USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > Landmarks in ancient Dover, New Hampshire > Part 22
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II. The DAVIS GARRISON. This garrison stood near Oyster river,
above the Meader garrison, and just above Davis's creek. It was built by John Davis of Haverhill, Mass., an- cestor of the present writer, who came to New Hampshire as early as 1653. Valentine Hill conveyed to John Davis of Oyster River, Aug. 14, 1654, sixty acres of land at the mouth of said river, on the north side, " beginning at the mouth of a creek and extending west south-west to Stony Brook cove, and so bounded from the forementioned creek by the river." Ensign John Davis (he is called " Ensign " as early as 1663) died before May 25, 1686, leaving his homestead to his son James, in his will of Ap. 1, 1685, which runs as follows : " I do give unto my son, James Davis, my estate of houses and lands with all ye privileges there- unto belonging, wherein I now dwell, after the decease of my wife."
At the Indian attack of 1694, Lieut. James Davis sent his family off by water, but remained himself to defend his garrison, which he did most successfully with the help of his brother, Sergeant Davis-no doubt Joseph. One soldier was sta- tioned at " Ensign " Davis's garrison from July 25, 1694, till Nov. 24, fol- lowing. Lieut. James Davis testi- fied Ap. 7, 1696, that James Rolens served in his garrison, " in his Magtes sarvis," from Nov. 2 till the 18th. And Lient. Davis's account for board- ing soldiers from Nov. 2. 1695, till March 6, 1696, amounted to £3.
Nathaniel Meader, son of John, born June 14, 1671, was, as the Rev. John Pike records. " slain by ye Indians, April 25, 1704, not far from the place where Nicholas Follet formerly dwelt." This was near Durham Point. Nicholas Follet's house is spoken of in 1680 as near Field's marsh, not far from the parsonage lands.
2 As some doubt has heretofore existed as to the precise location of the Meader and Davis garrisons, the writer, by way of proof, gives many details about the transfer of lands that would otherwise be unnecessary.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
(N. H. Prov. Pap., 17 : 645, 654, 657.)
A road on the upper side of Oyster river, between Joseph Meader's and Lieut. Davis's, is mentioned in 1701. And Ap. 9, 1703, a highway was laid out on the upper side of Oyster river, from the road that led to Lient. Da- vis's, along by the head of Joseph Bunker's land, and thence to the King's thoroughfare road to Dover. James Davis, in his will of Oct. 11, 1748, gives his son Ephraim " the place where I now live, between Col. Samuel Smith's and Daniel Mead- er's," entailing it on one of his grand- sons.1
Col. James Davis was, in his day, one of the leading men of the Oyster River settlement. At an early age he organized and led scouting parties for the defence of the colony, and was the companion-in-arms of Col. Hilton, as related by Belknap, and took part in the expeditions to Maine and Port Royal. At the age of twenty-five, or thereabouts, he re- ceived a lieutenant's commission, which was confirmed by the Massa- chusetts government in 1690, and re- newed by Gov. Usher of New Hamp- shire in 1692. Belknap calls him " captain " in 1703. Sixty men under Capt. James Davis, scouting at the head of our rivers, were or- dered to be disbanded Ap. 20, 1703. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 3: 252.) He was appointed member of the council of war by the provincial government, Oct. 18, 1707. His muster-roll of 1812 is given in the N. H. State Pa-
| pers, Vol. 14 : 3. He is called " lieut. colonel " in the Dover Records of 1720, and " colonel," in 1721. He was also a selectman of Dover in 1698, 1700, and 1701; and a mem- ber of the General Assembly from Dec. 28, 1697, till June, 1701, and again from Nov. 8, 1716, till Nov. 21, 1727, when he was about sixty- six years old. He was also a Jus- tice of the Peace. And Dec. 9, 1717, he was made Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He died between Oct. 18. 1748, and Sept. 27, 1749, on which day his will was proved. He left nine children, whose ages, at their death, averaged eighty-seven years each.
The cellar of the Davis garrison can still be traced. From this knoll, now so solitary and peaceful, Col. Da- vis could, in that night of horrors in July, 1694, not only hear the cries of the savages and their victims, but could plainly see the flames consum- ing the Meader garrison below, and Beard's garrison above, and, across the river, the Adams and Drew gar- risons, with the houses of Parson Buss, Ezekiel Pitman, and many others in every direction-among them that of his own brother, John, who was killed, together with his wife and all of his children except two daughters, who were carried into cap- tivity.
It is still related in the neighbor- hood how Col. James Davis, the vet- eran officer and able magistrate, used on occasion to lay aside his carnal weapons, and convene religious meet-
1 Col. Samuel Smith was the son of Joseph. He inherited the homestead farm, above the Davis lands, on which stood the Smith garrison.
Daniel Meader, as we have seen, was the grandson of John Meader, part of whose home- stead he was then in possession of.
.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
ings at his garrison, in which he took part in prayer and exhortation, show- ing himself, as Butler says in Hudi- bras,-
" Most fit t' hold forth the Word, And wield the one and t'other sword."
Six or seven persons from Oyster river point, on their way to the boat from one of these meetings, were waylaid and slain by the Indians on the Meader land, just below Davis's creek. Their bodies, discovered some days later, were covered with earth where they lay. This place is still pointed out by the present owner of the land, Mr. J. S. Chesley, who, like his father and grandfather, it is a pleasure to state, continues to re- spect the grave of these pious vic- tims.
III. SMITH'S GARRISON. This gar- rison was built by Joseph Smith,1 who, the 31st, 7 mo., 1660, had a grant of " one small parcell of wast land on the north side of Oyster River for a house lott, provided it intrench not upon anie former grant, wich sayd land lyeth Betwine the lott of Mathew Willyames and the lott of Wm. Willyames, Juner." Sept. 14, 1660, he bought Matthew Williams' forty acre grant,2 bounded E. by the neck of land formerly granted to Valentine Hill (conveyed by him, as already shown, to Jolin Davis and John Meader), S. by Oyster river, N. by the commons, and N. W. by land granted Joseph Smith by the town of Dover.
There is nothing on record to jus-
tify a vague tradition that Joseph Smith was inclined to Quaker doc- trines. At all events, he acted on the principle that self-preservation is the first law of nature, and made good the defence of his habitation, which escaped destruction in 1694. Moreover, he availed himself of the secular arm. Two soldiers served at Joseph Smith's garrison from July 25, 1694, till Nov. 24, following. And his account for boarding soldiers from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696, was 6£, 6s. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 17: 645, 657.)
The precise spot where Smith's garrison stood is unknown, but it is believed to have been near Oyster river, on the south side of the turn- pike road. This land is now owned by Mr. Forrest Smith.
IV. BUNKER'S GARRISON. This garrison is still standing, entirely divested of any appearance of forti- fication, on the upper side of Bunk- er's creek, but more remote from Oyster river than the three garrisons below. It was built by James Bunker, who was at Oyster River as early as 1652. Two soldiers are mentioned as serving at " James Bunker's gar- rison " from July 25, 1694, till Nov. 24, following ; and others from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 17 : 645, 657.)
Wm. Story, Wm. Follet, and James Bunker had a grant of land in this vicinity before Oct. 5, 1652. And James Bunker and Wm. Follet had the grant of a neck of land on
1 Joseph Smith was the direct ancestor of the present writer, his daughter, Elizabeth, having married James, grandson of Richard Pinckhame, of Dover Neck. Lois, daughter of said James and Elizabeth, married Vincent Torr. Their daughter, Mary Torr, became the wife of Judge Ebenezer Thompson.
2 " Matthew Williams' forty-acre grant in the tenure of Joseph Smith," is spoken of October 29, 1701, when a road was laid out from the head of Lieut. Davis's land and Joseph Meader's, to the old path leading to Abraham Clark's, and so on to the King's thoroughfare road to Dover.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
the upper side of Oyster river, the 10th, 8 mo., 1653, bounded by a line from the head of Thomas Johnson's creek, where the salt marsh ended, to the head of the other creek (Bunk- er's) where Jonas Bine's marsh was. This tract was sometimes called Bunker's Neck. Wm. Follet's half of this neck was conveyed to James Bunker, son of the above James, then deceased, March 28, "in the sixth year of our sovereign Lady Ann " (1707), by Nicholas Follet of Portsmouth, "by right of heir-in- law," together with one half of ten acres, called ye Vineyard, at the head of Johnson's creek, granted Wm. Follet and James Bunker in 1653, and also twenty acres of upland, ad- jacent to Story's marsh.1 With the exception of three acres of salt marsh given by James Bunker, Sr., to his daughter, Wealthen, wife of Robert Huckins, the whole of Bunker's Neck, or " plantation," as it is called, com- prising 236g acres, was divided, May 15, 1759, among the seven children of James Bunker, Jr. A part of this (36} acres), next Jones's creek, fell to Love Bunker, wife of Col. Thomas Millet of Dover, and the re- mainder was acquired by three of the sons. A part of this estate, includ- ing the old garrison, is still in pos- session of the Bunker family.
V. The JONES GARRISON. This garrison stood on the upper side of Jones's creek, and, like most of the old garrisons at Oyster River, in a
pleasant situation, which speaks well for the taste of the early settlers. The river is in full sight. It was built by Stephen Jones, who came to this neighborhood about 1663, and · acquired the lands of Thomas John- son. He is called "Ensign" in 1692, being one of the three officers appointed for the defence of the set- tlement. The others were Capt. John Woodman and Lient. James Davis. They probably had better defences, and a greater supply of ammunition than the other garrison owners, and all their houses escaped destruction in the attack of 1694. Lient. Jones, however, came near being killed on that occasion. Three soldiers are mentioned as serving at his garrison from July 25, 1694, till the 24th of Nov. following, " except one want- ing a fortnight." And Stephen Jones's account for boarding soldiers from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696, amounted to £6. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 17 : 645, 657.)
Thomas Leathers, aged 75, in a deposition of Aug. 1, 1776, states that the family he was living with, when young, having moved to Capt. Stephen Jones's, to garrison during Queen Anne's war, he also went there. Jones's garrison was burnt down before May 9, 1732, when "Stephen Jones of Oyster River," son of the above Stephen, declared upon oath in the N. H. General Assembly, that "when his father's house was burnt he had in his chest
1 Wm. Story died before Oct. 9, 1660, and Sarah, his widow, married Samuel Austin before Jan. 27, 1661, and went to Wells, Me. May 12, 1662, this Samuel Austin, "planter," with the con- sent of Sarah, his wife, conveyed to William ffollet of Dover, the fall, and all right, title, and interest to Wm. Story's land at Oyster River, consisting of 140 acres of upland and a parcel of marsh near Thomas Johnson's creek. Sixty acres of Story's grant were sold by James Bunker to Abraham Clark. This tract seems to have been on the dividing line between the Oyster River precinct and Dover proper. One hundred acres of the same grant were sold April 4, 1720, by Nicholas Follet to Joseph Jenkins.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
in said house forty-two pounds of this Province money." It was voted to indemnify him for this loss. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 4 : 617, 784. )
VI. BEARD'S GARRISON. This gar- rison, according to tradition, stood east of Beard's creek, between the present turnpike road and the high- way to Dover, a short distance from the corner. It was built by Wm. Beard, who was at Oyster River as early as 1640, and was still living here April 19, 1675, on which day he and his wife Elisabeth gave " gra- tisly and freely " to James Huckins a tract of land near Beard's creek, adjoining the Woodman land. The deed of conveyance was executed in "ye new dwelling-house of William Beard of Oister River," it is therein expressly declared. This house, spoken of in Farmer's notes to Bel- knap as "garrisoned," was, a few months later, assaulted by the In- dians, who, coming upon the " good old man " William Beard without, killed him on the spot, cut off his head, and set it on a pole in derision. The inventory of his estate was made Nov. 1, 1675. One half of his house and lands was given to his widow and her heirs, and the other half to Edward Leathers and his heirs, un- less she should require it for her maintenance. And as to the land
which said Edward did then possess, it was confirmed to him and his heirs.1
It does not appear who occupied this garrison in 1694, but Edward Leathers was subsequently in posses- sion of the land. At the Indian at- tack of that year it is said to have been evacuated, and burned to the ground by the enemy. Edward's wife, called " old Mrs. Leathers," and one or two others of the family, were killed. They must have lived in this neighborhood, if not in the garrison itself. William, his son, escaped by running. It was this William, who, Jan. 9, 1721, gave his oldest son Edward his farm, where he then dwelt, on the south side of the highway,2 extending down to Oyster river low-water mark-apparently the very land on which Beard's garrison is said to have stood. The Leathers graves, not far from the river, may still be seen.
A Joseph Beard is mentioned in the Durham tradition in connection with the destruction of this garrison, but thus far nothing has appeared in the old records to verify this mention. William Beard evidently had no sons, nor did his property fall to any of the Beards. A "Joseph Beard of Oys- ter River" is mentioned in the Phil- brick Genealogy as the first husband
1 Edward Leathers-or Letheres, as he himself wrote the name-the heir of Wm. Beard, was a freeman at Oyster River as early as May 19, 1669, when he signed a petition to the Mass. government for Oyster River to be made a separate parish. He was constable in 1681, and au- thorized to collect all taxes in arrears. (See N. H. Prov. Papers, I: 308-310, 430-431.) Wm. Pit- man, in his will of Nov. 1, 1682, appointed Edward Leathers " overseer " of his wife and chil- dren, and to see that his will was properly executed, a proof of his good character and stand- ing. " Edward Letheres, Senior," was still alive April 6, 1716, when he and his son William signed a petition to Gov. Vaughan, the original of which is still extant, showing that they both wrote their names Letheres. A part of the old Beard land is still in the possession of Ed- ward's descendants.
2 It has been supposed there was in early times no road from Oyster river falls to Dover except " the King's highway " across Brown's hill. This is a mistake. The " Cochecho Path from William Beard's " is mentioned as early as 1668.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
of Esther, daughter of James Phil- brick of Hampton, who was born March 1, 1657. He was probably the Joseph Beard of Dover, who, with his wife Esther, conveyed to Thomas Tebbetts July 16, 1692, two acres of land on Dover Neck that formerly belonged to his father Thomas Beard, deceased. His wife Esther was appointed administratrix of his estate Feb. 9, 1703. She became the second wife of Sylvanus Nock of Dover Nov. 12, 1705. En- sign Joseph Beard, son of the above Joseph and Esther, is mentioned Oct. 7, 1713. (See Back Cove.) His wife was Elizabeth, who, with their son-in-law Richard Plumer, was appointed to administer on his estate Dec. 4. 1723.
Thomas Beard, father of the first mentioned Joseph, was no doubt the Thomas who had a grant of land near Sandy point in 1642 (see Sandy Point), and who, together with Valen- tine Hill, had the grant of Oyster River falls Nov. 19, 1649. His will of Dec. 16, 1678, mentions his wife Mary, his sons Joseph and Thomas, and his daughters Martha Bunker and Elizabeth Watson. The latter was probably the wife of Robert Watson of Oyster River, who was killed by the Indians in 1694.
VII. WOODMAN'S GARRISON. This garrison, which is still in an admira- ble state of preservation, is one of the largest and most noted of the Oyster River defences. It is beauti- fully situated on the eastern slope of
a hill at the head of Beard's creek, with brooks and deep ravines on every side of the acclivity, except at the west. It has a fine outlook for an approaching enemy, as well as a charming view in every direction, except in the rear, where the rise of land intercepts the prospect. Dur- ham village, which did not exist when this garrison was built, lies at the south in full view, embosomed among trees ; and at the east may be traced the windings of Oyster river on its way to the Pascataqua. At the north, through an opening between the hills, can be seen the spot where the Huckins garrison stood ; and nearer at hand, but separated from it by a profound ravine, is the field where occurred the massacre of 1689.
This garrison was built by Capt. John Woodman,1 son of Edward Woodman of Newbury, Mass., who came to Oyster River as early as 1657, and in 1660 had a grant of twenty acres between the lands of William Beard and Valentine Hill, with Stony brook on the south, ap- parently the very land where he built his garrison. He had a captain's commission before 1690, which was renewed by the Massachusetts gov- ernment that year, and again by Gov. Usher of New Hampshire in 1692. His garrison underwent more than one attack from the Indians, and seems to have been manned in part by government soldiers.
The N. H. authorities ordered, Nov. 28, 1692, that five pounds be
1Capt. John Woodman was the direct ancestor of the present writer, through his daughter Sarah, who married John Thompson of Oyster River. Among the descendants of said John and Sarah might be mentioned the Hon. Ebenezer Thompson, first secretary of state of N. H .; the late Major A. B. Thompson of Concord, also secretary of this state for many years; Mrs. O. C. Moore of Nashua; Miss Frances E. Willard, the well known President of the Woman's Temperance Union ; Mrs. Minerva B. Norton of Beloit, Wis., authoress, etc.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
paid for provisions for the soldiers at Capt. Woodman's garrison. In 1693 he represented to the govern- ment the defenceless condition of Oyster River, and an order " that six men be raised for Capt. John Wood- man " was issued Ap. 24, 1693. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 2 : 102-3.) Six more were sent here Nov. 30, 1695, and one Dec. 2. (Ibid, 2 : 174.) Three sol- diers are mentioned as serving here from July 25, 1694, till Nov. 24, fol- lowing, and others from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696. (1bid, 17 : 645, 657.)
Woodman's garrison is one of the most interesting monuments of early times in the state. Unfortunately it is no longer in possession of the family. The last owner of the name was Prof. John S. Woodman of Dartmouth College. After his death it was sold by his widow, together with the adjacent land that for more than two hundred years had been owned by the Woodman family.
VIII. HUCKINS' GARRISON. This garrison stood on the very outskirts of the Oyster River settlement, spe- cially exposed to attack. It was a few rods south of the house now owned by Mr. Ebenezer T. Emerson, on the same side of the road. Oyster river is half a mile distant in a direet line ; and a mile, at least, following the course of the road. This garri- son was built by James Huckins, son of Robert Huggins of the Dover Com-
bination. James was taxed at Oys- ter River in 1664. He seems to have been a connection of Wm. Beard or his wife, who gave him a portion of their lands. Huckins' gar- rison was destroyed in Angust, 1689,1 on which occasion eighteen persons were massacred in a neighboring field now belonging to Mr. J. W. Coe, besides several others at the garrison itself. Pike, in his Journal, says James Huggin of Oyster River was słain. Sarah, his wife,2 was taken captive, but was rescued the follow- ing year at Ameriscoggin. She be- came the second wife of Capt. John Woodman. The Huckins lands were acquired by the Emersons. (See Huck- ins' brook. )
IX. The Burnham Garrison. De- scending Oyster river on the south side, about a mile below Durham falls as the road winds, but half that dis- tance in a direct line, stood the Burn- ham garrison, the exact site of which has been disputed. It was built by Robert Burnham, who came to this country in the Angel Gabriel, which sailed from Bristol, Eng., June 4, 1635, and was wrecked at Pemaquid, now Bristol, Me., August 15, follow- ing. He was taxed at Oyster River (of course for land) in 1657, if not before. Two hundred acres more were laid out to him Nov. 9, 1661, originally granted to Ambrose Gib- bons, adjacent to the house where Gibbons then lived, and where he
1 C. W. Tuttle, in his Historical Papers, pp. 203-4, says Huckins' garrison was destroyed Sept. 13, 1689. He considers Pike's date erroneous.
2 A Sarah Huggins has become renowned in song for her conquest of the Earl of Exeter. She was the prototype of the heroine in Tennyson's romantic poem, " The Lord of Burleigh."
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
wrote his will, July 11, 1656, the very day he died.1 One portion of this grant is a beautiful meadow, now chiefly owned by Mr. G. W. Burn- ham, which lies along the river side, enclosed among wooded hills, and intersected by a runlet of water that empties into Burnham's creek. Ac- cording to the tradition in the above owner's line, the garrison stood in the heart of this meadow, near the runlet,-a place with no natural ad- vantages of position whatever, and where there could have been no cellar suitable for storage. This meadow, however, was unquestionably a part of the old Gibbons grant acquired by Robert Burnham, and a house thereon was no doubt erected at an early day, that sooner or later was proba- bly surrounded by defences. Wheth- er this was the original Burnham garrison or not is to be decided chiefly by the situation of the Pitman land. At the Indian attack of July 18, 1694, Ezekiel Pitman is said to have lived at " a gunshot's distance " from the garrison, and being awak- ened by the shout that the enemy was at hand, barely effected his escape into the garrison with his
family. But all the land owned by Ezekiel Pitman on the south side of Oyster river was, as far as it has come to light, some distance below, as will be seen.
Nearly a quarter of a mile farther down the river, on the farm now owned by the heirs of the late Joseph Burnham, between Cutt's hill and the shore, is another and more remarka- ble spot, where a constant tradition in the owner's line places the garri- son. And it would seem that no one, except for safety, would ever have built a house in so inaccessible a place, certainly not a mere dwell- ing-house. It is a steep, eraggy hill, precipitous for the most part, so it could have been made absolutely im- pregnable after the mode of warfare in those days. It is not surprising the Indians did not venture to attack so strong a hold, when they found the inmates on the alert. There is just room enough on the top for the buildings and a palisade. The cel- lar, with its stone wall, is still per- feet, as well as a smaller cellar, entirely separate, which no doubt was for ammunition and other dry storage. These two cellars are mentioned more
1 Ambrose Gibbons owned land at Oyster river before the 3d, 12 mo., 1640 (N. H. Prov. Pap., 1: 141.) He was one of the agents sent over by Capt. John Mason in the spring of 1630. He sailed in the bark Warwick subsequent to Ap. 8, and arrived before July 21 of that year. He first set- tled on the Newichawannock, where he established a trading-post, built a saw-mill, and attempted the cultivation of the grapevine. His wife and child came over in 1631. This child is often spoken of in the letters to Gibbons. (See N. H. Prov. Pap., Vol. I.) One from George Vaughan, dated at " Boston, Aug. 20, 1634," affectionately mentions " little Beck." Her name was Rebecca. She afterward married Henry Sherburne, also one of Mason's colonists. Her grandson, the Hon. Henry Sherburne, married Dorothy, sister of Lieutenant Gov. John Went- worth. Her granddaughter, Bridget, daughter of Richard and Mary (Sherburne) Sloper, mar- ried, March 29, 1684, John Chevalier, otherwise Knight, who acquired Knight's ferry at Bloody Point.
Ambrose Gibbons belonged to the Dover Combination, and Sept. 27, 1648, was one of the five men charged with the prudential affairs of the town. He was also a magistrate. Oct. 5, 1652, he had a grant of the mill-privilege at the head of Thomas Johnson's creek. He was then living on the south side of Oyster river, on land now owned by Col. Burnham, and adjacent to the tract of 200 acres granted nim by the town at the above date. He bequeathed all his prop- erty to his grandson, Samuel Sherburne, son of his only child, Rebecca. Ambrose Gibbons is said to have been buried at Sanders's Point, just across the bridge from the Wentworth House at New Castle.
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