold Esq
5I Towle, Daniel
7 Mills, Elisha
Gardner, Wm
19 Munn, David
52 Hart, Richard
2
Noble, Morgan
15 Hinman, Aaron
49 Parker, Benj
28
Benj. Capt
Seward, Joseph
Samuel
44 Lewis, George
56 Little, Moses Capt
Jr
43
Johnson, Will'm Samuel
Moses Cap 2I
Hinman, Truman Capt
98 No. of Lot
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
No. of Lot
I2 Sheafe, Jacob
33 Welhston, Moses
45 Shearman, Steph
31 Wells, Joseph
36 Sherbun, Sam'l
60 Wells, Nathan
4 Tomlinson, Agur Esq
67 Wendel, John
30 Tomlinson, Beach
Wentworth, Joshua Esq
24 Tomlinson, Hezekiah II Williard, Josiah Col
62 Tomlinson, Joseph Capt
29 Wetmore, Ezehiah Rev
35 Tomlinson, Steph 46 Worcester, Arthur
25 Tomlinson, Wm. Agur
65 Worcester, Ebenezer
9 Tomlinson, Wm
4I Worcester, Joseph 2nd
55 Tousey, Thomas
57 Worcester, Thomas, Jr
40 Worcester, Thomas 3d
Saturday, Nov. I. Went up with Jere to survey in Stratford. Wait at Judson's almost all day, went to Wait's and lodged.
Sunday, Nov. 3. Tarried all day at Wait's with Jere, warm and pleasant yesterday snowy and rainy.
Monday, Nov. 3. Breakfast at Wait's, traveled to lot 142.
Tuesday, Nov. 4. Good weather this morning. No. 139 Range 8, a Hackmatack Tree about 6 ft. S. E. of Stake, good land facing south, this lot one of first rate. No. 135 Range 5 a Hack- matack Tree near the top of Goback Mt. which faces south Rocky and Stony, this not worth I-2. 134 Hack. Tree on high mt. land facing west, this lot Rocky and stony, almost not worth lotting only it lies so that could not lot the rest without lotting this. Have no camp and lay on the Mt. all night in the rain. 133 Range 3, a Fir tree on side hill facing S. this lot mountainous and bad, worth no more than 1-2 penny per acre. 130 this will be good one of first quality.
Thursday, Nov. 6. Went to Wait's, eat supper.
Saturday, Nov. 8. Went into woods with Ben Strong. Camped. back of Baldwin's, snow all night, worked on Stratford plan.
Sunday, Nov. 9. Surveyed.
Monday, Nov. 10. 146 Ran. II is an open bog or meadow, this lot contains sugar hill is not good on west side, lot taken together is a good lot, lodged at Camp, high winds, trees broken down.
Tuesday, Nov. II. Cloudy and windy this morning.
CHAPTER VI
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
The War of the Revolution came two years after our first settlers had built their log cabins in Stratford. In 1775 the whole population of Grafton County was but 227. In the Upper Coös, 182; Colebrook, 4; Cockburn or Columbia, 14; Northum- berland, 57; Lancaster, 67. So great was the fear of the invasion of the Canadians and their Indian allies that many returned to the lower settlements. All north of Stratford retired, if we except that one brave woman in Columbia, Mrs. Larned, who, after the death of her husband, alone defended herself against the savages while her sons were in the service.
New Hampshire played a brilliant part in the War of 1776. The names of Sullivan, Stark, Scammel, Langdon, and many others, stand out in the front ranks of that war for independence; but we would not forget those humble but brave men and women who lived on the outposts of the enemy's country, for Canada claimed as her own all the territory north of the White Moun- tains, and incited the Indians to make attacks upon the settlers. Seven families remained in Stratford during the entire period; and from State Papers and records we can learn something of those long and dangerous seven years that these pioneers spent in defending the northern border. Their sufferings and priva- tions were great, as they are set forth in the petitions addressed to the General Court in 1778. (See Appendix.)
Stratford, from its position, was especially exposed to Indian attack, and suffered the most from the Indian raids. It lay in the direct route of the Indian trail from Lake Memphremagog to the Penobscot River. After crossing the lake, the Indians took the Clyde River to Island Pond, then crossed to the Nulhegan, which would bring them to the Connecticut at Stratford. By the Connecticut they went to the Upper Ammonoosuc. That river brought them to the Androscoggin, which they descended. Few carries were necessary. During the war the Indians re- ceived $1 1 for a scalp and $55 for a live captive.
There were no battles fought in the Upper Coös during the war; there were no important strategic movements. But these
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102
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
brave settlers played an important part in the struggle for inde- pendence. We quote from "Coös County History," p. 86:
From the commencement of the Revolution, the hardy pioneers of Coös stood as an advance guard and picket company, not only to protect their own settlements, but to warn and defend the lower settlements against attacks from the north.
This document from "Hammond's Town Papers," shows the patriotic spirit actuating them :
Petition for Soldiers-Whereas we, the inhabitants of Lancaster, Guildhall, and Stratford are fully sensible of the dangers of being attacked by the Canadians, which are the worst of enemies, and although some of our neighbors have Quit the ground, yet we the Subscribers Do jointly and sever- ly Promise and ingage to Stand our ground provided the Honable Counsell sees Fitt to grant our request. That is this, that you will please us your petitioners so far as to appoint our friend and neighbor, Mr. Jere'h Ames of Northum- berland, commander of our Fort, which with a great deal fatage we have almost accomplished, and likewise for him, the s'd Ames to have orders to inlist as many men as the Honable Court in their wisdom will see fit, we do ingage to inlist ourselves and obey his orders as long as he is stationed in the Upper Coos and Commander of the Fort. July 6, 1776: Thomas Blodgett, James Curtis, Archippus Blodgett, Joseph Barlow, Emmons Stockwell, Josiah Blodgett, Nathan Caswell, Sam'l Nash, Abijah Larned, Sam'l Page, Abner Osgood, Dill Sawyer, Moses Quimby, Ward Bailey, James Blake, David Larned, John Trickey, Elizer Rosebrook, Abner Barlow.
Thomas Blodgett, James Curtis, Archippus Blodgett, Joseph Barlow, Josiah Blodgett, Nathan Caswell, Abner Barlow, were men from Stratford; Elizer Rosebrook from Colebrook (later he moved to Guildhall), Abel Larned from Columbia, and Emmons Stockwell from Lancaster. Stockwell was the man who told his neighbors that "if they wanted to go, they might; as for himself he should stay." And stay he did, sometimes alone and some- times with other neighbors.
From his record we learn of the different alarms of the north country. The first mentioned came July, 1776, and the above petition was probably the result, as they recognized the neces- sity of uniting for defense. The fort mentioned was Fort Went-
103
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
worth, which Rogers had partly built over twenty years before. Mr. Prescott says that Eames received the commission on con- dition of raising twenty men. This he did, enlisting his three sons. As twenty men signed the petition, some of them must have withdrawn to fill other positions, for every man was en- gaged in defense. The three sons of Jeremiah Ames were Jere- miah, 2nd, Thomas, and Seth. Seth, the youngest, was about thirteen years old at the time his father was made captain of the fort.
Fort Wentworth was built on a tableland overlooking the meadows on the north and the Connecticut River on the west, about 1,000 or 1,200 feet above the mouth of the Upper Am- monoosuc River. It was built on land owned by Jeremiah Eames (or Ames), the farm now occupied by Judson A. Potter. There is some question regarding the size of the fort, as there is nothing left excepting a small hollow, probably where the fires were made. It was built from pine logs hewn square, about sixteen to twenty inches for the foundations, smaller logs being used at the top. A stockade, made by standing logs on end, sur- rounded the fort, forming an enclosure eight rods square. Fort Wentworth remained standing until 1782. It was never attacked.
There is no record of any other fort in Northumberland, nor of one in Maidstone (although Mr. Prescott mentions both).
Captain Eames' (Ames) house was built on the site of the present Eames Homestead, the land being a grant from the government, and always owned since by an Eames. The present house was erected in 1842 by Seth Eames, father of John Eames, the present occupant. Jeremiah Eames, 2nd, settled in Stewarts- town on land just north of the present county buildings. He also had a son, Jeremiah, 3rd. The "King Philip's Deed" (see Appendix) was given to Thomas Eames, the second son of Captain Eames, but the original document is lost to the Eames family. (The foregoing information was furnished by John Eames, grand- son of Captain Eames.)
The committee of Safety had ordered Captain Bedel, who had charge of the defense of the frontier, to erect any fort that he might consider necessary. This order was dated July 7, 1775- During the war there were two such forts in Northumberland, one in Maidstone, and one in Stratford. (See Prescott.) A system of signals was arranged between them. We do not know the
104
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
time of their erection, but the following entry will throw some light upon Stratford's fort:
July 10, 1779, NORTHUMBERLAND.
The inhabitants of Lancaster, Northumberland, and Stratford met to agree upon some proper place for the scouting party to be stationed.
Voted that it be at Mr. James Brown's in Stratford.
Voted that every man in each town, viz., Lancaster, Northumberland, and Stratford to work one day at the fort in Stratford Immediately.
Chose Nathan Caswell captain over these towns for the present.
Chose Nathan Barlow Lieut.
Chose Major Jonas Wilder the man to go Down after men at Exeter. Mr. John Holbrook is on the committee "to give Directions to Major Jonas Wilder" and draw a purticion to the Gen'l Court.
Voted that Mr. John Gamsby, Mr. James Blake, and Mr. John Holbrook to plan out the fort in Stratford.
Captain John Holbrook was made commander of this fort, and James Brown was commissary. A force of sixty-two men was sent from Haverhill to their assistance. This was probably the time when Hannah Brown put her big kettle to such good use.
From a petition to Congress in 1831, by Nathan Barlow, in regard to a pension for military service during the war (see Appendix), we take the following extract:
On the 2nd day of June, 1777, a party of Indians plundered and destroyed his and father's property, that they were obliged to erect picketed fort and block-house.
We think there is a mistake in the date, as there is no alarm credited to June, 1777, but one for September of that year, another in 1778, and for July, 1779, we find this record :
Indians took prisoners at Stratford and plundered two families of everything valuable.
In the State papers: "A petition humbly showeth that on Thursday, the 24th of June [1779?], a party of Indians, about fifteen in number, commanded by a Frenchman, came into Stratford, took two prisoners, plundered two families of everything valuable."
This raid was probably the occasion for the "purticion" which Mr. John Holbrook was to help draw up for Mr. John Wilder to carry to Exeter. There was undoubtedly a raid upon the two
105
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
families, although the dates do not agree, and Joseph Barlow's family was one of those plundered. We insert here the story of those raids by Mr. Prescott, as it was probably told him by some of the old residents of Stratford. We think the latter part of the story a little improbable, unless some of the white man's "fire water" was part of the plunder:
We may not be able to state definitely the families that were plundered. We have, however, the account of the plundering of Joseph Barlow and John Smith, and as these two families lived the farthest north, and hence more distant from the fort, they would be the most exposed and the first to be attacked. The Indians were remorseless and dis- posed to take everything, butter, meat, lard, all they could lay hold of. They emptied feather-beds to put things into. Mrs. Barlow had a stocking with some coppers in it. The Indians made a great pow-wow over these. She had some silver hid in a box with some caps laid over it. They went to it, and she told them to let the caps alone and not to ruffle them up. The rascals came back and turned the box over and the contents out, but Mrs. Barlow had thrown the money bag out the back door, thus saving her cash. She begged them to spare her one cap, but in vain. At Mr. Smith's they took all, and attempted to carry him off, but he got away and hid under a log. The Indians sat on the log, but did not find him. Mrs. Smith concealed herself down cellar through a trap door, thus eluding the foe. They set fire to the house, but she succeeded in extinguishing it.
We wonder if that money hidden by Mrs. Barlow so carefully and successfully under her caps might not have been that precious £Io granted her by the proprietors for her courage in being the first woman to bring a family into the wilderness. Mr. Prescott further says:
It is probable that the prisoners were Josiah and New- comb Blodgett, John Smith, Abner Barlow, David Hicks, and a man by the name of Wooster. [These probably belong to a later raid .- ED.] It is stated they permitted Barlow to return because he fell down so much. The Blodgetts and probably the others were taken to Quebec. Ten dollars was paid for a prisoner and three dollars for a scalp. New- comb Blodgett was taken by an officer as his servant, and they were kept upwards of two years. They managed at last to elude their master and escape. They were six weeks coming from the Sorel River. To avoid recapture they were compelled to conceal themselves by day, and had nothing to guide them, not even blazed trees to point their
I06
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
way. Hiding by day and plodding through the wilderness by night, their progress was necessarily slow. Without food or the means to obtain it, their lot was hard indeed. But foes and slavery were behind, while home, liberty, and friends were before them. Every step took them farther from the former and nearer to the latter. On this weary way of peril, suffering, and hunger, they were compelled to subsist on beech leaves, barks of trees, fish caught with a bent pin, and it is said that one poor fellow ate so much that he died. Their moccasins wore out. Mrs. Cross says: "My grandsire saved his (moccasins) and made broth." At length they found an Indian hut, but were in fear of being taken and returned. Driven to the necessity of dis- covering themselves, to their great joy they found the occupants of the hut friendly, and were safe. It was about Memphremagog Lake. They were fed on moose broth, the Indian telling his squaw to give only two spoonfuls at first. He killed a colt and they partook of the meat. He provided venison, and they were nursed back from starvation to strength. Best of all, after such kindness, they were led to their homes and friends. The Indian was to receive $30 each for his services on their behalf.
The State Papers give us the following item:
Relative to two redeemed captives-July the 19, 1781, Indians brought in Prisoners of our men which deserted from Canada which s'd Indians found in the woods and brought in which s'd Prisoners promised to pay s'd Indians 30 Dollars a piece which s'd Prisoners was not able to pay and one Elijah Bloggett paid the s'd sum to s'd Indians for the redemption of Gilbert Borged (?) and Josiah Bloggett which was 60 Dollars (Sixty dollars).
Stratford January 17th 1785 JOSHUA LAMKIN
Partisenor, Elijah Blogget ARCHIPPUS BLOGGET Selectmen
Mr. Prescott states that Elijah Blodgett was compelled to mortgage his home to pay the sum. The name of "Gilbert Borged" he is uncertain about.
A petition addressed to the General Court (see Appendix), dated 1778, stating their poverty, and asking for an abatement of taxes, and for incorporation, gives us a pitiful picture of the situa- tion of those pioneers of Stratford. From an inventory taken April 28, 1777, by Archippus Blogget, James Brown and John Holbrook, we find that there were ten polls, three of them credited to Archippus Blodgett. He also had two oxen, three cows, one
107
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
two-year old, two yearlings, one horse, seven acres of tillage land, and four acres of mowing. John Holbrook had one poll, one cow, one two-year old, and two acres of tillage land. James Brown had one poll, two oxen, one horse, six acres of tillage land, and two acres of mowing. James Curtis had one poll, two oxen, one two- year old, one horse, six acres tillage land, and two acres of mowing. John Smith, one poll, one cow, one horse, and eight acres of tillage land. Joshua Lamkin, one poll, four cows, one horse, five acres tillage and five acres mowing land. Joseph Barlow had two polls, two oxen, two cows, three three-year olds, one two-year old, two horses, eight acres tillage and two acres mowing land. There were eight oxen, eleven cows, nine young cattle, and seven horses in all, with forty acres of tillage and fifteen acres of mowing.
The town was incorporated November 16, 1779. On January 21, 1780, there goes out a petition for a guard :
The petition of us the Subscribers humbly sheweth that our exposed situation to the Enemy in Canada and having this Summer suffered from that Quarter by having our houses Plundered & sum of our men captivated by the Indians and hearing of their threatening to come to this River this winter give an apprehension of imediate Danger therefore we pray your hon'rs to take our case into your wise Consideration and Relieve our Present fears by sending us help Either by sending a draught of the militia or that your Hon's would wright to some General Oficer for a De- tachment of Continental Soldiers we supose about 100 men might be a suficient number at Present and your Petitioners shall Ever Pray
JAMES BROWN JOSEPH BARLOW
ARCHIPPUS BLOGGET JOHN GAMSBY
JOHN SMITH NATHAN BARLOW
JOSHUA LAMKIN DAVID HIX
It seems that their fears were not unfounded, for we learn that there were three alarms that year; in June, August, and October, and at the last prisoners were taken, among them Thomas Wor- cester, one of the proprietors. We have already quoted Mr. Prescott as to the escape of two of the prisoners.
From the Lancaster records we read: "The news of the Indians who captured Newcomb Blogget and others, inhabitants of Coös, led to the abandonment of the country." June 22, 1786, Jonas Wilder and Emmons Stockwell as selectmen give this "account of the alarms in the Upper Coös during the late war"; and, in
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HISTORY OF STRATFORD
addition to those already mentioned, they record two alarms in 1781, and three alarms in 1782, in the first of which Abel Larned was taken. This record was indorsed, "Account of the number of days spent in scouting, guiding, and forting by the men inhab- itants of Lancaster in time of the above alarms and other times during the late war being 457 days." This, on account of Strat- ford's more exposed condition, would not express the time devoted to that purpose in Stratford.
In the Appendix will be found several interesting documents that shed considerable light upon the hardships and activities of that trying period. Several of the Stratford men were actively engaged in military service. We insert the military record of William Curtis, which shows how closely the New Hampshire colony was connected with the old Connecticut home, as he takes service first in one state and then in the other. The short terms of enlistment are also significant, as they allowed the soldier to be at home part of the time to attend to its cares.
Nathan Barlow was another Stratford man who played an important part during the Revolution. We give the following extract from a petition written from Derby, Vt. June 13, 1831, furnished by Mrs. Brown, a descendant of Nathan Barlow:
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